sat.vocab

SAT Vocabulary - The 1000 Most Common SAT Words

A

• abase (v.): to humiliate, degrade. Example: After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror.

• abate (v.): to reduce, lessen. Example: The rain poured down for a while, then abated.

• abdicate (v.): to give up a position, usually one of leadership. Example: When he realized that the revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.

• abduct (v.): to kidnap, take by force. Example: The evildoers abducted the fairy princess from her happy home.

• aberration (n.): something that differs from the norm. Example: In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration.

• abet (v.): to aid, help, encourage. Example: The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.

• abhor (v.): to hate, detest. Example: Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.

• abide (v.):

  • to put up with. Example: Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.
  • to remain. Example: Despite the beating they’ve taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide.

• abject (adj.): wretched, pitiful. Example: After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject.

• abjure (v.): to reject, renounce. Example: To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.

• abnegation (n.): denial of comfort to oneself. Example: The holy man slept on the floor and followed other practices of abnegation.

• abort (v.): to give up on a half-finished project or effort. Example: After they ran out of food, the men had to abort and go home.

• abridge (v./adj.):

  • to cut down, shorten. Example: The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.
  • shortened. Example: Even the abridged version is longer than most normal books.

• abrogate (v.): to abolish, usually by authority. Example: The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.

• abscond (v.): to sneak away and hide. Example: In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans.

• absolution (n.): freedom from blame, guilt, sin. Example: Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution.

• abstain (v.): to freely choose not to commit an action. Example: Everyone demanded that Angus put on the kilt, but he abstained.

• abstruse (adj.): hard to comprehend. Example: Everyone else understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.

• accede (v.): to agree. Example: The teacher acceded to their request to play baseball instead of learn grammar.

• accentuate (v.): to stress, highlight. Example: Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life.

• accessible (adj.): obtainable, reachable. Example: Marlena realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible.

• acclaim (n.): high praise. Example: Greg’s excellent poem won the acclaim of his friends.

• accolade (n.): high praise, special distinction. Example: Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize.

• accommodating (adj.): helpful, obliging, polite. Example: Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were accommodating to each other.

• accord (n.): an agreement. Example: England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord about fishing rights.

• accost (v.): to confront verbally. Example: Antoinette accosted the waiter after he spilled soup on her repeatedly.

• accretion (n.): slow growth in size or amount. Example: Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves.

• acerbic (adj.): biting, bitter in tone or taste. Example: Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.

• acquiesce (v.): to agree without protesting. Example: Mr. Correlli acquiesced to his wife's demands.

• acrimony (n.): bitterness, discord. Example: Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship.

• acumen (n.): keen insight. Example: Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out problems in minutes.

• acute (adj.):

  • sharp, severe. Example: Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so acute.
  • having keen insight. Example: Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his “magic.”

• adamant (adj.): impervious, immovable, unyielding. Example: The President remained adamant about his proposal.

• adept (adj.): extremely skilled. Example: Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.

• adhere (v.):

  • to stick to something. Example: We adhered the poster to the wall with tape.
  • to follow devoutly. Example: He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question.

• admonish (v.): to caution, criticize, reprove. Example: Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.

• adorn (v.): to decorate. Example: We adorned the tree with ornaments.

• adroit (adj.): skillful, dexterous. Example: The adroit thief could pick someone’s pocket without attracting notice.

• adulation (n.): extreme praise. Example: Though the book was pretty good, Marcy did not believe it deserved the adulation it received.

• adumbrate (v.): to sketch out in a vague way. Example: The coach adumbrated a game plan.

• adverse (adj.): antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous. Example: Because of adverse conditions, the hikers gave up trying to climb the mountain.

• advocate (v./n.):

  • to argue in favor of something. Example: Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign.
  • a person who argues in favor of something. Example: Arnold was a great advocate of increasing national defense spending.

• aerial (adj.): somehow related to the air. Example: We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers.

• aesthetic (adj.): artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty. Example: We hired Susan as our interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.

• affable (adj.): friendly, amiable. Example: People like to be around George because he is so affable and good-natured.

• affinity (n.): a spontaneous feeling of closeness. Example: Jerry felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met.

• affluent (adj.): rich, wealthy. Example: Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine.

• affront (n.): an insult. Example: Bernardo took any slight as an affront to his honor.

• aggrandize (v.): to increase or make greater. Example: Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature.

• aggregate (n./v.):

  • a whole or total. Example: The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.
  • to gather into a mass. Example: The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could.

• aggrieved (adj.): distressed, wronged, injured. Example: The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees.

• agile (adj.): quick, nimble. Example: The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit.

• agnostic (adj.): believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven. Example: Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.

• agriculture (n.): farming. Example: It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes began to develop agriculture.

• aisle (n.): a passageway between rows of seats. Example: Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats.

• alacrity (n.): eagerness, speed. Example: Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.

• alias (n.): a false name or identity. Example: He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.

• allay (v.): to soothe, ease. Example: The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to allay investors’ fears about an economic downturn.

• allege (v.): to assert, usually without proof. Example: The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but the investigation turned up no evidence.

• alleviate (v.): to relieve, make more bearable. Example: This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.

• allocate (v.): to distribute, set aside. Example: The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town’s schools.

• aloof (adj.): reserved, distant. Example: The scientist could sometimes seem aloof.

• altercation (n.): a dispute, fight. Example: Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation.

• amalgamate (v.): to bring together, unite. Example: The presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner because of his great charisma

• ambiguous (adj.): uncertain, variably interpretable. Example: His actual reasons for marrying Cleopatra are ambiguous.

• ambivalent (adj.): having opposing feelings. Example: My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent.

• ameliorate (v.): to improve. Example: The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon.

• amenable (adj.): willing, compliant. Example: Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm.

• amenity (n.): an item that increases comfort. Example: Bill Gates’s house is stocked with so many amenities.

• amiable (adj.): friendly. Example: An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.

• amicable (adj.): friendly. Example: Claudia and Jimmy got divorced amicably.

• amorous (adj.): showing love, particularly sexual. Example: Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous.

• amorphous (adj.): without definite shape or type. Example: The effort was doomed from the start, because the reasons behind it were so amorphous.

• anachronistic (adj.): being out of correct chronological order. Example: The Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic.

• analgesic (n.): something that reduces pain. Example: Put this analgesic on the wound.

• analogous (adj.): similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn. Example: The bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.

• anarchist (n.): one who wants to eliminate all government. Example: An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere.

• anathema (n.): a cursed, detested person. Example: I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.

• anecdote (n.): a short, humorous account. Example: After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.

• anesthesia (n.): loss of sensation. Example: When the nerves in his spine were damaged, Mr. Hollins suffered anesthesia in his legs.

• anguish (n.): extreme sadness, torment. Example: Angelos suffered terrible anguish when he learned that Buffy had died.

• animated (adj.): lively. Example: When he begins to talk about drama, he becomes very animated.

• annex (v./n.):

  • to incorporate territory or space. Example: After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland.
  • a room attached to a larger room or space. Example: He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library.

• annul (v.): to make void or invalid. Example: After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects, Congress sought to annul the law.

• anomaly (n.): something that does not fit into the normal order. Example: “That rip in the space-time continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,” said Spock to Captain Kirk.

• anonymous (adj.): being unknown, unrecognized. Example: Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer.

• antagonism (n.): hostility. Example: Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought.

• antecedent (n.): something that came before. Example: The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece.

• antediluvian (adj.): ancient. Example: The antediluvian man still believed that Eisenhower was president of the United States and that hot dogs cost a nickel.

• anthology (n.): a selected collection of writings, songs, etc. Example: The new anthology of Bob Dylan songs contains all his greatest hits and a few songs that you might never have heard before.

• antipathy (n.): a strong dislike, repugnance. Example: I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.

• antiquated (adj.): old, out of date. Example: That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great.

• antiseptic (adj.): clean, sterile. Example: The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy.

• antithesis (n.): the absolute opposite. Example: Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.

• anxiety (n.): intense uneasiness. Example: When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety because he knew that his girlfriend had been driving on the road where the accident occurred.

• apathetic (adj.): lacking concern, emotion. Example: Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic.

• apocryphal (adj.): fictitious, false, wrong. Example: Because I am standing before you, it seems obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal.

• appalling (adj.): inspiring shock, horror, disgust. Example: The judge found the murderer’s crimes appalling.

• appease (v.): to calm, satisfy. Example: When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him.

• appraise (v.): to assess the worth or value of. Example: A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house.

• apprehend (v.):

  • to seize, arrest. Example: The criminal was apprehended at the scene.
  • to perceive, understand, grasp. Example: The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science.

• approbation (n.): praise. Example: The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.

• appropriate (v.): to take, make use of. Example: The government appropriated the farmer’s land without justification.

• aquatic (adj.): relating to water. Example: The marine biologist studies starfish and other aquatic creatures.

• arable (adj.): suitable for growing crops. Example: The farmer purchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts.

• arbiter (n.): one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision. Example: The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife.

• arbitrary (adj.): based on factors that appear random. Example: The boy’s decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary.

• arbitration (n.): the process or act of resolving a dispute. Example: The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor.

• arboreal (adj.): of or relating to trees. Example: Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.

• arcane (adj.): obscure, secret, known only by a few. Example: The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature.

• archaic (adj.): of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated. Example: In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.

• archetypal (adj.): the most representative or typical example of something. Example: Some believe George Washington was the archetypal politician.

• ardor (n.): extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm. Example: The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries.

• arid (adj.): excessively dry. Example: Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments.

• arrogate (v.): to take without justification. Example: The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.

• artifact (n.): a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place. Example: The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization.

• artisan (n.): a craftsman. Example: The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks.

• ascertain (v.): to perceive, learn. Example: With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.

• ascetic (adj.): practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious. Example: The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.

• ascribe (v.): to assign, credit, attribute to. Example: Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese.

• aspersion (n.): a curse, expression of ill-will. Example: The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others’ integrity.

• aspire (v.): to long for, aim toward. Example: The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.

• assail (v.): to attack. Example: At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor.

• assess (v.): to evaluate. Example: A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash.

• assiduous (adj.): hard-working, diligent. Example: The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.

• assuage (v.): to ease, pacify. Example: The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.

• astute (adj.): very clever, crafty. Example: Much of Roger’s success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters’ questions.

• asylum (n.):

  • a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary. Example: For Thoreau, the forest served as an asylum from the pressures of urban life.
  • an institution in which the insane are kept. Example: The man was put in an asylum.

• atone (v.): to repent, make amends. Example: The man atoned for forgetting his wife’s birthday by buying her five dozen roses.

• atrophy (v.): to wither away, decay. Example: If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.

• attain (v.): to achieve, arrive at. Example: The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition.

• attribute (v./n.):

  • to credit, assign. Example: He attributes all of his success to his mother’s undying encouragement.
  • a facet or trait. Example: Among the beetle’s most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes.

• atypical (adj.): not typical, unusual. Example: Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior.

• audacious (adj.): excessively bold. Example: The security guard was shocked by the fan’s audacious attempt to offer him a bribe.

• audible (adj.): able to be heard. Example: The missing person’s shouts were unfortunately not audible.

• augment (v.): to add to, expand. Example: The eager student seeks to augment his knowledge of French vocabulary by reading French literature.

• auspicious (adj.): favorable, indicative of good things. Example: The tennis player considered the sunny forecast an auspicious sign that she would win her match.

• austere (adj.): very bare, bleak. Example: The austere furniture inside the abandoned house made the place feel haunted.

• avarice (n.): excessive greed. Example: The banker’s avarice led him to amass a tremendous personal fortune.

• avenge (v.): to seek revenge. Example: The victims will take justice into their own hands and strive to avenge themselves against the men who robbed them.

• aversion (n.): a particular dislike for something. Example: Because he’s from Hawaii, Ben has an aversion to autumn, winter, and cold climates in general.

B

• balk (v.): to stop, block abruptly. Example: Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.
• ballad (n.): a love song. Example: Greta’s boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods.
• banal (adj.): dull, commonplace. Example: The client rejected our proposal because they found our presentation banal and unimpressive.
• bane (n.): a burden. Example: Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.
• bard (n.): a poet, often a singer as well. Example: Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.
• bashful (adj.): shy, excessively timid. Example: Frankie’s mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party.
• battery (n.):
  • a device that supplies power. Example: Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery and gasoline.
  • assault, beating. Example: Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk.
• beguile (v.): to trick, deceive. Example: The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him.
• behemoth (n.): something of tremendous power or size. Example: The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.
• benevolent (adj.): marked by goodness or doing good. Example: Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community.
• benign (adj.): favorable, not threatening, mild. Example: We were all relieved to hear that the medical tests determined her tumor to be benign.
• bequeath (v.): to pass on, give. Example: Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.
• berate (v.): to scold vehemently. Example: The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline.
• bereft (adj.): devoid of, without. Example: His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado.
• beseech (v.): to beg, plead, implore. Example: The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family.
• bias (n.): a tendency, inclination, prejudice. Example: The judge’s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision.
• bilk (v.): cheat, defraud. Example: The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.
• blandish (v.): to coax by using flattery. Example: Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.
• blemish (n.): an imperfection, flaw. Example: The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture.
• blight (n.):
  • a plague, disease. Example: The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.
  • something that destroys hope. Example: His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation.
• boisterous (adj.): loud and full of energy. Example: The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.
• bombastic (adj.): excessively confident, pompous. Example: The singer’s bombastic performance disgusted the crowd.
• boon (n.): a gift or blessing. Example: The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.
• bourgeois (n.): a middle-class person, capitalist. Example: Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.
• brazen (adj.): excessively bold, brash. Example: Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway’s story.
• brusque (adj.): short, abrupt, dismissive. Example: The captain’s brusque manner offended the passengers.
• buffet (v./n.):
  • to strike with force. Example: The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.
  • an arrangement of food set out on a table. Example: Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.
• burnish (v.): to polish, shine. Example: His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.
• buttress (v./n.):
  • to support, hold up. Example: The column buttresses the roof above the statue.
  • something that offers support. Example: The buttress supports the roof above the statues.

C

• cacophony (n.): tremendous noise, disharmonious sound. Example: The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.
• cadence (n.): a rhythm, progression of sound. Example: The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata.
• cajole (v.): to urge, coax. Example: Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.
• calamity (n.): an event with disastrous consequences. Example: The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.
• calibrate (v.): to set, standardize. Example: The mechanic calibrated the car’s transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.
• callous (adj.): harsh, cold, unfeeling. Example: The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.
• calumny (n.): an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies. Example: The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.
• camaraderie (n.): brotherhood, jovial unity. Example: Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.
• candor (n.): honesty, frankness. Example: We were surprised by the candor of the mayor’s speech because he is usually rather evasive.
• canny (adj.): shrewd, careful. Example: The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end.
• canvas (n./v.):
  • a piece of cloth on which an artist paints. Example: Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.
  • to cover, inspect. Example: We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.
• capacious (adj.): very spacious. Example: The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.
• capitulate (v.): to surrender. Example: The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.
• capricious (adj.): subject to whim, fickle. Example: The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.
• captivate (v.): to get the attention of, hold. Example: The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.
• carouse (v.): to party, celebrate. Example: We caroused all night after getting married.
• carp (v.): to annoy, pester. Example: The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.
• catalog (v./n.):
  • to list, enter into a list. Example: The judge cataloged the victim’s injuries before calculating how much money he would award.
  • a list or collection. Example: We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.
• catalyze (v.): to charge, inspire. Example: The president’s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.
• caucus (n.): a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal. Example: The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.
• caustic (adj.): bitter, biting, acidic. Example: The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.
• cavort (v.): to leap about, behave boisterously. Example: The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.
• censure (n./v.):
  • harsh criticism. Example: The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother’s censure.
  • to rebuke formally. Example: The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric vocabulary.
• cerebral (adj.): related to the intellect. Example: The books we read in this class are too cerebral—they don’t engage my emotions at all.
• chaos (n.): absolute disorder. Example: Mr. Thornton’s sudden departure for the lavatory plunged his classroom into chaos.
• chastise (v.): to criticize severely. Example: After being chastised by her peers for mimicking Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.
• cherish (v.): to feel or show affection toward something. Example: She continued to cherish her red plaid trousers, even though they had gone out of style and no longer fit her.
• chide (v.): to voice disapproval. Example: Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.
• choreography (n.): the arrangement of dances. Example: The plot of the musical was banal, but the choreography was stunning.
• chronicle (n./v.):
  • a written history. Example: The library featured the newly updated chronicle of World War II.
  • to write a history. Example: Albert’s diary chronicled the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia.
• chronological (adj.): arranged in order of time. Example: Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in chronological order, and then set fire to them.
• circuitous (adj.): roundabout. Example: The bus’s circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs.
• circumlocution (n.): indirect and wordy language. Example: The professor’s habit of speaking in circumlocutions made it difficult to follow his lectures.
• circumscribed (adj.): marked off, bounded. Example: The children were permitted to play tag only within a carefully circumscribed area of the lawn.
• circumspect (adj.): cautious. Example: Though I promised Rachel’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.
• circumvent (v.): to get around. Example: The school’s dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was circumvented by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby.
• clairvoyant (adj.): able to perceive things that normal people cannot. Example: Zelda’s uncanny ability to detect my lies was nothing short of clairvoyant.
• clamor (n./v.):
  • loud noise. Example: Each morning the birds outside my window make such a clamor that they wake me up.
  • to loudly insist. Example: Neville’s fans clamored for him to appear on stage, but he had passed out on the floor of his dressing room.
• clandestine (adj.): secret. Example: Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the gym, Sophie actually went to meet Joseph for a clandestine liaison.
• cleave (v.):
  • to divide into parts. Example: Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party cleaved into warring factions.
  • to stick together firmly. Example: After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa cleaved to one another all the more tightly.
• clemency (n.): mercy. Example: After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemency.
• clergy (n.): members of Christian holy orders. Example: Though the villagers viewed the church rectory as quaint and charming, the clergy who lived there regarded it as a mildewy and dusty place that aggravated their allergies.
• cloying (adj.): sickeningly sweet. Example: Though Ronald was physically attractive, Maud found his constant compliments and solicitous remarks cloying.
• coagulate (v.): to thicken, clot. Example: The top layer of the pudding had coagulated into a thick skin.
• coalesce (v.): to fuse into a whole. Example: Gordon’s ensemble of thrift-shop garments coalesced into a surprisingly handsome outfit.