SAT Vocab Unit 1
CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?
Words Relating to Using Few Words or
Being Quiet
Words…Pronunciation…Part of Speech
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brevity (BREV-ih-tee) n.
concise (cun-SISE) adj.
laconic (luh-CAHN-ik) adj.
pithy (PIH-thee) adj.
quiescent (kwy-EH-sunt) adj.
reticent (RET-ih-sunt) adj.
succinct (suk-SINKT) adj.
taciturn (TAS-ih-turn) adj.
terse (turs) adj.
Let’s Add Some Meaning
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brevity—briefness or conciseness in speech or
writing
concise—using few words in speaking or writing
laconic--using few words in speech
pithy—brief and full of meaning and substance;
concise
quiescent—quiet; still; inactive
reticent—not talking much; reserved
Let’s Add Some Meaning
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succinct—clearly and briefly stated; concise
taciturn—silent; sparing of words; closemouthed
terse—using only the words that are needed
to make the point; very concise, sometimes
to the point of rudeness
Memory Tips – Use these mnemonics
(memory devices) to boost your
vocabulary.
brevity Connect this word to a related word
that you most likely already know:
abbreviate. Notice how both words share the
letter cluster brev!
pithy Think of just the pit (central part) of the
topic and nothing more. Remember that
pithy expressions are substantial and to the
point.
Memory Tips – Use these mnemonics
(memory devices) to boost your
vocabulary.
quiescent Did you notice that the word quiet is
within the word quiescent? Use this to see
the definition within the word: still; inactive;
quiet. In your Vocabulary Notebook,
underline or highlight q-u-i-e-t in quiescent.
Another SAT-level word, acquiesce, is related
to quiescent. Acquiesce means “to
peaceably agree or quietly give in to.”
Memory Tips – Use these mnemonics
(memory devices) to boost your
vocabulary.
taciturn In Latin tacitus means silent. Tacit
means implied or expressed without words,
as in a “tacit agreement.”
Brevity
For the sake of brevity, choose your words
with care.
Limited space in the newsletter makes brevity
essential.
When time is short, brevity is a virtue.
Concise
A concise explanation is preferable to a longwinded one.
Leslie’s essay is pretty wordy; she should try to
be more concise.
For a concise summary of the book, read the
book jacket.
Pithy
For the yearbook, Jenny searched through
Bartlett’s for a pithy quotation about courage.
Jonathan’s sonnet ended with a pithy rhyming
couplet.
What expresses affection more pithily than the
three words, I love you?
Quiescent
Mount St. Helens has be quiescent since its
last eruption in 1986.
On long summer weekends, the city loses its
bustle and is strangely quiescent.
Never one to make waves, Leo quiescently
followed the coach’s orders.
Reticent
Usually reticent, Ms. Worthy surprised us all
with a long story at lunch.
Tom and Molly are a mismatched pair; he’s shy
and reticent, but she never stops talking.
I thought the old man was reticent, but he
wouldn’t talk because he had no teeth.
Succinct
Mr. Phillips asked us to write a succinct
summary of our term papers.
The title succinctly conveys the point of my
paper.
Let me state this as succinctly as I can: “No
late papers.”
Taciturn
Next to me on the bus sat a taciturn girl who
said nothing during the four-hour ride.
Throughout the party, Larry was moody and
taciturn. No one heard a peep from him.
Mom kept quiet, not because she’s taciturn,
but because she refused to make the
decision for me.
Terse
Mia wanted details about Joyce’s new
boyfriend, but got only a terse description.
Terse speakers make dull lecturers.
The principal’s terse reply was clear: “No dogs
at school.”
Match one of the words in column A with
one or more of their defining characteristics
in Column B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Quiescent
Pithy
Concise
Terse
taciturn
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Inactive or still
To the point
Using few words to
express oneself
Quiet and reserved
Brief, almost to the point
of rudeness
Words words words…
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brevedad (Sp);
concisión (Sp.)
conciso (Sp.)
laconically (adv); lacónico
(Sp.)
pithily (adv); pithiness (n)
Quiescence (n);
quiescently (adv)
reticently (adv);
reticente (Sp.)
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succinctly (adv);
succinctness (n);
sucinto (Sp)
taciturnity (n);
taciturnly (adv);
taciturno (Sp.)
tersely (adv);
terseness (n)
Sentence Completion
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Gabe is a master of ___ because he can
usually get his point across in three words or
less.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Tersely
Reticence
Abbreviation
Pithiness
Laconic
Sentence Completion
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___ people make me feel uncomfortable;
they are so quiet and disengaged that it
makes them hard to read.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Succinct
Reservedly
Reticent
Concise
Brevity
Sentence Completion
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After being asked repeatedly to go on a
movie date, Julian ___ responded, “Not
interested,” to the girl on the other end of the
phone.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Quiescently
Reservedly
Concise
Brevity
Tersely
Sentence Completion
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Known for her ___, Hailey delivered a 40second speech that pithily emphasized the
many reasons why she would be the best
pick for student government president.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Reticence
Brevity
Terseness
Taciturn
Abbreviations
Sentence Completion
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Far from a blabbermouth, Tina is as ___ a
young lady as one can find.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Succinct
Pithy
Taciturn
Concisely
Acquiescent
Words in Context
Based on the context in which each bold word
is used, identify the word usage of each
sentence as either C (Correct) or I (Incorrect).
 The mayor was commended for his pithy
speech. He made meaningful points during a
mere half-hour delivery.
 The gabby shop owner welcomed laconic
exchanges with customers.
Words in Context
Based on the context in which each bold word
is used, identify the word usage of each
sentence as either C (Correct) or I (Incorrect).
 Since space was limited, the advertising
executive instructed copywriters to write
concise photo captions.
 Unlike their customary drawn-out
explanations, the Grants related the story of
the burglary tersely.
Words in Context
Based on the context in which each bold word
is used, identify the word usage of each
sentence as either C (Correct) or I (Incorrect).
 Succinct gossip is the most painful; it hurts its
subjects more than any other type of humor.