SAT Vocabulary 251-275

abolish

to destroy completely, do away with entirely

abstemious

sparing, especially in eating or drinking; restricted to bare necessities

accolade

a mark of acknowledgement, award

affirmation

assertion, a declaration, positive statement

amass

to collect for oneself, accumulate

ambivalence

coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings; uncertainty or indecisiveness about which to follow

ambulatory

relating to walking, able to walk

amity

peaceful relations, as between nations; friendship

anchor

to fasten; to secure firmly

antediluvian

relating to period before flood described in Bible, antiquated

atrophy

decrease in size or wasting away

baneful

creating destruction or woe

bizarre

strikingly out of the ordinary

blunder

to make a mistake through utter stupidity

burgeon

to sprout, send out branches; expand, flourish

clemency

disposition to be merciful, act of leniency

coalesce

to unite into a whole, to grow together

confound

to cause to become confused

congeal

change from fluid to solid, coagulate

contaminate

soil, stain, or infect by contract or association

elusive

tending to avoid grasp; perception, description, or mental retention

expedient

serving to promote one’s interest

fastidious

displaying careful and meticulous attention to detail

dubious

causing doubt or uncertainty; skeptical, questionable

immutable

not subject or susceptible to change

Abolish

syn. annihilate, extinguish, extirpate, do away with

ant. begin, establish

Abstemious

syn. ascetic, self-denying, temperate, self-restraining

ant. overindulgent, unrestrained, gluttonous

Accolade

syn. praise, acclaim, tribute, award

ant. denigration, curse

Affirmation

syn. avowal, assertion, pronouncement, declaration

ant. denial, refutation

Amass

syn. aggregate, assemble, accumulate

ant. disperse, distribute, scatter

Ambivalence

syn. irresolution, uncertainty, fluctuation

ant. certainty, resolution

Ambulatory

syn. nomadic, peripatetic, pedestrian, able to walk

ant. bedridden, bedfast, stationary

Amity

syn. goodwill, benevolence, comity

ant. enmity, antipathy, hostility, animosity

Anchor

syn. moor, secure, fix, fasten

ant. loosen, detach, free

Antediluvian

syn. obsolete, ancient, archaic, antiquated

ant. fresh, new, innovative

Atrophy

syn. deteriorate, decline, wither

ant. strengthen, grow

Baneful

syn. ruinous, pernicious, noxious, deadly

ant. salubrious, advantageous, beneficial

Bizarre

syn. odd, eccentric, atypical, curious, unusual

ant. normal, ordinary, usual, commonplace

Blunder

syn. bumble, botch, bungle; goof, goof up

ant. flawlessness, accuracy; perfection

Burgeon

syn. prosper, surge, mushroom, flourish

ant. diminish, lessen, shrink, decline

Clemency

syn. indulgence, pardon, absolution, leniency

ant. condemnation, mercilessness

Coalesce

syn. meld, bond, merge, ally, combine

ant. separate, segregate, disjoin

Confound

syn. bewilder, perplex, puzzle

ant. discriminate, distinguish, clarify

Congeal

syn. clot, gel, solidify, harden

ant. liquefy, dissolve, melt

Contaminate

syn. taint, pollute, defile, befoul, infect

ant. purify, cleanse

Elusive

syn. evasive

Expedient

syn. suitable, useful; strategy, scheme, self-serving

ant. inconvenient

Fastidious

syn. punctilious, scrupulous, precise

ant. imprecise, unexact

Dubious

syn. suspicious, doubtful, skeptical

ant. confident, certain

Immutable

syn. constant

ant. changeable