Crack open the dictionary and pick up a thesaurus, it’s time to talk about a new word–specifically many new words you should know for the ACT / SAT tests. Vocabulary has always been a large element of the ACT, but the newly redesigned SAT will feature a greater emphasis on words and definitions as well.
SAT Vocabulary Questions
Vocabulary questions aren’t always going to be as straightforward as: what is the definition of this word? Sometimes context clues will be provided to discover which meaning of the word (through prefixes, suffixes, and roots) is most relevant. For example:
“The recipe calls for condensed milk.”
Given the context of the sentence, the word “condensed” most likely means:
- A: Shortened
- B: Made denser
- C: Concentrated
- D: Compacted
C is the correct answer here! If you were correct, congratulations! If not, it’s time to study up and learn some new words!
We’ve found quite a few ACT and SAT vocabulary lists that will help you increase your lexicon. We’ll pick out a few from each list. Get ready, logophiles! Here we go.
Quizlet & College Board
- Amicable: agreeable
- Antagonist: opponent
- Benevolent: friendly, helpful
- Censure: to criticize harshly
- Congregation: crowd of people
- Digression: straying from the main point
- Diligent: hard-working
- Emulate: to follow an example
- Ephemeral: momentary, fleeting
- Fortuitous: lucky, fortunate
- Frugal: thrifty
- Hackneyed: overused, cliche
- Hypothesis: theory requiring proof
- Impetuous: rash, impulsive
- Inevitable: unavoidable, certain
- Jubilation: joy, exultation
- Longevity: long life, long-lasting
- Mundane: ordinary, common
- Nonchalant: calm, casual
- Novice: beginner
- Orator: speaker
- Ostentatious: displaying wealth
- Precocious: talented beyond one’s age
- Pretentious: pompous, self-important
- Rancorous: hateful
- Reverence: profound respect
- Spontaneity: impulsive action
- Superfluous: more than enough, excessive, unnecessary
- Tactful: diplomatic, polite
- Tenacious: persistent, resolute
- Venerable: respectable due to age
- Vindicate: to clear of blame
- Wary: watchful, alert
Top 100 Common SAT / ACT Vocabulary Words
PrepScholar
- Analyze: to examine in detail
- Compose: to write or create / constitute, make up
- Correlate: have a mutual relationship or connection
- Differentiate: to recognize what makes something/one different / make something appear distinct
- Engage: to occupy, attract, or involve / participate or become involved in
- Evolve: develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form
- Infer: to deduce or conclude from evidence and reasoning
- Precede: to come before something in time / come before in position or order
- Relevant: closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand
Vocabulary.com
- Allay: to lessen the intensity of, to calm
- Apt: naturally disposed toward
- Ascertain: learn or discover with confidence
- Asunder: into parts or pieces
- Assent: to agree or express agreement
- Candid: openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
- Cede: relinquish possession or control over
- Cite: make reference to
- Conspicuous: obvious to the eye or mind
- Contrived: artificially formal
- Disposition: your usual mood
- Ebb: fall away or decline
- Elaborate: marked by complexity or richness of detail
- Encumber: to hold back
- Faction: a dissenting clique
- Fad: an interest followed with exaggerated zeal
- Fervent: characterized by intense emotion
- Foreboding: a feeling of evil to come
- Headlong: in a hasty or foolhardy manor
- Heed: pay close attention to
- Infallible: incapable of failure or error
- Irksome: tedious or irritating
- Keen: demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
- Loath: strongly opposed
- Merit: any admirable quality or attribute
- Palatable: acceptable to the taste or mind
- Perpetual: continuing forever or indefinitely
- Prowess: a superior skill learned by study and practice
- Rapt: feeling great delight
- Render: give an interpretation of
- Sanction: give authority or permission to
- Scarce: deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
- Sublime: of high moral or intellectual value
- Theory: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world
- Undertake: enter upon an activity or enterprise
- Vain: unproductive of success
- Venture: to proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
- Warrant: show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
- Yield: give or supply
There are over one million words in the English language, and while it may be a stretch to learn them all, make sure you study up and familiarize yourself with more obscure terms.
Check out how your ACT/SAT scores affect your acceptance odds with College Raptor!
