SAT Barron's Vocabulary List

Cindy J.
428 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sequester
    keep away from others
  2. serendipity
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
  3. serpentine
    resembling a snake in form
  4. sham
    something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
  5. shambles
    a condition of great disorder
  6. sheathe
    enclose with a protective covering
  7. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
  8. shyster
    a person who uses unscrupulous or unethical methods
  9. skimp
    work hastily or carelessly
  10. skinflint
    a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
  11. philistine
    a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
  12. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  13. phoenix
    a legendary bird that burned to death and emerged reborn
  14. physiological
    relating to the study of the functioning of organisms
  15. picaresque
    (of fiction) involving clever rogues or adventurers
  16. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  17. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
  18. pittance
    an inadequate payment
  19. placebo
    an innocuous or inert medication
  20. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  21. plasticity
    the property of being physically malleable
  22. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  23. plaudit
    enthusiastic approval
  24. plethora
    extreme excess
  25. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
  26. plutocracy
    a political system governed by the wealthy people
  27. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  28. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
  29. pontifical
    proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope
  30. portend
    indicate by signs
  31. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
  32. poseur
    a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  33. posterity
    all future generations
  34. potable
    suitable for drinking
  35. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  36. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  37. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  38. preclude
    make impossible, especially beforehand
  39. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  40. preeminent
    greatest in importance, degree, or significance
  41. preempt
    acquire for oneself before others can do so
  42. prehensile
    adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
  43. prelate
    a senior clergyman and dignitary
  44. prerogative
    a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
  45. prescience
    the power to foresee the future
  46. presentiment
    a feeling of evil to come
  47. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  48. pretext
    a fictitious reason that conceals the real reason
  49. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  50. primordial
    having existed from the beginning
  51. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  52. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  53. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  54. progeny
    the immediate descendants of a person
  55. propitiate
    make peace with
  56. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
  57. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
  58. quail
    a small game bird
  59. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
  60. quarry
    animal hunted or caught for food
  61. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters
  62. rapacious
    living by preying on other animals
  63. recourse
    act of turning to for assistance
  64. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
  65. rife
    excessively abundant
  66. ruddy
    inclined to a healthy reddish color
  67. repute
    the state of being held in high esteem and honor
  68. revile
    spread negative information about
  69. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  70. salubrious
    promoting health
  71. salutary
    tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
  72. salient
    conspicuous, prominent, or important
  73. salvo
    rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
  74. sanctimonious
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  75. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  76. sartorial
    of or relating to tailoring or clothing
  77. sate
    fill to contentment
  78. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  79. saturnine
    bitter or scornful
  80. scad
    any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae
  81. scamp
    one who is playfully mischievous
  82. schematic
    represented in simplified or symbolic form
  83. schism
    division of a group into opposing factions
  84. scintillate
    emit or reflect light in a flickering manner
  85. scourge
    something causing misery or death
  86. scruple
    an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
  87. scurrilous
    expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism
  88. seamy
    morally degraded
  89. sectarian
    of or relating to a subdivision of a larger religious group
  90. secrete
    generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids
  91. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
  92. sedulous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  93. seedy
    shabby and untidy
  94. seismic
    subject to or caused by an earthquake or earth vibration
  95. seminary
    a school for training ministers or priests or rabbis
  96. sententious
    concise and full of meaning
  97. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
  98. servile
    submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior
  99. shroud
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
  100. simper
    smile in an insincere, unnatural, or coy way
  101. simulate
    reproduce someone's behavior or looks
  102. sinewy
    consisting of tendons or resembling a tendon
  103. sinuous
    curved or curving in and out
  104. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
  105. slake
    satisfy, as thirst
  106. sleeper
    a rester who is in slumber
  107. sleight
    adroitness in using the hands
  108. slight
    small in quantity or degree
  109. slothful
    disinclined to work or exertion
  110. slough
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  111. slovenly
    negligent of neatness especially in dress and person
  112. sluggard
    an idle slothful person
  113. smirk
    smile in a mocking or condescending way
  114. snicker
    laugh quietly
  115. snivel
    cry or whine with snuffling
  116. sojourn
    a temporary stay
  117. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
  118. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  119. solvent
    capable of meeting financial obligations
  120. sonorous
    full and loud and deep
  121. sophistry
    a deliberately invalid argument in the hope of deceiving
  122. soporific
    inducing sleep
  123. spartan
    unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
  124. spat
    a quarrel about petty points
  125. spate
    a sudden forceful flow
  126. specious
    plausible but false
  127. splice
    join the ends of
  128. spontaneity
    the quality of coming from feelings without constraint
  129. sportive
    given to merry frolicking
  130. spry
    moving quickly and lightly
  131. squalor
    sordid dirtiness
  132. staid
    characterized by dignity and propriety
  133. stalwart
    having rugged physical strength
  134. stanch
    stop the flow of a liquid
  135. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  136. stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
  137. stipend
    a sum of money allotted on a regular basis
  138. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
  139. stodgy
    excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull
  140. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
  141. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
  142. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  143. stratagem
    an elaborate or deceitful scheme to deceive or evade
  144. stratum
    one of several parallel layers of material
  145. stricture
    a principle that restricts the extent of something
  146. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  147. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  148. stultify
    deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
  149. stupefy
    make someone dazed or foolish
  150. stymie
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
  151. suavity
    the quality of being charming and gracious in manner
  152. subjective
    taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias
  153. suborn
    incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
  154. subservient
    compliant and obedient to authority
  155. subsistence
    a means of surviving
  156. subterfuge
    something intended to misrepresent the nature of an activity
  157. succor
    assistance in time of difficulty
  158. succulent
    tasty and full of juice
  159. sully
    make dirty or spotty
  160. sultry
    attractive and suggesting hidden passion
  161. summation
    calculating the total of two or more numbers
  162. sumptuous
    rich and superior in quality
  163. sunder
    break apart or in two, using violence
  164. superimpose
    place on top of
  165. supersede
    take the place or move into the position of
  166. supplicate
    ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer
  167. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  168. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
  169. surmise
    infer from incomplete evidence
  170. surrogate
    someone or something that takes the place of another
  171. susceptible
    yielding readily to or capable of undergoing a process
  172. swarthy
    naturally having skin of a dark color
  173. swathe
    wrap in or as if in strips of cloth
  174. sybarite
    a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
  175. tactile
    of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch
  176. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  177. tarry
    leave slowly and hesitantly
  178. tautological
    characterized by unnecessary repetition
  179. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  180. temerity
    fearless daring
  181. tempestuous
    characterized by violent emotions or behavior
  182. temporize
    draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time
  183. tender
    easy to cut or chew
  184. tenet
    a basic principle or belief that is accepted as true
  185. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
  186. tether
    restraint consisting of a rope or chain
  187. throes
    violent pangs of suffering
  188. thespian
    a theatrical performer
  189. timorous
    shy and fearful by nature
  190. titter
    laugh nervously
  191. toady
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  192. tome
    a large and scholarly book
  193. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
  194. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  195. torrent
    an overwhelming number or amount
  196. torrid
    characterized by intense emotion
  197. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  198. totter
    move without being stable, as if threatening to fall
  199. touchstone
    a basis for comparison
  200. touchy
    difficult to handle; requiring great tact
  201. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
  202. toxic
    of or relating to or caused by a poison
  203. tract
    an extended area of land
  204. tractable
    easily managed
  205. traduce
    speak unfavorably about
  206. trajectory
    the path followed by an object moving through space
  207. tranquility
    an untroubled state that is free from disturbances
  208. transcendent
    exceeding or surpassing usual limits
  209. transcribe
    write out, as from speech or notes
  210. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
  211. transient
    lasting a very short time
  212. transition
    the act of passing from one state or place to the next
  213. transitory
    lasting a very short time
  214. translucent
    allowing light to pass through diffusely
  215. transmute
    change or alter in form, appearance, or nature
  216. transparent
    able to be seen through with clarity
  217. transport
    move something or somebody around
  218. trappings
    ornaments; embellishments to or characteristic signs of
  219. traumatic
    psychologically painful
  220. travail
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
  221. traverse
    journey across or pass over
  222. travesty
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  223. treacly
    overly sweet
  224. treatise
    a formal text that treats a particular topic systematically
  225. trek
    any long and difficult trip
  226. tremor
    an involuntary vibration, as if from illness or fear
  227. tremulous
    quivering as from weakness or fear
  228. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought
  229. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
  230. trespass
    enter unlawfully on someone's property
  231. trifling
    not worth considering
  232. trigger
    lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun
  233. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  234. trivial
    (informal) small and of little importance
  235. trough
    a long narrow shallow receptacle
  236. truculence
    stubborn and defiant aggressiveness
  237. truism
    an obvious statement of fact
  238. truncate
    make shorter as if by cutting off
  239. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
  240. turbid
    clouded as with sediment
  241. turbulence
    instability in the atmosphere
  242. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  243. turmoil
    a violent disturbance
  244. turncoat
    a disloyal person who betrays or deserts a cause
  245. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
  246. tutelage
    attention and management implying responsibility for safety
  247. tycoon
    a very wealthy or powerful businessperson
  248. typhoon
    a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific or Indian oceans
  249. tyranny
    government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
  250. tyro
    someone new to a field or activity
  251. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  252. ulterior
    lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed
  253. ultimate
    furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme
  254. unaccountable
    not to be explained
  255. unanimity
    everyone being of one mind
  256. unassailable
    impossible to attack
  257. unassuming
    not arrogant
  258. unbridled
    not restrained or controlled
  259. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
  260. unconscionable
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  261. uncouth
    lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
  262. unctuous
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  263. underlying
    in the nature of something though not readily apparent
  264. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
  265. underscore
    give extra weight to
  266. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
  267. unearth
    recover through digging
  268. unequivocal
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding
  269. unerringly
    without making errors
  270. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
  271. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
  272. uniformity
    the quality of lacking diversity or variation
  273. unimpeachable
    beyond doubt or reproach
  274. uninhibited
    not restrained
  275. unique
    the single one of its kind
  276. universal
    applicable to or common to all members of a group or set
  277. unkempt
    not properly maintained or cared for
  278. unmitigated
    not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity
  279. unobtrusive
    not undesirably noticeable
  280. unpalatable
    not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind
  281. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
  282. unprepossessing
    creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression
  283. unravel
    become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers of
  284. unrequited
    not returned in kind
  285. unruly
    unable to be governed or controlled
  286. unscathed
    not injured
  287. unseemly
    not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper
  288. unsightly
    unpleasant to look at
  289. unstinting
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  290. untenable
    incapable of being defended or justified
  291. unwarranted
    incapable of being justified or explained
  292. unwieldy
    difficult to use or handle because of size or weight
  293. unwitting
    not aware or knowing
  294. upbraid
    express criticism towards
  295. uproarious
    uncontrollably noisy
  296. upshot
    a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon
  297. urbane
    showing a high degree of refinement
  298. usurp
    seize and take control without authority
  299. utopia
    ideally perfect state
  300. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  301. vacuous
    devoid of matter
  302. vagabond
    a wanderer with no established residence or means of support
  303. vagrant
    a wanderer with no established residence or means of support
  304. valedictory
    a farewell oration
  305. valid
    well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force
  306. validate
    confirm the legal force of
  307. valor
    courage when facing danger
  308. vanguard
    the leading units moving at the head of an army
  309. vantage
    place or situation affording some benefit
  310. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
  311. vaporize
    turn into gas
  312. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  313. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
  314. vehement
    marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
  315. velocity
    distance traveled per unit time in one direction
  316. venal
    capable of being corrupted
  317. vendetta
    a blood feud between members of opposing parties
  318. veneer
    coating consisting of a thin layer of wood
  319. venerable
    profoundly honored
  320. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence
  321. venial
    warranting only temporal punishment
  322. venom
    toxin secreted by animals
  323. vent
    a hole for the escape of gas, air, or liquid
  324. ventriloquist
    a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy
  325. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  326. verbatim
    using exactly the same words
  327. verbiage
    overabundance of words
  328. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  329. verge
    the limit beyond which something happens or changes
  330. verisimilitude
    the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true
  331. verity
    conformity to reality or actuality
  332. vernacular
    the everyday speech of the people
  333. versatile
    having great diversity or variety
  334. vertex
    the highest point of something
  335. vertigo
    a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
  336. verve
    an energetic style
  337. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
  338. vex
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
  339. viable
    capable of life or normal growth and development
  340. vicarious
    experienced at secondhand
  341. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  342. vie
    compete for something
  343. vigilance
    the process of paying close and continuous attention
  344. vignette
    a brief literary description
  345. vigor
    forceful exertion
  346. vilify
    spread negative information about
  347. vindicate
    show to be right by providing justification or proof
  348. vindictive
    disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
  349. viper
    a venomous Old World snake
  350. virile
    characteristic of a man
  351. virtual
    being actually such in almost every respect
  352. virtue
    the quality of doing what is right
  353. virtuoso
    someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
  354. virulent
    extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
  355. virus
    infectious agent that replicates itself within living hosts
  356. visceral
    relating to or affecting the internal organs
  357. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  358. visionary
    a person with unusual powers of foresight
  359. vital
    performing an essential function in the living body
  360. vitriolic
    harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone
  361. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  362. vivacious
    vigorous and animated
  363. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  364. vogue
    a current state of general acceptance and use
  365. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
  366. volition
    the act of making a choice
  367. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
  368. voluminous
    large in capacity or bulk
  369. voluptuous
    displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
  370. voracious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
  371. vortex
    a powerful circular current of water
  372. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  373. voyeur
    a viewer who enjoys seeing the sex acts or organs of others
  374. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
  375. waffle
    a batter cake baked and pressed between two patterned metal plates
  376. waft
    a long flag; often tapering
  377. waggish
    witty or joking
  378. waif
    a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
  379. waive
    do without or cease to hold or adhere to
  380. wake
    stop sleeping
  381. wallow
    roll around
  382. wan
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  383. wane
    a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number)
  384. wanton
    a lewd or immoral person
  385. warble
    sing or play with trills
  386. warrant
    formal and explicit approval
  387. warranty
    written assurance that a product or service will be provided
  388. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  389. wastrel
    someone who squanders resources or time
  390. watershed
    a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems
  391. wax
    substance solid at normal temperature and insoluble in water
  392. waylay
    wait in hiding to attack
  393. wean
    gradually deprive of mother's milk
  394. weather
    atmospheric conditions such as temperature and precipitation
  395. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  396. wheedle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  397. whet
    sharpen by rubbing
  398. whiff
    a short light gust of air
  399. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  400. willful
    done by design
  401. wily
    marked by skill in deception
  402. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
  403. windfall
    a sudden happening that brings good fortune
  404. winnow
    the act of separating grain from chaff
  405. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  406. wispy
    thin and weak
  407. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
  408. withdrawn
    tending to be reserved, quiet, or introspective
  409. wither
    lose freshness, vigor, or vitality
  410. withstand
    resist or confront with resistance
  411. witless
    lacking sense or understanding or judgment
  412. witticism
    a message whose ingenuity has the power to evoke laughter
  413. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
  414. worldly
    characteristic of secularity rather than spirituality
  415. wrath
    intense anger
  416. wrench
    a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments
  417. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
  418. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  419. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
  420. yen
    the basic unit of money in Japan
  421. yield
    give or supply
  422. yoke
    a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets
  423. yore
    time long past
  424. zany
    ludicrous or foolish
  425. zeal
    a feeling of strong eagerness
  426. zealot
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  427. zenith
    the highest point of something
  428. zephyr
    a slight wind
Created on Sun Jun 26 20:40:02 EDT 2011 (updated Sat Aug 27 20:19:23 EDT 2011)

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