Kaplan's 100 Most Common SAT Words
"A vocabulary test on the meaning of words is the strongest predictor of verbal and abstract intellectual development. The knowledge of words has always been a strong measure of a reader’s development, reading comprehension, and verbal intelligence." --William H. DuBay, The Principles of Readability
Studying for the SATs can be a trying experience. One easy way to raise your score is to memorize SAT vocabulary words. Since the sentence completion questions in the Critical Reading section test your ability to recognize words in context, knowing more words will go a long way towards raising your Critical Reading Score. Here is a simple list of the 100 most common SAT Vocabulary words to get you started on the path towards improving your vocabulary skills and raising your overall SAT Score.
The Critical Reading Section of the SAT has both a reading comprehension component and an SAT vocabulary component. The sentence completion questions, which ask you to select a word from a multiple choice list, test your knowledge of the definition of common words. Certain SAT vocabulary words are tested over and over again in the sentence completion questions. By learning these frequently tested words, you are increasing the odds of knowing the vocabulary required of you on test day. The 100 words below are a great starting point to help improve your SAT vocabulary words. Remember, though, the more words you know the better you will do.
1. abbreviate -- (v) to shorten, abridge
2. abstinence -- (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking
3. adulation -- (n) high praise
4. adversity -- (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events
5. aesthetic -- (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts
6. amicable -- (adj) friendly, agreeable
7. anachronistic -- (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period
8. anecdote -- (n) short, usually funny account of an event
9. anonymous -- (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity
10. antagonist -- (n) foe, opponent, adversary
11. arid -- (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring
12. assiduous -- (adj) persistent, hard-working
13. asylum -- (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge
14. benevolent -- (adj) friendly and helpful
15. camaraderie -- (n) trust, sociability amongst friends
16. censure -- (v) to criticize harshly
17. circuitous -- (adj) indirect, taking the longest route
18. clairvoyant -- (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future
19. collaborate -- (v) to cooperate, work together
20. compassion -- (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy
21. compromise -- (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides
22. condescending -- (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing
23. conditional -- (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract
24. conformist -- (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs
25. congregation -- (n) a crowd of people, an assembly
26. convergence -- (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together
27. deleterious -- (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental
28. demagogue -- (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
29. digression -- (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument
30. diligent -- (adj) careful and hard-working
31. discredit -- (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
32. disdain -- (v) to regard with scorn or contempt
33. divergent -- (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular point
34. empathy -- (n) identification with the feelings of others
35. emulate -- (v) to imitate, follow an example
36. enervating -- (adj) weakening, tiring
37. enhance -- (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
38. ephemeral -- (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting
39. evanescent -- (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image
40. exasperation -- (n) irritation, frustration
41. exemplary -- (adj) outstanding, an example to others
42. extenuating -- (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors
43. florid -- (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate
44. fortuitous -- (adj) happening by luck, fortunate
45. frugal -- (adj) thrifty, cheap
46. hackneyed -- (adj) cliched, worn out by overuse
47. haughty -- (adj) arrogant and condescending
48. hedonist -- (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal
49. hypothesis -- (n) assumption, theory requiring proof
50. impetuous -- (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking
51. impute -- (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group
52. incompatible -- (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together
53. inconsequential -- (adj) unimportant, trivial
54. inevitable -- (adj) certain, unavoidable
55. integrity -- (n) decency, honesty, wholeness
56. intrepid -- (adj) fearless, adventurous
57. intuitive -- (adj) instinctive, untaught
58. jubilation -- (n) joy, celebration, exultation
59. lobbyist -- (n) person who seeks to influence political events
60. longevity -- (n) long life
61. mundane -- (adj) ordinary, commonplace
62. nonchalant -- (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited
63. novice -- (n) apprentice, beginner
64. opulent -- (adj) wealthy
65. orator -- (n) lecturer, speaker
66. ostentatious -- (adj) showy, displaying wealth
67. parched -- (adj) dried up, shriveled
68. perfidious -- (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
69. precocious -- (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age
70. pretentious -- (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
71. procrastinate -- (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off
72. prosaic -- (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace
73. prosperity -- (n) wealth or success
74. provocative -- (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement
75. prudent -- (adj) careful, cautious
76. querulous -- (adj) complaining, irritable
77. rancorous -- (adj) bitter, hateful
78. reclusive -- (adj) preferring to live in isolation
79. reconciliation -- (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute
80. renovation -- (n) repair, making something new again
81. resilient -- (adj) quick to recover, bounce back
82. restrained -- (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted
83. reverence -- (n) worship, profound respect
84. sagacity -- (n) wisdom
85. scrutinize -- (v) to observe carefully
86. spontaneity -- (n) impulsive action, unplanned events
87. spurious -- (adj) lacking authenticity, false
88. submissive -- (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others
89. substantiate -- (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence
90. subtle -- (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive
91. superficial -- (adj) shallow, lacking in depth
92. superfluous -- (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant
93. suppress -- (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information
94. surreptitious -- (adj) secret, stealthy
95. tactful -- (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others
96. tenacious -- (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on
97. transient -- (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting
98. venerable -- (adj) respected because of age
99. vindicate -- (v) to clear from blame or suspicion
100. wary -- (adj) careful, cautious