SAT Vocabulary

(extracted from current studying)
SAT Vocab:

aesthete – one who appreciated and seeks beauty
acme – the highest point, as of achievement or development
alacrity – cheerful readiness
amalgam – an alloy of mercury with another metal used in making dental cements; a mixture of different elements
anathema – a solemn curse; a person or thing accursed; one intensely disliked
apex – the highest point
aphorism – a wise saying; an adage; a maxim
arable – able to be cultivated; farmable
arboreal – relating to trees
archaic – having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses; belonging to an earlier time
ascetic – practicing self-denial especially for spiritual reasons
auspicious – foretelling well for the future
avant-garde – cutting-edge; new; experimental
aversion – a feeling of repugnance for something with a desire to avoid it; something decidedly disliked
behemoth – a huge animal; something of great size or power
bequest – a gift upon one’s death
bevy – a large group or collection; a group of animals and especially quail
bilk – cheat; swindle
breadth – a range or scope
brook – to endure; to put up with
Byzantine – intricately involved and often devious
capacious – able to contain much
celerity - cheerful speed
cerebral – intellectual
chagrin – embarrassment
circumlocutary - the use of unnecessary words in expressing an idea
circumscribe – to constrict the range of activity of; to draw a line around
circumvent – to check or defeat especially by stratagem
cloying – oversweet; saccharine
colluding – secret agreement or cooperation for an illegal or deceitful purpose
commodious – comfortably spacious; cozy
convivial – enjoying companionship and the pleasures of feasting and drinking
decorous – having propriety
denuded – made ineffective or infertile
desultory – aimless; lacking a plan or purpose
didactic – relating to instruction, lecturing
dilatory – lacking goals or purpose; aimless
dirge – funeral song
discretionary – based on personal choice; showing prudence
edifice – building
effacing – to obliterate or obscure by or as if by rubbing out
effigy – a crude likeness of a loathed person
effusive – gushing forth; unrestrained utterance
egregious – blatantly wrong
elicit – to draw out or forth
emollient – a soothing lotion
empirical – based on data, evidence, and/or experiments
enervate – to drain of energy; to weaken
espouse – to support
execrable – extremely inferior
execrated – to declare to be hateful or abhorrent
expurgate – to delete obscene or other undesirable material from a text
extant – existing
felicitous – suitable; pleasant
fervidly – very hot
galvanize – to incite; to arouse to action
harbinger – a messenger; an omen
hermetic – sealed in an airtight manner
histrionic – over theatrical; melodramatic
hubris – excessive pride
inchoate – not fully formed
incisive – harsh; cutting; vitriolic
incumbent – one who holds political office
indelible – unable to be erased; permanent
ineffable – incapable of expression in words
inexorable – steadfast; resolute
insular – isolated; remote
intemperate – excessive; immoderate
interlocutor – one who participates in conversation or dialogue
jingoism – aggressive touting of one’s patriotism
jocular – marked by jesting
juggernaut – relentless force
juxtapose – to place things side by side for the sake of comparing
lavish – to expend or give freely
legion – a very large number
leviathan – a large sea animal; something large or formidable
licentious – morally lax
milieu – environment
myopic – short-sighted
nihilism – a philosophical belief involving the rejection of established values and morality
obdurate – stubbornly resistant
oblique – indirect; slanted
occlusion – obstruct; to come together with opposing surfaces in contact
obfuscation – to obscure the meaning of
olfactory – relating to the sense of smell
onerous – burdensome
opprobrium – disgrace, disapproval
ostensible – apparent
panacea – a cure-all
partisan – biased; opinionated
pedagogic – relating to education; instructive
pedantic – narrowly or pretentiously learned
perfidious – disloyal; traitorous
philistine - a person who is smugly insensitive or indifferent to intellectual or artistic values
plaudits – applause; praise
pontificate – to speak in a supercilious and self-important manner
pragmatist – a practical person
precept – a rule of behavior or action
precipitate – to hurry up; to make happen before planned
predilection – an established preference for something
prescience – advanced knowledge; foresight; anticipation
probity – honesty; integrity
profligate – extravagant to a fault; prodigal
promulgate – to make known, formally, a law or set of beliefs
punctilious – marked by precise accordance with codes or conventions
pundits – erudite (learned, scholarly) persons
quagmire – soft miry land that yields under the foot
quixotic – romantic or dreamy
quotidian – daily; commonplace; ordinary
refractory – stubborn
rescind – to take back; to withdraw
reticent – tending not to talk or give out information
serendipity – faculty of benefiting (e.g. finding valuable objects) by random chance
sedentary – characterized by or requiring much sitting
spate – an outpouring
specious – false, not authentic; spurious
sundry – several; divers; various
supplant – to replace; to substitute for
surfeit – a surplus, an oversupply
sybarite – a pleasure-loving person
synergistic – working together and having a greater combined effect because of simultaneous operation
temerity – reckless boldness
tortuous – marked by twists or turns
truculent – belligerent
unctuous – inky, oily
untenable – unable to be defended
vaunt – to brag or boast
venial – forgivable; pardonable
verdant – green, lush
verisimilitude – probability; something that has the appearance of truth
vestigial – extremely small
victuals – food
vignette – a brief written description
visceral – relating to the abdomen; instinctive rather than reasoned
vitiate – to impair; to render ineffective
vitriolic – harsh, biting, caustic
Zephyr – a light breeze