100 Vocab Words to Know for the SAT

Top 100 Vocabulary Words to Study for the SAT

Reading plenty of fiction and non-fiction is the best way to improve a lackluster vocabulary over time. However, if you’re looking to raise your SAT Reading score quickly, you might want to devote some time to studying vocab. Here is a list of the top 100 SAT vocabulary words of all time, courtesy of Kaplan and the Washington Post:

1. abbreviate: (v) to shorten, abridge
2. Abstinence: (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking
3. adulation: (n) high praise
4. adversity: (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events
5. aesthetic: (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts
6. amicable: (adj) friendly, agreeable
7. anachronistic: (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period
8. anecdote: (n) short, usually funny account of an event
9. anonymous: (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity
10. antagonist: (n) foe, opponent, adversary
11. arid: (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring
12. assiduous: (adj) persistent, hard-working
13. asylum: (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge
14. benevolent: (adj) friendly and helpful
15. camaraderie: (n) trust, sociability amongst friends
16. censure: (v) to criticize harshly
17. circuitous: (adj) indirect, taking the longest route
18. clairvoyant: (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future
19. collaborate: (v) to cooperate, work together
20. compassion: (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy
21. compromise: (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides
22. condescending: (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing
23. conditional: (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract
24. conformist: (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs
25. congregation: (n) a crowd of people, an assembly
26. convergence: (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together
27. deleterious: (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental
28. demagogue: (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
29. digression: (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument
30. diligent: (adj) careful and hard-working
31. discredit: (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
32. disdain: (v) to regard with scorn or contempt
33. divergent: (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular point
34. empathy: (n) identification with the feelings of others
35. emulate: (v) to imitate, follow an example
36. enervating: (adj) weakening, tiring
37. enhance: (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
38. ephemeral: (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting
39. evanescent: (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image
40. exasperation: (n) irritation, frustration
41. exemplary: (adj) outstanding, an example to others
42. extenuating: (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors
43. florid: (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate
44. fortuitous: (adj) happening by luck, fortunate
45. frugal: (adj) thrifty, cheap
46. hackneyed:(adj) cliched, worn out by overuse
47. haughty: (adj) arrogant and condescending
48. hedonist: (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal
49. hypothesis: (n) assumption, theory requiring proof
50. impetuous: (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking
51. impute: (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group
52. incompatible: (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together
53. inconsequential: (adj) unimportant, trivial
54. inevitable: (adj) certain, unavoidable
55. integrity: (n) decency, honesty, wholeness
56. intrepid: (adj) fearless, adventurous
57. intuitive: (adj) instinctive, untaught
58. jubilation: (n) joy, celebration, exultation
59. lobbyist: (n) person who seeks to influence political events
60. longevity: (n) long life
61. mundane: (adj) ordinary, commonplace
62. nonchalant: (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited
63. novice: (n) apprentice, beginner
64. opulent: (adj) wealthy
65. orator: (n) lecturer, speaker
66. ostentatious: (adj) showy, displaying wealth
67. parched: (adj) dried up, shriveled
68. perfidious: (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
69. precocious: (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age
70. pretentious: (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
71. procrastinate: (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off
72. prosaic: (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace
73. prosperity: (n) wealth or success
74. provocative: (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement
75. prudent: (adj) careful, cautious
76. querulous: (adj) complaining, irritable
77. rancorous: (adj) bitter, hateful
78. reclusive: (adj) preferring to live in isolation
79. reconciliation: (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute
80. renovation: (n) repair, making something new again
81. resilient: (adj) quick to recover, bounce back
82. restrained: (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted
83. reverence: (n) worship, profound respect
84. sagacity: (n) wisdom
85. scrutinize: (v) to observe carefully
86. spontaneity: (n) impulsive action, unplanned events
87. spurious: (adj) lacking authenticity, false
88. submissive: (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others
89. substantiate: (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence
90. subtle: (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive
91. superficial: (adj) shallow, lacking in depth
92. superfluous: (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant
93. suppress: (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information
94. surreptitious: (adj) secret, stealthy
95. tactful: (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others
96. tenacious: (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on
97. transient: (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting
98. venerable: (adj) respected because of age
99. vindicate: (v) to clear from blame or suspicion
100. wary: (adj) careful, cautious