500 key words for the sat

• Abstract- theoretical; not concrete
• Abstruse- hard to understand
• Acclaim- praise; applaud
• Accolade- an award, or praise
• Acquiescent- reluctantly agreeable; compliant
• Acrimony- words or behavior filled with harshness or anger
• Adamant- refusing to change; stubborn, unyielding
• Advocate- support; plead for; speak on behalf
• Affable- friendly; easygoing
• Affirmation- positive statement; assertion; agreement
• Alienate- to push someone away, or cause him to separate from people
• Aloof- detached; apart; indifferent
• Altruistic- unselfish; caring
• Ambidextrous- able to use both hands with equal skill
• Ambiguous- unclear; vague; having several possible interpretations
• Ambivalence- indecision; feeling of being pulled in two directions
• Ameliorate- to make an unpleasant situation better; to improve
• Amity- friendship
• Amorphous- without form or shape
• Analogous- similar
• Anarchy- a lack of order; chaos
• Anathema- a religious curse, or the thing or person being cursed
• Antagonistic- in hostile competition; opposing
• Antiquated- too old to be useful; outdated; obsolete
• Antithesis- opposite
• Apathy- lack of interest or concern
• Apex- top; highest point; summit
• Appease- calm; pacify
• Arbitrary- selected by random choice and without solid reason
• Arcane- secret; mysterious
• Archaic- old; antiquated
• Arrogant- acting superior, obnoxious, smug, or rude
• Articulate- able to speak clearly
• Ascendance- domination; controlling power
• Ascetic- person who rejects physical comfort and luxury for self-discipline
• Asperity- roughness; harshness; irritability
• Assail- attack with words or force
• Assiduous- persistent; hard-working; diligent; attentive to detail
• Assuage- relieve; ease; pacify
• Astute- wise; insightfully clever; shrewd
• Atrophy- waste away; wither
• Augment- make larger; increase
• Auspicious- taking place under promising conditions; likely to succeed
• Austere- stern; plain; without luxuries
• Averse- feeling repelled; wanting to avoid
• Avarice- greed
• Baleful- harmful; menacing
• Banal- boring; trite; insipid
• Belie- to give an impression that is the opposite of the way things really are; to misrepresent
• Belligerent- having a strong tendency to argue and fight
• Benediction- good wishes; a blessing
• Benevolent- kindhearted; good natured; generous
• Benign- gentle; kind-hearted; mild
• Bequeath- to leave behind or hand down through will; transmit
• Blight- decay; disease; widespread death
• Bolster- to support; to reinforce
• Bombast- speech or writing intended to impress the audience; pompous
• Brevity- briefness; conciseness
• Bumptious- pushy; obnoxiously self-assertive
• Cacophony- harshness of sound; opposite of harmony
• Cajole- to fool with flattery or false promises; coax; deceive
• Candor- honesty; frankness
• Capacious- large; roomy; spacious
• Capitulate- surrender; yield
• Capricious- unpredictable
• Castigate- scold; punish
• Caustic- burning; either with chemicals or sarcasm
• Celerity- speed
• Censure- to criticize
• Chasten- scold; punish; castigate
• Choler- anger
• Circumscribe- draw a line around; define limits; confine; restrict
• Circumspect- cautious
• Clemency- mercy
• Coalesce- write; grow together
• Coerce- to force someone by threatening or physically overpowering him
• Cloister- secluded or isolated from the outside world; also a place of seclusion
• Complacent- self-satisfied; unconcerned
• Compliant- following someone else’s demands; conforming; obeying
• Composure- calmness, equanimity

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