Does the Digital SAT still test vocabulary?

Yes, but always in context. Words in Context questions in the Craft and Structure domain ask which word best completes a short passage, and Information and Ideas questions depend on reading precise meaning. There are no isolated definition questions, so learn each word with the kind of sentence it appears in.

How many vocabulary words do I need for the SAT?

Fewer than older lists suggested. The Digital SAT draws on high-utility academic words rather than obscure ones, so a few hundred well-learned words, plus a working knowledge of common roots and prefixes, covers the large majority of what appears. Depth beats breadth: knowing how a word behaves in a sentence matters more than memorizing a thousand definitions.

What is the best way to study SAT vocabulary?

Learn words in short daily sets, recall them from the sentence rather than the list, and mix in words-in-context questions so the test format becomes familiar. Spaced review over weeks beats a single cram session, and roots let you decode words you have never seen.

Are these the exact words on the SAT?

No list can promise that; College Board does not publish the words it uses. This list contains high-frequency academic vocabulary at the register the test uses, tiered from foundation to advanced, so time spent here transfers to whatever appears on your date.

Free word list

160 SAT Vocabulary Words With Definitions

High-frequency academic words at the register the Digital SAT uses, each with a plain definition and a one-line usage note. Filter by tier, search a meaning, then test the words the way the SAT does: inside a sentence.

Foundation: 51 words
Core: 61 words
Advanced: 48 words

The word list

Foundation words appear in most passages; Advanced words separate the hardest Words in Context items.

160 of 160 words

A

AbateCore: to become less intense; The storm began to abate by midnight.
AberrationAdvanced: a departure from what is normal; The error was an aberration in an otherwise flawless record.
AbstruseAdvanced: difficult to understand; The professor’s abstruse lecture lost most of the class.
AbundantFoundation: existing in great quantity; Fish were abundant in the river every spring.
AdamantCore: refusing to change one’s mind; She was adamant that the deadline could not move.
AdverseFoundation: harmful or unfavorable; The drug can cause adverse reactions in some patients.
AmbiguousCore: open to more than one interpretation; The contract’s ambiguous wording caused a dispute.
AmbivalentCore: holding mixed feelings; Ambivalence pulls in two directions at once.
AmeliorateAdvanced: to make better; To ameliorate a hardship is to ease it.
AmpleFoundation: more than enough; There was ample time to finish the exam.
AnecdoteFoundation: a short, entertaining true story; He opened his speech with a funny anecdote.
AnomalyCore: something that deviates from the norm; The scientists investigated the strange anomaly in the data.
AustereCore: plain and severe; An austere hall has no ornament and little comfort.

B

BelieAdvanced: to give a false impression of; His calm tone belied his rising panic.
BelligerentCore: hostile and aggressive; The belligerent customer shouted at the cashier.
BenevolentCore: kindly and well-meaning; A benevolent ruler wishes the people well.
BolsterCore: to support or strengthen; New evidence helped bolster her case.

C

CacophonyAdvanced: a harsh mixture of sounds; Car horns added to the cacophony of the city street.
CandidFoundation: frank and direct; Candid speech is honest, even when unwelcome.
CapriciousAdvanced: given to sudden changes of mood; A capricious lord rewards you today and banishes you tomorrow.
CircumlocutionAdvanced: an indirect, roundabout way of speaking; He used circumlocution to avoid answering the question directly.
CoherentCore: logical and consistent; He gave a coherent explanation despite the pressure.
CompassionFoundation: sympathy for another’s suffering; The nurse treated every patient with compassion.
ComplacentCore: self-satisfied and unaware of danger; The champions grew complacent and lost the next match.
ConciseFoundation: brief and clear; Her concise summary covered every key point.
ConsiderateFoundation: careful not to hurt others; A considerate roommate keeps the noise down at night.
CopiousCore: abundant in supply; She took copious notes during the lecture.
CordialFoundation: warm and friendly; The two rivals exchanged a cordial handshake.
CorroborateCore: to confirm with evidence; A second witness corroborates the first.
CredibleFoundation: able to be believed; The witness gave a credible account of the crash.

D

DeceptiveCore: misleading in appearance; The calm water was deceptive; the current was strong.
DeftCore: skillful and quick in movement; The surgeon’s deft hands made the operation quick.
DeleteriousAdvanced: causing harm or damage; Smoking has deleterious effects on the lungs.
DidacticAdvanced: intended to teach a moral lesson; The fable had a didactic ending about honesty.
DiligentFoundation: showing steady, careful effort; A diligent student reviews notes every single night.
DiminishFoundation: to make smaller or less; Her fear began to diminish as the plane landed safely.
DiscernCore: to perceive or recognize clearly; It was hard to discern the path in the fog.
DisparageCore: to speak of with disrespect; He tends to disparage any idea that isn’t his own.

E

EbullientAdvanced: cheerful and full of energy; The ebullient host greeted every guest with a hug.
ElicitCore: to draw out a response; The teacher’s question was meant to elicit discussion.
EmpathyFoundation: the ability to share another’s feelings; Good counselors listen with empathy.
EmpiricalCore: based on observation or experience; The theory needed empirical support before it was accepted.
EnhanceFoundation: to improve the quality of; New lighting can enhance an ordinary room.
EphemeralCore: lasting a very short time; Ephemeral describes what passes quickly, like a single day’s bloom.
EquivocateAdvanced: to speak ambiguously to avoid commitment; The senator continued to equivocate on the tax question.

F

FastidiousAdvanced: extremely attentive to detail; The fastidious editor caught every stray comma.
FeasibleFoundation: capable of being done; Is it feasible to finish the project by Friday?
FecundAdvanced: highly fertile, productive; The fecund soil produced two harvests a year.
FeignCore: to pretend to feel or be; He tried to feign interest in the meeting.
FortifyCore: to strengthen; You fortify a wall so it holds.
FrivolousCore: not serious, silly; The judge dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous.
FrugalFoundation: careful with money, thrifty; Being frugal, she packed lunch instead of eating out.

G

GarrulousAdvanced: excessively talkative; The garrulous cab driver talked the entire ride.
GenuineFoundation: real and authentic; His apology sounded genuine, not rehearsed.
GrandiloquentAdvanced: using pompous, extravagant language; His grandiloquent toast went on for twenty minutes.
GratefulFoundation: feeling or showing thankfulness; She was grateful for her friend’s help.
GrievanceCore: a complaint about unfair treatment; Workers filed a grievance over the unpaid overtime.

H

HackneyedAdvanced: overused and unoriginal; The movie relied on a hackneyed plot twist.
HarangueAdvanced: a lengthy, aggressive speech; The coach delivered a harangue after the missed shot.
HesitantFoundation: slow to act, unsure; She seemed hesitant before signing the contract.
HinderCore: to delay or obstruct progress; Heavy traffic will hinder our arrival time.
HostileFoundation: unfriendly and antagonistic; The crowd grew hostile after the referee’s call.
HumbleFoundation: not proud or arrogant; Despite the award, she stayed humble.

I

IconoclastAdvanced: one who attacks cherished beliefs; The artist was an iconoclast who mocked every tradition.
ImpartialCore: not favoring one side, fair; A judge must remain impartial during the trial.
ImpecuniousAdvanced: having little or no money; The impecunious artist sold paintings just to eat.
ImpetuousCore: acting quickly without thought; His impetuous outburst embarrassed the whole team.
ImpulsiveFoundation: acting suddenly without thought; Buying the car was an impulsive decision he later regretted.
IndifferentFoundation: having no particular interest or concern; He seemed indifferent to the outcome of the game.
InnocuousCore: not harmful or offensive; An innocuous remark causes no injury.
InsidiousAdvanced: harmful in a gradual, hidden way; An insidious rumor spreads damage before anyone notices.

J

JadedAdvanced: tired and bored from overexposure; After years of touring, the band felt jaded by fame.
JubilantCore: feeling great happiness; The jubilant fans stormed the field after the win.
JuxtaposeAdvanced: to place side by side; The exhibit juxtaposes old photographs with new ones.

L

LaconicAdvanced: using very few words; His laconic reply was just one word.
LamentCore: to express sorrow for; She wrote a poem to lament her grandmother’s passing.
LanguidCore: lacking energy, slow-moving; They spent a languid afternoon by the pool.
LegitimateFoundation: valid, genuine, or lawful; She has a legitimate reason for missing class.
LucidFoundation: clear and easily understood; A lucid explanation lets light into the subject.
LugubriousAdvanced: mournful, gloomy; The funeral march had a lugubrious, dragging tempo.

M

MagnanimousAdvanced: generous, especially toward a rival; The champion was magnanimous in victory, praising her opponent.
MalignCore: to speak evil of, slander; The article seemed designed to malign her reputation.
MeagerCore: small in quantity, deficient; They survived on a meager ration of bread.
MercurialAdvanced: subject to sudden, unpredictable changes; Her mercurial moods kept the staff on edge.
MeticulousFoundation: careful about small details; Meticulous work attends to every detail.

N

NaiveFoundation: lacking experience or judgment; It was naive to trust the offer without checking it.
NebulousCore: unclear or vague in form; Her plan was still nebulous when she pitched it.
NefariousAdvanced: wicked or criminal; The villain’s nefarious plot was foiled at the last minute.
NonchalantAdvanced: coolly unconcerned, casual; He stayed nonchalant even after losing the final.
NotionCore: a general idea or belief; He had a vague notion of what the job required.
NotoriousFoundation: famous for something bad; The pirate was notorious for his cruelty.
NoviceCore: a person new to a skill; As a novice skier, she stuck to the easy slopes.

O

ObfuscateAdvanced: to make unclear or confusing; The report seemed written to obfuscate the real numbers.
ObliviousCore: unaware of what is happening; She was oblivious to the whispers behind her.
ObscureCore: not well known, unclear; He quoted an obscure poet no one recognized.
ObsequiousAdvanced: excessively eager to please or obey; The obsequious waiter agreed with everything the guest said.
ObsoleteFoundation: no longer in use; An obsolete weapon has been replaced by something better.
ObstinateCore: stubbornly refusing to change; The obstinate toddler refused to wear shoes.
OptimisticFoundation: expecting good outcomes; He stayed optimistic even after the setback.
OrdinaryFoundation: not unusual, commonplace; It was an ordinary Tuesday until the phone rang.
OstentatiousAdvanced: showy, meant to impress; Ostentatious display exists to be noticed.

P

PanaceaAdvanced: a solution for all problems; No single policy is a panacea for poverty.
PerfunctoryAdvanced: done with minimal effort or interest; He gave a perfunctory nod and walked away.
PeripheralCore: of secondary importance, on the edge; The budget cut affected only peripheral programs.
PerniciousAdvanced: having a harmful effect, especially gradually; Rumors can have a pernicious effect on a person’s career.
PersistFoundation: to continue despite difficulty; If symptoms persist, see a doctor.
PersuadeFoundation: to convince through argument; He tried to persuade his parents to extend his curfew.
PlacateCore: to soothe anger; You placate an angry lord by calming him.
PlausibleCore: seeming reasonable or probable; Her excuse sounded plausible, so the teacher accepted it.
PragmaticCore: practical rather than idealistic; A pragmatic plan asks what works, not what sounds noble.
ProsperFoundation: to succeed or thrive; The small business began to prosper after the move.
PrudentFoundation: showing careful judgment; A prudent choice is made with caution and foresight.

Q

QuellCore: to suppress or put down; Extra guards were sent to quell the unrest.
QuerulousAdvanced: complaining in a whining manner; The querulous passenger complained about every delay.
QueryCore: a question seeking information; She sent a query about the missing shipment.
QuixoticAdvanced: extremely idealistic, unrealistic; His quixotic plan to end all traffic never got funding.

R

RashCore: acting without careful thought; Quitting on the spot was a rash move.
RecalcitrantAdvanced: stubbornly resistant to authority; The recalcitrant mule refused to move another step.
ReluctantFoundation: unwilling and hesitant; She was reluctant to speak in front of the class.
RepelCore: to drive back or away; The spray is meant to repel mosquitoes.
ReprehensibleAdvanced: deserving strong condemnation; The coach called the players’ behavior reprehensible.
RepudiateAdvanced: to reject or refuse to accept; She moved quickly to repudiate the false rumor.
ReservedFoundation: slow to reveal emotion or opinions; He’s reserved at parties but talkative with close friends.
ReticentCore: reluctant to speak; A reticent witness says as little as possible.
RigidFoundation: unable to bend, strict; The coach kept a rigid practice schedule.
RobustFoundation: strong and healthy; The plant grew robust after being replanted.

S

SanguineAdvanced: optimistic, cheerfully confident; Despite the delay, she remained sanguine about the launch.
SkepticalFoundation: doubting the truth of something; The scientists stayed skeptical until the results were repeated.
SolitudeCore: the state of being alone; He found solitude in the empty cabin.
SparseFoundation: thinly scattered, not dense; Trees grew sparse near the mountain’s peak.
StagnantCore: not moving or developing, stale; The stagnant pond bred mosquitoes all summer.
SubstantialFoundation: large in size or amount; The company reported a substantial increase in profits.
SurreptitiousAdvanced: done secretly to avoid notice; He took a surreptitious glance at his phone during the meeting.
SycophantAdvanced: one who flatters for self-interest; The king surrounded himself with sycophants, not advisors.

T

TacitCore: understood without being spoken; They reached a tacit agreement with a simple nod.
TenaciousFoundation: holding firmly, persistent; A tenacious grip does not let go.
TerseCore: brief and to the point, curt; Her terse reply made it clear the meeting was over.
TimidFoundation: easily frightened, shy; The timid kitten hid under the couch.
TrivialCore: of little importance; They argued over a trivial detail for an hour.
TruculentAdvanced: eager to argue, fierce; The truculent teenager argued with every rule.
TurbulentFoundation: marked by conflict or disorder; The plane shook during a turbulent flight.
TurmoilFoundation: a state of great disturbance; The country was in turmoil after the election.

U

UbiquitousAdvanced: present everywhere; Something ubiquitous turns up wherever you look.

V

VagueFoundation: not clearly expressed; His directions were too vague to follow.
VerifyFoundation: to confirm the truth of; Please verify the address before you mail the package.
VexCore: to annoy or frustrate; The constant noise began to vex the neighbors.
VicariousCore: experienced through another person; He got a vicarious thrill from his sister’s adventures.
VindicateAdvanced: to clear of blame; New evidence vindicates the accused.
VitalFoundation: absolutely necessary; Sleep is vital for good health.
VitriolicAdvanced: filled with bitter criticism; The critic wrote a vitriolic review of the film.
VividFoundation: producing strong, clear images; He gave a vivid description of the storm.

W

WaneCore: to decrease gradually in strength; Public interest began to wane after the first week.
WaryFoundation: cautious of danger; The deer stayed wary as it approached the stream.
WinsomeAdvanced: charming and appealing; Her winsome smile won over the whole audience.
WistfulCore: full of longing, somewhat sad; She gave a wistful look at her old house.
WitherCore: to become dry and shriveled; The flowers began to wither without water.

X

XenophobicAdvanced: fearful or hateful of foreigners; The policy was criticized as xenophobic by human rights groups.

Y

YieldCore: to produce, or to give way; The field will yield a large harvest this year.

Z

ZealCore: great energy or enthusiasm; She organized the fundraiser with real zeal.
ZealousCore: showing great energy for a cause; The zealous volunteers worked through the night.

Words in context practice

The SAT never asks for a definition on its own. Each item below gives a sentence with a gap and four words; the logic of the sentence, not the rarity of the word, decides the answer.

0 of 10 answered · 0 correct

1. The knight’s account of the battle was so ____ that even the skeptics believed him.
2. The treaty’s terms were so ____ that both kingdoms later claimed victory.
3. Years later, new evidence would ____ the scientist that critics had unfairly mocked as wrong.
4. Rather than chase the ideal solution, the engineer took the ____ approach that shipped on time.
5. The new office felt ____ from day one, full of coworkers who traded jokes over lunch.
6. The lighthouse keeper was famously ____, sometimes going a week without a word.
7. Her ____ eye for detail caught the typo everyone else had missed.
8. The thief made a ____ escape, strolling past three guards in broad daylight.
9. He took a ____ glance at his notes while pretending to tie his shoe.
10. The philanthropist’s ____ donation built an entire wing of the children’s hospital.

95 roots and prefixes

Roots let you decode words that never made any list. Each entry gives the meaning and example words that carry it.

Open the roots list

Drill them in the 1v1 Arena

The same words power the Arena's Word Duel, Context Clash, and Root Rush modes: ten rounds against a friend or the house bot, scored on accuracy and speed.

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How vocabulary shows up on the Digital SAT

Vocabulary lives inside the Reading & Writing section, mostly in the Words in Context skill of Craft and Structure. A short passage of 25 to 150 words has one blank or one underlined word, and the four choices are all real words at a similar level. The question rewards reading the sentence for its logic first: a contrast word, a cause, a tone. Only then does the meaning of each choice matter. That is why every item in the practice set above explains the sentence before it explains the word.

A second, quieter role is in Information and Ideas and Expression of Ideas, where a precise reading of a claim or a transition depends on knowing what words like concede, undermine, or corroborate actually do.

A study routine that fits in ten minutes

Pick eight words from one tier. Read the definition and the usage note once.
Cover the definitions and recall each from the note alone.
Write one sentence for the two words you found hardest.
Do two or three words-in-context items from the practice set or the question bank.
Two days later, recall the same eight before adding new ones.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Digital SAT still test vocabulary?: Yes, but always in context. Words in Context questions in the Craft and Structure domain ask which word best completes a short passage, and Information and Ideas questions depend on reading precise meaning. There are no isolated definition questions, so learn each word with the kind of sentence it appears in.
How many vocabulary words do I need for the SAT?: Fewer than older lists suggested. The Digital SAT draws on high-utility academic words rather than obscure ones, so a few hundred well-learned words, plus a working knowledge of common roots and prefixes, covers the large majority of what appears. Depth beats breadth: knowing how a word behaves in a sentence matters more than memorizing a thousand definitions.
What is the best way to study SAT vocabulary?: Learn words in short daily sets, recall them from the sentence rather than the list, and mix in words-in-context questions so the test format becomes familiar. Spaced review over weeks beats a single cram session, and roots let you decode words you have never seen.
Are these the exact words on the SAT?: No list can promise that; College Board does not publish the words it uses. This list contains high-frequency academic vocabulary at the register the test uses, tiered from foundation to advanced, so time spent here transfers to whatever appears on your date.

Word list last reviewed September 12, 2026 · Grind1600 Editorial Team