100 Most Common SAT Vocabulary
| By Pacific Lava |
100 Most Common SAT Vocabulary
Test takers with solid vocabulary on the SAT exam are usually top score shooters. This 100 Most Common SAT Vocabulary can be the first step of vocabulary building. These 100 words were initially contributed by Kaplan as the top 100 most common words in the SAT of all time. Many test takers use it as a rule to measure their SAT vocabulary level and then work out a plan for studying SAT words.
You may find many versions of the list or enhanced list on the Internet. However, you may also see words here have particular merits: we provide all the elements vocabulary builders need, such as pronunciation, synonyms, definitions, and example sentences.
You may find many versions of the list or enhanced list on the Internet. However, you may also see words here have particular merits: we provide all the elements vocabulary builders need, such as pronunciation, synonyms, definitions, and example sentences.
View all words of the list
abbreviate
abstinence
adulation
adversity
aesthetic
amicable
anachronistic
anecdote
anonymous
antagonist
arid
assiduous
asylum
benevolent
camaraderie
censure
circuitous
clairvoyant
collaborate
compassion
compromise
congregation
deleterious
demagogue
digression
diligent
discredit
disdain
divergent
empathy
emulate
enhance
ephemeral
evanescent
exemplary
florid
fortuitous
frugal
hackneyed
haughty
hedonist
hypothesis
impetuous
impute
incompatible
inconsequential
inevitable
integrity
intrepid
intuitive
jubilation
longevity
mundane
novice
orator
ostentatious
parched
perfidious
precocious
pretentious
procrastinate
prosaic
prosperity
provocative
prudent
querulous
reconciliation
renovation
resilient
reverence
sagacity
scrutinize
spontaneity
spurious
submissive
substantiate
subtle
superficial
superfluous
suppress
surreptitious
tenacious
transient
venerable
vindicate
wary
View all words:
abbreviate 
v. Syn. shorten
make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase
Show examples and contexts make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase
abstinence
n.
restraint from eating or drinking; refraining from indulging appetite or desire
Show examples and contexts restraint from eating or drinking; refraining from indulging appetite or desire
adulation
n. Syn. flattery; admiration
excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise
Show examples and contexts excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise
adversity
n. Syn. poverty; misfortune
state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune
Show examples and contexts state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune
aesthetic
a. Syn. artistic; elegant
elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste
Show examples and contexts elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste
amicable
a. Syn. friendly
exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome
Show examples and contexts exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome
anachronistic
a.
having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time
Show examples and contexts having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time
anecdote
n. Syn. episode; story
short account of amusing or interesting event; short narrative; secret story of history or biography
Show examples and contexts short account of amusing or interesting event; short narrative; secret story of history or biography
anonymous
a. Syn. unknown; nameless
having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name
Show examples and contexts having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name
antagonist
n.
one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent
Show examples and contexts one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent
arid
a. Syn. dry; barren
dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants
Show examples and contexts dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants
assiduous
a. Syn. diligent; persistent
constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent
Show examples and contexts constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent
benevolent
a. Syn. generous; charitable
generous in providing aid to others; charitable
Show examples and contexts generous in providing aid to others; charitable
camaraderie
n. Syn. intimacy
good-fellowship; companionship; close friendship in friends or teammates
Show examples and contexts good-fellowship; companionship; close friendship in friends or teammates
censure
v. Syn. blame; criticize
expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism; blame
Show examples and contexts expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism; blame
circuitous
a. Syn. roundabout
being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course; going round in a circuit; not direct
Show examples and contexts being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course; going round in a circuit; not direct
collaborate
v. Syn. cooperate
work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort
Show examples and contexts work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort
compassion
n.
sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration
Show examples and contexts sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration
compromise
v.
adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of
Show examples and contexts adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of
congregation
n.
act of congregating, or bringing together; collection or mass of separate things
Show examples and contexts act of congregating, or bringing together; collection or mass of separate things
deleterious
a. Syn. harmful
having harmful effect; injurious; having quality of destroying life; noxious; poisonous
Show examples and contexts having harmful effect; injurious; having quality of destroying life; noxious; poisonous
demagogue
n.
person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people
Show examples and contexts person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people
diligent
a. Syn. assiduous; industrious
assiduous; industrious; hard-working
Show examples and contexts assiduous; industrious; hard-working
discredit
v. Syn. defame; disbelieve
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
Show examples and contexts defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
divergent
a. Syn. differing
differing; tending to move apart in different directions
Show examples and contexts differing; tending to move apart in different directions
emulate
v. Syn. imitate; rival
be a match or counterpart for; eager to equal or excel
Show examples and contexts be a match or counterpart for; eager to equal or excel
enhance
v. Syn. increase; improve
make better or more attractive; increase; improve
Show examples and contexts make better or more attractive; increase; improve
evanescent
a. Syn. fleeting; vanishing
fleeting; vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
Show examples and contexts fleeting; vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
florid
a. Syn. ruddy; reddish
reddish; elaborately or excessively ornamented
Show examples and contexts reddish; elaborately or excessively ornamented
fortuitous
a. Syn. accidental; random
accidental; by chance; coming or occurring without any cause
Show examples and contexts accidental; by chance; coming or occurring without any cause
frugal
a. Syn. sparing; economical; thrifty
sparing; economical; costing little; inexpensive
Show examples and contexts sparing; economical; costing little; inexpensive
hackneyed
a. Syn. commonplace
repeated too often; over familiar through overuse
Show examples and contexts repeated too often; over familiar through overuse
impetuous
a. Syn. violent; hasty; rash.
marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate
Show examples and contexts marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate
incompatible
a. Syn. inharmonious; incongruous
inharmonious; impossible to coexist; not easy to combine harmoniously
Show examples and contexts inharmonious; impossible to coexist; not easy to combine harmoniously
inconsequential
a. Syn. insignificant; unimportant
insignificant; lacking importance; not following from premises or evidence; illogical
Show examples and contexts insignificant; lacking importance; not following from premises or evidence; illogical
inevitable
a. Syn. unavoidable
unavoidable; incapable of being avoided or prevented
Show examples and contexts unavoidable; incapable of being avoided or prevented
integrity
n. Syn. uprightness; wholeness
quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness
Show examples and contexts quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness
intrepid
a. Syn. fearless; brave
fearless; indicating or springing from courage
Show examples and contexts fearless; indicating or springing from courage
intuitive
a.
seeing clearly; relating to, or arising from intuition; automatic, without requiring conscious thought
Show examples and contexts seeing clearly; relating to, or arising from intuition; automatic, without requiring conscious thought
longevity
n.
long life; great duration of life; long duration or continuance, as in an occupation
Show examples and contexts long life; great duration of life; long duration or continuance, as in an occupation
mundane
a. Syn. worldly; earthly; secular
belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; concerned with commonplaces; ordinary
Show examples and contexts belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; concerned with commonplaces; ordinary
orator
n.
skilled public speaker; person who pronounces discourse publicly on some special occasion, as pleader or lawyer
Show examples and contexts skilled public speaker; person who pronounces discourse publicly on some special occasion, as pleader or lawyer
ostentatious
a. Syn. showy; pretentious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
Show examples and contexts showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
perfidious
a. Syn. treacherous; disloyal
tending to betray; disloyal; faithless
Show examples and contexts tending to betray; disloyal; faithless
pretentious
a.
intended to attract notice and impress others; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious
Show examples and contexts intended to attract notice and impress others; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious
procrastinate
v. Syn. postpone
postpone or delay needlessly; put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness
Show examples and contexts postpone or delay needlessly; put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness
prosperity
n. Syn. wealth; fortune
good fortune; financial success; physical well-being
Show examples and contexts good fortune; financial success; physical well-being
provocative
a. Syn. annoying
arousing anger or interest; tending to provoke or stimulate
Show examples and contexts arousing anger or interest; tending to provoke or stimulate
prudent
a. Syn. cautious; careful
cautious; careful in regard to one's own interests
Show examples and contexts cautious; careful in regard to one's own interests
querulous
a. Syn. fretful; whining
habitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievance
Show examples and contexts habitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievance
reconciliation
n.
act of reconciling, or state of being reconciled; reconcilement; restoration to harmony; renewal of friendship
Show examples and contexts act of reconciling, or state of being reconciled; reconcilement; restoration to harmony; renewal of friendship
renovation
n. Syn. alteration; renewal
improving by renewing and restoring; state of being restored to its former good condition; renewal
Show examples and contexts improving by renewing and restoring; state of being restored to its former good condition; renewal
resilient
a. Syn. elastic; flexible; rebounding
elastic; having power of springing back or recover readily
Show examples and contexts elastic; having power of springing back or recover readily
reverence
n.
profound respect and esteem with fear and affection, as for a holy being or place; act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsy
Show examples and contexts profound respect and esteem with fear and affection, as for a holy being or place; act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsy
sagacity
n.
quality of being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment; shrewdness
Show examples and contexts quality of being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment; shrewdness
spontaneity
n. Syn. naturalness
naturalness; freedom from constraint; happening or arising without external cause; self-generated
Show examples and contexts naturalness; freedom from constraint; happening or arising without external cause; self-generated
spurious
a. Syn. false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
Show examples and contexts false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
substantiate
v. Syn. verify; support
establish by evidence; make firm or solid; support
Show examples and contexts establish by evidence; make firm or solid; support
subtle
a. Syn. slight; delicate
slight; be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind
Show examples and contexts slight; be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind
superficial
a. Syn. trivial
trivial; of little substance; involving a surface only
Show examples and contexts trivial; of little substance; involving a surface only
superfluous
a. Syn. unnecessary; excessive; overabundant
being beyond what is required or sufficient
Show examples and contexts being beyond what is required or sufficient
suppress
v. Syn. overwhelm
put down by force or authority; overwhelm; keep from being revealed
Show examples and contexts put down by force or authority; overwhelm; keep from being revealed
surreptitious
a. Syn. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
secret; done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or introduced fraudulently
Show examples and contexts secret; done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or introduced fraudulently
tenacious
a. Syn. retentive; adhesive
sticking together; stubbornly unyielding; holding together firmly
Show examples and contexts sticking together; stubbornly unyielding; holding together firmly
transient
a. Syn. momentary; temporary; transitory
momentary; temporary; staying for short time
Show examples and contexts momentary; temporary; staying for short time
venerable
a. Syn. revered; honored
deserving high respect; impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored
Show examples and contexts deserving high respect; impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored
vindicate
v. Syn. exonerate
clear from blame; exonerate; maintain, uphold, or defend
Show examples and contexts clear from blame; exonerate; maintain, uphold, or defend