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Sparknotes Complete 1000 SAT Vocab Part 3

Terms

undefined, object
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debacle
(n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions
consonant
(adj.) in harmony (The singers' consonant voices were beautiful
consign
(v.) to give something over to another's care (Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home
confection
(n.) a sweet, fancy food (We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious confection
conduit
(n.) a pipe or channel through which something passes (The water flowed through the conduit into the container
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
construe
(v.) to interpret (He construed her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave
discordant
(adj.) not agreeing, not in harmony with (The girls' sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant
desolate
(adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city
dispatch
(v.) to send off to accomplish a duty (The carpenter dispatched his assistant to fetch wood
cultivate
(v.) to nurture, improve, refine (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels
contusion
(n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he'd been in a fight
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
constituent
(n.) an essential part (The most important constituent of her perfume is something called ambergris
deter
(v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob's description of scary snakes couldn't deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests
depravity
(n.) wickedness (Rumors of the ogre's depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest
congenial
(adj.) pleasantly agreeable (His congenial manner made him popular wherever he went
covet
(v.) to desire enviously (I coveted Moses's house, wife, and car
disheartened
(adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament
deferential
(adj.) showing respect for another's authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company
connive
(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my vacation plans
disrepute
(n.) a state of being held in low regard (The officer fell into disrepute after it was learned that he had disobeyed the orders he had given to his own soldiers
dearth
(n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library
deleterious
(adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand
credulity
(n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men
corrosive
(adj.) having the tendency to erode or eat away (The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive
corpulence
(adj.)extreme fatness (Henry's corpulence did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife
covert
(adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly
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
cursory
(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda
debase
(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity
demure
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure
conundrum
(n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane's behavior was a constant conundrum
diaphanous
(adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room
deliberate
(adj.) intentional, reflecting careful consideration (Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate
didactic
1. (adj.) intended to instruct (She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company's customers.) 2. (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
desiccated
(adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame (He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years
cordial
(adj.) warm, affectionate (His cordial greeting melted my anger at once
convoluted
(adj.) intricate, complicated (Grace's story was so convoluted that I couldn't follow it
denigrate
(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company's competitors
convivial
(adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant's convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease
copious
(adj.) profuse, abundant (Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria
coronation
(n.) the act of crowning (The new king's coronation occurred the day after his father's death
deride
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student's accent
congregation
(n.) a gathering of people, especially for religious services (The priest told the congregation that he would be retiring
deface
(v.) to ruin or injure something's appearance (The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to deface their neighbor's mailbox
disseminate
(v.) to spread widely (The politician disseminated his ideas across the town before the election
discomfit
(v.) to thwart, baffle (The normally cheery and playful children's sudden misery discomfited the teacher
delineate
(v.) to describe, outline, shed light on (She neatly delineated her reasons for canceling the project's funding
cunning
(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy
criteria
(n.) standards by which something is judged (Among Mrs. Fields's criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy
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
dissemble
(v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father's stamp collection
confidant
(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, she became my chief confidant
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
discern
(v.) to perceive, detect (Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry
diminutive
(adj.) small or miniature (The bullies, tall and strong, picked on the diminutive child
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
deft
(adj.) skillful, capable (Having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a deft bread maker
consummate
(v.) to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual
condone
(v.) to pardon, deliberately overlook (He refused to condone his brother's crime
diligent
(adj.) showing care in doing one's work (The diligent researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times
confluence
(n.) a gathering together (A confluence of different factors made tonight the perfect night
decorous
(adj.) socially proper, appropriate (The appreciative guest displayed decorous behavior toward his host
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
constrain
(v.)to forcibly restrict (His belief in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on his attackers
daunting
(adj.) intimidating, causing one to lose courage (He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion
demean
(v.) to lower the status or stature of something (She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch
deplore
(v.) to feel or express sorrow, disapproval (We all deplored the miserable working conditions in the factory
disaffected
(adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority (Dismayed by Bobby's poor behavior, the parents sent their disaffected son to a military academy to be disciplined
decry
(v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees
concord
(n.) harmonious agreement (Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord
destitute
(adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute
convention
1. (n.) an assembly of people (The hotel was full because of the cattle-ranchers' convention.) 2. (n.) a rule, custom (The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses
congeal
(v.) to thicken into a solid (The sauce had congealed into a thick paste
despondent
(adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too
diffuse
1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up (He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts
contrite
(adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake's contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him
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
curt
(adj.) abruptly and rudely short (Her curt reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me
disperse
(v.) to scatter, cause to scatter (When the rain began to pour, the crowd at the baseball game quickly dispersed
crescendo
(n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume (The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel
conflagration
(n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building
condolence
(n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister's roommate's cat
consensus
(n.) an agreement of opinion (The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation
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
consecrate
(v.) to dedicate something to a holy purpose (Arvin consecrated his spare bedroom as a shrine to Christina
confound
(v.) to frustrate, confuse (MacGuyver confounded the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks
dirge
(n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a dirge as the casket was carried to the cemetery
cumulative
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan
disclose
(v.) to reveal, make public (The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees
disparate
(adj.) sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements (Having widely varying interests, the students had disparate responses toward the novel
devious
(adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat
culmination
(n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple's argument was the decision to divorce
curtail
(v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending
deprecate
(v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity
congruity
(n.) the quality of being in agreement (Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion
denounce
(v.) to criticize publicly (The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician
contemporaneous
(adj.) existing during the same time (Though her novels do not
disdain
1. (v.) to scorn, hold in low esteem (Insecure about their jobs, the older employees disdained the recently hired ones, who were young and capable.) 2. (n.) scorn, low esteem (After learning of his immoral actions, Justine held Lawrence in disdain
cupidity
(n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers
coup
1. (n.) a brilliant, unexpected act (Alexander pulled off an amazing coup when he got a date with Cynthia by purposely getting hit by her car.) 2. (n.) the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority (In their coup attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage
consolation
(n.) an act of comforting (Darren found Alexandra's presence to be a consolation for his suffering
contravene
(v.) to contradict, oppose, violate (Edwidge contravened his landlady's rule against overnight guests

Deck Info

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