Sparknotes Complete 1000 SAT Vocab

abase

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

abate

(v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated

aberration

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since

abet

(v.) to aid, help, encourage (The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him

abhor

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport

abide

1. (v.) to put up with (Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.) 2. (v.) to remain (Despite the beating they've taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide

abject

(adj.) wretched, pitiful (After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject

abjure

(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor

abnegation

(n.) denial of comfort to oneself (The holy man slept on the floor, took only cold showers, and generally followed other practices of abnegation

abort

(v.) to give up on a half-finished project or effort (After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home

abridge

1. (v.) to cut down, shorten (The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.) 2. (adj.) shortened (Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books

abrogate

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press

abscond

(v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans

absolution

(n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty

accede

(v.) to agree (When the class asked the teacher whether they could play baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request

accentuate

(v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life

accessible

(adj.) obtainable, reachable (After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible

accolade

(n.) high praise, special distinction (Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize

accommodating

(adj.) helpful, obliging, polite (Though the apartment was not big enough for three people, Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were all friends and were accommodating to each other

accord

(n.) an agreement (After much negotiating, England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord about fishing rights off the cost of Greenland

accost

(v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted the man

accretion

(n.) slow growth in size or amount (Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves

acerbic

(adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends

acquiesce

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands

acrimony

(n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa

acumen

(n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours

acute

1. (adj.) sharp, severe (Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so acute.) 2. (adj.) having keen insight (Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his "magic.")

adept

(adj.) extremely skilled (Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey

adhere

1. (n.) to stick to something (We adhered the poster to the wall with tape.) 2. (n.) to follow devoutly (He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question

adorn

(v.) to decorate (We adorned the tree with ornaments

adroit

(adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone's pocket without attracting notice

adulation

(n.) extreme praise (Though the book was pretty good, Marcy did not believe it deserved the adulation it received

adumbrate

(v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do

adverse

(adj.) antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous (Because of adverse conditions, the hikers decided to give up trying to climb the mountain

advocate

1. (v.) to argue in favor of something (Arnold advocated turning left at the

aerial

(adj.) somehow related to the air (We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers

affinity

(n.)a spontaneous feeling of closeness (Jerry didn't know why, but he felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met

affluent

(adj.) rich, wealthy (Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine

affront

(n.) an insult (Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor

aggrandize

(v.) to increase or make greater (Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature

aggregate

1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a mass (The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could

aggrieved

(adj.) distressed, wronged, injured (The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees

agile

(adj.) quick, nimble (The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit

agnostic

(adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven (Joey's parents are very religious, but he is agnostic

agriculture

(n.) farming (It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture

aisle

(n.) a passageway between rows of seats (Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats

alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity

alias

(n.) a false name or identity (He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID

allege

(v.) to assert, usually without proof (The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free

alleviate

(v.) to relieve, make more bearable (This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while

allocate

(v.) to distribute, set aside (The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town's schools

aloof

(adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn't care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics

altercation

(n.) a dispute, fight (Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation

amalgamate

(v.) to bring together, unite (Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner

ambiguous

(adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous

ambivalent

(adj.) having opposing feelings (My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief

ameliorate

(v.) to improve (The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon

amenable

(adj.) willing, compliant (Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking

amenity

(n.) an item that increases comfort (Bill Gates's house is stocked with so many amenities, he never has to do anything for himself

amiable

(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone

amicable

(adj.) friendly (Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings

amorous

(adj.) showing love, particularly sexual (Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous

anachronistic

(adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you're writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic

analogous

(adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous

anarchist

(n.) one who wants to eliminate all government (An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere

anathema

(n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me

anecdote

(n.) a short, humorous account (After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster

anguish

(n.) extreme sadness, torment (Angelos suffered terrible anguish when he learned that Buffy had died while combating a strange mystical force of evil

animated

(adj.) lively (When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated

annex

1. (v.) to incorporate territory or space (After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland.) 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space (He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library

annul

(v.) to make void or invalid (After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law

anomaly

(n.) something that does not fit into the normal order ("That rip in the space-time continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly," said Spock to Captain Kirk

anonymous

(adj.) being unknown, unrecognized (Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer

antagonism

(n.) hostility (Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought

antecedent

(n.) something that came before (The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece

anthology

(n.) a selected collection of writings, songs, etc. (The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before

antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you

antiquated

(adj.) old, out of date (That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great

antiseptic

(adj.) clean, sterile (The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy

antithesis

(n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs

anxiety

(n.) intense uneasiness (When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety

apathetic

(adj.) lacking concern, emotion (Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime

apocryphal

(adj.) fictitious, false, wrong (Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal

appalling

(adj.) inspiring shock, horror, disgust (The judge found the murderer's crimes and lack of remorse appalling

appease

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him

appraise

(v.) to assess the worth or value of (A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house

apprehend

1. (v.) to seize, arrest (The criminal was apprehended at the scene.) 2. (v.) to

approbation

(n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation

arable

(adj.) suitable for growing crops (The farmer purchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts

arbiter

(n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision (The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife

arbitrary

(adj.) based on factors that appear random (The boy's decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary

arbitration

(n.) the process or act of resolving a dispute (The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor

arboreal

(adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits

arcane

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature

archaic

(adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken

archetypal

(adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetypal politician

ardor

(n.) extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm (The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries

arid

(adj.) excessively dry (Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments

arrogate

(v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively

artifact

(n.) a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place (The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization