100 Common SAT Words You Must Know Today!

By UniAcco
May 3, 2024 •
Common SAT Words

SAT, which stands for Scholastic Assessment Test, is a commonly used testing parameter for students trying to get into renowned colleges and universities. The test is used to determine if a prospective student is ready for the university curriculum and the practical applications of their studies shortly. The test is divided into several sections, including mathematics, critical reading, and writing skills. Thousands of students

In each section of the SAT, a candidate can score 800 points. Students must note that the writing section has a scaled score among the three. The following reading can assist you in identifying the top SAT words asked in this test. You can also take advantage of tips and tricks needed to understand for appearing for the tests!

Common SAT Words

What Are SAT Words?

The standardised testing system in the United States of America has many questions that the students are supposed to answer. The words are the most commonly recurring or predicted ones that can or cannot appear in the next edition of the examinations.

The test was the first standardised test for college that was started in 1901. The sections in the exam measure the level of students who can read, decode academic words and text, and write a concise statement. The test also comprehends the student’s ability to write essays, reason through complex math problems and so on. 

Vocabulary Required For SAT Exams

The words that are asked in the SAT examinations are not necessarily advanced. Some of these words can reoccur in everyday life, but their uses can be limited to a specific situation. One example can be considered – credulous; this word means believing something without any solid evidence or relying on someone else’s judgement too much. 

However, if the same word is used in a passage for something scientific, this could mean believing something without solid proof or backing. There are chances that the person is gullible or too trusting. Thus, in real life versus science, there is a stark difference in using the word credulous. SAT is a grapevine of such comprehensive situations. Students are expected to know the difference between several similar situations correctly.  

What Do The SAT Vocabulary Questions Look Like?

The most used SAT vocabulary words come in the form of vocabulary questions of multiple choice, and the student is supposed to pick the right one. Consider the example, you will be shown several words and synonyms as options. These could also be other expressions that sound or mean the same thing. As an SAT candidate, you must pick the right word or the word closest to its meaning. 

In other instances, students shall be tested on their knowledge of antonyms (i.e., words that have opposite meanings). If this is the case, you should opt for the answer choice with the opposite meaning of your final answer, sounds tricky, right? Fear not! All you need is a bit of practice. The SAT is a test of understanding a word rather than the definitions. You will be given situation after situation based on the pattern. 

Commonly Asked SAT Vocabulary Words

  1. Abandon: Give up completely.
  2. Abate: Become less intense or widespread.
  3. Abet: Encourage or assist.
  4. Accede: Accent or agree to a demand.
  5. Berate: To yell at or scold or criticise another person.
  6. Bovine: Something that is closely related to cattle.
  7. Braggart: A person who boasts about achievements.
  8. Burnish: Polish by rubbing.
  9. Cache: A combination of similar things or tidbits stored in one place.
  10. Cacophony: Heavy to sound or a harsh mixture of several sounds.
  11. Catalyst: An item or substance that increases speed or rate of a chemical reaction.
  12. Censorious: Severely critical of others.
  13. Dearth: A lack of availability of something.
  14. Demagogue: This word means a political leader who often seeks support by appealing to popular notions rather than need of the hour.
  15. Diluvial: Something that relates to flooding.
  16. Dispassionate: Not moved or affected by emotions.
  17. Effluvia: An bad or unpleasant smell or odour.
  18. Emulate: Match or surpass.
  19. Epochal: Extremely significant.
  20. Expound: Explain or present.
  21. Facile: Appearing comprehensive by ignoring the complexities of the situation.
  22. Fictive: Created by imagination.
  23. Flippant: Not showing a serious attitude.
  24. Gauche: Lacking grace.
  25. Gregarious: Outgoing or social.
  26. Grotto: Some structure that looks like a cave or a small cave
  27. Hedonist: A person who considers pleasure as a top choice in life.
  28. Heretical: Practicing religious heresy.
  29. Hubris: Something with excessive pride.
  30. Hypocrite: A person who practices the opposite of what they preach.
  31. Ignoble: Someone without honourable practice or character.
  32. Imbibe: Drink alcohol
  33. Imperious: Assuming power without justification.
  34. Importunate: Persistent.
  35. Jettison: Throw or drop for an aeroplane or ship.
  36. Jocular: Humorous or playful.
  37. Junta: Military group that rules after taking by force.
  38. Kismet: Destiny.
  39. Lexicon: Vocabulary of a person.
  40. Licentious: Immoral.
  41. Limber: Flexible.
  42. Loquacious: Talkative.
  43. Malapropism: Using a word by mistake in a sentence with wrong usage but somewhat correct sound.
  44. Malfeasance: A wrong action or wrongdoing..
  45. Mawkish: Sentimental in a sickening way.
  46. Misnomer: Wrong or inaccurate name of a person’s designation.
  47. Modicum: Small or minimal portion.
  48. Mote: Tiny piece of a substance.
  49. Necromancy: Practice of communicating with the dead.
  50. Nihilism: Rejection of religion
  51. Nomenclature: The choosing of names for things.
  52. Novel: Fictitious prose narrative.
  53. Obfuscate: To purposely confuse a person. 
  54. Olfactory: Connected to the sense of smell.
  55. Opprobrious: Compressing scorn.
  56. Ostracize: Exclude from a society or group.
  57. Palatial: Resembling a palace.
  58. Pandemic: Disease prevalent over an entire country or multiple countries.
  59. Paramount: More important than anything else.
  60. Patrician: An aristocrat.
  61. Polyglot: Knowing or using several languages.
  62. Prestidigitation: Magic tricks performed for entertainment.
  63. Provincial: About a province or country.
  64. Rancor: Bitterness or resentfulness.
  65. Rarefy: To make or become more dense or solid.
  66. Recapitulate: Summarize and state again the main points.
  67. Refute: Prove to be wrong or false.
  68. Repose: A state of rest.
  69. Resilient: Able to withstand.
  70. Revile: Criticize in an abusive manner.
  71. Rife: Of common occurrence.
  72. Sanctimonious: Showing off and acting morally superior.
  73. Scrupulous: Very careful attention to details.
  74. Sedition: An action or writing that provokes or starts a rebel.
  75. Sinecure: A person with a position of no actual action.
  76. Stint: Supply an inadequate amount of something.
  77. Sybarite: Self-indulgent person.
  78. Tawdry: Showy but cheap.
  79. Tenacious: Keep a firm hold on something.
  80. Terse: Sparing in the use of words.
  81. Tout: Trying to sell something aggressively or by pestering.
  82. Trounce: Defeat heavily in a contest.
  83. Tutelage: Authority over someone or something.
  84. Unconscionable: Not right or reasonable.
  85. Untoward: Unexpected.
  86. Usury: Lending money at unlawful rates.
  87. Vehemently: Showing strong feelings.
  88. Veritable: Using as an intensifier.
  89. Vilify: Write or speak in an abusively disparaging way.
  90. Vociferous: Vehement.
  91. Wan: Pale with the appearance of illness.
  92. Wield: Hold and use typically a weapon or tool.
  93. Winsome: Attractive appearance or character.
  94. Wry: Using dry or mocking humour.
  95. Xenophobe: Fear or dislike of people from different countries.
  96. Yeoman:  A person in charge of cultivating a field.
  97. Yen: Japanese monetary unit.
  98. Yowl: A loud wailing cry.
  99. Zenith: Peak.
  100. Zephyr: Soft and gentle breeze across.

Regularly Confused Words In SAT Vocabulary

  1. It’s vs. Its
  2. They’re vs. Their vs. There
  3. You’re vs. Your
  4. Accept vs. Except
  5. Access vs. Excess
  6. Affect vs. Effect
  7. Afflict vs. Inflict
  8. Alludes vs. Eludes
  9. Allusion vs. Illusion
  10. Cite vs. Site vs. Sight
  11. Conscious vs. Conscience
  12. Could of vs. Could have vs. Could’ve
  13. Illicit vs. Elicit
  14. Eminent vs. Imminent
  15. Empathetic vs. Emphatic
  16. Fewer vs. Less
  17. Many vs. Much
  18. Imitated vs. Intimated
  19. Ingenuous vs. Ingenious
  20. Patience vs. Patients
  21. Perspective vs. Prospective
  22. Respectfully vs. Respectively
  23. Than vs. Then
  24. Wander vs. Wonder

Suggestions For Studying SAT Words

When it comes to studying common SAT words, there are a number of ways you can go about preparing yourself for the test. You could read a lot, practise your vocabulary skills and use flashcards, but these methods can become very tedious if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing.

To avoid this situation, make sure that your studying is done in a way that keeps the process fun! One way to do this is by using mnemonics. A mnemonic is a word or phrase that helps us remember something else by making an association between two things that share some kind of association (in this case, words). For example, if we want to remember how many years there are in one decade, we can create an image out of ten fingers and associate each finger with one year until we reach ten fingers—and voila! We now know how long one decade is.

Another method worth trying out when learning new vocabulary words on tests like the SAT involves using your own personal dictionary as well as other reference books such as Thesaurus dictionaries which contain synonyms for common SAT words found within most dictionaries’ pages! These tools will allow students who struggle with remembering definitions particularly challenging ones such as those used within sentences instead of focusing solely on memorization alone through repetition.

FAQs

1. What does it mean when a word is “common” (or not)?

SAT words are often used in everyday conversations or in writing—words like dog, cat, truck, etc—and are easy to identify in their context. For instance, “the dog barks wildly across the yard, while the cat stares silently from the window above.”

2. What do SAT word lists look like?

They’re typically organized into groups based on the difficulty level of easy, medium or hard with each group containing between 20 – 40 items.

3. Do these lists help you prepare for the SAT?

Yes! Common SAT words may appear on other standardised tests such as GMATs or LSATs too, so knowing how these terms work together will help you advance your educational goals.

4. How can I improve my SAT Vocabulary?

To improve your SAT Vocabulary you can invest in a prep book, keep reading a lot, use a dictionary if you have any doubts about particular words, make a like of new SAT words on your own, and practice with flashcards or by writing it down.

PS: If there’s anything more you’d like us to know about. Add it to the comments section!

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