SAT Words Flashcards
abate (v.)
to reduce, lessen
The rain poured down for a while, then abated.
abdicate (v.)
to give up a position, usually one of leadership
When he realized that the revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.
abduct (v.)
to kidnap, take by force
The evildoers abducted the fairy princess from her happy home.
aberration (n.)
something that differs from the norm
In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since.
abet (v.)
to aid, help, encourage
The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.
abide (v.)
to put up with
Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.
abide (v.)
to remain
Despite the beating they↓ve taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide.
abort (v.)
to give up on a half-finished project or effort
After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home.
abridge (v.)
to cut down, shorten
The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.
abridge (adj.)
shortened
Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books.
abstain (v.)
to freely choose not to commit an action
Everyone demanded that Angus put on the kilt, but he did not want to do it and abstained.
accede (v.)
to agree
When the class asked the teacher whether they could play baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request.
accessible (adj.)
obtainable, reachable
After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible.
acclaim (n.)
high praise
Greg↓s excellent poem won the acclaim of his friends.
accolade (n.)
high praise, special distinction
Everyone offered accolades to Sam after he won the Noble Prize.
accommodating (adj.)
helpful, obliging, polite
Though the apartment was not big enough for three people, Arnold, Mark, and Zebulon were all friends and were accommodating to each other.
accord (n.)
an agreement
After much negotiating, England and Iceland finally came to a mutually beneficial accord about fishing rights off the cost of Greenland.
accretion (n.)
slow growth in size or amount
Stalactites are formed by the accretion of minerals from the roofs of caves.
acumen (n.)
keen insight
Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.
acute (adj.)
sharp, severe
Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so acute.
acute (adj.)
having keen insight
Because she was so acute, Libby instantly figured out how the magician pulled off his ∟magic.↔
adamant (adj.)
impervious, immovable, unyielding
Though public pressure was intense, the President remained adamant about his proposal.
adept (adj.)
extremely skilled
Tarzan was adept at jumping from tree to tree like a monkey.
adhere (n.)
to stick to something
We adhered the poster to the wall with tape.
adhere (n.)
to follow devoutly
He adhered to the dictates of his religion without question.
adorn (v.)
to decorate
We adorned the tree with ornaments.
adroit (adj.)
skillful, dexterous
The adroit thief could pick someone↓s pocket without attracting notice.
adverse (adj.)
antagonistic, unfavorable, dangerous
Because of adverse conditions, the hikers decided to give up trying to climb the mountain.
advocate (v.)
to argue in favor of something
Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign, even though everyone else thought we should turn right.
advocate (n.)
a person who argues in favor of something
In addition to wanting to turn left at every stop sign, Arnold was also a great advocate of increasing national defense spending.
aerial (adj.)
somehow related to the air
We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers.
aesthetic (adj.)
artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty
We hired Susan as our interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.
affable (adj.)
friendly, amiable
People like to be around George because he is so affable and good-natured.
affluent (adj.)
rich, wealthy
Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine.
aggregate (n.)
a whole or total
The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.
aggregate (v.)
to gather into a mass
The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could.
agile (adj.)
quick, nimble
The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit.
agnostic (adj.)
believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven
Joey↓s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.
agriculture (n.)
farming
It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture.
aisle (n.)
a passageway between rows of seats
Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats.
alias (n.)
a false name or identity
He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.
allege (v.)
to assert, usually without proof
The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.
alleviate (v.)
to relieve, make more bearable
This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.
allocate (v.)
to distribute, set aside
The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town↓s schools.
aloof (adj.)
reserved, distant
The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn↓t care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.
amalgamate (v.)
to bring together, unite
Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner.
ambiguous (adj.)
uncertain, variably interpretable
Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous.
ambivalent (adj.)
having opposing feelings
My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief.
ameliorate (v.)
to improve
The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon.
amenable (adj.)
willing, compliant
Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking.
amiable (adj.)
friendly
An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.
amicable (adj.)
friendly
Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings.
amorous (adj.)
showing love, particularly sexual
Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous.
amorphous (adj.)
without definite shape or type
The effort was doomed from the start, because the reasons behind it were so amorphous and hard to pin down.
analogous (adj.)
similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn
Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.
anarchist (n.)
one who wants to eliminate all government
An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere.
anathema (n.)
a cursed, detested person
I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.
anecdote (n.)
a short, humorous account
After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.
anesthesia (n.)
loss of sensation
When the nerves in his spine were damaged, Mr. Hollins suffered anesthesia in his legs.
anguish (n.)
extreme sadness, torment
Angelos suffered terrible anguish when he learned that Buffy had died while combating a strange mystical force of evil.
animated (adj.)
lively
When he begins to talk about drama, which is his true passion, he becomes very animated.
annex (v.)
to incorporate territory or space
After defeating them in battle, the Russians annexed Poland.
annex (n.)
a room attached to a larger room or space
He likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the library.
anomaly (n.)
something that does not fit into the normal order
∟That rip in the space- time continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,↔ said Spock to Captain Kirk.
anonymous (adj.)
being unknown, unrecognized
Mary received a love poem from an anonymous admirer.
antagonism (n.)
hostility
Superman and Bizarro Superman shared a mutual antagonism, and often fought.
antecedent (n.)
something that came before
The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece.
antiquated (adj.)
old, out of date
That antiquated car has none of the features, like power windows and steering, that make modern cars so great.
antiseptic (adj.)
clean, sterile
The antiseptic hospital was very bare, but its cleanliness helped to keep patients healthy.
antithesis (n.)
the absolute opposite
Your values, which hold war and violence in the highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.
anxiety (n.)
intense uneasiness
When he heard about the car crash, he felt anxiety because he knew that his girlfriend had been driving on the road where the accident occurred.
apathetic
lacking concern, emotion
Uninterested in politics, Bruno was apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime.
appalling (adj.)
inspiring shock, horror, disgust
The judge found the murderer↓s crimes and lack of remorse appalling.
appease (v.)
to calm, satisfy
When the child cries, the mother gives him candy to appease him.
appraise (v.)
to assess the worth or value of
A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house.
apprehend (v.)
to seize, arrest
The criminal was apprehended at the scene.
apprehend (v.)
to perceive, understand, grasp
The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science.
approbation (n.)
praise
The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.
appropriate (v.)
to take, make use of
The government appropriated the farmer↓s land without justification.
aquatic (adj.)
relating to water
The marine biologist studies starfish and other aquatic creatures.
arbitrary (adj.)
based on factors that appear random
The boy↓s decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary.
arbitration (n.)
the process or act of resolving a dispute
The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor.
arboreal (adj.)
of or relating to trees
Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.
archaic (adj.)
of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated
In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.
archetypal (adj.)
the most representative or typical example of something
Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetypal politician.
artifact (n.)
a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place
The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization.
artisan (n.)
a craftsman
The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks.
ascertain (v.)
to perceive, learn
With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.
ascetic (adj.)
practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.
ascribe (v.)
to assign, credit, attribute to
Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese.
aspersion (n.)
a curse, expression of ill-will
The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others↓ integrity.
aspire (v.)
to long for, aim toward
The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.
assail (v.)
to attack
At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor.
assess (v.)
to evaluate
A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash.
assiduous (adj.)
hard-working, diligent
The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.
assuage (v.)
to ease, pacify
The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.
astute (adj.)
very clever, crafty
Much of Roger↓s success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters↓ questions.
asylum (n.)
a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary
For Thoreau, the forest served as an asylum from the pressures of urban life.
asylum (n.)
an institution in which the insane are kept
Once diagnosed by a certified psychiatrist, the man was put in an asylum.
atone (v.)
to repent, make amends
The man atoned for forgetting his wife↓s birthday by buying her five dozen roses.
atrophy (v.)
to wither away, decay
If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.
attain (v.)
to achieve, arrive at
The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition.
attribute (v.)
to credit, assign
He attributes all of his success to his mother↓s undying encouragement.
attribute (n.)
a facet or trait
Among the beetle↓s most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes.
atypical (adj.)
not typical, unusual
Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior.
audacious (adj.)
excessively bold
The security guard was shocked by the fan↓s audacious attempt to offer him a bribe.
audible (adj.)
able to be heard
The missing person↓s shouts were unfortunately not audible.
augment (v.)
to add to, expand
The eager student seeks to augment his knowledge of French vocabulary by reading French literature.
auspicious (adj.)
favorable, indicative of good things
The tennis player considered the sunny forecast an auspicious sign that she would win her match.
austere (adj.)
very bare, bleak
The austere furniture inside the abandoned house made the place feel haunted.
avarice (n.)
excessive greed
The banker↓s avarice led him to amass a tremendous
avenge (v.)
to seek revenge
The victims will take justice into their own hands and strive to avenge themselves against the men who robbed them.
aversion (n.)
a particular dislike for something
Because he↓s from Hawaii, Ben has an aversion to autumn, winter, and cold climates in general.
ballad (n.)
a love song
Greta↓s boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods.
banal (adj.)
dull, commonplace
The client rejected our proposal because they found our presentation banal and unimpressive.
bane (n.)
a burden
Advanced physics is the bane of many students↓ academic lives.
bard (n.)
a poet, often a singer as well
Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.
bashful (adj.)
shy, excessively timid
Frankie↓s mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party.
battery (n.)
a device that supplies power
Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery and gasoline.
battery (n.)
assault, beating
Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk.
beguile (v.)
to trick, deceive
The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him.
behemoth (n.)
something of tremendous power or size
The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.
benevolent (adj.)
marked by goodness or doing good
Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community.
benign (adj.)
favorable, not threatening, mild
We were all relieved to hear that the medical tests determined her tumor to be benign.
bequeath (v.)
to pass on, give
Jon↓s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.
berate (v.)
to scold vehemently
The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline.
bereft (adj.)
devoid of, without
His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado.
bias (n.)
a tendency, inclination, prejudice
The judge↓s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision.
blemish (n.)
an imperfection, flaw
The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture.
bombastic (adj.)
excessively confident, pompous
The singer↓s bombastic performance disgusted the crowd.
bourgeois (n.)
a middle-class person, capitalist
Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.
brazen (adj.)
excessively bold, brash
Critics condemned the novelist↓s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway↓s story.
brusque (adj.)
short, abrupt, dismissive
The captain↓s brusque manner offended the passengers.
cajole (v.)
to urge, coax
Fred↓s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.
calamity (n.)
an event with disastrous consequences
The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.
calibrate (v.)
to set, standardize
The mechanic calibrated the car↓s transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.
calumny (n.)
an attempt to spoil someone else↓s reputation by spreading lies
The local official↓s calumny ended up ruining his opponent↓s prospect of winning the election.
candor (n.)
honesty, frankness
We were surprised by the candor of the mayor↓s speech because he is usually rather evasive.
canvas (n.)
a piece of cloth on which an artist paints
Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.
canvas (v.)
to cover, inspect
We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.
captivate (v.)
to get the attention of, hold
The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.
catalog (v.)
to list, enter into a list
The judge cataloged the victim↓s injuries before calculating how much money he would award.
catalog (n.)
a list or collection
We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.
catalyze (v.)
to charge, inspire
The president↓s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.
caucus (n.)
a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal
The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.
censure (n.)
harsh criticism
The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother↓s censure.
censure (v.)
to rebuke formally
The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric vocabulary.
cerebral (adj.)
related to the intellect
The books we read in this class are too cerebral¶ they don↓t engage my emotions at all.
chaos (n.)
absolute disorder
Mr. Thornton↓s sudden departure for the lavatory plunged his classroom into chaos.
cherish (v.)
to feel or show affection toward something
She continued to cherish her red plaid trousers, even though they had gone out of style and no longer fit her.
choreography (n.)
the arrangement of dances
The plot of the musical was banal, but the choreography was stunning.
chronicle (n.)
a written history
The library featured the newly updated chronicle of World War II.
chronicle (v.)
to write a history
Albert↓s diary chronicled the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia.
chronological (adj.)
arranged in order of time
Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in chronological order, and then set fire to them.
circuitous (adj.)
roundabout
The bus↓s circuitous route took us through numerous outlying suburbs.
circumlocution (n.)
indirect and wordy language
The professor↓s habit of speaking in circumlocutions made it difficult to follow his lectures.
circumscribed (adj.)
marked off, bounded
The children were permitted to play tag only within a carefully circumscribed area of the lawn.
circumspect (adj.)
cautious
Though I promised Rachel↓s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.
circumvent (v.)
to get around
The school↓s dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was circumvented by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby.
clairvoyant (adj.)
able to perceive things that normal people cannot
Zelda↓s uncanny ability to detect my lies was nothing short of clairvoyant.
clandestine (adj.)
secret
Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the gym, Sophie actually went to meet Joseph for a clandestine liaison.
cleave (v.)
to divide into parts
Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party cleaved into warring factions.
cleave (v.)
to stick together firmly
After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa cleaved to one another all the more tightly.
clergy (n.)
members of Christian holy orders
Though the villagers viewed the church rectory as quaint and charming, the clergy who lived there regarded it as a mildewy and dusty place that aggravated their allergies.
cloying (adj.)
sickeningly sweet
Though Ronald was physically attractive, Maud found his constant compliments and solicitous remarks cloying.
coalesce (v.)
to fuse into a whole
Gordon↓s ensemble of thrift-shop garments coalesced into a surprisingly handsome outfit.
cobbler (n.)
a person who makes or repairs shoes
I had my neighborhood cobbler replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.
coerce (v.)
to make somebody do something by force or threat
The court decided that Vanilla Ice did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.
cogent (adj.)
intellectually convincing
Irene↓s arguments in favor of abstinence were so cogent that I could not resist them.
coherent (adj.)
logically consistent, intelligible
Renee could not figure out what Monroe had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.
collateral (adj.)
secondary
Divorcing my wife had the collateral effect of making me poor, as she was the only one of us with a job or money.
collateral (n.)
security for a debt
Jacob left his watch as collateral for the $500 loan.
colloquial (adj.)
characteristic of informal conversation
Adam↓s essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many colloquial expressions.
collusion (n.)
secret agreement, conspiracy
The three law students worked in collusion to steal the final exam.
colossus (n.)
a gigantic statue or thing
For 56 years, the ancient city of Rhodes featured a colossus standing astride its harbor.
combustion (n.)
the act or process of burning
The unexpected combustion of the prosecution↓s evidence forced the judge to dismiss the case against Ramirez.
commendation (n.)
a notice of approval or recognition
Jared received a commendation from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellar performance.
compelling (adj.)
forceful, demanding attention
Eliot↓s speech was so compelling that Lenore accepted his proposal on the spot.
compensate (v.)
to make an appropriate payment for something
Reginald bought Sharona a new dress to compensate her for the one he↓d spilled his ice cream on.
complacency (n.)
self-satisfied ignorance of danger
Colin tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.
complement (v.)
to complete, make perfect
Ann↓s scarf complements her blouse beautifully, making her seem fully dressed even though she isn↓t wearing a coat.
compliant (adj.)
ready to adapt oneself to another↓s wishes
Sue had very strong opinions about what to do on a first date, and Ted was absolutely compliant.
compliment (n.)
an expression of esteem or approval
I blushed crimson when Emma gave me a compliment on my new haircut.
compound (v.)
to combine parts
The difficulty of finding a fire escape amid the smoke was compounded with the dangers posed by the panicking crowds.
compound (n.)
a combination of different parts
My attraction to Donna was a compound of curiosity about the unknown, physical desire, and intellectual admiration.
compound (n.)
a walled area containing a group of buildings
When the fighting started, Joseph rushed into the family compound because it was safe and well defended.
comprehensive (adj.)
including everything
She sent me a comprehensive list of the ingredients needed to cook rabbit soufflé.
compress (v.)
to apply pressure, squeeze together
Lynn compressed her lips into a frown.
concede (v.)
to accept as valid
Andrew had to concede that what his mother said about Diana made sense.
conciliatory (adj.)
friendly, agreeable
I took Amanda↓s invitation to dinner as a very conciliatory gesture.
concise (adj.)
brief and direct in expression
Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not concise.
concoct (v.)
to fabricate, make up
She concocted the most ridiculous story to explain her absence.
concomitant (adj.)
accompanying in a subordinate fashion
His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack of funds.
concord (n.)
harmonious agreement
Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord.
condolence (n.)
an expression of sympathy in sorrow
Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister↓s roommate↓s cat.
condone (v.)
to pardon, deliberately overlook
He refused to condone his brother↓s crime.
conduit (n.)
a pipe or channel through which something passes
The water flowed through the conduit into the container.
confection (n.)
a sweet, fancy food
We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious confection.
confidant (n.)
a person entrusted with secrets
Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant.
conflagration (n.)
great fire
The conflagration consumed the entire building.
confluence (n.)
a gathering together
A confluence of different factors made tonight the perfect night.
conformist (n.)
one who behaves the same as others
Julian was such a conformist that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit.
confound (v.)
to frustrate, confuse
MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks.
congeal (v.)
to thicken into a solid
The sauce had congealed into a thick paste.
congenial (adj.)
pleasantly agreeable
His congenial manner made him popular wherever he went.
congregation (n.)
a gathering of people, especially for religious services
The priest told the congregation that he would be retiring.
congruity (n.)
the quality of being in agreement
Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion.
consensus (n.)
an agreement of opinion
The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation.
consolation (n.)
an act of comforting
Darren found Alexandra↓s presence to be a consolation for his suffering.
consonant (adj.)
in harmony
The singers↓ consonant voices were beautiful.
constituent (n.)
an essential part
The most important constituent of her perfume is something called ambergris.
constrain (v.)
to forcibly restrict
His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers.
construe (v.)
to interpret
He construed her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave.
consummate (v.)
to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual intercourse
Erica and Donald consummated their agreement in the executive boardroom.
consumption (n.)
the act of consuming
Consumption of intoxicating beverages is not permitted on these premises.
contentious (adj.)
having a tendency to quarrel or dispute
George↓s contentious personality made him unpopular with his classmates.
contusion (n.)
bruise, injury
The contusions on his face suggested he↓d been in a fight.
conundrum (n.)
puzzle, problem
Interpreting Jane↓s behavior was a constant conundrum.
convene (v.)
to call together
Jason convened his entire extended family for a discussion.
convention (n.)
an assembly of people
The hotel was full because of the cattle- ranchers↓ convention.
convention (n.)
a rule, custom
The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses.
convivial (adj.)
characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment
The restaurant↓s convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease.
convoluted (adj.)
intricate, complicated
Grace↓s story was so convoluted that I couldn↓t follow it.
copious (adj.)
profuse, abundant
Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria.
cordial (adj.)
warm, affectionate
His cordial greeting melted my anger at once.
corroborate (v.)
to support with evidence
Luke↓s seemingly outrageous claim was corroborated by witnesses.
corrosive (adj.)
having the tendency to erode or eat away
The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive.
cosmopolitan (adj.)
sophisticated, worldly
Lloyd↓s education and upbringing were cosmopolitan, so he felt right at home among the powerful and learned.
counteract (v.)
to neutralize, make ineffective
The antidote counteracted the effect of the poison.
covet (v.)
to desire enviously
I coveted Moses↓s house, wife, and car.
covert (adj.)
secretly engaged in
Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly.
credulity (n.)
readiness to believe
His credulity made him an easy target for con men.
crescendo (n.)
a steady increase in intensity or volume
The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel.
criteria (n.)
standards by which something is judged
Among Mrs. Fields↓s criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy.
culmination (n.)
the climax toward which something progresses
The culmination of the couple↓s argument was the decision to divorce.
culpable (adj.)
deserving blame
He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years.
cultivate (v.)
to nurture, improve, refine
At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels.
cumulative (adj.)
increasing, building upon itself
The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan.
cunning (adj.)
sly, clever at being deceitful
The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy.
cursory (adj.)
brief to the point of being superficial
Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda.
curtail (v.)
to lessen, reduce
Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending.
daunting (adj.)
intimidating, causing one to lose courage
He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion.
dearth (n.)
a lack, scarcity
An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library.
debacle (n.)
a disastrous failure, disruption
The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions.
debunk (v.)
to expose the falseness of something
He debunked her claim to be the world↓s greatest chess player by defeating her in 18 consecutive matches.
decry (v.)
to criticize openly
The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees.
deface (v.)
to ruin or injure something↓s appearance
The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to deface their neighbor↓s mailbox.
defamatory (adj.)
harmful toward another↓s reputation
The defamatory gossip spreading about the actor made the public less willing to see the actor↓s new movie.
defer (v.)
to postpone something; to yield to another↓s wisdom
Ron deferred to Diane, the expert on musical instruments, when he was asked about buying a piano.
defile (v.)
to make unclean, impure
She defiled the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.
deleterious (adj.)
harmful
She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.
deliberate (adj.)
intentional, reflecting careful consideration
Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate.
demagogue (n.)
a leader who appeals to a people↓s prejudices
The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs.
demean (v.)
to lower the status or stature of something
She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch.
denounce (v.)
to criticize publicly
The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician.
depravity (n.)
wickedness
Rumors of the ogre↓s depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest.
deprecate (v.)
to belittle, depreciate
Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.
deride (v.)
to laugh at mockingly, scorn
The bullies derided the foreign student↓s accent.
derivative (adj.)
taken directly from a source, unoriginal
She was bored by his music because she felt that it was derivative and that she had heard it before.
desecrate (v.)
to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.
desolate (adj.)
deserted, dreary, lifeless
She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city.
deter (v.)
to discourage, prevent from doing
Bob↓s description of scary snakes couldn↓t deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests.
devious (adj.)
not straightforward, deceitful
Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat.
dialect (n.)
a variation of a language
In the country↓s remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country↓s other inhabitants had difficulty understanding.
didactic (adj.)
intended to instruct
She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company↓s customers.
didactic (adj.)
overly moralistic
His didactic style of teaching made it seem like he wanted to persuade his students not to understand history fully, but to understand it from only one point of view.
diffident (adj.)
shy, quiet, modest
While eating dinner with the adults, the diffident youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.
diffuse (v.)
to scatter, thin out, break up
He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.
diffuse (adj.)
not concentrated, scattered, disorganized
In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts.
diligent (adj.)
showing care in doing one↓s work
The diligent researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times.
discern (v.)
to perceive, detect
Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry.
disclose (v.)
to reveal, make public
The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees.
discordant (adj.)
not agreeing, not in harmony with
The girls↓ sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant.
discrepancy (n.)
difference, failure of things to correspond
He was troubled by the discrepancy between what he remembered paying for the appliance and what his receipt showed he paid for it.
discretion (n.)
the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment
Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition.
