SAT
86 Critical SAT Vocab Words You Must Know
Don't sweat - we'll make it easy for you to memorize each of these vocab words. We'll also explain how they're used on the test.
Here's the thing, the SAT doesn't just test your understanding of tough words - it also uses sometimes confusing words in the question themselves.
But don't worry - we got you. Here you'll find a list of 86 SAT vocab words that will likely show up on test-day. Click the words you don't know to highlight them and keep track of them.
Critical, must-know words
| Word | Definition | In a Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| abate | reduce | Seeing the rude way he talked to his ex, my crush on him abated. |
| agitate | to stress or disturb | People who tap their pencils during tests agitate me deeply. |
| ambiguous | unclear | Sometimes I like to send ambiguous emojis to freak people out: 🎃 |
| ambivalent | having mixed feelings | I am ambivalent about the Nicki vs. Cardi feud - the internet made it seem bigger than it is. |
| arcane | hard to understand | The SAT science passages are arcane. |
| assert | say something forcefully | It's time for us all to assert the need for greater racial equity. |
| begrudging | to give in without really wanting to | Sometimes I pretend to bedgrudgingly agree with someone so that they owe me one. |
| bias | to have beliefs that make you favor something, usually unfairly | Evidence shows our criminal justice system is biased against black men and women. |
| characterize | to describe something | I characterize my displeasure at someone's text by responding with 🤡. |
| concede | admit to something after denying it at first | Do you think Tristan will ever concede that he cheated on Khloe? |
| condescension | treating someone like they're worse than you | Acting condescending while helping someone kind of cancels everything out. |
| contentious | something likely to cause an argument | Climate change is a super contentious issue these days, even though polar bears are literally dying. |
| conventional | standard or regular | Isn't it strange that equal pay for men and women doing the same job isn't conventional? |
| convey | express or share | Before you date someone, you should observe how they convey their anger at a slow internet connection. |
| corroborate | support | I can be bribed with hot cheetos to corroborate any story. |
| curtail | to reduce or cut short | Why is it that funding for music and art programs is always curtailed first? |
| context | the situation something happened in | I honestly don't know the context of most gifs that I use - they just look funny. |
| clout | influence | Clout chasers just end up looking desperate. |
| deplete | use up completely | I don't charge my phone until the battery is almost completely depleted - yolo. |
| depict | show or represent | Depicting Asian men in movies as awkward and unattractive has largely been racist. |
| dismay | stress or anxiety | Even though I don't want to go to parties, I am dismayed if I'm not invited. |
| eloquent | really good at speaking or writing | Kendrick Lamar is so eloquent, he became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. |
| empathetic | relating to someone else | I'm an empathetic crier, seeing other people cry makes me cry, too. |
| enigma | a mystery | The meanings behind Kanye West's tweets are enigmas to most people. |
| entrenched | firmly set and unlikely to change | Parents can be so entrenched in their beliefs, they forget to listen. |
| exacerbate | make worse | Seeing the "..." while someone is typing a text exacerbates my social anxiety. |
| elaborate | to explain in detail or something that is really complex | I feel no need to elaborate on my elaborate emoji texts: 🐩🌻☃️🍕 |
| ephemeral | lasting a short-time | Money in my bank account feels ephemeral. |
| fluctuate | to change a lot in a way that isn't normal | I fluctuate between giving myself lots of credit and none at all. |
| foreshadow | to hint at something before it happens | The worst trailers are the ones that don't just foreshadow the movie, they give away the whole plot. |
| fundamental | basic, central | Access to enough food, water and basic healthcare can be considered fundamental rights. |
| garner | get or collect | One benefit of social media is that it lets us garner attention for social issues the news doesn't cover. |
| hypothetical | something not proven yet or not real yet | My hypothetical girlfriend loves when I play NBA 2K all day. |
| imperative | absolutely necessary | It is imperative that everyone votes in order to make sure everyone's voices are heard. |
| indifferent | having no interest in something | For some reason, we're taught that someone who seems indifferent is just playing hard-to-get. |
| indispensable | absolutely necessary | Oreos are an indispensable part of my daily, healthy diet. |
| irrational | not logical | People say horoscopes are irrational, but that doesn't mean they're wrong 😎. |
| irrelevant | not connected to something or unimportant | Awards that don't recognize the diversity of talent in the world are irrelevant. |
| keen | eager | 2020 seems pretty keen for some peace and quiet. |
| magnanimous | kind and generous | Oprah set the bar high for magnanimous celebrities. |
| malevolence | evil | Pretty sure Maleficent's name sounds like malevolence to make her seem evil. |
| melodramatic | super emotional and dramatic | Sometimes I can't tell if I'm being melodramatic or if I'm hungry or both. |
| materialistic | obsessed with money | Maybe people were happier when we were hunter-gatherers who weren't so materialistic. |
| misleading | giving the wrong idea | I'm only misleading myself when I say "just one more chip." |
| modification | change | Nothing's perfect - every system can use modifications. |
| neglect | fail to care for | Physical health is important, but let's not neglect our mental health. |
| null | a zero or invalid result | A contract is null if one side breaks the agreement. |
| obsolete | out of date | Facebook is quickly becoming obsolete. |
| omnipotence | having unlimited power | An omnipotent superhero would be too boring - victory is more exciting when there's some struggle. |
| opaque | not transparent | The more opaque TikTok is about how they use data, the less I want to use it. |
| oppress | keep people down | Unaffordable housing is one way our society oppresses low-income families. |
| ornate | decorated with a lot of things | While some Animal Crossing home are very ornate, mine just has 10 snapping turtles in the living room. |
| oust | force someone out of a position | AOC ousted her opponent in the election by being honest and by being a voice for her community. |
| overlook | fail to notice something | Pretending to overlook bullying is sometimes worse than actually bullying. |
| pending | not done yet, waiting for final decision | If I could read minds, I'd never again feel stressed while my crush's text reply is pending. |
| preclude | prevent something from happening | Wearing a mask helps preclude the spread of COVID-19. |
| potent | powerful and strong | Kawhi is the most potent NBA 2K player, scoring tons of points and able to defend most other players. |
| rational | logical | My fear of spiders is rational if you think about the 40,000 types of deadly spiders in the world (even if only 3 live in America). |
| regression | going backwards | After just a couple weeks of skipping practice, I can feel the regression in my muscles. |
| reinforce | back up, strengthen | The best way to reinforce a new skill is by teaching it to someone else. |
| reconcile | find a way to make two things agree or work together | I reconcile my love of Cheetos and my hate for cheesy fingers by using chopsticks to eat them. |
| render | make | Even though I can't understand the lyrics, BTS's music renders me happy. |
| renounce | to give something up | Usually by February, I've renounced my New Year's resolution of exercising more. |
| repeal | to cancel | Governments should repeal laws that no longer make sense today - like the law against sending a surprise pizza in Louisiana. |
| reproach | to criticize | There should be a special punishment for people who reproach others for doing things they also do themselves. |
| reticent | quiet | Just becamse someone is reticent doesn't mean they don't have good ideas. |
| revere | to respect a lot | We probably revere celebrities a little too much - remember when Ariana was caught licking donuts? |
| revise | make a change | When I'm texting my crush, I revise my text at least three times. |
| sampling | a small group that represents a larger group | Asking the opinions of a couple of students is not a true sampling of the school. |
| scope | the space that something is applied to | The scope of Lil Nas X's influence extends outside of rap into pop and country music as well. |
| selfless | not selfish | People who have had easy lives have an easier time being selfless. |
| simulate | imitate | Finding out food commercials use shaving cream to simulate whipped cream was pretty upsetting. |
| shortcoming | flaw or fault | I go between thinking I have a million shortcomings to thinking I have none. |
| simulate | imitate | Finding out food commercials use shaving cream to simulate whipped cream was pretty upsetting. |
| skeptical | not convinced | Since anyone can make a Twitter account, it's good to be skeptical of anything you read. |
| sought | tried to find | We sought ways of inviting everyone, but there's just too much drama between people. |
| spawn | to produce | The hope is that Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther spawn more movies that feature people of color. |
| spectacle | an event or performance with a lot going on | There is no greater spectacle than reality show reunions, where everyone puts on a show. |
| stimulate | to cause something to grow or change | Watching people eat on TV always stimulates my own hunger. |
| strive | fight for | We should all strive to not be a**holes to each other. |
| subsequent | next | The first episode of Tiger King was weird, but subsequent episodes just kept getting weirder. |
| tenacious | strong, not easily discouraged | Find a dream and be tenacious - don't let anyone or anything (including the SAT) get you down. |
| undermine | weaken the power or force of something | Evidence that the coronavirus came from nature undermines the argument that it was created in a lab. |
| verbose | wordy | Sometimes people confuse being verbose with being smart. |
| warrant | justify, have a good reason for | Does accidentally spilling orange juice on someone's phone warrant revenge? Asking for a friend. |
| yield | produce or create | All of this studying will yield a higher test score #positivethinking. |