500 key words for the SAT
consonance
a blending of sounds or opinions; harmony; agreement
anarchy
a lack of order; chaos
anathema
a religious curse, or the thing or person being cursed
articulate
able to speak clearly and effectively
ambidextrous
able to use both hands with equal skill
arrogant
acting superior, obnoxious, smug or rude
concede
admit reluctantly; yield
concur
agree
accolade
an award, or praise
conviction
an opinion that is strongly held
choler
anger
assail
attack with words or force
banal
boring; trite; insipid
audacious
brazen; brash; nervy
brevity
briefness; conciseness
caustic
burning, either with chemicals or sarcasm
appease
calm; pacify
composure
calmness; equanimity
circumspect
cautious
blight
decay; disease; widespread death
contingent
dependent upon other circumstances; conditional
aloof
detached; apart; indifferent
ascendance
domination; controlling power
circumscribe
draw a line around; define limits; confine; restrict
averse
feeling repelled; wanting to avoid
compliant
following someone else's demands; comforming; obeying
convivial
fond of parties; sociable
affable
friendly; easy-going
amity
friendship
benign
gentle; kind-hearted; mild
benediction
good wishes; a blessing
avarice
greed
abstruse
hard to understand
baleful
harmful; menacing
cacophony
harshness of sound; opposite of harmony
belligerent
having a strong tendency to argue and fight
candor
honesty; frankness
antagonistic
in hostile competition; opposing
copious
in large quantity; abundant
ambivalence
indecision; feeling of being pulled in two directions
benevolent
kindhearted; good-natured; generous
apathy
lack of interest or concern
capacious
large; roomy; spacious
augment
make larger; increase
clemency
mercy
converge
move together to meet at a common point
archaic
old; antiquated
antithesis
opposite
assiduous
persistent; hard-working; diligent; attentive to detail
ascetic
person who rejects physical comfort and luxuy for self-discipline
affirmation
positive statement; assertion; agreement
acclaim
praise; applaud
chasten
punish; discipline; castigate
bumptious
pushy; obnoxiously self-assertive
adamant
refusing to change; stubborn, unyielding
assuage
relieve; ease; pacify
acquiescent
reluctantly agreeable; compliant
conundrum
riddle; mystery
asperity
roughness; harshness; irritability
castigate
scold; punish
chastise
scold; punish; castigate
cloister
secluded or isolated from the outside world; also, a place of seclusion
arcane
secret; mysterious
arbitrary
selected by random choice and without solid reason
complacent
self-satisfied; unconcerned
concise
short and to the point; terse
analogous
similar
adroit
skillful in physical activity, or in handling difficult situations
contrite
sorry; penitent
bombast
speech or writing intended to impress the audience; pompous
celerity
speed
contract
squeeze together; shrink
austere
stern; plain; without luxuries
advocate
support; plead for; speak on behalf of
capitulate
surrender; yield
auspicious
taking place under promising conditions; likely to succeed
abstract
theoretical; not concrete
contend
to argue a point or position; or, to struggle for
beguile
to cheat or deceive, usually through charm; to amuse
consummate
to complete or make whole
censure
to criticize
cajole
to fool with flattery or false promises; coax; deceive
coerce
to force someone by threatening or physically overpowering him
belie
to give an impression that is the opposite of the way things really are; to misrepresent
bequeath
to leave behind or hand down through a will; transmit
ameliorate
to make an unpleasant situation better; to improve
confound
to mix up (in your own mind); or, to confuse someone else
condone
to overlook, excuse, or pardon
alienate
to push someone way, or cause him to separate from people
bolster
to support; to reinforce
antiquated
too old to be useful; outdated; obsolete
apex
top; highest point; summit
ambiguous
unclear; vague; having several possible interpretations
coalesce
unite; grow together
capricious
unpredictable
altruistic
unselfish; caring
atrophy
waste away; wither
astute
wise; insightfully clever; shrewd
amorphous
without form or shape
acrimony
words or behavior filled with harshness or anger