SAT Vocabulary Lesson 12
Words like acumen, paragon, and sycophant — 25 challenging vocabulary words with definitions, exercises, and an answer key.
A free account is enough for the complete SAT word list and the full-length practice test.
Word List with Definitions
Study these 25 vocabulary words. Each word includes its part of speech and definition. Use the printable worksheet to practice recalling each word from its meaning.
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| acumen | (n) | keen insight and good judgment, especially in practical matters |
| aplomb | (n) | self-confident poise, especially in a difficult situation |
| belligerent | (adj) | eager to fight; hostile and aggressive |
| castigate | (v) | to criticize or punish severely |
| deleterious | (adj) | causing harm or damage |
| elucidate | (v) | to make clear by explaining |
| fastidious | (adj) | very attentive to detail; hard to please |
| gregarious | (adj) | fond of company; sociable |
| hackneyed | (adj) | worn out through overuse; unoriginal |
| impecunious | (adj) | having little or no money |
| insolent | (adj) | rudely disrespectful |
| juxtapose | (v) | to place side by side, often to show a contrast |
| lucid | (adj) | clear and easy to understand; thinking clearly |
| mitigate | (v) | to make less severe, serious, or painful |
| nebulous | (adj) | vague or hazy; lacking definite form |
| obdurate | (adj) | stubbornly refusing to change an opinion or course |
| paragon | (n) | a model of excellence or perfection |
| pragmatic | (adj) | concerned with practical results rather than theory |
| recalcitrant | (adj) | stubbornly resistant to authority or control |
| sanction | (n) | official approval, or a penalty imposed for breaking a rule |
| sycophant | (n) | a person who flatters others to gain advantage |
| tenuous | (adj) | very weak or slight; thin |
| usurp | (v) | to seize power or a position wrongfully |
| vindicate | (v) | to clear of blame, or to prove right |
| vociferous | (adj) | expressing opinions loudly and forcefully |
Practice Exercises
The printable worksheet includes two types of exercises, covering every word on the list:
- Write the Word — A meaning is given; write the word from the list that matches it.
- Choose the Best Word — A meaning is given with four choices; circle the word that matches.
Printable Worksheet
The printable PDF includes the word list, both exercises, and a full answer key. Every word on the list is practiced exactly once across the two exercises.
The other half of the test: SAT Writing and Language
Twelve printable worksheets on the conventions the SAT checks — commas, semicolons and dashes, apostrophes, sentence boundaries, agreement, pronouns, verb tense, modifiers, parallel structure, transitions, rhetorical synthesis, and conciseness. Each teaches the rule, then drills it as four-choice questions with a key that explains every answer. The Commas worksheet needs only a free account.
New: SAT Reading worksheets
Seven printable worksheets on the Reading skills the test scores — words in context, central ideas, command of evidence in text and in data, inferences, text structure and purpose, and cross-text connections. Each teaches the skill and the wrong-answer types the test relies on, then asks about two original passages. The Words in Context worksheet needs only a free account.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 12
Test your knowledge of the Lesson 12 words. Select the best answer for each question and submit to see your score.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 12
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Which word means 'a person who flatters others to get ahead'?
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Which word means 'to make less severe'?
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Which word means 'worn out from overuse'?
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Which word means 'causing harm or damage'?
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Which word means 'to seize a position wrongfully'?