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Comp Vocab
Vocabulary that appears in ACT and SAT
Question | Answer |
---|---|
abbreviate | shorten |
abstinence | the trait of refraining from something, especially alcohol |
adulation | servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise |
adversity | a state of misfortune or affliction |
aesthetic | characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste |
amicable | characterized by friendship and good will |
anachronistic | chronologically misplaced |
anecdote | short account of an incident |
anonymous | having no known name or identity or known source |
antagonist | someone who offers opposition |
arid | lacking sufficient water or rainfall |
assiduous | marked by care and persistent effort |
asylum | a shelter from danger or hardship |
benevolent | showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding |
camaraderie | the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability |
censure | harsh criticism or disapproval |
circuitous | deviating from a straight course |
clairvoyant | someone who can perceive things not present to the senses |
collaborate | work together on a common enterprise of project |
compassion | a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering |
compromise | an accommodation in which both sides make concessions |
condescending | characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance |
conditional | imposing or depending on or containing an assumption |
conformist | someone who follows established standards of conduct |
congregation | the act of assembling |
convergence | the act of coming closer |
deleterious | harmful to living things |
demagogue | a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions |
digression | a turning aside |
diligent | quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness |
discredit | the state of being held in low esteem |
disdain | lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike |
divergent | tending to move apart in different directions |
empathy | understanding and entering into another's feelings |
emulate | strive to equal or match, especially by imitating |
enervating | causing weakness or debilitation |
enhance | increase |
ephemeral | anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day |
evanescent | tending to vanish like vapor |
exasperation | actions that cause great irritation |
exemplary | worthy of imitation |
extenuating | partially excusing or justifying |
florid | elaborately or excessively ornamented |
fortuitous | occurring by happy chance |
frugal | avoiding waste |
hackneyed | repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse |
haughty | having or showing arrogant superiority to |
hedonist | someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures |
hypothesis | a tentative insight into the natural world |
impetuous | characterized by undue haste and lack of thought |
impute | attribute or credit to |
incompatible | not in harmonious or agreeable combination |
inconsequential | lacking worth or importance |
inevitable | incapable of being avoided or prevented |
integrity | an undivided or unbroken completeness with nothing wanting |
intrepid | invulnerable to fear or intimidation |
intuitive | spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency |
jubilation | a feeling of extreme joy |
lobbyist | someone who is employed to persuade how legislators vote |
longevity | the property of being long-lived |
mundane | found in the ordinary course of events |
nonchalant | marked by a casual and cheerful indifference and unconcern |
novice | someone new to a field or activity |
opulent | rich and superior in quality |
orator | a person who delivers a speech |
ostentatious | intended to attract notice and impress others |
parched | dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight |
perfidious | tending to betray |
precocious | characterized by exceptionally early development |
pretentious | creating an appearance of importance or distinction |
procrastinate | postpone doing what one should be doing |
prosaic | lacking wit or imagination |
prosperity | the condition of having good fortune |
provocative | serving or tending to excite or stimulate |
prudent | marked by sound judgment |
querulous | habitually complaining |
rancorous | showing deep-seated resentment |
reclusive | withdrawn from society; seeking solitude |
reconciliation | the reestablishing of cordial relations |
renovation | the act of improving by renewing and restoring |
resilient | recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like |
restrained | under control |
reverence | a feeling of profound respect for someone or something |
sagacity | the ability to understand and discriminate between relations |
scrutinize | examine carefully for accuracy |
spontaneity | the quality of coming from feelings without constraint |
submissive | inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others |
substantiate | establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts |
subtle | difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze |
superficial | of, affecting, or being on or near the surface |
superfluous | more than is needed, desired, or required |
suppress | to put down by force or authority |
surreptitious | marked by quiet and caution and secrecy |
tactful | having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others |
tenacious | stubbornly unyielding |
spurious | plausible but false |
transient | lasting a very short time |
venerable | profoundly honored |
vindicate | show to be right by providing justification or proof |
wary | marked by keen caution and watchful prudence |