Hot Words for the SAT
· brevity n. briefness or conciseness in speech or writing
· concise adj. using few words in speaking and writing
· laconic adj. using few words in speech
· pithy adj. brief and full of meaning and substance; concise
· quiescent adj. quiet; still; inactive
· reticent adj. not talking much; reserved
· succinct adj. clearly and briefly stated; concise
· taciturn adj. silent; sparing of words; close-mouthed
· terse adj. using only the words that are needed to make the point; very concise
·
circumlocution n. speaking
in circles; roundabout speech
·
colloquial adj. pertaining
to common everyday speech; conversational
·
diffuse adj. spread out, not concise; wordy
·
digress vb. to wander off
from the subject or topic spoken about
·
eloquence n. artful ease with speaking; speech that can impact
people’s feelings
·
garrulous adj. talkative;
loquacious
·
grandiloquent adj. using
big and fancy words when speaking for the purpose of impressing
others
· loquacious adj. very talkative; liking to talk; garrulous
· prattle vb. to speak on and on in a senseless and silly manner; to talk foolishly
· rant vb. to talk very loudly, even wildly
· rhetorical adj. relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect; insincere
in expression
· verbose adj. using too many words; wordy; long-winded
· voluble adj. talking a great deal with ease; glib
· arrogant adj. overbearing; proud; haughty
· braggart n. on who boasts a great deal
· complacent adj. self-satisfied; smug
· contemptuous adj. lacking respect; scornful
· disdainful adj. full of bitter scorn and pride; aloof
· egotistical adj. excessively self-absorbed; very conceited
· haughty adj. having a great pride in oneself and dislike for others
· insolent adj. boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior; rude
· narcissist adj. or n. having to do with extreme self-adoration; person who feels superior
to everyone
· ostentatious adj. having to do with showing off; pretentious
· presumptuous adj. too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds
· pretentious adj. claiming or pretending increased importance; ostentatious;
affectedly grand
·
supercilious adj. looking
down on others; proud and scornful
·
swagger vb. to walk around in a proud, showy manner; to boast in a
loud manner
· banal adj. dull or stale because of overuse; trite; hackneyed
· cliché n. an idea or expression that has become stale due to overuse
· derivative adj. unoriginal; taken from something already existing
· hackneyed adj. made commonplace by overuse; trite
· insipid adj. lacking flavor or taste; unexciting
· lackluster adj. lacking vitality, energy, or brightness; boring
· mundane adj. commonplace; ordinary
· platitude n. quality of being dull; an obvious remark uttered as if it were original
· prosaic adj. dull; commonplace
· trite adj. unoriginal and stale due to overuse
· vapid adj. lacking freshness and zest; flat; stale
· allay vb. to lessen fear; to calm; to relieve pain
· alleviate vb. to lessen pain or tension
· ameliorate vb. to make better; to lessen pain, difficulty, or tension
· appease vb. to make tranquil or quiet, especially by giving into demands; to pacify
· assuage vb. to alleviate; to lessen pain or conflict; pacify
· conciliate vb. to win a person over through special considerations or persuasive methods
· mediate vb. to act as a go-between in settling conflicts or disputes between people or
opposing sides
· mitigate vb. to make or become less severe; to lesson pain or damage
· mollify vb. to pacify, soothe, or appease; to make less severe or violent
· pacify vb. to calm; to make peaceful; to restore to a tranquil state
· placate vb. to make calm; to soothe
· quell vb. to pacify; to subdue; to quiet down
· affable adj. easy to talk to; easy to approach, friendly; kind; amiable
· amiable adj. friendly, kind
· amicable adj. showing goodwill; peaceable
· congenial adj. compatible; having kindred needs or tastes; sympathetic
· convivial adj. sociable, outgoing in a festive way, especially when pertaining to eating
and drinking; fond of good company
· cordial adj. warm and friendly; amiable
· gregarious adj. sociable, outgoing
· jocular adj. liking to be with people, joke around with them and have fun
· levity n. lightheartedness; gaiety; carefree disposition, particularly when not
appropriate
· animosity n. hatred; ill will
· antagonism n. hatred or hostility
· bellicose adj. of a quarrelsome nature; eager to fight; warlike; belligerent
· belligerent adj. taking part in war or fighting ready to fight
· cantankerous adj. bad-tempered; quarrelsome
· captious adj. made for the sake of quarreling; quibbling
· contentious adj. quarrelsome; belligerent
· disputatious adj. likely to dispute or argue
· polemical adj. inclined to argue or debate; controversial
· predator n. one who takes advantage of another, exploits or feeds on another; a
strong adversary or rival
· pugnacious adj. eager to fight; belligerent
· altruistic adj. showing an unselfish concern for others
· benevolent adj. giving freely and easily to others; charitable
· largess n. generous giving
· lavish adj. generous in giving to others or in spending money
· magnanimous adj. generous in overlooking insult or injury by others; rising above pettiness
· munificent adj. very generous
· philanthropic adj. showing a desire to help others by giving gifts; charitable; humane
· prodigal adj. wasteful; lavish
· squander vb. to spend money (or time) in a wasteful, uncaring fashion
· austere adj. having great economy; showing self-control when it comes to foregoing
luxuries, frills; stern in manner or appearance
· avarice n. greed
· frugal adj. careful with money; thrifty; not costly
· mercenary adj. greedy for self-gain; thinking only of money-making
· miserly adj. careful with how money is spent; thrifty
· parsimonious adj. overly thrifty or miserly
· penurious adj. stingy; relating to great poverty, destitution
· thrifty adj. showing care with how money and resources are spent or used; miserly
· adversity n. great trouble or difficulty
· conflagration n. a huge fire, an inferno
· confounding adj. puzzling; baffling
· cryptic adj. hidden; hard to understand; mysterious; obscure
· debacle n. a failure or breakdown; a collapse that is often nonsensical
· enigma n. a riddle or mystery; a puzzling or baffling matter or person
· labyrinth n. a maze from which it is very hard to extricate (free) oneself
· precarious adj. dangerous or risky; uncertain
· quandary n. a dilemma; a confusing or puzzling situation
· turbulence n. great unrest; turmoil or disorder
· turmoil n. a very puzzling scenario or situation; tumult
· baneful adj. causing ruin; harmful; pernicious
· deleterious adj. harmful to one’s health or overall welfare; pernicious
· detrimental adj. harmful
· devious adj. dishonest or deceptive
· iniquitous adj. showing a lack of fairness; wicked; vicious
· malicious adj. intending to hurt of harm another; spiteful
· nefarious adj. very mean and wicked
· odious adj. loathsome; evil; revolting in a disgusting way
· ominous adj. pertaining to an evil omen; foreboding
· pernicious adj. very destructive or harmful, usually in an inconspicuous and relentless
way
· rancorous adj. deeply hateful or spiteful; malicious
· virulent adj. extremely poisonous; deadly; full of spiteful hatred
· berate vb. to rebuke or scold in a harsh tone
· castigate vb. to scold or punish severely
· censure vb. to criticize strongly
· chastise vb. to punish or scold harshly
· deprecate vb. to show mild disapproval
· impugn vb. to oppose or attack someone or something as false or refutable
· rebuff vb. to snub; to bluntly refuse
· rebuke vb. to reprimand or scold sharply
· reprove vb. to speak to in a disapproving manner; to scold
· upbraid vb. to chide; to scold bitterly
· aloof adj. uninterested; showing no concern; emotionally removed or distant
· apathetic adj. indifferent; showing no care, interest, or concern; lacking emotion
· detached adj. aloof; indifferent
· impassive adj. lacking emotion or drive
· indifferent adj. apathetic; showing little or no concern or care
· listless adj. lacking interest in something, usually because of illness, fatigue, or
general sadness; spiritless
· nonchalant adj. casual and indifferent; not showing any great concern or worry about
anything
· phlegmatic adj. hard to get excited or emotional; calm
· remote adj. emotionally distant and disinterested; aloof; uninvolved; distant, far away
· stoical adj. lacking emotion or not showing any emotion
· indolent adj. lazy; not wanting to do any work
· languor n. weak or lifeless feeling
· lassitude n. a tired feeling, usually resulting from depression or too much work
· lethargic adj. having little or no energy
· sedentary adj. having to do with sitting around a lot
· sluggish adj. slow and lazy
· soporific adj. sleep-inducing; sleepy
· stagnant adj. lacking movement or energy
· torpid adj. lacking energy; relating to inactivity; feeling sluggish
· compliant adj. yielding, submissive
· fawning adj. gaining the favor of another by acting overly kind or by flattery
· obsequious adj. obeying or performing a service for someone in an overly attentive
manner
· servile adj. slave-like; very humble and submissive
· slavish adj. slave-like; overly humble; involving very hard work
· submissive adj. voluntarily obeying another; humble
· subordinate adj. inferior; lower in rank or status
· subservient adj. obedient; obsequious
· sycophant n. a self-server who tries to gain the favor of others through the use of
flattery or by being overattentive
· toady n. a flatterer; a sycophant
· ardent adj. full of passion and emotion
· avid adj. showing enthusiasm; ardent
· ebullient adj. filled with a bubbly excitement, as if boiling over with excitement
· effervescent adj. lively; full of uplifted spirit; vivacious
· exuberant adj. overflowing with vitality and good spirits
· fanatical adj. full of great enthusiasm or devotion
· fervent adj. filled with passion or intensity
· impassioned adj. filled with passionate emotion
· vibrant adj. lively; full of vitality
· zealous adj. filled with enthusiasm; fervent
· adamant adj. unwilling to bend; unyielding
· dogged adj. stubborn; determined
· hidebound adj. strongly-opinionated; narrow-mindedly stubborn
· intractable adj. stubborn; hard to manage
· obdurate adj. resistant to persuasion or softening; stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
· obstinate adj. stubborn; inflexible
· recalcitrant adj. stubborn; disobedient; defiant
· resolve n. firmness, determination
· unwavering adj. firm and determined
· unyielding adj. stubborn; inflexible
· willful adj. stubborn
· acoustics n. the quality of sound, pertaining to how it is heard based on the quality and
structure of the room
· cacophony n. lack of harmony; loud and unpleasant noise; a racket
· clamor n. unpleasant sound; noise
· din n. ongoing loud sound; noise
· discordant adj. lacking harmony or agreement
· euphony n. pleasing sound
· mellifluous adj. sweet and smooth sounding
· raucous adj. coarse-sounding; loud and unruly
· strident adj. shrill; high-pitched
· vociferous adj. loud and noisy regarding one’s own voice, especially shouting;
demandingly clamorous
· acclaim v. to express strong approval or praise; hail
· adulate v. to praise or flatter too greatly; fawn over
· esteem v. to value highly; to have great regard for
· eulogize v. to praise, as in a eulogy; to say good things about
· exalt v. to praise or glorify; to lift up in status, dignity, power
· extol v. to praise highly; laud
· laud v. to praise; extol
· panegyrize v. to praise a person or event in a formal speech or in writing; to praise
highly
· revere v. to regard highly with love an respect
· venerate v. to feel of show deep respect for, especially due to age or tradition; to
honor
· ample adj. abundant; plentiful; enough or more than enough
· copious adj. abundant; much; plentiful
· lavish adj. abundant; in excess
· myriad adj. or n. countless; a very large number
· plethora n. excess; abundance
· profuse adj. abundant; more than enough
· superfluous adj. overabundant; more than is needed; unnecessary
· surfeit n. an oversupply
Lesson 21 Words
Relating to Food and Hunger
· abstemious adj. holding back from eating or drinking too much
· alimentary adj. relating to food and nourishment
· culinary adj. having to do with cooking, preparing meals
· delectable adj. delicious
· emaciated adj. very, very thin due to lack of adequate food
· epicurean adj. having to do with relishing the pleasure of eating and drinking (n. epicure)
· glutton n. one who overindulges in food and drink
· palatable adj. pleasing to the taste buds
· ravenous adj. very hungry
· savory adj. tasty or good smelling
· voracious adj. greedy; gluttonous; ravenous; insatiable
·
chary adj. cautious; wary
·
circumspect adj. careful and cautious before acting
·
conscientious adj. relating to doing what one knows is right; scrupulous
·
exacting adj. requiring a great deal of care or
effort; painstaking
·
gingerly adj. very carefully
·
heedful adj. paying careful attention to
·
meticulous adj. very careful; fussy; finicky
·
scrupulous adj. showing great care and honesty, based on personal belief of
what is
right
and proper
· vigilant adj. carefully alert and watchful
· wary adj. cautious, careful
Lesson 23 Words
Relating to Being Short-lived in Time or Place
· ephemeral adj. lasting a short time; fleeting
· evanescent adj. vanishing quickly; fleeting
· fleeting adj. short-lived
· itinerant adj. wandering about; tending to move around, travel
· nomadic adj. wandering
· peripatetic adj. moving or walking about; itinerant
· transient adj. lasting for only a short time; temporary
· transitory adj. fleeting
· volatile adj. explosive or changing very quickly
Lesson 24 Words
Relating to the Old or the New
The
Old . . .
· antediluvian adj. very, very old; antiquated
· antiquated adj. very old and no longer in use; obsolete
· antiquity n. ancient times
· archaic adj. old; from a much earlier time; antiquated
· obsolete adj. old; outdated, as in no longer in use
· relic n. a custom or object that has been around for a very, very long time
The New . . .
·
contemporary adj. modern,
new; relating to the same time period
·
inception n. the start, the beginning of something
·
innovation n. something new
·
novel adj. new
·
unprecedented adj. novel;
unparalleled
· clandestine adj. hidden, secret, concealed
· covert adj. secret, hidden
· furtive adj. sneaky
· inconspicuous adj. hardly noticeable
· sly adj. underhanded, furtive
· stealthy adj. secretive, sly
· surreptitious adj. done or made in a secret, stealthy way
· unobtrusive adj. inconspicuous; not easily noticed
· adversary n. an opponent
· artisan n. a person who is skillful with his or her hands
· ascetic n. a person who refrains from indulging in earthly pleasures
· charlatan n. a fraud; a quack or imposter
· diva n. a highly skilled singer, usually an opera singer
· hedonist n. a person who lives for pleasure
· pariah n. a social outcast
· raconteur n. a skillful storyteller
· skeptic n. a person who doubts
· virtuoso n. a highly skilled performer, usually a musical performer
· extraneous adj. not necessary; not an essential part; not relevant
· frivolous adj. not having substance or s sense of importance or seriousness; silly;
trivial; trifling
· incidental adj. less important; minor
· inconsequential adj. irrelevant; of no significance; unimportant
· irrelevant adj. not relating to the matter at hand
· negligible adj. able of likely to be neglected or bypassed due to smallness or lack of
importance
· peripheral adj. only marginally connected to what is truly important; minor or incidental;
relating to the field of vision
· petty adj. minor or trivial; small in quantity
· superficial adj. lacking in depth or importance; on the surface
· trifling adj. lacking significance; unimportant
· trivial adj. unimportant; trifling; ordinary
· acute adj. keen-minded; sharp
· astute adj. sharp-minded; very clear
· discerning adj. able to judge people and situations clearly
· erudite adj. wise due to much reading and studying; scholarly
· incisive adj. sharp; keen
· ingenious adj. very clever or inventive
· judicious adj. showing wisdom in judging people and situations
· perspicacious adj. using wise judgment; sharp-minded
· prudent adj. careful, cautious, and wise
· sagacious adj. wise
· savvy adj. smart; informed
· shrewd adj. insightful; clever
Lesson 29 Words
that Sound and/or Look Alike But Have Different
Meanings
· acrid adj. bitter, harsh
· arid adj. dry, lacking water
· aesthetic adj. having to do with artistic beauty
· ascetic n. a person who refrains from indulging in earthly pleasures
· atheistic adj. without a belief in any god
· ambiguous adj. hard to understand; unclear; open to more than one interpretation
· ambivalent adj. having conflicting feelings or opinions about something; unsure
· coalesce vb. to have different opinions join together; fuse; converge
· convalesce vb. to recover from an illness
· delusion n. a false opinion or belief
· allusion n. an indirect reference, often to literature
· illusion n. something unreal that gives the appearance of being real
· imprudent adj. careless; rash
· impudent adj. rude; disrespectful
· indigenous adj. native
· indigent adj. poor; impoverished
· indignant adj. angry
· intimate vb. to suggest; to hint at
· intimidate vb. to frighten; to hint at
· obscure adj. hard to understand; abstract
· obtuse adj. stupid; not clear or precise
· ponderable adj. important enough to require a lot of thought
· ponderous adj. very heavy or bulky; dull or lifeless
· abridge vb. shorten
· accessible adj. available; ready for use
· antidote n. something that relieves or prevents; a remedy that counteracts the effects
of poison
· aspire vb. to work toward or to have a goal
· autonomous adj. independent
· bolster vb. to support; to strengthen
· candor n. honesty, sincerity
· cynical adj. believing that all others are motivated by self-interest
· fastidious adj. very attentive to detail; fussy; meticulous
· gratify vb. to please or indulge
· hamper vb. to hinder; to prevent something from happening
· hardy adj. healthy and strong; robust
· homogeneous adj. of the same kind; alike; uniform
· integrity n. holding firmly to values, such as honesty; completeness
· intrepid adj. fearless
· linger vb. to hang around; to stay
· lofty adj. very high; towering; grand or noble
· mock vb. to make fun of; to imitate
· nurture vb. to care for, to nourish
· ominous adj. related to feeling that something bad or evil is bound to happen;
foreboding
· opportunist n. a person who seeks self-gain, even at the expense of others, without
regard to values or moral principles
· proximity n. nearness
· querulous adj. whining; complaining
· recount vb. to tell a story
· rigor n. harshness, severity
· saturate vb. to wet or soak completely; to totally fill up
· scrutinize vb. to read or look at very closely and carefully
· surpass vb. to be better than; to excel
· tentative adj. hesitant; not definite
· thrive vb. to grow strong; to flourish
· tranquility n. peacefulness; calmness
· uniformity n. sameness
· vilify vb. to slander or defame someone’s name
· whimsical adj. fanciful
· aggregate n. a sum total or mixture
· audacious adj. very bold
· aviary n. an enclosed space for birds
· coalesce vb. to come together
· complementary adj. serving to complete another
· debunk vb. to prove wrong or false
· discrepancy n. a difference
· eclectic adj. taken from many different sources
· excerpt n. a portion of a text or musical piece that is taken, or extracted, from the
whole
· glacial adj. very, very cold or very, very slow moving ( in both cases, like a glacier)
· inception n. the beginning; the earliest stage
· insuperable adj. unable to be overcome
· lithe adj. nimble and flexible
· misanthrope n. someone who dislikes all people
· pitfall n. an unseen danger, risk, or drawback
· raze vb. to tear down; to destroy
· replete adj. filled-up; overflowing
· respite n. period of inactivity; a lull
· spurious adj. false; counterfeit; lacking logic
· vaporize vb. to turn to vapor, foam, or mist