SAT Exam Essentials Vocabulary

A comprehensive collection of SAT vocabulary terms with their definitions as presented in the lecture notes.

verisimilitude

lifelikeness; the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true

conjecture

an inference or opinion; a conclusion or theory based on incomplete or insufficient evidence

unnerved

dismayed; made anxious, fearful, or disturbed by something unsettling

quotidian

daily or commonplace; relating to everyday life

discerning

to perceive or distinguish; having good judgment and the ability to recognize quality or subtle differences

vindictive

cruel; disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

myriad

countless; too numerous to be counted

imperious

arrogant; having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

synopsis

a brief summary; a condensed outline that captures the main points of a longer work

lambaste

censure; to criticize harshly or attack severely, either verbally or physically

excise

to remove surgically; to cut out or eliminate completely, often used in medical or editing contexts

cursory

casual; hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough

testament

attestation or proof; evidence or tribute that demonstrates something; also refers to a legal will

eschew

avoid; to avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of

epitomize

serve as the perfect example; to embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of

ubiquitous

pervasive; being present everywhere at once

abate

lessen; to become less intense or widespread; subside.

capricious

erratic; unpredictable, given to sudden changes of mood or behavior.

pernicious

harmful; exceedingly harmful

impugn

criticize; to attack as false or wrong

conflate

commingle; to combine or mix things, especially ideas, into one.

outmoded

obsolete; make unfashionable, outdated, or obsolete

vindicate

justify; to show to be right by providing justification or proof

modulate

regulate; to change or vary something gradually, especially tone, intensity, or frequency

steward

one who manages; a person responsible for managing or taking care of something on behalf of others

unfounded

lacking factual basis; not supported by evidence or facts; without proper foundation or justification

attenuate

weaken; to reduce the force, effect, or value of something.

rescind

revoke; to revoke, repeal, or cancel (a law, order, etc.)

tenuous

flimsy; having thin consistency

surreptitious

sneaky; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed

heterogeneity

diversity in character; the quality of having varied or different elements within a group or system

burgeoning

growing rapidly; developing or expanding quickly, especially in a positive way

facetious

kidding; cleverly amusing in tone

ameliorate

improve; to make something bad or unsatisfactory better

idiosyncratic

distinctive; peculiar to the individual

inexplicable

unexplainable; incapable of being explained or accounted for

precede

occur earlier; to be, come, or go before in time, place, order, rank, or importance

capacious

spacious; having ample space; very roomy and able to hold much.

emanate

come from; to proceed or issue forth, as from a source

heterogeneous

diverse; consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature

impervious

unaffected; not admitting of passage or capable of being affected

expound

to set forth; to explain or describe in detail, to present a theory or idea comprehensively

preclude

prevent; to keep from happening or arising; make impossible

recapitulate

summarize; to summarize briefly

equivocal

conflicting; open to two or more interpretations

exacerbate

make worse; to make worse

evince

manifest; to give expression to

decry

condemn; to express strong disapproval of

harbinger

omen; foreshadow or presage

supplant

replace; to take the place or move into the position of

misconstrue

misinterpret; to interpret in the wrong way

orthodox

traditional; adhering to what is commonly accepted

augment

add, increase; to make something greater, larger, or more intense by adding to it.

abatement

lessening or reducing; the act or condition of lessening or reducing; mitigation

fecund

fertile; capable of producing offspring or vegetation

coalesce

blend; to unite or merge into a single body, group, or mass

contentious

quarrelsome; likely to cause argument or disagreement; controversial.

intercede

to intervene on behalf; to intervene on behalf of another person or party

perturbation

anxiety; anxiety or mental uneasiness; a state of disturbance

transpose

to reverse order; to reverse order or position; to change the relative position of

expedite

rush; to speed up the progress of; facilitate

belie

contradict; to contradict or give a false impression of something.

aggregation

a collection or gathering; a collection or gathering into a mass or whole

attenuated

weakened or reduced; weakened or reduced in force, effect, or intensity

emblematic

serving as a symbol; serving as a symbol or representative example of something

immoderate

excessive; not sensible or restrained; excessive in degree or amount

impartial

unbiased; treating all rivals or disputants equally; unbiased and fair

extraneous

irrelevant; not pertinent to the matter under consideration

indolence

inactivity; inactivity resulting from a dislike of work

diminutive

small; very small

reciprocity

mutual effort; a relation of mutual dependence or action or influence

tranquil

peaceful; (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

nonchalance

apathy; the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern

enumerate

list; to mention (a number of things) one by one

dispassionate

impartial; unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice

dissonance

lack of harmony; a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters

dearth

lack; an acute insufficiency

amass

collect; to gather a large quantity or collection, often over time.

corroborate

confirm; to provide evidence or information that confirms a statement or theory.

attrition

gradual reduction; gradual reduction in numbers, strength, or effectiveness, often through constant pressure.

commend

to praise formally; to praise formally or officially; to express approval

abridge

shorten; to shorten a text or work by condensing or summarizing.

wrought by

caused by; caused by or created by

proxy

authorized representative; a person authorized to act for another in their absence

forestall

prevent; to prevents by taking action in advance; anticipates and prevents

emissary

a special messenger; a person sent on a special mission as a representative

capitalize

to take advantage of; to provide capital for investment

propagate

breed; to transmit from one generation to the next

ascribe

attribute; to attribute something to a cause, source, or person.

disquieting

unsettling; inducing feelings of anxiety, worry, or unease

elicit

evoke; to call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

unsympathetic

callous; not showing approval, favor, or compassion

catalyzing

initiating a process; initiating or triggering a process or reaction

indoctrinate

to teach doctrine uncritically; to teach to uncritically accept a particular doctrine or belief system

mutable

changeable; capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature

incongruous

inappropriate; lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness

copious

abundant; existing in large amounts; plentiful or profuse.

palpable

tangible; capable of being perceived; especially capable of being handled or touched or felt

warranted

justified or necessary; necessary under the circumstances

exploit

feat; a brave or adventurous act or deed