11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List One

Transcription

1 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List One 1. Acquiesce v. to give in and agree peaceably; to assent; comply When Dad set 1 a.m. as our curfew, my sister Amy and I acquiesced because we knew he meant business. 2. Chastisement n. severe scolding or punishment Bowser, our 80 lb. Shepard, deserved chastisement for stealing the raw steak off the counter. 3. Augment v. to increase; to make something greater or bigger Dad said, Ted, I ll augment your allowance for your senior year, in return for more help at home. 4. Laudable adj. deserving of praise; commendable Getting an A in Mrs. Dawson s math class is a laudable achievement, as her class is the most difficult. 5. Dispersion n. the act of spreading all over in a random manner The dispersion of the new film was erratic, targeting specific audiences around the country. 6. Digress v. to wander off course in speaking or writing I often digress into unrelated topics as I get into a speech, which frustrates and angers my teacher. 7. Concur v. to agree; assent; to approve; to coincide After much discussion, our family concurred on a camping site for next summer. 8. Deleterious adj. causing harm or injury, maybe in a very subtle way Doctors are beginning to worry about the deleterious effects of second hand smoke on children s lungs. 9. Guile n. trickery or deceit; deceptive cunning; duplicity Children often use guile to manipulate their parents into giving them what they want. 10. Coalesce v. to mix together from separate elements Thoughts from my last few articles came together to coalesce into one powerful editorial. 11. Clandestine adj. secretive; surreptitious The FBI sent him on a clandestine mission to Russia, from which he mysteriously never returned. 12. Depravity n. state of corruption, perversion, or evil Hearing our well-mannered father link himself to depravity made us hoot with laughter. 13. Efface v. to erase or obliterate; to wear away over time I m counting on time to efface the memories of when I ve made a total idiot of myself. 14. Crass adj. utterly lacking in taste or discrimination Coming from Mom that was a crass remark, but it was awfully funny. 15. Amass v. to accumulate, collect; to gather, to come together I don t need to amass a huge fortune, but a bit of extra money for life s finer luxuries would be nice.

2 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Two 1. Banal adj. common place and stale, not fresh; trite; insipid Banal, overused phrases and words are so numerous that it is hard to avoid them. 2. Terse adj. concise or succinct; stripped of all but the essentials When you need encouragement, a terse response it very disappointing. 3. Raconteur n. gifted talker or storyteller My English class read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, a talented playwright, poet and raconteur. 4. Euphemism n. the use of a nice word or phrase, instead of an offensive or terrible, honest one The euphemism ethnic cleansing is a phrase used to disguise genocide, which is revolting. 5. Denounce v. to criticize, especially publicly; to accuse She denounced her husband s philandering ways at the party, much to his humiliation. 6. Succinct adj. brief, to the point; concise; terse Some people prefer the taut, succinct writing style of Hemmingway, but I prefer a more colloquial style, like Mark Twain s. 7. Lampoon v. to verbally ridicule a person; satirize The cast of Saturday Night Live loves to lampoon political figures, especially the president. 8. Laconic adj. using as few words as possible; concise Sometimes a laconic response is preferable to a lengthy one, in particular when one is in a hurry. 9. Platitude n. a tired, trite old saying He s so boring because he just mouths off one platitude after another, and we re all tired of them. 10. Bombast n. pompous, windbag language Our principal is the king of bombast. Unfortunately, his speeches are often long, dry, and boring. 11. Cajole v. to beg earnestly;+ to wheedle or coax Hoping to cajole her into helping, I gave her a sweet, puppy dog look before making my request. 12. Hyperbole n. wild exaggeration, often on purpose for effect Many poets use hyperbole to emphasize certain points, which makes their poems more fun to read. 13. Carp v. to nag in a petty nitpicky way; to find fault My mom is always carping at me to clean my room that she claims is always a pigsty. 14. Enervate v. to drain of energy and mental quickness I was completely enervated after taking my college entrance exams, and all I wanted to do was sleep afterwards. 15. Incipient adj. beginning to show; commencing When the flowers began blooming and the birds started singing, I knew the incipient signs of spring were in the air.

3 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Three 1. Despot n. a ruler with total control; a tyrant; autocrat Terror, our bulldog, sees himself as king of the house, a real despot, with all under his paw. 2. Sycophant n. a brownnoser; one who flatters others; a toady Powerful people must enjoy that servile flattery, or they wouldn t have so many sycophants. 3. Hedonistic adj. having the belief that pleasure or happiness is the chief good in life In class, we contrasted the hedonistic doctrine of the Greek s with the spiritual, work-oriented life of the Puritan s. 4. Revere v. to worship; to honor In America, we have a tendency to revere athletes, actors and musicians, which speaks to the superficiality of our culture. 5. Insurgent n. a rebel; one who rises up in revolt As an editor I need to study newspapers, so I am aware of insurgent forces in other countries. 6. Didactic adj. intended for the purpose of giving instruction In this age of technology, computers have become a didactic learning tool, with many people taking classes on line. 7. Desecrate v. to show disrespect or to deface something sacred The gangsters desecrated the side of the cathedral with their colorful graffiti. 8. Charlatan n. a quack or fraud; a cheat, imposter A slick charlatan, posing as a insurance man, cheated the elderly widow of her life s savings. 9. Ephemeral adj. short-lived; fleeting When one considers all the centuries gone by, one may conclude that life is quite ephemeral. 10. Prosaic adj. commonplace; uninspired; dull The new housing tract was so prosaic, with every house being painted the same color and done in the same style. 11. Zealot n. a fanatic; someone devoted beyond reason to a cause or belief It was confirmed that a crazed zealot tried to bomb the abortion clinic, but fortunately he failed. 12. Discern v. to distinguish one thing from another The wine connoisseur was unable to discern the hundred-dollar wine from the twenty-dollar wine. 13. Provincial adj. narrow-minded; unsophisticated The dining room was furnished in a provincial style, with roughly, hand-carved tables and chairs. 14. Surreptitious adj. secretive; done stealthily The cheating husband was very surreptitious about his whereabouts when out with his mistress. 15. Ameliorate v. to make or become better; improve The school had big plans to ameliorate the campus, but had to wait for district funds to become available.

4 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Four 1. Aesthetic adj. concerning art or beauty She paid great attention to the aesthetic qualities of her home décor. 2. Expedite v. to quicken The invention of airplanes has expedited the way in which people travel. 3. Derision n. contempt Johnny had intense derision for the teacher that failed him twice. 4. Drone v. to talk on and on in a dull way The professor droned on and on about the wonders of modern science, putting some students to sleep. 5. Languid adj. slow and listless The languid presentation was so boring many people left early. 6. Philistine n. one who lacks culture or taste The people from Philista, an ancient civilization of the 14 th century, were labeled philistine because they lacked intellectual and artistic values. 7. Virulent adj. harmful The snake s venom was extremely virulent; one bite could kill you. 8. Parsimony n. stinginess Children s parsimony, when it comes to candy and toys, is infamous. 9. Profuse adj. very abundant; overflowing She has a profuse collection of designer shoes, having one pair to match every outfit in her closet. 10. Acuity n. sharpness of mind The teacher exclaimed, The acuity of that student is amazing; he never misses a test question! 11. Dogmatic adj. stubbornly opinionated It does not pay to argue with dogmatic people because you can never convince them of your point. 12. Enigma n. a mystery, riddle It has been said that women are an enigma that men will never figure out. 13. Censure v. severely criticize; blame Sue s parents constantly censured her until she couldn t stand it any longer and ran away. 14. Cacophonous adj. harsh sounding His piano playing was so cacophonous that people held their hands over their ears during the recital. 15. Conciliate v. make compatible; reconcile A marriage counselor oftentimes must play the intermediary and conciliate angry spouses.

5 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Five 1. Partisan adj. strongly in favor of; biased, prejudiced In a country tired of partisan politics, the people hunger for representatives that will put the good of the nation before their political party. 2. Altruism n. useful giving for the benefit of others Most religions are based on the concept of altruism, believing that those that give will receive. 3. Nonchalant adj. casual, carefree, unconcerned His attitude towards smoking was nonchalant until he developed lung cancer. 4. Brusquely adv. curtly, abruptly, bluntly When I asked my mom if I could go to the Marilyn Manson concert, she brusquely answered No way! 5. Austerity n. somberness of manner; graveness As the police captain discussed the serial murder case, he spoke with great austerity. 6. Facilitate v. to make easier or simpler; to smooth the way The geometry professor facilitated the complex formula until all the students understood it. 7. Precipitate v. to cause to happen suddenly or prematurely The dark storm clouds and howling wind precipitated the severe storm that lasted all week. 8. Paradigm n. something serving a model or idea For years, our class unknowingly acted as a paradigm for classes after us. 9. Iconoclast n. one who criticizes established ideas or traditions The newspaper labeled the protesting students as iconoclasts that were trying to overrun the college. 10. Tacit adj. silent; implied through one s actions Her husband s love was a tacit love, for he never said those three words: I love you. 11. Unimpeachable adj. blameless; irreproachable The man on trial for embezzlement testified with such an air of credulity that he appeared unimpeachable. 12. Ubiquitous adj. seemingly everywhere; widespread MacDonald s restaurants, ubiquitous today, were scarce just twenty-five years ago. 13. Assuage v. to appease; pacify, to quiet The best way to assuage your parents harping about a dirty room is to clean it. 14. Stagnate v. to stop the flow of; make inactive All the hair stuck in the shower drain began to stagnate the flow of water. 15. Karma n. a life force that determines your fate or destiny in the next life Whether you call it karma or something else, everyone would like to know why life unfolds as it does.

6 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Six 1. Fervent adj. full of strong emotion; impassioned His fervent kisses made her so dizzy she almost swooned in her impassioned state. 2. Fortuitous adj. happening by chance, accidental The married couple s meeting was fortuitous, but they often felt as if God had united them. 3. Disparage v. to belittle or downgrade; depreciate, minimize When I was a kid, the bully up the street disparaged me constantly, and I can still remember how much it hurt me. 4. Condescend v. to come down in level; stoop Buttons, my older cat, condescends to play hide and seek with my kitten Socks if she thinks no one will see her acting like a kitten. 5. Virtuoso n. a highly skilled performer At the peak of his career, Michael Jackson was thought to be a virtuoso. 6. Temerity n. unwise boldness; rash or reckless behavior Many would argue that teens are full of temerity, but I have known many a sensible teens. 7. Supercilious adj. excessively proud; disdainfully superior Frank s supercilious attitude made him appear superior, but in reality he had an inferiority complex he was trying to cover up. 8. Fastidious adj. meticulous; extremely fussy and particular A healthy cat is fastidious about its appearance and grooms it s fur meticulously. 9. Meander v. to wander casually with no set plan; to ramble We meandered our way across Europe, ultimately ending up in Spain. 10. Nostalgia n. a sentimental longing for a past time or state Nostalgia for the past and the way things used to be must be a natural part of growing older. 11. Raze v. to tear down completely We were forced to raze the old barn because it was infested with termites. 12. Hackneyed adj. banal; overused; commonplace; trite The teens talked in a hackneyed way, using lots of clichés, but they never tired of listening to each other. 13. Disseminate v. to disperse or spread everywhere (knowledge or ideas) Our pep rallies are designed to disseminate the spirit of Diamond Bar High to all students. 14. Eclectic adj. carefully selected from many good sources I have a small, but eclectic assortment of CDs, ranging from the Dead to Beethoven. 15. Quixotic adj. Extravagantly idealistic; unrealistic or imaginary Quixotic ideas are strange, a little crazy, but often wonderful.

7 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Seven 1. Heretic n. one who differs from accepted belief or theory Witches were hanged and burned as heretics by religious fanatics during the Puritan era. 2. Inexorable adj. inflexible; not movable by any means Her inexorable religious convictions led her to live a life of chastity and self-sacrifice as a nun. 3. Aver v. to state firmly and convincingly I averred my new year s resolutions on January 1 st, only to break them the next day. 4. Equivocal adj. open to two interpretations; evasive, unclear His puzzling, equivocal answer left us all stunned and questioning his sanity. 5. Garrulous adj. extremely talkative; gabby, loquacious The garrulous teenage girls never tired of gossiping and talking about their boyfriends. 6. Posit v. to propose; suggest When he first posited his idea no one thought it would work, but as it turned out it has attributed to the success of the company. 7. Proponent n. one who talks in favor of something; an advocate John is hardly a proponent of sloth, he generally works sixty hours a week and sometimes more. 8. Respite n. rest, pause, lull; time of relief from activity Winter break will be welcome respite from my busy school schedule. 9. Elucidate v. to explain fully and clearly Mrs. Macintosh, our geometry teacher, is always willing to elucidate a problem if we don t understand it. 10. Sagacious adj. prudent; showing wisdom in one s understanding of things It is amazing how sagacious Joy is for a twelve-year-old; she has more sense than some thirtyyear-olds I know. 11. Atrophy v. to wither, degenerate; to waste away When the doctor removed the cast from my arm, I found that my muscles had atrophied considerably. 12. Burgeon v. to flourish, to grow and quickly expand; bloom Ideas burgeon in people s minds just as flowers and weeds burgeon in soil. 13. Affluent adj. wealthy in a material sense In Haiti, there are few affluent people; most people are so indigent they live in small shacks. 14. Tawdry adj. cheap-looking; showy, gaudy Her sequined gown was tawdry enough, but the cheap costume jewelry made her outfit look even more ridiculous. 15. Rancor n. deep-seated bitterness; old enmity The rancor in the family made it impossible to celebrate holidays together without a fight ensuing.

8 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Eight 1. Scoff v. to make fun of; mock It is unkind to scoff at a fellow classmate that is nervous giving a presentation. 2. Risible adj. laughable, funny; used for laughter The Comedy Store is venue where you can enjoy a host of risible comedians. 3. Immutable adj. changeless; unalterable, eternal Some things are immutable, like a mother s undying love for her child. 4. Quandary n. a feeling of puzzlement or doubt Choosing a college is a perplexing process which leaves many students in a state of quandary. 5. Archangel n. an angel of the highest rank Before losing God s favor and being flung from heaven, Lucifer was once God s archangel. 6. Tenet n. a major belief, principle, of a doctrine or a group A main tenet of a doctor is to save lives whenever possible. 7. Rue v. to regret exceedingly; feel remorse or sorrow Grandma was always saying, I rue the day I married your cantankerous grandfather! 8. Sanction v. to confirm, authorize; endorse, approve, support Although Senior Ditch Day is an old tradition, our principal has said, I cannot sanction it. 9. Copious adj. superabundant; in plentiful supply The elegant Princess Diana was renown for her copious collection of gorgeous evening gowns. 10. Evanescent adj. fading or vanishing quickly, like vapor Ghosts are a naturally evanescent phenomenon that many people don t believe in. 11. Dearth n. scarcity or lack; paucity Our class debated the poet Keat s comment on the inhuman dearth of noble natures and disagreed with him. 12. Whet v. to excite or stimulate (the mind or appetite); to hone or sharpen (a knife or mind) All the decadent delicacies at the party whetted my appetite for more fabulous food. 13. Prodigal adj. wildly extravagant or lavish in spending Many complain that our government is guilty of spending taxpayer dollars on prodigal programs that are frivolous. 14. Vacillate v. to fluctuate; to change from one opinion to another Some people are unable to make a decision and stick by it; they vacillate instead and that drives me crazy! 15. Brevity n. briefness; conciseness of expression In Hamlet, our class found the famous quotation; Brevity is the soul of wit.

9 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Nine 1. Irascible adj. easily angered; testy, touchy His irascible disposition so angered the judge that he held him in contempt of court. 2. Venerate v. to revere, respect No matter how he acted, King Henry VIII of Britain expected his subjects to venerate him. 3. Satiate v. to satisfy appetite fully I told Mom to make plenty of turkey for Thanksgiving, because only three helpings will satiate me. 4. Repudiate v. to deny; to reject or disown utterly My parents threatened to repudiate me if I went out with the guy with pierced nipples and tattoos. 5. Prodigious adj. awe inspiring; enormous in size or capacity Dinosaurs were creatures of prodigious size and exotic appearance, which makes them so fascinating to us. 6. Magnate n. someone of power, rank or influence The rich and powerful oil magnate controlled over thirty-percent of the world s oil supply. 7. Redundant adj. extra and unnecessary; superfluous; unneeded Terms like young kitten and young fowl are redundant expressions because the words kitten and fowl only refer to animals that are young. 8. Magnanimous adj. generously forgiving; big spirited Our boss magnanimous nature made us admire him all the more. 9. Irony n. the opposite of what would be normal or expected The irony of the situation was that she loved him despite his cheating ways. 10. Apocryphal adj. of doubtful authorship; fictitious Most what the National Enquirer prints in apocryphal in nature, much to the chagrin of stars. 11. Predilection n. natural preference; positive feelings for My brother has always had a predilection for rap music, while I prefer country and pop. 12. Negligible adj. of only minor importance, if any The fact that the actors were not well known was negligible to the film s success, as it was a masterpiece. 13. Vitriolic adj. caustic, burning or corrosive like acid John s vitriolic sense of humor offended some, but he never meant any harm by his biting jokes. 14. Dubious adj. doubtful; of questionable truth or quality; suspicious Her alibi was dubious and led police to further question her whereabouts on the night in question. 15. Pervade v. to go throughout; permeate The rank odor of the dead skunk in the attic pervaded the entire household.

10 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Ten 1. Delineate v. outline; describe The guidance counselor delineated the various aspects of filling out college applications. 2. Criterion n. a standard used for making judgments When selecting a puppy, temperament is usually an important criterion, especially if you have children. 3. Scanty adj. meager; brief or short I thought I liked scanty swimsuits until I saw my girlfriend in the scantiest bikini on earth. 4. Diatribe n. abusive criticism; a violent attack in words Diatribes flourish in elections; candidates are always eager to criticize each other. 5. Querulous adj. complaining; fault-finding Her repeated, querulous comments started to drive her husband crazy after awhile. 6. Rhetoric n. the art of using words impressively, especially in public speaking; insincere high-flown writing or speech The politician s speech was analyzed and was determined to be pure rhetoric by most people. 7. Ambivalence n. fluctuation between one thing and another; uncertainty or indecision Ambivalence is a quality of people who vacillate when making decisions. 8. Defer v. to put off until another time; to yield to someone of greater authority or age Many college students defer paying their student loans until they graduate. 9. Deduce v. to conclude or infer by reasoned thought The detective was able to deduce by the evidence that she was murdered by her husband. 10. Satire n. a novel, film, play, etc. that ridicules peoples hypocrisy or foolishness Mark Twain s satire Huckleberry Finn ridicules the prejudice, stupidity and hypocrisy in America during the mid-nineteenth century. 11. Undermine v. to weaken or destroy bit by bit Nothing undermines your image like having a little brother tag along wherever you go. 12. Rescind v. repeal or call-back; to cancel or annul I rescinded my decision to go to UCLA after USC won the championship. 13. Emulate v. imitate; to try to equal (or even exceed) an example Many have tried to emulate Lucille Ball s comic genius, but in my opinion no one has come close. 14. Jocular adj. jolly; fond of joking Grandpa is a very jocular person; he is always joking amusingly with us grandkids. 15. Amity n. harmony; friendship and good-will Mom insisted that an aura of amity pervade our home during the holidays, which meant that no fighting was allowed.

11 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Eleven 1. Autonomy n. self-rule; independence Parents should grant their children autonomy once they get into high school. 2. Indolence n. laziness Indolence is the worst disease a person can have; lazy people are rarely successful. 3. Ponderous adj. weighty; heavy Big decisions in life, like what college to go to and who to marry, are very ponderous issues. 4. Coffer n. a strong box; a treasury She kept her valuables in a locked coffer behind her dresser where no one would find it. 5. Surmount v. to overcome; conquer He was able to surmount all the limitations of his handicap and function normally in life. 7. Resplendent adj. dazzling; brilliant The cubic zirconia necklace was resplendent in its appearance; it shone like real diamonds. 7. Precocious adj. premature; unusually early development The precocious child amazed us with his intelligence, making it hard to believe he was only eight. 8. Renounce v. to reject or disown; to give up I renounced all forms of caffeine on New Years Day, including coffee and soda. 9. Synchronize v. to be simultaneous; to operate in unison The synchronized swimmers were amazing; they kept perfect time with each other. 10. Inadvertent adj. not attentive; marked by lack of care He was inadvertent in the feeding of his goldfish, which led them to die of starvation. 11. Pontificate v. to express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic (stubborn/arrogant) way My dad has a tendency to pontificate when he lectures us on the subject of morality and values. 12. Ungainly adj. clumsy; lacking in grace of movement Ballerinas are not ungainly creatures; they must be light on their toes and graceful by nature. 13. Disparity n. unlikeness; incongruity There was a disparity in the color of their hair, even though they were twins and both red heads. 14. Urbane adj. polite, refined and often elegant in manner Mother insisted that we be raised with urbane manners, so as not to embarrass her public. 15. Bastion n. fortress; a strong hold It will take a bastion to keep that boy-crazy, teenage girl away from the opposite sex.

12 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Twelve 1. Galvanize v. to stimulate into sudden activity; to arouse Because I failed the test, I determined I would galvanize my new study skills plan into action. 2. Ebb v. to decline Investors watched their fortunes ebb as the stock market plunged to a new low. 3. Nomenclature n. a system of names, such as those used in a particular science A nomenclature can easily be mastered using a system of memory devices. 4. Garbled adj. confused; mixed up The garbled message failed to expedite the ambulance s arrival. 5. Immaterial adj. insignificant; unimportant The prosecutor objected to the defense attorney s argument, claiming it was ridiculous and immaterial. 6. Nonchalance n. carelessness; lack of interest or concern Edward s nonchalance about his studies showed in his poor semester grades. 7. Debilitate v. to weaken The cruel jailer starved his prisoners in order to debilitate them. 8. Officious adj. meddling; giving unnecessary or unwanted advice or services Mrs. Reeves, our neighbor, had an officious manner, so we were careful what we told her. 9. Abject adj. miserable; pitiful When we found the abject creature lying on the floor, we took it inside and tended to its broken leg. 10. Abeyance n. temporary suppression or suspicion The abeyance of information made her subject to a full investigation. 11. Protracted adj. drawn out; lengthy The protracted funeral service left us all feeling drained and depressed. 12. Innovate v. to make changes; modernize The new superintendent of the district decided to fully innovate our high school campus. 13. Euphonious adj. melodious; pleasant sounding The euphonious music was a welcome treat after a hectic day at the office. 14. Dissonance n. lack of agreement or harmony The newly married couple began to experience dissonance in their relationship early on, which led to a divorce. 15. Contrite adj. thoroughly sorry Not even his contrite apology would make his wife forgive him for his cheating ways.

13 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Thirteen 1. Parched adj. dried up The aged woman s skin was parched from spending too much time in the sun in her youth. 2. Circuitous adj. indirect, round about She asked him to the Sadie s dance in a circuitous manner, first asking if he had a date. 3. Clairvoyant n. a person said to be able to see the future The woman who was a celebrated clairvoyant made many predictions that came true. 4. Exasperation n. frustration; irritation The teacher threw up her hands in exasperation at the unruly class and screamed, I quit! 5. Substantiate v. to verify; confirm The husband of the murdered woman was able to substantiate his whereabouts because he had witnesses to confirm his story. 6. Spurious adj. phony; false If you give a spurious testimony in court and the judge finds out, he will hold you in contempt. 7. Novice n. a beginner Every great musician was once a novice, but talent, practice and determination made them famous. 8. Asylum n. sanctuary At the end of a hard day, my bedroom becomes my asylum, a place of quiet and rest. 9. Wary adj. watchful; alert All teenagers should be wary of people who offer them drugs and make every attempt to avoid them. 10. Impute v. to attribute to someone She imputed the charges against her, claiming her husband was liable for the death of their child. 11. Unscrupulous adj. without morals or conscience Hannibal Lechter, the infamous cannibal in the film Silence of the Lambs, is an unscrupulous character. 12. Uniform adj. consistent; the same Tract homes oftentimes are very uniform in their design, which makes them boring to look at. 13. Cache n. a hiding place; something hidden in a hiding place Police searched in vain for the cache of stolen jewels, which the thieves successfully concealed. 14. Abnegate v. to deny; renounce A monk must abnegate many of life s comforts, as they dedicate themselves to a humble and servile life. 15. Ablution n. the act of cleansing Every morning I perform my daily ablutions; I start by taking a shower and then I brush my teeth.

14 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Fourteen 1. Ascendancy n. controlling influence Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers through the process of brain washing. 2. Cordial adj. gracious; heartfelt Our guests greeted us at the airport with a cordial welcome and a hearty hug. 3. Insuperable adj. unbeatable; insurmountable After the car accident, Joan faced seemingly insuperable obstacles in her recovery. 4. Temper v. moderate; tone down or restrain Not even her boss grumpiness could temper Susan s enthusiasm for her new job. 5. Paragon n. model of perfection The other students resented Frank because the teacher pointed him out as a paragon of virtue. 6. Episodic adj. divided into incidents; occurring at intervals The novel had an episodic structure, therefore it was difficult to follow the overall plot. 7. Euphoria n. feeling of great happiness or well-being After being asked to prom, Rebecca was filled with an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. 8. Quell v. extinguish; put down; quiet The substitute teacher was unable to quell the unruly class and had to call security. 9. Prattle v. babble; talk incessantly Teenage girls are known to prattle incessantly. 10. Ineffectual adj. weak; not effective Because the candidate failed to get his message to the public, his campaign was ineffectual. 11. Engender v. to cause; produce Praising children for their accomplishments engenders self-confidence in them. 12. Contagion n. infection Fearing contagion, they took great steps to prevent the spread of the disease. 13. Abstruse adj. obscure; difficult to understand The abstruse works of philosophy were difficult for the students to understand. 14. Grandiose adj. pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated The aged movie star still had grandiose notions of his supposed importance in the theatrical world. 15. Hiatus n. gap; interruption in duration; break During the summer hiatus, many college students try to earn money to pay for their tuition.

15 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Fifteen 1. Allay v. to lessen fear; to calm; to relieve An SAT prep course can allay the anxiety of some students. 2. Quandary n. a dilemma; a confusing or puzzling situation The new mother was faced with the quandary of going back to work or staying home. 3. Odious adj. loathsome; evil; revolting in a disgusting way I can t imagine a crime more odious than child abuse. 4. Debunk v. to prove wrong or false Old wives tales are debunked by modern research. 5. Abridge v. shorten In order to show the film within a two-hour time, it was abridged. 6. Pithy adj. concise; brief and full of meaning and substance Jonathan s poem ended with a pithy rhyming couplet. 7. Bellicose adj. of a quarrelsome nature; warlike; belligerent The speech was full of bellicose threats, suggesting war was at hand. 8. Munificent adj. very generous It s easy to be munificent when you already have everything you ll ever want or need. 9. Impugn v. to oppose or attack something or someone as false The cheating husband was impugned by his wife and her family. 10. Circumlocution n. roundabout speech; act of speaking in circles To avoid hurting anyone s feelings, he resorted to circumlocution. 11. Antidote n. a remedy that counteract the effects of poison; something that relieves Advil is an effective antidote for a headache. 12. Subordinate adj. inferior; lower in rank or status A private is a subordinate officer to a captain. 13. Derivative adj. unoriginal; taken from something already existing English is a derivative language; it is made up of words from many other languages. 14. Discrepancy n. a difference A discrepancy in the suspects story let the detectives to infer that he was lying. 15. Vaporize v. to turn to vapor, foam or mist As the dry ice vaporized, the actors on stage disappeared into clouds of smoke.

16 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Sixteen 1. Antediluvian adj. very, very old; antiquated The shop contains antediluvian machines that ought to be replaced with up-to-date equipment. 2. Extraneous adj. not necessary; not an essential part Let s stick to the heart of the matter and put your extraneous concerns aside for the moment. 3. Misanthrope n. someone who dislikes all people Hal is a misanthrope; he hates just about everyone. 4. Skeptic n. a person who doubts Mary is a skeptic; she doesn t believe in UFOs for a minute. 5. Extol v. to praise highly; laud The choir teacher extolled Johnny s performance in the musical. 6. Pariah n. a social outcast Jenny is known as a pariah on campus because of her strange wardrobe and unkempt hair. 7. Ebullient adj. filled with bubbly excitement After making a hole in one, the golfer screamed out an ebullient Yeah! 8. Nomadic adj. wandering Bobby is nomadic; he can t settle in one place and is always on the move. 9. Rebuke v. to reprimand or scold sharply Sarah continued to bite her nails in spite of being rebuked time and again. 10. Lassitude n. a tired feeling resulting from overwork or depression Myra felt an overwhelming lassitude after completing her last final exam of the semester. 11. Stoical adj. lacking or not showing emotion Despite that the entire class laughed at the Mr. Grant s foible, he carried on in a stoical manner. 12. Eulogize v. to praise, as in a eulogy; to say good things about Loretta knew Mike well and eulogized the good deeds for which he ll be remembered. 13. Imprudent adj. careless; rash Jogging at night without wearing reflective gear is imprudent. 14. Artisan n. one who is skillful with his/her hands Every weekend, artisans display and sell their crafts on the village green. 15. Dogged adj. stubborn; determined The runner displayed a dogged determination to finish the marathon despite his exhaustion.

17 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Seventeen 1. Ardently adv. with passion and emotion The young lovers kissed ardently on the park bench, not caring that others were watching. 2. Cliché n. an expression or idea that has become stale due to overuse Good writers avoid clichés in their writing like the plague. 3. Phlegmatic adj. calm; lacking excitement or emotion He recited the speech in a phlegmatic tone and put much of the audience to sleep. 4. Penurious adj. stingy; relating to great poverty or destitution My father s penurious upbringing taught him to value every penny. 5. Bowdlerize v. to remove material that is considered offensive or objectionable The drama teacher bowdlerized the bawdy play so that it was appropriate for students to perform. 6. Acumen n. quickness and keenness of judgment or insight The state prosecutor had a natural acumen, but he was no match for a Harvard educated defense attorney. 7. Specious adj. false; appearing to be valid or true, but not so in reality The argument seemed valid, but since it was based on specious logic, it was proved wrong. 8. Exonerate v. to free from blame or guilt Elsie was accused of stealing Ana s cell phone, but she was exonerated when it was found in Lee s locker. 9. Ambidextrous adj. two-handed; able to use both hands equally well Unless you are ambidextrous, you can t juggle oranges with one hand and type with the other. 10. Jaunty adj. stylish; fashionable Amanda s jaunty new hair-style makes her look like a fashion model. 11. Brink n. edge; border; threshold On the brink of bankruptcy, Jerry s business was saved by a generous investment from Ben. 12. Adulterate v. to make impure by adding an improper substance or quality Try not to adulterate the quality of your formal writing with clichés or slang words. 13. Delectable adj. delicious My mom makes a delectable lasagna that is absolutely mouthwatering. 14. Incidental adj. less important; minor In contrast to murder, burglary is an incidental offense. 15. Arduously adv. with extreme difficulty He arduously climbed the mountain and proudly placed his flag on its peak.

18 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Eighteen 1. Thrifty adj. miserly; cheap; careful with money Be thrifty for the next few months, and you ll save enough for a new stereo. 2. Confounding adj. baffling; puzzling The world was fascinated by the confounding disappearance of Amelia Earhart. 3. Diva n. a highly skilled singer, usually an opera singer The divas auditioned, but their singing voices did not fit the role we had in mind. 4. Convivially adv. sociably The party guests mingled convivially late into the evening. 5. Erudite adj. scholarly; wise due to much reading and study Morris pretends to be erudite, but he s really an airhead. 6. Plethora n. excess; abundance There used to be a plethora of teachers, but now there is a shortage. 7. Iniquity n. shameless injustice; wickedness Iniquity has no place in the courtroom. 8. Upbraid v. to chide; scold bitterly Mr. Judd upbraided the class for throwing paperclips and pencils around the room. 9. Captious adj. made for the sake of quarreling His captious comments towards his wife spurned a massive argument. 10. Heed v. to pay careful attention to It s smart to heed instructions before beginning. 11. Pitfall n. an unseen danger, risk, or drawback The pitfall in Doug s plan was that it cost too much. 12. Swagger v. to walk around in a proud, showy manner; to boast loudly Robert s swagger reveals that he has an ego as big as a house. 13. Mellifluous adj. sweet and smooth sounding Because of his mellifluous voice, Grant was hired as a radio announcer. 14. Warily adv. with caution Act warily in the presence of strangers, especially when you are walking alone at night. 15. Servility n. slave-like behavior; the act of being humble and submissive Susan s servility caused her to cater to everyone s desires but her own.

19 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Nineteen 1. Quiescent adj. still; inactive Teenagers are not known for being quiescent; they are irrepressible and full of life. 2. Incisively adv. keenly; sharply Brian incisively made a comment that went directly to the heart of the matter. 3. Abstemious adj. holding back of eating or drinking too much I need the willpower to be abstemious if I am going to lose ten pounds by June. 4. Antagonism n. hatred; ill-will Stan s mocking and teasing incited antagonism among his teammates. 5. Linger v. to hang around; to stay Mary lingered after class to talk with the instructor in private. 6. Precedent n. something done or said that may serve as an example It is an older brother s responsibility to set a precedent for his younger siblings. 7. Itinerant adj. wandering about; tending to move around, travel I rarely see my uncle; he is itinerant, constantly on the move and traveling the globe. 8. Culinary adj. having to do with cooking, preparing meals Airline food is anything but a culinary delight. 9. Austerity n. the quality of being stern or cold in appearance The austerity of the substitute teacher scared the students into compliance. 10. Verbiage n. words having little or obscure content The two-year-old child s verbiage was undecipherable to everyone but his mother. 11. Gregarious adj. sociable As a child, Tommy was quiet, but as a teenager he was gregarious. 12. Mercenary adj. greedy for self-gain; thinking only of making money The mercenary owner of the shoe store was too money-hungry to ever have a sale. 13. Relegate v. to remove or dismiss to a less important or prominent place He was relegated to a lesser position when they cut back on managers due to budget cuts. 14. Standoffish adj. lacking cordiality; somewhat cold and reserved She was standoffish when he asked her out because she thought he was a jerk. 15. Desist v. to cease to proceed or act He desisted in his negative behavior in Mrs. Johnson s class after he got in trouble.

20 11 th Grade SAT Vocabulary List Twenty 1. Chary adj. cautious; wary Chary of burglars, we set our alarm whenever we went out. 2. Ample adj. abundant For turning in the wallet, Heather was given an ample reward of $ Innovation n. something new or different The innovation in televisions was plasma, but now the technology is becoming more prevalent. 4. Castigation n. severe punishment or criticism Fearing castigation, John lied about being responsible for the car accident. 5. Goad v. to urge; spur The unscrupulous woman goaded her lover to kill her husband so that they could be together. 6. Vilify v. to slander or defame someone s name Jay Leno and other late night hosts vilified the president for a slip of the tongue. 7. Virtuoso n. a highly skilled performer, usually a musical performer Ted was considered as a virtuoso amongst trumpeters at his school. 8. Enfranchise v. to endow with the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote Prior to 1920, women were not enfranchised; the 19 th amendment granted them that right. 9. Epiphany n. a sudden revelation At church, I experienced an epiphany, a spiritual awakening that would change the way I viewed God forever. 10. Nadir n. the lowest point; the very bottom Losing the election was the nadir of his political career. 11. Auspicious adj. marked by success; prosperous The auspicious fundraiser allowed the charity to donate hundreds of toys to the orphanage. 12. Abrogate v. to abolish; to do away with, especially by authority The laws of the land could not be abrogated or denied by the government. 13. Antebellum adj. belonging to the period before the war, especially the American civil war While visiting in Georgia, we took a tour of stately antebellum homes. 14. Purloin v. to steal; to take wrongfully When she wasn t looking, the kitten purloined the ball of yarn from the basket. 15. Panacea n. a cure for anything that causes illness or trouble; remedy The new road will divert some cars, but will not be a panacea for all our traffic problems.

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