SAT Study Guides
Top 250 - SAT Vocabulary Flashcards
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Abject
adj. a person in a low and despicable condition; castaway
Abstruse
adj. difficult to comprehend or understand
Accolade
n. an award, honor, or prize for achievements
Acquiesce
v. to comply or consent passively
Acrid
adj. harsh, pungent or bitter
Acrimonious
adj. full of bitterness, in language or tone
Adroit
adj. having ability and talent in the use of the powers of mind and body
Adulation
n. the expression of admiration or devotion
Ambulate
v. to walk from place to place
Ameliorate
v. to make better or heal
Anachronism
n. something that belongs to another historical time; a chronologically misplaced artifact
Anathema
n. a loathed or damned individual
Anomoly
adj. a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.
Antediluvian
adj. antiquated; old-fashioned
Apocryphal
adj. of doubtful authorship or authenticity
Archaic
adj. of or characteristic of an earlier time period; antiquated
Ascetic
adj. severely simple
Assiduous
adj. persistent; hard-working
Assuage
v. to ease; to pacify, quiet
Atrophy
n. the degeneration or decline from usefullness
Avarice
n. insatiable greediness
Aversion
n. a desire to turn away from or avoid something distasteful; antipathy
Beguile
v. to influence under misleading flattery or trickery
Bellicose
adj. belligerent; inclined to fight or quarrel
Belligerent
adj. eager to fight; combative; warlike
Bemused
adj. confused, or lost in thought
Benighted
adj. unenlightened, or intellectually and morally ignorant
Blandishment
n. actions or speech that flatters, coaxes, or inspires
Blaspheme
v. to profane, revile or curse; to speak of with irreverence
Blithe
adj. carefree and lighthearted; merry
Bombastic
adj. pretentious or grandiose speech or writing
Brazen
adj. shameless or impudent; made of brass
Burgeon
v. n. to flourish, or develop quickly; a bud or sprout
Callow
adj. immature; lacking in sophistication
Calumny
n. a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions intended to harm that person's reputation
Capricious
adj. whimsical, fanciful or witty
Carping
adj. characterized by petty or petulant faultfinding
Chagrin
n. a distress of mind induced by humiliation or shame
Charlatan
n. a fraud, quack or swindler who attracts customers with flamboyant tricks
Chimerical
adj. wildly imaginative, unreal, or visionary
Circumlocution
n. the act of indirectly expressing oneself; making a point in a roundabout way
Coalesce
v. to unite together to form one body
Complacence
n. the quality of being content with one's present circumstances
Compunction
n. mental distress arising from one's conscience
Confluence
n. a gathering, meeting or coming together or individuals, parties or substances
Conjecture
n. an inference or supposition based on incomplete evidence and guesswork
Consternation
n. dismal confusion
Contrite
adj. experiencing feelings of remorse or sorrow
Convivial
adj. relating to feasting, drinking and merrymaking
Coterie
adj. an exclusive group who associate closely
Credence
n. credibility; something accepted as true
Culpable
adj. worthy of blame or condemnation
Debacle
adj. a breakup or complete collapse or failure
Debase
v. to lower in intrinsic value or quality; to corrupt one's character
Debunk
v. to expose false or exaggerated claims or assertions
Decorous
adj. characterized by good taste and manner; decent; correct
Defame
v. to mar the reputation of through libel or slander
Deleterious
adj. elusively injurious or harmful
Depose
v. to testify or affirm under oath, to remove from office or position
Deprave
v. to debase or corrupt
Deprecate
v. to belittle or disparage; to disapprove of
Desecrate
v. to divest of sacred or hallowed character
Desiccate
adj. to dry thoroughly or remove all moisture
Devoid
adj. without possesion, untouched by, or void of
Devotee
n. an enthusiastic follower or person devoted to something
Diffident
adj. shy or reserved; hesitant; distrustful
Dilatory
adj. tardy; tending to cause delay
Discursive
adj. moving along in a disorderly fashion; characterized by methodological reasoning; relating to discourse
Disparage
v. to bring down in rank or status; to speak disrespectfully about
Disquiet
v. to disrupt or disturb
Distend
v. to expand or swell
Doleful
adj. despondent or overcome with grief; extremely sad
Droll
n. a droll person; jester; wag.
Duplicity
n. the state of being deceptive in actions and words; the state of expressing contradictory sentiments
Ebullient
adj. lively and enthusiastic
Eclectic
adj. the selection from various sources
Edify
v. to morally instruct; to enlighten; to impart religious knowledge unto
Effrontery
n. insolence
Egregious
adj. conspicuously objectionable
Elegy
n. a sorrowful poem or musical piece written and performed to honor the dead
Endemic
adj. characteristic of a particular people or environment
Engender
v. to produce or create; to procreate
Entourage
n. a group of people or associates with someone of importance
Equanimity
n. mental composure in the face of stress; steadiness of disposition
Equivocal
adj. dubious or uncertain in nature; open to various interpretations and typically used to mislead; of questionable value
Erudite
adj. knowledgeable; learned
Esoteric
adj. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest
Ethereal
adj. light, tenuous, or delicate
Evanescent
adj. disposed to vanish like vapor
Evince
v. to clearly demonstrate or reveal
Exacerbate
v. to cause to become more severe
Exhort
v. to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; urgent admonishment
Expedient
adj. suitable; immediately advantageous from a practical standpoint
Expunge
v. to delete, wipe out, or destroy such as records
Expurgate
v. to purge or cleanse of things morally offensive
Extol
v. to glorify or highly praise
Extricate
v. to remove from a troublesome or difficult situation
Fallow
n. land that has been tilled and cultivated but nevertheless lies idle during a growing season
Fastidious
adj. having excessively high standards; of a meticulous or sensitive nature
Fervor
n. passion; intensity of expression
Fitful
adj. erratic in character; irregular in movement and activity
Flaunt
v. to parade or display oneself defiantly or boldly
Forbearance
n. the quality of being abstaining or patient
Formidable
adj. impressive; inspiring awe, fear or apprehension
Fortitude
n. the courage or mental strength that helps someone to deal with danger or pain
Fractious
adj. readily angered or irritable
Fulsome
adj. abundant; fundamentally offensive; excessive; effusive
Furtive
adj. stealthy or sly; underhandedly obtained or stolen
Gibe
v. to taunt or tease
Grandiloquent
adj. pompous or bombastic in manner
Hackney
v. to cause to become trite through overuse
Hedonist
n. devoted to pleasure and happiness
Heresy
n. a deviation from the dominant religious, political or social dogma; an opinion or practice that conflicts with those acceptable according to a dominant religious faith
Hyperbole
n. obvious exaggeration not intended to be taken literally as "I'll be here forever"
Ignoble
adj. of common social status; marked by baseness or meanness
Ignominious
adj. disgraceful, shameful or despicable
Impassive
adj. unable to feel pain or any other physical feeling; unemotional
Impecunious
adj. having very little money
Impediment
adj. an obstruction or obstacle; defect that impedes normal speech
Impervious
adj. incapable of being penetrated or harmed; imperturbable
Impious
adj. irreverent; tending to not pay proper respect
Impregnable
adj. incapable of being penetrated or conquered
Impute
v. to blame or hold responsible for (often unjustly); to attribute to
Inchoate
adj. not entirely in existence; not fully developed or formed; incoherent
Indefatigable
adj. untiring or incapable of yielding to fatigue
Indigent
adj. extremely poor
Indomitable
adj. incapable of being conquered or controlled
Inebriate
v. to intoxicate with liquor
Inexorable
adj. refusing to move or stop; unrelenting
Ingratiate
v. to obtain favor through a concerted effort
Inimitable
adj. Defying imitation; matchless
Innumerable
adj. countless in number
Insatiable
adj. not capable of being fulfilled or satisfied; unquenchable
Insidious
adj. seductive but harmful; treacherous; gradual in development but ultimately extremely injurious
Insuperable
adj. incapable of being overcome or solved
Intractable
adj. difficult to control or direct, shape or work
Invidious
adj. envious or resentful
Jettison
n. The act of discarding or casting overboard.
Jocular
adj. inclined to jest; playful; jolly
Jubilation
n. an expression of bliss or joy
Lachrymose
adj. suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful.
Laconic
adj. expression in few words, consise
Lampoon
v. n. to mock or ridicule; virulent satire directed against someone or something
Languish
v. to become weak, lose vigor and vitality
Latent
adj. dormant; temporarily inactive
Liquidate
v. to financially transform material assets into cash
Lithe
adj. flexible and graceful
Lurid
adj. gruesome; ghastly in appearance
Magnanimous
adj. possessing a courageous spirit; having a nobility of sentiment and a strong generous streak
Malady
n. an illness or disease; a disorder
Malevolent
adj. characterized by extreme ill will or hatred; tending to do harm or evil
Manifestation
n. the act of materializing
Martinet
n. a strict disciplinarian who is stubborn to adhere to rules and regulations
Maudlin
adj. effusively sentimental to the point of being silly
Meander
v. to ramble; to wander without purpose or pressing destination
Mercenary
adj. greedy; out merely for pay or base advantage
Mercurial
adj. animated, volatile, flighty or eratic
Mesmerize
v. to hypnotize
Metamorphosis
n. a dramatic change in appearance or character; a sudden developmental and structural change
Misnomer
n. an incorrect or inappropriate name
Mollify
v. to assuage or soothe
Munificent
adj. extremely generous; lavish
Myopic
adj. nearsighted, narrow-minded
Myriad
n. a very large number; specifically, ten thousand
Nefarious
adj. evil or wicked
Neophyte
adj. a novice; a beginner
Obdurate
adj. set on wrongdoing; emotionally hardened; stubborn or inflexible
Oblivion
n. the state of being oblivious, or consciously unaware; the state of being unknown
Obsequious
adj. marked by exaggerated flattery
Obstinacy
n. the state of being obstinate, or stubbornly sticking to a set course in spite of arguments advocating the contrary
Odious
adj. repugnant or hateful
Omniscience
n. the state of being omniscient, or possessing infinite knowledge
Ostentatious
adj. characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.
Paragon
n. an ideal model
Pariah
n. a despised and shunned individual; an outcast
Parody
v. to mock by imitating in the manner of a caricature
Pathos
n. an artistic element that induces feelings of compassion or pity
Paucity
n. a dearth or lack of something
Peevish
adj. fretful or temperamentally querulous; displaying ill temper
Pejorative
adj. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force
Penury
n. a severe lack of resources or state of poverty; stinginess
Perfidy
n. the state of being treacherous or faithless; a disloyal act
Perfunctory
adj. superficial; mechanical; insipid
Pernicious
adj. extremely nasty or harmful; deadly
Perspicacity
n. the ability to acutely discern; intellectual keenness
Perverse
adj. morally corrupt; socially improper or offensive
Pithy
adj. succint and meaningful expression
Polemical
n. a controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.
Prattle
v. to voice meaningless sounds in the manner of small children; to babble
Predilection
n. the tendency to prefer, be partial to, or think favorably of something in particular
Prevaricate
v. to stray from the truth; to mislead or lie
Procrastinate
v. to delay the commencement of an action intentionally
Prodigal
n. someone who throws money away lavishly; someone who has come back after an absence
Profligacy
n. the state of being profligate, or obscenely extravagant
Progeny
n. animal or vegetable offspring; a group of disciples; descendents
Prolific
adj. very productive; fruitful
Propitious
adj. favorable or auspicious; inclined to do good
Prosaic
adj. relating to prose rather than poetry; dull or ordinary
Protract
v. to continue onward in time or space
Provincial
adj. relating to a province; narrow in outlook; lacking sophistication; relatively plain rather than ornate
Quandary
n. a state of troubling or distressing doubt
Quell
v. to suppress, subdue, or extinguish
Querulous
adj. regularly complaining; whining
Rancor
n. intense ill-will or loathing; enmity
Rant
v. to speak or declaim in a vehement way
Raze
v. to tear down, or shave off
Relegate
v. to banish or exile; to lower someone's rank by assigning him a fresh, insignificant position; to delegate
Remonstrate
v. to sincerely state reasons for grievance or opposition
Repartee
n. a deft, witty reply; an occasion of light verbal sparing involving the rapid exchange of clever remarks
Reprove
v. to scold or correct usually gently or with kindly intent
Respite
n. a period of relief or repose
Restive
adj. disobedient, impatient of control or restraint
Regress
v. to revert to a former state; to retrograde
Sacrilege
n. a display of outrageous irreverence towards a sacred entity
Salubrious
adj. favorable to or promoting health
Salutary
adj. beneficial or remedial; tending to cure ailments or promote health
Sanguine
adj. relating to blood; cheerfully optimistic
Saturnine
adj. sluggish in temperament
Scrupulous
adj. marked by integrity or strict morality; excessively exact
Scurrilous
adj. inclined to use vulgar or crude language; vile; obscene; slanderous
Sedentary
adj. residentially established; inactive; relating to sitting
Sophistry
n. subtly misleading argumentation
Soporific
adj. n. causing to sleep; something that causes sleep
Spurn
v. to reject with disdain or treat with contempt
Strident
adj. having a high shrill sound, of high intensity
Stringent
adj. rigorous or strict regarding adherence to standards; characterized by tightness of budget
Sublime
adj. elevated or lofty in thought, language
Submissive
adj. obedient or passive inclination
Subservient
adj. consciously inferior; constituting a means to an end; servile
Supercilious
adj. coldly and condescendingly arrogant
Supplant
v. to take another’s place by force; to substitute for
Swagger
v. to boast or strut with defiant conduct
Temporal
adj. relating to time
Tenet
n. an accepted and unquestioned doctrine or belief
Tenuous
adj. lacking sound reasoning, slight importance
Threadbare
adj. innefective argument or tired clothing such that threads are shown
Timorous
adj. timid or fearful
Torpid
adj. sluggish, dull, apathetic, or dormant, ie. hybernating
Transcend
v. to exceed delineated bounds or expectations; to overcome or outdo
Transitory
adj. fleeting or temporary
Tremulous
adj. timid or timorous; trembling or shaking from fear or nervousness; easily emotionally ruffled or shaken
Trepidation
n. timorous apprehension or fear
Tumultous
adj. characterized as greatly agitated, confused, or disturbed
Undulate
v. to fluctuate or move in waves
Unwitting
adj. an inadvertent or unintentional participant
Vacillate
v. to swing to and fro or oscillate; to fluctuate in opinion or feeling or appear indecisive
Vexatious
adj. troublesome, annoying and or disorderly
Vicarious
adj. serving as a substitute for something or someone; imaginatively experienced by figuratively stepping into the shoes of another
Volatile
adj. readily aroused; violently inclined; fickle or tending to abruptly change; evanescent; light and flighty in nature or disposition
Voluble
adj. naturally rotation; inclined to talk rapidly and extensively with an air of superficiality or insincerity
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