300 Most Difficult SAT Words 300 words

1. abject
of the most contemptible kind
2. aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm
3. abjure
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
4. abnegation
the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief
5. abrogate
revoke formally
6. abscond
run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
7. abstruse
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
8. accede
yield to another's wish or opinion
9. accost
speak to someone
10. accretion
an increase by natural growth or addition
11. acumen
shrewdness shown by keen insight
12. adamant
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
13. admonish
take to task
14. adumbrate
describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
15. adverse
in an opposing direction
16. advocate
a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
17. affluent
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
18. aggrandize
add details to
19. alacrity
liveliness and eagerness
20. alias
a name that has been assumed temporarily
21. ambivalent
uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
22. amenable
disposed or willing to comply
23. amorphous
having no definite form or distinct shape
24. anachronistic
chronologically misplaced
25. anathema
a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
26. annex
attach to
27. antediluvian
of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
28. antiseptic
thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms
29. apathetic
showing little or no emotion or animation
30. antithesis
exact opposite
31. apocryphal
being of questionable authenticity
32. approbation
official approval
33. arbitrary
based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
34. arboreal
resembling a tree in form and branching structure
35. arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
36. archetypal
representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned
37. arrogate
 seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or
possession
38. ascetic
someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
39. aspersion
a disparaging remark
40. assiduous
marked by care and persistent effort
41. atrophy
a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
42. bane
something causing misery or death
43. bashful
self-consciously timid
44. beguile
influence by slyness
45. bereft
sorrowful through loss or deprivation
46. blandishment
flattery intended to persuade
47. bilk
cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
48. bombastic
ostentatiously lofty in style
49. cajole
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
50. callous
having calluses; having skin made tough and thick through wear
51. calumny
a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or
actions
52. camaraderie
the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
53. candor
the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech
54. capitulate
surrender under agreed conditions
55. carouse
engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking
56. carp
any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
57. caucus
meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
58. cavort
play boisterously
59. circumlocution
an indirect way of expressing something
60. circumscribe
to draw a geometric figure around another figure so that the two are in contact but do not
intersect
61. circumvent
surround so as to force to give up
62. clamor
utter or proclaim insistently and noisily
63. cleave
separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
64. cobbler
a person who makes or repairs shoes
65. cogent
powerfully persuasive
66. cognizant
(sometimes followed by `of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or
perception
67. commensurate
corresponding in size or degree or extent
68. complement
something added to complete or embellish or make perfect
69. compunction
a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)
70. concomitant
following or accompanying as a consequence
71. conduit
a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass
72. conflagration
 a very intense and uncontrolled fire
73. congruity
the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate
74. connive
form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
75. consign
give over to another for care or safekeeping
76. constituent
an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially
a part that can be separated from or attached to a system
77. construe
make sense of; assign a meaning to
78. contusion
an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration
79. contrite
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
80. contentious
inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
81. contravene
go against, as of rules and laws
82. convivial
occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company
83. corpulence
the property of excessive fatness
84. covet
wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
85. cupidity
extreme greed for material wealth
86. dearth
an insufficient quantity or number
87. debacle
a sudden and violent collapse
88. debauch
a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
89. debunk
expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas
90. defunct
 no longer in force or use; inactive
91. demagogue
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
92. denigrate
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
93. derivative
a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound
94. despot
a cruel and oppressive dictator
95. diaphanous
so thin as to transmit light
96. didactic
instructive (especially excessively)
97. dirge
a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
98. disaffected
discontented as toward authority
99. discomfit
cause to lose one's composure
100. disparate
fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
101. dispel
to cause to separate and go in different directions
102. disrepute
the state of being held in low esteem
103. divisive
dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)
104. dogmatic
of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
105. dour
showing a brooding ill humor
106. duplicity
acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting
under the influence of another
107. duress
compulsory force or threat
108. eclectic
 selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
109. edict
a formal or authoritative proclamation
110. ebullient
joyously unrestrained
111. egregious
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
112. elegy
a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
113. elicit
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
114. embezzlement
the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by
someone else
115. emend
make improvements or corrections to
116. emollient
toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a
soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin
117. empirical
derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
118. emulate
strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
119. enervate
weaken mentally or morally
120. enfranchise
grant freedom to; as from slavery or servitude
121. engender
call forth
122. ephemeral
anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
123. epistolary
written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence
124. equanimity
steadiness of mind under stress
125. equivocal
 open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended
to mislead
126. espouse
choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
127. evanescent
tending to vanish like vapor
128. evince
give expression to
129. exacerbate
make worse
130. exhort
spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
131. execrable
unequivocally detestable
132. exigent
demanding attention
133. expedient
appropriate to a purpose; practical
134. expiate
make amends for
135. expunge
remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
136. extraneous
not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source
137. extol
praise, glorify, or honor
138. extant
still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost
139. expurgate
edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
140. fallacious
containing or based on a fallacy
141. fatuous
devoid of intelligence
142. fetter
a shackle for the ankles or feet
143. flagrant
 conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
144. foil
hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
145. forbearance
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
146. fortuitous
occurring by happy chance
147. fractious
easily irritated or annoyed
148. garrulous
full of trivial conversation
149. gourmand
a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
150. grandiloquent
lofty in style
151. gratuitous
unnecessary and unwarranted
152. hapless
deserving or inciting pity
153. hegemony
the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others
154. heterogenous
consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature
155. iconoclast
someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions
156. idiosyncratic
peculiar to the individual
157. impecunious
not having enough money to pay for necessities
158. impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
159. impinge
impinge or infringe upon
160. impute
attribute or credit to
161. inane
devoid of intelligence
162. inchoate
only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
163. incontrovertible
impossible to deny or disprove
164. incumbent
necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding
165. inexorable
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
166. inimical
not friendly
167. injunction
(law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a
certain activity
168. inoculate
impregnate with the virus or germ of a disease in order to render immune
169. insidious
working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
170. instigate
provoke or stir up
171. insurgent
in opposition to a civil authority or government
172. interlocutor
a person who takes part in a conversation
173. intimation
a slight suggestion or vague understanding
174. inure
cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate
175. invective
abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
176. intransigent
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
177. inveterate
habitual
178. irreverence
an irreverent mental attitude
179. knell
the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
180. laconic
brief and to the point; effectively cut short
181. largesse
liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
182. legerdemain
an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
183. libertarian
an advocate of libertarianism
184. licentious
lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
185. linchpin
a central cohesive source of support and stability
186. litigant
(law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation
187. maelstrom
a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
188. maudlin
effusively or insincerely emotional
189. maverick
someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
190. mawkish
effusively or insincerely emotional
191. maxim
a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
192. mendacious
given to lying
193. modicum
a small or moderate or token amount
194. morass
a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
195. mores
(sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group
196. munificent
very generous
197. multifarious
having many aspects
198. nadir
 an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
199. negligent
characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern
200. neophyte
any new participant in some activity
201. noisome
offensively malodorous
202. noxious
injurious to physical or mental health
203. obdurate
stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
204. obfuscate
make obscure or unclear
205. obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant
206. officious
intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
207. onerous
not easily borne; wearing
208. ostensible
appearing as such but not necessarily so
209. ostracism
the act of excluding someone from society by general consent
210. palliate
lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
211. panacea
hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
212. paradigm
a standard or typical example
213. pariah
a person who is rejected (from society or home)
214. partisan
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
215. paucity
an insufficient quantity or number
216. pejorative
expressing disapproval
217. pellucid
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
218. penchant
a strong liking
219. penurious
excessively unwilling to spend
220. pert
characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality
221. pernicious
exceedingly harmful
222. pertinacious
stubbornly unyielding
223. phlegmatic
showing little emotion
224. philanthropic
of or relating to or characterized by philanthropy
225. pithy
concise and full of meaning
226. platitude
a trite or obvious remark
227. plaudit
enthusiastic approval
228. plenitude
a full supply
229. plethora
extreme excess
230. portent
a sign of something about to happen
231. potentate
a ruler who is unconstrained by law
232. preclude
make impossible, especially beforehand
233. predilection
a predisposition in favor of something
234. preponderance
exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
235. presage
 a foreboding about what is about to happen
236. probity
complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
237. proclivity
a natural inclination
238. profligate
unrestrained by convention or morality
239. promulgate
state or announce
240. proscribe
command against
241. protean
taking on different forms
242. prurient
characterized by lust
243. puerile
displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
244. pugnacious
tough and callous by virtue of experience
245. pulchritude
physical beauty (especially of a woman)
246. punctilious
marked by precise accordance with details
247. quaint
attractively old-fashioned (but not necessarily authentic)
248. quixotic
not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
249. quandary
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable
options
250. recalcitrant
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
251. redoubtable
inspiring fear
252. relegate
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
253. remiss
 failing in what duty requires
254. reprieve
postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution
255. reprobate
a person without moral scruples
256. rescind
cancel officially
257. requisition
the act of requiring; an authoritative request or demand, especially by a military or public
authority that takes something over (usually temporarily) for military or public use
258. rife
excessively abundant
259. sanctimonious
excessively or hypocritically pious
260. sanguine
confidently optimistic and cheerful
261. scurrilous
expressing offensive reproach
262. semaphore
an apparatus for visual signaling with lights or mechanically moving arms
263. serendipity
good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
264. sobriety
the state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol
265. solicitous
full of anxiety and concern
266. solipsism
(philosophy) the philosophical theory that the self is all that you know to exist
267. spurious
plausible but false
268. staid
characterized by dignity and propriety
269. stolid
having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
270. subjugate
make subservient; force to submit or subdue
271. surfeit
 indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
272. surreptitious
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
273. swarthy
naturally having skin of a dark color
274. tangential
of superficial relevance if any
275. tome
a (usually) large and scholarly book
276. toady
a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
277. torpid
in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
278. travesty
a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
279. trenchant
having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
280. trite
repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
281. truculent
defiantly aggressive
282. turpitude
a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
283. ubiquitous
being present everywhere at once
284. umbrage
a feeling of anger caused by being offended
285. upbraid
express criticism towards
286. utilitarian
having a useful function
287. veracity
unwillingness to tell lies
288. vestige
an indication that something has been present
289. vicissitude
 a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of
something
290. vilify
spread negative information about
291. virtuoso
someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
292. vitriolic
harsh or corrosive in tone
293. vituperate
spread negative information about
294. vociferous
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
295. wanton
lewd or lascivious woman
296. winsome
charming in a childlike or naive way
297. yoke
put a yoke on or join with a yoke
298. zephyr
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
299. wily
marked by skill in deception
300. tirade
a speech of violent denunciation