11 AP English Language & Composition (SAT Vocabulary Lists #1-13)

The following lists include vocabulary to strengthen and vary your diction for class compositions, dialogue, and overall
academic language; such diction will be beneficial for the AP College Board exam. Moreover, the vocabulary consists of
SAT words that are commonly addressed on the SAT test. Commit these words to memory (flashcards, perhaps).

List #1 List #3
1. apathy – lack of emotion or interest 1. prodigal – extravagant; wasteful
2. ambiguous – having more than one meaning; vague 2. assess – to estimate the value of; to measure
3. fervent – passionate 3. deter – to prevent, especially by threatening
4. vagrant – a wandering homeless person; a tramp 4. complacent – smug; self-satisfied; overly confident
5. undermine – to weaken; to wear the foundation of 5. contempt – disdain; hatred
6. oblivious – unaware; unconscious 6. eloquent – speaking well; articulate
7. indifferent – not caring one way or the other; lacking a 7. virtue – moral excellence
preference; neutral 8. vital – essential; necessary
8. obscure – unclear; clouded; partially hidden; hard to 9. guile – cunning; deceitfulness (not the same as guilt)
understand 10. biased – prejudiced; not neutral
9. objective – without bias (as opposed to subjective) 11. censor – to delete objectionable material (not the
10. revere – to worship same as censure)
11. discriminate – to differentiate; to make a clear 12. vulnerable – capable of being harmed
distinction; to see the difference 13. hypocritical – insincere
12. embellish – to add details; to exaggerate 14. eccentric – odd; unusual; quirky
13. denounce – to speak out against; to condemn 15. disdain – contempt; intense dislike
14. innovate – to be creative; to introduce something 16. abstract – theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite
new of concrete)
15. stagnant – not moving 17. valid – founded on fact or evidence
16. candid – honest; frank 18. subtle – not obvious; hard to spot
17. impartial – unbiased; neutral 19. enigma – mystery
18. discern – to distinguish one thing from another 20. inevitable – unavoidable; bound to happen
19. ostentatious – showing off
20. contentious - quarrelsome List #4
1. inferred – derived by reasoning; implied, as a
List #2 conclusion
1. reprove – to scold; to find fault with 2. diverse – varied
2. pessimism – gloominess; a belief that negativity 3. articulate – speaking well
always wins 4. apprehensive – fearful; worried
3. cursory – hasty, not thorough 5. benevolent – good; kind-hearted; generous
4. profligate – extremely wasteful; wildly extravagant 6. virulent – very harmful (like a virus)
5. miser – someone who hoards money 7. pious (piety) – deadly religious
6. jocular – joking 8. skeptical – doubting
7. fracas – uproar; brawl 9. provincial – narrow-minded; unsophisticated
8. caricature – a satiric portrait or representation 10. resignation – acceptance of a situation (secondary
9. corroborate – to confirm meaning)
10. precarious – dangerously unstable 11. illuminate – to light up; make clear
11. expository – explanatory 12. resolution (resolve) – determination (also: the
12. bolster – to support; to prop up solution of a problem)
13. daunt – to intimidate; to discourage 13. servile – overly submissive; cringing; like a servant
14. inclined – tending toward one direction 14. diligent – hard-working
15. uniform – constant; without variety 15. refute – to disprove
16. perceptive – having keen understanding; discerning 16. anarchy – lack of government; chaos
17. superficial – shallow; on the surface only 17. miser – one who saves greedily
18. lucid – clear; easy to understand (elucidate) 18. discord – disagreement
19. immune – safe from harm; protected 19. monotonous – without variety; tiresome
20. aesthetic – concerned with art or beauty (not the 20. trivial – unimportant; insignificant
same as ascetic)
List #5 7. profuse – flowing freely; generous; excessive
1. profound (profundity) – deep; insightful 8. expedient – useful for effecting a desired result
2. enhance – to improve; to augment 9. fastidious – not easy to please; overly critical
3. phenomenon – an observable fact or occurrence 10. prosaic – uninspired; dull; banal
4. enduring – lasting 11. philanthropy – a desire to help mankind
5. advocate – to speak in favor of; to support 12. languid – slow; tired; drooping; weak
6. solitude – state of being alone 13. astute – perceptive; clever
7. tentative – temporary; not final 14. authentic – real; genuine
8. contemporary – living at the same time; modern 15. brevity – briefness
9. provocative (provoke) – exciting; attracting attention 16. relevant – pertinent; important to know
10. adversary – an opponent; enemy 17. incoherent – impossible to understand; chaotic
11. gravity (grave) – seriousness 18. mitigate – to make milder; to make less severe
12. banal – common; dull; ordinary 19. reprehensible – shameful; bad
13. depravity – moral corruption 20. augment – to add; to increase; to make bigger
14. temper – to moderate; to soften
15. censure – to blame; to criticize (not the same as List #8
censor) 1. engender – to create; to produce
16. extol – to praise 2. deride (derision) – to ridicule; to make fun of
17. indulgent – pampering oneself; satisfying one’s 3. acclaim – praise; applause; admiration
own desires 4. lethargic – tired; languid; weak
18. erratic – irregular; without direction 5. fanatic – one who is very devoted to a cause or an
19. insipid – bland; boring; tasteless idea
20. euphony – pleasant sound 6. novel – new; unusual
7. solemn – serious; grave
List #6 8. ambivalent – undecided
1. antagonist – opposition; hostility; resistance 9. reticent – quiet; uncommunicative; taciturn
2. arbitrary – subject to individual judgment 10. fervor – passion; zeal; great enthusiasm
3. austere – severe; without frills 11. scanty – inadequate; minimal
4. expedite (expedient) – to make faster or easier 12. dispassionate – free from passion or spirit
5. heresy – an opinion violently opposed to 13. pragmatic – practical
established beliefs 14. didactic – instructive
6. compromise – to settle by concession or surrender 15. deference (defer) – a show of respect
7. condescend – to talk down to 16. alleviate – to lighten or relieve
8. fallacious (fallacy) – false; untrue 17. vacillate – to waiver between choices
9. intangible – abstract; not capable of being touched or 18. endorse – to approve of; to give support to
felt 19. conspicuous – easily seen; out in the open
10. arrogant – acting superior to others 20. negligence – carelessness; neglect; indifference
11. compatible – able to co-exist; harmonious
12. dubious – doubtful List #9
13. solicit – to ask for; to seek 1. ephemeral – short-lived; fleeting; transitory
14. elusive (elude) – tough to catch; hard to pin down 2. relegate – to dismiss; to an inferior person
15. facilitate – to make easier; to help 3. futile – hopeless; worthless; useless
16. static – stationary; not moving (not the same as 4. condone – to forgive; to overlook
radio fuzz) 5. tranquility – calmness
17. ironic – satiric; unexpected 6. dissent – disagreement
18. irrational – unreasonable; unpredictable 7. conciliate – to soothe; to end a dispute; to reconcile
19. dogmatic – stubbornly opinionated 8. incessant – unceasing; never ending
20. flagrant – shocking; outstandingly bad 9. disparity – inequality; difference
10. disparage – to speak badly of; to belittle
List #7 11. conventional – ordinary; customary; normal;
1. frivolous – not serious; trivial; silly traditional
2. taciturn – quiet; saying little 12. rigor – harshness or severity
3. infamous – notorious; scandalous 13. auspicious – favorable; positive
4. redundant – repetitive; unnecessary; superfluous 14. universal – existing or present everywhere
5. authoritarian – like a dictator 15. fickle – unpredictable; capricious; whimsical
6. exhaustive – thorough; complete 16. furtive – secretive
17. remorse – sadness; regret List #12
18. repress – to hold down 1. jeopardy – danger
19. gullible – overly trusting; willing to believe 2. supercilious – haughty; arrogant
anything 3. avarice – greed
20. respite – a rest; a pause; a break 4. pivotal – important; critical; crucial
5. blithe – free-spirited; carefree
List #10 6. scrupulous – careful; diligent; moral
1. scrutinize – to examine closely 7. volatile – changeable; unstable; explosive
2. coalesce – to come together; to merge; to join 8. voluminous – very large; spacious
3. orthodox – standard; commonly accepted; 9. peripheral – on the edge; surrounding; unimportant
conventional (not just in religion) 10. hedonistic – pleasure-seeking; indulgent
4. innate – inborn; inherited 11. amity – friendship
5. preclude – to prevent; to make impossible 12. benefactor – a generous donor; someone who helps
6. efface – to erase; to wipe out 13. apocryphal – a doubtful origin; mythical
7. marred – damaged; bruised 14. slander – to defame; to speak maliciously of
8. ameliorate – to make better; to improve someone
9. prodigious – of enormous quantity or size 15. animosity – hatred
10. concise – briefly and clearly stated 16. stringent – strict; harsh; severe
11. immutable – unchanging; permanent 17. hackneyed – banal; over-used
12. stoic – indifferent to pleasure and pain; brave 18. amass – to accumulate; to pile up
13. innocuous – harmless 19. verbose – wordily; overly talkative
14. indolence – laziness 20. trepidation – fear
15. benign – harmless
16. tedious – boring; painstaking List #13
17. amiable – friendly 1. desecrate – to profane a holy place
18. laud – to praise 2. fortuitous – accidental; happening by chance or luck
19. caustic – burning; uncomplimentary 3. vehement – urgent; passionate; forceful
20. atrophy – to waste away from lack of use 4. credulous – gullible; overly trusting
5. blasphemy – heretical departure from accepted
List #11 practice
1. meander – to wander randomly 6. lax – careless; not diligent; relaxed
2. instigate – to start trouble 7. cryptic – mysterious; puzzling; enigmatic
3. heed – to obey 8. hinder – to obstruct
4. virtuoso – an accomplished musician 9. esoteric – understood only by a select few
5. predecessor – the person who came before another 10. pretentious – pompous; self-important
6. deplete – to use up; to reduce 11. incongruous – not fitting in; out of place
7. compliant – submissive; obedient 12. unprecedented – occurring for the first time; novel;
8. inadvertent – accidental; unintentional never seen before
9. acquiesce – to agree finally; to go along with 13. merger – a joining; a uniting
something 14. pedestrian – common; ordinary; banal
10. levity – humor 15. prudent – careful; cautious
11. belittle – to put down; to disparage 16. exemplary – outstanding; settling a great example
12. extraneous – irrelevant; extra; unnecessary 17. sycophant – a bootlicker; a “yes man”, flatterer
13. digress – to stray from the subject 18. neutral – unbiased; not taking sides; objective
14. emulate – to copy something admired; to imitate 19. rescind – to repeal; to take back; formally
15. appease – to make peace with; to satisfy 20. retract – to take back (e.g., a statement)
16. sage (sagacious) – a wise person
17. nostalgic – yearning for the good old days
18. assuage – to soothe
19. saccharine – overly sweet
20. stanza – a section of a poem