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SAT Vocab > Elite Vocab 1 > Flashcards

Elite Vocab 1 Flashcards

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0
Q

cataclysm

A

n. a disastrous event, usually one that brings about great change
adj. cataclysmic

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1
Q

acrimony

A

n. bitter, sharp hostility in speech or behavior

adj. acrimonious

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2
Q

catastrophe

A

n. disaster; sudden misfortune

adj. catastrophic

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3
Q

debacle

A

n. an overwhelming defeat or failure

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4
Q

fiasco

A

n. a major disaster

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5
Q

fray

A

n. a fight or brawl

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6
Q

melee

A

n. a noisy, confused fight

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7
Q

querulous

A

adj. inclined to find fault; complaining; full of complaint

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8
Q

squabble

A

n. a noisy argument, esp. over an unimportant matter

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9
Q

tribulation

A

n. a great misery or distress

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10
Q

circumlocution

A

n. an indirect or wordy way of expressing an idea

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11
Q

colloquial

A

adj. appropriate to spoken, as opposed to written, language; informal

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12
Q

colloquy

A

n. conversation, esp. a formal one

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13
Q

elocution

A

n. the art of public speaking, with attention to delivery

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14
Q

eloquent

A

adj. articulte; convincing and effective in speech

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15
Q

grandiloquent

A

adj. using excessively fancy or pompous words

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16
Q

interlocutor

A

n. someone who takes part in a conversation, esp. formally

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17
Q

loquacious

A

adj. very talkative

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18
Q

soliloquy

A

n. a dramatic speech delivered by a character to himself

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19
Q

tautology

A

n. needless repetition of an idea in different words (e.g., “widow woman”); a statement that is logically true no matter what (e.g., “the committee’s term shall last one year or until it ends)

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20
Q

crop

A

v. to cut or bite the ends off; to trim

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21
Q

exact

A

v. to demand and obtain by force or authority

n. exaction

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22
Q

graphic

A

adj. described in vivid and explicit detail

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23
Q

hedge

A

v. to protect against possible loss by taking compensatory measures; to avoid making a direct statement

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24
Q

novel

A

adj. strikingly new

n. novelty

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25
Q

occasion

A

v. to cause; to provide appropriate opportunity for

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26
Q

own

A

v. to admit, esp. taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions or thoughts

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27
Q

plastic

A

adj. capable pf being shaped or molded; easily influenced

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28
Q

qualify

A

v. to modify, limit, or restrict, as by giving expectations

n. qualification

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29
Q

start

A

v. to move suddenly or involuntarily

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30
Q

abate

A

v. to lessen in amount, intensity or strength

n. abatement

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31
Q

abstruse

A

adj. difficult to understand

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32
Q

ado

A

n. trouble; fuss

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33
Q

aegis

A

n. a protection; sponsorship

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34
Q

awry

A

adv. away from the correct course; wrong; deviant

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35
Q

bask

A

v. to enjoy a warm or pleasant feeling

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36
Q

bilk

A

v. to swindle; to cheat

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37
Q

brusque

A

adj. abrupt or curt of manner

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38
Q

catharsis

A

n. purging of the emotions

adj. cathartic

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39
Q

cavalier

A

adj. casual, disdainful

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40
Q

coax

A

v. to persuade or obtain by pleading or flattery

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41
Q

comport

A

v. to conduct or behave oneself; to be compatible or in agreement with

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42
Q

courteous

A

adj. polite and gracious; considerate toward others; well-mannered

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43
Q

covet

A

v. to desire strongly

adj. covetous

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44
Q

deadlock

A

n. a tie; a standstill

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45
Q

decadence

A

n. a period of decline, as in morals

n. decadence

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46
Q

defile

A

v. to corrupt; to desecrate or sully

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47
Q

demeanor

A

n. outward behavior, esp. that reveals one’s personality or attitude

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48
Q

demur

A

v. to object; to disagree with something

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49
Q

desolate

A

adj. left alone; lonely; deserted

n. desolation

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50
Q

douse

A

v. to wet thoroughly

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51
Q

efface

A

v. to rub out, as from a surface; to erase

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52
Q

empirical

A

adj. based on experience rather than a theory

n. empiricism

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53
Q

excruciating

A

adj. severely painful

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54
Q

fitful

A

adj. occurring in irregular outbursts; occurring in spurts

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55
Q

flora

A

n. plants as a group, esp. of a specified region or time

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56
Q

forbear

A

v. to be patient or avoid doing

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57
Q

garner

A

v. to get or earn; to collect or gather

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58
Q

giddy

A

adj. dizzy; lightheaded

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59
Q

gist

A

n. the main objective or point

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60
Q

hallmark

A

n. any mark or symbol of genuineness or high quality

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61
Q

haunt

A

v. to visit often or continually; n. a place visited frequently

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62
Q

hodgepodge

A

n. a mixture; combination

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63
Q

inculcate

A

v. to teach or impress by frequent repetition; to instill

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64
Q

infer

A

v. to reason or conclude from evidence

n. inference

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65
Q

jest

A

v. to be playful in speech and actions; to joke

n. jester

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66
Q

lachrymose

A

adj. causing tears; weeping or inclined to weep

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67
Q

laity

A

n. all the people not belonging to a given profession, esp. the clergy

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68
Q

libertine

A

n. one who lives an immoral life

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69
Q

martial

A

adj. warlike

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70
Q

memento

A

n. a reminder or a souvenir

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71
Q

naïve

A

adj. simple; childlike; lacking worldly wisdom

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72
Q

neologism

A

n. new word or phrase

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73
Q

nihilism

A

n. a belief that rejects all moral or religious values; the belief that the destruction of political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement
adj. nihilistic

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74
Q

officious

A

adj. interfering; trying to give unwanted advice

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75
Q

overweening

A

adj. excessively arrogant; overbearing

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76
Q

pariah

A

n. a social outcast

77
Q

pliant

A

adj. easily bent; pliable; adaptable or compliant

78
Q

privation

A

n. lack of basic necessities

79
Q

quagmire

A

n. Wet, boggy ground; a difficult situation

80
Q

rapport

A

n. concord; a trustful relationship; harmony

81
Q

reimburse

A

v. to repay

82
Q

renege

A

v. to fail or carry out a promise

83
Q

reproof

A

n. an expression of disapproval; a rebuke

v. reprove

84
Q

rout

A

n. an overwhelming defeat; a disorderly retreat or flight following a defeat; v. to defeat overwhelmingly

85
Q

shoddy

A

adj. inferior or cheap

86
Q

stifle

A

v. to interrupt or cut off; to keep in or hold back; to suffocate or smother
adj. stifling

87
Q

surly

A

adj. sullen and rude

88
Q

trifle

A

n. something that lacks significance or worth

adj. trifling

89
Q

wield

A

v. to handle (for example a tool); to exert (for example power)

90
Q

charlatan

A

n. a fake; one who pretends to have expert knowledge

91
Q

disingenuous

A

adj. not straightforward or candid; crafty; insincere or calculating

92
Q

facade

A

n. outward appearance; the face of a building

93
Q

fictitious

A

adj. not real; false

94
Q

forgery

A

n. something counterfeit; an illegally produced imitation

v. forge

95
Q

impostor

A

n. a person using a false identity

96
Q

masquerade

A

v. to wear a disguise; to put on a false appearance

97
Q

mendacious

A

adj. lying; false, esp. habitually

98
Q

prevaricate

A

v. to speak or write evasively in order to avoid telling the truth
n. prevarication

99
Q

ruse

A

n. an action or device intended to deceive

100
Q

altercation

A

n. a heated or noisy argument

101
Q

bellicose

A

adj. warlike

102
Q

churlish

A

adj. having a bad disposition; rude; boorish

n. churl

103
Q

disgruntled

A

adj. discontented; displeased

104
Q

embitter

A

v. to make bitter; to cause resentment

105
Q

grievance

A

n. a cause or reason for protest

106
Q

infuriate

A

v. to cause to become very angry; to enrage

107
Q

invidious

A

adj. tending to arouse hostility or resentment

108
Q

ire

A

n. anger

adj. irate

109
Q

vendetta

A

n. a bitter feud or quarrel; fight

110
Q

dismal

A

adj. causing gloom or depression

111
Q

maladroit

A

adj. awkward; clumsy; bungling

112
Q

malady

A

n. a disease; illness; sickness

113
Q

malaise

A

n. a vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness

114
Q

malapropism

A

n. a ridiculous misuse of words

adj. malapropos

115
Q

malediction

A

n. evil talk about someone; slander; a curse

116
Q

malefactor

A

n. one who does wrong; a villain

117
Q

malevolent

A

adj. showing hatred; dangerous

n. malevolence

118
Q

malignant

A

adj. very harmful; threatening death; cancerous (of a tumor)

n. malignancy

119
Q

malinger

A

v. to act sick in order to avoid work

120
Q

badger

A

v. to nag

121
Q

bait

A

v. to torment or harass; to lure

122
Q

bridle

A

v. to restrain

123
Q

brook

A

v. to tolerate

124
Q

court

A

v. to attempt to gain, esp. love or favor; to behave so as to invite

125
Q

ferret

A

v. search; to seek (with “out”)

126
Q

grave

A

adj. serious; dignified; formal

n. gravity

127
Q

motion

A

n. a formal proposal

128
Q

produce

A

n. fresh fruits and vegetables

129
Q

pronounced

A

adj. strongly marked; clearly indicated

130
Q

accouterment

A

n. secondary items of equipment or dress (usually plural)

n. accoutrement

131
Q

allure

A

n. the power to attract with something desirable

adj. alluring

132
Q

arbiter

A

n. a person selected to judge a dispute

v. arbitrate

133
Q

avatar

A

n. an embodiment, as of a quality or concept

134
Q

bellow

A

v. to yell very loudly; to shout

135
Q

blasé

A

adj. indifferent or bored with life; unimpressed as if because of too much worldly experience

136
Q

buttress

A

v. to prop up or support

n. buttress

137
Q

contour

A

n. outline of an object or a figure

138
Q

dally

A

v. to waste time; loiter

139
Q

debunk

A

v. to expose the falsehood of

140
Q

deciduous

A

adj. shedding or disappearing at the end of a season, e.g., leaves

141
Q

defame

A

v. to attack a person’s reputation; to slander

n. defamation

142
Q

demented

A

adj. insane; crazy

143
Q

despondent

A

adj. so sad as to lack all hope

n. despondency

144
Q

deter

A

v. to prevent or discourage from acting by means of fear or doubt
n. deterrence

145
Q

eccentric

A

adj. unconventional; odd

n. eccentricity

146
Q

éclat

A

n. great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success

147
Q

egress

A

n. going out; the right to go out or exit

148
Q

elegy

A

n. a poem that mourns a death; a composition (e.g. a piece of music) that resembles such a poem in mood
adj. elegiac

149
Q

emend

A

v. to correct

n. emendation

150
Q

entice

A

v. to attract or lure

n. enticement

151
Q

environs

A

n. surroundings

152
Q

expedient

A

adj. suitable for a purpose; convenient but based on self-interest rather than principle; n. a means to an end, especially when based on self-interest

153
Q

expiate

A

v. to make amends for

n. expiation

154
Q

fickle

A

adj. unreliable in faith; changing in affections

155
Q

flout

A

v. to intentionally and obviously disobey

156
Q

gruff

A

adj. rough; harsh

157
Q

hearten

A

v. encourage; give strength

158
Q

iconoclast

A

n. one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas
adj. iconoclastic

159
Q

inaugurate

A

v. to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term

n. inauguration

160
Q

infraction

A

n. a violation of a law or rule

161
Q

iridescent

A

adj. shining with colors

162
Q

jostle

A

v. to push and shove; to move by pushing or elbowing

163
Q

karma

A

n. destiny; in Hinduism and Buddhism: the total effect of a person’s conduct in successive phases of existence, believed to influence individual destiny

164
Q

kowtow

A

v. to show servile deference; to touch the forehead to the ground as an act of respect

165
Q

lacuna

A

n. an empty space or missing portion

pl. lacunae

166
Q

languid

A

adj. sluggish; lacking energy

n. languor

167
Q

leer

A

v. to look at lustfully; to ogle

168
Q

lurk

A

v. to lie in wait; to wait furtively

169
Q

machination

A

n. an artful or secret plot or scheme

170
Q

maul

A

v. to injure; mangle

171
Q

menagerie

A

m. a collection of wild and strange animals kept in cages

172
Q

miasma

A

n. a noxious or poisonous atmosphere

173
Q

nonpareil

A

adj. having no equal

n. nonpareil

174
Q

opportunist

A

n. one who takes advantage of every opportunity, whether or not it is moral to do so

175
Q

philippic

A

n. a harsh verbal attack or denunciation

176
Q

polyglot

A

n. one who speaks many languages; adj. speaking many languages

177
Q

profess

A

v. to declare or claim openly

178
Q

pugnacious

A

adj. belligerent, ready to fight

179
Q

quirk

A

n. a rapid twist and turn; an individual mannerism

180
Q

realm

A

n. a region; a kingdom

181
Q

reproach

A

v. to express disapproval for a fault, usually out of a sense of disappointment
n. reproach; adj. reproachful

182
Q

resolute

A

adj. firmly determined

n. resolution

183
Q

rudimentary

A

adj. elementary; basic

n. rudiment

184
Q

saccharine

A

adj. overly or sickeningly sweet

185
Q

sedulous

A

adj. working hard and steadily; diligent

186
Q

tally

A

v. to count; to add

187
Q

terse

A

adj. without unnecessary words; succinct

188
Q

tranquil

A

adj. calm, unruffled

n. tranquility

189
Q

vagabond

A

n. a person without a permanent home

SAT Vocab (24 decks)

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