SAT Vocab. List #10

  1. visceral (adj): characterized by instinct (from the “gut”) rather than reasoned thinking
  2. My desire to save the drowning boy was visceral; I wasn’t thinking about my own safety or the possible failure of my reckless endeavor, and I nearly got us both killed.
  3. ostentatious (adj): marked by an obnoxious display of wealth and/or success designed to impress people
  4. I cannot believe she showed up to build house for Habitat for Humanity driving that ostentatious yellow Ferrari!
  5. nascent (adj): in the process of emerging, being born, or starting to develop
  6. The nascent plant was only a little bud and still needed to develop into a full flower.
  7. loquacious (adj): tending to talk a great deal
  8. Many people think Søren is quiet because he can be so shy, but he is actually rather loquacious and never stops talking once you get to know him.
  9. inept (adj): lacking competence or skill for a particular task
  10. My inept brother cannot hammer in a nail, let alone build a bookshelf from scratch!
  11. derivative or derivate (adj): copied from somewhere & not original
  12. While he did write the story himself, the derivative plot is trite and has been told far too many times.
  13. accolade (noun): an expression of high praise and esteem for somebody’s achievements
  14. After I saved the kittens from the burning house, the ASPCA showered me with accolades, giving me a plaque and medal of honor.
  15. indigent (adj): poor/impoverished, lacking in the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, & shelter
  16. The massive amounts of indigent people in Haiti made the effects of the earthquake all the more devastating; they lacked the necessities of life as it was, and such destruction only made it worse.
  17. mitigate (verb): to make something less harsh, severe, or violent
  18. After I pleaded with the judge, she mitigated my sentence, lowering it from one week in jail to a $500 fine.
  19. perfidy (noun): treachery or deceit, betrayal
  20. When my own sister lied to the cops, blaming me for the crime she committed, I could not believe her perfidy; I never thought my own flesh and blood would betray me like that!