1000 SAT words, Teer-web-app [cool books to read TXT] 📗

he was standing in the shadows, his
features were obscure.)
obsequious (adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet’s servant,
obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.)
obsolete (adj.) no longer used, out of date (With the inventions of tape decks and CDs,
which both have better sound and are easier to use, eight-track players are now
entirely obsolete.)
obstinate (adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinate child refused to leave the
store until his mother bought him a candy bar.)
obstreperous (adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy’s obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian
to ask him to leave the reading room.)
obtuse (adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned
that the prime minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation
in mindless war.)
odious (adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the odious task
of cleaning the cat’s litter box.)
officious (adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed
(Brenda resented Allan’s officious behavior when he selected colors that might best
improve her artwork.)
ominous (adj.) foreboding or foreshadowing evil (The fortuneteller’s ominous words
flashed through my mind as the hooded figure approached me in the alley.)
onerous (adj.) burdensome (My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a
beautiful country estate no longer outweighed the onerous mortgage payments.)
opulent (adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The opulent
furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meager
accommodations of her subjects.)
SAT Vocabulary
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oration (n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister
was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed
domestic policies.)
ornate (adj.) highly elaborate, excessively decorated (The ornate styling of the new
model of luxury car could not compensate for the poor quality of its motor.)
orthodox (adj.) conventional, conforming to established protocol (The company’s
profits dwindled because the management pursued orthodox business policies that
were incompatible with new industrial trends.)
oscillate (v.) to sway from one side to the other (My uncle oscillated between buying a
station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood
fantasies.)
ostensible (adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s ostensible reason for driving was
that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)
ostentatious (adj.) excessively showy, glitzy (On the palace tour, the guide focused on
the ostentatious decorations and spoke little of the royal family’s history.)
ostracism (n.) exclusion from a group (Beth risked ostracism if her roommates
discovered her flatulence.)
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pacific (adj.) soothing (The chemistry professor’s pacific demeanor helped the class
remain calm after the experiment exploded.)
palatable (adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities (Despite the unpleasant smell, the
exotic cheese was quite palatable.)
palette (adj.) a range of colors or qualities (The palette of colors utilized in the painting
was equaled only by the range of intense emotions the piece evoked.)
palliate (v.) to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication
would palliate her patient’s discomfort.)
pallid (adj.) lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s pallid complexion was
due to an unexplained loss of blood.)
panacea (n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea
for every disease, but sadly there is not.)
paradigm (n.) an example that is a perfect pattern or model (Because the new SUV was
so popular, it became the paradigm upon which all others were modeled.)
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SAT Vocabulary
paradox (n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true (The diplomat
refused to acknowledge the paradox that negotiating a peace treaty would demand
more resources than waging war.)
paragon (n.) a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was
considered a paragon of female beauty.)
paramount (adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramount that the
bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.)
pariah (n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was
made a pariah in all academic circles.)
parody (n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher
returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style.)
parsimony (n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth
resulted from her parsimony.)
partisan (n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up
enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.)
patent (adj.) readily seen or understood, clear (The reason for Jim’s abdominal pain
was made patent after the doctor performed a sonogram.)
pathology (n.) a deviation from the normal (Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the
precise nature of Brian’s pathology.)
pathos (n.) an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the
scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)
paucity (adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth century
literature courses available at the college.)
pejorative (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered
an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had
made in reference to a foreign leader.)
pellucid (adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common
man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The
Stranger.)
penchant (n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Jill’s dinner parties quickly became
monotonous on account of her penchant for Mexican dishes.)
penitent (adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury’s verdict may have been more lenient if
the criminal had appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes.)
SAT Vocabulary
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penultimate (adj.) next to last (Having smoked the penultimate cigarette remaining in
the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking.)
penurious (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s penurious ways
made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)
perfidious (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government
secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.)
perfunctory (adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster
announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.)
permeate (v.) to spread throughout, saturate (Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet
dog’s odor had permeated the furniture’s upholstery.)
pernicious (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that
the Communist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nation’s
stability.)
perplex (v.) to confuse (Brad was perplexed by his girlfriend’s suddenly distant
manner.)
perspicacity (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to
acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.)
pert (adj.) flippant, bold (My parents forgave Sandra’s pert humor at the dinner table
because it had been so long since they had last seen her.)
pertinacious (adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his
pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet
door and were eaten.)
perusal (n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a
two-month perusal of the movie script.)
pervasive (adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout (Stepping off the plane in
Havana, I recognized the pervasive odor of sugar cane fields on fire.)
petulance (n.) rudeness, irritability (The Nanny resigned after she could no longer
tolerate the child’s petulance.)
philanthropic (adj.) charitable, giving (Many people felt that the billionaire’s decision to
donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate philanthropic act.)
phlegmatic (adj.) uninterested, unresponsive (Monique feared her dog was ill after the
animal’s phlegmatic response to his favorite chew toy.)
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SAT Vocabulary
pillage (v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillaged the
homes scattered along the country’s border.)
pinnacle (n.) the highest point (Book reviewers declared that the author’s
new novel was extraordinary and probably the pinnacle of
Western literature.)
pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark
contrast to his usually pithy statements.)
pittance (n.) a very small amount, especially relating to money (Josh complained that
he was paid a pittance for the great amount of work he did at the firm.)
placate (v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placate his
irritable son.)
placid (adj.) calm, peaceful (The placid lake surface was as smooth as glass.)
platitude (n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene
concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually
just platitudes.)
plaudits (n.) enthusiastic approval, applause (The controversial new film received
plaudits from even the harshest critics.)
plausible (adj.) believable, reasonable (He studied all the data and then came up with a
plausible theory that took all factors into account.)
plenitude (n.) an abundance (My grandmother was overwhelmed by the plenitude of
tomatoes her garden yielded this season.)
plethora (n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters
piled almost three feet high.)
pliable (adj.) flexible (Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat pliable so they do not
break in heavy turbulence.)
poignant (adj.) deeply affecting, moving (My teacher actually cried after reading to us
the poignant final chapter of the novel.)
polemic (n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother
launched into a polemic against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust
economic system.)
portent (n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to
school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.)
SAT Vocabulary
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potable (adj.) suitable for drinking (During sea voyages it is essential that ships carry a
supply of potable water because salty ocean water makes anyone who drinks it sick.)
potentate (n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town’s
main road to observe as the potentate’s procession headed towards
the capital.)
pragmatic (adj.) practical (The politician argued that while increased security measures
might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a pragmatic necessity to
ensure everyone’s safety.)
precipice (n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place (The mountain climber
hung from a precipice before finding a handhold and pulling himself up.)
preclude (v.) to prevent (My grandfather’s large and vicious guard dog precluded
anyone from entering the yard.)
precocious (adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically
precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)
predilection (n.) a preference or inclination for something (Francois has a predilection
for eating scrambled eggs with ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any
condiments.)
preponderance (adj.) superiority in importance or quantity (Britain’s preponderance of
naval might secured the nation’s role as a military power.)
prepossessing (adj.) occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings
(His prepossessing appearance made it impossible for me to think of anything else.)
presage (n.) an omen (When my uncle’s old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a
presage of bad weather approaching.)
prescient (adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune
cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be
prescient.)
prescribe (v.) to lay down a rule (The duke prescribed that from this point further all of
the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes.)
presumptuous (adj.) disrespectfully bold (The princess grew angry after the
presumptuous noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social
status.)
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SAT Vocabulary
pretense (n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted
to use his parents’ car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents’ car under the
pretense of attending a group study session.)
primeval (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called
Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.)
privation (n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive
government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent
drought only increased the people’s privation.)
probity (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no
one was