SAT #5,6

artifact

N. object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced.

artifice

N. deception; trickery.

artisan

N. manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist.

artless

ADJ. without guile; open and honest.

ascendancy

N. controlling influence; domination.

ascertain

V. find out for certain.

ascetic

ADJ. practicing self-denial; austere.

asinine

ADJ. stupid.

aspire

V. seek to attain; long for.

assail

V. assault.

assent

V. agree; accept.

assertion

N. confident statement; demand for other people's acceptance or respect.

assessment

N. evaluation; judgment.

assiduous

ADJ. diligent.

assimilate

V. absorb; cause to become homogeneous.

assuage

V. (1) ease or lessen (pain); (2) satisfy (hunger); (3) soothe (anger).

assumption

N. (1) something taken for granted; (2) taking over or taking possession of.

assurance

N. (1) promise or pledge; (2) certainty; self-confidence.

astronomical

ADJ. enormously large or extensive.

astute

ADJ. wise; shrewd; keen.

asylum

N. place of refuge or shelter; protection.

asymmetric

ADJ. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line.

atheistic

ADJ. denying the existence of God.

atlas

N. a bound volume of maps, charts, or tables.

atone

V. make amends for; pay for.

atrocity

N. brutal deed.

atrophy

V. waste away.

attain

V. achieve or accomplish; gain.

attentive

ADJ. (1) alert and watchful; (2) considerate; thoughtful.

attenuate

V. make thin; weaken.

attest

V. testify, bear witness.

attribute

N. inherent quality; characteristic.

attribute

V. ascribe; explain.

attrition

N. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the workforce without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment.

atypical

ADJ. not normal.

audacious

ADJ. daring; bold.

audit

N. examination of accounts.

auditory

ADJ. pertaining to the sense of hearing.

augment

V. increase; add to.

august

ADJ. impressive; majestic.

auspicious

ADJ. favoring success.

austere

ADJ. (1) forbiddingly stern; (2) severely simple and unornamented.

authenticate

V. confirm as genuine.

authoritarian

ADJ. subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will.

authoritative

ADJ. having the weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial.

autocratic

ADJ. having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial.

automaton

N. robot; person performing a task mechanically.

autonomous

ADJ. self-governing.

auxiliary

ADJ. helper, additional or subsidiary.

avalanche

N. great mass of falling snow and ice.

avarice

N. greediness for wealth.

avenge

V. take vengeance for something (or on behalf of someone).

averse

ADJ. reluctant; disinclined.

aversion

N. firm dislike.

avert

V. (1) prevent; (2) turn away.

avid

ADJ. greedy; eager for. Avid for pleasure, Abner partied with great avidity.

avocation

N. secondary or minor occupation.

avow

V. declare openly.

awe

N. solemn wonder.

axiom

N. self-evident truth requiring no proof.

babble

V. chatter idly.

baffle

V. frustrate; perplex.

balk

V. foil or thwart; stop short; refuse to go on.

banal

ADJ. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality.

bane

N. cause of ruin; curse.

baroque

ADJ. highly ornate.

barren

ADJ. desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking.

barricade

N. hastily put together defensive barrier; obstacle.

beam

N. ray of light; long piece of metal or wood; course of a radio signal. V. smile radiantly.

beeline

N. direct, quick route.

befuddle

V. confuse thoroughly.

begrudge

V. resent.

beguile

V. mislead or delude; pass time.

belabor

V. explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; attack verbally.

belated

ADJ. delayed.

belie

V. contradict; give a false impression.

belittle

V. disparage or depreciate; put down.

belligerent

ADJ. quarrelsome.

bemoan

V. lament; express disapproval of.

bemused

ADJ. confused; lost in thought; preoccupied.

benefactor

N. gift giver; patron.

beneficial

ADJ. helpful; useful.

beneficiary

N. person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will.

benevolent

ADJ. generous; charitable.

benign

ADJ. (1) kindly; favorable; (2) not malignant.

bent

ADJ. determined; N. natural talent or inclination.

bequeath

V. Ieave to someone by a will; hand down.

berate

V. scold strongly.

berserk

ADV. frenzied.

beseech

V. beg; plead with.

besiege

V. surround with armed forces; harass (with requests).

betray

V. (1) be unfaithful; (2) reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly).

biased

ADJ. slanted; prejudiced.

bicameral

ADJ. two-chambered, as a legislative body.

bicker

V. quarrel.

biennial

ADJ. every two years.

bigotry

N. stubborn intolerance.

bizarre

ADJ. fantastic; violently contrasting.

bland

ADJ. soothing or mild; agreeable.

blare

N. loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light.