10/27/24, 7:08 PM 262 SAT Vocab Words You Must Know · PrepScholar

Though you don’t need to memorize all the words below, familiarizing yourself with
most of them should help you better identify the tones of passages and make you
more efficient at interpreting and answering questions correctly on SAT Reading and
Writing.

Below, we give you each word, its part of speech, its definition, and an example
sentence (or more if the word has multiple definitions/parts of speech). All words are
listed in alphabetical order.

Word Definition Example Sentence

v. to become less active,
As I began my speech, my feelings
Abate less intense, or less in
of nervousness quickly abated.
amount
adj. existing purely in the
Julie had trouble understanding the
Abstract mind; not representing
appeal of the abstract painting.
actual reality
I got an abysmal grade on my
Abysmal adj. extremely bad
research paper!
All students must behave
Accordingly adv. in accordance with
accordingly.
n. the act of gaining a
Language acquisition is easier for
Acquisition skill or possession of
kids than it is for adults.
something
v. to make suit a new The US has adapted many foreign
purpose foods to better suit the tastes of
v. to accommodate Americans.
Adapt
oneself to a new Dogs are known for their ability to
condition, setting, or quickly adapt to their
situation environments.
adj. having knowledge or
Beth loves playing the piano, but
Adept skill (usu. in a particular
she’s especially adept at the violin.
area)
adj. having sufficient Though his resume was adequate,
Adequate qualifications to meet a the company doubted whether he’d
specific task or purpose be a good fit.
Advent n. the arrival or creation The world has never been the same
of something (usu. since the advent of the light bulb.

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historic)
adj. relating to hostile An adversarial attitude will make
Adversarial
opposition you many enemies in life.
n. someone who
I am an advocate for free higher
promotes or defends
education.
something
Advocate Environmental protesters often
v. to defend or promote
advocate for cleaner energy
something (usu. a belief,
practices.
theory, opinion, etc.)
The aesthetic decorations at the
adj. relating to beauty or wedding reception made you feel as
Aesthetic
refined taste if you were a character in a fairy
tale.
He’s saving money so he can afford
v. to be able to buy to buy a new car.
Afford
v. to be able to spare I can’t afford to lose any more
pencils!
v. to promote something They’re agitating for better health
Agitate
(usu. a cause) care.
US law allows citizens to speak
Allow v. to permit or consent to
freely.
She alluded to the problem at hand
v. to make a secretive
Allude but didn’t say anything more about
mention of something
it.
n. a noisy argument or Greg got into an altercation with a
Altercation
confrontation stranger at the bar.
Her ambiguous statement made
adj. unclear or vague in
Ambiguous me question whether she could be
meaning
trusted.
adj. having a powerful
Penny is so ambitious, she wants
Ambitious desire for success or
to be president someday.
achievement
n. the state of being
His ambivalence prevented him
uncertain or stuck
Ambivalence from immediately signing the
between two or more
contract.
options

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adj. similar but not Green onions are considered

Analogous
identical analogous to spring onions.
v. to destroy or cause The dictator sent orders to
Annihilate
devastating destruction annihilate the group of rebels.
n. something different This result is an anomaly and very
Anomaly
from the norm rarely happens.
v. assume to be likely to The party was just as fun as I had
Anticipate
happen anticipated it would be.
Her antipathy toward the
n. a strong feeling of professor was obvious: she rolled
Antipathy
dislike her eyes whenever he entered the
classroom.
n. the highest point of The spring play was the apex of our
Apex
something school year.
Her apprehension to leave her
n. fearful expectation of
Apprehension house resulted in her missing the
something
train.
v. to clearly express in She articulated her opinion on the
Articulate
words price of the house.
adj. something made; Many candies use artificial flavors
Artificial
not occurring naturally to make them taste fruity.
His assertion that sharks are
Assertion n. a strong declaration
mammals made everyone laugh.
He lived in a small, austere cabin in
the middle of the woods.
adj. extremely plain
My boss had an austere expression
Austere adj. stern and forbidding
on her face.
adj. relating to self-denial
An austere lifestyle, like that of
monks, isn’t for everybody.
n. the quality of being
The police officer doubted the
Authenticity real and true instead of
authenticity of the suspect’s story.
fake and contrived
n. an intangible path or The company has decided to pursue
Avenue
approach to something other avenues.
adj. actively interested in
Avid or enthusiastic about Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
something
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adj. relating to the You have to start with basic Russian

Basic foundation or basis of before you can move on to the
something advanced level.
She bears a strong resemblance to
your mother.
v. to have as a
Judy will bear her first child later
characteristic
this year.
Bear v. to have (a child)
My garden is going to bear
v. to bring forth
pumpkins this year.
v. to put up with
I can’t bear her complaining any
longer!
Many cultures believe in
Benevolent adj. kind, generous
benevolent spirits.
n. a preconception that It’s important to avoid bias when
Bias
prevents objectivity investigating a crime.
adj. tinged with a feeling The ending of the romance movie
Bittersweet
of sadness was bittersweet.
If we work together, we should be
v. to support, strengthen,
Bolster able to lift and then bolster the
or fortify
couch.
The boost in profits was a welcome
n. an increase or growth
change.
Boost v. to increase or make
In order to boost profits, you need
grow
to cater to your customers.
A brawl broke out at school today
n. an intense, loud fight after one student accused another
Brawl v. to fight loudly and of cheating.
disruptively The two students brawled for an
hour.
n. the quality of being The brevity of their time together
Brevity
brief or terse made it all the more romantic.
Josh is candid about his desire to
Candid adj. direct, blunt
become an actor.
I admire her candor, especially
n. the trait of being
Candor when nobody else bothers to speak
honest and frank
up.
Capitalize v. to use to your I’d like to capitalize on your math
advantage skills by having your work the cash
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register.
v. to trap or take The spy was captured by the
possession of enemy.
v. to successfully Your painting beautifully captures
Capture represent or imitate the ephemerality of life.
v. to captivate, I was captured by her beauty.
mesmerize The cops captured the criminal
v. to catch or seize three days after the incident.
adj. relating to the city or
Civic Voting is a civic duty.
citizens
adj. emotionally
Her clinical approach to situations
unattached (usu. used in
Clinical allows her to handle them more
medical or scientific
effectively.
setting)
Children of rich and famous people
n. special advantage or
Clout often believe they have a lot of
power
clout.
The horse’s mane was coarse, as if
adj. indicating a rough
it had never been washed.
texture
Coarse The queen’s coarse way of speaking
adj. lacking refinement
surprised the other members of
or sophistication
royalty.
It wasn’t until after I booked my
v. to happen at the same
Coincide ticket that I realized the concert
time
coincided with my finals.
n. the use of payment to
This painting was commissioned by
Commission request something (e.g.,
a rich merchant in 1589.
a service or product)
This novel is comparable to
Comparable adj. able to be compared
Huckleberry Finn.
We need to hire a competent web
Competent adj. sufficiently qualified developer to create a good website
for our company.
Though he had never won any
adj. satisfied, with no
awards or even been published, he
Complacent desire to change or
was complacent with his life as a
improve
poet.

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v. to make perfect or This wine perfectly complements

Complement
complete this platter of gourmet cheese.
v. to be forced to agree With no chance of winning the
or surrender battle, the army at last conceded.
Concede
v. to admit to a Dan conceded to pranking his
transgression sister.
The plan to build the city was
v. to imagine or come up
Conceive originally conceived in the early
with
1900s.
v. to overlook, approve, She couldn't condone her
Condone
or allow daughter's rebellious behavior.
The noisy students hardly made the
adj. able to bring about
Conducive campus library conducive to
or be suitable for
studying.
The group conducted their
v. to control or manage
research abroad last year.
Conduct v. to behave a certain
Be sure to conduct yourself
way
accordingly.
v. to share something She confided all of her biggest
Confide
secretive with someone secrets in her best friend.
v. to put limits on; to We are going to confine the use of
Confine
restrict this drinking fountain.
After weeks of debating, the panel
Consensus n. overall agreement
finally came to a consensus.
v. to form or compose The desire for equality constituted
Constitute
(part of) something the civil rights movement.
She contemplated telling her
Contemplate v. to think deeply about
teacher about the cheating student.
The president contends that the US
v. to maintain or assert
Contend government will not negotiate with
(an opinion)
terrorists.
The camera footage contradicts his
Contradict v. to be in contrast with
alibi.
adj. highly debatable and Millions of viewers watched the
Controversial
causing contention controversial debate take place.

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adj. abiding by accepted She lives a conventional life in the

Conventional
standards suburbs.
v. to pass on or transfer I have trouble conveying my
Convey
(information) thoughts in French.
n. a firm belief in Her religious convictions prevent
Conviction
something her from eating meat.
The note signed by her father
v. to provide evidence
Corroborate corroborates her claim that she
for; to back up (a claim)
was absent from class that day.
v. to work in opposition This ingredient seems to
Counteract
to counteract the other ones.
Make sure to include a
n. an argument used to counterargument in your essay so
Counterargument criticize or dismantle that you can show you’ve
another argument considered the topic from all
perspectives.
Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was
adj. hindering the ultimately counterproductive: it
Counterproductive
achievement of a goal took us twice as long to get to the
train station.
The culmination of the
Culmination n. the final act or climax
performance was unforgettable.
Teachers don’t just pass on new
Cultivate v. to foster the growth of information to students—they
cultivate their academic potential.
The president decreed that
v. to declare formally and
Decree Halloween would henceforth be a
with authority
national holiday.
Her deference to the elderly makes
Deference n. respect; regard her the perfect candidate for an
internship at the retirement center.
adj. not enough in I feel as though the sources for my
Deficient
degree or amount paper are deficient.
Demonstrate v. to do as an example Could you demonstrate the dance
v. gives evidence for move for me?
This book’s use of words such as
“grim” and “bleak” demonstrates

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the author’s mournful tone.

She demurred at my request to
Demur v. to object to
transfer to a different department.
v. to (over)use over time The lost campers quickly depleted
Deplete
(usu. resources) their supply of food.
The moon is one giant, desolate
Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty
landscape.
v. to come up with (a Lana devised a plan to make
Devise
plan) herself famous.
n. a problem, usually
The main dilemma is whether to
Dilemma requiring a choice
pay for a commercial or not.
between two options
n. conscientiousness; the
Diligence and confidence will get
Diligence quality of being
you far in life.
committed to a task
The itchiness of mosquito bites
v. to become smaller in
Diminish usually starts to diminish after a
scope or degree
few days.
When the police didn’t explain what
adj. hopeless and was happening right away, Jane
Dire
dangerous or fearful knew that the situation must be
dire.
Disputes over money caused
Discord n. disagreement
intense discord in the family.
n. a lack of respect and He looked at me with such disdain
Disdain strong dislike (toward that I immediately knew the job
something or someone) wouldn’t work out.
n. hopelessness, stress, To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the
or consternation test.
Dismay
v. to fill with woe or Many were dismayed by the town’s
apprehension implementation of metered parking.
v. to belittle or speak A good boss is stern but never
Disparage
down to disparages his or her employees.
v. to send off a message The mother dispatched her
Dispatch
or messenger daughter to their neighbor’s house.
Diversification n. the act of becoming Lately, there’s been noticeable
diverse diversification of students at
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higher institutions.
n. a principle, theory, or Devoutly religious people often live
Doctrine position, usu. advocated their lives according to their
by a religion or gov’t doctrines.
The country claimed to have
n. power and authority
dominion over parts of Russia.
Dominion (usu. over a territory)
Puerto Rico is a dominion of the
n. a legal territory
US.
The gray clouds in the sky made the
Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull
day feel dreary.
The man’s claims to the throne were
adj. doubtful,
Dubious dubious since nobody knew where
questionable
he’d come from.
adj. peculiar or odd; She’s a little eccentric but still fun
Eccentric
deviating from the norm to be around.
After cheating on the exam, Emily
Egregious adj. extremely bad began to feel as though she’d made
an egregious mistake.
adj. having refined or
expressive His speech was not only eloquent
Eloquent
communication skills (in but also extremely compelling.
speaking or writing)
adj. superior or Our town made news when the
Eminent distinguished; high in eminent magician came to perform
position or status at our local theater.
v. to discharge, give Plants consume carbon dioxide and
Emit
forth, or release emit oxygen.
Her emphatic smile told me she
adj. very expressive;
Emphatic was excited to ride the roller
using emphasis
coaster.
adj. derived from
You need empirical evidence to
Empirical experience, observation,
support your claim.
or an experiment
According to the myth, the gods
v. to equip or bestow
Endow endowed him with the gift of
(usu. a quality or ability)
healing.

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v. to withstand, sustain, I can’t endure this wait any longer.

Endure
or hold out against Will Stanford accept or reject me?
A doctoral program entails long
Entail v. to involve or include
nights and a heavy workload.
Her face will forever be entrenched
Entrenched adj. firmly established
in my memory.
I can’t enumerate how many times
Enumerate v. to specify or count I’ve had to remind my students
when their papers are due.
n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.
Envy v. to admire and be She envies her coworker's social
jealous of skills.
adj. having no fixed
The car became erratic after
Erratic course; deviating from
slipping on ice.
the norm
They established a law that made it
v. to enact illegal to drive after drinking any
Establish v. to found (a business, amount of alcohol.
group, school, etc.) Our group established a new
branch in Chicago.
Horror movies are great at evoking
Evoke v. to draw forth or call up
fear.
v. to make worse or The doctor told me not to run as it
Exacerbate
increase the severity of can exacerbate my knee injury.
v. to do something
She was a well-rounded student but
Excel extremely well or to be
excelled especially in science.
superior in
v. to put into use (usu. as Don’t exert all of your energy at
Exert
effort) once.
adj. invigorating, The music playing at the club was
Exhilarating
stimulating, or exciting catchy and exhilarating.
Be careful not to expend all your
v. to use up (as in energy
Expend energy in the first half of a
or money)
marathon.
The shoddy company exploited its
v. to use selfishly or for
Exploit workers by paying them extremely
profit
low wages.
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In grad school, advisors facilitate

Facilitate v. to aid the progress of students’ research and offer
constructive criticism.
The feasibility of her project was
n. the practicality or doubtful; she’d have to go all the
Feasibility
possibility of something way to Antarctica and back before
the school year ended.
The lion is just one wild animal
Ferocity n. viciousness, violence
known for its ferocity.
Fiscal policy is how the government
adj. related to
Fiscal uses money to influence the
(government) money
economy.
After one year, the tiny plants had
v. to prosper, grow, or
Flourish flourished into a breathtaking
make fast progress
garden.
Stocks can fluctuate on a daily
v. to be unstable; to rise
Fluctuate basis, making it difficult to
and fall
determine when to buy or sell one.
The civilians accused their leader
Foment v. to stir up
of fomenting political unrest.
adj. capable of being I can't imagine aliens visiting us in
Foreseeable
predicted or anticipated the foreseeable future.
I frankly don’t see the point in
Frankly adv. directly, clearly
learning to drive.
His freewheeling attitude often got
Freewheeling adj. carefree
him in trouble at work.
adj. the most essential or A thesis is arguably the most
Fundamental
most basic part fundamental part of an essay.
adj. thrilling, exciting, The galvanizing performance left
Galvanizing
stimulating everyone spellbound.
I became interested in geriatric
medicine shortly after my
Geriatric adj. relating to old age
grandfather passed away from
cancer.
The voices around the corner
Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous
sounded angry, hostile even.

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For my physics homework, I must

adj. supposed; related to
Hypothetical come up with a hypothetical
a hypothesis
situation.
The politician's expensive campaign
adj. publicly shameful or
Ignominious ultimately ended in ignominious
humiliating
defeat.
v. to transmit, bestow, or Parents must impart common
Impart
disclose sense to their children.
n. the equal and To ensure impartiality, we require
Impartiality objective treatment of everyone to follow these general
opposing views guidelines.
The old mansion was imposing in
adj. impressive (esp. in
Imposing its huge size and gothic
size or appearance)
architecture.
If it’s not too much of an
n. an unnecessary
Imposition imposition, could you proofread
burden
my paper?
adj. not cautious or Backpacking abroad can be fun, but
Imprudent
prudent; rash don’t be imprudent about money.
Her hateful words incited anger in
Incite v. to encourage or stir up
the crowd.
n. apathy, emotional The girl’s indifference toward her
Indifference
detachment brother upset their parents.
adv. randomly; with little Lottery winners are chosen
Indiscriminately
or no distinction indiscriminately.
v. to give into; to satisfy My friend loves to indulge in cheesy
Indulge
or gratify romance movies.
You can infer from this quotation
v. to guess, conclude, or
Infer that the writer didn’t care for
derive by reasoning
“pretty” language.
Her invention was incredibly
adj. novel or new (esp. as
Innovative innovative and won her multiple
an idea or invention)
awards.
A vampire’s thirst for blood is said
Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied
to be insatiable.

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The culture’s norms were an

Inversion n. a reversal
inversion of our own.
v. to call on; to appeal to The shaman attempted to invoke a
Invoke
(e.g., a higher power) demon.
The couple’s differences were
adj. incapable of being in
Irreconcilable ultimately irreconcilable, giving
harmony or agreed upon
them no choice but to break up.
Susan lamented her missed chance
v. to feel sorrow for; to
Lament at going to Europe with her high
mourn
school class.
Physics involves the study of
Locomotion n. movement
locomotion.
Writing books isn’t a particularly
adj. capable of making a
Lucrative lucrative career, unless you’re J.K.
lot of money; profitable
Rowling.
The malicious spirit drove out the
Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful
inhabitants from their home.
adj. capable of being Children’s minds are malleable but
Malleable
molded or changed only for so long.
adj. superficial; focus on Many people accuse Americans of
Materialistic
material possessions being materialistic.
adj. extravagant or
The melodramatic play was well
Melodramatic exaggerated (as of a
liked by the audience.
melodrama)
They moved into a modest house in
adj. simple and humble
the countryside.
Modest adj. small in size or
I received a modest sum of money
amount
for my help at the company event.
v. to change, alter, or Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so
Modify
tweak that it wouldn’t carry the disease.
adj. historically Her win in the election was
Momentous
significant momentous.
We are looking for novel ways to
Novel adj. new, innovative
approach the project.

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Body-language experts even

n. a subtle difference in
Nuance understand the nuances of facial
meaning
expressions.
adj. legally void and The government declared their
Null
ineffective marriage null.
n. judgment based on
In scientific research, objectivity is
Objectivity observations instead of
of utmost importance.
emotions or opinions
Historians assumed record players
adj. no longer used; rare would be obsolete by now, but in
Obsolete
or uncommon fact they’re making a huge
comeback.
adj. almighty and all Gods are omnipotent beings who
Omnipotent
powerful can control human destiny.
n. the beginning or early At the onset of her career as a
Onset
stages lawyer, things were looking up.
v. to openly express an The new employee opined at the
Opine
opinion company meeting.
adj. highly detailed and That ornate silverware must be
Ornate
decorated worth thousands of dollars!
v. to remove or force out Sick and tired of putting up with his
Oust of (usu. a position or bad moods, the pirates ousted their
office) captain.
adj. predominant, Our paramount concern is the
Paramount
superior, most important safety of our employees.
Upon entering the abandoned
house, Kate experienced a peculiar
Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre
feeling, as if someone was watching
her.
According to the news, nobody
Perish v. to die; to pass away
perished in the fire.
They will persecute anyone who
Persecute v. to cause suffering to doesn’t agree with their views of the
world.
adj. cranky, pouty, Petulant children are especially
Petulant
irritable difficult to care for.

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Many believe that composers such

Pinnacle n. highest level or degree as Beethoven and Mozart represent
the pinnacle of classical music.
The frail-looking dog was pitiable,
Pitiable adj. deserving pity so I gave it some food and took it
inside to care for it.
adj. reasonable and Her story is plausible, but that
Plausible
possibly true doesn’t mean she’s telling the truth.
The literary critic postulates that
Postulate v. to assert romanticism and naturalism are
actually interconnected.
adj. having great The bald eagle is a potent symbol
influence of the US.
Potent
adj. having a strong, The potion was definitely potent—it
chemical effect healed my wounds immediately!
It’s not necessarily more pragmatic
Pragmatic adj. practical, useful to study engineering than it is to
study philosophy.
n. an example or subject This change in law is without
Precedent
from earlier in time historical precedent.
n. someone who comes
My predecessor gave me many tips
Predecessor before you (usu. in
for running the office.
position or office)
The directions for our essay
prescribe a length of at least ten
v. to command orders
pages.
Prescribe v. to issue authorization
A doctor must prescribe you this
for medications
medication before you can begin
taking it.
Remember the universal principle:
n. basic truth,
Principle treat others as you want them to
assumption, or rule
treat you.
v. to command against, Alcohol was prohibited in the US in
Prohibit
to outlaw the 1920s.
Prompt adj. punctual, on time She is always prompt when it
n. a cue to begin comes to turning in her homework.
something; instructions I had to write an essay based on
a prompt.
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v. to incite, propel, or The possibility of a scholarship

cause to act prompted him to apply to Harvard.
The ruler will at last promulgate an
v. to put into law or
Promulgate amnesty with the neighboring
formally declare
countries.
v. to bring criminal action
The suspect was prosecuted
Prosecute against someone (in a
yesterday.
trial)
adj. intending to
Her nude paintings are considered
Provocative provoke, inspire, or
quite provocative.
arouse
adj. involving qualities of
I noticed a qualitative change in
Qualitative something (features and
her paintings.
content)
adj. involving quantities We must conduct a quantitative
Quantitative
(numbers and amounts) analysis.
His biggest quirk is his love of old
Quirk n. a strange habit
marbles.
v. to split into two or Cars ramified throughout the world
Ramify
more branches in the twentieth century.
adj. without attention to Her rash decision to pass the car
Rash
danger or risk nearly resulted in a crash.
He’s got raw talent as a singer, but
adj. unrefined he needs to work on his
Raw adj. not processed; performance skills.
uncooked (as in food) In some countries, such as Japan, it
is normal to eat raw fish.
adv. right away and Water was readily available at
Readily
without difficulty different points in the race.
n. thinking again about a The judges’ reconsideration of her
Reconsideration
previously made choice performance resulted in her victory.
The reform made it so that only
n. a change for the
those 18 and older can legally drive.
Reform better; improvement
The government reformed its
v. to improve via change
vague policies on marijuana use.
v. to prove to be untrue, The student refuted the professor’s
Refute
unfounded, or incorrect claim in class.
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v. to strengthen or add We can use these pipes to

Reinforce
support to reinforce the structure.
adv. somewhat Max reluctantly agreed to see the
Reluctantly
unwillingly horror movie with his friends.
Our CEO renounced her position
v. to give up (usu. power yesterday.
Renounce or a position) He renounced his friend after he
v. to cast off caught her stealing money from
him.
The mother reproached her
Reproach v. to criticize daughter’s school for making
students come in during a blizzard.
The father repudiated his son’s
v. to refuse to recognize marriage.
Repudiate as true She repudiated her son once she
v. to cast off found out he’d married someone
without telling her.
n. the act of keeping Water retention can make you
Retention
something weigh more on certain days.
adj. satisfied (usu. in
Satiated I felt satiated after eating a snack.
hunger)
adj. having practical My brother is not very savvy when
Savvy intelligence or it comes to using public
knowledge transportation.
adj. morally offensive,
The scandalous politician decided it
Scandalous often causing damage to
was best to resign from office.
one’s reputation
v. to look down on with It’s difficult for me not to scorn
Scorn
disdain those who use improper grammar.
adj. paying great I am a scrupulous proofreader and
Scrupulous
attention to detail never miss an error.
v. to examine carefully The teacher scrutinized her
Scrutinize
and critically students’ essays.
v. to produce or release Trees secrete a sticky substance
Secrete
(a substance) called sap.
Sentiment n. opinion I am of the sentiment that you
should never give out your
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n. a tender or moving passwords to anyone.

gesture Even though I’m not a big fan of
porcelain dolls, I appreciated the
sentiment.
The curtains on the window were so
adj. so thin that light can
Sheer sheer you could clearly see inside
shine through
the house.
This math problem is so simple
adj. easy; not complex even a first grader can solve it.
Simple
adj. undecorated The simple beauty of the ocean is
what makes it memorable.
Medieval peasants believed sinister
Sinister adj. ominous, evil
demons could harm humans.
n. the joining of
I stood in solidarity with other
commonalities or
Solidarity female students by refusing to wear
common purposes
the school’s sexist uniform.
among a group
adv. insufficiently,
Due to my condition, I must eat salt
Sparingly meagerly, or in a
sparingly.
restricted manner
v. to release eggs Frogs typically spawn in ponds.
Spawn v. to call forth or The topic spawned an ongoing
generate debate among his family members.
Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.
adj. run-down, sordid, or The squalid cabin needed a new
Squalid
sleazy roof and an exterminator.
adj. very plain; devoid of Looking out at the stark landscape,
Stark
any details or features I felt a keen sense of isolation.
The ball is static.
adj. motionless
Static Her life has been static for the past
adj. changeless
three years.
The subordinate officers work
adj. lower in rank every day.
n. someone lower in rank My subordinate will check you in.
Subordinate
v. to make dependent on You aren’t my boss—you can’t
or put at a lower rank subordinate me to the role of
receptionist!

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adv. happening later or

Subsequently I subsequently went home.
after something
I was shocked to find a substantial
adj. very large in amount
Substantial amount of money beneath the park
or degree
bench.
It is important for scientists to
v. to strengthen with new
Substantiate substantiate their theories
evidence or facts
whenever possible.
adj. hard to detect or I detected in her expression a
Subtle
analyze subtle hint of irritation.
adj. enough; just meeting These boxes should be sufficient
Sufficient
a requirement for our move.
adj. unfriendly; inclined The bartender was a surly fellow
Surly
to anger who wasn’t afraid to start a fight.
They managed to surmount the
v. to get on top of or
Surmount language barrier by using a
overcome
translation app.
adj. to be vulnerable (to Children are more susceptible to
Susceptible
something) certain illnesses than adults are.
Her tactful attitude toward our
adj. skilled at dealing
Tactful class made her one of my favorite
with people
teachers.
The rubberband was taut and
Taut adj. pulled tight
ready to be fired.
adj. abundantly filled Doorknobs are not as clean as they
Teeming (usu. with living look and are often teeming with
organisms) germs.
She had a hostile temperament,
Temperament n. usual mood or feelings making her intimidating to most
people.
We haven’t made any official
arrangements yet, but the
Tentative adj. not yet finalized
tentative location for our wedding
is Hawaii.
Transparent adj. see-through; so thin Stained window glass isn’t as
that light can shine transparent as regular window
through glass is.
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adj. truthful or easy to She was transparent about her

perceive plans to end her marriage.
The journey was becoming
adj. dangerous and
Treacherous treacherous, but they continued on
unstable
regardless.
adj. very large, good, or Tremendous news! You don’t have
Tremendous
bad in degree or size to repay your loans!
adj. being everywhere at Cell phones are ubiquitous these
Ubiquitous
once days.
Though the dress was cheap and
Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain unadorned, it was by far her
favorite one on the rack.
v. to weaken or subvert Parents should take care not to
Undermine (usu. gradually or constantly undermine their
secretly) children.
v. to emphasize or give This sentence seems to underscore
Underscore
additional weight to the overall meaning of the passage.
Belly dancers are known for their
v. to move as ripples or
Undulate ability to skillfully undulate their
in a wavy pattern
stomachs.
The unilateral decision was
Unilateral adj. one-sided deemed unfair by the other party
involved.
The court’s decision is unjust—he
Unjust adj. unfair; not justified
should not go free.
adj. downright, utter, My speech was an unmitigated
Unmitigated
total disaster!
adj. completely new and
The number of protestors was
Unprecedented never having happened
unprecedented.
before; historic
v. to make visible; to We plan to unveil our plans for the
Unveil
reveal new company project on Sunday.
He had the urge to tell his parents
n. desire or impulse about his acceptance to Columbia
Urge v. to encourage or but decided against it.
persuade She urged her sister to apply to
Stanford.
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v. to prove or declare Your selfish actions do not validate

Validate
valid your feelings for me.
n. ability to be done in a The viability of the solution is
Viability
practical or useful way questionable.
It is vital that you respond by the
Vital adj. urgently necessary
deadline.
My brother quickly broke his vow to
Vow v. to promise
never eat chocolate again.
Wanting to look cool in front of your
v. to prove to be
Warrant friends doesn’t warrant breaking
reasonable
the law.
The farmer’s annual
n. production of an
pumpkin yield exceeded 10,000.
amount
Cars turning right on red must yield
Yield v. to give way to or
to oncoming traffic.
surrender to
Our experiment yielded many
v. to produce or supply
unique-looking vegetables.

How to Study SAT Words Effectively: 3 Essential Tips

Now that you've got a huge list of SAT vocabulary words you can work with, what’s the
best way to study them? Here are three key tips to help you get the most out of your
SAT vocab studies.
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