UNIT 4 SAT VOCABULARY

1. UNIT 4 SAT VOCABULARY

2. AFFABLE adj. courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to Synonyms: genial, amicable, agreeable, cordial Antonyms: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable I was relieved to find that my new roommate was quite affable.

3. AGGRANDIZE v. To increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater During World War II Adolf Hitler was able to aggrandize himself because of his powerful rhetorical skills. Synonyms: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt Antonyms: reduce, decrease, diminish Donald Trump was able to aggrandize his wealth with countless real estate transactions.

4. AMORPHOUS adj. shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization • Everyone can remember watching the amorphous body of the amoeba under the microscope. Synonyms: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate Antonyms: definite, well-defined, clear-cut In science class, I made an amorphous glob of liquid that would turn into a solid if you applied pressure.

5. archetype • (n) an original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example • Synonyms: model, prototype, epitome Achilles is the archetype of the epic hero. To many people, James Dean was the archetype for the “bad boy” we see in movies.

6. AURA n. That which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality Despite his hard life, the child had an aura of kindness about him. Synonyms: ambience, atmosphere

7. CONTRABAND n. illegal traffic, smuggled goods; adj. illegal, prohibited Synonyms: illicit, bootleg, unlawful Antonyms: legal, lawful, licit Tom Buchanan accused Jay Gatsby of selling contraband through a chain of drug stores

8. ERUDITE adj. scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic Synonyms: profoundly educated, well-read Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate While Albert Einstein was extremely erudite, he also had a fun side. For your research papers, you will find erudite articles which will shed new perspectives on your topics.

9. Gossamer adj. thin, light, delicate, insubstantial n. A very thin, light cloth Synonyms: filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy Antonyms: thick, dense, solid, massive Flowers and lace tend to be extremely gossamer.

10. For inscrutablepapers I usually write the phrase, “If I can’t read it, I can’t grade it”. (adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically Synonyms: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic Antonyms: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable Inscrutable The Mona Lisa is known for her inscrutable smile

11. The survivors became very insularafter having been on the island for ten years. (adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated outlook or experience Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial Antonyms: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal Insular The religious views of the Puritans were very insular and did not embrace the views of others.

12. (adj.) incapable of being changed or called back Synonyms: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable Antonyms: reversible, changeable In most cases, getting a tattoo is irrevocable, so be sure to think it through before getting one. Irrevocable The official’s call was irrevocable.

13. My brother, who has a propensityfor aimlessly driving around, refused to stop and ask for directions. (n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity, penchant Antonyms: natural incapacity or inability Propensity

14. The children were querulouson the road trip to their grandma’s house. (adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful Synonyms: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable Antonyms: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid Querulous

15. Remonstrate Synonyms: reason against, expostulate (V.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to. The students remonstrated with their teacher to postpone the test, but to no avail.

16. After making a false accusation, I had to repudiate my earlier statement to set things straight. Repudiate (V.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of Synonyms: disavow, abjure, renounce Antonyms: avow, affirm, aver, avouch. I repudiate Ben Roethlisberger’s off-field behavior, but I can’t help but admire the fact that he did make it to the Super Bowl.

17. Resilient (Adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly Synonyms: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy Antonyms: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding. After the biking accident, resilientEmily was able to compete in the race after just two weeks of recovery.

18. Reverberate (V.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly Synonyms: rumble, thunder, boom, echo The choirs’ singing reverberated off of the walls of the enormous church.

19. Scurrilous (Adj.) Coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul mouthed Hisscurrilouswords left me frozen with my mouth hanging open. Synonyms: obscene, filthy , abusive, vituperative Antonyms: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified The marauders launched a scurrilous attack on the townspeople as they began their looting.

20. Sedulous (Adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination Synonyms: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable Antonyms: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose She was a very sedulous student who turned in all of her work on time.

21. Sleazy (Adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable. The sleazy news reporter was so desperate that he took a random picture and started making up a story without the facts. Synonyms: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty Antonyms: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy