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150 Hardest SAT Words (2026) — Meanings, Examples, Quiz

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1. Which meaning best matches repentant?

2. Which meaning best matches adulation?

3. Which meaning best matches emend?

4. Which meaning best matches semaphore?

5. Which meaning best matches repose?

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  1. grandiloquence — Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.
    Example: His grandiloquence impressed no one who understood the subject.
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  2. litigant — A person involved in a lawsuit.
    Example: Each litigant had fifteen minutes to present their case.
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  3. expiate — To atone for (guilt or sin).
    Example: He hoped that years of service would expiate his past crimes.
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  4. florid — Having a red or flushed complexion; elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.
    Example: His florid writing style made even simple ideas seem ornate.
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  5. discordant — Disagreeing or incongruous.
    Example: The discordant notes clashed unpleasantly during the opening bars.
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  6. contrive — To create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and artifice.
    Example: She contrived an elaborate plan to surprise the whole group.
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  7. evanescent — Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.
    Example: Morning frost is evanescent, vanishing within minutes of sunrise.
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  8. gluttony — Habitual greed or excess in eating.
    Example: His gluttony was evident from the dozens of empty plates.
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  9. semaphore — A system of sending messages by holding the arms or two flags or poles in certain positions according…
    Example: The sailors used semaphore flags to signal the approaching ship.
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  10. ostensible — Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
    Example: His ostensible reason for leaving was the workload.
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  11. defile — To sully, mar, or spoil.
    Example: They refused to let politics defile the sacred memorial.
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  12. perplex — (of something complicated or unaccountable) to cause (someone) to feel completely baffled.
    Example: The strange symbols continued to perplex even experienced researchers.
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  13. serendipity — The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
    Example: By pure serendipity, she met her future business partner on a train.
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  14. castigate — To reprimand someone severely.
    Example: The critic castigated the author for sloppy historical research.
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  15. contravene — To violate the prohibition or order of (a law, treaty, or code of conduct).
    Example: The new policy would contravene the terms of the agreement.
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  16. adulation — Excessive admiration or praise.
    Example: He was uncomfortable with the adulation from his fans.
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  17. indomitable — Impossible to subdue or defeat.
    Example: Her indomitable will kept her going through years of recovery.
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  18. legerdemain — Skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.
    Example: The conjurer's legerdemain left the audience completely baffled.
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  19. wizened — Shriveled or wrinkled with age.
    Example: The wizened elder sat quietly at the head of the table.
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  20. pliable — Easily bent; flexible.
    Example: Young children's minds are pliable and absorb new languages quickly.
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  21. rectitude — Morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness.
    Example: Her reputation for rectitude made her trusted by all sides.
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  22. promulgate — To promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
    Example: The organization moved to promulgate new guidelines on safety.
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  23. sophomoric — Pretentious or juvenile.
    Example: The debate was marred by sophomoric insults and cheap humor.
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  24. lithe — (especially of a person's body) thin, supple, and graceful.
    Example: The dancer's lithe figure moved effortlessly across the stage.
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  25. morass — An area of muddy or boggy ground.
    Example: The project became a morass of confusion and missed deadlines.
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  26. emend — To make corrections and improvements to (a text).
    Example: The editor worked to emend the errors in the manuscript.
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  27. preponderance — The quality or fact of being greater in number, quantity, or importance.
    Example: A preponderance of evidence pointed to the same conclusion.
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  28. abet — To encourage or assist someone to do something wrong or illegal.
    Example: She was arrested for helping to abet the robbery.
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  29. fatuous — Silly and pointless.
    Example: His fatuous response to a serious question embarrassed the panel.
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  30. capitulate — To cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender.
    Example: He finally capitulated and agreed to the terms of the deal.
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  31. noisome — Having an extremely offensive smell.
    Example: A noisome odor drifted through the alley behind the restaurant.
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  32. privation — A state in which things that are essential for human well-being such as food and warmth are scarce…
    Example: Years of war brought terrible privation to the civilian population.
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  33. assiduous — Showing great care and perseverance.
    Example: The assiduous student reviewed notes every evening without fail.
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  34. capricious — Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
    Example: The capricious weather made planning the outdoor event nearly impossible.
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  35. inveterate — Having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
    Example: He was an inveterate traveler who had visited sixty countries.
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  36. reprobate — An unprincipled person (often used humorously or affectionately).
    Example: The reprobate criminal sneered at me.
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  37. vacillate — To alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive.
    Example: He continued to vacillate between two competing job offers.
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  38. enthrall — To capture the fascinated attention of.
    Example: The storyteller managed to enthrall everyone in the room.
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  39. apocryphal — Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.
    Example: The heroic story was widely believed but entirely apocryphal.
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  40. phlegmatic — (of a person) having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.
    Example: His phlegmatic response to the crisis kept everyone calm.
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  41. vilify — To speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.
    Example: The press sought to vilify the whistleblower to protect the powerful.
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  42. vivacious — (especially of a woman) attractively lively and animated.
    Example: Her vivacious laughter lit up every corner of the room.
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  43. taciturn — Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
    Example: The taciturn detective spoke only when he had something to say.
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  44. adumbrate — To report or represent in outline; to foreshadow vaguely.
    Example: The opening paragraph adumbrates the novel's central conflict.
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  45. portent — A sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen.
    Example: The sudden silence seemed like a portent of danger.
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  46. circumscribed — Restricted within limits.
    Example: The new rules circumscribed the authority of local governments.
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  47. erudite — Having or showing great knowledge or learning.
    Example: The erudite professor could quote any author from memory.
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  48. oration — A formal speech, especially one given on a ceremonial occasion.
    Example: His oration at the graduation moved the entire audience.
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  49. plaudits — Praise.
    Example: The performance earned plaudits from every major critic in the city.
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  50. cavort — To jump or dance around excitedly.
    Example: The lambs began to cavort joyfully across the spring meadow.
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  51. corpulence — The state of being fat; obesity.
    Example: His corpulence made physical activity increasingly difficult.
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  52. haughty — Arrogantly superior and disdainful.
    Example: The haughty aristocrat refused to acknowledge his servants.
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  53. dither — To be indecisive.
    Example: She dithered over which offer to accept for far too long.
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  54. circumspect — Wary and unwilling to take risks.
    Example: She was circumspect in her comments, knowing the risks.
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  55. insolent — Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.
    Example: The insolent clerk barely acknowledged the waiting customers.
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  56. predilection — A preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
    Example: She had a predilection for rare books and old maps.
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  57. refract — (of water, air, or glass) to make (a ray of light) change direction when it enters at an…
    Example: A glass prism can refract white light into a visible spectrum of colors.
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  58. turpitude — Depravity; wickedness.
    Example: The crime was an act of moral turpitude that shocked the community.
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  59. ingenuous — (of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.
    Example: Her ingenuous trust in others made her easy to deceive.
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  60. indefatigable — (of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.
    Example: The indefatigable volunteer worked double shifts all week.
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  61. propriety — The state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals.
    Example: She behaved with impeccable propriety at every formal occasion.
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  62. primeval — Of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world.
    Example: The forest had a primeval stillness undisturbed for centuries.
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  63. antediluvian — Ridiculously old-fashioned; belonging to the time before the biblical Flood.
    Example: His antediluvian views on education had not changed in decades.
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  64. irrevocable — Not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final.
    Example: Once signed, the agreement would be irrevocable and binding.
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  65. morose — Sullen and ill-tempered.
    Example: He sat morose and silent in the corner of the room.
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  66. ostentatious — Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.
    Example: The ostentatious mansion was designed to impress, not to feel homely.
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  67. truculent — Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
    Example: The truculent soldiers gave us a steely-eyed stare.
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  68. accentuate — To make more noticeable or prominent.
    Example: Bold lighting can accentuate the sculpture's dramatic shape.
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  69. abjure — To formally reject or renounce a belief, cause, or claim.
    Example: He abjured his earlier views and adopted a new philosophy.
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  70. vociferous — (especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous.
    Example: A vociferous crowd outside the courtroom awaited the verdict.
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  71. imperious — Assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering.
    Example: The imperious director expected total obedience from the cast.
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  72. indolent — Wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
    Example: The indolent girl resisted doing her homework.
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  73. congeal — To solidify or coagulate, especially by cooling.
    Example: We must act before opposition to our plans congeals.
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  74. scurrilous — Making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation.
    Example: The scurrilous article contained false and damaging claims.
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  75. perfidious — Deceitful and untrustworthy.
    Example: The perfidious ally betrayed them on the eve of battle.
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  76. berate — To scold or criticize someone angrily.
    Example: The coach would berate players who did not follow the strategy.
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  77. demur — To raise doubts or objections or show reluctance.
    Example: The attorney demurred at the suggestion that the clause was enforceable.
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  78. resplendent — Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
    Example: She arrived resplendent in a floor-length emerald gown.
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  79. mawkish — Sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.
    Example: The film's mawkish ending was almost too sentimental to bear.
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  80. assuage — To make an unpleasant feeling less intense.
    Example: Kind words helped assuage her grief after the loss.
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  81. dissemble — To conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs.
    Example: The spy was trained to dissemble and hide all emotion.
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  82. impute — To attribute (something, especially a fault or a crime) to someone.
    Example: The teacher imputed the student's failure to his nervousness.
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  83. proscribe — To forbid, especially by law.
    Example: The law proscribes driving a car while intoxicated.
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  84. implacable — Unable to be placated; relentless; unstoppable.
    Example: The implacable rival refused to accept any truce.
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  85. rancor — Bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing.
    Example: He spoke without rancor, despite years of unfair treatment.
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  86. evince — To reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling).
    Example: His calm response evinced a confidence that surprised his critics.
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  87. desecrate — To treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect; to profane.
    Example: Vandals desecrated the historic monument with graffiti.
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  88. demean — To cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something).
    Example: She refused to let her boss's remarks demean her dignity.
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  89. incontrovertible — Not able to be denied or disputed.
    Example: Her statement that Hitler was evil is incontrovertible.
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  90. carouse — To drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.
    Example: We are all going to carouse at Brian's tonight.
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  91. discomfit — To make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.
    Example: Don't worry. Your joke did not really discomfit me.
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  92. confound — To cause surprise or confusion in someone, especially by acting against their expectations.
    Example: Don't confound the situation by yelling.
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  93. pillage — To rob a (place) using violence, especially in wartime.
    Example: The invaders pillaged every village in their path.
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  94. allay — To diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
    Example: A calm explanation can allay a frightened child's fears.
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  95. torpor — A state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy.
    Example: The extreme heat left everyone in a state of torpor.
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  96. amenity — A desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place.
    Example: We especially enjoyed the amenity of the climate on our last holiday.
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  97. sagacity — The quality of showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewdness.
    Example: His sagacity in business matters saved the firm from bankruptcy.
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  98. torpid — Mentally or physically inactive; lethargic.
    Example: The cold-blooded reptile was torpid on the cool autumn morning.
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  99. amalgamate — To combine or unite to form one organization or structure.
    Example: The two small firms decided to amalgamate to compete better.
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  100. renunciation — The formal rejection of something, typically a belief, claim, or course of action.
    Example: The President's renunciation of the treaty has upset Congress.
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  101. sinuous — Having many curves and turns.
    Example: We followed every bend of the sinuous river.
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  102. duplicity — Deceitfulness; double-dealing.
    Example: His duplicity was revealed when both stories were compared.
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  103. incorrigible — (of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed.
    Example: The incorrigible liar could not be trusted despite every warning.
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  104. vapid — Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.
    Example: The vapid reality show offered nothing of substance.
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  105. anathema — Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.
    Example: Dishonesty was anathema to her strict moral code.
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  106. usurp — To take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force.
    Example: The general attempted to usurp power from the elected president.
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  107. inure — To accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.
    Example: Years of criticism had inured her to harsh reviews.
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  108. imprudent — Not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash.
    Example: It was imprudent to invest life savings in a single stock.
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  109. pert — (of a girl or young woman) impudent or cheeky.
    Example: Her pert reply surprised everyone with its boldness.
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  110. palliate — To make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause.
    Example: The medication could palliate the symptoms but not cure the disease.
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  111. ostracism — Exclusion from a society or group.
    Example: Social ostracism can be as painful as physical punishment.
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  112. parsimony — Extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources.
    Example: His parsimony meant he refused to heat the house in winter.
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  113. conciliate — To stop someone from being angry or discontented; to placate.
    Example: She tried to conciliate the two feuding parties peacefully.
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  114. balk — To hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking.
    Example: The committee balked at the proposal's unexpectedly high costs.
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  115. punctilious — Showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.
    Example: With a punctilious slap of the gloves, the duel was now inevitable.
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  116. precipice — A very steep rock face or cliff, typically a very tall one.
    Example: The hiker stood on the precipice of a stunning cliff.
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  117. amorous — Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire.
    Example: We were both feeling amorous so the inevitable happened.
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  118. inane — Silly; stupid.
    Example: His inane response to a serious question irritated the audience.
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  119. garrulous — Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
    Example: The garrulous guest talked through the entire dinner.
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  120. querulous — Complaining in a petulant or whining manner.
    Example: The querulous passenger complained about every minor inconvenience.
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  121. swarthy — Dark-complexioned.
    Example: The swarthy sailor had spent years under a harsh tropical sun.
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  122. lurid — Very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
    Example: The accident was described with lurid detail.
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  123. enamor — To be filled with a feeling of love for.
    Example: He was deeply enamored by the city's old architecture.
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  124. consecrate — To make or declare sacred.
    Example: The bishop was asked to consecrate the new chapel.
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  125. clairvoyant — A person who claims to have a supernatural ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal…
    Example: She claimed to be clairvoyant but could not predict the outcome.
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  126. repentant — Expressing or feeling sincere regret and remorse; remorseful.
    Example: He was deeply repentant and asked for forgiveness in person.
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  127. inarticulate — Unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.
    Example: He was inarticulate under pressure and often fumbled his words.
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  128. concomitant — Naturally accompanying or associated.
    Example: Stress is often concomitant with high-responsibility leadership roles.
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  129. staid — Sedate, respectable, and unadventurous.
    Example: The staid bank interior had not been redesigned in forty years.
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  130. repose — A state of rest, sleep, or tranquility.
    Example: Simon reposed in the year 1287.
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  131. coalesce — To come together to form one mass or whole.
    Example: The droplets coalesced into a puddle.
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  132. stupefy — To make (someone) unable to think or feel properly.
    Example: The magic trick seemed to stupefy the entire audience.
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  133. subjugate — To bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.
    Example: Conquerors often sought to subjugate the local population.
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  134. pugnacious — Eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.
    Example: He had a pugnacious personality that led to frequent arguments.
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  135. obstinate — Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do…
    Example: The obstinate child refused to eat anything but pasta.
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  136. affable — Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to.
    Example: The affable host made every guest feel immediately welcome.
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  137. paucity — The presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
    Example: The paucity of clean water in the region caused disease.
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  138. transmute — To change in form, nature, or substance.
    Example: Did the base metals transmute to gold?
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  139. bequeath — To leave a property to a person or other beneficiary by a will.
    Example: He chose to bequeath his library to the city's archive.
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  140. dilatory — Slow to act.
    Example: His dilatory approach to the project caused repeated delays.
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  141. pallid — (of a person's face) pale, typically because of poor health.
    Example: His pallid complexion suggested he had not slept in days.
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  142. flabbergasted — Greatly surprised or astonished.
    Example: He was flabbergasted to find his name on the list.
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  143. ascribe — To attribute something to a cause.
    Example: She ascribed her success to years of patient practice.
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  144. epistolary — Relating to or denoting the writing of letters or literary works in the form of letters.
    Example: The novel used an epistolary format consisting only of letters.
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  145. propitious — Giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable.
    Example: Calm weather made it a propitious day for the sailing race.
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  146. irreverence — A lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.
    Example: His irreverence toward tradition shocked some of his elders.
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  147. quixotic — Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
    Example: His quixotic plan to reform the entire system in a month failed.
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  148. emaciated — Abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or a lack of food.
    Example: The documentary featured emaciated wildlife struggling to survive a severe drought.
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  149. dirge — A lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.
    Example: The choir sang a mournful dirge at the soldier's funeral.
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  150. perspicacity — The quality of having a ready insight into things; shrewdness.
    Example: Her perspicacity allowed her to spot the flaw others had missed.
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