AP English Language & Composition
SAT Vocabulary Lists #1-13
This handout will review the SAT words that are commonly addressed on not only your SAT test, but also your AP
CollegeBoard test. I recommend flash cards to commit these words to memory. Further, they are also beneficial to include in
all writing in this class (e.g., blog, formal essays, timed assignments, etc.). While your Mountain Ridge list will contain
seventeen lists total, there are a total of thirteen lists for the SAT specific words. After March, the main focus on the class will
be on the AP exam. We will continue our studies of the MRHS lists after we complete the studies of the SAT words.
Lesson #1
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apathy – lack of emotion or interest
ambiguous – having more than one meaning;
vague
fervent – passionate
vagrant – a wandering homeless person; a tramp
undermine – to weaken; to wear the foundation
of
oblivious – unaware; unconscious
indifferent – not caring one way or the other;
lacking a preference; neutral
obscure – unclear; clouded; partially hidden; hard
to understand
objective – without bias (as opposed to subjective)
revere – to worship
discriminate – to differentiate; to make a clear
distinction; to see the difference
embellish – to add details; to exaggerate
denounce – to speak out against; to condemn
innovate – to be creative; to introduce something
new
stagnant – not moving
candid – honest; frank
impartial – unbiased; neutral
discern – to distinguish one thing from another
ostentatious – showing off
contentious - quarrelsome
Lesson #2
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reprove – to scold; to find fault with
pessimism – gloominess; a belief that the bad
guys always win
cursory – hasty, not thorough
profligate – extremely wasteful; wildly
extravagant
miser – someone who hoards money
jocular – joking
fracas – uproar; brawl
caricature – a satiric portrait or representation
corroborate – to confirm
precarious – dangerously unstable
expository – explanatory
bolster – to support ; to prop up
daunt – to intimidate; to discourage
inclined – tending toward one direction
uniform – constant; without variety
perceptive – having keen understanding;
discerning
superficial – shallow; on the surface only
18. lucid – clear; easy to understand (elucidate)
19. immune – safe from harm; protected
20. aesthetic – concerned with art or beauty (not the
same as ascetic)
Lesson #3
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prodigal – extravagant; wasteful
assess – to estimate the value of; to measure
deter – to prevent, especially by threatening
complacent – smug; self-satisfied; overly
confident
contempt – disdain; hatred
eloquent – speaking well; articulate
virtue – moral excellence
vital – essential; necessary
guile – cunning; deceitfulness (not the same as
guilt)
biased – prejudiced; not neutral
censor – to delete objectionable material (not the
same as censure)
vulnerable – capable of being harmed
hypocritical – insincere
eccentric – odd; unusual; quirky
disdain – contempt; intense dislike
abstract – theoretical; lacking substance (the
opposite of concrete)
valid – founded on fact or evidence
subtle – not obvious; hard to spot
enigma – mystery
inevitable – unavoidable; bound to happen
Lesson #4
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inferred – derived by reasoning; implied, as a
conclusion
diverse – varied
articulate – speaking well
apprehensive – fearful; worried
benevolent – good; king-hearted; generous
virulent – very harmful (like a virus)
pious (piety) – deadly religious
skeptical – doubting
provincial – narrow-minded; unsophisticated
resignation – acceptance of a situation (secondary
meaning)
illuminate – to light up; make clear
resolution (resolve) – determination (also: the
solution of a problem)
servile – overly submissive; cringing; like a
servant
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diligent – hard-working
refute – to disprove
anarchy – lack of government; chaos
miser – one who saves greedily
discord – disagreement
monotonous – without variety; tiresome
trivial – unimportant; insignificant
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profound (profundity) – deep; insightful
enhance – to improve; to augment
phenomenon – an observable fact or occurrence
enduring – lasting
advocate – to speak in favor of; to support
solitude – to state of being alone
tentative – temporary; not final
contemporary – living at the same time; modern
provocative (provoke) – exciting; attracting
attention
adversary – an opponent; enemy
gravity (grave) – seriousness (secondary
meaning)
banal – common; dull; ordinary
depravity – moral corruption
temper – to moderate; to soften
censure – to blame; to criticize (not the same as
censor)
extol – to praise
indulgent – pampering oneself; satisfying one’s
own desires
erratic – irregular; without direction
insipid – bland; boring; tasteless
euphony – pleasant sound
Lesson #5
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Lesson #6
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antagonist – opposition; hostility; resistance
arbitrary – subject to individual judgment
austere – severe; without frills
expedite (expedient) – to make faster or easier
heresy – an opinion violently opposed to
established beliefs
compromise – to settle by concession or
surrender
condescend – to talk down to
fallacious (fallacy) – false; untrue
intangible – abstract; not capable of being
touched or felt
arrogant – acting superior to others; snooty
compatible – able to co-exist; harmonious
dubious – doubtful
solicit – to ask for; to seek
elusive (elude) – tough to catch; hard to pin
down
facilitate – to make easier; to help
static – stationary; not moving (not the same as
radio fuzz)
ironic – satiric; unexpected
irrational – unreasonable; unpredictable
dogmatic – stubbornly opinionated
flagrant – shocking; outstandingly bad
Lesson #7
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frivolous – not serious; trivial; silly
taciturn – quiet; saying little
infamous – notorious; scandalous
redundant – repetitive; unnecessary; superfluous
authoritarian – like a dictator
exhaustive – thorough; complete
profuse – flowing freely; generous; excessive
expedient – useful for effecting a desired result
fastidious – not easy to please; overly critical
prosaic – uninspired; dull; banal
philanthropy – a desire to help mankind
languid – slow; tired; drooping; weak
astute – perceptive; clever
authentic – real; genuine
brevity – briefness
relevant – pertinent; important to know
incoherent – impossible to understand; chaotic
mitigate – to make milder; to make less severe
reprehensible – shameful; bad
augment – to add; to increase; to make bigger
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engender – to create; to produce
deride (derision) – to ridicule; to make fun of
acclaim – praise; applause; admiration
lethargic – tired; languid; weak
fanatic – one who is very devoted to a cause or an
idea
novel – new; unusual (secondary meaning)
solemn – serious; grave
ambivalent – undecided
reticent – quiet; uncommunicative; taciturn
ferver – passion; zeal; great enthusiasm
scanty – inadequate; minimal
dispassionate – free from passion or spirit
pragmatic – practical
didactic – instructive
deference (defer) – a show of respect
alleviate – to lighten or relieve
vacillate – to waiver between choices
endorse – to approve of; to give support to
conspicuous – easily seen; out in the open
negligence – carelessness; neglect; indifference
Lesson #8
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Lesson #9
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ephemeral – short-lived; fleeting; transitory
relegate – to dismiss; to an inferior person
futile – hopeless; worthless; useless
condone – to forgive; to overlook
tranquility – calmness
dissent – disagreement
conciliate – to soothe; to end a dispute; to
reconcile
8. incessant – unceasing; never ending
9. disparity – inequality; difference
10. disparage – to speak badly of; to belittle
11. conventional – ordinary; customary; normal;
traditional
12. rigor – harshness or severity
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auspicious – favorable; positive
universal – existing or present everywhere
fickle – unpredictable; capricious; whimsical
furtive – secretive
remorse – sadness; regret
repress – to hold down
gullible – overly trusting; willing to believe
anything
20. respite – a rest; a pause; a break
Lesson #12
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Lesson #10
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scrutinize – to examine closely
coalesce – to come together; to merge; to join
orthodox – standard; commonly accepted;
conventional (not just in religion)
innate – inborn; inherited
preclude – to prevent; to make impossible
efface – to erase; to wipe out
marred – damaged; bruised
ameliorate – to make better; to improve
prodigious – of enormous quantity or size
concise – briefly and clearly stated
immutable – unchanging; permanent
stoic – indifferent to pleasure and pain; brave
innocuous – harmless
indolence – laziness
benign – harmless
tedious – boring; painstaking
amiable – friendly
laud – to praise
caustic – burning; uncomplimentary
atrophy – to waste away from lack of use
Lesson #11
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meander – to wander randomly
instigate – to start trouble
heed – to obey
virtuoso – an accomplished musician
predecessor – the person who came before
another
deplete – to use up; to reduce
compliant – submissive; obedient
inadvertent – accidental; unintentional
acquiesce – to agree finally; to go along with
something
levity – humor
belittle – to put down; to disparage
extraneous – irrelevant; extra; unnecessary
digress – to stray from the subject
emulate – to copy something admired; to imitate
appease – to make peace with; to satisfy
sage (sagacious) – a wise person
nostalgic – yearning for the good old days
assuage – to soothe
saccharine – overly sweet
stanza – a section of a poem
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jeopardy – danger
supercilious – haughty; arrogant
avarice – greed
pivotal – important; critical; crucial
blithe – free-spirited; carefree
scrupulous – careful; diligent; moral
volatile – changeable; unstable; explosive
voluminous – very large; spacious
peripheral – on the edge; surrounding;
unimportant
hedonistic – pleasure-seeking; indulgent
amity – friendship
benefactor – a generous donor; someone who
helps
apocryphal – a doubtful origin; mythical
slander – to defame; to speak maliciously of
someone
animosity – hatred
stringent – strict; harsh; severe
hackneyed – banal; over-used
amass – to accumulate; to pile up
verbose – wordily; overly talkative
trepidation – fear
Lesson #13
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desecrate – to profane a holy place
fortuitous – accidental; happening by chance or
luck
vehement – urgent; passionate; forceful
credulous – gullible; overly trusting
blasphemy – heretical departure from accepted
practice
lax – careless; not diligent; relaxed
cryptic – mysterious; puzzling; enigmatic
hinder – to obstruct
esoteric – understood only by a select few
pretentious – pompous; self-important
incongruous – not fitting in; out of place
unprecedented – occurring for the first time;
novel; never seen before
merger – a joining; a uniting
pedestrian – common; ordinary; banal (secondary
meaning)
prudent – careful; cautious
exemplary – outstanding; settling a great
example
sycophant – a book licker; a brownnoser
neutral – unbiased; not taking sides; objective
rescind – to repeal; to take back; formally
retract – to take back (e.g., a statement)