This curated vocabulary set is designed to help you master the key words and phrases frequently encountered on the SAT.

SAT Essential Vocabulary - Set #2

(v.)—to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
They can sure use a hand in enhancing the quality of the cafeteria food!

(adj.)—quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image
Evanescent images vanish quickly.

(adj.)—careful, cautious
One who is wary worries that everything is okay.

(adj.)—weakening, tiring
Enervating activities put your energy on vacation!

(adj.)—momentary, transient, fleeting
Something ephemeral emerges only for a little while.

(adj.)—ruddy, flushed; gaudy, extremely ornate

Flooded with horrid colors and patterns, her wardrobe was extremely florid.

(adj.)—happening by luck, fortunate
He was quite fortuitous; good fortune followed him everywhere he went.

(n.)—joy, celebration, exultation
Let’s have a celebration to show our jubilation.

(adj.)—overly sentimental
In the maudlin play, Maude’s lines were sickeningly sweet.

(adj.)—jovial, merry, causing or provoking laughter and glee
Something mirthful fills you with merriment.

(n.)—decency, honesty, wholeness
Intelligent as well as gracious, the woman was full of integrity.

(n.)—long life
If you have longevity you’ll live long with vitality.

(adj.)—quick, shrewd and unpredictable
The mercurial Merlin the magician was quick-witted and changeable.

(adj.)—dying, decaying
I could see Mo’s ribs under the moribund flesh of his corpse.

(adj.)—stinking, putrid
A dead mouse trapped in your walls makes no noise but produces a noisome odor.

(adj.)—dried up, shriveled
If you’re parched after you’ve marched, drink the water before you eat tarts.

(n.)—wealth or success
Cheaters never prosper; honesty brings prosperity.

(adj.)—quick to recover, bounce back
Her resilient hair resumes its brilliance after each washing.

(adj.)—lacking color or liveliness
Illness makes you pallid.

(adj.)—emotionally moving
The pointless poisoning of the ants was so poignant that we cried.

(n.)—repair, making something new again
Renovation renews something to its original condition.

(adj.)—cheerfully optimistic; ruddy
The employees loved their sanguine boss; she practically sang about the windows of opportunity for them at her company.

(adj.)—lively, animated, energetic
The sprightly jack-in-the-box sprang right up each time the lid was opened.

(adj.)—lively, spirited
Her bright smile and the vibrant colors she wore reflected her vivacious personality.

(n.)—high praise
Adulation is a form of admiration.

(v.)—to punish, chastise, criticize severely
You might castigate someone you criticize and hate.

(adj.)—temporary, short-lived, fleeting
The man was transient; he stayed in each town for only one night and then was back in transit to his next destination.

(v.)—to forgive, free from blame
To absolve is to resolve to abolish all blame.

(v.)—to scold harshly
To berate is to belittle as third-rate.

(v.)—to find fault with and condemn as wrong; blame

You censure when you sense that someone sure is guilty!

(adj.)—possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing

One who condescends is conceited while posing as a friend.

(v.)—to slander, speak evil of, to libel
To defame is to destroy someone’s fame or popularity.

(v.)—to accuse, blame
When you denounce someone, you deny that s/he is innocent.

(v.)—to mock, ridicule, make fun of
To deride is to deeply ridicule.

(v.)—to belittle, openly condemn
To decry is to denounce someone and hope to make them cry.

(v.)—to slur someone’s reputation; attack one’s character
When you denigrate someone, you deny that s/he is great.

(v.)—to lessen in value, belittle
A product’s value depreciates when it is under-appreciated.

(n.)—bitter verbal attack
In her diatribe on dieting Diane tried to be critical of my gigantic size.

(v.)—to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
To discredit is to disgrace someone’s reputation.

(v.)—to belittle, speak disrespectfully about
To disparage is to slander and to damage another’s character.

(adj.)—disgraceful and dishonorable
We tend to ignore ignominious gnomes because they are so mean to us.

(v.)—to treat as a celebrity
As king of the jungle, the lion must be the most lionized animal.

(v.)—to regard with scorn or contempt
To disdain is to dislike.

(adj.)—arrogant and condescending
One who is haughty acts awfully high and mighty.

(adj.)—disrespectful
To be irreverent is to err by not revering other’s feelings.

(v.)—to reprimand, scold
To rebuke is to reprimand someone for behaving unkindly.

(v.)—to criticize with harsh language, verbally abuse

To revile someone is to tell them you think they’re vile.

(adj.)—arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending
“Don’t be supercilious,” the mother warned her son, “it’s silly to think you’re more super than others.”

(adj.)—concerned unselfishly for others’ welfare
Al is altruistic; he is always true when it comes to sticking by his friends.

(adj.)—beneficial; characterized by performing acts of kindness or charity

Beneficent acts are beneficial and magnificent.