SAT #1,2

abate

v. subside; decrease, lessen

abbreviate

V. shorten

abdicate

V. renounce; give up

abduction

N. kidnapping

aberrant

ADJ. abnormal or deviant.

abet

V. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage.

abhor

V. detest; hate.

abject

ADJ. wretched; lacking pride

abolish

V. cancel; put an end to.

abominable

ADJ. detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad.

aboriginal

ADJ. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native.

abortive

ADJ. unsuccessful; fruitless.

abrade

V. wear away by friction; scrape; erode.

abrasive

ADJ. rubbing away; tending to grind down

abridge

V. condense or shorten

abscond

V. depart secretly and hide

absolute

ADJ. (1) complete; totally unlimited; (2) certain.

absolve

V. pardon (an offense)

absorb

V. (1) assimilate or incorporate; (2) suck or drink up; (3) wholly engage.

abstain

V. refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice.

abstemious

ADJ. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.

abstinence

N. restraint from eating or drinking.

abstract

ADJ. (1) theoretical; not concrete; (2) nonrepresentational.

abstruse

ADJ. obscure; profound; difficult to understand.

abundant

ADJ. plentiful; possessing riches or resources.

abusive

ADJ. coarsely insulting; physically harmful

abysmal

ADJ. bottomless

abyss

N. enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit.

academic

ADJ. (1) related to education; (2) not practical or directly useful.

accede

V. agree

accelerate

V. move faster.

accentuate

V. emphasize; stress.

accessible

ADJ. easy to approach; obtainable.

accessory

N. additional object; useful but not essential thing.

acclaim

V. applaud; announce with great approval.

acclimate

V. adjust to new climate or conditions.

accolade

N. award of merit.

accommodation

N. provision of housing; settlement or compromise.

accomplice

N. partner in crime.

accord

N. agreement.

acerbity

N. bitterness of speech and temper.

acknowledge

V. recognize; admit.

acme

N. top; pinnacle.

acoustics

N. science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in.

acquiesce

V. assent; agree without protesting.

acquire

V. obtain; get.

acquittal

N. deliverance from a charge.

acrid

ADJ. sharp; bitterly pungent.

acrimonious

ADJ. bitter in words or manner

acuity

N. sharpness.

acumen

N. mental keenness.

acute

ADJ. (1) quickly perceptive; (2) keen; (3) brief and severe.

adage

N. wise saying; proverb

adamant

ADJ. hard; inflexible

adapt

V. alter; modify.

addiction

N. compulsive, habitual need.

addle

V. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten.

address

V. direct a speech to; deal with or discuss.

adept

ADJ. expert at

adhere

V. stick fast.

adherent

N. supporter; follower

adjacent

ADJ. adjoining; neighboring; close by

adjunct

N. something added on or attached (generally nonessential or inferior).

admonition

N. warning.

adopt

V. (1) legally take a child as one's own; (2) choose to follow; (3) assume an attitude; (4)

formally accept (a suggestion or report)

adorn

V. decorate

adroit

ADJ. skillful

adulterate

V. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances.

advent

N. arrival of someone or something notable.

adversary

N. opponent

adverse

ADJ. unfavorable; preventing success

adversity

N. unfavorable fortune; hardship; a calamitous event.

advocacy

N. support; active pleading on something's behalf.

advocate

V. urge; plead for.

aesthetic

ADJ. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful.

affable

ADJ. easily approachable; warmly friendly

affected

ADJ. artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress.

affinity

N. kinship

affirmation

N. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.

affliction

N. state of distress; cause of suffering.

affluence

N. abundance; wealth.

afford

V. (1) have enough money to pay for; (2) provide.

aftermath

N. consequences; outcome; upshot.

agenda

N. items of business at a meeting

agent

N. means or instrument; personal representative; person acting in an official capacity.

aggrandize

V. increase or intensify

aggregate

V. gather; accumulate

aggressor

N. attacker

agility

N. nimbleness.

agitate

V. stir up; disturb

agnostic

N. one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality.

alacrity

N. cheerful promptness.

alias

N. an assumed name.

alienate

V. make hostile; separate.

alimentary

ADJ. supplying nourishment

alimony

N. payments made to an ex-spouse after divorce

allay

V. calm; pacify.

allege

V. state without proof.

allegiance

N. loyalty