SAT 1 Vocab: P (Pacify - Profound)
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- pacify
- to calm down
- pact
- an agreement
- paean
- a song of praise
- palatable
- pleasant to the taste
- palatial
- magnificent
- paleontology
- the study of prehistoric life
- pall
- something that covers or conceals (noun); to become wearisome or unpleasant (verb)
- palliate
- to ease; to lessen
- pallid
- pale; dull
- palpable
- obvious; capable of being touched or felt
- palpitate
- to beat rapidly; to tremble
- palsy
- muscle paralysis
- paltry
- trivial; worthless
- panacea
- a cure-all; an answer for all problems
- panache
- self-confidence; a showy manner
- pandemic
- general; widespread
- pandemonium
- wild disorder; confusion
- panegyric
- an expression of praise
- pang
- a sharp pain
- panoply
- a suit of armor; any protective covering
- panorama
- unlimited view; comprehensive survey
- parable
- a simple story giving a moral lesson
- paradigm
- a model; an example
- paradox
- a statement that seems contradictory, but is probably true
- paragon
- a model of excellence or perfection
- parameter
- limits; a boundary
- paramount
- chief; supreme
- paranoia
- a mental disorder characterized by a feeling of being persecuted
- paraphernalia
- personal belongings; equipment
- paraphrase
- to reword; to restate
- parched
- dried up; extremely thirsty
- pariah
- an outcast
- parity
- equality; similarity
- parley
- discussion; conference
- parlous
- dangerous
- parochial
- narrow; limited; local
- parody
- a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner
- paroxysm
- a sudden outburst; a fit
- parrot
- to repeat or imitate without understanding
- parry
- to avoid something such as a thrust or blow
- parsimonious
- stingy; miserly
- partisan
- a strong supporter of a cause
- passé
- old fashioned; out-of-date
- passive
- submissive; unresisting
- pastoral
- pertaining to the countryside; rural
- patent
- a government protection for an inventor (noun); evident or obvious (adjective)
- paternal
- fatherly
- pathogenic
- causing disease
- pathos
- pity; deep feeling
- patriarch
- an early Biblical person regarded as one of the fathers of the human race
- patrician
- aristocratic
- patrimony
- heritage; inherited right
- patronage
- the control of power to make appointments to government jobs
- patronize
- to be a customer; to talk down to
- paucity
- scarcity; lack
- peccadillo
- a minor offense
- pectoral
- pertaining to the chest
- peculate
- to steal; to embezzle
- pecuniary
- pertaining to money
- pedagogue
- a schoolteacher
- pedantic
- tending to show off one's learning
- pedigree
- a record of ancestors; a line of descent
- peer
- to look closely (verb); an equal (noun)
- peerless
- without equal; unmatched
- peevish
- hard to please; irritable
- pejorative
- having a negative effect; insulting
- pellucid
- transparent; clear
- pelt
- the skin of a fur-bearing animal (noun); to throw things at (verb)
- penal
- pertaining to punishment
- penchant
- a strong liking for; an inclination
- pendant
- anything that hangs or is suspended
- pensive
- dreamily thoughtful
- penury
- extreme poverty
- peon
- a common worker
- perceive
- to observe
- perceptible
- observable; recognizable
- perdition
- hell; ruin; damnation
- peregrinate
- to travel from place to place
- peremptory
- decisive; final; not open to debate
- perennial
- lasting for a long time; perpetual
- perfidious
- unfaithful; deceitful; treacherous
- perforce
- of necessity
- perfunctory
- done without care; routine
- perigee
- the point nearest the earth
- perilous
- risky; dangerous
- periphery
- outside a boundary; the unimportant aspects of a subject
- periphrastic
- said in a roundabout way
- perjury
- making a false statement while under oath
- permeate
- to spread throughout
- pernicious
- deadly; destructive
- peroration
- the concluding part of a speech
- perpetrate
- to do something evil; to be guilty of
- perpetuate
- to cause to continue
- perplexity
- confusion
- perquisite
- something additional to regular pay
- persevere
- to endure; to continue
- personification
- giving human qualities to a non-human being
- perspicacity
- keenness of judgment
- perspicuity
- clearness, as of a statement
- pert
- bold; saucy
- pertinent
- relevant; to the point
- perturb
- to unsettle; to disturb
- peruse
- to read carefully
- pervade
- to pass through; to spread throughout
- perverse
- cranky; contrary
- pervert
- to corrupt; to lead astray
- pessimist
- one who sees the worst in everything
- petrify
- to paralyze; to turn to stone
- petrology
- the study of rocks
- petty
- unimportant; minor
- petulant
- irritable; rude
- phalanx
- a closely massed body of persons
- phenomenon
- an extraordinary person, thing, or event
- philander
- to engage in various love affairs
- philanthropy
- a desire to help mankind; generosity
- philately
- stamp collecting
- philippic
- a bitter verbal attack
- philistine
- uncultured; common
- phlegmatic
- unemotional; cool; not easily excited
- phobia
- an intense fear
- phoenix
- a bird symbolizing immortality
- picaresque
- pertaining to an adventurous wanderer
- piddling
- trifling; petty
- piecemeal
- bit by bit; gradually
- pied
- many-colored; variegated
- piety
- reverence; devotion
- pigment
- a dye; a coloring matter
- pilgrimage
- a journey to a holy place
- pillage
- to rob by violence
- pillory
- to expose to public ridicule or abuse
- pinnacle
- peak; the highest point
- pious
- religious
- piquant
- stimulating to the taste; exciting interest
- pique
- to irritate or annoy
- piscine
- of or like a fish
- pitfall
- unexpected difficulty; a trap
- pithy
- concise; to the point
- pittance
- a small share or amount
- pivotal
- central; crucial
- placard
- a small poster
- placate
- to soothe; to calm
- placebo
- a harmless, phony medicine; something said or done to sooth
- placid
- calm
- plagiarism
- claiming another's work to be one's own
- plague
- a contagious disease (noun); to torment or trouble (verb)
- plaintive
- sorrowful; sad
- platitude
- a dull or trite remark
- platonic
- spiritual; free from sensual desire
- plaudit
- applause; any plural form of expression of approval
- plausible
- apparently true, fair, or reasonable
- plebeian
- pertaining to a member of the lower classes
- plenary
- full; complete; absolute
- plethora
- an abundance
- pliant
- easy bent; adaptable
- plight
- a sad or dangerous situation
- ploy
- a gimmick; a trick
- pluck
- courage (noun); to pull at (verb)
- plumb
- to test; to measure
- plunder
- to rob; to take by force
- plutocracy
- rule by the wealthy class
- poach
- to trespass
- podium
- a platform
- poignant
- keenly distressing; affecting the emotions
- polarize
- to separate into opposing groups
- polemic
- a controversy or argument
- politic
- diplomatic; shrewd
- poltroon
- a coward
- polychromatic
- many-colored
- polymorphic
- having many forms
- polytheism
- a belief in many gods
- pomp
- a brilliant show or display
- ponder
- to think deeply; to consider carefully
- ponderous
- heavy; burdensome
- porcine
- of or like a pig
- portable
- capable of being carried
- portal
- a door; a gate; an entrance
- portentous
- a warning; a foreshadowing
- portly
- stout; large
- posterity
- future generations
- posthumous
- occurring after death
- postulate
- to assume without proof; to take for granted
- potable
- drinkable
- potent
- powerful; strong
- potentate
- ruler; monarch
- potential
- capacity for being or becoming something
- potion
- a drink
- potpourri
- a mixture
- pragmatic
- practical
- prate
- to talk extensively and pointlessly; to babble
- precarious
- uncertain; dangerous; risky
- precedent
- an act that may be used as an example in the future
- precept
- a rule of conduct
- precipice
- a cliff
- precipitous
- extremely steep
- precipitate
- to bring about an action suddenly
- précis
- a brief summary
- preclude
- to prevent; to shut out
- precocious
- prematurely developed
- precursor
- a forerunner; predecessor
- predatory
- living by plunder, exploitation, etc.
- predicate
- to declare; to assert
- predilection
- a liking; a preference; an inclination
- predispose
- to make susceptible
- preeminent
- standing out above all others
- preen
- to dress oneself carefully or smartly
- prehensile
- adapted for seizing or grasping something
- prelude
- an introduction
- premeditate
- to plan beforehand
- premier
- first in time or importance
- premise
- a statement from which a conclusion is drawn
- premonition
- a forewarning; a hunch
- preponderance
- superiority in quantity or power; dominance
- preposterous
- absurd; ridiculous
- prerogative
- a privilege or right
- presage
- to indicate or warn in advance
- prescience
- knowledge of things before they happen
- presentiment
- anticipation, especially of something evil
- prestige
- influence; importance
- presumptuous
- boldly assuming
- pretentious
- showy; putting on airs
- preternatural
- beyond natural; abnormal
- pretext
- a false reason or motive; an excuse
- prevail
- to succeed; to gain the advantage
- prevaricate
- to lie
- prim
- formal; proper
- primary
- first; chief
- primeval
- of the earliest ages or times
- primogeniture
- the state of being first born
- primordial
- first; original
- primp
- to dress up in a fussy way
- prismatic
- many-colored
- pristine
- uncorrupted; in its original state
- privation
- loss or lack of something essential
- privy
- (to) having knowledge of something private or secret
- probe
- to investigate; to examine
- probity
- honesty; integrity
- proclivity
- an inclination; a tendency
- procrastinate
- to postpone; to delay
- procreate
- to beget; to produce
- procrustean
- designed to get conformity at any cost
- procure
- to obtain; to secure
- prod
- to urge; to jab or poke
- prodigal
- wasteful
- prodigious
- enormous; vast
- profane
- showing disrespect for sacred things
- profess
- to acknowledge; to admit frankly
- proffer
- to offer
- proficiency
- skill; competency
- profligate
- shamelessly immoral; extremely wasteful
- profound
- very deep