SAT Vocab 1901-2000

congeal

to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing

carp

to find fault or complain querulously or unreasonably; (n.) a peevish complaint

harass

to exhaust by attacking repeatedly; annoy continually or chronically

progenitor

a biologically related ancestor; a person who originates a movement

aghast

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

matriarch

a female head of a family or tribe

impassive

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited

subterfuge

deceit used in order to achieve one's goal

contrived

showing effects of planning or manipulation; artificially formal

forestall

to keep from happening or arising; make impossible; act in advance of; deal with ahead of time

guise

general external appearance

denote

to be a sign of; indicate

protégé

a person who is guided by an older and more experienced or influential person

disputation

the act of debating; verbal controversy; discussion or debate

largess

generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others

persistence

firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition; tenacity; continued existence or occurrence

circumvent

to go around or bypass; avoid

waive

to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up; forgo

imminent

close in time; about to occur

liberality

the quality of giving or spending freely; the quality of being open to new ideas and free from prejudice

redeem

to buy or pay off; to buy back or recover by payment or other satisfaction; to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, etc.) for money or goods; to make up for; make amends for

anticlimactic

a disappointing or ineffective conclusion to a series of events, etc.

miffed

put into an irritable mood, especially by an offending incident

pedant

a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning; a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details

omniscient

infinitely wise

perishable

subject to decay, ruin, or destruction

grandstanding

to conduct oneself or perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers

retard

to cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate

blatant

brazenly obvious; flagrant; offensively noisy or loud

surrogate

a person or thing acting as a substitute

intrinsic

belonging naturally; essential

mythic

based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity

presumptuous

excessively forward; bold

deride

to speak of or treat with contempt, mockery, or ridicule

promiscuity

the act of indulging in casual and indiscriminate sexual relationships

interdisciplinary

combining or involving two or more fields of study

listless

having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid

aural

of or pertaining to hearing or the ear

disoriented

confused as to time or place; out of touch

impervious

not admitting of passage or capable of being affected

intermediary

being between; (n.) a negotiator who acts as a link between parties

posterity

all future generations

rife

of widespread occurrence; prevalent or current; excessively abundant

redouble

to make or become much greater, more intense, or more numerous

trendsetter

a person who leads the way in fashion or ideas

vague

not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed

nuance

a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude

pragmatic

of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations

jocular

characterized by jokes and good humor

raucous

unpleasantly loud and harsh; disturbing the public peace

manifest

readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent; plain

portent

a sign of something about to happen

eulogize

to praise formally and eloquently

saline

of, containing, or resembling common table salt; salty or saltlike

destitute

poor enough to need help from others; completely wanting or lacking

carcinogenic

causing or tending to cause cancer

pensive

deeply or seriously thoughtful, often with a tinge of sadness

scathing

bitterly severe, as a remark; harmful, injurious

immerse

to involve deeply; absorb

omen

a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster

insolent

boldly rude or disrespectful

interminable

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

integral

necessary to make a whole complete; essential or fundamental

euphoria

a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness

brevity

the attribute of being brief or fleeting; the use of brief expressions

infuse

to introduce, as if by pouring; cause to penetrate; instill

deprecate

to belittle; express strong disapproval of; deplore

awry

away from the appropriate, planned, or expected course; amiss

bravado

a swaggering show of courage

candid

frank; outspoken; open and sincere

brainchild

a product of one's creative thinking and work

chaff

worthless matter; refuse; (v.) to mock or tease in a good-natured way

elocution

the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation

churlish

rude and boorish

gallantry

dashing courage; heroic bravery; noble-minded behavior; courtly attention to women

forbear

an ancestor; forefather; (v.) to refrain from doing

quibble

a slight objection or criticism; (v.) to argue or raise objections about a trivial matter

imprudent

not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash

exemplary

serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind; serving to warn

permutation

alteration; transformation

delinquent

past due; not paid at the scheduled time; persistently bad

vulnerable

susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm

elitist

considered superior by others or by themselves, as in intellect, talent, power, wealth, etc.

compile

to put together out of existing material; to gather together

captivate

to attract; cause to be enamored; fascinate

grandiose

impressive or magnificent in appearance or style, especially pretentiously so

subside

to wear off or die down; sink down or precipitate

noxious

injurious to physical or mental health

blasphemy

irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.

loath

reluctant or unwilling

enigmatic

not clear to the understanding

infatuated

marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness; having a crush on someone

revile

to use abusive or scornful language against someone or something

metropolis

the chief, and sometimes capital, city of a country, state, or region

idiosyncratic

peculiar or individual; characteristic of a specific person

germane

closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent

benign

pleasant and beneficial in nature; kindness of disposition or manner; not malignant

decree

a formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law

linguistic

consisting of or related to language

verisimilitude

the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true