The 100 Most Common SAT Vocabulary Words You Must Know

Welcome to your ultimate SAT vocabulary study guide! While the Digital SAT has moved away from obscure, tricky words, a strong vocabulary is more critical than ever. The new "Words in Context" questions test your ability to understand how these high-utility words function in sophisticated reading passages.

We’ve analyzed official practice materials to curate this list of the 100 words you are most likely to encounter. Master these, and you'll be well on your way to acing the Reading and Writing section.

Part 1: Words 1-20

• Abate: (v.) to become less intense or widespread.
  Example: As the storm began to abate, we went outside to see the damage.
• Abdicate: (v.) to give up a position, right, or power.
  Example: The king was forced to abdicate the throne after the revolution.
• Aberration: (n.) something that differs from the norm.
  Example: The single failing grade on his report card was an aberration.
• Abstain: (v.) to restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.
  Example: I have to abstain from eating sugar for my new diet.
• Adversity: (n.) difficulties; misfortune.
  Example: She overcame years of adversity to become a successful doctor.
• Aesthetic: (adj.) concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
  Example: The aesthetic of the museum was very modern and pleasing.
• Amicable: (adj.) having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement.
  Example: Despite their divorce, they remained amicable for the sake of their children.
• Anachronistic: (adj.) belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.
  Example: The sight of a knight using a smartphone was anachronistic.
• Arid: (adj.) extremely dry or lacking in interest.
  Example: The arid desert landscape stretched for miles.
• Asylum: (n.) a place of safety and protection.
  Example: The refugees sought asylum in a neighboring country.
• Benevolent: (adj.) well meaning and kindly.
  Example: The benevolent billionaire donated millions to charity.
• Bias: (n.) a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group.
  Example: The news report showed a clear bias towards the home team.
• Boisterous: (adj.) noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy.
  Example: The boisterous crowd celebrated the victory.
• Brazen: (adj.) bold and without shame.
  Example: He told a brazen lie to the teacher's face.
• Brusque: (adj.) abrupt or offhand in speech or manner.
  Example: Her brusque reply showed she was in no mood for conversation.
• Camaraderie: (n.) mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
  Example: The team developed a strong sense of camaraderie.
• Canny: (adj.) having or showing shrewdness and good judgment.
  Example: The canny investor made a fortune in the stock market.
• Capacious: (adj.) having a lot of space inside; roomy.
  Example: Her capacious handbag seemed to hold everything.
• Capitulate: (v.) to surrender or give in.
  Example: The outnumbered army had no choice but to capitulate.
• Clairvoyant: (adj.) able to see the future.
  Example: She claimed to be clairvoyant, but no one believed her predictions.

Part 2: Words 21-40

• Collaborate: (v.) to work jointly on an activity.
  Example: The two scientists will collaborate on the research project.
• Compassion: (n.) sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings of others.
  Example: He felt deep compassion for the victims of the earthquake.
• Compromise: (v.) to settle a dispute by mutual concession.
  Example: To end the argument, they agreed to a compromise.
• Condescending: (adj.) having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority.
  Example: His condescending tone made everyone feel uncomfortable.
• Conditional: (adj.) subject to one or more conditions being met.
  Example: His job offer was conditional on a background check.
• Conformist: (n.) a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices.
  Example: He was too much of a conformist to challenge the rules.
• Conundrum: (n.) a confusing and difficult problem or question.
  Example: The philosopher pondered the conundrum of free will.
• Convergence: (n.) the process of coming together or merging.
  Example: The book describes the convergence of art and technology.
• Deleterious: (adj.) causing harm or damage.
  Example: Smoking has deleterious effects on your health.
• Demagogue: (n.) a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires rather than by using rational argument.
  Example: The demagogue stirred up the crowd with his fiery speeches.
• Digression: (n.) a temporary departure from the main subject.
  Example: The professor's lecture was full of interesting digressions.
• Diligent: (adj.) having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work.
  Example: The diligent student always completed her homework.
• Discredit: (v.) to harm the good reputation of someone or something.
  Example: They tried to discredit his theory with false data.
• Disdain: (n.) the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's respect.
  Example: He looked at the poor-quality work with disdain.
• Divergent: (adj.) tending to be different or develop in different directions.
  Example: They held divergent views on the matter.
• Empathy: (n.) the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
  Example: A good leader must have empathy for their team.
• Emulate: (v.) to match or surpass a person or achievement, typically by imitation.
  Example: He tried to emulate his hero's success.
• Enervating: (adj.) causing one to feel drained of energy; weakening.
  Example: The enervating heat made it difficult to work.
• Enhance: (v.) to intensify, increase, or further improve the quality of something.
  Example: He used spices to enhance the flavor of the dish.
• Ephemeral: (adj.) lasting for a very short time.
  Example: The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral.

Part 3: Words 41-60

• Exasperation: (n.) a feeling of intense irritation or annoyance.
  Example: She sighed in exasperation when the computer crashed again.
• Exemplary: (adj.) serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind.
  Example: His behavior was exemplary and earned him an award.
• Extenuating: (adj.) making a fault or offense seem less serious.
  Example: The extenuating circumstances led to a lighter sentence.
• Florid: (adj.) elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.
  Example: The florid prose was difficult to read.
• Fortuitous: (adj.) happening by a lucky chance.
  Example: It was a fortuitous coincidence that they were in the same city.
• Frugal: (adj.) sparing or economical with regard to money or food.
  Example: The frugal couple saved money by cooking at home.
• Hackneyed: (adj.) lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal.
  Example: The plot of the movie was hackneyed and predictable.
• Haughty: (adj.) arrogantly superior and disdainful.
  Example: The haughty waiter looked down on the diners.
• Hedonist: (n.) a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life.
  Example: He lived a hedonist lifestyle of parties and luxury.
• Hypothesis: (n.) a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
  Example: The scientist tested her hypothesis through a series of experiments.
• Impetuous: (adj.) acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
  Example: His impetuous decision to quit his job had serious consequences.
• Impute: (v.) to attribute something undesirable to someone.
  Example: He tried to impute his own mistakes to his colleagues.
• Inconsequential: (adj.) not important or significant.
  Example: His comments were inconsequential to the final decision.
• Inevitable: (adj.) certain to happen; unavoidable.
  Example: After months of drought, a water shortage was inevitable.
• Intrepid: (adj.) fearless; adventurous.
  Example: The intrepid explorer ventured into the uncharted jungle.
• Intuitive: (adj.) using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning.
  Example: She had an intuitive understanding of people's motivations.
• Jubilation: (n.) a feeling of great happiness and triumph.
  Example: There was jubilation in the streets after the team won the championship.
• Lobbyist: (n.) a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators.
  Example: The lobbyist argued for the new environmental regulations.
• Longevity: (n.) long life.
  Example: The secret to her longevity was a healthy diet and regular exercise.
• Mundane: (adj.) lacking interest or excitement; dull.
  Example: He longed for an escape from his mundane daily routine.

Part 4: Words 61-80

• Nonchalant: (adj.) feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed.
  Example: She gave a nonchalant shrug, pretending not to care.
• Novice: (n.) a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation.
  Example: He was a complete novice at playing the guitar.
• Opulent: (adj.) ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish.
  Example: The opulent palace was filled with gold and marble.
• Orator: (n.) a skillful public speaker.
  Example: The famous orator captivated the audience with his speech.
• Ostentatious: (adj.) characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress.
  Example: She wore an ostentatious diamond necklace.
• Parched: (adj.) dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.
  Example: After the long hike, he was parched and needed water.
• Perfidious: (adj.) deceitful and untrustworthy.
  Example: The perfidious friend betrayed his trust.
• Precocious: (adj.) having developed certain abilities at an earlier age than usual.
  Example: The precocious child could read at the age of three.
• Pretentious: (adj.) attempting to impress by affecting greater importance than is actually possessed.
  Example: The pretentious man used big words to sound smart.
• Procrastinate: (v.) to delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
  Example: He would always procrastinate on his homework until the last minute.
• Prosaic: (adj.) lacking poetic beauty; unromantic.
  Example: The prosaic description failed to capture the beauty of the scene.
• Prosperity: (n.) the state of being prosperous; wealth and success.
  Example: The country enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity.
• Provocative: (adj.) causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
  Example: His provocative comments started a heated debate.
• Prudent: (adj.) acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
  Example: The prudent investor avoided risky stocks.
• Querulous: (adj.) complaining in a petulant or whining manner.
  Example: The querulous child was never happy with his toys.
• Rancorous: (adj.) characterized by bitterness or resentment.
  Example: The ranconous dispute between the neighbors lasted for years.
• Reclusive: (adj.) avoiding the company of other people; solitary.
  Example: The reclusive author rarely left his home.
• Reconciliation: (n.) the restoration of friendly relations.
  Example: The two leaders met for a reconciliation after the conflict.
• Renovation: (n.) the action of renovating a building.
  Example: The old library is closed for renovation.
• Resilient: (adj.) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.
  Example: Children are often more resilient than adults.

Part 5: Words 81-100

• Restrained: (adj.) characterized by reserve or moderation; unemotional or dispassionate.
  Example: He gave a restrained and dignified speech.
• Reverence: (n.) deep respect for someone or something.
  Example: The crowd showed great reverence for the war hero.
• Sagacity: (n.) having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; wisdom.
  Example: The old professor was known for his sagacity.
• Scrutinize: (v.) to examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
  Example: The detective scrutinized the evidence for clues.
• Spontaneity: (n.) the condition of being spontaneous; impulsive action.
  Example: She loved the spontaneity of their road trip.
• Spurious: (adj.) not being what it purports to be; false or fake.
  Example: He was arrested for making spurious claims about the product.
• Submissive: (adj.) ready to conform to the authority or will of others.
  Example: She had a very submissive personality.
• Substantiate: (v.) to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of.
  Example: The reporter could not substantiate the rumors.
• Subtle: (adj.) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe.
  Example: There was a subtle change in his expression.
• Superficial: (adj.) existing or occurring at or on the surface; not thorough or deep.
  Example: Their conversation remained superficial and avoided any real issues.
• Superfluous: (adj.) unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
  Example: He cleared away the superfluous details.
• Suppress: (v.) to forcibly put an end to.
  Example: The government tried to suppress the protests.
• Surreptitious: (adj.) kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.
  Example: They carried on a surreptitious affair.
• Tactful: (adj.) having or showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.
  Example: She gave a tactful reply to the awkward question.
• Tenacious: (adj.) tending to keep a firm hold of something; not readily giving up.
  Example: The tenacious reporter wouldn't give up on the story.
• Transient: (adj.) lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
  Example: The transient joy of winning the lottery soon faded.
• Venerable: (adj.) accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.
  Example: The venerable professor was an expert in her field.
• Vindicate: (v.) to clear someone of blame or suspicion.
  Example: The new evidence served to vindicate the accused man.
• Wary: (adj.) feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
  Example: The cat was wary of the strange dog.
• Zealous: (adj.) having or showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause.
  Example: The zealous fans cheered loudly for their team.