Sat word definitions and sentences - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

A lot of students immediately think of vocabulary when they hear the word SAT. But are SAT vocab words really that important for doing well on the test? Kind of. If you’re aiming for a high score, you’ll definitely want to spend some time learning key SAT words.

In this guide, we give you a comprehensive list of 262 of the most common SAT vocabulary words. We also explain how vocab is tested on the SAT, what types of questions you’ll see, and how to get the most out of your vocab prep.

How Is Vocabulary Tested on the SAT?

The SAT underwent a significant redesign in 2016, and since then vocabulary has become a far less important part of the test. This is because there are fewer vocabulary questions on the current SAT than there were on the old SAT.

That said, it’ll still benefit you to study vocab, especially if you’re aiming for a high or perfect score.

All SAT words are about medium difficulty and are tested in the context of reading passages, so you’ll get not just a sentence but an entire paragraph or passage to work with.

Context clues make memorizing SAT vocab words less important on the current SAT than it was on the old SAT, back when you had to memorize dozens of obscure words and answer questions that dealt with isolated sentences (these were called Sentence Completion problems). This made vocab questions particularly hard since you were given minimal context with which to solve them.

What Do SAT Vocabulary Questions Look Like?

Purely vocabulary-based questions don’t make up a large part of the SAT. Based on our analysis of official SAT practice tests, 13% of the Reading section (or about seven questions) ask you to match a word with its correct meaning. We call these Words in Context questions.

For these questions, you’ll need to know alternative meanings of relatively common words, such as “directly” and “hold.” While you might come across slightly more difficult SAT words, you generally shouldn’t see any as hard as those on the old SAT.

Here’s an example of a Reading vocabulary question (with the relevant part of the passage shown):

In addition to Words in Context questions, you’ll get questions that require you to pick a single word or phrase in order to paraphrase or clarify part of a passage. With these questions, you must understand what all the SAT vocab words mean so that you can choose the right answer.

Here are some examples of these questions:

In these examples, you’ll need to know the definitions of a variety of SAT vocabulary words, such as “substantiated,” “freewheeling,” and “scandalous,” so that you can select the right answer choice.

Are There Any Vocab Questions on SAT Writing?

Aside from the Reading section, are there any SAT vocab questions on the Writing and Language section? The quick answer is yes—you will see vocab questions on Writing and Language.

While most questions in this section focus on grammar, transitions, and tense, you’ll also get some vocab questions that ask you to replace SAT words in a passage; we call these Precision questions. In total, you’ll get three Precision questions, making up about 7% of the SAT Writing section.

Here’s an example of a Precision question (with the relevant part of the passage shown):

262 SAT Vocab Words You’re Bound to See on Test Day

Now that you know what kinds of vocab questions are on the SAT, let’s go over the 262 words and definitions we suggest memorizing if you want to get high scores on SAT Reading and Writing.

To compile this list, we dug through all official SAT practice tests, looking at both the Reading and Writing sections (and not just the questions but the answer choices and passages, too). We also looked at SAT words from other online vocab lists.

Though you don’t need to memorize all the words below, familiarizing yourself with most of them should help you better identify the tones of passages and make you more efficient at interpreting and answering questions correctly on SAT Reading and Writing.

Below, we give you each word, its part of speech, its definition, and an example sentence (or more if the word has multiple definitions/parts of speech). All words are listed in alphabetical order.

Word	Definition	Example Sentence
Abate	v. to become less active, less intense, or less in amount	As I began my speech, my feelings of nervousness quickly abated.
Abstract	adj. existing purely in the mind; not representing actual reality	Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of the abstract painting.
Abysmal	adj. extremely bad	I got an abysmal grade on my research paper!
Accordingly	adv. in accordance with	All students must behave accordingly.
Acquisition	n. the act of gaining a skill or possession of something	Language acquisition is easier for kids than it is for adults.
Adapt	v. to make suit a new purpose v. to accommodate oneself to a new condition, setting, or situation	The US has adapted many foreign foods to better suit the tastes of Americans. Dogs are known for their ability to quickly adapt to their environments.
Adept	adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. in a particular area)	Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s especially adept at the violin.
Adequate	adj. having sufficient qualifications to meet a specific task or purpose	Though his resume was adequate, the company doubted whether he’d be a good fit.
Advent	n. the arrival or creation of something (usu. historic)	The world has never been the same since the advent of the light bulb.
Adversarial	adj. relating to hostile opposition	An adversarial attitude will make you many enemies in life.
Advocate	n. someone who promotes or defends something v. to defend or promote something (usu. a belief, theory, opinion, etc.)	I am an advocate for free higher education. Environmental protesters often advocate for cleaner energy practices.
Aesthetic	adj. relating to beauty or refined taste	The aesthetic decorations at the wedding reception made you feel as if you were a character in a fairy tale.
Afford	v. to be able to buy v. to be able to spare	He’s saving money so he can afford to buy a new car. I can’t afford to lose any more pencils!
Agitate	v. to promote something (usu. a cause)	They’re agitating for better health care.
Allow	v. to permit or consent to	US law allows citizens to speak freely.
Allude	v. to make a secretive mention of something	She alluded to the problem at hand but didn’t say anything more about it.
Altercation	n. a noisy argument or confrontation	Greg got into an altercation with a stranger at the bar.
Ambiguous	adj. unclear or vague in meaning	Her ambiguous statement made me question whether she could be trusted.
Ambitious	adj. having a powerful desire for success or achievement	Penny is so ambitious, she wants to be president someday.
Ambivalence	n. the state of being uncertain or stuck between two or more options	His ambivalence prevented him from immediately signing the contract.
Analogous	adj. similar but not identical	Green onions are considered analogous to spring onions.
Annihilate	v. to destroy or cause devastating destruction	The dictator sent orders to annihilate the group of rebels.
Anomaly	n. something different from the norm	This result is an anomaly and very rarely happens.
Anticipate	v. assume to be likely to happen	The party was just as fun as I had anticipated it would be.
Antipathy	n. a strong feeling of dislike	Her antipathy toward the professor was obvious: she rolled her eyes whenever he entered the classroom.
Apex	n. the highest point of something	The spring play was the apex of our school year.
Apprehension	n. fearful expectation of something	Her apprehension to leave her house resulted in her missing the train.
Articulate	v. to clearly express in words	She articulated her opinion on the price of the house.
Artificial	adj. something made; not occurring naturally	Many candies use artificial flavors to make them taste fruity.
Assertion	n. a strong declaration	His assertion that sharks are mammals made everyone laugh.
Austere	adj. extremely plain adj. stern and forbidding adj. relating to self-denial	He lived in a small, austere cabin in the middle of the woods. My boss had an austere expression on her face. An austere lifestyle, like that of monks, isn’t for everybody.
Authenticity	n. the quality of being real and true instead of fake and contrived	The police officer doubted the authenticity of the suspect’s story.
Avenue	n. an intangible path or approach to something	The company has decided to pursue other avenues.
Avid	adj. actively interested in or enthusiastic about something	Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
Basic	adj. relating to the foundation or basis of something	You have to start with basic Russian before you can move on to the advanced level.
Bear	v. to have as a characteristic v. to have (a child) v. to bring forth v. to put up with	She bears a strong resemblance to your mother. Judy will bear her first child later this year. My garden is going to bear pumpkins this year. I can’t bear her complaining any longer!
Benevolent	adj. kind, generous	Many cultures believe in benevolent spirits.
Bias	n. a preconception that prevents objectivity	It’s important to avoid bias when investigating a crime.
Bittersweet	adj. tinged with a feeling of sadness	The ending of the romance movie was bittersweet.
Bolster	v. to support, strengthen, or fortify	If we work together, we should be able to lift and then bolster the couch.
Boost	n. an increase or growth v. to increase or make grow	The boost in profits was a welcome change. In order to boost profits, you need to cater to your customers.
Brawl	n. an intense, loud fight v. to fight loudly and disruptively	A brawl broke out at school today after one student accused another of cheating. The two students brawled for an hour.
Brevity	n. the quality of being brief or terse	The brevity of their time together made it all the more romantic.
Candid	adj. direct, blunt	Josh is candid about his desire to become an actor.
Candor	n. the trait of being honest and frank	I admire her candor, especially when nobody else bothers to speak up.
Capitalize	v. to use to your advantage	I’d like to capitalize on your math skills by having your work the cash register.
Capture	v. to trap or take possession of v. to successfully represent or imitate v. to captivate, mesmerize v. to catch or seize	The spy was captured by the enemy. Your painting beautifully captures the ephemerality of life. I was captured by her beauty. The cops captured the criminal three days after the incident.
Civic	adj. relating to the city or citizens	Voting is a civic duty.
Clinical	adj. emotionally unattached (usu. used in medical or scientific setting)	Her clinical approach to situations allows her to handle them more effectively.
Clout	n. special advantage or power	Children of rich and famous people often believe they have a lot of clout.
Coarse	adj. indicating a rough texture adj. lacking refinement or sophistication	The horse’s mane was coarse, as if it had never been washed. The queen’s coarse way of speaking surprised the other members of royalty.
Coincide	v. to happen at the same time	It wasn’t until after I booked my ticket that I realized the concert coincided with my finals.
Commission	n. the use of payment to request something (e.g., a service or product)	This painting was commissioned by a rich merchant in 1589.
Comparable	adj. able to be compared	This novel is comparable to Huckleberry Finn.
Competent	adj. sufficiently qualified	We need to hire a competent web developer to create a good website for our company.
Complacent	adj. satisfied, with no desire to change or improve	Though he had never won any awards or even been published, he was complacent with his life as a poet.
Complement	v. to make perfect or complete	This wine perfectly complements this platter of gourmet cheese.
Concede	v. to be forced to agree or surrender v. to admit to a transgression	With no chance of winning the battle, the army at last conceded. Dan conceded to pranking his sister.
Conceive	v. to imagine or come up with	The plan to build the city was originally conceived in the early 1900s.
Condone	v. to overlook, approve, or allow	She couldn’t condone her daughter’s rebellious behavior.
Conducive	adj. able to bring about or be suitable for	The noisy students hardly made the campus library conducive to studying.
Conduct	v. to control or manage v. to behave a certain way	The group conducted their research abroad last year. Be sure to conduct yourself accordingly.
Confide	v. to share something secretive with someone	She confided all of her biggest secrets in her best friend.
Confine	v. to put limits on; to restrict	We are going to confine the use of this drinking fountain.
Consensus	n. overall agreement	After weeks of debating, the panel finally came to a consensus.
Constitute	v. to form or compose (part of) something	The desire for equality constituted the civil rights movement.
Contemplate	v. to think deeply about	She contemplated telling her teacher about the cheating student.
Contend	v. to maintain or assert (an opinion)	The president contends that the US government will not negotiate with terrorists.
Contradict	v. to be in contrast with	The camera footage contradicts his alibi.
Controversial	adj. highly debatable and causing contention	Millions of viewers watched the controversial debate take place.
Conventional	adj. abiding by accepted standards	She lives a conventional life in the suburbs.
Convey	v. to pass on or transfer (information)	I have trouble conveying my thoughts in French.
Conviction	n. a firm belief in something	Her religious convictions prevent her from eating meat.
Corroborate	v. to provide evidence for; to back up (a claim)	The note signed by her father corroborates her claim that she was absent from class that day.
Counteract	v. to work in opposition to	This ingredient seems to counteract the other ones.
Counterargument	n. an argument used to criticize or dismantle another argument	Make sure to include a counterargument in your essay so that you can show you’ve considered the topic from all perspectives.
Counterproductive	adj. hindering the achievement of a goal	Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was ultimately counterproductive: it took us twice as long to get to the train station.
Culmination	n. the final act or climax	The culmination of the performance was unforgettable.
Cultivate	v. to foster the growth of	Teachers don’t just pass on new information to students—they cultivate their academic potential.
Decree	v. to declare formally and with authority	The president decreed that Halloween would henceforth be a national holiday.
Deference	n. respect; regard	Her deference to the elderly makes her the perfect candidate for an internship at the retirement center.
Deficient	adj. not enough in degree or amount	I feel as though the sources for my paper are deficient.
Demonstrate	v. to do as an example v. gives evidence for	Could you demonstrate the dance move for me? This book’s use of words such as “grim” and “bleak” demonstrates the author’s mournful tone.
Demur	v. to object to	She demurred at my request to transfer to a different department.
Deplete	v. to (over)use over time (usu. resources)	The lost campers quickly depleted their supply of food.
Desolate	adj. bare, barren, empty	The moon is one giant, desolate landscape.
Devise	v. to come up with (a plan)	Lana devised a plan to make herself famous.
Dilemma	n. a problem, usually requiring a choice between two options	The main dilemma is whether to pay for a commercial or not.
Diligence	n. conscientiousness; the quality of being committed to a task	Diligence and confidence will get you far in life.
Diminish	v. to become smaller in scope or degree	The itchiness of mosquito bites usually starts to diminish after a few days.
Dire	adj. hopeless and dangerous or fearful	When the police didn’t explain what was happening right away, Jane knew that the situation must be dire.
Discord	n. disagreement	Disputes over money caused intense discord in the family.
Disdain	n. a lack of respect and strong dislike (toward something or someone)	He looked at me with such disdain that I immediately knew the job wouldn’t work out.
Dismay	n. hopelessness, stress, or consternation v. to fill with woe or apprehension	To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the test. Many were dismayed by the town’s implementation of metered parking.
Disparage	v. to belittle or speak down to	A good boss is stern but never disparages his or her employees.
Dispatch	v. to send off a message or messenger	The mother dispatched her daughter to their neighbor’s house.
Diversification	n. the act of becoming diverse	Lately, there’s been noticeable diversification of students at higher institutions.
Doctrine	n. a principle, theory, or position, usu. advocated by a religion or gov’t	Devoutly religious people often live their lives according to their doctrines.
Dominion	n. power and authority (usu. over a territory) n. a legal territory	The country claimed to have dominion over parts of Russia. Puerto Rico is a dominion of the US.
Dreary	adj. sad, gloomy, dull	The gray clouds in the sky made the day feel dreary.
Dubious	adj. doubtful, questionable	The man’s claims to the throne were dubious since nobody knew where he’d come from.
Eccentric	adj. peculiar or odd; deviating from the norm	She’s a little eccentric but still fun to be around.
Egregious	adj. extremely bad	After cheating on the exam, Emily began to feel as though she’d made an egregious mistake.
Eloquent	adj. having refined or expressive communication skills (in speaking or writing)	His speech was not only eloquent but also extremely compelling.
Eminent	adj. superior or distinguished; high in position or status	Our town made news when the eminent magician came to perform at our local theater.
Emit	v. to discharge, give forth, or release	Plants consume carbon dioxide and emit oxygen.
Emphatic	adj. very expressive; using emphasis	Her emphatic smile told me she was excited to ride the roller coaster.
Empirical	adj. derived from experience, observation, or an experiment	You need empirical evidence to support your claim.
Endow	v. to equip or bestow (usu. a quality or ability)	According to the myth, the gods endowed him with the gift of healing.
Endure	v. to withstand, sustain, or hold out against	I can’t endure this wait any longer. Will Stanford accept or reject me?
Entail	v. to involve or include	A doctoral program entails long nights and a heavy workload.
Entrenched	adj. firmly established	Her face will forever be entrenched in my memory.
Enumerate	v. to specify or count	I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve had to remind my students when their papers are due.
Envy	n. excessive jealousy v. to admire and be jealous of	His envy of her is quite obvious. She envies her coworker’s social skills.
Erratic	adj. having no fixed course; deviating from the norm	The car became erratic after slipping on ice.
Establish	v. to enact v. to found (a business, group, school, etc.)	They established a law that made it illegal to drive after drinking any amount of alcohol. Our group established a new branch in Chicago.
Evoke	v. to draw forth or call up	Horror movies are great at evoking fear.
Exacerbate	v. to make worse or increase the severity of	The doctor told me not to run as it can exacerbate my knee injury.
Excel	v. to do something extremely well or to be superior in	She was a well-rounded student but excelled especially in science.
Exert	v. to put into use (usu. as effort)	Don’t exert all of your energy at once.
Exhilarating	adj. invigorating, stimulating, or exciting	The music playing at the club was catchy and exhilarating.
Expend	v. to use up (as in energy or money)	Be careful not to expend all your energy in the first half of a marathon.
Exploit	v. to use selfishly or for profit	The shoddy company exploited its workers by paying them extremely low wages.
Facilitate	v. to aid the progress of	In grad school, advisors facilitate students’ research and offer constructive criticism.
Feasibility	n. the practicality or possibility of something	The feasibility of her project was doubtful; she’d have to go all the way to Antarctica and back before the school year ended.
Ferocity	n. viciousness, violence	The lion is just one wild animal known for its ferocity.
Fiscal	adj. related to (government) money	Fiscal policy is how the government uses money to influence the economy.
Flourish	v. to prosper, grow, or make fast progress	After one year, the tiny plants had flourished into a breathtaking garden.
Fluctuate	v. to be unstable; to rise and fall	Stocks can fluctuate on a daily basis, making it difficult to determine when to buy or sell one.
Foment	v. to stir up	The civilians accused their leader of fomenting political unrest.
Foreseeable	adj. capable of being predicted or anticipated	I can’t imagine aliens visiting us in the foreseeable future.
Frankly	adv. directly, clearly	I frankly don’t see the point in learning to drive.
Freewheeling	adj. carefree	His freewheeling attitude often got him in trouble at work.
Fundamental	adj. the most essential or most basic part	A thesis is arguably the most fundamental part of an essay.
Galvanizing	adj. thrilling, exciting, stimulating	The galvanizing performance left everyone spellbound.
Geriatric	adj. relating to old age	I became interested in geriatric medicine shortly after my grandfather passed away from cancer.
Hostile	adj. harmful, dangerous	The voices around the corner sounded angry, hostile even.
Hypothetical	adj. supposed; related to a hypothesis	For my physics homework, I must come up with a hypothetical situation.
Ignominious	adj. publicly shameful or humiliating	The politician’s expensive campaign ultimately ended in ignominious defeat.
Impart	v. to transmit, bestow, or disclose	Parents must impart common sense to their children.
Impartiality	n. the equal and objective treatment of opposing views	To ensure impartiality, we require everyone to follow these general guidelines.
Imposing	adj. impressive (esp. in size or appearance)	The old mansion was imposing in its huge size and gothic architecture.
Imposition	n. an unnecessary burden	If it’s not too much of an imposition, could you proofread my paper?
Imprudent	adj. not cautious or prudent; rash	Backpacking abroad can be fun, but don’t be imprudent about money.
Incite	v. to encourage or stir up	Her hateful words incited anger in the crowd.
Indifference	n. apathy, emotional detachment	The girl’s indifference toward her brother upset their parents.
Indiscriminately	adv. randomly; with little or no distinction	Lottery winners are chosen indiscriminately.
Indulge	v. to give into; to satisfy or gratify	My friend loves to indulge in cheesy romance movies.
Infer	v. to guess, conclude, or derive by reasoning	You can infer from this quotation that the writer didn’t care for “pretty” language.
Innovative	adj. novel or new (esp. as an idea or invention)	Her invention was incredibly innovative and won her multiple awards.
Insatiable	adj. can’t be satisfied	A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to be insatiable.
Inversion	n. a reversal	The culture’s norms were an inversion of our own.
Invoke	v. to call on; to appeal to (e.g., a higher power)	The shaman attempted to invoke a demon.
Irreconcilable	adj. incapable of being in harmony or agreed upon	The couple’s differences were ultimately irreconcilable, giving them no choice but to break up.
Lament	v. to feel sorrow for; to mourn	Susan lamented her missed chance at going to Europe with her high school class.
Locomotion	n. movement	Physics involves the study of locomotion.
Lucrative	adj. capable of making a lot of money; profitable	Writing books isn’t a particularly lucrative career, unless you’re J.K. Rowling.
Malicious	adj. harmful, spiteful	The malicious spirit drove out the inhabitants from their home.
Malleable	adj. capable of being molded or changed	Children’s minds are malleable but only for so long.
Materialistic	adj. superficial; focus on material possessions	Many people accuse Americans of being materialistic.
Melodramatic	adj. extravagant or exaggerated (as of a melodrama)	The melodramatic play was well liked by the audience.
Modest	adj. simple and humble adj. small in size or amount	They moved into a modest house in the countryside. I received a modest sum of money for my help at the company event.
Modify	v. to change, alter, or tweak	Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so that it wouldn’t carry the disease.
Momentous	adj. historically significant	Her win in the election was momentous.
Novel	adj. new, innovative	We are looking for novel ways to approach the project.
Nuance	n. a subtle difference in meaning	Body-language experts even understand the nuances of facial expressions.
Null	adj. legally void and ineffective	The government declared their marriage null.
Objectivity	n. judgment based on observations instead of emotions or opinions	In scientific research, objectivity is of utmost importance.
Obsolete	adj. no longer used; rare or uncommon	Historians assumed record players would be obsolete by now, but in fact they’re making a huge comeback.
Omnipotent	adj. almighty and all powerful	Gods are omnipotent beings who can control human destiny.
Onset	n. the beginning or early stages	At the onset of her career as a lawyer, things were looking up.
Opine	v. to openly express an opinion	The new employee opined at the company meeting.
Ornate	adj. highly detailed and decorated	That ornate silverware must be worth thousands of dollars!
Oust	v. to remove or force out of (usu. a position or office)	Sick and tired of putting up with his bad moods, the pirates ousted their captain.
Paramount	adj. predominant, superior, most important	Our paramount concern is the safety of our employees.
Peculiar	adj. strange, bizarre	Upon entering the abandoned house, Kate experienced a peculiar feeling, as if someone was watching her.
Perish	v. to die; to pass away	According to the news, nobody perished in the fire.
Persecute	v. to cause suffering to	They will persecute anyone who doesn’t agree with their views of the world.
Petulant	adj. cranky, pouty, irritable	Petulant children are especially difficult to care for.
Pinnacle	n. highest level or degree	Many believe that composers such as Beethoven and Mozart represent the pinnacle of classical music.
Pitiable	adj. deserving pity	The frail-looking dog was pitiable, so I gave it some food and took it inside to care for it.
Plausible	adj. reasonable and possibly true	Her story is plausible, but that doesn’t mean she’s telling the truth.
Postulate	v. to assert	The literary critic postulates that romanticism and naturalism are actually interconnected.
Potent	adj. having great influence adj. having a strong, chemical effect	The bald eagle is a potent symbol of the US. The potion was definitely potent—it healed my wounds immediately!
Pragmatic	adj. practical, useful	It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to study engineering than it is to study philosophy.
Precedent	n. an example or subject from earlier in time	This change in law is without historical precedent.
Predecessor	n. someone who comes before you (usu. in position or office)	My predecessor gave me many tips for running the office.
Prescribe	v. to command orders v. to issue authorization for medications	The directions for our essay prescribe a length of at least ten pages. A doctor must prescribe you this medication before you can begin taking it.
Principle	n. basic truth, assumption, or rule	Remember the universal principle: treat others as you want them to treat you.
Prohibit	v. to command against, to outlaw	Alcohol was prohibited in the US in the 1920s.
Prompt	adj. punctual, on time n. a cue to begin something; instructions v. to incite, propel, or cause to act	She is always prompt when it comes to turning in her homework. I had to write an essay based on a prompt. The possibility of a scholarship prompted him to apply to Harvard.
Promulgate	v. to put into law or formally declare	The ruler will at last promulgate an amnesty with the neighboring countries.
Prosecute	v. to bring criminal action against someone (in a trial)	The suspect was prosecuted yesterday.
Provocative	adj. intending to provoke, inspire, or arouse	Her nude paintings are considered quite provocative.
Qualitative	adj. involving qualities of something (features and content)	I noticed a qualitative change in her paintings.
Quantitative	adj. involving quantities (numbers and amounts)	We must conduct a quantitative analysis.
Quirk	n. a strange habit	His biggest quirk is his love of old marbles.
Ramify	v. to split into two or more branches	Cars ramified throughout the world in the twentieth century.
Rash	adj. without attention to danger or risk	Her rash decision to pass the car nearly resulted in a crash.
Raw	adj. unrefined adj. not processed; uncooked (as in food)	He’s got raw talent as a singer, but he needs to work on his performance skills. In some countries, such as Japan, it is normal to eat raw fish.
Readily	adv. right away and without difficulty	Water was readily available at different points in the race.
Reconsideration	n. thinking again about a previously made choice	The judges’ reconsideration of her performance resulted in her victory.
Reform	n. a change for the better; improvement v. to improve via change	The reform made it so that only those 18 and older can legally drive. The government reformed its vague policies on marijuana use.
Refute	v. to prove to be untrue, unfounded, or incorrect	The student refuted the professor’s claim in class.
Reinforce	v. to strengthen or add support to	We can use these pipes to reinforce the structure.
Reluctantly	adv. somewhat unwillingly	Max reluctantly agreed to see the horror movie with his friends.
Renounce	v. to give up (usu. power or a position) v. to cast off	Our CEO renounced her position yesterday. He renounced his friend after he caught her stealing money from him.
Reproach	v. to criticize	The mother reproached her daughter’s school for making students come in during a blizzard.
Repudiate	v. to refuse to recognize as true v. to cast off	The father repudiated his son’s marriage. She repudiated her son once she found out he’d married someone without telling her.
Retention	n. the act of keeping something	Water retention can make you weigh more on certain days.
Satiated	adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger)	I felt satiated after eating a snack.
Savvy	adj. having practical intelligence or knowledge	My brother is not very savvy when it comes to using public transportation.
Scandalous	adj. morally offensive, often causing damage to one’s reputation	The scandalous politician decided it was best to resign from office.
Scorn	v. to look down on with disdain	It’s difficult for me not to scorn those who use improper grammar.
Scrupulous	adj. paying great attention to detail	I am a scrupulous proofreader and never miss an error.
Scrutinize	v. to examine carefully and critically	The teacher scrutinized her students’ essays.
Secrete	v. to produce or release (a substance)	Trees secrete a sticky substance called sap.
Sentiment	n. opinion n. a tender or moving gesture	I am of the sentiment that you should never give out your passwords to anyone. Even though I’m not a big fan of porcelain dolls, I appreciated the sentiment.
Sheer	adj. so thin that light can shine through	The curtains on the window were so sheer you could clearly see inside the house.
Simple	adj. easy; not complex adj. undecorated	This math problem is so simple even a first grader can solve it. The simple beauty of the ocean is what makes it memorable.
Sinister	adj. ominous, evil	Medieval peasants believed sinister demons could harm humans.
Solidarity	n. the joining of commonalities or common purposes among a group	I stood in solidarity with other female students by refusing to wear the school’s sexist uniform.
Sparingly	adv. insufficiently, meagerly, or in a restricted manner	Due to my condition, I must eat salt sparingly.
Spawn	v. to release eggs v. to call forth or generate	Frogs typically spawn in ponds. The topic spawned an ongoing debate among his family members.
Spur	v. to stimulate or incite	Her bravery spurred others to act.
Squalid	adj. run-down, sordid, or sleazy	The squalid cabin needed a new roof and an exterminator.
Stark	adj. very plain; devoid of any details or features	Looking out at the stark landscape, I felt a keen sense of isolation.
Static	adj. motionless adj. changeless	The ball is static. Her life has been static for the past three years.
Subordinate	adj. lower in rank n. someone lower in rank v. to make dependent on or put at a lower rank	The subordinate officers work every day. My subordinate will check you in. You aren’t my boss—you can’t subordinate me to the role of receptionist!
Subsequently	adv. happening later or after something	I subsequently went home.
Substantial	adj. very large in amount or degree	I was shocked to find a substantial amount of money beneath the park bench.
Substantiate	v. to strengthen with new evidence or facts	It is important for scientists to substantiate their theories whenever possible.
Subtle	adj. hard to detect or analyze	I detected in her expression a subtle hint of irritation.
Sufficient	adj. enough; just meeting a requirement	These boxes should be sufficient for our move.
Surly	adj. unfriendly; inclined to anger	The bartender was a surly fellow who wasn’t afraid to start a fight.
Surmount	v. to get on top of or overcome	They managed to surmount the language barrier by using a translation app.
Susceptible	adj. to be vulnerable (to something)	Children are more susceptible to certain illnesses than adults are.
Tactful	adj. skilled at dealing with people	Her tactful attitude toward our class made her one of my favorite teachers.
Taut	adj. pulled tight	The rubberband was taut and ready to be fired.
Teeming	adj. abundantly filled (usu. with living organisms)	Doorknobs are not as clean as they look and are often teeming with germs.
Temperament	n. usual mood or feelings	She had a hostile temperament, making her intimidating to most people.
Tentative	adj. not yet finalized	We haven’t made any official arrangements yet, but the tentative location for our wedding is Hawaii.
Transparent	adj. see-through; so thin that light can shine through adj. truthful or easy to perceive	Stained window glass isn’t as transparent as regular window glass is. She was transparent about her plans to end her marriage.
Treacherous	adj. dangerous and unstable	The journey was becoming treacherous, but they continued on regardless.
Tremendous	adj. very large, good, or bad in degree or size	Tremendous news! You don’t have to repay your loans!
Ubiquitous	adj. being everywhere at once	Cell phones are ubiquitous these days.
Unadorned	adj. undecorated, plain	Though the dress was cheap and unadorned, it was by far her favorite one on the rack.
Undermine	v. to weaken or subvert (usu. gradually or secretly)	Parents should take care not to constantly undermine their children.
Underscore	v. to emphasize or give additional weight to	This sentence seems to underscore the overall meaning of the passage.
Undulate	v. to move as ripples or in a wavy pattern	Belly dancers are known for their ability to skillfully undulate their stomachs.
Unilateral	adj. one-sided	The unilateral decision was deemed unfair by the other party involved.
Unjust	adj. unfair; not justified	The court’s decision is unjust—he should not go free.
Unmitigated	adj. downright, utter, total	My speech was an unmitigated disaster!
Unprecedented	adj. completely new and never having happened before; historic	The number of protestors was unprecedented.
Unveil	v. to make visible; to reveal	We plan to unveil our plans for the new company project on Sunday.
Urge	n. desire or impulse v. to encourage or persuade	He had the urge to tell his parents about his acceptance to Columbia but decided against it. She urged her sister to apply to Stanford.
Validate	v. to prove or declare valid	Your selfish actions do not validate your feelings for me.
Viability	n. ability to be done in a practical or useful way	The viability of the solution is questionable.
Vital	adj. urgently necessary	It is vital that you respond by the deadline.
Vow	v. to promise	My brother quickly broke his vow to never eat chocolate again.
Warrant	v. to prove to be reasonable	Wanting to look cool in front of your friends doesn’t warrant breaking the law.
Yield	n. production of an amount v. to give way to or surrender to v. to produce or supply	The farmer’s annual pumpkin yield exceeded 10,000. Cars turning right on red must yield to oncoming traffic. Our experiment yielded many unique-looking vegetables.

How to Study SAT Words Effectively: 3 Essential Tips

Now that you’ve got a huge list of SAT vocabulary words you can work with, what’s the best way to study them? Here are three key tips to help you get the most out of your SAT vocab studies.

#1: Make Flashcards and Use the Waterfall Method

One of the absolute best ways to study SAT vocab words is to make flashcards. This lets you control which SAT words you study and even randomizes them so that you don’t accidentally memorize words in a predetermined order.

We recommend using the waterfall method to study your flashcards. With this method, you’ll get to see all the words in your deck, going over the most challenging words more often than the ones you already know or sort of know.

Here’s how to use the waterfall method:

Once you’ve made your flashcards, split them up into decks (you can put whatever words you want in these decks) of about 30-50 cards each. Choose one deck to be your Starting Stack.

Go through your Starting Stack, looking at each and every card. For the words you know, put them in a Know It pile. For the words you don’t know, put them in a separate Struggled pile as so:

Now, pick up your Struggled pile and go through each card in it (leave your Know It pile where it is). Put the cards you know in a second Know It pile and the ones you don’t know in a Struggled pile.

You should now have two Know It piles and one Struggled pile:

Repeat this process of picking up your Struggled pile and going through each card until you’re left with about one to five cards in your Struggled pile:

By now you should know most, if not all, cards in your deck. But it isn’t enough to just go through them once—you also have to work back up your “waterfall” of cards.

To do this, combine your Struggled pile with your last Know It pile (the pile closest to the Struggled pile). This will be your Working pile. Go through all the cards in this pile. If there are any words you forgot, go through the entire pile again and again until you’ve learned all the definitions in it.

Continue this pattern by combining your current Working pile with the next Know It pile. Go through all these cards until you know each one.

At the end, you should have made your way all the back to your original Starting Stack. You now know all the SAT words and their meanings in your deck! Repeat this waterfall method with the other decks you make so that you can learn even more critical SAT vocab words.

#2: Focus On Words You Don’t Know

If you don’t have time to study the entire list above or only want to learn some SAT words, use our list to make a new vocab list containing only the words you don’t know. So if you know a word or are fairly sure you’ll be able to recognize it on test day, skip it and instead focus on the words you’ll have the most trouble remembering. Once you have your list, use the waterfall method to study it.

If you’re not a fan of paper flashcards, you can opt for digital flashcards. Anki is a free software you can download and use to make your own flashcards. The program uses spaced-repetition software (SRS) to show you difficult cards more often than those you know (basically, a digital version of the waterfall method).

#3: Take Official SAT Practice Tests

Since the majority of the words in our list above come from official SAT practice tests, once you’ve studied these SAT words, you can put your knowledge to the test by taking a practice test. This lets you see whether you truly know the meanings of the words and whether you’ll be able to get the right answers in the context of a full-length, timed test—just like the real SAT.

If you miss any questions because you forgot the meaning of a word, go back over our SAT vocab words list using your flashcards and the waterfall method.

The Best SAT Vocab Flashcards

If you plan to make your own SAT vocab flashcards from our list, you’ll need at least 300 blank index cards and a system to keep them organized. These basic cards are an affordable option that are also available in fun colors. You can keep them organized with plastic baggies or rubber bands, or you can get an organizer. Alternatively, try these easy-flip flashcards that include binder clips.

Though we strongly recommend making your own flashcards, you can also buy pre-made ones. There aren’t a lot of options for the new SAT. We’d recommend going with Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know, a series of exercises to master key words and idioms, or Manhattan’s GRE flashcards if you’re looking for a challenge.

Conclusion: The Importance of Studying SAT Vocabulary

Overall, vocabulary words don’t play a huge part on the SAT. That said, you’ll definitely have some questions on both the Reading and Writing sections that test your knowledge of SAT words, so it’s important to study those most likely to appear on test day.

The best way to study SAT vocabulary is to make flashcards and use the waterfall method. This ensures you know all the words in your deck and aren’t glossing over any difficult ones.

If you don’t want to make flashcards or don’t have time to study the whole list, however, it’s a good idea to pick out the words you don’t know and study just those. With these, you can either make a smaller deck of paper flashcards or opt for digital flashcards.

No matter how you choose to study SAT vocab words, be sure to test out what you’ve learned in the context of full-length practice tests. Nearly all the words in our list above come from official SAT practice tests, so you’re guaranteed to come across them in some form!

What’s Next?

Want more tips on how to study SAT vocabulary words? Check out our expert tips for memorizing SAT words fast and learn why the waterfall method works so well.

Aiming for a high SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score? Take a peek at our in-depth guides to getting a perfect Reading score and learning how to read SAT passages.

Taking the ACT instead? Then you’ll need to know vocab for that test, too. Learn what words to expect on the ACT and how to study them.

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Introduction to 10 Essential Grammar Rules for SAT® Writing

Recently, CollegeBoard drastically altered the format of their SAT® Writing and Language Test. Although its striking resemblance to the ACT® English Test allows students to prep for both tests simultaneously, the SAT® Writing Section is still an intimidating challenge for students. To help you take down the beast, we’ve compiled the top ten essential grammar rules to follow when reviewing for the SAT® Writing and Language Test. If you review, memorize, and practice the following rules, you’re one step closer to achieving your target score.

1. The Subject and Verb Must Agree in Number

One of the most commonly tested grammar rules in the SAT® Writing Section is subject-verb agreement. Simply put, if the subject is singular (one), there should be a singular verb, and if the subject is plural (more than one), there should be a plural verb. Below is a basic example you have probably learned in school:

Singular: Jack runs down the street. (Jack is a singular subject, and runs is a singular verb)

Plural: Jack and Jill run down the street. (Jack and Jill is a plural subject, and run is a plural verb)

If each test question was as simple as this, every student would be on their way to the Ivy League, but SAT® test-makers often like to complicate this question type. This leads us to our second rule.

2. Collective Nouns are Singular

To complicate basic subject-verb agreement, the SAT® Writing and Language Test often uses things like collective nouns to trick test-takers. For SAT® review, remember that group words used to refer to multiple individuals are singular subjects. For example,

Incorrect: The jury are convinced that John is guilty.

Although the subject jury refers to more than one person, as a collective noun, we take jury as a singular subject.

Correct: The jury is convinced that John is guilty.

Some examples of other collective nouns to look out for are: team, group, committee, crowd, class, and panel. Note that multiple groups (panels, juries, groups, etc.) are used with plural verbs.

3. Prepositional Phrases DO NOT Make a Subject Singular or Plural

One of the most important grammar rules to remember when doing prep for the SAT® Writing and Language Test is prepositions are not used when identifying whether or not a subject is plural or singular. Instead, the head noun, or the noun being modified, tells us which verb form to use. Examples of how the SAT® uses prepositions are,

Incorrect: The group of members are extremely passionate.

Correct: The group of members is extremely passionate.

Incorrect: The book with five chapters are well written.

Correct: The book with five chapters is well written.

As you can see, if you cross out the prepositional phrase altogether, you can easily identify the subject. In the stress and rush of taking the SAT®s, prepositional phrases can distract test takers from simple grammatical errors. By crossing out the prepositional phrase, we quickly simplify the sentence and make the errors more apparent.

4. Pronouns Must be Clear in Reference and Number

On the SAT® Writing and Language Test, you should always be able to circle a pronoun and draw an arrow to the exact person, place, or thing being referenced. In your SAT® review, practice connecting pronouns to their nouns. For example,

Even though John was tired, he still went running.

Here, we can see that the he being referenced is John. To test your ability to identify proper pronoun usage, the SAT® Writing and Language test often employs ambiguous pronoun (pronouns in the presence of more than one possible noun):

Incorrect: John, Jim, and Carl were running when he got tired and stopped.

Because there is more than one possible he, we cannot logically deduce who got tired and stopped. Instead, a correct answer would be one that specifies a specific individual.

Correct: John,Jim, and Carl were running when Jim got tired and stopped.

Along with using ambiguous pronouns to test your knowledge, the SAT® employs sentences in which the pronoun does not agree with the number of nouns being referenced.

Incorrect: The mile timesof the students in Jim’s class were higher than that of Carl’s class.

As we learned above, prepositional phrases do not make a subject singular or plural. Here, we cross out the prepositional phrase to clearly see that the pronoun that is used in reference to the noun mile times. Since mile times are a plural subject, the pronoun must also be plural. To correct the error, the sentence should read:

Correct: The mile timesof the students in Jim’s class were higher than those of Carl’s class.

When you review for the SAT® Language and Writing Test, remember that I, me, you, she, her, it, and him are singular and we, us, you, they, and them are plural. To make it easier on yourself, whenever you see a pronoun in a question, circle it in the text and draw an arrow to the noun it’s referring to.

5. Modifiers have to Appear Next to Whatever they’re Modifying

One common error type on the SAT® Writing Section is the use of dangling and misplaced modifiers. Exactly what they sound like, modifiers are words or phrases that modify another word to give the reader more information. In your SAT® Review, remember that whenever you see a modifier, especially at the beginning of a sentence, remember that the word directly following the comma must be the word being modified. Errors would typically be as follows,

Incorrect: A very precocious young boy, engineering came easily to Billy.

Because the word being modified must appear directly after the modifier, the modifying phrase (A very precocious young boy) is incorrectly referring to computer engineering. To fix the error, the sentence should read,

Correct: A very precocious young boy, Billy found engineering easy.

Along with these modifiers at the beginning of a sentence, the SAT® Writing and Language Test regularly uses modifiers in incorrect or ambiguous positions. For example,

Incorrect: The basketball player announced his plans to train harder during the meeting.

In this incorrect usage, the modifying phrase (during the meeting) is placed in a position that causes ambiguity. Is the basketball player going to train harder during that specific meeting? Is he going to train harder during the season? To correct the error, we need to move the modifier to clarify what is happening.

Correct: During the meeting, the basketball player announced his plans to train harder.

Here, we can clearly see that the basketball player is the word being modified, and he intends to train harder in general, rather than at the meeting. Because idiomatically we usually accept both sentences as the same thing, it is especially important to pay close attention to the use of modifiers during the SAT® Writing and Language Test and during your SAT® Writing prep. You should always be able to circle a modifier and draw an arrow to the exact word being modified. If you can’t, you need to choose the answer choice that makes it absolutely clear.

6. Each Word Should Make Sense in Context

Much to the joy of test-takers everywhere, the dreaded vocabulary section present on old SAT® tests is gone for good. While this means you don’t need to memorize five hundred obscure words a day, you still need to have a good understanding of medium-difficulty words. Like the ACT® English Test, the SAT® Writing and Language Test employs word choice questions that will challenge your knowledge of things like homophones (words that sound similar, but have different meanings) and words that have multiple definitions. Be sure to take some time in your SAT® Writing prep to study essential words and commonly used homophones.

For homophone questions, the sentence will usually read something like:

There are a number of dogs without there collars.

A) NO CHANGE
B) There, their (Correct Answer)
C) Their, there
D) They’re, their

For word choice questions, the sentence will usually look like:

Although fitness advocates preserve that the supplement is beneficial, the FDA has yet to release positive results.

A) NO CHANGE
B) sustain
C) maintain (Correct Answer)
D) endure

Remember, during the real SAT® and ACT®, these sentences will appear in a longer passage. Although sentences like these supply you with the context you need to answer the question, you need to read the overall tone and message of the passage to understand which definition works best. Because SAT® test makers assume you will be in a rush, they create answer choices that are correct definitions of the word but are not appropriate for the sentence. Always choose your answers in the greater context of the sentence and passage.

7. Commas Separate Main and Subordinate Clauses

A sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. Put more simply, a noun and a verb phrase. The SAT® Writing and Language test wants to challenge your knowledge of what constitutes a sentence with something called a comma splice. This occurs when two grammatically complete sentences are combined with just a comma. For example,

Incorrect: Pandas are my favorite animal, they are so cute.

Each of these statements contains a noun (Panda/They) and a verb statement (are my…/are so), and are therefore complete on their own. To correct the error, each main clause must be separated by a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

Correct: Pandas are my favorite animal. They are so cute.

Correct: Pandas are my favorite animal; they are so cute.

Correct: Pandas are my favorite animal, for they are so cute.

With this knowledge, we can better understand our next essential grammatical rule.

8. Follow Sentence Rules to Avoid Run-Ons and Fragments

Although many people associate run-ons with wordiness and fragments with shortness, both are simply clauses that don’t follow the grammatical rules for complete sentences. For a sentence to be complete, it must have at least one main clause (subject and a predicate), and all main clauses must be connected with the proper punctuation. As seen in the previous rule, this means that main clauses must be connected by semicolons, or coordinating conjunctions and commas. Similarly, a sentence is a fragment if there is no main clause.

Run-On: My wife comes from the city and I come from the Suburbs.

Fragment: My wife coming from the city and I from the suburbs.

Correct: My wife comes from the city, and I come from the suburbs.

9. Verbs and Sentence Structure must Remain Parallel

To ensure a sentence is grammatically correct, all verb tenses and grammatical structures must remain parallel. Put simply, this means that words must be repeated to maintain a pattern. As this is a very common error type, be sure to practice it for your SAT® Writing Prep. In terms of word choice, an example that may occur on the SAT® is:

Incorrect: John wanted to buy a new car, partly because of his need to have a reliable vehicle, but mostly because of his greatly desiring to look cool.

Correct: John wanted to buy a new car, partly because of his need to have a reliable vehicle, but mostly because of his desire to look cool.

As you can see in the first example, the sentence is linked with the conjunction but and the phrase because of is repeated. To maintain the parallel structure, the noun phrase his greatly wanting has to match the noun phrase structure of his need. Along with word structure, verb tense must remain consistent throughout the sentence.

Incorrect: John loved running with his friends, swimming in the ocean, and walk through the valley.

Correct: John loved running with his friends, swimming in the ocean, and walking through the valley.

10. Correlative Coordination Means Two Parts

One of the most common, but easiest error-types to identify is the use of a coordinator without its matching word. Because the first coordinator requires its pair word to be complete, you should circle the word anytime you see it and quickly identify if its partner word is present in the sentence.

..or – Either John or Jim is the club leader.
..and – Both John and Jim are funny.
not so much…as – He’s not so much funny as he is annoying.
just as…so
..nor
not only…but(also)
at once…and

While this list is far from everything, if you follow these Top 10 Essential SAT® Grammar Rules during your test review, you are well on your way to achieving your target score for the SAT® Writing and Language Test, and near-identical ACT® English Test. If you have any essential rules to add to this list, please feel free to put them in the comment section below.

Looking for more SAT® practice?

You can find thousands of practice questions on Albert.io. Albert.io lets you customize your learning experience to target practice where you need the most help. We’ll give you challenging practice questions to help you achieve mastery of the SAT®.

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By on May 21, 2021 in SAT

While you may have read that the SAT doesn’t test vocabulary, this is only partly true. No, you won’t have to define “splendiferous” anymore, but you will need to know, as the test-maker the College Board puts it, “high-utility academic words and phrases.” What’s that mean? In short, these SAT words are words that are likely to crop up in college readings.

It’s important to note that not all vocabulary questions on the SAT test your knowledge of these high-utility words. In fact, questions that deal with vocabulary—also known as “Vocabulary in Context” questions—tend to be focused on how more common words with multiple meanings are used in specific contexts than on knowing one definition for particularly difficult words. Because there’s no guarantee of which words will appear on the SAT and knowing a single word typically doesn’t have a huge impact, that effort is better spent locking in your strategy for “Vocabulary in Context” questions (e.g. using context clues to figure out the answer) than memorizing a bunch of difficult words.

That being said, if you’re close to your target score, improving your vocabulary with high-utility words can be just what you need to put you over the edge. This post will look at how the SAT tests vocabulary in different sections before zooming in to look at some of the key vocabulary terms to know for test day, what they mean, and how to use them in context to build a strong vocabulary. Finally, you can test your knowledge with our SAT vocab words quiz and download the 100+ SAT Vocabulary Words to Study on the Go PDF for future reference.

How Does the SAT Test Vocabulary?
- SAT Vocabulary in the Reading Section
- SAT Vocabulary in the Writing Section
Top 104 Most Common SAT Words (+ Bonus Quiz!)
Where to Find Additional SAT Word Lists
Top Three Tips for Improving Your SAT Vocabulary
- Read as Much as Possible
- Use Effective Memorization Techniques
- Use It or Lose It

How Does the SAT Test Vocabulary?

You’ll see “Vocabulary in Context” questions in two sections: Reading and Writing. Basically, the two sections that contribute to your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score. But the way vocab shows up in each is slightly different! Here’s what to look for by section.

SAT Vocabulary in the Reading Section

Here’s the good news: the SAT doesn’t test vocabulary in and of itself on the critical reading section. You won’t be asked to define words. And some of the more intense SAT vocab questions haven’t been around since your parents had to take the test. (For example, analogies like runner is to marathon as oarsman is to regatta? Come on, we can’t all grow up Kennedys.) On the other hand, having a broad knowledge of words with several different meanings is still important (don’t worry, “regatta” only has one).

Why is it important to know words with different meanings? Because vocabulary is primarily tested (and most directly tested) through the SAT’s Words in Context questions. Yep, in context. This is great news because it means that you’ll have plenty of clues to help you figure out the answer. And as stated before, many of these words are quite common. However, you’ll have a huge leg up on SAT Reading if you already know the definitions of the more difficult words.

Take a look at a sample SAT Reading question to get a better sense of what we mean:

Compared to most scientific specializations, the field of ecology is relatively young. It was only in the 18th century that a group of scientists began investigating the relationships among organisms, their biotic communities of flora and fauna, and their abiotic environments. You can think of ecology as a nexus where the disciplines of biology,
geology, hydrology, botany, and others converge in an attempt to make sense of the complex systems that give rise to, support, and respond to a given organism.

departure
category
link
agreement

Want to know the answer? Click here!

SAT Vocabulary in the Writing Section

In some ways, knowing the definitions of vocabulary words is almost more important on the Writing section as knowing it on the Reading section. Why? Because here, you’re asked to select the best word for a given context. You’re not looking for a synonym; instead, you’re going to find the best word to create the desired meaning.

While this may seem like this is trying to get you to learn grammar rather than vocabulary, it’s actually not. In the College Board’s words:

“It’s worth noting here that these language use questions aren’t directly about grammar, usage, or mechanics. Instead, these questions try to get you to think about how language should be used to accomplish particular writerly aims, such as being clearer, more precise, or more economical.”

Take a look at the following passage:

The Brooklyn Museum features an item that might, for the first time ever, be the sole star of the show. Since its inception nearly 100 year ago, this accessory has been part of the limelight but has always been attached to the human body—whether in flight, in pivot, or in mid-stride. I’m talking about the lowly sneaker, which finally has the limelight all to itself in the exhibit “The Rise of Sneaker Culture.”

I should be honest: upon walking into the exhibit I did not expect much. After all, how edifying can one Air Jordan sneaker encased in a wall possibly be? But the exhibit offers much more than an endless procession of athletic shoes.

Now take a look at its corresponding SAT vocab question. Don’t let the form of the question scare you! In the context of the passage, is there a better word than “procession”?

NO CHANGE
secession
production
regression

Now, can you answer this question without knowing what the three harder vocabulary words (“procession,” “secession,” and “regression”) mean? Possibly…but probably not. It’s key to know definitions of words in advance so that you can spend your time figuring out the context, rather than trying to figure out what the words mean on test day.

(Oh and the answer and explanation for this question can be found here!)

Top 104 Most Common SAT Words (+ Bonus Quiz!)

Let’s be real: there are thousands of possible SAT words out there. But there are a few—well, to be exact, 104—that show up time and time again. Because of this, they’re crucial to SAT vocab success. Learning these top 104 is a great way to start off your SAT vocabulary study!

Word	Definition	Used in Sentence
abolish	to officially put an end to (its noun form is «abolition»)	Abraham Lincoln is perhaps best known for his efforts to abolish slavery.
abrupt	sudden or curt	Although she was trying to be nice, her response was still abrupt.
agitation	anxiety; the fast stirring of a liquid	The night before the big game, I was in a state of agitation.
alteration	change from a previous norm	After we missed the bus the third time, our homeroom decided that serious alterations in the schedule were needed.
ambiguous	open to more than one interpretation; unclear	My teacher’s instructions about the paper were ambiguous; nobody knew what to write.
ambivalent	having mixed feelings	Due to his ambiguous instructions, I had ambivalent feelings about my teacher despite his warm manner.
arcane	difficult to understand	I fell asleep moments after I opened the arcane and academic book.
aromatic	having a pleasant smell	Smelling aromatic oils can be a good way to reduce stress.
assumption	an idea accepted as fact without proof	My mother made the assumption that I wanted to go to State, but she hadn’t talked to me first.
begrudging	to envy; to give reluctantly	I begrudged my sister her new laptop, since I hadn’t had a new one in three years.
belligerent	war-like, inclined to fight	It is hard not to provoke my cat, who is belligerent with all other animals.
bias	inclination for or against a group of people or a particular outcome	The scientific study seemed compelling at first, but eventually scientists found that it showed numerous biases.
characterize	describe distinctive features; to be typical of	I shouldn’t have been surprised that Jess was so spontaneous, since that was characteristic of her.
condescension	disdain	My father loves to deliver lectures at the dinner table, not realizing how condescending they can make him sound.
consequently	as a result	I got a C on the midterm; consequently, my final grade will not be higher than a B.
conserve	protect	The importance of conserving our natural environment has become increasingly clear.
contentious	controversial	Rebecca would have become student body president if some of her proposals hadn’t been so contentious.
conventional	aligned with general beliefs	Jake, who won the election, had much more conventional beliefs, in line with what most students thought.
convey	express	I tried to convey my disappointment to my parents without telling them directly.
corroborate	confirm; support	Lucy said that she’d been in the house all day, and her sister corroborated this statement.
corrupt	dishonest for personal gain	Politicians are known for being corrupt, but I think some of them must have more altruistic goals.
counterargument	an argument opposing an idea set forth elsewhere	While I thought I made a strong case, my debate opponent’s counterarguments were just too good.
curtail	cut short	My neighbor had been talking for two hours and eventually, I had to curtail her.
deplete	use up	I was only two blocks from home when I realized that I had completely depleted my car’s gas supply.
dismay	disappointment and distress	My father was dismayed that I wouldn’t attend his alma mater, but I’m happy with my decision.
ebullient	highly enthusiastic	Luke laughs a lot at everything; he’s always been ebullient.
eloquent	well-spoken	Very few presidents have been known for their eloquence, even though they give many speeches.
emerging	beginning; new	The emerging music scene had few followers at the beginning but soon became very popular.
empathetic	feeling sympathy	When I volunteered at the hospital, it was hard not to be empathetic to the patients there.
engagement	participation; an appointment	One component of our grades would be based on our engagement in class discussions.
enigmatic	mysterious	The enigmatic guy seemed compelling at first, but once the mystery was gone, so was my interest.
entrenched	solidly established	It can be difficult to get rid of deep-rooted, entrenched beliefs, since we often take them for granted.
enumerate	to list	I didn’t think I was late that much, but my mother enumerated many occasions on which I had been.
ephemeral	short-lived	My interest in the boy band was embarrassing but thankfully ephemeral.
equivocal	vague	My mother’s answer to my question about how she’d met my father was equivocal, and I could tell she was embarrassed by the story.
esoteric	known only to a select group	I thought I should have known the book they were discussing, but later I discovered it was esoteric.
exertion	effort	Running a marathon would take so much exertion that I just don’t feel up to it.
exhilarating	wildly exciting	The day I got my college acceptance letters was exhilarating.
exonerate	free from blame	My aunt thought I’d taken the car until she saw me in the living room; I was then exonerated.
fastidious	nit-picky, fussing over details	There are some typos in my essay; I just hope the teacher isn’t too fastidious.
fluctuate	to change irregularly	My grades fluctuated for a while when I was a freshman, but they’re consistent now.
foreshadow	to allude to coming events	Looking back, my early interest in dancing foreshadowed my life in my teens.
fundamentally	centrally	Fundamentally, I don’t believe that certain human rights are up for debate.
garner	gather	Before submitting my applications, I had to garner several letters of recommendation.
garrulous	talkative	My grade would have been better but I was too garrulous in class; my best friend sat beside me and we could never shut up.
gregarious	flocking, sociable	Sometimes I wish I were more gregarious, but I prefer having one or two close friends instead.
hasten	to do something quickly	Realizing the deadline was the next day, I hastened to put together my application.
hypothetical	based on a hypothesis; theoretical	Hypothetically, I’d love to travel the world, but I don’t have the time or money right now.
imperative	absolutely necessary	The principal insisted that taking an interest in our classes was imperative to our success.
indifferent	expressing no opinions on a matter	The school newspaper reporter wanted to interview me about the issue, but I wasn’t a good source because I was too indifferent.
indigenous	native to a certain area	Planting indigenous plants is one way to begin setting up a carbon sink.
indiscriminate	without consideration	There were so many random people at the party that it felt like Tom must have handed out invitations indiscriminately.
indispensable	vital	I’ve found that keeping my planner up to date is an indispensable practice.
indistinct	unclear	Her voice was indistinct and so I missed most of what she said.
infrastructure	the organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or project	One major challenge to foreign aid is distributing it, since infrastructure—including roads and local organizations to help with distribution—can be lacking in remote areas.
keen	eager; incisive; to wail	He had a keen wit, but sometimes his observations hit too close to home.
magnanimous	kind-hearted, likely to forgive	I’d really insulted her, but luckily she was magnanimous and we were soon friends again.
malevolence	hostility	I don’t think that political campaigns have to be characterized by malevolence, even though many politicians see their opponents as enemies.
melodramatic	exaggerated	I wasn’t sure how worried I should be, since his stories were always a little melodramatic.
menacing	inspiring fear	The grey sky was menacing, and I was sure it would rain later.
modification	change	I always revise my essays because I find that modifications are usually necessary to make my ideas clear.
naïve	innocent; likely to believe anything	I used to think it was easy to get into a top-10 school, but I was a little naïve.
neglect	fail to care for	I’ve never been able to keep a plant alive, mostly because I tend to neglect them.
null	invalid; related to zero	We spent years researching the problem only to find that our hypothesis was null.
obsolete	no longer useful	My dad thought I could use his old word processor without realizing that the technology was totally obsolete.
omnipotence	having unlimited power	David acted like his position as editor gave him omnipotence and was always a little mean to his «subordinates.»
opaque	not transparent	I really prefer my tights to be opaque, because I hate how shiny the transparent ones can be.
oppress	to keep in a state of hardship	While we thought our allowances were low, it wasn’t as though we were being oppressed.
ornate	highly decorated	My sister loves having a really ornate holiday season, but I think it’s better to be more subdued.
pantheon	the group of gods of a people	I didn’t know about the Greek pantheon until I read about legends containing Zeus.
pending	awaiting decision	Even after three days, I could see that my status hadn’t been decided and was still listed as «pending.»
preclude	to prevent from happening	To preclude my tendency to procrastinate, I set aside the same hour every day to study.
profuse	excessive	She thanked me so profusely that it was embarrassing and, after a minute, I had to ask her to stop.
regression	return to an earlier state	My uncle saw my low grade as a regression, but I just saw it as a step in the learning process rather than a set-back.
reinforce	strengthen; back up	I studied for the SAT in different ways to reinforce my knowledge.
render	to provide; to make	I was on the fence about which school to attend until one offered me a full scholarship, rendering my indecision a thing of the past.
renounce	to declare the abandonment of something formally	After the club refused to let Julie in, I renounced my membership in it due to the unfairness of the decision.
repeal	to revoke	Our school tried to pass a strict dress code but soon repealed it when students ignored the guidelines.
repose	rest	When the competition was over, I was exhausted and in desperate need of repose.
reproach	express disapproval	My mother’s behavior is always perfect, completely beyond reproach.
restorative	possessing characteristics that allow it to return health or well-being	I felt so much better after the restorative massage.
reticent	not saying much	My cousin can be reticent sometimes, but I know his mind is going a mile a minute.
revere	respect deeply	I wouldn’t say I revere my teacher, but I do like her a lot.
sampling	a representative group	It turned out that the three people we’d used weren’t a representative sampling of the whole group.
scope	the extent to which something is relevant	The comments on my essay were all good except for one which called the evidence «out of scope.»
secession	formally withdrawing from membership	The South’s secession from the United States in the 19th century was unprecedented.
selfless	unselfish	My sister is entirely selfless and always helps me with anything I ask for.
simulate	imitate	The program was meant to simulate what it was like to be in space, but I didn’t feel like I was there at all.
soporific	causing sleep	The archane book was so boring that I found it soporific.
spawn	produce, often in terms of offspring	Her idea, while later disproven, spawned many more hypotheses that changed the face of science.
spectacle	a visually impressive performance	The play used red and black scenery covered in glitter, making the performance into more of a spectacle than a simple play.
stimulate	build interest in	The simulation was not at all realistic and failed to stimulate my interest in the subject.
subsequent	following	While I didn’t do well on my first paper, I used my teacher’s advice on the subsequent essays and got better grades.
suffrage	the right to vote	Although not well-known, Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was a key figure in the New York women’s suffrage movement.
supremacy	predominance; the state of being in control of all others	Our principal was so kind that nobody ever challenged her supremacy in the school.
synchronized	occurring at the same time	Our answers were synchronized, as though we’d practiced speaking together.
tenacious	not giving in easily	I knew that to get into the school of my dreams, I’d have to work long and hard; I’d have to be tenacious.
undermine	make less effective	Her argument seemed compelling, but when I left her house I thought of six examples that would undermine it.
urbane	refined, of the city	Going to college in New York seemed like a great idea; I thought I’d come back more sophisticated and urbane.
venerable	deserving of respect	My grandfather didn’t speak much, but he was wise when he did, making him a venerable figure in our family.
verbose	using too many words	If you used all these words in the same sentence, you would definitely be verbose.
vitality	being strong and energetic	I was exhausted and weak, but a nap soon restored my vitality.
warrant	justification; to justify	Andrew didn’t think the punishment was warranted and argued against it successfully.
yield	to produce; to give way	The apple crop was great this year and yielded way more than we thought it would.

Don’t know all those SAT words yet? You will soon! Here’s the words from above in a handy SAT vocabulary PDF version—print it out and review on the bus or during any spare moments!

Bonus Quiz

Want a real-time snapshot of your vocabulary acumen? Try your hand at Magoosh’s SAT Vocabulary Quiz to see which you actually do know, and which you might need some more SAT vocabulary practice with before taking the next quiz. Then, check below for our tips on learning and storing SAT vocabulary terms in your long term memory!

Don’t worry about your overall time for the quiz right now. But do keep in mind that the more you practice, the quicker SAT vocab questions will be to answer–and even eliminating one possibility from the answer choices has the potential to boost your score!

If you’re studying for the SAT, you may not realize just how important SAT vocabulary is! Our experts have gathered the top 100+ SAT words you should know to make learning them easier. Test out your knowledge of those SAT vocab words in context with this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

1. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 1, «venerated» most nearly means

holy.

revered.

cherished.

magnified.

Question 1 of 10

Question 2 of 10

2. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 2, «ephemeral» most nearly means

cursory.

transient.

temporary.

momentary.

Question 2 of 10

Question 3 of 10

3. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 3, «exertion» most nearly means

labor.

effort.

strain.

application.

Question 3 of 10

Question 4 of 10

4. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 4, «fluctuating» most nearly means

swinging.

unsteadying.

changing irregularly.

shifting occasionally.

Question 4 of 10

Question 5 of 10

5. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 5, «gregarious» most nearly means

sociable.

talkative.

clustered.

organized.

Question 5 of 10

Question 6 of 10

6. Less venerated than his brother John, Robert F. Kennedy nevertheless had a vital impact on American life and justice in the 1960s as Attorney General and later as a Congressman and presidential candidate. Although his service was ephemeral, his impact was not. As Attorney General, Kennedy was known for his unceasing exertion when it came to battles he believed in, including the fight for civil rights. Some accused him of fluctuating in his personal convictions, but what they saw as inconsistency was in fact his willingness to learn and revise his opinions. Not as gregarious as his famous brother, Kennedy nevertheless was able to accomplish a great deal quietly due to his refusal to yield.

As used in sentence 5, «yield» most nearly means

flex.

produce.

surrender.

contribute.

Question 6 of 10

Question 7 of 10

7. After his brother’s death, Kennedy did not immediately go into politics, [7] guessing that he could only stimulate voter interest because of his family. However, the broad width of problems facing working Americans consistently inspired him to action, and he ran for a Senate seat the following year. Try-hard and fierce, Kennedy fought ceaselessly for social justice as well as an end to the Vietnam War. His selfish nature made him particularly empathetic and sensitive to the suffering of others. Politicians today would do well to follow in his footsteps.

NO CHANGE

learning

assuming

suggesting

Question 7 of 10

Question 8 of 10

8. After his brother’s death, Kennedy did not immediately go into politics, guessing that he could only stimulate voter interest because of his family. However, the broad [8] width of problems facing working Americans consistently inspired him to action, and he ran for a Senate seat the following year. Try-hard and fierce, Kennedy fought ceaselessly for social justice as well as an end to the Vietnam War. His selfish nature made him particularly empathetic and sensitive to the suffering of others. Politicians today would do well to follow in his footsteps.

NO CHANGE

scope

length

Where to Find Additional SAT Word Lists

If you got a great strategy for “Vocabulary in Context” and are pretty familiar with these 104 words and are looking to learn more, here are some additional resources:

Barron’s Premium SAT Guide comes with a flashcard app featuring 3000+ words. Do you need to learn all of these before the official test? No (particularly not the super difficult vocabulary, which the SAT will define in context)! Are they nice to have? Definitely.
The terms on this SAT vocabulary list are all useful for test day! Pick out the ones you’re least familiar with to create your own flashcards.
Magoosh vocabulary for Google Chrome. Every time you open a new tab, a new vocabulary word shows up. Simple but effective!
Magoosh’s Vocabulary Builder Workbook: a great way to learn words in context using sample sentences (so you’re less likely to forget them!)
With 700+ high-frequency words, Seberson Method’s SAT vocabulary workbook has the bonus of being free with Kindle Unlimited!

Top Three Tips for Improving Your SAT Vocabulary

Read as Much as Possible

The most effective way to study vocab for the SAT is by reading. It’s simply the best way to have a great strategy for dealing with “Vocabulary in Context” questions.

A great—but often neglected—way of learning vocab is by reading. That’s right, whether you are reading a book for your English class or simply skimming a magazine you should always look up unknown words. Here’s why:

You’ll encounter words in context. Reading allows you to see how a word functions in the context of what you are reading. Oftentimes you can guess what the meaning is. Sometimes you may be right. Regardless, you should always consult a trusty dictionary.
You’ll use the dictionary better—not just looking up any old word. I do not recommend that you start reading through a dictionary. In addition to becoming bored by words that look very similar, you will not retain much of what you read. Running to the dictionary after seeing a word you do not know is a very different experience. You will be far more likely to remember that word because you are only looking up that word. The moment when your mind sees the definition should be somewhat special (versus seeing one definition after another the way you do with flashcards).
You’ll bump into flashcard words. There is nothing like bumping into a friend. The surprise alone makes us giddy. We are also far more likely to remember such surprise encounters. In the same way, if you see one of the words you have been studying in a vocabulary list suddenly pop up while you are reading, this reinforces the memory of the word. And if you can’t remember the meaning, just run to your dictionary.

Use Effective Memorization Techniques

If reading’s the best way to learn new vocabulary words for the SAT, what’s the worst way? By far, through rote memorization (just looking at lists and trying to memorize). Think about math as an analogy: just learning the formulas isn’t going to get you very far. You need to see those formulas in action–and preferably put them into action yourself–to pick up on the nuance of each and every one. The same is true with vocabulary.

In the end, there’s no fast way to memorize vocabulary to retain it long-term (the SAT is all about systematic vocabulary improvement), but the following tips and practical advice will speed up the process!

Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition sounds like a complex system, but it’s actually an evidence-based technique you can use to move vocabulary words into your long-term memory. In short, you study the material repeatedly, increasing how much time you spend between each session.

You can use apps like Anki, which rely on spaced-repetition algorithms, to help you master this.

Even though this is actually an incredibly efficient system, it’s still best to try spaced repetition when you have at least a month for vocabulary study!

Mnemonic Devices

You’ve probably used verbal mnemonic devices at least once before. For example, in math, you can remember the abbreviation PEMDAS, which describes the order of operations, as “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” When you need to use it, remembering the sentence helps you get the acronym, from which you can find the operations in order: parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction.

However, there are also visual memorization techniques you can use to retain vocabulary words. Drawing pictures on your flashcards is a simple way to do this. But you can also go more Sherlockian and create a mind palace in which you think of a standout image for each new word that you learn! (It doesn’t have to be a palace–it can be an abandoned house or a modern apartment–anything that works for you!)

Use It or Lose It

The more you use these words both in practice AND away from either language section, the better you’ll do on test day. Often I’ve had students in class use SAT words to describe something in class. “I’m feeling phlegmatic.” While this is by no means the most eloquent sentence, the fact that a learner is using the word correctly, including its pronunciation, means that they have a strong grasp of a word. If you just learn hundreds of words without ever using them, they will eventually evaporate. The key to doing well on the SAT is to make sure vocabulary words stick in your head. Saying them aloud is a great way to make this happen.

Another great way is to describe people you know, celebrities, or even random people using SAT vocabulary. We all know a friend who is garrulous (talkative), a celebrity who is contentious (controversial), and a random person walking by as saturnine (sand and morose).

Another way? By writing! Storytelling is a special form of application. It’s not for everyone, but if you journal, blog, or just like to write random stories, then telling stories using SAT words will be a great way for the words to stick in your head. The stories don’t have to be Pulitzer Prize-worthy, but as long as you are having fun, that’s the important part.

Also, don’t simply look up words and write a nonsensical sentence with 10 vocab words. You should be using the words that are already inside your head (which means that you already have to be studying vocab).

Rachel is a Magoosh Content Creator. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

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By the way, Magoosh can help you study for both the SAT and ACT exams. Click here to learn more!

Источник

(v.) to reject, renounce

(To prove his honesty, the president _____ the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.)

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority

(The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot _____ our rights to a free press.)

(adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste

(Jill became extremely _____ and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.)

(n.) bitterness, discord

(Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep _____ from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)

(n.) keen insight

(Because of his mathematical _____, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)

(v.) to sketch out in a vague way

(The coach _____ a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.)

(n.) eagerness, speed

(For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table, he did so with _____.)

(n.) a cursed, detested person

(I never want to see that murderer. He is an _____ to me.)

(n.) a strong dislike, repugnance

(I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but _____ for you.)

(n.) praise

(The crowd welcomed the heroes with _____.)

(v.) to take without justification

(The king _____ the right to order executions to himself exclusively.)

(adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

(The priest lives an _____ life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.)

(n.) a curse, expression of ill-will

(The rival politicians repeatedly cast _____ on each others’ integrity.)

(adj.) hard-working, diligent

(The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of _____ labor.)

(v.) to coax by using flattery

(Rachel’s assistant tried to _____ her into accepting the deal.)

(n.) a gift or blessing

(The good weather has been a _____ for many businesses located near the beach.)

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive

(The captain’s _____ manner offended the passengers.)

1. (v.) to strike with force

(The strong winds _____ the ships, threatening to capsize them.)

2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table

(Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our _____ and ate standing up.)

(v.) to polish, shine

(His mother asked him to _____ the silverware before setting the table.)

1. (v.) to support, hold up

(The column _____ the roof above the statue.)

2. (n.) something that offers support

(The _____ supports the roof above the statues.)

(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

(The elementary school orchestra created a _____ at the recital.)

(v.) to urge, coax

(Fred’s buddies _____ him into attending the bachelor party.)

(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

(The local official’s _____ ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)

(adj.) subject to whim, fickle

(The young girl’s _____ tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)

(n.) mercy

(After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria _____.)

(adj.) intellectually convincing

(Irene’s arguments in favor of abstinence were _____ that I could not resist them.)

(adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion

(His dislike of hard work carried with it a _____ lack of funds.)

(n.) great fire

(The _____ consumed the entire building.)

(adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven

(Blake’s _____ behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.)

(n.) puzzle, problem

(Interpreting Jane’s behavior was a constant _____.)

(n.) readiness to believe

(His _____ made him an easy target for con men.)

(n.) greed, strong desire

(His _____ made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.)

(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial

(Late for the meeting, she cast a _____ glance at the agenda.)

(v.) to criticize openly

(The kind video rental clerk _____ the policy of charging customers late fees.)

(v.) to make unclean, impure

(She _____ the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.)

(adj.) harmful

(She experienced the _____ effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.)

(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved

(Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained _____.)

(v.) to belittle, depreciate

(Always over-modest, he _____ his contribution to the local charity.)

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn

(The bullies _____ the foreign student’s accent.)

(v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place

(They feared that the construction of a golf course would _____ the preserved wilderness.)

(adj.) dried up, dehydrated

(The skin of the _____ mummy looked like old paper.)

(adj.) light, airy, transparent

(Sunlight poured in through the _____ curtains, brightening the room.)

(adj.) shy, quiet, modest

(While eating dinner with the adults, the _____ youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.)

(adj.) rambling, lacking order

(The professor’s _____ lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described.)

(v.) to conceal, fake

(Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she _____ and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection.)

(v.) to be indecisive

(Not wanting to offend either friend, he _____ about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.)

(adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic

(She became _____ upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college.)

(n.) impudence, nerve, insolence

(When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my _____.)

(adj.) radiant, splendorous

(The golden palace was _____.)

(adj.) extremely bad

(The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his _____ behavior.)

(v.) to weaken, exhaust

(Writing these sentences _____ me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.)

(adj.) short-lived, fleeting

(She promised she’d love me forever, but her “forever” was only _____: she left me after one week.)

(v.) to shun, avoid

(George hates the color green so much that he _____ all green food.)

(adj.) fleeting, momentary

(My joy at getting promoted was _____ because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)

(v.) to show, reveal

(Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting _____ how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

(v.) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate

(My discovery of the ring behind the dresser _____ me from the charge of having stolen it.)

(adj.) loathsome, detestable

(Her pudding is so _____ that it makes me sick.)

(adj.) urgent, critical

(The patient has an _____ need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.)

(v.) to make amends for, atone

(To _____ my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.)

(v.) to obliterate, eradicate

(Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to _____ all incriminating evidence from his tax files.)

(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost

(My mother’s _____ love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.)

(v.) to praise, revere

(Violet _____ the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving brother.)

(adj.) incorrect, misleading

(Emily offered me cigarettes on the _____ assumption that I smoked.)

(adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards

(Mark is so _____ that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.)

(adj.) silly, foolish

(He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes _____ limericks.)

(adj.) fruitful, fertile

(The _____ tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.)

(adj.) wild, savage

(That beast looks so _____ that I would fear being alone with it.)

(adj.) having a foul odor

(I can tell from the _____ smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled.)

(adj.) flowery, ornate

(The writer’s _____ prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.)

(adj.) troublesome or irritable

(Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his _____ behavior—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

(adj.) talkative, wordy

(Some talk-show hosts are so _____ that their guests can’t get a word in edgewise.)

(n.) lofty, pompous language

(The student thought her _____ would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.)

(adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable

(Well, if you’re not _____, I don’t know why you would want to go to a singles party!)

(adj.) unoriginal, trite

(A girl can only hear “I love you” so many times before it begins to sound _____ and meaningless.)

(adj.) unlucky

(My poor, _____ family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.)

1. (n.) a ranting speech

(Everyone had heard the teacher’s _____ about gum chewing in class before.)

2. (v.) to give such a speech

(But this time the teacher _____ the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum.)

(n.) domination over others

(Britain’s _____ over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.)

(n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions

(Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an _____ rather than an activist with a progressive agenda.)

(adj.) humiliating, disgracing

(It was really _____ to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room.)

(adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering

(Stop being so _____; it’s healthy to cry every now and then.)

(adj.) commanding, domineering

(The _____ nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once.)

(adj.) rude, insolent

(Most of your comments are so _____ that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)

(adj.) impenetrable, incapable of being affected

(Because of their thick layer of fur, many seals are almost _____ to the cold.)

(adj.) rash; hastily done

(Hilda’s hasty slaying of the king was an _____, thoughtless action.)

1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression

(The hail _____ the roof, leaving large dents.)

2. (v.) to encroach, infringe

(I apologize for _____ upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now.)

(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated

(Watch out: Once you shun Grandma’s cooking, she is totally _____.)

(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent

(The _____ young man looked the princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn’t asked him.)

(adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage

(The country’s government is still _____ and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.)

(adj.) indisputable

(Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the _____ laws of physics.)

(adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay

(Even after traveling 62 miles, the _____ runner kept on moving.)

(adj.) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words

(It is said that the experience of playing with a dolphin is _____ and can only be understood through direct encounter.)

(adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated

(Although I begged for hours, Mom was _____ and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom.)

(adj.) not devious; innocent and candid

(He must have writers, but his speeches seem so _____ it’s hard to believe he’s not speaking from his own heart.)

(adj.) hostile

(I don’t see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and _____ to me during my interviews.)

(n.) wickedness or sin

(“Your _____,” said the priest to the practical jokester, “will be forgiven.”)

(adj.) appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive

(Lisa’s _____ chocolate cake tastes so good but makes you feel so sick later on!)

(adj.) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion

(The _____ child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted from fear.)

(v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation

(Twenty years in the salt mines _____ the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime.)

(n.) an angry verbal attack

(My mother’s irrational _____ against the way I dress only made me decide to dye my hair green.)

(adj.) stubbornly established by habit

(I’m the first to admit that I’m an _____ coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day.)

(adj.) extremely joyful, happy

(The crowd was _____ when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)

(n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison

(The interior designer admired my _____ of the yellow couch and green table.)

(adj.) terse in speech or writing

(The author’s _____ style has won him many followers who dislike wordiness.)

(adj.) sluggish from fatigue or weakness

(In the summer months, the great heat makes people _____ and lazy.)

(n.) the generous giving of lavish gifts

(My boss demonstrated great _____ by giving me a new car.)

(adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed

(Sigmund’s dream represented his _____ paranoid obsession with other people’s shoes.)

(n.) deception, slight-of-hand

(Smuggling the French plants through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of _____.)

(adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints

(Marilee has always been fascinated by the _____ private lives of politicians.)

(adj.) clear, transparent

(Mr. Johnson’s _____ writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked complicated novels.)

(n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects

(Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious _____ would catch their boat.)

(adj.) noble, generous

(Although I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was _____ enough to continue letting me use them.)

(n.) a curse

(When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed _____ against the policeman and the entire police department.)

(adj.) wanting harm to befall others

(The _____ old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.)

(adj.) diverse, varied

(The popularity of Dante’s Inferno is partly due to the fact that the work allows for _____ interpretations.)

(adj.) weakly sentimental

(Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them _____ and shallow.)

(adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality

(Although some nineteenth- century critics viewed Dickens’s writing as _____, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works.)

(adj.) having a lying, false character

(The _____ content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining.)

(adj.) characterized by rapid change or temperamentality

(Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the _____ genius was impossible to live with.)

(n.) a small amount of something

(Refusing to display even a _____ of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss’s affair in front of the entire office.)

(n.) a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses

(When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial _____.)

(adj.) having great diversity or variety

(This Swiss Army knife has _____ functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot.)

(n.) generosity in giving

(The royal family’s _____ made everyone else in their country rich.)

(adj.) consisting of a very great number

(It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented us with _____ possibilities for fun.)

(n.) the lowest point of something

(My day was boring, but the _____ came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.)

(adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence

(Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its _____ form on the morning that it was due.)

(adj.) heinously villainous

(Although Dr. Meanman’s _____ plot to melt the polar icecaps was terrifying; it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it.)

(n.) someone who is young or inexperienced

(As a _____ in the literary world, Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel.)

(adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences

(The _____ old man refused to take pity on the kittens.)

(v.) to render incomprehensible

(The detective did not want to answer the newspaperman’s questions, so he _____ the truth.)

(adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward

(Martin’s _____ language confused those who listened to him.)

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive

(Mark acted like Janet’s servant, obeying her every request in an _____ manner.)

(adj.) noisy, unruly

(Billy’s _____ behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.)

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect

(Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s _____ approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

(adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure

(Mark was assigned the _____ task of cleaning the cat’s litter box.)

(adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed

(Brenda resented Allan’s _____ behavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork.)

(adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation

(The _____ furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meager accommodations of her subjects.)

(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly

(Jack’s _____ reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

(v.) to reduce the severity of

(The doctor trusted that the new medication would _____ her patient’s discomfort.)

(adj.) lacking color

(Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s _____ complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood.)

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties

(Doctors wish there was a single _____ for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

(n.) a model of excellence or perfection

(The mythical Helen of Troy was considered _____ of female beauty.)

(n.) an outcast

(Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a _____ in all academic circles.)

(n.) frugality, stinginess

(Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth resulted from her _____.)

(n.) an emotion of sympathy

(Martha filled with _____ upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)

(adj.) small in quantity

(Gilbert lamented the _____ of twentieth-century literature courses available at the college.)

(adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary

(The evening’s headline news covered an international scandal caused by a _____ statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.)

(adj.) easily intelligible, clear

(Wishing his book to be _____ to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.)

(adj.) miserly, stingy

(Stella complained that her husband’s _____ ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

(adj.) disloyal, unfaithful

(After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his _____ ways.)

(adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm

(The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly _____ manner.)

(adj.) extremely destructive or harmful

(The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a _____ influence on the nation’s stability.)

(adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness

(The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his _____ was the reason for his professional success.)

(adj.) stubbornly persistent

(Harry’s parents were frustrated with his _____ insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten.)

(n.) rudeness, irritability

(The nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child’s _____.)

(adj.) concisely meaningful

(My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually _____ statements.)

(n.) an uninspired remark, cliché

(After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just _____.)

(n.) abundance, excess

(The wedding banquet included a _____ of oysters piled almost three feet high.)

(n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion

(My brother launched into a _____ against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system.)

(n.) an omen

(When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to school, she took it as a _____ that she would do badly on her spelling test.)

(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time

(Derek was so academically _____ that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

(adj.) to have foreknowledge of events

(Questioning the fortune cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be _____.)

(adj.) original, ancient

(The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the _____ descendants of modern man.)

(n.) virtue, integrity

(Because he was never viewed as a man of great _____, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.)

(n.) a strong inclination toward something

(In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood _____ for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

(v.) to proclaim, make known

(The film professor _____ that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger Moore’s.)

(n.) an inclination, preference

(Dermit has a _____ for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.)

(adj.) favorable

(The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be _____ for sailing.)

(adj.) plain, lacking liveliness

(Heather’s _____ recital of the poem bored the audience.)

(v.) to condemn, outlaw

(The town council voted to _____ the sale of alcohol on weekends.)

(adj.) able to change shape; displaying great variety

(Among Nigel’s _____ talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

(adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex

(David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of _____ reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)

(adj.) juvenile, immature

(The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s _____ attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

(adj.) quarrelsome, combative

(Aaron’s _____ nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.)

(n.) physical beauty

(Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the _____ of a lovely young man.)

(adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions

(_____ Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)

(n.) a difficult situation

(We’d all like to avoid the kind of military _____ characterized by the Vietnam War.)

(adj.) whiny, complaining

(If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes _____.)

(adj.) idealistic, impractical

(Edward entertained a _____ desire to fall in love at first sight in a Laundromat.)

(n.) deep, bitter resentment

(When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the _____ in her eyes.)

(v.) to scold, criticize

(When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they _____ her for disturbing the peace.)

(adj.) defiant, unapologetic

(Even when scolded, the _____ young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.)

(n.) uprightness, extreme morality

(The priest’s _____ gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners.)

(adj.) full, abundant

(The unedited version was _____ with naughty words.)

(adj.) evil, unprincipled

(The _____ criminal sat sneering in the cell.)

(v.) to scold, rebuke

(Lara _____ her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.)

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept

(Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother _____ it with a few biting words.)

(v.) to take back, repeal

(The company _____ its offer of employment after discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.)

(adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient

(The _____ audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.)

(adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous

(While some giggled at the _____ joke involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)

(adj.) abundant

(Surprisingly, the famous novelist’s writing was _____ with spelling errors.)

(n.) a trick

(Oliver concocted an elaborate _____ for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed.)

(adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized

(In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a _____ document.)

(n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective

(With remarkable _____, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children’s plan to ship him off to a nursing home.)

(adj.) significant, conspicuous

(One of the _____ differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.)

(adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety

(The _____ Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)

(adj.) optimistic, cheery

(Polly reacted to any bad news with a _____ smile and the chirpy cry, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”)

(adj.) vulgar, coarse

(When Bruno heard the _____ accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.)

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them

(In an amazing bit of _____, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

(adj.) subservient

(The _____ porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and quaking before the guests.)

(adj.) concerned, attentive

(Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the _____ attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.)

(adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists

(Colette’s _____ attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.)

(adj.) sleepy, drowsy

(The _____ student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.)

(adj.) false but designed to seem plausible

(Using a _____ argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.)

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained

(The _____ butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.)

(adj.) expressing little sensibility, unemotional

(Charles’s _____ reaction to his wife’s funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.)

(v.) to astonish, make insensible

(Veronica’s audacity and ungratefulness _____ her best friend, Heather.)

(n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence

(After partaking of the _____ of tacos and tamales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.)

(v.) to infer with little evidence

(After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to _____ what had caused the fight.)

(adj.) stealthy

(The _____ CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing.)

(n.) one who flatters for self-gain

(Some see the people in the cabinet as the president’s closest advisors, but others see them as _____.)

(adj.) expressed without words

(I interpreted my parents’ refusal to talk as a _____ acceptance of my request.)

(adj.) not inclined to talk

(Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite _____.)

(adj.) equivalent in value or significance

(When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is _____ to losing.)

(n.) audacity, recklessness

(Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with nothing but their own _____.)

(adj.) having little substance or strength

(Your argument is very _____, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay.)

(adj.) timid, fearful

(When dealing with the unknown, _____ Tallulah almost always broke into tears.)

(adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion

(The _____ whale floated, wallowing in the water for hours.)

(adj.) easily controlled

(The horse was so _____, Myra didn’t even need a bridle.)

(adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence

(Because virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite _____.)

(v.) to change or alter in form

(Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to _____ lead into gold.)

(adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut

(The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were _____ and easy to follow.)

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel

(This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so _____?)

(adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language

(The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about his _____ prose.)

(n.) depravity, moral corruption

(Sir Marcus’s chivalry often contrasted with the _____ he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)

(adj.) existing everywhere, widespread

(It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is _____ here.)

(n.) resentment, offense

(He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took _____ at the insult.)

(adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, and manner

(The _____ receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.)

(v.) to move in waves

(As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to _____ to an increasing degree.)

(v.) to criticize or scold severely

(The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to _____ her again about missing the rent payment.)

(v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right

(The rogue army general tried to _____ control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president.)

(v.) to fluctuate, hesitate

(I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept _____ between the distinct options available to us.)

(adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid

(Beyoncé realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely _____ and tried to add more substance.)

(adj.) lacking liveliness, dull

(The professor’s comments about the poem were surprisingly _____ and dull.)

(adj.) diversified; distinctly marked

(Each wire in the engineering exam was _____ by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.)

(v.) to regard with respect or to honor

(The tribute to John Lennon sought to _____ his music, his words, and his legend.)

(n.) truthfulness, accuracy

(With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its _____.)

(adj.) green in tint or color

(The _____ leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.)

(v.) to confuse or annoy

(My little brother _____ me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.)

(adj.) experiencing through another

(All of my lame friends learned to be social through _____ involvement in my amazing experiences.)

(n.) event that occurs by chance

(The _____ of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.)

(v.) to lower in importance, defame

(After the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nixon sought to _____ him and criticize his behavior.)

(adj.) not free flowing, syrupy

(The _____ syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle.)

(adj.) having a caustic quality

(When angry, the woman would spew _____ insults.)

(v.) to berate

(Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be _____ for his unseemly behavior.)

(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful

(Vicky’s _____ demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited.)

(adj.) charming, pleasing

(After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for Chris’s _____ attitude and childish naiveté.)

(adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad

(Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and was _____ all day long.)

(adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled

(Agatha’s grandmother, Stephanie, had the most _____ countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)

(n.) the highest point, culminating point

(I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the absolute _____ of her career with that one hit of hers.)

(n.) a gentle breeze

(If not for the _____ that were blowing and cooling us, our room would’ve been unbearably hot.)

Источник

How Is Vocabulary Tested on the SAT?

What Do SAT Vocabulary Questions Look Like?

Are There Any Vocab Questions on SAT Writing?

262 SAT Vocab Words You’re Bound to See on Test Day

How to Study SAT Words Effectively: 3 Essential Tips

#1: Make Flashcards and Use the Waterfall Method

#2: Focus On Words You Don’t Know

#3: Take Official SAT Practice Tests

The Best SAT Vocab Flashcards

Conclusion: The Importance of Studying SAT Vocabulary

What’s Next?

Recommended textbook solutions

Vocabulary for Achievement: Fourth Course

Encore Intermediate French: Niveau Intermediaire

Vocabulary from Classical Roots: D

Encore: Niveau Intermediaire

Introduction to 10 Essential Grammar Rules for SAT® Writing

1. The Subject and Verb Must Agree in Number

2. Collective Nouns are Singular

3. Prepositional Phrases DO NOT Make a Subject Singular or Plural

4. Pronouns Must be Clear in Reference and Number

5. Modifiers have to Appear Next to Whatever they’re Modifying

6. Each Word Should Make Sense in Context

7. Commas Separate Main and Subordinate Clauses

8. Follow Sentence Rules to Avoid Run-Ons and Fragments

9. Verbs and Sentence Structure must Remain Parallel

10. Correlative Coordination Means Two Parts

Looking for more SAT® practice?

How Does the SAT Test Vocabulary?

SAT Vocabulary in the Reading Section

SAT Vocabulary in the Writing Section

Top 104 Most Common SAT Words (+ Bonus Quiz!)

Bonus Quiz

Where to Find Additional SAT Word Lists

Top Three Tips for Improving Your SAT Vocabulary

Read as Much as Possible

Use Effective Memorization Techniques

Spaced Repetition

Mnemonic Devices

Use It or Lose It