SAT I Flashcards
efficacious
(adj) capable of producing a desired effect
Mom’s terrible cookies were efficacious because they made the children detest sweet foods
Idiosyncrasy
(n) a peculiar habit
My history teacher has the idiosyncrasy of always squinting just before she asks a question
myopic
(adj) short- sightedneas
Her myopic personality led her to discriminate anybody who wasn’t pretty
augur
(v) to predict the future
We augur that Manchester United would win the Champions League
Harbinger
(n) precursor
Many consider the robin to be a harbinger of spring
Antediluvian
(adj) very old
Joey broke the antediluvian Chinese vase, which dated from 3000 years ago, and was scolded by his mother.
apocryphal
(adj) of doubtful authenticity
The gold ring was apocryphal, because it surprisingly weighed quite light.
prolific
(adj) extremely productive
Lilly made to-do lists everyday in the hopes that they would make her more prolific.
iconoclast
(n) one who challenges tradition
Always an iconoclast, Michael did everything in his power to do whatever was not expected of him.
flippant
(adj) using humour inappropriately
You should try not to put humour in your personal statements for fear they may come off as flippant
truculent
(adj) cruel and aggressive
The debater was widely-hated due to his truculent style of thrashing the opponent’s arguments
surfeit
(n) excessive amount
Mary ate a surfeit of candy - so much so that she quickly gained five kilograms
semantic
(n) the study of the meanings of words and symbols
The best part of English class is the semantic side, where we even analyse swear words and important symbolism
perjure
(v) to lie under oath
The mobster told blatant lies while on stand, perjuring himself to keep his partners out of jail
pragmatic
(adj) concerned with practical outcomes
Whenever she went out, she preferred to dress pragmatically than aesthetically - you never know when you might need to run out of a crime scene
transmute
(v) to transform
Harry Potter was able to transmute a feather to a frog using a spell
vacillate
(v) to change one’s mind repeatedly
Penelope kept vacillating between going to University and taking a gap year - her mother became very distressed at her indecisiveness
equanimity
(n) the quality of being even- tempered
Jack handled the stressful situation with equanimity and composure
prosaic
(adj) unimaginitive; ordinary
Everyone detested to be in Mr. Bru’s class because he lectured in such a prosaic tone even the students in the front fell asleep.
hackneyed
(adj) overused; trite
The film was a hackneyed remake with far too many cliches.
insipid
(adj) uninteresting; dull; without flavor
The school cafeteria served really insipid food - Max began to miss his mother’s spicy chicken
choleric
(adj) easily angered
Mr. Oldman was so choleric that he would freak out if someone so much touches his grass
pusillanimous
(adj) cowardly
Amy’s friends refuse to invite her to the bungee jumping trip, knowing her pusillanimous nature.
capricious
(adj) whimsical; impulsive
My english teacher runs her class capriciously flitting from idea to idea with no reason or direction.
rapacious
(adj) greedy; ravenous
The cat ate her fish rapaciously, as it had not eaten for three days
evanescent
(adj) likely to vanish
The aurora borealis is beautiful but evanescent, a curtain of cascading light that can disappear in a heartbeat
ephemeral
(adj) short-lived
Idol groups in Korea tend to be ephemeral, lasting only a maximum of 5 years
extemporaneous
(adj) done with little or no practice
The speech was all the more remarkable because Dr. Sherman gave it extemporaneously, filling in for the scheduled speaker at the last moment.
interminable
(adj) never-ending
The lecture felt so boring and interminable - 5 minutes seemed to be like five hours
calumny
(n) slander; false accusation
Too many tabloids know that calumny about celebrities are more profitable than the truth
