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VOCABULARY LISTS : TEST PREP

100 Top SAT Words

December 23, 2009 By Lori Weaver (Colorado Springs, CO)

abate
become less in amount or intensity

abdicate
give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors

aberration
a state or condition markedly di erent from the norm

abstain
refrain from doing, consuming, or partaking in something

adversity
a state of misfortune or a iction

aesthetic
characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

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amicable
characterized by friendship and good will

anachronistic
chronologically misplaced

arid
lacking su cient water or rainfall

asylum
a shelter from danger or hardship

benevolent
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding

bias
a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue

boisterous
full of rough and exuberant animal spirits

brazen
unrestrained by convention or propriety

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brusque
rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner

camaraderie
the quality of a ording easy familiarity and sociability

canny
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

capacious
large in the amount that can be contained

capitulate
surrender under agreed conditions

clairvoyant
someone who can perceive things not present to the senses

collaborate
work together on a common enterprise or project

compassion
a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's su ering

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compromise
an accommodation in which both sides make concessions

condescending
characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance

conditional
imposing or depending on or containing an assumption

conformist
someone who follows established standards of conduct

conundrum
a di cult problem

convergence
the act of coming closer

deleterious
harmful to living things

demagogue
a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

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digression
a message that departs from the main subject

diligent
quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness

discredit
the state of being held in low esteem

disdain
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

divergent
tending to move apart in di erent directions

empathy
understanding and entering into another's feelings

emulate
strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

enervating
causing weakness or debilitation

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ephemeral
anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

evanescent
tending to vanish like vapor

exemplary
worthy of imitation

extenuating
partially excusing or justifying

orid
elaborately or excessively ornamented

forbearance
a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges

fortitude
strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity

fortuitous
lucky; occurring by happy chance

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foster
providing nurture though not related by blood or legal ties

fraught
lled with or attended with

frugal
avoiding waste

hackneyed
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority

hedonist
someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures

hypothesis
a tentative insight that is not yet veri ed or tested

impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

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impute
attribute or credit to

inconsequential
lacking worth or importance

inevitable
incapable of being avoided or prevented

intrepid
invulnerable to fear or intimidation

intuitive
spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency

jubilation
a feeling of extreme joy

lobbyist
someone who is employed to persuade how legislators vote

longevity
the property of having lived for a considerable time

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mundane
found in the ordinary course of events

nonchalant
marked by casual unconcern or indi erence

opulent
rich and superior in quality

orator
a person who delivers a speech

ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others

parched
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight

per dious
tending to betray

pragmatic
concerned with practical matters

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precocious
characterized by exceptionally early development

pretentious
creating an appearance of importance or distinction

procrastinate
postpone doing what one should be doing

prosaic
lacking wit or imagination

prosperity
the condition of having good fortune

provocative
serving or tending to excite or stimulate

prudent
marked by sound judgment

querulous
habitually complaining

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rancorous
showing deep-seated resentment

reclusive
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

reconciliation
the reestablishment of cordial relations

renovation
the act of improving by renewing and restoring

restrained
under control

reverence
a feeling of profound respect for someone or something

sagacity
the ability to understand and discriminate between relations

scrutinize
examine carefully for accuracy

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spontaneous
said or done without having been planned in advance

spurious
plausible but false

submissive
inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others

substantiate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts

subtle
di cult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

super cial
of, a ecting, or being on or near the surface

super uous
more than is needed, desired, or required

surreptitious
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

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tactful
having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others

tenacious
stubbornly unyielding

transient
lasting a very short time

venerable
profoundly honored

vindicate
show to be right by providing justi cation or proof

wary
marked by keen caution and watchful prudence

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