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English I Vocabulary List One
1. Acme; noun-peak; highest pointWhen she was chosen president of the company, Kerry felt she’d reached the acme of her career.
2. Allusion; noun-a reference to; a casual mentionAnn didn’t catch my allusion to Michael Jordan since she didn’t know his nickname is air.
3. Antithesis; noun-opposite or contrasting thought or ideaKatie’s thoughtless words were the antithesis of the considerate response I expected.
4. Balm; noun-something soothing to the mind, and comfortingThe soft music was a balm for Billy’s aching heart.
5. Breach; noun/verb- (n) a gap; a violation; to break; (v) to break open; to break a law.The dispute between Mike and his brother has created a breach that can never be mended.
6. Circumspect; adjective-cautions; carefulHarold is always circumspect when speaking because he is afraid of saying the wrong thing.
7. Contiguous; adjective - touching at an edge or boundaryNell’s ranch was contiguous with the highway for five miles.
8. Defunct; adjective-inactive; not functioning; lifelessWhen the rail line became defunct, the old terminal was converted into a shopping mall.
9. Diminutive; adjective/noun - (ad) small; miniature; (n) word form indicating small size.Casey seems younger than he is because of his diminutive size.
10. Embellish; verb-to improve or expand by adding ornament or detailEach time Becky tells the story of her victory, she embellishes it with some imaginary detail.
11. Euphemism; noun-agreeable word or phrase used in place of a harsh or distasteful oneTo avoid saying she was broke, Ellie used the euphemism “economically challenged.”
12. Fidelity; noun-faithfulness; accuracy; integrityThe members swear fidelity to their leader, promising always to give her their loyalty and support.
13. Grizzled; adjective-gray or partly grayWith his grizzled hair and stooped shoulders, Gregory looks much older than eighteen.
14. Imminent; adjective-about to happen; on the verge of taking place; nearing Thunder in the distance and sudden gusts of wind warned us that a storm was imminent.
15. Incarcerate; verb-to imprison; to lock up in a jailI kept getting “Go to jail!” In fact, I was incarcerated for more than half the Monopoly game.
English I Vocabulary List Two
1. Inane; adjective- lacking sense or meaning; silly; foolishThese inane sentences are turning me into a blubbering idiot.
2. Introverted; adjective- withdrawn into oneself; self-absorbed; secretiveElmer is quiet and introverted, in contrast to his outgoing and sociable twin brother Horace.
3. Legacy; noun- an inheritance; a gift made by a last will; something left behind Mattie’s only legacy from her grandmother was the old family photo album.
4. Malaise; adjective- illness; feeling of physical or mental uneasiness or weaknessRhoda felt overwhelmed by a terrible malaise, but the doctor found nothing wrong with her.
5. Morose; adjective- gloomy; sad; depressed; sullen; sulkyStay away from Alex when she’s in a morose mood; she’s abrupt and rude to everyone.
6. Opulent; adjective- rich and showy; luxuriousThere opulent furnishings are too luxurious for me; I’m used to simple rustic surroundings.
7. Piety; noun- devotion to God or family; dutiful respectMarlon’s show of piety was a façade; she wasn’t nearly as devoted as she pretended to be.
8. Pretense; noun- a false show or claim; pretending something other than the truthCharles made a pretense of being happy; but inside he was feeling miserable.
9. Recluse; noun- one who lives alone; on who leads a solitary life; a hermitAfter all her friends moved away, Aunt Lillian became a recluse, rarely leaving her house.
10. Replenish; verb- to fill again; to restore or re-supplyWhen the jar was empty, Erica had to replenish the peanut butter; or Fred would have a fit.
11. Sardonic; adjective- scornful; mocking Peter thought his sardonic remarks about Liz were funny, but Liz hated being mocked.
12. Squalid; adjective- dirty, filthy due to neglect; rundown, uncared forZeke’s house was neat and clean, unlike the squalid pig pens his neighbors called home.
13. Tactile; adjective- capable of being felt or touched; pertaining to the sense of touchWithout our tactile sense, we couldn’t have felt our way out of the pitch-black cave.
14. Turbulent; adjective- violently disturbed; agitated; unrulyAfter Jane was mugged, her feelings were in such a turbulent state that she could barely speak.
15. Vilify; verb- to make less valuable; to denounceThe candidates tried to vilify each other with accusations of lying to the voters.
English I Vocabulary List Three
1. Affirmation; noun- a positive statement or declaration of a truth or beliefPat gave Chris a silver ring as an affirmation of their friendship.
2. Amorphous; adjective- shapeless; undefined; vague; indistinct; unformedRay’s amorphous idea for an essay didn’t take shape until he wrote an outline on paper.
3. Astute; adjective- quick to understand; keen; shrewdIt took an astute mind to solve the mystery so quickly.
4. Bland; adjective- mild; pleasantly smooth or soothing; lacklusterThe speaker had exciting ideas, but his speech was so bland that hardly anyone took notice.
5. Candor; noun- frankness; sincerityHer candor is refreshing; unlike most politicians, Sue gives you hones andstraight answers.
6. Condone; verb- to forgive or excuse; to tolerateBy not penalizing the truant students, Ms. Roy appeared to condone cutting classes.
7. Cryptic; adjective- secret; hidden; mysteriousThe language in the poem is so cryptic that I’m baffled about what the poet istrying to say.
8. Diabolical; adjective- wicked; devilish; cruelSatan himself couldn’t have invented a more diabolical scheme to steal the oldman’s fortune.
9. Eccentric; adjective/noun- (adj.) odd; peculiar; not customary; (n) one who actsin odd ways.People think Guy is eccentric because he wears weird clothes and ignores mostsocial customs.
10. Ennui; noun- boredom and discontentYou can imagine Jen’s ennui after doing the same boring job for twenty years.
11. Façade; noun- the front of a building; a false front or maskLynn’s loud mouth is nothing but a façade to cover her fear and insecurity.
12. Gist; noun- the main point; the essential partIt took Ed an hour to tell us his story, but the gist of it is that he will be leaving next week.
13. Gratis; adverb- free; without charge or paymentThe hotel provided champagne and flowers gratis to the newlyweds.
14. Homogeneous; adjective- unvarying; uniform, of a single type or natureDo you find it boring to live in a homogeneous place, where everyone is pretty much the same?
15. Impotent; adjective- powerless; helpless; weakDespite his outrage, Mr. Todd felt impotent in the face of the powerful authorities.
Sat Vocabulary List Four
1. Infirmity; noun-a physical weakness; feeblenessGeorge’s infirmity prevented him from climbing the stairs.
2. Interment; noun-burialAt the interment, each person threw a handful of dirt into the grave.
3. Labyrinth; noun-maze; a structure with complex, hard- to follow passagewaysShe got lost in a labyrinth of corridors and stairways before finding the principal’s office.
4. Lucrative; adjective-profitable; producing wealth or gainWhen the $60,000 check arrived in the mail, Susan knew she’d made a lucrative investment.
5. Mitigate; verb-to make milder; to become less severeDeb hoped that her doctor’s note would mitigate the penalty for coming late to class.
6. Omnipotent; adjective-all-powerful; having unlimited power; uncontrollableThe omnipotent flood swept across the valley destroying everything in its path.
7. Peruse; verb-to read attentively; to study rather carefullyThe judge refused to decide until she had a chance to peruse all the documents related to the case.
8. Precursor; noun-that which came before; that which precedes anotherThe Wright brothers’ plane was the precursor of today’s jetliners.
9. Rapport; noun-harmonious relationship; mutual understanding or agreementJulie and Melissa like each other right away; there was a rapport between them.
10. Reticent; adjective-quiet and withdrawn; reserved; reluctant to speakMary is reticent, unlike her twin sister, Terry, who will talk to anyone who will listen.
11. Somber; adjective-gloomy; dark and depressing; depressedA week of rainy days created a somber mood that lifted only after the sun reappeared.
12. Sullen; adjective-withdrawn and moody; ill-humoredBill is sullen when he doesn’t get his way; he grows irritable and moody, like a spoiled brat.
13. Toxic; adjective-poisonousBe careful with wild mushrooms; some contain toxic substance that can make you sick.
14. Versatile; adjective-multitalented; competent in many things; well-roundedVersatile Vinny can fix cars, write poetry, and cook, all equally well.
15. Zenith; noun-peak; highest pointJessica reached the zenith of her basketball career when she scored 44 points in a single game.
English I Vocabulary List Five
1. Heterogeneous; adjective- varied; mixed; consisting of different kinds or types Instead of putting similar students together, the school created heterogeneous classes.
2. Indelible; adjective- unable to erase or remove; permanentMr. Kim’s words left an indelible impression on Ken, who never forgot his counselor’s advice.
3. Inequity; noun- unfairness; injusticeIt is an inequity when Jim chops wood for two dollars, and Al gets five dollars for the same work.
4. Intercede; verb- to act or make a request in behalf of another person; interfere Mr. Green interceded on her behalf by asking the principal to give the girl one more chance.
5. Juxtapose; verb- to put side by side to compare and contrastIf you juxtapose the two sculptures, you can see that one is larger than the other.
6. Loquacious; adjective- very talkativeIn that loquacious class the teacher can hardly get a word in edgewise.
7. Malign; verb- to speak ill of; to damage the reputation of; to slanderBill was maligned by his enemies, who spread vicious stories about his addiction to gambling.
8. Mortify; verb- to shame; to humiliate; to destroy the self respect of; to disgraceChristina was mortified when her little brother read her secret diary aloud to her friends.
9. Ostracize; verb- to shut out; to exclude from a society or group; to banishWhen the gang ostracizes a member, no one is allowed to speak to him.
10. Plausible; adjective- possible; seemingly try but possibly untrue; likely; probablePenny’s story about who dented the fender seems plausible, but we still have our doubts
11. Pristine; adjective- pure; unspoiled; originalPristine wilderness is hard to find theses days most of the land has been alerted in some way.
12. Recoil; noun/verb-(n) kickback; reaction; (v) to draw back in fear or surpriseStartled by the huge grizzly bear on the road in front of her, Jessica recoiled in fear.
13. Meticulous; adjective- very careful and precise about detailsCal is meticulous in every detail, unlike his sloppy and careless sister Sal.
14. Nullify; verb- to negate; to undo; to void; to cancel outThe SAT scores didn’t count; they were nullified after a report of widespread cheating on the exam.
15. Perforate; verb- to make holes in; to pierce or punctureDeedee perforated the top of the shoebox wit a fork to make air holes for her pet lizard.
English I Vocabulary List Six
1. Admonish; verb- to warn gently; to caution; to urge stronglyThe teacher admonished Hank for being late to class; next time Hank would get detention.
2. Altercation; noun- an angry dispute; a quarrel; an argumentThe shouting next door told me that Mr. and Mrs. Stutz were having their nightly altercation.
3. Appease; verb- to calm down; to pacify; to satisfyHoping to appease his other for his wretched report card, Mort did the dishes for a week.
4. Banal; adjective- commonplace; trivial; triteThe panelists’ comments were awfully banal; my kid brother could have been more original.
5. Brigand; noun- bandit; outlaw; lawbreakerBands of brigands roamed the countryside, stealing whatever they pleased.
6. Clandestine; adjective- secret; hidden; undercoverPeg swore not to tell anyone, not even her pet cat, Mitzi, about the clandestine mission.
7. Corpulent; adjective- fat and fleshy; obese; stout; plumpUncle Eddie has grown so corpulent that he can’t fit into any of our chairs.
8. Deplore; verb- to disapprove; to regret; to be sorry aboutWe deplore the school’s rundown condition, but there are no funds for repairs.
9. Discredit; verb- to damage the reputation of; to disgrace or dishonorOne candidate tried to discredit the other by accusing him of having failed to pay income taxes.
10. Emissary; noun- a representative; a person sent on a mission; a message carrierToo bashful to tell her in person, Lee sent an emissary to Sharon to say that he loved her.
11. Excise; verb- to cut out; to delete; to remove or eliminateWhile shortening Susan’s essay, George excised so many words that the meaning was lost.
12. Filial; adjective- pertaining to relationships within a family, especially child to parentRick’s filial devotion was apparent in the loving care he gave his sick father.
13. Genre; noun- type; kind; sort; category ofMal’s taste in literature is pretty narrow; he won’t read any genre other than sci-fi.
14. Implicit; adjective- suggested; not plainly expressed but only impliedMy counselor didn’t say so directly, but her implicit message was that I need to work harder.
15. Infallible; adjective- never wrong; incapable of errorMs. Adams likes to think she infallible, but she can be wrong, just like anyone else.
English I Vocabulary List Seven
1. Intermediary; noun- a go-between, someone acting between two persons/entitiesMeg tried to act as an intermediary to resolve the labor dispute, but neither side listened to her.
2. Kindle; verb- to light a fire; to light up; to excite; to arouseAfter “Star Trek” kindled Eddie’s interest in space travel, he wanted to be an astronaut.
3. Lucid; adjective- understandable; clear; rational; saneGail’s lucid prose is a pleasure to read, but Emmy’s garbled words are unreadable
4. Mandatory; adjective- required or commanded by authorityYou have no choice in the matter; in this school getting to class is mandatory
5. Nemesis; noun- that which persistently destroys or harms; strong rival or opponent.Herb was able to stick to his diet until he faced his nemesis, homemade chocolate cake.
6. Paradox; noun- an idea or condition contrary to common sense but probably trueDee is a paradox; she donates thousands to charity but is unbelievable stingy with friends.
7. Posthumous; adjective- occurring after a person’s deathRussell was awarded the poetry prize posthumously, just two weeks after his untimely death.
8. Puerile; adjective- childish; immature; juvenileCraig’s puerile antics make us wonder if he’ll ever grow up and act his age.
9. Refute; verb- to disprove; to prove wrongLiz did her best to refute Amy’s story, but she was never able to prove Amy wrong.
10. Tortuous; adjective- winding; twisting; indirectWhat twists and turns of tortuous red tape we had to go through in order to get a parade permit!
11. Verbose; adjective- wordy; using too many wordsNeedless words made Lee’s verbose report an awful bore.
12. Voracious; adjective- having a big appetite; very eager; greedyBig Al, known for his voracious appetite, can eat half a dozen pizzas by himself.
13. Retract; verb- to pull back; to take backThe suspect retracted his statement of innocence when the D.A. offered him immunity.
14. Slovenly; adjective- sloppy; untidy; carelessCal’s room is neat as a pin, but his slovenly sister Sal’s room is a mess.
15. Succumb; verb- to yield; to dieAfter sticking to his diet all day, Tom finally succumbed to fudge cake a la mode.
English I Vocabulary List Eight
1. Abyss; noun- a deep space that cannot be measured; a bottomless gulf; hellThe hidden origin of the universe is hidden in the Abyss of time
2. Alleviate; verb- to lighten or lessen; to relieveJerry found that going to parties alleviated his feelings of loneliness.
3. Antipathy; noun- strong dislike; opposition to; hatred; an intense negative feelingCarol’s antipathy for her ex-boyfriend was so strong she wouldn’t even speak to him.
4. Badger; verb- to pester; to harass persistently; to deliberately bother or annoyThe landlord badgered Teresa continually until she paid her overdue rent.
5. Bolster; verb- to support; to prop up; to strengthen anything weakFive college acceptances boosted Rebecca’s ego and bolstered her self-confidence
6. Chide; verb- to scold; to voice disapproval toThe last thing Julie wanted to hear was her mother chiding her about her messy room.
7. Construe; verb- to interpret; to understand in a particular waySome teacher’s construed the new rule to mean that all students must be seated when the bell rings
8. Deflect; verb- to turn aside; to change the unexpected path ofBy deflecting the ball as it was about to go into the basket, Mike prevented the Nets from scoring.
9. Diffident; adjective- timid; shy; lacking confidence; withdrawnWith each new success, Janet’s diffident manner gave way to greater confidence.
10. Elusive; adjective- hard to hold; difficult to find, identify, or understandThe true story of the vanished airplane remains an elusive despite the years of research.
11. Eminent; adjective- famous; distinguished; prominentThe eminent hairstylist, Philippe, started out as Phil, an obscure barber from New Jersey.
12. Eulogy; noun- high praise; a tribute; often make to honor a deceased person
The eulogy given at their leader’s funeral listed her many accomplishments
13. Fallacious; adjective- misleading; deceptive; falsely reasoned
The experiment was a fraud; the scientists had used fallacious data to prove their theory.
14. Gratuitous; adjective- given freely; uncalled-for; without sense or reason
The movie was full of gratuitous violence that had nothing to do with the plot.
15. Hyperbole; noun- extreme exaggeration; overstatement
Most politicians exaggerate a bit, but the hyperbole of the senator’s remarks was beyond belief.
English I Vocabulary List Nine
1. Impulsive; adjective- hasty; spontaneous; without thoughtAngie’s impulsive mouth gets her in trouble; she needs to think before she speaks.
2. Inopportune; adjective- inconvenient; untimely; inappropriate; unsuitableMom chose an inopportune time for me to empty the garbage—while I was studying for SAT’s
3. Intermittent; adjective- occurring off and on; at intervalsWith the intermittent rain showers, we didn’t know if the parade was on or off.
4. Lackluster; adjective- dull; lacking in spirit or vitality; lifelessTonight’s performance was lackluster; last night’s was far more lively and exciting.
5. Ludicrous; adjective- ridiculous; absurd; laughableThe whole class laughed at his ludicrous suggestion to read a 300-page book overnight.
6. Moribund; adjective- dead or dying; deathlike; lifeless; inactiveSpecialization has made family medical practice a moribund occupation.
7. Opaque; adjective- unable to be penetrated by light; extremely unclearWith his X-ray vision, Superman can look through opaque walls.
8. Pervasive; adjective- widespread; distributed everywhereFew people escaped the pervasive economic depression that spread across the U.S. in the 1930’s.
9. Premonition; noun- a feeling that something is about to occur; a forewarningBefore Molly won the lottery, she had a premonition that something good was coming.
10. Rebuff; noun/verb- (n) a rejection; (v) to reject rudely; to drive or beat backLouisa’s novel was rebuffed by many publishers before the book was finally accepted.
11. Repertoire; noun- a list of skills, methods or performance piecesMabel’s limited repertoire consists of a few old favorites that she sings over and over.
12. Rudimentary; adjective- basic; fundamental; elementary; undevelopedJack needs more than rudimentary math skills if he wants to be a statistician.
13. Spendthrift; noun- one who spends wastefullyNancy would have some savings if she wasn’t such a spendthrift.
14. Taciturn; adjective- silent; reluctant to talkMarvin’s taciturn manner left them asking if he was shy or if he had nothing to say.
15. Travesty; noun- a mockery; a poor imitationThe judge was so prejudiced that he made a travesty out of the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
English I Vocabulary List Ten
1. Abhor; verb- to hate; to dislike intenselyJosie abhorred her irritation and demanding boss, so she quit her job after two months.
2. Alacrity; noun- promptness; quick willingnessThe alacrity of her response showed that Sally was eager and willing to help.
3. Animosity; noun- strong hared; feeling of hostilityThe mob showed its animosity toward the mayor by pelting him with rotten eggs.
4. Augment; verb- to increase or enlargeWhen her rent was raised, Julie had to augment her income with a second income.
5. Bogus; adjective- false; not genuineA bogus resume got him the job, but he was fired as soon as the boss discovered it was a phony.
6. Censure; verb/noun- (v) to disapprove; to scold; (n) negative judgment; a rebukeOf all the criticism he received, his father’s censure was the hardest to bear.
7. Congenial; adjective- friendly and sociable; compatibleThe host’s friendliness and warmth made the inn a congenial place to spend the holidays.
8. Cursory; adjective- hasty and inattentive; quick and shallowBecause he did only a cursory reading of the textbook, Dennis was not prepared for the exam.
9. Digress; verb- to stray from the main topic while speaking or writingThe plot became too hard to follow when Meredith digressed from the story’s main idea.
10. Elated; adjective- delighted; joyful; elevated in moodAfter a tough campaign, she was elated by her reelection.
11. Ephemeral; adjective- temporary; fleeting; short-livedAdam’s relationships with girls were always ephemeral; he could not endure long term romances.
12. Fallible; adjective- liable to make an error or mistakeHands showed just how fallible his sense of direction was; after ten minutes he was hopelessly lost.
13. Gregarious; adjective- sociable; outgoingWith her gregarious personality; Doreen is always surrounded by a group of friends.
14. Hypothetical; adjective- supposed; presumed to existHow to track down the Loch Ness monster is a hypothetical problem because it’s not real.
15. Inadvertently; adverb- unintentionally; by accident; carelesslyThe frogs got into the house when Mindy inadvertently left the front door open.
English I Vocabulary List Eleven
1. Insipid; adjective- dull; uninteresting; flatMaribelle found the insipid dinner conversation so boring that she fell asleep at the table.
2. Interrogate; verb- to examine by questioning; to questionThe police interrogated the suspect for hours, asking some questions over and over.
3. Laudable; adjective – praiseworthy; deserving, commendationThe student’s laudable achievements were recognized with certificates and applause.
4. Mundane; adjective – ordinary; commonplace; earthlyHenrietta resents doing mundane chores; she’d rather be sailing the Caribbean or writing poetry.
5. Paltry; adjective- small and worthless; insignificant; cheapFor a while day’s work cleaning out the McWurters’ garage, Buzz was paid a paltry fifty cents.
6. Placate; verb- to calm down; to quiet the anger of; to pacifyTo placate Becky after her car was stolen, her mother bought her a new one.
7. Prodigious; adjective- enormous; huge in size amount; wonderful or amazingWe were amazed at the prodigious amount of money Adam raised in such a short time.
8. Pugnacious; adjective- quarrelsome; belligerent; aggressive; combativeWith his pugnacious attitude, it’s a small wonder that Jeremy gets into one fight after another.
9. Rectify; verb- to correct; to make or set right; to remedyAfter shortchanging me, the cashier rectified her error by giving me the correct amount.
10. Repress; verb- to keep down; to hold back; to restrainHelga tried to repress her anger at her brother, but in the end, unable to hold it in, she blew up at him.
11. Scintillating; adjective- sparkling; brilliant; witty; cleverLisa’s scintillating performance dazzled the audience and impressed the judges.
12. Steadfast; adjective- firm; constant; unchanging; faithfulA steadfast friend, Ellie stood by Deb through thick and thin.
13. Terse; adjective- brief; to the point; free of needless wordsThe terse statement informed us that the strike was settled, but it didn’t give any details.
14. Unobtrusive; adjective- not noticeable; not conspicuousBlair tried to be unobtrusive, but his bright red hair made him stand out in the crowd.
15. Vivacious; adjective- lively; high spiritedBecause of her vivacious personality, Ursula is always the life of the party.
English I Vocabulary List Twelve
1. Aggravate; verb- to intensify; to make worse; to annoy or irritateDon had to use crutches after he aggravated his old knee injury by playing basketball.
2. Anarchy; noun- chaos; disorder resulting from a lack of laws or rulesAnarchy ruled after the government’s collapse; no one enforced or obeyed the laws.
3. Audacity; noun- courage; boldnessThe quarterback called a daring last-second play, but despite his audacity, the Giants lost again.
4. Bane; noun- a source of misery; a person or thing that causes woe; poisonThe bane of Wendy’s life is her little brother Wally, who annoys and teases her day and night.
5. Blight; noun/verb- (n) that which causes something to wither and die; (v) to cause to wither and dieA blight of little red bugs caused everything in Dan’s garden to shrivel and die.
6. Capitulate; verb- to surrender; to give up; to yieldAfter a long argument, Jo finally capitulated to Pete and agreed to go to the movie he wanted to see.
7. Corroborate; verb- to confirm; to vouch; to attestThe doctor’s note corroborated Elmo’s story that he had been too sick to go to gym class on Friday.
8. Deride; verb- to ridicule; to mock; to laugh atMarie held her head high even though her classmates derided her with insults and laughter.
9. Disdain; verb/noun- (v) to scorn; to show contempt for; (n) scorn; contemptThe sneer on the tyrant’s face revealed the disdain he felt for his own people.
10. Exhume; verb- to unearth; to dig up; to uncover or reveal; to unburySix months after being buried, the body was exhumed to be tested for arsenic poisoning.
11. Flagrant; adjective- extremely conspicuous or evidentDriving while intoxicated show a flagrant disregard for one’s own safety and for the safety of others.
12. Guile; noun- deceit; deception; cunningCompletely without guile, Beth was incapable of deceiving anyone.
13. Haughty; adjective- arrogant; proud of oneself and scornful of othersHer haughty attitude suggests that she thinks of herself as some kind of superior being.
14. Impetuous; adjective- impulsive; rash; acting suddenly; with little or no thoughtRex’s impetuous behavior always lands him in hot water; he should slow down and think first.
15. Incriminate; verb- to accuse; to blame; to charge with a crimeEddie tried to incriminate Mac by blaming the graffiti on him.
SAT Vocabulary List 13
1. Insurgent; noun/adjective- (n) rebel; (adj.) rebelliousA battalion of insurgent forces invaded the capital, overthrew the government, and claimed victory.
2. Judicious; adjective- wise; carefully thought out; having good judgement
The mayor proposed a judicious plan, but the city council didn't think it was well thought out. 3. Listless; adjective- apathetic; having no interest in anything We asked Drew to go skating; but he is too listless to want to do anything except site and watch TV. 4. Misconstrue; verb- to misunderstand; to misinterpret Gil misconstrued Bev's meaning, even when she clearly said that she didn't want to see him.. 5. Obsolete; adjective- out-of-date; no longer in use Personal computers are changing so fast that new models can become obsolete in a few months. 6. Periphery; noun- boundary; outer limit; outside edge Jill planted trees around the periphery of her year to mark the boundary line. 7. Preclude; verb- to prevent; to shut out in advance The SAT exam precluded Ned's plan to go to the beach on Saturday. 8. Queue; noun/verb- (n) a line of people or things waiting for service; (v) to line up By 6:00 A.M., the queue for concert tickets stretched from the box office halfway down the block. 9. Remorse; noun- guilt and regret for one's action Hank apologized, but the smirk on his face made me doubt the sincerity of his remorse. 10. Residual; adjective- left over; what is left after part is taken away Pete could walk again after knee surgery, but he was left with a residual limp. 11. Servile; adjective- excessively humble; slavelike; groveling; fawning Bill, who is usually servile and quiet, spoke boldly to his boss abut the unfair schedule. 12. Succinct; adjective- concise; brief and to the point Amy doesn’t waste words; her succinct reports come right to the point. 13. Tepid; adjective- lukewarm; lacking force or enthusiasm Carol wrote a tepid review; she thought the film was okay, but she wasn’t thrilled with it..14. Veracity; noun- truth; honesty; accuracy Because of Emma’s reputation for honesty, the veracity of her testimony was never doubted. 15. Volition; noun- freewill; self-motivation; self-induced willingness
No one forced Gene to join the Marines; he did so on his own volition.
SAT Vocabulary List 14
1. Affable; adjective- friendly; sociable; easy to talk toDr. Smiley's affable bedside manner puts you at ease and instantly makes you feel better.
2. Ambiguous; adjective- not clear; having more than one meaning
Ken's ambiguous message baffled us; it wasn't clear whether he'd be here at six or at ten. 3. Asinine; adjective- stupid; like an ass The new schedule of classes is so asinine it must have been designed by an idiot. 4. Bequeath; verb- to hand down or to leave behind as in a last will In his will, Mr. Shay bequeathed his old baseball cap to Joey, who had always admired it. 5. Bucolic; adjective- rural; rustic; countrified The bucolic setting, with cow grazing in the meadow, was perfect for a country picnic. 6. Conciliatory; adjective- pacifying; tending to lessen anger or hostility Nina tried to make up with Mark, but he was so angry that he ignored her conciliatory gesture. 7. Conflagration; noun- a large fire Smoke and flames from the conflagration could be seen for miles in all directions. 8. Cumbersome; adjective- clumsy; hared to handle due to weight or size Jan's backpack was heavy and awkward so she exchanged it for a less cumbersome one. 9. Didactic; adjective- instructive; intended to teach or instinct Many of Dr. Seuss's stories are didactic, meant to teach kids to do the right thing. 10. Egress; noun- exit; a way out If you want to find the egress, follow the EXIT signs. 11. Envoy; noun- a messenger; an agent; an ambassador Hal sent Jake as his envoy to deliver his apology to Sue. 12. Facetious; adjective- lightly joking; witty; mildly sarcastic Susan's facetious comments always get a laugh in the class. 13. Hamper; verb- to prevent from moving or acting freely; to hold back; to restrain Our progress up the slippery hill was hampered by the heavy rain and falling rocks..14. Imperative; adjective/noun- (adj.) absolutely necessary; required; (n) command; necessity Miss Carp doesn't fool around; when she says t is imperative, we better do it, and do it fast! 15. Incontrovertible; adjective- certain; beyond doubt or dispute; undeniable
The empty box was incontrovertible proof that someone had stolen al the Super Crunch bars.
SAT Vocabulary List 15
1. Reprehensible; adjective- disgraceful; deserving of blame of blame or criticism; improper Sally didn't break the law with her obscene remarks, but they are reprehensible nevertheless.
2. Squander; verb-to waste; to use extravagantlyBob squandered his whole month's allowance on one weekend of partying.
3. Tenacity; noun-extreme determination; holding firmly; persistence; stubbornness. The tenacity with which Tina sticks to her opinion is both admirable and frustrating. 4. Abscond; verb-to flee; to escape; to withdraw
Herbert, our trusted treasurer, absconded with he bake sale proceeds.
5. Adjacent; adjective- next to; adjoining When his barn caught fire, Ned ran to the adjacent farm to get help.. 6. Altruism; noun- unselfishly concerned for others; charitable; generous Jan is driven by altruism; she helps the homeless, reads to the blind, and volunteers at the ASPCA. 7. Banter; noun/verb-(n)playful joking or teasing; (v) to engage in light, playful talk Friendly banter between Mr. Fritz and his students keeps the class lively and interesting. 8. Castigate; verb- to criticize or scold; to punish severely In his office, Dean Ruckley castigated Randy for forging an absence note. 9. Clemency; noun- forgiveness; mercy; leniency; mild weather After the new president granted them clemency, the five prisoners were set free. 10. Immutable; adjective- to unchangeable; unchanging; never varying
Despite other improvements, one thing remains immutable- the cafeteria food is still inedible. 11. Inception; noun- the beginning; the start The new attendance system has been plagued with problems from its inception. . 12. Incredulous; adjective- unwilling to believe or accept what is claimed to be true I was incredulous to discover that Vinny believes that he is an alien sent to Earth from outer space. 13. Indolent; adjective- lazy; idle; avoiding work Unlike his indolent cousin Sid, who won't do a lick of work, Sam labors from dawn to dusk..14. Levity; noun- fun; gaiety of thought, speech, or behavior Hugo's joke about the principal added some levity to an otherwise serious meeting. 15. Malleable; adjective- capable of being changed or reshaped Because older students are usually set in their ways, Mr. Eric prefers teaching malleable little kids..
SAT Vocabulary List 16
1. Adulterate; verb- to make impure by adding an improper substance or qualityTry not to adulterate the quality of your formal writing with clichés or slang words.
2. Ambidextrous; adjective- two-handed; able to use both hand equally wellUnless you're ambidextrous, you can't juggle oranges with one hand and type with the other..
3. Benevolent; adjective-kindly; disposed to do goodCarol is always doing good things for others I wish all my friends were as benevolent as she is.
4. Brink; noun-edge; border; thresholdThe On the brink of bankruptcy, Jerry's business was saved by a generous investment from Ben.
5. Coherent; adjective- sticking together; consistent; unifiedIn a coherent essay all the ideas fit together logically.
6. Credulity; noun- belief; lack of skepticismBecky’s wild tale about being trapped in a revolving door for two days strains my credulity.
7. Insinuate; verb- to suggest indirectly; to implyShe didn’t come right out and say it, but Kay insinuated that Ned was using a forged ID card.
8. Jaunty; adjective- wisely stylish; sprightly in appearance or manner, fashionableA jaunty new pink baseball cap gives Bea the look of a stylish model right out of Seventeen.
9. Liaison; noun- a close bond or connection; a relationship; an illicit affair; link; go-betweenMeg acted as a liaison between Harry and Sally, helping them to patch things up after their fight.
10. Unkempt; adjective- untidy; messy; crude; sloppySam’s unkempt appearance and messy room were an embarrassment tot eh rest of the family.
11. Unsavory; adjective- distasteful; disgusting; unappetizing; repulsiveAmanda never went to Elm Street anymore; there were too many unsavory characters around.
12. Virtuoso; noun/adjective-(n) an expert; a skillful master at an art; (adj) highly skilledRachel began playing the piano of age four, and today she is a virtuoso.
13. Precocious; adjective- prematurely advanced; extremely early in developmentWe knew Joey was precocious when he could do calculus in third grade.
14. Purge; noun/verb-(n) a cleansing; a purification; (v) to clean or wash outLynn hired an exterminator to purge the fleas that the cat had brought into the house.
15. Relinquish; verb- to abandon; to give up; to let goWhen police officers leave the force, they must relinquish their badges and weapons.
English I Vocabulary List 17
1. Enmity; noun –hatred; strong hostility; antagonism Gil spoke about Hal with such enmity that we knew they would never be friends again.
2. Extraneous; adjective –unnecessary; irrelevant; not belonging Half of Cleo’s speech was made up of extraneous material that had nothing to do with her topic.
3. Frivolous; adjective –silly; lacking proper seriousness; not sensible During the emergency meeting on school violence, Joy’s frivolous remark was sill and out of place.
4. Crux; noun- the most important point; the essential point; the substance The report on the city corruption never mentioned bribery, which was the crux of the scandal.
5. Devious; adjective sneaky; sly; departing from the proper course Since the concert was sold out, Ed figured out a devious way to sneak in without a ticket.
6. Dogmatic; adjective –positive about the correctness of one’s opinions; opinionated Lil’s dogmatic position on the issue make it impossible to work out a compromise with her.
7. Enigma; noun –a mystery; a riddle; a baffling matter or person No one can figure out Julie’s true feelings; she’s a real enigma.
8. Expedite; verb- to speed up; to ease the progress of Hank sent a fax to expedite his ticket order; otherwise he might have been too late.
9. Flippant; adjective –without appropriate respect or seriousness; fresh; impertinent The boys laughed at Cory’s flippant remarks, but Miss Frye found them coarse and rude.
10. Creed; noun- a set of beliefs, values, opinions, or principles As kids, we all memorized the Scout’s creed but we didn’t always live up to them.
11. Detrimental; adjective- harmful; damaging Eating too many hot fudge sundaes can be detrimental to your diet.
12. Diverge; verb –to go in different directions of separate ways; to branch off Jill and Jessie hadn’t seen each other since their paths diverged right after high school.
13. Brusque; adjective –blunt; abrupt in manner or speech Anna’s brusque response let Al know she was in no mood for a friendly chat.
14. Cogent; adjective- forcefully concise; to the point; convincing Chekhov’s cogent writing style was a relief after I had read Poe’s dull long-winded stories.
15. Compliance; noun- a yielding to a request or demand; cooperation with a norm or policy Joy’s torn sweatshirt is clearly not in compliance with the dress code in our office.
English I Vocabulary List 18
1. Aesthetic; adjective –responsive to beauty; artistic sensitive to form and grace The beautiful paintings Sonya did for the art show reveal her aesthetic sensibility.
2. Archaic; adjective –obsolete; old-fashioned; out of date At work we switched from an archaic system of memo writing to an up-to-date email system.
3. Benign; adjective –kindly; favorable; not harmful; innocent The benign twinkle in Mrs. Wood’s eye told us she wouldn’t yell at us for trampling her tulips.
4. Derogatory; adjective- belittling; insulting; reduced in value or reputation Lola’s derogatory comments about Bud hurt his feelings and damaged his reputation.
5. Dissident; adjective/noun –strongly disagreeing; or one who protests or disagrees The police cracked down on the dissidents demonstrating against the new citywide curfew.
6. Enervate; verb –to weaken; to deprive of force or strength; to drain of energy Enervated by a head cold and slight fever, sue felt too weak to continue her work.
7. Exonerate; verb –to free from blame or guilt Accused of theft, Essie was exonerated when the stolen donuts were found in Al’s locker.
8. Flamboyant; adjective –excessively showy and flashy Rita’s flamboyant clothes may not be tasteful, but they attract everyone’s attention.
9. Gullible; adjective –easily deceived; easily tricked Is Hector so gullible that he believed my story about finding a million dollars in an A&P bag?
10. Impede; verb –to get in the way of; to obstruct; to slow the progress of; to interfere Construction of the new gym was impeded by the usually heavy spring rains.
11. Inclement; adjective –harsh; severely stormy; merciless The inclement weather forced us to old graduation in the gym instead of on the football field.
12. Indigenous; adjective –native; naturally occurring in a region of place Kangaroos and koala bears are indigenous only to Australia and not to any other continent.
13. Intrepid; adjective –brave; unafraid; courageous The intrepid fireman risked his life to save people trapped in the burning building.
14. Lethargic; adjective- lacking energy; extremely drowsy or sleepy The heat and humidity made Dan so lethargic that he couldn’t get up to turn on the air conditioner.
15. Mandate; noun/verb- (n) an order or authoritative command; (v) to require The director’s order gave us a clear mandate to recognize the whole system.
SAT Vocabulary List 19
1. Menial; adjective/noun-(adj.) lowly; fit for servants; (noun) and unskilled workerTired of menial work, Buzz took an electrician's course to help him get a job with greater status.
2. Nadir; noun- the lowest point; the very bottom; the depthsLosing the election was the nadir of his career, but Bill's comeback campaign put him on top again.
3. Notorious; adjective-widely known (usually for an unfavorable reason); disreputableBecause Brad is notorious for provoking fights, I'm not inviting him to my graduation party.
4. Panacea; noun-cure-all; a cure for anything that causes illness or trouble; remedy The new road will divert some cars, but it's not panacea for all our traffic problems.
5. Pensive; adjective- deeply thoughtful, often with sadnessFrom his pensive look, Barb knew that Sid was deep in though about his lost cat.
6. Poignant; adjective-moving to the emotions; touchingWe were close to tears over Mel's poignant story of the lost puppy and the blind kitten.
7. Precarious; adjective-risky; uncertain; perilousNola put herself in a precarious position by swimming in the pool during the thunderstorm
8. Prudent; adjective- wisely cautious; careful; using good judgmentPrudent people don't go skydiving or bungee-jumping; they choose safer pastimes.
9. Pungent; adjective- sharp; piercing; penetrating to the mind or sensesThe pungent aroma of Indian spices hit us as soon as we entered the restaurant.
10. Purloin; verb- to steal; to take wrongfullyWhen we weren't looking, Del purloined ten Fig Newtons out of the box.
11. Redundant; adjective- repetitious; needlessly repetitiveJake's redundant phrases made his report twice as long as it needed to be.
12. Regimen; noun- a strict plan of behavior, and orderly system; a planned routine
To get June back on her feet, Dr. Schultz prescribed a regimen of vitamins and regular exercise.
13. Renegade; noun/adjective- (n) one who violates the rules; a deserter; (adj.) wild; uncontrollable
The senator's former colleagues called him a renegade for switching political parties
.14. Revere; verb- to honor and admire profoundly
The huge surprise birthday party revealed how much the students revere their old professor
15. Specious; adjective- false; appearing to be valid or true, but not so in realityThe argument seemed valid, but since it was based on specious logic, it was wrong.
SAT Vocabulary List 20
1. Supersede; verb- to replace; to substitute something superior in place of The word processor has superseded the typewriter as a vital piece of office equipment.
2. Transgression; noun- crossing over a boundary or limit; violation of a rule or customCalling the principal "Hey Mac" was Jodi's first transgression; but she violated other rules, too.
3. Viable; adjective-possible; workable; able to be accomplishedThe success of the experiment convinced the company that the plan was viable.
4. Reproach; noun/verb-(n) a rebuke or accusation; (v) to blame for a fault; to scold Mrs. Damon reproached Hank for wearing his baseball hat at the dinner table.
5. Sedate; verb/adjective- (v) to calm down; (adj) calm; composed; dignified; seriousAbby remains sedate and even-tempered even when the rest of the class is going crazy.
6. Stigmatize; verb- to mark as disgraceful, unworthy, or disreputableAny member who disagreed with the chief was stigmatized as a traitor and expelled from the clan.
7. Tangible; adjective-able to be touched or felt; real; definite; objectiveEd doesn't care how we feel about the job; he just wants to see the tangible results of our work.
8. Unprecedented; adjective- first-time; original; unique; new; without a previous exampleShelly's achievement is unprecedented; no one has ever before won five trophies in a single row.
9. Vociferous; adjective- loud; characterized by a forceful outcry or shoutingThe student's vociferous response made it clear that they don't want summer vacation abolished
10. Repudiate; verb- to deny or disown; to refuse to have anything to with; divorceAfter Ed stole his girlfriend, Jack repudiated Ed and would have nothing more to do with him.
11. Serpentine; adjective- winding and twisting like a serpentTourists have a hard time driving on the serpentine twists and turns of the mountain road.
12. Stoic; adjective/noun- (adj) unemotional; indifferent (n) one who shows no feelingsCary maintained his stoic calm even during the storm that made the rest of us fear for our safety.
13. Tantalize; verb- to tease; to promise and then withholdWe were tantalized by the aroma of the warm apple pies, but we weren't allowed to touch them.
.14. Vanquish; verb- to defeat; to conquer
Lil won the tennis trophy after she vanquished Jen in the final match.
15. Vogue; noun/adjective- (n) the current style or fashion; (adj) in style; chicMimi thinks her new sunglasses are in style, but they actually went out of vogue ages ago.
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