Barron's SAT Word List 34 (pacify-peccadillo)
pander
v. cater to the low desires of others
pan
v. criticize harshly
partition
v. divide into parts
pall
v. grow tiresome
palliate
v. lessen the violence of (a disease); alleviate; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses
paraphrase
v. restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author
pacify
v. soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue
patronize
v. support; act superior toward; be a customer of
palpitate
v. throb; flutter
parry
v. ward off a blow; deflect
pantomime
n. acting without dialogue
pact
n. agreement; treaty
parasite
n. animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant
parameter
n. boundary; limiting factor; distinguishing characteristic
panacea
n. cure-all; remedy for all diseases
parity
n. equality in status or amount; close resemblance
paraphernalia
n. equipment; odds and ends
patriarch
n. father and ruler of a family or tribe
paroxysm
n. fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage
panache
n. flair; flamboyance
palette
n. flat surface on which painter mixes pigments; range of colors commonly used by a particular artist
panegyric
n. formal praise
patina
n. green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
parody
n. humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty
partiality
n. inclination; bias
passport
n. legal document identifying the bearer as a citizen of a country and allowing him or her to travel abroad
paragon
n. model of perfection
paradigm
n. model; example; pattern
pastiche
n. piece of writing or music made up of borrowed bits and pieces
paranoia
n. psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution
paucity
n. scarcity
parable
n. short, simple story teaching a moral
peccadillo
n. slight offense
pariah
n. social outcast
paradox
n. something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct
paean
n. song of praise or joy
parallelism
n. state of being parallel; similarity
parsimony
n. stinginess; excessive frugality
pathos
n. tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings
pauper
n. very poor person
pandemonium
n. wild tumult
palatable
adj. agreeable; pleasing to the taste
pathetic
adj. causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching
parched
adj. extremely dry; very thirsty
paramount
adj. foremost in importance; supreme
partial
adj. incomplete; having a liking for something
paltry
adj. insignificant; petty; trifling
parochial
adj. narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes
patrician
adj. noble; aristocratic
passive
adj. not active; acted upon
partisan
adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
patent
adj. open for the public to read; obvious
pallid
adj. pale; wan
panoramic
adj. related to an unobstructed and comprehensive view
pathological
adj. related to the study of disease; diseased or markedly abnormal
pastoral
adj. rural; simple and peaceful; idyllic; related to shepherds
painstaking
adj. showing hard work; taking great care
palpable
adj. tangible; easily perceptible; unmistakable
pandemic
adj. widespread; affecting the majority of people