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SSAT Vocabulary
Words to expect on the SSAT.
84
Other
9th Grade
08/20/2014

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Term
antagonize
Definition
v.

1. to make hostile or unfriendly; make an enemy of
2.to act in opposition to; oppose

Sentence: Paige purposely antagonizes me into fighting with her when she constantly hums.
Term
annex
Definition
v.

1. to attach or add, especially to something larger or more important
2. to incorporate (territory) into the domain of a city, country, or state
3. to take or appropriate, especially without permission
4. to attach as an attribute, condition or consequence

Sentence: Russia is trying to annex Crimea.
Term
animosity
Definition
n.

1. a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to display itself in action

Sentence: Sandy showed great animosity towards her father, of whom she disliked.
Term
androgynous
Definition
adj.

1. being both male and female; hermaphroditic
2. having both masculine and feminine characteristics
3. having an ambiguous sexual identity.=
4. neither clearly masculine nor clearly feminine in appearance
5. (botany) having staminate and pistillate flowers in the same inflorescence

Sentence: Sarah's short haircut gave her a very androgynous look.
Term
amorphous
Definition
adj.

1. lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless
2. of no particular kind or character; indeterminate; having no pattern or structure; unorganized
3. (petrography, mineralogy) occurring in a mass, as without stratification or crystalline structure

Sentence: The tent dress made her look like an amorphous blob.
Term
amiable
Definition
adj.

1. having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities
2. friendly; sociable
3. agreeable; willing to accept the wishes, decisions, or suggestions of another or others

Sentence: The sweet, amiable girl was lovely to be around.
Term
ameliorate
Definition
v.

1. to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve

Sentence: Paige takes medicine to ameliorate her lack of concentration.
Term
ambivalent
Definition
adj.

1. having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action

Sentence: I am ambivalent about whether boarding school is a good decision.
Term
ambiguous
Definition
adj.

1. open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations
2. of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish or classify
3. lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct

Sentence: This sentence is so ambiguous I can't figure out if I'm supposed to go or not.
Term
altruism
Definition
n.

1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism)

Sentence: She showed great altruism by donating her toys to charity.
Term
aloof
Definition
adv.

1. at a distance, especially in feeling or interest; apart

adj.

2. reserved or indifferent; disinterested

Sentence: The aloof senior wouldn't talk to the incoming freshman.
Term
akin
Definition
adj.

1. related by blood

2. allied by nature; having the same properties

Sentence: Studying with Mom is akin to the time she had to study for the SAT exam.
Term
aggregate
Definition
adj.

1. formed by the conjunction or collection of particulars into a whole mass or sum; total; combined

Sentence: The aggregate of the people in the elevator exceeded 1,000 pounds.
Term
aggrandize
Definition
v.

1. to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend
2. to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor
3. to make (something) appear greater

Sentence: To aggrandize her application, she included all of the sports, clubs, and charities she did after school.
Term
affliction
Definition
n.

1. a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery
2. a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution

Sentence: Her grandfather's death was the cause of her affliction.
Term
adversary
Definition
n.

1. a person, group or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe
2. a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant

Sentence: Her adversary for class president was Yujung.
Term
admonish
Definition
v.

1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something
2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner
3. to urge to a duty; remind

Sentence: The school counselor admonished Raven to do more thorough work for her next project.
Term
adamant
Definition
adj.

1. utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc.
2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce

n.

3. any impenetrably or unyieldingly hard substance
4. a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

Sentence: The doctor was adamant that she eat enough protein.
Term
acute
Definition
adj.
1. sharp or severe in effect; intense
2. extremely great or serious; crucial; critical
3. (of disease) brief and severe (opposed to chronic)
4. sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception
5. extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions
6. sharp at the end; ending in a point
7. (geometry) [of an angle] less than 90° [of a triangle] containing only acute angles

Sentence: My great-grandmother died of an acute case of blood cancer.
Term
accord
Definition
v.

1. to be in agreement or harmony; agree
2. to make agree or correspond; adapt
3. to grant; bestow

Sentence: We are in accord that you should apply to a better school.
Term
acclaimed
Definition
v.

1. to welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy and approval; applaud
2. to announce or proclaim with enthusiastic approval
3. to make acclamation; applaud

Sentence: Acclaimed writer Dan Brown went to Exeter.
Term
abhor
Definition
v.

1. to regard with extreme aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate

Sentence: Claire abhors eating fish.
Term
abdicate
Definition
v.

1. to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner
2. to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc.)

Sentence: The British king abdicated his throne to go off and marry the divorced woman.
Term
abbreviation
Definition
n.

1. a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole, as Dr. for Doctor, U.S. for United States, lb. for pound
2. an act of abbreviating; state or result of being abbreviated; reduction in length, duration, etc.; abridgment; summary
3. a short phrase or reduced form used to represent a larger, more complex idea, situation, set of beliefs, etc.

Sentence: Etc. is the abbreviation for etcetera.
Term
dubious
Definition
adj.

1. doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt
2. of doubtful quality or propriety; questionable
3. of uncertain outcome
4. wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt

Sentence: I'm dubious of the idea that Chloe's school schedule matched yours.
Term
contradiction
Definition
n.

1. the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition
2. assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial
3. a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous
4. direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency
5. a contradictory act, fact, etc.

Sentence: Lucy's buying a breed dog was a contradiction to her belief of animal welfare.
Term
content
Definition
adj.

1. satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else

Sentence: Mimi is contented just laying in the sun.
Term
condescending
Definition
adj.

1. showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority

Sentence: Her condescending tone makes me think she doesn't regard me well.
Term
brittle
Definition
adj.

1. having hardness and rigidity but little strength; breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass
2. easily damaged or destroyed; fragile; frail

Sentence: Most old people have brittle bones.
Term
benign
Definition
adj.

1. having a kindly disposition; gracious
2. showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness
3. favorable; propitious
4. (weather) healthful; pleasant or beneficial
5. (pathology) self-limiting

Sentence: Thankfully the tumor was benign.
Term
assert
Definition
v.

1. to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm
2. to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.)
3. to state as having existence; affirm

Sentence: Mom asserts that the more you study for the test the better you will do.
Term
antipathy
Definition
n.

1. a deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion

Sentence: She has great antipathy to those who hurt animals.
Term
arbitrary
Definition
adj.

1. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction
2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law
3. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law
4. capricious; unreasonable; unsupported

Sentence: The mean teacher arbitrarily kids extra homework.
Term
arid
Definition
adj.

1. being without moisture; extremely dry; parched

Sentence: She was desperate for water when crossing the arid desert.
Term
ascertain
Definition
v.

1. to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine

Sentence: To ascertain what math teacher Paige was going to get, we had to look at her schedule.
Term
assail
Definition
v.

1. to attack vigorously or violently; assault.

Sentence: The police were wrongly assailing the peaceful protesters.
Term
assert
Definition
v.

1. to state with confidence or force; state strongly or positively

Sentence: She stood up at the PTA meeting and asserted that we needed to raise more money.
Term
austere
Definition
adj.

1. severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidden
2. grave; sober; solemn; serious

Sentence: Granny has a very austere appearance.
Term
astute
Definition
adj.

1. scholarly
2. clever; cunning; ingenious

Sentence: She was very astute in noticing that she needed to study more before the test.
Term
auspicious
Definition
adj.

1. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable
2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate

Sentence: On this auspicious occasion, the graduate was rewarded with a huge check.
Term
banal
Definition
adj.

1. devoid of freshness or originality; trite

Sentence: The common public school is banal in comparison to the private school.
Term
bastion
Definition
n.

1. (fortification) a projecting portion of a rampart or fortification that forms an irregular pentagon attached at the base to the main work
2. a fortified place
3. anything seen as preserving or protecting some quality, condition, etc.

Sentence: It consisted of a fortified town and a defensive bastion.
Term
benevolent
Definition
adj.

1. characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings
2. desiring to help others; charitable
3. intended for benefits rather than profit

Sentence: The benevolent god protected the children.
Term
bequest
Definition
n.

1. a disposition in a will.
2. a legacy

Sentence: When she died, there was a bequest of money to the oldest child.
Term
blatant
Definition
adj.

1. brazenly obvious; flagrant
2. offensively noisy or loud; clamorous
3. tastelessly conspicuous

Sentence: As he got up and left the room, the student blatantly ignored the teacher's punishment of detention.
Term
bombastic
Definition
adj.

1. (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious

Sentence: Sally's bombastic exultations of her son's ability repelled all of her friends.
Term
brazen
Definition
adj.

1. shameless or impudent
2. made of brass
3. like brass, as in sound, color, or strength

Sentence: The model brazenly wore that ugly dress with her head held high.
Term
candid
Definition
adj.

1. truthful and straightforward; frank.
2. (of a photograph of a person) taken informally, especially without the subject's knowledge

Sentence: She was very candid when she said she really didn't like my outfit.
Term
capricious
Definition
adj.

1. given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

Sentence: I have turned into a capricious teenager.
Term
cascade
Definition
n.

1. a small waterfall, typically one of several that fall in stages down a steep rocky slope
2. a process whereby something, typically information or knowledge, is successively passed on

v.

3. (of water) pour downward rapidly and in large quantities

Sentence: The water cascaded down the mountain.
Term
chagrin
Definition
n.

1. distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated

Sentence: Much to her mother's chagrin, the daughter made the wrong decision.
Term
chronic
Definition
adj.

1. (of an illness) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring

2. (of a person) having an illness persisting for a long time or constantly recurring
3. (of a problem) long-lasting and difficult to eradicate

Sentence: The teacher wasn't present in the classroom for several days because she had a chronic illness.
Term
coerce
Definition
v.

1. persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats

2. obtain (something) by using force or threats

Sentence: My mother coerced my sister by threatening to take away electronics if she did not clean up her room.
Term
commodity
Definition
n.

1. in economics, a commodity is a marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs

Sentence: What type of commodities does that man sell?
Term
competent
Definition
adj.

1. having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully

Sentence: She is a competent teacher in that her students pass the exam.
Term
comprehensive
Definition
adj.

1. complete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something

Sentence: The teacher gave a comprehensive review before the test to ensure that the students knew the material.
Term
condemn
Definition
v.

1. express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure
2. sentence (someone) to a particular punishment, especially death

Sentence: The condemned man was sentenced to die.
Term
confound
Definition
v.

1. cause surprise or confusion in (someone), especially by acting against their expectations

Sentence: I am confounded by the problem.
Term
congenial
Definition
adj.

1. (of a person) pleasant because of a personality, qualities, or interests that are similar to one's own

Sentence: He was so congenial everyone loved being around him.
Term
consensus
Definition
n.

1. general agreement

Sentence: The school came to a consensus that they would no longer teach cursive writing.
Term
conspicuous
Definition
adj.

1. standing out so as to be clearly visible

Sentence: The bad spy was clearly conspicuous as he wore his CIA badge in the street.
Term
contrite
Definition
adj.

1. feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt

Sentence: The girl was contrite and came to apologize.
Term
cordial
Definition
adj.

1. warm and friendly

Sentence: The princess was very cordial and went around the ball introducing herself to everyone.
Term
corpulent
Definition
adj.

1. fat

Sentence: He is corpulent but trying to loose weight.
Term
creed
Definition
n.

1. a system of Christian or other religious belief; a faith

2. statement of principles

Sentence: The service group's creed is "always help when help is needed."
Term
succinct
Definition
adj.

1. (especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed

Sentence: Her presentation was succinctly to the point.
Term
apathy
Definition
adj.

1. having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned

Sentence: The C student showed great apathy at school at didn't bother to do any homework.
Term
dissonance
Definition
n.

1. lack of harmony among musical notes

Sentence: Because the band hadn't practiced in a while, the room was full of nothing but cacophony and dissonance.
Term
omniscient
Definition
adj.

1. knowing everything

Sentence: The omniscient narrator knows everything that's happening in the story.
Term
congenital
Definition
adj.

1. present from birth

Sentence: The baby was born with a congenital heart defect.
Term
feeble
Definition
adj.

1. lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness

Sentence: The weak girl made a feeble attempt to beat the strong man at arm wrestling.
Term
superfluous
Definition
adj.

1. unnecessary, especially through being more than enough

Sentence: The teacher marked off these extra sentences in my essay as being superfluous.
Term
lampoon
Definition
v.

1. publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm

Sentence: The sketch show lampooned the Kardashians.
Term
trepidation
Definition
n.

1. a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen

Sentence: The frightened child went to the first day of middle school with fear and trepidation.
Term
assess
Definition
v.

1. evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of

Sentence: The police assessed the situation before they went into the criminal's house.
Term
adroit
Definition
adj.

1. clever or skillful in using the hands or mind

Sentence: The adroit ballet dancer could do a perfect arabesque.
Term
deft
Definition
Adj.

1. neatly skillful and quick in one's movements

Sentence: The football player deftly moved past the blockers to make the touchdown.
Term
desolate
Definition
v.

1. (of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness

Sentence: The once vibrant city slowly became a desolate ghost town.
Term
detest
Definition
adj.

1. dislike intensely

Sentence: I detest the sound of an insect buzzing.
Term
deviate
Definition
v.

1. depart from an established course

Sentence: She didn't follow the usual track of mathematics, but instead deviated when she took Geometry before Algebra II.
Term
dilute
Definition
v.

1. make (a liquid) thinner or weaker by adding water or another solvent to it

Sentence: A baby's parents often dilute apple juice with water so it is not so strong for their child.
Term
disavow
Definition
v.

1. deny any responsibility or support for

Sentence: The vice president disavowed himself from the president after the bad decision to go to war.
Term
disparage
Definition
v.

1. regard or represent as being of little worth

Sentence: The mean girl made disparaging remarks about the new kid in school.
Term
docile
Definition
adj.

1. ready to accept control or instruction; submissive

Sentence: The docile animal is a good choice for a pet.
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