The subject of SAT words (aka SAT vocabulary) has a tendency to be particularly daunting for students approaching their college admission test. For one thing, you do not know in advance which words to expect in this year’s word list. Even with the knowledge of the vocabulary used in the tests of previous years, you cannot know for sure all will be used on the day of the test this time around.
In addition, if you are concerned that your own vocabulary, in general, is not as strong as it could be, you find yourself in a particularly difficult position. You can put in plenty of reading during your free time and work on your vocab on a day-to-day basis, but you still need plenty of practice using these words in order to fully understand to use them. Find out if the most quality SAT prep books contain such vocabulary and what you will encounter in the best SAT prep courses .
Nevertheless, someone looking to get a good SAT score really has no choice but to focus heavily on SAT words. While it may not be the single most important SAT score, you may want to ensure your vocabulary knowledge is as strong as it can be can only help boost your score and your chances of getting into the college school of your choice.In addition, find out what happens if you haven't taken the SAT by the time you finish high school - or when to take the SAT to begin with.
First, the good news - a major overhaul back in 2016 resulted in vocabulary becoming a significantly less important aspect of the SAT as a whole. You still need to understand plenty of tricky words when used in the context of a sentence or passage, but nowhere near as much emphasis is placed upon specific words and phrases as in previous years.
As for the bad news - anywhere up to 15% of the Reading portion of the test is all about pairing words with their respective meanings. The new approach to SAT testing presents a variety of words in context, along with a selection of multiple-choice answers. While most academics agree that the tested words used these days are nowhere near as difficult as they used to be, you will still need to understand their meaning to ensure you select the right answer.
The easiest way to build a picture of how the whole thing works are to take a bunch of mock SAT tests online, during which you will see the use of SAT vocabulary words in context.
In addition to the above, the Writing and Language section of the test also features a variety of vocabulary based questions. In this instance, however, the future college students are simply required to replace or use certain specific SAT words on the basis of tense, transitions, or grammar. This is therefore more about the correct usage of the words and their variants than being able to define them outright.
The answer to this common question depends entirely on who you ask. There are some who believe putting in the work to learn and memorize a list in its entirety holds the key to acing this aspect of the test. By contrast, others advise against learning lists and suggest that doing so can actually make things more difficult than they need to be.
It, therefore, depends entirely on your own learning style and academic preferences. There’s no one specific way to study for an SAT that is guaranteed to work - what works for one person may not work for someone else. Also, find out what happens if you you take the test multiple times .
Nevertheless, there are countless (and in some cases exceptionally long) SAT word lists doing the rounds online, compiled from numerous past tests. The following is a comparatively short example of such a list, which provides useful insights into the type of language you can expect to encounter:
Word
Definition
to become less active, less intense, or less in amount
existing purely in the mind; not representing actual reality
in accordance with
the act of gaining a skill or possession of something
to make suit a new purpose
having knowledge or skill (usu. in a particular area)
having sufficient qualifications to meet a specific task or purpose
the arrival or creation of something (usu. historic)
a noisy argument or confrontation
unclear or vague in meaning
having a powerful desire for success or achievement
the state of being uncertain or stuck between two or more options
similar but not identical
to destroy or cause devastating destruction
something different from the norm
assume to be likely to happen
a strong feeling of dislike
the highest point of something
fearful expectation of something
to clearly express in words
actively interested in or enthusiastic about something
relating to the foundation or basis of something
to have as a characteristic
a preconception that prevents objectivity
tinged with a feeling of sadness
to support, strengthen, or fortify
an increase or growth
an intense, loud fight
the quality of being brief or terse
the trait of being honest and frank
to use to your advantage
to trap or take possession of
relating to the city or citizens
emotionally unattached (usu. used in the medical or scientific setting)
special advantage or power
indicating a rough texture
to happen at the same time
to imagine or come up with
to overlook, approve, or allow
able to bring about or be suitable for
to control or manage
to share something secretive with someone
to put limits on; to restrict
to form or compose (part of) something
to think deeply about
to maintain or assert (an opinion)
to be in contrast with
highly debatable and causing contention
abiding by accepted standards
to foster the growth of
to declare formally and with authority
not enough in degree or amount
to do as an example
to (over)use over time (usu. resources)
bare, barren, empty
to come up with (a plan)
a problem, usually requiring a choice between two options
conscientiousness; the quality of being committed to a task
to send off a message or messenger
the act of becoming diverse
a principle, theory, or position, usu. advocated by religion or gov’t
power and authority (usu. over a territory)
sad, gloomy, dull
peculiar or odd; deviating from the norm
to withstand, sustain, or hold out against
to involve or include
to specify or count
having no fixed course; deviating from the norm
to draw forth or call up
to make worse or increase the severity of
to do something extremely well or to be superior in
capable of being predicted or anticipated
the most essential or most basic part
thrilling, exciting, stimulating
relating to old age
supposed; related to a hypothesis
publicly shameful or humiliating
to transmit, bestow, or disclose
the equal and objective treatment of opposing views
impressive (esp. in size or appearance)
an unnecessary burden
not cautious or prudent; rash
to encourage or stir up
apathy, emotional detachment
randomly; with little or no distinction
to give into; to satisfy or gratify
to guess, conclude, or derive by reasoning
novel or new (esp. as an idea or invention)
can’t be satisfied
extravagant or exaggerated (as of a melodrama)
simple and humble
to change, alter, or tweak
a subtle difference in meaning
legally void and ineffective
judgment based on observations instead of emotions or opinions
no longer used; rare or uncommon
almighty and all-powerful
the beginning or early stages
to openly express an opinion
highly detailed and decorated
to remove or force out of (usu. a position or office)
predominant, superior, most important
to die; to pass away
having great influence
an example or subject from earlier in time
someone who comes before you (usu. in position or office)
to command orders
basic truth, assumption, or rule
to command against, to outlaw
punctual, on time
to put into law or formally declare
to bring a criminal action against someone (in a trial)
intending to provoke, inspire or arouse
involving qualities of something (features and content)
involving quantities (numbers and amounts)
a strange habit
to split into two or more branches
without attention to danger or risk
right away and without difficulty
to refuse to recognize as true
the act of keeping something
satisfied (usu. in hunger)
having practical intelligence or knowledge
morally offensive, often causing damage to one’s reputation
to look down on with disdain
paying great attention to detail
to examine carefully and critically
to produce or release (a substance)
enough; just meeting a requirement
unfriendly; inclined to anger
to get on top of or overcome
to be vulnerable (to something)
skilled at dealing with people
abundantly filled (usu. with living organisms)
usual mood or feelings
not yet finalized
see-through; so thin that light can shine through
dangerous and unstable
very large, good, or bad in degree or size
unfair; not justified
downright, utter, total
to prove to be reasonable
production of an amount
This is just one of the dozens of SAT word lists available, which in many instances differ significantly in terms of their content and suggested words.
The best way to prep for your test is whichever way works best for you. Practice makes perfect, as does arming yourself with every example test from previous years you can lay your hands on.
Of all the helpful tips to give you the best shot at nailing this portion of the test, none are more universally applicable and useful than the following five:
1.Get yourself a prep book and read it several times over. This will get you on track far better than simply attempting to read and learn the definition of several thousand words you may not even come across in the test.
2.Read plenty of other books and dedicate more of your spare time to reading. This means going beyond the usual study materials students use to prepare for tests and reading a diverse range of books to improve your vocabulary.
3.Always check dictionaries for word meanings if you have any questions or concerns regarding your understanding. Never simply assume you know what a word means - see if you’re right!
4.Create your own definitions for words if the formal definitions are not particularly easy to understand or are difficult to remember. This can make it much easier to memorize them.
5.Use your new vocabulary continuously, making every possible effort to include the new words you learn in all of your spoken and written communications. It may feel (and sound) a little weird, but it will also make them impossible to forget.
As with all aspects of SAT prep, the worst thing you can do for the sake of your score is freak out about the vocab section of the test and cause yourself unnecessary stress. Truth is, ask any of your friends and you’ll probably see they’re in exactly the same position as you.
Learning words can help you ace the SAT, but not nearly to the same extent as thorough all-around prep and practice. So rather than terrifying yourself with the endless lists of complex words and definitions doing the rounds online, adopt a more strategic approach and the vocab portion of your test won’t appear nearly as daunting.
