SAT Vocabulary List

For a guide on how to use this SAT vocabulary list, go to the Improve SAT Vocabulary Skills.

abacus	frame with balls for calculating
abate	to lessen
abdication	giving up power
aberration	straying away from normal
abet	to encourage wrong doing
abeyance	suspended action
abhor	to hate
abide	to be faithful
abjure	to promise to give up
abraded	worn away by friction
abrogate	to take back by authority
abscond	to run from law
abstruse	difficult to understand
abut	to border
abysmal	bottomless
acarpous	no longer fertile
acclaimed	praised
accolade	praise
accretion	many things to one
adamant	stubborn
admonitory	containing warning
adorn	to add beauty
adulteration	making unpure
affable	friendly
affinity	close connection
aggravate	to make worse
agile	quick-moving
agog	eager
ail	to be sick
alacrity	eager readiness
alcove	a partially enclosed place
allegiance	loyalty
alleviate	to make less
alloy	to mix with something inferior
aloof	indifferent
amalgamate	to combine
ambidextrous	able to use both hands equally
ambiguous	unclear
ambivalent	having different meanings
ameliorate	to make better
amortize	to end by setting aside money
anguish	severe suffering
animosity	hate
antidote	medicine to cure disease
antithetical	direct opposite
apartheid	brutal racial discrimination
aplomb	self confidence
apostate	one who abandons beliefs
apotheosis	glorification to godliness
appease	to calm
apprehensive	feeling fear of the future
apprise	to inform
approbation	approval
apropos	appropriate to the situation
apt	well-suited
arabesque	a complex ornate design
arboreal	related to trees
ardor	enthusiasm
arduous	laborious
argot	jargon
arrant	in the highest degree
arrogance	having superior attitude
articulate	to speak distinctly
ascend	to move up
ascertain	to get to know
ascetic	practicing self-denial
ascribe	to consider to be the origin
aseptic	surgically clean
asperity	harshness
aspersion	slander
assail	to attack violently
assiduous	hard-working
assuage	to make less
asterisk	substitution mark
astringent	substance that shrinks
astute	clever
atonement	repayment
attenuate	to make thin
attune	to bring into harmony
audacious	bold
augury	omen
august	majestic
auspicious	favorable
austere	severely moral
auxiliary	supporting
aver	to prove
aversion	strong dislike
avid	eager
avow	declare openly
baleful	harmful
balk	to get in the way of
baneful	causing harm
barrage	obstacle built across a river
barren	unable to have children
bask	to enjoy warmth and light
beatify	to bless
bedizen	to adorn in cheap showy manner
belabor	to beat hard
bellicose	warlike
belligerent	waging war
benefactor	person who gives help
benevolence	wishing good
benign	kind
bequest	act of passing on to another
berate	to scold sharply
bereft	to rob of something
bewilder	to confuse
bigot	narrow-minded person
bilge	protuberance of a cask
blandishment	cajole
blandness	not irritating or stimulating
blatant	loud
blithe	carefree
bogus	fake
boisterous	noisy
bolster	to give greatly needed support
boorish	rude
brash	hasty
brass	yellow metal
brazen	made of brass
breach	to break in
brittle	easily broken
broach	to begin to talk about
brook	to tolerate
buoyant	light-hearted
burgeon	to begin to grow
burnish	to polish
cabal	a scheme
cadge	to get by begging
cajole	to use flattery to persuade
calipers	metal leg supports
calumny	slander
candid	straight-forward
cant	insincere talk
cantankerous	bad-tempered
canvass	to discuss thoroughly
castigate	to correct with punishment
castigation	severe punishment
catalyst	substance that causes speedup
caustic	biting and sarcastic
censure	official rebuke
centurion	leader of a unit of 100 soldiers
chary	cautious
chastened	corrected
chastisement	punishment
chauvinist	a blindly devoted patriot
chicanery	trickery
chisel	steel tool for shaping materials
churl	bad-tempered person
clamor	to complain loudly
clientele	customers
clinch	to settle
cling	to fasten
clot	lump formed from liquid
cloture	method to end debate
coagulation	to change to thick and solid state
coalescing	coming into one
coax	to get something with flattery
coda	passage at end of music
coddle	to treat with care
coerce	to compel
coeval	coexisting
cogent	convincing
cogitate	to meditate
cognizant	fully aware
colander	draining bowl
collusion	secret meeting
combustion	process of burning
commemorate	to honor with ceremony
commodious	roomy
commuter	person who travels regularly
complaisance	willingness to please
compunction	feeling regret
conceal	hide
conceit	high opinion of one's self
conciliatory	comforting
concord	agreement
concur	to agree
condense	to increase in density
condone	to forgive
congeal	to make stiff
conjoin	to join together
connoisseur	person with good judgement
connotation	suggestion in addition to
consequential	pompous
console	to comfort
conspicuous	easily seen
consternation	fear
constrain	to compel
constrict	to make tight
consume	to get to end of
consummate	to make perfect
contemn	to hate
contentious	argumentative
contiguous	touching
contrite	feeling regret
contumacious	rebellious
conundrum	riddle
conviction	strong belief
convoke	to summon
convoluted	complicated
cordial	sincere
cordon	line of police to guard
cornucopia	abundant supply
corporeal	pertaining to body
correlate	to have a mutual relation
corroboration	to confirm
countenance	to approve of
counterfeit	fake
countervail	counterbalance
covert	disguised
covetous	desirous
cower	crouch back in fear
coy	shy
crass	crude
cravat	piece of linen worn as a necktie
craven	cowardly
crease	line made by crushing
credulity	gullibility
credulous	gullible
crush	to overwhelm
cryptic	with a hidden meaning
cumbersome	burdensome
curmudgeon	bad-tempered person
curriculum	course of study
cursory	done in haste
curtail	to make shorter than planned
dainty	delicate
daunt	intimidate
dawdler	slow person
dearth	a shortage
debacle	sudden disaster
decorum	properness
decree	order given by authority
decry	to disapprove of
defer	to give way in respect to
deferential	showing respect
defiance	open disobedience
delineate	to portray depict sketch out
deluge	flood
demagogue	person appealing not to reasons
demur	to hesitate
denigrate	to belittle
denouement	unraveling of a plot
deplete	to use until none remains
deposition	dethronement
deprave	to corrupt
deprecate	to protest against
dereliction	leaving to fall in ruins
derision	ridicule
derivative	obtained from another source
derogatory	insulting
descry	to catch sight of
desiccant	substance that absorbs moisture
desuetude	disuse
desultory	haphazard
deter	to discourage
detraction	verbal attack
detumescence	diminishing of swelling
deviance	stray from normal
dexterity	skill
diaphanous	gauzy
diatribe	verbal attack
diffidence	shyness
dilate	to become larger
disallow	to refuse to allow
discern	see with effort
discomfit	confuse
disconcert	to upset
discountenance	to refuse to approve
discourse	speech
discredit	refuse to believe
discreet	prudent
discrete	individually distinct
disdain	look on with contempt
disencumber	free from burden
disheveled	untidy
disingenuous	cunning
disinter	dig up from the earth
dislodge	force from the place occupied
dismal	gloomy
disparate	different
disproof	proof to the contrary
dissemble	speak to hide something
disseminate	to distribute
dissent	refuse to assent
dissolution	looseness in morals
distraught	upset in mind
divergence	getting farther apart
divestiture	getting rid of
divulge	to make something secret known
doggerel	trivial
dogmatic	without room for discussion
dolt	idiot
dormant	in a state of inactivity
dote	to center one's attention
drawl	slow way of speaking
droll	jesting
drone	person who isn't self-employed
drowsiness	feeling sleepy
dubious	feeling doubt
dud	something that fails
dulcet	harmonious
dupe	to trick
duplicity	deception
duress	to compel
dwarf	person below the usual size
dynamo	an electric generator
earthenware	dishes made of baked clay
ebullience	exuberance
ebullient	showing excitement
ecumenical	representing Christian world
edacious	voracious
eddy	circular movement
edible	fit to be eaten
effete	infertile
efficacy	production of a desired result
effluvia	a noxious vapor
effrontery	boldness
egress	an exit
elaborate	in great detail
elegy	a melancholy composition
elicit	to draw out
eloquence	fluent speaking
emaciate	to make thin and weak
embellish	to make beautiful
embezzle	to wronfully use for one's benefit
emote	to excite
empirical	relying on experiment
encapsulate	to enclose in capsule
encomium	eulogy
encumbrance	burden
endearing	making liked
endemic	epidemic
endorse	to write one's name on back of
enduring	lasting
enervate	to weaken
engender	to cause
engrave	to impress deeply
engrossing	taking up a lot of time
engulf	to swallow up
enigma	a puzzle
enmity	hatred
ensign	to badge
entangle	to put into difficulties
enthral	to please greatly
entice	to tempt
entreat	to ask earnestly
enunciate	to speak clearly
enzyme	catalyst
epicurean	devoted to pleasure
epistle	letter
epithet	adjective
epitome	representative example
equable	regular
equanimity	calmness
equilibrium	state of being balanced
equipoise	equal distribution of weight
equivocal	suspicious
equivocate	to try to deceive
eradicate	to get rid of
erratic	irregular in behavior or opinion
erudite	learned
eschew	to avoid
esoteric	abstruse
espouse	to give one's support to
eulogy	formal praise
euphoria	state of pleasant excitement
euthanasia	painless death
evasive	tending to evade
evince	to show clearly
evoke	to call upon
excoriation	severe criticism
exculpate	to clear from a charge of guilt
exhaustive	complete
exigency	urgency
exoneration	clearing from blame
exorbitant	much too great
expatiate	to roam
expedient	likely to be useful
expiation	expiring
exploit	use selfishly
expostulate	to dissuade
expurgate	to purify
exscind	to cut out
extant	still in existence
extempore	without preparation
extenuate	to reduce strength of
extinct	no longer active
extinguish	to end existence of
extirpate	to destroy
extol	to praise highly
extort	to obtain by violent threats
extralegal	outside the law
extricable	that can be freed
extrovert	cheerful person
exuberance	being full of life
facetious	funny
facile	easily done
fallacious	based on error
falter	to move in an uncertain manner
fatuous	foolish
fawn	young deer
feckless	lacking purpose
fecund	fertile
feint	to pretend
felicitous	apt
felon	person guilty of murder
ferment	substance become excited
ferocity	cruelty
ferret	search
fervid	showing earnest feeling
fervor	warmth of feelings
fetid	stinking
fetter	to shackle
feud	a bitter quarrel lasting long time
fidelity	loyalty
fidget	to move restlessly
figurehead	carved image on front of ship
finesse	dealing with situation delicately
finical	fussy about food and clothing
finicky	finical
fission	splitting
fixate	to stare at
flak	criticism
flamboyant	brightly colored
flaunting	showing off
flax	pale yellow
fledged	trained
fleet	group of quick-moving ships
flinch	to draw back
flop	to fall clumsily
florid	naturally red
flout	to reject
fluke	lucky streak
fluster	to make nervous
foible	defect of character
foil	to prevent from carrying out
foment	to lessen pain
foolproof	incapable of failure
foppish	pays extra attention to clothes
forage	food for horses and cattle
forbear	to refrain from
forbearance	patience
ford	shallow place in a river
forestall	to preempt
forfeit	to take loss willingly
forge	workshop for shaping of metal
forgery	counterfeit
forswear	to renounce
foster	to care for
fracas	noisy quarrel
fragile	easily broken
fragrant	sweet-smelling
frantic	wildly excited
frenetic	frantic
fret	to worry
fringe	edge
froward	stubborn
frugal	economical
fulmination	bitter protest
fulsome	disgusting
gainsay	to oppose
garble	to make unfair decision from facts
garment	article of clothing
garner	to gather
garrulity	talkativeness
garrulous	too talkative
gaucherie	socially awkward
germane	relevant
gist	general idea
glean	to gather facts
glib	smooth but not sincere
glimmer	unsteady light
gloat	to overlook selfishly
glut	to fill to excess
gnaw	to bite steadily
goad	to urge a person to action
gorge	to eat greedily
gossamer	soft light
gouge	tool for cutting grooves in wood
grandiloquent	using pompous words
grave	requiring consideration
graze	to touch lightly in passing
gregarious	living in societies
grievous	causing sadness
grovel	to humble oneself
guile	deceit
gullible	eager to believe
gush	to burst out suddenly
gust	sudden wind
hack	to cut roughly
halcyon	calm and peaceful
hallow	to consecrate
harangue	a long passionate speech
harbinger	something that foretells future
harrow	to distress
haughty	arrogant
heed	to give notice to
heinous	odious
heresy	belief opposite of normal
hermetic	sealed by fusion
heterogeneous	of different kinds
hew	to make by hard work
highbrow	with superior tastes
hirsute	hairy
hoax	a trick
hollow	nothing inside
holster	leather case for a pistol
homiletics	act of preaching
hone	to sharpen
hoodwink	to trick
hospitable	treating guests generously
hubris	arrogant pride
hush	to become silent
husk	worthless outside part
hypocrisy	falseness
iconoclast	one who attacks popular beliefs
idiosyncrasy	personal mannerism
idolatry	excessive admiration of
idyll	a carefree experience
ignoble	dishonorable
ignominious	shameful
illicit	unlawful
imbroglio	complicated situation
immaculate	faultless
imminent	likely to happen soon
immutable	cannot be changed
impair	to worsen
impassive	unmoved
impecunious	having little or no money
impede	to get in the way of
impediment	something that hinders
impending	likely to happen soon
imperative	essential
imperious	commanding
impermeable	cannot be permeated
imperturbable	incapable of being excited
impervious	cannot pass through
imperviousness	arrogant
impetuous	having sudden energy
impiety	lack of reverence
implacable	unpleasable
implicate	to involve incriminatingly
implicit	implied
implosion	collapse bursting inward
importune	to beg
imprecation	a curse
impromptu	without preparation
impudent	rash
impugned	challenged
impute	to ascribe
inadvertent	not paying proper attention
inane	silly
inasmuch	since
incense	to make angry
incessant	often repeated
inchoate	rudimentary
incipient	beginning
incise	to engrave
incite	to stir up
inclined	having a preference
incongruous	not in agreement
incorrigibility	cannot be corrected
incredulous	skeptical
inculcate	fix firmly by repetition
incumbents	official duties
incursion	a raid
indefatigability	not easily tired
indelible	cannot be rubbed out
indigence	poverty
indigenous	native
indistinct	not easily heard
indolence	laziness
indomitable	not easily discouraged
indulge	to gratify
indulgent	inclined to indulge
ineffable	cannot be described in words
ineluctable	inevitable
inept	unskillful
ineptitude	being unskillful
inferno	hell
infuriate	to anger
infuse	to pour
ingenuous	sincere
ingest	to take by swallowing
inimical	unfriendly
inimitable	cannot be imitated
innocuous	harmless
inscrutable	cannot be understood
insensible	unaffected
insinuate	to suggest unpleasantly
insipid	without taste or flavor
insouciant	carefree
insularity	narrow-mindedness
insurrection	rising of people
interdict	to prohibit
interim	as an installment
intersperse	to scatter
intransigence	stubborness
intransigent	uncompromising
intrepid	fearless
introspection	examining one's own thoughts
inundate	to flood
inured	adapted to
invective	abusive language
inveigh	to denounce
inveterate	long-established
invincible	cannot be defeated
involute	complex
irascible	irritable
irate	angry
ire	to anger
irksome	tiresome
irresolute	undecided
irrevocable	impossible to retract
itinerate	to travel from place to place
jabber	to talk excitedly
jibe	to make fun of
jocular	joking
judicious	sound in judgement
knit	draw together unite firmly
labyrinthine	high involved
lachrymose	causing tears
lackluster	dull
lament	to show great sorrow
lassitude	tiredness
latent	present but not active
laudatory	expressing praise
lavish	to give freely
legacy	something handed down
levee	formal reception
levity	lack of seriousness
libel	statement damaging reputation
liberality	generosity
libertine	immoral person
lien	legal claim until debt is repaid
limn	to portray
limp	walking unevenly
lionize	to treat as famous person
lithe	bending
loll	to sit in lazy way
lope	to move along with long strides
loquacious	garrulous
lucubrate	to write in scholarly fashion
luculent	easily understood
lugubrious	excessively sad
lull	to become quiet
lumber	to move clumsily
luminary	light-giving body
lurk	to be out of view ready to attack
lustrous	bright
macabre	gruesome
macerate	make soft by soaking in water
machination	scheme
maladroit	tactless
malapropism	misuse of a word
malevolence	wishing evil
malign	speak ill of somebody
malinger	to fake illness to shirk a duty
malleable	yielding
manacle	chains for hands or feet
massacre	killing of large number of people
matriculation	be admitted
maudlin	sentimental in silly way
maul	to hurt by rough handling
maverick	rebel
mellifluous	sweetly flowing
mendacity	dishonesty
mendicant	a beggar
mercurial	fleeting
meretricious	attractive only on surface
mesmerize	to hypnotize
meticulous	giving great attention to details
mettle	quality of endurance or courage
mettlesome	courageous
middling	averagely good
minatory	menacing
mince	to euphemize
misanthrope	person who hates mankind
mischievous	harmful
miser	person who spends little
misogynist	one who hates women
moderation	quality of being limited
mollify	to make calm
molt	to lose feathers
morbid	diseased
morose	unsocial
muffler	silencer
multifarious	varied
mundane	worldly
myriad	large number
nadir	lowest point
nascent	coming into existence
nebulous	vague
negligent	taking too little care
neophyte	recent convert to a belief
nexus	a connection
nibble	show some inclination to accept
noisome	offensive
nonchalant	cooly indifferent
nonplused	greatly surprised
nostrum	an untested cure
noxious	harmful
nugatory	worthless
obdurate	stubborn
obfuscate	to obscure
oblivious	unaware
obloquy	share criticism
obsequious	too eager to obey
obstreperous	noisy
obtain	to be established
obtrusive	noticeable
obtuse	stupid
obviate	to get rid of
occluded	blocked up
odious	repulsive
odium	aversion
odor	a smell
officious	too eager to give advice
ominous	threatening
onerous	burdensome
opaqueness	dullness
opprobrious	showing scorn
ossify	to turn into bone
ostensible	represented as such
ostentation	display to obtain admiration
ostracism	banished
overhaul	to examine thoroughly
overweening	arrogant
paean	song of praise
palate	sense of taste
palatial	magnificent
palliate	to lessen the severity of
palpability	can be felt understood
palpitate	to tremble
panegyric	eulogy
paradigm	a model
parenthesis	sentence within another
pariah	an outcast
parsimonious	miserly
partisan	one-sided
patron	regular customer
paucity	scarcity
peccadillo	small sin
pedantic	showing off learning
pedestrian	commonplace
pellucid	easy to understand
penchant	strong inclination
penitent	feeling regret
penurious	stingy
penury	extreme poverty
peregrination	wandering
peremptory	unchallengeable
perfidious	treacherous
perfidy	treachery
perfunctory	done as duty
perilous	dangerous
peripatetic	wandering
perish	to be destroyed
perjury	willful false statement
permeate	to spread
pernicious	harmful
perpetrate	to commit a crime
personable	attractive
perspicacity	quick judging and understanding
pertain	to belong as a part of
pest	person who is a nuisance
petrified	taken away power
petrify	to make hard
petrous	like a rock
petulant	unreasonably impatient
philistine	ignorant person
phlegmatic	sluggish
picaresque	involving clever rogues
pied	of mixed colors
pinch	to take between thumb and finger
pine	to waste away from sorrow
pious	devoted to religion
piquant	stimulating
pique	to hurt the pride of
pitfall	unsuspected danger
pith	essential part
pivotal	of great importance
placate	to soothe
plaintive	mournful
plaque	flate ornamented plate
platitude	trite statement
plea	to request
plead	to address a court for cause
plethora	an excess
pliant	easily bent
plod	continue to do without rest
pluck	to pull feathers off
plumb	get to the root of
plummet	to plunge steeply
plunge	to move suddenly
poignant	deeply moving
poncho	large piece of cloth
ponderous	heavy
portent	omen
precarious	dangerous
precepts	rules
preclude	prevent
precursory	anticipating
predilection	special liking
predominate	to have more power than others
preen	tidy
premature	happening before right time
preponderance	greatness in strength
presage	warning sign
presumption	arrogance
preternatural	not normal
prevalent	common
prevaricate	to lie
prim	formal
pristine	pure
probity	incorruptibility
proclivity	inclination
procrastination	putting off
prodigal	wasteful
prodigious	enormous
profane	having contempt for God
profligacy	shameless immorality
profligate	recklessly wasteful
profundity	depth
profuse	abundant
proliferate	to grow
prolix	tiring because too long
prone	inclined to
propagation	extending
propinquity	nearness in time
propitiatory	appeasing