SAT Words

Adrienne B.
288 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
  2. conjecture
    believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
  3. didactic
    instructive, especially excessively
  4. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  5. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
  6. extrapolate
    draw from specific cases for more general cases
  7. incoherent
    without logical or meaningful connection
  8. insinuate
    suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
  9. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  10. lucid
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  11. rhetoric
    study of the technique for using language effectively
  12. acumen
    shrewdness shown by keen insight
  13. adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
  14. ascertain
    learn or discover with confidence
  15. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  16. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
  17. disseminate
    cause to become widely known
  18. erudition
    profound scholarly knowledge
  19. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  20. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  21. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  22. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  23. prolific
    intellectually productive
  24. prospectus
    a document that sets forth a plan for a business enterprise
  25. rudimentary
    being in the earliest stages of development
  26. abstruse
    difficult to understand
  27. callous
    emotionally hardened
  28. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
  29. disaffected
    discontented as toward authority
  30. enigma
    something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
  31. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
  32. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  33. staid
    characterized by dignity and propriety
  34. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  35. assimilate
    make alike
  36. autonomy
    political independence
  37. cosmopolitan
    composed of people from many parts of the world
  38. derivative
    a compound obtained from another compound
  39. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  40. gaffe
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  41. idiosyncrasy
    a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual
  42. insular
    relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
  43. orthodox
    adhering to what is commonly accepted
  44. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  45. castigate
    inflict severe punishment on
  46. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
  47. denounce
    speak out against
  48. reclusive
    withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
  49. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
  50. renounce
    turn away from; give up
  51. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  52. circumscribe
    draw a geometric figure around another figure
  53. contiguous
    having a common boundary or edge
  54. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
  55. credible
    capable of being believed
  56. exonerate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  57. inconvertible
    not capable of being changed into something else
  58. indict
    accuse formally of a crime
  59. litigious
    of or relating to legal proceedings
  60. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  61. parity
    functional equality
  62. rectitude
    righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
  63. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
  64. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  65. sanctimonious
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  66. scrupulous
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  67. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  68. substantiate
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  69. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  70. vindicate
    show to be right by providing justification or proof
  71. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  72. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  73. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  74. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  75. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  76. eminent
    standing above others in quality or position
  77. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
  78. extol
    praise, glorify, or honor
  79. laudatory
    full of or giving praise
  80. magnanimous
    noble and generous in spirit
  81. philanthropic
    of or relating to charitable giving
  82. defunct
    no longer in force or use; inactive
  83. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  84. quell
    suppress or crush completely
  85. raze
    tear down so as to make flat with the ground
  86. squelch
    suppress or crush completely
  87. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
  88. stymie
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
  89. abase
    cause to feel shame
  90. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  91. derogatory
    expressive of low opinion
  92. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  93. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  94. ignominy
    a state of dishonor
  95. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  96. mar
    cause to become imperfect
  97. pejorative
    expressing disapproval
  98. vex
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
  99. vindictive
    disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
  100. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  101. ebullience
    eager enjoyment or approval
  102. exorbitant
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  103. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
  104. embellish
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
  105. flagrant
    conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
  106. gratuitous
    unnecessary and unwarranted
  107. lavish
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  108. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  109. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
  110. ornate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
  111. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  112. redundant
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  113. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  114. vicarious
    experienced at secondhand
  115. vignette
    a brief literary description
  116. amalgam
    a combination or blend of diverse things
  117. inundate
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
  118. multifarious
    having many aspects
  119. multiplicity
    the property of having more than one part or entity
  120. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  121. beneficial
    promoting or enhancing well-being
  122. cathartic
    emotionally purging
  123. curative
    tending to cure or restore to health
  124. palliative
    moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
  125. therapeutic
    tending to cure or restore to health
  126. complement
    something added to embellish or make perfect
  127. epitome
    a standard or typical example
  128. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  129. belie
    be in contradiction with
  130. debunk
    expose while ridiculing
  131. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
  132. duplicitous
    marked by deliberate deceptiveness
  133. fabricate
    put together out of artificial or natural components
  134. fallacy
    a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
  135. mendacious
    given to lying
  136. specious
    plausible but false
  137. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  138. ambivalent
    uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
  139. apathetic
    showing little or no emotion or animation
  140. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  141. equivocal
    open to two or more interpretations
  142. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  143. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  144. impetus
    a force that makes something happen
  145. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
  146. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  147. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  148. jaded
    exhausted
  149. clandestine
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
  150. subterfuge
    something intended to misrepresent the nature of an activity
  151. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
  152. dearth
    an insufficient quantity or number
  153. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  154. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  155. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
  156. temperate
    not extreme
  157. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
  158. diligent
    quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness
  159. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  160. mercenary
    a person hired to fight for another country than their own
  161. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
  162. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  163. tenacity
    persistent determination
  164. vigilant
    carefully observant or attentive
  165. extraneous
    not belonging to that in which it is contained
  166. juxtapose
    place side by side
  167. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  168. synergy
    the working together of two or more things to produce an effect
  169. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  170. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  171. aural
    of or pertaining to hearing or the ear
  172. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
  173. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  174. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  175. incongruous
    lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
  176. sonorous
    full and loud and deep
  177. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  178. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
  179. debilitate
    make weak
  180. tumultuous
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
  181. anachronistic
    chronologically misplaced
  182. archaic
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
  183. dilatory
    wasting time
  184. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
  185. redolent
    having a strong pleasant odor
  186. temporal
    of or relating to or limited by time
  187. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  188. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
  189. prescience
    the power to foresee the future
  190. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  191. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  192. hackneyed
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  193. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  194. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  195. soporific
    inducing sleep
  196. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
  197. brevity
    the attribute of being short or fleeting
  198. expedient
    appropriate to a purpose
  199. transient
    lasting a very short time
  200. augment
    enlarge or increase
  201. bolster
    support and strengthen
  202. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  203. copious
    large in number or quantity
  204. distend
    cause to expand as if by internal pressure
  205. grandiose
    impressive because of unnecessary largeness or magnificence
  206. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  207. profundity
    the quality of being physically deep
  208. redouble
    double again
  209. scintillating
    having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
  210. averse
    strongly opposed
  211. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
  212. demure
    shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
  213. diffidence
    lack of self-assurance
  214. docile
    easily handled or managed
  215. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  216. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
  217. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  218. concord
    a harmonious state of things and of their properties
  219. concur
    happen simultaneously
  220. dogmatic
    pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
  221. fastidious
    giving careful attention to detail
  222. intransigence
    stubborn refusal to compromise or change
  223. jocular
    characterized by jokes and good humor
  224. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  225. affable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
  226. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  227. amiable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
  228. benign
    kind in disposition or manner
  229. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  230. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
  231. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  232. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  233. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  234. exacerbate
    make worse
  235. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
  236. insolent
    marked by casual disrespect
  237. nefarious
    extremely wicked
  238. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  239. rancorous
    showing deep-seated resentment
  240. repugnant
    offensive to the mind
  241. supercilious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  242. arboreal
    of or relating to or formed by trees
  243. invocation
    the act of appealing for help
  244. stratify
    form, arrange, or deposit in layers
  245. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  246. verdant
    characterized by abundance of vegetation and green foliage
  247. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  248. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  249. forebode
    make a prediction about; tell in advance
  250. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
  251. abolish
    do away with
  252. accent
    special importance or significance
  253. acquiesce
    agree or express agreement
  254. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  255. affirmation
    the act of asserting or stating something
  256. ambivalence
    mixed feelings or emotions
  257. ambulatory
    able to walk about
  258. anchor
    a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
  259. anecdote
    short account of an incident
  260. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
  261. articulate
    express or state clearly
  262. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
  263. authoritarian
    characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
  264. biased
    favoring one person or side over another
  265. bizarre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  266. blunder
    an embarrassing mistake
  267. complacent
    contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
  268. comprehensive
    including all or everything
  269. condescend
    behave in a patronizing manner
  270. confide
    reveal in private
  271. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
  272. contaminate
    make impure
  273. contemporary
    occurring in the same period of time
  274. corroborate
    give evidence for
  275. corrugated
    shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges
  276. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
  277. credulous
    showing a lack of judgment or experience
  278. denounce
    speak out against
  279. disentangle
    separate a twisted mass
  280. disparity
    inequality or difference in some respect
  281. diverse
    distinctly dissimilar or unlike
  282. eloquent
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
  283. elusive
    skillful at evading capture
  284. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
  285. endorse
    approve of
  286. enduring
    unceasing
  287. evacuate
    move out of an unsafe location into safety
  288. obtuse
    slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
Created on Mon Jul 11 10:54:51 EDT 2011 (updated Tue Aug 07 16:25:39 EDT 2012)

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