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SAT Vocab
Question | Answer |
---|---|
candid | completely honest, straightforward |
conjecture | inference, guesswork |
didactic | instructive |
euphemism | a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term |
extrapolate | to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information |
incoherent | lacking cohesion or connection |
insinuate | to imply or communicate stealthily |
lucid | easily understood, clear |
rhetoric | the art of using language effectively and persuasively |
acumen | quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgement or insight |
adroit | dexterous, deft |
ascertain | to find out, as through investigation or experimentation |
astute | shrewd, clever |
circumspect | careful, prudent, discreet |
disseminate | to scatter widely, as in sowing seed |
erudition | deep, extensive learning |
husbandry | the application of scientific principles to agriculture, especially to animal breeding |
pedantic | excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules |
perspicacious | shrewd, clear-sighted |
pragmatic | practical |
precocious | exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude or maturity |
prospectus | formal proposal |
rudimentary | basic, elementary, in the earliest stages of development |
abstruse | difficult to understand |
callous | emotionally hardened, unfeeling |
convoluted | intricate, complex |
enigma | a puzzle, mystery, or riddle |
inscrutable | difficult to fathom or understand, impenetrable |
reticent | inclined to keep silent, reserved |
staid | unemotional, serious |
arcane | known or understood by only a few |
assimilate | to absorb or become absorbed, to make or become similar |
autonomy | independence, self-determination |
cosmopolitan | worldly, widely sophisticated |
derivative | something that comes from another source |
entourage | a group of attendants or associates, a retinue |
esoteric | intended for a or understood by only a small group |
gaffe | a clumsy social error, a faux pas |
idiosyncrasy | characteristic peculiar to an individual or group |
insular | isolated, narrow or provincial |
orthodox | adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion |
potentate | one who has the power and position to rule over others, monarch |
castigate | to scold, rebuke, or harshly criticize |
censure | to issue official blame |
denounce | to condemn openly |
reclusive | seeking or preferring seclusion or isolation |
relinquish | to retire from, give up or abandon |
renounce | to give up (a title for example), especially by formal announcement |
vituperative | marked by harshly abusive condemnation |
circumscribe | to draw a circle around, to restrict |
contiguous | sharing an edge or boundary, touching |
conciliatory | appeasing, soothing, showing willingness to reconcile |
credible | capable of being believed, plausible |
exonerate | to free from blame |
incontrovertible | indisputable, not open to question |
indict | to officially charge with wrongdoing or a crime |
litigious | prone to engage in lawsuits |
partisan | devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause |
parity | equality, as in amount, status, or value (antonym: disparity) |
rectitude | moral uprightness, righteousness |
remiss | law in attending to duty, negligent |
repudiate | to reject the validity or authority of |
sanctimonious | feigning piety or righteousness |
scrupulous | principled, having a strong sense of right and wrong, conscientious and exacting |
solicitous | concerned |
sophistry | plausible but misleading or fallacious argument |
substantiate | to support with proof or evidence, verify |
veracity | adherence to the truth, truthfulness |
vindicate | to free from blame |
cajole | to urge with repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery |
chicanery | trickery |
obsequious | fawning and servile |
sycophant | insincere, obsequious flatterer |
altruism | unselfish concern for the welfare of others, selflessness |
eminent | distinguished, prominent |
empathy | identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives |
extol | to praise highly |
laudatory | full of praise |
magnanimous | courageously or generously noble in mind and heart |
philanthropic | humanitarian, benevolent, relating to monetary generosity |
reciprocate | to mutually take or give, to respond in kind |
defunct | no longer existing or functioning |
eradicate | to get rid of as if by tearing it up by the roots, abolish |
expurgate | to remove objectionable content before publication or release |
extirpate | to destroy |
quell | to put down forcibly, suppress |
raze | to level to the ground, demolish |
squelch | to crush as if by trampling, squash |
supplant | to usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics |
stymie | to thwart or stump |
abase | to lower in rank, prestige, or esteem |
deride | to mock contemptuously |
derogatory | insulting or intended to insult |
disparage | to speak of negatively, to belittle |
effrontery | brazen boldness, presumptuousness |
ignominy | great personal dishonor or humiliation, disgraceful conduct |
impugn | to attack as false or questionable |
mar | to damage, especially in a disfiguring way |
pejorative | disparaging, belittling, insulting |
vex | to annoy or bother, to perplex |
vindictive | disposed to seek revenge, revengeful, spiteful |
bombastic | given to pompous speech or writing |
ebullience | intense enthusiasm |
exorbitant | exceeding all bounds, as of customs or fairness |
exuberant | full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy |
embellish | to ornament or decorate, to exaggerate |
flagrant | extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable |
gratuitous | given freely, unearned, unnecessary |
lavish | extravagant |
lugubrious | mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree |
opulent | displaying great wealth |
ornate | elaborately decorated |
penchant | a strong inclination or liking |
redundant | needlessly repetitive |
ubiquitous | being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time, omnipresent |
vicarious | felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another |
vignette | a short scene or story |
amalgam | a combination of diverse elements, a mixture |
inundate | to overwhelm as if with a flood, to swamp |
multifarious | diverse, various |
multiplicity | state of being various or manifold, a great number |
alleviate | to ease a pain or burden |
ameliorate | to make something better, improve |
beneficial | producing or promoting a favorable result, helpful |
curative | able to heal or cure |
palliative | relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure |
therapeutic | having or exhibiting healing powers |
complement | something that completes, goes with, or brings to perfection |
epitome | a representative or example of a type |
felicitous | admirably suited, apt |
belie | to misrepresent or disguise |
debunk | to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims |
dubious | doubtful, of unlikely authenticity |
duplicitous | deliberately deceptive |
fabricate | to make up in order to deceive |
fallacy | a false notion |
mendacious | lying, untruthful |
specious | having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false |
ambiguous | open to more than one interpretation |
ambivalent | simultaneously feeling opposing feels, uncertain |
apathetic | feeling or showing little emotion |
capricious | impulsive and unpredictable |
equivocal | open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead, ambiguous |
erratic | markedly inconsistent |
impetuous | suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional, impulsive and passionate |
impetus | an impelling force or stimulus |
sporadic | occurring at irregular intervals, having no pattern or order in time |
vacillate | to sway from one side to the other, oscillate |
whimsical | characterized by whim, unpredictable |
flag | to decline in vigor or strength, to tire, to droop |
jaded | worn out, wearied |
ingenuous | lacking in cunning, guile, or worldliness |
subterfuge | a descriptive stratagem or device |
surreptitious | secretive, sneaky |
dearth | scarce supply, lack |
modicum | a small, moderate, or token amount |
paucity | smallness in number, scarcity |
squander | to spend wastefully |
temperate | moderate, restrained |
tenuous | having little substance or strength, shaky |
diligent | marked by painstaking effort, hardworking |
maverick | one who is independent and resist adherence to a group |
mercenary | motivated solely by a desire for money or material gain |
obstinate | stubbornly attached to an opinion or a course of action |
proliferate | to grow or increase rapidly |
tenacity | persistence |
vigilant | on the alert, watchful |
extraneous | irrelevant, inessential |
juxtapose | to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast |
superfluous | extra, unnecessary |
synergy | combined action or operation |
tangential | merely touching or slightly connected, only superficially relevant |
aesthetic | having to do with the appreciation of beauty |
aural | of or related to the ear or the sense of hearing |
cacophony | discordant, unpleasant noise |
dirge | a funeral hymn or lament |
eclectic | made up of a variety of sources or styles |
incongruous | lacking in harmony, incompatible |
sonorous | producing a deep or full sound |
strident | loud, harsh, grating, or shrill |
debacle | disastrous or ludicrous defeat or failure, fiasco |
debilitate | impair the strength of, weaken |
tumultuous | noisy and disorderly |
anachronistic | the representation of something as existing or happening in the wrong time period |
archaic | characteristic of an earlier time, antiquated, old |
dilatory | habitually late |
ephemeral | lasting for only a brief time |
redolent | fragrant, aromatic, suggestive |
temporal | of, relating to, or limited by time |
onerous | troublesome or oppressive, burdensome |
portent | indication of something important or calamitous about to occur, omen |
prescience | knowledge of actions or events before they occur, foreknowledge, foresight |
austere | without decoration, strict |
banal | drearily commonplace, predictable, trite |
hackneyed | worn out through overuse, trite |
insipid | uninteresting, unchallenging, lacking taste or savor |
prosaic | unimaginative, dull (antonym: poetic) |
soporific | inducing or tending to induce sleep |
vapid | lacking liveliness, animation, or interest, dull |
brevity | the quality or state of being brief in duration |
expedient | appropriate to a purpose, convenient, speedy |
transient | passing quickly in time or space |
augment | to make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity, to supplement |
bolster | to hearten, support or prop up |
burgeon | to grow and flourish |
copious | plentiful, having a large quantity |
distend | to swell out or expand from internal pressure, as when overly full |
grandiose | great in scope or intent, grand |
prodigious | enormous |
profundity | great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning |
redouble | to make twice as great, to double |
scintillating | brilliant |
averse | strongly disinclined |
conspicuous | easy to notice, obvious |
demure | modest and reserved |
diffidence | timidity or shyness |
docile | submissive to instruction, willing to be taught |
innocuous | having no adverse effect, harmless |
placid | calm or quiet, undisturbed |
quiescent | quiet, still, or at rest, inactive |
concord | agreement |
concur | to agree |
dogmatic | stubbornly attached to insufficiently proven beliefs |
fastidious | carefully attentive to detail, difficult to please |
intransigence | refusal to moderate a position or to compromise |
jocular | characterized by or given to joking |
meticulous | extremely careful and precise |
affable | easy-going, friendly |
alacrity | promptness in response, cheerful readiness, eagerness |
amiable | friendly, agreeable, good-natured |
benign | kind and gentle |
sanguine | cheerfully confident, optimistic |
belligerent | eager to fight, hostile or aggressive |
byzantine | extremely complicated or devious |
cantankerous | ill-tempered and quarrelsome, disagreeable |
contentious | quarrelsome |
deleterious | having a harmful effect |
exacerbate | to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of, aggravate |
flippant | disrespectfully humorous or casual |
insolent | insulting in manner or speech |
nefarious | flagrantly wicked, vicious |
pernicious | extremely or irrevocably harmful, deadly |
rancorous | marked by bitter, deep-seated ill-will |
repugnant | arousing disgust or aversion, offensive or repulsive |
tawdry | gaudy and cheap |
arboreal | relating to or resembling a tree or trees |
invocation | a call (usually upon a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration |
stratify | to layer or separate into layers |
variegated | having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors, varicolored |
verdant | green with vegetation |
scrutinize | investigate, study, examine in detail |
panacea | remedy, elixir |
bereft | deprive, make desolate |
loquacious | talkative |
pacifist | someone opposed to war |
fervent | hot, burning, passionate |
impetuous | impulsive |
conditional | dependent |
reconcile | harmonize, conciliate, accommodate |
dispel | alleviate, disperse |
levity | fickleness, inconstancy |
impudent | insulting, rude, presumptuous, impertinent |
irresolute | indecisive |
insolent | contemptuous, impertinent, boldly rude, disrespectful |
reverential | respectful |
bifurcation | division into two |
filial | relating to child and parent relationship |
avuncular | "maternal uncle" |
convivial | sociable |
funerary | pertaining to a funeral or burial |
cacophonous | dissonant, disagreeing or harsh in sound |
abashed | embarrassed |
dissonant | discordant, incongruous, disagreeing or harsh in sound |
coddled | pampered, spoiled, treated tenderly |
chided | scolded, reproved, rebuked |
prodded | impelled, prompted, incited |
prophetic | ominous, portentous |
banal | commonplace, trivial, hackneyed |
cantankerous | contentious, peevish, disagreeable to deal with |
bellicose | belligerent, pugnacious, aggressively hostile |
docile | malleable, manageable, obedient |
complacent | smug, unbothered, pleasant |
placid | peaceful |
clairvoyant | having insights about events beyond ordinary human perception |
sanctimonious | pharisaic, pietistic |
unrelenting | relentless, unremitting, implacable, inexorable |
revere | admire |
stringent | rigorously binding, strict, severe |
obtrusive | interfering, meddlesome, officious, presumptuous, blatant |
bucolic | pastoral, rustic, pertaining to idyllic rural life |
prolific | teeming, fecund, abundant, productive |
lugubrious | sorrowful, melancholy |
sundry | assorted, miscellaneous |
lassitude | lethargy, languor, listlessness, inanition |
chicanery | fraud, deception, knavery, evasion |
remonstrance | a protest or objection |
ephemeral | short-lived, fleeting, evanescent, transient, momentary |
esoteric | abstruse, arcane, cryptic, enigmatic, confidential |
unequivocal | unambiguous, clear, direct |
effusive | overflowing |
incorrigible | ineradicable |
ineffable | unspeakable |
tenuous | attenuated, unsubstantiated, weak, insignificant, trivial |
mundane | banal, secular, temporal |
deft | dexterous, skillful, clever, nimble |
callous | insensitive, indifferent |
mercurial | volatile, fickle, flighty, erratic |
disingenuous | insincere |
phlegmatic | stoical, apathetic, torpid, placid, composed |
implacable | unappeasable (ant: mollifiable) |
churlish | coarse, uncouth, rude, loutish |
laconic | concise |
flotsam | wreckage of ship floating on water, penniless population, useless or important items |
reconnaissance | surveying a region |
decimation | destruction |
impugn | challenge in argument |
mollify | lessen in in intensity, soften |
erroneous | inaccurate, false |
tenable | workable, viable, maintainable, warrantable |
capricious | mercurial, fickle, flighty |
indignant | resentful, infuriated |
spellbinding | enchanting |
misnomer | an error in naming a person |
retrenchment | reduction |
portentous | foreboding, ominous |
prodigious | enormous, amazing, ominous |
hackneyed | overdone, overused, banal, commonplace |
mitigate | lessen in severity, palliate, extenuate |
prosaic | unimaginative, banal |
capricious | arbitrary, likely to change |
prodigal | extravagant, wasteful |
indolence | laziness |
flagrant | atrocious, bold |
augment | aggrandize, amplify |
servile | groveling |
atrophy | decline |
ascetic | austere |
depravity | moral corruption or degradation, turpitude |
discern | distinguish, differentiate, descry |
fastidious | difficult to please, particular |
novel | new, fresh |
parsimony | frugality, stinginess |
provincial | narrow, parochial |
dissonance | dissension, disagreement |
euphonious | pleasing to the ear |
desecrate | defile, dishonor, sacrilege, profane |
guile | trickery, fraud, deceit |
incessant | ceaseless, continuing without interruption |
immutable | unchangeable |
bastion | a fortified place |
credulous | gullible, believing |
disparage | belittle, ridicule |
virulent | venomous, acerbic |
squander | waste, dissipate, lavish |
assuage | alleviate, mitigate, lessen |
zeal | intensity, passion |