SAT Vocabulary Lesson 20
Words like audacious, inscrutable, and venal — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| adept | (adj) | very skilled at something through practice |
| adversity | (n) | difficult or unpleasant circumstances |
| apprehensive | (adj) | anxious about something in the future |
| assiduous | (adj) | showing great care and persistence |
| audacious | (adj) | boldly daring, sometimes recklessly so |
| coalesce | (v) | to come together to form one whole |
| condone | (v) | to accept or allow behavior that is wrong |
| deteriorate | (v) | to become progressively worse |
| dilatory | (adj) | slow to act; causing delay |
| dubious | (adj) | doubtful or questionable |
| elicit | (v) | to draw out a response or reaction |
| exuberant | (adj) | filled with lively energy and excitement |
| fallacy | (n) | a mistaken belief or a piece of faulty reasoning |
| gratuitous | (adj) | uncalled for; given or done without good reason |
| inevitable | (adj) | certain to happen |
| inscrutable | (adj) | impossible to interpret or understand |
| jargon | (n) | special words used by a group that outsiders find hard to follow |
| lavish | (adj) | rich, elaborate, or given in great amounts |
| nonchalant | (adj) | calmly unconcerned |
| paucity | (n) | a very small amount; scarcity |
| proponent | (n) | a person who argues in favor of something |
| ratify | (v) | to approve formally |
| resolute | (adj) | firmly determined |
| scathing | (adj) | severely critical |
| venal | (adj) | willing to be bribed; corrupt |
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 20
Test your knowledge of the Lesson 20 words. Select the best answer for each question and submit to see your score.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 20
-
Which word means 'a mistaken belief or faulty reasoning'?
-
Which word means 'to come together to form one whole'?
-
Which word means 'impossible to interpret or understand'?
-
Which word means 'willing to be bribed'?
-
Which word means 'showing great care and persistence'?