Princeton Review Vocab Greatest Hits

Adhere

Verb

to believe in and follow the practices of

Ex: it can be difficult to adhere to a workout regime without coaching & discipline

Advocate

Verb

To publicly announce or support

Ex: upon his appointment. The new vice present of the company promised to advocate for increased vacation time for all employees.

Allude

verb

to suggest or call attention to indirectly; to hint at

Ex: I didn’t mean to allude to your past breakup when discussing celebrity romances that ended badly.

ambivalence

noun

the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

Ex: Understandably, Jillian struggled with ambivalence regarding the group project: she loved working with her friends but felt that the work was never divided evenly.

analogous

adjective

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared

Ex: The rocking of a ship against the waves has been described by some as analogous to the ups and downs of a rollercoaster ride.

anecdote

noun

a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Ex: Our professor opened the semester with a number of humorous anecdotes about excuses he has heard from students who missed class.

apprehensive

adjective

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen

Ex: Lauren was apprehensive about her upcoming violin recital: she had practiced enough but had never performed in front of more than four or five people

arbitrary

adjective

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system

Ex: The town’s enforcement of parking rules felt arbitrary, as some days the rules would be strictly enforced and other days it seemed impossible to get a ticket no matter how severe the infraction.

assert

verb

to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully

Ex: After listening to the rest of the board members shout over each other, Dominic felt the need to assert that this time could have been better spent offering practical solutions to the issue.

bias

noun

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair

Ex: Though she promised to be free of bias, it became evident very quickly that my mom preferred a dog over a cat as a potential pet.

brevity

noun

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Ex: Sabrina’s notes were known for their brevity, as entire concepts were often summed up into a small series of words and phrases.

buttress

verb

to increase the strength of or justification for; to reinforce

Ex: The commissioner has promised to train 30 new recruits by the end of the year in order to buttress the police force as the city’s borders expand

concede

verb

to admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

Ex: After an intense debate, I was forced to concede that my opponent had a strong argument regarding the need for district-wide budget reallocation.

consensus

noun

a general agreement

Ex: With everyone wanting a different cuisine, the group of friends found it nearly impossible to come to a consensus.

corroborate

verb

to confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)

Ex: The thief claimed to have an alibi at the time of the crime but could not produce any friend or family to corroborate his story.

decisive

adjective

settling an issue; producing a definite result

Ex: Megan scored a decisive victory for her field hockey team, netting four goals in just the first half of the game.

deference

noun

humble submission and respect

Ex: The student spoke with deference to his master when discussing the proper application of a mixed martial arts technique.

degrade

verb

to treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect

Ex: The harsh note taped to the bulletin board in the employee breakroom was clearly meant to degrade those who were not clocking back in from breaks on time.

denounce

verb

to publicly declare to be wrong or evil

Ex: The principal was expected to denounce graphic T-shirts as unacceptable school attire, but she surprised everyone when she stated that she considered them to be an important part of self-expression.

dispute

noun

a disagreement, argument, or debate

Ex: A handshake, or verbal, agreement between employer and employee can lead to a dispute when one party does not follow through and there is no written documentation to resolve the matter.

divergent

adjective

tending to be different or develop in different directions

Ex: Due to the unclear instructions, students took divergent paths in their papers, with some arguing multiple perspectives and some switching topics altogether.

dormant

adjective

having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep

Ex: Though the volcano once erupted randomly and violently for decades, it now lies dormant and is a popular tourist attraction.

eloquent

adjective

fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing

Ex: Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered some of the most eloquent poems in British literature.

evoke

verb

to bring or recall to the conscious mind

Ex: A country’s national anthem is meant to evoke feelings of pride in its citizens.

exert

verb

to make a physical or mental effort

Ex: Math Olympiad competitors exert a tremendous amount of mental energy solving calculations while under a time limit.

explicit

adjective

stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt

Ex: The teacher’s classroom rules were explicit; they were written on a poster right above her desk.

imminent

adjective

about to happen

Ex: The decreasing temperatures and darkening skies mean that a rainstorm is imminent.

impede

verb

to delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing; to hinder

Ex: The city council attempted to impede the fast-food restaurant’s efforts to install a drive-thru window.

implicit

adjective

implied but not plainly expressed

Ex: The group had seen Sara’s terrified reactions to horror movies and had an implicit understanding not to choose that genre for movie night.

impose

verb

to take advantage of someone by demanding attention or commitment

Ex: The mayor has decided to impose a curfew upon residents of his town.

indifference

noun

lack of interest, concern, or sympathy

Ex: Sam responded to the discussion of a road trip with indifference, as he would have been equally happy staying home.

inevitable

adjective

certain to happen; unavoidable

Ex: Once the school mandated a dress code, it was inevitable that the students would test the limits of what they could get away with.

invoke

verb

to cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument

Ex: The police captain’s son would often invoke his father’s name to get himself out of trouble.

ironic

adjective

happening in the opposite way from what is expected and typically causing amusement because of this

Ex: It is ironic that the tech support company’s website was listed as down for maintenance.

novel

adjective

new or unusual in an interesting way

Ex: Novel ideas, such as Galileo’s model for the Earth revolving around the Sun, usually take time to be accepted by those comfortable with traditional views.

obscure

adjective

not discovered or known about; uncertain

Ex: John’s pop culture references were so remarkably obscure that his friends could go for hours without knowing a single actor or movie he mentioned.

obsolete

adjective

no longer produced or used; out of date

Ex: Zara was dismayed to learn her phone was considered obsolete just one year after she purchased it.

oppressive

adjective

unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits

Ex: The heat of the jungle was so oppressive that the expedition team took breaks twice as often as planned

pervasive

adjective

spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people, especially in an unpleasant way

Ex: The aging boat had holes in its hull and a pervasive smell of rotting wood.

prevalence

noun

the fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness

Ex: The prevalence of transfer students on college football teams has made roster adjustments a year-round endeavor.

prominent

adjective

important; famous

Ex: One of the most prominent American presidents, George Washington, is often noted as having set numerous presidential precedents.

provoke

verb

to stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one in someone

Ex: I knew I couldn’t let Anthony provoke me into an argument again, as he often did.

reciprocate

verb

to respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one

Ex: Jennifer was so touched by the Christmas gift she received from Isabelle that she made plans to reciprocate as soon as she could get to the mall

reconcile

verb

to restore friendly relations between

Ex: William texted Caleb an apology as a means to reconcile following their recent disagreement.

refute

verb

to prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove

Ex: Scientists often publish papers meant to refute theories that they have disproven through experimentation.

renounce

verb

to formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)

Ex: In a shocking move, the king has decided to renounce his right to the throne, sending the country into a panic.

repression

noun

the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.

Ex: When citizens of a nation endure long periods of political repression, it can lead to verbal or physical altercations throughout that country.

retain

verb

to continue to have (something); keep possession of

Ex: In an effort to retain her position as class president, Cynthia put up flyers asking for students’ votes in the upcoming election.

skeptical

adjective

not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations

Ex: Bryce was skeptical of his order’s estimated arrival date: past orders from the same company had taken a week longer than advertised.

speculate

verb

to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence

Ex: The lawyer refused to speculate on the outcome of the trial, but she was hopeful that her client would be found innocent.

substantiate

verb

to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of

Ex: The researcher ran a series of experiments hoping to substantiate her theory of engine mechanics before presenting it to her supervisor for review.

subtle

adjective

so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe

Ex: A slight cough from a friend can be a subtle indication that the friend wishes to depart from a social situation in which they feel uncomfortable.

supplement

noun

something that completes or enhances something else when added to it

Ex: Milk is often considered the perfect supplement to cereal, though other liquids have become popular choices in recent years.

tenuous

adjective

very weak or slight

Ex: With just seconds to go in the game, the team clung to a tenuous one-point lead.

undermine

verb

to lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of

Ex: Michael practically ran on his way to school, worried that a mark of tardy would undermine his perfect attendance record.

underscore

verb

to emphasize or draw attention to

Ex: Margaux came to her presentation with a series of handouts for her colleagues, hoping this would underscore the amount of work she had put into her project.

unobtrusive

adjective

not conspicuous or attracting attention

Ex: Garbage cans at Disney World are painted to be as unobtrusive as possible, often blending into their surroundings.

validate

verb

to check or prove the validity or accuracy of (something)

Ex: The clerk refused to validate my license, noting that it expired one month ago.

verisimilitude

noun

the appearance of being true or real

Ex: Despite being a work of fiction, the movie possessed such authentic characters and believable dialogue that critics praised it for its verisimilitude.

viable

adjective

capable of working successfully; feasible

Ex: The hiring supervisor was pleased to find that so many viable candidates had applied for the position.