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125 Most Difficult SAT Vocabulary Words for 2024

Have you ever stumbled upon an unfamiliar word while reading a complex text or engaging in a stimulating conversation? Or, have you ever found yourself staring at a passage on the SAT, completely baffled by the difficult SAT vocab words that seem to make no sense at all? If so, you’re not alone.

The SAT isn’t just about mastering math equations and grammar rules; it’s also about showcasing your ability to understand and use language effectively. By expanding your SAT vocabulary, you’ll not only conquer the SAT but also gain a powerful tool for success in college and beyond. So, dive into this blog and get ready to expand your vocabulary horizons!

What Is SAT Vocabulary?

Contrary to common belief, excelling on the SAT exam doesn’t require memorizing numerous obscure or difficult SAT vocabulary words. Instead, the SAT focuses on commonly encountered words relevant to college-level reading and professional contexts.

Unlike some standardized tests, the SAT doesn’t present you with isolated vocabulary definitions and asks you to match them with their meanings. Instead, all vocabulary words are presented within the context of reading passages, allowing you to utilize context clues to determine their correct usage.

Nevertheless, dedicating time to enhance your vocabulary by learning the meaning and usage of frequently used college-level words can prove immensely beneficial. This approach will not only improve your reading comprehension but also boost your confidence during the SAT, as you won’t be burdened with deciphering unfamiliar words through context clues alone. Additionally, enhanced vocabulary will enable you to read passages more quickly and efficiently.

To further solidify your understanding of vocabulary in context, practice exercises that require you to identify the meaning of words based on their usage within passages. This practice will train you to effectively utilize context clues to decipher unfamiliar words and enhance your overall reading comprehension.

125 SAT Vocab Words You Must Know

This selection of SAT words list is drawn from contemporary English media, offering sentences and contexts that align with current trends and popular topics in 2024. Expand your knowledge with these 125 most difficult SAT vocab words from A to Z.

Words	Meaning
1. Abate	v. to become less strong, or to make something less strong
2. Abstract	adj. existing as an idea, feeling, or quality, not as a material object
3. Abysmal	adj. very bad
4. Adversarial	adj. involving opposition or disagreement
5. Agitate	v. to argue energetically, esp. in public, in order to achieve a particular type of change
6. Benevolent	adj. kind and helpful
7. Beguile	v. to charm, attract, or interest, sometimes in order to deceive
8. Bereft	adj. having to do without something or someone and suffering from the loss
9. Blandishments	n. pleasant words or actions used in order to persuade someone to do something
10. Bilk	v. to get money from someone unfairly or dishonestly
11. Cajole	v. to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and (sometimes false) promises
12. Callous	adj. unkind, cruel, and without sympathy or feeling for other people
13. Calumny	n. (the act of making) a statement about someone that is not true and is intended to damage the reputation of that person
14. Camaraderie	n. a feeling of friendliness towards people that you work or share an experience with
15. Congruity	n. the quality of being the same as, or in agreement with, other facts or principles
16. Dearth	n. an amount of something that is too small: a lack
17. Debauch	v. to destroy or damage something so that it is no longer considered good or moral
18. Demagogue	n. a person, esp. a political leader, who wins support by exciting people’s emotions rather than giving them reasons
19. Denigrate	v. to say that someone or something is not good or important
20. Diaphanous	adj. A diaphanous substance, especially cloth, is so delicate and thin that you can see through it
21. Eclectic	adj. consisting of different types, methods, styles, etc.
22. Ebullient	adj. excited and enthusiastic
23. Egregious	adj. (of something bad) extreme; beyond any reasonable degree
24. Embezzlement	n. the crime of secretly taking money that is in your care or that belongs to an organization or business you work for
25. Emollient	n. a cream or liquid that makes dry or sore skin softer or less painful
26. Flagrant	adj. shocking because of being so bad and so obvious
27. Forbearance	n. the quality of being patient and being able to forgive someone or control yourself in a difficult situation
28. Fortuitous	adj. (esp. of something to your advantage) happening by chance
29. Fractious	adj. tending to argue, fight, or complain, and hard to control
30. Fetter	v. to keep someone within limits or stop them from making progress
31. Garrulous	adj. having the habit of talking a lot, esp. about unimportant things
32. Gourmand	n. a person who enjoys eating large amounts of food
33. Grandiloquent	adj. A grandiloquent style or way of using language is complicated in order to attract admiration and attention, especially in order to make someone or something seem important
34. Gratuitous	adj. not necessary; with no reasonable cause
35. Goulash	n. a dish originally from Hungary consisting of meat cooked in a sauce with vegetables and paprika (= a red spice)
36. Hegemony	n. (especially of countries) the position of being the strongest and most powerful and therefore able to control others
37. Heterogeneous	adj. consisting of different parts or types
38. Hapless	adj. unlucky
39. Hoard	v. to collect a large supply of something, more than you need now, often because you think you will not be able to get it later
40. Hokey	adj. too emotional or artificial to be believed
41. Idiosyncratic	adj. having strange or unusual habits, ways of behaving, or features
42. Impecunious	adj. having very little money
43. Inchoate	adj. only recently or partly formed, or not completely developed or clear
44. Incumbent	adj. officially having the named position
45. Intransigent	adj. refusing to change your opinions or behavior
46. Jubilant	adj. feeling or expressing great happiness, especially because of a success
47. Jacaranda	n. any of a genus (= group of related plants) of tropical American trees with attractive, usually purple flowers
48. Jumbotron	n. a very large video screen like those used in sports stadiums (= large areas of land with rows of seats and often no roof where people watch sports)
49. Jabber	v. to speak or say something quickly in a way that is difficult to understand
50. Juxtapose	v. to put things that are not similar next to each other
51. Kibosh	n. to spoil or destroy an idea or plan
52. Keloid	n. a scar that grows bigger and more lumpy than the wound it is healing
53. Knell	n. the sound of a bell rang slowly to announce a death
54. Kleptomania	n. a very strong wish to steal that you cannot control, especially without any need or purpose, usually considered to be a type of mental illness
55. Knave	n. a dishonest man
56. Laconic	adj. using very few words to express what you mean
57. Largesse	n. willingness to give money, or money given to poor people by rich people
58. Legerdemain	n. skillful hiding of the truth in order to trick people
59. Licentious	adj. (especially of a person or their behavior) sexual in an uncontrolled and socially unacceptable way
60. Linchpin	n. the most important member of a group or part of a system, that holds together the other members or parts or makes it possible for them to operate as intended
61. Maelstrom	n. a situation in which there is great confusion, violence, and destruction
62. Maudlin	adj. feeling sad and sorry for yourself, especially after you have drunk a lot of alcohol
63. Mawkish	adj. showing emotion or love in an awkward or silly way
64. Maverick	n. a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way
65. Mendacious	adj. not telling the truth
66. Negligent	adj. not being careful or giving enough attention to people or things that are your responsibility
67. Nadir	n. the worst moment, or the moment of least hope and least achievement
68. Neophyte	n. someone who has recently become involved in an activity and is still learning about it
69. Noisome	adj. very unpleasant and offensive
70. Noxious	adj. Something, especially a gas or other substance, that is noxious is poisonous or very harmful
71. Obdurate	adj. extremely determined to act in a particular way and not to change despite what anyone else says
72. Obfuscate	v. to make something less clear and harder to understand, especially intentionally
73. Obstreperous	adj. difficult to deal with and noisy
74. Officious	adj. too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of your own importance
75. Ostensible	adj. appearing or claiming to be one thing when it is really something else
76. Palliate	v. to reduce the bad effects of something
77. Paradigm	n. a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something
78. Pariah	n. a person who is not accepted by a social group, especially because they are not liked, respected, or trusted
79. Paucity	n. the fact that there is too little of something
80. Pejorative	adj. expressing disapproval or suggesting that something is not good or is of no importance
81. Quaint	adj. attractive because of being unusual and especially old-fashioned
82. Quixotic	adj. having or showing ideas that are different and unusual but not practical or likely to succeed
83. Quandary	n. a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved
84. Quibble	v. to argue about, or say you disapprove of, something that is not important
85. Quiescence	n. the state of being temporarily quiet and not active
86. Recalcitrant	adj. (of a person) unwilling to obey orders or to do what should be done, or (of an animal) refusing to be controlled
87. Redoubtable	adj. very strong, especially in character; producing respect and a little fear in others
88. Relegate	v. to put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position
89. Reprieve	n. an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of a prisoner
90. Rescind	v. to make a law, agreement, order, or decision no longer have any (legal) power
91. Sanctimonious	adj. acting as if morally better than others
92. Sanguine	adj. (of someone or someone’s character) positive and hoping for good things
93. Scurrilous	adj. expressing unfair or false criticism that is likely to damage someone’s reputation
94. Serendipity	n. the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance
95. Sobriety	n. the state of being sober
96. Tangential	adj. of or along a tangent
97. Torpid	adj. not active; moving or thinking slowly, especially as a result of being lazy or feeling that you want to sleep
98. Trenchant	adj. severe, expressing strong criticism or forceful opinions
99. Trite	adj. expressed too often to be interesting or seem sincere
100. Truculent	adj. unpleasant and likely to argue a lot
101. Ubiquitous	adj. seeming to be everywhere
102. Umbrage	n. to feel upset or annoyed, usually because you feel that someone has been rude or shown no respect to you
103. Upbraid	v. to forcefully or angrily tell someone they should not have done a particular thing and criticize them for having done it
104. Utilitarian	adj. designed to be useful rather than decorative
105. Uberize	v. to change the market for a service by introducing a different way of buying or using it, especially using mobile technology
106.  Veracity	n. the quality of being true, honest, or accurate
107. Vestige	n. a small part or amount of something larger, stronger, or more important that still exists from something that existed in the past
108. Vicissitudes	n. changes that happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse
109.Vilify	v. to say or write unpleasant things about someone or something, in order to cause other people to have a bad opinion of them
110. Virtuoso	n. a person who is extremely skilled at something, especially at playing an instrument or performing
111. Wanton	adj. (of something bad, such as damage, cruelty, waste) extreme and showing no care at all
112. Winsome	adj. attractive and pleasing, with simple qualities, sometimes like those a child has
113. Wily	adj. (of a person) intelligent, having a very good understanding of situations, possibilities, and people, and often willing to use tricks to achieve an aim
114. Wodge	n. a thick piece or a large amount of something
115. Wuthering	adj. used to describe a wind that is blowing very strongly or a place where the wind blows strongly
116. Yodel	v. to sing by making a series of very fast changes between the natural voice and a much higher voice
117. Yore	n. of a long time ago
118. Yack	v. to talk continuously, especially informally about things that are not very important
119. Yomp	v. (often of soldiers) to walk quickly and energetically, usually while carrying a lot of equipment
120. Yokel	n. a stupid or awkward person who lives in the countryside rather than a town, especially one whose appearance is in some way strange or humorous
121. Zealot	n. a person who has very strong opinions about something, and tries to make other people have them too
122. Zephyr	n. a light wind
123. Zap	v. to get rid of or kill something or someone, especially intentionally
124. Zeal	n. great enthusiasm or eagerness
125. Zenith	n. the highest point reached by a heavenly body (= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body

Note: 

1.  v.: verb
2. adj.: adjective
3. n.: noun

Suggested: How to Get a Perfect SAT Score?

Examples of SAT Vocabulary Questions

The SAT’s new digital format features a consolidated Reading and Writing section, which is divided into four distinct domains: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas. Among these, only the Craft and Structure domain directly assesses vocabulary as a skill.

According to the College Board’s guidelines for this domain, “Students will utilize comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills to comprehend and utilize high-utility words and phrases in context, assess texts rhetorically, and establish connections between thematically linked texts.”

This domain encompasses approximately 13-15 questions, comprising around 28% of the entire Reading and Writing section of the SAT. It’s important to note that vocabulary is not evaluated in isolation but within its contextual framework. Therefore, rather than simply defining words out of context, questions assess your ability to deduce meanings using contextual clues and interpret the intended message of phrases or passages.

Familiarity with alternative meanings of common SAT words, such as “directly” and “hold,” can be advantageous. While you may encounter more challenging SAT vocabulary words than those found in everyday use, they generally do not reach the difficulty level of older SAT exams.

Here’s an example of a Reading vocabulary question, illustrating how vocabulary is integrated into the passage:

Read also: SAT Score Conversion Chart

From the Desk of 51³ÉÈ˵¼º½

SAT vocabulary is important for a few reasons. First, it helps you better understand the reading passages on the SAT. Second, it can help you improve your writing skills, as you will be able to use more precise and accurate language. Third, having a strong vocabulary can make you look more intelligent and well-educated.

However, it is important to note that you do not need to memorize every SAT vocabulary word in order to do well on the test. Instead, you should focus on learning the most common and important words. You can also practice using these words in your writing and conversations.

Here are some tips for learning SAT vocabulary:

• Use flashcards. This is a classic study method that can be very effective.
• Read widely. This will expose you to new vocabulary words in context.
• Play word games. This can be a fun way to learn new words.
• Use a vocabulary app. There are many great vocabulary apps available that can help you learn new words on the go.

With a little effort, you can learn enough SAT vocabulary to improve your score on the test and your overall language skills.

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Frequently Asked Questions about SAT Vocabulary Words

1. How important is the SAT vocabulary?

While the SAT doesn’t explicitly test vocabulary with definition questions, a strong vocabulary is still important for doing well in the reading and writing sections. Many of the passages and questions on the SAT use sophisticated vocabulary, so being able to understand these words will help you better grasp the meaning of the text and answer questions correctly.

2. How many SAT vocabulary words do I need to know?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as the SAT doesn’t provide an official list of vocabulary words. However, it is generally recommended that you learn as many high-frequency SAT words as possible. These words are the ones that are most likely to appear on the test.

3. How much time should I spend studying SAT vocabulary?

The amount of time you need to spend studying SAT vocabulary will vary depending on your starting point. However, most experts recommend that you spend at least 30 minutes per day studying vocabulary.