SAT Low Frequency Words

abolish

To formally put an end to a system

acclaim

To praise enthusiastically and publicly

accommodate

To provide lodging or sufficient space for; to adapt to

accentuate

To make more noticeable or prominent

acquiesce

To accept something reluctantly but without protest

aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

affinity

A natural liking for or attraction to a person

affront

An action or remark that causes outrage or offense

aggregation

A cluster or collection of varied things

align

To place or arrange in a straight line or in correct relative positions

allocate

To distribute resources or duties for a specific purpose

amass

To gather together or accumulate a large amount over time

ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; unclear

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something

amenable

Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded

amorphous

Without a clearly defined shape or form

analogous

Comparable in certain respects

anathema

Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes

annihilate

To destroy utterly; wipe out

anomaly

Something that deviates from what is standard

anthropogenic

Originating in human activity (chiefly referring to environmental pollution)

antecedence

The state of coming or going before in time

apathy

Lack of interest

apprise

To inform or tell someone

archetypal

Very typical of a certain kind of person or thing

ascribe

To attribute something to a cause

assuming

Arrogant or presumptuous

attest

To provide or serve as clear evidence of

authentic

Of undisputed origin; genuine

authoritative

Able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable

banal

So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring

begrudge

To envy someone the possession or enjoyment of something

bestow

To confer or present a gift

breadth

The distance or measurement from side to side; wide range or extent

burgeoning

Beginning to grow or increase rapidly; flourishing

capitulate

To cease resisting an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender

casual

Relaxed and unconcerned; done without serious intention

catalyze

To cause or accelerate a process or action

circumvent

To find a way around an obstacle or rule

cite

To quote or refer to as evidence or proof

clandestine

Kept secret or done secretively

coalesce

To come together to form one mass or whole

commend

To praise formally or officially

complacent

Showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements

confounded

Confused or perplexed

consonant to

In agreement or harmony with

continuity

The unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over time

contrivance

A device or machine

contrived

Deliberately created rather than arising naturally or spontaneously

convene

To come or bring together for a meeting or activity

convergence

The process or state of converging; coming together from different directions

counterintuitive

Contrary to intuition or common-sense expectation

cryptic

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure

culled

Selected or gathered from a variety of sources

decouple

To separate

decry

To publicly denounce or criticize

defer

To put off to a later time; to yield to another's judgment

deterrent

A thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something

detractor

A person who disparages or belittles someone or something

diffusion

The spreading of something more widely

diminution

A reduction in the size

diminutive

Extremely or unusually small

discern

To perceive or recognize something

discretion

The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information

disingenuous

Not candid or sincere

dispassionate

Not influenced by strong emotion

dispersed

Distributed or spread over a wide area

disquieting

Inducing feelings of anxiety or worry

dissonance

Lack of agreement or harmony between people or things

distort

To pull or twist out of shape; to give a misleading account of

dogmatic

Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true

durability

The ability to withstand wear

dwindling

Gradually diminishing in size

efface

To erase a mark from a surface; to make oneself inconspicuous

elicit

To evoke or draw out a response

elide

To omit a sound or syllable when speaking; to join together or merge

embellished

Made more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features

emblematic

Serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept

emergence

The process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed

emissary

A person sent on a special mission

emulate

To match or suppress a person or achievement

encompass

To include comprehensively; to surround

endearing

Inspiring affection or warm approval

engender

To cause or give rise to a feeling

entanglement

The state of being entangled; a complicated or compromising relationship

entice

To attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage

esoteric

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge

exorbitant

Unreasonably high in price or amount

expansive

Covering a wide area in terms of space or scope; communicative and prone to talk freely

expedite

To make an action or process happen more quickly

extemporaneous

Spoken or done without preparation

extol

To praise enthusiastically

extensibility

The quality of being designed to allow addition of new capabilities or features

extrapolate

To extend the application of an unknown method to an unknown situation by assuming existing trends will continue

extraneous

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with

feasible

Possible to do easily or conveniently

fecund

Producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile

foment

To instigate or stir up an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action

foreground

To make something the most prominent or important feature

foresight

The ability to predict or plan for what will happen or be needed in the future