SAT Vocab

Abase

(v.) To humiliate or degrade someone.

Abate

(v.) To reduce or lessen, especially in intensity.

Abdicate

(v.) To give up a position, usually one of leadership.

Abduct

(v.) To kidnap or take by force.

Aberration

(n.) Something that differs from the norm.

Abet

(v.) To aid, help, or encourage.

Abhor

(v.) To hate or detest intensely.

Abide

(v.) 1. To put up with. 2. To remain.

Abject

(adj.) Wretched or pitiful.

Abjure

(v.) To reject or renounce.

Abnegation

(n.)Denial of comfort to oneself.

Abort

To give up on a half-finished project or effort.

Abridge

1. To cut down or shorten. 2. Shortened.

Abrogate

To abolish, usually by authority.

Abscond

To sneak away and hide.

Absolution

Freedom from blame, guilt, or sin.

Abstain

To freely choose not to commit an action.

Abstruse

Hard to comprehend.

Accede

To agree or consent.

Accentuate

To stress or highlight.

Accessible

Obtainable or reachable.

Acclaim

High praise or approval.

Accolade

High praise or special distinction.

Accommodating

Helpful, obliging, or polite.

Accord

An agreement or harmony.

Accost

To confront verbally.

Accretion

Slow growth in size or amount.

Acerbic

Biting or bitter in tone or taste.

Acquiesce

To agree without protesting.

Acrimony

Bitterness or discord.

Acumen

Keen insight or skill.

Acute

1. Sharp or severe. 2. Having keen insight.

Adamant

Impervious, immovable, or unyielding.

Adept

Extremely skilled or proficient.

Adhere

1. To stick to something. 2. To follow devoutly.

Admonish

To caution, criticize, or reprove.

Adorn

To decorate or embellish.

Adroit

Skillful or dexterous.

Adulation

Extreme praise or admiration.

Adumbrate

To sketch out in a vague way.

Aggregate

(n.) a whole or total, (v.) to gather into a mass

Aggrieved

(adj.) distressed, wronged, injured

Agile

(adj.) quick, nimble

Agnostic

(adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven

Agriculture

(n.) farming

Aisle

(n.) a passageway between rows of seats

Alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed

Alias

(n.) a false name or identity

Allay

(v.) to soothe, ease

Allege

(v.) to assert, usually without proof

Alleviate

(v.) to relieve, make more bearable

Allocate

(v.) to distribute, set aside

Aloof

(adj.) reserved, distant

Altercation

(n.) a dispute, fight

Amalgamate

(v.) to bring together, unite

Ambiguous

(adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable

Ambivalent

(adj.) having opposing feelings

Ameliorate

(v.) to improve

Amenable

(adj.) willing, compliant

Amenity

(n.) an item that increases comfort

Amiable

(adj.) friendly

Amicable

(adj.) friendly

Amorous

(adj.) showing love, particularly sexual

Amorphous

(adj.) without definite shape or type

Anachronistic

(adj.) being out of correct chronological order

Analgesic

(n.) something that reduces pain

Analogous

(adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn

Anarchist

(n.) one who wants to eliminate all government

Anathema

(n.) a cursed, detested person

Anecdote

(n.) a short, humorous account

Anesthesia

(n.) loss of sensation

Anguish

(n.) extreme sadness, torment

Animated

(adj.) lively

Annex

(v.) to incorporate territory or space, (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space

Annul

(v.) to make void or invalid

Anomaly

(n.) something that does not fit into the normal order

Anonymous

(adj.) being unknown, unrecognized

Antagonism

(n.) hostility

Antecedent

(n.) something that came before

Antediluvian

(adj.) ancient

Antithesis

The absolute opposite. Example:"Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs."

Anxiety

Intense uneasiness. Example:"When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety because he knew that his girlfriend had been driving on the road where the accident occurred."

Apathetic

Lacking concern, emotion. Example:"Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime."

Apocryphal

Fictitious, false, wrong. Example:"Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal."

Appalling

Inspiring shock, horror, disgust. Example:"The judge found the murderer’s crimes and lack of remorse appalling."

Appease

To calm, satisfy. Example:"When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him."

Appraise

To assess the worth or value of. Example:"A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house."

Apprehend

1. To seize, arrest. Example:"The criminal was apprehended at the scene." 2. To perceive, understand, grasp. Example:"The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science."

Approbation

Praise. Example:"The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation."

Arbitrary

Based on factors that appear random. Example:"The boy’s decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary."

Balk

to stop, block abruptly

Banal

dull, commonplace

Bane

a burden

Bard

a poet, often a singer as well

Bashful

shy, excessively timid

Battery

a device that supplies power or an assault, beating

Beguile

to trick, deceive

Behemoth

something of tremendous power or size

Benevolent

marked by goodness or doing good

Benign

favorable, not threatening, mild