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Other SAT Words > Hard > Flashcards

Hard Flashcards

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SAT® Prep flashcards
1
Q

Abash

A

To make ashamed; to embarrass

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2
Q

Abortive

A

Unsuccessful

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3
Q

Abridge

A

Shorten; to condense

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4
Q

Averse

A

Opposed to (averse to doing something)

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5
Q

Affable

A

Friendly; easy to talk to

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6
Q

Alacrity

A

Cheerful readiness

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7
Q

Amenity

A

Pleasantness

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8
Q

Apocryphal

A

Of dubious authenticity

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9
Q

Arbiter

A

A judge; one who decides

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10
Q

Arcane

A

Mysterious; hieroglyphic

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11
Q

Artifice

A

Trickery

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12
Q

Ascendancy

A

Supremacy; domination

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13
Q

Attrition

A

Gradual wearing away; weakening or loss

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14
Q

Austere

aw STEER

A

Unadorned; stern; forbidding; without excess

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15
Q

Bane

A

Poison

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16
Q

Bastion

A

A stronghold

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17
Q

Beleaguer

A

To surround

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18
Q

Beset

A

Harassed

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19
Q

Blight

A

Plant disease

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20
Q

Blithe

A

Carefree

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21
Q

Broach

A

Open a (delicate) subject

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22
Q

Burgeon

A

To flourish

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23
Q

Burlesque

A

Ludicrous imitation

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24
Q

Catharsis

A

Relieving purification

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25
Q

Catholic

A

Universal

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26
Q

Chagrin

A

Humiliation; embarrassed disappointment

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27
Q

Charlatan

A

Fraud

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28
Q

Chicanery

A

Trickery; deceitfulness; artifice

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29
Q

Chimera

A

An illusion; a foolish fantasy

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30
Q

Choleric

A

Hot-tempered

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31
Q

Clemency

A

Mercy; forgiveness

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32
Q

Cogent

A

Powerfully convincing

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33
Q

Collusion

A

A conspiracy

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34
Q

Compendium

A

Summary

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35
Q

Confluence

A

Flowing together

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36
Q

Congenial

A

Agreeably suitable; pleasant

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37
Q

Desecrate

A

To treat irreverently

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38
Q

Construe

A

Interpret

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39
Q

Convivial

A

Festive

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40
Q

Coup

A

Brilliant victory

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41
Q

Covet

A

To wish for enviously

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42
Q

Cynic

A

One who distrusts humanity

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43
Q

Debacle

A

Violent breakdown

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44
Q

Decimate

A

To kill a a large part of

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45
Q

Decorous

A

Proper

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46
Q

Deference

A

Respect; courtesy

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47
Q

Delude

A

To deceive

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48
Q

Dialectical

A

Relating to discussions

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49
Q

Dictum

A

An authoritative saying

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50
Q

Distend

A

To swell

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51
Q

Ebullient

A

Bubbling either excitement

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52
Q

Effusion

A

A pouring forth

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53
Q

Elliptical

A

Oval; elliptical

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54
Q

Encroach

A

To trespass

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55
Q

Endemic

A

Native

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56
Q

Enormity

A

An extreme evil

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57
Q

Epigram

A

Brief, witty saying

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58
Q

Epigraph

A

Apt quotation

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59
Q

Epitaph

A

Inscription on a grave

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60
Q

Epithet

A

Characterizing term, usually disparaging

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61
Q

Equanimity

A

Composure

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62
Q

Equitable

A

Fair

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63
Q

Equivocal

A

Intentionally confusing

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64
Q

Expatriate

A

To throw out of native land

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65
Q

Expedient

A

Immediately advantageous

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66
Q

Extol

A

To praise highly

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67
Q

Extricate

A

To free from difficulty

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68
Q

Exult

A

To rejoice; to celebrate

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69
Q

Facetious

A

Humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous

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70
Q

Facile

A

Superficially skillful

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71
Q

Farcical

A

Absurd; ludicrous

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72
Q

Fatuous

A

Foolish; silly; idiotic

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73
Q

Fetter

A

To restrain

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74
Q

Finesse

A

Skillful maneuvering

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75
Q

Flaunt

A

To show off

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76
Q

Flout

A

To disregard contemptuously

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77
Q

Foible

A

A minor character flaw

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78
Q

Forbear

A

To refrain from

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79
Q

Forgo

A

To do without

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80
Q

Fortuitous

A

Happening by chance; accidental

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81
Q

Founder

A

To fail; to collapse; to sink

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82
Q

Flounder

A

To move in confusion

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83
Q

Furtive

A

Secretive; sly

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84
Q

Garrulous

A

Chatty; talkative

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85
Q

Genteel

A

Refined; polite; aristocratic

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86
Q

Glut

A

A surplus; an over abundance

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87
Q

Grandiloquent

A

Pompous

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88
Q

Grandiose

A

Absurdly exaggerated

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89
Q

Gratuitous

A

Given freely (something bad); unjustified; unprovoked; uncalled for

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90
Q

Gregarious

A

Sociable; enjoying the company of others

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91
Q

Guile

A

Cunning; duplicity; artfulness

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92
Q

Hapless

A

Unlucky

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93
Q

Hermetic

A

Impervious to external influence

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94
Q

Histrionic

A

Overly dramatic; theatrical

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95
Q

Homily

A

A sermon

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96
Q

Impetuous

A

Impulsive; extremely impatient

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97
Q

Impugn

A

To attack the truth or integrity of something

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98
Q

Inane

A

Silly; senseless

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99
Q

Incense

A

To make very angry (in SENS)

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100
Q

Incisive

A

Cutting right to the heart of the matter

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101
Q

Incongruous

A

Not harmonious; not fitting in

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102
Q

Infatuated

A

Foolish; foolishly attracted

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103
Q

Injunction

A

A command or order, especially a court

104
Q

Inordinate

A

Excessive; unreasonable

105
Q

Insidious

A

Treacherous, sneaky

106
Q

Insolent

A

Arrogant, insulting

107
Q

Insular

A

Like an island, isolated

108
Q

Intractable

A

Uncontrollable, stubborn, disobedient

109
Q

Invective

A

(n.) insulting or abusive speech

110
Q

Inveterate

A

Habitual, firm in habit, deeply rooted

111
Q

Irascible

A

Easily angered or provoked

112
Q

Itinerant

A

Moving from place to place, peripatetic

113
Q

Latent

A

Present but not visible

114
Q

Lethargy

A

Sluggishness; laziness; drowsiness

115
Q

Levity

A

Lightness; frivolity; unseriousness

116
Q

Litigate

A

To try in court

117
Q

Loquacious

A

Talking a lot or too much

118
Q

Lugubrious

A

Exaggeratedly mournful

119
Q

Magnate

A

Rich business person

120
Q

Malfeasance

A

Illegal act

121
Q

Malinger

A

(muh LIN ger)

To pretend to be sick in order to avoid work

122
Q

Marshal

A

To arrange in order

123
Q

Maudlin

A

Overly sentimental

124
Q

Maxim

A

Fundamental principle

125
Q

Mendacious

A

Lying

126
Q

Mendicant

A

Beggar

127
Q

Mercenary

A

Hired soldier, someone who will do anything for money

128
Q

Mercurial

A

Emotionally unpredictable, capricious

129
Q

Milieu

A

Environment

130
Q

Mollify

A

To soften

131
Q

Monolithic

A

Massive and unyielding

132
Q

Morose

A

Gloomy, sullen

133
Q

Munificent

A

Very generous, lavish

134
Q

Nepotism

A

Favoritism, especially in business or politics

135
Q

Novel

A

Original, new

136
Q

Opulent

A

Luxurious

137
Q

Officious

A

Annoyingly helpful

138
Q

Oblivion

A

Forgetfulness

139
Q

Parochial

A

Narrow in point of view

140
Q

Partisan

A

Supporter of a cause; or biased

141
Q

Paltry

A

Insignificant, worthless

142
Q

Penchant

A

String liking

143
Q

Paucity

A

Scarcity, dearth

144
Q

Pernicious

A

Deadly

145
Q

Peripatetic

A

Wandering, itinerant

146
Q

Perfunctory

A

Unenthusiastic

147
Q

Peremptory

A

Final, categorical, didactic

148
Q

Placate

A

To soothe/pacify

149
Q

Petulant

A

Rude

150
Q

Philistine

A

Singly ignorant person

151
Q

Plaintive

A

Expressing sadness

152
Q

Platitude

A

Trite remark

153
Q

Plebeian

A

Low class

154
Q

Poignant

A

Painfully emotional; sharp or astute

155
Q

Polemic

A

A powerful refutation

156
Q

Ponderous

A

Massive and clumsy

157
Q

Portentous

A

Ominous

158
Q

Precept

A

Rule to live by

159
Q

Precipitate

A

To cause to happen abruptly

160
Q

Precipitous

A

Steep

161
Q

Preeminent

A

Outstanding, the best in the field

162
Q

Preempt

A

To seize by prior right

163
Q

Premise

A

Assumption

164
Q

Prepossess

A

To preoccupy

165
Q

Prerogative

A

A right or privilege connected exclusively with a group or classification

166
Q

Unprepossessing

A

Unimpressive

167
Q

Prodigal

A

Wastefully extravagant

168
Q

Profligate

A

Extravagantly wasteful

169
Q

Profuse

A

Flowing

170
Q

Proliferate

A

To spread or grow rapidly

171
Q

Prolific

A

Abundantly productive

172
Q

Promulgate

A

To proclaim

173
Q

Propitious

A

Marked by favorable signs

174
Q

Propriety

A

Good manners

175
Q

Prosaic

A

Dull

176
Q

Protract

A

To prolong

177
Q

Provident

A

Preparing for the future; frugal

178
Q

Putative

A

Commonly accepted

179
Q

Querulous

A

Complaining

180
Q

Quixotic

A

Foolishly romantic

181
Q

Rapacious

A

Greedy

182
Q

Rebut

A

To contradict

183
Q

Recant

A

To publicly take back and deny; to openly confess error

184
Q

Recondite

A

Hard to understand; over one’s head

185
Q

Recrimination

A

A bitter counteraccusation.

186
Q

Redolent

A

Fragrant (redolent of)

187
Q

Remonstrate

A

To argue against

188
Q

Reprisal

A

An act of revenge

189
Q

Ruminate

A

To ponder; to contemplate

190
Q

Preclude

A

To prevent

191
Q

Largesse

A

Generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others

192
Q

Jettison

A

To throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship; to abandon or discard.

193
Q

Progenitor

A

An ancestor or parent

194
Q

Innuendo

A

An oblique remar or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one.

195
Q

Subterfuge

A

Deceit used in order to achieve one’s goal

196
Q

Acme

A

Climax, zenith

197
Q

Unpalatable

A

Not pleasant to taste

198
Q

Sacrilege

A

A violation of something sacred; blasphemy

199
Q

Sacrosanct

A

Sacred; held to be inviolable

200
Q

Sage

A

Wise from experience or learning (also noun)

201
Q

Salutary

A

Healthful; remedial; curative

202
Q

Sanguine

A

Cheerful; optimistic; hopeful

203
Q

Sardonic

A

mocking; scornful

204
Q

Scintillate

A

to sparkle, either literally or figuratively

205
Q

Sentient

A

able to perceive by the senses; conscious

206
Q

Sequester

A

to set or keep apart

207
Q

Serendipity

A

accidental good fortune

208
Q

Servile

A

submissive

209
Q

Slavish

A

extremely subservient

210
Q

Sloth

A

laziness

211
Q

Solicitous

A

eager and attentive, often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive

212
Q

Solvent

A

not broke or bankrupt

213
Q

Soporific

A

sleep inducing

214
Q

Sordid

A

vile; filthy; squalid

215
Q

Spawn

A

to produce a large number; to bring forth

216
Q

Specious

A

deceptively plausible

217
Q

Spurious

A

false; fake

218
Q

Staunch

A

firmly committed

219
Q

Steadfast

A

firmly committed; staunch

220
Q

Stigmatize

A

to place a mark of disgrace upon

221
Q

Stricture

A

a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism

222
Q

Strife

A

bitter conflict

223
Q

Stringent

A

Strict

224
Q

Stymie

A

to hinder

225
Q

Insubordinate

A

not respectful of authority

226
Q

Subversive

A

corrupting; overthrowing; undermining

227
Q

Surfeit

A

excess; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking

228
Q

Surrogate

A

substitue

229
Q

Sycophant

A

one who sucks up to others

230
Q

Tacit

A

implied; not spoken

231
Q

Taciturn

A

naturally untalkative

232
Q

Tangential

A

not deeply relevant

233
Q

Tantamount

A

equivalent to

234
Q

Tautological

A

redundant

235
Q

Tenable

A

defensible

236
Q

Tenuous

A

flimsy

237
Q

Terse

A

without unnecessary words

238
Q

Torpor

A

Sluggishness

239
Q

Tirade

A

bitter speech; harangue

240
Q

Touchstone

A

standard; a test of authenticity or quality

241
Q

Unconscionable

A

Unscrupulous

242
Q

Unwitting

A

Unintentional; ignorant; not aware

243
Q

Urbane

A

poised; sophisticated; refined; genteel

244
Q

Utilitarian

A

Pragmatic

245
Q

Vapid

A

boring, dull

246
Q

Venal

A

capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money; corrupt

247
Q

Verisimilitude

A

similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like the real thing

248
Q

Viable

A

Capable of living; workable

249
Q

Vicarious

A

experienced through someone else

250
Q

Vilify

A

to say vile things about

251
Q

Vindictive

A

seeking revenge (adj.)

252
Q

Virulent

A

extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate

253
Q

Vitriolic

A

caustic; full of bitterness

254
Q

Volition

A

will; conscious choice

255
Q

Wanton

A

malicious; unjustifiable; unprovoked; egregious

256
Q

Wistful

A

yearning; sadly longing

Other SAT Words (4 decks)

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