SAT Vocabulary Worksheet
SAT Vocabulary Lesson 3
Words like notorious, inconceivable, and spurious — 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 synonyms, antonyms, analogies, and sentence completion.
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| aberration | (n) | a variation or change from what is normal or right; something unnatural |
| aghast | (adj) | shocked; terrified or amazed |
| appellation | (n) | a name or title; a word used to identify a person or thing |
| bewilder | (v) | to perplex or confuse; to disorder a person’s thinking |
| chattel | (n) | a thing that is owned; a possession |
| contemptuous | (adj) | thinking poorly of; scornful or disdainful |
| debonair | (adj) | charming; having a sophisticated and attractive manner |
| detest | (v) | to have a profound dislike or abhorrence for; to hate |
| elasticity | (n) | the physical property of matter wherein matter returns to its original form after being reshaped, as an elastic band returns to its original shape after being stretched |
| fickle | (adj) | capriciously changeable in affection or belief; not remaining faithful to one idea or feeling |
| hindrance | (n) | an obstruction or impediment; something that blocks progress |
| inconceivable | (adj) | unimaginable or unthinkable |
| litigious | (adj) | willing and likely to pursue a lawsuit |
| minimize | (v) | to make as small as possible |
| notorious | (adj) | widely known but viewed negatively or critically |
| ordeal | (n) | an experience that is extremely difficult or trying |
| ostracize | (v) | to banish from or force out of a group or situation |
| peccadillo | (n) | a minor sin or fault; a trifling wrongdoing |
| placid | (adj) | tranquil and calm; at rest |
| prosaic | (adj) | matter-of-fact; without spirit, style, or imagination |
| rectitude | (n) | correctness or uprightness; unerring in following principles |
| salient | (adj) | noticeable or important; standing out |
| spurious | (adj) | inauthentic; not bona fide |
| tincture | (n) | a typically alcoholic mixture containing a medicine or remedy |
| vigilance | (n) | alertness; unbreaking attention to a duty |
Practice Exercises
The printable worksheet includes four types of exercises to reinforce each word:
- Synonyms — Write the word from the list that means the same as the word given.
- Antonyms — Write the word from the list that means the opposite of the word given.
- Analogies — Choose the word that best completes the word-relationship pattern.
- Sentence Completion — Write the correct word to complete each sentence.
Printable Worksheet
The printable PDF includes the word list, all four exercises, and a full answer key.
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 3
Test your knowledge of the Lesson 3 words. Select the best answer for each question and submit to see your score.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz — Lesson 3
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Which word means 'not believable' or 'impossible to imagine'?
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Which word means 'calm and peaceful'?
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Which word means 'false or not genuine'?
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Which word means the opposite of 'rude'?
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Which word means 'widely known for something bad'?