SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #1
hate (verb)
Abhor
narrow-minded, prejudiced person (noun)
Bigot
Counterfeit fake; false (adj)
Enfranchise give voting rights (verb)
hinder; obstruct (verb)
Hamper
to start a fire (verb)
Kindle
harmful; poisonous; lethal (adj)
Noxious
calm; peaceful (adj)
Placid
Remuneration payment for work done (noun)
lucky charm (noun)
Talisman
rough; coarse; harsh (adj)
Abrasive
cheat; defraud (verb)
Bilk
hidden; undercover (adj)
Covert
cause (verb)
Engender
storage area (like garage) for a plane (noun)
Hangar
complex; difficult to solve (adj)
Knotty
something subtle; a fine shade of meaning (noun)
Nuance
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas (n)
Plagiarism
fame (noun)
Renown
going off the main subject (noun)
Tangent
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #2
Abasement
humiliation, degradation (noun)
Billowing
swelling; fluttering; waving (adj)
Cower
recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from (verb)
Enhance
improve; make better or clearer (adj)
Harangue
noisy, attacking speech (noun)
Labyrinth
a maze (noun)
Nullify
to counter; make unimportant (verb)
Plaintiff
petitioner (in court of law) (noun)
Replete
Full (adj)
Tangible
can be touched (adj)
Abrogate
cancel; deny; repeal (verb)
Blasphemy
speech which offends religious sentiments (noun)
Credible
Believable (adj)
Enigma
puzzle; mystery (noun)
Harbingers
indicators; bringers of warnings (noun)
Labyrinthine
complicated; highly convoluted (adj)
Nuzzle
cuddle; snuggle (adj)
Plaudit
statement giving strong praise (noun)
Reprehensible shameful; very bad (adj)
Tardy
slow; late; overdue; delayed (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #3
Abstemious self denying; refraining from indulging (adj)
Blithe
free-spirited; carefree (adj)
Crepuscular active at dawn and dusk (adj)
Enunciation clear pronunciation; accent; articulation (noun)
Headstrong stubborn; willful (adj)
Lackluster
dull; monotonous; bland (adj)
Objective
unbiased; not subjective (adj)
Pliable
flexible; not stubborn (adj)
Rescind
retract; repeal (verb)
Temper
to moderate; soften (verb)
Abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure (adj)
Blunderbuss 1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person (noun)
Cringe
recoil; flinch; shy away (verb)
Envenom
to cause bitterness and bad feeling (verb)
Hedonism
self indulgence; pleasure-seeking (noun)
Laconic
using few words; brief; to the point (adj)
Oblique
indirect; slanting (adj)
Plumage
feathers of a bird (noun)
Resignation acceptance of fate (noun)
Tenacious
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #4
Absolution
forgiveness; pardon; release (noun)
Blatant
Obvious (adj)
Creditable
Praiseworthy (adj)
Ensconce
establish firmly in a position (verb)
Hasten
hurry; accelerate; rush (verb)
Laceration
a cut (noun)
Obdurate
Stubborn (noun)
Plausible
can be believed; reasonable (adj)
Reprieve
a respite; postponement of a sentence (n)
Tawdry
of little value; gaudy (adj)
Abstain
desist; go without; withdraw (verb)
Blighted
damaged; destroyed; ruined (verb)
Credulous
gullible; ready to believe anything (adj)
Enshroud
Cover (verb)
Haughtiness
arrogance; pride (noun)
Lachrymose
tearful; sad (adj)
Obfuscate
deliberately make something difficult to understand (adj)
Plethora
an excess (noun)
Repudiate
shun; eschew (verb)
Tedium
Boredom (noun)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #5
Accolade
tribute; honor; praise (noun)
Bolster
support; prop up (verb)
Cryptic
puzzling; enigmatic (adj)
Ephemeral
short-lived (adj)
Hedonist
a pleasure seeker (noun)
Lamentation expression of regret or sorrow (noun)
Obliterate
destroy; demolish; eradicate (verb)
Plummet
fall suddenly and steeply (verb)
Resolution
Determination (noun)
Tentative
not certain (adj)
Acquiesce
to agree to; give in to (verb)
Bombast
arrogant, pompous language (noun)
Curtail
cut short (verb)
Epicure
someone who appreciates good food and drink
Heed
listen to (verb)
Lampoon
ridicule; spoof (verb)
Oblivious
totally unaware (adj)
Podium
raised platform (noun)
Resonant
Echoing (adj)
Tenuous
flimsy; not solid (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #6
Acrid
sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) (adj)
Boorish
ill-mannered (adj)
Cynical
believing that people act only out of selfish motives (adj)
Epistle
a letter (form of communication) (noun)
Heresy
against orthodox opinion (noun)
Lance
spear; spike; javelin (noun)
Obscure
difficult to understand; partially hidden (adj)
Poignant
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions (adj)
Respite
a break; intermission (noun)
Terse
concise; to the point (adj)
Acrophobia
fear of heights (noun)
Bourgeois
middle class (noun)
Debility
weakness; incapacity (noun)
Epistolary
concerned with letters; through correspondence (adj)
Hiatus
interruption; pause (noun)
Languid
tired; slow (adj)
Obscured
hidden; covered; buried (adj)
Poised
calm; collected; self-possessed (adj)
Resplendent
shining; glowing (adj)
Therapeutic
medicinal; curative (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT Vocabulary Week #7
Acuity
sharpness (mental or visual) (noun)
Braggart
someone who boasts (noun)
Debunking
exposing false claims or myths (verb)
Epitomized
typified; characterized; personified (verb)
Hidebound
rigid in opinions (adj)
Languish
decay; fade away; get weaker (verb)
Obsequious
servile; submissive (adj)
Polemical
causing debate or argument (adj)
Restorative
a tonic (noun)
Thwart
prevent; frustrate (verb)
Adamant
forceful; inflexible (adj)
Brawny
Muscular (adj)
Decathlon
an athletic competition with ten events (noun)
Equivocate
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth (verb)
Hieroglyphics
1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
Larceny
theft; robbery; stealing (noun)
Obsession
a dominating concern (noun)
Ponderous
weighty; slow and heavy (adj)
Retention
preservation; withholding (noun)
Timorous
cowardly; fearful (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #8
Adroit
skillful (adj)
Brevity
being brief (noun)
Decorum
dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] (noun)
Err
make a mistake (verb)
Hinder
obstruct (verb)
Largess
generosity (noun)
Obsolete
no longer valid (adj)
Pontificate
speak pompously or dogmatically (verb)
Reticent
restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
Tirade
stream of verbal abuse (noun)
Adulation
strong admiration; worship (noun)
Bristle
to show irritation (verb)
Decoy
lure; trap; trick (noun)
Erratic
wandering; irregular (adj)
Histrionic
theatrical; exaggerated (adj)
Laud
praise (verb)
Obstreperous noisy and boisterous (adj)
Portend
foretell (verb)
Retraction
withdrawal; cancellation of a statement (verb)
Titter
giggle quietly (verb)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #9
Adversity hardship (noun)
Broach
start to discuss; approach (verb)
Deference respect (noun)
Esoteric
obscure and difficult to understand (adj)
Hoary
old (adj)
Lavish
on a grand scale; wasteful (adj)
Obtuse
mentally dull (adj)
Portent
a warning sign; omen (noun)
Revere
Worship (verb)
Tome
large book (noun)
Advocate support (verb)
Brusque blunt; abrupt (adj)
Defoliate cause leaves to fall off (v)
Espouse promote; take up; support
Hone
sharpen; increase; whet (v)
Lax
careless; not strict (adj)
Obviate
avoid; make unnecessary
(v)
Poseur
someone who puts on an act
Riddled
full of (usually full of holes)
Torpid
inactive; lazy; stagnant (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #10
Aesthetic
concerning art or beauty (adj)
Bulwark
fortification; barricade; wall (noun)
Defunct
no longer in existence (adj)
Etymology
the study of word origins (noun)
Hyperbole
grossly exaggerated speech (noun)
Legend
1. key to map; 2. myth or story (noun)
Odious
Hateful (adj)
Posterity
future generations (noun)
Rife
Common (adj)
Torpor
dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity (noun)
Affable
friendly; social; easygoing (adj)
Bureaucracy
Officialdom (noun)
Degradation
deprivation; poverty; debasement (noun)
Eulogy
Praise (noun)
Hypochondriac
a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses (n)
Legion
in large numbers (noun)
Officious
domineering; intrusive; meddlesome (adj)
Posthumous
after death (noun)
Rigor
Thoroughness (noun)
Totter
walk unsteadily (verb)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #11
Alacrity
eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness (noun)
Burgeon
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots (verb)
Deleterious harmful (adj)
Euphemism a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant (noun)
Hypocritical insincere (adj)
Lethargic
tired; without energy (adj)
Ogle
stare at; observe in an obvious manner (verb)
Postulate
hypothesize; propose (verb)
Robust
strong; healthy; tough (adj)
Tractable
obedient; dutiful; polite (adj)
Alchemy
medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
Burnish
Polish (verb)
Deliberate
to think over deeply (verb)
Euphony
pleasant sounds (noun)
Iconoclast
person who opposes orthodoxy (noun)
Levity
flippancy; joking about serious matters (noun)
Olfactory
concerned with the sense of smell (adj)
Potable
suitable for drinking (adj)
Rotund
round (adj)
Tranquil
peaceful (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY UNIT #12
Alibi
an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
Buttress
strengthen; support (verb)
Delineation demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining (noun)
Evacuate
vacate; empty; abandon (verb)
Idiosyncrasy a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
Libertarian someone who opposes tyranny (noun)
Ominous
threatening (adj)
Potent
powerful; compelling; strong (adj)
Ruminate
think over something; ponder (verb)
Transcribe copy (verb)
Allay
to lessen (verb)
Byline
the line that tells you who wrote an article (noun)
Demur
hesitate; refuse (verb)
Exacerbate make worse (verb)
Ignominious shameful (adj)
Liniment
soothing lotion (noun)
Omnipotent all-powerful (adj)
Pragmatic
Practical (adj)
Ruse
trick; stratagem (noun)
Transgress go astray; disobey; commit a sin (verb)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #13
Alleviate
make less severe (verb)
Cacophony discordant loud noises (noun)
Denounce
condemn; speak out against (verb)
Exasperated frustrated; annoyed (verb)
Ignominy
Lithe
shame [ignominious (a) = shameful] (noun)
flexible; supple (adj)
Omniscient all-knowing (adj)
Pragmatist practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness
Saccharin
falsely sweet (adj)
Transient
short-lived; ephemeral (adj)
Aloof
distant; detached; cold (adj)
Cajole
coax (verb)
Deplete
use up; lessen (verb)
Exceptionable very bad (something which we should object to) (adj)
Illuminate
Livid
to light up or make clear (adj)
very angry (adj)
Onerous
burdensome; hard to undertake (adj)
Preamble
introductory material (noun)
Sacrosanct very holy; inviolable (adj)
Traverse
to move across (verb)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #14
Altruism
putting others first; being self-sacrificing (noun)
Caldron
huge cooking pot (noun)
Deplore
regret (verb)
Exculpate
free someone from blame; pardon; acquit (verb)
Illusory
deceptive; false; misleading (adj)
Lobbyist
person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
Onus
burden (noun)
Precarious unstable; risky (adj)
Sagacious
wise (adj)
Trepidation Fear (noun)
Amass
Accumulate (verb)
Callow
immature (adj)
Depravity
moral corruption (noun)
Execrable
very, very bad (adj)
Immoderate excessive; extreme (adj)
Lofty
snooty; arrogant; haughty (adj)
Opaque
does not let light through (adj)
Precedent
a previous occurrence used as a guide (noun)
Sage
a wise person (noun)
Trinket
something of little value; knick-knack (noun)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #15
Ambiguity
uncertainty; vagueness (noun)
Candid
frank; honest (adj)
Deprecate
criticize; denounce (verb)
Exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation (noun)
Immutable
unchanging; permanent (adj)
Longevity
long life (noun)
Opulent
wealthy; rich; magnificent (adj)
Precept
guiding principle (noun)
Salacious
lecherous; erotic (adj)
Trite
unoriginal; dull (adj)
Ambiguous
unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways
Candor
frankness; openness (noun)
Deride
ridicule; make fun of; mock (verb)
Exemplary
outstandingly good; setting a fine example (adj)
Impartial
unbiased; neutral (adj)
Loquacious
talkative (adj)
Ordain
Confer holy orders on a priest (verb)
Precinct
district of a city (noun)
Sallow
yellowish (adj)
Trivial
unimportant (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #16
Ambivalence lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided (n)
Cantankerous bad-tempered; quarrelsome (adj)
Derogatory
uncomplimentary (adj)
Exemplify
to serve as a good example (verb)
Impecunious having no money (adj)
Lucid
Clear (adj)
Ornate
highly decorated (adj)
Precipice
steep slope (noun)
Salubrious
health-giving (adj)
Truant
shirker; someone absent without permission (n)
Ambulatory able to walk around (used of hospital patients) (aj)
Capacious
Spacious (adj)
Desecrate
to damage or pollute a holy place (verb)
Exhaustive
complete and thorough (adj)
Impious
wicked; profane (adj)
Ludicrous
ridiculous; silly (adj)
Orthodox
Conventional (adj)
Precipitous
done in a hurry (adj)
Salutary
something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate
cut short (verb)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #17
Ameliorate
make better (verb)
Capitulate
surrender; give in to (verb)
Desecration
spoiling something holy (verb)
Exonerates
acquits; absolves; removes blame (verb)
Impoverished destitute; poor (adj)
Lukewarm
1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold (adj)
Ossify
1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid (verb)
Preclude
prevent or make impossible (verb)
Sanctimonious hypocritically holy (adj)
Tumult
uproar; noise (noun)
Amelioration Improvement (noun)
Carping
constant criticism (noun)
Desist
stop; discontinue; cease (verb)
Exorcism
getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Impromptu
unrehearsed; spontaneous (adj)
Lummox
clumsy person (noun)
Ostentatious
Showy (adj)
Precocious
developing early (adj)
Sanction
give approval to (verb)
Turpitude
Depravity (noun)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #18
Amiable
friendly (adj)
Cartographer person who makes maps (noun)
Despondent
having no hope; miserable (adj)
Expatriate
refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent
not intentional (adj)
Luscious
juicy; moist; succulent (adj)
Oust
push out of a position (verb)
Predecessor
one who came before (noun)
Sanguinary
bloodthirsty; bloody (adj)
Tyro
novice; beginner (noun)
Amity
friendship (noun)
Castigate
scold strongly (verb)
Destitution
hardship; poverty; misery (n)
Expedient
convenient; practical (adj)
Incantation
chant; invocation; prayer (n)
Lynch
assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
(verb)
Overt
obvious; not hidden (adj)
Predicament dilemma; difficult situation (noun)
Sanguine
optimistic; cheerful (adj)
Ubiquitous
found everywhere; omnipresent (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #19
Amorphous
lacking in shape (adj)
Catharsis
purging of pent-up emotions (noun)
Deter
put off; prevent (verb)
Expedite
make faster (verb)
Incarceration putting in prison (noun)
Machination plots and plans (noun)
Overwrought worked up; in an emotional state (adj)
Preeminent
famous; outstanding (adj)
Sardonic
mocking (adj)
Unalloyed
undiluted; total (adj)
Analgesic
medicine to combat pain (noun)
Caucus
type of private political meeting
(noun)
Deteriorate
worsen; decline (adj)
Exposition
clear explanation (noun)
Incessant
without stopping (adj)
Maelstrom
whirlpool; storm in the ocean (noun)
Palatable
good to eat; agreeable (adj)
Prerogative right or privilege (noun)
Savant
person with knowledge (noun)
Unctuous
oily; using excessive flattery (adj)
Taken from majortests.com
SAT VOCABULARY WEEK #20
Analogous
comparable (adj)
Caustic
burning (adj)
Detrimental
harmful (adj)
Extol
praise (verb)
Incipient
just beginning (adj)
Magnanimous generous; big-hearted (adj)
Palisade
fence made of posts (noun)
Prescient
having fore-knowledge (noun)
Scale
to climb (verb)
Undermined damaged; attacked (adj)
Anarchy
chaos; lack of government (noun)
Cavalcade
procession of vehicles (noun)
Devoured
greedily eaten/consumed (verb)
Extradite
deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination
tendency; a leaning toward (noun)
Magnate
powerful businessman (noun)
Palliative
a remedy that improves but doesn't cure (noun)
Presentiment a feeling that something might happen (noun)
Scapegoat
person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore
Emphasize (verb)