SSAT Vocab

Abate

verb – to lessen or reduce – The storm finally abated after hours of rain.

Abridge

verb – to shorten without losing meaning – The editor abridged the novel for a younger audience.

Adept

adjective – highly skilled – She is adept at solving complex math problems.

Adversary

noun – an enemy or opponent – The knight faced his greatest adversary in battle.

Advocate

noun – one who supports a cause – She is an advocate for environmental protection.

Aesthetic

adjective – concerned with beauty – The artist has a strong aesthetic sense.

Affluent

adjective – wealthy – The affluent neighborhood had large houses and luxury cars.

Alleviate

verb – to relieve or make more bearable – The medicine helped alleviate his pain.

Ambiguous

adjective – having more than one meaning – His response was so ambiguous that no one understood.

Amiable

adjective – friendly and pleasant – The teacher had an amiable personality.

Animosity

noun – strong hostility – Years of rivalry led to deep animosity between the teams.

Antagonize

verb – to make someone hostile – His rude comments antagonized his coworkers.

Apathy

noun – lack of interest or emotion – The student showed apathy toward his schoolwork.

Apprehensive

adjective – anxious or fearful – She felt apprehensive before the big test.

Arduous

adjective – difficult and tiring – Climbing the mountain was an arduous task.

Articulate

adjective – able to express clearly – The speaker was articulate and confident.

Ascertain

verb – to find out or learn – The detective tried to ascertain the truth.

Astute

adjective – clever and perceptive – The astute investor made smart decisions.

Austere

adjective – strict or severe in manner – The teacher’s austere rules kept the class in order.

Authentic

adjective – genuine or real – The museum displayed an authentic ancient vase.

Benevolent

adjective – kind and generous – The benevolent king helped the poor.

Boisterous

adjective – noisy and energetic – The boisterous crowd cheered loudly.

Candid

adjective – honest and direct – She gave a candid response to the question.

Capricious

adjective – unpredictable or impulsive – His capricious mood made him hard to read.

Censure

verb – to criticize harshly – The mayor was censured for misuse of funds.

Clandestine

adjective – secret or concealed – The spies held a clandestine meeting.

Coerce

verb – to force someone to do something – He was coerced into signing the contract.

Complacent

adjective – self-satisfied and unaware of danger – Don’t get complacent after one success.

Concise

adjective – brief and clear – The teacher asked for a concise summary.

Condone

verb – to overlook or accept – The principal would not condone cheating.

Conspicuous

adjective – easily noticeable – His bright red coat made him conspicuous.

Contempt

noun – disrespect or scorn – She spoke with contempt toward her rival.

Contradict

verb – to go against or deny – The witness’s story contradicted the facts.

Cordial

adjective – warm and friendly – Their cordial greeting made guests feel welcome.

Cryptic

adjective – mysterious or puzzling – He gave a cryptic message before leaving.

Cynical

adjective – believing people act only for selfish reasons – The critic had a cynical view of politics.

Debilitate

verb – to weaken – The illness debilitated his strength.

Deceive

verb – to trick or mislead – He tried to deceive his parents about his grades.

Deference

noun – respectful submission – The soldier showed deference to his commander.

Demeanor

noun – outward behavior or manner – His calm demeanor impressed everyone.

Denounce

verb – to publicly condemn – The activist denounced the unfair law.

Deride

verb – to mock or ridicule – Bullies often deride others to feel powerful.

Deter

verb – to discourage or prevent – Strict rules deter students from cheating.

Devout

adjective – deeply religious – She is a devout follower of her faith.

Diligent

adjective – hardworking and careful – Diligent students always finish their homework.

Discreet

adjective – careful and tactful – Please be discreet about the surprise party.

Disdain

noun – feeling of contempt or scorn – He looked at the messy room with disdain.

Docile

adjective – easy to manage or teach – The docile puppy learned commands quickly.

Dormant

adjective – inactive or sleeping – The volcano remained dormant for years.

Dubious

adjective – doubtful or uncertain – The evidence seemed dubious.

Eccentric

adjective – unusual or odd – The eccentric inventor wore mismatched shoes.

Eloquent

adjective – fluent and persuasive – The politician gave an eloquent speech.

Empathy

noun – ability to understand others’ feelings – Good leaders show empathy for their people.

Endorse

verb – to approve or support – The athlete endorsed a new brand of shoes.

Enigmatic

adjective – mysterious – The Mona Lisa has an enigmatic smile.

Eradicate

verb – to destroy completely – We must eradicate diseases through vaccines.

Erratic

adjective – unpredictable – His erratic driving caused concern.

Exemplify

verb – to illustrate or represent – Her kindness exemplifies true friendship.

Exuberant

adjective – full of energy – The children were exuberant on the playground.

Fathom

verb – to understand deeply – I can’t fathom why he lied.

Feasible

adjective – possible or practical – Your plan is feasible with enough effort.

Fluctuate

verb – to vary or change – Prices fluctuate with demand.

Frivolous

adjective – lacking seriousness – Stop making frivolous excuses.

Frugal

adjective – economical or thrifty – He lived a frugal life to save money.

Garrulous

adjective – overly talkative – The garrulous host talked nonstop.

Gratuitous

adjective – unnecessary or uncalled for – The movie had gratuitous violence.

Gregarious

adjective – sociable and outgoing – She’s gregarious and loves meeting new people.

Haughty

adjective – arrogantly proud – His haughty tone offended everyone.

Heinous

adjective – shockingly evil – The criminal committed a heinous act.

Hypocrite

noun – one who pretends to have virtues – He’s a hypocrite who doesn’t follow his own advice.

Imminent

adjective – about to happen – A storm is imminent, so stay inside.

Impartial

adjective – fair and unbiased – The judge remained impartial during the trial.

Impeccable

adjective – flawless – Her essay was written in impeccable grammar.

Imply

verb – to suggest indirectly – His tone implied that he was angry.

Incessant

adjective – never-ending – The incessant noise kept me awake.

Incite

verb – to provoke or stir up – The leader’s words incited a protest.

Indifferent

adjective – lacking interest – He was indifferent to the results.

Indignant

adjective – angry at unfair treatment – She felt indignant after being accused unfairly.

Inevitable

adjective – certain to happen – Aging is inevitable.

Inhabit

verb – to live in – Polar bears inhabit the Arctic region.

Innate

adjective – natural or inborn – He has an innate talent for music.

Insinuate

verb – to suggest subtly – Are you insinuating that I cheated?

Intrepid

adjective – fearless – The intrepid explorer climbed the tallest peak.

Judicious

adjective – showing good judgment – Be judicious when choosing your words.

Lament

verb – to express sorrow – She lamented the loss of her childhood home.

Lavish

adjective – extravagant or luxurious – They threw a lavish wedding.

Lenient

adjective – not strict – The teacher was lenient about late homework.

Lucid

adjective – clear and easy to understand – His explanation was lucid and simple.

Magnanimous

adjective – generous in forgiving – She was magnanimous toward her enemies.

Meticulous

adjective – very careful and precise – He’s meticulous about keeping his notes organized.

Naive

adjective – lacking experience or judgment – Don’t be naive; people can lie.

Nostalgic

adjective – longing for the past – Old songs make me feel nostalgic.

Obscure

adjective – not well-known – The poem’s meaning was obscure.

Obstinate

adjective – stubborn – The obstinate child refused to apologize.

Omniscient

adjective – all-knowing – The narrator of the story was omniscient.

Ostentatious

adjective – showy and pretentious – His ostentatious display of wealth annoyed others.

Paradox

noun – a statement that seems contradictory but true – It’s a paradox that silence can be loud.

Pensive

adjective – deeply thoughtful – She sat in a pensive mood after the movie.

Prudent

adjective – wise and cautious – It’s prudent to save money for emergencies.