ISEE/SSAThard
Hard ISEE & SSAT vocabulary
580 words — the long tail — the words that separate a good verbal score from a great one.
- abashed
- abrogate
- abstemious
- abstruse
- accede
- accrue
- acerbic
- acquiesce
- acrimonious
- acumen
- adage
- admonish
- adroit
- adulation
- affront
- aggrandize
- alacrity
- allay
- amalgamate
- ambivalence
- ameliorate
- amity
- amorphous
- anachronism
- animosity
- anodyne
- anomalous
- antecedent
- antepenultimate
- antipathy
- antiquated
- apocryphal
- apparition
- apprise
- approbation
- archaic
- archetype
- armistice
- ascertain
- ascribe
- asperity
- assent
- assiduous
- assuage
- astute
- attenuate
- audacious
- auspicious
- austere
- avarice
- baleful
- banal
- bastion
- befuddle
- belie
- bemused
- beneficent
- benign
- bereft
- bestow
- blanch
- blithe
- bombastic
- boorish
- brackish
- brazen
- bridle
- broach
- brusque
- bulwark
- burgeon
- cajole
- callow
- calumny
- cantankerous
- capacious
- capitulate
- capricious
- carping
- castigate
- categorical
- cavalier
- cavil
- censorious
- chafe
- chagrin
- chauvinist
- chicanery
- chide
- choleric
- chortle
- churlish
- circuitous
- circumlocution
- circumspect
- clandestine
- cleft
- coalesce
- coerce
- cogent
- cogitate
- cohesive
- commend
- commensurate
- commiserate
- complacent
- complaisant
- conciliatory
- condescending
- condone
- confound
- congenial
- consonant
- consternation
- consummate
- contentious
- contravene
- contrite
- convalesce
- conviviality
- convoluted
- corroborate
- covert
- craven
- credulous
- cryptic
- culminate
- culpable
- curmudgeonly
- cursory
- cynical
- daunting
- dearth
- debacle
- debilitate
- debonair
- decorum
- decrepit
- deft
- dejected
- deleterious
- delineation
- delude
- demure
- denounce
- depravity
- desist
- despondent
- destitute
- desultory
- deter
- detrimental
- devious
- dexterous
- diaphanous
- didactic
- diffident
- diffuse
- digress
- disabuse
- disaffected
- discomfit
- disconcerted
- discursive
- disingenuous
- disparage
- disparate
- disparity
- dispassionate
- dispensation
- dissemble
- dissipate
- dissolute
- distraught
- divisive
- divulge
- doctrinaire
- dogmatic
- doleful
- dormant
- dullard
- duplicity
- ebullient
- eclectic
- edifice
- efface
- effusive
- egregious
- elation
- elucidate
- emancipate
- embargo
- embellish
- embezzle
- encroach
- encumber
- enervate
- enfeeble
- engender
- entreat
- entrenched
- ephemeral
- epistolary
- epitome
- equable
- equanimity
- equivocal
- equivocate
- erratic
- erudite
- eschew
- esoteric
- euphemism
- evanescent
- exacerbate
- expediency
- expiate
- extol
- extricate
- extrinsic
- exuberant
- exult
- facsimile
- fallacy
- fallible
- fastidious
- fathomable
- fatuous
- fawning
- feckless
- fecund
- felicity
- fetid
- fiasco
- fickle
- fitful
- florid
- foible
- forestall
- forlorn
- fortitude
- fortuitous
- fractious
- frenetic
- fulsome
- gainsay
- galvanize
- garrulous
- gauche
- glean
- grandiose
- gregarious
- grovel
- guerrilla
- guile
- hackneyed
- haggard
- harangue
- harried
- hector
- hedonistic
- hegemony
- heresy
- hermetic
- heterogeneous
- histrionic
- homage
- hypocrisy
- iconoclast
- idiosyncrasy
- ignoble
- ignominious
- illiberal
- immaterial
- impalpable
- impassive
- impecunious
- impede
- imperil
- impertinent
- imperturbable
- impetuous
- implacable
- imprudent
- impudent
- impugn
- inane
- incapacitate
- incarnate
- inchoate
- incipient
- incisive
- incite
- incongruous
- incontrovertible
- incorrigible
- indefatigable
- indict
- indigence
- indigent
- indolent
- indomitable
- indubitable
- inept
- inexorable
- ingenious
- ingrained
- inimical
- innate
- innocuous
- inordinate
- insatiable
- inscrutable
- insidious
- insipid
- insolent
- instigate
- insular
- insurrection
- intimation
- intractable
- intransigent
- intrepid
- introspection
- inundate
- inveterate
- irascible
- itinerant
- jaunty
- jejune
- jocular
- judicious
- juncture
- laconic
- largesse
- lassitude
- latent
- laud
- laudable
- laudably
- licentious
- limpid
- listless
- lithe
- litigate
- loquacious
- lugubrious
- machination
- magnanimous
- malady
- malaise
- malevolent
- malign
- malleable
- malodorous
- maudlin
- mellifluous
- mendacious
- mercurial
- meretricious
- misanthropic
- misconstrue
- mitigate
- modicum
- mordant
- motley
- munificent
- myopic
- nascent
- nebulous
- nonagenarian
- nonet
- nonplussed
- noxious
- obdurate
- obfuscate
- oblique
- obsequious
- obstreperous
- obtuseness
- obviate
- occult
- opulence
- ornate
- orthodox
- oscillate
- ossify
- ostensible
- ostentatious
- ostracize
- outmoded
- palpate
- paltry
- panacea
- panegyric
- paradox
- paramount
- pariah
- parochial
- parry
- parsimonious
- partisan
- patent
- paucity
- pedantic
- peevish
- pejorative
- penchant
- penurious
- peremptory
- perfidious
- perfidy
- perfunctory
- permeate
- pernicious
- perpetuate
- perspicacious
- pertinent
- peruse
- pervasive
- perverse
- petulant
- phlegmatic
- pique
- pithy
- placate
- plaintive
- plethora
- poignant
- polyphonic
- pompous
- posterity
- potable
- precipice
- preclude
- prescient
- privation
- privy
- probity
- proclivity
- prodigious
- profligate
- prolix
- propagate
- propensity
- propitious
- propriety
- prosaic
- prostrate
- protean
- provincial
- provisional
- prudent
- pugnacious
- punctilious
- pusillanimous
- putative
- qualm
- quash
- quaver
- querulous
- quiescent
- quixotic
- rapacious
- rapport
- recalcitrant
- recondite
- redoubtable
- refractory
- reiterate
- relinquish
- remiss
- replete
- repose
- reproach
- reprobate
- repudiate
- repugnant
- rescind
- resolute
- reticent
- retrench
- revulsion
- rhapsodic
- rhetorician
- risible
- rococo
- rudimentary
- ruminate
- sacrilege
- sagacious
- salient
- sanctimonious
- sanction
- sanguine
- sardonic
- satiate
- scourge
- scrupulous
- scurrilous
- sedate
- sententious
- sequester
- servile
- sinuous
- solicitous
- soporific
- specious
- speculative
- spurious
- spurn
- squalid
- squander
- squelch
- stalwart
- stipulation
- stratum
- stringent
- stupefy
- stupor
- substantiate
- subterfuge
- subvert
- succumb
- superfluous
- supple
- surmise
- surreptitious
- synchronous
- synopsis
- tacit
- taciturn
- tangible
- tawdry
- tenuous
- tepid
- terse
- tirade
- tractable
- transgression
- transitory
- trenchant
- trepidation
- truncate
- tumultuous
- ubiquitous
- ulterior
- unconscionable
- unctuous
- undermine
- undulate
- ungainly
- untenable
- unvarnished
- urbane
- usurp
- vacillate
- vacuous
- variegated
- vaunt
- venal
- venerable
- veracity
- verve
- vestige
- vexation
- vindicate
- virtuoso
- virulent
- vituperative
- vociferous
- volatile
- voluptuous
- wanton
- welter
- winsome
- wistful
- wizened
- zealot
- zenith