SAT I

Question 0

efficacious

Answer 0

(adj) capable of producing a desired effect

Mom’s terrible cookies were efficacious because they made the children detest sweet foods

Question 1

Idiosyncrasy

Answer 1

(n) a peculiar habit

My history teacher has the idiosyncrasy of always squinting just before she asks a question

Question 2

myopic

Answer 2

(adj) short- sightedneas

Her myopic personality led her to discriminate anybody who wasn’t pretty

Question 3

augur

Answer 3

(v) to predict the future

We augur that Manchester United would win the Champions League

Question 4

Harbinger

Answer 4

(n) precursor

Many consider the robin to be a harbinger of spring

Question 5

Antediluvian

Answer 5

(adj) very old

Joey broke the antediluvian Chinese vase, which dated from 3000 years ago, and was scolded by his mother.

Question 6

apocryphal

Answer 6

(adj) of doubtful authenticity

The gold ring was apocryphal, because it surprisingly weighed quite light.

Question 7

prolific

Answer 7

(adj) extremely productive

Lilly made to-do lists everyday in the hopes that they would make her more prolific.

Question 8

iconoclast

Answer 8

(n) one who challenges tradition

Always an iconoclast, Michael did everything in his power to do whatever was not expected of him.

Question 9

flippant

Answer 9

(adj) using humour inappropriately

You should try not to put humour in your personal statements for fear they may come off as flippant

Question 10

truculent

Answer 10

(adj) cruel and aggressive

The debater was widely-hated due to his truculent style of thrashing the opponent’s arguments

Question 11

surfeit

Answer 11

(n) excessive amount

Mary ate a surfeit of candy - so much so that she quickly gained five kilograms

Question 12

semantic

Answer 12

(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

Question 13

perjure

Answer 13

(v) to lie under oath

The mobster told blatant lies while on stand, perjuring himself to keep his partners out of jail

Question 14

pragmatic

Answer 14

(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

Question 15

transmute

Answer 15

(v) to transform

Harry Potter was able to transmute a feather to a frog using a spell

Question 16

vacillate

Answer 16

(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

Question 17

equanimity

Answer 17

(n) the quality of being even- tempered

Jack handled the stressful situation with equanimity and composure

Question 18

prosaic

Answer 18

(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.

Question 19

hackneyed

Answer 19

(adj) overused; trite

The film was a hackneyed remake with far too many cliches.

Question 20

insipid

Answer 20

(adj) uninteresting; dull; without flavor

The school cafeteria served really insipid food - Max began to miss his mother’s spicy chicken

Question 21

choleric

Answer 21

(adj) easily angered

Mr. Oldman was so choleric that he would freak out if someone so much touches his grass

Question 22

pusillanimous

Answer 22

(adj) cowardly

Amy’s friends refuse to invite her to the bungee jumping trip, knowing her pusillanimous nature.

Question 23

capricious

Answer 23

(adj) whimsical; impulsive

My english teacher runs her class capriciously flitting from idea to idea with no reason or direction.

Question 24

rapacious

Answer 24

(adj) greedy; ravenous

The cat ate her fish rapaciously, as it had not eaten for three days

Question 25

evanescent

Answer 25

(adj) likely to vanish

The aurora borealis is beautiful but evanescent, a curtain of cascading light that can disappear in a heartbeat

Question 26

ephemeral

Answer 26

(adj) short-lived

Idol groups in Korea tend to be ephemeral, lasting only a maximum of 5 years

Question 27

extemporaneous

Answer 27

(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.

Question 28

interminable

Answer 28

(adj) never-ending

The lecture felt so boring and interminable - 5 minutes seemed to be like five hours

Question 29

calumny

Answer 29

(n) slander; false accusation

Too many tabloids know that calumny about celebrities are more profitable than the truth