Vocabulary words A–Z
203 words from our SAT, GRE and LSAT lists. Tap any word for its meaning, examples and a practice question.
A
to become less intense, active, or widespread
SAT
abdicate verbto give up a position of power, especially a throne, or to fail to carry out a responsibility
SAT
aberrant adjectivedeparting from an accepted standard
SAT
aberration nouna departure from what is normal or expected
SAT
abrupt adjectivesudden and unexpected
SAT
abstain verbto choose not to do or have something, such as voting or eating certain foods
SAT
abstract adjectiveexisting as an idea rather than as a physical thing
SAT
abysmal adjectiveextremely bad
SAT
accommodate verbto provide room for
SAT
acknowledge verbto accept or admit that something exists or is true
SAT
acquired adjectivegained through effort, learning, or experience rather than present from birth
SAT
acrimony nounbitterness or ill feeling, especially in speech or manner
SATGRE
ad hominem adjectivedescribing an argument that attacks the person making a claim rather than the claim itself
LSAT
adapt verbto change in order to suit new conditions
SAT
adept adjectivehighly skilled, especially in a particular area
SAT
adequate adjectivegood enough for a particular need or purpose
SAT
adhere verbto stick firmly to something
SAT
adulation nounexcessive admiration or flattery
SATGRE
advantageous adjectivecreating a benefit or a favorable position
SAT
advent nounthe arrival or beginning of something important
SAT
adversity nounhardship or misfortune
SAT
aesthetic adjectiveconcerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
SAT
aggravate verbto make a problem or injury worse
SAT
alacrity nounbrisk and cheerful readiness
SATGRE
amalgamate verbcombine or unite to form one organization or structure
SAT
ambiguous adjectiveopen to more than one interpretation
SATLSAT
ambivalent adjectivehaving mixed feelings
SAT
amicable adjectivefriendly and without serious disagreement
SAT
anachronism nounsomething out of its proper historical time period
SAT
anachronistic adjectivebelonging to a different time period from the one being shown or discussed
SAT
analogy nouna comparison between two things based on their similarities, often used to explain or argue a point
LSAT
anecdotal adjectivebased on personal accounts rather than facts or research
SATLSAT
anomaly nounsomething unusual or unexpected
SATGRELSAT
antagonist nounan opponent
SAT
antagonize verbcause someone to become hostile
SAT
apathy nounlack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
SAT
approbation nounapproval or praise
SATGRE
arbitrary adjectivebased on whim, not reason
SATLSAT
archaic adjectivevery old or old-fashioned
SAT
arduous adjectiveinvolving or requiring strenuous effort
SAT
arid adjectivevery dry, with little rainfall
SAT
articulate adjectivehaving or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently
SAT
ascertain verbfind out for certain
SATLSAT
assiduous adjectiveshowing constant, careful attention and hard work
SATGRE
assumption nounsomething taken for granted
LSAT
astute adjectivehaving an ability to accurately assess situations
SAT
asylum nounprotection granted by a country to someone fleeing danger
SAT
atrophy verbwaste away or become weaker through lack of use
SAT
audacious adjectiveshowing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks
SAT
austere adjectivesevere or strict in manner
SATGRE
B
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
SATGRE
belligerent adjectivehostile and aggressive
SAT
benevolent adjectivekind and well-meaning
SAT
bias nouna preference or prejudice that prevents fair, objective judgment
SATLSAT
boisterous adjectivenoisy, energetic, and lively
SAT
brazen adjectivebold and shameless
SAT
brevity nounconcise and exact use of words
SAT
brusque adjectiveabrupt or curt in manner or speech
SAT
C
a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds
SATGRE
camaraderie nouna feeling of friendship and trust among people who spend time or work together
SAT
candid adjectivehonest and frank
SAT
candor nounthe quality of being open and honest in expression
SAT
canny adjectiveshrewd and careful, especially in business or money matters
SAT
capacious adjectivehaving a lot of room inside
SAT
capitulate verbto surrender or give in, often after resisting or on agreed terms
SAT
capricious adjectivegiven to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
SATGRE
causal adjectiverelating to cause and effect
LSAT
censure noun / verbstrong, formal disapproval or criticism
SATLSAT
circuitous adjectiveindirect and longer than necessary
SAT
circumspect adjectivewary and unwilling to take risks
SATGRE
clairvoyant nouna person who claims to perceive things beyond the normal senses, such as future events
SAT
clandestine adjectivekept secret or done secretively, especially illicitly
SAT
cogent adjectiveclear, logical, and convincing in argument
SATLSAT
collaborate verbto work together with others on a shared project
SAT
compassion noundeep sympathy for others' suffering, together with a wish to help
SAT
complacent adjectiveshowing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself
SAT
compromise nounan agreement in which each side gives up part of what it wanted
SAT
concede verbto admit something is true
SATLSAT
condescending adjectiveshowing that one feels superior to others
SAT
conditional adjectivedepending on a particular condition being met
SATLSAT
conformist nouna person who follows accepted rules and customs rather than questioning them
SAT
conspicuous adjectiveeasy to notice
SAT
contrapositive nounthe logically equivalent form of a conditional statement, made by reversing and negating both parts: "If A, then B" becomes "If not B, then not A
LSAT
conundrum nouna confusing and difficult problem or question
SAT
convergence nounthe process of coming together at one point or becoming similar
SAT
convoluted adjectiveextremely complex and difficult to follow
SATLSAT
corollary nouna statement or result that follows naturally from one already proved or accepted
LSAT
correlation nouna relationship in which two things tend to change together
LSAT
corroborate verbto confirm or support
SATLSAT
culpable adjectivedeserving blame
SATLSAT
cursory adjectivehasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
SAT
D
a scarcity or lack of something
SAT
decorum nounbehavior in keeping with good taste and propriety
SAT
deference nounhumble submission and respect toward another
SAT
deleterious adjectivecausing harm or damage
SAT
demagogue nouna political leader who wins support by exploiting people's emotions and prejudices rather than by reasoned argument
SAT
denounce verbpublicly declare to be wrong or evil
SAT
desiccate verbto remove the moisture from
GRE
digression nouna temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing
SAT
dilettante nouna person who dabbles in an area of interest without serious commitment or expertise
GRE
diligent adjectiveshowing steady, careful effort in one's work or duties
SAT
discredit nounloss of reputation or respect
SAT
disdain nounthe feeling that someone or something is unworthy of respect
SAT
disparate adjectiveessentially different in kind
SAT
dogmatic adjectiveinclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true
SATGRE
E
cheerful and full of energy
GRE
elucidate verbto make clear; explain
SATGRE
emulate verbmatch or surpass through imitation
SAT
enervating adjectivedraining energy
SATGRE
enhance verbto improve the quality, value, or appeal of something
SAT
ephemeral adjectivelasting a very short time
SATGRE
equivocal adjectiveopen to more than one interpretation, often deliberately
GRE
equivocate verbuse ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth
SATGRELSAT
erratic adjectivenot even or regular in pattern
SAT
erudite adjectivehaving or showing great knowledge or learning
SATGRE
esoteric adjectiveunderstood by only a few
SATGRE
evanescent adjectivequickly fading or disappearing
SATGRE
exacerbate verbmake a problem or bad situation worse
SAT
exasperation nounintense irritation or frustration
SAT
exculpate verbto clear someone from blame or guilt
LSAT
exemplary adjectiveserving as an excellent model for others
SAT
extenuating adjectivemaking a wrongdoing seem less serious by partly excusing it
SATLSAT
extrapolate verbto estimate or conclude something unknown by extending known information or trends
LSAT
F
G
H
I
a person who attacks or challenges cherished beliefs or established institutions
GRE
implicit adjectivesuggested or understood without being stated directly
LSAT
impute verbto attribute something, usually a fault or motive, to someone
LSAT
inchoate adjectivejust begun and not yet fully formed or developed
GRE
inference nouna conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
LSAT
insipid adjectivelacking flavor, interest, or energy
GRE
integrity nounthe quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
SAT
intransigent adjectiveunwilling to compromise or change one's views
GRE
intrepid adjectivefearless and adventurous
SATGRE
intuitive adjectivebased on instinct or feeling rather than conscious reasoning
SAT
J
L
M
generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful
GRE
mendacious adjectivenot telling the truth
GRE
meticulous adjectiveextremely careful and precise
SAT
mitigate verbto make less severe
SATLSAT
mundane adjectiveordinary and dull
SAT
munificent adjectivevery generous, especially in giving money
GRE
N
O
P
overly concerned with minor details or rules, often in a way that shows off one's learning
GRE
pellucid adjectivetransparently clear
GRE
perfidious adjectivedeceitful and untrustworthy
GRE
pragmatic adjectivepractical and realistic
SAT
preclude verbto prevent something from happening
LSAT
premise nouna statement offered as a reason or evidence in support of a conclusion
LSAT
presuppose verbto require something as a precondition
LSAT
prevaricate verbto speak evasively or misleadingly in order to avoid telling the whole truth
GRE
prodigal adjectivespending money or resources freely and recklessly
GRE
prudent adjectivewise and careful about the future
SAT
Q
R
the restoring of friendly relations after a conflict
SAT
recondite adjectivelittle known
GRE
renovation nounthe process of repairing and improving something, especially a building
SAT
resilient adjectiveable to recover quickly from difficulty or setbacks
SAT
restrained adjectivecontrolled and moderate
SAT
reverence noundeep respect, often mixed with awe
SAT
S
keen wisdom and sound judgment
SATGRE
salient adjectivemost noticeable or important
LSAT
sanguine adjectiveoptimistic, especially in a difficult situation
GRE
scrutinize verbto examine closely and carefully
SATLSAT
specious adjectiveseeming reasonable or correct on the surface but actually wrong
LSAT
spontaneity nounthe quality of acting on impulse, without planning
SAT
spurious adjectivefalse or fake
SATGRELSAT
stipulate verbto demand or specify something as part of an agreement
LSAT
submissive adjectivereadily yielding to the control or authority of others
SAT
substantiate verbto provide evidence that shows something is true
SATLSAT
subtle adjectiveso slight or delicate that it is hard to notice or describe
SAT
sufficient adjectiveenough
LSAT
superficial adjectiveon the surface only
SAT
superfluous adjectivemore than is needed
SATGRE
suppress verbto forcibly stop or hold back something, such as an activity, information, or a feeling
SAT
surreptitious adjectivedone secretly, to avoid being noticed
SATGRE
T
careful not to offend or upset others when handling difficult matters
SAT
tenable adjectiveable to be defended against objection
LSAT
tenacious adjectivepersistent and determined
SAT
tenuous adjectivevery weak or slight
SATGRELSAT
transient adjectivelasting only a short time
SAT