SSAT Vocabulary
Terms
undefined, object
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- abdicate
- To give up (royal power or the like).
- abhor
- to hate to detest
- abominable
- Very hateful.
- abridge
- To make shorter in words, keeping the essential features, leaning out minor particles.
- absolve
- To free from sin or its penalties.
- abstinence
- Self denial.
- abyss
- Bottomless gulf.
- academic
- Of or pertaining to an academy, college, or university.
- accord
- agreement
- adage
- wise saying; proverb
- adamant
- Any substance of exceeding hardness or impenetrability.
- adept
- expert at; very skilled
- adjunct
- Something joined to or connected with another thing, but holding a subordinate place.
- admiring
- appreciative; full of admiration
- adverse
- Opposing or opposed.
- aggravate
- To make heavier, worse, or more burdensome.
- ail
- trouble be ill
- akin
- Of similar nature or qualities.
- allege
- To assert to be true, especially in a formal manner, as in court.
- aloof
- Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others.
- altruistic
- unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
- ambiguous
- Having a double meaning.
- ambivalent
- having both of two contrary meanings
- amiable
- agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
- amorphous
- Without determinate shape.
- analytical
- able or inclined to separate things into their constituent elements in order to study or examine them, draw conclusions, or solve problems
- animosity
- Hatred.
- arid
- Very dry.
- aspirant
- One who seeks earnestly, as for advancement, honors, place.
- assailable
- to attack somebody vigorously with words or actions
- assert
- state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence
- assess
- To determine the amount of (a tax or other sum to be paid).
- astute
- Keen in discernment.
- audible
- Loud enough to be heard.
- authentic
- Of undisputed origin.
- banal
- Commonplace.
- barrage
- artificial obstacle built across a river
- belligerent
- Manifesting a warlike spirit.
- benevolence
- Any act of kindness or well-doing.
- benign
- Good and kind of heart.
- bewilder
- To confuse the perceptions or judgment of.
- biased
- unable or unwilling to form a fair or objective opinion about somebody or something
- brash
- hasty rush cheeky saucy
- brig
- a building or part of a building that is used as a prison in a U.S. military installation
- browbeat
- To overwhelm, or attempt to do so, by stern, haughty, or rude address or manner.
- burly
- strong and with a broad sturdy frame
- cacophony
- A disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or tones.
- candor
- The quality of frankness or outspokenness.
- capricious
- whimsical, fickle, changeable
- cautious
- having or showing care, thoughtfulness, restraint, and lack of haste
- choleric
- Easily provoked to anger.
- circulate
- To disseminate.
- clandestine
- Surreptitious.
- clarity
- the quality of being clearly expressed
- coalesce
- combine; fuse; N. coalescence
- concede
- To surrender.
- condescend
- To come down voluntarily to equal terms with inferiors.
- condone
- forgive
- confound
- confuse; puzzle
- congeal
- To coagulate.
- congenial
- Having kindred character or tastes.
- consensus
- A collective unanimous opinion of a number of persons.
- contemptuous
- Disdainful.
- contentious
- argumentative, quarrelsome
- contiguous
- Touching or joining at the edge or boundary.
- contradict
- to argue against the truth or correctness of somebody’s statement or claim
- contrition
- deep and genuine feelings of guilt and remorse
- conventional
- ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons
- corpulent
- Obese.
- correlation
- mutual relationship
- counsel
- somebody whose advice is sought, or who acts as an official adviser
- crevice
- A small fissure, as between two contiguous surfaces.
- cumulative
- growing by addition; accumulative
- debilitating
- reducing somebody’s strength or energy
- debunk
- expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule
- decompose
- to rot; to break something down, or be broken down, into smaller or simpler parts
- decree
- order given by authority
- deficient
- Not having an adequate or proper supply or amount.
- deft
- neat; skillful
- deleterious
- Hurtful, morally or physically.
- delusion
- Mistaken conviction, especially when more or less enduring.
- despair
- Utter hopelessness and despondency.
- deteriorate
- To grow worse.
- dexterity
- Readiness, precision, efficiency, and ease in any physical activity or in any mechanical work.
- dilute
- To make more fluid or less concentrated by admixture with something.
- dingy
- (of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain
- disparage
- To regard or speak of slightingly.
- distort
- To twist into an unnatural or irregular form.
- dormant
- Being in a state of or resembling sleep.
- dread
- to feel extremely frightened or worried about something that may happen in the future
- dubious
- Doubtful.
- egotist
- One given to self-mention or who is constantly telling of his own views and experiences.
- egress
- Any place of exit.
- elaborate
- worked out with much care in great detail
- elongate
- to make something longer, or become longer
- embroider
- decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish
- emulate
- To imitate with intent to equal or surpass.
- epoch
- A interval of time, memorable for extraordinary events.
- equivalent
- Equal in value, force, meaning, or the like.
- era
- time a period of time made distinctive by a significant development, feature, event, or personality
- eradicate
- To destroy thoroughly.
- evacuate
- to empty a dangerous or potentially dangerous place of people
- evanescent
- Fleeting.
- exasperate
- To excite great anger in.
- excavate
- To remove by digging or scooping out.
- exclusion
- Non-admission.
- exile
- unwilling absence from your own country or home, whether enforced by a government or court as a punishment, or imposed for political or religious reasons
- exquisite
- delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry
- extinct
- Being no longer in existence.
- extol
- To praise in the highest terms.
- exuberant
- Marked by great plentifulness.
- facet
- One of the small triangular plane surfaces of a diamond or other gem.
- fathom
- A measure of length, 6 feet.
- felicity
- A state of well-founded happiness.
- feral
- (of an animal) not domestic; wild
- fission
- splitting or division (esp. of cells)
- flag
- droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; ADJ. flagging; CF. unflagging
- fluctuate
- To pass backward and forward irregularly from one state or degree to another.
- founder
- person who establishes (an organization or business)
- frank
- open, honest, and sometimes forceful in expressing true feelings and opinions
- fringe
- edge ornamental border part of hair over the forehead
- frugal
- Economical.
- fundamental
- Basal.
- fusion
- union; coalition; V. fuse
- garrulous
- Given to constant trivial talking.
- gaunt
- lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren
- genre
- particular variety of art or literature
- glutton
- someone who eats too much; ADJ. gluttonous: given to gluttony; greedy; CF. gluttony: habit of eating too much
- hackneyed
- Commonplace; trite
- hoary
- white with age
- hovel
- shack; small wretched house
- hue
- color; aspect; Ex. opinions of every hue
- idiosyncrasy
- A mental quality or habit peculiar to an individual.
- illuminate
- To supply with light.
- immaculate
- Without spot or blemish.
- impasse
- predicament(dangerous condition) from which there is no escape; situation allowing for no further progress
- impediment
- smth that hinders (e.g. stammer)
- imperious
- Insisting on obedience.
- impervious
- Impenetrable.
- implore
- beg
- imply
- To signify.
- incompetent
- Not having the abilities desired or necessary for any purpose.
- incumbent
- obligatory; imposed as an obligation; currently holding an office; N: person who holds an office
- indictment
- a formal accusation of a serious crime, presented to a grand jury
- indifferent
- unmoved or unconcerned by; having no interest in; mediocre; neither good nor bad
- indignant
- Having such anger and scorn as is aroused by meanness or wickedness.
- ingenuity
- Cleverness in contriving, combining, or originating.
- innate
- Inborn
- inquiry
- a formal investigation to determine the facts of a case; a request for information
- inscribe
- To enter in a book, or on a list, roll, or document, by writing.
- insinuation
- something unpleasant artfully and indirectly suggested to another person
- insipid
- Tasteless.
- insolent
- Impudent.
- intangible
- Not perceptible to the touch.
- integrate
- make whole; combine; make into one unit
- integrity
- Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principle.
- irate
- Moved to anger.
- ironic
- Resulting in an unexpected and contrary manner
- itinerant
- Wandering.
- jeer
- to shout or laugh at somebody or something as an expression of disgust, scorn, or other displeasure
- jest
- playful remark or act; V. act or speak playfully
- jubilant
- feeling or expressing great delight over a success, achievement, or victory
- juxtapose
- To place close together.
- keen
- finely tuned and able to sense minor differences, distinctions, or details; intense and lively; very eager and willing
- kinetic
- producing motion; of motion
- laden
- carrying a load, usually a heavy load
- lament
- show feel great sorrow
- languid
- Relaxed.
- linger
- loiter or dawdle; be slow in leaving; delay going; continue or persist; be slow to disappear; Ex. The smell lingered for days.
- livid
- Black-and-blue, as contused flesh.
- lush
- (of a plant or grass) growing very well
- mar
- spoil the appearance of
- mercurial
- quick changeable in character fleeting
- merge
- to combine or unite with something to form a single entity, or make two or more things do this
- meticulous
- Over-cautious.
- mirth
- merriment; laughter
- nimble
- Light and quick in motion or action.
- nonchalant
- not having interest
- notorious
- Unfavorably known to the general public.
- novice
- A beginner in any business or occupation.
- null
- having no value or importance
- obdurate
- Impassive to feelings of humanity or pity.
- objective
- Grasping and representing facts as they are.
- obscure
- dark; vague; unclear; not well known; Ex. obscure meaning/village; V: darken; cover; make unclear; Ex. obscure the moon/meaning
- obsolete
- No longer practiced or accepted.
- obstinate
- stubborn; hard to control or treat; Ex. obstinate cough; N. obstinacy
- opulent
- Wealthy.
- oration
- An elaborate or formal public speech.
- ostentatious
- Showy; pretentious; too fancy
- pact
- A covenant.
- paramount
- Supreme in authority.
- parch
- dry out
- pardoned
- foregive someone of wrongdoing
- parody
- To render ludicrous by imitating the language of.
- pedantic
- bookish showing off learning
- pedestrian
- One who journeys on foot.
- penitent
- feeling or showing regret
- penurious
- Excessively sparing in the use of money.
- pious
- Religious.
- placate
- To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness.
- plausible
- Seeming likely to be true, though open to doubt.
- plight
- difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament
- plumage
- feathers of a bird;
- plunder
- rob a place or steal goods
- polymorphous
- an animal, plant or chemical that has several different forms
- posterity
- descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior
- preamble
- A statement introductory to and explanatory of what follows.
- premise
- A judgment as a conclusion.
- presume
- take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's kindness or connection); N. presumption
- procure
- acquire something
- profane
- worldly having contempt for God
- prolific
- Producing offspring or fruit.
- prophetic
- of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet
- prosperous
- successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off
- prudent
- cautious; careful; prudential
- pugnacious
- Quarrelsome.
- pungent
- Affecting the sense of smell.
- quandary
- A puzzling predicament.
- quibble
- An utterly trivial distinction or objection.
- quiver
- case for arrows
- ramble
- wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress
- rancid
- having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank
- rancorous
- feeling bitterness spitefulness
- ratify
- approve formally; confirm; verify
- ravenous
- Furiously voracious or hungry.
- recalcitrant
- obstinate, refusing to obey authority, noncompliant
- recede
- To move back or away.
- recreation
- an activity that a person takes part in for pleasure or relaxation rather than as work
- recuperate
- To recover.
- refrain
- abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus
- reminiscence
- The calling to mind of incidents within the range of personal knowledge or experience.
- remote
- distant in manner; aloof
- rendezvous
- A prearranged place of meeting.
- repudiate
- To refuse to have anything to do with.
- repugnant
- Offensive to taste and feeling.
- retrospect
- A view or contemplation of something past.
- revere
- To regard with worshipful veneration.
- revile
- To heap approach or abuse upon.
- rift
- split crack dissension
- robust
- Characterized by great strength or power of endurance.
- rout
- put to rout; stampede; drive out; N: complete defeat and disorderly retreat
- rue
- To regret extremely.
- ruse
- trick to deceive; stratagem
- sage
- person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; ADJ: wise
- salve
- soothing ointment
- sanctimonious
- Making an ostentatious display or hypocritical pretense of holiness or piety.
- sarcastic
- mocking
- scorn
- a strong feeling of contempt; disdain
- scull
- single oar at back of boat; light racing boat