SAT VOCAB UNIT

(Quack!)

Acquiring and utilizing new vocabulary words is an important part of maturing and growing. It is also a part of our Georgia Performance Standards. Fallsemester we will be studying SAT vocabulary words every week. Some of these words will be new to you while others may be familiar. The attached packet is a collection of the words and definitions for the entire semester. Keep this in a safe place for this is the only packet you will receive from me. If you lose it, ask a friend to Xerox his/hers or download one from the blog. (Go back to first week of school!)

I expect you to LEARN and UTILIZE these words in your writing and oral communication. This is not something to cram for a passing grade on the weekly quiz and then quickly forget. (What good is that?) There will be a CUMULATIVE test at the end. Once again, we will have an exam on (potentially) ALL the words. Here are my expectations:

1. We will introduce the words during class. If you are absent, you are still expected to know/learn the words; you just miss out on the fun visual introduction. We may take a post quiz on these words after the Quack video to see what sticks. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t ‘count’)!

  1. We will offer a variety of assignments to help you learn your vocabulary words. (Flashcards, Frayer models…) When we have vocabulary homework, it is due the day of the quiz. This is the ONE assignment that I WILL NOT accept late. (Obviously if you are absent on the due date, you can show me the assignment immediately upon return. It is YOUR responsibility to remember to show me upon your return, I will not track you down for them.)

FLASHCARD ASSIGNMENT

20 words=20 cards.

  • For 10 words of your choosing, write the word on front of your index card in BIG letters. On back of the same index card, write the part of speech, definition, your initials and class period.
  • For the other 10 words, you will also create a visual image to go with the word. For the visual, you can draw or glue an appropriate image to the card. Example:

Front—visual image Back—word, part of speech, definition, initials & vocabulary word in large letters and period

3. Practice utilizing the words in context—We will use these flashcards or your list for a writing assignment or two in your warm up journal.

4. Vocabulary Quiz.

SAT 1

Artisan— (n) a person who is skillful with his/her hands.

Brawn— (n) muscular strength

Copious— (adj) abundant, plentiful

Delineate—(v.) to describe accurately

Efface—(v.) to erase; to rub out

Engender—(v.) to create, to cause

Enhance—(v.) to intensify; to improve

Extol—(v) to praise highly

Glutton— (n) someone who consumes too much food or drink

Hiatus—(n) a break or vacation

Hinder—(v) to slow or impede the progress of

Kindle— (v) to start a fire; ignite; arouse

(n) kindling—small pieces of wood that ignite easily for setting fire to larger pieces

Nefarious—(adj) extreme wickedness

Obliterate—(v) to destroy completely

Obscure—(adj.) dark, unknown; hard to understand

Pugnacious—(adj.) eager to fight

Quell—(v) to calm, pacify

Querulous—(adj.) grumbling; grumpy

Tout—(v.) to publicly brag

Vernacular—(n) everyday speech, slang

SAT 2 words

Corroborate—(v) to confirm; to back up with evidence

Amorous—(adj) feeling loving, especially in a sexual sense

Decorous—(adj) proper; in good taste

Expedite—(v) to speed up the progress of

Idyllic—(adj) naturally peaceful

Juxtapose—(v) to place side by side

Incandescent—(adj) brilliant; giving off heat or light

Exasperate—(v) to annoy thoroughly

Discordant—(adj) lacking harmony or agreement

Volatile—(adj) highly unstable; explosive

Distend—(v) to swell; to extend

Fecund—(adj) fertile; productive

Sage—(n) a wise man;

to be wise through experience and reflection

Vacuous—(adj) lacking ideas or intelligence

Deride—(v) to ridicule

Benevolent—(adj) generous, kind

Scrutinize—(v) to examine very carefully

Histrionic—(adj) overly dramatic

Didactic—(adj) intended to teach; morally instructive

Assail—(v) to attack with words or force

SAT 3 words

bucolic— adj. charmingly rural

Pretentious—adj. making ridiculous claims

Gullible—adj. easily deceived

Convivial—adj. fond of partying

Discrete—adj. unconnected; separate; distinct

Discreet—adj. sneaky, unnoticeable

Fabricate—v. to lie

Gesticulate—v. to make gestures, especially when speaking

Laud—v. to praise; to applaud

Belabor—v. to go over repeatedly or to an absurd extent

Reiterate—v. to say again; to repeat

Conflagration—n. a huge fire; inferno

Induce—v. to cause to happen

Soporific—adj. causing sleep, very boring

Anarchy—n. lawlessness; an absence of government or control

Strident—adj. shrill; high-pitched

Nonchalant—adj. not showing any concern or worry

Malleable—adj. easy to shape or bend

Ludicrous—adj. absurd; ridiculous

Abridge—v. to shorten or condense

SAT 4 words

Lethargy—n. sluggishness; laziness

Recondite—adj. hard to understand; over one’s head

Conspicuous—adj. standing out; obvious

Archaic—adj. ancient; outdated

Imminent—adj. just about to happen

Predator—n. one that preys or destroys

Coalesce—v. to fuse or unite

Exalt—v. to glorify

Exult—v. to celebrate

Extraneous— adj. irrelevant; unnecessary

Incantation—n. a chant

Assuage—v. to soothe; to relieve

Insuperable—adj. incapable of being overcome or solved

Assiduous—adj. hardworking, busy

Indulgent—adj. lenient; yielding to desire

Avarice—n. greed; excessive desire for riches

Squander—v. to waste

Penurious—adj. stingy, relating to great poverty

Debunk—v. to prove wrong

Eccentric—adj. unconventional; a little kooky

SAT 5 words

Prevaricate— v. to deviate from the truth

Imperceptible—adj. difficult to perceive by the senses; barely noticeable

Diverse—adj. different; various

Desiccate—v. to dry out

Loquacious—adj. talking a lot or too much

Maudlin—adj. wallowing in self-pity

Farcical—adj. absurd; ludicrous

Vibrant—adj. lively; full of vitality

Virulent—adj. extremely poisonous; full of hate

Contemptuous— adj. expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect

Enigma—n. a mystery

Labyrinth—n. a maze (or something like a maze)

Lucid—adj. easy to understand

Repudiate—v. to reject; to disown; to renounce

Superficial—adj. relating to the surface; shallow

Primordial—adj. formed long ago; primitive

Mellifluous—adj. sweetly flowing

Provincial—adj. limited in outlook; narrow

Contrite—adj. admitting feeling guilt

Incessant—adj. unceasing

SAT 6

foible: weakness; flaw

lacerate: (v)to rip, maul, tear, mutilate or mangle

harangue: (n) mean, nasty, angry speech

exact: (ad) strictly correct& (v) to demand of/from

abash: (v) to embarrass

tact: skill in dealing with people in difficult situations

uncouth: (adj) rude; unrefined; awkward

fetish: an abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment; a fixation

phobia: (n) an illogical fear

masticate: (v) to chew

laconic: not saying much; brief or concise

malevolent: wishing evil on others; malicious

meander: (v) to wander around aimlessly

apex: (n) tip; peak; summit; highest point

nadir: absolute bottom; lowest point

disseminate: to dispense objects; to distribute

emaciated: to be thin or weak

puissant: powerful, mighty

citadel: a fortress overlooking a city; a stronghold

atrophy: to wither away

SAT 7

Austere—stern, as in manner; without excess, as in severely plain and simple

Ornate—elaborately or excessively decorated

Cerebral—of or relating to the brain; intellectual in nature

Incommodious—lacking space; uncomfortable

Noisome—offensive; disgusting

Cacophony—harsh sounds; disturbing noise

Veritable—unquestionable; actual; true

Verbatim—using exactly the same words, word for word

Concurrent—at the same time; acting in conjunction

Evade—to elude or avoid by cunning; to flee from a pursuer

Impede—to obstruct or interfere with; to delay

Askew—to one side; crooked

Queue—to form or wait in line; a (waiting) line

Accolade—award or honor

Torrid—parched by the sun; hot; burning

Trepidation—fear; state of anxiety or fear that makes you tremble

Fraught—teeming with; laden; full; causing emotional distress

Temerity— recklessness; wild; craziness; disregard for danger

Wane—to decrease gradually

Oust—to eject; to force out

SAT 8

Connoisseur—an expert, particularly in matters of art and taste

Asunder—in separate parts; apart

Raze—to tear down; demolish to the ground

Blighted—ruined; destroyed; withered

Aghast—horrified

Milieu—environment or surroundings

Arduous—hard, difficult, tiresome

Coterie—a circle of close associates or friends; inner circle

Awry—twisted; crooked; out of whack; askew; wrong

Table—to remove from consideration; postpone

Harried—to be troubled or bothered

Irascible—easily angered, irritable

Congenial—pleasant to be around; social, agreeable

Boisterous—rowdy

Chimerical—far out; bizarre

Vertigo—the sensation of being dizzy

Fallacious—false; wrong; incorrect

Impasse—dead end (impassable)

Zeal—enthusiasm

Berate—to scold severely

SAT 9 Vocabulary

Vacillation- to swing indecisively from one course of action to another

Lassitude- adj. listless & fatigued; extremely tired without energy

Garrulous- adj. very talkative; loquacious

Myriad- an extremely large number

Noxious- adj. physically or mentally destructive; a destructive environment

Accost- v. to approach or speak boldly or aggressively as with a demand or request

Beatific- adj. displaying or imparting joy

Nuance- n. subtle variation in color very small difference

Quagmire- n. a difficult or precarious situation or predicament

Somber: adj. dark; dull; gloomy; grave, serious

Unawares: by surprise; unexpectedly

Suffrage: n. the right to vote

Cloister: n. a tranquil, secluded place v. to seclude yourself

Docile: adj. yielding to supervision, easily taught; obedient.

Surfeit: adj. an excessive amount

Incongruous: adj. inappropriate, unsuited to the surroundings; not fitting in.

Aloof: adj. apart; distant; reserved in manner; uninvolved

Harrowing: adj. extremely distressing, disturbing or frightening

Chronic: adj. continuing for a long time

Accentuate: v. to stress; emphasize

SAT 10

Truncate: v. to shorten by cutting off a part

Baneful: (adj.) causing woe; destructive, harmful, deadly; poisonous

Circumspect: (adj.) prudent; cautious; watchful and discreet

Admonish: (v)to warn, to caution in counsel

Tantamount: (adj) of equal value or significance

Neologism: (n) a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word

Respite: (n) a period of rest or relief

Capitulate: (v) to surrender, to give up or give in

Aphorism: (n) concise statement of a truth or principle

Confute: (v) to prove wrong; to refute decisively

Dexterous: (adj. ) adroit or skillful in the use of hands or body

Entice: (v) to lure, to attract, to tempt in a pleasing fashion

Indolent: (adj.) lazy; slothful; having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion

Perfunctory: (adj) unenthusiastic; indifferent; careless; performed merely as a routine duty

Vapid: (adj) without liveliness; dull; spiritless

Visage: (n) a face or facial expression

Slovenly: (adj) messy; characteristic of a slob

Stolid: (adj) showing little emotion or pain; emotionally solid

Taciturn: (adj) inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation

Egregious: (adj) extremely bad; flagrant; extraordinary in some bad way