SAT Vocabulary Lesson 15
Words like bombastic, ephemeral, and ostentatious — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| adamant | (adj) | refusing to be persuaded; unshakably firm |
| affable | (adj) | friendly and easy to talk to |
| amorphous | (adj) | without a clear shape or form |
| bombastic | (adj) | using language that is grand but empty |
| capitulate | (v) | to surrender or stop resisting |
| circumspect | (adj) | careful to consider all the consequences |
| convoluted | (adj) | extremely complex and difficult to follow |
| denigrate | (v) | to attack the reputation of; to belittle |
| egregious | (adj) | outstandingly bad; shocking |
| ephemeral | (adj) | lasting a very short time |
| extol | (v) | to praise highly |
| fortuitous | (adj) | happening by chance, often luckily |
| haughty | (adj) | arrogantly superior in manner |
| indolent | (adj) | habitually lazy |
| intrepid | (adj) | fearless and adventurous |
| loquacious | (adj) | very talkative |
| meticulous | (adj) | showing great attention to detail |
| myopic | (adj) | short-sighted, either in vision or in planning |
| ostentatious | (adj) | showy in a way meant to impress |
| pernicious | (adj) | causing harm in a gradual, hidden way |
| placate | (v) | to calm someone’s anger |
| repudiate | (v) | to reject or refuse to accept |
| solicitous | (adj) | showing careful concern for someone’s well-being |
| tantamount | (adj) | equivalent in effect or value |
| vehement | (adj) | showing strong, forceful feeling |
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 15
Test your knowledge of the Lesson 15 words. Select the best answer for each question and submit to see your score.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 15
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Which word means 'lasting a very short time'?
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Which word means 'to calm someone's anger'?
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Which word means 'without a clear shape or form'?
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Which word means 'showy in a way meant to impress'?
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Which word means 'causing harm in a gradual, hidden way'?