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SSAT Master Vocabulary List

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

loquacious(adj.) - talkative

lull(n.) - a relatively calm interval, as in a storm

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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

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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

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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

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protean(adj.) - readily taking on various shapes or forms

prudent(adj.) - cautious, careful

puerile(adj.) - immature

pugnacious(adj.) - belligerent

pulchritude(n.) - physical beauty

punctilious(adj.) - eager to follow rules

pungent(adj.) - having a sharp, strong quality especially related to smell

purport(v.) - to present an intention that is often FALSE

putrid(adj.) - rotten, rancid, foul

quaint(adj.) - old-fashioned

quidpro - (n., latin) – a mutually beneficial exchange

quotidian(adj.) - daily, everyday

radiant(adj.) - bright, beaming

rancid(adj.) - rotten, spoiled, disgusting in smell or taste

ratiocinate(v.) - to think, contemplate

raze(v.) - to demolish

recalcitrant(adj.) - defiant

recalibrate(v.) - to readjust or make corrections to

recapitulate(v.) - to repeat, reiterate

rectify(v.) - to set right, correct

redact(v.) - to revise, edit

redoubtable(adj.) - formidable, commanding respect

redress(v.) - to set right or remedy

reel(v.) - to be thrown off balance or feel dizzy

refrain(v.) - to hold oneself back, forbear

reiterate(v.) - to repeat

relish(v.) - to take zestful pleasure in, enjoy the flavor of

remiss(adj.) - negligent, exhibiting carelessness

render(v.) - to say, or to make

renovate(v.) - to restore, return to original state

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repose(n.) - rest, sleep

reprehensible(adj.) - deserving criticism

repudiate(v.) - to reject, turn down

repulse(v.) - to cause disgust or distaste, or to drive back, repel

requisition(n.) - a demand for goods, often by an authority

restitution(n.) - compensation, reimbursement

retaliation(n.) - revenge, punishment

retract(v.) - withdraw

retribution(n.) - vengeance, revenge, payback

revel(v.) - to enjoy

rife(adj.) - abundant

ruddy(adj.) - having a healthy, reddish color

ruse(n.) - a trick

rustic(adj.) - relating to country life

saccharine(adj.) - overly sweet

sacrosanct(adj.) - sacred, holy

sagacious(adj.) - shrewd, showing sound judgment

salient(adj.) - significant, conspicuous

salutation(n.) - a greeting

sanguine(adj.) - cheery, optimistic, hopeful

sate(v.) - to satisfy (an appetite) fully.

satiate(v.) - to satisfy excessively

savor(v.) - to appreciate fully, enjoy

scathing(adj.) - hurtful, critical

scourge(n.) - a plague

scurrilous(adj.) - crude, vulgar

sedate(v.) - to calm, soothe

sedentary(adj.) - sitting

seer(n.) - a fortune teller

seminal(adj.) - original, ground-breaking

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serendipity(n.) - the act of finding things not sought, luck

slander(n.) - a FALSE statement to damage the reputation of another

sobriety(n.) - moderation from excess, calm, tranquility

somnolent(adj.) - sleepy

soothsayer(n.) - a fortune teller

sordid(adj.) – dirty

spectral(adj.) – ghostly

spurious(adj.) - FALSE but intended to seem believable or possible

stagnant(adj.) - still, not flowing

stagnate(v.) - to be idle, to be still

static(adj.) - not moving, being at rest

steadfast(adj.) - fixed or unchanging

strenuous(adj.) - requiring tremendous strength or energy

strife(n.) - conflict

stupefy(v.) - to astound

submissive(adj.) - easily yielding to authority subsist(v.) - to live, exist

succinct(adj.) - marked by compact precision

suffice(v.) - to meet needs supplant(v.) - to displace and substitute for another

surfeit(n.) - an excess, a surplus, an overabundance surmise(v.) - to guess, infer, suppose

surreptitious(adj.) - done in a secret, or stealthy way

swarthy(adj.) - of dark color or complexion

sybarite(n.) - someone devoted to pleasure and luxury, a voluptuary sycophant(n.) - a self-serving flatterer

sympathetic(adj.) - compassionate

sympathy(n.) - an expression of pity for another, compassion

synopsis(n.) - a summary

taciturn(adj.) - not inclined to talk tantamount(adj.) - equivalent in value or significance

tedious(adj.) - boring, dull

telepathic(adj.) - capable of reading minds

tenuous(adj.) - having little substance or strength

terrestrial(adj.) - relating to the land terse(adj.) - abrupt, short, brief

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timorous(adj.) - fearful, timid

tome(n.) - a large book

toothsome(adj.) - delicious, luscious

torpid(adj.) - lazy, lethargic, moving slowly

torrid(adj.) - giving off intense heat, passionate

tortuous(adj.) - winding, twisted

tragedy(n.) - a disastrous event, or a work of art in which the hero meets a terrible fate

tranquil(adj.) - calm, serene, peaceful

travesty(n.) - a grossly inferior imitation trek(v.) - to walk, travel by foot

trite(adj.) - overused, hackneyed

truculent(adj.) - eager to fight, violent ubiquitous(adj.) - existing everywhere, widespread

ultimate(n.) - the last part, or a fundamental element

umbrage(n.) - anger, offense, resentment

uncanny(adj.) - of supernatural character or origin

undulate(v.) - to move in a smooth wavelike motion

uniform(adj.) - unvarying, conforming to one principle unilateral(adj.) - having only one side

unique(adj.) - being the only one of its kind

upbraid(v.) - to criticize, scold, reproach

vacillate(v.) - to sway from one side to another

variance(n.) - a difference between what is expected and what actually occurs

variegate(v.) - to diversify

vast(adj.) - enormous, immense

veneer(n.) - a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade

veracious(adj.) - honest, truthful

verbose(adj.) - wordy

vicarious(adj.) - experienced through another’s actions

vicissitudes(n.) - the unexpected changes and shifts often encountered in one’s life

vigor(n.) - vitality and energy, vim.

vim(n.) - and energy, vigor.

vivacious(adj.) - lively, spirited, full of life

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vocation(n.) - one’s work or professional calling

volition(n.) - a conscious choice or decision

voluminous(adj.) - large, ample

voluptuary(n.) - someone devoted to sensory pleasure and luxury, a sybarite

wane(v.) - to decrease gradually in size or degree

wax(v.) - to increase gradually in size or degree

weather(v.) - to withstand or survive a situation

whet(v.) - to make more keen, stimulate

winsome(adj.) - charming, attractive

Zeitgeist(n.) - the spirit of the time