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Wu SAT part 2
2nd 100 of the 1000 most used SAT words
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Acrid (adj) | sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
| Boorish (adj) | ill-mannered |
| Cynical (adj) | believing that people act only out of selfish motives |
| Epistle (n) | a letter (form of communication) |
| Heresy (n) | against orthodox opinion |
| Lance (n) | spear; spike; javelin |
| Obscure (adj) | difficult to understand; partially hidden |
| Poignant (adj) | deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions |
| Respite (n) | a break; intermission |
| Terse (adj) | concise; to the point |
| Acrophobia (n) | fear of heights |
| Bourgeois (n) | middle class |
| Debility (n) | weakness; incapacity |
| Epistolary (adj) | concerned with letters; through correspondence |
| Hiatus (n) | interruption; pause |
| Languid (adj) | tired; slow |
| Obscured (v) | hidden; covered; buried |
| Poised (adj) | calm; collected; self-possessed |
| Resplendent (adj) | shining; glowing |
| Therapeutic (adj) | medicinal; curative |
| Acuity (n) | sharpness (mental or visual) |
| Braggart (n) | someone who boasts |
| Debunking (v) | exposing false claims or myths |
| Epitomized (v) | typified; characterized; personified |
| Hidebound (adj) | rigid in opinions |
| Languish (v) | decay; fade away; get weaker |
| Obsequious (adj) | servile; submissive |
| Polemical (adj) | causing debate or argument |
| Restorative (n) | a tonic |
| Thwart (v) | prevent; frustrate |
| Adamant (adj) | forceful; inflexible |
| Brawny (adj) | muscular |
| Decathlon (n) | an athletic competition with ten events |
| Equivocate (v) | speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
| Hieroglyphics (n) | 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic |
| Larceny (n) | theft; robbery; stealing |
| Obsession (n) | a dominating concern |
| Ponderous (adj) | weighty; slow and heavy |
| Retention (n) | preservation; withholding |
| Timorous (adj) | cowardly; fearful |
| Adroit (adj) | skillful |
| Brevity (n) | being brief |
| Decorum (n) | dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] |
| Err (v) | make a mistake |
| Hinder (v) | obstruct |
| Largess (n) | generosity |
| Obsolete (adj) | no longer valid |
| Pontificate (v) | speak pompously or dogmatically |
| Reticent (adj) | restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative |
| Tirade (n) | stream of verbal abuse |
| Adulation (n) | strong admiration; worship |
| Bristle (v) | to show irritation |
| Decoy (n) | lure; trap; trick |
| Erratic (adj) | wandering; irregular |
| Histrionic (adj) | theatrical; exaggerated |
| Laud (n) | praise |
| Obstreperous (adj) | noisy and boisterous |
| Portend (v) | foretell |
| Retraction (n) | withdrawal; cancellation of a statement |
| Titter (v) | giggle quietly |
| Adversity (n) | hardship |
| Broach (v) | start to discuss; approach |
| Deference (n) | respect |
| Esoteric (adj) | obscure and difficult to understand |
| Hoary (adj) | old |
| Lavish (adj) | on a grand scale; wasteful |
| Obtuse (adj) | mentally dull |
| Portent (n) | a warning sign; omen |
| Revere (v) | worship |
| Tome (n) | large book |
| Advocate (v) | support |
| Brusque (adj) | blunt; abrupt |
| Defoliate (v) | cause leaves to fall off |
| Espouse (v) | promote; take up; support |
| Hone (v) | sharpen; increase; whet |
| Lax (adj) | careless; not strict |
| Obviate (v) | avoid; make unnecessary |
| Poseur (n) | someone who puts on an act |
| Riddled (adj) | full of (usually full of holes) |
| Torpid (adj) | inactive; lazy; stagnant |
| Aesthetic (adj) | concerning art or beauty |
| Bulwark (n) | fortification; barricade; wall |
| Defunct (adj) | no longer in existence |
| Etymology (n) | the study of word origins |
| Hyperbole (n) | grossly exaggerated speech |
| Legend (n) | 1. key to map; 2. Myth or story |
| Odious (adj) | hateful |
| Posterity (n) | future generations |
| Rife (adj) | common |
| Torpor (n) | dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
| Affable (adj) | friendly; social; easygoing |
| Bureaucracy (n) | officialdom |
| Degradation (n) | depribation; poverty; debasement |
| Eulogy (n) | praise |
| Hypochondriac (n) | a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses |
| Legion (n) | in large numbers |
| Officious (adj) | domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
| Posthumous (adj) | after death |
| Rigor (n) | thoroughness |
| Totter (v) | walk unsteadily |