Top SAT Vocabulary

Based on my analysis of numerous College Board exams, these are the top couple of
hundred SAT words that test-takers are unlikely to be familiar with. Most frequent
words are marked with an asterisk.

Because the College Board has a number of favorite categories of words that they
tend to mix and match from for each test, I've arranged the following in general sets
of synonyms, beginning with the largest.

Common prefixes and roots are listed at the bottom of the page.

Words by Category

Unoriginal/Lacking in Substance: Prosaic, Pedestrian, Banal, Clich, Trite,
Hackneyed, Vapid, Vacuous, Quotidian, Mundane, Insipid, Derivative

Stubborn - Obstinate, Obdurate, Intransigent, Intractable, Tenacious

Brief - Fleeting, Ephemeral*, Transitory, Cursory, Transient

Beyond normal human understanding - Esoteric*, Recondite, Abstruse, Arcane

To Make Better/Relieve Pain - Ameliorate*, Alleviate*, Assuage, Palliate, Mitigate*

Varied, Diverse - Heterogenous, Eclectic, Motley, Multifarious

Talkative/Outgoing - Loquacious, Garrulous, Gregarious

Using few words - Laconic*, Terse, Perfunctory, Spare

To Insult - Impugn, Disparage, Deprecate, Malign, Censure (also means punish)*,
Decry, Vilify, Vituperate

To Praise/Hold in high regard - Tout*, Extol, Revere, Laud*

Generosity - Munificence, Magnanimity* (Adj. = Magnanimous), Largess

Greed - Avarice, Cupidity

Inclination toward - Penchant, Proclivity, Predilection, Affinity

Prevent - Forestall, Preclude, Thwart*

Highly decorated - Florid,* Ornate, Baroque

Poor - Indigent, Penurious, Impecunious

Shy - Reticent, Aloof, Diffident*, Reticent

Hardworking - Assiduous, Diligent, Sedulous

Cheerful - Jovial, Jocund, Mirthful

Overjoyed - Exultant, Elated, Jubilant, Ebulliant

Lazy - Indolent, Slothful

Arrogant - Condescending, Supercilious*

Complicated - Byzantine*, Convoluted*

Clear - Lucid*, Perspicuous

Harsh, Burning - Caustic*, Vitriolic*

Sickeningly Sweet - Cloying, Treacly, Maudlin, Mawkish

Mystery - Enigma, Conundrum

Unpredictable - Mercurial, Capricious*

Narrow-Minded - Provincial*, Insular, Parochial

Broad-Minded - Cosmopolitan*

Small Amount - Paucity, Dearth

Large Amount - Myriad, Copious, Plethora

Fake - Spurious, Specious

Suspicious of - Wary of*, Chary of

Fraud, Trickery - Charlatanism* (Person who is a fraud = Charlatan), Chicanery

Naive - Ingenuous, Guileless

Calm - Phlegmatic, Placid (Verb: To Placate)

Easily Angered - Irascible, Cantankerous

Violent - Bellicose, Pugnacious*

Supplementary, not of central importance - Ancillary, Peripheral

Irrelevant, Unimportant - Picayune, Trivial

Free from blame, find innocent - Exonerate, Exculpate, Vindicate


Other Top SAT Words

Abate - Subside

Abhor - Loathe

Acumen - Knowledge of, smarts*

Adroit - Skillful

Aesthetic - Having to do with beauty of appearance*

Amass - Assemble

Ambivalent - Having mixed feelings, uncertain

Anachronism - Out of harmony with the present*

Anomaly - Oddity

Aptitude - Ability

Ascetic - One who practice self-denial (e.g. a monk)*

Astute - Smart, "with it"

Benevolent - Kindly

Blithe - Carefree

Bombastic - Overblown, inflated

Bucolic - Related to country living

Circuitous - Roundabout, indirect

Circumspect - Careful, Cautious*

Clamorous - Noisy

Condone - To overlook bad behavior

Diaphanous - Filmy, sheer

Decorous - Well-Mannered

Dichotomy - Division into two mutually exclusive groups

Didactic - Intended to teach*

Dilatory - Dragging one's feet, delaying

Dupe - Trick, fool

Effusive - Gushing

Elated - Overjoyed

Eminent - Well-known, respected

Emollient - Balm, intended to soften or soothe

Enervate - Sap of energy, tire out

Epitome - Essence

Equivocal - Vague, Refusing to give a clear answer*

Feasible - Doable

Fortuitous - Occurring by (lucky) chance

Germane - Relevant

Guile - Trickery

Harbinger - Warning

Hyperbole - Exaggeration

Iconoclast - Revolutionary*

Idiosyncratic - An (odd) characteristic particular to an individual

Indict - Formally accuse

Ineffable - Inexpressible

Ingenious - Clever

Imminent - About to happen

Immutable - Fixed, unable to be changed

Innocuous - Harmless

Intrepid - Brave

Irrevocable - Unable to be undone

Lackadaisical - Not caring, indifferent

Latent - Present but not visible

Malleable - Easy to mold, change shape

Mar - Stain or Ruin

Mellifluous - Sweet-Sounding

Mercenary - Soldier for hire

Meticulous - Precise, detail-oriented*

Noxious - Foul, harmful

Obliterate - Destroy thoroughly

Obsequious - Servile, used to describe a sycophant*

Obtrude - Stick out

Onus - Burden

Ostentatious - Showy, over the top

Paradox - Apparent contradiction

Paradigm - Model*

Parsimonious - Stingy, tight-fisted

Pedantic - Knowledgeable but exceedingly boring (think of the dullest teacher you
ever had) *

Peruse - Inspect closely

Pragmatic - Practical*

Prolific - Productive

Propagate - To spread

Protean - Capable of assuming many different forms

Prudent - Practical

Prurient - Titillating

Pulchritude - Beauty

Quandary - Dilemma, difficult situation

Quell - Put a stop to

Quiescent - Quiet

Quixotic - Romantic and impractical *

Rancor - Fury

Recidivism - Slipping back into crime or bad behavior/habits

Renege - Go back on one's word

Scrutinize - Examine very closely*

Sporadic - Occurring inconsistently

Solicitous - Caring, Concerned

Superfluous - Excessive

Surreptitious - Secretive

Sybarite - One who loves luxury

Sycophant - Suck-up*

Tedious - Boring

Temporize - Procrastinate

Torpid - Inactive or sluggish

Unequivocal - Decisive

Unwieldy - Awkward, difficult to handle

Visceral - Instinctive, opp. of rational

Watershed - Tipping point

Zenith - High point, apex

Pedestrian
Prosaic
Mundane
Hackneyed
Cliche
Banal
Trite
Vapid
Vacuous
Insipid
Quotidian

Sycophant - Suck-up

Obsequious - Servile, used to describe a sycophant

Pedantic - Very knowledgeable but really, really boring (think of the most boring
teacher you've ever had... you know, that one)

Didactic - Intended to teach

Quixotic - Romantic, impractical, the opposite of...

Pragmatic - Practical

Paradigm - Model
Trite - Unoriginal

Pugnacious - Violent

Esoteric - Abstruse, beyond normal human understanding