too much SAT vocab

abase

humiliate

abate

reduce

aberration

anomaly

abet

aid, assist

abide

to put up with, to remain

abject

wretched, pitiful

abjure

reject, renounce

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abridge

shorten

abrogate

to abolish, usually by authority

abscond

sneak away & hide

absolution

freedom from blame

abstruse

abstract, hard to comprehend

accede

agree, concede

accost

confront verbally

accretion

accumulation

acquiesce

agree without protesting

acrimony

bitterness, discord

adroit

skilful, dexterous

adumbrate

sketch out in a vague way

affront

insult

aggrandize

increase, embellish

alacrity

eagerness, speed

amenity

comfort item

analgesic

pain reducer

anathema

something or someone that someone vehemently dislikes

anthology

collection of writings

antipathy

strong dislike

apocryphal

fictitious, false, wrong

appraise

assess the worth of

approbation

praise

arcane

obscure, known only by a few

ardor

vigor, energy, enthusiasm

arrogate

take without justification

aspersion

curse, expression of ill-will

assiduous

hardworking, diligent

assuage

ease, pacify

auspicious

favorable, indicative of good things

austere

bare, bleak

balk

hesitate at an unlikely or unwanted undertaking

banal

dull, commonplace

beguile

trick, deceive

bereft

devoid of

beseech

beg

bilk

cheat, defraud

blandish

coax by using flattery

boon

gift/blessing

brusque

short, abrupt, dismissive

burnish

polish, shine

buttress

support, hold up

cajole

coax

calumny

attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

candor

honesty, frankness

canny

shrewd, careful

capacious

spacious

capitulate

surrender

capricious

subject to whim, fickle

carouse

party, celebrate

carp

annoy, pester

caustic

bitter, acidic

cavort

leap about, behave boisterously

censure

rebuke formally

circumspect

cautious

clairvoyant

psychic

clemency

mercy

cloying

sickeningly sweet

coagulate

thicken, clot

coalesce

fuse

cobbler

shoe repairer

cogent

intellectually convincing

commensurate

corresponding in size or amount

compunction

distress from guilt

conciliatory

friendly, agreeable, lessening tensions

concomitant

naturally accompanying

conflagration

great fire

confound

frustrate

congeal

thicken into solid

congenial

agreeable

connive

plot, scheme

consecrate

dedicate to holy purpose

consign

give something over to another’s care

contravene

contradict, oppose, violate

contrite

penitent, eager to be forgiven

contusion

bruise, injury

convivial

characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment

corpulence

obesity

culpable

deserving blame

cupidity

greed, strong desire

dearth

lack, scarcity

debauch

destroy the moral purity of

decorous

socially proper, formal

decry

criticize

deferential

respect for another’s authority

defile

make unclean, impure

deft

skillful, capable

demagogue

political leader who appeals to people’s prejudices rather than rationale

denigrate

belittle the opinion of

desecrate

violate the sacredness of a thing or place

desiccated

dehydrated

despondent

depressed