ACT / SAT Vocabulary

abate

to reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; to lessen.

abbreviate

to shorten a word or phrase by omitting letters or sounds.

abdicate

to formally renounce one's throne or responsibility.

abduction

the act of taking someone away unlawfully, often by force.

aberrant

deviating from the norm or standard.

abet

to assist or encourage someone in doing something wrong, typically a crime.

abhor

to regard with disgust or hatred.

abject

extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading.

abolish

to formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution.

abominable

causing moral revulsion; very unpleasant.

aboriginal

relating to the original inhabitants of a region or country.

abortive

failing to produce the intended result; unsuccessful.

abrade

to wear away or rub off through friction.

abrasive

capable of polishing or grinding a surface; having a rough quality that can wear away materials.

abridge

to shorten a text or piece of writing while retaining its essential elements.

abscond

to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest.

absolute

not qualified or diminished in any way; total and complete.

absolve

to declare someone free from blame, guilt, or responsibility.

absorb

to take in or soak up (liquid or energy)

abstain

to restrain oneself from doing something, often for moral or health reasons.

abstemious

characterized by self-denial or moderation, especially in eating and drinking.

abstinence

the practice of refraining from indulging in something, typically alcohol or food.

abstract

existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.

abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure.

abundant

existing or occurring in large quantities; plentiful.

abusive

extremely offensive and insulting; causing harm or damage.

abysmal

extremely bad; appalling.

abyss

a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm; a profound depth.

academic

relating to education, schools, or scholarly pursuits.

accede

to agree to a demand or request, often after initial reluctance.

accelerate

to increase in speed or rate.

accentuate

to make something more prominent or noticeable.

accessible

easy to approach or reach; available to everyone.

accessory

an additional object or item that enhances or complements something else.

acclaim

to praise enthusiastically and publicly.

acclimate

to adjust or adapt to a new environment or situation.

accolade

an award or privilege granted as a special honor.

ACCOMODATION

a place where someone may live or stay, often providing necessary facilities or services.

accomplish

to successfully complete a task or goal.

accord

an agreement or harmony between parties.

acerbity

a sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper.

acme

the highest point or peak of something, often referring to achievement or excellence.

acoustics

the science of sound and its transmission, often studied in relation to buildings and environments.

acquiesce

assent; agree without protesting.

acquire

obtain; get

acquittal

deliverance from a charge

acrid

sharp; bitterly pungent.

acrimonious

bitter in words or manner

acuity

sharpness as in the mind

acumen

mental keenness

acute

quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe.

adage

wise saying; proverba

adamant

hard; inflexible

adapt

alter; modify

addiction

compulsion; habitual need

addle

muddle; drive crazy; become rottenaddre

address

direct a speech to; deal with or discuss

adept

stick fast

adherent

supporter; follower

adjacent

adjoining; neighboring; close by.

adjunct

something added on or attached to

annihilate

to destroy or kill

ascent

Upward movement; advancement

arbitrary

based on a whim or random decision

arduous

requiring a lot of effort

ambiguous

(adjective)

1. (of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning:

   "ambiguous phrases" · "the question is rather ambiguous"

   • unclear or inexact because a choice between alternatives has not been made:

     "the election result was ambiguous" · "this whole society is morally ambiguous"

ambitious

Strong drive for success - “He’s so ambitious and I heard he has worked 14 jobs this year because he wants to find the right one for him”

annihilate

To cause the non existence of something - “WW2 was a bloodbath, the enemy troops on both sides were annihilated”

antipathy

(noun) · antipathies (plural noun)

1. a deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion:

   "his fundamental antipathy to capitalism" · "a thinly disguised mutual antipathy"

benevolent

adjective

1. kind and with positive intentions:

   "he set himself up in the role of a benevolent dictator" · "a benevolent smile"

   • (of an organization) serving a charitable rather than a profit-making purpose:

bias

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair:

"there was evidence of bias against foreign applicants" · "the bias toward younger people in recruitment" · "a systematic bias in favor of the powerful"

bolster

To make stronger/strengthen

burgeoning

Growing rapidly/flourishing

bypass

To avoid something/to go around something

candid

Honest

candor

The quality of being able to be honest/frankness

capitalize

Take advantage of an opportunity

censure

To disapprove of something

coincide

To exist together in the same place or time period - “The strike was timed to coincide with the important conference of the board members”

competent

Being able to succeed at something based off of your abilities

complacent

smug satisfaction with you/oneself

conceal

To hide

concur

To agree

condense

To make something shorter

confine

To restrict someone from something

Consecutively

Right after another

console

comfort

contention

Severe argument

contradict

To go against

controversial

To cause a public disagreement

conventional

Based on what is done

convey

To transport

copious

A large supply

cordial

To be friendly

crucial

Necessary

crude

Explicit joke usually in a sexual manner

cumbersome

Large or heavy which makes something tooo heavy to carry

deceive

Mistaken impression of oneself or something

deference

Respect

depict

To use art to display/represent something