SAT Vocab 3
Terms
-
COMMUTE
In exchange for cooperating with detectives on another case, the criminals had his charges COMMUTED.
- to change a penalty to a less severe one
-
COMPLACENT
Alfred always shows a COMPLACENT smile whenever he wins the spelling bee.
-
self-satisfied
smug
-
COMPLIANT
The boss was unused to an assistant who spoke her mind, but he grew to respect the fact that she wasn't COMPLIANT.
-
submissive
yielding
-
CONCOMITANT
A double-major was going to be difficult to pull off, especially since Lucy would have to juggle to papers and two exams CONCOMITANTLY.
-
existing concurrently
-
CONCORD
The sisters are now in CONCORD about the car they had to share.
- agreement
-
CONDOLE
My hamster died when I was in third grade, and my friends CONDOLED with me and helped bury him int he yard.
-
to grive
to express sympathy
-
CONFLAGRATION
After the CONFLAGRATION had finally died down, the city center was nothing but a mass of blackened embers.
-
big, destructive fire
-
CONFLUENCE
At the political meeting, while planning a demonstration, there was a moving CONFLUENCE of ideas between members.
-
the act of two things flowing together
the junction or meeting place where two things meet
-
CONSANGUINEOUS
After having a strange feeling about our relationship for years, I found out that my best friend and I are CONSANGUINEOUS.
-
having the same lineage or ancestry
related by blood
-
CONSTERNATION
One would never think that a seasoned hunter would display such CONSTERNATION when a grizzly bear lumbered too close to camp.
-
an intense state of fear or dismay
-
CONSTITUENT
A machine will not function properly if one of its CONSTITUENTS is defective.
-
component
part
citizen
voter
-
CONSTRAINT
Given the CONSTRAINTS of the budget, it was impossible to accomplish my goals.
-
something that restricts or confines within prescribed bounds
-
CONTEMPTUOUS
The diners were intimidated by the waiter's CONTEMPTUOUS manner.
-
scornful
expressing contempt
-
CONTENTIOUS
The CONTENTIOUS gentleman in the bar ridiculed anything anyone said.
-
quarrelsome
disagreeable
belligerent
-
CONTIGUOUS
The two houses had CONTIGUOUS yards so the families shared the landscaping expenses.
-
sharing a boundary
neighboring
-
CONTINENCE
Lucy exhibited impressive CONTINENCE in steering clear of fattening foods, and she lost 50 pounds.
-
self-control
self-restraint
-
CONVALSCE
After her bout with malaria, Tatiana needed to CONVALESCE for a whole month.
- to recover gradually from an illness
-
CONVERGENCE
A CONVERGENCE of factors led to the tragic unfolding of World War I.
- the state of separate elements joining or coming together
-
COQUETTE
The librarian could turn into a COQUETTE just by letting her hair down and changing the swing of her hips.
-
a flirtatious woman
-
COTERIE
Judith invited a COTERIE of fellow stamp enthusiasts to a stamp-trading party.
-
an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose
-
COUNTERVAIL
In order to COUNTERVAIL the financial loss the school suffered after the embezzlement, the treasurer raised the price of room and board.
-
to act or react with equal force
-
COVERT
The COVERT military operation wasn't disclosed until weeks later after it was determined to be a success.
-
secretive
not openly shown
-
CULL
You should CULL all the words you need to study from all the flash cards.
-
to select
weed out
-
CUMULATIVE
The new employee didn't mind her job at first, but the daily petty indignities had a CUMULATIVE demoralizing effect.
-
increasing
collective
-
CURT
The grouchy shop assistant was CURT with one of her customers, which resulted in a reprimand from her manager.
-
abrupt
short with words
-
DEARTH
The DEARTH of supplies in our city made it difficult to survive the blizzard.
-
a lack
scarcity
insufficiency
-
DEBACLE
It was hard for her to show her face int he office after the DEBACLE of spilling coffee on her supervisor--three times.
-
a sudden, disastrous collapse or defeat
a total, ridiculous failure
-
DECLAIM
At Thanksgiving dinner, our grandfather always DECLAIMS his right, as the eldest, to sit at the head of the table.
-
to speak loudly and vehemently
-
DEFAMATORY
The tabloid was sued for making DEFAMATORY statements about the celebrity.
-
injurious to the reputation
-
DEMAGOGUE
The dictator began his political career as a DEMAGOGUE, giving fiery speeches in town halls.
-
a leader
rabble-rouser
usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
-
DENIZEN
The DENIZENS of the state understandably wanted to select their own leaders.
-
an inhabitant
a resident
-
DERIDE
As soon as Jorge heard the others DERIDING Anthony, he came to his defense.
-
to laugh at contemptuously
to make fun of
-
DIFFUSE
They turned on the fan, but all that did was DIFFUSE the cigarette smoke throughout the room.
-
to spread out widely
to scatter freely
to disseminate
-
DIGRESS
The professor repeatedly DIGRESSED from the topic, boring his students.
-
to turn aside, especially from the main point
to stray away from the subject
-
DILAPIDATED
Rather than get discouraged, the architect saw great potential in the DILAPIDATED house.
-
in disrepair
run down
-
DILUVIAL
After she left the water running in the house all day, it looked simply DILUVIAL.
-
pertaining to a flood
-
DISCOMFIT
The class clown enjoyed DISCOMFITING her classmates whenever possible.
-
to disconcert
to make one lose one's composure
-
DISCRETE
What's nice about the CD is that each song functions as a DISCRETE work and also as part of the whole compilation.
-
individually distinct
separate
-
DISINGENUOUS
It was DISINGENUOUS of him to suggest that he had no idea of the requests made by his campaign contributors.
-
giving a false appearance of simple frankness
misleading
-
DISINTERESTED
A fair trial is made possible by the selection of disinterested jurors.
-
fair-minded
unbiased
-
DISPASSIONATE
Ideally, photographers should be DISPASSIONATE observers of what goes on in the world.
-
unaffected by bias or strong emotions
not personally or emotionally involved in something
-
DISSIDENT
The DISSIDENT had been living abroad and writing his criticism of the government from an undisclosed location.
-
disagreeing with an established religious or political system
-
DOCTRINAIRE
The professor's manner of teaching was considered DOCTRINAIRE for such a liberal school.
-
rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality
dogmatic
-
DOGGED
The police inspector's DOGGED determination helped him catch the thief.
-
stubbornly persevering
-
DOLEFUL
Looking into the DOLEFUL eyes of the lonely pony, the girl yearned to take him home.
-
sad
mournful
-
DOUR
The DOUR hotel concierge demanded payment for the room in advance.
-
sullen and gloomy
stern and severe
-
EFFLUVIA
He took out the garbage at 3 A.M. because the EFFLUVIA had begun wafting into the bedroom.
-
waste
odorous fumes given off by waste
-
ELEGY
A memorable ELEGY was read aloud for the spiritual leader.
-
a mournful poem, usually about the dead
-
EDUDE
Somehow, the runaway ELUDED detection for weeks.
-
to avoid cleverly
to escape the perception of
-
EMOLLIENT
After being out in the sun for so long, the EMOLLIENT cream was a welcome relief on my skin.
-
soothing, especially to the skin
-
EMULATE
Children often EMULATE their parents.
-
to strive to equal or excel
to imitate
-
ENCUMBER
She brought only her laptop to the cabin, where she wrote UNENCUMBERED by the distractions of the city.
-
to weigh down
to burden
-
ENJOIN
Patel is ENJOINED by his culture from eating the flesh of a cow, which is sacred in India.
-
to direct or impose with urgen appeal
to order with emphasis
to forbid
-
EPOCHAL
The Supreme Court's EPOCHAL decision will no doubt affect generations to come.
-
momentous
highly significant
-
EPONYMOUS
Macbeth was the EPONYMOUS protagonist of Shakespeare's play.
-
giving one's name to a place, book, restaurant
-
EQUIVOCATE
Not wanting to implicate himself in the crime, the suspect EQUIVOCATED for hours.
-
to avoid committing oneself in what one says
to be deliberately unclear
-
ERSATZ
The ERSATZ strawberry shortcake tasted more like plastic than like real cake.
-
being an artificial and inferior substitute or imitation
-
ESCHEW
The filmmaker ESCHEWED artificial light for her actors, resulting in a stark movie style.
-
to shun
to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)
-
ESPOUSE
Because of his religious beliefs, the preacher could not ESPOUSE the use of capital punishment.
-
to take up and support as a cause
to marry
-
ESPY
Amidst a crowd in black clothing, she ESPIED the colorful dress that her friend was wearing.
-
to catch sight of
glimpse
-
EUPHEMISM
The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM "passed away" instead of the word "dead."
- an inoffensive and agreeable expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive
-
EUTHANASIA
EUTHANASIA has always been the topic of much moral debate.
-
the practice of ending the life of hopelessly ill individuals
assisted suicide
-
EXCORIATE
The three-page letter EXCORIATED the publication for printing the rumor without verifying the source.
-
to censure scathingly
to express strong disapproval of
-
EXPONENT
The vice president was an enthusiastic EXPONENT of computer technology.
-
one who champions or advocates
-
EXPOUND
The teacher EXPOUNDED on the theory of relativity for hours.
-
to explain or describe in detail
-
EXPUNGE
The parents' association EXPUNGED the questionable texts from the children's reading list.
-
to erase
eliminate completely
-
EXTIRPATE
The criminals were EXTIRPATED after many years of investigation.
-
to root out, eradicate, literally or figuratively
to destroy wholly
-
EXTRAPOLATION
Through the process of EXTRAPOLATION, we were able to determine which mutual funds to invest in.
-
using known data and information to determine what will happen in the future
prediction
-
EXTRINSIC
"Though they are interesting to note," the meeting manager claimed, "those facts are EXTRINSIC to the matter under discussion."
-
external
unessential
originating from the outside
-
EXTRUDE
We watched in awe as the volcano EXTRUDED molten lava.
-
to form or shape something by pushing it out, to force out, especially through a small opening
-
FACETIOUS
Her FACETIOUS remarks made the uninteresting meeting more lively.
-
witty, humorous
-
FACILE
Given the complexity of the problem, it seemed a rather FACILE solution.
-
easily accomplished
seeming to lack sincerity or depth
arrived at without due effort
-
FALLACIOUS
The FALLACIOUS statement "the earth is flat" misled people for many years.
-
tending to deceive or mislead
based on a fallacy
-
FEBRILE
Awaiting the mysterious announcement, there was FEBRILE excitement in the crowd.
-
feverish
marked by intense emotion or activity
-
FECKLESS
Anja took on the responsibility of caring for her aged mother, realizing that her FECKLESS sister was not up to the task.
-
ineffective
worthless
-
FEIGN
Though she had discovered they were planning a party, she FEIGNED surprise so as not to spoil the festivities.
-
to pretend
to give a false appearance of
-
FERAL
Though the animal-rights activists did not want to see the FERAL dogs harmed, they offered no solution to the problem.
-
suggestive of a wild beast
not domesticated
-
FICTIVE
She found she was more productive when writing FICTIVE stories rather than autobiographical stories.
-
fictional
relating to imaginative creation
-
FILIBUSTER
The congressman read names from the phone book in an attempt to FILIBUSTER a pending bill.
-
to use obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speech making, in order to delay something
-
FITFUL
Her FITFUL breathing became cause for concern, and eventually, she phoned the doctor.
-
intermittent
lacking steadiness
characterized by irregular bursts of activity
-
FLIPPANT
Her FLIPPANT response was unacceptable and she was asked again to explain herself.
-
marked by disrespectful lightheartedness or casualness
-
FLOUT
The protesters FLOUTED the committee's decision and hoped to sway public opinion.
-
to scorn
to disregard with contempt
-
FODDER
The governor's hilarious blunder was good FODDER for the comedian.
-
raw material, as for artistic creation
readily abundant ideas or images
-
FORGO
Because of the risks of the expedition, the team leader made sure to FORGO the climbers.
-
to do without
to abstain from
-
FORMIDABLE
The wrestler was not very big, but his skill and speed made him a FORMIDABLE opponent.
-
fearsome
daunting
tending to inspire awe or wonder
-
FORTITUDE
Months in the trenches exacted great FORTITUDE of the soldiers.
-
strength of mind that allows one to encounter adversity with courage
-
FORTUITOUS
After a FORTUITOUS run-in with an agent, Roxy won a recording contract.
-
by chance
especially by favorable chance
-
FRENETIC
The employee's FRENETIC schedule left him little time to socialize.
-
frantic
frenzied
-
FULSOME
The king's servant showered him with FULSOME compliments in hopes of currying favor.
-
abundant
flattering in an insincere way
-
FURLOUGH
After seeing months of combat, the soldier received a much-deserved FURLOUGH.
- a leave of absence, especially granted to a soldier or a prisoner
-
FURTIVE
The FURTIVE glances they exchanged made me suspect they were up to something.
-
sly
with hidden motives
-
GALVANIZE
The closing down of another homeless shelter GALVANIZED the activist group into taking political action.
-
to shock
to arouse awareness
-
GAMELY
The park ranger GAMELY navigated the trail up the steepest face of the mountain.
-
spiritedly
bravely
-
GAUCHE
Snapping one's fingers to get a waiter's attention is considered GAUCHE.
-
lacking social refinement