Digital SAT Reading & Writing Vocabulary

Haphazard

Lacking any obvious organization or planning; random.

Premeditated

Thought out or planned beforehand, especially in reference to crimes.

Fruitless

Failing to achieve the desired result; unproductive.

Contrived

Deliberately created rather than arising naturally; artificial or forced.

Surmised

Guessed or inferred something based on limited evidence.

Innocuous

Harmless; not likely to cause offense or harm.

Quarrel

An argument or disagreement, often heated.

Paucity

A scarcity or lack of something.

Profusion

A large quantity or abundance of something.

Verisimilitude

The appearance of being true or real.

Buttress

A structure built against a wall for support; metaphorically, a source of defense or reinforcement.

Sanction

(1) Official approval or permission; (2) A penalty imposed for disobedience.

Ameliorate

To improve or make something better.

Postulate

To assume something as true, especially as a basis for reasoning.

Contempt

A feeling of disrespect or disdain toward something or someone.

Derivative

Lacking originality; coming from or influenced by something else.

Forgo

To do without or refrain from something.

Conflate

To combine two or more things, often mistakenly, into one.

Tenuous

Weak or flimsy; lacking strength or clarity.

Laconic

Using very few words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.

Esoteric

Intended to be understood by only a small, specialized group of people.

Impetuous

Acting quickly and without thought; impulsive.

Egregious

Shockingly bad or noticeable.

Obfuscate

To make something unclear or difficult to understand.

Munificent

Very generous or giving.

Bolster

To support or strengthen.

Ubiquitous

Present or found everywhere.

Obstinate

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

Capricious

Prone to sudden and unpredictable changes in mood or behavior.

Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time.

Austere

Severe or strict in manner; lacking luxury or decoration.

Banal

Lacking originality; obvious and uninteresting.

Cacophony

A harsh, jarring mixture of sounds.

Cogent

Clear, logical, and convincing.

Diatribe

A forceful and bitter verbal attack.

Enigmatic

Mysterious, difficult to understand.

Fastidious

Very attentive to detail and difficult to please.

Hackneyed

Overused and unoriginal.

Intransigent

Refusing to compromise or change one's position.

Juxtapose

To place side by side for contrast.

Mollify

To calm or soothe someone's anger or anxiety.

Ostentatious

Designed to attract attention; flashy.

Sycophant

A person who flatters someone in power for personal gain.

Alacrity

Eagerness and enthusiasm; cheerful readiness.

Burgeon

To grow or expand rapidly.

Callous

Emotionally hardened; unfeeling.

Debilitate

To weaken or impair strength.

Erudite

Having or showing great knowledge or learning.

Furtive

Secretive or attempting to avoid notice due to guilt or fear of discovery.

Garrulous

Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

Harangue

A lengthy and aggressive speech.

Incisive

Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking.

Jettison

To discard or abandon something that is no longer needed.

Lurid

Shockingly vivid or sensational, often in a gruesome way.

Myopic

Nearsighted; lacking foresight or long-term vision.

Nefarious

Wicked, villainous, or criminal.

Onerous

Burdensome; involving great difficulty or effort.

Pejorative

Expressing disapproval or contempt.

Quixotic

Unrealistically idealistic; impractical.

Recalcitrant

Stubbornly resistant to authority or control.

Sardonic

Mocking or cynical in a sharp, scornful way.

Terse

Brief and to the point, often to the degree of seeming rude.

Unctuous

Excessively flattering in a way that seems insincere.

Vindicate

To clear from blame or suspicion.

Wistful

Longing or yearning for something, often with nostalgia.

Zealous

Passionately devoted or enthusiastic.

Prodigal

Wastefully extravagant.

Taciturn

Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.