200 SAT Vocabulary Words
We’ve put together a list of common SAT words that many high school students have not yet encountered or
aren’t fully comfortable with. Use this list as a starting point for your studies, but remember: understanding
new words in context is even more important than memorizing new vocabulary, and that’s a skill that you can
only hone through extensive reading.
1. abase (v.) to humiliate, degrade
2. abate (v.) to reduce, lessen
3. aberration (n.) something that differs from the norm
4. abject (adj.) wretched, pitiful
5. abjure (v.) to reject, renounce
6. abnegation (n.) denial of comfort to oneself
7. abrogate (v.) to abolish, usually by authority
8. abscond (v.) to sneak away and hide
9. abstruse (adj.) hard to comprehend
10. accede (v.) to agree
11. adroit (adj.) skillful, dexterous
12. adumbrate (v.) to sketch out in a vague way
13. alacrity (n.) eagerness, speed
14. analogous (adj.)similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn
15. anathema (n.) a cursed, detested person
16. apocryphal (adj.) fictitious, false, wrong
17. arbiter (n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision
18. archetypal (adj.) the most representative or typical example of something
19. arrogate (v.) to take without justification
20. ascetic (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
21. banal (adj.) dull, commonplace
22. behemoth (n.) something of tremendous power or size
23. bilk (v.) cheat, defraud
24. bombastic (adj.) excessively confident, pompous
25. bourgeois (n.) a middle-class person, capitalist
26. calumny (n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies
27. caucus (n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal
28. circumlocution (n.) indirect and wordy language
29. circumspect (adj.) cautious
30. cogent (adj.) intellectually convincing
31. collusion (n.) secret agreement, conspiracy
32. commendation (n.) a notice of approval or recognition
33. commensurate (adj.) corresponding in size or amount
34. complacency (n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger
35. concomitant (adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion
36. confluence (n.) a gathering together
37. congruity (n.) the quality of being in agreement
38. contemporaneous (adj.) existing during the same time
39. contravene (v.) to contradict, oppose, violate
40. credulity (n.) readiness to believe
41. cupidity (n.) greed, strong desire
42. dearth (n.) a lack, scarcity
43. decorous (adj.)socially proper, appropriate
44. deleterious (adj.) harmful
45. demagogue (n.) a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices
46. denigrate (v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of
47. desolate (adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless
48. despondent (adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless
49. despot (n.) one who has total power and rules brutally
50. didactic (adj.) intended to instruct or overly moralistic
51. diffident (adj.) shy, quiet, modest
52. dilatory (adj.) tending to delay, causing delay
53. disaffected (adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority
54. disavow (v.) to deny knowledge of or responsibility for
55. discretion (n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment
56. discursive (adj.) rambling, lacking order
57. dissemble (v.) to conceal, fake
58. dogmatic (adj.) aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles
59. efface (v.) to wipe out, obliterate, rub away
60. elicit (v.) to bring forth, draw out, evoke
61. emollient (adj.) soothing
62. enervate (v.) to weaken, exhaust
63. enfranchise (v.) to grant the vote to
64. engender (v.) to bring about, create, generate
65. ennui (n.) boredom, weariness
66. ephemeral (adj.) short-lived, fleeting
67. equivocal (adj.) ambiguous, uncertain, undecided
68. espouse (v.) to take up as a cause, support
69. evince (v.) to show, reveal
70. expiate (v.) to make amends for, atone
71. forbearance (n.) patience, restraint, toleration
72. fractious (adj.) troublesome or irritable
73. garrulous (adj.) talkative, wordy
74. gregarious (adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable
75. grievous (adj.) injurious, hurtful; serious or grave in nature
76. hallowed (adj.) revered, consecrated
77. hedonist (n.) one who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans
78. hegemony (n.) domination over others
79. heinous (adj.) shockingly wicked, repugnant
80. hypocrisy (n.) pretending to believe what one does not
81. iconoclast (n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions
82. ignominious (adj.) humiliating, disgracing
83. immutable (adj.) not changeable
84. impassive (adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering
85. impecunious (adj.) poor
86. imperative (adj.) necessary, pressing or (n.) a rule, command, or order
87. impervious (adj.) impenetrable, incapable of being affected
88. impinge (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression or (v.) to encroach, infringe
89. implacable (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated
90. impute (v.) to ascribe, blame
91. inchoate (adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
92. incorrigible (adj.) incapable of correction, delinquent
93. increment (n.) an enlargement; the process of increasing
94. indefatigable (adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay
95. indigent (adj.) very poor, impoverished
96. indolent (adj.) lazy
97. indomitable (adj.) not capable of being conquered
98. ineffable (adj.) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words
99. inexorable (adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated
100. inimical (adj.) hostile
101. injunction (n.) an order of official warning
102. intimation (n.) an indirect suggestion
103. intrepid (adj.) brave in the face of danger
104. inure (v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
105. inveterate (adj.) stubbornly established by habit
106. irascible (adj.) easily angered
107. judicious (adj.) having or exercising sound judgment
108. knell (n.) the solemn sound of a bell
109. laconic (adj.) terse in speech or writing
110. languid (adj.)sluggish from fatigue or weakness
111. latent (adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed
112. libertarian (adj.) advocating principles of liberty and free will
113. licentious (adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
114. lithe (adj.) graceful, flexible
115. lurid (adj.) ghastly, sensational
116. magnanimous (adj.) noble, generous
117. manifold (adj.) diverse, varied
118. maudlin (adj.) weakly sentimental
119. mendacious (adj.) having a lying, false character
120. mitigate (v.) to make less violent, alleviate
121. modicum (n.) a small amount of something
122. mollify (v.) to cause to soften in temper
123. multifarious (adj.) having great diversity or variety
124. munificence (n.) generosity in giving
125. nadir (n.) the lowest point of something
126. nascent (adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence
127. nebulous (adj.) vaguely defined, cloudy
128. neophyte (n.) someone who is young or inexperienced
129. obdurate (adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences
130. obfuscate (v.) to render incomprehensible
131. obsequious (adj.) excessively compliant or submissive
132. obstreperous (adj.) noisy, unruly
133. odious (adj.) instilling hatred
134. onerous (adj.) burdensome
135. oscillate (v.) to sway from one side to the other
136. ostensible (adj.) appearing as such, seemingly
137. palliate (v.) to reduce the severity of
138. panacea (n.) a remedy for all ills
139. paradox (n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true
140. paramount (adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character
141. pariah (n.) an outcast
142. parsimony (n.) frugality, stinginess
143. paucity (adj.) small in quantity
144. pejorative (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary
145. pellucid (adj.) easily intelligible, clear
146. penitent (adj.) remorseful, regretful
147. penultimate (adj.) next to last
148. penurious (adj.) miserly, stingy
149. perfidious (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful
150. perfunctory (adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm
151. pernicious (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful
152. perspicacity (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness
153. pert (adj.) flippant, bold
154. pertinacious (adj.) stubbornly persistent
155. petulance (n.) rudeness, irritability
156. phlegmatic (adj.) uninterested, unresponsive
157. pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful
158. placate (v.) to ease the anger of, soothe
159. plaudits (n.) enthusiastic approval, applause
160. plethora (n.) an abundance, excess
161. pliable (adj.) flexible
162. poignant (adj.) deeply affecting, moving
163. portent (n.) an omen
164. potentate (n.) one who has great power, a ruler
165. preclude (v.) to prevent
166. preponderance (adj.) superiority in importance or quantity
167. presage (n.) an omen
168. presumptuous (adj.) disrespectfully bold
169. pretense (n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive
170. privation (n.) lacking basic necessities
171. probity (n.) virtue, integrity
172. profligate (adj.) dissolute, extravagant
173. promulgate (v.) to proclaim, make known
174. propensity (n.) an inclination, preference
175. propitious (adj.) favorable
176. prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness
177. puerile (adj.) juvenile, immature
178. pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, combative
179. pulchritude (n.) physical beauty
180. quagmire (n.) a difficult situation
181. quandary (n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state
182. quixotic (adj.) idealistic, impractical
183. rancor (n.) deep, bitter resentment
184. rapport (n.) mutual understanding and harmony
185. raucous (adj.) loud, boisterous
186. raze (v.) to demolish, level
187. recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapologetic
188. replete (adj.) full, abundant
189. rife (adj.) abundant
190. sagacity (n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective
191. salient (adj.) significant, conspicuous
192. surfeit (n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence
193. tacit (adj.) expressed without words
194. tantamount (adj.) equivalent in value or significance
195. temerity (n.) audacity, recklessness
196. truculent (adj.) ready to fight, crue
197. ubiquitous (adj.) existing everywhere, widespread
198. vestige (n.) a mark or trace of something lost or vanished
199. wily (adj.) crafty, sly
200. zenith (n.) the highest point, culminating point
