ACT/SAT/GRE Vocabulary List 1

1. Rigorous – adjective – severe or harsh
   • A rigorous routine can help improve overall fitness and health.
2. Egregious – adjective – extraordinary in a bad way; flagrant
   • The egregious mistake cost the company millions of dollars in damages.
3. Astute – adjective – very perceptive or discerning; shrewd; cunning
   • An astute businessperson is able to make sound decisions based on careful analysis and observation.
4. Catharsis – noun – relieving emotional tensions, especially through any kind of art
   • Engaging in a creative activity can provide a catharsis for pent-up emotions.
5. Despot – noun – a ruler with absolute, unlimited power; a tyrant or oppressor
   • The despot exercised complete control over all his subjects.
6. Poignant – adjective – having a strong mental appeal; something that moves the emotions
   • The poignant story about loss and grief brought tears to many readers’ eyes.
7. Affluence – noun – having an abundant supply of money, property, and other material goods; wealth
   • The family’s affluence allowed them to live a life of luxury and comfort.
8. Biased – adjective – having an unreasoned feeling or opinion of something
   • The article’s author was accused of being biased due to their close ties with the subject of the piece.
9. Altercation – noun – an angry and/or noisy argument
   • The altercation between the two players resulted in a red card for both.
10. Usurp – verb – to take over a position by force or without legal right
    • The ambitious politician attempted to usurp the power of the ruling party.
11. Capitulate – verb – to surrender; give up
    • In order to avoid punishment, the criminal decided to capitulate and confess to the crime.
12. Incorrigible – adjective – unable to be controlled or corrected; unruly
    • The incorrigible child refused to listen to her parents and continued to misbehave.
13. Hypocrisy – noun – pretending to have virtuous standards, character, morals, or beliefs that one does not actually possess or is the opposite of how they actually behave
    • The politician’s hypocrisy was exposed when it was revealed that they had been accepting bribes while carrying out his anti-corruption campaign.
14. Prerequisite – noun – required beforehand
    • The prerequisite qualifications for the posted job included a Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of experience in the industry.
15. Surmise – verb – to come to a conclusion without certain or strong evidence; guess; conjecture
    • Based on the evidence presented, it is reasonable to surmise that the suspect is guilty.
16. Tirade – noun – a long, angry outburst; denunciation
    • The angry customer went on a tirade, yelling at the employees and causing a scene.
17. Conundrum – noun – anything that creates confusion; a difficult problem or question
    • The team faced a conundrum when they realized they all had conflicting schedules, making it difficult to set a time to work on their project.
18. Nebulous – adjective – hazy or vague; confusing
    • The meaning of the poem remained nebulous, even after multiple readings.
19. Pariah – noun – someone or something that is generally avoided; outcast
    • Due to her unpopular opinions, the author became a pariah in the literary community.
20. Preclude – verb – to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible
    • The rainy weather may preclude us from having a picnic this weekend.

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