SAT Vocab 1-7

galvanize

(verb): to arouse into awareness or action

largess

(noun): the generous giving to others

gauche

(adj): lacking social refinement

jocular

(adj): playful & humorous

zenith

(noun): the peak or highest point(noun): the peak or highest point

impunity

(noun): exemption from punishment

bellicose

(adj): ready or inclined to quarrel, fight, or go to war

maladroit

(adj): clumsy or insensitive in speech or behavior

futile

(adj): with no useful or practical effect, useless

ruminate

(verb): to think carefully and at length about something

exonerate

(verb): to officially free someone from blame or fault, particularly of a crime

altruism

(noun): an attitude/way of behaving characterized my unselfish concern for the welfare of others; the belief that acting for the benefit of others I right and good

ignominy

(noun): a total loss of dignity and self-respect, particularly a public disgrace

soporific

(adj): causing sleep or drowsiness or dull and boring, as though it would put a person to slee

enigma

(noun): somebody or something that is not easily explained or understood, of then the point mysteriousness

dilatory

(adj): tending to waste time or move slowly; intended to cause a delay

myopic

(adj): short sighted, both literally and figuratively. Literal: can only see up close, so needs glasses to see long distances. Figurative: showing a lack of foresight or long-term planning, only seeing the short term and not looking beyond the immediate

moribund

(adj): nearly dead, having lost all sense of purpose or vitality

alacrity

 (noun): eager and speedy readiness

surfeit

(noun): an excess number or quantity of something, especially so much of it that people become sickened, repelled, or bored by it

augment

(verb): to grow/increase something in number, amount, size, strength, or intensity.

insidious

(adj): slowly and subtly harmful or destructive

kismet

(noun): fate or destiny

enmity

(noun): extreme hatred, particularly between enemies

denizen

(noun): somebody who is in a place or area and/or a regular visitor to a place

fallacious

(adj): deceptive AND liable to mislead people because of a mistaken belief or idea

peculate

(verb): to get money or property by embezzlement or theft

obfuscate

(verb): to make something confusing and unclear, especially by making it unnecessarily complicated. 

malaise

 (noun): a general feeling of worry/depression, resulting is lethargy OR a general feeling of illness or sickness without any specific diagnosis. 

efficacious

(adj): having the power to produce the desired result

penury

(noun): the state of extreme poverty

vituperation

(noun): an outburst of violently abusive language

supercilious

(adj): full of contemptuous arrogance

gambol

 (verb): to skip about playfully

folderol

(noun): silly nonsense

ennui

(noun): a bored weariness & dissatisfaction with life resulting from a loss of interest or sense of excitement

curmudgeon

(noun): a bad-tempered, disagreeable person

sojourn

(noun): a short trip or stay at a place

truculent

(adj): displaying great aggression

gregarious

(adj): very friendly & sociable. 

sycophant

Noun; one who is eager to please for personal gain; or more informally, a suck-up or brown-noser

lugubrious

Adjective; extremely sad, gloomy, or mournful

pernicious

Adjective; causing great harm & destruction, wicked 

insouciant

Adjective; unconcerned or unworried, often to the point of arrogance

ubiquitous

Adjective; present everywhere at once, omnipresent

non-sequitur

Noun;  a statement that is totally unrelated to the statement that it follows

restive

Adjective; uneasy, agitated; having little patience; unwilling to be controlled

diatribe

Noun;  A bitter verbal or written attack on someone or something

jingoistic

Adjective; extremely fervent and patriotic, to the point of even expressing hostility toward other countries. 

implacable

Adjective; not easily calmed or pacified; impossible to change or move

Contrite

(adj): genuinely & deeply sorry about something

Erudite

(adj): having great knowledge gained from study & reading

anomaly

(n): something that deviates from the norm or expectations

cantankerous

(adj): easily angered & difficult to get along with

coterie

(n): a small, exclusive group of people who share the same interests

deride

(v): to ridicule/insult someone or something

feckless

(adj): lacking the thought or organization necessary to succeed, incompetent due to an inability to do anything useful

excoriate

(v): to criticize and/or scold somebody very strongly

debacle

(n): something that becomes a defeat or humiliating failure

temerity

(n): reckless confidence that might be offensive

Hirsute

(adj): covered with hair or having a large amount of hair

affinity

(n): a natural liking for or inclination toward somebody or something, particularly because you identify with that person/thing

accede

(v): to give consent or agreement to something

bonhomie

noun; easy & good humored friendliness

quotidian

(adj): ordinary & commonplace, particularly because it occurs on a daily basis

coquette

(n): a flirt

harangue

(v): to criticize or question somebody in an angry way

bovine

(adj): displaying the slowness regarded as being typical of cattle

facetious

(adj): intended to be humorous, not to be taken seriously

inchoate

(adj): just beginning to develop, only partly formed