Vocabulary for SAT

sat

Abet

to help or encourage someone to perform an act, typically wrongdoing

abhor

to despise something, to find it repellent

Abject

Dire or extreme in a bad way, can also be used to describe something in a desperate or extremely basic condition.

Abound

To be somewhere in an impressively large quantity or number; to have something in an impressively large quantity or number

Abridge

To shorten something - usually a text or speech - by removing the parts which could be considered to be unnecessary to the overall meaning

Accede

To agree to a request or accept an argument with which you were not predisposed to agree

Acclaim

- Enthusiastic praise of an accomplishment; to enthusiastically praise an accomplishment to an audience

Accolade

An award granted in recognition of some great honor or special achievement

Accord

An agreement between two or more parties; or, to fit in neatly with another idea

Acerbic

A dry, almost hostile manner of communicating with others

Acquiesce

Quiet agreement to a proposition or idea that does not appeal to you.

Acquit

To behave in such a way as to excuse yourself from criticism; or to judge as innocent after a courtroom trial

Acrid

- Bitter and harsh in smell; typically associated with synthetic chemicals

Acrimonious

A harsh, angry way of communicating

Acumen

A skill set required to make sound strategic decisions in a certain field such as business or finance

Adage

A saying orproverb containing a widely accepted truth, frequently intended to serve as a guide to behavior in certain situations

Adamant

Absolutely firm in your position on something

Adept

So skilled at something that doing it well comes easily

Admonish

To scold or criticize; to strongly encourage a particular course of action and discourage alternatives

Adroit

To be highly competent or skillful at a certain task

Advent

The highly anticipated arrivalof an important person or event

Advocate

A person who represents a defendant in a court of law or who performs this role in an informal setting; to argue for a position on behalf of someone else.

Affable

A warm and friendly, if not necessarily intimate, way of communicating

Affluent

Having a large amount of material wealth

Affront

An action that makes someone feel threatened or insulted

Aghast

The state of being completely shocked, horrified, or taken aback by something.

Allocate

To assign resources to users, typically done with the goal of efficiency.

Altruism

A desire to work for the well- being of others, even at the expense of your own convenience

Amalgam

Something that has been created by seamlessly blending several distinct components

Ambiguity

A lack of clarity, typically of a word or phrase.

Ambivalent

- Having no preference regarding the outcome of a decision.

Ameliorate

To lessen the negative impacts of something

Amenable

Friendly or open to a particular argument or course of action.

Amiable

Having a generally friendly and polite nature.

Amicable

Free of discord and nastiness, usually used to describe relationships

Amid

Surrounded by something

Amoral

Having a decision-making process which acknowledges no moral standard

Amorous

Having to do with love or passion

Anachronism

Something which appears out of its historical context

Analogy

A comparison made between two unlike things, frequently when explaining a concept.

Anathema

Something which utterly repels a person

Ancillary

Secondary, yet inseparably associated with the carrying out of the primary objective

Anguish

Emotional or physical torment

Animosity

Strong personal dislike of or opposition to someone else

Annex

To take over a space previously belonging to another party; an independent unit part of a larger conglomeration.

Anomaly

Something that does not fit an established pattern of events.

Antedate

To come earlier in time than something else.

Antediluvian

Incomprehensibly old; literally, "before the [Biblical] flood."

Anterior

Nearer to the front end of something.

Anthology

A collection of literary works.

Antipathy

A strong, deeply held dislike for something.

Antipodal

Something completely opposite to something else; literally "from the other side of the earth."

Antiquated

- So old as to be obsolete.

Antithetical

Embodying the exact opposite of a proposition.

Apartheid

A system of government based on brutally enforced racial segregation.

Apathy

A lack of interest in something.

Apex

The highest point of something

Aphorism

A brief statement widely believed to contain a nugget

of truth.

Aplomb

Confidence, style and good technique

Apocryphal

An unconfirmed or doubtful account of something which may be believed true

Apoplectic

Physically overcome with anger.

Appalling

So dismaying as to shock the viewer

Apprehensive

Uncertain and tense about a situation

Apprise

To tell someone about an event

Apropos

Related to, or referring to, the subject of a

conversation.

Apt

Fitting or appropriate at the moment

Aptitude

Potential to succeed in a particular subject or field

Arbiter

Decision maker with a power to officially settle things

Arbitrary

Decided in a certain fashion for no discernible

reason

Arcade

A covered pathway lined witharches.

Arcane

Mysterious and difficult to access; frequently refers to

the occult

Archipelago

A group of small islands.

Archives

A place where texts, videos, works of art, and other media

are stored

Ardent

Passionately determined

Arduous

Difficult and taxing

Arid

- Dry and desert-like in climate

Arrest

To stop or seize something; to detain officially, as by the police

Artifice

Human skill as opposed to natural aesthetics.

Ascribe

To credit something to some agent.

Assert

To state or claim something in a firm manner

Assiduous

Painstakingly precise about a task.

Assuage

To calm or reduce the intensity of an emotion

Astute

Very quick to pick up and use information.

Audacious

So bold as to be risky; can also connote rudeness.

Augment

To add to with the goal of improving

Auspicious

Promising of good fortune

Austere

Conscientiously lacking of excess

Auxiliary

Supplemental to or supportive of the primary goal

Avail

To make use of an advantage or to act to the benefit of

something

Avarice

- Excessive greed

Avert

To shift focus away from or to avoid by prevention.

Avid

Having a dedicated, almost obsessive interest in something

Avow

To publicly assert something.

Avuncular

Describing a display of platonic affection or

benevolence towards a young person.

Awry

Not as intended, incorrect.

Axiom

A statement widely accepted as truth.

Baleful

Threatening or indicating a desire to harm

Balk

To suddenly hesitate before doing or accepting something.

Balm

Something which soothes or comforts an unpleasant feeling;

literally, a salve used to soothe irritated skin.

Banal

- Tediously boring and unimaginative