Most Common SAT Vocab Words

abase

(v.) to humiliate, degrade; belittle, demean (After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror.)

abate

(v.) to lessen or reduce; subside, dwindle (Abating winds finally gave the rescue team a break.)

abdicate

(v.) to give up power; resign, relinquish (The king chose to abdicate the throne in favor of his daughter.)

abduct

(v.) to kidnap or seize by force; snatch, carry off (The villain attempted to abduct the child at night.)

aberration

(n.) a deviation from the norm; anomaly, irregularity (The snowstorm in June was an aberration no one expected.)

abet

(v.) to assist in wrongdoing; aid, encourage (He was charged with trying to abet the bank robbery.)

abhor

(v.) to hate deeply; detest, loathe (She abhors injustice in any form.)

abide

(v.) to tolerate or follow; accept, obey (You must abide by the school's code of conduct.)

abject

(adj.) hopeless and miserable; wretched, degraded (They were trapped in abject poverty for years.)

abjure

(v.) to formally reject; renounce, forswear (He abjured violence and vowed to follow peaceful methods.)

abnegation

(n.) self-denial; renunciation, rejection (The monk's abnegation of worldly pleasures was admirable.)

abort

(v.) to terminate early; cancel, halt (The engineers had to abort the launch due to a glitch.)

abridge

(v.) to shorten; condense, trim (The novel was abridged to make it suitable for younger readers.)

abrogate

(v.) to cancel by authority; repeal, annul (The new president vowed to abrogate outdated laws.)

abrupt

(adj.) sudden or curt; hasty, blunt (Her abrupt reply surprised everyone in the room.)

abscond

(v.) to run away secretly; flee, bolt (He absconded with company funds and vanished.)

absolution

(n.) formal forgiveness; pardon, mercy (The priest granted her absolution after confession.)

abstain

(v.) to hold back voluntarily; refrain, avoid (He chose to abstain from voting in the election.)

abstruse

(adj.) difficult to understand; obscure, puzzling (The philosopher's ideas were too abstruse for casual readers.)

accede

(v.) to agree or comply; consent, yield (She finally acceded to their request after much persuasion.)

accentuate

(v.) to emphasize or highlight; stress, underscore (Her makeup was designed to accentuate her eyes.)

accessible

(adj.) easy to reach or understand; available, approachable (The museum is accessible to wheelchair users.)

accessory

(n.) a supplementary item; add-on, ornament (He wore a tie as a stylish accessory to his suit.)

acclaim

(v.) to praise publicly; applaud, commend (The film was acclaimed by critics worldwide.)

accolade

(n.) an award or honor; praise, recognition (She received the highest accolade for her work in science.)

accommodating

(adj.) willing to help; obliging, cooperative (The staff was very accommodating to our special requests.)

accord

(n.) agreement or harmony; consensus, unity (Both sides reached an accord after hours of negotiation.)

accost

(v.) to approach aggressively; confront, hassle (He was accosted by a stranger demanding money.)

account for

(v.) to explain or justify; clarify, rationalize (Can you account for your whereabouts last night?)

accretion

(n.) gradual growth; buildup, accumulation (The coral reef grew by accretion over centuries.)

acerbic

(adj.) sharp or bitter in tone; harsh, sarcastic (Her acerbic wit often offended others.)

acquiesce

(v.) to give in passively; comply, yield (He reluctantly acquiesced to their demands.)

acrimony

(n.) bitterness or hostility; resentment, rancor (The debate ended in mutual acrimony.)

acumen

(n.) keen insight or skill; shrewdness, expertise (Her business acumen impressed the investors.)

acute

(adj.) sharp or severe; intense, keen (He felt an acute pain in his chest.)

adamant

(adj.) unyielding or firm; stubborn, resolute (She was adamant about finishing the project on time.)

adept

(adj.) highly skilled; proficient, expert (He is adept at solving complex math problems.)

adhere

(v.) to stick to or follow; cling, comply (All students must adhere to the honor code.)

admonish

(v.) to warn or scold; reprimand, caution (The teacher admonished the class for being disruptive.)

adorn

(v.) to decorate or beautify; embellish, garnish (The bride's hair was adorned with fresh flowers.)

adroit

(adj.) skillful and clever; adept, nimble (The adroit surgeon completed the procedure flawlessly.)

adulation

(n.) excessive praise; flattery, worship (The celebrity was uncomfortable with the constant adulation.)

adulterate

(v.) to make impure; contaminate, dilute (The vendor was fined for adulterating the milk with water.)

adumbrate

(v.) to foreshadow or suggest; outline, hint (The author adumbrated the novel's twist early on.)

adverse

(adj.) unfavorable or harmful; negative, detrimental (They continued the hike despite the adverse weather conditions.)

advocate

(v.) to support or argue for; promote, endorse (She advocates for animal rights through her foundation.)

aerial

(adj.) related to the air; airborne, flying (The drone provided aerial footage of the parade.)

aesthetic

(adj.) concerned with beauty; artistic, tasteful (The gallery had a clean, modern aesthetic.)

affable

(adj.) friendly and easy to talk to; sociable, approachable (He's known for being affable with both students and faculty.)

affinity

(n.) a natural connection or liking; attraction, bond (She has an affinity for classical music.)

affluent

(adj.) wealthy and well-off; rich, prosperous (They live in an affluent suburb outside the city.)

affront

(n.) an insult or offense; slight, indignity (His rude comment was taken as an affront to her dignity.)

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in power or wealth; glorify, magnify (The ruler tried to aggrandize his image with grand monuments.)

aggravate

(v.) to make worse; worsen, intensify (Scratching the rash will only aggravate it.)

aggregate

(n.) a whole formed by parts; sum, total (The company's aggregate sales surpassed expectations.)

aggrieved

(adj.) feeling wronged or offended; resentful, upset (The employee was aggrieved by the unfair treatment.)

agile

(adj.) quick and nimble; graceful, spry (The gymnast was remarkably agile on the balance beam.)

agnostic

(n.) one who doubts religious certainty; skeptic, doubter (As an agnostic, he remains unsure about the existence of God.)

agriculture

(n.) farming or cultivation; agronomy, husbandry (Agriculture is essential to the country's economy.)

aisle

(n.) a walkway between rows; corridor, passage (She walked down the aisle with a radiant smile.)

alacrity

(n.) eager readiness; enthusiasm, willingness (She accepted the invitation with alacrity.)

alias

(n.) a false or assumed name; pseudonym, nickname (The criminal used an alias to avoid capture.)

allay

(v.) to ease or calm; soothe, alleviate (The nurse spoke softly to allay the patient's fears.)

allege

(v.) to claim without proof; assert, accuse (He alleged that the election had been rigged.)

alleviate

(v.) to lessen or relieve; ease, mitigate (The medicine helped alleviate her headache.)

allocate

(v.) to assign or distribute; designate, allot (The funds were allocated for emergency relief.)

aloof

(adj.) emotionally distant; detached, reserved (He remained aloof during the heated discussion.)

altercation

(n.) a noisy argument; dispute, quarrel (The two men had an altercation over parking.)

amalgamate

(v.) to combine or unite; merge, blend (The companies amalgamated to form a larger corporation.)

ambiguous

(adj.) unclear or having multiple meanings; vague, equivocal (His ambiguous answer confused the entire class.)

ambivalent

(adj.) having mixed feelings; uncertain, conflicted (She was ambivalent about moving to a new city.)

ameliorate

(v.) to improve or make better; enhance, upgrade (They tried to ameliorate the situation with an apology.)

amenable

(adj.) open to suggestion; cooperative, agreeable (She was amenable to trying a different approach.)

amenity

(n.) a useful feature; convenience, facility (The hotel offers every amenity imaginable.)

amiable

(adj.) friendly and pleasant; good-natured, warm (The new teacher was amiable and well-liked.)

amicable

(adj.) done in a friendly way; peaceful, cordial (They reached an amicable divorce settlement.)

amorous

(adj.) full of love or desire; romantic, affectionate (He sent her an amorous letter expressing his feelings.)

amorphous

(adj.) without a clear shape; shapeless, vague (The amorphous cloud drifted across the sky.)

anachronistic

(adj.) out of place in time; outdated, misplaced (The use of a typewriter felt anachronistic in the digital age.)

analgesic

(n.) pain reliever; painkiller, anesthetic (She took an analgesic to ease the pain after surgery.)

analogous

(adj.) comparable or similar; alike, equivalent (The human brain is analogous to a computer in some ways.)

anarchist

(n.) one who opposes all government; rebel, revolutionary (The anarchist was arrested during the protest.)

anathema

(n.) something hated or cursed; abomination, pariah (Lying is an anathema to her strict moral code.)

anecdote

(n.) a short personal story; tale, narrative (He shared a funny anecdote from his childhood.)

anesthesia

(n.) loss of sensation; numbing, sedation (The patient was under anesthesia during the procedure.)

anguish

(n.) great pain or suffering; agony, torment (She cried out in anguish after hearing the bad news.)

animated

(adj.) full of life or excitement; lively, spirited (The crowd became animated when the band took the stage.)

animosities toward

(n.) strong hostility; hatred, resentment (There were lingering animosities toward the former coach.)

annex

(v.) to add or attach; acquire, append (The country planned to annex the disputed territory.)

annul

(v.) to cancel legally; void, invalidate (The court decided to annul the marriage.)

anomaly

(n.) something unusual; irregularity, exception (The test results showed an anomaly in her heartbeat.)

anonymous

(adj.) unnamed or unknown; unidentified, incognito (The donor chose to remain anonymous.)

antagonism

(n.) hostility or opposition; conflict, enmity (There was open antagonism between the two rivals.)

antecedent

(n.) something that comes before; precursor, predecessor (Historical events were the antecedent to the revolution.)

antediluvian

(adj.) extremely old; ancient, outdated (He has antediluvian views on gender roles.)

anthology

(n.) a collection of writings; compilation, selection (She published an anthology of modern poetry.)

antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike; aversion, hostility (He has an antipathy for loud noises.)

antiquated

(adj.) outdated or old-fashioned; obsolete, archaic (The typewriter is now considered antiquated technology.)

antiseptic

(adj.) clean or sterile; disinfected, germ-free (The nurse applied an antiseptic cream to the wound.)

antithesis

(n.) the direct opposite; contrast, reverse (Her generosity is the antithesis of his selfishness.)