Summer Vocabulary List

The following words taken from the "hit list" of SAT vocabulary words contains some of the words found most often on the SAT test.  Knowing these words prepares students for higher SAT scores and college admission. 

Ninth Grade Vocabulary List (150 words)

Words                 Definitions                                                    SAT selections

engender to bring into existence; give rise to cause to exist
vitiate to reduce the value or impair the quality of make impure
pacify to ease the anger or agitation of calm someone down
dearth a scarce supply; a lack lack
indolence being disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy lazy
marred damaged, especially disfiguring damage damaged or bruised
indolent disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy lazy
supercilious feeling or showing haughty disdain haughty
squander to spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate waste
ardent expressing or characterized by warmth of feeling; passionate passionate
beset to trouble persistently; harass harass
countenance appearance-especially the expression of the face face
cursory performed with haste and scant attention to detail hasty
charisma a rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm magical attractiveness
demagogue a leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace rabble-rousing leader
placate to allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease pacify
indigenous intrinsic; innate native
labyrinth an intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one's way maze
exacerbate to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate make worse
incense to cause to be extremely angry; infuriate make very angry
daunt to abate the courage of; discourage make fearful
rudimentary of or relating to basic facts or principles; elementary basic
credulous disposed to believe too readily; gullible eager to believe
lucid easily understood; intelligible easy to understand
sacrosanct regarded as sacred and inviolable sacred
docile ready and willing to be taught; teachable easily taught
impartial not partial or biased; unprejudiced fair
precedent an act of instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instances earlier example
figurative based on or making use of figures of speech; metaphorical based on figures of speech
reiterate to say or do again or repeatedly say again
prudent careful in regard to one's own interest; provident careful
negligence failure to exercise the degree of care considered reasonable under the circumstances; carelessness carelessness
innocuous having no adverse effect; harmless harmless
lax lacking in rigor, strickness, or firmness; careless careless; not diligent
precipitate to cause to happen, especially suddenly or prematurely cause to happen abruptly
equivocate to avoid making an explicit statement say confusing things
assiduous constant in application or attention; diligent hard working
aptitude an inherent ability, as for learning; a talent natural ability
circumspect heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent cautious
metamorphosis a transformation, as by magic or sorcery magical change in form
substantive not imaginary; actual; real having substance
nepotism favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business favoritism
solicitous marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness eager and attentive
inclement stormy; showing no clemency; unmerciful bad, as in weather
obscure not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague hard to understand
jeopardy risk of loss or injury; peril or danger danger
nebulous lacking definite form or limits; vague vague
diverse differing one from another  varied
stratum a horizontal layer of material, especially one of several parallel layers arranged one on top of another layer
anarchy absence of any form of political authority lawlessness
acrimonious bitter, sharp, ill-natured animosity, especially as it is exhibited in speech or behavior harsh
abstruse difficult to understand; recondite hard to understand
elusive difficult to define or describe hard to pin down
taciturn habitually untalkative naturally untalkative
ephemeral lasting for a markedly brief time lasting very short time
quantitative  of or relating to number or quantity having to do with quantity
relegate to send to a place of exile; banish banish
conciliatory  to make or attempt to make compatible; reconcile making peace
appropriate  to take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission take without permission
concurrent happening at the same time parallel
complicity involvement as an accomplice in a questionable act or a crime participation in wrongdoing
lampoon a broad satirical piece that uses ridicule to attack a person, a group or an institution satirize
reparation the act or process of making amends paying back
parochial narrowly restricted in scope or outlook; provincial narrow in point of vies
monolithic something suggestive of a large block of stone, as in immovability, massiveness, or uniformity massive and unyielding
patriarch a man who rules a family, or tribe  male head of family
sensory of or relating to the senses or sensation having to do with the senses
qualitative of, relating to, or concerning quality having to do with quality
misanthropic hating or mistrusting humankind hating mankind
felicity great happiness; bliss happiness
obsequious full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning fawning
equitable marked by or having equity; just and impartial fair
expropriate to deprive of possession officially take property officially
noxious harmful to living things; injurious to health harmful
chivalrous demonstrating the qualities idealized by knighthood, bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women gallant
compose to make or create by putting together parts or elements make up
apathy lack of interest or concern; especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference lack of interest
cacophony jarring, discordant sound; dissonance harsh mixture of sounds
exalt to glorify, praise, or honor raise high
poignant keenly distressing to the mind or feelings painfully emotional
predilection a partiality or disposition in favor of something; a preference natural preference
propensity an innate inclination; a tendency natural inclination
sloth aversion to work or exertion; laziness; indolence laziness
existential of relating to, or dealing with existence having to do with existence
auspicious attended by favorable circumstances; propitious favorable
heterogeneous completely different; incongruous varied
fickle characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious capricious; unpredictable
indiscreet lacking discretion; injudicious lacking discretion
diligent marked by persevering, painstaking effort hard working
constitute to be the elements or parts of; compose make up
ameliorate to make or become better; improve make better
consonate being in agreement or accord harmonious
concord harmony or agreement of interests or feelings; accord harmony
deleterious having a harmful effect; injurious harmful
peripatetic walking about or from place to place; traveling on foot wandering

loquacious very talkative; garrulous talkative
propitious presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious marked by favorable signs
vestige a visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more last trace
notorious known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous famous for something bad
polarize to cause to concentrate about two conflicting or contrasting positions cause opposing positions
implement  to put into practical effect; carry out carry out
viable capable of living, or developing, under favorable conditions capable of living
arbitrary determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason or principle random
endemic prevalent in or peculiar to a particular locality, region, or people native
vacuous lacking intelligence; stupid lacking intelligence
provincial limited in perspective; narrow and self-centered narrow in outlook
chasm a deep, steep-sided opening in the earth's surface; an abyss or a gorge gaping hole
contrived obviously planned or calculated; not spontaneous; labored labored
consecrate to declare or set apart as sacred make sacred
paternal relating to or characteristic of a father or fatherhood; fatherly fatherly
inherent existing as an essential constituent or characteristic; intrinsic part of the nature of
gesticulate  to make gestures especially while speaking, as for emphasis make gestures
insatiable impossible to satiate or satisfy impossible to satisfy
blithe carefree and lighthearted carefree
belittle to cause to seem less than another or little make to seem little
coherent logically connected making sense
vitriolic bitterly scathing; caustic caustic
apartheid any policy or practice of separating or segregating groups racial oppression
corollary a natural consequence or effect; a result natural consequence
parody a literary or artistic work that imitates the style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule satirical imitation
idyllic a scene or an event of a simple and tranquil nature naturally peaceful
ponderous lacking grace or fluency; labored and dull massive and clumsy
wanton gratuitously cruel; merciless; marked by unprovoked, gratuitous maliciousness;  capricious and unjust malicious
secular worldly rather than spiritual having nothing to do with religion
recondite not easily understood; abstruse hard to understand
inveterate persisting in an ingrained habit; habitual habitual
malleable capable of being shaped or formed, as by hammering or pressure easy to shape
martial of, relating to, or suggestive of war warlike
virtuoso a musician with masterly ability, technique, or personal style masterful musician
copious large in quantity; abundant abundant
patent obvious; plain obvious
conspicuous attracting attention, as by being unusual or remarkable; noticeable obvious; standing out
amenable responsive to advice, authority, or suggestion; tractable obedient
ambulatory capable of walking; moving about; not bedridden able to walk or move around
forsake to leave altogether; abandon abandon
hindrance an obstruct or delay to progress obstruction
farcical like a ludicrous, empty show; a mockery absurd
elliptical marked by deliberate obscurity of style or expression obscure
prolific producing abundant works or results abundantly productive
assimilate to incorporate and absorb absorb
celibacy abstinence from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows abstinence from sex
palpable easily perceived; obvious obvious
grandiose characterized by feigned or affected grandeur; pompous absurdly exaggerated
despot a ruler with absolute power absolute ruler
reverberate to resound in or as if in a succession of echoes; re-echo echo
rogue an unprincipled, deceitful, unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal scoundrel
pathology the scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences science of diseases
frugal practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources economical
autonomous not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent acting independently
machination a crafty scheme or cunning design to accomplish a sinister end scheming evil activity