250+ SAT Vocabulary Words Every High School Student Should Know

July 20, 2024

By Eric Eng

The SAT is one of the most popular college-preparatory tests administered by the College Board. Millions of high school students decide between the equally popular ACT or the SAT (some even take both) to improve their chances of gaining admittance into their dream colleges. While both tests determine how ready a student is to take on college-level material and subjects, there are slight differences between the two.

One of the primary differences between the SAT and ACT is that the latter seems to favor students who have strong writing and reading skills, leading many to incorrectly assume that the former doesn’t touch much on SAT vocabulary words.

When searching for study tools and resources, it can be difficult to know which areas to focus on. For example, since a good portion of the SAT focuses on your ability to recall the definition of words and/or pull meanings from context, it’s helpful to dedicate a portion of your preparation to vocabulary specifically.

While it’s not plausible to study EVERY college vocabulary words that might appear on the test, we’ve narrowed down more than 250 of the most common and popular SAT vocabulary words to help better you prepare.

How does the SAT test vocabulary?

In 2016, the SAT underwent some significant changes. Before then, the SAT emphasized vocabulary, including more vocabulary-related questions. The revisions reduced this emphasis, resulting in fewer vocabulary-focused questions. This change aligns the exam’s structure and content more closely with high school curricula and the skills needed for college success.

However, this lack of stress on vocabulary doesn’t mean you can go without preparing for vocabulary for the SAT. If you’re aiming for a high or even a perfect score, studying common high school vocabulary words will still be an important part of preparing for it.

In general, most of the vocabulary words found on the SAT vocabulary words test are medium in difficulty. They’re tested within the context of passages, assessing the ability of students to pick out the meaning within a certain context. While this makes it easier to remember a meaning than just being prompted with a word, you’ll still have to have an understanding of the various nuances of a particular word to perform well.

Context clues are more common in the current SAT, making pure memorization not as important. In the past, you would have to remember more difficult words and definitions with only a short sentence as a prompt. This minimal context really made vocabulary a difficult portion of the SAT. Fortunately, the current version offers students much more context and clarity as to the use of the words.

What words should I study for the SAT?

While it’s impossible to know all of the words you’ll come across on the test, there have been enough iterations of the test for the public to get an accurate grasp on the types of words being used and the accompanying level of difficulty. Although students will undoubtedly find some words easier than others, the SAT vocabulary words don’t really jump around in terms of difficulty.

While reading SAT-related material, practicing with official study guides, and taking previously administered tests help prepare for SAT vocabulary, the best practice is to read through common questions and their definitions simply.

Below, we’ve provided you with over 250 SAT vocabulary words that every high school student should know.

Term	Definition	Example
Abate	to become less intense or widespread	The storm began to abate after several hours of heavy rain.
Abstract	existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence	Her paintings were full of abstract shapes and colors.
Abysmal	very bad	The team’s performance was abysmal in last night’s game.
Accordingly	to be in accordance with	She studied hard and, accordingly, did well on the exam.
Acquisition	the process of gaining possession of something	The company announced the acquisition of a smaller firm.
Adapt	to make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify	We need to adapt our plan to fit the new schedule.
Adept	having skill in a particular area	He is adept at solving complex math problems.
Adequate	satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity.	The supply of food was adequate for the camping trip.
Advent	the arrival of a notable person or thing.	The advent of smartphones has changed how we communicate.
Adversarial	involving or characterized by conflict or opposition.	The relationship between the two companies was adversarial.
Advocate	a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.	She is an advocate for environmental protection.
Aesthetic	concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.	The garden has a pleasing aesthetic.
Afford	have enough money to pay for.	I can’t afford a new car right now.
Agitate	campaign to arouse public concern about an issue in the hope of prompting action.	They agitate for better working conditions.
Allow	let (someone) have or do something.	The teacher will allow extra time for the test.
Allude	suggest or call attention to indirectly; hint at.	He alluded to his past without giving details.
Altercation	a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public.	The two men had an altercation outside the store.
Ambiguous	open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.	The ending of the movie was ambiguous.
Ambitious	having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed.	She is very ambitious and works hard.
Ambivalence	the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.	He felt ambivalence about moving to a new city.
Analogous	comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared.	The human brain is analogous to a computer.
Annihilate	destroy utterly; obliterate.	The bomb could annihilate the entire city.
Anomaly	something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.	The test results showed an anomaly.
Anticipate	regard as probable; expect or predict.	We anticipate that the event will be a success.
Antipathy	a deep-seated feeling of aversion.	She felt a strong antipathy towards broccoli.
Apex	the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point	They reached the apex of the mountain at noon.
Apprehension	anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.	There was a sense of apprehension before the test results were announced.
Articulate	having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.	He is an articulate speaker who captivates his audience.
Artificial	made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.	The flowers on the table are artificial.
Assertion	a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.	Her assertion that she could complete the project alone surprised everyone.
Austere	severe or strict in manner or attitude.	The principal’s austere demeanor intimidated the students.
Authenticity	the quality of being authentic.	The museum prides itself on the authenticity of its artifacts.
Avenue	a way of approaching a problem	They explored every avenue to solve the issue.
Avid	having an eager desire for	She is an avid reader of mystery novels.
Basic	forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental.	Learning to read is a basic skill for all children.
Bear	carry or conduct oneself in a specified manner	He always bears himself with confidence.
Benevolent	well-meaning and kindly.	The benevolent neighbor helped everyone on the block.
Bias	inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.	The judge showed bias in favor of the defendant.
Bittersweet	arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain.	Graduation day was a bittersweet moment.
Bolster	support or strengthen.	The evidence will bolster her argument.
Boost	encourage (something) to increase or improve	The new policy will boost company morale.
Brawl	a rough or noisy fight or quarrel.	A brawl broke out at the bar last night.
Brevity	the concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.	The brevity of his speech was appreciated by the audience.
Candid	truthful and straightforward; frank.	She was candid about her feelings on the matter.
Candor	the characteristic of being honest	His candor in the interview impressed the hiring manager.
Capitalize	to take advantage of	She plans to capitalize on her experience to get a better job.
Capture	to take possession of	The photographer managed to capture the perfect moment.
Civic	relating to citizens or a city	Voting is an important civic duty.
Clinical	emotionally attached	Her clinical approach to the problem helped resolve it quickly.
Clout	special power or advantage	She has a lot of clout in the fashion industry.
Coarse	lacking sophistication or refinement	The fabric felt coarse to the touch.
Coincide	to occur simultaneously	Their vacations coincide this year.
Commission	an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group.	The artist received a commission to paint a portrait.
Comparable	ability to be compared	The two models are comparable in price and quality.
Competent	efficient and qualified	She is a very competent employee.
Complacent	satisfied; no desire to improve	He became complacent after winning the award.
Complement	to make complete or perfect	The wine complements the meal perfectly.
Concede	surrender or yield	He had to concede that he was wrong.
Conceive	to come up with	She conceived a plan to surprise him.
Condone	to allow or overlook	The teacher does not condone cheating.
Conducive	to be suitable to bring something about	The quiet room is conducive to studying.
Conduct	to manage or control; to behave in a particular way	She will conduct the meeting tomorrow.
Confide	to trust someone with secrets	She confided her fears to her best friend.
Confine	to limit something	The patient was confined to his room.
Consensus	a majority agreement	The committee reached a consensus on the new policy.
Constitute	to make up parts of something	The chapters constitute the whole book.
Contemplate	think deeply and at length	He likes to contemplate life while sitting by the lake.
Contend	to assert or maintain an opinion	They contend that the law is unfair.
Contradict	to be in contrast with	The witness’s statement contradicted the evidence.
Controversial	giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement.	The new policy is highly controversial.
Conventional	following accepted standards	His views are very conventional.
Convey	to transfer information	The report conveys the findings clearly.
Conviction	believing firmly in something	Her conviction in her beliefs is admirable.
Corroborate	to provide evidence for a claim	The witness’s testimony corroborated the suspect’s alibi.
Counteract	to work against	They took steps to counteract the effects of the drug.
Counterargument	an argument used to diminish another	He presented a strong counterargument to the proposal.
Counterproductive	having the opposite of the desired effect.	His actions were counterproductive to the team’s goals.
Culmination	the climax	The concert was the culmination of their tour.
Cultivate	to foster	She worked hard to cultivate good relationships with her colleagues.
Decree	to declare something formally	The government issued a decree banning smoking in public places.
Deference	regard; respect	He showed deference to his elders.
Deficient	not a sufficient amount	The diet was deficient in vitamins.
Demonstrate	to provide evidence for something	The experiment demonstrated the theory’s validity.
Demur	raise objections or show reluctance.	She demurred at the suggestion to stay longer.
Deplete	to use something over time	The hikers’ supplies were quickly depleted.
Desolate	empty, barren	The landscape was desolate and devoid of life.
Devise	to develop a plan	He devised a strategy to win the game.
Dilemma	a problem	She faced a dilemma about whether to stay or leave.
Diligence	careful and persistent work or effort.	Her diligence in studying paid off with high grades.
Diminish	make or become less	The noise began to diminish as the crowd dispersed.
Dire	extremely serious or urgent	They were in dire need of medical assistance.
Discord	disagreement	There was discord among the team members.
Disdain	strong dislike	She looked at the mess with disdain.
Dismay	stress, hopelessness	He watched in dismay as the building collapsed.
Disparage	to talk down to	He tended to disparage anyone who disagreed with him.
Dispatch	to send a messenger or message	The general dispatched troops to the front line.
Diversification	the process of becoming diverse	The company’s diversification strategy involved entering new markets.
Doctrine	a position or theory	The military doctrine emphasizes readiness.
Dominion	authority and power	The king had dominion over all the land.
Dreary	dull, sad	The weather was dreary and overcast.
Dubious	questionable, doubtful	His motives were dubious.
Eccentric	odd or peculiar	She has an eccentric taste in fashion.
Egregious	very bad	His egregious mistake cost the company millions.
Eloquent	fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.	The senator gave an eloquent speech on the floor.
Eminent	distinguished or superior	He is an eminent scientist in his field.
Emit	to release, discharge	The factory emits harmful gases into the air.
Emphatic	using emphasis, expressive	She was emphatic that we should not be late.
Empirical	based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic	The study provided empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis.
Endow	to bestow or equip	The philanthropist endowed the university with a new library.
Endure	to sustain or withstand against	They had to endure the harsh winter conditions.
Entail	to include or involve	The project will entail a lot of hard work.
Entrenched	firmly established and difficult or unlikely to change	The traditions were deeply entrenched in their culture.
Enumerate	to count	She began to enumerate the reasons for her decision.
Envy	jealousy to an excessive degree	He felt envy towards his friend’s success.
Erratic	not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.	Her behavior has been erratic lately.
Establish	to enact or to found	The company was established in 1901.
Evoke	bring or recall (a feeling, memory, or image) to the conscious mind.	The music evoked memories of her childhood.
Exacerbate	to make something worse	The injury exacerbated his condition.
Excel	to be successful at something	She excels in mathematics.
Exert	to put something into use	He had to exert all his strength to lift the box.
Exhilarating	exciting, stimulating	The roller coaster ride was exhilarating.
Expend	to use up	They expended a lot of energy on the project.
Exploit	make full use of and derive benefit from	They exploited the natural resources of the region.
Facilitate	to make a process easier	The new software will facilitate the task.
Feasibility	the possibility of something	We need to assess the feasibility of the plan.
Ferocity	violence, viciousness	The ferocity of the storm took them by surprise.
Fiscal	of or relating to money	The government is facing a fiscal crisis.
Flourish	to grow, prosper (esp quickly)	The business began to flourish after the new management took over.
Fluctuate	to rise and fall in an irregular pattern	The stock prices fluctuate daily.
Foment	to stir up or instigate	They were accused of fomenting rebellion.
Foreseeable	capable of being anticipated	We plan to stay here for the foreseeable future.
Frankly	clearly, directly	Frankly, I don’t agree with your opinion.
Freewheeling	carefree	They enjoyed a freewheeling lifestyle in their youth.
Fundamental	the most basic component	Understanding math is fundamental to the study of science.
Galvanizing	stimulating, exciting	His speech had a galvanizing effect on the crowd.
Geriatric	relating to old people, especially with regard to their healthcare.	She specializes in geriatric medicine.
Hostile	dangerous, harmful	The environment was hostile to the settlers.
Hypothetical	supposed	Let’s consider a hypothetical situation.
Ignominious	deserving or causing public disgrace or shame.	The team’s defeat was ignominious.
Impart	to bestow or transmit	The teacher tried to impart wisdom to her students.
Impartiality	treating all rivals equally	The judge’s impartiality was questioned.
Imposing	impressive in size or appearance	The castle was imposing on the hillside.
Imposition	an unwelcome and unfair burden	The new tax was seen as an imposition on the poor.
Imprudent	rash, not cautious	It was imprudent to invest all his money in one stock.
Incite	to stir up or excite	His speech could incite violence.
Indifference	emotional detachment	His indifference to the suffering of others was shocking.
Indiscriminately	randomly	The soldiers fired indiscriminately into the crowd.
Indulge	to give into something	She likes to indulge in a bit of chocolate every now and then.
Infer	to guess through reasoning	From his tone, I inferred that he was angry.
Innovative	new or novel	The company is known for its innovative products.
Insatiable	unable to be satisfied	He has an insatiable appetite for adventure.
Inversion	the reversal of something	The inversion of roles was unexpected.
Invoke	to appeal to or call upon	He tried to invoke the law in his defense.
Irreconcilable	incapable of being resolved	Their differences were irreconcilable.
Lament	to mourn	They lamented the loss of their friend.
Locomotion	movement	Birds have a unique form of locomotion.
Lucrative	profitable	The business proved to be very lucrative.
Malicious	spiteful, harmful	He spread malicious rumors about his rival.
Malleable	capable of being changed	The material is malleable and can be shaped easily.
Materialistic	superficial	She was very materialistic, always wanting the latest gadgets.
Melodramatic	exaggerated or extravagant	His melodramatic reaction made everyone laugh.
Modest	humble and simple	They live in a modest house in the suburbs.
Modify	to alter, tweak, or change	You can modify the design to suit your needs.
Momentous	significant in a historical context	The signing of the treaty was a momentous occasion.
Novel	innovative, new	His novel approach to solving the problem impressed everyone.
Nuance	a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.	He listened to the nuance in her voice.
Null	ineffective, legally void	The contract was declared null and void.
Objectivity	the quality of being objective; impartial	The journalist was known for his objectivity.
Obsolete	uncommon or rare	Typewriters have become obsolete in the digital age.
Omnipotent	all-powerful	The ancient gods were believed to be omnipotent.
Onset	the early stages of something	The onset of winter was marked by the first snowfall.
Opine	to formally state an opinion	He likes to opine on political matters.
Ornate	highly decorated	The palace was filled with ornate furniture.
Oust	to force out of	The dictator was ousted from power.
Paramount	most important, superior	The safety of the passengers is paramount.
Peculiar	bizarre, strange	She has a peculiar habit of collecting old keys.
Perish	to pass away; to die	Many ancient species have perished over time.
Persecute	harass or annoy persistently.	They were persecuted for their religious beliefs.
Petulant	irritable, pouty	The child was petulant when he didn’t get his way.
Pinnacle	highest degree	Winning the championship was the pinnacle of his career.
Pitiable	arousing pity	The abandoned puppy looked pitiable.
Plausible	possibly true	Her explanation seemed plausible.
Postulate	to assert	They postulated that the universe is expanding.
Potent	having a strong influence	The medicine was very potent and acted quickly.
Pragmatic	useful, practical	She took a pragmatic approach to solving the problem.
Precedent	an example from the previous time	The court’s decision set a new precedent.
Predecessor	a person or thing that comes before another	The new CEO had a very different approach than his predecessor.
Prescribe	to command orders	The doctor will prescribe medication for your illness.
Principle	n. basic truth, assumption, or rule	Honesty is a core principle in our company.
Prohibit	to ban	The school prohibits smoking on its premises.
Prompt	punctual	She is always prompt for her appointments.
Promulgate	formally declare	The government will promulgate the new law next week.
Prosecute	to put on trial	The state decided to prosecute him for theft.
Provocative	arouse, inspire	His speech was provocative and sparked much debate.
Qualitative	measuring the quality of something	The study focused on qualitative data rather than numbers.
Quantitative	measuring the amount of something	They conducted a quantitative analysis of the survey results.
Quirk	a strange trait or characteristic	His habit of talking to himself is just a quirk.
Ramify	to form branches	The organization’s activities ramify into various sectors.
Rash	done without regard to consequences	He made a rash decision to quit his job without another offer.
Raw	unrefined	The chef used raw ingredients for the dish.
Readily	without delay	She readily accepted the job offer.
Reconsideration	thinking again	After some reconsideration, he changed his mind about the trip.
Reform	an improvement	The new policy aims to reform the healthcare system.
Refute	to prove to be incorrect	The scientist refuted the old theory with new evidence.
Reinforce	to support	The additional data will reinforce our argument.
Reluctantly	somewhat unwillingly	She reluctantly agreed to the proposal.
Renounce	to give up	He decided to renounce his claim to the throne.
Reproach	to critique	She didn’t want to reproach him for his mistakes.
Repudiate	to refuse to acknowledge as true	He repudiated the accusations against him.
Retention	the continued control or possession of something	Employee retention is a key issue for the company.
Satiated	satisfied	After the big meal, he felt completely satiated.
Savvy	practical knowledge	She has a lot of business savvy.
Scandalous	morally offensive	The politician’s scandalous behavior made headlines.
Scorn	a feeling of disdain	She looked at him with scorn after the betrayal.
Scrupulous	careful, thorough	He was scrupulous in checking the details of the contract.
Scrutinize	to examine critically	The inspector scrutinized the building for code violations.
Secrete	to release or produce	The gland secretes hormones into the bloodstream.
Sentiment	opinion	The general sentiment of the meeting was positive.
Sheer	very thin	The curtains were made of sheer fabric.
Simple	not complex	The instructions were simple and easy to follow.
Sinister	evil, ominous	There was a sinister atmosphere in the abandoned house.
Solidarity	common purpose amongst a group	The workers showed solidarity during the strike.
Sparingly	in a restricted manner	Use the spices sparingly to avoid overpowering the dish.
Spawn	to generate	The new policy could spawn many changes.
Spur	to incite	The coach’s speech spurred the team to victory.
Squalid	sordid, run-down	They lived in a squalid apartment.
Stark	very plain	The room was stark and without any decorations.
Static	changeless; motionless	The population of the town has remained static for years.
Subordinate	to be lower in rank	He treats his subordinate employees with respect.
Subsequently	happening after something	She was late, and subsequently missed the meeting.
Substantial	very large in degree or amount	He made a substantial donation to the charity.
Substantiate	to make stronger with evidence	The lawyer couldn’t substantiate the client’s claims.
Subtle	difficult to detect	There was a subtle change in her attitude.
Sufficient	enough	The food supply was sufficient for the trip.
Surly	unfriendly	The surly waiter ruined our dining experience.
Surmount	to overcome	They managed to surmount all the obstacles.
Susceptible	to be vulnerable	Children are more susceptible to the disease.
Tactful	capable of dealing with people	He handled the delicate situation in a tactful manner.
Taut	pulled tight	The rope was taut and ready for climbing.
Teeming	to be full of	The river was teeming with fish.
Temperament	usual feelings or mood	She has a calm temperament, even under pressure.
Tentative	not certain or fixed	We made tentative plans to meet next weekend.
Transparent	easy to perceive; see-through	The process needs to be more transparent to the public.
Treacherous	unstable and dangerous	The icy roads were treacherous.
Tremendous	very great in amount, scale, or intensity	She put in a tremendous amount of effort.
Ubiquitous	found everywhere	Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life.
Unadorned	plain, undecorated	The room was simple and unadorned.
Undermine	to weaken gradually	The scandal undermined his authority.
Underscore	to emphasize	The results underscore the importance of safety measures.
Undulate	to move in a wavy pattern	The flag undulated in the breeze.
Unilateral	one-sided	The decision was unilateral, with no input from others.
Unjust	not justified	The new policy is unjust and discriminatory.
Unmitigated	total, utter	The party was an unmitigated disaster.
Unprecedented	entirely new	The pandemic created unprecedented challenges.
Unveil	to reveal	The company will unveil its new product next month.
Urge	try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something	They urged him to reconsider his decision.
Validate	check or prove the validity or accuracy of	The experiment was designed to validate the theory.
Viability	ability to work successfully	We need to assess the viability of this plan.
Vital	absolutely necessary; essential	Water is vital for life.
Vow	a solemn promise	They made a vow to always support each other.
Warrant	justification or authority for an action, belief, or feeling	The evidence warrants further investigation.
Yield	produce or generate (a result, gain, or financial return).	The investment is expected to yield high returns.

What Do SAT Vocabulary Questions Look Like?

The redesigned digital SAT has a single Reading and Writing section, split into four domains: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas. Vocabulary skills fall under the Craft and Structure domain.

According to the College Board, this domain tests your ability to “use comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills and knowledge to understand and use high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make connections between topically related texts.”

Expect around 13-15 questions in this domain, which makes up about 28 percent of the Reading and Writing section. Unlike older versions of the SAT, vocabulary is tested in context rather than in isolation. You won’t just define a word; you’ll need to use context clues to grasp the meaning of words, phrases, or passages.

It’s useful to know alternative meanings of common words or familiarize vocabulary for high school students like “directly” and “hold.” While you may face some tricky vocabulary, the words are generally easier than those on the old SAT. Here are a few examples of what SAT vocabulary questions look like:

Example 1:

The SAT includes questions that assess your ability to interpret and analyze specific parts of a passage. These questions may ask you to determine the validity of an assumption or argument presented within the text.

Example 2:

These types of questions test your ability to understand the meanings of words as they are used in context. You need to identify the precise definition of a word based on how it functions within a specific sentence or passage.

Example 3:

Besides understanding the meanings of individual words, there will also be questions that ask you to interpret broader concepts in a passage. These require you to assess the accuracy of statements or assumptions made by the characters or authors.

Tips for studying and memorizing SAT vocabulary words

1. Use Flashcards: Flashcards are an incredibly effective way of studying and memorizing vocabulary. This method makes it easy to keep the material organized and a convenient way to study on the go and for any length of time. Writing out your flashcards could be a helpful exercise, but many students will use online resources like Quizlet to organize SAT vocabulary words. You can even download apps to study this content on your phone.

2. Practice with friends: If practicing on your own gets too tedious, meet up with some friends or hop on the phone to quiz each other. You can help each other with new memorization techniques and encourage each other to study more. The extra competition will light a spark of enthusiasm too.

3. Use SAT study guides: There are countless SAT study guides designed to help students prepare for the exam and learn SAT vocabulary words. These resources can be found both online and offline and for free or by payment. When using these guides, just make sure they’re up-to-date to reflect the most recent changes made to the SAT.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the three types of questions on the SAT?

The SAT includes three main types of questions: command-of-evidence questions, words-in-context questions, and text-analysis questions. Each type assesses different reading and comprehension skills.

2. What are the Information and Ideas questions on the SAT?

Information and Ideas questions on the SAT cover six main areas: reading closely, citing textual evidence, determining central ideas and themes, summarizing, understanding relationships, and interpreting words and phrases in context.

3. What does the SAT focus on?

The SAT emphasizes core skills in math and English language reading and writing. The Reading Test evaluates your ability to understand and analyze passages, while the Writing and Language Test assesses a wide range of writing skills. The Math Test covers essential mathematical concepts and problem-solving abilities.