SAT Vocab

Abase

humble/degrade

The parishioner ___ himself by removing his hat when entering the house of worship.

Abased

Abate

subside/decrease

After several stormy hours, the heavy winds ____.

Abated

Aberrant

abnormal

A psychologist was called in to determine the root of the young man’s ____ sexual behavior.

Aberrant

abeyance

temporary inactivity (Construction of the office building was held in ____ until the weather improved.)

A psychologist was called in to determine the root of the young man’s ____ sexual behavior.

Abeyance

Abhor

hate/find repulsive

Residents of the peaceful village ____ the violent acts perpetrated by their belligerent.

Abhorred

abject

hopelessly miserable/humiliating

People in third-world countries often live in ____ poverty.

Abject

Abjure

renounce

After fleeing, the war-ravaged country, the former insurgents ____ all allegiance to the rebel faction.

Abjured

Abnegate

deny/forgo

Henry David Thoreau ___ modern conveniences and instead chose to live simply in his cottage by Walden Pond.

Abnegated

Abridge

condense

To accommodate the newspaper’s space restrictions, the reporter was asked to ___ his lengthy account of the events.

Abridge

Abrogate

abolish

Furious at the unwarranted forays by the neighbouring country, the leader ___ the previously established peace settlement.

Abrogated

Absolution

forgiveness

The penitent sinner sought ___ from the Church for his blasphemous and profane past.

Absolution

Absolve

free from blame

A confession by the bank teller ___ the clerk of the crime of embezzlement.

Absolved

Abstemious

eating/drinking in moderation

Throughout his long life, the ___ octogenarian refrained from excessive imbibing or carousing.

Abstemious

Abstruse

difficult to comprehend

In her discussion, the noted physicist delved into an ____ analysis of quantum mechanics.

Abstruse

Abysmal

bottomless/endless

The wretched inhabitants of the barren wasteland lived in ___ poverty and despair.

Abysmal

Accede

consent/yield

Rather than prolong the argument, the husband ___ to the wishes of his distaff mate.

Acceded

Accolade

award of praise

It often takes many hard-fought and laborious years of touring before an artist receives his due recognition and ___ from the music world.

Accolades

Accord

agreement

After lengthly negotiations, the two rival parties reached a mutual peace ___.

Accord

Accouter

outfit/equip

In preparation for battle , the soldiers were Accoutred with protective gear.

Accoutered

Accrue

accumulate

The investment ___ interest at the rate of 5% per annum.

Accrued

Acerbic

scathingly sarcastic

His ___ wit added piquant flavor to his caustic movie reviews.

Acerbic

Acme

top

The unparalleled success of her latest novel placed the author placed the author at the ___ of her acclaimed literary career.

Acme

Acquisitive

consent/submit

To settle the seemingly interminable strike, management ___ to the implacable union’s demands.

Acquiesced

Acquisitive

desirous

In the movie Citizen Kane, the ___ mogul sought to run his own daily newspaper.

Acquisitive

Acrid

harsh and stinging

An ___ odor emitted by the geyser burned the tourists’ eyes.

Acrid

Acrimonious

bitter and spiteful

As the meeting degenerated into chaos, hostilities turned to ___ name-calling.

Acrimonious

Actuate

activate

The boys’ cross-country jaunt was ___ by their desire for adventure.

Actuated

Acumen

keenness/shrewdness

Her business ___ was greatly responsible for her financial success.

Acumen

Acute

sharp/intense

The patient experienced an ___ pain in his side.

Acute

Adamant

insistent

In his defense, the lad was ___ that he did not leave his sister unattended.

Adamant