Core Vocabulary I Flashcards
From Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT
Sarcastic
(adj.) marked by using irony in order to mock
Dearth
(n.) a scarcity or shortage of something
– picture a dead earth
Prattle
(v.) to talk in a foolish manner
– babies play with rattles, they also talk in a foolish manner
Anomaly
(n.) something that is abnormal or strange
Wry
(adj.) bitterly ironic or amusing
Outlandish
(adj.) outrageous, bizarre, unfamiliar
– out of the land
Painstaking
(adj.) done with extreme care and thoroughness
Meticulous
(adj.) showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
Unorthodox
(adj.) contrary to what is usual or accepted
Paucity
(n.) a scarcity or shortage of something
Ambivalent
(adj.) having mixed feelings; unable to decide
– ‘ambi’ means both
Sardonic
(adj.) mocking; cynical
– sardines?
Enthrall
(v.) to fascinate
– en thrill
Genial
(adj.) friendly and cheerful
Hobble
(v.) to walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury
– hobble wobble
Audacious
(adj.) extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave
– audax, audacis, bold
Apathetic
(adj.) showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern
– pathetic
Recalcitrant
(adj.) resisting authority or control; hard to deal with
Soporific
(adj.) sleep-inducing
– cotton spore in Pokemon
Indifferent
(adj.) marked by the lack of interest or concern
Succumb
(v.) fail to resist; give in
– I gave up… sucking on this cucumber
Diffident
(adj.) modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
– not confident
Unconventional
(adj.) not conforming to what is generally done or believed
Presumptuous
(adj.) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate
– ‘pre’ means before,
so I ‘pre-assumed’ that everyone would agree with me
Evoke
(v.) to bring or recall to the conscious mind
Pragmatic
(adj.) dealing with things realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
– people from Prague are super smart
Snide
(adj.) mocking in an indirect way
Boon
(n.) a timely benefit; a blessing
– Boon from Lost was sort of a good thing? Because it told the people that there were others on the island
Obstinate
(adj.) stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinions or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so
Bolster
(v.) to support or strengthen
Obdurate
(adj.) stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
– ‘ob’ because of, durable, hardness
Clandestine
(adj.) kept secret or done secretly, esp. because forbidden by law, rules, or custom
Surreptitious
(adj.) kept secret, esp. because it would not be approved of
– a serpent, or snake, is sneaky as it slithers through the tall grass to catch its prey
Affable
(adj.) friendly; pleasantly easy to approach or to talk to
– England talks to his friends from fables, (fairytales) because everyone is annoying to him
Bane
(n.) a cause of great distress or annoyance
– bane, insanely annoying
Mollify
(v.) to pacify or soothe
– Molly would be a good mother since she is so nice and calm
Austere
(adj. ) severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance; having an extremely plain or simple style or appearance
(adj. ) (of living conditions or a way of life) having no comforts or luxuries
– Austria is super strict
Gregarious
(adj.) fond of company; sociable
Elate
(v.) to make very happy
Ambiguous
(adj.) unclear; uncertain; open to more than one interpretation
Altruistic
(adj.) unselfish concern for the well-being of others
Amiable
(adj.) friendly
Reproach
(v.) to address (someone) with disapproval or disappointment
– re-approach someone to tell them how much they suck
Upbraid
(v.) to find fault with (someone); scold
– look up the braid to find a bunch of knots in this girl’s hair!
Castigate
(v.) to criticize or punish severely
– He ended up in a cast after his castigation from his father
Austerity
(n. ) strictness or severity of manner or attitude
(n. ) extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance
– Austria
Conjecture
(n.) an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information
Nostalgia
(n.) a sentimental longing for the past
Archaic
(adj.) very old or old-fashioned
Obsolete
(adj.) no longer produced or used; out of date
Auspicious
(adj.) favorable; giving or indicating a good chance of success
– Au (our) spices are so favorable! Our restaurant foods will be a success!!
Antiquated
(adj.) old-fashioned or outdated
– antique
Propitious
(adj.) favorable; giving or indicating a good chance of success
– ‘pro’, for. I’m totally for this
Hackneyed
(adj.) lacking significance due to overuse; unoriginal
Belie
(v.) to give a false impression; to contradict
– to be a lie, a fake
Platitudinous
(adj.) used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
Impasse
(n.) a situation in which no progress is possible, esp. because of disagreement
– im-passible
Unscrupulous
(adj.) dishonest; unfair; having or showing no moral principles
Morose
(adj.) very depressed; mournful; gloomy
– mourning rose, a dying rose
Mitigate
(v.) to make less severe, serious, or painful
Anachronism
(n.) something that is not in the proper time period
Verdant
(adj.) green with grass or other rich vegetation; lush green
– verde, green
Assuage
(v.) to make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
– assuage massage
Antithetical
(adj.) directly opposed or contrasted; opposite
– ‘anti’ against, the typical
Covet
(v.) to strongly desire; to crave
– Everyone loved Cozet from Le Mis, especially Nick Jonas
Alleviate
(v.) to relieve
Trite
(adj.) overused; lacking originality
– the Luke Triton from the future just make kid Luke more overused since there were two of them!
Prototype
(n.) an original model
Antithesis
(n.) direct opposite; contrast
Endemic
(adj.) native to an area
Banal
(adj.) so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
Aloof
(adj.) cool and distant; conspicuously uninvolved and uninterested
Fathom
(v.) to understand
Antecedent
(n.) a preceding event
Plausible
(adj.) seeming reasonable or probable; believable
Implausible
(adj.) not likely
Insipid
(adj.) lacking flavor
– ‘in’ not, sip-able (drinkable)
Paradox
(n.) a seemingly contradicting statement that nonetheless expresses the truth
Prudent
(adj.) careful; cautious
Inscrutable
(adj.) impossible to understand or interpret
Aesthetic
(adj.) concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
Enigmatic
(adj.) mysterious; difficult to interpret or understand
Jaded
(adj.) dull due to over-indulgence; worn out
Prevalent
(adj.) widespread; in general use or acceptance
Autonomous
(adj.) independent; not controlled by others
Acquiesce
(v.) to accept something with unwillingness or hesitance but without protest
Naïve
(adj. ) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment
(adj. ) natural and unaffected; innocent
Indigenous
(adj.) native to an area
Futile
(adj.) useless; incapable of producing any useful result
– a foot tile is useless (wth is a foot tile?)
Prodigious
(adj.) remarkably great in extent, size, or degree
Ubiquitous
(adj.) existing or being everywhere
Pandemic
(adj.) (of a disease) prevalent throughout a whole area
Fortitude
(n.) mental or emotional strength in facing difficulty
