SAT Vocabulary 003

Question 1

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? As the company grew, the founder learned to ______ daily decisions to her managers so that she could focus on long-term planning.

Accepted Answer

delegate

Question 2

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Studies show that long periods of sitting have ______ effects on health, raising the risk of heart disease even in people who exercise.

Accepted Answer

deleterious

Question 3

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Investigators concluded that the fire was ______, not accidental: gasoline had been poured in three separate rooms.

Accepted Answer

deliberate

Question 4

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? When asked to lead the project, the engineer at first ______, saying she lacked experience, but she agreed after her colleagues encouraged her.

Accepted Answer

demurred

Question 5

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Many writers used their newspapers to ______ slavery, publishing articles that called it a moral evil.

Accepted Answer

denounce

Question 6

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Farming the same crop year after year can ______ the soil of nutrients, leaving it too poor to grow anything.

Accepted Answer

deplete

Question 7

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Some older musicians ______ electronic music, dismissing it as noise made by machines rather than by artists.

Accepted Answer

deprecate

Question 8

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Critics ______ the Wright brothers’ early flying machine as a silly toy, but within twenty years airplanes were crossing oceans.

Accepted Answer

derided

Question 9

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Reviewers called the band’s second album ______, noting that nearly every song sounded like a copy of a famous 1970s hit.

Accepted Answer

derivative

Question 10

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? After the third rejection letter, the young writer grew ______, telling friends that she would never be published and putting her manuscript away.

Accepted Answer

despondent

Question 11

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Too much screen time before bed can be ______ to sleep, because blue light delays the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Accepted Answer

detrimental

Question 12

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The surface of the Moon is ______ of liquid water, so astronauts must bring every drop they need.

Accepted Answer

devoid

Question 13

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Aesop’s fables are ______: each short story ends with a moral, such as "slow and steady wins the race."

Accepted Answer

didactic

Question 14

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Although he was a brilliant scientist, he was so ______ that he rarely spoke at meetings and let others present his ideas.

Accepted Answer

diffident

Question 15

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The professor tended to ______ during lectures, telling long stories about his travels before returning to the topic of chemistry.

Accepted Answer

digress

Question 16

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The doctor was caught in a painful ______: telling the truth might upset her patient, but hiding it would break her promise to always be honest.

Accepted Answer

dilemma

Question 17

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Using a powerful telescope, astronomers could finally ______ the faint ring around the distant planet.

Accepted Answer

discern

Question 18

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The professor worried that public ______ had become less thoughtful, with long debates replaced by short insults online.

Accepted Answer

discourse

Question 19

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? When other labs could not repeat the results, the scientist’s claims were ______, and the journal removed his article.

Accepted Answer

discredited

Question 20

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The hotel staff were trained to be ______, never discussing famous guests or revealing which room they stayed in.

Accepted Answer

discreet

Question 21

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The critic made no attempt to hide his ______ for the novel, calling it "the dullest book of the decade."

Accepted Answer

disdain

Question 22

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The manager was ______ of the intern’s suggestion, waving it away without reading it, but it later saved the company millions.

Accepted Answer

dismissive

Question 23

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Good coaches never ______ their players in public; instead, they point out mistakes privately and praise effort openly.

Accepted Answer

disparage

Question 24

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? To ______ fears about the new vaccine, health officials published the full results of its safety trials.

Accepted Answer

dispel

Question 25

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Few historians ______ that the printing press changed Europe, but they disagree about how quickly its effects were felt.

Accepted Answer

dispute

Question 26

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? In that country, open ______ was dangerous: citizens who criticized the government could lose their jobs or be sent to prison.

Accepted Answer

dissent

Question 27

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The composer used ______ on purpose, combining notes that clash harshly to create a feeling of fear before the calm final chord.

Accepted Answer

dissonance

Question 28

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Each zebra has a ______ pattern of stripes, so researchers can identify individual animals from photographs.

Accepted Answer

distinctive

Question 29

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The senator complained that the article ______ his words, quoting only half of a sentence to make it sound as if he supported the plan.

Accepted Answer

distorted

Question 30

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? About six million years ago, the ancestors of humans and chimpanzees began to ______, and the two lines evolved separately from then on.

Accepted Answer

diverge

Question 31

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? A good scientist cannot be ______; she must be willing to change her mind whenever new evidence contradicts her beliefs.

Accepted Answer

dogmatic

Question 32

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The volcano had been ______ for 400 years, so residents were shocked when it suddenly began to release smoke and ash.

Accepted Answer

dormant

Question 33

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The ______ advisor promised the queen loyalty while secretly sending her plans to her enemies.

Accepted Answer

duplicitous

Question 34

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The city’s economy is ______: new companies appear every month, and whole neighborhoods change within a few years.

Accepted Answer

dynamic

Question 35

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The boy’s promise to take care of the puppy was ______; he kept it, walking and feeding her every day for fifteen years.

Accepted Answer

earnest

Question 36

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The ______ coach jumped and shouted with joy after the final whistle, hugging every player on the team.

Accepted Answer

ebullient

Question 37

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Before a vaccine is approved, its ______ must be tested in large trials to show that it actually prevents the disease.

Accepted Answer

efficacy

Question 38

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The textbook’s error was ______: it stated that the American Civil War ended in 1965 instead of 1865.

Accepted Answer

egregious

Question 39

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The palace garden’s system of fountains, canals, and statues was so ______ that it took fifty engineers ten years to build.

Accepted Answer

elaborate

Question 40

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The teacher asked open-ended questions to ______ ideas from even the quietest students.

Accepted Answer

elicit

Question 41

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? As a speaker, Frederick Douglass was ______; his powerful words moved audiences to tears and convinced many to oppose slavery.

Accepted Answer

eloquent

Question 42

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The snow leopard is so ______ that some researchers have studied it for years without ever seeing one in the wild.

Accepted Answer

elusive

Question 43

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? In 1768, Captain Cook ______ on a voyage that would take him around the world and last nearly three years.

Accepted Answer

embarked

Question 44

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Each time Grandpa told the story, he would ______ it a little more, until the small fish he once caught became a giant shark.

Accepted Answer

embellish

Question 45

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The conference invited several ______ scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners and the president of the national academy.

Accepted Answer

eminent

Question 46

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Researchers found that children who read stories about other people’s lives developed more ______, becoming better at understanding how others felt.

Accepted Answer

empathy

Question 47

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Her answer was ______: "Absolutely not," she said, slamming her hand on the table.

Accepted Answer

emphatic

Question 48

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? In 1964, Congress voted to ______ the Civil Rights Act, which made discrimination in public places illegal.

Accepted Answer

enact

Question 49

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? As cities expand, they ______ on the habitats of wild animals, forcing deer and foxes into suburban backyards.

Accepted Answer

encroach

Question 50

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Building the Panama Canal was an enormous ______: it took ten years, 40,000 workers, and the removal of millions of tons of earth.

Accepted Answer

endeavor

Question 51

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Kangaroos are ______ to Australia; they are found naturally nowhere else on Earth.

Accepted Answer

endemic

Question 52

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Engineers added new sensors to ______ the car’s safety, allowing it to brake automatically when an obstacle appears.

Accepted Answer

enhance

Question 53

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The Mona Lisa’s ______ smile has fascinated viewers for centuries, since no one can agree on what emotion it shows.

Accepted Answer

enigmatic

Question 54

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Becoming a doctor ______ years of study, long hours of practice, and a great deal of responsibility.

Accepted Answer

entails

Question 55

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? In her report, the inspector ______ fifteen safety problems, numbering each one and describing how to fix it.

Accepted Answer

enumerated

Question 56

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Legend says that in his bath Archimedes experienced a sudden ______: in a flash, he understood how to measure the volume of an irregular object.

Accepted Answer

epiphany

Question 57

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? With its pointed arches and soaring towers, Notre-Dame Cathedral ______ Gothic architecture.

Accepted Answer

epitomizes

Question 58

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The new system is more ______: instead of paying the same tax regardless of income, families now pay according to what they can afford.

Accepted Answer

equitable

Question 59

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? Thanks to a worldwide vaccination campaign, doctors were able to ______ smallpox; the last natural case was recorded in 1977.

Accepted Answer

eradicate

Question 60

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The patient’s heartbeat was ______, racing one minute and slowing almost to a stop the next, so doctors fitted him with a pacemaker.

Accepted Answer

erratic

Question 61

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The lecture was too ______ for the general audience; only the few mathematicians in the room could follow its complex proofs.

Accepted Answer

esoteric

Question 62

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? When reporters asked about the missing money, the mayor gave ______ answers, changing the subject and never saying yes or no.

Accepted Answer

evasive

Question 63

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The smell of fresh bread can ______ powerful memories of childhood, transporting people back to their grandmother’s kitchen.

Accepted Answer

evoke

Question 64

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word? The ballet master was ______, making dancers repeat a single movement fifty times until every finger was in exactly the right place.

Accepted Answer

exacting

Word	Definition	In context
delegate	to entrust a task or responsibility to another person \ˈde-li-ˌgāt\	As the company grew, the founder learned to delegate daily decisions to her managers so that she could focus on long-term planning.
deleterious	causing harm or damage \ˌde-lə-ˈtir-ē-əs\	Studies show that long periods of sitting have deleterious effects on health, raising the risk of heart disease even in people who exercise.
deliberate	done consciously and intentionally; careful and unhurried \di-ˈlib-rət\	Investigators concluded that the fire was deliberate, not accidental: gasoline had been poured in three separate rooms.
demur	to raise doubts or objections; to show reluctance \di-ˈmər\	When asked to lead the project, the engineer at first demurred, saying she lacked experience, but she agreed after her colleagues encouraged her.
denounce	to publicly declare to be wrong or evil \di-ˈnau̇n(t)s\	Many writers used their newspapers to denounce slavery, publishing articles that called it a moral evil.
deplete	to use up the supply of \di-ˈplēt\	Farming the same crop year after year can deplete the soil of nutrients, leaving it too poor to grow anything.
deprecate	to express disapproval of; to belittle \ˈde-pri-ˌkāt\	Some older musicians deprecate electronic music, dismissing it as noise made by machines rather than by artists.
deride	to express contempt for; to ridicule \di-ˈrīd\	Critics derided the Wright brothers’ early flying machine as a silly toy, but within twenty years airplanes were crossing oceans.
derivative	imitative of the work of another; not original \di-ˈri-və-tiv\	Reviewers called the band’s second album derivative, noting that nearly every song sounded like a copy of a famous 1970s hit.
despondent	in low spirits from loss of hope \di-ˈspän-dənt\	After the third rejection letter, the young writer grew despondent, telling friends that she would never be published and putting her manuscript away.
detrimental	tending to cause harm \ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl\	Too much screen time before bed can be detrimental to sleep, because blue light delays the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
devoid	entirely lacking or free from \di-ˈvȯid\	The surface of the Moon is devoid of liquid water, so astronauts must bring every drop they need.
didactic	intended to teach, especially a moral lesson \dī-ˈdak-tik\	Aesop’s fables are didactic: each short story ends with a moral, such as "slow and steady wins the race."
diffident	modest or shy because of a lack of confidence \ˈdi-fə-dənt\	Although he was a brilliant scientist, he was so diffident that he rarely spoke at meetings and let others present his ideas.
digress	to leave the main subject temporarily \dī-ˈgres\	The professor tended to digress during lectures, telling long stories about his travels before returning to the topic of chemistry.
dilemma	a situation requiring a difficult choice between alternatives \də-ˈle-mə\	The doctor was caught in a painful dilemma: telling the truth might upset her patient, but hiding it would break her promise to always be honest.
discern	to perceive or recognize something \di-ˈsərn\	Using a powerful telescope, astronomers could finally discern the faint ring around the distant planet.
discourse	written or spoken communication or debate \ˈdis-ˌkȯrs\	The professor worried that public discourse had become less thoughtful, with long debates replaced by short insults online.
discredit	to harm the good reputation of; to cause to seem false \dis-ˈkre-dət\	When other labs could not repeat the results, the scientist’s claims were discredited, and the journal removed his article.
discreet	careful to avoid attention or embarrassment \di-ˈskrēt\	The hotel staff were trained to be discreet, never discussing famous guests or revealing which room they stayed in.
disdain	the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of respect \dis-ˈdān\	The critic made no attempt to hide his disdain for the novel, calling it "the dullest book of the decade."
dismissive	feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration \dis-ˈmi-siv\	The manager was dismissive of the intern’s suggestion, waving it away without reading it, but it later saved the company millions.
disparage	to regard or represent as being of little worth \di-ˈsper-ij\	Good coaches never disparage their players in public; instead, they point out mistakes privately and praise effort openly.
dispel	to make a doubt, feeling, or belief disappear \di-ˈspel\	To dispel fears about the new vaccine, health officials published the full results of its safety trials.
dispute	to argue about; to question whether something is true \di-ˈspyüt\	Few historians dispute that the printing press changed Europe, but they disagree about how quickly its effects were felt.
dissent	disagreement with an official or widely held opinion \di-ˈsent\	In that country, open dissent was dangerous: citizens who criticized the government could lose their jobs or be sent to prison.
dissonance	a lack of harmony; a clash \ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s\	The composer used dissonance on purpose, combining notes that clash harshly to create a feeling of fear before the calm final chord.
distinctive	characteristic of one person or thing, so serving to distinguish it \di-ˈstiŋ(k)-tiv\	Each zebra has a distinctive pattern of stripes, so researchers can identify individual animals from photographs.
distort	to twist out of shape; to give a misleading account of \di-ˈstȯrt\	The senator complained that the article distorted his words, quoting only half of a sentence to make it sound as if he supported the plan.
diverge	to separate and go in different directions; to differ \dī-ˈvərj\	About six million years ago, the ancestors of humans and chimpanzees began to diverge, and the two lines evolved separately from then on.
dogmatic	stating opinions as undeniably true without considering evidence \dȯg-ˈma-tik\	A good scientist cannot be dogmatic; she must be willing to change her mind whenever new evidence contradicts her beliefs.
dormant	temporarily inactive \ˈdȯr-mənt\	The volcano had been dormant for 400 years, so residents were shocked when it suddenly began to release smoke and ash.
duplicitous	deceitful; saying one thing and doing another \dü-ˈpli-sə-təs\	The duplicitous advisor promised the queen loyalty while secretly sending her plans to her enemies.
dynamic	characterized by constant change or activity; energetic \dī-ˈna-mik\	The city’s economy is dynamic: new companies appear every month, and whole neighborhoods change within a few years.
earnest	sincere and serious \ˈər-nəst\	The boy’s promise to take care of the puppy was earnest; he kept it, walking and feeding her every day for fifteen years.
ebullient	cheerful and full of energy \i-ˈbu̇l-yənt\	The ebullient coach jumped and shouted with joy after the final whistle, hugging every player on the team.
efficacy	the ability to produce the desired result \ˈe-fi-kə-sē\	Before a vaccine is approved, its efficacy must be tested in large trials to show that it actually prevents the disease.
egregious	outstandingly bad; shocking \i-ˈgrē-jəs\	The textbook’s error was egregious: it stated that the American Civil War ended in 1965 instead of 1865.
elaborate	involving many carefully arranged parts; detailed \i-ˈla-b(ə-)rət\	The palace garden’s system of fountains, canals, and statues was so elaborate that it took fifty engineers ten years to build.
elicit	to draw out a response or reaction \i-ˈli-sət\	The teacher asked open-ended questions to elicit ideas from even the quietest students.
eloquent	fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing \ˈe-lə-kwənt\	As a speaker, Frederick Douglass was eloquent; his powerful words moved audiences to tears and convinced many to oppose slavery.
elusive	difficult to find, catch, or achieve \ē-ˈlü-siv\	The snow leopard is so elusive that some researchers have studied it for years without ever seeing one in the wild.
embark	to begin a course of action; to board a ship \im-ˈbärk\	In 1768, Captain Cook embarked on a voyage that would take him around the world and last nearly three years.
embellish	to make more attractive by adding details, often untrue ones \im-ˈbe-lish\	Each time Grandpa told the story, he would embellish it a little more, until the small fish he once caught became a giant shark.
eminent	famous and respected within a field \ˈe-mə-nənt\	The conference invited several eminent scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners and the president of the national academy.
empathy	the ability to understand and share the feelings of another \ˈem-pə-thē\	Researchers found that children who read stories about other people’s lives developed more empathy, becoming better at understanding how others felt.
emphatic	showing or giving emphasis; definite and clear \im-ˈfa-tik\	Her answer was emphatic: "Absolutely not," she said, slamming her hand on the table.
enact	to make a bill into law; to put into practice \i-ˈnakt\	In 1964, Congress voted to enact the Civil Rights Act, which made discrimination in public places illegal.
encroach	to intrude gradually on someone’s territory or rights \in-ˈkrōch\	As cities expand, they encroach on the habitats of wild animals, forcing deer and foxes into suburban backyards.
endeavor	an attempt to achieve a goal \in-ˈde-vər\	Building the Panama Canal was an enormous endeavor: it took ten years, 40,000 workers, and the removal of millions of tons of earth.
endemic	native to or regularly found in a certain area \en-ˈde-mik\	Kangaroos are endemic to Australia; they are found naturally nowhere else on Earth.
enhance	to improve the quality or value of \in-ˈhan(t)s\	Engineers added new sensors to enhance the car’s safety, allowing it to brake automatically when an obstacle appears.
enigmatic	difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious \ˌe-nig-ˈma-tik\	The Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile has fascinated viewers for centuries, since no one can agree on what emotion it shows.
entail	to involve something as a necessary part \in-ˈtāl\	Becoming a doctor entails years of study, long hours of practice, and a great deal of responsibility.
enumerate	to mention things one by one \i-ˈn(y)ü-mə-ˌrāt\	In her report, the inspector enumerated fifteen safety problems, numbering each one and describing how to fix it.
epiphany	a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization \i-ˈpi-fə-nē\	Legend says that in his bath Archimedes experienced a sudden epiphany: in a flash, he understood how to measure the volume of an irregular object.
epitomize	to be a perfect example of \i-ˈpi-tə-ˌmīz\	With its pointed arches and soaring towers, Notre-Dame Cathedral epitomizes Gothic architecture.
equitable	fair and impartial \ˈe-kwə-tə-bəl\	The new system is more equitable: instead of paying the same tax regardless of income, families now pay according to what they can afford.
eradicate	to destroy completely \i-ˈra-də-ˌkāt\	Thanks to a worldwide vaccination campaign, doctors were able to eradicate smallpox; the last natural case was recorded in 1977.
erratic	not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable \i-ˈra-tik\	The patient’s heartbeat was erratic, racing one minute and slowing almost to a stop the next, so doctors fitted him with a pacemaker.
esoteric	understood by only a small number of people with special knowledge \ˌe-sə-ˈter-ik\	The lecture was too esoteric for the general audience; only the few mathematicians in the room could follow its complex proofs.
evasive	tending to avoid commitment or direct answers \i-ˈvā-siv\	When reporters asked about the missing money, the mayor gave evasive answers, changing the subject and never saying yes or no.
evoke	to bring a feeling, memory, or image to mind \i-ˈvōk\	The smell of fresh bread can evoke powerful memories of childhood, transporting people back to their grandmother’s kitchen.
exacting	making great demands on skill or attention \ig-ˈzak-tiŋ\	The ballet master was exacting, making dancers repeat a single movement fifty times until every finger was in exactly the right place.
exalt	to praise highly; to raise in rank \ig-ˈzȯlt\	Ancient poems exalt heroes like Achilles, praising their courage in words that made them seem almost like gods.
exemplify	to be a typical example of \ig-ˈzem-plə-ˌfī\	The young volunteers who rebuilt the park in a single weekend exemplify the spirit of community service.
exert	to apply or bring to bear a force or influence \ig-ˈzərt\	The Moon’s gravity exerts a pull on Earth’s oceans, creating two high tides every day.
exhaustive	including all possible elements; thorough \ig-ˈzȯ-stiv\	After an exhaustive search of every room, closet, and drawer, the detectives concluded that the missing letter was no longer in the house.
exonerate	to officially clear someone from blame \ig-ˈzä-nə-ˌrāt\	New DNA evidence exonerated the man who had spent twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
expedite	to make an action or process happen faster \ˈek-spə-ˌdīt\	To expedite the delivery of medicine during the emergency, the government allowed trucks to skip the usual inspections at the border.
explicit	stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion \ik-ˈspli-sət\	The instructions were explicit: "Do not open this box until you are told to do so by the teacher."
exploit	to make full use of; to use unfairly for one’s own advantage \ik-ˈsplȯit\	Factory owners in the 1800s often exploited child workers, paying them very little for twelve-hour days in dangerous conditions.
extol	to praise enthusiastically \ik-ˈstōl\	Nutritionists extol the benefits of blueberries, calling them one of the healthiest foods a person can eat.
extraneous	irrelevant or unrelated to the subject \ek-ˈstrā-nē-əs\	The editor cut all extraneous details from the article, removing anything that did not help explain the main story.
facade	the front of a building; a deceptive outward appearance \fə-ˈsäd\	Behind his cheerful facade, the comedian was deeply unhappy, a fact he revealed only years later in his autobiography.
facet	one side or aspect of something \ˈfa-sət\	The documentary explores every facet of the artist’s life: her childhood, her marriages, her politics, and of course her paintings.
facetious	treating serious issues with inappropriate humor \fə-ˈsē-shəs\	When asked how he would solve world hunger, the student’s reply was facetious: "Just order more pizza," he said, which annoyed his serious classmates.
fallacy	a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound reasoning \ˈfa-lə-sē\	It is a fallacy that we use only ten percent of our brains; brain scans show that almost all regions are active over a day.
fallible	capable of making mistakes \ˈfa-lə-bəl\	Because human memory is fallible, courts have become more careful about relying only on eyewitness descriptions.
feign	to pretend to feel or have \ˈfān\	Some birds feign injury, dragging one wing on the ground to lead predators away from their nests.
fervent	having or showing passionate intensity \ˈfər-vənt\	A fervent supporter of women’s right to vote, Susan B. Anthony traveled thousands of miles giving speeches for the cause.
fickle	changing frequently in loyalties or interests \ˈfi-kəl\	Fashion is notoriously fickle: a style that everyone loves this spring may look ridiculous by next year.
flourish	to grow or develop in a healthy, vigorous way \ˈflər-ish\	With plenty of sunlight and rain, the plants flourished, growing twice as fast as the ones kept indoors.
fluctuate	to rise and fall irregularly \ˈflək-chə-ˌwāt\	Gas prices fluctuate throughout the year, rising in summer when people travel and falling in winter.
forge	to create with effort; to make a fake copy \ˈfȯrj\	The two former enemies worked to forge a lasting alliance, signing trade agreements and holding joint celebrations.
forgo	to go without something desirable \fȯr-ˈgō\	To save money for college, Maria decided to forgo her usual summer vacation and work at a local restaurant instead.
forthright	direct and outspoken; honest \ˈfȯrth-ˌrīt\	Unlike her evasive predecessor, the new manager was forthright, telling employees exactly what problems the company faced.
fortify	to strengthen against attack; to add nutrients \ˈfȯr-tə-ˌfī\	Expecting an invasion, the king ordered workers to fortify the castle walls, making them twice as thick.
fortuitous	happening by a lucky chance \fȯr-ˈtü-ə-təs\	The discovery of penicillin was fortuitous: Alexander Fleming noticed it only because he had left a dish uncovered before going on vacation.
fragmentary	consisting of small, disconnected parts; incomplete \ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē\	Because the ancient manuscript is fragmentary, with many pages missing or torn, historians can only guess at parts of the story.
frivolous	not having any serious purpose or value \ˈfri-v(ə-)ləs\	The judge threw out the lawsuit as frivolous, noting that the man was suing a restaurant because his soup was "too wet."
fundamental	forming a necessary base or core; of central importance \ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tᵊl\	Understanding fractions is fundamental to learning algebra; students who struggle with fractions usually struggle with equations as well.
garner	to gather or collect, especially support or praise \ˈgär-nər\	The young director’s first film garnered praise from critics and won three awards at international festivals.
grandiose	impressive in size or ambition, often excessively so \ˈgran-dē-ˌōs\	The emperor’s plans were grandiose: he wanted a palace with ten thousand rooms and a statue of himself taller than any mountain.
gratuitous	done without good reason; unnecessary \grə-ˈtü-ə-təs\	Critics complained that the film’s violence was gratuitous, adding nothing to the story and existing only to shock viewers.
gregarious	fond of company; sociable \gri-ˈger-ē-əs\	Unlike solitary tigers, lions are gregarious animals that live in groups called prides and hunt together.
hackneyed	lacking originality because overused \ˈhak-nēd\	The writing teacher told students to avoid hackneyed phrases like "it was a dark and stormy night" and to find fresh ways to describe the weather.
hamper	to hinder or impede movement or progress \ˈham-pər\	Heavy snow hampered rescue efforts, preventing helicopters from flying and blocking roads to the mountain village.
harbinger	a person or thing that signals the approach of another \ˈhär-bən-jər\	In many places, the first robin of the year is seen as a harbinger of spring, announcing that warmer weather is near.
harness	to control and make use of a natural resource or power \ˈhär-nəs\	Wind turbines harness the energy of moving air, turning it into electricity for thousands of homes.
haughty	arrogantly superior and disdainful \ˈhȯ-tē\	The haughty duchess refused to speak to the servants, looking past them as if they were furniture.
heed	to pay attention to; to take notice of \ˈhēd\	Hikers who heeded the warning signs and stayed on the trail were safe; those who ignored them were caught in the rockslide.
hegemony	leadership or dominance of one group or country over others \hi-ˈje-mə-nē\	For centuries, Rome held hegemony over the Mediterranean, controlling trade, law, and politics from Spain to Egypt.
heterogeneous	diverse in character or content \ˌhe-tə-rə-ˈjē-nē-əs\	The class was heterogeneous, including students from twelve countries who spoke eight different languages.
hiatus	a pause or break in an activity \hī-ˈā-təs\	After a ten-year hiatus, the band reunited and released an album that sounded as fresh as their early work.
hierarchical	arranged in order of rank \ˌhī-(ə-)ˈrär-ki-kəl\	The army is strongly hierarchical: privates obey sergeants, sergeants obey lieutenants, and so on up to the generals.
hindrance	a thing that makes progress difficult \ˈhin-drən(t)s\	For many small farmers, the lack of good roads is a serious hindrance, making it hard to bring crops to market.
hinge	to depend entirely on \ˈhinj\	The outcome of the election may hinge on a few thousand votes in two small states.
homage	special honor or respect shown publicly \ˈä-mij\	The director’s new film pays homage to the classic movies of the 1950s, copying their camera angles and music on purpose.
homogeneous	of the same kind; alike \ˌhō-mə-ˈjē-nē-əs\	Stir the paint until it is homogeneous, with no streaks or lumps of different color left.
hone	to sharpen; to refine or perfect over time \ˈhōn\	The pianist practiced eight hours a day to hone her technique before the international competition.
hubris	excessive pride or self-confidence \ˈhyü-brəs\	In Greek myth, Icarus is destroyed by hubris: ignoring his father’s warning, he flies too close to the sun, sure that nothing can harm him.
hypothesize	to put forward as a possible explanation \hī-ˈpä-thə-ˌsīz\	Scientists hypothesized that the dinosaurs died out after an asteroid hit Earth, and later found a huge crater in Mexico that supported the idea.
iconoclast	a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions \ī-ˈkä-nə-ˌklast\	An artistic iconoclast, Marcel Duchamp shocked the art world in 1917 by displaying an ordinary toilet as a work of art.
idealistic	pursuing high or perfect principles, often unrealistically \ˌī-dē-ə-ˈlis-tik\	The young volunteers were idealistic, believing they could end poverty in a single summer, but they soon learned that real change takes years.
ignominious	deserving or causing public disgrace \ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs\	The general who once seemed unbeatable suffered ignominious defeat, losing his entire army in a single afternoon and fleeing in disguise.
illicit	forbidden by law, rules, or custom \i(l)-ˈli-sət\	Police discovered illicit trade in rare birds, which smugglers had been selling to collectors without any permits.
illustrate	to explain or make clear by using examples \ˈi-lə-ˌstrāt\	To illustrate how small atoms are, the teacher explained that a single drop of water contains more atoms than there are stars in the visible universe.
imminent	about to happen \ˈi-mə-nənt\	When the dogs began to howl and the birds flew away, villagers sensed that an earthquake was imminent.
impasse	a situation in which no progress is possible; a deadlock \ˈim-ˌpas\	After three weeks of talks, the talks had reached a complete impasse: neither side would lower its demands, and the strike continued.

SAT Vocabulary 003

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