SAT Vocabulary PDF

P 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 conside...

P 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.) SAT Vocabulary 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.) 51  P 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 SAT Vocabulary 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.) 52  P 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.) SAT Vocabulary 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.) 53  P 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.) SAT Vocabulary 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.) 54  P 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 surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.) proclivity (n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.) procure (v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procure sufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering.) profane (adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob’s profane act of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.) profligate (adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligate gambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes.) profuse (adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profuse in their cheers for the star basketball player.) promulgate (v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior SAT Vocabulary to Roger Moore’s.) propagate (v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney’s demise propagated like wildfire throughout the world.) propensity (n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.) propitious (adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.) propriety (n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma’s old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a “nice” girl.) 55  Q prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.) proscribe (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol on weekends.) protean (adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.) prowess (n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his prowess with the instrument even more incredible.) prudence (n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater prudence in future investments.) prurient (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.) puerile (adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.) pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s pugnacious nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.) pulchritude (n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man.) punctilious (adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.) pungent (adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells (The pungent odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the SAT Vocabulary test.) punitive (adj.) involving punishment (If caught smoking in the boys’ room, the punitive result is immediate expulsion from school.) putrid (adj.) rotten, foul (Those rotten eggs smell putrid.) Q quagmire (n.) a difficult situation (We’d all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire characterized by the Vietnam War.) quaint (adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Amish country.) 56  R quandary (n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state (Carlos found himself in a quandary: should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?) quell (v.) to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation (The skilled leader deftly quelled the rebellion.) querulous (adj.) whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes querulous.) quixotic (adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.) quotidian (adj.) daily (Ambika’s quotidian routines include drinking two cups of coffee in the morning.) R rail (v.) to scold, protest (The professor railed against the injustice of the college’s tenure policy.) rancid (adj.) having a terrible taste or smell (Rob was double-dog-dared to eat the rancid egg salad sandwich.) rancor (n.) deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the rancor in her eyes.) rapport (n.) mutual understanding and harmony (When Margaret met her paramour, they felt an instant rapport.) rash (adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions.) raucous (adj.) loud, boisterous (Sarah’s neighbors called the cops when her house party SAT Vocabulary got too raucous.) raze (v.) to demolish, level (The old tenement house was razed to make room for the large chain store.) rebuke (v.) to scold, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they rebuked her for disturbing the peace.) recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapologetic (Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.) recapitulate (v.) to sum up, repeat (Before the final exam, the teacher recapitulated the semester’s material.) 57  R reciprocate (v.) to give in return (When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she reciprocated by giving him a kiss.) reclusive (adj.) solitary, shunning society (Reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger do not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holing up in remote cabins in the woods.) reconcile 1. (v.) to return to harmony (The feuding neighbors finally reconciled when one brought the other a delicious tuna noodle casserole.) 2. (v.) to make consistent with existing ideas (Alou had to reconcile his skepticism about the existence of aliens with the fact that he was looking at a flying saucer.) rectitude (n.) uprightness, extreme morality (The priest’s rectitude gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners.) redoubtable 1. (adj.) formidable (The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy sky.) 2. (adj.) commanding respect (The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker with a standing ovation.) refract (v.) to distort, change (The light was refracted as it passed through the prism.) refurbish (v.) to restore, clean up (The dingy old chair, after being refurbished, commanded the handsome price of $200.) refute (v.) to prove wrong (Maria refuted the president’s argument as she yelled and gesticulated at the TV.) regurgitate 1. (v.) to vomit (Feeling sick, Chuck regurgitated his dinner.) 2. (v.) to throw back exactly (Margaret rushed through the test, regurgitating all of the facts she’d memorized an hour earlier.) relegate 1. (v.) to assign to the proper place (At the astrology conference, Simon was SAT Vocabulary relegated to the Scorpio room.) 2. (v.) to assign to an inferior place (After spilling a drink on a customer’s shirt, the waiter found himself relegated to the least lucrative shift.) relish (v.) to enjoy (Pete always relished his bedtime snack.) remedial (adj.) intended to repair gaps in students’ basic knowledge (After his teacher discovered he couldn’t read, Alex was forced to enroll in remedial English.) remiss (adj.) negligent, failing to take care (The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door.) 58  R renovate 1. (v.) restore, return to original state (The renovated antique candelabra looked as good as new.) 2. (v.) to enlarge and make prettier, especially a house (After getting renovated, the house was twice as big and much more attractive.) renown (n.) honor, acclaim (The young writer earned international renown by winning the Pulitzer Prize.) renunciation (n.) to reject (Fiona’s renunciation of red meat resulted in weight loss, but confused those people who thought she’d been a vegetarian for years.) repentant (adj.) penitent, sorry (The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother’s vase.) replete (adj.) full, abundant (The unedited version was replete with naughty words.) repose (v.) to rest, lie down (The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, reposed in the sun and took a long nap.) reprehensible (adj.) deserving rebuke (Jean’s cruel and reprehensible attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.) reprieve (n.) a temporary delay of punishment (Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of reprieves to prisoners.) reproach (v.) to scold, disapprove (Brian reproached the customer for failing to rewind the video he had rented.) reprobate (adj.) evil, unprincipled (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.) reprove (v.) to scold, rebuke (Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.) repudiate (v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of SAT Vocabulary his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.) repulse 1. (v.) to disgust (Antisocial Annie tried to repulse people by neglecting to brush her teeth.) 2. (v.) to push back (With a deft movement of her wrist and a punch to the stomach, Lacy repulsed Jack’s attempt to kiss her.) reputable (adj.) of good reputation (After the most reputable critic in the industry gave the novel a glowing review, sales took off.) requisition (n.) a demand for goods, usually made by an authority (During the war, the government made a requisition of supplies.) rescind (v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.) 59  R reservoir 1. (n.) reserves, large supply (Igor the Indomitable had quite a reservoir of strengh and could lift ten tons, even after running 700 miles, jumping over three mountains, and swimming across an ocean.) 2. (n.) a body of water used for storing water (After graduation, the more rebellious members of the senior class jumped into the town reservoir used for drinking water.) resilient (adj.) able to recover from misfortune; able to withstand adversity (The resilient ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury.) resolute (adj.) firm, determined (With a resolute glint in her eye, Catherine announced that she was set on going to college in New York City even though she was a little frightened of tall buildings.) resolve 1. (v.) to find a solution (Sarah and Emma resolved their differences and shook hands.) 2. (v.) to firmly decide (Lady Macbeth resolved to whip her husband into shape.) respite (n.) a break, rest (Justin left the pub to gain a brief respite from the smoke and noise.) resplendent (adj.) shiny, glowing (The partygoers were resplendent in diamonds and fancy dress.) restitution (n.) restoration to the rightful owner (Many people feel that descendants of slaves should receive restitution for the sufferings of their ancestors.) restive (adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.) retract (v.) withdraw (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly retracted his client’s sexist statement.) SAT Vocabulary revel (v.) to enjoy intensely (Theodore reveled in his new status as Big Man on Campus.) revere (v.) to esteem, show deference, venerate (The doctor saved countless lives with his combination of expertise and kindness and became universally revered.) revoke (v.) to take back (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a row, Marcel’s freedom of movement was revoked.) rhapsodize (v.) to engage in excessive enthusiasm (The critic rhapsodized about the movie, calling it an instant classic.) ribald (adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.) 60