VOCABULARY FOR THE SAT (CONTINUED FROM WORD SMART) - How to Build an Impressive Vocabulary - More Word Smart

More Word Smart: How to Build an Impressive Vocabulary (2012)

Chapter 4. VOCABULARY FOR THE SAT (CONTINUED FROM WORD SMART)

Here’s what we said in Word Smart about vocabulary for the SAT:

Despite all the talk about “scholastic aptitude” and “reasoning ability,” much of the Critical Reading and Writing sections of the SAT is essentially a vocabulary test. If you don’t know the words on the test, you won’t earn a good score. It’s as simple as that.

If you learn every word on the main word list in this book, you’ll have a big advantage on the SAT. The bigger your vocabulary, the better you’ll do. But not every word on the main list is the sort of word that is tested on the SAT. If you’re getting ready to take the SAT or a similar standardized test, you should focus your attention on the words in the following list, which we call the Hit Parade.

The Hit Parade is a list of the words tested most frequently on the SAT. We created the Hit Parade by using a computer to analyze released SATs. Princeton Review students use the Hit Parade to get the maximum possible mileage out of their vocabularies and improve their verbal SAT scores. Not all Hit Parade words appear on our main word list, but all of them have appeared on SATs.

We’ve included short definitions to make it easier for you to learn the words. These definitions aren’t always exactly like the ones you’ll find in the dictionary or the main word list of this book; they’re the definitions of the words as they are tested on the SAT.

Keep in mind that these are not the only words you need to know for the SAT. They’re just the words that have been tested most frequently in the past—the words that the Educational Testing Service’s question writers tend to come back to over and over again. Also keep in mind that the words near the top of the list are more likely to turn up than the words near the bottom.

Some SATs are absolutely loaded with Hit Parade words; others don’t contain as many. One of the most important things the Hit Parade will teach you is the level of the vocabulary on the test. Once you get a feel for this level, you’ll be able to spot other possible SAT words in your reading.

After you finish the Hit Parade, you might want to memorize the GRE Hit Parade that follows. All the words in Word Smart, by the way, are SAT-type words.

The Hit Parade in this book is a continuation of the Hit Parade in Word Smart (make sure you’ve learned the Hit Parade words from that book, too). When different parts of speech are spelled in markedly different ways, we have included them in parentheses.

Like our previous Hit Parade, these words are listed in order of their importance. Start at the beginning and work your way through the list. Steady, consistent practice is better than trying to memorize several hundred words the week before the big day. If the SAT is coming up in the next few months, make sure you learn at least five to ten words per day.

Get to work!

soothe to calm; to ease pain; to relieve

vigor strength; liveliness

trivial unimportant; insignificant

vulnerable in danger; unprotected

qualify to state exceptions to a general statement

essential important; vital; absolutely necessary

detrimental harmful; working against

prosperous wealthy; well-off

somber gloomy; serious

terse brief; concise; to the point

opaque (opacity) dark; unclear; impossible to see through or understand

opposition disagreement; opinions against; people against; the other side

reprove to criticize mildly

uniform unchanging; the same everywhere

prolong to lengthen in extent or duration

viable workable; capable of living

enlighten to inform; to explain

inquisitive curious

solitary alone; isolated

modest shy; reserved; not extreme

progressive moving forward

plausible believable

spontaneous (spontaneity) happening without apparent cause; happening freely; free

distinguish to recognize something separately

serene (serenity) quiet; calm; peaceful

exotic foreign; uncommon; from a distant place; unusual

ruffle to disturb the smoothness of; to upset mildly

capricious (caprice) unpredictable; likely to change

transparent clear; easily seen; easily understood

theoretical not based on experience; in theory only; unproven

sympathy shared understanding or feeling

verify to prove or test the truth of

flourish to grow well; to grow strong; to grow abundantly

incidental occurring accidentally; by the side; of less importance

morose gloom; sullen; sad

rotund round

vital alive; of great importance; crucial

widespread occurring widely

expunge to erase; to strike out

repulse to send back; to reject

color to affect, especially to influence another’s opinions or beliefs

prevaricate to lie

meticulous especially careful; paying close attention to detail

effectual effective

reserved self-restrained; modest; retiring; not showy

swindler a cheat; a con man

volunteer to offer freely; to join a cause

harmony pleasant agreement; friendship

inspire to encourage; to give hope to

glutton one who eats or consumes excessively

isolated alone; single; unconnected

integrity honesty; trustworthiness

responsive readily able to respond; friendly

wary cautious; unsure

deliberate to think over

barren unproductive; lacking; desolate

corrupt to make impure

rigidity stiffness; unwillingness to change or bend

tonic something that refreshes; a refreshing or invigorating drink

devotion loyalty

explicit to make clear and specific; stated

tragic disastrous

elegance refinement; grace

vivid clear and bright

weight importance

surfeit excess; excessive amount; overeating or overdrinking

void emptiness

revelation something revealed; insight; an understanding given by someone else

novice beginner

retaliation revenge

intensify to increase the strength, size, or force of; to make more severe

soporific sleep inducing; extremely boring

subjugate to subdue and dominate; to enslave

superfluous (superfluity) extra; unnecessary

remote far away; unfriendly

resourceful able to deal effectively with different situations

innate existing since birth; inborn

ratify to approve formally or officially

stalemate a stand-off; a situation where nobody wins

sporadic stopping and starting; scattered; occurring at irregular intervals

ominous threatening

vociferous loud; outspoken

monarch a single ruler; a king or queen

kindle to begin to burn

variable changing

trunk the main body of something

harsh severe; demanding; unfriendly

sanction formal or official approval; a legal penalty

tranquil quiet; calm; serene

synchronize to cause to act on the same schedule

swagger to strut

uproar noisy excitement or confusion

strut to walk with overconfidence

spurious false; fake

wayward going one’s own way; erratic; unpredictable

optimism hope; a positive outlook

slight an insult

affectation (affected) artificial behavior, usually intended to impress

enhance to improve; to make better

extreme intense; remote; drastic; severe

malice ill will; a desire to harm

inhibit to hold back; to restrain

relieve to ease; to free from an unpleasant situation

stolid emotionless

severe harsh; demanding; painful; serious; without frills

weary tired; exhausted

endurance ability to last

vertical upright; standing up; perpendicular to the ground

table to remove from consideration

zany light-hearted; crazy

durable lasting

arrogant cocky; overconfident

tailor to shape or alter for a particular purpose

submissive giving in easily

mosaic a detailed pattern made from many different tiles or pieces

trite unoriginal; overused

vague unclear; lacking definite shape or substance

ethical moral; correct; honest

raucous harsh or rough-sounding

predicament a difficult situation, especially when a tough choice must be made

stupor mental confusion

reform to improve; to change for the better

scale to climb up

prose ordinary speech or writing (as opposed to poetry)

valid having legal force; sound

traditional as was done in the past; customary

tardy late

diminish to reduce; to make less

sullen sulky; in a bad mood

tirade a long, angry speech

wooden stiff; inflexible

rebuff to reject; to snub; to refuse abruptly

anonymous (anonymity) of unknown identity

sluggard a lazy person

theology the study of religion

surmise to guess

pompous (pomposity) arrogant; cocky; showy

profane (profanity) not having to do with religion; irreligious; unholy; disrespectful

newfangled new; untested

intricate detailed; complex

well-founded based on solid evidence or good reasons

fertile productive; supporting plants

gill the breathing organ of a fish

unruly difficult to control; disobedient

stratagem a trick or deception

splinter a sharp, slender piece broken or split off from something; to split

thimble small protective cap that protects a fingertip

treachery betrayal of trust

troupe a company of actors, singers, or dancers

virtuous honest; moral; ethical

blueprint the plan of a building; a detailed plan

indifferent having no feeling about a matter; not really caring; unbiased

jovial happy; in good spirits; jolly

vestige (vestigial) the remains of something that no longer exists

soloist an individual performer

vent to give expression to; to release one’s feelings

undermine to weaken the support of

replete (repletion) completely filled; stuffed; abounding

prudish (prude) overly concerned with being modest or proper

vindictive revengeful

trespass to invade another’s property; to overstep; to commit an offense

bear to endure; to put up with

salutary beneficial; wholesome

renounce to resign; to disown; to give up formally; to reject

thrive to grow strong; to flourish

wince to shrink in pain

meager thin; of small quantity

flower to flourish; to mature well

turbulent stormy

erratic inconsistent; unpredictable; constantly changing; all over the place

spacious roomy; having a lot of space

determined firm of purpose; unwavering

hyperbole an exaggeration

hypocrisy (hypocrite) pretending to feelings or beliefs one does not have; insincere

uphold to maintain or fight for

swell to grow large

protrude to push outward

uncouth ill-mannered

warm friendly; kind

repress to hold back; to hold down; to restrain

irrational incoherent; illogical; without apparent reason

paradigm a good model or example

ponder to think over deeply

clarify to make clear

sinister evil; threatening

preposterous unbelievable; implausible

residual left over when something is gone

revive to bring back to life

oasis a fertile spot in a desert or barren place; an enjoyable place

motive a reason or justification to do something

vitality liveliness; energy

hindrance an obstruction; something that gets in the way

symbolism representation by signs or symbols

formal strictly following traditions or conventions; stiff; rigid

proliferate to spread rapidly

hasten to quicken; to speed up

summons an order to appear in court

heart courage; spirit

stymie to get in the way of; to hinder

stilts tall, slender supporting posts

effervescent bubbly

stratify (stratum) to make into layers

suppress to hold down; to hold back

tumor a local growth of abnormal tissue in the body

hangar storage facility for planes

subside to sink; to become less active

pushover a person easily influenced or exploited

condense to compress; to shorten

compromise to settle differences; to agree (rarely: to expose to suspicion or ridicule)

extensive widespread

paltry of a tiny or insignificant amount; meager; scant

ponderous heavy; difficult

turpitude shameful wickedness; evil

utter to say

shrine a holy site

surreptitious secret; sneaky

impose to establish on others by force or authority

accolade an award; an honor

impulsive tending to act thoughtlessly

material substantial; important

synopsis a brief statement or outline

seminary a school for religious training

placate to please; to soothe

proclaim to state publicly

savor to taste something delicious

distant unfriendly; uncommunicative

quandary a state of uncertainty

miser a greedy person

resplendent brilliant

lure an attraction

obstinate stubborn; unyielding

ascendancy dominance; being on top

sobriety (sober) seriousness

erroneous incorrect; false; mistaken

threadbare tattered

unsung unrecognized; uncelebrated

rectify to correct; to straighten; to make amends for

vulgarian a vulgar person

wake the track left when something leaves, especially a boat

anxiety (anxious) deep nervousness

gaunt thin and bony, especially from illness or lack of food

unilateral on one side only

embrace to hug; to accept; to adopt a cause; to include

check to stop; to hold back; to block

tangential (tangent) off to the side; secondary

trait a feature that characterizes someone

obliterate to wipe out; to destroy completely

extricate to free from difficulty; to remove something entangled; to untangle

tightfisted greedy

monotonous dull; boring; unchanging

superlative of the highest quality; superb; praiseworthy

utilize to use

fitful irregular; subject to sudden, violent outbursts

transcribe to write down

foolhardy overly brave; foolishly unaware of dangers

torso the body

variegated diversified; having great variety

humility being humble

whim a sudden idea; an impulse; a caprice