Psat & Sat Vocab 1

Front 1

clandestine

Back 1

adj. done in secrecy, private

Front 2

auspicious

Back 2

fortunate, promising success

Front 3

sanctioned

Back 3

approval, given permission

Front 4

affable

Back 4

friendly, easily to approach & talk to

Front 5

appease

Back 5

to content, satisfy, relieve a need

Front 6

gauche

Back 6

lacking social polish, crude

Front 7

indifferent

Back 7

without concern, making no difference one way or the other

Front 8

mitigate

Back 8

soothe, to soften or make milder

Front 9

diction

Back 9

style of speaking or writing as dependent upon choice of words; accent, intonation

Front 10

oblique

Back 10

not straightforward, indirect; slanted; morally wrong

Front 11

abandon (2nd meaning)

Back 11

giving in oneself to impulses, total lack of inhibition

Front 12

abase

Back 12

to lower in rank, reputation or esteem; to humble, degrade

Front 13

aberration

Back 13

something different from the usual; deviation from truth

Front 14

abet

Back 14

to aid, support; act as accomplice

Front 15

abhor

Back 15

to loathe, detest

Front 16

abject

Back 16

miserable, pitiful

Front 17

abolitionist

Back 17

one who opposes the practice of slavery

Front 18

abortive

Back 18

unsuccessful, interrupted while incomplete

Front 19

abridge

Back 19

to condense, shorten

Front 20

abrogate

Back 20

to put an end to, abolish by authority

Front 21

abscond

Back 21

to depart secretly

Front 22

abstain

Back 22

to hold oneself back voluntarily from something regarded as improper, refrain

Front 23

accolade

Back 23

award, praise, distinction

Front 24

accrue

Back 24

to accumulate, grow by additions

Front 25

acerbic

Back 25

bitter, sharp in taste or temper

Front 26

acme

Back 26

highest point, peak

Front 27

acquiesce

Back 27

to agree; comply quietly

Front 28

acrid

Back 28

harsh, bitter

Front 29

acrimony

Back 29

bitterness, animosity

Front 30

acuity

Back 30

sharpness

Front 31

acumen

Back 31

shrewdness shown by keen insight, sharpness of insight

Front 32

adage

Back 32

old saying or proverb

Front 33

adhere

Back 33

to cling, stick on; to be devoted or follow a group

Front 34

admonish

Back 34

to caution or reprimand

Front 35

abroit

Back 35

skillful, accomplished, higly competent

Front 36

abulation

Back 36

excessive flattery and admiration, high praise

Front 37

adumbrate

Back 37

to sketch, outline in a shadowy way

Front 38

adversarial

Back 38

adj. form of adversary; relating to or characteristic of an adversary

Front 39

aerie

Back 39

nook or nest built high in the air

Front 40

aesthetic

Back 40

characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty, a love of beauty

Front 41

affected (adj. meaning)

Back 41

pretentious, phony

Front 42

affluent

Back 42

rich, abundant

Front 43

agitation

Back 43

excitement; uneasiness

Front 44

alacrity

Back 44

cheerful willingness, eagerness; speed

Front 45

allegory

Back 45

symbolic representation

Front 46

allure

Back 46

v. to entice by charm, attract; n. fascination, appeal

Front 47

allusion

Back 47

indirect reference

Front 48

aloof

Back 48

detached, apart from others, indifferent

Front 49

altruism

Back 49

unselfish concern for others' welfare

Front 50

ambivalence

Back 50

attitude of uncertainty, conflicting emotions

Front 51

ameliorate

Back 51

to make better, improve

Front 52

amenable

Back 52

agreeable, cooperative

Front 53

amenity

Back 53

pleasantness; something increasing comfort

Front 54

amoral

Back 54

unmoral, unenthical

Front 55

morphous

Back 55

shape or form

Front 56

anachronistic

Back 56

outdated

Front 57

animation

Back 57

the quality of liveliness, vigorous

Front 58

anthology

Back 58

collection of literary works

Front 59

antipathy

Back 59

dislike, hostility; extreme opposition

Front 60

antiquated

Back 60

outdated, obsolete

Front 61

antithesis

Back 61

exact opposite or direct contrast

Front 62

aphorism

Back 62

lack of feeling or emotion

Front 63

apocryphal

Back 63

not genuine, fictional

Front 64

approbation

Back 64

praise, offical approval

Front 65

appropriate (v. meaning)

Back 65

to take possession of

Front 66

arable

Back 66

suitable for cultivation

Front 67

arbitrary

Back 67

depending solely on individual will; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; unreasonable

Front 68

arboreal

Back 68

relating to trees

Front 69

archipelago

Back 69

large group of islands

Front 70

ardent

Back 70

passionate, fervent

Front 71

ascetic

Back 71

self-denying, abstinent

Front 72

ashen

Back 72

ash-color, gray; pale

Front 73

aspersion

Back 73

false rumor, damaging remark or criticism

Front 74

assail

Back 74

to attack, assualt

Front 75

assiduous

Back 75

diligent, persitent, hard-working

Front 76

assuage

Back 76

to make less sever, relieve

Front 77

astringent

Back 77

harsh, severe, stern

Front 78

astute

Back 78

having good judgment (an astute analysis); clever, shrewd, cunning

Front 79

attenuate

Back 79

to make thin or slender

Front 80

audacious

Back 80

bold, daring, fearless

Front 81

augment

Back 81

to expand, extend

Front 82

austere

Back 82

stern, strict

Front 83

autocrat

Back 83

dictator

Front 84

avarice

Back 84

greed

Front 85

aver

Back 85

to declare to be true, affirm

Front 86

aversion

Back 86

intense dislike

Front 87

avert

Back 87

to turn (something) away, prevent, hinder

Front 88

awry

Back 88

crooked, askew, amiss

Front 89

baleful

Back 89

harmful

Front 90

balm (obscure meaning)

Back 90

anything that soothes, healing, or mitigate pain

Front 91

banal

Back 91

overly common, lack of originality

Front 92

bane

Back 92

something causing death, destruction, or ruin

Front 93

bay (v. meaning)

Back 93

to bark, esp. in a deep, prolonged way

Front 94

belabor

Back 94

to insist repeatedly or harp on

Front 95

belie

Back 95

to show to be false, contradict; represent falsely

Front 96

beneficent

Back 96

kindly, chartiable, doing good deeds

Front 97

benighted

Back 97

unenlightened

Front 98

benign

Back 98

kindly, gentle, harmless

Front 99

bequeath

Back 99

to give or leave through a will, to hand down

Front 100

berate

Back 100

to scold harshly

Front 101

beseech

Back 101

to beg, plead, implore

Front 102

bibliography

Back 102

list of books

Front 103

blanch

Back 103

to pale, to take the color out of

Front 104

blandish

Back 104

to coax with flattery

Front 105

blasphemous

Back 105

cursing, profane, irreverent

Front 106

blatant

Back 106

glaring, obvious, showy

Front 107

blight (v. meaning)

Back 107

to afflict, destroy

Front 108

boisterous

Back 108

rowdy, loud, unrestrained

Front 109

bombastic

Back 109

using high-sounding but meaningless language

Front 110

boor

Back 110

crude person, one lacking manners or taste

Front 111

botanist

Back 111

scientist who studies plants

Front 112

bovine

Back 112

cowlike; relating to cows

Front 113

brazen

Back 113

bold, shameless,impudent; made of brass

Front 114

broach

Back 114

v. to mention or suggest for the first time

Front 115

burgeon

Back 115

to sprout, begin to grow; to flourish, develop quickly

Front 116

burnish

Back 116

to polish, make smooth and bright

Front 117

buttress

Back 117

v. to reinforce or support

Front 118

cacophony

Back 118

jarring, unpleasant noise

Front 119

cajole

Back 119

to flatter, coax, persuade

Front 120

callous

Back 120

insensitive, unsympathetic; hardened

Front 121

callow

Back 121

immature, lacking sophistication

Front 122

candor

Back 122

being frank, open, sincere in speech or expression; fairness, impartiality

Front 123

canny

Back 123

careful, shrewd, cautious in spending money, thrifty

Front 124

capitulate

Back 124

to submit completely, surrender

Front 125

capricious

Back 125

impulsive, whimsical, without much thought

Front 126

caricature

Back 126

exaggerated portrait, cartoon

Front 127

castigate

Back 127

to punish, chastise, criticize severely

Front 128

catalyst

Back 128

something causing change without being changed

Front 129

catholic

Back 129

universal; broad and comprehensive

Front 130

caucus

Back 130

n. a meeting of some US politics group; v. to hold a caucus

Front 131

caustic

Back 131

capable of burning, corroding; severely critical or sarcastic

Front 132

cede

Back 132

to surrender possession of something

Front 133

censorious

Back 133

severely critical, fault-finding

Front 134

cessation

Back 134

temporary or complete halt

Front 135

chagrin

Back 135

shame, embarrassment, humiliation

Front 136

champion

Back 136

v. to defend or support

Front 137

charlatan

Back 137

quack, fake, a person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses

Front 138

chary

Back 138

cautious, wary, choosy; extremely shy

Front 139

chastise

Back 139

to punish, discipline, scold

Front 140

chide

Back 140

to scold, express disapproval

Front 141

chromatic

Back 141

relating to color

Front 142

circumscribe

Back 142

to encircle; set limits on, confine

Front 143

circumspect

Back 143

well-considered; cautious, prudent

Front 144

clairvoyant

Back 144

adj. being psychic

Front 145

clemency

Back 145

merciful leniency

Front 146

cloister

Back 146

v. to confine, seclude

Front 147

coalesce

Back 147

to grow together, unite so as to form one mass, blend together

Front 148

coddle

Back 148

to baby, treat indulgently

Front 149

coerce

Back 149

to compel by force or intimidation

Front 150

cogent

Back 150

logically forceful, compelling, convincing

Front 151

collateral

Back 151

accompanying

Front 152

colloquial

Back 152

characteristic of informal speech

Front 153

collusion

Back 153

conspiracy, a secret agreement for fraud

Front 154

commensurate

Back 154

proportional, corresponding in amount; equal

Front 155

commodious

Back 155

roomy, spacious

Front 156

commute

Back 156

to change a penalty to a less severe one

Front 157

complacent

Back 157

self-satisfied, smug

Front 158

complement

Back 158

to complete, perfect

Front 159

compliant

Back 159

submissive and yielding

Front 160

complicity

Back 160

state of being an accomplice in wrongdoing