Lesson #3 SAT Vocab

prodigal

extravagant; wasteful

assess

to estimate the value of; to measure

deter

to prevent; especially by threatening

complacent

smug; self-satisfied; overly confident

contempt

disdain; hatred

eloquent

speaking well; articulate

virtue

moral excellence

vital

essential; necessary

guile

cunning; deceitfulness

biased

prejudiced; not neutral

censor

to delete objectionable material

vulnerable

capable of being harmed

hypocritical

insincere

eccentric

odd; unusual; quirky

disdain

contempt; intense dislike

abstract

theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite of concrete)

valid

founded on fact of evidence

subtle

not obvious; hard to spot

enigma

mystery

inevitable

unavoidable; bound to happen

disillusioned

having lost faith or trust in something previously held in high regard

emphatic

expressing something forcibly and clearly

empirical

based on observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic

encapsulation

the act of enclosing or summarizing something in a concise form

enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

equivocal

open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous

erudite

having or showing great knowledge or learning

excessive

more than is necessary or normal; overly abundant

exhortation

an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something

explicit

stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt