SAT Basic I Word List 

287 Words 

WORD DEFINITION GROUPING

size,
1 abridge shorten amount,
location

argument
2 abstract theoretical, not practical and
language

3 accessible easy to approach or reach give up?

praise and
4 acclaim praise
criticism

friends and
5 accord agreement
enemies

6 acknowledge recognize truth

7 acquiesce give in give up?

praise and
8 admonish warn
criticism

praise and
9 adulation praise
criticism

friends and
10 adversary opponent, foe
enemies

war and
11 adversity misfortune, hardship
peace

12 aesthetic relating to visual beauty the senses

13 affable, affability friendly, friendliness friends and
enemies

argument
14 affirmation positive assertion and
language

war and
15 affliction pain, suffering
peace

16 affluent wealthy money

friends and
17 agreeable pleasant
enemies

war and
18 ailment illness
peace

friends and
19 alienate to cause to be unfriendly or withdrawn
enemies

friends and
20 allegiance loyalty
enemies

war and
21 alleviate relieve
peace

friends and
22 ally friend, supporter
enemies

23 amalgam mixture science

24 ambiguous unclear truth

ambivalent,
25 mixed feelings emotions
ambivalence

anachronism,
26 an error in chronology (time) time
anachronistic

argument
27 analogous similar and
 language

argument
28 anecdote short story and
language

war and
29 anguish agony
peace

30 animated lively energy

friends and
31 animosity hostility
enemies

anomaly, politics and

32 not normal
anomalous tradition

antagonism,
friends and
33 antagonistic, adversarial, opposing
enemies
antagonize

34 antecedent what came before time

35 antiquated old time

friends and
36 antisocial antagonistic, not friendly
enemies

argument
37 antithesis opposite and
language

38 apparatus device, equipment science

appease, friends and

39 bring about peace
appeasement enemies

praise and
40 applaud praise
criticism

apprehension,
41 uneasy anticipation emotions
apprehensive
42 arbitrary random science

43 archaic old-fashioned time

44 ardent passionate emotions

45 arduous demanding great effort give up?

aristocrat, politics and

46 member of the nobility
aristocratic tradition

arrogance,
47 haughty pride
arrogant

argument
articulate,
48 well-spoken and
articulation
language

argument
49 assert declare and
language

knowledge
50 astute shrewd, smart
and skill

war and
51 atrocity appalling situation
peace

politics and
52 atypical not normal
tradition

53 audacious daring give up?

size,
54 augment enlarge, increase amount,
location

politics and
55 authoritarian commanding
tradition

autonomous, politics and

56 independent
autonomy tradition
57 aversion dislike, disinclination friends and
enemies

58 awe wonder, admiration emotions

knowledge
59 baffling perplexing, confusing
and skill

praise and
60 belittle disparage, talk down
criticism

knowledge
61 bewilderment confusion, disorientation
and skill

argument
62 bias prejudice, preconception and
language

argument
63 blatant obvious, conspicuous and
language

64 bounteous abundant, rich money

size,
65 bountiful plentiful, ample amount,
location

66 braggart boaster, show off pride

argument
67 brevity conciseness and
language

war and
68 bystander spectator, onlooker
peace

knowledge
69 calculated deliberate
and skill

70 candid, candor honest truth

71 capacity ability knowledge
and skill

72 captivating enchanting, fascinating emotions

war and
73 catastrophic disasterous
peace

friends and
74 charismatic charming
enemies

75 charitable generous money

76 chronological in temporal order, sequential time

argument
77 cliché overused expression, platitude and
language

friends and
78 collaborate work together
enemies

friends and
79 colleague co-worker
enemies

80 combustible flammable science

commend, praise and

81 praise
commendable criticism

friends and
82 compassionate sympathetic, empathetic
enemies

friends and
83 compatible harmonious
enemies

argument
84 compelling convincing, interesting and
language

85 compile collect science

friends and
86 complementary forming a complete whole enemies

praise and
87 complimentary expressing praise
criticism

law and
88 comply act in accordance with rules
order

argument
89 comprehensive thorough and
language

argument
90 concise succinct, brief and to the point and
language

condescend, praise and

91 belittle, belittling
condescending criticism

praise and
92 condone excuse, overlook criticism

politics and
93 conformist someone who uncritically follows rules
tradition

knowledge
94 confound(ed) confuse(d)
and skill

friends and
95 confrontational causing conflict
enemies

argument
96 conjecture hypothesis and
language

argument
97 consensus agreement and
language

size,
98 constraint restraint, limit amount,
location

argument
99 contend compete, assert and
language

size,
enter into an agreement, reduce in
100 contract amount,
size
location

argument
101 contradict assert the opposite of and
language

argument
102 conviction belief and
language

knowledge
103 convoluted complicated, twisted
and skill

friends and
104 cordial polite
enemies

105 corrode rust, decay science

law and
106 corrupt immoral, depraved
order

friends and
107 courteous polite
enemies

108 crafty devious, deceptive truth

law and
109 criterion standard, measure
order

110 cryptic mysterious truth

friends and
111 curt rudely brief or abrupt
enemies
 size,
112 curtail shorten amount,
location

113 cynical pessimistic emotions

knowledge
114 decisive conclusive, resolute
and skill

115 decode decipher give up?

size,
116 deficit lack, shortage amount,
location

knowledge
117 deft skillful and skill

118 dehydrate remove water science

119 demise downfall give up?

praise and
120 denounce criticize
criticism

war and
121 deplore express sorrow
peace

size,
122 detached separated amount,
location

123 deter prevent, discourage give up?

war and
124 detrimental damaging, harmful
peace

125 devious sly, dishonest truth

knowledge
126 devise create
and skill
127 diligence, diligent hardworking give up?

politics and
128 disclaimer renunciation, rejection
tradition

129 disclose make information known truth

friends and
130 discord(ant) conflciting, inharmonious
enemies

argument
131 discourse discussion and
language

praise and
132 discredit damage in reputation
criticism

politics and
133 discreet tactful, diplomatic
tradition

politics and
134 discrepancy divergence, disagreement
tradition

praise and
135 disdain(ful) contempt(uous)
criticism

praise and
136 dismiss(ive) reject(ing)
criticism

politics and
137 disparity inequality, incongruity
tradition

138 distort, distortion misrepresent, alter truth

politics and
139 dominant most prominent
tradition

140 dynamic full of energy energy

politics and
141 eccentric unconventional
tradition

egotism, egotist,
142 egotistical self-centered pride

argument
eloquence, and
143 fluent and persuasive speech/writing
eloquent language

144 embellish decorate, ornament the senses

friends and
145 emulate imitate
enemies

praise and
146 endorse approve, support
criticism

friends and
147 engaging charming, agreeable
enemies

size,
148 enhance heighten, improve amount,
location

149 entrepreneur businessman money

war and
150 eradicate destroy
peace

151 erratic irregular, unpredictable science

praise and
152 erroneous incorrect
criticism

war and
153 exacerbate make worse
peace

friends and
154 exasperate annoy
enemies

argument
a passage taken from a book, speech,
155 excerpt and
etc.
language
156 exclusive not shared, elite politics and
tradition

politics and
157 execute produce
tradition

exhilaration,
158 lively energy
exhilarating

argument
159 explicate explain and
language

argument
fully expressed, leaving nothing
160 explicit and
implied
language

friends and
161 exploit (verb) take advantage of
enemies

size,
162 extravagant excessive amount,
location

war and
163 facilitate allow, help
peace

war and
164 falter stumble
peace

165 feasible possible truth

166 fend off prevent, deflect give up?

war and
167 fiasco failure
peace

praise and
168 flatter praise
criticism

169 flaunt show off pride

170 fleeting short-lived time

knowledge
171 flimsy insubstantial
and skill

size,
172 foster (verb) nurture amount,
location

politics and
173 generic general
tradition

174 gullible naïve, credulous truth

war and
175 hazard, hazardous dangerous
peace

passed down from one generation to politics and

176 hereditary
the next, connection through genes tradition

politics and
177 hierarchy class-based system
tradition

friends and
178 hospitable generous
enemies

war and
179 impair damage
peace

knowledge
180 impeccable perfect
and skill

181 impenetrable impossible to enter or understand truth

182 imperceptible undetectable truth

perform without preparation politics and

183 improvise
tradition

friends and
184 inadvertent not on purpose
enemies

185 inaudible impossible to hear truth

186 incidental secondary, accompanying science

knowledge
187 incompetent not qualified, inadequate
and skill

size,
188 incorporate include amount,
location

argument
189 indifferent lacking interest and
language

inevitable,
190 sure to happen truth
inevitability

191 inflexible not yielding give up?

innovation,
192 something new time
innovative

friends and
193 inspiring uplifting, encouraging
enemies

friends and
194 intervene interrupt, come between
enemies

195 intimidate make timid, cause fear give up?

friends and
196 introverted withdrawn, introspective
enemies

war and
197 lament, lamentable express grief
peace

198 lavish extravagant money

law and
199 lax not strict
order

200 linger delay, prolong departure time

201 mediocre inferior, second-rate knowledge
and skill

argument
202 memoir autobiography and
language

knowledge
203 merit excellence
and skill

knowledge
204 muddled confused, jumbled
and skill

politics and
205 mundane boring, ordinary
tradition

argument
206 narrative story and
language

friends and
207 nemesis cause of misery or harm
enemies

nonchalant,
208 lack of concern emotions
nonchalance

209 nostalgia sentimental desire to relive the past time

knowledge
210 novice beginner and skill

size,
211 nurture cultivate, nourish amount,
location

argument
212 objective not biased and
language

213 obscure not well-known, hard to understand truth

214 ominous menacing, threatening war and
peace

215 opacity, opaque not transparent, hard to understand truth

one who usually expects a positive

216 optimist, optimistic emotions
outcome

217 opulence, opulent wealthy money

218 ornate elaborate the senses

war and
219 pandemonium chaos
peace

argument
220 parallel analogous, similar and
language

friends and
221 passive not confrontational
enemies

size,
222 pervasive widespread amount,
location

pessimist, one who usually expects a negative

223 emotions
pessimism outcome

224 picturesque attractive, vivid, expressive the senses

225 pigment substance that gives color the senses

war and
226 pitfall hidden danger
peace

227 plea earnest request give up?

pompous,
228 arrogant pride
pomposity

pragmatic,
knowledge
229 pragmatism, practical
 pragmatist and skill

size,
230 prevalent widespread amount,
location

231 principle basic truth, rule truth

argument
probable,
232 likely and
probability
language

knowledge
233 prominent famous, noticeable
and skill

prosperous,
234 abundant, rich money
prosperity

235 proud haughty pride

236 provisional temporary time

knowledge
237 prudent careful
and skill

size,
238 puny small, weak amount,
location

argument
239 ramble talk endlessly, take a long walk and
language

240 rambunctious boisterous, disorderly energy

praise and
241 rant loud and angry speech/writing
criticism

242 rebate refund, discount money

friends and
243 reconcile make peace, harmonize
enemies
 argument
redundant,
244 repetition and
redundancy
language

245 rejuvenate make young again energy

246 relentless not yielding give up?

argument
247 relevant significant, related to the topic at hand and
language

248 reluctant unwilling, uneager give up?

249 remedy cure, salve energy

war and
250 remorse regret
peace

friends and
251 repel reject, cause someone to feel disgust
enemies

252 robust strong, healthy energy

knowledge
253 rudimentary basic, incomplete
and skill

size,
254 rustic relating to the countryside amount,
location

praise and
255 scold criticize
criticism

praise and
256 scorn contempt
criticism

257 simultaneous at the same time time

excessive self-satisfaction or
258 smug pride
complacency
259 sparse scarce, poor money

spontaneity,
260 spur of the moment emotions
spontaneous

praise and
261 stimulating exciting, interesting
criticism

argument
biased, dependent on one's personal
262 subjective and
opinion
language

size,
263 subside diminish amount,
location

264 subtle not obvious truth

argument
265 succinct concise and
language

266 superficial shallow the senses

267 sustain(ed) maintain, deal with give up?

friends and
268 taunt tease, insult
enemies

praise and
269 tedious boring, tiresome
criticism

argument
270 terse concise and
language

argument
271 thesis statement of loglcal argument and
language

272 thrifty cheap money

 size,
273 thrive prosper, grow vigorously amount,
location

274 thwart obstruct give up?

275 timid shy emotions

276 topple fall, tumble give up?

277 tranquil(ity) calm, peaceful energy

278 unkempt untidy, unpolished the senses

politics and
279 unorthodox not traditional
tradition

280 unprecedented without any previous example time

argument
281 viable possible and
language

knowledge
282 vigor strength
and skill

283 vulnerable susceptible, exposed give up?

284 wary cautious give up?

285 weary tired, fatigued give up?

286 whim impulse, spur-of-the-moment desire emotions

287 whimsical playful, fanciful emotions