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2014PSATVOCABULARYLIST

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HIGHPRIORITYWORDS(Part1of2)
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abstract - (used as a tone word) based on ideas, not on concrete

facts or events.
aesthetics - an artistically beautiful or pleasing appearance;
attractive; referring to the look of something.
agitate - to upset; disturb; to get all "lathered up".
aloof - distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote.
altruistic - unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.
ambivalence - the coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings,
such as love and hate, toward a person, an object, or an idea.
anecdote - a short account of an interesting or humorous incident.
apathy - lack of interest or concern; indifference.
appetite- to have a desire for (i.e. an appetite for knowledge) .
appropriate - suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion,
or place; fitting.
articulate - characterized by the use of clear, expressive language.
assiduous / assiduity - persistent application or diligence;
unflagging effort.
atavism - the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after
several generations of absence, usually caused by the chance
recombination of genes.
austere - severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and
grave.
breezy - (an author's tone) casual or carefree.
carnivalesque - having characteristics resembling what you would
find at a carnival.
charismatic possessing personal magnetism or charm.
coagulate - to cause transformation of a liquid into a semi-solid, or
solid mass.
concession - something, such as a point previously claimed in an
argument, that is later conceded; an acknowledgment or admission.
curator - the custodian of a collection; someone who preserves and
cares for something.
cursory - hasty; performed in a quick or superficial manner without
attention to details.
decry - to condemn openly.
deficit - inadequacy or insufficiency.
defile - to debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt.
defray- to pay for part of the cost of something (example a school
holding a fundraiser to defray the cost of new uniforms.)
delinquent being overdue in payment; not paid at the required or
expected time.
diminish - to make smaller or less or to cause to appear so.
discrepancy - divergence or disagreement, as between facts or
claims; difference.
disillusionment - the act of disenchanting.
dispirited - having lost enthusiasm and hope; disheartened.
doctor - to falsify or change in such a way as to make favorable to
oneself.
dynamic - characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress.
efficacious - producing a desired effect; effective.
effusive - unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy;
the opposite of reticent.

35. elicit - to bring or draw out (something latent); educe; to arrive at (a

truth, for example) by logic.
36. emulate - to strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation.
37. ennui - listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of
interest; boredom.
38. equivocal - uncertain; open to different interpretations. (if you
believe something implicitly, you believe in it without a doubt, so
equivocally is the opposite- you are uncertain).
39. esoteric - intended for or understood by only a particular group.
40. evocative - tending or having the power to draw forth or bring out
something latent, hidden, or unexpressed.
41. exasperate - to make very angry or impatient; annoy greatly.
42. exhaustive - treating all parts without omission; thorough. (The
preparation Testmasters provides its students is exhaustive.)
43. facile - done or achieved with little effort or difficulty; easy.
44. fanaticism excessive irrational zeal or devotion.
45. fastidious - possessing or displaying careful, meticulous attention to
detail.
46. fidelity - faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances.
47. fixed- unchanging.
48. flippant / flippancy - marked by disrespectful levity or casualness;
pert.
49. foreshorten - to reduce the length of; curtail or abridge.
50. fortitude - strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or
adversity with courage.
51. furtive - characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
52. galvanize - to arouse to awareness or action; spur.
53. gift - a talent, aptitude, or inclination (i.e. the gift of gab).
54. herald - (verb) to proclaim; to declare something as important or
good. (noun) a sign of things to come.
55. hinder - to obstruct or get in the way of something.
56. histrionic - excessively dramatic or emotional; affected.
57. hodgepodge - a mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble.
58. idealistic - unrealistically aiming for perfection; having utopian
ideas.
59. immerse - to engage wholly or deeply; absorb.
60. impertinent - inappropriate, out of place; intrusive, presumptuous;
behaving without proper respect and showing condescension;
insolent.
61. implicit - with no qualifications or questions; implied or understood
though not stated.
62. impromptu - prompted by the occasion rather than being planned in
advance.
63. impugn - to attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument.
64. inchoate- just beginning to form; not completely developed or clear
(e.g. a child's inchoate awareness of language).
65. incite - to provoke and urge on.
66. indolent - disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy.
67. inert - unable to move or act.
68. inevitable - impossible to avoid or prevent.
69. ingrate - an ungrateful person.
70. inhibit - to prevent an occurrence.
71. intermediary - acting as a mediator or an agent between persons or
things.

Copyright 2014 by www.TestMasters.com. All Rights Reserved.

Revision 09262014

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72. intricate - having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate.
73. intuition - the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use
of rational processes; immediate cognition.
74. irascible - prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered.
75. irrelevant - unrelated to the matter at hand.
76. jovial - marked by joyous humor and positive spirit. (Testmasters
teachers are jovial when they teach class.)
77. jubilant - expressing joy. (Testmasters students are jubilant when
they receive their SAT and PSAT results.)
78. lassitude - a state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or
listlessness.
79. laud - to give praise to; glorify.
80. loaded charged with emotional or associative significance that
hinders rational or unprejudiced consideration of the terms involved
in a discourse.
81. loquacious- very talkative
82. magnanimous - generous in forgiving; unselfish.
83. magnitude - greatness in size or extent.
84. maladroit - marked by a lack of adroitness; inept.
85. malevolence - malicious behavior.
86. manifold - varied and many (think of many folds)
87. meld - to cause to merge.
88. mercurial - quick and changeable in temperament; volatile.
89. milieu - the total environment or setting; surroundings. (Your
milieu is your world, or the context you come from. Sometimes a
milieu shapes a person, as when a "milieu of abuse and poverty"
inspires someone to improve things for others.)
90. minutiae - a small or trivial detail. (the plural of minutia).
91. multifarious - very diverse; (similar to eclectic in meaning).
92. nemesis - an enemy; a person who is a source of great suffering and
distress; a rival.
93. nuance - a subtle or slight degree of difference.
94. obstruct - to impede, retard, or interfere with; hinder.
95. obtrusive - tending to push self-assertively forward; brash.
96. officious - marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted
services or advice to others.
97. ornate elaborately heavily, and often excessively ornamented.
98. ostracize - to exclude from a group; to shun.
99. overstate - to state in exaggerated terms.
100. palliative - relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or
disorder without effecting a cure.
101. panache - energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas;
flamboyant, full of verve, someone who walks with a swagger
shows panache and verve.
102. patrician - a person of refined upbringing, manners, and tastes.
103. peregrination movement; to journey or travel from place to place.
104. pernicious harmful; deadly.
105. persistent - refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately.
106. petrify - to stun or paralyze with terror; daze.
107. placate - to allay the anger of, especially by making concessions;
appease.
108. portend - to indicate by prediction; forecast; warning of omens or
bad signs.
109. pragmatism / pragmatic - a practical, matter-of-fact way of
approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems.
110. punctilious - very attentive to details; meticulous.
111. punctual - acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt.
112. rational - consistent with or based on reason; logical.
113. recluse - a person who withdraws from the world to live in
seclusion and often in solitude.
114. renege - to fail to carry out a promise or commitment.
115. reserved - cool (example receiving a cool reception).
116. resilient - marked by the ability to recover readily, as from
misfortune.
117. reticent / reticence - reserved; shy; withdrawn; retiring; the
opposite of effusive.
118. salutary- beneficial; promoting health.
119. sanctuary - a place of refuge or asylum; a safe haven.

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sanguine - cheerfully confident; optimistic.

simply merely.
skeptical - marked by or given to doubt; questioning.
slovenly untidy and messy, as in dress or appearance; the opposite
of being fastidious.
sneered - mocked; scorned.
solid- substantial (e.g. the attorney presented solid evidence).
somnolence - a state of drowsiness; sleepiness.
sonorous - having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound.
soporific - inducing or tending to induce sleep.
sound- structurally safe; strong; often used to describe buildings
that are of good quality and condition.
staple - an essential component; a key commodity (e.g. maize was a
staple for the early colonists).
stymie- obstruct; hinder.
subtle - so slight as to be difficult to detect or analyze; elusive.
tectonic - relating to, causing, or resulting from structural
deformation of the earth's crust.
temper - to modify by the addition of a moderating element;
moderate.
tepid - moderately warm; lukewarm.
thrive - to make steady progress; prosper.
tough- competitive; hard.
tricky- difficult (e.g. a tricky situation).
truism - a self-evident truth; a statement that is obviously true and
says nothing new or interesting; a common statement.
ubiquitous- pervasive; being everywhere at the same time;
omnipresent.
unorthodox - unconventional; breaking with tradition; not
orthodox.
untenable- indefensible; incapable of being defended or justified.
unwitting - not knowing; unaware.
unyielding - not giving way to pressure or persuasion; obdurate.
urbane - polite, refined, and often elegant in manner.
verve - energy and enthusiasm in the expression of ideas, especially
in artistic performance or composition; flamboyant.
vexed - annoyed; bothered.
visionary- forward thinking.

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