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