SAT VOCAB

Heresy

The crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine

Docile

Easy to teach or manage

Libation

an alcoholic drink

Anathema

A hated, repellent, person or thing

Banter

playful conversation; teasing

Castigate

To criticize or punish for the purpose of correction

Gauche

Lacking social graces; tactics

Ignominy

Public shame, disgrace, or dishonor

Motley

Made up of different, dissimilar parts; being of many colors

Emaciated

Extremely thin; wasted away

Avarice

Desire for wealth

Furtive

Stealthy or secretive

Bacchanalian

Wild and drunken

Extradited

To turn over or deliver to the legal jurisdiction or another gov

Copius

Numerous or large in quantity

Irascible

Easily angered

Mercenary

A professional soldier hired by a foreign army

Bastion

A strong defense or fort

Jettison

To cast overboard; to discard

Ostracize

To banish or shut out from a group or society by common consent

Bigot

One who is intolerant of differences in people

Expunge

To erase or eliminate

Candid

Outspoken, blunt

Argot

Specific words or phrases used by a specific group of people

Negligence

Careless neglect, often resulting in injury

Appease

To calm; to make satisfied (often temporary)

Strident

Harsh sounding; grating

Chaos

complete disorder

Augment

To enlarge; to increase in amount or intensity

Jingoism

Extreme chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy

Rancor

Extreme hatred or ill will

Adamant

Unyielding, firm in opinion

Inexorable

Unrelenting, unavoidable

Opus

A creative work, especially a numbered composition

Extol

To praise highly

Diffident

Lacking in self confidence, shy

Clement

Merciful, lenient

Ostensible

Professed but not necessarily true

cliche

worn out idea or overused expression

Disparity

Inequality or difference

Condone

To forgive or overlook an offense

Nuance

A slight or subtle degree of difference

Connoisseur

An expert in matters of culture, food, or wine

Enigma

A mystery; something seemingly inexplicable

Apathy

Lack of interest; state of not caring

Officious

Excessively eager to deliver unasked for help

Credence

belief or trust

Jaunty

having a buoyant self confident air; brisk and crisp (Lively and cheerful, or confident and stylish)

Dilletante

one who merely dabbles in art or science

Cynical

Doubtful or distrustful of the goodness or sincerity of human motive

Ambivalent

Unable to decide between two opposing views

Demagogue

A leader who appeals to citizens emotions to obtain power

Demure

quiet, modest, or reserved

Intrepid

without fear; brave

Destitute

extremely poor, lacking necessities like food and shelter

Erudite

Scholarly, learned

Dilemma

A difficult choice; a seemingly unsolvable problem

Culmination

the highest point of attainment; the end or climax

Concur

To be of the same opinion; to agree

Abate

to lessen in violence or intensity

Decorum

conformity to accepted standards or conduct; proper behavior

Abhor

to detest or hate strongly

dole

to distribute or give out sparingly

gamut

the whole range or extent

extrovert

one who is gregarious or energies rather than being drained by interactions w/others

droll

amusing in an odd or whimsical way

duplicity

intentional deceit in speech or conduct

effigy

a crude dummy or image representing a hated person or group

austere

stern, severe, or plain

Divulge

To tell; to reveal (a secret)

Abet

to assist or encourage esp. in wrongdoing

Dogmatic

Arrogant and stubborn about one’s (often unproven) beliefs

Insipid

lacking flavor; dull; not at all stimulating

extraneous

inessential

coerce

to force by using pressure

Jaundiced

Prejudiced; hostile

Meticulous

extremely careful about small details

Temerity

recklessness

Gregarious

sociable