SAT Barrons (copy)

abate

v. to subside or moderate

aberrant

adj. abnormal, unusual

abrasive

adj. rubbing away; harsh

abridge

v. to shorten

absolute

adj. certain

abstemious

adj. not gluttonous, eating and drinking sparingly

abstract

adj. theoretical

abstruse

adj. obscure

accessible

adj. obtainable

acclaim

v. to praise

accolade

n. award of merit

acknowledge

v. to recognize

acquiesce

v. agree without protesting

acrimonious

adj. bitter in words or manner

acute

adj. keen; brief; severe

address

v. to discuss

adherent

n. supporter, follower

adjacent

adj. next to, neighboring

adroit

adj. skillful

adulation

n. admiration

adversary

n. opponent

adverse

adj. harsh, unfavorable

advocate

v. to urge, to plead

aesthetic

adj. concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

affable

adj. friendly

affinity

n. similarity; natural liking

affirmation

n. confirmation

aggressor

n. attacker

alienate

v. to exclude, to isolate

alleviate

v. to relieve

aloof

adj. reclusive, away from

altruistic

adj. generous, caring for others

ambiguous

adj. unclear

ambivalence

n. mixed feelings

ameliorate

v. to make better

amend

v. to fix

amorphous

adj. lacking shape or definition;

ample

adj. plenty

analogy

n. parallelism, similarity

anarchist

n. someone who wants to overthrow the government

anecdote

n. a short account of a interesting event

animosity

n. hostility

antagonism

n. hostility

antidote

n. medicine

antiquated

adj. old fashioned

antithesis

n. the opposite

apathy

n. lack of interest

apocryphal

adj. not genuine, false

appease

v. to please

appreciate

v. to be thankful for

apprehension

n. understanding

arable

adj. fit for growing crops

arbitrary

adj. selecting at random without any reason

archaic

adj. old, ancient

ardor

n. passion

arid

adj. dry

arrogance

n. pride

articulate

adj. distinct; effective

artifact

n. object made by a human

artisan

n. skilled worker

ascendancy

n. occupation of a position of dominant power or influence

ascetic

adj. practicing self-denial

aspire

v. to want, to work at getting something

assuage

v. to soothe, to satisfy, to lessen (pain)

astute

adj. very smart, wise (just like me)

atrophy

v. to waste away

attentive

adj. paying attention

attribute

v. to ascribe something to

audacious

adj. daring

augment

v. to increase

austerity

n. strictness

authentic

adj. genuine

authoritarian

adj. treating an individual lesser to the state; dominating, strict

autonomous

adj. independant

aversion

n. firm dislike

banal

adj. ordinary; common

bane

n. cause of ruin; curse

belie

v. to contradict

belittle

v. to make fun of

belligerent

adj. quarrelsome

benevolent

adj. kind; generous

benign

adj. kind; favorable

bequeath

v. to pass on; to give something to someone by will

biased

adj. prejudiced

bland

adj. plain; dull

blasphemy

n. cursing; offense to sacred things

bolster

v. to support; to reinforce

braggart

n. boastful person

brawn

n. muscular strength

brevity

n. briefness

buttress

v. to support

cacophonous

adj. not harmonious

cajole

v. to persuade; to coax

calculated

adj. deliberately planned

candor

n. frankness

capricious

adj. unpredictable; changes suddenly

caricature

n. a picture

censorious

adj. severely critical of others

censure

v. to express severe disapproval

certitude

n. certainty