100 words to know before the August SAT.

passionate, enthusiastic, or intensely devoted

worn out or made cynical by overexposure

honesty, frankness, or sincere expression

direct and blunt

doubtful or questioning

doubtful or suspect; of uncertain quality or outcome

having no concern or interest, unmoved

distant, reserved, and emotionally detached

scornfully mocking or cynical; contemptuously bitter

unaffected by passion or feeling

passionately devoted; fervent

optimistic or hopeful

lack of interest, emotion, or concern

a deep dislike or aversion

respectful submission or yielding to another

causing disagreement or debate

a strong, biased supporter of a side or cause

sedate, sober, characterized by dignity and propriety

extremely plain; stern and forbidding; relating to self-denial

practical, down-to-earth, concerned with results

to provide evidence for; to back up a claim

to prove a claim false or erroneous

to provide evidence or proof in support of a claim

to weaken or subvert by stealth or deceit; undercut

to give vital support, reinforce, or strengthen

to admit or yield

to refuse to accept or support; reject as untrue

to publicly condemn or criticize

to belittle or speak slightingly of

to ridicule, mock, or scornfully laugh at

to praise highly or glorify

to publicly support or recommend a cause

to assert without proof or before proving

to assume something to be true

to conclude from evidence or reasoning

to perceive, recognize, or distinguish clearly

to examine closely

to confirm the accuracy of something

to make legally void or ineffective

to drive away or scatter, as doubts or fears

to make clear or explain thoroughly

to make consistent or compatible; settle

to make a problem worse

to prevent from happening; exclude

to cut short or reduce

mysterious or known by few

something or someone puzzling, mysterious, or difficult to understand

slow to understand, or lacking sharpness

concise expression without wasted words

understood by only a small, specialized group

not transparent; impossible to see through

vague, cloudy, lacking clearly defined form

uncertainty or multiple interpretations

clear, easy to perceive or understand

showing keen discernment, sharpness of mind

clear, logical, and convincing

using few words; terse, succinct

brief, concise, pithily expressive

using more words than necessary; wordy

implied or indicated but not directly expressed

leaving no doubt, clear and absolute

not easily understood or seen

an idea or feeling a word evokes beyond its literal meaning

a proposition upon which an argument or theory is based

a typical model or pattern

a principle or belief held to be true

an act that establishes a model or guide for subsequent situations

general agreement

a subtle difference or distinction in expression or meaning

an inconsistency or difference between things

a statement seeming to contradict itself but that may be true

combining parts to form a whole; the end result of assembling elements

an agent that speeds a change or reaction without being consumed

a driving force or stimulus that provokes action

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

language intended to persuade or impress

keen insight or judgment

a scarcity or lack

something that deviates from the norm

a refutation or contradiction in argument

a supporter of a cause or idea

an opinion or conclusion formed on incomplete evidence

based on observation or experiment rather than theory

to arouse interest or curiosity; a feeling of resentment

Sounds like a sulk, and it can be one. On the test it usually means to stir up someone's interest.

to pretend or give a false appearance of

Not faint. To fake something — an illness, an emotion, ignorance.

lacking originality, freshness, or novelty

People hear it as offensive. It only means so ordinary it is boring.

ordinary, everyday, unexciting; routine

Nothing to do with dull people. It means of the everyday, the opposite of the exotic.

dull, ordinary, lacking imagination

Not prose as opposed to poetry. It means flat, unimaginative.

not new or original; overused and clichéd

Not trifling or small. It means worn out from overuse.

seemingly or apparently valid, likely, or acceptable

Not proven, and not even likely. Only believable enough to be worth a look.

appearing to be true but perhaps not so; apparent

Not obvious. It flags the reason someone gave, as against the real one.

harmless, causing no damage or offense

Not innocent. Harmless — usually said of a remark that turned out not to be.

gentle, kindly, or not harmful

Not just kind. Of a growth or a policy, it means it does no damage.

chosen at random, without reason

Not unfair, though it often is. It means chosen for no reason in particular.

lasting a very short time; fleeting

Not fragile. It lasts a very short time, however sturdy it is.

only superficially related to the matter at hand; digressing

Not tangled. Barely related to the point at hand.

fundamentally distinct or different in kind

Not desperate. Different in kind — things that will not sit in the same category.

healthy, strong, and full of energy

Rarely about muscles. A robust finding is one that holds up when you push on it.

prominent, conspicuous, or most noticeable

Not salty and not sailing. The detail that sticks out enough to matter.

to take the place of, especially by force or scheme

Not to plant again. To take another thing's place, usually by pushing it out.