DSAT Vocabulary: Essential Words for Success in English

Abate

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity; The headache abated after taking medicine.

Abhor

to hate or detest; She abhors cruelty to animals.

Abstain

to refrain or hold back voluntarily; He abstained from smoking.

Accretion

a gradual buildup or growth by addition; An accretion of dust covered the furniture.

Acerbic

sharp, biting, or caustic in tone; She made an acerbic retort.

Acquire

to gain possession of; He acquired a taste for opera.

Acumen

keen insight or judgment; She has excellent business acumen.

Adhere

to stick fast or cleave; The stamp adhered to the envelope.

Admonish

to caution or advise against; The teacher admonished the students not to be late.

Affable

friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to; He had an affable manner that made everyone comfortable.

Aesthetic

relating to beauty or good taste; She appreciated modernist aesthetics in art.

Alleviate

to relieve or make more bearable; Medication helped alleviate her pain.

Amiable

friendly and good-natured; His amiable personality drew people to him.

Ample

more than sufficient in size or scope; We had ample time to finish the test.

Analogous

similar or comparable in certain respects; This process is analogous to how a cell works.

Anomaly

something that deviates from the norm; Finding the artifact was an archaeological anomaly.

Antipathy

a deep dislike or aversion; He had an antipathy for crowds.

Arbitrary

chosen at random, without reason; It seemed an arbitrary decision, without rationale.

Arrogant

having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; The arrogant dictator ignored the people's needs.

Aspire

to strive for or ambition to achieve a goal; She aspired to become an engineer.

Aversion

a strong feeling of dislike, distaste, or hostility; He had an aversion to spinach since childhood.

Banal

lacking originality, freshness, or novelty; The movie's banal plot was forgettable.

Belittle

to make someone or something seem unimportant; The bullies belittled the shy student.

Belligerent

hostile, aggressive, or pugnacious; The belligerent gang was known for fighting.

Benevolent

characterized by or expressing goodwill; He made a benevolent donation to the animal shelter.

Bolster

to give vital support, reinforce, or strengthen; Extra tutoring helped bolster the struggling math student's skills.

Bombastic

high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated or pretentious language; The politician's bombastic rhetoric failed to impress voters.

Boon

a blessing, timely benefit, or assistance; Winning the scholarship was a boon that enabled her to attend college.

Brevity

concise expression without wasted words; Brevity is essential in a 30-second commercial.

Brusque

abrupt or offhand in speech or manner; rudely concise; My request was met with a brusque refusal.

Byzantine

very complicated or intricate; The byzantine tax codes were impossible to decipher.

Callous

showing little sympathy for others; insensitive; He acted in a callous way toward those less fortunate.

Calm

free from agitation, disturbance, or tumult; absent of wind; The calm lake reflected the serene sky.

Candor

honesty, frankness, or sincere expression; I appreciated her candor and straightforward advice.

Capricious

characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive; unpredictable; My capricious toddler was happy one minute, fussy the next.

Castigate

to punish or criticize severely; The boss castigated the employee for repeated mistakes.

Censure

blame or condemn; The senator was censured for unethical conduct.

Character

moral qualities distinctive to an individual; integrity and values; She is known for her outstanding character and ethics.

Circumspect

cautious or prudent, especially in speech or action; We were circumspect in sharing details until we understood the risks involved.

Coarse

rough, harsh, or uneven in texture; lacking refinement or elegance; His coarse language was inappropriate at the dignified ceremony.

Complex

composed of interconnected or complicated parts; The complex machine required an experienced mechanic.

Concise

expressing much in few words; a concise summary of the research findings.

Conform

to act in accordance with rules, standards, or customs; She refused to conform by wearing the uniform.

Conscientious

guided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right; governed by principle; a conscientious decision after much deliberation.

Constant

remaining unchanged or fixed; showing loyalty or faithfulness; Water's boiling point is a physical constant.

Contemplate

to consider thoughtfully; She contemplated all possible outcomes before deciding.

Contribute

to give or supply along with others; We all contributed food to the potluck dinner.

Dearth

scarcity or lack; There is a dearth of jobs in this struggling economy.

Defiant

boldly resistant to authority or any opposing force; The defiant protestors refused to disperse.

Delicate

fragile, frail, or vulnerable; requiring gentle handling; The delicate crystal shattered when dropped.

Demonstrate

to establish or prove by example; clear explanation; The experiment demonstrated the laws of physics.

Deride

to ridicule, mock, or scornfully laugh at; The bullies derided the shy student's stutter.

Desolate

depressing, bleak, lifeless; barren; The remote desert island was completely desolate.

Detach

to separate or disengage from association; He detached the document from the email before forwarding.

Diligent

characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic application; The diligent student made sure to study every day.

Disclose

to make known, reveal, or uncover; The CEO disclosed the company's financial problems.

Dismal

causing gloom or depression; The dismal weather matched her sad mood.

Disperse

to spread or scatter widely; The police dispersed the rowdy crowd that gathered in the park.

Dubious

doubtful or suspect; of uncertain quality or outcome; She had dubious qualifications for the job.

Dull

boring, monotonous, lacking sharpness; The dull lecture soon put me to sleep.

Eclectic

deriving ideas or style from a diverse range of sources; Their home decor had an eclectic mix of modern and antique.

Edify

to instruct, improve, or enlighten; The book was both entertaining and edifying.

Egalitarian

relating to or believing in equality for all people; He advocated an egalitarian society.

Elicit

to draw forth or bring out; Skillful questioning elicited her eyewitness account.

Eminent

prominent, distinguished, or noteworthy; The eminent scholar was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Empathy

the ability to understand another's perspective, feelings, or difficulties; She showed genuine empathy for the grieving widow.

Enigma

something or someone puzzling, mysterious, or difficult to understand; The coded message was an enigma they couldn't decipher.

Equivocal

open to more than one interpretation; purposefully vague or ambiguous; His equivocal instructions left me confused about what to do.

Evoke

To summon or call forth.

Exact

Precise, accurate, or correct in every detail.

Expedient

Suitable for achieving a particular end; pragmatically useful.

Explicit

Clearly and directly stated, leaving no room for confusion.

Extol

To praise highly or glorify.

Extricate

To free or release from a difficult situation or entanglement.

Facilitate

To make easier or help bring about.

Fathom

To understand something thoroughly.

Fatuous

Silly, foolish, smugly ignorant.

Feckless

Weak, ineffective, incompetent; irresponsible.

Fervor

Great warmth and intensity of feeling.

Fickle

Frequently changing, erratic.

Flagrant

Glaringly bad or offensive.

Flimsy

Thin and easily bent or damaged; lacking plausibility.

Flout

To openly disregard rules or conventions.

Frugal

Practicing or reflecting economy in use of resources; simple, plain, cost-efficient.

Garrulous

Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

Germane

Relevant and appropriate for the subject at hand.

Grave

Serious; requiring consideration.

Gregarious

Sociable, seeking and enjoying the company of others.

Gross

Blatant, outrageous, or unambiguous; lacking refinement or dignity.

Guile

Cunning, deceitful shrewdness or treachery.

Gullible

Easily persuaded to believe something; naive, credulous.

Haughty

Arrogantly superior, disdainful, looking down on others.

Hesitate

To pause in uncertainty or have difficulty choosing.

Hinder

To hamper, obstruct, or delay.

Hostile

Having or showing ill will, animosity, opposition.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Iconoclast

One who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.

Idolize

To worship or admire intensely and often excessively.

Illuminate

To supply or brighten with light; enlighten.

Illusion

Something that deceives or misleads intellectually.