SAT Prep Words Hit LIst Princeton Review

Start Studying!

Terms

undefined, object

copy deck

abrogate: v. to abolish, repeal, or nullify
abstruse: adj. difficult to understand
abysmal: adj. extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless
accolade: n. an award or honor
acerbic: adj. bitter, sour, severe
acumen: n. keeness of judgment; mental sharpness
affable: adj. easy to talk to; friendly
afford: v. to permit or allow; enable
aggregate: n., adj. collection of things mixed together; the sum total
allocate: v. to distribute, assign, or allot
aloof: adj. standoffish, uninvolved, keeping one's distance
ameliorate: v. to make better or more tolerable
anachronistic: adj. out of place in time or history
anathema: n. something or someone loathed or detested
ancillary: adj. subordinate; providing assistance
annul: v. to make void, usually refers to marriage
anomaly: n. an aberration, deviation, or irregularity
anthropology: n. the study of human cultures
antithetical: adj. in opposition, contrary to
apostate: n. one who deserts his or her professed principles or faith
apotheosis: n. elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something
appropriate: v. to take without permission; to set aside for particular use
archetype: n. an original model or pattern
ardent: adj. passionate
ascertain: v. to determine with certainty; to find out definately
ascetic: adj. hermitlike, practicing self-denial
assiduous: adj. hardowrking, diligent, busy
assuage: v. to soothe, pacify, or relieve
attrition: n. gradual wearing away; a natural or expected decrease in size or number
augury: n. an omen, especially a good omen
auspices: n. protection, support; sponsorship
avarice: n. greed
avuncular: adj. kind, helpful, generous; like a nice uncle
barometer: n. an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
beguile: v. to delude by guile or crafty; to mislead, divert
behest: n. a command or order
beleaguer: v. to surround, besiege, or harass
belie: v. to give a false impression; to contradict
bellicose: adj. warlike, belligerent
bequest: n. something left to someone in a will
blithe: adj. carefree, cheerful
broach: v. to open up a subject, often a delicate one, for discussion
brusque: adj. rough and short in manner, blunt, abrupt
burgeon: v. to expand; to flourish
buttress: n., v. a support for a building or structure; to support
cabal: n. a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique
cajole: v. to persuade with flattery or gentle urging
calipers: n. a pinching instrument used for determining the thickness of objects or the distance between surfaces
candor: n. sincerity, honesty
cannon: n. a rule or law, especially a religious one; a body of rules or laws; an authoritative list; the set of works by an author that are accepted as authentic
cantankerous: adj. ill-natured, contentious
canvass: v. to campaign; to seek or solicit orders, votes, etc.
capacitor: n. a device that stores energy
capitulate: v. to surrender, give up, or give in
capricious: adj. unpredictable, likely to change at any moment
captious: adj. ill-natured, quarrelsom
carp: v. to complain or find fault with someone
cartography: n. the study and creation of maps
castigate: v. to criticize severely, to chastise
catalyst: n. anyone or anything that makes something happen without being difrectly involved
catharsis: n. purification that brings emotional relief or renewal
cavil: v. to quibble, to raise trivial questions
censure: v. to condemn severely for doing something bad
chagrin: n. humiliation; embarrassed disappointment
chicanery: n. trickery, deceitfulness, artifice (especially legal or political)
chimerical: adj. imaginary, given to fantasy
choleric: adj. hot-tempered, quick to anger
circumvent: v. to go around
closefisted: adj. stingy
coalesce: v. to come together as one, to fuse, to unite
cogitate: v. to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully about
colloquial: adj. ordinary, informal in relationship to speech
conscript: v. enlisted, drafted, or enrolled; usually refers to mandatory military service
corroborate: v. to confirm; to back up with evidence
coterie: n. a group of close associates; a circle of friends
coy: adj. shy, reluctant to make a commitment
craven: adj. cowardly, afraid
curmudgeon: n. a greedy, irascible, crotchety old person
dearth: n. a shortage or scarcity of something
debacle: n. a big disaster
deft: adj. very skillful
dehydrate: v. to remove water
deleterious: adj. harmful
demagogue: n. a leader of the people, but more a rabble-rouser
demography: n. the statistical study of the characteristics of populations
desalinate: v. to remove salt from something
desiccate: v. to dry out
diplomatic: adj. tactful; good at negotiating
discomfit: v. to frustrate, to confuse
dither: v. to vacillate between choices; to tremble with excitement
diural: adj. occurring every day; occuring during hte daytime
divisive: adj. creating conflict and disagreement
draconian: adj. severe, harsh, cruel
ebullient: adj. bubbling with excitement, exuberant
eclectic: adj. drawn from many sources
effigy: n. a likeness of a person, usually one used to express hatred for that person
egregious: adj. extremely bad, flagrant
elliptical: adj. oval; missing a word or words; obscure
endemic: adj. native, restricted to a particular region or area, indigenous
ephemeral: adj. lasting a very short time
equine: adj. relating to horses, horselike
equivocal: adj. ambiguous, intentionally confusing, capable of being interpreted many ways
ersatz: adj. serving as a substitute; synthetic, artificial
ethereal: adj. heavenly, light, insubstantial
etymology: n. the study of words and their meanings
euphonious: adj. pleasant-sounding, opposite of cacophonous; melodious
evanescent: adj. fleeting, vanishing, happening only for the briefest period
evince: v. to demonstrate convincingly; to prove
execrate: v. to curse, denounce
exhume: v. to unbury; to dig out of the ground
exonerate: v. to free completely from blame
expeditious: adj., v. prompt, speedy; to expedite
expiate: v. to make amends, to atone
expunge: v. to erase, obliterate, to blot out
facile: adj. fluent, skillful in a superficial way
fervent: adj. having intense feeling, enthusiastic; fervid
feign: v. to pretend; to make a false representation of something
flaccid: adj. soft and limp
florid: adj. very fancy, usually refers to intangivle objects (ie. florid speech)
flout: v. to disregard something or someone out of disrespect
ford: n., v. the shallow part of a river; to cross a river at the shallow part
forensics: n. the art or study of argumentation and formal debate
fortuitous: adj. accidental, occuring by chance
fracas: n. a big fight
furrow: n., v. a narrow groove made in the ground; to make wrinkles in the face
gaffe: n. a social blunder, an embarrasing mistake, a faux pas
galvanize: v. to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize
gastoronomy: n. the art of eating well
germane: adj. relevant, applicable, pertinent
glower: v. to look or stare with sullen dislike or anger
goldbrick: v., n. to swindle to sell something worthless as if it were valuable; a swindle
grandiloquent: adj. using a lot of big, fancy words to sound impressive
gratuitous: adj. given freely; uncalled for; unjustified; unprovoked
glut: n. surplus, overabundance
hackneyed: adj. overused, trite, stale
halcyon: adj. peaceful, serene; carefree
harbinger: n. a forerunner, a signal of
hedonism: n. the persuit of pleasure as a way of life
hegemony: n. leadership, especially of one nation over another
hermetic: adj. airtight, impervious to external influence
homily: n. a sermon
hubris: n. excessive pride
humanist: n. one who has great concern for human welfare, values, and dignity; a student of the classics
hybrid: n. formed, bred or composed from different elements
hypodermic: adj. beneath the skin
idiosncratic: adj. quirky, peculiar, eccentric
ignominy: n. shame, disrepute, disgrace
importune: v. to beg, urge, or insist persistently
inane: adj. silly, senseless
incantation: n. a chant
incarnate: adj. in the flesh
incensed: adj. very angry
inchoate: adj. incomplete; only partially formed
indignant: adj. angry or insulted, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy
indolent: adj. averse to activity; habitually lazy
ineffable: adj. incapable of being expressed or described
inexorable: adj. relentless, inevitable, unavoidable
inoculate: v. to protect against disease
insouciant: adj. nonchalant, lighthearted, carefree
irascible: adj. easily angered or provoked; irritable
jaunt: n. a short pleasure trip
jejune: adj. lacking maturity or significance; irrelevant
jettison: v. to throw or cast off
jingoist: n. an excessively vigilant patriot; a bellicose chauvinist; a war mongering nationalist
jurisprudence: n. the study of law
karma: n. consequences of one's actions; fate, destiny
kudos: n. honor, glory, acclaim, compliment
lambaste: v. to assalt violently with words
lament: v. to mourn
laudatory: adj. praising
lax: adj. not strict; careless or negligent
lexicon: n. a glossary or dictionary
limpid: adj. transparent, clear, lucid
liniment: n. a medicinal liquid or salve for rubbing on the skin
liquidate: v. to get rid of; to settle a debt
lugubrious: adj. exaggeratedly mournful
luminary: n. a person who has attained eminence in his/her field
maudlin: adj. silly and overly sentimental
maverik: n. a nonconformist; a rebel
mellifluous: adj. flowing sweetly, usually refers to sounds or voices
mendacious: adj. lying, dishonest
meritorious: adj. deserving praise or reward
mirth: n. amusement or laughter
misanthrope: n. one who hates people
mollify: v. to soften, soothe, pacify
moribund: adj. dying
narcissism: n. excessive love of one's body or oneself
nebulous: adj. vague, hazy, indistinct
neologism: n. a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word
neophyte: n. a novice or begginer
noisome: adj. offensive or disgusting; stinking, noxious
noxious: adj. harmful offensive
nuance: n. a subtle difference or distinction
numerology: n. the study of numbers for the purposes of predicting the future
obdurate: adj.stubborn, insensitive, unyielding, resistant to persuasion
obeisance: n. deep reverence; a bow or curtsy
obfuscate: v. to darken or confuse
obsequious: adj. fawning, subservient, servile, excessively deferential
odometer: n. instrument that measures how many miles one has traveled
olfactory: adj. pertaining to the sense of smell
oligarchy: n. government by only a very few people
ornate: adj. very fancy, usually refers to tangivle objects (ie. orate woodwork)
palliative: adj., n. something that provides temporary relief without getting rid of the problem
paltry: adj. insignificant; worthless
panacea: n. something that cures everything
panache: n. flair, verve; dashing elegance
paragon: n. a model of excellence
peccadillo: n. a minor offense or error
pedantic: adj. boringly scholarly or academic; overconcerned with details
penurious: adj. extremely stingy, poor, or miserly
perfidy: n. treachery
perfunctory: adj. unenthusiastic, careless
pernicious: adj. deadly, extremely evil
perquisite: n. a privilege that goes along with a job; a "perk"
philistine: n. a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation for intellectual or artistic matters
piquant: adj. pleasantly sharp in favor; interestingly provocative or stimulating
pique: v. to excite; to arouse an emotion or provoke to action
plebeian: adj. common, vulguar, low-class
poignant: adj. painfully emotional, extremely moving, sharp, or astute
portent: n. an omen, a sign of something coming
potentate: n. a person who possesses great power
predilection: n. a natural preference for something
preempt: v. to seize something by prior right
prescient: adj. having knowledge of things before they exist or happen
priggish: adj. very fussy, self-righteous, high-maintenance, usually refers to people
profligate: adj. extravagantly wasteful; wildly immoral
prolific: adj. abundantly productive, fruitful, or fertile
promulgate: v. to publicly or formally declare something
prosaic: adj. dull, unimaginative
pugnacious: adj. quarrelsome, combative, always ready to right
pulchritude: n. physical beauty
queue: n., v. a line; to line up
quiescent: adj. motionless; at rest; still
quintessential: adj. being the most perfect example of
quixotic: adj. idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree, like Don Quixote
quotidian: adj. daily; everyday; ordinary
raze: v. to completely destroy or level something
rebuke: to criticize sharply
recapitulate: v. to review or summarize
recidivism: n. the act of repeating an offense
redolent: adj. fragrant
renege: v. to go back on a bet or promise
retrenchment: n. cutting down or off, reduction
rhetoric: n. the study or art of using language well; the use of undue exaggeration
sacrosanct: adj. sacred, held to be inviolable
sanguine: adj. cheerful, optimistic, hopeful
sardonic: adj. mocking, scornful
saturnine: adj. gloomy or taciturn
scrupulous: adj. strict, careful; hesitant for ethical reasons
semantic: n. pertaining to the meaning of words or symbols
Abrogate: to abolish

Start Studying!

Deck Info

Number of cards 251