Sparknotes Complete 1000 SAT Vocab Part 5
Terms
undefined, object
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- insinuate
- (v.) to suggest indirectly or subtly (I wish Luke and Spencer would stop insinuating that my perfect report card is the result of anything other than my superior intelligence and good work habits
- impudent
- (adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young man looked the princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn't asked him
- interminable
- (adj.) without possibility of end (The fact that biology lectures came just before lunch made them seem interminable
- frivolous
- (adj.) of little importance, trifling (Someday, all that anxiety about whether your zit will disappear before the prom will seem totally frivolous
- gluttony
- (n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Ada's fried chicken tastes so divine, I don't know how anyone can call gluttony a sin
- insurgent
- (n.) one who rebels (The insurgent snuck into and defaced a different classroom each night until the administration agreed to meet his demands
- ingenious
- (adj.) clever, resourceful (Her ingenious use of walnuts instead of the peanuts called for by the recipe was lauded by the other garden club members who found her cake delicious
- insatiable
- (adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for melons can be a real problem in the winter
- intimation
- (n.) an indirect suggestion (Mr. Brinford's intimation that he would soon pass away occurred when he began to discuss how to distribute his belongings among his children
- interject
- (v.) to insert between other things (During our conversation, the cab driver occasionally interjected his opinion
- immerse
- (v.) to absorb, deeply involve, engross (After breaking up with her boyfriend, Nancy decided to immerse herself in her work in order to avoid crying
- inane
- (adj.) silly and meaningless (Some films are so inane that the psychology of the characters makes absolutely no sense
- hypocrisy
- (n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent
- indolent
- (adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can't even pick themselves up off the couch to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to the mall?)
- incisive
- (adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn't going anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were
- ingenuous
- (adj.) not devious; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches seem so ingenuous it's hard to believe he's not speaking from his own heart
- jubilant
- (adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building
- genial
- (adj.) friendly, affable (Although he's been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall genial guy
- inundate
- (v.) to flood with abundance (Because I am the star of a new sitcom, my fans are sure to inundate me with fan mail and praise
- inclination
- (n.) a tendency, propensity (Sarah has an inclination to see every foreign film she hears about, even when she's sure that she won't like it
- juxtaposition
- (n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit
- gregarious
- (adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable (Well, if you're not gregarious, I don't know why you would want to go to a singles party!)
- indigenous
- (adj.) originating in a region (Some fear that these plants, which are not indigenous to the region, may choke out the vegetation that is native to the area
- interlocutor
- (n.) someone who participates in a dialogue or conversation (When the officials could not come to an agreement over the correct cover of the flags, the prime minister acted as an interlocutor
- iconoclast
- (n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive agenda
- garish
- (adj.) gaudy, in bad taste (Mrs. Watson has poor taste and covers every object in her house with a garish gold lamé
- heinous
- (adj.) shockingly wicked, repugnant (The killings were made all the more heinous by the fact that the murderer first tortured his victims for three days
- indignation
- (n.) anger sparked by something unjust or unfair (I resigned from the sorority because of my indignation at its hazing of new members
- imperative
- 1. (adj.) necessary, pressing (It is imperative that you have these folders organized by midday.) 2. (n.) a rule, command, or order (Her imperative to have the folders organized by midday was perceived as ridiculous by the others
- impinge
- 1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression (The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.) 2. (v.) to encroach, infringe (I apologize for impinging upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now
- impassive
- (adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive; it's healthy to cry every now and then
- idiosyncratic
- (adj.) peculiar to one person; highly individualized (I know you had trouble with the last test, but because your mistakes were highly idiosyncratic, I'm going to deny your request that the class be given a new test
- impertinent
- (adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer
- iniquity
- (n.) wickedness or sin ("Your iniquity," said the priest to the practical jokester, "will be forgiven.")
- imperious
- (adj.) commanding, domineering (The imperious nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once
- induce
- (v.) to bring about, stimulate (Who knew that our decision to boycott school lunch would induce a huge riot?)
- gourmand
- (n.) someone fond of eating and drinking (My parents, who used to eat little more than crackers and salad, have become real gourmands in their old age
- judicious
- (adj.) having or exercising sound judgment (When the judicious king decided to compromise rather than send his army to its certain death, he was applauded
- hypothetical
- (adj.) supposed or assumed true, but unproven (Even though it has been celebrated by seven major newspapers, that the drug will be a success when tested in humans is still hypothetical
- irascible
- (adj.) easily angered (At the smallest provocation, my irascible cat will begin scratching and clawing
- gratuitous
- (adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every morning the guy at the donut shop gives me a gratuitous helping of ketchup packets
- knell
- (n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the stormy day even more grim
- inchoate
- (adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage (The country's government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable
- incorrigible
- (adj.) incapable of correction, delinquent (You can buy Grandma nicotine gum all you want, but I think that after sixty-five years of smoking she's incorrigible
- iridescent
- (adj.) showing rainbow colors (The bride's large diamond ring was iridescent in the afternoon sun
- innuendo
- (n.) an insinuation (During the debate, the politician made several innuendos about the sexual activities of his opponent
- haughty
- (adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar's haughty dismissal of her costars will backfire on her someday
- intransigent
- (adj.) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion (The intransigent child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream, or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted from fear
- inimical
- (adj.) hostile, enemylike (I don't see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews
- kudos
- (n.) praise for an achievement (After the performance, the reviewers gave the opera singer kudos for a job well done
- implement
- 1. (n.) an instrument, utensil, tool (Do you have a knife or some other sort of implement that I could use to pry the lid off of this jar?) 2. (v.) to put into effect, to institute (After the first town curfew failed to stop the graffiti problem, the mayor implemented a new policy to use security cameras to catch perpetrators in the act
- ignominious
- (adj.) humiliating, disgracing (It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room
- fraught
- (adj.) (usually used with "with") filled or accompanied with (Her glances in his direction were fraught with meaning, though precisely what meaning remained unclear
- inarticulate
- (adj.) incapable of expressing oneself clearly through speech (Though he spoke for over an hour, the lecturer was completely inarticulate and the students had no idea what he was talking about
- hackneyed
- (adj.) unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear "I love you" so many times before it begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless
- inviolable
- (adj.) secure from assault (Nobody was ever able to break into Batman's inviolable Batcave
- innovate
- (v.) to do something in an unprecedented way (Because of the stiff competition, the company knew it needed to pour a lot of energy into innovating new and better products
- hardy
- (adj.) robust, capable of surviving through adverse conditions (I too would have expected the plants to be dead by mid-November, but apparently they're very hardy
- fortuitous
- (adj.) happening by chance, often lucky or fortunate (After looking for Manuel and not finding him at home, Harriet had a fortuitous encounter with him at the post office
- implacable
- (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandma's cooking, she is totally implacable
- implicate
- (v.) to involve in an incriminating way, incriminate (Even though Tom wasn't present at the time of the shooting, he was implicated by the evidence suggesting that he had supplied the shooters with guns
- implicit
- (adj.) understood but not outwardly obvious, implied (I know Professor Smith didn't actually say not to write from personal experience, but I think such a message was implicit in her instruction to use scholarly sources
- inept
- (adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot three orders and spilled a beer in a customer's lap
- hierarchy
- (n.) a system with ranked groups, usually according to social, economic, or professional class (Women found it very difficult to break into the upper ranks of the department's hierarchy
- incontrovertible
- (adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics
- inexorable
- (adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated (Although I begged for hours, Mom was inexorable and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom
- grandiloquence
- (n.) lofty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it
- insular
- (adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for the CIA must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other
- inquisitor
- (n.) one who inquires, especially in a hostile manner (The inquisitor was instructed to knock on every door in town in order to find the fugitive
- infusion
- (n.) an injection of one substance into another; the permeation of one substance by another (The infusion of Eastern religion into Western philosophy created interesting new schools of thought
- inure
- (v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation (Twenty years in the salt mines inured the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime
- harrowing
- (adj.) greatly distressing, vexing (The car crash was a harrowing experience, but I have a feeling that the increase in my insurance premiums will be even more upsetting
- irrevocable
- (adj.) incapable of being taken back (The Bill of Rights is an irrevocable part of American law
- incessant
- (adj.) unending (We wanted to go outside and play, but the incessant rain kept us indoors for two days
- fractious
- (adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn't tired, his fractious behavior—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed
- harangue
- 1. (n.) a ranting speech (Everyone had heard the teacher's harangue about gum chewing in class before.) 2. (v.) to give such a speech (But this time the teacher harangued the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum
- incarnate
- 1. (adj.) existing in the flesh, embodied (In the church pageant, I play the role of greed incarnate.) 2. (v.) to give human form to (The alien evaded detection by incarnating himself in a human form
- goad
- (v.) to urge, spur, incite to action (Jim may think he's not going to fight Billy, but Billy will goad Jim on with insults until he throws a punch
- incumbent
- 1. (n.) one who holds an office (The incumbent senator is already serving his fifth term.) 2. (adj.) obligatory (It is incumbent upon this organization to offer aid to all who seek it
- instigate
- (v.) to urge, goad (The demagogue instigated the crowd into a fury by telling them that they had been cheated by the federal government
- hallowed
- (adj.) revered, consecrated (In the hallowed corridors of the cathedral, the disturbed professor felt himself to be at peace
- grandiose
- (adj.) on a magnificent or exaggerated scale (Margaret planned a grandiose party, replete with elephants, trapeze artists, and clowns
- garrulous
- (adj.) talkative, wordy (Some talk show hosts are so garrulous that their guests can't get a word in edgewise
- indigent
- (adj.) very poor, impoverished (I would rather donate money to help the indigent population than to the park sculpture fund
- forsake
- (v.) to give up, renounce (My New Year's resolution is to forsake smoking and drinking
- infamy
- (n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as the decades pass
- fortitude
- (n.) strength, guts (Achilles' fortitude in battle is legendary
- idolatrous
- (adj.) excessively worshipping one object or person (Xena's idolatrous fawning over the band—following them on tour, starting their fan club, filming their documentary—is really beginning to get on my nerves
- furtive
- (adj.) secretive, sly (Jane's placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look
- forum
- (n.) a medium for lecture or discussion (Some radio talk-shows provide a good forum for political debate
- frugal
- (adj.) thrifty, economical (Richard is so frugal that his diet consists almost exclusively of catfish and chicken liver—the two most inexpensive foods in the store
- inoculate
- (v.) to introduce a microorganism, serum, or vaccine into an organism in order to increase immunity to illness; to vaccinate (I've feared needles ever since I was inoculated against 37 diseases at age one; but I have also never been sick
- foster
- (v.) to stimulate, promote, encourage (To foster good health in the city, the mayor started a "Get out and exercise!" campaign
- laceration
- (n.) a cut, tear (Because he fell off his bike into a rosebush, the paperboy's skin was covered with lacerations
- impregnable
- (adj.) resistant to capture or penetration (Though the invaders used battering rams, catapults, and rain dances, the fortress proved impregnable and resisted all attacks
- inextricable
- (adj.) hopelessly tangled or entangled (Unless I look at the solution manual, I have no way of solving this inextricable problem
- inveterate
- (adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I'm the first to admit that I'm an inveterate coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day
- guile
- (n.) deceitful, cunning, sly behavior (Because of his great guile, the politician was able to survive scandal after scandal
- impute
- (v.) to ascribe, blame (The CEO imputed the many typos in the letter to his lazy secretary
- impetuous
- (adj.) rash; hastily done (Hilda's hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous, thoughtless action
- illicit
- (adj.) forbidden, not permitted (The fourth-grader learned many illicit words from a pamphlet that was being passed around school
- hedonist
- (n.) one who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans (Because he's such a hedonist, I knew Murray would appreciate the 11 cases of wine I bought him for his birthday
- insipid
- (adj.) dull, boring (The play was so insipid, I fell asleep halfway through
- forlorn
- (adj.) lonely, abandoned, hopeless (Even though I had the flu, my family decided to go skiing for the weekend and leave me home alone, feeling feverish and forlorn
- innocuous
- (adj.) harmless, inoffensive (In spite of their innocuous appearance, these mushrooms are actually quite poisonous
- intractable
- (adj.) difficult to manipulate, unmanageable (There was no end in sight to the intractable conflict between the warring countries
- inhibit
- (v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out