300 Most Difficult SAT Words Vocabulary

Explore the Words show: definitions & notes only words in list order

abject of the most contemptible kind.:,

aberration

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

abjure

formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief

abnegation

the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief

abrogate

revoke formally

abscond

run away, often taking something or somebody along

abstruse

difficult to understand

accede

yield to another's wish or opinion

accost

approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently

accretion

an increase by natural growth or addition

acumen

shrewdness shown by keen insight

adamant
insistent; unwilling to change one's mind or opinion

admonish

scold or reprimand; take to task

adumbrate

describe roughly or give the main points or summary of

adverse

in an opposing direction

advocate

a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea

affluent

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

aggrandize

embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of

alacrity

liveliness and eagerness

alias

a name that has been assumed temporarily

ambivalent

uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow

amenable

disposed or willing to comply

amorphous

having no definite form or distinct shape

anachronistic

chronologically misplaced
anathema

a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication

annex

attach to

antediluvian

of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

antiseptic

thoroughly clean and free of disease-causing organisms

apathetic

showing little or no emotion or animation

antithesis

exact opposite

apocryphal

being of questionable authenticity

approbation

official acceptance or agreement

arbitrary

based on or subject to individual discretion or preference

arboreal

of or relating to or formed by trees

arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

archetypal

of an original type after which other things are patterned

arrogate
seize and take control without authority

ascetic

someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline

aspersion

a disparaging remark

assiduous

marked by care and persistent effort

atrophy

a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse

bane

something causing misery or death

bashful

self-consciously timid

beguile

influence by slyness

bereft

lacking or deprived of something

blandishment

flattery intended to persuade

bilk

cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money

bombastic

ostentatiously lofty in style

cajole

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

emotionally hardened

calumny

a false accusation of an offense

camaraderie

the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

candor

the quality of being honest and straightforward

capitulate

surrender under agreed conditions

carouse

engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking

carp

any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae

caucus

meet to select a candidate or promote a policy

cavort

play boisterously

circumlocution

an indirect way of expressing something

circumscribe

draw a geometric figure around another figure

circumvent

surround so as to force to give up

clamor
utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

cleave

separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument

cobbler

a person who makes or repairs shoes

cogent

powerfully persuasive

cognizant

having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree or extent

complement

something added to embellish or make perfect

compunction

a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed

concomitant

following or accompanying as a consequence

conduit

a passage through which water or electric wires can pass

conflagration

a very intense and uncontrolled fire

congruity

the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate

connive

form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

give over to another for care or safekeeping

constituent

one of the individual parts making up a composite entity

construe

make sense of; assign a meaning to

contusion

an injury in which the skin is not broken

contrite

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

contentious

showing an inclination to disagree

contravene

go against, as of rules and laws

convivial

occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company

corpulence

the property of excessive fatness

covet

wish, long, or crave for

cupidity

extreme greed for material wealth

dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

debacle
a sudden and complete disaster

debauch

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking

debunk

expose while ridiculing

defunct

no longer in force or use; inactive

demagogue

a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

denigrate

attack the good name and reputation of someone

derivative

a compound obtained from another compound

despot

a cruel and oppressive dictator

diaphanous

so thin as to transmit light

didactic

instructive, especially excessively

dirge

a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person

disaffected

discontented as toward authority

discomfit

cause to lose one's composure

fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind

dispel

cause to separate and go in different directions

disrepute

the state of being held in low esteem

divisive

causing or characterized by disagreement or disunity

dogmatic

pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative

dour

showing a brooding ill humor

duplicity

the act of deceiving or acting in bad faith

duress

compulsory force or threat

eclectic

selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas

edict

a formal or authoritative proclamation

ebullient

joyously unrestrained

egregious

conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

elegy
a mournful poem; a lament for the dead

elicit

call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response

embezzlement

the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property

emend

make corrections to

emollient

a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin

empirical

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

emulate

strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

enervate

weaken physically, mentally, or morally

enfranchise

grant freedom to, as from slavery or servitude

engender

call forth

ephemeral

anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

epistolary

written in the form of letters or correspondence

equanimity

steadiness of mind under stress

open to two or more interpretations

espouse

choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.

evanescent

short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear

evince

give expression to

exacerbate

make worse

exhort

spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts

execrable

unequivocally detestable

exigent

demanding immediate attention

expedient

appropriate to a purpose

expiate

make amends for

expunge

remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line

extraneous

not belonging to that in which it is contained

extol
praise, glorify, or honor

extant

still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost

expurgate

edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

fallacious

containing or based on incorrect reasoning

fatuous

devoid of intelligence

fetter

a shackle for the ankles or feet

flagrant

conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

foil

hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire

forbearance

good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence

fortuitous

lucky; occurring by happy chance

fractious

easily irritated or annoyed

garrulous

full of trivial conversation

gourmand

a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess

lofty in style

gratuitous

unnecessary and unwarranted

hapless

unfortunate and deserving pity

hegemony

the dominance or leadership of one social group over others

heterogenous

consisting of elements that are not of the same kind

iconoclast

someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions

idiosyncratic

peculiar to the individual

impecunious

not having enough money to pay for necessities

impetuous

characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

impinge

infringe upon

impute

attribute or credit to

inane

devoid of intelligence

inchoate
only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

incontrovertible

impossible to deny or disprove

incumbent

necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding

inexorable

impossible to prevent, resist, or stop

inimical

not friendly

injunction

a judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something

inoculate

inject or treat with the germ of a disease to render immune

insidious

working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

instigate

provoke or stir up

insurgent

in opposition to a civil authority or government

interlocutor

a person who takes part in a conversation

intimation

a slight suggestion or vague understanding

inure

cause to accept or become hardened to

abusive language used to express blame or censure

intransigent

impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason

inveterate

habitual

irreverence

a mental attitude showing lack of due respect

knell

the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death

laconic

brief and to the point

largesse

liberality in bestowing gifts

legerdemain

an illusory feat

libertarian

an advocate of freedom of thought and speech

licentious

lacking moral discipline

linchpin

a central cohesive source of support and stability

litigant

a party to a lawsuit

maelstrom
a powerful circular current of water

maudlin

effusively or insincerely emotional

maverick

someone who exhibits independence in thought and action

mawkish

effusively or insincerely emotional

maxim

a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

mendacious

given to lying

modicum

a small or moderate or token amount

morass

a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot

mores

the conventions embodying the fundamental values of a group

munificent

very generous

multifarious

having many aspects

nadir

the lowest point of anything

negligent

characterized by undue lack of attention or concern

any new participant in some activity

noisome

offensively malodorous

noxious

injurious to physical or mental health

obdurate

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

obfuscate

make obscure or unclear

obstreperous

noisily and stubbornly defiant

officious

intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

onerous

burdensome or difficult to endure

ostensible

appearing as such but not necessarily so

ostracism

the act of excluding someone from society by general consent

palliate

lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

panacea

hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases

paradigm
a standard or typical example

pariah

a person who is rejected from society or home

partisan

a fervent and even militant proponent of something

paucity

an insufficient quantity or number

pejorative

expressing disapproval

pellucid

transparently clear; easily understandable

penchant

a strong liking or preference

penurious

excessively unwilling to spend

pert

characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality

pernicious

exceedingly harmful

pertinacious

stubbornly unyielding

phlegmatic

showing little emotion

philanthropic

of or relating to charitable giving

concise and full of meaning

platitude

a trite or obvious remark

plaudit

enthusiastic approval

plenitude

a full supply

plethora

extreme excess

portent

a sign of something about to happen

potentate

a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law

preclude

make impossible, especially beforehand

predilection

a predisposition in favor of something

preponderance

exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight

presage

a foreboding about what is about to happen

probity

complete and confirmed integrity

proclivity
a natural inclination

profligate

unrestrained by convention or morality

promulgate

state or announce

proscribe

command against

protean

taking on different forms

prurient

characterized by lust

puerile

displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity

pugnacious

ready and able to resort to force or violence

pulchritude

physical beauty, especially of a woman

punctilious

marked by precise accordance with details

quaint

attractively old-fashioned

quixotic

not sensible about practical matters

quandary

state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

redoubtable

inspiring fear

relegate

assign to a lower position

remiss

failing in what duty requires

reprieve

postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal

reprobate

a person without moral scruples

rescind

cancel officially

requisition

an authoritative demand

rife

excessively abundant

sanctimonious

excessively or hypocritically pious

sanguine

confidently optimistic and cheerful

scurrilous

expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism

semaphore
an apparatus for visual signaling

serendipity

good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

sobriety

the state of being unaffected or not intoxicated by alcohol

solicitous

full of anxiety and concern

solipsism

the philosophical theory that the self is all that exists

spurious

plausible but false

staid

characterized by dignity and propriety

stolid

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility

subjugate

make subservient; force to submit or subdue

surfeit

indulge (one's appetite) to satiety

surreptitious

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

swarthy

naturally having skin of a dark color

tangential

of superficial relevance if any

a large and scholarly book

toady

a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage

torpid

in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation

travesty

a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style

trenchant

having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought

trite

repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

truculent

defiantly aggressive

turpitude

a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice

ubiquitous

being present everywhere at once

umbrage

a feeling of anger caused by being offended

upbraid

express criticism towards

utilitarian

having a useful function

veracity
unwillingness to tell lies

vestige

an indication that something has been present

vicissitude

a variation in circumstances or fortune

vilify

spread negative information about

virtuoso

someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

vitriolic

harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone

vituperate

spread negative information about

vociferous

conspicuously and offensively loud

wanton

a lewd or immoral person

winsome

charming in a childlike or naive way

yoke

join with stable gear, as two draft animals

zephyr

a slight wind

wily

marked by skill in deception

a speech of violent denunciation