SAT EXAM REVIEW

1. Hendy’s Top 50 Vocab Words SAT EXAM REVIEW

2. #1 • Apparent or professed • Syn: purported, alleged • Ant: real, true, actual • “The ____ reason for the school closing was a need for asbestos mitigation.”

3. #1 ostensible

4. #2 • an excessive desire to acquire or possess wealth • Syn: covetousness, rapacity • Ant: generosity, openhandedness • “Ebenezer Scrooge’s personality was marked by significant _____.”

5. #2 avarice

6. #3 • Not religious; worldly; pertaining to the state • Syn: civil • Ant: sacred, divine • Despite having a devoutly religious population, Turkey enforces strict _____ laws in public.

7. #3 secular

8. #4 • Overly self-satisfied • Syn: contented • Ant: dissatisfied, malcontent • “Just because we won the past five games, this is no time to get _____.”

9. #4 complacent

10. #5 • Shameless boldness • Syn: audacity, impertinence, nerve • Ant: timidity, modesty • “Can you believe Cleetus had the ___ to high-five the Queen of England?!”

11. #5 effrontery

12. #6 • (verb) to speak or argue in favor of • (noun) a person who pleads in the interest or case of an individual • Syn: champion, support, defender • “The online hacker group Anonymous is often an _____ for people who are bullied or persecuted.”

13. #6 advocate

14. #7 • Existing as a natural or essential part of • Syn: intrinsic, implicit, internal • Ant: extrinsic, external • “For generations, people in my family have had an ____ tendency toward skin problems.”

15. #7 inherent

16. #8 • to pretend or give a false appearance of • Syn: fake, sham, simulate • “Don’t ____ shock over their elopement; you knew perfectly well that they were running off to Vegas.”

17. #8 feign

18. #9 • being or seeming to be everywhere • Syn: omnipresent, pervasive, universal • Ant: rare, scarce • “During the holiday season, holly and tinsel are _____ at shopping malls.”

19. #9 ubiquitous

20. #10 • To make an accurate line drawing or diagram of; to portray or describe in detail • Syn: depict, set forth • “Why don’t you ____ all the details of your campaign strategy to us?”

21. #10 • delineate

22. #11 • A hindrance or obstruction • Syn: encumbrance, obstacle, handicap • Ant: aid, assistance • “A lack of financial aid is a serious ____ to my dream of going away to school.”

23. #11 impediment

24. #12 • Immersed in deep, often melancholy thought • Syn: meditative, reflective, wistful • Ant: lighthearted, blithe, jocund • “Edgar Allan Poe’s protagonists were often morose, ____ characters.”

25. #12 pensive

26. #13 • High in rank; distinguished; outstanding; conspicuous • Syn: prominent, notable, remarkable • Ant: obscure, undistinguished • “Dr. Phil is the most ____ psychiatrist on TV.” (even though he’s a hack)

27. #13 eminent

28. #14 • Indirect or roundabout; long-winded • Syn: winding, meandering, rambling • Ant: direct, unveering • “Mapquest is unreliable and will take you on the most ___ route to Baltimore.”

29. #14 circuitous

30. #15 • To regard with horror and loathing; to hate intensely • Syn: loathe, despise, detest • Ant: relish, love, cherish • “I ___ anyone who exploits workers for his own gain.”

31. #15 abhor

32. #16 • High-minded but impractical • Syn: idealistic, visionary, fanciful • Ant: realistic, practical • “We engaged on a ___ quest to find Jack’s beanstalk.”

33. #16 quixotic

34. #17 • Inactive, as if in sleep; suspended in use, growth, or development • Syn: latent, passive, inert • Ant: active, vibrant, thriving • “The herpes virus, even when not active, lies ____ in the body.”

35. #17 dormant

36. #18 • Subject to or determined by one’s judgment; random • Syn: judgmental, irrational, partial • Ant: objective, fair, equitable • “Why must I be subjected to your ___ rules about hats and sugar content?”

37. #18 arbitrary

38. #19 • To overlook or disregard an offense, thereby implying forgiveness, acceptance, or approval of it • Syn: ignore, accept, tolerate • Ant: condemn, denounce • “The team’s lenient punishment of Allen Iverson makes it seem like they ____ his actions.”

39. #19 condone

40. #20 • Deeply learned in a specialized area • Syn: scholarly, profound, knowledgeable • Ant: ignorant, uninformed • “Neil deGrasse Tyson is ____ in the area of astrophysics.”

41. #20 erudite

42. #21 • Arousing fear or admiration because of the unusual size or superiority of the thing involved; difficult to do because of the scale involved • “Running 10 miles through mud and electrical wires is a ____ undertaking.”

43. #21 formidable

44. #22 • Wavering or uncertain because of an inability to make a choice between two contradictory feelings or viewpoints • Syn: contradictory, conflicting, opposing • Ant: definite, firm, unequivocal • “I had ___ feelings about the Ravens winning the AFC Championship; they beat the hated Patriots, but – well, they’re still the friggin’ Ravens.”

45. #22 ambivalent

46. #23 • To cancel or withdraw • Syn: revoke, repeal, retract • Ant: affirm, confirm, enforce • “If you __ an invitation to a vampire, does he have to leave your house?”

47. #23 rescind

48. #24 • Fair and impartial; frank or outspoken; informal or unposed • Syn: unbiased, spontaneous • Ant: prejudiced, reserved, ambiguous • “While the formal prom photos were great, my favorites were the ___ shots that showed everyone genuinely enjoying themselves.”

49. #24 candid

50. #25 • Incapable of being penetrated or affected • Syn: impenetrable, unresponsive • Ant: susceptible, permeable • “My superpowers make me ___ to your evil magic, Lord Saruman!”