The SAT exam tests your reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. A strong vocabulary helps you understand passages, answer questions correctly, and improve your essay writing. This blog provides the SAT Vocabulary List 2025 with definitions, examples, and a free PDF. Learn important SAT words, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences.
📌 Why is SAT Vocabulary Important?
A strong vocabulary helps you:
✅ Score higher in the Reading and Writing sections
✅ Understand complex texts faster
✅ Write better essays with strong word choice
✅ Avoid confusion when answering multiple-choice questions
Mastering SAT words improves your confidence and accuracy in the exam.
SAT Vocabulary List 2025 with Definitions and Examples
Here’s a list of must-know SAT words with their meanings and example sentences.
Common SAT Words You Should Know
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Abate | To decrease or reduce | The storm abated by morning. |
| Adept | Highly skilled | She is adept at solving puzzles. |
| Benevolent | Kind and generous | The benevolent teacher helped all students. |
| Candid | Honest and straightforward | He gave a candid response to the question. |
| Diligent | Hardworking and careful | She is a diligent student who studies daily. |
| Elusive | Difficult to find or achieve | The answer remained elusive despite her efforts. |
| Frugal | Economical, avoiding waste | He was frugal with his spending. |
| Gregarious | Social and outgoing | She is gregarious and enjoys meeting new people. |
| Hinder | To slow down or obstruct | Traffic hindered their journey. |
| Imminent | About to happen | A storm was imminent according to the forecast. |
| Jubilant | Extremely joyful | The team was jubilant after their victory. |
| Kinetic | Related to motion | The dancer’s kinetic energy was mesmerizing. |
| Lethargic | Sluggish and lacking energy | He felt lethargic after staying up all night. |
| Meticulous | Very careful and precise | She is meticulous about organizing her notes. |
| Novice | A beginner | He is a novice at playing the piano. |
| Obsolete | No longer in use | Flip phones are now obsolete. |
| Pragmatic | Practical and realistic | She took a pragmatic approach to solving the issue. |
| Quaint | Old-fashioned in a charming way | The village had a quaint atmosphere. |
| Resilient | Able to recover quickly | She was resilient after facing multiple setbacks. |
| Scrutinize | To examine closely | The teacher scrutinized the essay for errors. |
| Tangible | Able to be touched or felt | The excitement in the room was almost tangible. |
| Ubiquitous | Present everywhere | Smartphones are ubiquitous in modern society. |
| Venerable | Respected due to age or wisdom | The professor was a venerable scholar. |
| Whimsical | Playfully odd or unpredictable | The book had a whimsical storyline. |
50 More High-Scoring SAT Words
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Aberration | A departure from the norm | The sudden storm was an aberration. |
| Acquiesce | To accept reluctantly | She acquiesced to her friend’s request. |
| Altruistic | Selflessly concerned for others | His altruistic acts helped many people. |
| Bolster | To support or strengthen | Her argument was bolstered by evidence. |
| Conundrum | A difficult problem | The puzzle was a real conundrum. |
| Debilitate | To weaken | The illness debilitated him for weeks. |
| Ephemeral | Short-lived | The beauty of a sunset is ephemeral. |
| Fortitude | Courage in adversity | She showed great fortitude in her struggles. |
| Galvanize | To inspire into action | The speech galvanized the crowd. |
| Hackneyed | Overused and unoriginal | The phrase was too hackneyed to be meaningful. |
| Ineffable | Too great to be expressed in words | Her happiness was ineffable. |
| Juxtapose | To place side by side for contrast | The artist juxtaposed light and dark shades. |
| Knack | A special skill | He has a knack for storytelling. |
| Languid | Lacking energy | The summer heat made them languid. |
| Mundane | Ordinary and unexciting | He found the job mundane and repetitive. |
| Nefarious | Wicked or criminal | The villain’s nefarious plan was foiled. |
| Obfuscate | To make unclear | The lawyer tried to obfuscate the facts. |
| Plethora | An excessive amount | There was a plethora of books on the table. |
| Quixotic | Unrealistically idealistic | His dream of world peace seemed quixotic. |
| Reclusive | Preferring isolation | The author lived a reclusive life. |
| Sporadic | Occurring at irregular intervals | The town experienced sporadic power outages. |
| Trepidation | Fear or anxiety | She felt trepidation before her speech. |
| Unfathomable | Impossible to understand | The mystery remained unfathomable. |
| Verbose | Using too many words | His speech was too verbose. |
| Wary | Cautious | He was wary of making new friends. |
| Zealous | Passionate and enthusiastic | She was zealous about her work. |
Want the full list? Download the free PDF – SAT Vocabulary list here!
More SAT Prep Resources
Here are some useful official SAT resources to help you prepare:
For personalized SAT tutoring, check out Refresh Kid’s SAT Prep Program
Happy Learning & Good Luck on Your SAT!Â
Also check out SAT Math Topics you should focus on for success.
