SAT Roots and Words: Spring Term
Roots
1. annu
year. For example:
anniversary
2. enni
year . For example:
biennial or bicentennial
3. anthrop
man. For example:
anthropology or
anthropomorphism
4.
15. jur
8. bio
an account of one's life
written by another
9. chrono
time. For example:
chronological
10. civ
citizen. For example:
civilization or civilian.
law. For example: juror,
jurisprudence.
16. jus
law. For example: juror,
jurisprudence.
17. luc
light. For example: lucid,
pellucid, translucent
18. man
ast
11. cred
star. For example:
asterisk or astrology.
believe. For example:
credible or creed
hand. For example:
manual, manufacture.
19. mand
5. audi
12. dem
hear. For example:
audible or audience.
order. For example:
command or demand.
people. For example:
democracy
20. mend
13. geo
order.
earth. For example:
geology, geography
21. mis
6. auto
self. For example:
automobile,
autobiography,
autonomy
7. bene
good. For example:
beneficial or benevolent
14. graph
write. For example:
hypergraphia or graphic
send. For example:
transmit, missile.
22. mit
send. For example:
transmit,
23. min
small. For example:
minimal, minuscule.
poli
city. For example: politics, police,
politician.
port
vac
empty. For example: vacuum,
evacuate,
vid
24. nov
new. For example:
novice, novel.
carry. For example: deport, report,
portable.
qui
see. For example: video, visible,
invisible.
vis
25. omni
all. For example:
omnivore or omniscient.
quiet, rest. For example: quiet,
tranquility, quiescence
sol
26. patr
sun. For example: solar, solarium.
see. For example: visible, invisible.
vit
life. For example: vital, vitality,
vitamin.
father. For example: paternal,
patriot.
tele
zo
phil
far off. For example: telescope,
television, teleport.
love. Philosophy, Philadelphia.
terr
phon
sound. For example: phone,
phonetic.
photo
light. For example: photograph,
photosynthesis.
earth, ground. For example:
terrestrial, terra firma, terrarium,
territory.
tract
drag, draw. For example: detract,
tractor, attract, traction.
life. For example: zoology
1. expunge
to destroy
Verb
Immune systems expunge and destroy viruses.
Noun
The government charges an excise on tobacco.
Verb
They expurgate books to remove vulgar words.
Adjective
My grandmother is very eccentric and unique.
Verb
I can't extricate my finger from the trap!
Adjective
Her perfect test scores were exemplary.
Verb
I'll enumerate a list of reasons not to go.
Adjective
The exorbitant cost exceeded the quote.
Verb
He repudiated and rejected the unjust law.
2. excise
a tax or fee levied on certain products
3. expurgate
to remove false or offensive material
4. eccentric
being strange or unusual
5. extricate
to free from uncomfortable
circumstances
6. exemplary
something to be admired
7. enumerate
count off or list one by one
8. exorbitant
exceeding normal bounds
9. repudiate
to reject as invalid, untrue or worthless
10. renounce
to give up entirely
Verb
The thief will renounce crime and stop stealing.
Verb
Witnesses cannot recant sworn statements.
Adjective
The resilient boy bounced back from tragedy.
Verb
I strongly reaffirm that what I said is true.
Adjective
The shy, reticent girl barely spoke a word.
Verb
He'll rudely rebuff, or reject, the invitation.
Verb
We need to renovate our shabby house.
Verb
A nap can rejuvenate my exhausted body.
Adjective
Her resurgent fame was a return from obscurity.
11. recant
to make a formal retraction
12. resilient
flexible, strong, and undeterred
13. reaffirm
state again as a fact; assert again strongly
14. reticent
reluctant to talk or draw attention to
oneself
15. rebuff
reject in an ungracious manner
16. renovate
to restore, change, and make updates
17. rejuvenate
to restore vitality or vigor to
18. resurgent
reviving or increasing after a decline
19. decry
to depreciate or condemn
Verb
Animal activists decry the practice of whaling.
Adjective
Poison is deleterious to your health.
Adjective
He was despondent over losing the big game.
Verb
A critic will denounce what he does not like.
Noun
The car met its demise in the accident.
Verb
Lawyers expose and debunk false claims.
Verb
The ignorant deride and ridicule the unknown.
Adjective
My impeccable behavior is absolutely flawless.
20. deleterious
having a harmful effect
21. despondent
depressed and almost without hope
22. denounce
to put down or speak against
23. demise
the doom or death or a person or thing
24. debunk
to show that a claim or idea is false
25. deride
to mock, laugh at
26. impeccable
faultless, flawless, or irreproachable
27. implacable
not able to be appeased
Adjective
An implacable man won't be appeased.
Adjective
Her inexorable pleas were getting repetitive.
Adjective
We can't make sense of his incoherent babble.
Adjective
No one could beat his insurmountable score.
Adjective
The rebellious punk wore an irreverent sneer.
Adjective
The circumspect lad is never careless.
Adjective
A circuitous speech is very roundabout.
Verb
We will circumvent the lake and go around it.
Verb
A moat will circumscribe the castle.
28. inexorable
not able to give in or up; continual
29. incoherent
unable to make sense, disjointed
30. insurmountable
unable to be defeated or conquered
31. irreverent
lacking respect or awe, critical of norms
32. circumspect
discreet, cautious
33. circuitous
indirect or roundabout
34. circumvent
to go around or avoid
35. circumscribe
to confine within a boundary, enclose
36. magnanimous
generous, noble, or without
resentfulness
Adjective
He was magnanimous and forgave his enemies.
Adjective
Getting that award was a momentous honor.
Adjective
She had a sweet, mellifluous singing voice.
Adjective
His acrimonious attitude sullied their day.
Adjective
The copious amount of rain caused flooding.
Adjective
I ate in moderation on the abstemious diet.
Adjective
The city dump had a malodorous stench.
Adjective
The boring, tedious job was finally done.
37. momentous
very important or significant
38. mellifluous
sweet-sounding and smooth
39. acrimonious
marked by strong resentment or
cynicism
40. copious
plentiful or abundant
41. abstemious
related to moderate eating and drinking
42. malodorous
having a bad smell
43. tedious
long and boring
44. wistful
sad, with a sense of longing
Adjective
She has wistful, melancholy memories of home.
Adjective
An earnest boy is sober and sincere.
Adjective
I'm disgruntled because my team won't help me.
Adjective
He was discontented with the cutback in his wages.
Adjective
His manner was commanding and authoritative.
Adjective
I bought frivolous, or unimportant, things.
Adjective
Her frivolity showed her nonsensical nature.
Adjective
The acerbic teacher spoke in a harsh voice.
Adjective
We watched a depressing and grave movie.
45. earnest
marked by sincerity or seriousness
46. disgruntled
discontent or dissatisfied
47. discontented
not satisfied or pleased with
48. authoritative
possessing, asserting or exercising
command
49. frivolous
of little to no importance or value; silly
50. frivolity
quality of being trivial or nonsensical
51. acerbic
having a harsh tone
52. . grave
very depressing or serious
53. somber
solemn or grave
Adjective
Everyone was sad at the somber occasion.
Adjective
His inquisitive side led him to the answers.
Adjective
The reflective man often thought to himself.
Adjective
I was pensive as I meditated on the poem.
Adjective
I am unsure because her answer is equivocal.
Adjective
The derisive remark was verbally abusive.
Adjective
She was ebullient upon hearing the good news.
Adjective
I was ecstatic and screamed in excitement.
54. inquisitive
curious, questioning, eager to know
55. reflective
relating to thinking to oneself
56. pensive
in deep thought
57. equivocal
uncertain and open to interpretation
58.
derisive
contemptuous or pejorative
59. ebullient
joyously unrestrained
60. ecstatic
very excited, thrilled
61. euphoric
extremely happy and excited
Adjective
She felt euphoric after achieving her goal.
Adjective
An exuberant man jumps for joy after winning.
Adjective
The benevolent woman is generous and kind.
Adjective
The mask showed a malevolent and scary grin.
Adjective
She had a collection of whimsical party hats.
Adjective
The vindictive man wanted revenge.
Adjective
Prosaic minds have limited imaginations.
Noun
The pedestrian art bored the art lovers.
Adjective
Her vitriolic criticism is harsh and caustic.
62. exuberant
extremely enthusiastic or joyful
63. benevolent
very kind and giving
64. malevolent
meaning harm to others, hateful
65. whimsical
lighthearted with a touch of humor
66. vindictive
full of spite and a desire for revenge
67. prosaic
commonplace or dull; practical
68. pedestrian
lacking in vitality, imagination,
distinction,
69. vitriolic
severely bitter, scathing and caustic
70. caustic
capable of burning living tissue, sarcastic
Adjective
The caustic material burnt my skin.
Adjective
I appeased hostility with conciliatory words.
Adjective
His angry threats were highly inflammatory.
71. conciliatory
placating or appeasing
72. inflammatory
causing agitation or arousing passion
73. aesthete
One who appreciates and seeks beauty
Noun
The aesthete appreciated the beautiful sunset.
Noun
Excited, I accepted the award with alacrity.
Noun
My grandfather always used the aphorism, "hindsight is 20/20."
74. alacrity
eagerness and liveliness
75. aphorism
a short statement of principle or truth
76. arable
land that is ready to be cultivated
Adjective
The farmer planted seed in the arable soil.
Adjective
Arboreal animals inhabits trees.
77. arboreal
living in or relating to trees
78. asylum
a place offering safety and protection
79. auspicious
Noun
Refugees found asylum on a deserted island.
likely to be successful or fortunate
Adjective
She had a promising and auspicious start.
Adjective
Her avant-garde work challenges the status quo.
80.avant-garde
innovative and daring in art, culture, etc.
81. behemoth
giant biblical land beast, a large creature
Noun
The giant behemoth battled with the leviathan.
Noun
Sally left a bequest for her heirs.
Noun
The breadth, or width, of my desk is two feet.
Verb
I won't bungle, or mess up, the rescue.
Adjective
The byzantine rules confused everyone.
82. bequest
a gift upon one's death as in a will
83. breadth
how broad or wide something is
84. bungle
to handle badly, or fail through ineptness
85. byzantine
ornate, fancy, complicated
86. celerity
speed, swiftness, quickness
Noun
The race car moved with speed and celerity.
Adjective
The cerebral book required a lot of thought.
87. cerebral
relating to the brain and higher thought
88. chagrin
feeling of disappointment or
embarrassment
Noun
Full of chagrin, he blushed at his mistake.
Verb
The manager circumscribed our tasks clearly.
Verb
A diet of cake and candy soon cloys
Adjective
Saccharine has a cloying, excessive sweetness.
Verb
He will confound us with a complex riddle.
Noun
The conjecture is not proven, but accepted.
Noun
The congresswoman knew that her constituents no
longer supported her, and that they would vote her
out of office.
Adjective
The con man is a consummate liar.
89. circumscribed
confined within limits or boundaries
90. cloy
to make weary or cause weariness
through an excess of something initially
pleasurable or sweet
91. cloying
distasteful due to over sweetening
92. confound
to cause confusion
93. conjecture
a speculation or unproven theory
94. constituents
voters in a particular area
95. consummate
extremely skilled and accomplished,
perfect
96. convoluted
tangled or very complicated
Adjective
I could not untangle the convoluted cords.
Verb
I will curtail my speech if it is too long.
Verb
The scandal debased her reputation.
Adjective
Decorous young ladies show good manners.
97. curtail
to make less, cut short or reduce
98. debased
lowered in character or quality
99 decorous
having dignified behavior
100. denuded
made ineffective; made nude or stripped
of clothing
Adjective
The top soil was denuded during the Dust Bowl years.
101. desultory
inconsistent and random
Adjective
They spoke in a desultory, random way.
Adjective
The didactic speech was informative.
Adjective
A dilatory student always postpones his work.
102. didactic
used for teaching or instruction
103. dilatory
tending to postpone or delay
104. din
loud unpleasant noise
Noun
The din of the crowd grew louder as we waited.
Noun
They sang a dirge at the funeral, mourning the
departed person.
105. dirge
a song or poem mourning someone's loss
106. vacillate
to be indecisive or waver unsteadily
Verb
She'll vacillate, or waver, in her opinions.
107. vacuous
having no content or even having no intelligence
Adjective
The vacuous speaker had few ideas and little understanding.
Adjective
It was a vapid and tedious conversation.
Adjective
Variegated ivy has streaks of white and green.
108. vapid
lacking spirit or energy
109. variegated
diversified or streaked in color
110. venerate
to treat with reverence and respect
Verb
They venerate and honor their elders.
Noun
Tell the truth and be admired for veracity.
111. veracity
truthfulness or accuracy
112. verdant
green and covered with grass or plants
Adjective
The garden was verdant and lush with plants.
113. vex
to anger or irritate
Verb
Woodpeckers vex and annoy me with tapping.
114. vicarious
second-hand, through someone else
Adjective
I have vicarious adventures through spy novels.
Adjective
The viscous slime was resistant to flow.
Adjective
The teacher's vituperative tirade scared everyone. (mine)
Adjective
Her winsome smile is sweet and charming.
Adjective
She has wistful, melancholy memories of home.
Adjective
the wizened old man neared death. (mine)
115. viscous
thick and not flowing easily
116. vituperative
marked by harshly abusive condemnation
(mine)
117. winsome
innocently engaging or appealing
118. wistful
Delete
sad, with a sense of longing
119. wizened
old and wrinkled; withered (mine)
120. zephyr
a gentle wind, a breeze
Noun
The zephyr made the curtain gently billow.