SAT Word List 1

v. to become less active, less intense, or less in amount.
Sentence: As I began my speech, my feelings of nervousness quickly abated.

adj. existing purely in the mind; not representing actual reality.
Sentence: Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of the abstract painting.

adj. extremely bad
Sentence: I got an abysmal grade on my research paper!

n. the act of gaining a skill or possession of something
Sentence: Language acquisition is easier for kids than it is for adults.

adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. in a particular area)
Sentence: Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s especially adept at the violin.

n. the arrival or creation of something (usu. historic)
Sentence: The world has never been the same since the advent of the light bulb.

adj. relating to hostile opposition
Sentence: An adversarial attitude will make you many enemies in life.

adj. relating to beauty or refined taste
Sentence: The aesthetic decorations at the wedding reception made you feel as if you were a character in a fairy tale.

v. to make a secretive mention of something
Sentence: She alluded to the problem at hand but didn’t say anything more about it.

n. a noisy argument or confrontation
Sentence: Greg got into an altercation with a stranger at the bar.

n. the state of being uncertain or stuck between two or more options
Sentence: His ambivalence prevented him from immediately signing the contract

adj. similar but not identical
Sentence: Green onions are considered analogous to spring onions.

v. to destroy or cause devastating destruction
Sentence: The dictator sent orders to annihilate the group of rebels.

n. the highest point of something
Sentence: The spring play was the apex of our school year.

adj. extremely plain. He lived in a small, austere cabin the middle of the woods.
adj. stern and forbidding. My boss had an austere expression on her face
adj. self-denial. An austere lifestyle, like that of monks.

adj. actively interested in or enthusiastic about something
Sentence: Gerald is an avid soccer fan.

n. the quality of being real and true instead of fake and contrived
Sentence: The police officer doubted the authenticity of the suspect’s story.

n. a strong declaration
Sentence: His assertion that sharks are mammals made everyone laugh.

n. fearful expectation of something
Sentence: Her apprehension to leave her house resulted in her missing the train.

n. something different from the norm
Sentence: This result is an anomaly and very rarely happens.