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SAT
vocabulary words
187
English
12th Grade
08/11/2011

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Term
engender
Definition
to cause; to promote
Term
unequivocal
Definition
very clear; definite
Term
effrontery
Definition
bold and insulting behavior
Term
dictum
Definition
an authoritative, often formal, proclamation
Term
exhaustive
Definition
thorough
Term
carte blanche
Definition
unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion
Term
derelict
Definition
abandoned; negligent
Term
cumbersome
Definition
clumsy or difficult to manage
Term
aboveboard
Definition
without dishonesty or concealment
Term
nondescript
Definition
lacking distinction or individual character
Term
fractious
Definition
disruptive or irritable
Term
quid pro quo
Definition
an equal exchange or substitution
Term
zeitgeist
Definition
the trend or spirit of the times
Term
impalpable
Definition
not easily understood
Term
incumbent
Definition
necessary or obligatory
Term
decorum
Definition
polite behavior
Term
foment
Definition
to stir up negative feelings
Term
fastidious
Definition
not easy to please; very critical or discriminating
Term
stoic
Definition
indifferent to joy, grief, pleasure, or pain
Term
stanch
Definition
to stop the flow of
Term
staunch
Definition
excessive loyalty
Term
temporize
Definition
to act evasively in order to gain time
Term
trenchant
Definition
keen and forceful; caustic
Term
accost
Definition
to approach and speak to, usually aggressively
Term
unwieldy
Definition
hard to handle or manage, especially because of size or weight
Term
baleful
Definition
harmful or threatening harm or evil
Term
altercation
Definition
a heated or noisy argument
Term
aspersion
Definition
a remark that attacks one's reputation
Term
turpitude
Definition
immoral behavior
Term
tenet
Definition
a belief
Term
zephyr
Definition
a gentle, soft breeze
Term
defunct
Definition
having ceased to exist or live
Term
contentious
Definition
always ready to argue; quarrelsome
Term
underscore
Definition
to emphasize
Term
posit
Definition
to assume as a fact or principle
Term
disarming
Definition
reducing or preventing criticism with charm
Term
cantankerous
Definition
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Term
unseemly
Definition
not decent or proper
Term
desideratum
Definition
something needed and wanted
Term
squalid
Definition
having a dirty or lowly appearance
Term
crass
Definition
dull-witted; unrefined
Term
circumspect
Definition
showing discretion and careful judgement
Term
captious
Definition
critically faultfinding
Term
petulant
Definition
impatient or irritable
Term
disabuse
Definition
to free from error or falsehood
Term
stultify
Definition
to make absurdly useless
Term
torpid
Definition
sluggish; inactive; dormant
Term
punctilious
Definition
careful about every detail of behavior
Term
schema
Definition
an outline or model, often drawn as a diagram
Term
travail
Definition
painfully difficult work
Term
redoubtable
Definition
fearsome; formidable
Term
beguile
Definition
to deceive by charm
Term
unctuous
Definition
showing insincere earnestness
Term
upbraid
Definition
to criticize sharply
Term
recrimination
Definition
a reply to one charge with a countercharge
Term
quiescent
Definition
inactive
Term
bemuse
Definition
to confuse or stupefy
Term
purloin
Definition
to steal, often in a violation of a trust
Term
progeny
Definition
children or descendants
Term
pejorative
Definition
downgrading; demeaning
Term
predicament
Definition
a troublesome or embarrassing situation
Term
coerce
Definition
to force by threat or intimidation
Term
exact
Definition
to demand and obtain by force or authority
Term
trifle
Definition
something that lacks significance or worth
Term
douse
Definition
to wet thoroughly
Term
repugnant
Definition
offensive
Term
cache
Definition
a hiding place for storage of provisions or valuables
Term
abash
Definition
to embarrass
Term
antithesis
Definition
opposite; direct contrast
Term
philander
Definition
of a man, to engage in sexual affairs
Term
putative
Definition
put forth or accepted as true on inadequate grounds; supposed
Term
enervate
Definition
to weaken
Term
prudent
Definition
marked by careful planning; discreet
Term
galvanize
Definition
to rouse; stir; spur
Term
discursive
Definition
covering a wide range of subjects; rambling
Term
grovel
Definition
to beg; to lower oneself to please another
Term
pastiche
Definition
something created from many different sources
Term
anthropomorphism
Definition
the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects
Term
encumber
Definition
to burden or weigh down
Term
flux
Definition
continuous change or movement
Term
carnage
Definition
massacre; slaughter; bloodshed
Term
prevaricate
Definition
to avoid telling the truth
Term
androgynous
Definition
having both male and female characteristics
Term
facade
Definition
outward appearance; the face of a building
Term
impale
Definition
to pierce with something sharp; to make helpless
Term
ruse
Definition
an action or device intended to deceive
Term
mendacious
Definition
lying; false especially habitually
Term
threadbare
Definition
old and worn out
Term
gnarled
Definition
twisted; knotty
Term
livid
Definition
extremely angry; discolored, as from a bruise; pale; ashen
Term
leviathan
Definition
something enormous and powerful; a sea monster
Term
misogyny
Definition
hatred of women
Term
err
Definition
to make a mistake
Term
impassive
Definition
not feeling or showing emotion
Term
averse
Definition
opposed; reluctant; repelled
Term
cogent
Definition
convincing
Term
peruse
Definition
to read carefully
Term
nexus
Definition
connection or intersection
Term
dais
Definition
a raised platform
Term
factitious
Definition
not genuine
Term
myriad
Definition
an indefinitely large number
Term
fatalistic
Definition
believing that all events are predestined and unavoidable
Term
misanthrope
Definition
one who hates or mistrusts mankind
Term
disingenuous
Definition
not straightforward or candid; crafty
Term
chasm
Definition
a large gap
Term
arbitrate
Definition
to settle a dispute or fight between 2 parties
Term
remiss
Definition
careless in, or negligent about, attending to a task
Term
hoodwink
Definition
to mislead; to deceive
Term
corpulent
Definition
very fat; obese
Term
impinge
Definition
to have an effect on something, especially a negative one; to encroach
Term
declaim
Definition
to announce formally
Term
gingerly
Definition
very cautiously or carefully
Term
limpid
Definition
perfectly clear; transparent
Term
forbear
Definition
to be patient or avoid doing
Term
ineluctable
Definition
unable to be avoided; inescapable
Term
esoteric
Definition
known by or confined to a small group of people
Term
cachet
Definition
a mark of distinction
Term
fulsome
Definition
disgusting because excessive or insincere
Term
strident
Definition
loud and shrill or grating
Term
tendentious
Definition
having a bias; favoring a cause (usually in print)
Term
thespian
Definition
relating to drama; noun: an actor
Term
sequester
Definition
to move or set apart; to quarantine
Term
welter
Definition
a confused mass or jumble
Term
impetus
Definition
an impelling or originating force
Term
veneer
Definition
a thin layer; an attractive, ultimately misleading outward show
Term
procrustean
Definition
showing merciless disregard for individual differences or special circumstances
Term
modicum
Definition
a small quantity
Term
nemesis
Definition
one who inflicts justified or great punishment; a source of harm or ruin
Term
pretext
Definition
an excuse; a strategy intended to conceal something
Term
rescind
Definition
to take back or cancel
Term
callow
Definition
inexperienced; not developed; immature
Term
abject
Definition
of the lowest degree; brought low in condition
Term
malapropism
Definition
a ridiculous misuse of words
Term
retrench
Definition
to reduce especially expenses
Term
miasma
Definition
a noxious or poisonous atmosphere
Term
stymie
Definition
to obstruct; to stump
Term
timbre
Definition
the distinguishing quality of a sound
Term
carp
Definition
to complain; to seek fault, especially over unimportant matters
Term
prim
Definition
overly proper; precise to the point of affection; prudish
Term
philology
Definition
literary study, especially as it involves the editing of texts and the history of languages
Term
admonish
Definition
to warn so a fault can be corrected or a danger avoided
Term
facsimile
Definition
an exact copy
Term
balm
Definition
anything healing or soothing
Term
philistine
Definition
a narrow-minded person with no interest in the arts
Term
felicitous
Definition
well chosen; appropriate
Term
abstemious
Definition
moderate, especially in eating or drinking
Term
wry
Definition
dryly humorous, with a touch of irony
Term
sprightly
Definition
lively; animated; energetic
Term
prognosis
Definition
the anticipated progress of recovery
Term
sacrosanct
Definition
very sacred. holy, or inviolable
Term
seminal
Definition
original and inspiring further similar efforts
Term
exhort
Definition
to urge strongly
Term
cavil
Definition
to argue in a petty fashion; make trifling objections
Term
dross
Definition
impurities formed on the surface of metals during melting; worthless, commonplace or trivial material
Term
supplicate
Definition
to request with great humility, as though by praying
Term
compunction
Definition
a feeling of uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt
Term
tarry
Definition
to delay; to linger
Term
repast
Definition
a meal
Term
fop
Definition
a man who is preoccupied with his clothes and manners
Term
salacious
Definition
lustful; obscene
Term
evince
Definition
to give outward evidence of; to display clearly
Term
lexicographer
Definition
a person who writes or compiles dictionaries
Term
eke out
Definition
to add to with difficulty; to make just enough to continue
Term
volition
Definition
a conscious choice or decision
Term
mot juste
Definition
exactly the right word or expression
Term
cavalcade
Definition
an order of events; a procession
Term
apocryphal
Definition
probably untrue or fake; of questionable authorship
Term
propound
Definition
to suggest for consideration; to propose
Term
miser
Definition
a greedy person who hoards money, even at the expense of personal discomfort
Term
marshal
Definition
to arrange in order
Term
escapade
Definition
a reckless adventure
Term
allay
Definition
to reduce the intensity of; to calm
Term
plucky
Definition
showing courage in unfavorable circumstances
Term
glower
Definition
to frown; to glare with anger
Term
medium
Definition
a method or way of expressing something
Term
consternation
Definition
a sudden feeling of anxiety, shock, or confusion
Term
eponym
Definition
a person after whom a place, people, disease, etc. is named
Term
soporific
Definition
promoting sleep
Term
prostrate
Definition
lying face down, especially as a sign of humility or worship; physically or emotionally exhausted
Term
cursory
Definition
superficially done; performed rapidly
Term
bombast
Definition
pompous speech
Term
complicity
Definition
association or participation in a wrongful act
Term
ample
Definition
enough or more than enough; plentiful
Term
flounder
Definition
to proceed with clumsiness and confusion
Term
quaff
Definition
to drink quickly or with enthusiasm
Term
chauvinism
Definition
unreasoning and boastful devotion to one's country or sex
Term
shrapnel
Definition
fragments from a bomb
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