Vocabulary Expansion: Exploring Nuanced Language, Exams of Advanced Education

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SSAT words

abase(v.) - to lower, demean, degrade abate(v.) - to lessen, to reduce in severity abbreviate(v.) - to shorten, reduce abduct(v.) - to kidnap aberration(n.) - a deviation from the expected course abhor(v.) - to hate, loathe abide(v.) - to put up with, tolerate abject(adj.) - of the most miserable or contemptible kind abort(v.) - to give up unfinished abridge(v.) - to shorten, cut down abrogate(v.) - to abolish, often by authority abscond(v.) - to sneak away and hide abundant(adj.) - in great numbers

accede(v.) - to agree accentuate(v.) - to emphasize, to highlight accommodating(adj.) - obliging, helpful accost(v.) - to approach or confront aggressively acumen(n.) - keen insight acute(adj.) - sharp, severe affable(adj.) - friendly, amiable affluent(adj.) - rich, wealthy aggrandize(v.) - to increase or make greater aggregate(v.) - to gather, amass aghast(adj.) - struck by amazement or terror agoraphobia(n.) - an abnormal fear of open or public places akimbo(adj.) - with hands on hips and elbows extending outward alacrity(n.) - speed, readiness algid(adj.) - frigid, cold

allay(v.) - to sooth, assuage alleviate(v.) - to relieve aloof(adj.) - reserved, distant altercation(n.) - an argument, dispute amalgamation(n.) - a union, a merger ambivalent(adj.) - having contradictory feelings amble(v.) - to stroll, walk ameliorate(v.) - to improve, to make better amend(v.) - to change for the better, improve amiable(adj.) - friendly, affable amorous(adj.) - relating to or showing love amorphous(adj.) - without shape or borders anomaly(n.) - something that does not fit into the normal order antechamber(n.) - a waiting room

anxiety(n.) - uneasiness aphorism(n.) - a short saying apocalypse(n.) - total devastation, the end of the world apparitional(adj.) - ghostly, spectral arbitrator(n.) - one who settles controversy between two sides ascetic(n.) - one who practices restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious assuage(v.) - to ease, pacify atone(v.) - to apologize, make amends audacious(adj.) - excessively bold augment(v.) - to increase or make larger austere(adj.) - very bare, bleak, simple baleful(adj.) - harmful, threatening bard(n.) - a poet, often a singer as well battery(n.) - an assault or an array of similar things intended for use together belligerent(adj.) - contentious, ready to fight

benevolent(adj.) - kind, good, caring benign(adj.) - non-threatening, innocuous berate(v.) - to scold severely bereft(adj.) - without, devoid of bide(v.) - to wait, or remain in a condition bilk(v.) - to cheat, to swindle blandish(v.) - to coax through flattery bloated(adj.) - swollen, bigger than desired boisterous(adj.) - loud, energetic bourgeois(adj.) - middle class brash(adj.) - hasty or lacking in sensitivity brazen(adj.) - excessively bold, brash brumal(adj.) - wintry, relating to winter brusque(adj.) - short, abrupt, dismissive

buffet(n.) - a spread of food involving choices buffet(v.) - to hit or strike burgeon(v.) - to come forth, blossom cacophony(n.) - noise, discordant sound cadence(n.) - rhythm cajole(v.) - to urge, coax callous(adj.) - harsh, cold, unfeeling calumny(n.) - an attempt to defame another's reputation camaraderie(n.) - cheerful unity among a group canvas(n.) - a piece of cloth on which an artist paints capricious(adj.) - impulsive, unpredictable, subject to whim captivate(v.) - to hold the interest of, to gain the attention of carouse(v.) - to revel, to party cavity(n.) - a hole cavort(v.) - to frolic, leap, prance

celestial(adj.) - relating to the sky or the heavens chastise(v.) - to criticize, to scold choreographed(adj.) - arranged, as in dance circumlocution(n.) - indirect language circumspect(adj.) - cautious clairvoyant(adj.) - able to see things that others cannot claustrophobia(n.) - an abnormal fear of closed or crowded spaces cliché(n.) - a trite, overused expression coalesce(v.) - to combine into one cogent(adj.) - intelligent, viable collusion(n.) - a conspiracy, a secret agreement colossus(n.) - an enormous structure comatose(adj.) - lethargic commendable(adj.) - worthy of praise

commodious(adj.) - spacious, roomy compel(v.) - to force complicit(adj.) - being an accomplice in a wrongful act compliment(n.) - an expression of esteem or approval concede(v.) - to give in, to accept conciliatory(adj.) - agreeable, friendly concoct(v.) - to make up or invent concord(n.) - agreement conduit(n.) - a pipe, passage, channel confluence(n.) - a convergence, a coming together confound(v.) - to frustrate connotation(n.) - a meaning or association suggested by a word beyond its definition contusion(n.) - bruise, injury convalescence(n.) - the gradual return to health after illness copious(adj.) - abundant, plentiful

corpulent(adj.) - very fat cosmopolitan(adj.) - worldly, sophisticated credulity(n.) - readiness to believe cursory(adj.) - brief to the point of being superficial daft(adj.) - insane, foolish daunting(adj.) - intimidating dearth(n.) - a lack, scarcity defame(v.) - to destroy the reputation of deft(adj.) - skilled, adept defunct(adj.) - no longer used or existing deleterious(adj.) - harmful delude(v.) - to deceive, to mislead deluge(n.) - a great flood or something that overwhelms like a flood derelict(adj.) - run-down, abandoned

desolate(adj.) - deserted, lifeless despondent(adj.) - discouraged, hopeless, depressed destitute(adj.) - impoverished diaphanous(adj.) - transparent, light, airy dictate(v.) - to pronounce, command, prescribe differentiate(v.) - to distinguish, to make different dilapidated(adj.) - in a state of disrepair diligent(adj.) - careful, showing care diminish(v.) - to decrease or make smaller diminutive(adj.) - miniature, small discreet(adj.) - prudent or inconspicuous discrete(adj.) - separate, distinct, individual disparage(v.) - to criticize, degrade, belittle dissonance(n.) - lack of harmony or agreement divergent(adj.) - different, deviating, contrary

diverse(adj.) - varied divisive(adj.) - causing conflict, opposition domicile(n.) - a residence, a home doppelganger(n.) - a ghostly double of a living person douse(v.) - to drench, saturate dutiful(adj.) - careful to fulfill obligations dynamic(adj.) - characterized by continuous change or activity elocution(n.) - the art of public speaking elucidate(v.) - to clarify empathetic(adj.) - feeling another's pain as one's own empathy(n.) - the experience of another's feelings as one's own enervate(v.) - to weaken, make weary enervated(adj.) - lacking energy, weakened, exhausted entity(n.) - something that exists as a discrete unit

entomology(n.) - the study of insects envious(adj.) - jealous erect(v.) - to construct, to raise erroneous(adj.) - mistaken, incorrect espouse(v.) - to support, or to marry espy(v.)- - catch sight of, glimpse ethereal(adj.) - heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined euphoric(adj.) - elated, overjoyed exacerbate(v.) - to make more violent, intense excursion(n.) - a trip, an outing exemplary(adj.) - serving as an example exigent(adj.) - critical, urgent existential(adj.) - relating to existence exorbitant(adj.) - excessive extol(v.) - to praise

extravagant(adj.) - excessive, over-the-top fabricate(v.) - to invent, make-up, concoct fabulist(n.) - a teller of fables; a liar facile(adj.) - easy fallacious(adj.) - incorrect, misleading familial(adj.) - relating to family fatuous(adj.) - silly, foolish fecund(adj.) - fertile, fruitful feign(v.) - to fake or pretend to feral(adj.) - savage, wild, untamed fetter(v.) - to restrain, chain, tie fey(adj.) - magical fickle(adj.) - characterized by changeableness, whimsical figurative(adj.) - symbolic

firmament(n.) - the sky, the heavens flabbergasted(adj.) - astounded, stupefied flaccid(adj.) - limp flattery(n.) - compliments, sycophancy flout(v.) - to scorn, ignore, show contempt for fluctuate(v.) - to vary irregularly flux(n.) - a state of constant change or a flow forage(v.) - to rummage, scavenge, graze for food forestall(v.) - to delay, impede forlorn(adj.) - lonely, hopeless formidable(adj.) - arousing fear or alarm forsake(v.) - to abandon, forget fortify(v.) - to strengthen fortitude(n.) - strength, bravery fortuitous(adj.) - lucky, occurring by chance

foster(v.) - to stimulate, promote, encourage frenetic(adj.) - frenzied, hectic, frantic gape(v.) - to open the mouth and stare stupidly gay(adj.) - happy, cheery, or homosexual gluttonous(adj.) - insatiable in appetite goad(v.) - to urge, to provoke into action gourmand(n.) - one who likes eating and drinking grandiose(adj.) - extraordinary, grand in scope gregarious(adj.) - sociable, outgoing grotto(n.) - a small cave or cavern guile(n.) - deceitful actions or behavior hail(v.) - to come from hapless(adj.) - unlucky harmony(n.) - agreement, often of sound

harrowing(adj.) - agonizing, distressing hedonist(n.) - one whose primary pursuit is pleasure henchman(n.) - a trusted follower, goon hiatus(n.) - an interruption in continuity, a break hiemal(adj.) - wintry, relating to winter hierarchy(n.) - a ranking system of groups or individuals histrionic(adj.) - excessively dramatic or emotional idolatrous(adj.) - worshiping excessively an object or person illusory(adj.) - deceptive, produced by an illusion immaculate(adj.) - impeccably clean, spotless, pure immutable(adj.) - not susceptible to change impecunious(adj.) - excessively poor impervious(adj.) - unable to be penetrated, unaffected impudent(adj.) - rude, improper incessant(adj.) - without interruption

incisive(adj.) - clear, sharp, direct inclement(adj.) - stormy, bad, severe inclination(n.) - a tendency, propensity indictment(n.) - accusation of wrongdoing indignation(n.) - anger due to an unfair situation inextricable(adj.) - hopelessly confused or tangled infuse(v.) - to inject ingenious(adj.) - marked by special intelligence inimical(adj.) - hostile, threatening iniquity(n.) - a wicked act, a sin innate(adj.) - inborn, native, inherent innocuous(adj.) - harmless inquisitor(n.) - someone who asks questions or makes an inquiry inundate(v.) - to flood

invariable(adj.) - not susceptible to change invective(n.) - a verbal attack inveterate(adj.) - habitual, natural irascible(adj.) - easily angered jubilant(adj.) - joyful, happy judicious(adj.) - of sound judgment juvenile(adj.) - young or immature juxtapose(v.) - to put next to each other labyrinthine(adj.) - intricate, maze-like laceration(n.) - a cut, a rip lachrymose(adj.) - tearful latent(adj.) - present but hidden laud(v.) - to applaud or praise laudatory(adj.) - admiring, praising lavish(adj.) - extravagant

lethargic(adj.) - sluggish, weary, apathetic lewd(adj.) - vulgar, offensive, rude libel(n.) - a statement that gives an unjust or unfavorable representation of a person or thing licentious(adj.) - amoral, lawless, lewd limber(adj.) - bending or flexing readily, pliable limpid(adj.) - clear, easily understood linchpin(n.) - something that holds separate things together lithe(adj.) - graceful, flexible, supple oquacious(adj.) - talkative lull(n.) - a relatively calm interval, as in a storm luminescence(n.) - light from non-thermal sources magnanimous(adj.) - generous, noble malaise(n.) - vague feeling of discomfort malevolent(adj.) - having intent to harm others malicious(adj.) - malevolent, harmful

malign(v.) - to slander, to smear, to libel, to defame, to speak evil of malleable(adj.) - easily shaped or formed mandatory(adj.) - required, not optional manifest(v.) - to show clearly manifold(adj.) - many masticate(v.) - to chew matrimony(n.) - marriage maudlin(adj.) - sentimental maxim(n.) - a common saying of advice or virtue meager(adj.) - lacking in quality stature mediate(v.) - to intervene, to arbitrate, to sort out melodramatic(adj.) - exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental; histrionic mendacious(adj.) - inclined to lie or mislead mercurial(adj.) - quick and changeable in temperament meritorious(adj.) - deserving of praise or merit

metamorphosis(n.) - a change of form, shape, substance mimic(v.) - to imitate, to copy misogyny(n.) - hatred of women modicum(n.) - a small amount of something mollify(v.) - to soften in temper monogamy(n.) - having only one spouse at a time mores(n.) - moral attitudes morose(adj.) - gloomy or sullen munificent(adj.) - generous, benevolent mutability(n.) - capability of change myopic(adj.) - short-sighted myriad(adj.) - consisting of a very great number narrate(v.) - to tell a story nebulous(adj.) - indistinct, hazy

nefarious(adj.) - horribly villainous neologism(n.) - the creation of new words, or a new word neonate(n.) - a newborn baby noisome(adj.) - foul, offensive, particularly to the sense of smell notoriety(n.) - infamy, known in bad regard novel(adj.) - strikingly new, unusual, or different noxious(adj.) - harmful, toxic obdurate(adj.) - unyielding to persuasion or moral influences obfuscate(v.) - to render incomprehensible obsequious(adj.) - excessively compliant or submissive odious(adj.) - meriting strong displeasure officious(adj.) - offering unwanted help or service olfactory(adj.) - relating to the sense of smell ominous(adj.) - foreboding or foreshadowing evil, portentous oration(n.) - a dignified and formal speech

ostracize(v.) - to exclude from a community pacify(v.) - to sooth, ease paragon(n.) - model of perfection pariah(n.) - an outcast parody(n.) - a satirical imitation patent(adj.) - clear, apparent pedagogue(n.) - a schoolteacher pellucid(adj.) - clear penchant(n.) - a tendency, partiality, preference peregrinate(v.) - to travel from place to place on foot perfunctory(adj.) - showing little enthusiasm, done as duty permeate(v.) - to spread out, to pervade persevere(v.) - to persist, remain constant pertinacious(adj.) - stubbornly persistent, holding to a belief or position

peruse(v.) - to examine carefully pervasive(adj.) - to spread throughout petulance(n.) - irritability, impoliteness physiognomy(n.) - the art of judging human character from facial features pique(v.) - to provoke or to cause indignation pithy(adj.) - succinctly meaningful pittance(n.)- - very small amount placate(v.) - to soothe, appease placid(adj.) - calm, tranquil plethora(n.) - a great number, an abundance pliable(adj.) - flexible, bendable poach(v.) - to hunt or fish illegally poised(adj.) - balanced, readied polygamy(n.) - having more than one spouse at a time portentous(adj.) - foreboding or foreshadowing evil, ominous

portly(adj.) - fat, chubby, round precarious(adj.) - dangerously lacking in security or stability predestination(n.) - the concept of destiny or fate premonition(n.) - a presentiment of the future preponderance(n.) - a great amount or frequency presage(n.) - an omen prestidigitation(n.) - a sleight of hand presumptuous(adj.) - disrespectfully bold profane(adj.) - indecent, blasphemous profuse(adj.) - abundant, lavish, prolific propensity(n.) - an inclination, preference propriety(n.) - decency, state of being proper protean(adj.) - readily taking on various shapes or forms prudent(adj.) - cautious, careful