Sat word for want

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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):

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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 studentsthey 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 potentit 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 bossyou 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 unjusthe 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.

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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:

body_vocab1.jpg

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:

body_vocab2.jpg

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:

body_vocab3.jpg

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:

body_vocab4.jpg

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.

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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.

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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.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?

Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don’t improve your SAT score by 160 points or more.

Our classes are entirely online, and they’re taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you’ll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you’ll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We’ll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you’ll never be confused about what to study next.

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 3000 Common SAT Vocabulary Words

1   Overview:

3000 Common SAT Vocabulary Words is a middle-level list for test-takers to warm up known words and learn new words. Usually, students need three or more months to finish it. If you aim to good-rank universities, the list is a solid start to challenge harder SAT vocabulary.

The vocabulary consists of 3000+ SAT words that high school students, especially in 12th grade, should master before SAT exam. These words are mainly from recent SAT papers and the College Board’s official practice materials.

In addition to definitions and explanations, the vocabulary includes interactive exercises, such as meaning matching and spelling. These exercises, available for each word, can be launched with a few clicks. For those who prefer to study SAT vocabulary offline or traditionally, the vocabulary offers printable flashcards and PDF files.

If you want a better SAT score, you must own a strong SAT vocabulary that impacts all test modules. It means that you will spend more time studying SAT words. This list is a good candidate if you schedule 3 months or more. Try some content quickly; you can know if it matches your current vocabulary level and helps to up vocabulary skills efficiently.

Does this SAT Vocabulary List meet your case? We divide the words into three levels; each consists of 4 groups. Want to view them quickly? Watch them here.

Last but not least, SAT Official Website is the right place to solve problems related to the SAT. If any doubts or questions about SAT vocabulary may impact your preparation and even your final score, don’t hesitate to get there and clarify them.

2   Alternative SAT vocabularies:

We know one words list cannot cover all SAT takers’ requirements. If you think the 3000 Common SAT Vocabulary List doesn’t match your circumstance, please try other lists on the website.

However, if you are serious about preparing for SAT, smaller or easier lists shouldn’t be an option unless you use them as a supplement. For example, we recommend the following two vocabularies to supplement 3000 common SAT vocabulary. They are very useful for enhancing reading and writing words, especially for high score hunters.

3   Words’ EBook, PDF, and Cards:

SAT Vocabulary EBook

We have published an ebook that matches the 3000 Common SAT Vocabulary List. Students can buy from leading ebook distributors.

Apple iBookKoboBarnes & NobleAmazon Kindle

SAT Vocabulary PDF List

Some students like using PDF lists to learn and review words. We do offer a handy feature to make SAT PDF word list for each group. Below are demos of Level 1’s first group, including nine non-English explanations.

If you have a VIP account, you can print all groups’ word list on the website; the details are in:

SAT Vocabulary Cards

Cards are helpful tools for some students to study new words. We offer two buttons to make SAT one-side and two-side flashcards for each group. Below are one-side cards for Level 1’s first group, including 9 non-English explanations.

If you have a VIP account, you can print all groups’ cards, either one-side or two-side; the details are in:

DIY — PDF files

Some students need PDF files to study English words. We did publish some SAT vocabulary lists in PDF. However, we encourage our visitors to create customized files based on our SAT vocabulary lists.

We have provided a web app to customize PDF through various vocabularies, which can be directly run from Print Vocabulary in PDF. It can load all vocabularies of this website; the 3000 Common SAT Vocabulary List is one of them.

If you need more flexible solutions, e.g., you plan to include non-English definitions, we suggest following Download SAT Vocabulary PDF. In addition to printing the whole group’s words, it tells you how to leverage other free Internet PDF tools to produce a PDF file based on this website’s vocabulary lists in a few minutes.

4   Manage Word Status:

There are two ways: the Note page or the Panel page to manage words’ statuses. To speed up your studying, you can manage the words by marking them as New, Known, and Review status. You can also save the statuses to the cloud and sync back if your device has trouble or want to switch to other devices.

Word status works for all vocabularies on the website, including 3000 SAT Words. It is a handy flag to skip known words and focus on new and half-familiar words.

By Note

Manage SAT Word by Note

By Panel

Manage SAT Word by Panel

5   View all words by groups:        

Go to Word List by Group:

Select Vocabulary Group:

Words of Group 1: (Part of words, select list to view all.)

abandon

abduction

abject

abrasive

absolute

absolve

absorb

abstinence

abstract

abusive

abyss

academic

accelerate

accessible

accessory

accommodate

accomplice

accord

acknowledge

acme

acquire

acquittal

acute

adage

adamant

adapt

addiction

address

adept

adhere

adjacent

administration

adolescence

adversary

adverse

adversity

6   Demonstrate word list style:

coincidence  
Pronounce
n. two or more things occurring at the same time by chance
Was it just a coincidence that she and John had chanced to meet at the market, or was he deliberately trying to seek her out?
Show examples and contexts  
Close

collateral  
Pronounce
n. security pledged for repayment of loan
The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral.
Show examples and contexts  
Close

comatose  
Pronounce
a. in coma; extremely sleepy; unconscious
We would expect a reasonable adult, if a kid is in comatose, to call an ambulance.
Show examples and contexts  
Close

communal  
Pronounce
a. held in common; of a group of people
When they were divorced, they had trouble dividing their communal property.
Show examples and contexts  
Close

compact  
Pronounce
n. small and economical car; small cosmetics case
I decide to buy a compact because a small car helps to save gas.
Show examples and contexts  
Close

compelling  
Pronounce
a. overpowering; drivingly forceful; urgently requiring attention
They had better not succeed in compelling anyone to work the proposed shift to midnight.
Show examples and contexts  
Close

7   Word meaning matching — Test words you know:

absolve  Speak
Exercise

declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly

Exercise

pronounce clear of guilt or blame; grant remission of sin to; acquit

Exercise

randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle

Exercise

overpowering; drivingly forceful; urgently requiring attention

accelerate  Speak
Exercise

sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind

Exercise

sudden downfall; complete disaster

Exercise

a group of parts that work together to perform a given function; appliance, or device for a particular purpose

Exercise

move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected

adage  Speak
Exercise

cause to become unfriendly or hostile; transfer property or ownership; isolate or dissociate emotionally

Exercise

sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind

Exercise

covered passageway, usually lined with shops; simple arched opening in a wall; vault or vaulted place

Exercise

wise saying; brief familiar proverb;  expression of popular wisdom

adjacent  Speak
Exercise

adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near

Exercise

of extraordinary size; huge; gigantic

Exercise

sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind

Exercise

settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions; written agreement between two states

adverse  Speak
Exercise

randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle

Exercise

in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose

Exercise

find out for certain; discover with certainty; make sure of

Exercise

disagreeably damp or humid; cold moisture; unpleasant humidity

anemia  Speak
Exercise

having no name; having an unknown or unacknowledged name

Exercise

the opponent in a contest; someone who offers opposition

Exercise

disagreeably damp or humid; cold moisture; unpleasant humidity

Exercise

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; deficiency of red blood cells; lack of vitality

8   Interactive spelling — Check your spelling skill online:

Read [Esc]
n. the opponent in a contest; someone who offers opposition

Spelling Word: adversary

Read [Esc]
n. written statement made under oath

Spelling Word: affidavit

Read [Esc]
n. partnership; alliance; association in the same family or society

Spelling Word: affiliation

Read [Esc]
n. assumed name; another name; a name that has been assumed temporarily

Spelling Word: alias

Read [Esc]
n. condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; deficiency of red blood cells; lack of vitality

Spelling Word: anemia

Read [Esc]
a. arising from feeling or assumption of one’s superiority toward others

Spelling Word: arrogant

Many students relate the phrase “SAT” with vocabulary. But is good language important to pass the examination? In a way, yes. It can help the candidates get good marks in the SAT exam. Thus, investing some time in vocab learning is important for better academic communication. There are many vocabulary words in the dictionary. But here is a list of top SAT vocabulary words that candidates can refer to.

Words Meaning
Abandon Give Up
Abate Less Intense
Abet Encourage 
Accede Agreeing On A Demand
Adapt Adjust
Adequate Enough
Ambivalence Uncertainty
Analogous Parallel
Anomaly Oddity
Expect Predict
Antipathy Hostility
Apex Tip
Apprehension Anxiety
Articulate Fluent
Artificial False
Assertion Declaration
Authenticity Genuine
Avenue Path
Basic Fundamental
Bear Support
Berate Scold
Bias Partiality
Bittersweet Partly bitter or sweet
Boost  Increase
Bovine Relating To Cattle
Braggart A Person Who Boasts About Achievements
Brawl Fight
Brevity Shortness
Burnish Polish
Cacophony Harsh Mixture Of Sounds
Candid Frank
Capture Catch
Catalyst Substance That Leads To Chemical Reaction Increase
Cache Collection Of Similar Items
Censorious Critical Of Others
Clout Smack
Coincide Occur
Commission An Offer
Comparable Similar
Competent Capable
Complacent Self-satisfied
Concede Admit
Conceive To Produce Something
Conduct Manage
Constitute Compose
Course Route
Culmination Climax
Dearth Lack
Deference Respect
Demagogue Rabble-rouser
Demur To Object To
Deplete Use Over Time
Desolate Empty
Devise To Come Up With
Dilemma Confusion
Diluvial Biblical Flood
Diminish To Become Small
Dire Hopeless
Disdain Lack Of Respect
Dispassionate No Strong Interest
Doctrine Belief
Effluvia Harmful Odor
Eloquent Expressive Communication Skills
Eminent High Position
Emulate Match
Endure To Withstand
Entail To Invoice
Specify State
Epochal Significant
Erratic Deviating From The Norm
Establish To Found
Excel To Top
Exploit To Use For-Profit
Expound Present
Ferocity Violence
Flourish Prosper
Forcible Forceful
Frankly Directly
Fundamental Basic
Galvanizing Shock
Geriatric Relating To Old People
Hostile Aggressive
Hubris Excessive Pride
Impart Spread
Impartiality Unfairness
Imposition Forcing
Indifference Lack Of Interest
Indulge Give Away To
Importunate Persistent
Innovative Original
Inversion Reverse
Lament Groan
Locomotion Movement
Malicious Bitter
Materialistic Worldly
Modest Humble
Mawkish Sentimental
Novel Book
Null Invalid
Objectify Degrade To A Status
Omnipotent Supreme
Onset Beginning
Opine Suggest
Oust Expel
Pandemic Widespread
Paramount Most Important
Patrician Aristocrat
Peculiar Strange
Potent Powerful
Perish Fall
Persecute Oppress
Petulant Peevish
Pinnacle Peak
Pitiable Deserving Pity
Plausible Credible
Prompt Give Rise To
Polyglot Writing Or Speaking In Many Languages
Provocative Infuriating
Prescribe Order 
Prestidigitation Sleight Of Hand
Prohibit Banning
Placid Tranquil
Prosecute Criminal Proceedings Against A Person
Quantitative Expressible Amount
Quirk Oddity
Quarry Mine For Stone
Ramify To Split Up Into Branches
Rancor Bitterness
Rarefy Become Less Solid
Rash Reckless
Raw Uncooked
Reapproach To approach anew
Reform Improve
Refute Disprove
Reinforce Strengthen
Resilient Strong
Revile Criticize
Rife Widespread
Sanctimonious Pious
Satiated To excess
Savvy Sharpness
Scandalous Disreputable
Scorn Contempt
Sagacious Wise
Scrupulous Careful
Sedition Agitation
Sacrosanct Very Holy
Sentiment Emotion
Sheer Utter
Sallow Yellowish
Simple Easy
Sinecure Soft Option
Spawn Offspring In Great Numbers
Spur Incentive
Subordinate Junior
Stroke Strengthen 
Significant Important
Subtle Fine
Ample Many
Surly Grumpy
Surmount Overcome
Sybarite Sensualist
Tactful Considerate
Taut Tight
Teeming Be full of
Temperament Nature
Tentative Approximate
Terse Abrupt
Transparent Clear
Tremendous Extreme
Trounce Beat Hollow
Ubiquitous Everywhere
Unadorned Undecorated
Undermine Wear Away
Unwitting Unconscious
Underscore Line Drawn Under A Word
Undulate Surge
Unilateral Involving Only One Group Or Community
Upbraid Scold
Unjust Unfair
Uproarious Very funny
Unmitigated Absolute
Unprecedented Unmatched
Unveil Reveal
Urge Desire
Upshot Outcome
Usury  Lending Money
Validate Prove
Viability State Of Being Viable
Vital Important
Venal Corrupt
Vow Oath
Vital Essential
Warrant Authorization
Winsome Appealing
Wry Ironic
Yeoman Attendant
Yield Surrender
Yowl Making A Loud Cry
Zenith High Point

How Is Vocabulary Accessed On The SAT?

The SAT question paper has undergone many changes. Before, many questions used to come from the vocabulary. Today, only fewer vocabulary questions appear in the examination. But, learning the SAT vocabulary word list PDF can help the candidate come out with good results.

parallel

All SAT terms are tricky and examiners access them in the context of reading passages. Thus, candidates will have to solve more sentences. It is not a compulsion to memorize all the SAT vocabulary words in the PDF. But students can learn from the SAT vocabulary word list PDF to get good results. They can get better results than other students by going through the list.

What Is The Format Of SAT Vocabulary Question?

Few questions will come from the Vocabulary Cartoons II SAT word power PDF. Yet, you can expect roughly seven questions from the Reading section. Candidates will have to match a word with its correct definition. To solve this section, students need to learn the synonyms of words such as “directly”, “hold”, etc. They might also have to pick a word or phrase to clarify the passage. So, read the synonyms of the words mentioned in the Vocabulary Cartoons II SAT word power PDF. This will make your SAT vocabulary words practice more efficient. Also, it will help you get good grades in the section.

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Is There Any Vocabulary on the SAT Writing?

Yes, some questions appear from vocabulary on the SAT writing. You will also find vocab questions in the Language and Writing section. This sub-section focuses on transitions, grammar, and tense. But you can also expect to get Precision questions. Only three precision questions appear in the paper. Here, you have to replace SAT vocabulary words with the words in the passage.

What are the 3 Essential Tips To Study SAT Words?

Now that you have a list, you must be wondering how to learn SAT vocabulary words in easy steps. We have mentioned three essential tips to help you understand the SAT vocabulary words.

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  • Study The Flash Cards Using The Waterfall Method

This is one of the best SAT vocabulary words practice. For this method, make flashcards, i.e., write each word on a card and create a deck. For example, you can write all the Vocabulary Cartoons II SAT word power PDF words and build a separate deck. Now split the deck into 30-50 cards each. Now choose a deck randomly and look at each card. You can create a different pile for “Know” and “Don’t Know” stacks.

Whichever SAT vocabulary words you learn in the process, put them in the “Know” file. Put the others in the “Don’t Know” pile. Repeat this process until all your cards in the “Don’t Know” pile shift to the “Know” pile. Then, repeat the same process before your examination. With this pattern, you will have the best SAT vocabulary words practice. Besides, you will beat the tough questions like a pro. 

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  • Pay More Attention To Unknown Words

Suppose you don’t have enough time to revise the complete Vocabulary Cartoons II SAT word power PDF. You can use our inventory to create a new vocab list with unknown words. You can skip the simpler terms. Concentrate on the ones you’ll have the most trouble remembering. Once you’ve compiled your list, review it using the waterfall approach.

If you don’t like paper flashcards, you can use digital flashcards instead. Several free programs use spaced-repetition software (SRS) to display more challenging cards. So, you can prepare these from online platforms. This will broaden your vocabulary. 

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  • Take SAT Practice Tests

The majority of the SAT vocabulary word list PDF words are from actual SAT practice exams. So, you may put your learning into practice by taking mock tests. After you have studied the SAT vocabulary word list PDF, take the mock test to prepare better. This allows you to check if you understand the meanings of the words. Besides, it will also help you know if you’ll answer the questions in the timed test setting. This way, you can prepare for the actual SAT examination.

How To Make The Best SAT Vocab Flashcards?

You can make your flashcards. For this, you will need 300 blank index cards. You can buy them in various colors at low prices. You can use elastic bands to keep them together. Besides, you can also use binder-clipped flash cards. These flashcards are available in ready-made versions on the market. 

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Conclusion

To sum up, these are some easy tips on learning SAT vocabulary words and memorizing them all. Vocabulary words don’t play a significant role in the SAT. Yet you’ll almost have some SAT word questions in the Reading and Writing sections. Thus, the SAT vocabulary word practice is essential to pass the exam with good results.

Making flashcards and the waterfall approach is the best SAT vocabulary word practice method. This ensures that you are familiar with the terms in your deck and not skipping any tough ones. But, if you don’t want to create flashcards, there is another way too. You can pick the difficult words and study them. No matter what method you choose, try to cover all the words. This is because all the words from the pdf come from SAT practice tests.

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Rachel Kapelke-Dale

By on May 21, 2021 in SAT

image of an open book

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
      • Spaced repetition
      • Mnemonic Devices
    • 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.”

Improve your SAT score; start your Magoosh SAT prep today

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!)

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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

categories

Question 8 of 10

Question 9 of 10

9. 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 width of problems facing working Americans consistently inspired him to action, and he ran for a Senate seat the following year. [9] 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

curious

tenacious

desperate

Question 9 of 10

Question 10 of 10

10. 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 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 [10] 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

selfless

hopeful

cheerful

Question 10 of 10

 
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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!
 

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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 Kapelke-Dale

    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!

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Получить 1500 слов для экзаменов

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GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, SSAT

Посмотреть список слов

В заданиях экзаменов SAT и ACT встречаются незнакомые слова, которые  усложняют понимание текста или вопросов. Не зная значение проверяемых слов, выбрать правильный ответ практически невозможно. Не секрет, что даже носители языка специально учат редкие слова при подготовке к образовательным экзаменам. Мы предлагаем вам уникальный ресурс — список 1500 слов, знание которых поможет вам лучше подготовиться к экзаменам.

  • Повысьте ваши шансы сдать экзамен на высокий балл за счет хорошего знания продвинутой академической лексики
  • Не тратьте время на поиск нужных слов в разных учебниках и словарях — мы проделали эту работу за вас!
  • Узнайте произношение слова, его значение и перевод — наш список содержит всю нужную информацию
  • Не отвлекайтесь на слова, которые имеют аналоги в русском языке — в этом списке их нет!
Пример из экзамена SAT

The author’s attitude toward pharming is best described as one of
 

          (A) apprehension

          (B) ambivalence

          (C) appreciation

          (D) astonishment

(The Official SAT Study Book, page 638)

Vocabulary List

Как учить новые слова?

Традиционный способ заучивания слов – зубрежка – малоэффективен. Мы предлагаем другой подход, основанный на методе ассоциативного запоминания. При таком подходе вы представляете ситуацию с новым словом, стоите ассоциацию. Для того, чтобы добиться этого эффекта, предлагаем вам запоминать не отдельное слово, а фразу из двух слов. Например, слово venom (яд) гораздо легче запомнить в фразе deadly venom (смертельный яд). Узнайте подробнее о том, как работает эта методика.

Нужные слова для экзаменов в одном списке 

Получите один компактный удобный список нужных слов, а не несколько дорогих и громоздких учебников. Наш список составлен на основе лучших учебных пособий ведущих американских издательств (Kaplan, Barrons, Princeton Review, Manhattan Prep)

Зачем смотреть каждое слово в словаре? Теперь самые нужные слова для подготовки к экзаменам вместе с транскрипцией, значением на английском языке и переводом на русский язык. 

В нашем списке только действительно редкие и нужные слова для подготовки к экзаменам. Мы внимательно отсортировали список, удалив из него те слова, которые имеют аналоги в русском языке. Наш уникальный список специально адаптирован для русскоязычных студентов.

Список 1500 слов можно использовать вместе с методикой развития лексики, разработанной в TestVerbal. Знание редких слов даст вам уверенности на экзамене. Многие задания SAT и ACT содержат сложную лексику. Подготовьтесь к экзамену с сдайте его на высокий балл! 

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