SAT Word List

impudent

rude; not showing due respect for another person; impertinent

invigorate

energize; to give strength or energy to

disparage

belittle; to regard or represent as being of little worth

prosaic

mudane; ordinary, lacking imagination or excitement

elusive

Evasive; Difficult to find, catch, or achieve

Candor

Honesty; The quality of being open and honest

Disdain

Contempt; Consider to be unworthy of one's consideration

Prudent

wise; showing good judgment and caution, especially in practical matters

Perceptive

discerning; having or showing keen insight, understanding, or awareness

Fortuitous

lucky; fortunately happening by chance or accident rather than design

hackneyed

Trite; Lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite

aberration

anomaly; a deviation from the normal or typical

frugal

thrifty; living in a simple, thrifty, or sparing manner, often avoding unnecessary expenses or waste

fanciful

imaginative; overimaginative a n d unrealistic

transient

temporary; temporary or passing, not lasting or permanent

censure

disapprove; formal disapproval or criticism

brazen

bold; bold and without shame

stately

majestic; dignified and impressive in appearance, manner, or size

contrite

regretful; feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong

porous

permeable; capable of allowing the passage or diffusion of substances through pores or openings

capitulate

surrender; to cease resisting or fighting; to admit defeat or accept an unfavorable outcome

satire

mockery; a literary or artistic work that uses irony, humor, or exaggeration to criticize or mock

aboriginal

indigenous; being the first inhabitants of a region

chronicle

record; a factual written account of Important event

facetious

witty; treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor

prententious

showy; attempting to impress by affecting the greater importance or merit than is actually possesed

circuitous

indirect; longer than the direct way

superficial

concerned only with surface appearances and lacking depth or substance

ambivalent

conflicted; having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas

surmise

speculate; to make an educated guess or inference based on limited evidence or intuition

prevail

triumph; to prove more powerful or superior; to predominate

adulation

flattery; excessive admiration or praise

altruistic

sefless; acting or behaving in a manner that seeks to benefit others

intrepid

fearless; fearless or courageous in the face of danger, challenges, or difficult situations

myriad

numerous; a countless or extremely great number

insidious

stealthy; proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

concerted

collective; jointly arranged or carried out

posit

postulate; to assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument

vindicate

exonerate; to clear from blame, suspicion, or doubt, proving one’s innocence or correctness

underscore

emphasize; to emphasize or highlight the importance or significance of something

obfuscate

confuse; to render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible

fastidious

meticulous; very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

constitute

comprise; to be a part of a whole

laudatory

praiseworthy; expressing praise and commendation

immutable

unchangeable; unchanging over time or unable to be changed

credence

credibility; acceptance or belief in the truth, validity, or reliability, of something

benign

harmless; not causing harm or injury; not malignant or dangerous

nebulous

vague; in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy

enigma

mystery; a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand

imperceptible

unnoticeable; impossible to perceive

ebullient

ethusiastic; cheerful and full of energy

potency

strength; the state or quality of being potent, powerful, or strong

amicable

friendly; characterized by friendliness and absence of discord

latent

hidden; existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed

conjecture

hypothesis; an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information

exonerate

acquit; to absolve someone from blame or a fault or wrongdoing

clairvoyant

psychic; a person who claims to have supernatural ability to perceive future events

inherent

intrinsic; existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute

lucrative

profitable; producing a great deal of profit

conspicuous

obvious; standing out so as to be clearly visible

contentious

controversial; causing or likely to cause an argument

equanimity

composure; mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation

disposition

a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character

attrition

erosion; the process of reducing something’s strength to sustained attack

consolidate

merge; to combine or merge separate elements, entities, or parts into a single unified whole

replicable

reproducible; able to be duplicated or repeated accurately

operative

functional; in effect or functioning/having power to produce results

inconspicuous

unnoticeable; not easily seen or attracting attention

discretion

prudence; the ability to make responsible decision and show careful judgement

ambiguity

uncertainty; the quality of being open to more than one interpretation

sanguine

optimistic; cheerfully confident or hopeful

recalcitrant

defiant; stubbornly resistant to authority or control

misanthropic

antisocial; having a dislike or distrust of humankind

earnest

sincere; showing serious intention or effort/deeply sincere 

dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated; inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true

unpretentious

not attempting to impress others; modest and natural

subsumed

include or absorb in something else

prefiguring

to suggest or indicate in advance; to foreshadow

affinity

a natural liking or sympathy for someone or something

corroboration

the act of confirming or supporting a statement, theory, or finding with additional evidence or information

forfeiture

the loss of property or rights as a penalty for a wrongdoing or violation of a law

negligible

so small or unimportant that it can be disregarded

demarcate

to set the boundaries or limits of something.

dissension

disagreement that leads to discord or conflict

deference

respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, or will of another

derivative

imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason; something that is based on another source

auspicious

conducive to success; favorable

enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

venerable

having great respect due to age, wisdom, or character, often associated with dignity

dubious

hesitating or doubting; not to be relied upon

avant-garde

new and experimental ideas, especially in the arts; innovative or ahead of its time

consecrated

made or declared sacred, typically through a religious ceremony

inviolate

free from violation; unbroken, untouched

chastise

to reprimand or scold someone severely for their actions

conducive

tending to promote or assist in a particular outcome or situation

eccentric

deviating from the norm; unconventional or quirky in behavior or style

palliative

relieving pain or alleviating a problem without addressing the underlying cause

implore

to beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared

apprehensive

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen