SAT VOCAB LIST 08-09

SAT Vocabulary List 2008-2009

August 25

ameliorate – to improve

bolster – to support; reinforce

capricious – fickle, prone to making sudden changes

erudite – scholarly; very knowledgeable

garrulous – talkative, wordy

intrepid- fearless

malicious-deliberately harmful

prevaricate – to lie

reticent – uncommunicative; inclined to silence

wary – very cautious

September 2

apathy – lack or caring; indifference

curtail – to cut short

elicit – to draw out by discussion

haughty- behaving in a superior way

impede – to hinder or block

indolent – lazy

meticulous – extremely careful

penchant – strong inclination; liking

plethora – excess or abundance

relish – to enjoy greatly

September 15 (Spirit Week)

adversary- opponent

audacious – daring; bold

ebullient – showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm

embellish – to ornament; enhance; to beauty

fervor – extreme intensity of emotion

levity – lack of seriousness; frivolity; behavior intended to be amusing

paragon – model of perfection

profusion – a large quantity of something

sage – celebrated for wisdom

zealot – fanatic, person who shows excessive enthusiasm

September 22

abate – to subside or moderate

boorish – rude; insensitive

corroborate – to confirm

desiccate – to dry up

endorse – to approve formally

enigma – a mystery

flout – to reject; mock; show contempt for

hypothetical- an unproven idea; theory

implicit – understood but not stated

prevalent – found frequently

September 28

analogous – comparable

burgeon – to grow

daunt – to frighten or intimidate

disparate – fundamentally different; unrelated

equivocate – to lie, to mislead; to attempt to hide the truth

exculpate – to clear from blame

goad – to urge on

impassive – without feeling

oblivion – a state of being utterly forgotten

rescind – to cancel

October 6

banal – commonplace; trite; lacking originality

burnish – to make shiny by rubbing or polishing

cogent – convincing

delineate- to describe or explain

ephemeral – fleeting; short-lived

exhaustive – complete

gregarious – sociable; friendly

indiscriminate – making no careful choices

laconic – brief and to the point

venerate – to revere; to regard with respect

October 13 End of First Nine Weeks Review previous 60 words

October 21

arbitrary – randomly chosen

belie – to give a false impression

cryptic- secret or hidden in some way

eclectic – composed of elements drawn from different sources

fallacious – false, misleading; illogical

impervious – incapable of being damaged or distressed

irascible – easily angered

negate – to cancel; deny; nullify

reprobate – devoid of a sense of decency

shard – fragment, generally of pottery

October 27

ambiguous – unclear; having more than one meaning

conundrum – riddle; difficult problem

disseminate – distribute; spread; scatter

equanimity – calmness; composure

facetious – joking (often inappropriately); humorous

grandiloquent – to use high-sounding language, bombastic

inadvertently – unintentionally, not on purpose

morose – ill-humored; sullen; gloomy

obviate – to make unnecessary; to get rid of

salubrious – healthful

November 3

aggregate – to gather; accumulate

astute – clever; perceptive

bombastic – using inflated language

craven – cowardly

diffidence – shyness

equivocal – ambiguous

fastidious – hard to please

gouge – to overcharge

immutable – unchangeable

quiescent – dormant; at rest; temporarily inactive

November 10

autonomous – self-governing; independent

brevity – shortness in length or time

candor – honesty

depravity- corruption

discordant – not harmonious; conflicting

enervate – to weaken

extricate – to release with difficulty

gravity- seriousness

mendacious – habitually dishonest

pristine – unspoiled

November 17

anomalous – irregular; abnormal

chicanery – trickery; deception

conciliatory – soothing; meant to make peace

denigrate – to ridicule; to make fun of

emulate – to imitate with intent to equal or surpass

fatuous – brainless, inane, foolish – yet smug

gullible – easily deceived

opulence – affluence

ostentatious – pretentious; trying to attract attention

plummet – to fall sharply

November 24 – Thanksgiving week

December 2

altruistic – unselfish; putting other people’s needs first

arduous – strenuous

buttress – to support; to prop up

commensurate – corresponding in extent or degree; proportionate

cursory- very quick

despondent- extremely discouraged

esoteric – hard to understand

euphemism – mild expression in place of an unpleasant one; less offensive words

insipid – lacking in flavor, dull

pragmatic – practical (as opposed to idealistic)

December 8 catch up, make up, or review

December 15 Semester exam week 120 words total for semester

January 6

amalgamate – to combine, to unite

castigation – punishment; severe criticism

contentious – quarrelsome

deprecate – to disapprove of strongly

eulogy – expression of praise, often associated with a funeral

exploit -to take unfair advantage of someone

frugal – thrifty; economical

perennial – long- lasting

viscous – sticky; gluey

warranted – justified; authorized

January 12

alleviate – to relieve or lessen

anachronism – someone or something misplaced in time

conflagration – a large destructive fire

denounce- to criticize publicly

confound – to confuse; to puzzle

intractable – stubborn, unyielding

lucid – easily understood; clear and intelligible

malingerer – one who feigns illness to escape duty

onerous – burdensome

perfidious – disloyal

January 20

antipathy – aversion; dislike

criterion- a standard on which a decision can be based

deride- to laugh at with contempt

elusive – difficult to find

fledgling – inexperienced, beginner

guile – deceit; particular cleverness in deceiving people

harangue – long, passionate, and intense speech

innocuous – harmless

irresolute – uncertain how to act; weak

preclude – to prevent

January 26

apprise – to inform

diatribe – bitter scolding

distend – to expand; swell out

latent – undeveloped potential, hidden

mollify – to soothe

placate – to pacify; to make someone less angry

proliferation – rapid increase

rancor- long-lasting ill will

surreptitious- secret

vituperative – abusive; scolding

February 2

anarchy – absence of a governing body; state of disorder

diverge – to go in different directions

endemic – prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area

futile – hopeless

hypothetical- an unproven idea; theory

loquacious – talkative

mitigate – to moderate; appease; to make something less severe

rectify- to correct something

viable – practical or workable

volatile – changeable; explosive

February 9

approbation – approval

consensus – an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole

dichotomy – branching into two parts – especially contradictory ones

extraneous- not relevant

feasible – possible

inundate – overwhelm; flood, submerge

laud – to praise highly

maverick – rebel, nonconformist

mundane – worldly as opposed to spiritual, everyday

pungent – sharp taste or smell

February 17

adulation – excessively admiring behavior

dogmatic – opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal

dupe – to fool

fawning – trying to please by flattering

imperturbable – calm, placid

lethargic – drowsy; tired

penury – stinginess

proscribe – to banish or outlaw

relegate – to move to a less important position

taciturn- habitually untalkative

February 23

articulate – spoken or expressed clearly

censorious – highly critical

disingenuous – lacking genuine candor; insincere

exacerbate – to worsen

implacable - incapable of being pacified

partisan – one-sided; biased supporter; committed to a political party

phlegmatic – easily disturbed

sanction – to approve or ratify

usurp- to seize by force without legal authority

vacillate – to fluctuate; to waver; to be indecisive

March 2 catch up, make up, or review

March 9 Mid-semester exam week. 80 words this 9 weeks

March 24

admonish – to reprove

conviction – firmly held belief

disparage – to belittle; to criticize

flag – to droop, to grow feeble

misanthrope – one who hates mankind

occlude – to close or shut

precocious – mentally advanced for age

redundant- repetition or excess

turbulence – an unpredictable state; an instability in the atmosphere

vilify- to make abusive statements about someone

March 30

compendium – comprehensive summary

duplicity – dishonesty

exigency – urgent situation; requiring immediate action

foment – to stir up, to instigate

hamper – to prevent the free movement or action of someone or something

hypocritical- falsely claiming high principles

malleable – capable of being shaped, impressionable

paucity – scarcity

perfunctory – not thorough, done without care or enthusiasm

sporadic – occurring irregularly

April 6

abstemious – temperate or moderate in eating and drinking, consuming sparingly

decorum – in good taste; good manners

deterrent – something that discourages; hindrance

discerning – quick and observant; having insight; showing good judgment

inchoate – recently begun, rudimentary, elementary

inherent – firmly established by nature or habit; an integral part of something

magnanimity – generosity

notorious- famous for something bad

precarious – risky, dangerously lacking in security or stability

scrupulous- principled

April 13

austere – severely simple and unornamented

censure – severe criticism

disabuse – to correct a false impression; undeceive mentally

flout – to reject; mock; show contempt for

heresy – an opinion that contradicts established principles

hierarchy – a formally ranked group

inconsequential – unimportant

innate – present from birth

instigate- to get something started

luminous – issuing light

April 20

ambivalence – contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

appease – to soothe; to relieve

caustic – burning; sarcastically biting

choleric – bad-tempered

iconoclastic – attacking cherished traditions

indigence – poverty

officious – excessively pushy in offering one’s (usually unwanted) services or advice

precursor – forerunner

solicitous – worried, concerned

virtuoso – someone with masterful ability in the arts

April 27

aesthetic – sensitive to beauty

aver – assert confidently or declare; state formally as a fact

convoluted – involved; intricate

digression – away from the subject

gainsay – to deny or declare false

insinuate – to hint or imply

intransigence – refusal of any compromise; stubbornness

neophyte – recent convert; beginner

presumptuous – arrogant; rude; going beyond proper limits

qualified – limited or restricted

May 4

abscond – to depart secretly and hide

complaisant – overly polite, trying to please

converge – to meet; to come together

dirge – to lament or mourn with music

indict – to formally charge an accused person

insular – narrow-minded; isolated

prodigal, wasteful; reckless with money

recalcitrant – stubborn; determined to resist authority

truculence – aggressiveness; ferocity

verbose – wordy

May 11

attenuate – to make slender, fine, or small

explicit – definite

ingenuous – unsophisticated, naive

opprobrium – infamy, vilification, evil reputation

pretentious- self-important

provincial – unsophisticated and narrow-minded

prudent – having good sense

recant – to retract a previous statement

repudiate – to disown, disavow

welter – turmoil, bewildering jumble

May 18 catch up, make up, or review

May 25 Semester exam week 160 words total for semester, 280 words for the year