Challenging SAT Vocabulary

Top 100 Most Challenging SAT Vocabulary Words C - D (Weeks: April 18-22 – April 25-29) Look up the following words in the dictionary and record: 1. the sentence part(s) 2. any helpful notes and 3. an original sentence that uses the word correctly 1. caustic SENTENCE PART: adjective NOTES: Greek root “kaiein” Means “to burn” 2. cacophony SENTENCE PART: noun NOTES: DEFINITION: 1) capable of destroying or eating away by chemical reaction 2) critical, biting, or sarcastic SAMPLE SENTENCE: All caustic household cleaners must be kept out of the reach of children. YOUR SENTENCE: I made a caustic remark to Simeon about my oboe playing. DEFINITION: tremendous noise, disharmonious sound SAMPLE SENTENCE: The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital. YOUR SENTENCE: When the cars collided we heard a cacophony of glass breaking and metal twisting. 3. circumlocution DEFINITION: 1) the use of many words when few would do 2) evasive, roundabout talk PART of speech: noun SAMPLE SENTENCE: Instead of the circumlocution “The medical profession dis-approves of the use of tobacco by young people,” say “Doctors think kids shouldn’t smoke.” NOTES: Circum – Latin “around” Logui – Latin “to speak” YOUR SENTENCE: When I don’t know a word in Spanish, I use circumlocution to get my meaning across. 4. circumscribe DEFINITION: 1) to draw a line around or encircle 2) to confine or limit SENTENCE PART: verb SAMPLE SENTENCE: To fortify their camp by night, pioneers circumscribed it with their covered wagons. NOTES: Circum – latin “around” Scribe – latin – “to write” YOUR SENTENCE: Archimedes circumscribed the sphere in a cylinder to calculate the cylinder’s volume. The teacher circumscribed our papers to 3 pages. 5. cogent DEFINITION: intellectually convincing SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: Irene’s arguments in favor of the defendent were so cogent that the jury voted unanimously. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 6. cognition DEFINITION: the act of perceiving or knowing SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: Researchers in artificial intelligence seek to use the computer to reproduce human cognition. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 7. conflagration DEFINITION: a large and destructive fire SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: The conflagration consumed the entire building. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 8. consecrate SENTENCE PART: NOTES: DEFINITION: 1) dedicated to a sacred purpose 2) to make or declare sacred SAMPLE SENTENCE: The consecrate gold tablets which John Smith claimed to have found formed the basis for the Book of Mormon. YOUR SENTENCE: 9. contrite SENTENCE PART: NOTES: 10. credulity SENTENCE PART: NOTES: DEFINITION: penitent, eager to be forgiven SAMPLE SENTENCE: Blake’s contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him. YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: readiness to believe SAMPLE SENTENCE: His credulity made him an easy target for con men. YOUR SENTENCE: 11. creed DEFINITION: set of fundamental beliefs; guiding principles. SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: The Amish live by a strict creed that rejects many of the values and practices of modern society. NOTES: 12. declaim SENTENCE PART: NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: 1) to speak rhetorically; to recite something 2) to speak pompously and bombastically SAMPLE SENTENCE: The actress declaimed her lines with passion YOUR SENTENCE: 13. deify SENTENCE PART: NOTES: 14. demur SENTENCE PART: NOTES: 15. demure SENTENCE PART: NOTES: 16. deprecate DEFINITION: 1) to make a god of SAMPLE SENTENCE: In order to deify themselves and thus gain political power, Egyptian pharaohs claim to descend from the sun god. YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: 1) to raise an objection 2) to delay SAMPLE SENTENCE: Before sending an acceptance letter to a college, students often demur until they have visited the campus. YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: quiet, modest, reserved SAMPLE SENTENCE: Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: to belittle, depreciate SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local NOTES: charity. YOUR SENTENCE: 17. desecrate SENTENCE PART: NOTES: 18. diaphanous SENTENCE PART: DEFINITION: to violate the sacredness of a thing or place SAMPLE SENTENCE: They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: light, airy, transparent SAMPLE SENTENCE: Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 19. dictatorial DEFINITION: domineering; like a dictator SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: The teacher had to take on a dictatorial manner when the class wouldn’t listen. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 20. diction SENTENCE PART: NOTES: DEFINITION: 1) choice of words in speech or writing 2) a person’s manner or uttering or pronouncing words. SAMPLE SENTENCE: The teacher’s Southern diction became familiar to students. YOUR SENTENCE: 21. discursive DEFINITION: rambling, lacking order SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: The professor’s discursive lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 22. dissemble DEFINITION: to conceal, fake SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 23. dogmatic SENTENCE PART: DEFINITION: 1) pertaining to a doctrine 2) expressed in an authoritative or arrogant manner. NOTES: SAMPLE SENTENCE: In Marxism, class conflict is dogmatic and is the reason for social change. 24. dour YOUR SENTENCE: DEFINITION: stern; grim; gloomy SAMPLE SENTENCE: SENTENCE PART: NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: 25. duress DEFINITION: forced constraint; coercion against one’s will SENTENCE PART: SAMPLE SENTENCE: News of hostages held under duress reached their families only sporadically as other hostages were released. NOTES: YOUR SENTENCE: