SAT Vocab

Sanction

to approve or permit officially; or to impose a penalty

Ameliorate

to make something better; improve

Rationalize

to justify or explain with logical reasons (often after the fact)

Postulate

to assume or suggest something is true as a basis for reasoning

Abandon

to leave completely; to give up

Abate

to reduce in amount, intensity, or severity

Abjure

to formally reject or give up a belief or claim

Abridge

to shorten without losing the main meaning

Abscond

to leave quickly and secretly, often to avoid trouble

Absorb

to take in or soak up; to fully understand

Abstain

to deliberately avoid or refrain from something

Abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure

Abysmal

extremely bad; very poor

Acerbic

sharp or harsh in tone; bitter

Acquiesce

to accept something reluctantly but without protest

Acquire

to gain or obtain

Acquired

developed or gained over time

Adept

highly skilled

Adequate

enough; sufficient

Adhere

to stick to or follow closely

Admonish

to warn or criticize gently

Adulation

excessive praise or admiration

Advent

the arrival or beginning of something

Adversarial

involving conflict or opposition

Advice

guidance or recommendations about what to do

Affectation

artificial behavior meant to impress; pretending to have qualities one does not have

Affluent

wealthy; having a lot of money

Aggrandize

to increase power, status, or reputation

Aggravate

to make a situation worse or more severe

Alacrity

cheerful willingness; eagerness

Allude

to refer to something indirectly

Aloof

distant or emotionally detached

Ambiguity

the quality of having multiple meanings; uncertainty

Ambiguous

unclear; open to more than one interpretation

Ambivalence

mixed or conflicting feelings

Ambivalent

having mixed or contradictory feelings

Ameliorate

to make something better; improve

Anachronistic

out of place in time; belonging to a different period

Analogous

similar or comparable in certain respects

Animosity

strong hostility or dislike

Anomaly

something that deviates from what is normal

Antagonize

to provoke or cause hostility

Antecedent

something that came before

Antipathy

strong dislike or opposition

Antipodal

completely opposite

Antithesis

a direct opposite or contrast

Apathetic

lacking interest or emotion

Apex

the highest point

Apocryphal

of doubtful authenticity; possibly false

Apotheosis

the highest point of development; glorification

Apprehensive

anxious or fearful about something

Arbitrary

based on random choice, not reason

Arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret

Archaic

very old-fashioned or outdated

Arduous

very difficult; requiring great effort

Artless

simple; natural; without deceit

Ascetic

practicing strict self-denial, often for religious reasons

Asperity

harshness in tone or manner

Assertion

a confident statement or claim

Assiduous

hardworking and persistent

Austere

strict, severe, or plain in style or manner

Autonomous

self-governing; independent

Avarice

extreme greed for wealth

Avid

enthusiastic; eager

Beatific

blissfully happy; serene

Bellicose

eager to fight; aggressive

Benevolent

kind and generous

Bifurcate

to divide into two parts

Blandishment

flattery used to persuade

Bogus

fake; not genuine

Bombastic

overly inflated or pompous in speech or writing

Bowdlerize

to remove offensive parts from a text

Bucolic

relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside

Buttress

to support or strengthen

Bypass

to avoid or go around

Byzantine

overly complex or complicated

Cabal

a secret political group or faction

Cacophony

harsh, jarring mixture of sounds

Calibrate

to adjust or measure precisely

Calumny

false statements meant to damage reputation

Candor

honesty; openness

Capitulate

to surrender or give in

Capricious

unpredictable; impulsive

Castigate

to criticize harshly

Cathartic

providing emotional release

Caustic

harsh or biting in tone

Celerity

speed; quickness

Charlatan

a fraud pretending to have expertise

Chicanery

trickery; deception

Chimerical

unrealistic; imaginary

Circuitous

indirect; roundabout

Circumspect

cautious; careful to consider all risks

Circumvent

to avoid or bypass cleverly

Clandestine

secret; hidden

Coerce

to force someone to act

Cogent

clear, logical, and convincing

Cogitate

to think deeply

Coherent

logical and consistent

Complacent

self-satisfied; unaware of problems

Complaisant

eager to please