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- Antiquated- too old to be useful; outdated; obsolete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