SAT/ACT/AP Vocabulary: 200 Key Words (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards drawn from the 200 key words in the video notes for SAT/ACT/AP preparation.

impassioned

Filled with intense emotion; passionate

dispassionate

Objective and impartial; not influenced by emotion

disinterested

Objectively unbiased; not influenced by personal feelings or self-interest

buttress

To strengthen or support; originally a wall reinforcement

bolster

To strengthen or increase; to improve

augment

To increase or add to; to raise in size or amount

reinforce

To strengthen by adding support or material

corroborate

To provide evidence that supports a statement; confirm

substantiate

To provide information or evidence to prove that something is true

validate

To confirm; to make legally valid or officially acceptable

foster

To encourage development; to promote; to nurture

precipitate

To cause something to happen suddenly or abruptly; accelerate

elicit

To draw out a response or information from someone

mar

To damage or spoil something good

forestall

To prevent or act before something happens

impede

To hinder or obstruct progress

encumber

To hinder or weigh down; to impede progress

inhibit

To hinder or restrain; to prevent

hamper

To hinder or impede progress

stymie

To hinder or thwart progress

thwart

To prevent someone from accomplishing something

retard

To slow down progress or development

check

To restrain or curb something; to stop its spread or progress

curb

To control or limit, especially something bad

rebut

To refute or deny; to offer evidence against

reprimand

To scold or rebuke someone for a fault

discount

To dismiss as unimportant or not true

defy

To resist authority or challenge; to refuse to obey

defer to sb

To yield to someone's judgment or opinion out of respect

deter

To discourage someone from taking action by making the consequences clear

debunk

To expose the falseness of a claim or belief

shun

To deliberately avoid something or someone

curtail

To reduce or cut back on something

mitigate

To make something less severe or serious

exacerbate

To make something worse; to aggravate

aggravate

To worsen a condition or irritate someone

ameliorate

To improve or make something better

rectify

To correct or set right

attenuate

To reduce the force, effect, or value of something

tenuous

Very weak or uncertain

robust

Strong and healthy; sturdy

qualify

To limit or modify a statement; to make it less strong

abate

To lessen or reduce; to subside

subside

To become less intense or violent; to settle down

bar

To prohibit or block; to obstruct

invaluable

Extremely valuable or useful; priceless

overlook

To neglect or ignore; also to overlook from above

oversee

To supervise; to direct or manage

overwatch

To guard or monitor; to watch over

overestimate

To estimate something as higher than it really is

undermine

To weaken gradually or secretly; to sabotage

underscore

To emphasize or stress; to underline

underestimate

To estimate something as less than its true value

understate

To downplay or make something seem less important

argue that

To claim or assert that something is true

contend that

To assert or argue that something is true

suspect that

To think that something may be true

speculate that

To form a theory or guess about something

counter that

To oppose or argue against a statement

doubt that

To question or disbelieve that something is true

fickle

Likely to change opinions or loyalties frequently; capricious

apprehensive

Anxious or fearful about what may happen

misgiving

A feeling of doubt or suspicion

comprehensive

Including all or nearly all elements; thorough

exhaustive

Complete and thorough; including every possibility

prohibitive

So high as to prevent purchase or use; cost prohibitive

exorbitant

Extremely expensive or beyond reasonable price

bewilder

To confuse or perplex greatly

baffle

To confuse or frustrate; not understand

bemuse

To puzzle or bewilder

perplex

To confuse and worry because something is difficult to understand

confound

To confuse or astonish; to prove or expose wrong

supplant

To replace or take the place of

supplement

To add to something in order to improve it

discrepancy

A difference or inconsistency between two things that should be the same

conjectural

Based on guesswork or incomplete evidence; speculative

speculative

Based on guesses or hypotheses rather than facts

notional

Not existing in reality; theoretical or hypothetical

tentative

Not certain or fixed; provisional

extrapolate

To infer or estimate by extending known facts to unknown situations

empirical

Based on observation or experience rather than theory

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something

ambiguous

Unclear or having more than one possible interpretation

equivocal

Deliberately vague or open to interpretation; unclear

implication

A possible meaning or consequence of an idea or statement

articulate

To express clearly and coherently in words

paucity

Scarcity; a small amount

dearth

A scarcity or lack of something

sporadic

Occurring irregularly or scattered; not constant

plethora

An excessive or very large amount of something

copious

Abundant; plentiful in supply

ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere

contempt

The feeling that something or someone is worthless or deserves no respect

bitter

Angry, resentful; sharp in taste or expression

cynical

Distrustful of others’ motives; believing people are motivated by selfish concerns

detrimental

Causing harm or damage

pernicious

Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

innocuous

Not harmful or offensive; harmless

nonchalant

Casual and unconcerned; seeming not to care

sanguine

Optimistic and confident about the future