SOPHOMORE SAT VOCABULARY – UNIT 1
KNOW THE DEFINITIONS AND HOW TO USE THE WORD IN A SENTENCE.
1. antithesis
(an TI thuh sis)
NOUN – A direct opposite, a contrast
SYN: contrary, reverse
ANT: duplicate; same
Good is the antithesis of evil.
2. ascend
(uh SEND)
VERB – To move upward, to rise from a lower station
SYN: climb, clamber
ANT: to descend; to go down
The climbers ascended the mountain.
3. austere
(aw STEER)
ADJ – Strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic
SYN: severe
ANT: indulgent
Pioneers usually led an austere existence.
4. autonomous
ADJ – Independent, self-contained
(aw TON uh muhs)
SYN: sovereign
ANT: dependent
One who is autonomous needs no help from others.
5. banal
ADJ – Common, ordinary, lacking freshness, hackneyed
(BANE ul, buh NAL)
SYN: inane, insipid, vapid, plain
ANT: fresh, unique, extraordinary
Because of his use of overused trite remarks, his speeches are banal.
6. benign
(buh NINE)
ADJ – Not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial
SYN: good, benevolent, gentle
ANT: malignant, harmful
The minister was loved because of his benign attitude toward all types of people.
7. capricious
ADJ – Changing suddenly, fickle
(kuh PRISH us)
SYN: inconstant, mercurial, unstable
ANT: stable
Her capricious moods are difficult to anticipate.
8. dawdle
(DOD ul)
VERB – To waste time, to spend time idly, to move in a lackadaisical manner
SYN: dally, loiter, procrastinate
ANT: to rush
Since we have a deadline, do not dawdle over your work.
9. defamation
NOUN – Act of harming or ruining another’s reputation
(def uh MAY shun)
SYN: slander, offense
ANT: adulation
The defamation of another’s character is a horrible thing.
10. esoteric
(es uh TER ik)
ADJ – Understood only by a small group or a select few
SYN: cryptic, abstruse
ANT: obvious
The English teachers were having an esoteric discussion about the correct usage of some
obscure word.
11. exacerbate
(ig ZAS ur bate)
VERB – To aggravate, to irritate, to vex
SYN: worsen
ANT: to ameliorate; to soothe
You will only exacerbate the situation if you try to call her.
12. extol
(ik STOLE)
VERB – To praise, to glorify
SYN: acclaim, applaud
ANT: to defame
The teacher would always extol students who tried to do their best.
13. furtive
(FUR tiv)
ADJ – Secret in an underhanded way, stealthy
SYN: clandestine, covert
ANT: bold
During the test, he made some furtive glances at other classmates’ papers.
14. hypocrite
(HIP uh krit)
NOUN – One who is insincere or deceitful
SYN: charlatan, dissembler
ANT: sincere person
Saying one thing and then doing the other is the mark of a hypocrite.
15. innate
(eh NATE)
ADJ – Existing from birth, inborn
SYN: congenital, instinctive
ANT: learned
He has innate athletic talents that cannot be taught.
16. lethargic
(luh THAR jik)
ADJ – Sluggish, languid
SYN: stuporous, torpid
ANT: energetic
Having had too much to drink, he was very lethargic the morning after the party.
17. melancholy
(MEL un kol ee)
NOUN – Depression of spirits; ADJ – a gloomy state of mind
SYN: sad, disconsolate
ANT: happiness
After Dad lost his job, he fell into a melancholy state.
18. prolific
(pro LIF ik)
ADJ – Abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity
SYN: fecund, fertile
ANT: barren, unfruitful
Since he has written a great number of books in a short period, Stephen King is known
as a prolific writer.
19. reprove
(reh PROOV)
VERB – To scold or rebuke for a misdeed with kindly intent
SYN: admonish, castigate, chastise
ANT: to approve; to applaud
A teacher sometimes needs to reprove a student for talking during class.
20. tranquil
(TRANG kwul)
ADJ – Peaceful, calm
SYN: placid, serene
ANT: agitated
Weather in Texas can quickly change from tranquil to turbulent.
SAT word lists compiled by Laying the Foundation, Inc.