SAT Vocabulary List

 

Word list 01

Group 1

Abhor	hate
Bigot	narrow-minded, prejudiced person
Counterfeit	fake; false
Enfranchise	give voting rights
Hamper	hinder; obstruct
Kindle	to start a fire
Noxious	harmful; poisonous; lethal
Placid	calm; peaceful
Remuneration	payment for work done
Talisman	lucky charm

Group 2

Abrasive	rough; coarse; harsh
Bilk	cheat; defraud
Covert	hidden; undercover
Engender	cause
Hangar	storage area (like garage) for a plane
Knotty	complex; difficult to solve
Nuance	something subtle; a fine shade of meaning
Plagiarism	taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
Renown	fame
Tangent	going off the main subject

Group 3

Abasement	humiliation; degradation
Billowing	swelling; fluttering; waving
Cower	recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from
Enhance	improve; make better or clearer
Harangue	noisy, attacking speech
Labyrinth	a maze
Nullify	to counter; make unimportant
Plaintiff	petitioner (in court of law)
Replete	full
Tangible	can be touched

Group 4

Abrogate	cancel; deny; repeal
Blasphemy	speech which offends religious sentiments
Credible	believable
Enigma	puzzle; mystery
Harbingers	indicators; bringers of warnings
Labyrinthine	complicated; highly convoluted
Nuzzle	cuddle; snuggle
Plaudit	statement giving strong praise
Reprehensible	shameful; very bad
Tardy	slow; late; overdue; delayed

Group 5

Absolution	forgiveness; pardon; release
Blatant	obvious
Creditable	praiseworthy
Ensconce	establish firmly in a position
Hasten	hurry; accelerate; rush
Laceration	a cut
Obdurate	stubborn
Plausible	can be believed; reasonable
Reprieve	a respite; postponement of a sentence
Tawdry	of little value; gaudy

Group 6

Abstain	desist; go without; withdraw
Blighted	damaged; destroyed; ruined
Credulous	gullible; ready to believe anything
Enshroud	cover
Haughtiness	arrogance; pride
Lachrymose	tearful; sad
Obfuscate	deliberately make something difficult to understand
Plethora	an excess
Repudiate	shun; eschew
Tedium	boredom

Group 7

Abstemious	self denying; refraining from indulging
Blithe	free-spirited; carefree
Crepuscular	active at dawn and dusk
Enunciation	clear pronunciation; accent; articulation
Headstrong	stubborn; willful
Lackluster	dull; monotonous; bland
Objective	unbiased; not subjective
Pliable	flexible; not stubborn
Rescind	retract; repeal
Temper	to moderate; soften

Group 8

Abstruse	difficult to understand; obscure
Blunderbuss	1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person
Cringe	recoil; flinch; shy away
Envenom	to cause bitterness and bad feeling
Hedonism	self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Laconic	using few words; brief; to the point
Oblique	indirect; slanting
Plumage	feathers of a bird
Resignation	acceptance of fate
Tenacious	stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose

Group 9

Accolade	tribute; honor; praise
Bolster	support; prop up
Cryptic	puzzling; enigmatic
Ephemeral	short-lived
Hedonist	a pleasure seeker
Lamentation	expression of regret or sorrow
Obliterate	destroy; demolish; eradicate
Plummet	fall suddenly and steeply
Resolution	determination
Tentative	not certain

Group 10

Acquiesce	to agree to; give in to
Bombast	arrogant, pompous language
Curtail	cut short
Epicure	someone who appreciates good food and drink
Heed	listen to
Lampoon	ridicule; spoof
Oblivious	totally unaware
Podium	raised platform
Resonant	echoing
Tenuous	flimsy; not solid Word list 02 Group 1 Acrid sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) Boorish ill-mannered Cynical believing that people act only out of selfish motives Epistle a letter (form of communication) Heresy against orthodox opinion Lance spear; spike; javelin Obscure difficult to understand; partially hidden Poignant deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions Respite a break; intermission Terse concise; to the point Back to top Group 2 Acrophobia fear of heights Bourgeois middle class Debility weakness; incapacity Epistolary concerned with letters; through correspondence Hiatus interruption; pause Languid tired; slow Obscured hidden; covered; buried Poised calm; collected; self-possessed Resplendent shining; glowing Therapeutic medicinal; curative Back to top Group 3 Acuity sharpness (mental or visual) Braggart someone who boasts Debunking exposing false claims or myths Epitomized typified; characterized; personified Hidebound rigid in opinions Languish decay; fade away; get weaker Obsequious servile; submissive Polemical causing debate or argument Restorative a tonic Thwart prevent; frustrate Back to top Group 4 Adamant forceful; inflexible Brawny muscular Decathlon an athletic competition with ten events Equivocate speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth Hieroglyphics 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic Larceny theft; robbery; stealing Obsession a dominating concern Ponderous weighty; slow and heavy Retention preservation; withholding Timorous cowardly; fearful Back to top Group 5 Adroit skilful Brevity being brief Decorum dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] Err make a mistake Hinder obstruct Largess generosity Obsolete no longer valid Pontificate speak pompously or dogmatically Reticent restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative Tirade stream of verbal abuse Back to top Group 6 Adulation strong admiration; worship Bristle to show irritation Decoy lure; trap; trick Erratic wandering; irregular Histrionic theatrical; exaggerated Laud praise Obstreperous noisy and boisterous Portend foretell Retraction withdrawal; cancellation of a statement Titter giggle quietly Back to top Group 7 Adversity hardship Broach start to discuss; approach Deference respect Esoteric obscure and difficult to understand Hoary old Lavish on a grand scale; wasteful Obtuse mentally dull Portent a warning sign; omen Revere worship Tome large book Back to top Group 8 Advocate support Brusque blunt; abrupt Defoliate cause leaves to fall off Espouse promote; take up; support Hone sharpen; increase; whet Lax careless; not strict Obviate avoid; make unnecessary Poseur someone who puts on an act Riddled full of (usually full of holes) Torpid inactive; lazy; stagnant Back to top Group 9 Aesthetic concerning art or beauty Bulwark fortification; barricade; wall Defunct no longer in existence Etymology the study of word origins Hyperbole grossly exaggerated speech Legend 1. key to map; 2. myth or story Odious hateful Posterity future generations Rife common Torpor dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity Back to top Group 10 Affable friendly; social; easygoing Bureaucracy officialdom Degradation deprivation; poverty; debasement Eulogy praise Hypochondriac a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses Legion in large numbers Officious domineering; intrusive; meddlesome Posthumous after death Rigor thoroughness Totter walk unsteadily Word list 03 Group 1 Alacrity eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness Burgeon grow; flourish; put forth new shoots Deleterious harmful Euphemism a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant Hypocritical insincere Lethargic tired; without energy Ogle stare at; observe in an obvious manner Postulate hypothesize; propose Robust strong; healthy; tough Tractable obedient; dutiful; polite Back to top Group 2 Alchemy medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold Burnish polish Deliberate to think over deeply Euphony pleasant sounds Iconoclast person who opposes orthodoxy Levity flippancy; joking about serious matters Olfactory concerned with the sense of smell Potable suitable for drinking Rotund round Tranquil peaceful Back to top Group 3 Alibi an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene Buttress strengthen; support Delineation demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining Evacuate vacate; empty; abandon Idiosyncrasy a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual Libertarian someone who opposes tyranny Ominous threatening Potent powerful; compelling; strong Ruminate think over something; ponder Transcribe copy Back to top Group 4 Allay to lessen Byline the line that tells you who wrote an article Demur hesitate; refuse Exacerbate make worse Ignominious shameful Liniment soothing lotion Omnipotent all-powerful Pragmatic practical Ruse trick; stratagem Transgress go astray; disobey; commit a sin Back to top Group 5 Alleviate make less severe Cacophony discordant loud noises Denounce condemn; speak out against Exasperated frustrated; annoyed Ignominy shame [ignominious (a) = shameful] Lithe flexible; supple Omniscient all-knowing Pragmatist practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness Saccharin falsely sweet Transient short-lived; ephemeral Back to top Group 6 Aloof distant; detached; cold Cajole coax Deplete use up; lessen Exceptionable very bad (something which we should object to) Illuminate to light up or make clear Livid very angry Onerous burdensome; hard to undertake Preamble introductory material Sacrosanct very holy; inviolable Traverse to move across Back to top Group 7 Altruism putting others first; being self-sacrificing Caldron huge cooking pot Deplore regret Exculpate free someone from blame; pardon; acquit Illusory deceptive; false; misleading Lobbyist person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause Onus burden Precarious unstable; risky Sagacious wise Trepidation fear Back to top Group 8 Amass accumulate Callow immature Depravity moral corruption Execrable very, very bad Immoderate excessive; extreme Lofty snooty; arrogant; haughty Opaque does not let light through Precedent a previous occurrence used as a guide Sage a wise person Trinket something of little value; knick-knack Back to top Group 9 Ambiguity uncertainty; vagueness Candid frank; honest Deprecate criticize; denounce Exegesis scholarly explanation or interpretation Immutable unchanging; permanent Longevity long life Opulent wealthy; rich; magnificent Precept guiding principle Salacious lecherous; erotic Trite unoriginal; dull Back to top Group 10 Ambiguous unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways Candor frankness; openness Deride ridicule; make fun of; mock Exemplary outstandingly good; setting a fine example Impartial unbiased; neutral Loquacious talkative Ordain 1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest Precinct district of a city Sallow yellowish Trivial unimportant