SAT Words

amalgam

a mixture, combination of different elements

ambiguous

unclear, not definitive

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

anachronism

not in proper time period

Analogy

a similarity or likeness

anguish

agonizing physical or mental pain

anomaly/atypical

deviation from the norm

antecedent/forerunner

a preceding event

eccentric

an odd, unconventional person

elusive

out of reach, difficult to catch

enigmatic, inscrutable

mysterious; baffling

enumerate

to list, to tick off

equanimity

calmness, composure

erroneous

Filled with errors; wrong

evocation

an imaginative recreation

exemplary

outstanding

abstemious

moderate in eating or drinking

acquiesce

to comply

acrimonious

great bitterness

admonish

to earnestly caution

adriot/deft/dexterous

skillful

aesthetic

an appreciation of what is beautiful or attractive

affable, amiable, genial, gregarious

agreeable, friendly

aloof

detached, reserved

diminutive

very small

Drige

a funeral hymn, mournful music

dismissive

to reject, disregard

disparage

little, slight

disparity

an inequality, or imbalance

dispel

to drive away, scatter

dissembler, prevaricator

a liar and deceiver

draconian

very strict laws and rules

antipathy, animosity

strong dislike

antithesis, antipodal

something that is the direct opposite of another thing

archaic

out of date

ascetic

a person who leads a life of self-denial

audacious

very bold; daring

auspicious

very favorable

automaton

a person who acts in a mechanical fashion, a mindless follower

autonomous

independent

bane

a source of harm

belie

to give a false impression

benefactor

a person who gives gifts

beneficiary

a person who receives benefits

boon

a timely benefit

boon boorish, uncouth

vulgar, crude

bowdlerize

to remove or delete objectionable parts of a book

bucolic, rustic, pastoral

charmingly rural

bungler

a clumsy or inept person

callous

insensitive

capricious, mercurial

fickle, constant shifting moods

charlatan

a fake, a fraud, a cheat

chimerical

a fantastic scheme, unchecked imagination

circuitous

circular and therefore indirect

circumscribe

to narrowly restrict, to limit action, to draw a line around

circumspect, prudent

cautious, careful

circumvent

to avoid by artful maneuvering

clairvoyant

a person who uses intuition to see into the future

clandestine, surreptitious

secretive, not aboveboard, covert

confounded/ perplexed/ mystified

puzzled, confused

conjecture/ supposition

an inference

convoluted

twisted, intricate

copious

abundant, a great amount

covet

to strongly desire; to crave

cryptic

mysterious, having a hidden meaning

curtail

to cut short or reduce

dearth, paucity

scarcity or shortage

debunk

to put down by exposing false claims

decry

to express strong disapproval

deleterious

harmful, injurious

demagogue

a speaker who appeals to emotions, fear or prejudices

demise

the final ending of something, the downfall

denounce

to speak against

deride

to put down with contemptuous jeering

despondent, forlorn

feeling downcast, dejected

devoid

completely lacking in something

diatribe, tirade

a bitter denunciation

diffident

lacking self-confidence

digress

to depart from a subject

dilettante

an amateur or dabbler

exhort

to strongly encourage

exorbitant

unreasonably expensive

expunge, excise, expurgate

delete, remove

extricate

to get out of a difficult situation

fiasco, debacle

a complete failure

fleeting, ephemeral

very brief, short lived

fortitude

strength of mind

fortuitous

an accidental but fortunate occurrence

futile

doomed to failure

galvanize

to electrify, stire into action

gerrymander

to divide a district so as to give one side an advantage

halcyon

idyllically calm and tranquil

haughty

proud or arrogant

hedonist

seeker of pleasure

hypothetical

based on assumption, supposed

iconoclast

someone who attacks cherished ideas and institutions

impasse

failure to reach an agreement

impeccable

faultless, perfect

impecunious

poor, penniless, not affluent

impetus

a stimulus or encouragement