Word list 1 Group 3 Group 1 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) 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 Replete full Talisman lucky charm Tangible can be touched Group 4 Abrasive rough; coarse; harsh Abrogate cancel; deny; repeal Bilk cheat; defraud Blasphemy speech which offends religious sentiments Covert hidden; undercover Credible believable Engender cause Enigma puzzle; mystery Hangar storage area (like garage) for a plane Harbingers indicators; bringers of warnings Knotty complex; difficult to solve Labyrinthine complicated; highly convoluted Nuance something subtle; a fine shade of meaning Plagiarism taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas Nuzzle cuddle; snuggle Renown fame Plaudit statement giving strong praise Tangent going off the main subject Reprehensible shameful; very bad Tardy slow; late; overdue; delayed Group 5 Group 7 Absolution forgiveness; pardon; release Abstemious self denying; refraining from indulging Blatant obvious Blithe free-spirited; carefree Creditable praiseworthy Crepuscular active at dawn and dusk Ensconce establish firmly in a position Enunciation clear pronunciation; accent; articulation Hasten hurry; accelerate; rush Headstrong stubborn; willful Laceration a cut Lackluster dull; monotonous; bland Obdurate stubborn Objective unbiased; not subjective Plausible can be believed; reasonable Pliable flexible; not stubborn Reprieve a respite; postponement of a sentence Rescind retract; repeal Tawdry of little value; gaudy Temper to moderate; soften Group 6 Group 8 Abstain desist; go without; withdraw Abstruse difficult to understand; obscure Blighted damaged; destroyed; ruined Blunderbuss 1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person Credulous gullible; ready to believe anything Cringe recoil; flinch; shy away Enshroud cover Envenom to cause bitterness and bad feeling Haughtiness arrogance; pride Hedonism self indulgence; pleasure-seeking Lachrymose tearful; sad Laconic using few words; brief; to the point Obfuscate deliberately make something difficult to understand Oblique indirect; slanting Plethora an excess Plumage feathers of a bird Repudiate shun; eschew Resignation acceptance of fate Tedium boredom Tenacious stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose 9 Word list 2 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 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 Group 2 Acquiesce to agree to; give in to Bombast arrogant, pompous language Curtail cut short Epicure someone who appreciates good food and drink Heed Acrophobia fear of heights Bourgeois middle class Debility weakness; incapacity Epistolary concerned with letters; through correspondence listen to Hiatus interruption; pause Lampoon ridicule; spoof Languid tired; slow Oblivious totally unaware Obscured hidden; covered; buried Podium raised platform Poised calm; collected; self-possessed Resonant echoing Resplendent shining; glowing Tenuous flimsy; not solid Therapeutic medicinal; curative 9 Group 3 Group 5 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 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 Group 4 Group 6 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 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 Group 7 Group 9 Adversity hardship Aesthetic concerning art or beauty Broach start to discuss; approach Bulwark fortification; barricade; wall Deference respect Defunct no longer in existence Esoteric obscure and difficult to understand Etymology the study of word origins Hoary old Hyperbole grossly exaggerated speech Lavish on a grand scale; wasteful Legend 1. key to map; 2. myth or story Obtuse mentally dull Odious hateful Portent a warning sign; omen Posterity future generations Revere worship Rife common Tome large book Torpor dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity Group 8 Group 10 Advocate support Affable friendly; social; easygoing Brusque blunt; abrupt Bureaucracy officialdom Defoliate cause leaves to fall off Degradation deprivation; poverty; debasement Espouse promote; take up; support Eulogy praise Hone sharpen; increase; whet Hypochondriac a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses Lax careless; not strict Legion in large numbers Obviate avoid; make unnecessary Officious domineering; intrusive; meddlesome Poseur someone who puts on an act Posthumous after death Riddled full of (usually full of holes) Rigor thoroughness Torpid inactive; lazy; stagnant Totter walk unsteadily 9 9 9 Word list 3 Group 3 Group 1 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 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 Group 4 Group 2 Allay to lessen Byline the line that tells you who wrote an article Demur hesitate; refuse Exacerbate make worse Ignominious shameful flippancy; joking about serious matters Liniment soothing lotion Olfactory concerned with the sense of smell Omnipotent all-powerful Potable suitable for drinking Pragmatic practical Rotund round Ruse trick; stratagem Tranquil peaceful Transgress go astray; disobey; commit a sin 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 Group 5 Group 7 Alleviate make less severe Altruism putting others first; being self-sacrificing Cacophony discordant loud noises Caldron huge cooking pot Denounce condemn; speak out against Deplore regret Exasperated frustrated; annoyed Exculpate free someone from blame; pardon; acquit Ignominy shame [ignominious (a) = shameful] Illusory deceptive; false; misleading Lithe flexible; supple Lobbyist person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause Omniscient all-knowing Onus burden Pragmatist practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness Precarious unstable; risky Saccharin falsely sweet Sagacious wise Transient short-lived; ephemeral Trepidation fear Group 6 Group 8 Aloof distant; detached; cold Amass accumulate Cajole coax Callow immature Deplete use up; lessen Depravity moral corruption Exceptionable very bad (something which we should object to) Execrable very, very bad Illuminate to light up or make clear Immoderate excessive; extreme Livid very angry Lofty snooty; arrogant; haughty Onerous burdensome; hard to undertake Opaque does not let light through Preamble introductory material Precedent a previous occurrence used as a guide Sacrosanct very holy; inviolable Sage a wise person Traverse to move across Trinket something of little value; knick-knack 9 Word list 4 Group 9 Ambiguity uncertainty; vagueness Group 1 Candid frank; honest Ambivalence lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided Deprecate criticize; denounce Cantankerous bad-tempered; quarrelsome Exegesis scholarly explanation or interpretation Derogatory uncomplimentary Immutable unchanging; permanent Exemplify to serve as a good example Longevity long life Impecunious having no money Opulent wealthy; rich; magnificent Lucid clear Precept guiding principle Ornate highly decorated Salacious lecherous; erotic Precipice steep slope Trite unoriginal; dull Salubrious health-giving Truant shirker; someone absent without permission 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 Group 2 Ambulatory able to walk around (used of hospital patients) Capacious spacious Desecrate to damage or pollute a holy place Exhaustive complete and thorough Impious wicked; profane Ludicrous ridiculous; silly Orthodox conventional Precipitous done in a hurry Salutary something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial Truncate cut short Group 3 Group 5 Ameliorate make better Amiable friendly Capitulate surrender; give in to Cartographer person who makes maps Desecration spoiling something holy Despondent having no hope; miserable Exonerates acquits; absolves; removes blame Expatriate refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country Impoverished destitute; poor Inadvertent not intentional Lukewarm 1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold Luscious juicy; moist; succulent Ossify 1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid Oust push out of a position Preclude prevent or make impossible Predecessor one who came before Sanctimonious hypocritically holy Sanguinary bloodthirsty; bloody Tumult uproar; noise Tyro novice; beginner Group 4 Group 6 Amelioration improvement Amity friendship Carping constant criticism Castigate scold strongly Desist stop; discontinue; cease Destitution hardship; poverty; misery Exorcism getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons) Expedient convenient; practical Impromptu unrehearsed; spontaneous Incantation chant; invocation; prayer Lummox clumsy person Lynch assassinate; kill; illegal hanging Ostentatious showy Overt obvious; not hidden Precocious developing early Predicament dilemma; difficult situation Sanction give approval to Sanguine optimistic; cheerful Turpitude depravity Ubiquitous found everywhere; omnipresent Group 7 Group 9 Amorphous lacking in shape Analogous comparable Catharsis purging of pent-up emotions Caustic burning Deter put off; prevent Detrimental harmful Expedite make faster Extol praise Incarceration putting in prison Incipient just beginning Machinations plots and plans Magnanimous generous; big-hearted Overwrought worked up; in an emotional state Palisade fence made of posts Preeminent famous; outstanding Prescient having fore-knowledge Sardonic mocking Scale to climb Unalloyed undiluted; total Undermined damaged; attacked Group 8 Group 10 Analgesic medicine to combat pain Anarchy chaos; lack of government Caucus type of private political meeting Cavalcade procession of vehicles Deteriorate worsen; decline Devoured greedily eaten/consumed Exposition clear explanation Extradite deport from one country back to the home country Incessant without stopping Inclination tendency; a leaning toward Maelstrom whirlpool; storm in the ocean Magnate powerful businessman Palatable good to eat; agreeable Palliative a remedy that improves but doesn't cure Prerogative right or privilege Presentiment a feeling that something might happen Savant person with knowledge Scapegoat person on whom blame is placed for faults of others Unctuous oily; using excessive flattery Underscore emphasize 9 9 9 Word list 5 Group 3 Group 1 Annex (n) a building which is an addition to an existing building Censure blame Didactic intended to teach; instructive Extrinsic irrelevant; on the outside Inconsequential unimportant; insignificant; negligible Malediction a curse Panacea remedy for all ills Prevaricate speak misleadingly and evasively Scuttle sink Unfrock to remove a priest from his position Anecdote a brief amusing story Celerity speed Dexterous skilful with hands Extraneous irrelevant Incoherent not clear Maladroit clumsy; unskillful Pallid pale Presumptuous assuming too much; arrogant Scrupulous careful; diligent; painstaking Unequivocal clear; obvious Group 4 Group 2 Animosity hatred; antagonism Censorious disapproving; critical Dichotomy a division into two parts Extrapolate extend; predict on the basis of known data Incongruous not fitting in; out of place Malady illness Palpable easily felt; easily perceived Pretentious pompous; self-important Scrutinize examine carefully Unfetter set free Annex (v) take possession of; seize; capture Cerebral intellectual Diffident lacking confidence Fallacious false Inconspicuous not easily seen; subtle; not noticeable Malefactor a wrong-doer Paradigm 1. example; 2. model; 3. way of looking at things Pristine unspoiled Seminary an institution in which priests are trained Unprecedented never having happened before Group 5 Group 7 Anomaly something which does not fit in a pattern; irregularity Antagonistic opposed; hostile; aggressive Certitude certainty Chary wary of; cautious about; reluctant to give Digress wander off the subject Dilatory slow; falling behind with one's work Falter hesitate; waver Fanaticism passion; excessive devotion Indelible cannot be wiped out Indigenous native to a particular area Malinger deliberately avoid work; shirk Malleable flexible; can be shaped Paradox apparently contradictory statement Paramount of supreme importance Proclivity tendency towards Prodigal wasteful; extravagant Sensuous appealing to the senses Sequester isolate Unscathed unharmed; intact; without a scratch Upbraid scold; tell off; reprimand Group 8 Group 6 Antagonism hostility; strong opposition Antediluvian outdated; prehistoric; very old-fashioned Charlatan trickster who claims knowledge he doesn't have Chastises punishes Dike dam; embankment Dilemma puzzling situation Fanatical obsessive; fixated Fastidious overly particular; finicky Indifferent 1. neutral; 2. not outstanding Indolence laziness Malingerer person who deliberately tries to avoid work Mallet 1. wooden hammer; 2. stick used for polo Paragon a perfect example Parasite 1. scrounger; 2. animal which takes digested food from another Procrastinate delay; put off Prodigious very large Sentinel guard; sentry Serendipity fortunate coincidence; unsought discovery Unwitting not deliberate; unconscious Uproarious hilarious; hysterical; very funny 9 Word list 6 Group 9 Anthology a book which is a collection of poems or stories Chicanery trickery Dilettante person who dabbles in a subject without serious study Fatuous silly; foolish Inductee novice; beginner Manipulatable influencable; controllable Parched dried up Profane unholy Serene calm; peaceful Upshot outcome Group 10 Group 1 Antiquated outdated; old fashioned Choleric easily angered Diorama model of a scene Fecund fertile Inebriation drunkenness; intoxication Marshal to gather together Parity equality Profound having deep meaning Servile overly submissive; groveling Usurp take someone's position (usually by force) Group 2 Anthropocentrism putting man at the center of one's philosophy Chimerical changeable; unstable Diligent hard-working Feasible possible and practicable Indulgent pampering; satisfying desires Marred damaged; spoiled Pariah an outcast from society Profanity swearing; cursing Serrated Urbane Apathetic indifferent; uninterested; lethargic Chronicler person who records historical information Dirge mournful song Felicitous apt Ineffable cannot be expressed in words Marsupial pouched mammal (like a kangaroo) Parochial narrow-minded; concerned only with local matters Profundity depth jagged; saw-like Skeptical doubting; not gullible sophisticated; suave Utilitarian useful 9 Group 3 Group 5 Apathy lack of interest or emotion Appease pacify; soothe; calm down; make peace with Circuitous indirect Circumscribe limit Disapprobation disapproval Discord disagreement Fervor passion; enthusiasm Finesse skill Inept incompetent; unskilled; useless Inevitable cannot be avoided Martinet person who believes in strict discipline Matriarchy society governed by women Parody a mockery; imitation for ridicule; spoof Parsimonious economical; frugal; thrifty Proletarian member of the working class Proponents promoters; supporters Skirmish minor battle Smelt refine an ore Utopian a believer in an ideal world Vacuous empty; silly; meaningless Group 4 Group 6 Apocryphal of doubtful origin Apprehensive worried; fearful Circumlocution using too many words; long-windedness Circumspect cautious; considering all sides Discern to distinguish one thing from another Discordancy cacophony; harshness; jarring Fickle unpredictable; whimsical; easily swayed Fitful not continuous; stopping and starting Inertia inactivity; lethargy Inexorable relentless Masochist person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself Maverick a loner Parry ward off; avoid Parsimony stinginess; frugality; cost-cutting Prolific producing a lot Prosaic dull; boring; ordinary Sluggard slow-moving; lethargic person Smorgasbord a Swedish buffet of cold dishes Vacillate waver; hesitate Vagrant person wandering without a home Group 7 Group 9 Arable can be cultivated Arcane obscure; known only to a few people Circumvent avoid Clamor shout; scream Discrepancy something which does not match up; inconsistency Discursiveness long windedness; indirectness Flagrant clearly wrong Flaunt show off; display in a showy manner Inexpedient not advisable Infamous famous for something bad Meager in short supply Mellow soft; melodious; ripe Partisan biased; one-sided; committed to one group Patron one who give support (usually financial) Proscribe forbid Prostration 1. lying face down; 2. be overcome with extreme weakness Solace comfort for grief Somnambulist sleepwalker Vapid dull; uninspiring Vehemence violence; fervor; forcefulness Group 8 Group 10 Arbitrary random; for no definite reason Archaic ancient; outdated; old fashioned Clairvoyant psychic; mystic Clandestine secret; covert; stealthy Discriminate to make a clear distinction; see the difference Disdain contempt; strong dislike Flamboyant showy; ornate Flippant making jokes about serious matters Infallible perfect; flawless; cannot make mistakes Infer deduce; conclude Meander wander from side to side Menagerie collection of animals Pathos evoking sadness or pity Patronize condescend to; behave in an arrogant manner towards Prosody study of versification Protagonist main character in film, book, play etc. Solicit to ask for; seek Soothsayer fortuneteller Variegated multicolored; speckled Vehement forceful Advanced vocabulary development Ages 16+ PSAT 9 9 Group 9 3 Word list 7 Articulate clear; lucid; eloquent Group 1 Clientele customers Disparity an inequality Fly-by-night unreliable; disreputable Inimical hostile Mercurial volatile; changeable Pedant person who insists on strict adherence to rules or narrow learning Archetype classic example of Clemency mercy Disinterested unbiased Flout defy; reject Ingénue naïve, unsophisticated person Mendacious given to lying Paucity shortage Protocol procedure; code of behavior Protean changeable Sparse spare; bare; meager Sophomoric juvenile; immature Venerate revere; worship Venal corrupt; can be bribed Group 4 Group 2 Artifice deception; trickery Coalesce come together; merge Dispassionate neutral; objective worked-up; not calm Forensic concerned with argument or debate (esp. for legal evidence) Ingrate ungrateful person Innate inherited; inborn Mercenary concerned only with money Merge come together Peccadillo minor weakness; trivial offence Pedestrian common; mundane; banal Protégé person under protection of, or guided by another Provincial unsophisticated; narrow-minded Soporific inducing sleep Veneer surface coating Specious false Venial minor; unimportant Archives collections of old records; place of storage of old documents Cliché overused expression; something unoriginal Disparage criticize; belittle Flustered Group 5 Group 7 Artisan craftsman Assiduous thorough; diligent Coddle pamper; fuss over; indulge Cogent lucid; well argued Disseminating circulating; broadcasting; spreading (information) Divert 1. entertain; 2. distract; 3. cause a detour Fortitude bravery Fractious irritable; difficult to control Innocuous harmless; inoffensive Inscrutable mysterious; impenetrable Metaphorically symbolically; figuratively Mettle courage; bravery; valor Peerless without equal Pellucid transparently clear Prudent cautious; wise Punctilious paying attention to small details Speckled spotted; freckled; dotted Spurious false Veracity truthfulness Verbosity using too many words Group 6 Group 8 Ascetic without luxuries; severely simple Assuage to calm Coercion force Cogitate think over something; ponder Diurnal active in daytime Docile gentle and easily lead Fortuitous happening by chance Fraudulent fake; false Innovate create; introduce something new Insentient unfeeling Meticulous very careful; painstaking Milieu environment Pejorative derogatory Pensive in a thoughtful mood; thinking deeply Puerile childish Purloin steal Sporadic not continuous; intermittent Stagnant still; not moving Verbose talkative; long-winded; rambling Vertigo dizziness 9 Word list 8 Group 9 Astute perceptive; sharp-witted Group 1 Collage picture made from fragments of other pictures Atheist person who does not believe in God Dogmatic having stubbornly held opinions Colloquial local and informal (used of language) Frivolous not serious Dotard foolish old man Insipid dull; bland; boring Furrow groove Mire swamp; muddy ground Instigator troublemaker; person who entices others to do something Penury poverty Misnomer wrong name Pusillanimous cowardly Percipient perceptive; insightful Staid dull; sober; serious Quaff drink down quickly Vestigial not developed Staunch loyal; faithful; dependable Vilification blackening someone's name Group 10 Asylum place of refuge or safety Collate arrange in order Dolt stupid person Frugal economical; not wasting anything Instigate to start; provoke Misanthrope hater of the rest of mankind Perceptive observant Pyromania compulsion to start fires Stanza section of a poem Vignette small sketch Group 2 Atrophy waste away from lack of use Collusion plotting and planning Drawl speak slowly with words running together Furtive hidden and secret Insurgent a rebel Misogynist hater of women Perdition damnation Quagmire marsh; bog Stereotype fixed image Vindicate prove right; remove blame 9 Group 3 Group 5 Attenuate weaken Auspicious favorable; promising to turn out well Commandeer take possession of Compliant easy to control; submissive Drivel nonsense Drone 1. monotonous noise (n); 2. to speak with no emotion (v); 3.male bee Futile useless; hopeless Gambol frolic; leap; bound Interminable never-ending Intransigence stubbornness Misrepresentation deliberately deceiving Modicum small amount Peremptory in a commanding manner Perfunctory superficial; cursory Quaint picturesque Quarantine isolation to prevent the spread of disease Stevedore dockworker Stoic known for fortitude; indifferent to pleasure or pain Virtuoso an accomplished musician Vital essential; alive; important Group 4 Group 6 Augment increase; make bigger Austere severely plain Complacent self-satisfied; smug Concatenate link together Droll dryly amusing Dubious doubtful Galleon ancient type of sailing ship Garble distort; confuse; muddle Intermittent sporadic; irregular Intransigent stubborn; unyielding Mitigate lessen; make less severe Momentous very important Perfidy treachery Peripatetic nomadic; moving from place to place Quandary dilemma; puzzle Quarry 1. something that is hunted; 2. mine for stone Stifle suppress Stoke add fuel to; strengthen Virulent dangerous; harmful Vitriolic corrosive; strongly attacking Group 7 Group 9 Aversion a dislike of Banal common; dull Concatenation linking into chains Concise stated in few words Dupe to fool someone Ebullient very lively; cheerful; jovial; happy Garish gaudy Garrulous talkative Intrepid brave Invidious arousing envy Monotonous dull; unvarying Moribund on the point of death Peripheral on the edge; not important Pernicious destructive; harmful Querulous always complaining Ramble wander aimlessly Stolid impassive; dull; indifferent Strident loud and harsh Vivacity liveliness; animation Vociferous noisy; loud in speech Group 8 Group 10 Balk hinder and prevent; hesitate over Banality ordinariness; dullness Conciliate to bring together; end a dispute Condescend talk down to Dynamic lively; vibrant; energetic Eccentric unusual; quirky; odd Garner gather; collect Gaunt emaciated; bony and angular Inveterate habitual Inviolable cannot be invaded Moratorium temporary prohibition or halt to activity Morose gloomy; bad tempered Perjury telling lies under oath Persnickety fastidious; fussy Quirk oddity Ramifications branches; subdivisions of a complex system; outcomes Stratagem plot; plan; trick Stringent strict or severe Vivify enliven Volatile dangerously unstable; evaporates easily 9 9 9 Word list 9 Group 3 Group 1 Bastion fortress; stronghold Bane troublesome influence Conflagration big fire Condone tacitly support; overlook Efface wipe out; remove all trace of Eclectic taking things from different sources Germinal just growing; not developed; immature Genre a category; type Irksome annoying; infuriating Irascible easily angered Mutinous very rebellious Mundane ordinary; worldly Personable attractive Perpetuated caused to continue Ratify approve; consent Rancor resentment; animosity; bad feeling Subpoena summons to court Strut swagger; show off Voracious ravenous Voluble talkative Group 4 Group 2 Bard poet Condoning overlooking; disregarding; ignoring Edifice building; structure; construction Germane relevant Ire anger [irate (a) = very angry] Munificent generous; charitable Perpetuity eternity Rant use bombastic language Stupefying astonishing; shocking; stunning into silence Voluminous very large; spacious Befuddle confuse Confound confuse Effigy a model of a person Gibbering making meaningless noises Ironic satiric; unexpected Myriad in large numbers Perspicacious insightful; sharp; wise Raucous rough and unpleasant (of sounds) Substantiate give supporting evidence Waive surrender; give up Group 5 Group 7 Begrudge resent Belabor explain in unnecessary detail Congeal to solidify Connoisseur person with refined taste and good judgment Effusive gushing; demonstrative Egregious outstandingly, obviously bad Glacial hostile; unfriendly; cold; icy Grate (v) 1. to annoy; aggravate; vex; 2. shred Irrational unreasonable; absurd Irrevocable cannot be cancelled; unchangeable Navigable suitable for sailing Nefarious wicked; immoral; disreputable Perspicacity insight Peruse read carefully Raze destroy; demolish; tear down Recant disclaim; retract statement Subterfuge a trick Subversive rebellious; revolutionary Wane grow less Wax to increase; to grow Group 6 Group 8 Beguile mislead; lure Beleaguer besiege; attack Congenital present from birth Consecrate dedicate Egalitarianism belief in equality Egress exit Goad prod; urge Gratis free of charge; without payment Irreproachable cannot be criticized; perfect Itinerant nomadic; wandering from place to place Nebulous vague Negate cancel; deny Pertinent relevant Pervasive spreading everywhere Rebuttal denial Recapitulate summarize Subtle not obvious Succinct concise Wary hesitant; cautious Waylay accost; stop; approach; hinder Advanced vocabulary development Group 9 Ages 16+ Belie contradict Word list 10 Consensus general agreement Group 1 Eloquent fluent and persuasive in speech Bellicose war-like; aggressive Gratuitous unwarranted Consummate complete; total; supremely good Jaded tired; bored; worn out Elusive hard to pin down Gregarious extroverted; sociable; outgoing Negligence carelessness Jaundiced cynical; pessimistic Petrify 1. terrify; 2. turn to stone Nettle annoy Receptacle container; vessel; holder Phenomenon an event or happening (plural: phenomena) Suffragist someone who campaigns for voting rights Recuperate get better after illness Weighty serious Superlative extremely good; the best Whet sharpen Group 10 Belittle to demean Conspicuous easily seen; prominent Elucidate make clear Gravity Group 2 Belligerent aggressive; ready to fight Contemporary living or happening at the same time Emaciated very thin; withered seriousness Gritty coarse; granular Jargon specialized language used by experts Jaunt short pleasure trip Neologism newly coined word Niggardly miserly; stingy Petulant sulky; peevish Philanthropy charity; love of mankind Recluse someone who cuts himself off from life Red tape formalities; paperwork; official procedure Surly grumpy; rude Supercilious proud and haughty Whimsical capricious; changeable Whelp young dog PSAT 9 9 Group 3 Group 5 Bemoan complain about Benign kindly; harmless Contrite sorry Contumacious stubborn Emancipate set free Embroil involve in hostility or argument Guffaw sudden loud laughter Guileless frank; straightforward; honest Jeopardize put at risk; endanger Jocular in a joking manner Nomadic wandering from place to place Nondescript having no special features; dull and ordinary Philistine uncultured person Pillage plunder Redolent smelling of; giving off odors Redundant unnecessary; superfluous Surreptitious secret; sneaky; stealthy Susceptible vulnerable Willful stubborn Wispy flimsy; frail; delicate Group 4 Group 6 Benevolent kindly Benignity compassion; gentleness; fondness Contrition sorrow and repentance Contusion a bruise Embezzle defraud; steal Emerge come out; appear Guile cunning; craftiness Gullibility unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled Jingoistic extremely patriotic; nationalistic Jollity gaiety; happiness Nonchalance an appearance of indifference; calm and composed Nonentity a person of no importance; not famous Phlegmatic calm; imperturbable Pinnacle topmost point Redress put right something that was wrong Referendum public vote Surreptitiously secretly; furtively; stealthily Suspect doubtful Wily cunning Wistful melancholy; pensive; expressing a longing for Group 7 Group 9 Bequeath leave something in one's will to be given after one's death Beret type of cap Conundrum a puzzle Corpulent fat Emulate to imitate something admired Endurance staying power; patience; stamina Gullible easily fooled Hackneyed common and over-used Jubilant ecstatic; delighted; rejoicing Jurisprudence science or study of law Nostalgia longing for the past Novel new; unusual Pious very religious Placate pacify; soothe; calm Refute disprove Relegate dismiss to a lower position Sybarite lover of luxury Taciturn quiet; saying little Zany crazy; wacky Zealot fanatic Group 10 Group 8 Berate scold; criticize Bestial behaving like a beast; brutal Conventional usual; customary; common Corrugated highly folded Endorse give support or approval to Enduring lasting Gustatory concerned with the sense of taste Hallowed worshipped; consecrated Judicious correct in judgment; wise Juxtapose place next to Notoriety infamy; known for wrong doing Novice a beginner; tyro Pivotal of central importance Placebo harmless medicine with no effect; dummy medicine Regale entertain Remorse regret; sorrow; contrition Sycophant bootlicker; flatterer Tactile concerned with the sense of touch Zeal enthusiasm Zenith summit