SAT Vocabs #1900-2000 Flashcards
Mortify
To humiliate; to fill with embarrassment.
Estrange
To make hostile or indifferent, usually between two persons.
Contravene
To act counter to; to violate.
Unscathed
Unharmed.
Flamboyant
Extravagant; showy.
Swagger
To walk in an arrogant manner.
Watershed
A region that drains into a river, lake, or other body of water, a critical point that marks a division.
Verbose
Wordy.
Ostentatious
Showy; pretentious.
Bill
To swindle; to cheat.
Oratory
Public speaking, esp. marked by pompous rhetoric.
Renown
Fame or celebrity.
Eccentric
Unconventional; odd.
Party
To deflect an attack.
Tirade
An abusive speech.
Auspicious
Showing signs of a favorable outcome; marked by favorable circumstances.
Kowtow
To show servile deference; to touch the forehead to the ground as an act of respect.
Hobbyhorse
A favorite pastime; a topic with which one is obsessed.
Flabbergast
To overcome with astonishment.
Dichotomy
A division into two contrasting or non-overlapping parts.
Impasse
A dead-end.
Erudite
Well-educated.
Hackneyed
Made trite and commonplace by overuse; clichéd.
Indolent
Lazy.
Penchant
A strong liking.
Debacle
An overwhelming defeat or failure.
Ascendant
In a position of power or superiority.
Dint
Power; effort.
Peremptory
Having the nature of a command; permitting no denial.
Desultory
Lacking a plan or purpose; unmethodical.
Complement
Something that completes a whole or brings to perfection.
Apotheosis
The ideal example; the elevation of a person to the rank of a god.
Hyperbole
Exaggeration.
Fetter
To confine, restrain, or keep down; chains; shackles.
Forestall
To prevent or delay beforehand.
Exult
To rejoice greatly.
Collaborate
To work together, esp. at an intellectual effort.
Scourge
A cause of widespread suffering.
Bereaved
Suffering the loss of a lover one.
Concomitant
Accompanying (of events); existing or occurring concurrently; something that exits or occurs concurrently.
Monopoly
Exclusive possession or control; a company or group having that control.
Scrupulous
Conscientious and exact; having principles.
Supercilious
Feeling or showing proud contempt; smug; arrogant.
Manifesto
A public declaration of principles, often political.
Gait
Manner of moving on foot; rate or manner of proceeding.
Diligent
Painstaking and steady.
Bifurcate
To divide into two parts.
Vignette
A small design or portrait; a brief scene (as from a movie) or literary sketch.
Aberration
A departure from what is right, true, or expected.
Cameo
A medallion or other piece of jewelry with a design in relief; a brief appearance in a film, play, or novel.
Epigram
A short, cleverly-worded statement.
Jettison
To throw overboard; to discard or abandon something no longer wanted.
Amble
To walk slowly or leisurely.
Ascetic
A person who denies him- or herself luxuries and leads an austere life, especially for religious reasons; characteristics of self-denial and self-discipline.
Obliging
Ready to do favors; helpful; courteous.
Edict
An authoritative order issued publicly; a decree.
Requisite
Needed; necessary.
Intrinsic
Relating to the essential nature of a something.
Barb
A cutting or biting remark.
Allude
To refer to indirectly.
Trenchant
Keen and forceful; caustic.
Unconscionable
Beyond reason; not restrained by conscience.
Diatribe
Prolonged and bitter speech or writing.
Reproof
An expression of disapproval; a rebuke.
Didactic
Intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively.
Attire
Clothes, esp. fancy or elaborate apparel.
Recant
To formally take back a previous statement.
Tenure
Holding or possession of an office or property; guaranteed permanent employment, esp. as a teacher.
Unscrupulous
Proceeding ruthlessly; without regard for right or wrong.
Laggard
A slow person; loiterer.
Passé
Old fashioned; out-of-style.
Upshot
The decisive or final result.
Transcend
To exceed; to go beyond or above the limits.
Probity
Complete and confirmed honesty.
Tacit
Unspoken but understood; silent.
Aegis
A protection; sponsorship.
Anomaly
A departure from the regular pattern.
Fulsome
Disgusting because excessive or insincere; repulsive.
Gainsay
To deny; to declare false.
Lionize
To look upon or treat as a celebrity.
Esoteric
Known by or confined to a small number of people.
Ameliorate
To improve; to become better.
Implacable
Unable to be pacified; relentless.
Nefarious
Very wicked; villainous.
Buttress
To prop up or support.
Incisive
Keen or penetrating in thought or expression.
Tautology
Needless reputation of an idea in different words; a statement that is logically true no matter what.
Synthesis
The combination of separate parts into a united whole.
Appropriate
To set apart for a specific use; to take possession of, often without permission.
Adulation
Excessive flattery or admiration.
Covert
Concealed or disguised; not openly practiced.
Feat
An act or accomplishment showing skill.
Portly
Fat, esp. of one who had a stately, imposing bearing.
Minuscule
Very small.
Mollify
To soothe the temper; to pacify; to appease.
Atrophy
A wasting away, esp. of body tissue.
Eminent
Outstanding, distinguished, towering above others.
Callow
Inexperienced; not developed; immature.
Malediction
Evil talk about someone; slander; a curse.
Glean
To gather bit by bit.
