Common SAT Vocabulary (1000 Most Common Words List)

Abase

to humiliate, degrade

Abate

to reduce, lessen

Abdicate

to give up a position, usually one of leadership

Abduct

to kidnap, take by force

Aberration

something that differs from the norm

Abet

to aid, help, encourage

Abhor

to hate, detest

Abject

wretched, pitiful

Abjure

to reject, renounce

Abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

Abort

to give up on a half-finished project or effort

Abridge

to cut down, shorten

Abrogate

to abolish, usually by authority

Abscond

to sneak away and hide

Absolution

freedom from blame, guilt, sin

Abstain

to freely choose not to commit an action

Abstruse

hard to comprehend

Accede

to agree

Accentuate

to stress, highlight

Accessible

obtainable, reachable

Acclaim

high praise

Accolade

high praise, special distinction

Accommodating

helpful, obliging, polite

Accord

an agreement

Accost

to confront verbally

Accretion

slow growth in size or amount

Acerbic

biting, bitter in tone or taste

Acquiesce

to agree without protesting

Acrimony

bitterness, discord

Acumen

keen insight

Acute

sharp, severe; having keen insight

Adamant

impervious, immovable, unyielding

Adept

extremely skilled

Adhere

to stick to something; to follow devoutly

Admonish

to caution, criticize, reprove

Adroit

skillful, dexterous

Adulation

extreme praise

Adumbrate

to sketch out in a vague way

Adverse

antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous

Advocate

to argue in favor of something; a person who argues in favor of something

Aesthetic

artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty

Affable

friendly, amiable

Affinity

a spontaneous feeling of closeness

Affluent

rich, wealthy

Affront

an insult

Aggrandize

to increase or make greater

Aggregate

a whole or total; to gather into a mass

Aggrieved

distressed, wronged, injured

Agile

quick, nimble

Agnostic

believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven

Alacrity

eagerness, speed

Alias

a false name or identity

Allay

to soothe, ease

Alleviate

to relieve, make more bearable

Aloof

reserved, distant

Amalgamate

to bring together, unite

Ambiguous

uncertain, variably interpretable

Ambivalent

having opposing feelings

Ameliorate

to improve

Amenable

willing, compliant

Amenity

an item that increases comfort

Amiable

friendly

Amorphous

without definite shape or type

Anachronistic

being out of correct chronological order

Analgesic

something that reduces pain

Analogous

similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn

Anarchist

one who wants to eliminate all government

Anathema

a cursed, detested person

Anecdote

a short, humorous account

Anguish

extreme sadness, torment

Annex

to incorporate territory or space; a room attached to a larger room or space

Annul

to make void or invalid

Anomaly

something that does not fit into the normal order

Antagonism

hostility

Antecedent

something that came before

Antediluvian

ancient

Antipathy

a strong dislike, repugnance

Antiquated

old, out of date

Antiseptic

clean, sterile

Antithesis

the absolute opposite

Apathetic

lacking concern, emotion

Apocryphal

fictitious, false, wrong

Appeasing

to calm, satisfy

Appraise

to assess the worth or value of

Apprehend

to seize, arrest; to perceive, understand, grasp

Approbation

praise

Appropriate

to take, make use of

Arable

suitable for growing crops

Arbiter

one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision

Arbitrary

based on factors that appear random

Arbitration

the process or act of resolving a dispute

Arcane

obscure, secret, known only by a few

Archaic

of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated

Ardor

extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm

Arid

excessively dry

Arrogate

to take without justification

Artisan

a craftsman

Ascertain

to perceive, learn

Ascetic

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

Ascribe

to assign, credit, attribute to