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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 |