Vocabulary

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SAT: Vocabulary
The Good and Bad News About Learning New Words
The good news: whatever your talents or abilities, you can increase your SAT vocabulary. A lot. Almost as much
as you want to.
Do you need to have a photographic memory? No. Do you need to possess a canny ability to outwit the
schemes of devious SAT designers? No.
The good news is that increasing your vocabulary is a relatively simple process. Anyone can do it. We’ll make the
job easier by showing you the best way to learn new vocabulary words, along with tricks to help you remember
them. The only skill you need to have is a willingness to work.
The “bad” news: memorizing new words takes work. There isn’t a single trick or magic system that will allow you
to memorize 500 words a day and rattle off esoteric words that will make you look erudite to your friends after
a week. It’s not hard work, but it does take effort, and the more time you spend studying, the better you will do.
You are in control of how much or little you learn.
But that’s not really bad news, is it?

What’s in This Section?

1. Study Plans. Taking the SAT in six months? What about in a week? We suggest the best study strategy
depending on how much time you have.
2. Learning Tips. Tricks and tools that will help you remember the words you learn.
3. Word Roots + Flash Cards. Word roots can help you figure out a word’s meaning even if you’ve never seen
the word before. Take neologism. If you know that neo means new, and log means speech, thought, you know
neologism is close to “new speech, thought”. The real definition: neologism--a new word, expression, or usage.
4. Word Groupings. We organized like-minded words into groups to make them easier to memorize. For
example, canny, esoteric, and erudite (highlighted above) are in the Intelligence or Knowledge group. The
definitions of these words are all related to intelligence or knowledge. Each word group is followed by a quiz, and
we have a cumulative review after every four chapters.

Learning Strategies and Tips

There are three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic & tactile (doing and touching). Most people
favor learning in one of these three styles.
For example, when you meet a new person, what is easiest for you to remember about that person a week later?
• The person’s face, but not the name? (visual learner)
• The person’s name, but not the face? (auditory learner)
• What you did together with the person? (kinesthetic & tactile)
If you are able to identify the way you learn best, you can use that knowledge to help you learn. We’ve made a
list of study tips geared towards each learning style. Try memorizing the following words with the strategies we
provide. Rank how effective you find each strategy on a scale of 1 to 3 (1=Works great! 3=Doesn’t help much) to
see which ones fit you best.

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SAT Vocabulary
Words
cupidity (adj.) greed
diurnal (adj.) active during the day
dogmatic (adj.) arrogantly certain about an opinion without adequate grounds.
endemic (adj.) belonging to a particular area
indubitable (adj.) unquestionable; too evident to be doubted
nefarious (adj.) very mean and villainous
quiescent (adj.) quiet; still; at rest

Rating (1-3) Strategy

(visual) Make a flash card. Write the word on one side, the definition on the other.

(visual/tactile) Draw a picture that incorporates the meaning of the word. Example: diurnal.
Draw a rooster crowing as the sun rises.

(tactile) Act out the word, or tie it to one of your senses. Example: nefarious. Twirl your
imaginary mustache, and cackle in your most villainous voice, “Ha ha ha! I love being
nefarious”.

(auditory) Record your voice (or a friend’s) reading the word and definition. Play it back until
you memorize it.

(auditory) Ask a friend to say the word aloud and then quiz you on the definition.

(auditory, optional) There are several web sites on the Internet that provide free mp3 files that
teach a new word or two every day. Download one of these files and listen to it at home or on
the way to school. (Search for “vocabulary podcast” in an Internet search engine).

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SAT Vocabulary
Strategies for All Learners
These techniques are useful no matter which learning style you favor;
1. Create a sentence using the word.
Underline the word, and put clues to the word’s meaning in the sentence. It will help you remember
the definition.
His cupidity cost him a fortune when he put all his winnings on 25 at the casino’s roulette wheel and lost.
Marsh grass is endemic to the Spotsylvania area, but it is non-existent in the neighboring counties.

2. Integrate new words in your daily routine.

Every day, pick three words that you will use at least once either while talking or writing. Make a checklist and
mark off the word once you use it. If it feels unnatural to use the word in conversation, tell your friends, “I’m
going to use a new vocabulary word in the next two minutes. Try to guess what it is”. The added benefit is that
they’ll pay close attention to what you say for the next few minutes.

3. Tie the word to a strong emotion.

Try this exercise. For one minute, think about your childhood. What are the first memories that come up?
It’s likely that most, if not all of those memories, are connected with a strong emotion. When an event is
associated with a strong emotion, we are much more likely to remember the event than if the emotion wasn’t
there. It’s why you may not be able to recall a word of what your teacher said yesterday, but you can clearly
remember a scene from a scary movie six months ago.
For practice, try associating these words with an emotional event in your life.
chide (v.) to scold or criticize
delectable (adj.) delicious
euphoria (n.) the feeling of happiness or elation
Connecting an emotion to a word is a powerful way to remember its meaning.

Last Step:
Write down five learning strategies you will use to help you memorize new words.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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SAT Vocabulary
Where Do I Start?
The most effective way to augment your vocabulary (augment: to make greater) is as you’d expect—slow and
steady. Learning a handful of words a day over many months is by far the best way to increase your vocabulary.
It is less stressful than cramming, makes memorization easier, and most importantly, gives you time to review the
material. Regularly reviewing, even for just a few minutes a day, is one of the most important things you can do
to become an SAT-crushing wordsmith.
But even if you only have a few weeks before taking the SAT, you can still make significant progress. We’ve
created two study plans, depending on how much time you have before the big day.

Before You Start

Buy a notebook to track your progress and to use the learning strategies we outlined on pages 3-5, such as
drawing a picture of the word or using it in conversation.

“Help! I’m taking the test next week.”

(Test date: 2 weeks or less. Study time: 2-3 hours a day)
Day 1: Memorize word roots. Each word root has a few examples of it in action. Guess what the word
means based on its root, and then check the definition to see how close you are.
Day 2: Skim the word groups. For now, ignore the definitions and try to memorize which group the word
belongs to. When you recognize a word root, underline the root and guess the word’s definition.
Day 3: For as many words as you can, cover up the definition and guess whether the word’s
connotation is positive, negative, or neutral. Often, knowing a word’s connotation is enough
information to answer a SAT question, or at least make an educated guess.
Day 4-6: Do as many chapters as possible in the book. Review word roots for 15-30 minutes a day.
Day 7: Review all material.
If you have more than a week, either spread out the work above or repeat the tasks you have trouble with.

“I’m taking the test in the next month or two.”

(Tesdt dare: 6 weeks or more. 1 hour a day)
1. Proceed through the chapters at your own pace. We suggest finishing a chapter every other day, and
reviewing the material once a week until you have it well memorized.
2. Outside study: after you finish all the chapters (2-4 weeks), go to a library and borrow a few books written at
or near college level. Books that were nominated or won an award are often good places to start.
Make it your goal to learn 5-10 words a day. When you read a word that you are not 100% positive of the
definition, follow this process:
a) Guess what the word means.
b) Look up the definition in a dictionary.
c) Write the word and definition in your notebook.
d) Write a sentence using the word.
e) Reread the sentence in the book.

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SAT Vocabulary
Learning vocabulary through reading has two benefits. One, seeing the word used in context helps memorization
and understanding of proper usage. Two, the new SAT values reading comprehension skills more than the old
SAT. By reading a few pages every day, you’ll be able to improve your reading comprehension skills at the same
time.

Reviewing
For both plans, set aside 5-10 minutes at the end of the day to review. Once a week, take 30-60 minutes to
review material from the past week or two. Once a month, take 60 minutes to skim over your notes and refresh
any definitions.

Word Roots
One of the tricks to increasing vocabulary is to memorize common word roots. Knowing word roots makes it
easier to do the following:
1. Remember the word’s definition.
2. Figure out the meaning of new words.
3. Make educated guesses on the SAT. Often, you can make an educated guess just by knowing a word’s
connotation or part of its definition.
Keep in mind...

1. Word roots can look identical but have different meanings.

amoral—without morals (“a” means “not, without”)
abet—to encourage or assist another (“a” means “to, towards”)

2. Many words have two or more roots:

incessant—unending (“in” means “not”; “cess” means “to go, to yeild”)

3. Sometimes, a word appears to have a word root when it doesn’t, or its roots are no longer related to its
current meaning.
ostensible—1. intended for display. 2. plausibly true but not really true (“os” means “in the way”; “tens”
means “to stretch”)

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SAT Vocabulary
Study Tips
We suggest two ways to learn word roots:
1. Head-On Approach: Use flashcards to learn 10-15 word roots a day. Review old word roots along with
new ones.
2. Integrated Approach: As you proceed through the chapters, identify the word roots in each
word. Check the word root table or a dictionary to verify the root.

Root Meaning Examples

a, an not, without amoral, atrophy, atheist
ab, a away, from aberration, abject, abscond, absolve, abstain
ad, a to, towards abet, adroit, admonish, affluent
ante, ant before antecedent, antediluvian, anticipate
am, ami love ameliorate, amicable
anti, ant against, opposite antipathy, antithesis
bene good, well benefactor, benevolent, benign
cede, cess go, yield cede, incessant, secede
chron time anachronistic, chronological
circum around circumlocution, circumspect, circumvent
clud, clus claus shut, close exclude, preclude, occlude, reclusive
cogn, gno know cognizant, ignorant, incognito, prognosis
co, com, con, with, together combustion, complete, congenial, constrain, convoluted
contra, counter against, opposite contradictory, counterintuitive, incontrovertible
cred believe credulity, discredit, incredible
de from, down, away debase, deface, demarcation, deride
dei, div God, godly deity, divine
dem, demo people democracy, endemic
dict speak abdicate, contradictory, malediction
dis, dys, dif apart, away, not discern, discordant, disdain, disparage, disseminate,
dysfunctional
en, em in, into embellish, empathy, endemic
equi equal equidistant, equivocal
e, ex out, out of, from exacerbate, exonerate, exorbitant, expiate, egregious, egress
fac, fea, fect, fic, fy make, do benefactor, confection, feasible, factory, vilify
ferv boil fervent, effervescent

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SAT Vocabulary
Root Meaning Examples
flu, flux flow affluent, confluence, superfluous
grad, gress step digress, gradient, progress
grat pleasing gratuitous, gratuity, denigrate, ingratiate
greg crowd, flock aggregate, gregarious, egregious
hyper above, over, too much hyperventilate, hyperbole, hyperthermia
hypo below, less than, too little hypothermia, hypothetical
in, ig, il, im not impeccable, impregnable, insipid,
intrepid, ignoble, illogical
in, il, im, ir in, on, into incandescent, imbue, induct, ingratiate, innate,
irritate
inter, intro between internet, interstate, introduction, intervene
intra, intr within, into intrastate, intrinsic, introspective
jac, ject to throw abject, conjecture, interject
loc, log, loqu speech, thought circumlocution, eulogy, loquacious, neologism
luc, lum light elucidate, illuminate, lucid
mal bad, badly malediction, malevolent
micro small microcosm, microscope
mis wrong, bad, badly mischievous, misconstrue, misleading
morph shape amorphous, metamorphosis, morphology
mut change commute, immutable, mutate
nat, nasc born innate, native, nascent
non not nonchalant, nonplussed
ob against, toward obfuscate, oblivious, obscure, obtuse
pan all panacea, pandemic
path feeling, suffering apathy, empathy, sympathy
per through, intensive, perfunctory, perspicacious, peruse
throughout
per against, destruction perfidious, perjure
pet seek, go towards impetus, impetuous, petulant
pot power despot, impotent, omnipotent
pre before preclude, precocious, predilection, prescient,
presumptuous, prevent

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SAT Vocabulary
Root Meaning Examples
pro ahead, forth procrastinate, progeny, provoke
quie quiet acquiesce, disquiet, quiescent
rid laugh deride, ridiculous
sacr, sanct holy consecrate, sacrilege, sacrosanct
se apart, away secede, segregate, sedition
sed, sid sit assiduous, insidious, sedate, sedentary
sem seed, sow disseminate, seminal
sub under subjugate, subliminal, subservient
super, sur above insuperable, supercilious, surfeit
theo, the God apotheosis, atheist, theology
tract drag, draw protract, tractable
trem, trep shake, timid intrepid, trepidation, tremor, tremulous
vac empty vacant, vacuous, vacuum
ven, vent come advent, contravene, circumvent
vert, vers turn aversion, incontrovertible, subvert, versatile
vol wish benevolent, malevolent, volition
volv, volut turn, roll convoluted, evolve

Study Strategy
1. Read definitions
2. Use learning strategies to memorize definitions
3. Test knowledge with quiz

aberration atypical eclectic eccentric iconoclast idiosyncratic pathology uncanny

Root
a, an: not, without
ab, a: away, from

aberration (n.) a deviation from the normal

“The police chief publicly apologized for the two officers involved in the bribery scandal. He assured
citizens that the officers were aberrations and not representative of the department in any way.”

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SAT Vocabulary
atypical (adj.) not typical
“When Dr. Munson’s robot overcame his programming and began a killing spree, the doctor understatedly
said that ‘the outcome was atypical’.”
eclectic (adj.) selected from a variety of sources
“The honorary feast was an eclectic mix of traditional dishes and modern cuisine.”
eccentric (adj.) 1. odd, different from the norm 2. deviating from a circular form or path, as in an elliptical orbit.
“Coworkers found Greg’s habit of bird house collecting to be a little eccentric.”
iconoclast (n.) one who defies common beliefs or institutions
“Many of the people we revere today, such as Gandhi or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were iconoclasts and
controversial figures when they were alive.”
idiosyncratic (adj.) peculiar to one person
“Susan has the idiosyncratic habit of tapping the tune of ‘Skip to my Lou’ with her foot every time she
meets someone named Lou or Louise.”
pathology (n.) a departure from a normal condition
“The formerly pleasant neighborhood of Lyonsville is currently suffering from the pathologies of drug dealing
and late-night drag racing.”
uncanny (adj.) seeming to have supernatural origin
“Robert has an uncanny ability to find dollar bills on the ground whenever he visits the city.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline the word roots.
• Pick the four toughest words and use each of them in a sentence in your vocabulary journal.
• Look up eccentric in a thesaurus and learn the definitions of three of its synonyms.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 1 Quiz: Words Dealing with the Abnormal or Odd
Matching: Definitions
1. atypical a. selected from a variety of sources
2. eclectic b. one who defies common beliefs or institutions
3. eccentric c. odd, different from the norm
4. iconoclast d. not typical
5. idiosyncratic e. peculiar to one person
Word Roots Flashback
6. ab, a = _________________________
7. co, com, con = __________________
8. ex, e = _________________________
Circle the Correct Word
9. It is (idiosyncratic, uncanny) the way the lamp post flickers every time I walk by it.
10. Louie’s (pathology, eccentricity) is that his skin turns blue during winter.
11. The diners found the chef’s selection of dishes—Mongolian crab, Japanese bamboo shoots, French
croissants, and Hungarian wine—to be pleasantly (atypical, eclectic).
12. Joan assured her boss that her late arrival today was (an aberration, idiosyncratic) and wouldn’t
happen again.

Chapter 2: Words Dealing with Admirable Character

alacrity assiduous benevolent decorous deft diligent empathy
fidelity forbearance fortitude intrepid lenient magnanimous philanthropic

Root

bene: good, well

en, em: in, into
in, ig, il, im: not
mag, maj, mas, max: great
phil: love
path, pass: feel, suffer
trem, trep: shake, timid
vol: wish

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SAT Vocabulary
alacrity (n.) cheerful willingness; timeliness
“Matt’s boss appreciated how he would do any task, even mundane ones, with alacrity.”
assiduous (adj.) persistently attentive; diligent
“Kathie was assiduous to her grandfather’s needs after he had a stroke and needed help to get around.”
benevolent (adj.) marked by goodness
“Mateo’s father was a benevolent man, who gave much of his time and money to charities.”
decorous (adj.) socially proper
“Sarah warned her boyfriend about the necessity of being decorous with her family, but he still forgot to put
his napkin on his lap before eating.”
deft (adj.) skillful
“The locksmith deftly picked the lock in under 15 seconds.”
diligent (adj.) characterized by persistent effort
“It is difficult for most people to be diligent about studying for a subject in which they have little interest.”
empathy (n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own
“Susanna is so empathetic that I’m hesitant to tell her when I’m feeling depressed, because she’ll usually
feel depressed as well.”
fidelity (n.) faithfulness to one’s obligations; devotion
“Fidelity to each other is treasured in any marriage.”
forbearance (n.) patience and restraint, especially when being provoked
“Kenny showed great forbearance in not punching a classmate that was goading him into a fight, especially
considering that Kenny was six inches taller than his classmate.”
fortitude (n.) strength of mind that allows one to endure adversity
“Although being a political prisoner for 11 years was a horrible experience, the activist developed a sense of
fortitude while in jail that allowed him to feel unbreakable after he was released.”
intrepid (adj.) fearless, unable to be shaken
“The hero was intrepid, even when the dragon ate his sword and shield.”
lenient (adj.) tolerant, merciful
“The teacher was in a lenient mood and decided not to chide Tammy for coming late to class.”
magnanimous (adj.) generous and noble; forgiving
“It was magnanimous of the king to allow the assassin to live.”
philanthropic (adj.) charitable and giving
“Charities depend on the philanthropic spirit of people to survive.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Pick the six toughest words and use the learning strategies on page 4-5 to learn them.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 2 Quiz: Words Dealing With Admirable Character
Matching: Definitions
1. alacrity ___a. cheerful willingness; timeliness
2. benevolent ___b. fearless, unable to be shaken
3. decorous ___c. tolerant, merciful
4. fortitude ___d. socially proper
5. intrepid ___e. strength of mind that allows one to endure adversity
6. lenient ___f. marked by goodness

Word Roots Flashback

7. a, an = _____________________
8. ab, a = _____________________

Circle the Correct Word

9. It is (benevolent, intrepid) of her to volunteer at a soup kitchen every week.
10. Some of his friends took advantage of his (assiduous, magnanimous) character.
11. The thief was (deft, philanthropic) at breaking into art museums unseen.
12. Bert finished his task with (alacrity, fidelity) and had enough time to watch a movie before going to bed.

Chapter 3: Words Dealing With Arguing or Convincing

accost altercation arbiter beseech coerce cajole cogent
contentious debunk dogmatic sophistry

Root
co, com, con: with, together
cogn, gno: to know
de: from, away, down

accost (v.) to confront verbally, often with a demand or request

“The teacher was accosted by several students after class with demands that she change their test
grades.”
altercation (n.) a dispute
“The two men got in an altercation when they arrived at the grocery line at the same time.”

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SAT Vocabulary
arbiter (n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision
“Neither side is happy with the arbiter’s ruling, which some say means it’s a good decision.”
beseech (v.) to beg, to plead
“I beseech you, Mr. Scrooge! Please let me leave a hour early to visit my child in the hospital.”
cajole (v.) to repeatedly coax, usually in a good-natured way
“Freddie cajoled his friends to go skinny-dipping with him. Eventually, they gave in.”
coerce (v.) to make someone do something by force or threat
“The Mafia coerces owners of local businesses to pay them protection money.”
cogent (adj.) logically convincing
“I disagreed with the speaker at first, but his argument was so cogent that it changed my view.”
contentious (adj.) quarrelsome, belligerent
“Brittany is a contentious child, always picking fights with her parents and sister.”
debunk (v.) to discredit or disprove
“Although scientists have debunked the notion of ESP repeatedly, some people still believe it exists.”
dogmatic (adj.) arrogantly certain about an opinion without adequate grounds.
“Amy hated arguing with Carlos. He is dogmatic and unwilling to change his mind.”
sophistry (n.) a plausible but misleading argument
“The politician’s sophistry regarding immigration proved popular with the public, in spite of the criticism
of it by many experts.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Look up the definition for pugnacious and write it down in your notebook.
• Find antonyms for these words and write down the definitions: coerce, contentious, debunk.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 3 Quiz: Words Dealing With Arguing or Convincing
Matching: Definitions
1. beseech ___a. a plausible but misleading argument
2. coerce ___b. quarrelsome, belligerent
3. contentious ___c. to discredit or disprove
4. debunk ___d. to make someone do something by force or threat
5. sophistry ___e. to beg, to plead

Word Roots Flashback

6. bene = __________
7. en, em = __________
8. in, ig, il, im = __________
9. mag, maj, mas, max = __________
10. phil = __________
11. path, pass = __________
12. trem, trep = __________
13. vol = __________

Circle the Correct Word

14. He looked so pitiful when he (beseeched, coerced) his boss for a raise that his boss was reluctant to say no.
15. Sarah convinced me with her (cogent, dogmatic) argument that I should start saving for retirement as soon
as possible.
16. The five-year study on alien abduction thoroughly (debunked, accosted) the notion that aliens are snatching
up people in the middle of the night.

Chapter 4: Words Dealing With Assistance, Calm, or Relief

ameliorate assuage equanimity mitigate mollify panacea serene
pacific placate respite salve

Root
am, ami: love
pan: all

15
SAT Vocabulary
ameliorate (v.) to improve
“The mayor hopes the new subway system will ameliorate traffic congestion downtown.”
assuage (v.) to relieve, to reduce pain or difficulty
“The cool, damp cloth assuaged his fever.”
equanimity (n.) the act of being calm, even-tempered
“Greg accepted the bad news with equanimity.”
mitigate (v.) to make less severe or painful
“The dentist gave her patient a shot of Novocain to mitigate her pain.”
mollify (v.) to pacify, soothe, or appease
“Xavier was ready to chase after the guy that stepped on his toe, but his girlfriend mollified him.”
panacea (n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties
“The salesman claimed his elixir was a panacea but I was skeptical, as he kept coughing during his
presentation.”
pacific (adj.) peaceful, soothing
“Lying on warm sand on a beach while listening to the ocean roar in the distance is quite pacific.”
placate (v.) to ease the anger of, soothe
“Jimmy’s mother was so desperate to get him to stop crying that she bought him an ice cream cone
to placate him.”
respite (n.) a break or period of relief
“After each round, boxers get a moment of respite before returning to the fight.”
salve (n.) a soothing balm
“The salve mitigated the pain from the burns, but not by much.”
serene (adj.) calm, peaceful
“The only sound on the serene lake was the water lapping gently against the boat.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Find antonyms for these words and memorize the definitions: ameliorate, pacific, placate.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 4 Quiz: Words Dealing with Assistance,
Calm, or Relief
Matching: Definitions
1. ameliorate ___a. to improve
2. equanimity ___b. a break or period of relief
3. panacea ___c. a soothing balm
4. respite ___d. the act of being calm, even-tempered
5. salve ___e. a remedy for all ills or difficulties
6. serene ___f. calm, peaceful

Word Roots Flashback

7. co, com, con = ____________________
8. cogn, gno = _______________________
9. de = ______________________________

Circle the Correct Word

10. Tyson (mitigated, placated) his anger at losing the chess match by reminding himself that he only started
playing a few months ago.
11. The health food company claimed its new vitamin was a (panacea, salve) that could cure almost any health
problem.
12. After working non-stop for six days, the construction worker felt he earned a (respite, amelioration) from
work.

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SAT Vocabulary
Cumulative Review: Chapters 1-4
Match the word with the word group:
___1. pacific a. Abnormal or Odd
___2. altercation b. Admirable Character
___3. benevolent c. Arguing or Convincing
___4. cajole d. Assistance, Calm, or Relief
___5. eccentric
___6. magnanimous
___7. aberration
___8. ameliorate
___9. arbiter
___10. diligent
___11. mollify
___12. idiosyncratic

Underline the word root(s) in the word. Then write the word’s definition.
13. atypical _____________________________________________________________
14. intrepid _____________________________________________________________
15. cogent _____________________________________________________________
16. panacea _____________________________________________________________

Circle the Correct Answer:

17. The (eccentric, wily) farmer was the only person in the whole state of Nebraska to have a blue farm house.
18. It takes an (intrepid, serene) person to go sky diving.
19. Jaromir’s mother (coerced, mollified) him into clearing his room.
20. It was (devious, uncanny) of Simone to tell her parents she was going to spend the weekend at a friend’s
house when her real plan was to take a road trip with her friends to Las Vegas.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 5: Words Dealing With Brevity or Wordiness
circumlocution concise pithy laconic redundant succinct
turgid verbose

Root
circum: around
loc, loq, loqu: speech, thought

circumlocution (n.) indirect and wordy language

“If the professor spoke directly instead of indulging in circumlocution, his lectures would take one-third the
time and be easier to follow.
concise (adj.) brief and direct
“I appreciate Frank’s concise way of speaking. He rarely rambles and I don’t have to guess what he is trying
to say.”
laconic (adj.) terse or brief, in speech or writing
“Gita was shocked when her usually laconic father spoke to her for over an hour on the phone.”
pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful
“Yoda responded to Luke with a pithy saying: ‘Do or do not. There is no try.’ ”
succinct (adj.) precise, short
“Her response to her son’s demands for a new toy was succinct: ‘no.’ ”
redundant (adj.) unnecessary; repetitive in expression
“The phrase ‘PIN number’ is redundant because PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.”
turgid (adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language
“Before Karl ate his waffle, he said in his most turgid manner, O, glorious squares, aggregation of earthen
wheat and heavenly flour, covered with the syrup of desire and strawberries of life: my mouth awaits you!’
”
verbose (adj.) unnecessarily wordy
“Boomer disliked being verbose, but he needed to write a 15-page report on climate change and didn’t
know how else to do it.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Pick the six toughest words and use each of them in a sentence in your vocabulary journal.

19
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 5 Quiz: Words Dealing With Brevity or
Wordiness
Matching: Examples
1. circumlocution a. “How was your three-month vacation to India?” “Fine.”
2. laconic b. “Let’s meet in front of the theater at 9:00 p.m. That’s 9:00 p.m.,
in front of the theater.”
3. pithy c. “So what I’m trying to say is, well, first, maybe I should start
with what happened this morning. This morning, I was eating
cereal, when—actually, let me start over.”
4. redundant d. “A stitch in time saves nine.”
5. turgid e. “It is necessary for all white, rectangular paper to meet the
required classifications and requirements as stated in the
official office supply purchasing and procurement manual,
OB-87b.”
6. verbose f. “From the deepest pits of hell, from the darkness where
demons linger, may the beasts of evil arise and come forth to
inflict a thousand wounds upon you for eating the last
jelly doughnut.”

Word Roots Flashback

7. am, ami = __________________
8. pan = ______________________

Circle the Correct Word

9. His answer to my question was (succinct, verbose): “no.”
10. Steve’s thoughts tend to be disorganized when he is under stress. His normally concise speaking style is
replaced with lapses into (circumlocution, pithiness).
11. Diane was unusually (concise, laconic). She usually can’t stop talking.
12. The guru’s followers found his wisdom to be (pithy, turgid).

20
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 6: Words Dealing With Caution or
Uncertainty
addle ambiguous amorphous apocryphal circumspect
dubious equivocal prudent vacillate

Root
a, an: not, without
ambi, amphi: both
circum: around
equi: equal
morph: shape
spec, spic: around, look

addle (v.) to muddle or confuse

“The fever so addled his brain that he could barely recognize his own room.”
ambiguous (adj.) open to interpretation; uncertain
“The staff found their boss’ latest request to “work hard, but not too hard” very ambiguous.”
amorphous (adj.) without definite shape or form
“Tanya was frightened by the dark, amorphous shape drifting towards her through the fog.”
apocryphal (adj.) of questionable authorship or authenticity
“The story of Newton devising the Universal Law of Gravitation after an apple dropped on the head is
apocryphal, but many people believe it is true anyway.
circumspect (adj.) cautious; prudent
“He was circumspect about making his way through the jungle as he heard it was infested with poisonous
snakes.”
dubious (adj.) doubtful, questionable
“Big Joe’s claim of bowling two perfect 300 games in a row is dubious.”
equivocal (adj.) subject to two or more interpretations, and sometimes intended to mislead
“Sometimes when faced with a scandal, a politician will issue an equivocal statement that is misleading but
technically true, like ‘I did not accept a bribe
on that day.’ ”

21
SAT Vocabulary
prudent (adj.) careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment.
“Sarah’s decision to buy fire insurance for her home proved to be prudent when a bolt of lightning struck
her house and set the roof on fire.”
vacillate (v.) to be indecisive; to sway between decisions
Jon vacillated so much between the chicken and pasta before ordering dinner that his date eventually
snapped, “Just pick one!”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write down something ambiguous you heard or were told today.
• Write down a dubious claim a friend made recently.
• Write down a story or urban legend that you believe to be apocryphal.

Chapter 6 Quiz: Words Dealing with Caution or Uncertainty

Matching: Definitions
1. addle a. without definite shape or form
2. ambiguous b. to be indecisive; to sway between decisions
3. amorphous c. open to interpretation; uncertain
4. circumspect d. to muddle or confuse
5. dubious e. cautious; prudent
6. vacillate f. doubtful, questionable

Word Roots Flashback

7. circum = ________________________
8. loc, loq, loqu = __________________

Circle the Correct Word

9. Sandra couldn’t make out the (amorphous, circumspect) object beneath the lake’s surface.
10. Mr. Swanson found it (dubious, prudent) that Tony’s dog ate his homework for the third time in a week.
11. Benny was (addling, vacillating) between ordering the soup and the hamburger.
12. Jennifer felt her husband was being (apocryphal, equivocal) when she asked him if he planned a surprise
vacation to Tahiti for her birthday and he responded, “I didn’t make any plans to travel... there.”

22
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 7: Words Dealing with Compliance or Timidity
acquiesce amenable capitulate compliant deferential docile
obsequious punctilious servile tractable trepidation timorous

Root
cap, cip: head
co, com, con: with, together
ob: against, toward
sequ, secu: follow
tract: drag, draw
trem, trep: shake, timid

acquiesce (v.) to comply quietly

“The hostage, fearful of being killed, acquiesced to his captors’ demands.”
amenable (adj.) agreeable, cooperative
“Although they had agreed to go hiking, Lily knew she could get her amenable friend to see a movie
instead.”
capitulate (v.) to surrender
“On April 9, 1865, after four years of fighting, General Robert E. Lee capitulated to Lieutenant General
Ulysses S. Grant, and the American Civil War was finally over.”
compliant (adj.) yielding, obedient
“Most children are compliant to their parents’ wishes until they get older and begin to rebel.”
deferential (adj.) yielding to the wishes of another; showing respect for authority
“Zoriada says she would like to give the President of the United States a piece of her mind, but I suspect
if she ever met him, she would be deferential to him.”
docile (adj.) easily taught or trained
“Some breeds of dogs, like the poodle and Golden Retriever, are more docile than other breeds.”
obsequious (adj.) excessively submissive or attentive
“Franklin’s obsequiousness towards his teacher evoked derision from his classmates, who called him
a ‘kiss-up’.”
punctilious (adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions
“Joseph is punctilious about signaling while driving. He even uses his turn signals when no one is around.”

23
SAT Vocabulary
servile (adj.) subservient, almost slave-like
“It makes me cringe to see a married couple where one of them is servile to the other. Shouldn’t there be
equality in relationships?”
tractable (adj.) easily controlled or dealt with; obedient
“When the glass of the python’s pen broke, the situation was tractable because it happened after zoo hours
and the python stayed nearby.”
trepidation (n.) fear and apprehension
“Louise agreed to give the graduation speech with trepidation—she hated public speaking and had never
spoken to so many people at once.”
timorous (adj.) fearful, timid
“Jill appears timorous at first because of her small stature and mousy voice, but people who know her are
quick to say she can be pushy and demanding when she wants to.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Look up the definitions of these words: accede, conciliatory, tremulous. For each word, write a sentence that
uses the word.

Chapter 7 Quiz: Words Dealing with Compliance or Timidity

Matching: Definitions
1. amenable a. yielding to the wishes of another; showing respect for authority
2. capitulate b. excessively submissive or attentive
3. deferential c. eager to follow rules or conventions
4. obsequious d. agreeable, cooperative
5. punctilious e. easily controlled or dealt with; obedient
6. tractable f. to surrender
7. timorous g. fearful, timid

Word Roots Flashback

8. ambi, amphi = ______________________
9. circum = ___________________________
10. equi = ____________________________
11. morph = __________________________
12. spec, spic = _______________________

24
SAT Vocabulary
Circle the Correct Word
13. Judy felt (docile, timorous) when waiting in line for a scary roller coaster.
14. True friendships can’t work when one of the people is (amenable, servile) to the other.
15. Joseph is (deferential, punctilious): a real stickler for the rules.
16. The war finally ended with the general’s (capitulation, trepidation).

Chapter 8: Words Dealing with Criticism or Scolding

admonish berate censure chide decry denigrate deride
disparage invective rebuke upbraid

Root
ad, a: to, towards
de: from, down, away
dis, dys, dif: apart, away, not

admonish (v.) to caution or warn gently

“ ‘Now, now,’ admonished the pastor, ‘It’s not nice to lie.’ ”
berate (v.) to scold in an angry or harsh tone
“Lucy berated her husband mercilessly for getting drunk and insulting her boss last night.”
censure (v.) the act of blaming or condemning sternly
“Before giving his verdict, the judge censured the delinquent mother for neglecting her children.”
chide (v.) to scold or express disproval
“Louise found it humorous when his younger brother chided him for not doing the dishes last night.”
decry (v.) to criticize publicly
“At her sermon, the minister decried people who only thought about spirituality on Sundays.”
denigrate (v.) to insult someone’s reputation
“It makes Mateo uncomfortable to hear Cathy denigrate Arin behind her back, because he considers both
of them to be his friends.”
deride (v.) to mock, scorn, or make fun of
“Jon is a movie snob. He derides every movie made by Hollywood unless it is filmed in black-and-white and
is difficult to understand.”
disparage (v.) to reduce in esteem or rank; to speak of in a disrespectful way
“James is jealous of his sister Alexia’s accomplishments, so he constantly disparages her to make himself
feel better.”
Circle the Correct Word

25
SAT Vocabulary
invective (n.) a verbal attack, such as cursing
“Ms. Williams was speechless when she asked one of her sixth-grade students to pay attention and he
responded with an invective directed at her.”
rebuke (v.) to reprimand; to criticize sharply
“After she recovered from the shock, Ms. Williams rebuked the student and sent him to the principal’s
office.”
upbraid (v.) to criticize or scold severely
“Robert cringed to hear the mother upbraid her daughter in the store just for asking for a new dress.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Pick the six toughest words and use each of them in a sentence in your vocabulary journal.

Chapter 8 Quiz: Words Dealing With Criticism or Scolding

Matching: Definitions
1. admonish ___a. to caution or warn gently
2. decry ___b. to insult someone’s reputation
3. denigrate ___c. to criticize publicly
4. deride ___d. a verbal attack, such as cursing
5. invective ___e. to reprimand; to criticize sharply
6. rebuke ___f. to mock, scorn, or make fun of

Word Roots Flashback

7. cap, cip = ____________________
8. co, com, con = _______________
9. ob = _________________________
10. sequ, secu = ________________
11. tract = ______________________
12. trem, trep = _________________

26
SAT Vocabulary
13. After fouling out of the basketball game, Nancy expected the coach to berate her, or at the very least,
(admonish, upbraid) her, but the coach said nothing.
14. Most people prefer to be criticized in private rather than (decried, rebuked).
15. The secretary has a bad habit of (denigrating, rebuking) the reputations of coworkers she dislikes.
16.The stand-up comic cruelly (admonished, derided) the slovenly appearance of one of the audience members.

Cumulative Review Chapters 5-8

Match the word with the word group:
___1. amorphous a. Brevity or Wordiness
___2. denigrate b. Caution or Uncertainty
___3. deferential c. Compliance or Timidity
___4. punctilious d. Criticism or Scolding
___5. laconic
___6. addle
___7. succinct
___8. acquiesce
___9. deride
___10. turgid
___11. dubious
___12. censure

Underline the word root(s) in the word. Then write the word’s definition.
13. circumlocution ___________________________________________________________
14. amorphous _____________________________________________________________
15. tractable ________________________________________________________________
16. disparage _______________________________________________________________

27
SAT Vocabulary
Circle the Correct Answer
17. When Kia didn’t acquiesce to Mary’s demand to help her cheat on a test, Mary (censured, denigrated) Kia’s
reputation to all her classmates.
18. The prudent man was quite (amenable, circumspect) about investing his entire life savings in magic beans.
19. Cathy wished her mother was more (laconic, verbose) when upbraiding her.
20. The power-hungry warlord berated his lieutenant for suggesting that they (capitulate, equivocate) to the
enemy.

Chapter 9: Words Dealing with Deception or Trickery

beguile bilk chicanery concoct connive devious dissemble
duplicity guile ostensible pretense prevaricate ruse spurious
veneer wily unctuous

Root
co, com, con: with, together
dis, dys, dif: apart, away, not

beguile (v.) to deceive; to charm

“The con artist, pretending to be a prince from a faraway land, beguiled the heiress and won her heart.”
bilk (v.) to cheat; to defraud
“The slimy salesman bilked dozens of elderly people out of their savings before he was caught.”
chicanery (n.) deception by trickery
“The football team won the game by using chicanery. The players painted footballs on the fronts of their
jerseys so the opposing team couldn’t tell who was carrying the ball.”
concoct (v.) to fabricate, make up
“When Taylor’s parents caught him sneaking into the house past his curfew, he concocted a story about
how his friend’s car broke down and it took two hours for a tow truck to arrive.”
connive (v.) to plot, scheme
“The disgruntled bank teller connived to rob the bank if he didn’t get a raise next month.”
devious (adj.) dishonest, deceptive
“Most people found Larry friendly, but Tameka sensed a devious side to his nature and was wary to
trust him.”
dissemble (v.) to conceal or disguise one’s nature, feelings, or motives
“Ken dissembled when he invited his friend over on Saturday to watch a basketball game. It was his
friend’s birthday and Ken had planned a surprise party.”

28
SAT Vocabulary
duplicity (n.) crafty dishonesty
“The spy’s duplicity ran so deep that she fooled both the U.S. and Russia into thinking that she was
working for them.”
guile (n.) deceitful, cunning behavior
“Allison rarely engaged in guile, but when she started having a romantic liaison with a coworker, she
surprised herself with her ability to hide the affair.”
ostensible (adj.) 1. intended for display 2. plausibly true but not really true
“His ostensible purpose for being in the Debate Club was to be a better communicator, but his real purpose
was to pad his college résumé.”
pretense (n.) an appearance or action intended to deceive
“Some parents poke around in their teenagers’ rooms on the pretense that they are trying to find a
household object they can’t find, like a pair of scissors.”
prevaricate (v.) to stray from or evade the truth
“Sean thought it was wise to prevaricate when his wife asked him about the details of his spelunking
expedition. He almost died in the cave, and thought she would demand that he give up his hobby if she
knew.”
ruse (n.) a trick
“The ruse worked—the noblemen ran into the bandit’s stronghold after a woman pretended to cry for help.”
spurious (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible
“The Van Gogh painting was spurious, but created expertly enough to deceive art critics at first.”
veneer (n.) a mask, façade; a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance
“It is difficult to tell whether a celebrity’s personality is genuine or a veneer.”
wily (adj.) crafty, sly
“Wile E. Coyote attempted to live up to his name, but his wily attempts to catch the Road Runner always
met with failure.”
unctuous (adj.) insincerely earnest; oily
“The unctuous car salesman feigned interest in the family’s needs and then led them to a more expensive
model.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write a paragraph about someone you know that is crafty or dishonest. Use at least three of the vocabulary
words in this section as you write.

29
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 9 Quiz: Words Dealing With Deception or Trickery
Matching: Definitions
1. beguile a. to fabricate, make up
2. chicanery b. dishonest, deceptive
3. concoct c. to conceal or disguise one’s nature, feelings, or motivess
4. devious d. plausibly true but not really true
5. dissemble e. to deceive; to charm
6. ostensible f. insincerely earnest; oily
7. prevaricate g. deception by trickery
8. unctuous h. to stray from or evade the truth

Word Roots Flashback

9. ad, a = _______________________
10. de = ________________________

Circle the Correct Word

11. Fredrick asked Jennifer if she wanted to study together on the (pretense, ruse) of preparing for the test, but
his real motive was to get to know her better.
12. Some of the more perceptive shoppers noticed the store clerk’s insincere, (wily, unctuous) manner.
13. Even the most moral person (bilks, prevaricates) from time to time when caught in a lie.
14. Although I’ve lived next to Mr. Mitchell for years, I barely know him as he (connives, dissembles) his feelings
and thoughts.

30
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 10: Words Dealing with Food, Taste, or Hunger
arable delectable culinary insatiable gourmand palatable insipid voracious

Root
in, ig, il, im: not
vor: eat

arable (adj.) suitable for growing crops

“Increasing land development and environmental damage makes finding arable land more difficult than it
was 50 years ago.”
culinary (adj.) relating to cooking
“Beth cajoled her roommate into taking take a culinary skills class with her in hope that their house would
no longer be filled with smoke when her roommate cooked.”
delectable (adj.) delicious
“ ‘Your crab patties are delectable!’ the patron said, to the delight of the chef. ‘Can I have your recipe?’ ”
gourmand (n.) someone fond of eating
“I know how much Big Al enjoys being a gourmand, but he never exercises and I’m afraid he’s going to
develop heart problems.”
insatiable (adj.) incapable of being satisfied
“Violet’s desire for porcelain figurines is insatiable. She has over 200 of them, and she is still searching for
more.”
insipid (adj.) lacking flavor or taste; dull
“ ‘Ugh! This food is insipid,’ thought the restaurant critic as he chewed the rubbery shrimp. ‘This place will
be lucky to get 2 stars.’ ”
palatable (adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities
“ ‘I don’t care what the restaurant looks like,’ said Francis. ‘I’m starving. I just want the food to be palatable.’ ”
voracious (adj.) unending hunger; insatiable
“Violet’s brother, Samuel, also shared her thirst for knowledge. He was a voracious reader, particularly of
books on history and science.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write three sentences, each one using a word in this section and a word in Chapter 6: Words Dealing with
Caution or Uncertainty.

31
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 10 Quiz: Words Dealing With Food, Taste, or Hunger
Matching: Definitions
1. culinary a. delicious
2. delectable b. unending hunger; insatiable
3. insatiable c. lacking flavor or taste; dull
4. insipid d. relating to cooking
5. palatable e. agreeable to the taste or sensibilities
6. voracious f. incapable of being satisfied

Word Roots Flashback

7. co, com, con = _____________
8. dis, dys, dif = _____________

Circle the Correct Word

9. The gourmand finds most food (insipid, palatable), even the foods his friends think are bland.
10. While the cooking class didn’t make Mark a master of (culinary, insatiable) arts, it did teach him how to make
simple meals that were also appetizing.
11. It takes a truly (delectable, voracious) eater to complete the Sonny’s Steak House 70 oz. Steak Challenge.
12. When John bought the farm land, he didn’t care if it was (arable, insipid) because he planned to transform it
into a housing development.

Chapter 11: Words Dealing With Happiness or

Friendliness
amiable amicable camaraderie congenial gregarious ecstatic
ebullient effervescent euphoria facetious jocular jubilant

Root
am, ami: love
co, com, con: with, together
greg: cloud, flock
eu: well, good

32
SAT Vocabulary
amiable (adj.) friendly, kind
“The townspeople were amiable to strangers, but at the same time, they were hesitant to offer personal
details about themselves.”
amicable (adj.) agreeable, showing good will
“The two neighbors came to an amicable agreement to mow each other’s lawn when one of them went on
vacation.”
camaraderie (n.) brotherhood, group unity
“Keith isn’t passionate about playing the trombone, but the camaraderie of the pep band made him look
forward to the group’s practices.”
congenial (adj.) having similar tastes or habits; a pleasant disposition
“Anton and Sarah are a congenial couple; they share many interests like hiking, watching basketball, and
going to the movies.”
ecstatic (adj.) intensely happy
“Emily was ecstatic to see her brother, who had been serving in the Army overseas for the past two years.”
ebullient (adj.) extremely enthusiastic
“Henry is ebullient about the prospect of achieving his lifelong dream—becoming a professional rodeo
clown.”
effervescent (adj.) bubbly, excited
“The waitress has an effervescent personality that endears her to many of her customers.”
euphoria (n.) the feeling of happiness or elation
“After crossing the finish line to win the marathon, Jay’s fatigue washed away and he was overcome by
euphoria.”
facetious (adj.) humorous, not serious
“Jack made a joke about Jill’s clumsiness, and was taken aback when she became angry. ‘Jill, calm down! I
was just being facetious.’ ”
gregarious (adj.) friendly, talkative, sociable
“Some of Greg’s friends call him ‘Gregarious G’ because he strikes up a conversation with a stranger
everywhere he goes.”
jocular (adj.) given to joking; habitually jolly
“Bernard is a good match for his jocular friend, Pete. Bernard is often serious and reserved, and Pete jokes
around all the time, so they even each other out.”
jubilant (adj.) extremely joyful, happy
“On graduation day, Joe felt jubilant about the prospect of being able to sleep in and have fun for a few
months before leaving for college.”

33
SAT Vocabulary
Boost Your Score
• Underline word roots.
• For each of the following words, write down a name of a friend or classmate who best fits the definition:
amicable, gregarious, jocular.

Chapter 11 Quiz: Words Dealing With Happiness or

Friendliness
Match the word with its general definition. Definitions can be used more than once.
___1. amiable a. friendly/talkative
___2. amicable b. humorous/joking
___3. ecstatic c. very happy/excited
___4. ebullient
___5. effervescent
___6. euphoria
___7. facetious
___8. gregarious
___9. jocular
___10. jubilant

Word Roots Flashback

11. in, ig, il, im = ____________
12. vor = ____________

Circle the Correct Word

13. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are a (congenial, ebullient) pair. They both enjoy logic puzzles, reading, and
singing.
14. Simone’s friends were surprised at her lack of (camaraderie, jubilation) when she won the lottery. She won
$5,000,000 and acted like nothing special happened.
15. Dave’s wry humor makes it difficult to tell when he is being serious and when he is being (ecstatic, facetious).

34
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 12: Words Dealing with Hatred or Evil
abhor animosity antipathy depravity enmity heinous
malediction malevolent nefarious odious wrath

Root
ab, a: away, from
de: from, down, away
dic, dict: speak
mal: bad, badly
vol: wish

abhor (v.) to loathe

“Melissa abhorred her fancy pink dress, but her mother forced her to wear it whenever they attended
church.”
animosity (n.) bitter hostility; open hatred
“Ever since his father abandoned Steven and his mother, Steven has felt animosity toward his estranged
father.”
antipathy (n.) a strong feeling of dislike or aversion
“Almost everyone has a food that inspires antipathy in them.”
depravity (n.) wickedness; moral corruption
“The depravity of the villain in the movie was too extreme to be believable. No one could murder his own
family plus countless others and feel no remorse.”
enmity (n.) intense, often mutual hatred
“Many wars and regional conflicts are fueled by enmity held by various ethnic groups against each other.”
heinous (adj.) wicked, reprehensible
“Hitler’s crimes against the Jewish people and other minorities was heinous.”
malediction (n.) a curse
“Before the adventurer could escape, the witch put a malediction on him that would haunt him for the rest
of his life.”
malevolent (adj.) having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others
“Jon’s parents worried about him. At times he was uncaring, even malevolent to those around him. It was
disturbing to see in a child so young.”
nefarious (adj.) extremely wicked or villainous; known for being wicked
“Everyone in Oz also feared the Wicked Witch of the West’s cousin, the Nefarious Niece of the North.”

35
SAT Vocabulary
odious (adj.) contemptible; instilling hatred or intense displeasure
“Some find the thought of eating raw oysters odious; others love them.”
wrath (n.) vengeful anger; punishment
“Although her name may sound unthreatening, the citizens of Oz know from experience they have good
reason to fear the wrath of Silent Sally of the South.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Choose three words in this section and use each one in a sentence to describe something you despise.

Chapter 12 Quiz: Words Dealing With Hatred or Evil

Matching: Definitions
1. abhor a. wickedness; moral corruption
2. depravity b. extremely wicked or villainous; known for being wicked
3. enmity c. wicked, reprehensible
4. heinous d. vengeful anger; punishment
5. malevolent e. intense, often mutual hatred
6. nefarious f. having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others
7. wrath g. to loathe

Word Roots Flashback

8. _______________ = love
9. co, _______, ________= with, together
10. ______________ = cloud, flock
11. ______________ = well, good

Circle the Correct Word

12. “Jonas wanted to break off his friendship with Darlene, but he feared her (malediction, wrath).”
13. “The princess found the thought of scrubbing floors all day (heinous, odious).”
14. “It is remarkable that Romeo and Juliet fell in love considering the (depravity, enmity) between their feuding
families.”
15. “The palm reader claimed that if Roberto did not give her more money, she would put a/an (antipathy,
malediction) on him.”

36
SAT Vocabulary
Cumulative Review 9-12
Match the word with the word group
___1. gourmand a. Deception/Trickery
___2. beguile b. Food/Taste/Hunger
___3. insipid c. Happiness/Friendliness
___4. amiable d. Hatred/Evil
___5. abhor
___6. veneer
___7. effervescent
___8. palatable
___9. voracious
___10. gregarious
___11. unctuous
___12. malevolent
___13. heinous
___14. jubilant
___15. dissemble
___16. malediction

Underline the word root(s) in the word. Then write the word’s definition.
17. amicable ______________________________________________________________
18. dissemble _____________________________________________________________
19. malevolent ____________________________________________________________
20. voracious _____________________________________________________________

Circle the Correct Answer

21. Steven holds (animosity, jubilation) toward doctors ever since one of them used a (malediction, ruse) to
poke him with a needle when he was a child.
22. An excellent meal sends a gourmand into a state of (euphoria, malevolence).
23. The (congeniality, depravity) of the villain to kidnap the little girl’s dog is truly (insipid, odious).
24. The defendant lied under oath when he made a/an (abhorrent, spurious) statement about his alibi during the
night of the murder.
Used Correctly?

37
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 13: Words Dealing With Intelligence or Knowledge
acumen ascertain arcane astute canny didactic cognizant
esoteric erudite ingenious perspicacious sagacity

Root
ac, acr: sharp, sour
cogn, gno: know
peri: around
spec, spic: look, see

acumen (n.) sharpness of mind; shrewd judgment

His natural-born acumen allowed him to beat opponents who have more experience with chess.”
ascertain (v.) to discover with certainty
“Sherlock Holmes explained his reasoning to Dr. Watson. ‘If we can ascertain the original owner of the
painting, we will eventually be able to find the identity of the murderer.’ ”
arcane (adj.) obscure, known only by a few
“Consultants who are knowledgeable about arcane matters, such as China’s tax regulations for foreign oil
companies, can charge a lot of money for their advice.”
astute (adj.) clever intelligence; sharp perception
“Jennifer is an astute businesswoman who has a knack for negotiating the best possible prices from her
suppliers.”
canny (adj.) shrewd; founded on common sense
“Robert’s mother may not have gone to college, but her natural canniness proved to be more beneficial to
her family than a formal education would have been.”
cognizant (adj.) aware, mindful
“Wang-Shi was cognizant that he had difficulty focusing for more than a few minutes ever since his
daughter ran away with her boyfriend, but he could do nothing to help his concentration.”
didactic (adj.) meant to teach
“While fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel are entertaining, they are also didactic in that they teach children
lessons such as, ‘Be wary of strangers’ and ‘Don’t wander too far from home.’ ”
erudite (adj.) scholarly, learned
“While it is obvious that the professor is erudite, his habit of talking to the floor makes it difficult for him to
share his knowledge with his students.”
esoteric (adj.) understood by only a select few
“Quantum Physics is an esoteric field that seems inaccessible to non-scientists.”

38
SAT Vocabulary
ingenious (adj.) clever or inventive
“The plane crash survivors might have died if one of them hadn’t figured out an ingenious way to covert rain
water into fresh water by using a bucket, a sheet of plastic, and some rope.”
perspicacious (adj.) having keen perception or judgment
“Reginald considers his father a perspicacious man and often asks him for advice.”
sagacity (n.) shrewdness, farsightedness
“Thomas Edison proved his sagacity many times with his hundreds of inventions and keen business sense
in marketing them.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• For each of the following words, write down a name of someone you admire who best epitomizes the word:
astute, erudite, ingenious, sagacious.

Chapter 13 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
1. acumen a. sharpness of mind; shrewd judgment
2. arcane b. scholarly, learned
3. didactic c. obscure, known only by a few
4. erudite d. meant to teach
5. ingenious e. clever or inventive

Word Roots Flashback

6. dic, dic = _________________________
7. mal = ____________________________
8. vol = _____________________________

Shrewd or Not?
Write “S” if the word’s meaning is similar to shrewd, write “D” if it is different.
9. ascertain ________________________
10. astute _________________________
11. canny _________________________
12. cognizant ______________________
13. esoteric ________________________
14. perspicacious __________________
15. sagacity _______________________

39
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 14: Words Dealing with Joining or Separating
aggregate cleave coalesce disseminate confluence engender
linchpin segregate yoke

Root
co, com, con: with, together
dis, dys, dif: apart, away, not
greg: crowd, flock
se: apart, away
sem: seed, sow

aggregate 1. (v.) to gather together 2. (n.) a total

“The aggregate of her purchases over the weekend is $213.47, a bargain for a two-day vacation at a Florida
resort.”
cleave 1. (v.) to divide 2. (v.) to stick together firmly
(Tricky SAT word alert: note that cleave has two opposite meanings.)
“The chef cleaved the head of lettuce in half and tossed the pieces to his assistant.”
“The frightened little girl cleaved herself to her mother’s leg.”
coalesce (v.) to come together; to fuse
“After staring at the math problem in frustration for hours, the lessons of the past monthly finally coalesced
and the solution popped into his head.”
confluence (n.) a gathering or meeting together at a juncture
“The two streams met at a confluence before flowing into the lake.”
linchpin (n.) something critical that holds separate parts together
“Carol was the linchpin for her group of high school friends. Once she transferred to a different high school,
her friends lost contact with each other.”
segregate (v.) to separate others from a group
“After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the federal government segregated hundreds of thousands of
Japanese-Americans from their communities and forced them to live in internment camps.”
yoke (v.) to join or link securely
“The farmer expertly yoked the cart to his mule.”

40
SAT Vocabulary
Mini-Group: Words Dealing With Creating and Spreading
disseminate (v.) to spread widely
“The soccer club, desperate for new members, disseminated flyers advertising its next meeting all over
campus.”
engender (v.) to bring about, create, generate
“The teacher engendered creativity in her students by giving them half-an-hour each Friday to write and
illustrate a fairy tale based on the lives of themselves and their families.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write three sentences using a vocabulary word in this section and a word in the previous section.

Chapter 14 Quiz
Write the Word in the Blank
to come together; to fuse 1.________________________________
something that holds separate parts together 2. ________________________________
to spread widely 3. ________________________________
(v.) to gather together; (n.) a total 4. ________________________________
to bring about, create, generate 5. ________________________________
to join or link securely 6. ________________________________

Word Roots Flashback

7. ac, acr = ________________________
8. cogn, gno = _____________________
9. peri = ___________________________
10. spec, spic = ____________________

Circle the Correct Word

11. News about the police’s arrest of the Homecoming King (disseminated, engendered) quickly around school.
12. Mrs. Krobowsky (segregated, yoked) the boys and the girls in her class to keep them from fighting.
13. The annual International Physicist Conference was a (confluence, linchpin) of the brightest minds in science.
14. Mary hoped her love and affection would (coalesce, engender) good behaviors in the abandoned puppy.

41
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 15: Words Dealing with Laziness or Lack of Energy
dormant flag indolent languid lethargic repose
sedentary somnolent stagnate torpid wallow

Root
sed, sid: sit
somn: sleep
torp: stiff, numb

dormant (adj.) sleeping, temporarily inactive

“Bears become dormant in the winter to conserve energy.”
flag (v.) to decline in energy or strength
“Cynthia’s energy flags in the afternoon and she can barely concentrate for the last two hours of the
workday.”
indolent (adj.) lazy, not wanting to work
“Every weekend, Lucy claims she is too busy to help clean the house, but her roommate thinks that she is
just being indolent.”
languid (adj.) lacking energy, slow
“After staying up all night and skipping breakfast, Winston felt languid and could barely trudge to his next
class.”
lethargic (adj.) having little or no energy; unmotivated to move
“The humidity and 90 degree heat made everyone without air conditioning feel lethargic.”
repose (n.) relaxation
“Tyrone entered a state of repose after he finished his last exam.”
sedentary (adj.) related to sitting around a lot
“Homer Simpson is a sedentary person. He is often sitting on the couch, watching TV.”
somnolent (adj.) drowsy, sleepy
“The sandman sprinkled his dust on the child’s forehead. The child because somnolent and quickly fell
asleep.”
stagnate (v.) to be inactive, not develop, not flow
“As the lava cooled, it slowed down and eventually became stagnate.”
torpid (adj.) sluggish; unable to move
“After running around deliriously in the heat, the Golden Retriever became torpid and unwilling to play fetch
anymore.”

42
SAT Vocabulary
wallow (v.) to indulge oneself excessively
“Ana wallowed in the mud bath for hours, only leaving because she had an appointment for a massage.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write three sentences using a vocabulary word in this section and a word from Chapter 10: Words Dealing with
Food, Taste, or Hunger.

Chapter 15 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
Match the word with its general definition. A few of the words have two matches.
___1. dormant a. drowsy/sleepy
___2. flag b. sluggish/inactive
___3. indolent c. lazy/relaxation
___4. languid
___5. lethargic
___6. repose
___7. sedentary
___8. somnolent
___9. stagnate
___10. torpid
___11. wallow

Word Roots Flashback

12. greg = ______________________
13. se = ________________________
14. sem = ______________________

Circle the Correct Word

15. Once the invigorating effect of the coffee dissipated, Thomas’s energy (flagged, wallowed) and he felt tired.
16. Although they are twins, Mark and Andy chose two markedly different career paths. Mark is a construction
worker who is soaked with sweat by the end of the day while Andy, an office manager, has a/an (indolent,
sedentary) job.

43
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 16: Words Dealing with Poor Character
effrontery haughty insolent irascible licentious mendacious mercurial
petulant supercilious truculent vindictive wanton

Root
pet: seek, go towards

effrontery (n.) brazenly bold or rude

“After an American hugged the Queen of England instead of shaking her hand, many in the British press
chided the American for her effrontery.”
haughty (adj.) overly proud of oneself and disdainful of others
“Tamriel’s haughty attitude irked her neighbors, who felt they were at least as good as she was.”
insolent (adj.) insultingly rude
“Calling the President ‘Dude’ would be considered by many people to be insolent.”
irascible (adj.) quick to anger
“His irascible nature made his friends wary to bring up certain subjects with him.”
licentious (adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
“The lawyer’s willingness to be licentious when defending his clients made him detested by his colleagues,
and admired by his clients who were desperate to avoid jail time at any cost.”
mendacious (adj.) having a lying, false character
“The Senator was so charming that few voters considered him mendacious in spite of the fact that he was
caught lying several times.”
mercurial (adj.) temperamental, quick to change
“Samantha’s mercurial temperament made him unpredictable and difficult to like.”
petulant (adj.) unreasonably irritable
“The petulant child cried all the way home because her mother wouldn’t buy her a doll at the department
store.”
supercilious (adj.) scornful; looking down on others
“After he won the lottery, he alienated most of his friends by adopting a supercilious attitude towards
anyone with less money than he.”
truculent (adj.) disposed to fight
“Bruno’s truculent nature caused him to be suspended several times from school for fighting.”
vindictive (adj.) vengeful, disposed to seeking revenge
“Sometimes it is just easier to apologize to a vindictive person, as there is no telling how far he or she will
go to extract revenge for even a small slight.”

44
SAT Vocabulary
wanton (adj.) immoral, lustful; malicious, inhumane
“The mayor’s wife wanted him to remove the nude statue in the park because she felt it encouraged wanton
thoughts in the people that saw it.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Rank the words in order of most to least appealing traits. Then look up antonyms for the first five traits and
learn their definitions.
• Look up the definition for “pugnacious.” Which word in this chapter is its definition closest to?

Chapter 16 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
1. insolent a. displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
2. licentious b. unreasonably irritable
3. mercurial c. disposed to fight
4. petulant d. insultingly rude
5. truculent e. scornful; looking down on others
6. supercilious f. temperamental, quick to change
7. vindictive g. vengeful, disposed to seeking revenge

Word Roots Flashback

8. _______ = sit
9. _______ = sleep
10. _______ = stiff, numb

Synonym or Not?
Write “S” if the words have similar definitions, “D” if they have different definitions.
11. haughty supercilious _______
12. truculent wanton _______
13. petulant vindictive _______
14. irascible mercurial _______
15. petulant supercilious _______
16. insolent licentious _______

45
SAT Vocabulary
Cumulative Review: Chapters 13-16
Match the word with the word group
___1. acumen a. Intelligence or Knowledge
___2. aggregate b. Joining or Separating
___3. indolent c. Laziness or Lack of Energy
___4. segregate d. Poor Character
___5. haughty
___6. irascible
___7. perspicacious
___8. confluence
___9. mercurial
___10. ingenious
___11. languid
___12. wanton
___13. arcane
___14. somnolent
___15. yoke
___16. stagnate

Underline the word root(s). Then write the word’s definition.

17. cognizant _____________________________________________________________
18. disseminate ___________________________________________________________
19. segregate _____________________________________________________________
20. somnolent _____________________________________________________________

Circle the Correct Answer

21. “The doctor tried to (ascertain, engender) why the normally energetic Ms. Murphy has been feeling so
(insolent, lethargic) lately.”
22. “Missy’s (canny, supercilious) attitude made her disliked by most of her down-to-earth neighbors.”
23. “ ‘What (confluence, effrontery)!’ cried the Countess, as the carpet installer rested his muddy shoes on her
couch and began watching TV.”
24. “Ya wanna fight?” snapped the (mendacious, truculent) bully.

46
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 17: Words Relating to Religion or Spirituality
apotheosis atheist consecrate desecrate divine sanctimonious
ethereal hallow rectitude sacrosanct

Roots
a, an: not, without
co, com, con: with, together
de: from, down, away
dei, div: God, godly
sacr, sanct: holy
theo, the: God, godly

apotheosis (n.) 1. elevation to divine status. 2. (n.) a glorified example

“One hundred years after her death, the Pope highlighted the formerly unknown nun as an apotheosis of
kindness and charity.”
atheist (n.) one who does not believe in God
“Although Essan is a devout Muslim, he enjoys arguing about the existence of God with his neighbor, Bob,
who is an atheist.”
consecrate (v.) to dedicate something to a holy purpose
“When the church was finished, the minister gathered the congregation to consecrate their new home.”
desecrate (v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
“Mildred gasped when she read in the newspaper that someone had desecrated the statue of the Virgin
Mary in the park nearby.”
divine (adj.) godly, exceedingly wonderful
“ ‘These chocolate-covered strawberries are divine!’ exclaimed Evelyn.”
ethereal (adj.) lacking material substance; celestial, heavenly
“Renee had a dream that she was visited by an angel. At least, she thought it was an angel. Its ethereal
form was difficult to make out, but she felt a warm, peaceful glow from its presence.”
hallow (v.) revere, consecrate
“The priest said solemnly, ‘In the name of our Lord, we hallow this ground in memory of our dead.’ ”
rectitude (n.) extreme morality
“Jim’s impression of his neighbor as a man of great rectitude was shattered when his neighbor invited him
over for some drinks and to watch a movie he illegally copied with a DVD burner.”
sacrosanct (adj.) holy, above criticism
“Some Catholics think that the Pope should be sacrosanct, and other Catholics think it is fair to criticize him.”

47
SAT Vocabulary
sanctimonious (adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety
“Robin placed religious-themed bumper stickers on her car and chided her friends for not going to church
more often, but in truth, she was being sanctimonious as she rarely practiced the teachings of her religion
and prayed infrequently.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Lincoln uses one of these words twice in his 1863 Gettysburg address. Which one do you think it is? You can
find the text of Lincoln’s speech on the Internet or in an encyclopedia.

Chapter 17 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
1. apotheosis a. godly, exceedingly wonderful
2. atheist b. one who does not believe in God
3. consecrate c. celestial, heavenly; lacking material substance
4. divine d. giving a hypocritical appearance of piety
5. ethereal e. (1.) elevation to divine status. (2.) a glorified example
6. rectitude f. extreme morality
7. sacrosanct g. to dedicate something to a holy purpose
8. sanctimonious h. holy, above criticism

Similar, Opposite, or Different?

Write “S” if the two words have similar definitions, “O” if they have opposite definitions, and “D” if neither apply
(different definitions).
9. apotheosis, atheist _________
10. consecrate, desecrate _________
11. sacrosanct, sanctimonious _________
12. consecrate, hallow _________
13. apotheosis, rectitude _________

48
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 18: Words Dealing With Shyness or Holding Back
aloof ascetic demure diffident impassive insular
quiescent reticent staid stoic taciturn temperance

Roots
dis, dys, dif: apart, away, not
in, ig, il, im: not
quie: quiet
tacit, tic: silent

aloof (adj.) reserved, distant

“Cheryl’s coworkers found her aloof at first. She rarely greeted them in the hallways or joined them for
lunch. Once they got to know her, though, they realized she is just shy around new people.”
ascetic (adj.) practicing restraint as self-discipline
“Many monks like an ascetic lifestyle, fasting for months and rejecting conveniences like hot showers and
TV.”
demure (adj.) modest, quiet
“The demure little girl said nothing except ‘Thank you’ and ‘Yes, please’ until one of the grownups asked
her about her doll.”
diffident (adj.) shy due to lack of confidence
“Charles wanted to introduce himself to people in his dorm, but he was diffident and thought no one would
like him.”
impassive (adj.) devoid of external emotion; expressionless
“After Lara told her husband she wanted a divorce, he stood there, impassive, until the shock passed by
and he realized what she’d said.”
insular (adj.) isolated from others; related to living on an island
“Jake’s insular world view makes it difficult for him to put himself in other people’s shoes.”
quiescent (adj.) quiet; still; at rest
“The woods were eerily quiescent. Not even the whistle of a single bird could be heard.”
reticent (adj.) reserved or restrained, especially in offering personal information
“Some people will share their life story with a stranger. Other people are reticent about their personal lives,
even with their close friends.”
staid (adj.) serious and self-restrained, “tight-laced”
“The school teacher appeared staid to her students, but outside the classroom, she felt comfortable letting
her vivacious personality out.”

49
SAT Vocabulary
stoic (adj.) seemingly unaffected by any passions or feelings
“Murphy was stoic during his father’s funeral. His response concerned his friends, who knew that they were
close.”
taciturn (adj.) habitually disinclined to talk
“The prosecutor had trouble getting useful testimony out of the taciturn witness.”
temperance (n.) moderation and self-restraint in action or thought
“Steven’s philosophy was to live with temperance. Enjoy the pleasures of life, but do not overindulge in
them.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• For three of these words, write down the word, then the name of someone you know that embodies
the word.
• For the three words you chose above, use a thesaurus to find an antonym for the word. Then write the name
of a person that symbolizes the antonym.

Chapter 18 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. aloof a. devoid of external emotion; expressionless
___2. demure b. reserved or restrained, especially in offering personal
information
___3. diffident c. habitually disinclined to talk
___4. impassive d. isolated from others; related to living on an island
___5. insular e. reserved, distant
___6. reticent f. moderation and self-restraint in action or thought
___7. taciturn g. shy due to lack of confidence
___8. temperance h. modest, quiet

Word Roots Flashback

9. co, com, con = ___________________
10. dei, div = _______________________
11. sacr, sanct = ____________________
12. theo, the = ______________________

50
SAT Vocabulary
Synonym or Not?
Write “S” if the words have similar definitions, “D” if they have different definitions.
13. demure, quiescent _____
14. impassive, stoic _____
15. aloof, insular _____
16. reticent, staid _____
17. asceticism, temperance _____
18. demure, stoic _____

Chapter 19: Words Dealing With Size or Grandeur

august behemoth commensurate commodious diminutive
grandiose palatial sublime truncate wane

Roots
co, com, con: with, together

august (adj.) majestic

“The pyramids in Egypt ruins are truly august.”
behemoth (n.) something of great power or size
“The alien invaders in War of the Worlds were behemoths. They towered over 100 feet and could level a city
in minutes with their lasers and metal arms.”
commensurate (adj.) corresponding in size or amount
“Many of the job listings Andrew read promised that salary would be commensurate with experience.”
commodious (adj.) spacious
“The hotel’s penthouse was commodious. It contained a king-sized bed, full-sized kitchen, two bathrooms,
and a large balcony.”
diminutive (adj.) small
“Stars appear diminutive in the night sky, but they are actually hundreds of times the size of the Earth.”
grandiose (adj.) magnificent; absurdly exaggerated or imaginative
“Meredith found her best friend’s plans to own a multi-million dollar company and a private jet before
turning 21 to be grandiose.”
palatial (adj.) relating to a palace, or suitable for a palace
“The community center’s new pool was palatial. It had twenty-four swimming lanes, a large wading area,
and two water slides.”

51
SAT Vocabulary
sublime (adj.) grand, exalted, awe-inspiring
“When the sun set behind the church, the light poured through the stain-glass windows and filled the
church with a sublime radiance.”
truncate (v.) to shorten by cutting off
“After the previous speaker rambled for ten minutes past his allotted time, George had to truncate his
speech so they could finish on schedule.”
wane (v.) to decrease in size, amount, or intensity
“The flashlight waned for several minutes before finally dying out.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• What is the difference between august and grandiose?
• What is the difference between truncate and wane?

Chapter 19 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. august a. spacious
___2. commodious b. small
___3. diminutive c. majestic
___4. sublime d. to decrease in size, amount, or intensity
___5. truncate e. grand, exalted, awe-inspiring
___6. wane f. to shorten by cutting off

Word Roots Flashback

7. in, ig, il, im = ___________________
8. quie = _________________________
9. tacit, tic = ______________________

Circle the Correct Word

10. “As (august, diminutive) as the Roman Coliseum is today, it must have been truly magnificent when it was
undamaged thousands of years ago.”
11. “The nefarious scientist had (grandiose, palatial) plans to conquer the entire world.”
12. “Evelyn (truncated, waned) the branches of her tree with a hedge clipper because they were hanging in her
neighbor’s yard.”
13. “April’s new apartment was (commensurate, commodious) enough for her to fit all her belongings.”

52
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 20: Words Dealing with Speech or Language
acrimonious bombastic colloquial eloquent garrulous harangue inarticulate
lucid laudatory platitude polemic promulgate tacit tirade

Roots
loc, log, loqu: speech, thought
luc, lum: light
tacit, tic: silent

acrimonious (adj.) bitter and sharp in language or tone

“The Presidential debate was acrimonious as both candidates were strong-minded people with starkly
different views on the world.”
bombastic (adj.) pompous, unnecessarily showy language or style
“Greg felt that Desiree would find it much easier to make friends if she would stop trying to impress new
people by acting bombastic.”
colloquial (adj.) characterized by the use of informal language
“The judge spoke formally while serving on the bench, but in private had a colloquial relationship with his
staff.”
eloquent (adj.) articulate, moving
“Although she was 90, Nina’s grandmother gave an eloquent toast at Nina’s wedding that made her cry.”
garrulous (adj.) talkative
“Mike is so garrulous that sometimes his friends can’t get a word in for minutes.”
harangue 1. (n.) a ranting speech 2. (v.) to rant
“Before being sentenced to death, the terrorist gave an invective-laced harangue against the policies of the
U.S. government.”
inarticulate (adj.) incapable of expressing oneself through speech
“Carol was rendered inarticulate for a few hours after getting her wisdom teeth removed.”
lucid (adj.) clear, easily understandable
“The lecturer’s lucid explanation of quantum physics helped the audience understand the complicated topic.”
laudatory (adj.) expressing admiration or praise
“Krystal blushed at the company award banquet when her supervisor made a laudatory speech in her honor.”
platitude (n.) an uninspired remark, cliché
“Platitudes provide little comfort to those who are suffering.”
polemic (n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion
“The talk show host’s polemics against taffy spurred a nationwide movement to ban taffy eating by children
and the elderly.”

53
SAT Vocabulary
promulgate (v.) to proclaim publicly, often by official announcement
“The USDA promulgated the revised food pyramid through a web site and a large marketing campaign.”
tacit (adj.) expressed without words
“Bruce has a tacit understanding with his neighbor not to mow his lawn before 10:00 A.M. on the
weekend.”
tirade (n.) a rant, a long speech marked by harsh or biting language
“When I ate one of my roommate’s apples, he went on a tirade about how it was a sign of the downfall of
civilization.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Find two synonyms for each of these words: bombastic, harangue, lucid.

Chapter 20 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. acrimonious a. characterized by the use of informal language
___2. bombastic b. articulate, moving
___3. colloquial c. talkative
___4. eloquent d. bitter and sharp in language or tone
___5. garrulous e. an uninspired remark, cliché
___6. harangue f. clear, easily understandable
___7. lucid g. expressed without words
___8. platitude h. to proclaim publicly, often by official announcement
___9. promulgate i. pompous, unnecessarily showy language or style
___10. tacit j. 1. (n.) a ranting speech 2. (v.) to rant

Identify the Example

11. “Hey, man, what’s up?” “Not much. Just chillin ” (colloquial, garrulous)
12. “’I ask you, how could anyone not be impressed by the grandiose extent of my palatial abode?’”
(bombastic, tacit)
13. “Three cheers to the winner!” (laudatory, polemic)
14. “Mmrm irm is the smprm?” (inarticulate, tacit)

54
SAT Vocabulary
Cumulative Review: Chapters 17-20
Match the word with the word group, words can be used more than once.
___1. aloof a. Religion/Spirituality
___2. commensurate b. Shyness/Holding Back
___3. consecrate c. Size/Grandeur
___4. acrimonious d. Speech/Language
___5. tirade
___6. diffident
___7. sublime
___8. sacrosanct
___9. garrulous
___10. quiescent
___11. rectitude
___12. stoic
___13. commodious
___14. wane
___15. platitude
___16. ethereal

Underline the word(s) roots. Then write the word’s definition.

17. apotheosis __________________________________________________________
18. colloquial ____________________________________________________________
19. diffident _____________________________________________________________
20. quiescent ___________________________________________________________

Circle the Correct Answer

21. “Melissa wondered if Joan was aloof or just (diffident, garrulous).”
22. “The community was split into two groups: one of them contended the (diminutive, grandiose) MegaCorp
would drive out small businesses in their community, while the other group dismissed their claim as a/an
(apotheosis, polemic) designed to scare people.”
23. “Mitch’s relationship with his parents became strained when he criticized a topic at dinner that his parents
considered (reticent, sacrosanct).”
24. “Kendra’s (garrulous, stoic) personality lets her feel comfortable engaging anyone in conversation.”

55
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 21: Words Dealing with Time or History
anachronistic antecedent antediluvian chronological dilatory
ephemeral expedite hiatus prescient portent
primeval quotidian transient

Roots
ante, ant: before
chron: time
ex, e: out, out of
pre: before
trans: across, over, through

anachronistic (adj.) being chronologically out of place

“The sense of realism in the movie about Shakespeare’s life was ruined by several anachronistic elements,
such as one of the actors briefly showing a digital watch.”
antecedent (n.) something that came before
“Bob wished the antecedent for movies wasn’t a series of annoying commercials.”
antediluvian (adj.) ancient
“It was clear the wind-up clock was antediluvian once the dust was wiped from it. It was hand-made and
the inscription on the clock was written in an archaic form of English.”
chronological (adj.) arranged in order of time
“It is difficult to arrange events that happened thousands of years ago chronologically. The start and end
dates for these events is often missing or questionable.”
dilatory (adj.) causing or intending to delay
“Nikita was annoyed at her boyfriend for showing up late yesterday, so she was dilatory in getting ready for
thier date while he waited downstairs.”
ephemeral (adj.) short-lived, fleeting
“The euphoria of winning their first play-off series was ephemeral once they learned their next opponent
would be the undefeated Boston Bone Crushers.”
expedite (v.) to speed up the progress of
“Electronically filing a tax return can expedite receiving a refund.”
hiatus (n.) a break or gap in space, time, or continuity
“There was a hiatus in the construction of the new ball park when it rained for three days in a row.”
prescient (adj.) to have foreknowledge of events
“Spider-Man has a prescient ability to sense when he is in danger.”

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SAT Vocabulary
portent (n.) an omen
“Aaron’s mother-in-law thought it was a bad portent for it to rain at the wedding. Then again, she didn’t
want Aaron to marry her daughter.”
primeval (adj.) original, ancient
“Archaeologists found primeval cutting tools that they suspect were the first tools used by homo sapiens.”
quotidian (adj.) recurring daily; commonplace
“Exercise is more beneficial if it is quotidian rather than just once a week.”
transient (adj.) passing through briefly
“In some places, the seasons are transient, changing almost every month.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Look up the definitions for the following words: archaic, contemporaneous, evanescent. Write down the
definition in your vocabulary notebook, and then write a sentence using each of the words.

Chapter 21 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. anachronistic a. Being chronologically out of place
___2. antediluvian b. Causing or intending to delay
___3. dilatory c. A break or gap in space, time, or continuity
___4. expedite d. Recurring daily; commonplace
___5. hiatus e. Ancient
___6. prescient f. Passing through briefly
___7. quotidian g. To have foreknowledge of events
___8. transient h. To speed up the progress of

Synonym or Not?
Write “S” if the two words have similar definitions, “D” if they have different definitions.
9. antediluvian, primeval __________
10. dilatory, transient ____________

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SAT Vocabulary
Write “Y” if the word is used correctly, “N” if it isn’t.
11. “The circus is a transient business, moving from town to town every few weeks.” ________
12. “Marshall was often called by reporters for quotes because he is such a quotidian person.” _______
13. “After working non-stop on his Ph.D. thesis for the past three months, the grad student took a hiatus for a
week and went on a vacation.” ________

Chapter 22A: Words Dealing with Wealth, Greed, or Envy

avarice affluent cupidity benefactor exorbitant covet opulent

Roots
ad, a: towards
fac, fea, fect, fic, fi: make, do
flu, flux: flow
ex, e: out, out of

affluent (adj.) wealthy; plentiful; flowing freely

“The Howells, an affluent couple, had more difficulty adjusting to the lack of amenities on the deserted
island than did the rest of the castaways.”
avarice (n.) greed
“Mr. Burns’ avarice once motivated him to erect a large structure to block the sun so the townspeople
would be forced to use more power from his nuclear plant.”
benefactor (n.) one who gives aid or money
“Jillian was shocked to learn that a mysterious benefactor was going to pay for her entire college
education.”
cupidity (adj.) excessive desire, especially for money
“A common downfall of criminals, at least in the movies, is their cupidity for money.”
covet (v.) to desire longingly
“Martha coveted the expensive, glass figurines of her neighbor, Laura.”
exorbitant (adj.) unreasonably excessive especially when related to wealth or price
“ ‘$150 for a glass of wine! These prices are exorbitant,’ exclaimed Tom when he opened the menu.”
opulent (adj.) richly abundant; showing great wealth
“Red marble Grecian columns lined the walkway to the opulent mansion “

58
SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 22B: Words Relating to Poverty and Destitution
austere bereft derelict dearth desolate destitute emaciated
indigent privation

austere (adj.) strict, unadorned

“Tom’s room was austere. It only contained the bare necessities: a bed, a desk, and a small bookshelf.”
bereft (adj.) devoid of, without
“The homeless suffer from many hardships; they are often bereft of shelter and food. “
dearth (n.) a scarcity
“Antone complained to anyone who would listen about the dearth of intelligent science fiction movies.”
derelict (adj.) abandoned, run-down
“The city finally condemned the derelict house that had become overgrown with ivy and weeds over the
years.”
destitute (adj.) having nothing; in poverty
“Most of the graduate students teaching Deepa’s college classes appeared destitute. They wore ratty
clothes and had pallid complexions that suggested malnutrition. She wondered if she could trade them a
sandwich for a better grade.”
desolate (adj.) deserted; lifeless
“The desolation that marks most of the Sahara desert also gives it an eerie beauty.”
emaciated (adj.) overly thin, especially due to lack of food
“It’s a mystery to some why emaciated models are considered the pinnacle of beauty.”
indigent (adj.) very poor
“Some of the indigent people in Mexico try to cross into the United States illegally to find work and escape
poverty.”
privation (n.) lacking basic necessities; the state of being deprived
“The campsite was in a state of privation, lacking showers and toilets, but Greg and Linda were willing to
live without such conveniences for a few days.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write five sentences, each one using a word from 22A and a word from 22B.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 22 Quiz
Enter the Correct Word in the Blank
affluent austere avarice cupidity benefactor derelict covet destitute
emaciated opulent

1. _______to desire longingly

2. _______wealthy; plentiful; flowing freely
3. _______greed
4. _______strict, unadorned
5. _______richly abundant; showing great wealth
6. _______one who gives aid or money
7 ._______having nothing; in poverty
8. _______abandoned, run-down
9. _______overly thin, especially due to lack of food
10._______excessive desire, especially for money

Word Roots Flashback

11. chron = _______
12. ex, e = _______
13. pre = _______
14. trans = _______

Chapter 23A: The Fun Person at the Party

convivial abandon irreverence enthrall vivacious winsome

Roots
co, com, con: with, together
per: through, intensive, throughout
viv, vit: life

abandon 1. (n.) total lack of inhibition 2. (v.) to give up with the intent of never reclaiming
“Vivian was going to be swamped with work the next three months, so she partied that night with
abandon.”

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SAT Vocabulary
convivial (adj.) outgoing and festive, especially at social gatherings
“Greg’s convivial nature usually makes him the life of the party.”
enthrall (v.) to charm, hold spellbound
“The former Navy SEAL enthralled the crowd with stories of his adventures and brushes with death.”
irreverence (n.) mischievous disrespect
“A necessary quality for a satirist is irreverence. One needs to be willing to mock sacred beliefs and
institutions to make a humorous point.”
winsome (adj.) charming, often in a childlike way
“The young boy had a winsome manner to him that make him instantly likable.”
vivacious (adj.) animated; lively
“Tita wasn’t planning on going on a cruise, but her friend was so vivacious when she was describing her trip
that she began to consider going on one.”

Chapter 23B: The Boring Person at the Party

banal apathetic perfunctory dour vapid

apathetic (adj.) lacking interest or concern

“The teacher had a hard time motivating herself to be lively as most of her students were apathetic about
learning.”
banal (adj.) overly commonplace or trite, especially in relation to language
“The Hollywood executive felt like tearing his hair out if he read one more script loaded with banal language
and a clichéd plot.”
dour (adj.) stern, joyless
“The doorman’s dour personality reduced the number of tips he received.”
perfunctory (adj.) done routinely and with little interest or enthusiasm
“Hicham could tell the customer service representative wasn’t going to be interested in helping him from the
perfunctory way that she answered the phone.”
vapid (adj.) lacking liveliness or interest, dull
“Lauren tried striking up a conversation with her new coworker, Bob, but she found him vapid and boring to
talk to.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Match four of the above words with people you know or have met recently.

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SAT Vocabulary
Chapter 23 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. apathetic a. Outgoing and festive, especially at social gatherings
___2. banal b. Stern, joyless
___3. convivial c. Mischievous disrespect
___4. dour d. Overly commonplace or trite, especially in relation to language
___5. enthrall e. Animated; lively
___6. irreverence f. To charm, hold spellbound
___7. perfunctory g. Done routinely and with little interest or enthusiasm
___8. vivacious h. Lacking interest or concern

Word Roots Flashback

9. ____, a = towards
10. _____, ______, ____, fic, fi = make, do
11. _____, ____ = flow
12. _____, e = out, out of

Boring or Fun?
Write “B” if the word best describes a boring person, “F” if it best describes a fun person.
13. banal _______
14. vivacious_______
15. dour _______
16. vapid_______
17. abandon _______

Chapter 24A: Words Dealing with Forgiveness or Mercy

atone absolve contrite clemency epentant exonerate

Roots
ab, a: away, from
co, com, con: with, together
ex, e: out, out of

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SAT Vocabulary
absolve (v.) to free from blame, guilt, or sin
“On his deathbed, the convict asked the priest to absolve him of his crimes.”
atone (v.) to repent, make amends
“Marcel atoned for injuring a woman while driving drunk by devoting his life to preventing alcohol abuse.”
clemency (n.) a merciful act
“Since it was Lindsey’s first traffic violation, the judge granted her clemency and let her go with a warning.”
condone (v.) to overlook or forgive an offense
“Condoning a friend’s actions can be harmful in the long run because it tells the friend he or she can repeat
the action without a negative consequence.”
contrite (adj.) feeling deep regret for one’s actions
“Robert felt contrite about spending little time with his children while they were growing up.”
exonerate (v.) to clear from guilt or blame
“After the real killer was captured, Samuel was exonerated and released from jail.”
repentant (adj.) guilty, remorseful
“At the press conference announcing his resignation, the mayor said, “I truly feel repentant for my actions
and for violating the trust of the people that elected me.”

Chapter 24B: Words Dealing With Sadness

dirge despondent lugubrious elegy wistful morose

despondent (adj.) feeling depressed, hopeless

“After a tornado destroyed her house and killed her cat, Beth felt despondent and unwilling to live.”
dirge (n.) a mournful song
“The dirge the elves sang about Gandalf’s death moved the hobbits’ hearts, even though they couldn’t
understand the words.”
elegy (n.) a speech given in honor of a dead person
“It was difficult for Miriam to give an elegy for her mother, but afterwards many people told her it was a
fitting tribute.”
lugubrious (adj.) mournful or gloomy, often exaggeratedly so
“Peter gets lugubrious every time he has to take an important test. His friends find his melodramatic antics
comical, although they are kind enough not to make fun of him to his face.”
morose (adj.) gloomy, sullen
“A morose mood came over the bar crowd when their team lost the championship by fumbling the ball in
the last minute of the game.”

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SAT Vocabulary
wistful (adj.) yearning; musing upon sad things
“Peter was wistful for his childhood, when he felt life was simpler and he was happy.”

Boost Your Score

• Underline word roots.
• Write four sentences, with each one containing a word from 24A and a word from 24B.
• Review Chapter 11: Words Dealing with Happiness or Friendliness. For three of the words in 24B, find an
antonym for it in Chapter 11.

Chapter 24 Quiz
Matching: Definitions
___1. atone a. Feeling depressed, hopeless
___2. clemency b. Feeling deep regret for one’s actions
___3. contrite c. A speech given in honor of a dead person
___4. despondent d. Mournful or gloomy, often exaggeratedly so
___5. elegy e. To repent, make amends
___6. lugubrious f. Guilty, remorseful
___7. repentant g. A merciful act
___8. wistful h. Yearning; musing upon sad things

Guilt or Sadness?
Write “G” if the word relates to guilt, “S” if it relates to sadness, or “N” for neither.
9. despondent ______
10. morose _______
11. repentant ______
12. clemency ______
13. contrite ______
14. lugubrious _______

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SAT Vocabulary
Cumulative Review: Chapters 21-24
Match the word with the word group
___1. anachronistic a. Time/History
___2. avarice b. Wealth/Greed/Envy
___3. cupidity c. Poverty/Destitution
___4. dilatory
___5. destitute
___6. prescient
___7. indigent
___8. portent
___9. quotidian
___10. bereft

___11. morose a. Fun person

___12. absolve b. Boring person
___13. irreverence c. Forgiveness/Mercy
___14. apathetic d. Sadness
___15. despondent
___16. exonerate
___17. vapid
___18. convivial
___19. wistful
___20. repentant

Circle the Correct Answer

21. “Carl asked why Alison is feeling (convivial, morose). She said it is because she had a (indigent, prescient)
feeling that someone she loves is going to die soon.”
22. “The (destitute, opulent) party had life-size statues made of sorbet that were later served in china bowls.”
23. “The convict felt (contrite, dilatory) for the crimes he committed.”
24. “Watching the teenagers party with (abandon, dourness) made the elderly man (lugubrious, wistful) for the
fun times he had as a teenager.”

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SAT Vocabulary
Further Study: Words With Dual Meanings
abandon 1. (n.) total lack of inhibition 2. (v.) to give up with the intent of never reclaiming
aggregate 1. (v.) to gather together 2. (n.) a total
anathema 1. (n.) a formal ban or curse 2. (n.) one who is greatly detested
annex 1. (v.) to seize territory or space 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room
apprehend 1. (v.) to seize, arrest 2. (v.) to perceive or understand
canvas 1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints 2. (v.) to cover, inspect
cleave 1. (v.) to divide 2. (v.) to stick together
defer (v.) 1. to postpone 2. to yield to another’s wisdom
façade 1. (n.) the decorative front wall of a building 2. (n.) a deceptive appearance or attitude
facile 1. (adj.) easy 2. (adj.) superficial, insincere
imperative 1. (adj.) necessary, important 2. (n.) a command or order
morass (n.) 1. a swamp 2. something that confuses or overwhelms
reprobate 1. (adj.) unprincipled, lacking in morals 2. (v.) to condemn
sanguine 1. (adj.) optimistic 2. of the color of blood

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SAT Vocabulary
Further Study: Mini-Groups
If you have time, look up these words in a collegiate-level dictionary and write the definitions in your vocabulary
notebook. The basic definitions are highlighted, but the words have shades of meaning that are necessary to
know if you want to use them correctly.
Loud Slanderous
boisterous (adj.) aspersion (n.)
strident (adj.) defamatory (adj.)
vociferous (adj.) pejorative (adj.)

Abundant Rude
copious (adj.) brazen (adj.)
plethora (n.) brusque (adj.)
profuse (adj.) impertinent (adj.)
surfeit (adj.)
Intense Praise
A Tiny Amount adulation (n.)
modicum (n.) approbation (n.)
paucity (adj.) exalt (v.)
pittance (n.) extol (v.)

Unoriginal To Reduce
derivative (adj.) abate (v.)
hackneyed (adj.) atrophy (v.)
trite (adj.) abridge (v.)
corrode (v.)
Best Example expurgate (v.)
archetypal (adj.)
epitome (n.) Secretive
paradigm (n.) clandestine (adj.)
paragon (n.) covert (adj.)
surreptitious (adj.)
Harmful
baleful (adj.)
deleterious (adj.)
grievous (adj.)

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SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 1 Quiz 1. e
1. d 2. d
2. a 3. b
3. c 4. c
4. b 5. a
5. e 6. good, well
6. away, from 7. in, into
7. with, together 8. not
8. out, out of 9. great
9. uncanny 10. love
10. pathology 11. feel, suffer
11. eclectic 12. shake, timid
12. aberration 13. wish
14. beseeched

Chapter 2 Quiz 15. cogent

1. a 16. debunked

2. f
3. d Chapter 4 Quiz
4. e 1. a
5. b 2. d
6. c 3. e
7. not, without 4. b
8. away, from 5. c
9. benevolent 6. f
10. magnanimous 7. with, together
11. deft 8. to know
12. alacrity 9. from, away, down
10. placated
11. panacea
12. respite

Chapter 3 Quiz

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SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Cumulative Review: Chapter 5 Quiz
Chapters 1-4 1. c
Match the word with the word group 2. a
1. d 3. d
2. c 4. b
3. b 5. f
4. c 6. e
5. a 7. love
6. b 8. all
7. a 9. succinct
8. d 10. circumlocution
9. c 11. laconic
10. b 12. pithy
11. d
12. a Chapter 6 Quiz
13. atypical — not typical 1. d
14. in trep id — fearless, unshakable 2. c
15. cogent — logically convincing 3. a
16. panacea — a cure-all 4. e
17. eccentric 5. f
18. intrepid 6. n
19. coerced 7. around
20. devious 8. speech, thought
9. amorphous
10. dubious
11. vacillating
12. equivocal

69
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 7 Quiz 14. decried
1. d 15. denigrating
2. f 16. derided
3. a
4. b Chapters 5-8 Review
5. c 1. b
6. e 2. d
7. g 3. c
8. both 4. c
9. around 5. a
10. equivocal 6. b
11. shape 7. a
12. around, look 8. c
13. timorous 9. d
14. servile 10. a
15. punctilious 11. b
16. capitulation 12. d
13. circum loc ution — indirect
and wordy language
Chapter 8 Quiz
14. a morph ous — without definite
1. a
shape or form
2. c
15. tractable — easily controlled
3. b or dealt with
4. f 16. disparage — to reduce in esteem or rank; to speak
5. d of in a disrespectful way
6. e 17. denigrated
7. head 18. circumspect
8. with, together 19. laconic
9. against, toward 20. capitulate
10. follow
11. drag, draw
12. shake, timid
13. admonish

70
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 9 Quiz Chapter 11 Quiz
1. e 1. a
2. g 2. a
3. a 3. c
4. b 4. c
5. c 5. c
6. d 6. c
7. h 7. b
8. f 8. a
9. to, towards 9. b
10. from, down, away 10. c
11. pretense 11. not
12. unctuous 12. eat
13. prevaricates 13. congenial
14. dissembles 14. jubilation
15. facetious
Chapter 10 Quiz
1. d Chapter 12 Quiz
2. a 1. g
3. f 2. a
4. c 3. e
5. e 4. c
6. b 5. f
7. with, together 6. b
8. apart, away, not 7. d
9. palatable 8. am, ami
10. culinary 9. co, com, con
11. voracious 10. greg
12. arable 11. eu
12. wrath
13. odious
14. enmity
15. malediction

71
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapters 9-12 Review Chapter 13 Quiz
1. b 1. a
2. a 2. c
3. b 3. d
4. c 4. b
5. d 5. e
6. a 6. speak
7. c 7. bad, badly
8. b 8. wish
9. b 9. D
10. c 10. S
11. a 11. S
12. d 12. D
13. d 13. D
14. c 14. S
15. a 15. sS
16. d
17. amicable — agreeable, showing Chapter 14 Quiz
good will
1. coalesce
18. dis sem ble — to conceal or disguise one’s nature,
2. linchpin
feelings, or motives
3. disseminate
19. malevolent — having or exhibiting
ill will; wishing harm to others 4. aggregate
20. voracious — unending 5. engender
hunger; insatiable 6. yoke
21. animosity, ruse 7. sharp, sour
22. euphoria 8. know
23. depravity 9. around
24. spurious 10. look, see
11. disseminated
12. segregated
13. confluence
14. engender

72
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 15 Quiz 14. S
1. a, b 15. D
2. b 16. D
3. c
4. b Chapters 13-16 Review
5. b, c 1. a
6. c 2. b
7. b 3. c
8. a 4. b
9. b 5. d
10. b 6. d
11. c 7. a
12. crowd, flock 8. b
13. apart, away 9. d
14. seed, sow 10. a
15. flagged 11. c
16. sedentary 12. d
13. a
Chapter 16 Quiz 14. c
1. d 15. b
2. a 16. c
3. f 17. cognizant – “aware, mindful”
4. b 18. disseminate – “to spread widely”
5. c 19. segregate – “to separate others from
a group”
6. e
20. somnolent – “drowsy, sleepy”
7. g
21. ascertain, lethargic
8. sed, sid
22. supercilious
9. somn
23. effrontery
10. torp
24. truculent
11. S
12. D
13. D

73
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 17 Quiz 18. D
1. e
2. b Chapter 19 Quiz
3. g 1. c
4. a 2. a
5. c 3. b
6. f 4. e
7. h 5. f
8. d 6. d
9. D 7. not
10. O 8. quiet
11. D 9. silent
12. S 10. august
13. D 11. palatial
12. truncated
Chapter 18 Quiz 13. commodious
1. e
2. h Chapter 20 Quiz
3. g 1. d
4. a 2. i
5. d 3. a
6. b 4. b
7. c 5. c
8. f 6. j
9. with, together 7. f
10. God, godly 8. e
11. holy 9. h
12. God, godly 10. g
13. S 11. colloquial
14. S 12. bombastic
15. D 13. laudatory
16. S 14. inarticulate
17. S

74
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapters 16-20 Review Chapter 21 Quiz
1. b 1. a
2. c 2. e
3. a 3.b
4. d 4. g
5. d 5. c
6. b 6. g
7. c 7. d
8. a 8. f
9. d 9. S
10. b 10. D
11. a 11. Y
12. b 12. N
13. c 13. Y
14. c
15. d Chapter 22 Quiz
16. a 1. covet
17. apotheosis – (n.) 1. elevation to divine status. 2. (n.) 2. affluent
a glorified example
3. avarice
18. colloquial – characterized by the use
4. austere
of informal language
5. opulent
19. diffident – shy due to lack of confidence
6. benefactor
20. quiescent – quiet; still; at rest
7. destitute
21. diffident
8. derelict
22. diminutive, polemic
9. emaciated
23. sacrosanct
10. cupidity
24. garrulous
11. chron — time
12. ex, e — out, out of
13. pre — before
14. trans — across, over, through

75
SAT Vocabulary
Answer Keys
Chapter 23 Quiz 12. N
1. h 13. G
2. d 14. S
3. a
4. b Chapters 21-24 Review
5. f 1. a
6. c 2. b
7. g 3. b
8. e 4. a
9. ad 5. c
10. fac, fea, fect 6. a
11. flu, flux 7. c
12. ex 8. a
13. B 9. a
14. F 10. c
15. B 11. d
16. B 12. c
17. F 13. a
14. b
Chapter 24 Quiz 15. d
1. e 16. c
2. g 17. b
3. b 18. a
4. a 19. d
5. c 20. c
6. d 21. morose, prescient
7. f 22. opulent
8. h 23. contrite
9. S 24. abandon, wistful
10. S
11. G

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SAT Vocabulary