SAT Vocab

abhor

to despise

abide

to follow

abject

wretched, pitiful

abjure

to reject, renounce

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abrogate

to abolish

abscond

to sneak away

absolution

freedom from blame, guilt, or sin

abstain

to freely choose not to commit an action

abstruse

hard to comprehend

accede

to agree

accentuate

to stress, highlight

accessible

obtainable

acclaim

high praise

accolade

high praise, special distinction

accost

to confront verbally

accretion

slow growth in size or amount

acerbic

biting, bitter in tone

acquiesce

to please, to agree without protesting

acrimony

bitterness, discord

acumen

keen insight

adroit

skillful

adulation

extreme praise

adumbrate

to sketch out in a vague way

aerial

related to the air

aesthetic

artistic; related to the appreciation of beauty

affable

friendly

affinity

spontaneous feeling of closeness

affluent

rich, wealthy

affront

an insult

aggrandize

to make greater

aggregate

a whole or total; to gather into mass

aggrieved

distressed

agnostic

believing the existence of god cannot be proven or disproven

alacrity

eagerness, speed

allay

to soothe, ease

alleviate

to ease

aloof

reserved, distant

amalgamate

to bring together, unite

ambivalent

having opposing feelings

ameliorate

to improve

amenity

an item that increases comfort

amiable

friendly

amorous

showing love, sexual

amorphous

without shape or type

anachronistic

not in chronological order

analgesic

something that reduces pain

anathema

cursed, detested person

animated

lively

annex

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

annul

to make invalid

anomaly

something that does not fit in the normal order

antecedent

something that came before

antediluvian

ancient

anthology

selected collection of literature or songs

antipathy

strong dislike, repungence

antithesis

the absolute opposite

apathetic

lacking concern, emotion

apocryphal

fictious, false, wrong

appraise

to assess the value of

approbation

praise

arable

suitable for growing crops

arbiter

someone who can resolve a dispute, mediator

arbitrary

based on factors that appear random or whims

arbitration

the process of resolving a dispute

arboreal

of or relating to trees

arcane

obscure

archaic

outdated

archetypal

the most representative example

ardor

extreme vigor

arid

excessively dry

arrogate

to take without justification

artifact

a piece from an extinct culture or place

artisan

a craftsman

ascertain

to perceive, learn

ascetic

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

ascribe

to assign credit to

aspersion

curse, expression of ill-will

aspire

to long for

assail

to attack

assiduous

hard-working, dilligent

assuage

to ease, pacify

atrophy

to wither away, to decay

audacious

excessively bold

augment

to add to, to expand

austere

bleak

avarice

excessive greed

balk

to stop/block abruptly

ballad

love song

banal

dull, incomplete

bane

burden

bard

poet, often a singer as well

bashful

excessively timid

battery

army, charges an electrical object, assault

beguile

to trick

behemoth

something of tremendous power or size

benign

not harmful

berate

to scold

bereft

devoid of

beseech

to plead