Thursday, September 23, 2010

SAT Special (Vocabulary)

As we all know that the dates for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) are getting closer with every passing second...and I bet most of you are really getting on pins and needles about it, and you should, as SAT is one thing that every high school student wants to get right; doing well here, fundamentally, grants you access to hundreds of top notch colleges in the US, including the IVY League ones.

So I have started a SAT Special section on my blog and I will exclusively be sharing tips with all of you Test takers about SAT Maths, Critical Reading, Essay and Sentence Completion. But first things first, you should have a phenomenal vocabulary to excel in the CR and W sections of the SAT, and well I can't bless you with all of those 2000 or so words but a portion for them, the most frequented ones.


  • Indifference (n) lack of interest in something or not attaching importance to a thing. His indifference to pain was admirable, he kept fighting despite the critical gunshot wounds.
  • Apathy (n) lack of interest or enthusiasm; listlessness; not displaying emotions. The apathy displayed by my ex when I slipped down the stairs before him, was shocking.
  • Obscure (adj) hidden; unknown or hard to understand. The obscure fashion designer had the audience awed. The Rosetta Stone appeared obscure to French soldiers. An obscure corner of the graveyard. 
  • Impartial (adj) unbiased. The impartial referee was a favorite with the crowd.
  • Objective (adj) impartial; based on facts rather than opinions. An objective judge is an asset to the judiciary, while a subjective one is a curse.
  • Revere (v) to praise to give respect. Cow is a revered animal in Hinduism.
  • Discriminate (v) to tell a difference; to exhibit prejudice towards a group because or age, gender, ethnicity etc. He was unable to discriminate between red and green. We should not discriminate between a Black and a Caucasian, they are both humans.
  • Denounce (v) to condemn or censure. Human right workers denounced the violations going on in Guantanamo.
  • Innovate (v) to introduce a new way of doing something or a new device. He innovated a new way of bowling a deceptive slower bowl.
  • Relevant (adj) logically related to a matter being discussed or investigated; pertinent. Your points are not relevant to the discussion.
  • Candid (adj) honest or frank in opinion. The candid celebrity was an open book for interviewers and people around her.
  • Discernment (n) keen judgement or insight. The analyst's political discernments are held in high regard by his listeners.
  • Disdain (n) intense disgust or contempt. After the altercation the player's next shot was a disdainful smack into the crowd.
  • Abstract (adj) not concrete or theoretical. That piece of abstract art was sold for a million dollars. The abstract solution put forward by the philosopher was impractical in every sense of word.
  • Temperate (adj) not extreme; restrained in behavior or attitude. His temperate response to the acrid accusations was appreciated by every one who saw it.
  • Enigma (n) a mystery. The enigma surrounding the triple murders was talked about everywhere.
  • Inevitable (adj) bound to happen or unavoidable. War seemed inevitable as the tensions between the two countries further escalated.
  • Eccentric (adj) not conventional or common-place. His eccentric way of depicting a 'three' with fingers was at once noted by the canny Gestapo officer.
  • Provincial (adj) unsophisticated and narrow-minded or unwilling to embrace new ideas. The provincial attitude of his parents left him on the brink of committing suicide. The provincial guys from the faraway village glared suspiciously at everything from cell phones to security cameras.
  • Futile (adj) useless, ineffectual. The efforts at reviving the patient with CPR and a defibrillator were futile.
  • Diverse (adj) varied. The topography of Pakistan is diverse, from hot deserts to snow clad peaks.
  • Benevolent (adj) kind; keeping good feelings for others. The benevolent police warden helped the elderly women cross the road.
  • Pious (adj) a devout follower of religion, virtuous (can also be taken in hypocritical sense). The pious old man confined himself to a small room and worshiped to get closer to God.
  • Conciliatory (adj) seeking to solve dispute through talks rather than force. The conciliatory approach of the mayor was not mirrored by the terrorist and the situation ended in a blood bath.
  • Resignation (n) quitting a job; accepting something reluctantly but without protest. The resignation of the president was welcomed by the public and opposition alike. Tom's humorous resignation on the issue of Josh as baseball team's captain was seen in the best interest of the team ahead of the competition.
  • Resolute (adj) defiant or unwavering. Amy's resolute support of Harry in hard times strengthened the bond between the two.
  • Servile (adj) submissive almost like a servant.Timothy isn't as servile a character as he has been for the last few days, I smell something fishy, specifically a promotion.
  • Acute (adj) sharp; perspicacious. An acute sense of hearing. Hercule Poirot was an acute detective.
  • Reticent (adj) laconic; taciturn or reserved. She is such a reticent character that despite knowing her for six years I cannot tell you about her past.
  • Anarchy (n) absence of government's writ; lawlessness. To the quell the prevailing anarchy in the state military had to be called in.
  • Virulent (adj) poisonous; irritating or harsh in tone. The virulent rodent roamed the Sahara desert. The virulent criticism really hurt Joey.
  • Scrutinize (v) to examine closely. The SS officer scrutinized the expression on his face before accepting his story, albeit still with a hint of doubt. 
  • Discord (n) disagreement. The discord between the two philosophers lead to a heated debate.
  • Repudiate (v) reject something as invalid; disown or deny something. She repudiated the claims that she had links with the KGB despite being an FBI agent.
  • Diligent (adj) showing persistence and hard work. Josh is a diligent student, he never gives up on anything that is difficult for him.
  • Superficial (adj) not through; on the surface only; insignificant. A superficial examination of the subject. The infestation was superficial at first but now had spread to the depths of the pool. Superficial changes in the constitution.
  • Contempt (n)  extreme disgust or disdain for something or someone, specially in a reproachful sense. The minister's actions were worthy of contempt.
  • Lucid (adj) clear or easy to understand. The website offered lucid explanations for difficult physics concepts.
  • Aesthetic (adj) having to do with appreciating artistic beauty; beautiful. Her face was rendered aesthetic by the recent joys in her life. The painting was an aesthetic piece of art.  The Casting Director of a movie should be aesthetic.
  • Prodigal (adj) spendthrift or wasteful to an alarming degree. The son of the billionaire, as expected, was an archetype prodigal, spending bucket-loads of money on ornate suites and garish cars that he would never use.
  • Augment (v) to increase or lengthen. This version of the movie is augmented by the inclusion of censored material.
  • Complacent (adj) self-satisfied or eager to please. Our MD is by no means a complacent character, always querulous and peevish. The complacent bird flew right in the path of the approaching jet.
  • Guile (n) cunning and trickery. The guile and duplicity of the spy was acknowledged in the award given to him.
  • Squander (v) use something wastefully. The country's corrupt ministers squandered large amounts of money on projects invisible to the eye.
  • Incessant (adj) unceasing; continuing for a long time. The incessant gunfire seemed to carry on for infinity.
  • Laudable (adj) reverential; worthy of praise. The laudable exploits of the wartime general have a whole movie based on them.
  • Deter (v) to keep from doing something specially by scaring. The pit-bull sleeping in my path deterred me from completing my regular evening walk.
  • Redundant (adj) superfluous; no longer needed. After the recession the amount of redundant workers increased manifold.
  • Infamous (adj) having a bad reputation; disgraceful. Holocaust is an infamous act of tyranny. The infamous serial killer first killed their victims and then skinned them.
  • Provocative (adj) impelling a response; attracting attention. Provocative talk compelled the wrestler to land a punch on his chin.
  • Depravity (n) wickedness; moral corruption. The depravity of the extolled secret agent wasn't known until the Agency leaked details about him being a double agent.
  • Gravity (n) physical force; seriousness. The gravity of the hostage situation was downplayed by the government.
  • Banal (adj) ordinary; not creative. The soap opera had the same banal story line and on its second day it was being played before virtually empty theaters.
  • Extol (v) to praise or admire highly. Hu Jing Tau was a leader extolled by the Chinese public because of his unselfish and philanthropic character.
  • Euphony (n) pleasant and melodious sounds. The euphony in pop music died with the likes of Elvis and Jackson.
  • Deride (v) to ridicule or laugh at with utter dislike. The general public and priests derided Galileo's theory that Earth revolved around the Sun.
  • Insipid (adj) dull or unattractive. An insipid candle-lit dinner.
  • Austere (adj) simple without luxury\decoration; unsmiling; or depicting hardship. An austere life at the frontier. Dexter is a fairly austere character. The count bore an austere expression. The labor's austere face was all you need to know about his past hardships.
  • Expedite (v) make faster; facilitate. Aerial sprays expedited the annihilation of the insects.
  • Heresy (n) an opinion violently opposed to settled beliefs especially religious ones. Galileo's theory, that Earth revolved around the sun rather than the contrary, was labelled as heresy and he was put under house arrest.
  • Novel (adj) new; creative or original. The novel script and storyline of the move made it a cult classic.
  • Philanthropy (n) love of mankind or the quality of helping people. Jade's philanthropy was exemplary, she donated 75% of her very first income to the flood affectees.
  • Tentative (adj) hesitant; showing lack of confidence; rough or provisional. The horse was tentative in approaching him. A tentative draft of the constitution.
  • Deference (n) submission to another's will or decision; being polite or showing respect. We should show deference to elders because they have seen more of the world than us. Amy broke up with her boyfriend in deference to her father's will.  

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