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SAT Vocab Words > 250 Most Common > Flashcards

250 Most Common Flashcards

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1
Q

abdicate

A

to give up, to yield, to relinquish

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2
Q

aberration

A

an abnormality or deviation

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3
Q

abstruse (ab stroos)

A

hard to understand

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4
Q

adage

A

a familiar saying

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5
Q

adamant

A

stubborn, unyielding, obstinate

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6
Q

aesthetic

A

pertaining to beauty

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7
Q

affable

A

friendly, agreeable

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8
Q

alleviate

A

to lessen or relieve

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9
Q

ambiguous

A

unclear, having one or more interpretations

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10
Q

ambivalent (am bih vuh lent)

A

having conflicting or mixed feelings

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11
Q

amenable

A

agreeable

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12
Q

amiable

A

friendly, pleasant, kind

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13
Q

ample

A

roomy, abundant, more than enough

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14
Q

annihilate

A

totally destroy

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15
Q

apt

A

inclined, able

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16
Q

arbiter

A

judge, decision maker

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17
Q

archaic

A

outdated, old-fashioned, ancient

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18
Q

arduous

A

difficult, strenuous, straining, challenging

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19
Q

arid

A

dry

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20
Q

assiduous

A

dilligent, careful, meticulous, thorough

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21
Q

asylum

A

a safe place or refuge

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22
Q

auspicious

A

favorable

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23
Q

austere

A

severe, stern, self-disciplined

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24
Q

benevolent

A

generous, kind

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25
Q

benign

A

harmless, gentle

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26
Q

biased

A

partial, preferential

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27
Q

brittle

A

fragile, likely to crack or break

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28
Q

brusque

A

abrupt in manner, blunt, rough

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29
Q

burgeoning

A

growing rapidly, flourishing

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30
Q

camaraderie

A

loyalty, friendliness, teamwork, mutual trust

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31
Q

candor

A

honesty, openness, frankness

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32
Q

cantankerous

A

ill-tempered, quarrelsome, grouchy

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33
Q

capacious

A

having a large capacity, spacious, roomy

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34
Q

capricious

A

erratic, impulsive, sudden changes in behavior/mood

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35
Q

catalog

A

a list or inventory

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36
Q

caustic

A

corrosive, acidic

sarcastic, bitter

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37
Q

charlatan (shar lih ten)

A

a person falsely claiming to have a talent, a fraud

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38
Q

clandestine

A

secretive, private, covert

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39
Q

clarity

A

clearness, coherence

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40
Q

cogent

A

convincing, persuasive in a logical way

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41
Q

cohesive

A

sticking together

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42
Q

compelling

A

forceful, evoking attention and understanding

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43
Q

conflagration

A

a large and destructive fire, inferno, blaze

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44
Q

conscientious

A

attentive, dedicated, concerned, doing what is right

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45
Q

contemptuous

A

scornful, bitter, insulting

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46
Q

convoluted

A

twisted, complex, confusing

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47
Q

copious

A

plentiful, abundant

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48
Q

cordial

A

courteous, respectful, friendly

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49
Q

coup (koo)

A

a sudden and swift attack, a sudden transfer of power

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50
Q

curtailed

A

cut short

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51
Q

debunk

A

disprove, quash

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52
Q

decorous

A

tasteful, respectful, proper, refined

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53
Q

deleterious

A

harmful, malignant, damaging

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54
Q

despotic

A

tyrannical, totalitarian

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55
Q

dictatorial

A

despotic, undemocratic, autocratic

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56
Q

didactic

A

instructive, educational, inclined to teach

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57
Q

dilatory (dil uh toor ee)

A

sluggish, slow, late in doing things

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58
Q

dilettante (dih lih tahnt)

A

a dabbler in the arts, one with an amateur interest and superficial knowledge

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59
Q

diligent

A

hard working, industrious, assiduous

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60
Q

disdain

A

to scorn, insult

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61
Q

disingenuous

A

untruthful, ingenuous, dishonest

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62
Q

disparage

A

to belittle, put down, deface

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63
Q

dogged

A

persistent, tenacious

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64
Q

dogmatic

A

inclined to lay down opinions as undoubtedly true, opinionated, assertive

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65
Q

dubious

A

doubtful, questionable, uncertain

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66
Q

ebullience (ih bool yens)

A

enthusiasm, energy

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67
Q

eclectic

A

choosing from various sources, wide-ranging, comprehensive

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68
Q

effusive

A

unrestrained, enthusiastic, gushing

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69
Q

egregious

A

remarkably bad, outrageous

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70
Q

embellish

A

decorate, exaggerate (embellish the truth)

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71
Q

emollient (ih mul yent)

A

soothing, softening

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72
Q

emphatic

A

forceful, firm, vehement, giving something emphasis

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73
Q

emulate

A

to model after, imitate

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74
Q

enervate

A

to weaken, exhaust, tire out

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75
Q

enmity

A

hostility, hatred, bitterness

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76
Q

ephemeral (eh fem ur al)

A

temporary, short-lived, transient, fleeting

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77
Q

epiphany

A

a revelation, an appearance of a deity or god

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78
Q

equanimity (eh kwun im uh tee)

A

calmness, tranquility

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79
Q

exculpate

A

to free from blame, declare innocent, vindicate

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80
Q

exemplary

A

worthy of imitation, worthy of being modeled after

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81
Q

fabricated

A

made up, false

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82
Q

facetious

A

joking, sarcastic, frivolous

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83
Q

facile

A

easy, effortless, simple, shallow

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84
Q

farce

A

a mockery or joke, a ridiculous show or comedy

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85
Q

fastidious

A

hard to please, attentive to detail, perfectionist

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86
Q

feasible

A

capable of being accomplished, doable

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87
Q

feral

A

untamed, wild, animalistic, savage

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88
Q

florid

A

having a red or ruddy face

flowery, ornate, lavish, flamboyant

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89
Q

fractious

A

irritable, quarrelsome, stubborn

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90
Q

frank

A

forthright, open, honest

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91
Q

frenetic

A

frantic, wild, hectic

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92
Q

furtive

A

stealthy, secretive, clandestine

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93
Q

futile

A

useless, hopeless, vain

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94
Q

garrulous

A

excessively talkative (usually on trivial matters), babbling

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95
Q

genre

A

a class or category of media (music, books, movies, etc.)

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96
Q

glower

A

to frown, stare angrily at, glare

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97
Q

gratuitous

A

given or done free of charge

unnecessary, uncalled for

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98
Q

gregarious

A

sociable, friendly, outgoing, talkative

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99
Q

hackneyed

A

overused, unoriginal, cheesy

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100
Q

harbinger (har bin jur)

A

an omen or sign

101
Q

haughty

A

arrogant, snobbish, aloof

102
Q

heinous (hay nus)

A

wicked, evil, hateful, abominable (esp. an act or crime)

103
Q

heresy

A

dissent from accepted orthodoxy (usually Christian)

104
Q

idyllic

A

charmingly simple, poetic, peaceful

105
Q

immutable

A

unchangeable, permanent

106
Q

impede

A

to hinder, obstruct, prevent progress

107
Q

impenetrable

A

incapable of being passed through or into, unyielding

108
Q

imperious

A

domineering, haughty

assuming power or authority without justification

109
Q

impetuous

A

acting without thought, impulsive

110
Q

impinge (im pinj)

A

to encroach
to strike (esp. in Physics)
to have an effect upon

111
Q

implacable

A

unbending, inflexible

merciless, relentless

112
Q

impromptu

A

without preparation, offhand

113
Q

inconsequential

A

unimportant

114
Q

incontrovertible

A

certain, undeniable, indisputable

115
Q

incorrigible (in cuh rih juh bul)

A

unable to be corrected or fixed, permanent

116
Q

incumbent

A

resting or lying down
necessary for a duty
currently holding office

117
Q

indigenous

A

native to a particular area

118
Q

indolent

A

lazy, idle

119
Q

ingrate

A

an ungrateful person

120
Q

innate

A

existing from birth, natural, inherent

121
Q

innocuous (in na kyoo us)

A

harmless, innocent

122
Q

insightful

A

having a deep understanding

mentally alert and sharp

123
Q

insolvent

A

bankrupt, unable to pay creditors

124
Q

insipid

A

tasteless, dull

125
Q

intrepid

A

fearless, brave, courageous

126
Q

intuitive

A

instinctive, knowing by a hidden sense

127
Q

inveterate (in vee tur et)

A

firmly established, deep-rooted

128
Q

itinerant

A

traveling from place to place

129
Q

jurisprudence

A

the theory, philosophy, and science of law

130
Q

laconic (luh conic)

A

using few words, concise, brief

131
Q

lament (luh ment)

A

to mourn, express grief or sorrow

132
Q

lampoon

A

a sharp, sometimes harmful satire

133
Q

laudatory

A

complementary, flattering, praising

134
Q

liquid

A

fluid, free-runnning, pure, clean

135
Q

listless

A

feeling no interest in anything, indifferent

136
Q

lucid

A

expressed clearly, easy to understand

137
Q

malevolent

A

showing ill will or hatred, dangerous, harmful

138
Q

malfeasance (mal fee zinse)

A

a wrongdoing, esp. by a public official

139
Q

malice

A

spite, malevolence, ill will

140
Q

maverick

A

a rebel, nonconformist, individualist

141
Q

medley

A

a mixture

142
Q

mercurial

A

volatile, erratic, unpredictable

143
Q

meticulous

A

excessively careful, finicky

144
Q

milk (verb)

A

to draw something from, to take advantage of

145
Q

mitigate

A

to make less severe, alleviate, lessen

146
Q

mollify

A

to calm, pacify, appease

147
Q

morose

A

gloomy, ill-humored, sullen, surly

148
Q

mundane

A

ordinary, dull, humdrum, tedious

149
Q

mural

A

a painting depicted directly on a wall

150
Q

naïve

A

simple, unsophisticated, gullible

151
Q

nascent (nah sint)

A

budding, developing, growing, coming into being

152
Q

nocturnal

A

pertaining to the night

153
Q

notorious

A

having a bad reputation, infamous

154
Q

novel

A

new, original

155
Q

novice

A

a beginner, rookie

156
Q

obdurate (ahb dyur et)

A

stubborn, hard-headed, obstinate

157
Q

obscure

A

dim, not clear, not easily understood

158
Q

obsolete

A

outdated, ancient

159
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn

160
Q

ominous

A

threatening, intimidating, indicating evil or harm

161
Q

omnipotent

A

having unlimited power, supreme

162
Q

opulent

A

rich, lavish, luxurious

163
Q

ornate

A

showy, highly decorative, elaborate, flamboyant

164
Q

ostentatious

A

showing off, boastful, gaudy, pretentious

165
Q

pander

A

to indulge the wants and weaknesses of others

166
Q

paramount

A

of greatest importance, chief, supreme

167
Q

parochial (puh roa ki uhl)

A

local, narrow, limited, provincial

of or relating to a parish

168
Q

parody

A

a work that imitates others in a ridiculous manner

169
Q

parsimonious

A

stingy, cheap, niggardly

170
Q

patronizing

A

talking down to someone

171
Q

paucity

A

a scarcity or shortage, a lack

172
Q

penitent

A

expressing sorrow for a sin or wrongdoing

173
Q

pejorative (pih jar uh tiv)

A

expressing contempt or disapproval, insulting

174
Q

permeate

A

to spread throughout

175
Q

pervasive

A

widespread, extensive, ubiquitous

176
Q

plagiarism

A

the claiming of another’s work as one’s own, copying

177
Q

plausible

A

seeming reasonable or probable, feasible, credible

178
Q

poignant

A

emotional, touching, moving

179
Q

ponderous

A

heavy, clumsy, awkward

180
Q

portend

A

be a sign that something will happen, foreshadow

181
Q

pragmatic

A

practical, sensible, logical

182
Q

pristine

A

uncorrupted, pure, in its original state

183
Q

prodigious

A

enormous, vast

184
Q

prophetic

A

predicting

185
Q

propriety

A

the state of conforming to accepted standards of behavior, decency, appropriateness

186
Q

prosaic (pro zay ik)

A

dull, commonplace, unimaginative

187
Q

prudent

A

cautious, careful, wise

188
Q

pugnacious

A

eager to fight, quarrelsome, belligerent

189
Q

punctilious

A

very exact, precise, meticulous, diligent

190
Q

purist

A

one who can only deal with traditional standards, perfectionist

191
Q

quandary

A

a puzzling situation, dilemma, predicament

192
Q

rancorous

A

bitter, resentful, spiteful

193
Q

rapport (ra poor)

A

a close friendship or harmony

194
Q

recalcitrant

A

disobedient, hard to manage

195
Q

reclamation

A

the act of restoring or recovering

196
Q

remote

A

far-off, distant

197
Q

replete

A

filled, satiated

198
Q

repugnant

A

distasteful, disgusting, abhorrent, unacceptable

199
Q

reticent (ret uh sent)

A

silent or reserved in manner

200
Q

ruse (roos)

A

a skillful trick or deception

201
Q

salutary

A

healthful, wholesome, beneficial, advantageous

202
Q

sanction

A

a penalty or punishment for breaking a law

to authorize, give permission

203
Q

sanguine (sang win)

A

cheerful, optimistic

204
Q

sedentary

A

sitting most of the time

205
Q

serene

A

calm, peaceful, tranquil

206
Q

slander

A

the act of making a false statement against someone

to make a false statement against someone

207
Q

solvent

A

a substance that dissolves another

having the ability to pay a debt

208
Q

sonorous

A

producing a deep, rich sound

209
Q

soporific

A

causing sleep

210
Q

specious (sped shus)

A

not genuine, pleasing to the eye but deceptive, misleading

211
Q

spurious

A

deceitful, counterfeit, fake

212
Q

squalor

A

filth, dirt, grime

213
Q

staid

A

sedate, unadventurous

214
Q

stoic

A

showing no emotion, indifferent to pain or pleasure

215
Q

stratagem

A

a plan, scheme, trick

216
Q

stupor

A

daze, state of unconsciousness

217
Q

stymied

A

to prevent or hinder the progress of, block, impede

218
Q

substantiate

A

to prove, confirm, support

219
Q

superfluous

A

unnecessary, redundant, excessive

220
Q

suppressed

A

to keep from public knowledge

to put down by authority

221
Q

surreptitious

A

acting in a sneaky way, stealthy, clandestine

222
Q

tacit

A

implicit, understood, conveyed or indicated without words

223
Q

temperate

A

moderate, not extreme, mild

224
Q

tenacity

A

persistence, holding on, perseverance

225
Q

tenet

A

a doctrine, belief, principle

226
Q

tenuous

A

slender, flimsy, without substance

227
Q

terse

A

brieft, curt, to the point

228
Q

thwart

A

to prevent or hinder

229
Q

timorous

A

fearful, cowardly, intimidated

230
Q

torpor (tor pur)

A

laziness, lethargy

231
Q

toxic

A

poisonous, harmful

232
Q

transitory

A

not permanent, brief, transient

233
Q

trenchant

A

keen, incisive, sharp, penetrating

234
Q

trepidation

A

fear, alarm, wariness

235
Q

trite

A

commonplace, worn out, overused

236
Q

truncate

A

to shorten or cut off

237
Q

unfettered

A

unconstrained, unrestricted, free

238
Q

unpalatable

A

not desirable, unappetizing

239
Q

urbane

A

refined, suave

240
Q

usurp

A

to seize illegally, to take over

241
Q

vacuous

A

mindless, empty-headed, unintelligent

242
Q

vilify

A

to defame, disparage

243
Q

vindicated

A

acquitted, cleared of blame

244
Q

wane

A

to gradually decrease in size or intensity

245
Q

wary

A

cautious, watchful

246
Q

whimsical

A

fanciful, quaint in an appealing way

247
Q

wily

A

tricky or sly

248
Q

wry

A

mocking, satirical (a wry grin)

249
Q

zealous

A

devoted, diligent, passionate, fervent

SAT Vocab Words (3 decks)

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