Antiquated to Vivid
 Obsolete; out-of-fashion; no
longer
usable
 These days sending out mail by “snail
mail” is antiquated; most people use email.
 Fit
for plowing; tillable
 The world has lost nearly one-third of its
arable land over the past 40 years,
largely because farming and other
human activities have dramatically
accelerated soil erosion.
 Domination; growing
 His
power
ascendancy to the presidency
surprised many who thought a one-term
senator would not be able to win.
 To
waste away; to wither
 Verb: If you do not exercise your bones
are likely to atrophy from lack of use.
 Noun: The atrophy of her knees caused
her to walk with difficulty.
 Secret; furtive
 He
had a clandestine plan in motion to
surprise his wife for his birthday.
 To
reconcile; pacify; to renew a
friendship
I
made my mom cookies as a
conciliatory gesture after our argument.
 Superficial; casual; hastily
 To
done
save time when you are on the critical
reading section of the SAT, first give a
cursory glance to the questions before
reading the passage.
 Scoffing
 The
at; mockery; ridicule
teen was distraught by the derision
she was receiving from her former
friends and decided to go to her
counselor.
 Absolute
hatred
 It is unhealthy to hold enmity toward
someone; it is wiser to try to forgive and
forget.
 To
free; to disentangle
 Our military commanders are finding it
difficult to extricate our country from the
Iraq/Afghanistan wars.
 Patience; lenience
 Americans
are not known for their
forbearance; we are a nation who likes
immediate results.
 Lacking
in seriousness or importance
 Do not be angry at your sister for such a
frivolous reason as her eating the last of
the cereal.
 Talkative; rambling
 You
need to be garrulous to be an
effective sales spokesperson on an
inf0mercial.
 Violent, hasty, rash, impulsive
 Sometimes
talk radio hosts and
announcers get fired for being too
impetuous and saying something
controversial.
 Skillfully
busy or occupied
 We were industrious during the holiday
break and did all of our holiday
shopping.
 Having
a reputation of the worst kind,
vicious, notoriously bad
 Lindsay Lohan is an infamous celebrity,
known now more for her drinking than
her acting.
 Insulting
or contemptuous behavior
 I will not put up with your insolence; go to
your room!
 Excessive
frivolity; flippancy
 A little levity in the classroom is all
right; but too much can be a
classroom management nightmare.
 State
of being forgotten
 Old family cemeteries are beginning to
fade into oblivion; it is much more
common for people to be buried in large,
public cemeteries.
 Something
that appears contradictory
or false but is actually true
 For thirteen years, in the late
nineteenth century, Clarence King
lived a paradoxical double life, one as
a bachelor white man and one as a
married black man.
 False
testimony under oath
 The witness could not remember the
details, but did not want to be accused of
perjury.
 Deep-seated
hatred; ill-will; enmity
 The terrorists’ rancor for American
culture is hard to understand.
A
self-serving flatterer; a brown-noser
 I know you want an A, but don’t be such a
sycophant; you are making us look bad.
 Changing; fluctuating
I
wish I wasn’t so indecisive; I vacillate
between choices all the time—even at
the grocery store.
 Bright, distinct, clear
 The
colors in the painting were so vivid I
thought it was a photograph.