SAT Vocabulary Lesson 17
Words like alacrity, harbinger, and vilify — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| abhor | (v) | to hate deeply |
| accolade | (n) | an award or an expression of praise |
| alacrity | (n) | cheerful readiness; brisk eagerness |
| amiable | (adj) | friendly and pleasant |
| antagonize | (v) | to make someone hostile |
| bereft | (adj) | deprived of something, or left desolate |
| cordial | (adj) | warm and friendly |
| culminate | (v) | to reach the highest point or the final result |
| defunct | (adj) | no longer existing or functioning |
| disdain | (n) | contempt for something considered unworthy |
| enigma | (n) | a person or thing that is mysterious or puzzling |
| exonerate | (v) | to clear of blame or accusation |
| flippant | (adj) | not showing proper seriousness |
| harbinger | (n) | a sign of something that is coming |
| imminent | (adj) | about to happen |
| incessant | (adj) | continuing without pause |
| jubilant | (adj) | feeling or expressing great joy |
| lucrative | (adj) | producing a great deal of profit |
| mundane | (adj) | ordinary and dull; of the everyday world |
| novice | (n) | a beginner; someone new to an activity |
| perfunctory | (adj) | done with the least effort, as a routine duty |
| rebuke | (v) | to criticize sharply |
| respite | (n) | a short period of rest or relief |
| stoic | (adj) | enduring hardship without showing feeling |
| vilify | (v) | to speak or write about in an abusively critical way |
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 17
Test your knowledge of the Lesson 17 words. Select the best answer for each question and submit to see your score.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 17
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Which word means 'a sign of something that is coming'?
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Which word means 'to clear of blame or accusation'?
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Which word means 'about to happen'?
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Which word means 'cheerful readiness'?
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Which word means 'done with the least possible effort'?