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SAT Vocab Words Def
Words and Definitions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| abate (verb) | to lessen in intensity, violence or amount of |
| agrarian (adj) | relating to fields, their cultivation; the interests of farmers |
| ascetic (noun/adj) | 1. one who devotes himself to a rigorously disciplined life, one who practices extreme self |
| bicker (verb) | to engage in petty, irritating argument or quarreling |
| chicanery (noun) | deception by fraud, sophistry, trickery or evasion |
| connoisseur (noun) | person qualified to act as judge of art, literature, or matters of taste |
| cult (noun) | 1. A system of religious belief and observance, a body of disciples drawn to such a system 2. A faddish homage or devotion paid to a person, theory or idea |
| deleterious (adj) | morally or physically harmful |
| distraught (adj) | anguished; greatly disturbed in mind; deeply agitated |
| enigma (noun) | a riddle or puzzle; figuratively—a situation difficult to understand; also, a mysterious, baffling person |
| expunge (verb) | to blot out, to erase |
| filial (adj) | pertaining to a son or daughter |
| harangue (noun) | a long noisy, vehement public speech |
| immaculate (adj) | spotlessly clean, unblemished, error |
| inert (adj) | inactive, indisposed to activity, person or element inherently lacking in power to move or act to resist |
| judicious (adj) | exhibiting or using sound judgment |
| moot (adj) | subject to debate, discussion or controversy; doubtful |
| obsequious (adj) | excessively or slavishly submissive; overly willing to obey |
| perspicacious (adj) | having a keen and penetrating mind; sharp=sighted |
| puerile (adj) | characteristic of a child; childishly foolish, trivial |
| abet (verb) | to assist or encourage, especially in wrongdoing |
| alacrity (noun) | briskness, agility, an abundance of energy |
| askew (adj) | out of position or line; turned to one side; tilted |
| bigoted (adj) | intolerant of an opinion, or belief that is different from one's own |
| circuitous (adj) | indirect; roundabout |
| convivial (adj) | of or pertaining to a feast; jovial, joyful |
| demagogue (noun) | an insincere, unprincipled leader who stirs the passions of the masses for his own advantage; a mob leader |
| divulge (verb) | to make public; to disclose as a secret |
| epicure (noun) | one who is extremely fastidious in his tastes or pleasures in matters of food and drink. |
| extemporize (verb) | to utter or do something without preparation or previous study |
| fiscal (adj) | pertaining to revenue; financial affairs, public, general or private |
| harbinger (noun/verb) | 1. a messenger sent on ahead to prepare lodging and entertainment for the royal family or nobles; a forerunner; a messenger 2. to foretell or indicate beforehand the approach of an event |
| immutable (adj) | not capable of being changed |
| inexorable (adj) | not moved by prayer or entreaty; unyielding |
| laconic (adj) | given to the use of few words; to the point; concise |
| motley (adj) | exhibiting various colors or elements |
| obviate (verb) | to eliminate difficulties by anticipatory action; to render unnecessary |
| pertinacity (noun) | the state or quality of clinging doggedly to a purpose or opinion |
| pugnacious (adj) | inclined to fight; quarrelsome |
| ruminate (verb) | to ponder over, meditate on |
| abhor (verb) | to regard with horror or detestation |
| altercation (noun) | an angry, noisy dispute; a heated argument |
| asperity (noun) | severity of manner, temper, or language; sharpness or roughness of temper, tone manner, or language |
| bucolic (adj) | of or pertaining to shepherds or herdsmen; of or pertaining to country life |
| circumspect (adj) | guarded in conduct; cautious, prudent |
| copious (adj) | large in number or quantity |
| dissipate (verb) | to cause to disappear; to scatter or dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure |
| docile (adj) | easy to manage, teach or discipline; calm, at peace |
| equitable (adj) | impartial, just, fair |
| extenuate (verb) | to make smaller or weaker in degree; to lesson or treat as less severe than it is (most often used referring to crime, illness or serious predicaments |
| flagrant (adj) | conspicuously wicked, outrageous scandalous |
| harrow (verb) | to afflict the mind or feelings; to torment; to vex severely |
| impasse (noun) | a predicament that leaves one no escape |
| inference (noun) | a conclusion reached on the basis of reasoning from data or premises |
| latent (adj) | present in some form, but not visible or fully realized |
| mundane (adj) | pertaining to the world, universe or earth (as contrasted with pertaining to the heavens); common or ordinary |
| odium (noun) | the state or quality of being hated; the disgrace attached to something hated or reproachful; hatred |
| pertinent (adj) | fitting or appropriate; pertaining to the matter at hand |
| punctilious (adj) | scrupulously exact or attentive to the nice points of manners, dress, procedures, etc. |
| sacrilegious (adj) | treating holy matters irreverently |
| abject (adj) | degrading; cast down in spirit of hope; wretched; mean |
| alleviate (verb) | to lighten or lessen physical or mental pain or discomfort |
| assiduous (adj) | performed with constant, energetic application; devoted |
| bumptious (adj) | offensively and often noisily conceited; inclined to demand too much attention for one's opinion; self |
| circumvent (verb) | to gain an advantage by the use of trickery; to evade by the use of stratagem or deception; to go around |
| corroborate (verb) | to make more certain or establish the truth of a report or statement |
| demure (adj) | affectedly or unnaturally modest and shy; of sober and becoming behavior |
| dogmatic (adj) | insistent and positive in manner or words, arrogant in expressing an opinion, asserting opinion as if it were an undisputed fact |
| erudite (adj) | of profound learning, wise |
| extirpate (verb) | to pluck out by the root; to eradicate |
| fluctuate (verb) | to move alternately up and down; to vary irregularly in degree or quantity, to be unstable |
| haughty (adj) | scornfully profound, arrogant |
| impeccable (adj) | pertaining to people not inclined to error or sin; pertaining to things that are free from blemish or fault; beyond reproach |
| ingenious (adj) | demonstrating originality, skill or inventiveness |
| munificent (adj) | liberal in giving; pertaining to a gift that is vast in amount |
| ominous (adj) | pertaining to an evil omen; foreshadowing evil |
| laudable (adj) | worthy of commendation or praise |
| pique (verb) | to react with sharp resentment or wounded pride; to excite curiosity or interest; to value oneself highly or proudly |
| pungent (adj) | said of anything that causes a sharp sensation, as of smell or taste; said of words that are sharp or piercing; mentally stimulating |
| sagacity (noun) | sharpness or quickness of sense or perception; keenness of discernment; soundness of judgment; wisdom |
| abstemious (adj) | moderate, especially in the consumption of food and strong drink |
| cadaverous (adj) | having the qualities of a corpse; pale, haggard and thin |
| clamorous (adj) | noisy; demanding loudly, urgently and persistently |
| coterie (noun) | a group of people or a circle that meets for social, political or some other common interest |
| denigrate (verb) | to besmirch another's good fame, reputation or ability; to criticize with the intention of belittling |
| drastic (adj) | acting with force or quickness; extreme in effect |
| epithet (noun) | an adjective, noun, or phrase expressing some characteristic quality of the thing or person to which it is applied |
| extol (verb) | to praise highly |
| forensic (adj) | pertaining to public speaking or courts of law; argumentative; rhetorical |
| headstrong (adj) | stubborn, possessing an ungovernable will; opinionated |
| impediment (noun) | anything that obstructs or hinders |
| ingratiate (verb) | to gain favor or bring oneself into another's good graces |
| lethargy (noun) | drowsiness or apathy |
| murky (adj) | gloomy; dark |
| opportunist (noun) | one who takes advantage of circumstances to promote his own interest regardless of his stated principles or party loyalty, ect.; one who defers his own action for a time best suitable for his advantage |
| plagiarism (noun) | adopting and reproducing without acknowledgement as one's own the writings or ideas of another |
| pusillanimous (adj) | lacking in courage; cowardly or mean |
| salient (adj) | moving by leaps and bounds; projecting outwardly; prominent or conspicuous |
| truculent (adj) | fierce and cruel; savagely harsh |
| verbose (adj) | wordy, characterized by a superfluity of words |
| abstruse (adj) | difficult to understand or solve because the subject matter is too complicated or too abstract |
| altruistic (adj) | acting solely out of consideration for the welfare of others; unselfish |
| assuage (verb) | to relieve or lesson, as with grief or pain; to pacify or calm; to put an end to by satisfying |
| cajole (verb) | to persuade or seek to influence by flattery or deceit |
| clandestine (adj) | concealed for an evil purpose; secretive |
| crass (adj) | gross in mind, insensitive, crass, vulgar |
| deprecate (verb) | to disapprove of or argue strongly against a course of action or an event |
| duplicity (noun) | intentional deception, deceit in speech or conduct |
| epitome (noun) | a summary or a brief condensation of the leading points of a book or an article; a part that is typical of the whole; the high point |
| extradite (verb) | act of surrender by a state or national government of a fugitive from justice or one person accused of a crime in another state to the province where the crime is alleged to have been committed |
| foible (noun) | a slight frailty or defect in a person's character or personality; peculiarity |
| heinous (adj) | atrocious or deeply offensive, wicked, awful, terrible |
| impervious (adj) | incapable of being penetrated; incapable of being reached by ideas |
| inordinate (adj) | not within proper limits, unrestrained, excessive |
| levity (noun) | frivolity or lack of seriousness |
| mystique (noun) | a distinctive air or character or mystery and mystical power surrounding a person or pursuit |
| omniscient (adj) | having unlimited knowledge |
| platitude (noun) | a dull and commonplace remark solemnly expressed |
| quell (verb) | to put down, as a riot; to pacify or soothe |
| salubrious (adj) | contributing to the well |
| accessory (noun) | something added or attached that contributes attractiveness, convenience, garnishment, etc.; an accomplice; a person or thing playing a subordinate part or role |
| amalgamate (verb) | to combine to a uniform whole |
| audacity (noun) | daring disregard of danger; open, bold and arrogant disregard of propriety and law |
| callous (adj) | hardened in feeling and mind; unfeeling; insensitive |
| clement (adj) | inclined to be forgiving or merciful; lenient; when referring to weather, mild |
| credence (noun) | belief or trust |
| derelict (noun) | abandoned vessel; social outcast |
| esoteric (adj) | understood by only a select, initiated few; extremely difficult to understand; far |
| extraneous (adj) | nonessential; irrelevant |
| fortuitous (adj) | occurring by chance; lucky |
| Herculean (adj) | requiring great strength or courage to perform; of extraordinary size |
| implacable (adj) | incapable of being made peaceful or forgiving |
| inscrutable (adj) | not capable of being understood |
| loquacious (adj) | disposed to an exceptional amount of talking |
| naïve (adj) | simple or unaffected in manner |
| plebeian (adj) | pertaining to the common people; common or vulgar |
| querulous (adj) | given to habitual complaining or fault |
| sanction (verb) | to authorize or approve |
| wrath (noun) | intense anger |
| taciturn (adj) | not given to conversation, customarily silent |
| accord (noun) | agreement of opinion or will |
| ambivalent (adj) | wavering or uncertain because of an inability to make a choice between two conflicting courses of action. |
| augment (verb) | to increase in amount or intensity; to enlarge in size or extent |
| calumny (noun) | a false accusation maliciously made to injure another's reputation |
| cliché (noun) | a hackneyed phrase, idea, practice; a verbal formula; a stereotyped expression |
| criterion (noun) | a standard on which a judgment or decision may be based; an established principle for testing anything |
| derogatory (adj) | belittling or expressing a low opinion of a person or thing |
| effete (adj) | no longer productive because of age; exhausted, worn out |
| ethnic (adj) | pertaining to or belonging to racially or historically relative groups having culture, speech, customs, and characteristics in common |
| extrovert (noun) | one who is concerned chiefly with the outside world or objects outside his inner self |
| fortuitous (adj) | occurring by chance; lucky |
| formidable (adj) | difficult to accomplish because of obstacles, difficulties, size, etc.; inspiring fear or awe; capable or preventing another from undertaking opposing steps |
| heresy (noun) | a doctrine or opinion held in opposition to accepted views in religion or other fields |
| impugn (verb) | to attack as false; to call into question another's motives, statements, actions, etc. |
| insidious (adj) | full of deceit and cunning, working secretly or imperceptible and intending to entrap |
| lucrative (adj) | profitable |
| nebulous (adj) | cloudy; hazy or vague |
| opulence (noun) | wealth, abundance |
| plethora (noun) | the state of being full of excess |
| rabble (noun) | a noisy disorderly crowd; the mob, the common people |
| acquit (verb) | to relieve from a charge of fault or crime |
| amity (noun) | friendly relationship |
| austere (adj) | rigidly severe in character, manner, or living conditions; severely simple |
| candid (adj) | impartial as in the expression "a candid opinion"; frank, honest, outspoken; informal, unopposed |
| coerce (verb) | to compel a person to do something against his will by applying physical or mental force, such as intimidation |
| culinary (adj) | pertaining to the kitchen or to cookery; used in cooking |
| destitute (adj) | lacking in something needed |
| dynamic (adj) | having power or physical energy; energetic; changing |
| eulogy (noun) | statement or speech, written or oral, in praise of a person or his character, frequently a funeral oration; high commendation or praise |
| facetious (adj) | humorous; in a spirit of levity |
| furtive (adj) | done in a secret or underhand manner |
| impunity (noun) | freedom or exemption from penalty or punishment |
| hiatus (noun) | gap or break in time; missing part |
| insipid (adj) | without taste; uninteresting, dull; lifeless |
| lugubrious (adj) | mournful; dismal |
| nefarious (adj) | grossly wicked |
| orthodox (adj) | conforming to an established tradition or doctrine |
| precarious (adj) | dependent on circumstances or chances that are outside one's control ( a precarious situation); uncertain, risky, dangerous, insecure |
| refractory (adj) | stubbornly refusing to comply with another's wishes'; resisting ordinary methods of treatment |
| sanguine (adj) | blood-red in color; of a hopeful disposition |
| acrimonious (adj) | harsh or bitter in speech or temper |
| anachronism (noun) | the misplacing of an event or object in a period to which it cannot possible belong; the event or object so misplaced; an occurrence which is incongruous with present time or usage |
| authentic (adj) | genuine in origin; trustworthy |
| canine (adj) | pertaining to dogs; doglike |
| cogent (adj) | having the force to compel, usually by appealing to reason; to the point |
| culmination (noun) | attainment by anything of its highest point |
| desultory (adj) | shifting from one thing to another without method or rational connection; digressive |
| efficacious (adj) | having the power to produce a desired effect |
| euphony (noun) | a pleasing sound; a pleasant effect on the ear produced by words or music |
| facsimile (noun) | an exact copy |
| frugal (adj) | using rigid, strict economy |
| inane (adj) | without sense or intelligence; empty, void |
| intrepid (adj) | without fear; brace |
| lurid (adj) | sensational - as in a lurid crime; glaringly vivid; ghastly dimly glowing, as a light seen through fog or smoke |
| neophyte (noun) | a beginner |
| ostracize (verb) | to exclude from the public or private favor and privileges |
| preclude (verb) | to prevent or render ineffectual or impossible by taking necessary steps beforehand |
| sardonic (adj) | showing mockery, sneering bitterly (usually referring to laughter or humor) |
| hibernate (verb) | to pass the winter in a state of sleep or suspended animation; to be inactive for a long time |
| raconteur (noun) | a person who is skilled in telling stories or anecdotes |
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left-to-drown
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