SAT Words Group 1

• oratorio - n. a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text
• perfidy - n. betrayal of a trust
• rhapsody - n. an epic poem adapted for recitation
• galvanic - j. pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action
• omnivorous - j. feeding on both plants and animals
• propellant - j. tending to or capable of propelling
• satirize - v. ridicule with satire
• tamp - v. press down tightly
• leaven - v. cause to puff up with a leaven
• retrench - v. make a reduction, as in one's workforce
• colloquialism - n. a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
• ostracism - n. the act of excluding someone from society by general consent
• statecraft - n. wisdom in the management of public affairs
• toady - n. a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
• translucence - n. the quality of allowing light to pass diffusely
• preempt - v. take the place of or have precedence over
• soothsayer - n. someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge)
• amour - n. a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship
• creamery - n. a workplace where dairy products (butter and cheese etc.) are produced or sold
• gumption - n. fortitude and determination
• abnegation - n. renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others
• extensible - j. capable of being protruded or stretched or opened out
• ossify - v. cause to become hard and bony
• uproarious - j. marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter
• extrajudicial - j. beyond the usual course of legal proceedings; legally unwarranted
• glazier - n. someone who cuts flat glass to size
• introversion - n. (psychology) an introverted disposition; concern with one's own thoughts and feelings
• warmonger - n. a person who advocates war or warlike policies
• hallow - v. render holy by means of religious rites
• fulmination - n. the act of exploding with noise and violence
• despond - v. lose confidence or hope; become dejected
• introvert - n. (psychology) a person who tends to shrink from social contacts and to become preoccupied with their own thoughts
• athwart - a. at right angles to the center line of a ship
• castigation - n. a severe scolding
• commingle - v. mix or blend
• submersion - n. the act of putting something under water
• arabesque - n. position in which the dancer has one leg raised behind and arms outstretched in a conventional pose
• nuptial - j. of or relating to a wedding
• descendent - n. a person considered as descended from some ancestor or race
• curmudgeon - n. a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
• baneful - j. exceedingly harmful
• coquette - n. a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men
• effeminacy - n. the trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man)
• gluttonous - j. given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink
• liniment - n. a medicinal liquid that is rubbed into the skin to relieve muscular stiffness and pain
• litigate - v. engage in legal proceedings
• preeminence - n. high status importance owing to marked superiority
• recidivist - n. someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior (especially for the same criminal behavior)
• sextet - n. a musical composition written for six performers
• moralize - v. interpret the moral meaning of
SAT Words Group 2

• slothful - j. disinclined to work or exertion

• eulogize - v. praise formally and eloquently
• apprise - v. make aware of
• multiform - j. occurring in or having many forms or shapes or appearances
• violator - n. someone who violates the law
• embolism - n. occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus (a loose clot or air bubble or other particle)
• foreknowledge - n. knowledge of an event before it occurs
• vacillate - v. move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern
• magnetize - v. make magnetic
• buffoonery - n. acting like a clown or buffoon
• prohibitionist - n. a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages
• turpitude - n. a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
• floe - n. a flat mass of ice (smaller than an ice field) floating at sea
• hypercritical - j. inclined to judge too severely
• boll - n. the rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant
• lode - n. a deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks
• epicurean - j. displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
• excoriation - n. severe censure
• recognizance - n. (law) a security entered into before a court with a condition to perform some act required by law; on failure to
perform that act a sum is forfeited
• protoplasm - n. the substance of a living cell (including cytoplasm and nucleus)
• fulminate - v. come on suddenly and intensely
• knavery - n. lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing
• legerdemain - n. an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
• distill - v. undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops
• darkling - j. uncannily or threateningly dark or obscure
• divestiture - n. an order to an offending party to rid itself of property; it has the purpose of depriving the defendant of the gains of
wrongful behavior
• poetics - n. study of poetry
• appall - v. strike with disgust or revulsion
• fungible - j. of goods or commodities; freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an
obligation
• coagulant - n. an agent that produces coagulation
• orate - v. talk pompously
• sophistical - j. plausible but misleading
• Anglophobia - n. dislike (or fear) of Britain and British customs
• presentment - n. a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
• Decalogue - n. the biblical commandments of Moses
• extemporaneous - j. with little or no preparation or forethought
• ramose - j. having branches
• surveyor - n. an engineer who determines the boundaries and elevations of land or structures
• advert - v. make reference to or call attention to
• stratum - n. one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism
or a layer of sedimentary rock)
• contour - n. a feature (or the order or arrangement of features) of anything having a complex structure
• assessor - n. an official who evaluates property for the purpose of taxing it
• pitfall - n. an unforeseen or unexpected or surprising difficulty
• enshrine - v. enclose in a shrine
• elapse - v. pass by
• burgess - n. a citizen of an English borough
• shriek - v. utter a shrill cry
• viscount - n. a British nobleman who ranks below an earl and above a baron
• deviance - n. deviate behavior
• adhesion - n. the property of sticking together (as of glue and wood) or the joining of surfaces of different composition
SAT Words Group 3

• excitation - n. the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up

• inscribe - v. write, engrave, or print as a lasting record
• pervade - v. spread or diffuse through
• typify - v. embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of
• reminiscence - n. a mental impression retained and recalled from the past
• adherent - n. someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another
• generality - n. the quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability
• scribe - n. someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts
• synod - n. a council convened to discuss ecclesiastical business
• objector - n. a person who dissents from some established policy
• morphology - n. the branch of biology that deals with the structure of animals and plants
• verity - n. an enduring or necessary ethical or religious or aesthetic truth
• excretion - n. waste matter (as urine or sweat but especially feces) discharged from the body
• actuary - n. someone versed in the collection and interpretation of numerical data (especially someone who uses statistics to
calculate insurance premiums)
• bask - v. be exposed
• misinterpret - v. interpret in the wrong way
• disentangle - v. extricate from entanglement
• vagary - n. an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)
• shunt - n. implant consisting of a tube made of plastic or rubber; for draining fluids within the body
• plod - n. the act of walking with a slow heavy gait
• waft - v. blow gently
• inroad - n. an encroachment or intrusion
• hawthorn - n. a spring-flowering shrub or small tree
• breech - n. opening in the rear of the barrel of a gun where bullets can be loaded
• forage - n. the act of searching for food and provisions
• forecourt - n. the outer or front court of a building or of a group of buildings
• predominance - n. the quality of being more noticeable than anything else
• transferable - j. legally transferable to the ownership of another
• medallion - n. an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
• squatter - n. someone who settles on land without right or title
• fissure - v. break into fissures or fine cracks
• kingship - n. the dignity or rank or position of a king
• bodice - n. part of a dress above the waist
• transverse - j. extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at right angles to the long axis
• disinfectant - n. an agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease
• microscopy - n. research with the use of microscopes
• talon - n. a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
• conformation - n. acting according to certain accepted standards
• homologous - j. having the same evolutionary origin but not necessarily the same function
• venous - j. of or contained in or performing the function of the veins
• intracellular - j. located or occurring within a cell or cells
• domicile - n. (law) the residence where you have your permanent home or principal establishment
• disfigure - v. mar or spoil the appearance of
• infest - v. invade in great numbers
• minutia - n. a small or minor detail
• circumscribe - v. restrict or confine
• scruple - n. an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
• perturb - v. disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
• deface - v. mar or spoil the appearance of
• abeyance - n. temporary cessation or suspension
SAT Words Group 4

• indigestion - n. a disorder of digestive function characterized by discomfort or heartburn or nausea

• well-to-do - j. in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
• platitude - n. a trite or obvious remark
• wile - n. the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
• denizen - n. a plant or animal naturalized in a region
• impersonate - v. pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions
• regale - v. provide with choice or abundant food or drink
• confectionery - n. a confectioner's shop for making or selling candy
• perceptible - j. capable of being perceived by the mind or senses
• punctual - j. acting or arriving or performed exactly at the time appointed
• subjugate - v. make subservient; force to submit or subdue
• chastise - v. censure severely
• stagnate - v. stand still
• demur - v. take exception to
• annotate - v. add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments
• chafe - v. become or make sore by or as if by rubbing
• constrict - v. become tight or as if tight
• admittance - n. the act of allowing someone to enter
• fracas - n. noisy quarrel
• indescribable - j. defying expression or description
• rivet - v. hold (someone's attention)
• contort - v. twist and press out of shape
• grovel - v. show submission or fear
• augur - n. (ancient Rome) a religious official who interpreted omens to guide public policy
• encumber - v. hold back
• ruminate - v. reflect deeply on a subject
• connive - v. encourage or assent to illegally or criminally
• impertinent - j. improperly forward or bold
• volition - n. the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
• vignette - n. a brief literary description
• wrangle - v. to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively
• defile - v. place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
• coalesce - v. fuse or cause to grow together
• divest - v. reduce or dispose of; cease to hold (an investment)
• inaudible - j. impossible to hear; imperceptible by the ear
• irreparable - j. impossible to repair, rectify, or amend
• prevaricate - v. be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
• subjection - n. forced submission to control by others
• imitator - n. someone who copies the words or behavior of another
• bungle - v. spoil by behaving clumsily or foolishly
• impale - v. kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole
• hibernation - n. the torpid or resting state in which some animals pass the winter
• indiscreet - j. lacking discretion; injudicious
• torpor - n. a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility
• minion - n. a servile or fawning dependant
• fluster - v. cause to be nervous or upset
• canvass - v. get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions
• stratagem - n. an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
• forbearance - n. good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
• punctilious - j. marked by precise accordance with details
SAT Words Group 5

• schism - n. division of a group into opposing factions

• shard - n. a broken piece of a brittle artifact
• idealize - v. consider or render as ideal
• pith - n. soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants
• disavow - v. refuse to acknowledge; disclaim knowledge of; responsibility for, or association with
• invert - v. reverse the position, order, relation, or condition of
• fete - v. have a celebration
• byway - n. a side road little traveled (as in the countryside)
• jocular - a. with humor
• ensnare - v. take or catch as if in a snare or trap
• provident - j. providing carefully for the future
• fishmonger - n. someone who sells fish
• irascible - j. characterized by anger
• scythe - n. an edge tool for cutting grass; has a long handle that must be held with both hands and a curved blade that moves parallel
to the ground
• separable - j. capable of being divided or dissociated
• truculent - j. defiantly aggressive
• miser - n. a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)
• dehydrate - v. lose water or moisture
• plenary - j. full in all respects
• seditious - j. rebellious; in opposition to a civil authority or government
• writhe - v. to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
• appertain - v. be a part or attribute of
• asterisk - n. a star-shaped character * used in printing
• convalescence - n. gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury
• inadmissible - j. not deserving to be admitted
• oblong - j. deviating from a square or circle or sphere by being elongated in one direction; resembling a rectangle or an ellipse
• reducible - j. capable of being reduced
• brazier - n. large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned; warms people who must stay outside for long times
• scurvy - n. a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• stringency - n. conscientious attention to rules and details
• telepathy - n. apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions
• interlocutor - n. a person who takes part in a conversation
• perquisite - n. an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right)
• promissory - j. relating to or having the character of a promise
• icily - a. in a cold and icy manner
• recapitulate - v. summarize briefly
• salience - n. the quality of standing out strongly and distinctly
• hexagon - n. a six-sided polygon
• distillation - n. a purified liquid produced by condensation from a vapor during distilling; the product of distilling
• foreshore - n. the part of the seashore between the high-water mark and the low-water mark
• ruffian - n. a cruel and brutal fellow
• bursar - n. the treasurer at a college or university
• culvert - n. a transverse and totally enclosed drain under a road or railway
• determinate - j. precisely determined or limited or defined; especially fixed by rule or by a specific and constant cause
• doublet - n. a man's close-fitting jacket; worn during the Renaissance
• asexual - j. not having or involving sex
• convergent - j. tending to come together from different directions
• seance - n. a meeting of spiritualists with an attempt to communicate with spirits
• centurion - n. (ancient Rome) the leader of 100 soldiers
• statuette - n. a small carved or molded figure
SAT Words Group 6

• coniferous - j. of or relating to or part of trees or shrubs bearing cones and evergreen leaves
• laddie - n. a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy)
• refractory - j. stubbornly resistant to authority or control
• interdict - n. a court order prohibiting a party from doing a certain activity
• amphibious - j. operating or living on land and in water
• encumbrance - n. a charge against property (as a lien or mortgage)
• Excellency - n. a title used to address dignitaries (such as ambassadors or governors); usually preceded by 'Your' or 'His' or 'Her'
• rejuvenation - n. the act of restoring to a more youthful condition
• cathode - n. a negatively charged electrode that is the source of electrons entering an electrical device
• interpolation - n. a message (spoken or written) that is introduced or inserted
• prelate - n. a senior clergyman and dignitary
• intestate - j. having made no legally valid will before death or not disposed of by a legal will
• signification - n. the message that is intended or expressed or signified
• globular - j. having the shape of a sphere or ball
• hypnotize - v. induce hypnosis in
• Calvinism - n. the theological system of John Calvin and his followers emphasizing omnipotence of God and salvation by grace alone
• diurnal - j. having a daily cycle or occurring every day
• kilowatt - n. a unit of power equal to 1000 watts
• abbess - n. the superior of a group of nuns
• coagulation - n. the process of forming semisolid lumps in a liquid
• chromatic - j. able to refract light without spectral color separation
• laxative - j. stimulating evacuation of feces
• indemnify - v. secure against future loss, damage, or liability; give security for
• ascendant - n. position or state of being dominant or in control
• reliquary - n. a container where religious relics are stored or displayed (especially relics of saints)
• conformance - n. correspondence in form or appearance
• gouge - v. force with the thumb
• regress - v. get worse or fall back to a previous condition
• splice - v. join the ends of
• dauntless - j. invulnerable to fear or intimidation
• inestimable - j. beyond calculation or measure
• abhorrence - n. hate coupled with disgust
• meritorious - j. deserving reward or praise
• inglorious - j. not bringing honor and glory
• rigmarole - n. a long and complicated and confusing procedure
• verbose - j. using or containing too many words
• vivacity - n. characterized by high spirits and liveliness
• voluble - j. marked by a ready flow of speech
• lyre - n. a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment
• obdurate - j. stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
• sagacity - n. the quality of being wise and sound in judgment
• quintessence - n. the most typical example or representative of a type
• expeditious - j. marked by speed and efficiency
• insensible - j. unresponsive to stimulation
• sufferance - n. patient endurance especially of pain or distress
• tactician - n. a person who is skilled at the details of planning
• treasonable - j. having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor
• aspersion - n. an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
• foreclose - v. subject to foreclosing procedures; take away the right of mortgagors to redeem their mortgage
• upbraid - v. express criticism towards
SAT Words Group 7

• irresolute - j. uncertain how to act or proceed

• obsolescent - j. becoming obsolete
• guzzle - v. drink greedily or as if with great thirst
• undergarment - n. a garment worn under other garments
• grandiloquent - j. puffed up with vanity
• leonine - j. of or characteristic of or resembling a lion
• pungency - n. a strong odor or taste property
• carouse - v. engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking
• sycophant - n. a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
• edify - v. make understand
• simper - v. smile affectedly or derisively
• colander - n. bowl-shaped strainer; used to wash or drain foods
• conciliate - v. come to terms
• curable - j. curing or healing is possible
• delectation - n. a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
• urbanity - n. polished courtesy; elegance of manner
• disinherit - v. prevent deliberately (as by making a will) from inheriting
• chary - j. characterized by great caution and wariness
• avidity - n. a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something
• disconsolate - j. sad beyond comforting; incapable of being consoled
• dissemble - v. behave unnaturally or affectedly
• liberality - n. the trait of being generous in behavior and temperament
• mellifluous - j. pleasing to the ear
• munificence - n. liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
• peevish - j. easily irritated or annoyed
• pellucid - j. transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
• perfidious - j. tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans
• piteous - j. deserving or inciting pity
• tyro - n. someone new to a field or activity
• supplicant - n. someone who prays to God
• gourd - n. bottle made from the dried shell of a bottle gourd
• geniality - n. a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)
• inmost - j. situated or occurring farthest within
• liquefy - v. make (a solid substance) liquid, as by heating
• repast - v. to eat or feast
• usury - n. the act of lending money at an unreasonable rate of interest
• valediction - n. a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating
class)
• diabolic - j. extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell
• joust - n. a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
• coddle - v. cook in nearly boiling water
• onrush - n. a forceful forward rush or flow
• asperity - n. harshness of manner
• correlative - j. mutually related
• imperturbable - j. not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure
• impiety - n. unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god
• logician - n. a person skilled at symbolic logic
• luminescent - j. emitting light not caused by heat
• parley - n. a negotiation between enemies
• phosphorescence - n. a fluorescence that persists after the bombarding radiation has ceased
• propitiate - v. make peace with
SAT Words Group 8

• protuberance - n. the condition of being protuberant; the condition of bulging out

• codicil - n. a supplement to a will; a testamentary instrument intended to alter an already executed will
• anthracite - n. a hard natural coal that burns slowly and gives intense heat
• bigamy - n. having two spouses at the same time
• forbear - v. resist doing something
• jugular - j. relating to or located in the region of the neck or throat
• noisome - j. causing or able to cause nausea
• rhetorician - n. a person who delivers a speech or oration
• sagacious - j. acutely insightful and wise
• tautology - n. useless repetition
• tincture - n. (pharmacology) a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution
• rend - v. tear or be torn violently
• burgeon - v. grow and flourish
• acerbity - n. a sharp sour taste
• antedate - v. establish something as being earlier relative to something else
• bevel - n. a hand tool consisting of two rules that are hinged together so you can draw or measure angles of any size
• perspicacious - j. acutely insightful and wise
• sinecure - n. an office that involves minimal duties
• solecism - n. a socially awkward or tactless act
• unction - n. excessive but superficial compliments given with affected charm
• eon - n. the longest division of geological time
• desperado - n. a bold outlaw (especially on the American frontier)
• ceremonious - j. rigidly formal or bound by convention
• admonitory - j. expressing disapproval especially serving as warning
• eatable - j. suitable for use as food
• hirsute - j. having or covered with hair
• honorarium - n. a fee paid for a nominally free service
• misanthropy - n. a disposition to dislike and mistrust other people
• nutritive - j. of or providing nourishment
• sibilant - n. a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh)
• skiff - n. any of various small boats propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor
• tannery - n. workplace where skins and hides are tanned
• wantonness - n. the quality of being preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires
• philander - v. have amorous affairs; of men
• efface - v. remove completely from recognition or memory
• trammel - v. place limits on (extent or access)
• moccasin - n. soft leather shoe; originally worn by Native Americans
• paroxysm - n. a sudden uncontrollable attack
• preponderant - j. having superior power and influence
• garble - v. make false by mutilation or addition; as of a message or story
• underling - n. an assistant subject to the authority or control of another
• tarry - v. leave slowly and hesitantly
• bibliophile - n. someone who loves (and usually collects) books
• fumigate - v. treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests
• hanger-on - n. someone who persistently (and annoyingly) follows along
• misrule - n. government that is inefficient or dishonest
• ocular - j. of or relating to or resembling the eye
• penitential - j. showing or constituting penance; to be sorry
• perspicacity - n. the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions
• pestilential - j. likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
SAT Words Group 9

• saturnine - j. bitter or scornful

• academician - n. an educator who works at a college or university
• postdate - v. be later in time
• rondo - n. a musical form that is often the last movement of a sonata
• peccadillo - n. a petty misdeed
• jabber - n. rapid and indistinct speech
• stanchion - n. any vertical post or rod used as a support
• factious - j. dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)
• heartrending - j. causing or marked by grief or anguish
• iciness - n. coldness due to a cold environment
• luxuriate - v. become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously
• obfuscate - v. make obscure or unclear
• prehensile - j. adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
• tantalize - v. harass with persistent criticism or carping
• venial - j. easily excused or forgiven
• eugenic - j. pertaining to or causing improvement in the offspring produced
• substantiation - n. additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct
• quaff - v. to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
• cantonment - n. temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
• cauterize - v. burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent
• dolorous - j. showing sorrow
• expostulate - v. reason with (somebody) for the purpose of dissuasion
• incorporeal - j. without material form or substance
• prefatory - j. serving as an introduction or preface
• reprobate - n. a person without moral scruples
• ruminant - n. any of various cud-chewing hoofed mammals having a stomach divided into four (occasionally three) compartments
• bestride - v. get up on the back of
• captious - j. tending to find and call attention to faults
• malapropism - n. the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
• pertinacious - j. stubbornly unyielding
• polytheism - n. belief in multiple Gods
• faun - n. ancient Italian deity in human shape, with horns, pointed ears and a goat's tail; equivalent to Greek satyr
• defame - v. charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
• nectarine - n. a variety or mutation of the peach that has a smooth skin
• declamation - n. vehement oratory
• declamatory - j. ostentatiously lofty in style
• micrometer - n. a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter
• penetrable - j. capable of being penetrated
• plenipotentiary - n. a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government
• raillery - n. good-natured teasing or ridicule; banter
• taxidermy - n. the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance
• cupidity - n. extreme greed for material wealth
• metronome - n. clicking pendulum indicates the exact tempo of a piece of music
• splenetic - j. of or relating to the spleen
• termagant - n. a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
• disinter - v. dig up for reburial or for medical investigation; of dead bodies
• agglomerate - j. clustered together but not coherent
• dulcet - j. extremely pleasant in a gentle way
• homonym - n. two words are homonyms if they are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings
• convolution - n. the action of coiling or twisting or winding together
SAT Words Group 10

• refract - v. to deflect from a straight path

• satiate - v. fill to satisfaction
• ambidextrous - j. equally skillful with each hand
• metonymy - n. substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in 'they counted heads')
• licit - j. sanctioned by custom or morality especially sexual morality
• bungler - n. someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence
• dissuasion - n. persuading not to do or believe something; talking someone out of a belief or an intended course of action
• hindmost - j. located farthest to the rear
• inapt - j. not elegant or graceful in expression
• nonpareil - j. eminent beyond or above comparison
• reproof - n. an act or expression of criticism and censure
• toilsome - j. characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
• lexicography - n. the act of writing dictionaries
• lingual - j. consisting of or related to language
• ablution - n. the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels
• cadenza - n. a brilliant solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music
• corpulence - n. the property of excessive fatness
• lachrymose - j. showing sorrow
• perspire - v. excrete perspiration through the pores in the skin
• abridgment - n. a shortened version of a written work
• alienable - j. transferable to another owner
• astringent - n. a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canals
• regicide - n. the act of killing a king
• altruist - n. someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being
• cajolery - n. flattery intended to persuade
• deist - n. a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
• mismanage - v. manage badly or incompetently
• patronymic - n. a family name derived from name of your father or a paternal ancestor (especially with an affix such as -son in
English or O'- in Irish)
• amortize - v. liquidate gradually
• corpuscle - n. either of two types of cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes) and sometimes including platelets
• grantee - n. a recipient of a grant
• underbid - v. bid lower than a competing bidder
• covey - n. a small collection of people
• deliquesce - v. melt or become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air
• matricide - n. the murder of your mother
• perfumery - n. store where perfumes are sold
• persiflage - n. light teasing
• beatitude - n. one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with
'beatus' (blessed)
• animadversion - n. harsh criticism or disapproval
• comestible - n. any substance that can be used as food
• incompressible - j. incapable of being compressed; resisting compression
• serration - n. a row of notches
• vaporizer - n. a device that puts out a substance in the form of a vapor (especially for medicinal inhalation)
• lionize - v. assign great social importance to
• optometry - n. the practice of an optometrist
• aggress - v. take the initiative and go on the offensive
• outskirt - n. a part of the city far removed from the center
• molt - n. periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles
• aggrandize - v. add details to
• evanesce - v. disappear gradually
SAT Words Group 11

• knickknack - n. a small inexpensive mass-produced article

• countercharge - n. a charge brought by an accused person against the accuser
• deforest - v. remove the trees from
• discolor - v. cause to lose or change color
• clangor - n. a loud resonant repeating noise
• cloture - v. terminate debate by calling for a vote
• dawdler - n. someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
• demagnetize - v. make nonmagnetic; take away the magnetic properties (of)
• finical - j. exacting especially about details
• garrote - n. an instrument of execution for execution by strangulation
• misapprehend - v. interpret in the wrong way
• persuadable - j. being susceptible to persuasion
• intercept - v. seize on its way
• Anglo-Saxon - n. a person of Anglo-Saxon (especially British) descent whose native tongue is English
• contrive - v. come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
• transpire - v. come about, happen, or occur
• overtone - n. (usually plural) an ulterior implicit meaning or quality; a hint
• superimpose - v. place on top of
• condensation - n. the process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state
• facsimile - n. an exact copy or reproduction
• granule - n. a tiny grain
• alkali - n. a mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture
• testator - n. a person who makes a will
• gastritis - n. inflammation of the lining of the stomach; nausea and loss of appetite and discomfort after eating
• intersperse - v. place at intervals in or among
• qualm - n. uneasiness about the fitness of an action
• embroil - v. force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action
• enthuse - v. cause to feel enthusiasm
• coffer - n. a chest especially for storing valuables
• crevice - n. a long narrow depression in a surface
• protrude - v. extend out or project in space
• cull - v. remove something that has been rejected
• engross - v. consume all of one's attention or time
• exasperate - v. make furious
• self-respect - n. the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
• legging - n. a garment covering the leg (usually extending from the knee to the ankle)
• contravene - v. go against, as of rules and laws
• aperture - n. a device that controls amount of light admitted
• impracticable - j. not capable of being carried out or put into practice
• sol - n. (Roman mythology) ancient Roman god; personification of the sun; counterpart of Greek Helios
• alder - n. wood of any of various alder trees; resistant to underwater rot; used for bridges etc
• knead - v. make uniform
• bawl - v. shout loudly and without restraint
• emigrant - n. someone who leaves one country to settle in another
• able-bodied - j. having a strong healthy body
• bronchitis - n. inflammation of the membranes lining the bronchial tubes
• disallow - v. command against
• adduce - v. show evidence for something
• reversion - n. a reappearance of an earlier characteristic
• vagrant - n. a wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support
SAT Words Group 12

• tout - v. advertise in strongly positive terms

• encore - n. an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand
• heterogeneity - n. the quality of being diverse and not comparable in kind
• pecuniary - j. relating to or involving money
• antenatal - j. occurring or existing before birth
• phonology - n. the study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes
• flue - n. a conduit to carry off smoke
• clothier - n. a merchant who sells men's clothing
• conscript - n. someone who is drafted into military service
• apothecary - n. a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs
• polygon - n. a closed plane figure bounded by straight sides
• dragoon - v. compel by coercion, threats, or crude means
• assignee - n. (law) the party to whom something is assigned (e.g., someone to whom a right or property is legally transferred)
• incisor - n. a tooth for cutting or gnawing; located in the front of the mouth in both jaws
• amputate - v. remove surgically
• attune - v. adjust or accustom to; bring into harmony with
• convulsion - n. violent uncontrollable contractions of muscles
• excitable - j. easily excited
• intoxicate - v. make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)
• emblazon - v. decorate with heraldic arms
• masquerade - v. pretend to be someone or something that you are not
• dislocate - v. move out of position
• inconsiderable - j. too small or unimportant to merit attention
• gratify - v. make happy or satisfied
• suffuse - v. cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across
• foible - n. a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
• vex - v. be a mystery or bewildering to
• light-hearted - j. carefree and happy and lighthearted
• mislay - v. place (something) where one cannot find it again
• perusal - n. reading carefully with intent to remember
• dispossess - v. deprive of the possession of real estate
• patronize - v. be a regular customer or client of
• vicissitude - n. a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something
• efficacious - j. marked by qualities giving the power to produce an intended effect
• convivial - j. occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company
• exigency - n. a pressing or urgent situation
• narrow-minded - j. lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view
• disclaim - v. make a disclaimer about
• underrate - v. make too low an estimate of
• entwine - v. tie or link together
• accost - v. to approach and speak to someone boldly or aggressively
• percolate - v. spread gradually
• desecrate - v. violate the sacred character of a place or language
• adjudge - v. declare to be
• gesticulate - v. show, express or direct through movement
• luminary - n. a celebrity who is an inspiration to others
• remonstrate - v. argue in protest or opposition
• interpose - v. be or come between
• indigestible - j. digested with difficulty
• insuperable - j. incapable of being surmounted or excelled
SAT Words Group 13

• trestle - n. a supporting tower used to support a bridge

• twinge - n. a sharp stab of pain
• travail - v. work hard
• plaudit - n. enthusiastic approval
• rankle - v. gnaw into; make resentful or angry
• congeal - v. become gelatinous
• impute - v. attribute or credit to
• bric-a-brac - n. miscellaneous curios
• intercession - n. a prayer to God on behalf of another person
• invariable - j. not liable to or capable of change
• multifarious - j. having many aspects
• reprove - v. take to task
• weal - n. a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
• singe - v. burn superficially or lightly
• fetter - n. a shackle for the ankles or feet
• convulse - v. move or stir about violently
• rivulet - n. a small stream
• baize - n. a bright green fabric napped to resemble felt; used to cover gaming tables
• nunnery - n. the convent of a community of nuns
• optician - n. a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision
• pucker - v. become wrinkled or drawn together
• beseech - v. ask for or request earnestly
• confectioner - n. someone who makes candies and other sweets
• germinate - v. cause to grow or sprout
• inculcate - v. teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
• insolent - j. marked by casual disrespect
• stupor - n. marginal consciousness
• abrogate - v. revoke or abolish by authority
• armful - n. the quantity that can be contained in the arms
• extrude - v. form or shape by forcing through an opening
• inflammable - j. easily ignited
• sear - v. become superficially burned
• encamp - v. live in or as if in a tent
• cravat - n. neckwear worn in a slipknot with long ends overlapping vertically in front
• disconcert - v. cause to lose one's composure
• accredit - v. grant credentials to
• burgher - n. a member of the middle class
• teetotal - j. practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages
• herbaceous - j. characteristic of a nonwoody herb or plant part
• scabbard - n. a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet
• ail - v. be ill or unwell
• embezzle - v. appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
• connote - v. involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in logic
• betroth - v. give to in marriage
• abscond - v. run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
• baste - v. cover with liquid before cooking
• epistle - n. a book of the New Testament written in the form of a letter from an Apostle
• freemason - n. a member of a widespread secret fraternal order pledged to mutual assistance and brotherly love
• preferment - n. the act of making accusations
• capillary - n. any of the minute blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules
SAT Words Group 14

• distemper - n. any of various infectious viral diseases of animals

• prickle - v. cause a stinging or tingling sensation
• remunerate - v. make payment to; compensate
• flax - n. fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric
• left-handed - j. ironically ambiguous
• abscess - n. symptom consisting of a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue
• conjugal - j. of or relating to marriage or to the relationship between a wife and husband
• juridical - j. relating to the administration of justice or the function of a judge
• gendarme - n. a French policeman
• crustacean - n. any mainly aquatic arthropod usually having a segmented body and chitinous exoskeleton
• gosling - n. young goose
• attenuate - v. become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
• denominate - v. assign a name or title to
• evidential - j. serving as or based on evidence
• natal - j. relating to or accompanying birth
• grenadier - n. an infantryman equipped with grenades
• coincident - j. occurring or operating at the same time
• cognate - j. related in nature
• typography - n. the craft of composing type and printing from it
• antiquary - n. an expert or collector of antiquities
• marauder - n. someone who attacks in search of booty
• luminosity - n. the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
• somatic - j. affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
• steppe - n. extensive plain without trees (associated with eastern Russia and Siberia)
• concordance - n. an index of all main words in a book along with their immediate contexts
• acetic - j. relating to or containing acetic acid
• fission - n. a nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy
• imminence - n. the state of being imminent and liable to happen soon
• conjugate - j. joined together especially in a pair or pairs
• continence - n. voluntary control over urinary and fecal discharge
• benefice - n. an endowed church office giving income to its holder
• jaundice - n. yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment in the blood; can be a
symptom of gallstones or liver infection or anemia
• deprave - v. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
• transferee - n. someone who transfers or is transferred from one position to another
• gradation - n. relative position in a graded series
• egoism - n. concern for your own interests and welfare
• belay - n. something to which a mountain climber's rope can be secured
• intestacy - n. the situation of being or dying without a legally valid will
• coalescence - n. the union of diverse things into one body or form or group; the growing together of parts
• diphthong - n. a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
• quarto - n. the size of a book whose pages are made by folding a sheet of paper twice to form four leaves
• commissariat - n. a stock or supply of foods
• orthogonal - j. relating to or composed of right angles
• tortuous - j. of or pertaining to the nature of a tort (wrongdoing for which a legal action for damages may be brought)
• nebula - n. an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space
• utilitarianism - n. doctrine that value is determined by usefulness; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the
aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number
• necrosis - n. the localized death of living cells (as from infection or the interruption of blood supply)
• herbarium - n. a collection of dried plants that are mounted and systematically classified for study
• hypotenuse - n. the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle
• unbelief - n. a rejection of belief
SAT Words Group 15

• matriculate - v. enroll as a student

• syllabic - j. of or relating to syllables
• sequent - j. in regular succession without gaps
• apposition - n. the act of positioning close together (or side by side)
• odorous - j. having a natural fragrance
• luminescence - n. light not due to incandescence; occurs at low temperatures
• consignee - n. the person to whom merchandise is delivered over
• durance - n. imprisonment (especially for a long time)
• inadvisable - j. not prudent or wise; not recommended
• domineer - v. rule or exercise power over (somebody) in a cruel and autocratic manner
• emaciate - v. grow weak and thin or waste away physically
• bedeck - v. decorate
• turbid - j. (of liquids) clouded as with sediment
• conviviality - n. a jovial nature
• gossamer - j. characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
• impecunious - j. not having enough money to pay for necessities
• inexpressible - j. defying expression
• out-of-the-way - j. out of the ordinary
• penury - n. a state of extreme poverty or destitution
• raconteur - n. a person skilled in telling anecdotes
• equable - j. not easily irritated
• excusable - j. easily excused or forgiven
• odium - n. state of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior
• overproduction - n. too much production or more than expected
• parsimonious - j. excessively unwilling to spend
• protract - v. lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
• deportment - n. (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
• impermeable - j. preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through
• torpid - j. slow and apathetic
• incise - v. make an incision into by carving or cutting
• demerit - n. a mark against a person for misconduct or failure; usually given in school or armed forces
• enfeeble - v. make weak
• rumple - v. become wrinkled or crumpled or creased
• corporeal - j. having material or physical form or substance
• mealy-mouthed - j. hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy
• maltreat - v. treat badly
• arraign - v. call before a court to answer an indictment
• chasten - v. correct by punishment or discipline
• bereave - v. deprive through death
• perforate - v. make a hole or holes in something
• importune - v. beg persistently and urgently
• dally - v. waste time
• elocution - n. an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
• impetuosity - n. rash impulsiveness
• impious - j. lacking piety or reverence for a god
• periodicity - n. the quality of recurring at regular intervals
• undulate - v. move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
• wretchedness - n. a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
• anteroom - n. a large entrance or reception room or area
• expatiate - v. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
SAT Words Group 16

• impudence - n. an impudent statement

• kind-hearted - j. having or proceeding from an innately kind disposition
• retouch - v. alter so as to produce a more desirable appearance
• depopulate - v. reduce in population
• choleric - j. quickly aroused to anger
• happy-go-lucky - j. cheerfully irresponsible
• unutterable - j. very difficult to pronounce correctly
• conjoin - v. make contact or come together
• enrapture - v. hold spellbound
• transfigure - v. change completely the nature or appearance of
• archaism - n. the use of an archaic expression
• procrastinate - v. postpone or delay needlessly
• interrogative - j. relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation
• legionary - n. a soldier who is a member of a legion (especially the French Foreign Legion)
• pommel - n. handgrip formed by the raised front part of a saddle
• proscenium - n. the part of a modern theater stage between the curtain and the orchestra (i.e., in front of the curtain)
• proscription - n. rejection by means of an act of banishing or proscribing someone
• reconcilable - j. capable of being compatible or in agreement with
• rookery - n. a breeding ground for gregarious birds (such as rooks)
• stygian - j. gloomy and dark; hellish
• profiteer - n. someone who makes excessive profit (especially on goods in short supply)
• monosyllable - n. a word or utterance of one syllable
• slake - v. satisfy a craving; quench
• providential - j. peculiarly fortunate or appropriate; as if by divine intervention
• adulterate - v. corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with
inferior ones
• divination - n. the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means
• gainsay - v. take exception to
• manacle - v. confine or restrain with or as if with manacles or handcuffs
• obstreperous - j. noisily and stubbornly defiant
• witticism - n. a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
• aide-de-camp - n. an officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer
• cygnet - n. a young swan
• extempore - j. with little or no preparation or forethought
• irruption - n. a sudden sharp increase in the relative numbers of a population
• liege - n. a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service
• littoral - j. of or relating to a coastal or shore region
• obloquy - n. state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
• payee - n. a person to whom money is paid
• pinioned - j. bound fast especially having the arms restrained
• tempter - n. a person who tempts others
• wittingly - a. with full knowledge and deliberation
• bole - n. a soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment)
• cudgel - n. a club that is used as a weapon
• sententious - j. concise and full of meaning
• abase - v. cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
• blazon - v. decorate with heraldic arms
• dexterous - j. skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
• excrescence - n. (pathology) an abnormal outgrowth or enlargement of some part of the body
• extirpate - v. pull up by or as if by the roots
• coagulate - v. change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
SAT Words Group 17

• egress - n. the act of coming (or going) out; becoming apparent

• extenuate - v. lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
• inundation - n. the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
• iridescence - n. the visual property of something having a milky brightness and a play of colors from the surface
• magistracy - n. the position of magistrate
• nugatory - j. of no real value
• oaken - j. consisting of or made of wood of the oak tree
• perambulate - v. walk with no particular goal
• poncho - n. a blanket-like cloak with a hole in the center for the head
• propinquity - n. the property of being close together
• triennial - j. occurring every third year or lasting 3 years
• unwonted - j. out of the ordinary
• federate - v. unite on a federal basis or band together as a league
• bemuse - v. cause to be confused emotionally
• preordain - v. foreordain or determine beforehand
• balsam - n. an ointment containing a fragrant resin
• zephyr - n. a slight wind (usually refreshing)
• blaspheme - v. speak of in an irreverent or impious manner
• expiate - v. make amends for
• landholder - n. a holder or proprietor of land
• calculable - j. capable of being calculated or estimated
• calumny - n. an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
• contusion - n. an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration
• deprecate - v. belittle
• petrify - v. change into stone
• presentiment - n. a feeling of evil to come
• redound - v. have an effect for good or ill
• suggestible - j. susceptible or responsive to suggestion
• suppliant - j. humbly requesting
• tricolor - n. a flag having three colored stripes (especially the French flag)
• truculence - n. stubborn and defiant aggressiveness
• weak-kneed - j. lacking will power or resolution
• bewilder - v. cause to be confused emotionally
• becalm - v. make steady
• curtsy - v. bend the knees in a gesture of respectful greeting
• aseptic - j. free of or using methods to keep free of pathological microorganisms
• desuetude - n. a state of inactivity or disuse
• disavowal - n. denial of any connection with or knowledge of
• Gordian - j. extremely intricate; usually in phrase 'Gordian knot'
• grantor - n. a person who makes a grant in legal form
• intercessor - n. a negotiator who acts as a link between parties
• lactation - n. the production and secretion of milk by the mammary glands
• occluded - j. closed off
• pertinacity - n. persistent determination
• protrusion - n. the act of projecting out from something
• remonstrance - n. the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest
• shiftless - j. lacking or characterized by lack of ambition or initiative; lazy
• stripling - n. a juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity
• superabundance - n. a quantity that is more than what is appropriate
• ostracize - v. avoid speaking to or dealing with
SAT Words Group 18

• nostrum - n. hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
• peregrination - n. traveling or wandering around
• gyroscope - n. rotating mechanism in the form of a universally mounted spinning wheel that offers resistance to turns in any direction
• cadaverous - j. very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
• discrepant - j. not in agreement
• endurable - j. capable of being borne though unpleasant
• gladden - v. make glad or happy
• intemperance - n. excess in action and immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites, especially in passion or indulgence
• intoxicant - n. a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent; a drug that can produce a state of intoxication
• putrefaction - n. a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
• supernumerary - n. a person serving no apparent function
• therefore - a. (in formal usage, especially legal usage) for that or for it
• addle - v. mix up or confuse
• purvey - v. supply with provisions
• privateer - n. a privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation
• dolt - n. a person who is not very bright
• gnash - v. grind together, of teeth
• malinger - v. avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
• preexist - v. exist beforehand or prior to a certain point in time
• enervate - v. weaken mentally or morally
• pamphleteer - n. a writer of pamphlets (usually taking a partisan stand on public issues)
• abrade - v. wear away
• anode - n. a positively charged electrode by which electrons leave an electrical device
• cadge - v. ask for and get free; be a parasite
• disjunctive - j. serving or tending to divide or separate
• fagged - j. drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
• incandescence - n. the phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised
• interposition - n. the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts
• joggle - n. a slight irregular shaking motion
• kinsfolk - n. people descended from a common ancestor
• macrocosm - n. everything that exists anywhere
• naphtha - n. any of various volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures; used chiefly as solvents
• plenteous - j. affording an abundant supply
• plutocracy - n. a political system governed by the wealthy people
• prate - n. idle or foolish and irrelevant talk
• sanguinary - j. accompanied by bloodshed
• virago - n. a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
• illumine - v. make lighter or brighter
• ramify - v. have or develop complicating consequences
• acidify - v. turn into an acid
• augury - n. an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come
• bombardier - n. the member of a bomber crew responsible for using the bombsight and releasing the bombs on the target
• consumptive - j. afflicted with or associated with pulmonary tuberculosis
• herbivorous - j. feeding only on plants
• interrogatory - j. relating to the use of or having the nature of an interrogation
• moonbeam - n. a ray of moonlight
• percolator - n. a coffeepot in which boiling water ascends through a central tube and filters back down through a basket of ground
coffee beans
• pusillanimous - j. lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful
• gibe - n. an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect
• imprecation - n. a slanderous accusation
SAT Words Group 19

• kerchief - n. a square scarf that is folded into a triangle and worn over the head or about the neck
• cession - n. the act of ceding
• penurious - j. excessively unwilling to spend
• amatory - j. expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance
• bulrush - n. tall rush with soft erect or arching stems found in Eurasia, Australia, New Zealand, and common in North America
• electrolysis - n. removing superfluous or unwanted hair by passing an electric current through the hair root
• gaucherie - n. the quality of being rustic or gauche
• inconstant - j. likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable
• ligature - n. something used to tie or bind
• luxuriance - n. the property of being lush and abundant and a pleasure to the senses
• mendicant - j. practicing beggary
• munificent - j. very generous
• obtrude - v. thrust oneself in as if by force
• palliate - v. lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
• sebaceous - j. containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
• sentience - n. the readiness to perceive sensations; elementary or undifferentiated consciousness
• sequestrate - v. set apart from others
• vernal - j. of or characteristic of or occurring in spring
• wavelet - n. a small wave on the surface of a liquid
• chronometer - n. an accurate clock (especially used in navigation)
• clairvoyance - n. apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses
• euphony - n. any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds
• hussar - n. a member of a European light cavalry unit; renowned for elegant dress
• pharmacopoeia - n. a collection or stock of drugs
• rarefy - v. lessen the density or solidity of
• virulence - n. extreme harmfulness or hostility
• lave - v. wash or flow against
• induct - v. admit as a member
• suborn - v. incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
• variegate - v. make something more diverse and varied
• limn - v. trace the shape of
• enfranchise - v. grant freedom to; as from slavery or servitude
• purloin - v. make off with belongings of others
• sluggard - n. an idle slothful person
• arboreal - j. of or relating to or formed by trees
• arrogate - v. make undue claims to having
• assonance - n. the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
• contiguity - n. the attribute of being so near as to be touching
• drachma - n. formerly the basic unit of money in Greece
• frankincense - n. an aromatic gum resin obtained from various Arabian or East African trees; formerly valued for worship and for
embalming and fumigation
• palpitate - v. cause to throb or beat rapidly
• phonogram - n. any written symbol standing for a sound or syllable or morpheme or word
• streamlet - n. a small stream
• tercentenary - n. the 300th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
• unfeigned - j. not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed
• well-bred - j. of good upbringing
• conferee - n. a person on whom something is bestowed
• antonym - n. a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms
of each other
• abominate - v. find repugnant
• adulteration - n. being mixed with contaminating material to make impure; the product of adulterating
SAT Words Group 20

• chastisement - n. verbal punishment

• cogitate - v. consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one's mind
• descry - v. catch sight of
• ductile - j. capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
• efflorescence - n. a powdery deposit on a surface
• exigent - j. requiring precise accuracy
• gyrate - v. to wind or move in a spiral course
• hypnotism - n. the act of inducing hypnosis
• sybarite - n. a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
• adjacency - n. the attribute of being so near as to be touching
• benignity - n. the quality of being kind and gentle
• benison - n. a spoken blessing
• bight - n. a broad bay formed by an indentation in the shoreline
• discontinuance - n. the act of discontinuing or breaking off; an interruption (temporary or permanent)
• freethinker - n. a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
• man-eater - n. a person who eats human flesh
• percipient - j. characterized by ease and quickness in perceiving
• retrogression - n. passing from a more complex to a simpler biological form
• scintillate - v. be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity
• unicellular - j. having or consisting of a single cell
• brigand - n. an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band
• brogan - n. a thick and heavy shoe
• isothermal - j. of a process or change taking place at constant temperature
• mnemonics - n. a method or system for improving the memory
• oakum - n. loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unraveling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and
pack joints in wooden ships
• philologist - n. a humanist specializing in classical scholarship
• spheroid - n. not perfectly round; a shape that is generated by rotating an ellipse around one of its axes
• aver - v. report or maintain
• scintilla - n. a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
• lacerate - v. cut or tear irregularly
• adumbrate - v. describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
• actuate - v. put in motion or move to act
• bowdlerize - v. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
• complaisant - j. showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
• compressible - j. capable of being compressed or made more compact
• cynosure - n. something that strongly attracts attention and admiration
• declension - n. the inflection of nouns and pronouns and adjectives in Indo-European languages
• devilry - n. wicked and cruel behavior
• diplomatist - n. an official engaged in international negotiations
• disbeliever - n. someone who refuses to believe (as in a divinity)
• dutiable - j. subject to import tax
• frizzle - v. fry something until it curls and becomes crisp
• imperviousness - n. the quality of being impenetrable (by people or light or missiles etc.)
• pauperism - n. a state of extreme poverty or destitution
• quietus - n. euphemisms for death (based on an analogy between lying in a bed and in a tomb)
• recrudescence - n. a return of something after a period of abatement
• repine - v. express discontent
• valorous - j. having or showing exceptional or heroic courage
• inebriate - v. become drunk or drink excessively
• convoke - v. call together
SAT Words Group 21

• panegyric - n. a formal expression of praise

• transfuse - v. impart gradually
• boatswain - n. a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen
• bromine - n. a nonmetallic heavy volatile corrosive dark brown liquid element belonging to the halogens; found in sea water
• consonance - n. the property of sounding harmonious
• dissentient - j. disagreeing, especially with a majority
• genealogist - n. an expert in genealogy
• subtend - v. be opposite to; of angles and sides, in geometry
• aggrieve - v. infringe on the rights of
• introspect - v. reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings
• frizz - n. the condition of being formed into small tight curls
• stultify - v. deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
• seismograph - n. a measuring instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity and direction and duration of movements of the
ground (as an earthquake)
• stipple - v. paint by small short touches that together produce an even or softly graded shadow
• adjure - v. ask for or request earnestly
• confluent - j. flowing together
• expectorate - v. clear out the chest and lungs
• hardihood - n. the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger
• judicature - n. the act of meting out justice according to the law
• nutriment - n. a source of materials to nourish the body
• octavo - n. the size of a book whose pages are made by folding a sheet of paper three times to form eight leaves
• photoelectric - j. of or pertaining to electric effects caused by light
• sere - j. (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
• seclude - v. keep away from others
• cryptogram - n. a piece of writing in code or cipher
• requite - v. make repayment for or return something
• stupefy - v. make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
• superannuate - v. retire someone because of age or physical inability
• gourmand - n. a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
• loiterer - n. someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place
• adulterant - n. any substance that lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance
• ampere - n. the basic unit of electric current
• auricular - j. of or relating to near the ear
• complaisance - n. a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others
• educe - v. develop or evolve from a latent or potential state
• illimitable - j. without limits in extent or size or quantity
• latish - j. somewhat late
• numeration - n. the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order
• vitalize - v. make more lively or vigorous
• vocative - n. a grammatical case in certain inflected languages to indicate the person or thing being addressed
• purl - v. make a murmuring sound
• anhydrous - j. without water; especially without water of crystallization
• demobilize - v. release from military service or remove from the active list of military service
• pedagogue - n. someone who educates young people
• pentathlon - n. an athletic contest consisting of five different events
• votary - n. one bound by vows to a religion or life of worship or service
• sequester - v. keep away from others
• jingo - n. an extreme bellicose nationalist
• preternatural - j. surpassing the ordinary or normal
• sylph - n. a slender graceful young woman
SAT Words Group 22

• biped - n. an animal with two feet

• expurgate - v. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
• temporize - v. draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time
• annalist - n. a historian who writes annals
• bibulous - j. given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol
• execration - n. the object of cursing or detestation; that which is execrated
• festal - j. offering fun and gaiety
• foresail - n. the lowest sail on the foremast of a square-rigged vessel
• inexpedient - j. not suitable or advisable
• jocose - j. characterized by jokes and good humor
• low-spirited - j. filled with melancholy and despondency
• manlike - j. resembling human beings
• pantheism - n. the doctrine or belief that God is the universe and its phenomena
• perspicuous - j. (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
• philately - n. the collection and study of postage stamps
• refulgent - j. radiating or as if radiating light
• sophism - n. a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone
• unguent - n. semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation
• pentagram - n. a star with 5 points; formed by 5 straight lines between the vertices of a pentagon and enclosing another pentagon
• ampersand - n. a punctuation mark (&) used to represent conjunction (and)
• impulsion - n. the act of applying force suddenly
• isobar - n. (meteorology) an isogram connecting points having equal barometric pressure at a given time
• locative - n. the semantic role of the noun phrase that designates the place of the state or action denoted by the verb
• ordinal - j. being or denoting a numerical order in a series
• vainglory - n. outspoken conceit
• crevasse - n. a deep fissure
• vivify - v. make more striking or intense
• resistive - j. exhibiting or relating to electrical resistance
• viol - n. any of a family of bowed stringed instruments that preceded the violin family
• braze - v. solder together by using hard solder with a high melting point
• malcontent - n. a person who is discontented or disgusted
• ennoble - v. confer dignity or honor upon
• effuse - v. give out or emit (also metaphorically)
• divagation - n. a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern)
• miscount - v. count wrongly
• abnegate - v. deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure
• ambrosial - j. extremely pleasing to the taste; sweet and fragrant
• contumacious - j. willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
• equipoise - n. equality of distribution
• fraudulence - n. something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage
• furbish - v. polish and make shiny
• homophone - n. two words are homophones if they are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning or spelling or both (e.g. bare
and bear)
• hydrometer - n. a measuring instrument for determining the specific gravity of a liquid or solid
• importunate - j. expressing earnest entreaty
• indigence - n. a state of extreme poverty or destitution
• indiscernible - j. difficult or impossible to perceive or discern
• lodgment - n. the state or quality of being lodged or fixed even temporarily
• macerate - v. soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result
• maidenhood - n. the childhood of a girl
• opalescence - n. the visual property of something having a milky brightness and a play of colors from the surface
SAT Words Group 23

• propitiatory - j. intended to reconcile or appease

• proselyte - n. a new convert; especially a gentile converted to Judaism
• similitude - n. similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things
• supplicate - v. ask humbly (for something)
• antiphon - n. a verse or song to be chanted or sung in response
• deponent - n. a person who testifies or gives a deposition
• effluvium - n. a foul-smelling outflow or vapor (especially a gaseous waste)
• oculist - n. a person skilled in testing for defects of vision in order to prescribe corrective glasses
• puissant - j. powerful; strong
• submergence - n. sinking until covered completely with water
• dishearten - v. take away the enthusiasm of
• disarrange - v. destroy the arrangement or order of
• connubial - j. of or relating to marriage or to the relationship between a wife and husband
• muleteer - n. a worker who drives mules
• phonic - j. of or relating to speech sounds
• effervesce - v. become bubbly or frothy or foaming
• parricide - n. the murder of your own father or mother
• animadvert - v. express blame or censure or make a harshly critical remark
• contemn - v. look down on with disdain
• extensor - n. a skeletal muscle whose contraction extends or stretches a body part
• intension - n. what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression
• malediction - n. the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)
• opaqueness - n. the degree to which something reduces the passage of light
• photometer - n. measuring instrument for measuring the light intensity of a source
• photometry - n. measurement of the properties of light (especially luminous intensity)
• poesy - n. literature in metrical form
• ultramontane - n. a Roman Catholic who advocates ultramontanism (supreme papal authority in matters of faith and discipline)
• aeronaut - n. someone who operates an aircraft
• granulate - v. form into grains
• impalpable - j. imperceptible to the senses or the mind
• synchronism - n. the relation that exists when things occur at the same time
• precession - n. the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)
• autarchy - n. a political system governed by a single individual
• bronchus - n. either of the two main branches of the trachea
• courser - n. a huntsman who hunts small animals with fast dogs that use sight rather than scent to follow their prey
• involution - n. the action of enfolding something
• achromatic - j. having no hue
• animalcule - n. microscopic organism such as an amoeba or paramecium
• anticyclone - n. (meteorology) winds spiraling outward from a high pressure center; circling clockwise in the northern hemisphere and
counterclockwise in the southern
• antitoxin - n. an antibody that can neutralize a specific toxin
• barograph - n. a recording barometer; automatically records on paper the variations in atmospheric pressure
• bedizen - v. decorate tastelessly
• benignant - j. characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects
• close-hauled - j. having the sails trimmed for sailing as close to the wind as possible
• comeliness - n. the quality of being good looking and attractive
• conformable - j. disposed or willing to comply
• consignor - n. the person who delivers over or commits merchandise
• denude - v. lay bare
• diacritical - j. capable of distinguishing
• digraph - n. two successive letters (especially two letters used to represent a single sound: 'sh' in 'shoe')
SAT Words Group 24

• garrulity - n. the quality of being wordy and talkative

• insurgence - n. an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed
conflict
• lithesome - j. - moving and bending with ease
• odoriferous - j. having a natural fragrance
• pervious - j. admitting of passage or entrance
• physiography - n. the study of physical features of the earth's surface
• pluperfect - j. more than perfect
• prohibitory - j. tending to discourage (especially of prices)
• rapine - n. the act of despoiling a country in warfare
• redundancy - n. the attribute of being superfluous and unneeded
• reparable - j. capable of being repaired or rectified
• violoncello - n. a large stringed instrument; seated player holds it upright while playing
• volubility - n. the quality of being clear and effective in speech and writing
• epicure - n. a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)
• necromancer - n. one who practices divination by conjuring up the dead
• coxswain - n. the helmsman of a ship's boat or a racing crew
• discomfit - v. cause to lose one's composure
• occident - n. the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
• apiary - n. a shed containing a number of beehives
• circumlocutory - j. roundabout and unnecessarily wordy
• fiducially - j. relating to or of the nature of a legal trust (i.e. the holding of something in trust for another)
• itinerate - v. travel from place to place, as for work
• mettlesome - j. having a proud and unbroken spirit
• perfectible - j. capable of becoming or being made perfect
• puissance - n. power to influence or coerce
• resistless - j. offering no resistance
• tangency - n. the state of being tangent; having contact at a single point or along a line without crossing
• unyoke - v. remove the yoke from
• churl - n. a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
• coeval - j. of the same period
• cosmography - n. the science that maps the general features of the universe; describes both heaven and earth (but without
encroaching on geography or astronomy)
• subjacent - j. lying nearby but lower
• epicycle - n. a circle that rolls around (inside or outside) another circle; generates an epicycloid or hypocycloid
• diatomic - j. of or relating to a molecule made up of two atoms
• sirocco - n. a windstorm that lifts up clouds of dust or sand
• auriferous - j. containing gold
• egoist - n. a self-centered person with little regard for others
• congest - v. become or cause to become obstructed
• estrange - v. arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness
• dolor - n. (poetry) painful grief
• befog - v. make less visible or unclear
• exhilarate - v. fill with sublime emotion
• pyromania - n. an uncontrollable desire to set fire to things
• undercharge - v. charge (someone) too little money
• ambulate - v. walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
• anemometer - n. a gauge for recording the speed and direction of wind
• apprehensible - j. capable of being apprehended or understood
• cabalism - n. adherence to some extreme traditional theological concept or interpretation
• complacence - n. the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself
• contumacy - n. obstinate rebelliousness and insubordination; resistance to authority