Week 1

Antidote n. something that relieves or prevents; a remedy that counteracts poison

• Advil is an effective antidote for a pain in the neck!
• Interesting, hard work is an effective antidote for boredom.

Congruent adj. having identical shape and size; in agreement

• Five congruent rings make up the Olympic symbol.
• The class goals and individual goals are congruent:  success for each student!

* Torpid adj. lacking energy; relating to inactivity; feeling sluggish

• The torpid days of summer are gone and it’s time for school!
• The opposite of torpid is fervent and zealous!

RELATED LINKS:
College Resources
Current SAT Words
2007-2008 SAT Words

Week 2

* Exuberant adj. overflowing with vitality and good spirits

• Students and teachers were exuberant during the first week of school and enthusiastic about learning.
• Every morning, Richard leaps from bed exuberantly, anticipating the adventures of the day!

Gregarious adj. sociable, outgoing, friendly, talkative

• Gregarious children often turn into taciturn teenagers.
• People who are gregarious usually enjoy raucous family gatherings and parties.

Integer n. any positive or negative whole number or zero

• Zero is considered to be neither positive nor negative and is an integer.
• Fractions or numbers that contain fractions are not integers.

Week 3

Intrepid adj. fearless

• As a young sportscaster, Steve was intrepid with his hot sports opinions; however, his courage has faltered over the years.
• The intrepid young driver braved the tiny lanes and traffic on LBJ even though he was inexperienced.
• The student became an intrepid writer, tackling difficult and controversial topics.

Melancholy adj. a feeling of sadness and gloominess

• Filled with cheer and laughter, the state fair is no place for melancholic faces.
• Tyler sank into a melancholy mood when his mom served mushy cauliflower and smelly turnips for dinner.

Prolific adj. abundant; producing a great deal; fertile

• Despite Mona’s prolific efforts at writing, she never shares her short stories with friends.
• A prolific artist, Donna paints hundreds of watercolors each year.

Week 4

Quell vb. to subdue; to quiet down

• Mr. Medina fearlessly quelled the discordant din in the cafeteria.
• The weather forecaster promised that landfall would quell the hurricane winds.

Plethora n. excess; abundance

• The kindergarten rooms are crowded with a plethora of materials, books, and children!
• A plethora of tropical storms and hurricanes has made this an interesting month for weather.

Prudent adj. careful, cautious, and wise

• Prudent residents of the coast left the city when advised to evacuate due to Hurricane Ike.
• It’s economically prudent to recycle as well as good for the environment with the potential of alleviating tons of garbage in landfills.

Week 5

Assuage vb. to lessen pain or conflict; pacify

• To assuage the pain of a sunburn, try aloe vera gel.
• The delectable buffet provided by the MISD catering department assuaged the ravenous hunger of the crowd at the meeting.

Cacophony lack of harmony; loud and unpleasant noise; a racket

• The clash of metal on the rocks created a cacophony that was hard to bear.
• A cacophony poured out of the school cafeteria that caused the school principal to become even more cantankerous!

Pariah n. a social outcast

• When he started riding his new motorcycle through the neighborhood at 6 a.m. Saturday mornings, Ed became the neighborhood pariah.
• Her fanatical and fervent support of communism made her a pariah in the Democratic party.

Week 6

Acute adj. keen-minded, sharp; an angle between 0 and 90 degrees

• Mr. Royle’s acute mind allowed him to keep all the details in focus and solve the problem.
• Annie had a dull toothache yesterday, but the pain is more acute today.
• An acute angle is the opposite of an obtuse angle.

Debacle n. a failure or breakdown; fiasco, disaster

• The recent debacle on Wall Street is a national disaster that must be addressed by the government to avoid long-lasting repercussions.
• The football game was a debacle.  The offense couldn’t move and the defense couldn’t stop the Redskins.

Supercilious adj. disdainful; full of pride; looking down on others

• Most people were rebuffed by her supercilious manner.
• A supercilious attitude is far from endearing and indicates a disregard for the feelings of others.

Week 7

Conflagration n. a huge fire, an inferno

• Flames from the conflagration lit up the sky for miles around.
• Creating a conflagration of books was the job of the firemen in Fahrenheit 451.
• During the recent conflagration, 3,000 homes burned to the ground.

Odious adj. loathsome; evil; revolting in a disgusting way

• His odious dinner habits were detrimental to his popularity.
• History is filled with odious people such as Jeffrey Dahmer whose nefarious crimes are both unspeakable and unfathomable.

Profuse adj. abundant; more than enough

• Please accept my profuse thanks for your hospitality and warmth.
• A profusion of options in our extra curricular activities gives students a plethora of choices.

Week 8

Ambiguous adj. hard to understand; unclear; open to more than one interpretation

• The reasons for the Wall Street disaster are ambiguous. Nobody seems to fully understand the cause.
• At times an author will purposefully write an ambiguous passage, leaving it open to each person’s interpretation.

Frivolous adj. not having substance; silly; trivial; trifling

• If you ask a silly question, you’ll probably get a frivolous answer.
• Some of the books written by Dr. Seuss are far from frivolous and, instead, are filled with meaning and wisdom.

Sagacious adj. wise

• My little brother says the most sagacious things; he may be a budding genius.
• The teacher wrote, “This sagacious essay is full of impressive insights.”
• The sagacious teacher knew that the student was not telling the whole truth.

Week 9

Contusion n. bruise, injury

• Tony Romo received multiple injuries against Arizona including contusions and a broken finger.
• A fall from a stepladder left Mrs. Bonham with minor contusions, a fractured arm, and a bruised ego.

Lassitude n. tired feeling, usually resulting from depression or too much work

• Overcome by lassitude after a hard week at work, I squandered the day away complacently watching the grass grow.
• Michael felt an overwhelming lassitude at school after a late night hockey practice.

Venerate v. to feel or show deep respect for, especially due to age or traditions.

• MHS students venerate their Skeeter mascot and expect others to do the same.
• Lawyers and politicians were venerated in the past because of the position they hold; that is not the case now.

Week 10

Candor n. honesty, sincerity

• Politicians rarely speak with total candor because they don’t want to offend anyone.
• Jeff made his points politely but with candor.

Ominous adj. pertaining to an evil omen; foreboding

• The dark, ominous clouds created the perfect trick-or-treat setting.
• As he walked up the sidewalk to the creepy house, an ominous feeling of foreboding followed him.

Whimsical adj. fanciful

• Whimsical costumes make Halloween especially fun for children.
• The candidate’s rhetoric is scary with whimsical solutions that obviously will only worsen the economic crisis.
• The student’s whimsical reason for forgetting his homework was entertaining but didn’t satisfy his teacher.

Week 11

Brevity n. briefness or conciseness in speech or writing

• When time is short, brevity is a virtue.
• The preacher’s brevity is appreciated when the Cowboys play at noon!

Lackluster adj. lacking vitality and energy; boring

• Lackluster grades may prevent a student from going to a top-rated college.
• The lackluster performance by the Cowboys week after week will again keep them from reaching the playoffs.

Relic n. a custom or object that has been around for a very, very long time

• The King Tut exhibit displays a plethora of relics from ancient Egyptian times.
• In some ways Aunt Susie seems like a relic from the past, but she can quote the latest rap lyrics verbatim.

Week 12

Chastise vb. to punish or scold harshly

• Wade chastised the boys vociferously for their lackluster performance.
• For a teenager, taking away his phone is the worst chastisement possible.

Eloquence n. ease with speaking; speech that can influence people’s feelings

• Even the most eloquent sermons and graduation speeches are often forgotten.
• Among American presidents, Lincoln wins the prize for eloquence.
• The coach spoke eloquently about the need to win all of the remaining games to make the playoffs.

Judicious adj. showing wisdom in judging people and situations

• By keeping to a budget, she is able to make judicious use of her limited income.
• John chose a college without thinking much about it, but Nora is trying to be more judicious in her choice.

Week 13

Colloquial adj. pertaining to common everyday speech; conversational

• The book is filled with colloquial expressions that reflect the speech of people in the deep South.
• An example of a colloquial greeting is “Hey, dude, what’s up?”

Debunk vb. to prove wrong or false

• Ghosthunters is a TV show that tries to debunk hauntings.
• The UFO sighting was debunked by the man who threw the Frisbee for the photographer.
• The findings from the science experiment were debunked by the students when they were unable to replicate the results.

• If Marion Barber is not more wary about running into huge linemen, he won’t last more than a few seasons as a running back.
• Be wary of offers that sound too good to be true (because they usually are).

Week 14

Autonomous adj. independent

• Some students like to work in teams while others prefer to work autonomously.
  
• While it is satisfying to be autonomous and living on your own, the responsibility can be overwhelming.

Extol vb. to praise highly; laud

• Extolling the efforts of students never fails to motivate them to keep up the good work.
• Some historical figures were exuberantly extolled until their less than admirable qualities became known.

• We savored the Thanksgiving meal and enjoyed each bite.
• Sage is a savory spice that makes turkey and dressing so delectable.
• A savory meal is the antidote for a ravenous appetite.

Week 15

Castigate vb. to  scold or punish severely

• Fearing castigation, Tyler made sure that he handed in his homework on time.
• Ed was castigated by the policeman and received a ticket for speeding on his motorcycle.

Rhombus n. A quadrilateral with all four sides the same length

• This square is a rhombus; in fact, all squares are rhombi.
• Jeff is building a coffee table with a unique rhombus design.

• The tranquility of the afternoon was broken by the raucous crowd leaving for the football game.
• Peace and tranquility are two things for which we should be thankful.

Week 16

Altruistic adj. showing an unselfish concern for others

• MISD students are great examples of altruism.  They generously give to others in need during the holiday season.
• The altruistic nature of school counselors can be seen in their volunteer efforts during the Christmas season.

Largess n. generous giving

• Organizations such as the Salvation Army depend on the largess of good people during the holidays to help those in need.
• Some students depend on the largess of their teachers to make the grades they want!

• It’s easy for Americans to be munificent because we live in a country of abundance.
• His munificent act of altruism provided a lavish Christmas dinner for the homeless shelter.

Week 17

Ambivalent adj. having conflicting feelings or opinions about something

• Matt feels ambivalent about a snow day; he wants to stay home from school but doesn’t want to make up the day in June.
• Ambivalence will be taken as a sign of weakness in an argument; if you want to win, you need to take a side.

Euphony n. a pleasing sound

• The euphony of raindrops on the roof makes an afternoon nap especially satisfying.
• The screeching sounds from John’s violin sounded euphonious only to his parents!

Surreptitious adj. done or made in a secret, stealthy way

• Using surreptitious methods, the teachers planned a birthday party for the custodian.
• Joe’s surreptitious behavior worries his parents.
• During the test, Damian surreptitiously studied the notes he had hidden.

Week 18

Apathetic adj. indifferent; showing no concern or interest; lacking emotion

• The raucous crowd grew apathetic as it became apparent that the football game was going to be a landslide defeat.
• Students can’t afford to be apathetic about the TAKS test when a high school diploma is at stake.

Confounding adj. puzzling; baffling

• The lack of success by a talented team of individuals is a confounding mystery.
• The possible existence of extraterrestrial life has confounded scientists for decades.

Delusion n. a false opinion or belief

• It’s probably just self-delusion or wishful thinking, but I believe we’ll be watching the Cowboys in the Super Bowl in 2010!
• To aspire to do well on Mr. Hall’s calculus test without study is just a delusion.

Week 19

Ebullience adj. filled with a bubbly excitement as if boiling over with enthusiasm

• Having made a hole in one, Mr. Coffey could hardly contain his ebullience!  
• President Obama’s ebullience was infectious.  Everyone left the inauguration filled with excitement about the future of our country.

Panegyrize v. to praise a person in a formal speech or in writing

• President Obama was panegyrized by a wide variety of speakers at the inauguration ceremony.
• As best man at the wedding, Luke panegyrized the happy couple.

Verbose adj. using too many words; wordy; long-winded; opposite of taciturn.

• The verbose news anchor detracted from the inaugural coverage with his copious comments.
• When time is short, verbose explanations are inappropriate.
• Verbose writing can be hard to read due to excessive detail.

Week 20

Effervescent adj. lively; full of uplifted sprit; vivacious

• Ms. Brown is effervescent when teaching her math classes; everyone has a great time in her class and learns a great deal as well.
• Distressed over losing the basketball game, Mark was less effervescent than usual.

Detached adj. aloof; indifferent

• Denise is detached from class activities. She sits passively and never participates in discussions.
• Connie seemed to be uncaring about the outcome of the Super Bowl, but she wasn’t as detached as she appeared.

Mundane adj. commonplace; ordinary

• In contrast to the new and unusual, the mundane happenings of everyday existence are pretty dull.
• For Denise, the sentences were just too mundane to be tolerated; she spent the entire day making up some that she thought would be more interesting.

Week 21

Sluggish adj. slow and lazy

• The groundhog was a bit sluggish when he peeked out of his home to find his shadow.
• The drain in the bathtub is sluggish and usually takes ten minutes to empty the water from the tub.

Clandestine adj. hidden, secret, concealed

• The students surreptitiously planned a clandestine trip to Sonic during lunch.
• The clandestine plans for prom insured that everyone was surprised.

Recalcitrant adj. stubborn, disobedient; defiant

• The recalcitrant student refused to turn off his cell phone.
• In spite of the law, many recalcitrant drivers resist putting on seat belts.

Week 22

Ardent  adj. full of passion and emotion

• Mav fans ardently support their team even when they aren’t winning.
• For their extraordinary service, the volunteers deserve ardent thanks.

Enigma n. a riddle or mystery; a puzzling matter or person

• My teacher is an enigma.  His moods change all the time making it impossible to know what he’s thinking.
• Crime scene investigators enjoy the enigma that is such an interesting part of their job.

Vociferous adj. loud and noisy; shouting; clamorous

• The vociferous crowd noisily demanded that the store open its doors early.
• Tyler vociferously denied cutting class; he wouldn’t stop arguing about it for hours.

Week 23

Adversity n. great trouble or difficulty

• The citizens of our country are pulling together to overcome the current economic adversity.
• The adversity caused by some of the Cowboy’s teammates make winning even more difficult.

Labyrinth n. a maze from which it is very hard to extricate or free oneself

• Mesquite High School is a labyrinth of buildings and hallways with something interesting around every corner!
• Applying to colleges may seem like a labyrinth to students who don’t have someone to guide them through the process.

Voracious adj. greedy; gluttonous, ravenous; insatiable

• Because she skipped breakfast, Molly had a voracious appetite at lunch.
• Sally reads voraciously, often completing two or more books a week.
• He is voracious about sports of all kinds.

Week 24

archaic adj. old, from a much earlier time; antiquated

• Some scholars study archaic languages no longer spoken anywhere in the world.
• Many glassmakers still use archaic techniques perfected hundreds of years ago.
• Teenagers consider a hand-written letter to be an archaic form of communication.

• Applebee’s has an eclectic menu with a little bit of every kind of food.
• Debbie has an eclectic taste in music; she likes country as well as rock and opera.
• The furniture in my house can best be described as eclectic with a piece representing just about every design style and period.

• Cell phones have become a ubiquitous part of our culture; everyone has one.
• Computers are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and are used in every aspect of life.
• Gift cards are ubiquitous in the wedding invitation world.

Week 25

Compliant adj. yielding, submissive

• Mrs. Marshall prefers compliant students who are willing to work hard every day as they prepare for the future.
• A student who complies with the school rules, stays out of trouble.

Magnanimous adj. generous in overlooking insult or injury by others; having a sense of generosity

• After the attempt on his life, the Pope magnanimously forgave the man who shot him.
• Mr. Koonce is a magnanimous man, offering full college scholarships to the children of his neighbors and friends.

Savvy adj. smart; informed

• The savvy student completely understood the complex concept.
• Mrs. York is savvy enough to find her way around the Metroplex without a map.
• Savvy investors know the dangers of stock market.

Week 26

Collegiate adj. of or like a college; of or like a college student

• There is a collegiate atmosphere at this high school where students are preparing for life after graduation.
• Even though the salutatorian has a collegiate, studious demeanor most of the time, he can be quite affable and exuberant.

• An acclaimed orator, Dr. Turner was widely considered to be one of the favorite professors at the university due to her interesting lectures.
• The orator received a standing ovation for his outstanding oration.  (Try saying that three times!)

• Tim was determined to zealously work throughout his high school years so that he would be prepared for college.
• The valedictorian may be described as a zealous student who determinedly puts a priority on schoolwork.

Week 28

Austere adj. showing self-control when it comes to foregoing luxuries and   frills; stern in manner or appearance

• College students usually live an austere life, saving money for books and tuition whenever possible.
• The economic downturn has caused some people to change their ostentatious lifestyle for one that is more austere.

Inception n. the start, the beginning of something

• At the inception of spring, the landscape turns a beautiful, bright shade of green.
• Since the inception of email, the postal service has seen a steady decline in the amount of snail mail delivered.

Turbulence n. great unrest; turmoil or disorder

• To give the passengers a smooth flight, the pilot steered the plane around the air turbulence.
• The turbulence between Republicans and Democrats keeps them from working together for the good of the nation.

Week 29

Chary adj. cautious; wary

• Be chary on Wednesday or you may find yourself fooled!
• The chary person is careful about being out late at night.

• The clamor of pots and dishes means dinner is not far away.
• His IPod earphones muffled the clamor of the crowd and allowed him to listen to music in peace.

Sedentary adj. having to do with sitting around a lot

• A sedentary lifestyle can be an impediment to good health.
• Craig was unhappy with his sedentary job and wished for one that gave him more reason to move about.

Week 30

Devious adj. dishonest or deceptive; tricky

• The sly, devious fox outwitted the farmer and got into the henhouse.
• His devious nature kept his supervisor from promoting him to a position of trust.

Obdurate adj. resistant to persuasion or softening; stubborn

• Ed stuck to his opinion obdurately in spite of evidence that proved him wrong.
• The senator was unwilling to compromise.  By being obdurate, she finally got the bill passed.

Phlegmatic adj. hard to get excited or emotional; calm, slow-moving

• Andrea is too phlegmatic to scream and yell at the football games.
• His blood pressure tended to be high in spite of his phlegmatic temperament.

Week 31

Acrid adj. bitter, harsh

• Acrid exhaust fumes from the traffic inside the tunnel made him cough.
• The acrid smell inside the room made me feel sick.

Impassioned adj. filled with passionate emotion

• The defense attorney made an impassioned speech to the jury, but the jury remained unmoved by his emotional words.
• Because John’s impassioned words struck Maria’s heart, she agreed to marry him.

• The story is about a slow journey down a river flowing languorously to the sea.
• Overcome by languor, I sat on the porch all day and watched the grass grow.

Week 32

Aloof adj. uninterested; showing no concern; emotionally removed or distant

• Michael appears to be aloof, but his detachment actually comes from shyness.
• The aloof student was not connected to the school in any way and refused to participate in extra-curricular activities.
• Some people choose to stay aloof from their neighbors by not being a part of neighborhood activities.

Perspicacious adj. using wise judgment; sharp-minded

• As a perspicacious observer of teenagers, Mrs. Cummings knew instantly that Kenny might be a problem.
• The most perspicacious scene in the play is the family dinner where the author shows insight into the character dynamics.
• Mrs. Nelson’s perspicacious attention to detail makes her particularly adept at solving problems.

Squander vb. to spend resources in a wasteful, uncaring fashion.

• With just a few days until TAKS testing we can’t afford to squander even a few minutes of the school day.
• It’s difficult for teenagers not to squander their money on fast food and entertainment.
• Countries squander billions of dollars on weapons they will hopefully never use.

Week 33

Audacious adj. showing a willingness to take bold risks

• The teacher set an audacious goal:  every student in her class would score commended on TAKS!
• Audacious goals encourage students to have high expectations for themselves.
• The student’s approach to TAKS was audacious and without fear.

Copious adj. abundant in supply or quantity

• The teacher paid copious attention to the test manual while preparing to give the TAKS test to her students.
• Copious amounts of snacks and drinks were available to encourage students to continue working hard on their test.

Resolute adj. firm, determined

• With a resolute gleam in his eye, the third grader began his TAKS test.
• The senior was resolute in her goal that this time she would pass the science TAKS test.
• The teacher was resolute that each student would successfully meet his goal.

* Each week there will be one repeat word from last year.