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SAT Vocabulary > Vocabulary > Flashcards

Vocabulary Flashcards

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1
Q

Empirical

A

Based on observation.

📍They provided considerable empirical evidence to support their idea.

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2
Q

Trifling

A

Unimportant or Trivial.

📍That is a trifling issue.

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3
Q

Disposition

A

A person’s inherent qualities of mind & character

📍Your bright disposition rubs off on those around you.

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4
Q

Jocular

A

Fond of joking. Of playful nature.

📍She sounded to be in a jocular mood.

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5
Q

Iridescent

A

Showing luminous colours that change based on angle from which you observe the object.
📍That bracelet had an iridescent silver sheen.

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6
Q

Prospective

A

An event or similar that is likely to happen at a future date.
📍She showed a prospective buyer around the house.
📍There’s a meeting shortly to discuss prospective changes to the company.

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7
Q

Poignancy

A

A quality that arouses emotions of pity &/or sorrow.

📍That play evoked a poignancy in her.

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8
Q

Boorish

A

Ill-mannered, coarse and vulgar in behaviour &/or appearance.
📍The girls came back looking very boorish.

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9
Q

Complacent

A

Overly content or showing smug with oneself.

📍You cannot afford to be complacent about security.

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10
Q

Imprudent

A

Rash and not showing any consequences for ones actions.

📍It would be imprudent to leave the first aid kit behind when going on a dangerous hike.

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11
Q

Urbane

A

Showing a high degree of refinement.

📍He’s charming and urbane.

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12
Q

Opulent

A

Rich & superior in quality

📍There’s nothing like the opulent comfort of a limousine.

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13
Q

Vacuous

A

Showing a lack of intelligence &/or emotion.

📍He gave the cameraman a vacuous smile.

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14
Q

Ineffectual

A

Not producing a desired effect.

📍That was ineffectual campaign.

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15
Q

Imperturbable

A

Showing great calmness and composure.

📍The theatre had an imperturbable silence before the movie began.

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16
Q

Candid

A

Straightforward and honest.

📍His responses were very candid.

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17
Q

Partisan

A

Biased in favour of a certain cause or party.
📍He was a famous Partisan of BJP.
📍Newspapers are becoming increasingly partisan these days.

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18
Q

Benign

A

Kind mannered OR a disease which is not at a harmful stage
📍He was a benign ruler of millions.
📍The tumour was benign.

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19
Q

Savvy

A

Showing hardheaded intelligence.

📍She is a savvy veteran who knows her way around things.

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20
Q

Lucid

A

Clearly expressed, easily understood.

📍The boy gave us a very lucid account of all the events that took place.

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21
Q

Meander

A

Wander around aimlessly (Physically & Vocally)
📍He kept meandering through the woods on his way home.
📍Instead of cutting straight to the chase, she chose to meander around pointlessly.

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22
Q

Esoteric

A

Something that is likely to only be understood by a small group of people with special knowledge of it.
📍Specialist dictionaries are required by the citizens to understand some of the words from esoteric texts.

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23
Q

Despondent

A

Discouraged, sad and without hope.

📍He was despondent over the loss of his job.

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24
Q

Advocate

A

To support or urge by argument, mostly in public.

📍He was an untiring advocate of the economic reform.

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25
Q

Undermine

A

Lessen the effectiveness.

📍The principal’s verdict undermined days of hard work.

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26
Q

Loquacious

A

Talkative and chatty.

📍The students become loquacious whenever the teacher leaves the classroom.

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27
Q

Ambivalent

A

Having mixed feelings &/or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
📍The staff were ambivalent about the new scheme proposed by the intern.

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28
Q

Capricious

A

A person or thing that’s unpredictable and impulsive.

📍The climate these days can be described as capricious.

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29
Q

Bombastic

A

Full of hot air i.e. someone who is just “all talk”.

📍The previous president was bombastic because he never delivered despite his grand promises to change the country.

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30
Q

Reticent

A

Not revealing ones thoughts or feelings readily.

📍Introverts are known to be very shy and reticent.

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31
Q

Pragmatic

A

The idea of dealing with things in a realistic and logical manner.
📍There were several pragmatic ways to deal with this situation.

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32
Q

Didactic

A

Teaching excessively

📍He’s writing a didactic novel set out to expose the wage gap.

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33
Q

Lofty

A

Imposing height, standing out above others.

📍The lofty mountains of Nepal stood very high.

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34
Q

Morbid

A

An unhealthy fascination with disturbing and unpleasant things.
📍 His morbid obsession with horror films is concerning.

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35
Q

Cathartic

A

Emotionally purging and draining.

📍That song was incredibly cathartic

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36
Q

Querulous

A

Constantly complaining in a whiny manner.

📍The toddler became querulous when her parents refused to buy her a new toy.

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37
Q

Flippant

A

An inappropriate lack of seriousness.

📍That was a flippant remark.

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38
Q

Globetrotter

A

A person who travels widely around the world.

📍Their history teacher was a major globetrotter.

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39
Q

Perilous

A

Something that is full of risk and danger.

📍It was a perilous journey to the west.

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40
Q

Adversary

A

Someone offering opposition.

📍He beat his adversary in the semi finals.

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41
Q

Magnanimous

A

Noble or of generous spirit towards the less powerful or towards a rival.
📍She was magnanimous in victory.

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42
Q

Lavish

A

Very generous OR rich & luxurious.
📍He was lavish with his hospitality.
📍It was a lavish banquet.

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43
Q

Proficient

A

Having knowledge in a certain field.

📍He was known to be a proficient paediatrician.

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44
Q

Novice

A

Someone new to a field or activity.

📍He was a complete novice in the marketing sector.

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45
Q

Philanderer

A

A man who has frequent and casual relationships with many women.
📍That man was known to be a philanderer.

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46
Q

Bolstered

A

Support or strengthen.

📍She immensely bolstered his courage.

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47
Q

Acclaim

A

Enthusiastic approval and public praise.

📍The movie met with modest acclaim.

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48
Q

Callow

A

Inexperienced and immature.

📍The young interns were all very callow.

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49
Q

Scintillating

A

Showing high spirits or excitement.

📍The kids have an extremely scintillating personality.

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50
Q

Brazen

A

Shameless and bold.

📍There were several instances of brazen cheating during the examination.

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51
Q

Indifference

A

Lack of concern or sympathy.

📍She shrugged, feigning in indifference.

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52
Q

Facilitate

A

Make something easier.

📍You could facilitate the process by sharing your ideas.

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53
Q

Coercion

A

Making something happen by force.

📍The bullies used coercion to force the boy to give them his lunch money.

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54
Q

Creditable

A

Worthy of limited commendation.

📍The essay - though wasn’t marvellous - was still creditable.

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55
Q

Cynic

A

One who believes only selfishness motivates human action.

📍A cynic may believe the president visited the hospital only to gain votes.

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56
Q

Divisive

A

Tending to cause disagreement or argument between people.

📍The highly divisive issue of stem cells and cloning.

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57
Q

Contempt

A

Disregard for something that should be considered.

📍This idea displays a contempt for the wishes of the majority.

58
Q

Tenacity

A

The quality of being able to grip something firmly, persistence.
📍The sheer tenacity of the students was commendable.

59
Q

Perplex

A

Feeling of confusion, be-wilderness or being completely puzzled.
📍She was perplexed by her friends sudden change of attitude.

60
Q

Condemn

A

Expressing complete disapproval of something.

📍Don’t condemn him before you hear his ideas.

61
Q

Plausibility

A

The quality of seeming reasonable and credible.

📍The plausibility of his story was accepted by the majority.

62
Q

Denounce

A

Condemn openly, criticise.

📍The assembly denounced the use of violence.

63
Q

Digress

A

To wander away from the main topic or argument when speaking or writing.
📍She slightly digressed away from her initial plan of building a farmhouse.

64
Q

Profound

A

Showing deep insight or understanding.

📍The teacher’s report has profound implications for schools.

65
Q

Misconceive

A

To interpret wrongly or misunderstand something.

📍People tend to misconceive famous poems when unaware of the actual message.

66
Q

Pacifism

A

The belief that war and violence are unjustifiable and that all disputes must be resolved by peaceful means.
📍The author portrays a sense of pacifism by the quote “the idea of war should be diminished”.

67
Q

Prudent

A

Wisely careful, showing good judgement.

📍Isn’t seeking medical advice a prudent course to take?

68
Q

Benevolent

A

Well meaning and kind.

📍The benevolent gentleman left a generous some of $500 to be shared among the poor.

69
Q

Longevity

A

Long shelf life, long life.

📍Rapidity and longevity vary greatly between different species.

70
Q

Forebode

A

To predict, forecast, foresee or warn.

📍The dark clouds forebode a probable rainstorm.

71
Q

Predilection

A

A partiality or preference towards something.

📍My predilection towards South Indian food is very high.

72
Q

Crude

A

In a raw/unrefined state OR vulgar looking and lacking culture.
📍The process of fractional distillation is used to separate crude oil.
📍That boy made a very crude joke in the middle of class.

73
Q

Indignation

A

Anger and annoyance provoked by unfair treatment.

📍The customer wrote a nasty letter to the company to express his indignation as a consumer.

74
Q

Pretension

A

Claiming, or assertion of claiming a particular thing.

📍His pretensions to the family heirloom.

75
Q

Detract

A

To diminish the worth of value of something.

📍The traffic jam will definitely detract from the enjoyment of our road trip.

76
Q

Dilettante

A

A person whose interest in art or in an area of knowledge is not very serious.
📍When it comes to learning an instrument, she is a dilettante who’ll practice one day and forget about it the next.

77
Q

Amass

A

To collect/accumulate.

📍To start a business, one needs to amass a huge sum of cash.

78
Q

Equanimity

A

To stay calm/maintain composure under stress.

📍His equanimity ensured for a safe escape out of the burning building.

79
Q

Congenial

A

Agreeable/suitable in nature.

📍Everyone invites her to parties due to her congenial nature.

80
Q

Deference

A

Great regard for people’s feelings.

📍Show some deference to your classmates by not shouting out the answers.

81
Q

Benefactor

A

A kind person who helps others by usually making a payment.

📍An anonymous benefactor did not want his charity donation made public.

82
Q

Demagogue

A

A political leader who influences people by arousing people’s emotions.
📍Only a demagogue could persuade so many people to rebel against stem cells.

83
Q

Personage

A

An important/notable person.

📍He must be a very important personage as he has a prominent seat on the first row.

84
Q

Consensus

A

General agreement about something.

📍The teacher requested the group to reach a consensus on who would present to the class.

85
Q

Afflict

A

Cause pain or despair to.

📍The man was afflicted with a painful snake bite after a hike.

86
Q

Adept

A

Skilled at something that isn’t easy.

📍She is adept at calculus.

87
Q

Disparage

A

To express a negative opinion and belittle.

📍It is never right to disparage people based on age.

88
Q

Embellish

A

To make something sound of look better than it actually is, for e.g. by decorating.
📍If you want to make your shoes look new, you can embellish the, by adding some jewels and bows.

89
Q

Defiance

A

A bold resistance to authority or force.

📍Her defiance is irritating, because she never listens to her parents.

90
Q

Eradicate

A

To get rid of or eliminate something.

📍A vaccine was made to eradicate the virus.

91
Q

Contend

A

To argue or challenge.

📍After the call was made against his team, the coach tried to contend with the umpire.

92
Q

Substantiate

A

To prove the truth of something.

📍He substantiated his right to inherit the billionaire’s fortune.

93
Q

Ingenuity

A

To be able to find the solutions to tough problems by being resourceful and innovative.
📍When he fixed the jeep, his friends were impressed by his mechanical ingenuity.

94
Q

Autonomy

A

The state of being independent.

📍Staff should have the autonomy to make their own decisions.

95
Q

Discern

A

To be able to see, recognise, understand or decide something.
📍I wore sunglasses so people couldn’t discern my red eyes.

96
Q

Futile

A

Incapable of producing any results.

📍Although the dog constantly chewed on his leash, his efforts to break free were futile.

97
Q

Erratic

A

Unpredictable.

📍The man knew the bird was wounded due to its erratic flight pattern.

98
Q

Forbear

A

To refrain from engaging in something.

📍Due to her diet, she has to forbear eating cheesy foods.

99
Q

Frivolous

A

Lack of seriousness or not worthy of serious notice.

📍She blew all of her salary away on frivolous purchases.

100
Q

Anachronism

A

Something that doesn’t fit it’s time period.

📍Using a rotary telephone has become an anachronism.

101
Q

Exemplify

A

To show or illustrate by example.

📍The decrease in lottery sales exemplifies the public’s lack of interest in gambling these days.

102
Q

Hostility

A

Meanness or bitterness.

📍The hostility between the 2 teams was not a sign of sportsmanship.

103
Q

Vindictive

A

Revengeful or spiteful.

📍Her vindictive nature led her to feeling joy after her abusive boss got fired.

104
Q

Callous

A

Emotionally hardened.

📍That lady was a callous woman who never donated to anyone in need, despite her wealth.

105
Q

Connoisseur

A

An expert on a particular subject.

📍She is a connoisseur of fine art & would rarely miss an exhibit at the museum.

106
Q

Disdain

A

Lack of respect with a feeling of dislike.

📍I have disdain for those who cheat on their exams.

107
Q

Brevity

A

Briefness.

📍At only 4 lines long, the brevity of this exemplary answer to this 6 mark question is remarkable.

108
Q

Lament

A

To express sorrow or regret.

📍I cannot help but lament the moving of my best friend to another country.

109
Q

Mitigate

A

Make something less painful/severe.

📍His mom gave him some warm water to mitigate the soreness in his throat.

110
Q

Linguistics

A

Study of languages.

📍I want to take a linguistic course before moving to a new country.

111
Q

Duplicity

A

Dishonest behaviour or being 2-faced.

📍Her duplicity was revealed when he caught her backbiting about him.

112
Q

Erroneous

A

Something that has an error or is incorrect.

📍She had to redo her sales report due to the erroneous statistics included.

113
Q

Refute

A

To prove wrong by argument or evidence.

📍Our chemistry teacher challenged us to refute her hypothesis with our own evidence.

114
Q

Rouse

A

Cause to stop sleeping.

📍She was roused from a deep sleep by turbulence on the plane.

115
Q

Somber

A

Dark/Dull in colour OR feeling a deep sadness.
📍The night skies were somber & starless.
📍He looked at her with a somber expression.

116
Q

Debilitate

A

To weaken.

📍He will not let the injury debilitate him.

117
Q

Obscure

A

Relatively unknown.

📍The obscure writer was not well known in the town’s literary community.

118
Q

Penchant

A

A strong liking.

📍Her, being a music major, had a penchant for playing the harp.

119
Q

Steadfast

A

Faithful to a person, belief, or goal.

📍He remained in his steadfast belief that he had done the right thing.

120
Q

Admonish

A

To scold or reprimand.

📍The kids were running around the store and knocking everything over, so their mom had to admonish them.

121
Q

Enigma

A

Someone or something that’s hard to understand.

📍That lecture was an enigma to everyone.

122
Q

Reverence

A

Honour or respect felt, or shown.

📍Everyone treated the priest with reverence at the temple.

123
Q

Alleviate

A

Making something less painful or severe.

📍Take a tablet, it’ll alleviate the pain.

124
Q

Apathetic

A

Having little to no emotion or interest.

📍His apathetic attitude was shown through his rude way of greeting others.

125
Q

Articulate

A

Expressing oneself clearly.

📍She was able to articulate her points during any discussion or debate.

126
Q

Incredulous

A

Something that is unbelievable and can’t be accepted as the truth.
📍The lottery winner was incredulous and couldn’t believe he won.

127
Q

Ascertain

A

Learn or discover with certainty through experimentation or investigation.
📍People find it easy to ascertain when he’s lying.

128
Q

Ornate

A

Fancily decorate OR extravagantly worded.
📍Every room in the billionaire’s mansion is ornate with luxurious furnishing.
📍The kids could not understand a word of the ornate speech made by the college professor.

129
Q

Commonplace

A

Ordinary, dull or not unusual.

📍High unemployment rates was commonplace in this field.

130
Q

Conform

A

Complying with rules, laws or standards.

📍This hotel does not conform to the hygiene regulations.

131
Q

Tyrannical

A

Exercising power in a cruel way.

📍The government can be described as tyrannical.

132
Q

Insolent

A

Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.

📍Due to his insolent behaviour towards the teacher, he got suspended for a week.

133
Q

Constituent

A

Being a component of a whole.

📍The constituent minerals of the rock.

134
Q

Tact

A

Skill in dealing with tough situations without offending anyone.
📍Because he lacks tact and discretion, anything he says sounds offensive.

135
Q

Arbitrary

A

Something based on random choice rather than a system or algorithm.
📍He made an arbitrary decision to tag along on the trip.

136
Q

Unprecedented

A

Something that has never been seen or experienced by someone before.
📍It is unprecedented for so many countries to change their form of government so quickly.

137
Q

Stringent

A

Very strict or severe.

📍He was very relieved to move out of the boarding house and escape their stringent rules.

138
Q

Reform

A

Making changes to something by removing or correcting errors to make it more efficient.
📍The loan application process was quite lengthy and in need of reform.

139
Q

Repute

A

The opinion or reputation held of something or someone.

📍The politician’s solid repute confirms her position in the next election.

140
Q

Dominion

A

Control over something or someone.

📍The dictator has complete dominion over all of his subjects.

SAT Vocabulary (2 decks)

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