SAT Vocabulary

abase

to humiliate, degrade

abet

to help, aid, encourage

abide

1. to put up with

2. to remain

abjure

to renounce, reject

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abrogate

to abolish, usually by authority

absolution

freedom from blame, guilt, sin

abstruse

difficult to comprehend

accost

to confront verbally

acumen

keen insight

affront

an insult

alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness

amalgamate

to bring together, unite

amenable

open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

anathema

something or someone that one vehemently dislikes

apocryphal

(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true

approbation

praise, condemnation, sanction

appropriate (v.)

to take, make use of

arable

suitable for growing crops

arcane

obscure

ardor

extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm

arduous

involving or requiring strenuous effort

arrogate

to take without justification

artifice

trick, trickery

ascetic

practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

aspersion

an attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something

assiduous

showing great care and perseverance; diligent

austere

very bare, bleak

bane

a burden, annoyance

beguile

1. to trick, deceive

2. charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way

bilk

to cheat, defraud

blandish

to coax by using flattery

burnish

to polish, shine

callous (adj.)

showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others; unfeeling

calumny

an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

candor

honesty, frankness

capitulate

to surrender

carouse

to party, celebrate by drinking alcohol

carp

to annoy, pester

caustic

bitter, biting, acidic

cavort

to leap about, behave boisterously

circumlocution

indirect, wordy language

circumspect

cautious

clandestine

kept secret, usually because of illicitness

coalesce

to fuse into a whole

collateral

1. (adj.) secondary

2. (n.) security for a debt

complicit

being an accomplice in a wrongful act

compound (1)

to combine parts

compunction

feeling of guilt that prevents or follows doing something bad

conciliatory

intended or likely to placate or pacify

concord

harmonious agreement

conflate

to bring together, merge

confluence

a coming or gathering together

congenial

pleasantly agreeable

connive

to knowingly allow something wrongful to happen

consign

to give something over to another’s care

consummate

1. (v.) to bring (a deal) to completion

2. (adj.) extremely skilled and accomplished

contingent (2 definitions)

1. subject to change

2. dependent on

contrite

remorseful

contrive

to create or bring about by deliberate use or skill or artifice

conundrum

a difficult puzzle or problem

convivial

characterized by feasting, drinking, and merriment

corpulence

extreme fatness

credulity

gullibility

culpable

deserving blame

cupidity

greed, strong desire

curtail

reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on

debacle

a disastrous failure

debase

to lower the quality or esteem of something

debauch

to corrupt, to debase the moral purity of

decorous

socially proper, appropriate

decorum

good taste in manners and conduct

decry

to openly criticize

deft

skillful and quick in one’s movements

delineate

to describe or portray precisely

demagogue

a leader who appeals to people’s prejudices

demean

to lower the status, importance, or reputation of something

denigrate

to belittle, diminish the opinion of

deride

to laugh mockingly at, scorn

diaphanous

light, delicate, translucent (usually of a fabric)

didactic

1. intended to instruct

2. moralistic

diffident

lacking confidence in oneself, modest, shy

diffuse

1. (v.) to spread or cause to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people

2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized

dilatory

causing delay

dirge

a mournful song, especially for a funeral

disaffected

rebellious, resentful of authority

disavow

to deny knowledge of or responsibility for

discomfit

to thwart, baffle

discretion (1)

behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information; good judgment

discursive

lacking order, rambling, digressing from subject to subject

dissemble

to conceal one’s true motives, feelings, or beliefs

dissimulation

concealment of one's thoughts, feelings, or character

dissolute

lax in morals; licentious

distend

to swell out

divulge

to reveal something secret

dogmatic

aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproven principles

dour

stern, joyless

duplicity

crafty dishonesty, deceitfulness

ebullient

extremely lively, enthusiastic

eclectic

consisting of a diverse variety of elements