To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
1.
Contentious
kuhn TEN shuhs
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: "Ain't got no mother," was the answer, "and their paw's right contentious."
Sentence: Brothers and sisters often have contentious relationships in that they argue and fight a lot.
Your Sentence:
2.
Tentative
TEN tuh tiv
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: Francis appeared at the kitchen door. "You still mad, Jean Louise?" he asked tentatively.
Sentence: We have tentative plans for Homecoming; however, the plans could still change if it begins to rain while we
are outside.
Your Sentence:
3. Dictum
Definition:
DIK tum
Synonyms:
TKAM: So Simon, having forgotten his teacher's dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves . . .
Sentence: The dictum listed in Carmel High School’s student handbook asserts that students will have to participate in
community service if they are tardy to class too many times.
Your Sentence:
4. Taciturn
Definition:
TAS eh turn
Synonyms:
TKAM: Their sister Alexandra was the Finch who remained at the Landing: she married a taciturn man
who spent most of his time lying in a hammock by the river wondering if his trot-lines were full.
Sentence: A shy person is usually taciturn.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
5. Quaint
Definition:
KWAYNT
Synonyms:
TKAM: Thus we came to know Dill as a pocket Merlin, whose head teemed with eccentric plans,
strange longings, and quaint fancies.
Sentence: 1. He had a quaint sense of humor which only his friends understood. 2. When my family visited the small
town in Maine, we chose to stay in a quaint inn with traditional New England décor rather than in a Radison Hotel.
Your Sentence:
6. Malevolent
Definition:
muh LEV uh lent
Synonyms:
TKAM: Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him.
Sentence: Your parents may be fearful of you walking the streets alone at night due to malevolent strangers possibly
lurking in the shadows.
Your Sentence:
7. Predilection
Definition:
pred uh LEK shun
Synonyms:
TKAM: The Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable in Maycomb.
Sentence: If you have a predilection for water skiing in the summer, you will want to visit the many lakes in Michigan.
Your Sentence:
8. Domicile
Definition:
DOM eh sile
Synonyms:
TKAM: According to neighborhood legend, when the younger Radley boy was in his teens he became acquainted with
some of the Cunninghams from Old Sarum, an enormous and confusing tribe domiciled in the northern
part of the county, and they formed the nearest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb.
Sentence: For many students their domicile has been Carmel, Indiana since they were born.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
9. Profane
Definition:
pruh FANE
Synonyms:
TKAM: . . . so the boys came before the probate judge on charges of disorderly conduct, disturbing the
peace, assault and battery, and using abusive and profane language in the presence and hearing of a female.
Sentence: The principal made it clear that students who use profane language at the game will be asked to leave.
Your Sentence:
10. Auspicious
Definition:
aw SPISH us
Synonyms:
TKAM: The remainder of my schooldays were no more auspicious than the first.
Sentence: After reading her horoscope in the paper, Mary felt it was an auspicious time to purchase a lottery ticket.
Your Sentence:
11. Indigenous
Definition:
In DIJ eh nus
Synonyms:
TKAM: “I am from North Alabama, from Winston County." The class murmured apprehensively, should she prove
to harbor her share of the peculiarities indigenous to that region.
Sentence: Gray squirrels are indigenous to the Midwest, and if you travel to California, you will see different species of
squirrels.
Your Sentence:
12. Diminutive
Definition:
dih MIN yuh tiv
Synonyms:
TKAM: He was among the most diminutive of men, but when Burris Ewell turned toward him, Little Chuck's right hand
went to his pocket.
Sentence: The store which specialized in selling doll houses was filled with diminutive versions of the houses one will
find on Main Street.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
13. Fractious
Definition:
FRAK shus
Synonyms:
TKAM: She had always been too hard on me, she had at last seen the error of her fractious ways, she was sorry and too
stubborn to say so. I was weary from the day's crimes.
Sentence: During the pep-rally the fractious students began to push each other, and soon there was a big fight among
them.
Your Sentence:
14. Disapprobation
Definition:
dis ap ruh BAY shun
Synonyms:
TKAM: "I'm afraid our activities would be received with considerable disapprobation by the more learned authorities."
Sentence: The unruly child faced the disapprobation of his parents when they learned he scribbled all over his bedroom
wall with a Sharpie marker.
Your Sentence:
15. Furtive
Definition:
FUR tiv
Synonyms:
TKAM: Atticus asked, "What on earth could Ewell do to me, sister?" "Something furtive," Aunt Alexandra said. "You
may count on that."
Sentence: During the test, Blaine made furtive glances at Greyson’s test answers.
Your Sentence:
16. Impudent
Definition:
IM pyuh dunt
Synonyms:
TKAM: "Are you being impudent to me, boy?," asked Mr. Gilmer.
Sentence: The student’s impudent act of swearing at his teacher and then skipping school lead to his
expulsion.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
17. Benevolence
Definition:
Buh NEV uh lunz
Synonyms:
TKAM: Miss Maudie's benevolence extended to Jem and Dill, whenever they paused in their pursuits: we reaped the
benefits of a talent Miss Maudie had hitherto kept hidden from us.
Sentence: Donating to the poor or needy is an act of benevolence.
Your Sentence:
18. Irascible
Definition:
ih RAS uh buhl
Synonyms:
TKAM: High above us in the darkness a solitary mocker poured out his repertoire in blissful unawareness of whose tree
he sat in, plunging from the shrill kee, kee of the sunflower bird to the irascible qua-ack of a bluejay, to the sad lament of
Poor Will, Poor Will, Poor Will.
Sentence: Just about anything could set off his irascible temper.
Your Sentence:
19. Caricature
Definition:
KARE uh kuh chur
Synonyms:
TKAM: "You can't go around making caricatures of the neighbors," said Atticus to Scout and Jem.
Sentence: His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.
Your Sentence:
20. Inordinate
Definition:
in OR duh nit
Synonyms:
TKAM: He wore a General Hood type beard of which he was inordinately vain.
Sentence: It is a sign of trouble when a student has an inordinate number of absences.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
21. Ingenuous
Definition:
in JEN yoo uhs
Synonyms:
TKAM: He was a year older than I, and I avoided him on principle: he enjoyed everything I disapproved of, and disliked
my ingenuous diversions.
Sentence: Because of the ingenuous nature of young children, they most often tell the truth when questioned by an
adult. Zoey’s mother asked her, “Why did you hit your brother?” Zoey ingenuously replied, “Because he was bothering
me.”
Your Sentence:
22. Innate
Definition:
ih NATE
Synonyms:
TKAM: Uncle Jack raised his eyebrows and said nothing. I was proceeding on the dim theory, aside from the innate
attractiveness of such words, that if Atticus discovered I had picked them up at school he wouldn't make me go.
Sentence: Many researchers believe that personality is an innate quality rather than a series of traits we learn from our
parents and society.
Your Sentence:
23. Guileless
Definition:
GILE les
Synonyms:
TKAM: The internal arrangements of the Finch house were indicative of Simon's guilelessness and the absolute trust
with which he regarded his offspring.
Sentence: Is it possible to find a guileless politician in Washington D.C., or do they all have the potential for dishonesty?
Your Sentence:
24. Fanatic
Definition:
fuh NAT ik
Synonyms:
TKAM: Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches;.
..
Sentence: Miss Maudie explained to Scout that Mr. Radley was a religious fanatic who took every word of the Bible
literally and who believed that it was best to leave happiness out of one’s life.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
25. Piety
Definition:
PIE eh tee
Synonyms:
TKAM: All we had was Simon Finch, a fur-trapping apothecary from Cornwall whose piety was exceeded only by his
stinginess.
Sentence: The reverend’s pious sermon motivated the congregation to pray with piety.
Your Sentence:
26. rudiments
ROO duh ment
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “When he gave us our air-rifles Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack instructed us in the
rudiments thereof; he said Atticus wasn’t interested in guns” (Lee 119).
Because he was not good at the rudiments of English, he had difficulty writing his English paper.
Your Sentence:
27. articulate
are TIK yuh late
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “Jem became vaguely articulate: ‘d you see him, Scout?’” (129).
An announcer must be articulate. A good politician must be able to articulate his views.
Your Sentence:
28. melancholy
MEL un kol ee
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “If [Mrs. Dubose] was on the porch when we passes, we would be rakes by her wrathful gaze,
subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior, and given a melancholy prediction on what we
would amount to when we grew up, which was always nothing” (132).
After Dad lost his job, he fell into a state of melancholy.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
29. palliate/ palliation
PAL ee ate
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[Calpurnia] was a les than satisfactory source of palliation, but she did give Jem a hot biscuit-andbutter which he tore in half and shared with me” (137).
The doctor attempted to palliate the patient’s suffering by prescribing drugs.
Your Sentence:
30. rectitude
REK teh tood
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “In later years, I sometimes wondered exactly what made Jem do it, what made him break the bonds
of ‘You just be a gentleman, son,’ and the phase of self-conscious rectitude he had recently entered” (136).
When the preacher’s rectitude was questioned, many left his congregation.
Your Sentence:
31. tranquil
TRANG kwul
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[. . .] [Atticus] had a naturally tranquil disposition and a slow fuse” (136).
I enjoy vacationing at our beach house because the surroundings are tranquil, and I can relax.
Your Sentence:
32. protrude/ protrusion
pro TROO zhun
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[Mrs. Dubose’s] bottom plate [of teeth] was not in, and her upper lip protruded. . .” (142).
A large protrusion on his head was the result of being hit by a car.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
33. propensity
pruh PEN si tee
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “Mrs. Dubose would hound Jem for a while of her favorite subjects, her camellias and our father’s
n****- loving propensities” (144).
I have a propensity for staying up late and sleeping late.
Your Sentence:
34. frivolous
FRIV uh lus
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[The cartoon] showed Atticus barefooted and in short pants, chained to a desk; he was diligently
writing on a slate while some frivolous- looking girls yelled, ‘Yoo-hoo!” at him” (155).
A teacher should limit frivolous behavior in the classroom.
Your Sentence:
35. propel
pro PEL
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “I wanted to stay and explore, but Calpurnia propelled me up the aisle ahead of her” (163).
Urgent need of money propelled him to take a job.
Your Sentence:
36. formidable
FORE meh duh bul
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[The corset] managed to suggest that Aunt Alexandra’s was once an hour-glass figure. From any
angle, it was formidable” (171).
The retired boxer Mohammad Ali was a formidable opponent in his time.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
37. oblique
uh BLEEK
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[. . .] but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been
squatting on one patch of land the finer it was” (173).
Because of the suspect’s oblique answers, our interrogation of him led us in the wrong direction.
Your Sentence:
38. edification/ edifying
ED uh fie ing
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “Still, everything he read he passes along to me, but with this difference: formerly, because he thought
I’d like it; now, for my edification and instruction” (184).
Visiting the cathedral was an edifying experience.
Your Sentence:
39. reverent/ revere
reh VER ent / reh VEER
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “Jem raised the broom and missed Dill’s head by an inch when it appeared. ‘God Almighty,’ Jem’s voice
was reverent” (186).
Nearly all Catholics revere the Pope.
Your Sentence:
40. infallible
in FAL uh bul
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[Dill] traveled with the show all over Mississippi until his infallible sense of direction told him he
was in Abbott County, Alabama. . .” (187).
Since everyone makes mistakes, no human is infallible.
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
Your Sentence:
41. placid
PLAS id
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “It had been a placid week: I had minded Aunty. . .” (193).
The wilderness is usually a placid place where one can relax.
Your Sentence:
42. begrudge
bi GRUJ
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “‘This is Saturday,’ Atticus said. ‘Trial’ll probably be Monday. You can keep him one night, can’t you? I
don’t think anybody in Maycomb’ll begrudge me a client, with times this hard” (194).
The child begrudged the other child his new toy.
Your Sentence:
43. ominous
OM uh nus
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “There was a murmur among the group of men, made more ominous when Atticus moved back to the
bottom front step and the men drew nearer to him” (195).
The ominous clouds warned us of the tornado.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
44. vivid
VIV id
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “When Atticus switched on the overhead light in the living-room he found Jem at the window, pale
except for the vivid mark of the screen on his nose” (195).
I have vivid memories of my trip to Europe.
Your Sentence:
45. oblivious
uh BLIV ee uhs
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “[Atticus] was sitting in one of his office chairs, and he was reading, oblivious of the nightbugs
dancing over his head” (201).
She was oblivious of the students talking around her as she concentrated on her book.
Your Sentence:
46. succinct
suh k SINGT
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “‘Called ‘em off on a snipe hunt,’ was the succinct answer” (202).
Because her comments were succinct, the ceremony did not last long.
Your Sentence:
47. acquiesce
AK wee es
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “We were accustomed to prompt, if not always cheerful acquiescence to Atticus’s instructions, but
from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging” (203).
If you acquiesce to your child’s temper-tantrums, he will learn his behavior is acceptable.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock
To Kill a Mockingbird SAT Vocabulary Words
48. elucidate
ed LOO se date
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “We asked Miss Maudie to elucidate: she said Miss Stephanie seemed to know so much about the
case she might as well be called on to testify” (213).
I will try to elucidate some of the questions you had difficulty answering.
Your Sentence:
49. unobtrusive
un ob TRUE siv
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “I found myself in the middle of the Idlers’ Club and made myself as unobtrusive as possible” (217).
He is very unobtrusive sitting over there in the corner.
Your Sentence:
50. turbulent
TUR byuh lent
Synonyms:
Definition:
TKAM: “With [Atticus’s] infinite capacity for calming turbulent seas, he could make a rape case as dry as a
sermon” (226).
The turbulent winds made large waves in the sea.
Your Sentence:
Mrs. Maddock