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:
- v.: verb
- adj.: adjective
- 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 Yocket
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.
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.