3000 Common SAT Vocabulary List

abase: 
v. Syn. lower; humiliate
humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem

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

abdomen: 
n.
belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis

abduction: 
n. Syn. kidnap
criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force

abet: 
v. Syn. encourage
aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage

abeyance: 
n. Syn. suspension
suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension

abject: 
a. Syn. wretched
being of the most miserable kind; wretched; lacking pride; brought low in condition or status

abjure: 
v. Syn. renounce; abandon
renounce upon oath; abandon forever

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

abnegate: 
v. Syn. renounce
give up or surrender; deny something to oneself

abnormal: 
a. Syn. anomalous; unusual
unusual; not typical; not normal

abominable: 
a. Syn. detestable
detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad

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

abrade: 
v. Syn. scrape; erode
wear away by friction; scrape; erode

abrasion: 
n. Syn. scratch; friction
scratch; friction

abridge: 
v. Syn. condense; shorten
condense; shorten; reduce length of written text

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

abrupt: 
a. Syn. sudden; unforeseen
broken off; very steep; having sudden transitions from one subject to another

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

absence: 
n.
state of being absent; state of being away

absolution: 
n.
act of absolving or the state of being absolved; formal remission of sin imparted by a priest

absolve: 
v. Syn. release; liberate; exempt
let off hook; relieve of requirement or obligation

absorb: 
v. Syn. monopolize; receive
assimilate or incorporate; suck or drink up; occupy full attention

absorption: 
n. Syn. assimilation; reception
process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion; state of mental concentration

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

abstemious: 
a. Syn. temperate
sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate

abstinence: 
n.
restraint from eating or drinking; refraining from indulging appetite or desire

abstruse: 
a. Syn. obscure; profound
obscure; profound; difficult to understand.

absurd: 
a. Syn. preposterous; ridiculous; foolish
preposterous; ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable; foolish

abundant: 
a. Syn. plentiful
plentiful; possessing riches or resources

abusive: 
a. Syn. scurrilous
coarsely insulting; physically harmful; characterized by improper or wrongful use

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

abyss: 
n. Syn. chasm
enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit; any deep, immeasurable space; hell

academic: 
a. Syn. scholarly; collegiate; theoretical
related to school; not practical or directly useful; relating to scholarly organization; based on formal education

academician: 
n.
a scholar who is skilled in academic disputation

academy: 
n.
school for special instruction; society of scholars, scientists, or artists

accede: 
v. Syn. agree; assent; concede
agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede

accelerate: 
v. Syn. speed; hasten
move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected

access: 
n. Syn. approach
approach; entry; entrance

accessible: 
a. Syn. obtainable; approachable
easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with

accessory: 
n. Syn. adjunct; appendage
additional object; useful but not essential thing; subordinate or supplementary item

acclaim: 
v. Syn. applaud
applaud; announce with great approval

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

accompaniment: 
n.
act of accompanying someone or something

accompany: 
v.
travel with; be associated with

accomplice: 
n. Syn. associate
partner in crime; associate in wrongdoing

accomplish: 
v. Syn. finish; achieve
succeed in doing; bring to pass; achieve; reach the end of; complete

accordion: 
n.
a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; reeds that are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player

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

account: 
n. Syn. report; description
narrative or record of events; reason given for a particular action or event

accouter: 
v. Syn. equip
equip; provide with military equipment

accredit: 
v. Syn. authorize; commission
authorize; commission; give credit for

accumulate: 
v. Syn. collect
pile up; collect; mount up; increase

accuracy: 
n.
quality of nearness to the truth or the true value

accurate: 
a. Syn. precise; correct
capable of providing a correct reading or measurement; performing with care and precision

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

accuse: 
v. Syn. blame; condemn
blame; condemn

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

acetic: 
a. Syn. vinegary; sour
having properties of vinegar; sour

acid: 
n.
sour; water-soluble compounds having a sour taste; quality of being sarcastic, bitter, or scornful

acknowledge: 
v. Syn. recognize; admit
declare to be true or admit; express obligation, thanks

acme: 
n. Syn. apex; apogee; climax; summit
the highest point or level, as of achievement or development; maturity or perfection of animal

acquaint: 
v. Syn. Inform
inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar

acquiesce: 
v. Syn. assent
assent; agree without protesting

acquittal: 
n. Syn. exoneration
state of being found or proved not guilty; judgment of not guilty

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

acrimonious: 
a. Syn. rancorous
bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner

actuate: 
v. Syn. motivate; activate
put into motion or action; activate

acumen: 
n. Syn. acuteness; insight
mental keenness; quickness of perception

acute: 
a. Syn. keen; sharp
quickly perceptive; keen; having a sharp point or tip; extremely sharp or severe

adamant: 
a. Syn. inflexible
extremely hard; inflexible; stubbornly unyielding

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

addle: 
v. Syn. muddle; confuse
muddle; drive crazy; become confused

adhere: 
v. Syn. stick; bond
stick fast; stick to firmly; be compatible or in accordance with

adherent: 
n. Syn. supporter; follower
person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause

adjacent: 
a. Syn. adjoining; neighboring
adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near

adjunct: 
n. Syn. addition; accessory
something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior

administrator: 
n.
one who manages a government agency or department

admonish: 
v. Syn. warn; reprove
warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided

admonition: 
n. Syn. warning
gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning

ado: 
n.
doing; bother; troublesome business; fuss; bustle

adoration: 
n.
act of playing honor to a divine being; worship paid to God; act of addressing as a god

adroit: 
a. Syn. skillful; dexterous
skillful and adept under pressing conditions

adulterate: 
v.
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

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

advent: 
n. Syn. arrival
coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important

adverse: 
a. Syn. unfavorable; hostile
in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose

adversity: 
n. Syn. poverty; misfortune
state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune

advisory: 
a.
having power to advice; containing advice

advocacy: 
n.
support; active pleading on behalf of something

advocate: 
v. Syn. urge; support
speak, plead, or argue in favour of; plead for; push for something

aerial: 
a.
of the air or atmosphere; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air

affable: 
a.
easily approachable; warmly friendly

affect: 
v.
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

affiliate: 
v. Syn. associate; incorporate
associate; incorporate

affirmative: 
a.
confirmative; ratifying; giving assent or approval; confirming

affix: 
v. Syn. fasten; attach
fasten; append; add on; secure to something

affluence: 
n. Syn. abundance; wealth
abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth

affront: 
n. Syn. insult; offense
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect

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

aggravate: 
v. Syn. worsen; exacerbate
worsen; make worse or more troublesome

aggregate: 
v. Syn. gather; accumulate
gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to

aghast: 
a. Syn. horrified
struck by shock, terror, or amazement

agile: 
a. Syn. nimble; brisk
moving quickly and lightly; mentally quick

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

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

ailment: 
n. Syn. sickness; illness; affliction
sickness; illness; affliction

akin: 
a. Syn. related; similar
of the same kin; related by blood

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

albeit: 
ad.
even though; although; notwithstanding

album: 
n.
a list of names; a register for visitors; a blank book, in which to insert autographs sketches, memorial writing of friends, photographs

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

alcove: 
n. Syn. nook
nook; small, recessed section of a room

alder: 
n.
north temperate shrubs or trees having toothed leaves and cone like fruit

alias: 
n.
assumed name; another name; name that has been assumed temporarily

alien: 
a. Syn. strange; unfamiliar; foreign
dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person

alienate: 
v. Syn. estrange; transfer; separate
cause to become unfriendly or hostile; transfer property or ownership; isolate or dissociate emotionally

alkali: 
n.
soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia

allay: 
v. Syn. calm; pacify; relieve
calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve

allege: 
v. Syn. affirm
state without proof; assert to be true

allegory: 
n. Syn. fable
symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form

alleviate: 
v. Syn. relieve; moderate; reduce
provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part

alley: 
n.
narrow passage, especially a walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes

alliance: 
n.
state of being allied; act of allying or uniting; a union or connection of interests between families, states, parties

allot: 
v. Syn. distribute
parcel out in parts or portions; distribute to each individual concerned; assign as a share or lot

allude: 
v. Syn. imply; refer
refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion

allusion: 
n. Syn. metaphor
indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor

ally: 
n. Syn. confederate; partner; collaborator
confederate; partner; collaborator

aloof: 
a. Syn. apart; distant
apart; remote in manner; distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote

altar: 
n.
raised structure on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity

alter: 
v. Syn. modify; change; convert
modify; cause to change; make different; convert

alteration: 
n. Syn. renovation; change
passage from one form or state to another; change

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

alternative: 
a.
one of two or more things, ideas or courses of action that may be used; option; choice

altitude: 
n. Syn. elevation; height
elevation especially above sea level; height

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

amateur: 
a. Syn. nonprofessional; inexpert
nonprofessional; lacking the skill of a professional, as in an art

ambidextrous: 
a.
capable of using either hand with equal ease

ambiguous: 
a.
unclear or doubtful in meaning

ambitious: 
a. Syn. aspiring; enterprising
aspiring; having a strong desire for success or achievement

ambulance: 
n.
field hospital organized as to follow an army in its movements; wagon for conveying the wounded to hospital

ambush: 
n.
disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station

ameliorate: 
v. Syn. improve
make or become better; improve; grow better

amenable: 
a. Syn. responsible; accountable
responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable

amicable: 
a. Syn. friendly
exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome

amity: 
n. Syn. friendship
friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations

amorous: 
a.
moved by sexual love; loving

amorphous: 
a. Syn. formless
formless; lacking shape or definition