The 100 Most Common SAT Words We've all heard the phrase "SAT words," referring to the pesky vocabulary words that appear on Analogies and Sentence Completions. Where else in the world might you be required to figure out that LEGERDEMAIN is a skill required by CONJURERs? Extensive reading is the best way to develop your command of tough vocabulary. But getting familiar with the appropriate level of vocabulary can also be extremely helpful. To help you get a handle on those ten-cent words, Kaplan has analyzed the top 100 SAT vocabulary words of all time. abbreviate -- (v) to shorten, abridge abstinence -- (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking adulation -- (n) high praise adversity -- (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events aesthetic -- (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts amicable -- (adj) friendly, agreeable anachronistic -- (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period anecdote -- (n) short, usually funny account of an event anonymous -- (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity antagonist -- (n) foe, opponent, adversary arid -- (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring assiduous -- (adj) persistent, hard-working asylum -- (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge benevolent -- (adj) friendly and helpful camaraderie -- (n) trust, sociability amongst friends censure -- (v) to criticize harshly circuitous -- (adj) indirect, taking the longest route clairvoyant -- (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future collaborate -- (v) to cooperate, work together compassion -- (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy compromise -- (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides condescending -- (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing conditional -- (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract conformist -- (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs congregation -- (n) a crowd of people, an assembly convergence -- (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together deleterious -- (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental demagogue -- (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice digression -- (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument diligent -- (adj) careful and hard-working discredit -- (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace disdain -- (v) to regard with scorn or contempt divergent -- (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular point empathy -- (n) identification with the feelings of others emulate -- (v) to imitate, follow an example enervating -- (adj) weakening, tiring enhance -- (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity ephemeral -- (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting evanescent -- (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image exasperation -- (n) irritation, frustration exemplary -- (adj) outstanding, an example to others extenuating -- (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors florid -- (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate fortuitous -- (adj) happening by luck, fortunate frugal -- (adj) thrifty, cheap hackneyed -- (adj) cliched, worn out by overuse haughty -- (adj) arrogant and condescending hedonist -- (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal hypothesis -- (n) assumption, theory requiring proof impetuous -- (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking impute -- (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group incompatible -- (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together inconsequential -- (adj) unimportant, trivial inevitable -- (adj) certain, unavoidable integrity -- (n) decency, honesty, wholeness intrepid -- (adj) fearless, adventurous intuitive -- (adj) instinctive, untaught jubilation -- (n) joy, celebration, exultation lobbyist -- (n) person who seeks to influence political events longevity -- (n) long life mundane -- (adj) ordinary, commonplace nonchalant -- (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited novice -- (n) apprentice, beginner opulent -- (adj) wealthy orator -- (n) lecturer, speaker ostentatious -- (adj) showy, displaying wealth parched -- (adj) dried up, shriveled perfidious -- (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy precocious -- (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age pretentious -- (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured procrastinate -- (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off prosaic -- (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace prosperity -- (n) wealth or success provocative -- (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement prudent -- (adj) careful, cautious querulous -- (adj) complaining, irritable rancorous -- (adj) bitter, hateful reclusive -- (adj) preferring to live in isolation reconciliation -- (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute renovation -- (n) repair, making something new again resilient -- (adj) quick to recover, bounce back restrained -- (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted reverence -- (n) worship, profound respect sagacity -- (n) wisdom scrutinize -- (v) to observe carefully spontaneity -- (n) impulsive action, unplanned events spurious -- (adj) lacking authenticity, false submissive -- (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others substantiate -- (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence subtle -- (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive superficial -- (adj) shallow, lacking in depth superfluous -- (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant suppress -- (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information surreptitious -- (adj) secret, stealthy tactful -- (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others tenacious -- (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on transient -- (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting venerable -- (adj) respected because of age vindicate -- (v) to clear from blame or suspicion wary -- (adj) careful, cautious Use this list to build your vocabulary and prepare for the challenge of test day. 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