SAT Vocabulary List 3-10

1. abstract; adjective theoretical, not applied or practical; not concrete; hard to understand. I prefer realistic art to abstract paintings, which are totally confusing to me. 2. bizarre; adjective strikingly odd in appearance or style; grotesque. The beggars bizarre street behavior alerted the police to question her. 3. cajole; verb to persuade by pleasant words or false promises. First he tried to cajole the witness into testifying; then he used threats. 4. decadence; noun decay; decline. Many sermons tend to focus on the moral decadence in our time. 5. efface; verb to wipe out; to erase. A devious attempt to efface the signature didnt fool the bank teller. 6. fastidious; adjective hard to please; dainty in taste. Everett was so fastidious that his messy fraternity brothers refused to room with him. 7. garner; verb to gather and store away; to collect. By paying close attention, you may be able to garner some information will elucidate the situation. 8. hedonist; noun one who lives solely for pleasure. Abandoning her lifestyle as a hedonist, Maria entered a convent. 9. imminent; adjective about to occur. The ominous clouds told us that a storm was imminent. 10. laconic; adjective brief or terse in speech; using few words. The tense situation called for a laconic reply, not a lengthy exposition. 11. meager; adjective thin; lean; of poor quality or small amount. The visiting team lampooned the meager dinner served by their hosts. 12. obsolete; adjective out-of-date. Propeller planes have become obsolete. 13. pariah; noun an outcast. The Western mind finds it difficult to accept the idea of a pariah class. 14. quandary; noun condition of being doubtful or confused. The benefits and dangers of a nuclear plant leave us in a quandary. 15. raconteur; noun a person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes. Comedians and masters of ceremonies must be consummate raconteurs.

SAT Vocabulary List 4-10

1. acclaim; noun loud applause; approval. Jonas Salk won great acclaim for his medical discoveries.

2. blithe; adjective happy and cheerful; gay. Loris blithe attitude toward her terrible predicament was bizarre indeed. 3. callous; adjective unfeeling; insensitive. It was a surprise to see the tears flowing from someone we had considered to be callous. 4. deference; noun great respect. Out of deference to my father, we never smoked in the house. 5. effervescent; adjective lively; giving off bubbles. Because I do not enjoy carbonated drinks, I do not like the effervescent quality of ginger ale. 6. fervor; noun intense emotion; great warmth of feeling. Alicia does her volunteer work with tremendous fervor. 7. garrulous; adjective talkative. Nothing galvanizes me into leaving a beauty parlor as much as a garrulous hairdresser. 8. heretic; noun a person who upholds religious doctrines contrary to the established beliefs of his church. Severely chastised for being a heretic, brother Vincent was asked to leave the monastery. 9. immutable; adjective never changing. My fathers immutable optimism can be traced back to the pleasant atmosphere in my grandmothers home. 10. lampoon; noun strong, satirical writing, usually attacking or ridiculing someone. The college quarterly featured a lampoon of fraternity hazing. 11. meandering; verb winding back and forth; rambling. Meandering through the crowded streets of a foreign city is my idea of a tourists delight. 12. officious; adjective meddling; giving unnecessary or unwanted advice or services. Mr. Klars officious manner helped him gain friends easily but lose them in short order. 13. parsimonious; adjective too thrifty; stingy. Dickens Scrooge, before his metamorphosis, is regarded as the prototype of the parsimonious man. 14. querulous; adjective peevish; faultfinding; expressing or suggestive of complaint. We tend to turn a deaf ear to querulous demands for attention. 15. rancor; noun deep spite or malice; strong hate or bitter feeling. A forgiving heart will save you from the corrosive effects of rancor.