SAT Vocab List #1

SAT Vocabulary List #1 

1. aberration; noun – deviating from the right path or usual course of action; a mental disorder, especially of a minor or temporary nature. We were convinced that Ed’s poor test marks were an  aberration, and that he would do better the next time. 

2. belittle; verb – to make something seem less important. The purpose of much campaign oratory is to belittle your opponent’s record. 

3. cache; noun – a hiding place; something hidden in a hiding place. Police searched in vain for the cache of jewels which the thieves had skillfully concealed. 

4. dearth; noun – shortage. The dearth of citrus fruits led to a host of illnesses. 

5. ebb; verb – to decline. Investors watched their fortunes ebb as the stock market plunged to a  new low. 

6. facilitate; verb – to make easy; to bring about. To facilitate our move, the company sent a crew to crate all of the furniture. 

7. galvanize; verb – to arouse suddenly; to startle. It took a mishap at Chernobyl to galvanize the peace movement into protesting vigorously. 

8. hackneyed; adjective – used too often; trite; commonplace. Creative writers cringe when they hear egregiously hackneyed expressions. 

9. iconoclast; noun – a person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions. When she shook up the conservative firm, Gloria earned the reputation of being an iconoclast. 

10. jargon; noun – the specialized vocabulary of members of a group. The club members adopted a jargon that made them feel exclusive. 

11. kindle; verb – to ignite; to arouse or inspire; to catch fire; to become aroused. With the wind blowing furiously, Ted found it difficult to kindle a fire. 

12. labyrinth; noun- a maze; a complicated, perplexing arrangement or course of affairs. Once inside the cave, the searchers were confronted with a labyrinth that defied them to find the route to the wounded explorer. 

13. malicious; adjective- spiteful; intentional mischievous or harmful. The malicious man lead  the widow through a labyrinth or schemes to deprive her of her fortune. 

14. nomenclature; noun – a systematic naming in an art or science. The nomenclature can be quickly mastered by using memory devices. 

15.fatuous; adjective –stupid, not correct, or not carefully thought about;  silly. But as we all know from experience, the inarticulate can be shrewd, the fluent fatuous.