SAT Vocabulary Practice

A comprehensive list of vocabulary terms and definitions extracted verbatim from the most common SAT words transcript, including proper nouns, numerical context, and specific definitions.

abase (v.)

to humiliate, degrade (example given: after being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror)

aberration (n.)

something that differs from the norm (example: in $1918$, the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series turned out to be an aberration)

absolution (n.)

freedom from blame, guilt, sin

abstruse (adj.)

hard to comprehend

accede (v.)

to agree

accentuate (v.)

to stress, highlight

accolade (n.)

high praise, special distinction (example: Sam won the Noble Prize)

accretion (n.)

slow growth in size or amount

acumen (n.)

keen insight

adamant (adj.)

impervious, immovable, unyielding

adulatory (adj.)

extreme praise

adumbrate (v.)

to sketch out in a vague way

affluent (adj.)

rich, wealthy

aggrandize (v.)

to increase or make greater

alacrity (n.)

eager speed

allocate (v.)

to distribute, set aside (example: the Mayor allocated $30$ percent of funds)

altercation (n.)

a dispute, fight

ambiguous (adj.)

uncertain, variably interpretable

ambivalent (adj.)

having opposing feelings

anachronistic (adj.)

being out of correct chronological order

analgesic (n.)

something that reduces pain

anathema (n.)

a cursed, detested person

antidiluvian (adj.)

ancient (example: believes hot dogs cost a nickel)

antithesis (n.)

the absolute opposite

apocryphal (adj.)

fictitious, false, wrong

approbation (n.)

praise

arable (adj.)

suitable for growing crops

arboreal (adj.)

of or relating to trees

arcane (adj.)

obscure, secret, known only by a few

assiduous (adj.)

hard-working, diligent

atrophy (v.)

to wither away, decay

audacious (adj.)

excessively bold

avarice (n.)

excessive greed

balk (v.)

to stop, block abruptly

banal (adj.)

dull, commonplace

bard (n.)

a poet, often a singer as well

behemoth (n.)

something of tremendous power or size

benevolent (adj.)

marked by goodness or doing good

benign (adj.)

favorable, not threatening, mild

bilk (v.)

cheat, defraud

boisterous (adj.)

loud and full of energy

bombastic (adj.)

excessively confident, pompous

brusque (adj.)

short, abrupt, dismissive

buttress (v./n.)

to support, hold up; something that offers support

cacophony (n.)

tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

cajole (v.)

to urge, coax

calumny (n.)

an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

candor (n.)

honesty, frankness

capitulate (v.)

to surrender

capricious (adj.)

subject to whim, fickle

caucus (n.)

a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal

caustic (adj.)

bitter, biting, acidic

censure (n./v.)

harsh criticism; to rebuke formally

cerebral (adj.)

related to the intellect

chastise (v.)

to criticize severely

circumlocution (n.)

indirect and wordy language

circumspect (adj.)

cautious

clandestine (adj.)

secret

clemency (n.)

mercy

cloying (adj.)

sickeningly sweet

coalesce (v.)

to fuse into a whole

cogent (adj.)

intellectually convincing

collateral (adj./n.)

secondary; security for a debt (example: Jacob left his watch for the $500$ loan)

colloquial (adj.)

characteristic of informal conversation

commensurate (adj.)

corresponding in size or amount

compunction (n.)

distress caused by feeling guilty

conciliatory (adj.)

friendly, agreeable

concomitant (adj.)

accompanying in a subordinate fashion

conflagration (n.)

great fire

confluence (n.)

a gathering together

congeal (v.)

to thicken into a solid

connive (v.)

to plot, scheme

consign (v.)

to give something over to another’s care

constrain (v.)

to forcibly restrict

consummate (v.)

to complete a deal or ceremony

contentious (adj.)

having a tendency to quarrel or dispute

contusion (n.)

bruise, injury

conundrum (n.)

puzzle, problem

convivial (adj.)

characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment

copious (adj.)

profuse, abundant

corroborate (v.)

to support with evidence

cosmopolitan (adj.)

sophisticated, worldly

covet (v.)

to desire enviously

credulity (n.)

readiness to believe

culpable (adj.)

deserving blame (example sentencing: $75$ years)

cupidity (n.)

greed, strong desire

cursory (adj.)

brief to the point of being superficial

curtail (v.)

to lessen, reduce

daunting (adj.)

intimidating, causing one to lose courage

dearth (n.)

a lack, scarcity

debacle (n.)

a disastrous failure, disruption

debase (v.)

to lower the quality or esteem of something

debunk (v.)

to expose the falseness of something (example: defeated in $18$ consecutive matches)

defamatory (adj.)

harmful toward another’s reputation

deferential (adj.)

showing respect for another’s authority

deleterious (adj.)

harmful

demagogue (n.)

a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices

demure (adj.)

quiet, modest, reserved

denigrate (v.)

to belittle, diminish the opinion of

depravity (n.)

wickedness