3500 ACT Vocabulary

abandon:   lacking restraint or control; feeling of extreme emotional intensity; unbounded enthusiasm

abandoned:   recklessly unrestrained; deserted; left to destruction

abandonment:   giving up completely; freedom from constraint

abase:   humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem

abash:   embarrass; make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert

abate:   subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity

abbreviate:   make shorter; reduce to shorter form intended to represent full form, as for word or phrase

abdicate:   give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim

aberrant:   abnormal; markedly different from an accepted norm

abet:   aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage

abeyance:   suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension

abhor:   fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate

abide:   endure; put up with; bear; tolerate

abiding:   lasting for a long time; enduring; permanent

abjure:   renounce upon oath; abandon forever

ablution:   washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite

abnegate:   give up or surrender; deny something to oneself

abnegation:   repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others

abolish:   cancel; put an end to; destroy completely

abolition:   ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away with

abominable:   detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad

aboriginal:   being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native

abortive:   unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless

abrade:   wear away by friction; scrape; erode

abrasive:   rubbing away; tending to grind down

abridge:   condense; shorten; reduce length of written text

abrogate:   abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority

abscond:   leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution

absent:   go away or leave ; missing; not present

absenteeism:   habitual not to appear, especially for work or other regular duty

abstain:   refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice

abstemious:   sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate

abstruse:   obscure; profound; difficult to understand.

abundant:   plentiful; possessing riches or resources

abundantly:   in great numbers; in a plentiful or sufficient degree; plentifully

abut:   border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent

abysmal:   bottomless; very profound; limitless; very bad

accede:   agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede

accelerating:   increasing in speed

acceleration:   faster rate of improvement; rate of change of velocity with respect to time

accentuate:   emphasize; stress; pronounce with a stress or accent; mark with an accent

accessible:   easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with

accident:   event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; sudden, and unexpected event

accidentally:   inadvertently; by chance; casually; fortuitously; not essentially or intrinsically

acclaim:   applaud; announce with great approval

acclimate:   accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation; adapt

acclivity:   upward slope, as of hill

accolade:   award of merit; expression of approval; praise

accommodate:   do a favor or service for; provide for; supply with; make suitable; adapt; allow for

accommodating:   helpful in bringing about a harmonious adaptation

accomplish:   succeed in doing; bring to pass; achieve; reach the end of; complete

accost:   approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request

accouter:   equip; provide with military equipment

accretion:   growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion

accrue:   increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth; accumulate over time

accumulation:   increase by natural growth or addition; concentration

accusation:   indictment; charge of wrongdoing that is made against a person or other party

accustomed:   habitual to; used to; frequently practiced, used, or experienced; customary

acerbity:   bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone

acetic:   having properties of vinegar; sour

achieve:   gain with effort; accomplish; fulfill

achievement:   feat; accomplishment; award for completing a particular task or meeting an objective

acidulous:   slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; caustic

acoustics:   science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

acquaint:   inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar

acquainted:   known by or familiar with another; informed or familiar

acquiesce:   assent; agree without protesting

acquire:   gain through experience or effort; gain possession of; locate with tracking system

acrid:   unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent

acrimonious:   bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner

acrophobia:   fear of heights; abnormal fear of high places

actively:   energetically; vigorously; in an active manner; voluntarily, not passively

actuarial:   calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics

actuate:   put into motion or action; activate

acuity:   sharpness; acuteness of vision or perception; keenness

acumen:   mental keenness; quickness of perception

adaptable:   flexible; becoming or being made suitable to particular situation or use

adaptive:   having a capacity for adaptation; capable of adapting

addendum:   something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book

additional:   further; extra; supplemental or added to

addle:   muddle; drive crazy; become confused

adept:   expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

adherent:   person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause

adhesive:   glue; paste ; substance that unites or bonds surfaces together

adjoin:   be next to; be contiguous to; border on

adjudicate:   hear and settle a case by judicial procedure

adjunct:   something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior

adjure:   appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath

administer:   govern; supervise; give or apply medications

admiration:   favorable judgment; feeling of pleasure, wonder, and approval

admittedly:   doubtlessly; in an acknowledged manner; confessedly

admonish:   warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided

admonition:   gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning

adorn:   enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments

adornment:   embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament

adroit:   skillful and adept under pressing conditions

adulation:   excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise

adulterate:   make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

adumbrate:   give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade

advance:   proceed; move forward; improve; moving forward

advanced:   improved; highly developed or complex; ahead of the times; progressive

advent:   coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important

adventitious:   accidental; casual; not inherent but added extrinsically

adverse:   in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose

advocacy:   support; active pleading on behalf of something

aerie:   nest of bird, such as eagle, built on a cliff or other high place

aesthetic:   elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste

affable:   easily approachable; warmly friendly

affect:   have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

affection:   fondness; tender feeling toward another; fondness

affectionate:   having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; kindly inclined; zealous

affinity:   natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship; relationship by marriage

affirmation:   positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath

affix:   fasten; append; add on; secure to something

affluence:   abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth

affluent:   having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

affront:   insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect

agenda:   items of business at a meeting; list or program of things to be done or considered

agglomeration:   collection; heap; act or process of gathering into a mass

aggrandize:   increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation

aggravating:   irritating; annoying; making worse or more heinous

aggregate:   gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to

aggressive:   making assaults; unjustly attacking; combative; hostile; tending to spread quickly

aggressiveness:   feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack; quality of being bold and enterprising

aghast:   struck by shock, terror, or amazement

agility:   mentally quick; moving quickly and lightly

agitate:   cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb

agitation:   anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance

agnostic:   one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality

agrarian:   pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters

ajar:   half-open; slightly turned or opened

alacrity:   cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness

alchemy:   medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming

alcove:   nook; small, recessed section of a room

algorithm:   established procedure for solving problem

alien:   dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person

alimentary:   providing nourishment; concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion

allay:   calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve

allege:   state without proof; assert to be true

allegory:   symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form

alliteration:   repetition of beginning sound in poetry

allocate:   assign; distribute according to plan

allude:   refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion

allusion:   indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor

aloft:   in or into a high place; high or higher up

alternate:   happening or following in turns; succeeding each other continuously; substitute

altitude:   elevation especially above sea level; height

altruistic:   unselfishly generous; concerned for others

amalgamate:   combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury

amass:   collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit

ambidextrous:   capable of using either hand with equal ease

ambience:   particular environment or surrounding influence; atmosphere of environment

ambiguous:   unclear or doubtful in meaning

ambivalence:   state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate

amble:   moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely

ambulatory:   able to walk; formed or adapted for walking; not stationary

ameliorate:   make or become better; improve; grow better

amenable:   responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable

amenities:   convenient features; courtesies

amiable:   good-natured and likable; lovable; warmly friendly

amicable:   exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome

amid:   in the middle of; among; surrounded by

amity:   friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations

amorous:   moved by sexual love; loving

amorphous:   formless; lacking shape or definition

amphibian:   able to live both on land and in water

amphitheater:   oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena

amplify:   broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase

amputate:   cut off part of body, especially by surgery; prune

anachronistic:   having time error in story; erroneous in date; in wrong time

analgesic:   serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness

analogous:   comparable; similar or alike

anarchist:   person who seeks to overturn established government; advocate of abolishing authority

anathema:   solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse

ancestor:   forefather; forebear; forerunner or predecessor

ancestry:   family descent; series or line of ancestors; lineage

ancillary:   serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary

anecdotal:   having the character of an anecdote; of short story of interesting or humorous incident

angular:   sharp-cornered; consisting of an angle or angles; stiff in manner

animate:   endowed with life; alive; living; animated

animated:   having life or vigor or spirit; filled with activity; in form of cartoon

animus:   feeling of enmity or ill will; attitude that informs one's actions; disposition

annals:   chronological record of the events of successive years

annihilate:   destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence

annotate:   comment; make explanatory notes

announce:   herald; give out; proclaim; make known publicly

announcement:   formal public statement; act of making known publicly

annoy:   disturb, especially by minor irritations; irritate

annuity:   annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year

annul:   make or declare void or invalid; reduce to nothing

anodyne:   source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain

anoint:   apply oil or similar substance to; put oil on during religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration.

anomalous:   deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule

anomaly:   irregularity; person or something that is unusual; departure from normal or common order

anonymous:   having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name

antagonism:   active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor

antecede:   precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order

antecedents:   preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background

antediluvian:   antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times

anthology:   book of literary selections by various authors

anthropocentric:   regarding human beings as the center of the universe

anthropoid:   manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance

anthropomorphic:   having human form or characteristics

anticlimax:   letdown in thought or emotion; decline viewed in disappointing contrast with previous rise

antipathy:   strong feeling of aversion; dislike

antithesis:   contrast; direct contrast; opposition

anxious:   eager; keen; worried; uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter

apathy:   lack of caring; indifference

aperture:   opening; diameter of such an opening; hole

apex:   highest point; vertex; summit; climax

aphasia:   loss of speech due to injury or illness

aphorism:   definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion

apiary:   place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey

aplomb:   poise; self-confident assurance

apocryphal:   untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious

apogee:   the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited

apolitical:   having aversion or lack of concern for political affairs

apologist:   person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as doctrine, policy, or institution

apostate:   one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs

apotheosis:   elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something

appall:   depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak

apparition:   ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible

appellation:   name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy

append:   attach; add as supplement or appendix

appliance:   durable goods for home or office use; device or instrument for household use

apply:   exert; put into service; avail oneself to;

apportion:   distribute; allot; give out as one's portion or share

apposite:   strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited

appraise:   estimate value of; evaluate, especially in official capacity

apprehension:   fearful or uneasy anticipation of the future; act of seizing or capturing; understanding

apprenticeship:   term during which one learns a trade from skilled worker; service or legal condition of an apprentice

apprise:   inform; give notice to; make aware

approaching:   impending; of the relatively near future; coming closer to another

approbation:   expression of warm approval; praise

appropriation:   funding; money set aside for a specific purpose

apropos:   with reference or regard; in respect

aptly:   in a competent capable manner; in an apt or suitable manner

aquatic:   consisting of, relating to, or being in water

aquiline:   curved or hooked like an eagle's beak

arable:   fit for growing crops, as by plowing

arbiter:   person with power to decide a dispute; judge

arboretum:   place where different tree varieties are exhibited

arcane:   secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated

archaeology:   study of artifacts and relics of early mankind

archaic:   no longer current or applicable; antiquated

archetype:   prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned

archipelago:   group of closely located islands

architecture:   art and science of designing and erecting buildings; buildings and other large structures

ardent:   displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate

arduous:   demanding great effort or labor; difficult

arid:   dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants

aristocracy:   hereditary nobility; privileged class

armada:   a fleet of warships; a large group of moving things

aroma:   fragrance; scent; pleasant characteristic odor, as of a plant, spice, or food

aromatic:   fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor

arousal:   act of awaking from sleep; arousing from what is like sleep

arouse:   excite; stimulate; awaken from or as if from sleep

arraign:   officially charge someone in a court of law

arrears:   being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation

arrogate:   claim without justification; claim for oneself without right

arroyo:   deep gully; a dry gulch; brook or creek; watercourse

arthritis:   inflammation of a joint or joints

article:   essay; editorial; individual thing or element of a class

articulate:   expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language

artifice:   subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity

artisan:   manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist

artless:   free of artificiality; natural; open and honest

ascendancy:   superiority or decisive advantage; domination

ascetic:   leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere

ascribe:   inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality

aseptic:   preventing infection; having cleansing effect

ashen:   ash-colored; very pale; consisting of ashes

askance:   with sideways or indirect look; Turned to side, especially of eyes

askew:   turned or twisted toward one side; at an angle

aspect:   distinct feature or element in a problem; a way in which something can be viewed by the mind

asperity:   sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate

aspirant:   one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position

assail:   assault; attack with or as if with violent blows

assay:   analyze; evaluate; examine by trial or experiment; put to test

assembly:   gathering; meeting; a group of persons gathered together for common reason

assent:   express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept

assiduous:   constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent

assimilate:   incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble

assist:   give help or support to, especially as a subordinate

assistant:   helper; person who assists or helps someone else

assuage:   ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease

astigmatism:   eye defect that prevents proper focus

astringent:   causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere

astronomical:   enormously large or extensive; relating to astronomy

asunder:   into separate parts or pieces; apart

asymmetric:   not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

atavism:   resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; deformity returning after passage of two or more generations

atavistic:   displaying characteristics of previous cultural era or of previous ancestral form

atheistic:   denying existence of God; godless

atrocity:   brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness

atrophy:   wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease

attach:   fasten; annex; be in contact with

attached:   fastened together; joined by wall, especially by sharing a wall with another building; not freestanding

attainment:   something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement

attenuate:   make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of

attorney:   lawyer; one who is appointed by another to act in his place or stead; proxy

attract:   draw to, or cause to tend to; engage or fix, as the mind, attention; invite or allure

attribute:   essential quality; reputation; honor

attrition:   gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment

atypical:   not normal; unusual or irregular; not representative of a group, class, or type

audacious:   fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold

audit:   examination of accounts; adjustment or correction of accounts

auditory:   of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing

auger:   hand tool for boring holes; hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice

augment:   make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity

augury:   sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens

aureole:   the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; halo

auroral:   characteristic of dawn; dawning, eastern, like new beginning; relating to the atmospheric phenomenon auroras

auspicious:   attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous

austere:   strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented

authenticate:   prove genuine; establish authenticity of

authoritarian:   expecting absolute obedience; completely dominating another's will

authoritative:   having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial

authority:   jurisdiction; power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge; government

authorize:   empower; give permission for; sanction

autocrat:   dictator; ruler having unlimited power

autocratic:   having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial

automaton:   mechanism that imitates actions of humans

autonomous:   self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent

autonomy:   independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination

auxiliary:   helper, additional or subsidiary

avalanche:   great mass of falling snow and ice

avarice:   greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain

aver:   declare to be true; affirm

averse:   reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling

aversion:   firm dislike; turning away; avoidance of a thing, situation, or behavior because of dislike

aviary:   large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept

aviation:   art or science of flying; flight; aeronautics

avid:   greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm

avocation:   activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment

avoidance:   keeping away from or preventing from happening

avow:   declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly

avuncular:   in manner of uncle, pertaining to uncle; kind, genial, benevolent or tolerant

awkwardly:   in an uncomfortable, nervous or embarrassed way

awry:   in a position that is turned toward one side; away from correct course

axiom:   self-evident truth requiring no proof

azure:   sky blue; light purplish-blue