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SSAT Prep
vocabulary for SSAT
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abdicate | to give up a position, right, or power |
| abduct | forcefully and wrongfully to carry, take, or lead away |
| abhor | to hate, to view with repugnance, to detest |
| abominable | horrible or unpleasant |
| abridge | to shorten in length or duration |
| absolved | freed from guilt or blame |
| abstinence | act or practice or refraining from indulging, especially in alcohol |
| absurd | ridiculously unreasonable, lacking logic |
| abyss | deep hole; deep immeasurable space, gulf or cavity |
| accelerate | to increase in speed, cause to move faster |
| acclaim | n. praise, enthusiastic approval; v. to approve, to welcome with applause and praise |
| accord | to be in agreement |
| acute | sharp in some way (as in an acute angle) or sharp in intellect; crucial |
| adage | old saying, proverb |
| adamant | stubborn and persistent |
| adept | very skilled |
| adhere | to stick fast; to hold to |
| adjourn | to postpone; to suspend (a meeting) for a period of time |
| adjunct | an accessory, something added on; something or someone associated with another but in a defendant or secondary position |
| admiring | regarding with approval or respect |
| admonish | to scold; to urge to duty, remind; to advise against something |
| adorn | to decorate or add beauty to, for instance with ornaments; to make pleasing, more attractive |
| adversary | opponent or enemy |
| adverse | unfavorable, opposed, going against |
| aeronautic | relating to aircraft |
| affable | pleasantly easy to get along with; friendly and warm |
| affectation | attempt to appear to be what one is not for the purpose of impressing others |
| aggravate | to make worse |
| aghast | overcome by surprise, disgust, or amazement; seized with terror; shocked |
| agility | condition of being able to move quickly and easily or being mentally alert |
| agitate | to shake or grow excited; to move around a lot, to disturb or excite emotionally |
| ail | to suffer from sickness |
| aimless | lacking purpose or goals |
| akin | related to or alike |
| allege | to declare that something is true without proof |
| alleviate | to make easier to bear, lessen |
| allure | fascination, appeal |
| aloof | distant in relations with other people |
| altruistic | concerned for the welfare of others |
| amateur | someone not paid to engage in a hobby, sport, art, etc. |
| ambiguous | unclear |
| ambivalent | having opposing or mixed feelings |
| amend | to improve; to alter, to add to, or subtract from by formal procedure |
| amiable | friendly, good natured |
| amorous | having to do with love |
| amorphous | lacking a specific shape |
| amphibian | animal at home on both land and in the water |
| analytical | intending to understand the nature of something |
| angular | having clear angles or thin and bony facial structure |
| animosity | feeling of ill will, intense dislike for someone or something |
| annihilate | to destroy completely |
| antidote | remedy to relieve the effects or poison |
| aperture | opening |
| aqueous | similar to, or composed of water |
| ardent | characterized by passion or desire |
| arid | very dry, lacking moisture; unproductive, unimaginative |
| aroma | pleasing fragrance; any odor or smell |
| articulate | well-spoken, lucidly presented |
| artifice | 1. trickery, clever ruse; 2. ability to create or imagine |
| ascertain | to find out or discover by examination |
| aspirant | someone reaching for something |
| assailable | able to be attacked or assaulted |
| assert | to state a viewpoint |
| assess | to evaluate or determine the worth of |
| astound | to overwhelm with amazement |
| astute | shrewd and perceptive; able to understand clearly and quickly |
| astute | sharp, shrewd |
| atrocity | horrible, usually brutal, act |
| audacity | boldness or daring, especially with disregard for personal safety |
| audible | able to be heard |
| authentic | genuine and true, not fake |
| authoritative | having great auhority |
| banal | boringly predictable |
| banish | to send away, condemn to exile; drive or put away |
| barrage | a flood |
| barrier | anything that makes progress harder or impossible; a limit or boundary |
| beguile | to delude, deceive by trickery |
| belligerence | aggressive hostility |
| benefactor | someone giving financial or general assistance |
| beneficial | advantageous, helpful, conferring benefit |
| benevolence | inclination to do good deeds |
| benign | harmless |
| bewildered | completely confused or puzzled, perplexed |
| bias | n. prejudice, particular tendency; v. to cause prejudice in; to influence unfairly |
| bile | ill temper, irritability |
| bliss | supreme happiness, utter joy or contentment; heaven, paradise |
| boisterous | loud and unrestrained |
| botanist | scientist specializing in study of plants |
| bounty | generosity in giving; reward |
| brash | bold |
| bravado | showy and pretentious display of courage |
| brevity | state of being brief, of not lasting a long time |
| brig | ship's prison |
| browbeat | to intimidate |
| burly | very stocky and muscled |
| burnish | n. to make shine by rubbing, as with a cloth; n. shininess produced by burnishing |
| cache | hiding place for treasures, etc.; anything in such a hiding place |
| cacophony | jarring and unpleasing sounds |
| cajole | to wheedle, persuade with promises or flattery, coax |
| camouflage | n. disguise worn in order to deceive an enemy; for instance, uniforms the color of trees and dirt; v. to deceive by means of camouflage |
| candor | frankness and sincerity; fairness |
| canine | relating to dogs |
| cantankerous | quarrelsome and grouchy |
| caprice | sudden, unpredictable change |
| capricious | unpredictable and impulsive |
| cascade | n. waterfall, as in a type of fireworks resembling a waterfall; v. to fall like a cascade |
| catastrophe | disastrous event |
| cautious | careful |
| celestial | relating to the heavens |
| censor | to remove material from books, plays, magazines, etc. for moral, political, or religious reasons |
| chasm | gorge or deep canyon |
| choleric | bad-tempered |
| choreographer | person creating and arranging dances for stage performances |
| chorus | group acting together |
| chronic | continuing over a long period of time, long-standing |
| circulate | to move around freely, to spread widely |
| circumscribe | to encircle with a line; to limit in any way |
| clandestine | secret |
| coalesce | to come together |
| collision | crash, clash, or conflict |
| communicative | talkative and likely to communicate |
| compassion | deep feeling of pity or sympathy for others |
| compel | to force someone or something to act |
| competent | having enough skill for some purpose; adequate but not exceptional |
| concede | to give in or surrender |
| concise | brief and compact |
| condescend | to act as if you are better then someone |
| condone | to pardon, to forgive, or overlook |
| confidential | done secretly or in confidence |
| confound | to puzzle or confuse |
| congeal | to thicken, or change from liquid to solid |
| congenial | agreeable |
| consensus | an agreement |
| constrict | to squeeze, make tighter |
| contemplation | thoughtful observation |
| contemptuous | expressing disdain or extreme dislike |
| contend | to fight against; to debate |
| contentious | eager to quarrel |
| contiguous | lying side by side |
| contradict | to disagree |
| contrition | deep regret for doing something wrong |
| convene | to assemble or meet |
| conventional | established or approved by general usage |
| copious | abundant, large in number or quantity, plentiful |
| corpulent | excessively overweight |
| correlation | connection between facts or events |
| counsel | to advise |
| countenance | n. face or facial expression, or the general appearance or behavior of something or someone; v. to approve or support |
| couplet | unit of poetry with two rhyming lines |
| courier | person who carries messages, news, or information |
| crevice | a narrow crack |
| cue | hint or guiding suggestion |
| cumulative | increasing through successive addition |
| curvature | state of being curved |
| dawdle | to waste time with idle lingering |
| deadlock | standoff caused by opposition of two conflicting forces |
| dearth | scarcity, lack |
| debilitating | weakening, harmful |
| debris | charred or spoiled remains of something that has been destroyed |
| debunk | to prove false |
| decade | period of ten years |
| deceit | deception or tricky falseness |
| deceive | to delude or mislead |
| declamation | exercise in speech-giving; attack or protest |
| decompose | to rot or decay |
| decree | an order or command |
| deficient | defective, insufficient, or inadequate |
| deft | skillful |
| dehydrate | to remove water from |
| deject | to depress or make sad |
| deleterious | harmful to one's health |
| delude | to deceive, to mislead |
| deluge | n. flood, large overflowing of water; or too much of anything; v. to overflow, to inundate, to flood |
| demote | to reduce to a lower grade or class |
| deplore | to regard as deeply regrettable and hateful |
| desolation | condition of being deserted and destroyed |
| despair | a feeling or absolute hopelessness, or to lose hope |
| despicable | deservng contempt |
| despondent | in a state of depression |
| destitute | bereft, without or left without; poor |
| deteriorate | to get worse |
| devastate | to lay waste, make desolate; to overwhelm |
| devotee | someone passionately devoted |
| devout | deeply religious |
| dexterity | skill in using the hands or body, agility; cleverness |
| dilute | to weaken, especially by adding water to a solution |
| diminish | to become or to make smaller in size, number, or degree |
| din | loud, confused noise |
| dingy | darky or drab in color; dirty, shabby, squalid |
| diplomatic | tactful; skilled in the art of conducting negotiations and other relations between nations |
| disclaim | to deny ownership of or association with |
| discursive | covering a wide area or digressing from a topic |
| dismal | causing gloom; cheerless |
| disparage | to criticize or speak badly of |
| dispute | n. argument or quarrel; v. to argue or quarrel |
| disseminate | to scatter or spread widely |
| distort | to bend or twist something out of its normal shape |
| divert | 1. to change the course of; 2. to draw someone's attention |
| doff | to remove or take off, as clothing |
| dogged | persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious |
| dogmatic | asserting without proof; stating opinion as if it were fact in a definite and forceful manner |
| dormant | temporarily inactive, asleep |
| doze | to nap or sleep lightly |
| dread | overwhelming fear, or to be very afraid |
| dubious | doubtful |
| dungeon | underground room in fortress often used to keep prisoners |
| ebullient | overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited |
| eccentric | n. person who differs from the accepted norms in an odd way; adj. deviating from accepted conduct |
| ecstatic | deliriously overjoyed |
| eddy | small whirlpool or any similar current |
| effect | n. result, impression; v. to produce, make or bring about |
| egotist | a self-centered or conceited person |
| egress | exit |
| elaborate | very detailed or to explain something in greater detail |
| elongate | to lengthen |
| elusive | hard to find or express |
| embellish | to add detail, make more complicated |
| embroider | to decorate an object with needlework |
| eminent | distinguished, high in rank or station |
| emulate | to imitate or copy |
| enact | to make into law |
| encompass | to form a circle or a ring around |
| endorse | to approve, sustain, support |
| enigma | mystery or riddle |
| enigmatic | unexplainable, mysterious |
| ensnare | to capture in, or involve, as in a snare |
| entice | to lure or attract by feeding desires |
| entourage | group of followers, attendants, or assistants |
| epoch | a period of time |
| era | period of time |
| eradicate | to erase or get rid of |
| err | to make a mistake (as in error) |
| erudite | knowledgeable and learned |
| essential | or the innermost nature of something; basic, fundamental; of great importance |
| etiquette | code of social behavior |
| evacuate | to empty out, remove, or withdraw |
| evanescence | lasting a short time, fading away gradually |
| exasperate | to make very angry or impatient |
| excavate | to dig up |
| exclusion | not being allowed to enter or join |
| exile | to banish someone from their native country |
| exotic | of foreign origin or character: strange, exciting |
| expand | to make greater, broader, larger, or more detailed |
| expunge | to delete or omit completely |
| exquisite | beautifully made or designed |
| extinct | no longer existing |
| extol | to praise |
| extraction | process or removal or something removed |
| extricate | to release form difficulty or an entanglement |
| extroverted | outgoing or interested in people |
| exuberant | overflowing with joy or happiness |
| facet | aspect of something |
| fanatic | someone with excessive enthusiasm, especially in politics or religion |
| fatal | causing, or capable of causing, death or ruin |
| fathom | to understand |
| fatigue | v. to exhaust the strength of; n. weariness, tiredness from exertion |
| fauna | animals of a given area |
| felicity | happiness, bliss |
| feral | wild and untamed |
| ferocious | savage and fierce |
| fervent | showing great warmth, intensity, feeling, enthusiasm; hot, burning, glowing |
| fickle | easily changeable, especially in emotions |
| fidelity | faithfulness to duties; truthfulness |
| finale | the final part of some entertainment, often music |
| fission | splitting apart |
| flag | to decrease, or diminish |
| flagrant | outrageously glaring, noticeable or evident; notorious, scandalous |
| flippant | not serious, playful, irreverent |
| fluctuate | to shift back and forth without regularity |
| foretell | to predict the future |
| formidable | able to inspire awe or wonder because of outstanding power, size, etc. |
| foundation | basis or groundwork of anything: whether a building or idea |
| fragile | easily broken, or damaged |
| frank | honest and open |
| frequent | adj. happening or occurring at short intervals; v. to visit often |
| fringe | the edge or outer portion |
| frugal | not wasteful or extravagant |
| fundamental | an essential part, basic |
| fusion | a joining together |
| futile | ineffective, useless: unimportant |
| garrulous | talkative and likely to chatter |
| gaunt | very thin and bony |
| genre | a specific style of art or literature |
| germinate | to bud or sprout |
| glee | joy, pleasure, happiness |
| glib | able to speak profusely; having a ready flow of words (often implies lying or deceit) |
| glutton | one who eats and drinks too much, greedy |
| gregarious | fond of company |
| grotesque | odd or unnatural in some way |
| grovel | to humble oneself, to beg |
| gruesome | grisly, horrible |
| hackneyed | over-used and old-fashioned |
| hallowed | regarded as holy, sacred |
| harbinger | omen, precursor, forerunner |
| harsh | stern or cruel; physically uncomfortable; unpleasant to the ear |
| hasty | done quickly; rushed, sloppy |
| heed | n. careful attention, notice, observation; v. to listen and obey |
| herbivorous | feeding on plants |
| heterogeneous | not uniform; made up of different parts that remain separate |
| hexagon | polygon having six sides |
| hibernate | to spend the winter in a sleep-like, dormant state |
| hive | structure where bees live |
| hoary | very old, or gray from age |
| horrid | something that causes horror, or is at least pretty bad |
| hovel | small, miserable shack |
| hue | the color or shade of an object |
| humid | moist or damp |
| idiosyncratic | a characteristic peculiar to an individual, a quirk |
| ignite | (literally) to set on fire; (figuratively) to stir emotionally |
| illiteracy | inability to read and write |
| illuminate | to light up or make clear |
| immaculate | spotless; free from error |
| imminent | about to happen, on the verge of occurring |
| immortal | never-dying |
| impasse | road having no exit or a dilemma with no solution |
| impediment | an obstacle, something in the way |
| imperious | arrogant, behaving like royalty |
| impervious | incapable of being penetrated; unable to be influenced |
| impious | lacking piety or respect for religion |
| implore | to beg or ask earnestly |
| imply | to suggest without stating directly |
| inadvertent | unintentional |
| incentive | motivation or drive to do a particular task or to go in a given direction |
| incredulous | not believing |
| incumbent | someone who is currently holding a political position |
| indicate | to point out or make known with a good degree of certainty |
| indictment | the situation of having been charged with a crime |
| indifferent | having no feelings or not caring one way or another |
| indignant | feeling or expressing remorse for a wrongdoing |
| inert | having no power to move or act; resisting motion or action |
| infectious | able to be passed from one person to another; contagious |
| ingenious | possessing or displaying great creativity and resourcefulness |
| ingenuity | inventive skill or cleverness |
| inhabit | to reside or live in |
| innate | possessed at birth, not learned |
| innocent | pure, not guilty |
| inquiry | a request for information |
| inscribe | to write or etch words on or into a surface |
| insinuation | devious hint or sly suggestion made to cause suspicion or doubts |
| insipid | lacking interest, dull, boring |
| insolent | disrespectful, rude |
| insomnia | inability to fall asleep |
| insurgent | adj. rebel; adj. rising in revolt, starting a revolution |
| integrate | to bring together and make whole |
| integrity | a person's moral character, honesty and truthfulness |
| irate | full of anger, wrathful, incensed |
| ironic | the use of words to express an unintended or contradictory meaning |
| itinerant | nomadic, constantly moving |
| jeer | to mock in an abusive way; taunting remark |
| jest | to joke |
| jubilant | feeling joy or happiness |
| judicious | having wise judgment |
| juxtapose | to place side by side |
| keen | sharp-witted and intelligent |
| kinetic | relating to motion |
| laden | weighed down with a heavy load, burdened |
| lagoon | shallow body of water connected to a much larger one, as a lake or sea |
| lament | to express grief for, mourn |
| languid | slow-moving |
| lenient | merciful, not strict |
| lethargy | drowsiness, tiredness, inability to do anything much |
| limber | bending and moving easily |
| linger | to delay or be slow in leaving |
| livid | discolored, bruised, or very angry |
| lunge | n. sudden forward movement, plunge; v. to thrust something forward |
| lush | juicy and tender or covered with plant life |
| magnanimous | having a great or noble spirit, acting generously, patiently, or kindly |
| malfunction | to fail to function; an instance of failing to function |
| malleable | can be molded or shaped |
| mar | to damage something and make it imperfect |
| marvel | n. amazing thing; something astonishing or marvelous; v. to be surprised or full of wonder |
| meager | very small or insufficient |
| meek | humble and submissive |
| melancholy | very sad or depressing |
| mercurial | characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes, fickle |
| merge | to blend together |
| meteorologist | scientist dealing with weather and weather conditions |
| mimic | imitate, copy not always in a complimentary way |
| minuscule | tiny, miniature |
| mirth | happiness and good cheer |
| misbegotten | poorly conceived, poorly planned, based on false assumptions or false reasoning |
| mourn | feel sad for, regret |
| murky | dark, dim |
| nauseous | sickening, makes you feel sick, or turns your stomach |
| nebulous | hazy, not well-defined |
| nimble | quick and agile in movement or thought |
| nomad | someone who has no permanent home and wanders |
| nonchalant | without concern, calm and cool |
| notify | to tell, let know, give notice |
| notorious | known widely and unfavorably |
| novice | a beginner |
| null | zero value |
| obdurate | stubborn |
| obese | very fat |
| objective | not influenced by personal opinion, just the facts |
| obnoxious | offensive and very disagreeable |
| obscure | v. to hide or make difficult to find; adj. hard to see; unknown, uncertain |
| observation | 1. examination, 2. remark, comment |
| obsolete | no longer in use; discarded or outmoded |
| obstinate | stubborn |
| obstruct | to get in the way of; to block; to hamper |
| obtuse | not acute; someone who is not smart; thick, dull |
| olfactory | relating to the sense of smell |
| ominous | threatening, menacing, having the character of an evil omen |
| opportune | appropriate to time or circumstances: timely, lucky |
| option | choice selection, preference |
| opulent | rich, characterized by wealth |
| oration | a formal speech |
| orbit | to move around some object, as a planet; to circle; n. the actual route the thing takes when it goes around the other thing (orbit of moon around earth) |
| orchid | purple (as in the flower) |
| ostentatious | pretentious and flashy |
| pact | a formal agreement between two countries; a bargain |
| palatable | good tasting |
| paradox | contradiction, something that doesn't fit; something that shouldn't be true because it seems to offend common sense, yet is true anyway |
| paramount | having superior power and influence |
| parch | to make very thirsty |
| pardoned | forgiven |
| passive | not active; someone who lets things happen rather than himself taking action |
| pedantic | overly scholarly, boring |
| peddle | sell |
| pedestrian | adj. common, everyday, usual; n. one who does not ride but walks |
| penitent | feeling or expressing remorse for a wrongdoing |
| penurious | extremely stingy or miserly |
| perjury | making deliberately false statements under oath |
| persevere | to continue in some course of action despite setbacks and opposition |
| petrify | literally, to turn to stone; figuratively, to paralyze with fear or with surprise |
| pious | religiously devout or moral |
| placate | to quiet down, appease; to please |
| plagiarism | copying of someone else's work and claiming it as your own |
| plausible | seeming to be true |
| plight | a bad situation, a predicament |
| plumage | the feathers on a bird |
| plunder | to steal |
| polymorphous | having many shapes |
| pompous | characterized by stiff, unnatural formality |
| posterity | all of a person's descendents |
| preamble | an introduction to a formal document |
| premise | an essential fact that others are based on |
| presume | to take for granted or to assume something to be true |
| procrastinate | to postpone; to put something off to a later time |
| procure | to obtain |
| profane | to abuse or put to ill use |
| profound | deep, wise, serious |
| prolific | producing great amounts; fertile |
| propel | to move, make something go forward |
| prophesy | to predict the future using divine guidance |
| prosperous | wealthy or fortunate |
| prudent | sensible and wise |
| pugnacious | hostile |
| pungent | sharp, flavorful |
| pursue | to chase, go after |
| quandary | a state of uncertainty |
| quell | to quiet something raucous (often rebellion); crush, defeat, conquer |
| quench | to satisfy a need or desire |
| quibble | to complain about little things |
| quiver | a portable container for arrows |
| rabble | large, disorderly, and easily excited mob |
| rabid | (literally) afflicted with rabies; (figuratively) acting fantastically or madly, as if afflicted by rabies |
| ramble | to move or speak without direction |
| rancid | having a nasty smell or taste, rotting |
| rancor | bad feeling, bitterness |
| rancorous | showing hatred or ill-will |
| random | lacking order, free from order or bias |
| ransack | to search thoroughly and messily |
| ratify | to approve formally |
| ravenous | (literally) wildly eager to eat; (figuratively) hungry for anything |
| raze | to destroy utterly |
| recalcitrant | disobedient, stubborn |
| recede | to move away or become smaller |
| recluse | someone who lives far away from other people |
| recreation | something done for fun, a hobby or game |
| recuperate | to heal or return to good health |
| recur | to return; to occur again |
| reek | (literally) giving off a strong, offensive odor, strong smell; (figuratively) to be pervaded by something unpleasant |
| refrain | to stop or avoid going something, quit |
| regal | royal, splendid |
| reign | rule over, govern, dominate |
| reimburse | to repay someone for their expenses |
| reinforce | strengthen, add to |
| reminiscence | memory or act of recalling the past |
| remote | far away, distant |
| rendezvous | a meeting, usually secret |
| renowned | well-known, famous, celebrated |
| repartee | witty conversation, retort |
| repudiate | to reject what one was once associated with |
| repugnant | something gross, repulsive, or revolting |
| residue | something that remains after a part is taken |
| retrospect | the review of past events; hindsight |
| reveal | show, divulge, expose |
| revel | celebrate noisily, have a party |
| revere | to deeply respect or admire |
| revile | to criticize with abusive language |
| rift | a narrow break |
| robust | healthy |
| rout | conquer, defeat, and chase off |
| rout | an overwhelming defeat or to defeat |
| rue | to regret |
| ruse | a clever trick |
| sage | wise |
| salve | something used to heal or soothe |
| sanctimonious | acting morally superior, holier-than-thou |
| sarcastic | the use of witty language used to insult or show displeasure |
| satellite | moon, a small thing going around a bigger thing |
| saturate | to fill something to the point where it can hold no more |
| saucy | impudent, impertinent, flippant |
| savor | to enjoy something with relish or delight |
| scald | burn with hot liquid or steam |
| scarce | rare, uncommon |
| scathing | overly critical |
| schism | division or separation between groups of members within an organization |
| scorn | to abuse or treat with no respect, or a strong feeling of dislike |
| scrupulous | acting in accordance with a strict moral code; thorough in the performance of a task |
| scull | a small rowboat or an oar for a rowboat |
| secure | v. to fasten, make secure; adj. well-fastened, not likely to fall or come loose |
| sedate | to calm, especially by use of a drug |
| seethe | to heave or bubble from great inner turmoil, as a volcano; to boil |
| sentry | guard, sentinel, watchman |
| sequel | addition or result; story that continues a previous one |
| shrewd | clever, keen-witted, cunning, sharp in practical affairs |
| shun | shy |
| significant | meaningful, important, relevant |
| sinister | threatening, evil, menacing |
| skeptical | doubtful |
| skit | a short comic scene |
| slack | n. lack of tautness or tension; a time of little activity or dullness; adj. sluggish, idle, barely moving loose, relaxed |
| slander | a false and mean-spirited statement meant to injure someone |
| sociable | friendly, companionable |
| solicit | to seek (something) from another; to make a request of someone |
| somber | overly serious, dark, or gloomy |
| specify | to mention, name or require specifically or exactly |
| splice | to join, bind, attach; in film editing, to join two pieces of film |
| sporadic | having no pattern or order |
| spurn | reject with scorn, turn away |
| squalid | very dirty or foul; wretched |
| squander | to waste (often money) on some worthless purchase or practice |
| staid | straight-laced and serious |
| stark | bare, without decoration |
| staunch | steady, loyal |
| stealthy | sneaky, secret |
| stifle | to hold back or smother |
| stress | emphasize, point out |
| suave | smooth, graceful, and confident in speech and behavior |
| subdue | to bring under control; to decrease the intensity of |
| subjective | influenced by personal opinion, biased |
| sublime | without equal, awe-inspiring |
| succeed | 1. to follow, come after; 2. to prosper, do well |
| succumb | to give in, to submit |
| suffice | to be adequate or enough |
| summit | highest level or point |
| superb | wonderful, superior, excellent |
| superfluous | more than what is required or needed |
| suppress | crush, hold in, hide |
| surfeit | overly abundant supply, an excess |
| surmise | v. to guess, to infer; n. instance of surmising |
| surrogate | person or thing substituted for another |
| susceptible | vulnerable, liable to be affected by something |
| suspense | fear or anticipation of waiting for something |
| sustain | to support |
| synopsis | short summary, outline |
| taciturn | quiet, tending not to speak |
| tactful | acting with sensitivity to others' feelings |
| taint | to poison, as a drink; to corrupt, as a person |
| tamper | bother, interfere, meddle |
| tangible | can be felt by touching; having actual substance |
| taut | stretched tightly; tense |
| temperament | your usual mood or behavior |
| temperate | denying oneself too much pleasure; avoiding extreme positions; moderate, sensible; a mild climate |
| tenacious | steadily pursuing a goal, unwilling to give up; stubborn |
| tepid | neither hot nor cold, lukewarm; lacking character or spirit, bland |
| terminate | to stop, end |
| terse | concise, brief, using few words |
| tether | n. chain or rope tied to an animal to keep it within specific bounds; v. to fasten or confine |
| thrifty | able to handle money wisely, not extravagant |
| timid | shy |
| toil | hard work, or to work hard |
| token | n. sign or symbol; adj. existing in name or appearance only, without depth, or significance |
| tome | a book, especially a large and scholarly one |
| torrid | extremely hot, scorching |
| translucent | almost transparent, able to be seen through clearly |
| trepidation | fear, apprehension |
| trite | lacking originality, inspiration, and interest |
| tryst | a secret meeting |
| tumult | noise and confusion |
| tyranny | harsh exercise of absolute power |
| ultimate | marking the highest point; cannot be improved upon; final |
| unanimous | approved by everyone concerned |
| uniform | all the same, common |
| unkempt | messy, sloppily maintained |
| usurp | to seize, take by force (most often used of abstract nouns like "power") |
| vacate | leave as in vacation |
| vacous | silly, empty-headed, not serious |
| vague | not clear or certain |
| variegated | having many parts or colors |
| vehement | with deep feeling |
| vend | to sell goods |
| venerate | to regard with deep respect |
| vex | to irritate to a great degree, to annoy |
| vigor | strength, energy |
| virtuoso | a person with great skill, especially a musician |
| vitalize | make something come alive |
| vivacious | lively, full of spirit |
| vivid | very distinct and sharp, realistic |
| volatile | easily changeable, quick to explode |
| wan | unnaturally pale, lacking color |
| wane | to decrease in size or strength |
| wantonly | without a reason |
| whimsical | impulsive |
| wily | cunning and crafty |
| wrath | extreme anger |
| wretched | miserable, pathetic |
| writhe | to squirm or twist as if in pain |
| zealous | enthusiastic, eager |
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