300 most difficult SAT words

Master challenging vocabulary that shows up on the SAT. This list includes 300 curated terms with definitions, examples, and categories.

abject
Definition
Someone or something of the most contemptible kind.
Example
“After the scandal, the CEO offered an abject apology to the public.”
aberration
Definition
A state or condition markedly different from the norm.
Example
“A single failing grade was an aberration in her otherwise perfect transcript.”
abjure
Definition
To formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief.
Example
“Under pressure, he had to abjure his former political views in the treaty ceremony.”
abnegation
Definition
The denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief.
Example
“Her abnegation of personal comfort impressed the volunteers working beside her.”
abrogate
Definition
To revoke formally.
Example
“The legislature voted to abrogate the outdated law later that year.”
abscond
Definition
To run away, often taking something or somebody along.
Example
“Fearing arrest, the treasurer tried to abscond with the company’s petty cash.”
abstruse
Definition
Something that is difficult to understand.
Example
“The professor warned students that Kant’s later essays are notoriously abstruse.”
accede
Definition
To yield to another's wish or opinion.
Example
“After hours of debate, the chair finally acceded to the minority’s request.”
accost
Definition
To approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently.
Example
“A stranger accosted us near the station, demanding we answer his questions.”
accretion
Definition
An increase by natural growth or addition.
Example
“The slow accretion of sediment formed a new sandbar along the river.”
acumen
Definition
Shrewdness shown by keen insight.
Example
“Her business acumen helped the startup survive its first difficult winter.”
adamant
Definition
Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason.
Example
“He was adamant that the deadline would not move, no matter how we pleaded.”
admonish
Definition
To scold or reprimand; to take to task.
Example
“The coach had to admonish the player for arguing with the referee.”
adumbrate
Definition
To describe roughly or give the main points or summary of.
Example
“The opening chapter only adumbrates the complex plot revealed in the finale.”
adverse
Definition
In an opposing direction.
Example
“Adverse winds forced the sailors to delay their departure until morning.”
advocate
Definition
A person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea.
Example
“As an advocate for refugees, she spoke at town halls across the state.”
affluent
Definition
Having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value.
Example
“The affluent suburb funded a new library without raising local taxes.”
aggrandize
Definition
To embellish; to increase the scope, power, or importance of.
Example
“Dictators often aggrandize their own power while silencing critics.”
alacrity
Definition
Liveliness and eagerness.
Example
“The interns accepted the extra assignment with surprising alacrity.”
alias
Definition
A name that has been assumed temporarily.
Example
“The spy traveled under an alias so his real name never appeared on documents.”
ambivalent
Definition
Uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow.
Example
“She felt ambivalent about the job offer because the salary was low but the mission mattered.”
amenable
Definition
Disposed or willing to comply.
Example
“Fortunately, the landlord was amenable to extending our lease by six months.”
amorphous
Definition
Having no definite form or distinct shape.
Example
“The amorphous cloud of gas made it hard to define the nebula’s edges.”
anachronistic
Definition
Chronologically misplaced.
Example
“A digital watch on a Roman soldier would be jarringly anachronistic in that film.”
anathema
Definition
A formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication.
Example
“For strict traditionalists, any compromise on the doctrine was sheer anathema.”
annex
Definition
To attach to.
Example
“The school board voted to annex the neighboring district’s smallest campus.”
antediluvian
Definition
Of or relating to the period before the biblical flood.
Example
“His antediluvian views on technology amused his smartphone-obsessed students.”
antiseptic
Definition
Thoroughly clean and free of disease-causing organisms.
Example
“Nurses scrubbed until the operating room looked almost antiseptic under the lights.”
apathetic
Definition
Showing little or no emotion or animation.
Example
“Too many apathetic voters stayed home, and turnout hit a record low.”
antithesis
Definition
The exact opposite.
Example
“His calm reserve was the antithesis of his brother’s reckless enthusiasm.”
apocryphal
Definition
Being of questionable authenticity.
Example
“The tale that he invented the device in a weekend is almost certainly apocryphal.”
approbation
Definition
Official acceptance or agreement.
Example
“The design won official approbation from the city’s historic preservation board.”
arbitrary
Definition
Based on or subject to individual discretion or preference.
Example
“The rule seemed arbitrary because it singled out one club and ignored the others.”
arboreal
Definition
Of or relating to or formed by trees.
Example
“Lemurs are arboreal primates that rarely descend to the forest floor.”
arcane
Definition
Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge.
Example
“Only a few scholars could follow the arcane symbols in the medieval manuscript.”
archetypal
Definition
Of an original pattern on which other things are modeled.
Example
“Hamlet is often treated as the archetypal conflicted hero of Western drama.”
arrogate
Definition
To seize and take control without authority.
Example
“The general tried to arrogate command though he lacked any legal authority.”
ascetic
Definition
Someone who practices self-denial as a spiritual discipline.
Example
“The ascetic monk slept on a thin mat and ate only one meal a day.”
aspersion
Definition
A disparaging remark.
Example
“She resented the aspersion that she had only won through family connections.”
assiduous
Definition
Marked by care and persistent effort.
Example
“His assiduous note-taking in lab saved the team when the data server crashed.”
atrophy
Definition
A decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse.
Example
“After weeks in a cast, the injured leg began to atrophy from disuse.”
bane
Definition
Something causing misery or death.
Example
“Mosquitoes were the bane of our camping trip until we bought better repellent.”
bashful
Definition
Self-consciously timid.
Example
“The bashful freshman hesitated before stepping up to the microphone.”
beguile
Definition
To influence by slyness.
Example
“The con artist beguiled investors with promises of impossible returns.”
bereft
Definition
Lacking or deprived of something.
Example
“Bereft of any real evidence, the prosecution’s case quickly collapsed.”
blandishment
Definition
Flattery intended to persuade.
Example
“Despite every blandishment from sales staff, she refused the expensive upgrade.”
bilk
Definition
To cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money.
Example
“The contractor bilked several homeowners by taking deposits and vanishing.”
bombastic
Definition
Ostentatiously lofty in style.
Example
“Critics panned the candidate’s bombastic speech as long on noise and short on facts.”
cajole
Definition
To influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering.
Example
“Parents tried to cajole the toddler into bed with one more story and a song.”
callous
Definition
Emotionally hardened.
Example
“A callous remark about the accident showed how little empathy he felt.”
calumny
Definition
A false accusation of an offense.
Example
“She sued for calumny after the article falsely accused her of fraud.”
camaraderie
Definition
The quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability.
Example
“Long shifts built a warm camaraderie among the nurses on the night ward.”
candor
Definition
The quality of being honest and straightforward.
Example
“I appreciated her candor when she said the plan simply would not work.”
capitulate
Definition
To surrender under agreed conditions.
Example
“Exhausted and outnumbered, the garrison decided to capitulate at dawn.”
carouse
Definition
To celebrate or enjoy something in a noisy or wild way.
Example
“After finals, some seniors carouse downtown far into the early hours.”
carp
Definition
Any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae.
Example
“A bright orange carp drifted through the lily pads in the garden pond.”
caucus
Definition
Meet to select a candidate or promote a policy.
Example
“Iowa voters caucus every four years to signal their preferred presidential candidates.”
cavort
Definition
To play boisterously.
Example
“The puppies cavort across the lawn whenever someone opens the back door.”
circumlocution
Definition
An indirect way of expressing something.
Example
“Legal contracts often bury key duties in circumlocution few clients can parse.”
circumscribe
Definition
To draw a geometric figure around another figure.
Example
“Surveyors circumscribe the lot with stakes before construction begins.”
circumvent
Definition
To surround so as to force to give up.
Example
“The army maneuvered to circumvent the fortified town and cut its supply lines.”
clamor
Definition
To utter or proclaim insistently and noisily.
Example
“Protesters clamor for reform outside the courthouse steps each morning.”
cleave
Definition
To separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument.
Example
“With one sharp blow, the butcher cleaved the joint into two neat halves.”
cobbler
Definition
A person who makes or repairs shoes.
Example
“The cobbler replaced the worn heels so the old boots could last another winter.”
cogent
Definition
Powerfully persuasive.
Example
“She presented a cogent argument that persuaded even skeptical committee members.”
cognizant
Definition
Having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization.
Example
“Please remain cognizant of the tight budget when you order lab supplies.”
commensurate
Definition
Corresponding in size or degree or extent.
Example
“The raise was commensurate with her new responsibilities as department lead.”
complement
Definition
Something added to embellish or make perfect.
Example
“The crisp salad was a perfect complement to the rich pasta course.”
compunction
Definition
A feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed.
Example
“He felt compunction about repeating a rumor he could not verify.”
concomitant
Definition
Following or accompanying as a consequence.
Example
“Stress often brings concomitant sleep problems that linger for weeks.”
conduit
Definition
A passage through which water or electric wires can pass.
Example
“Workers laid a conduit under the street for the neighborhood’s fiber lines.”
conflagration
Definition
A very intense and uncontrolled fire.
Example
“Sparks from the dry field started a conflagration that spread within minutes.”
congruity
Definition
The quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate.
Example
“Designers praised the congruity between the museum’s new wing and the original facade.”
connive
Definition
To form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner.
Example
“Officials connived with smugglers, sharing schedules in secret messages.”
consign
Definition
To give over to another for care or safekeeping.
Example
“She consigned the family jewels to a vault until the estate dispute ended.”
constituent
Definition
One of the individual parts making up a composite entity.
Example
“Calcium is a major constituent of bone as well as of chalk and limestone.”
construe
Definition
To make sense of; assign a meaning to.
Example
“Courts construe ambiguous contract language against the party that drafted it.”
contusion
Definition
An injury in which the skin is not broken.
Example
“The fall left a painful contusion on his shoulder, though the skin never broke.”
contrite
Definition
Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow.
Example
“Contrite and quiet, he apologized to everyone he had insulted online.”
contentious
Definition
Showing an inclination to disagree.
Example
“Tax reform remains a contentious topic at nearly every town hall.”
contravene
Definition
To go against, as of rules and laws.
Example
“The new policy contravenes earlier agreements signed with the union.”
convivial
Definition
Occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company.
Example
“Thanksgiving at their house is always a convivial feast of laughter and pie.”
corpulence
Definition
The property of excessive fatness.
Example
“Doctors warned that his increasing corpulence raised his risk of diabetes.”
covet
Definition
To wish, long, or crave for.
Example
“Advertisers train viewers to covet gadgets they do not truly need.”
cupidity
Definition
Extreme greed for material wealth.
Example
“Wall Street’s cupidity in the bubble years led to reckless, destructive trades.”
dearth
Definition
An insufficient quantity or number.
Example
“A dearth of rainfall turned the valley brown before the monsoon arrived.”
debacle
Definition
A sudden and complete disaster.
Example
“The product launch became a debacle when the demo app crashed on live television.”
debauch
Definition
A wild gathering.
Example
“The novel opens with a debauch that foreshadows the hero’s moral collapse.”
debunk
Definition
To expose while ridiculing.
Example
“Scientists debunk the viral claim with a single, well-designed replication study.”
defunct
Definition
No longer in force or use; inactive.
Example
“The defunct factory’s broken windows stared out over an empty parking lot.”
demagogue
Definition
A leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions.
Example
“The demagogue blamed every problem on outsiders to whip up the crowd.”
denigrate
Definition
To attack the good name and reputation of someone.
Example
“Tabloids denigrate celebrities for sport, rarely caring what is true.”
derivative
Definition
A compound obtained from another compound.
Example
“Chemists built a derivative of the original compound that dissolved more easily.”
despot
Definition
A cruel and oppressive dictator.
Example
“The despot ruled through fear, jailing anyone who questioned his decrees.”
diaphanous
Definition
So thin as to transmit light.
Example
“She wore a diaphanous scarf that fluttered like smoke in the evening breeze.”
didactic
Definition
Instructive, especially excessively.
Example
“The novel’s didactic tone turns some readers off, though teens find it clear.”
dirge
Definition
A song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person.
Example
“A lone violin played a dirge as the procession moved toward the cemetery.”
disaffected
Definition
Discontented as toward authority.
Example
“Disaffected workers began organizing quietly after their bonuses were cut.”
discomfit
Definition
To cause to lose one's composure.
Example
“The blunt question seemed designed to discomfit the witness on the stand.”
disparate
Definition
Fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind.
Example
“The committee united disparate voices—engineers, artists, and farmers—on one plan.”
dispel
Definition
To cause to separate and go in different directions.
Example
“New data helped dispel the myth that the vaccine was unsafe for teens.”
disrepute
Definition
The state of being held in low esteem.
Example
“The bribery scandal brought the whole agency into disrepute within a week.”
divisive
Definition
Causing or characterized by disagreement or disunity.
Example
“The candidate’s divisive rhetoric split the party into hostile camps.”
dogmatic
Definition
Pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative.
Example
“Dogmatic certainty rarely helps when the evidence is still incomplete.”
dour
Definition
Showing a brooding ill humor.
Example
“A dour guard watched the gate, answering every greeting with a grunt.”
duplicity
Definition
The act of deceiving or acting in bad faith.
Example
“His duplicity—smiling to our faces while undermining the deal—cost him every ally.”
duress
Definition
Compulsory force or threat.
Example
“A contract signed under duress may be thrown out if a judge finds coercion.”
eclectic
Definition
Selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas.
Example
“Her eclectic playlist jumps from jazz to K-pop without warning.”
edict
Definition
A formal or authoritative proclamation.
Example
“The king’s edict banned public gatherings until the rebellion cooled.”
ebullient
Definition
Joyously unrestrained.
Example
“The ebullient host made even shy guests feel welcome within minutes.”
egregious
Definition
Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.
Example
“It was an egregious error to publish names before confirming the facts.”
elegy
Definition
A mournful poem; a lament for the dead.
Example
“Whitman’s elegy for Lincoln remains one of the most quoted American poems.”
elicit
Definition
To call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response.
Example
“The therapist’s gentle questions elicit memories the patient had suppressed for years.”
embezzlement
Definition
The fraudulent appropriation of funds or property.
Example
“Auditors uncovered embezzlement that had drained the charity’s accounts for a decade.”
emend
Definition
To make corrections to.
Example
“Scholars emend corrupt lines in the ancient text using clues from other manuscripts.”
emollient
Definition
A substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin.
Example
“The pharmacist recommended an emollient cream for the dry, cracked skin.”
empirical
Definition
Derived from experiment and observation rather than theory.
Example
“Good science relies on empirical tests rather than on authority alone.”
emulate
Definition
To strive to equal or match, especially by imitating.
Example
“Young composers emulate Bach’s counterpoint while searching for their own voice.”
enervate
Definition
To weaken physically, mentally, or morally.
Example
“The humid heat seemed to enervate everyone on the subway platform.”
enfranchise
Definition
To grant freedom to, as from slavery or servitude.
Example
“The reform bill would enfranchise citizens who had long been denied basic rights.”
engender
Definition
To call forth.
Example
“Loose talk about war can engender panic faster than any official announcement.”
ephemeral
Definition
Anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day.
Example
“Cherry blossoms are ephemeral; a week of wind strips the branches bare.”
epistolary
Definition
Written in the form of letters or correspondence.
Example
“The novel’s epistolary form—letters between sisters—heightens the sense of intimacy.”
equanimity
Definition
Steadiness of mind under stress.
Example
“She faced the verdict with equanimity, neither gloating nor despairing.”
equivocal
Definition
Open to two or more interpretations.
Example
“His equivocal answer left reporters unsure whether he would run again.”
espouse
Definition
To choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.
Example
“The senator espouses a moderate climate policy popular with suburban voters.”
evanescent
Definition
Short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear.
Example
“The evanescent rainbow faded before we could cross the bridge for a photo.”
evince
Definition
To give expression to.
Example
“His trembling hands evince a fear he refuses to put into words.”
exacerbate
Definition
To make worse.
Example
“Cutting water rations during the drought will only exacerbate tensions in the camp.”
exhort
Definition
To spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts.
Example
“The captain exhorts the team to keep pressing even when they are behind.”
execrable
Definition
Unequivocally detestable.
Example
“Critics called the sequel’s dialogue execrable and walked out halfway through.”
exigent
Definition
Demanding immediate attention.
Example
“In this exigent situation, waiting for committee approval could cost lives.”
expedient
Definition
Appropriate to a purpose.
Example
“It was expedient to postpone the vote until more members could attend.”
expiate
Definition
To make amends for.
Example
“He volunteered at the shelter for years, hoping somehow to expiate his youthful crime.”
expunge
Definition
To remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line.
Example
“The judge agreed to expunge the misdemeanor from her record after probation ended.”
extraneous
Definition
Not belonging to that in which it is contained.
Example
“Cut every extraneous slide so the pitch fits the ten-minute window.”
extol
Definition
To praise, glorify, or honor.
Example
“Editorials extol the coach as a model mentor for student athletes.”
extant
Definition
Still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost.
Example
“Only three extant copies of the pamphlet survive in public libraries.”
expurgate
Definition
To edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate.
Example
“The publisher had to expurgate several passages before the textbook could ship abroad.”
fallacious
Definition
Containing or based on incorrect reasoning.
Example
“That fallacious argument assumes correlation always proves causation.”
fatuous
Definition
Devoid of intelligence.
Example
“His fatuous grin suggested he had not understood how serious the mistake was.”
fetter
Definition
A shackle for the ankles or feet.
Example
“Medieval prisoners often wore an iron fetter on each ankle.”
flagrant
Definition
Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.
Example
“The referee ejected him for a flagrant foul in the final minute.”
foil
Definition
To hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire.
Example
“Heavy rain foiled our plan to hold graduation outdoors.”
forbearance
Definition
Good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence.
Example
“Thank you for your forbearance while we repair the noisy elevator.”
fortuitous
Definition
Lucky; occurring by happy chance.
Example
“A fortuitous meeting on the train led to a collaboration neither expected.”
fractious
Definition
Easily irritated or annoyed.
Example
“The fractious toddler melted down whenever his routine changed.”
garrulous
Definition
Full of trivial conversation.
Example
“The garrulous seatmate talked through the entire five-hour flight.”
gourmand
Definition
A person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess.
Example
“The gourmand planned vacations around Michelin-starred restaurants.”
grandiloquent
Definition
Lofty in style.
Example
“Politicians sometimes adopt a grandiloquent style when dedicating monuments.”
gratuitous
Definition
Unnecessary and unwarranted.
Example
“Critics slammed the film for gratuitous violence that did not advance the plot.”
hapless
Definition
Unfortunate and deserving pity.
Example
“The hapless tourist boarded the wrong train and missed his connection.”
hegemony
Definition
The dominance or leadership of one social group over others.
Example
“Cultural hegemony meant American films dominated screens worldwide for decades.”
heterogenous
Definition
Consisting of elements that are not of the same kind.
Example
“The heterogenous sample included both urban renters and rural landowners.”
iconoclast
Definition
Someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions.
Example
“As an iconoclast in art school, she mocked every sacred tradition of realism.”
idiosyncratic
Definition
Peculiar to the individual.
Example
“His idiosyncratic habit of color-coding every note puzzled new coworkers.”
impecunious
Definition
Not having enough money to pay for necessities.
Example
“Impecunious students shared textbooks because they could not afford their own copies.”
impetuous
Definition
Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought.
Example
“An impetuous tweet cost the executive his job before sunrise.”
impinge
Definition
To infringe upon.
Example
“New zoning laws impinge on landowners’ freedom to subdivide their lots.”
impute
Definition
To attribute or credit to.
Example
“Never impute motives you cannot prove when discussing a colleague’s decision.”
inane
Definition
Devoid of intelligence.
Example
“The debate devolved into inane chatter about celebrity gossip.”
inchoate
Definition
Only partly in existence; imperfectly formed.
Example
“The inchoate movement lacked leaders, bylaws, or even a shared name.”
incontrovertible
Definition
Impossible to deny or disprove.
Example
“DNA provided incontrovertible proof that the suspect had been at the scene.”
incumbent
Definition
Necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding.
Example
“It is incumbent on all citizens to serve jury duty when summoned.”
inexorable
Definition
Impossible to prevent, resist, or stop.
Example
“The inexorable march of glaciers shaped the valley over thousands of years.”
inimical
Definition
Tending to obstruct or cause harm.
Example
“Policies inimical to small business drove many shops out of the downtown core.”
injunction
Definition
A judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something.
Example
“The court issued an injunction halting construction until the appeal is heard.”
inoculate
Definition
To inject or treat with the germ of a disease to render immune.
Example
“Nurses inoculate thousands of children against measles each flu season.”
insidious
Definition
Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
Example
“Insidious rumors spread through the office long before management noticed.”
instigate
Definition
To provoke or stir up.
Example
“Agents provocateurs tried to instigate a riot outside the embassy gates.”
insurgent
Definition
In opposition to a civil authority or government.
Example
“Insurgent forces attacked convoys along the mountain highway after dark.”
interlocutor
Definition
A person who takes part in a conversation.
Example
“Between speeches, the interlocutor summarized audience questions for the panel.”
intimation
Definition
A slight suggestion or vague understanding.
Example
“She caught an intimation of trouble in the way he avoided her eyes.”
inure
Definition
To cause to accept or become hardened to.
Example
“Years of criticism inured the author to bad reviews, though praise still pleased her.”
invective
Definition
Abusive language used to express blame or censure.
Example
“The editorial poured invective on anyone who questioned the board’s decision.”
intransigent
Definition
Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason.
Example
“The union remained intransigent, refusing even a temporary pay freeze.”
inveterate
Definition
Habitual.
Example
“An inveterate procrastinator, he finished the paper an hour before it was due.”
irreverence
Definition
A mental attitude showing a lack of due respect.
Example
“The comedian’s irreverence toward sacred cows delighted some fans and enraged others.”
knell
Definition
The sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death.
Example
“Each toll of the knell echoed through the foggy village square.”
laconic
Definition
Brief and to the point.
Example
“Asked about the loss, the coach gave a laconic shrug and said, “We’ll adjust.””
largesse
Definition
Liberality in bestowing gifts.
Example
“The foundation’s largesse funded dozens of new scholarships at the college.”
legerdemain
Definition
An illusory feat.
Example
“With impressive legerdemain, the magician turned the scarf into a live dove.”
libertarian
Definition
An advocate of freedom of thought and speech.
Example
“As a libertarian, she opposes most government mandates on personal choice.”
licentious
Definition
Lacking moral discipline.
Example
“Victorian reviewers condemned the novel’s licentious scenes as immoral.”
linchpin
Definition
A central cohesive source of support and stability.
Example
“The veteran midfielder was the linchpin of the team’s defensive strategy.”
litigant
Definition
A party to a lawsuit.
Example
“Each litigant must disclose all relevant documents before the trial begins.”
maelstrom
Definition
A powerful circular current of water.
Example
“Rescue crews struggled against the maelstrom where two currents collided.”
maudlin
Definition
Very sentimental or emotional.
Example
“After the third toast, his maudlin stories about childhood bored half the table.”
maverick
Definition
Someone who exhibits independence in thought and action.
Example
“A political maverick, she often votes against her own party’s leadership.”
mawkish
Definition
Very sentimental or emotional.
Example
“The film’s mawkish ending piles on slow motion and swelling strings.”
maxim
Definition
A saying that is widely accepted on its own merits.
Example
““Measure twice, cut once” is a practical maxim for any carpenter.”
mendacious
Definition
Given to lying.
Example
“The mendacious tabloid headline had no basis in the underlying police report.”
modicum
Definition
A small or moderate or token amount.
Example
“If we had shown a modicum of patience, the deal might still be alive.”
morass
Definition
A soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot.
Example
“We slogged through a morass of mud after the storm flooded the trail.”
mores
Definition
The conventions embodying the fundamental values of a group.
Example
“Local mores discouraged loud arguments in the town’s quiet tea shops.”
munificent
Definition
Very generous.
Example
“A munificent donor paid for the new wing without attaching her name.”
multifarious
Definition
Having many aspects.
Example
“The multifarious demands of the job—coding, teaching, and travel—exhausted him.”
nadir
Definition
The lowest point of anything.
Example
“Losing three starters to injury marked the nadir of an already rough season.”
negligent
Definition
Characterized by undue lack of attention or concern.
Example
“The landlord was negligent in failing to repair the broken stair for months.”
neophyte
Definition
A participant with no experience with an activity.
Example
“A neophyte skier, she stuck to the bunny slope on her first morning.”
noisome
Definition
Offensively malodorous.
Example
“A noisome stench drifted from the dumpster behind the restaurant.”
noxious
Definition
Injurious to physical or mental health.
Example
“Noxious fumes from the spill forced firefighters to evacuate two blocks.”
obdurate
Definition
Stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing.
Example
“The obdurate committee would not reconsider even plainly superior evidence.”
obfuscate
Definition
To make obscure or unclear.
Example
“Lawyers sometimes obfuscate simple facts behind pages of jargon.”
obstreperous
Definition
Noisily and stubbornly defiant.
Example
“Obstreperous fans were escorted out after bottles flew toward the court.”
officious
Definition
Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner.
Example
“The officious clerk insisted on stamping forms we had already signed online.”
onerous
Definition
Burdensome or difficult to endure.
Example
“The contract placed onerous reporting duties on every small vendor.”
ostensible
Definition
Appearing as such but not necessarily so.
Example
“His ostensible reason for visiting was tourism; in truth he was spying.”
ostracism
Definition
The act of excluding someone from society by general consent.
Example
“After the scandal, social ostracism left her isolated from former friends.”
palliate
Definition
To lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of.
Example
“Painkillers could only palliate the symptoms; they did not cure the disease.”
panacea
Definition
A hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases.
Example
“No single policy is a panacea for inequality, despite campaign promises.”
paradigm
Definition
A standard or typical example.
Example
“Einstein’s theories shifted the paradigm of how physicists imagined space and time.”
pariah
Definition
A person who is rejected from society or home.
Example
“Once admired, he became a pariah after the insider-trading charges.”
partisan
Definition
A fervent and even militant proponent of something.
Example
“Partisan news outlets rarely air stories that embarrass their preferred party.”
paucity
Definition
An insufficient quantity or number.
Example
“A paucity of qualified applicants forced the district to raise teacher salaries.”
pejorative
Definition
Expressing disapproval.
Example
“Using “elitist” as a pejorative shuts down debate before it starts.”
pellucid
Definition
Transparently clear; easily understandable.
Example
“Her pellucid explanation made a confusing theorem feel obvious to freshmen.”
penchant
Definition
A strong liking or preference.
Example
“He has a penchant for vintage cameras and fills his shelves with them.”
penurious
Definition
Excessively unwilling to spend.
Example
“The penurious landlord patched leaks with duct tape instead of hiring a plumber.”
pert
Definition
Characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality.
Example
“The student’s pert reply earned a stern look from the usually patient teacher.”
pernicious
Definition
Exceedingly harmful.
Example
“Social media can spread pernicious stereotypes faster than fact-checks can follow.”
pertinacious
Definition
Stubbornly unyielding.
Example
“Pertinacious reporters kept asking until the mayor finally answered.”
phlegmatic
Definition
Showing little emotion.
Example
“The phlegmatic captain stayed calm while alarms blared on the bridge.”
philanthropic
Definition
Of or relating to charitable giving.
Example
“Their philanthropic foundation funds clean-water projects on three continents.”
pithy
Definition
Concise and full of meaning.
Example
“Oscar Wilde was famous for pithy one-liners that still circulate online.”
platitude
Definition
A trite or obvious remark.
Example
““Everything happens for a reason” felt like an empty platitude after the layoffs.”
plaudit
Definition
Enthusiastic approval.
Example
“A sustained plaudit swept the hall after the soloist's final, fragile high note.”
plenitude
Definition
A full supply.
Example
“Autumn brings a plenitude of apples at every farmers market in the valley.”
plethora
Definition
Extreme excess.
Example
“The plethora of streaming services makes choosing a movie oddly exhausting.”
portent
Definition
A sign of something about to happen.
Example
“Dark clouds at sunrise were an ill portent for sailors heading offshore.”
potentate
Definition
A powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law.
Example
“Oil wealth turned the desert potentate into a player on the world stage.”
preclude
Definition
To make impossible, especially beforehand.
Example
“A prior conviction may preclude you from obtaining certain professional licenses.”
predilection
Definition
A predisposition in favor of something.
Example
“She showed a predilection for abstract algebra long before graduate school.”
preponderance
Definition
Exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight.
Example
“A preponderance of evidence convinced the jury despite a single dissenting witness.”
presage
Definition
A foreboding about what is about to happen.
Example
“Falling enrollment figures presage budget cuts for the district next year.”
probity
Definition
Complete and confirmed integrity.
Example
“Judges are expected to demonstrate probity both on and off the bench.”
proclivity
Definition
A natural inclination.
Example
“His proclivity for risky trades worried the firm’s compliance officers.”
profligate
Definition
Unrestrained by convention or morality.
Example
“Profligate spending emptied the treasury within a single extravagant season.”
promulgate
Definition
To state or announce.
Example
“The agency will promulgate new safety standards after the public comment period.”
proscribe
Definition
To command against.
Example
“School policy proscribes bullying in any form, online or in person.”
protean
Definition
Taking on different forms.
Example
“The protean startup pivoted from food delivery to logistics in under a year.”
prurient
Definition
Characterized by lust.
Example
“The article appealed to prurient curiosity rather than genuine news value.”
puerile
Definition
Displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity.
Example
“The debate sank to puerile name-calling within the first ten minutes.”
pugnacious
Definition
Ready and able to resort to force or violence.
Example
“The pugnacious terrier barked at dogs three times his size.”
pulchritude
Definition
Physical beauty, especially of a woman.
Example
“Classical poets rarely tired of praising the pulchritude of sea nymphs.”
punctilious
Definition
Marked by precise accordance with details.
Example
“A punctilious editor catches every inconsistent hyphen and serial comma.”
quaint
Definition
Attractively old-fashioned.
Example
“We stayed in a quaint cottage with ivy climbing the stone walls.”
quixotic
Definition
Not sensible about practical matters.
Example
“His quixotic quest to ban all cars downtown won admiration but few votes.”
quandary
Definition
State of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options.
Example
“She faced the quandary of accepting a safe job or chasing an uncertain dream.”
recalcitrant
Definition
Stubbornly resistant to authority or control.
Example
“Recalcitrant tenants refused to leave even after the court ordered eviction.”
redoubtable
Definition
Inspiring fear.
Example
“Facing a redoubtable chess champion, the amateur knew he was outmatched.”
relegate
Definition
To assign to a lower position.
Example
“After the scandal, he was relegated to a back-office role with no client contact.”
remiss
Definition
Failing in what duty requires.
Example
“The board was remiss in failing to audit the charity’s finances annually.”
reprieve
Definition
Postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal.
Example
“The governor granted a last-minute reprieve, halting the execution for review.”
reprobate
Definition
A person without moral scruples.
Example
“Novelists love a charming reprobate who breaks rules yet wins the reader’s sympathy.”
rescind
Definition
To cancel officially.
Example
“The university decided to rescind the honorary degree after the allegations surfaced.”
requisition
Definition
An authoritative demand.
Example
“The general issued a requisition for trucks, tents, and medical supplies.”
rife
Definition
Excessively abundant.
Example
“The rumor mill was rife with speculation about the CEO’s sudden resignation.”
sanctimonious
Definition
Excessively or hypocritically pious.
Example
“Sanctimonious lectures about thrift rang hollow from someone driving a new Porsche.”
sanguine
Definition
Confidently optimistic and cheerful.
Example
“Despite poor polls, the campaign manager remained sanguine about a late surge.”
scurrilous
Definition
Expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism.
Example
“The candidate sued over a scurrilous pamphlet distributed on election eve.”
semaphore
Definition
An apparatus for visual signaling.
Example
“Sailors still learn semaphore flags for signaling when radios fail at sea.”
serendipity
Definition
Good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries.
Example
“By pure serendipity, she found the missing diary in a thrift-store cookbook.”
sobriety
Definition
The state of being unaffected or not intoxicated by alcohol.
Example
“Officers checked guests for sobriety at the gate of the music festival.”
solicitous
Definition
Full of anxiety and concern.
Example
“The nurse was solicitous, asking every hour whether the pain had eased.”
solipsism
Definition
The philosophical theory that the self is all that exists.
Example
“Extreme solipsism makes genuine dialogue impossible—you hear only yourself.”
spurious
Definition
Plausible but false.
Example
“The study relied on spurious correlations that vanished under replication.”
staid
Definition
Characterized by dignity and propriety.
Example
“The staid law firm discouraged neon hair dye in its dress code.”
stolid
Definition
Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility.
Example
“He listened with stolid patience while the toddler narrated a twenty-minute story.”
subjugate
Definition
To make subservient; force to submit or subdue.
Example
“Conquerors tried to subjugate the region through fear and forced labor.”
surfeit
Definition
To indulge (one's appetite) to satiety.
Example
“After a surfeit of holiday sweets, she craved nothing but plain soup.”
surreptitious
Definition
Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy.
Example
“They exchanged surreptitious glances across the conference table.”
swarthy
Definition
Naturally having skin of a dark color.
Example
“The portrait shows a swarthy sailor squinting into the Mediterranean sun.”
tangential
Definition
Of superficial relevance if any.
Example
“The witness offered only tangential details that did not prove the alibi.”
tome
Definition
A large and scholarly book.
Example
“She hauled a dusty legal tome from the shelf to check an obscure statute.”
toady
Definition
A person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage.
Example
“The intern played the toady, laughing at jokes that were not remotely funny.”
torpid
Definition
In a condition of biological rest or suspended animation.
Example
“The snake lay torpid on the rock until the afternoon sun warmed its scales.”
travesty
Definition
A composition that imitates or misrepresents a style.
Example
“Calling that sham trial justice was a travesty everyone recognized.”
trenchant
Definition
Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought.
Example
“Her trenchant review dismantled the bestseller’s sloppy argument in two pages.”
trite
Definition
Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse.
Example
““Follow your dreams” sounds trite until you meet someone who actually did.”
truculent
Definition
Defiantly aggressive.
Example
“The truculent customer demanded a refund while insulting every employee.”
turpitude
Definition
A corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice.
Example
“The official was dismissed for moral turpitude unrelated to his policy work.”
ubiquitous
Definition
Being present everywhere at once.
Example
“Smartphones are so ubiquitous that pay phones have nearly disappeared.”
umbrage
Definition
A feeling of anger caused by being offended.
Example
“She took umbrage at the suggestion that her success was mere luck.”
upbraid
Definition
To express criticism towards.
Example
“The principal upbraided the team for cheating on the take-home exam.”
utilitarian
Definition
Having a useful function.
Example
“The dorm’s utilitarian furniture was durable but far from stylish.”
veracity
Definition
Unwillingness to tell lies.
Example
“Journalists test the veracity of every claim before printing a front-page story.”
vestige
Definition
An indication that something has been present.
Example
“A vestige of Roman brickwork still lines the cellar of the medieval church.”
vicissitude
Definition
A variation in circumstances or fortune.
Example
“The vicissitudes of fortune turned the heir into a struggling artist overnight.”
vilify
Definition
To spread negative information about.
Example
“Opponents vilify the reform as socialism without reading the actual bill.”
virtuoso
Definition
Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field.
Example
“The young violinist played like a virtuoso, drawing a stunned silence before applause.”
vitriolic
Definition
Harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone.
Example
“Vitriolic comments flooded the post until moderators shut the thread down.”
vituperate
Definition
To spread negative information about.
Example
“Columnists vituperate the mayor daily, yet his approval rating barely moves.”
vociferous
Definition
Conspicuously and offensively loud.
Example
“Vociferous protesters chanted outside the courthouse all afternoon.”
wanton
Definition
A lewd or immoral person.
Example
“The invaders faced charges of wanton destruction of hospitals and schools.”
winsome
Definition
Charming in a childlike or naive way.
Example
“Her winsome smile disarmed critics who had come ready for a fight.”
yoke
Definition
Join with stable gear, as two draft animals.
Example
“Farmers yoke two oxen together so they pull the plow in straight lines.”
zephyr
Definition
A slight wind.
Example
“A light zephyr stirred the curtains though the day remained hot.”
wily
Definition
Marked by skill in deception.
Example
“The wily fox doubled back through the hedgerow, losing the hounds.”
tirade
Definition
A speech of violent denunciation.
Example
“The coach’s tirade in the locker room left the players silent and tense.”

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