SENIORS--The Top 250 Most Difficult SAT Words--Part I
"I hate words.""Words suck."
"If I wanted to read, I'd go to school."
Beavis & Butthead
Maybe you're too young to remember Beavis and Butthead, two of the dumbest and crudest creations to ever inhabit the boob tube. The creator of the moronic pair, Mike Judge, was actually spoofing moronic rock & roll teenagers like B & B. Ironically, Judge's targets didn't get the zingers. Which made the popularity of B & B even more widespread.
Now unlike B & B, you see the value of knowing "words."
And this prof does, too, and he recognizes his duty to prepare you for the rigors of the SAT, where words like acumen and anathema still lurk in the dark corners of that test like critical readings and sentence completions. Of course, you have the acumen to recognize that knowing and using words like this make you can also make you a more effective persuasive and creative writer, a real contributor to our enlightened democracy and to our Creative and Critical Writing classes.
Here's your assignment.
Pick any five of these words and write five REALLY GOOD sentences using those words correctly in context, giving a clue to the meaning of the word.
These sentences should appear on the blog BEFORE CLASS on Wednesday, September 10.
We'll have a quiz on these words at a later date, too, using your sentences (I hope).
"He, he, huh, he, huh, huh, he, slobber, slobber."
A
abjure
(v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the president abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.)
abrogate
(v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.)
acerbic
(adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.)
acrimony
(n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)
acumen
(n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)
adumbrate
(v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.)
alacrity
(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table, he did so with alacrity.)
anathema
(n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an anathema to me.)
antipathy
(n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.)
approbation
(n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)
arrogate
(v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.)
ascetic
(adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.)
aspersion
(n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others’ integrity.)
assiduous
(adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.)
B
blandish
(v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.)
boon
(n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.)
brusque
(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s brusque manner offended the passengers.)
buffet
1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.)
2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.)
burnish
(v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.)
buttress
1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.)
2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)
C
cacophony
(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.)
cajole
(v.) to urge, coax (Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.)
calumny
(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies (The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)
capricious
(adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)
clemency
(n.) mercy (After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemency.)
posted by JTF @ 1:48 PM
53 comments
53 Comments:
Upon discovering that she had not made the cheerleading squad, Alexa became acerbic and started to yell at the coach.
My friends were able to cajole me into going on the rollercoaster despite my fear of heights.
Instead of having a formal dinner at their wedding, Mr. and Mrs. Smith had an elaborate buffet filled with everything from salad to pastries.
After all of the lying, trash-talking, and back-stabbing, that girl I once called a friend is nothing but an anathema to me.
He drove with alacrity to the hospital when he received the call that his daughter had been in a car accident.
Although most students are friendly and accepting, those who are not you learn to abjure.
Our school's rules are strict, however they do not abrogate our basic freedoms as students.
The acrimony in the tone of their voices assured me I should come back at a better time.
Without Kristen's creative acumen our project could never have been so original.
Teachers usually adumbrate an outline for students to follow when giving a project.
The boy in my class who acted like a gangster was such an anathema that no one would sit near him at lunch.
My sister has such a clear acumen into the dealings of the school that she is certain to be elected student council president.
In many tales, a fairy must grant you a boon should you successfully complete a task they set before you.
My best friend's cat is quite capricious in her choice of food.
I was quite offended when my friend greeted me in such a brusque manner it could have been mistaken for outright hatred.
Good job, seniors, "getting busy."
Mr. Fiorelli
Before attending the dance, to make sure he looked his best, Adam burnished his shoes.
To conclude the Mass, Father Greg gave the congregation a boon and prayed for a good school year.
The assiduous student stayed up until 3 AM to study for his biology exam.
Unfortunately, Sarah abjured his invitation to the prom.
With ten seconds left in the final round, Muhammad Ali buffeted his opponent, knocked him out, and won the match.
When the tie of the football game was broken by a touchdown scored by the star quarterback, the crowd cheered with approbation.
The tile layers had to be very assiduous as they laid the tiles for the new mosaic that would cover the wall.
Although Susan did not want to spend so much money on the dress, the sales associate blandished her into buying it.
When my family went to eat lunch on the cruise, there was a large ammount of food set up in a buffet.
When she forgot her friend's bithday, the only thing she could think to do was to beg Emily for clemency.
The kids were shocked that someone they had never met could be so acerbic towards them.
The ascetic lived in the woods with not a pillow to rest his head on.
The sights and sounds of the hurricane created an energetic cacophony.
Every Friday he burnishes his prized muscle car in sublimation.
The manager has been less than assiduous ever since he started gambling.
mw purple
Judging by the distorted look on his face, I must have put too many lemons in the lemonade causing it to become extremely acerbic.
His assiduous behavior became an influence to those around him who also wished to get a promotion.
The fact that no one was harmed in the horrific accident was a boon for their entire family.
The police had to buffet the locked door allowing them access into the restricted building.
The loud music became such a cacophony causing her to have a splitting headache for the remainder of the day.
Everyone that knew Rob and Margi expected one of them to be begging for clemency towards one another rather than the current hatred they are showing.
With so many options while scanning a candy store, I become a capricious little girl with too many options to choose from!
The Newspapers are sometimes biased with their information that contain only an iota of truth which can lead to lies and calumny specifically targeted against people.
My family has a Sunday Brunch every weekend so when my out-of-town relatives visit, it is more like a buffet where you select your own plate of many food selections!
I believe
the quote: "You can't live with them, but you can't live without them" applies to my sisters due to their gifts of advice that have been a boon in times of need!
Americans, with even a vague sense of the world today, should feel nothing but antipathy towards our soon to be ex-president.
Most people see the government as nothing but greed driven, arrogate machine.
Most people at the concert were just pleading for clemency as the opening band finished their set.
His blandish manner of speak was that of legend to all the girls.
Those who know Benjamin Kowal know that he abjures every illegal activity.
After the volleyball state championship game, family and friends congratulated the team with approbation.
One who is on a very strict diet lives an ascetic life trying to avoid cravings and temptations.
During the tie breaker point of the game, our coach cajoled us to play with intensity and push through to the end.
The seniors always create a cacophony on the day of the pep rally in hopes of winning the spirit stick.
My brother abjured my mothers' rules by staying out past curfew with his friends.
The reporter loved going on undercover assignments, so when a new assignment was offered, he always took the job with alacrity.
The assiduous valedictorian stood up in front of her graduating class, took a breath, and delivered a speech on the importance of hard work.
The archeologist burnished the silver necklace free from tarnish and dirt before selling the magnificent piece to the museum.
Bob's parents cajoled him into getting a job when he begged them for a new car.
The two girls were best friends since childhood but when they both competed against each other to earn ten thousand dollars, acrimony came between them causing them to detest each other.
The witch put a wicked aspersion on the little kids.
Bob was a very assiduous student, he turned his work on time and always gave his best effort.
At the buffet there was a lot of exotic foods from many different country's.
After the big fight and all the arguing, Bob begged for clemency to his girl friend.
I have a very strong antipathy toward the Boston Celtics.
The local private college adjured fifty percent of its high school applicants.
I gathered my cousin's acumen to confirm the options I had for purchasing a new computer.
After four months of assiduous searching in newspapers and on the internet, I found my dream car in a budget I could afford.
The recent tropical storm buffeted cars on the highway, making it difficult to stay in one lane.
My dad wipes off the old polish on his trophy and burnishes it every two months.
After being wrongly incarcerated for 10 year, the governor granted the prisoner clemency.
The cacophonic crack of the hunter's rifle broke through the stillness of the forest air.
The political candidate's speech was met with a roar of approbation.
The capricious child will not eat mustard on his hot dogs.
My grandfather doles out life lessons filled with valuable acumen.
The donations from many families have been boons to the Gift of Sight charity, which now has over one million dollars in donations.
My brother was burnishing his sword for his reenactment this weekend so that it was really shine in the sun light.
At the wedding there was a nicely arranged buffet with every kind of delicious food imaginable.
The crowd welcomed home the soldiers that were in Iraq with approbation and of course many hugs.
Megan has showed her professor she is an assiduous student by turning in her research paper an entire week early.
The player had abjured his team after they left him on the field alone.
When I am on the soccer field i will show no clemency and i will score as much as possible.
Kelly's boyfriend had ended their conversation in a brusque manner which left her confused and worried.
The opera met with high approbation.
The ninja buffeted through the unsuspecting soldiers to make his way to the king.
1. Modern political advertisements are often filled with acerbic remarks intended to slander the candidate’s opponent.
2. His brilliant speech was welcomed with excited approbation from the audience.
3. When my mother told me that “I was the best dish washer un-loader in the entire world”, I did not succumb to her blandishment and refused to help her in the kitchen.
4. Although I tried to cajole him out of my living room with soothing words and a fire poker, the raccoon refused to leave my house.
5. Dimitri demonstrated much antipathy for his arch-nemesis Nigel by biting off his tail on the way into the jungle.
The lemonade Kim made was very acerbic, but I kept drinking to be polite.
At the end of the soccer game the students showed the utmost approbation for Austin for scoring the winning goal at the state championships.
Jane's calumny towards lisa caused her to loose all of her friends.
Bakers are very assiduous waking up every morning at the crack of dawn and ending just in time for dinner.
The rain was a boon for North Carolina after being in a drought.
The teacher abrogated gum chewing in class by issuing out demerits
Joe was filled with alacrity when the lottery numbers were being revealed
The ship was buffeted by a cannon as it slowly began to sank
The band was greeted by approbation as they walked out onto the stage
The priest asked for a boon from Jesus, as he knelt down and prayed
Jane was acerbic at dinner after finding out she did not get the job.
When all of Ms. Smith’s history class did not understand the project paper, it was clear to her that she had adumbrated the directions.
Sean felt nothing but antipathy toward the thieves who robbed the store.
Ms. Smith’s math project was intended as a boon for her students who were not doing so well.
Dana’s friends cajoled her into attending the party, even though she had a tremendous amount of homework.
In preparation of the Queen's arrival, every inch of the hardwood floor had to be burnished.
The crowd applauded with approbation as the guest speaker concluded his speech.
I was able to cajole my dog into her cage with a biscuit.
The assiduous student began working on his project the day it was assigned, even though he had a month until it was due.
The crickets and bugs created a cacophony in the summer night.
The new field has been a boon to all the players because the old field was horrible.
The buffet was a good idea because it allowed everyone to take from the table what they wanted and to sit wherever.
Sarah’s calumny about Sue ruined all chances for her to get homecoming queen.
He would never get clemency unless he fixed all his mistakes.
That buttress holds up much more of the building than it appears to support.
The tremendous rain storm was a boon for local farmers experiencing crop loss.
The community successfully rebuilt the city after four years of assiduous labor.
The school's fire alarm created cacophony during yesterday's practice drill.
Upon discovering that her boyfriend had lied and cheated, Molly became extremely acerbic towards those around her.
Upon their arrival home, the soldiers' loved ones welcomed them with great approbation.
When cleaning the house, my mother is sure to always burnish the family silverware.
After eating dinner at the buffet, my friends and I were all so full we practically rolled out of the restaurant.
Bishop Fran gave a boon to all the students, clergy, and other attendee's at his inauguration.
The Saint Marks graduate, known for his assiduous personalty, was admitted with honors into the Harvard School of Law.
Without Adam's alacrity to finish the project the talkative group would have never finished the project on time.
I moved in to my new office with such alacrity, that I forgot to clean out my old office.
Many students admit that their parents blandish them to go to the same college as their parents once did.
The new evidence I just received linking the murder to the crime, has been a boon for my case.
The teacher's brusque review for the test did not answer any of my questions.
I begged the judge for clemency to let my son go free, because of his mental heath issues.
The sour apple was so acerbic, that Bryan made a funny face when he bit into it.
My sister loves to play soccer so when the coach called her name she ran onto the field with such alacrity.
I have such sn antipathy for liver, so instead my mom made me steak.
We give my dog a lot of approbation when she follows our commands.
With my huge family we always set the food up buffet style on a gig table, so everyone can pick and choose what they want.
My best friend Beth, a vegetarian, fervently abjures not only all meat, but also the killing of any animal.
After receiving a poor grade on his research paper, Joe became acerbic towards all of his friends who wrote on the same topic as joe, but received better grades.
My Art teacher adumbered our finnal project, but it wasn't an overly structured outline, so as to leave the class with enough creative space to be expressive.
Our new Bishop was met with approbation in his installation mass by the devoted catholics who attended.
I attempted to blandish my mother before showing her a test that i failed, so as to lessen the punishment that she would give to me.
Even after serving his time in prison, and reforming himself, some people he used to know would forever see him as an anathema.
The inconsolable child would not finish his dinner due to his strong antipathy for vegetables.
Jeff knew that passing his exams would surely gain him approbation from his parents.
Her fears of being late for work that morning were quickly subsided by the miraculous boon of no traffic.
I won't get into the grim details, but after a large dinner of Mexican food, my uncle made quiet a cacophony, if you catch my drift.
The relentless police buffeted the door with such strength that it came plummeting to the ground.
The irrelevant and tampered calumny spread by one teenager at school harshly ruined one girls well earned reputation.
As a punishment, the girl was told to burnish the floors until her reflection was seen in it.
During Lent the people of the Church strive to obtain an ascetic lifestyle by sacrificing snacks between meals, meat on Friday, and also a favorite treat or dessert.
The police arrogated the protestors’ right to freedom of speech, which caused a large civil suit against the city.
The runningback moved with such alacrity that it was extremely difficult for anyone to catch him.
The coach had a very acerbic tone when he corrected his player.
Most people learn that with assisiduous effort they can accomplish anything.
The linebacker stepped up and buffeted the runningback so hard he fumbled.
On my way to school I saw an accident and it caused a great cacophony.
Tom decided to leave the meeting because of his coworker's acerbic attitude.
Her vast strategical acumen allowed the team to complete their project on time.
He showed nothing but antipathy towards the news that his class would be having a pop quiz.
After his efforts at passing the test failed, he attempted to blandish his teach with an apple.
Although the crowd was cheering for the band every one new that the band had just caused a cacophony.
With hopes of being selected as the team captain, the girl eagerly tried to lead all the drills and conditioning with alacrity.
Though he said he felt nothing but antipathy for Cindy after she left him, Jack secretly knew that he still liked her just as much as before.
After her amazing singing performance, Samantha was showered in approbation and praise from everyone in the audience.
Though the summer storm was a boon for the farmers growing their corn, it was a nuisance for the swimmers preparing for championships.
The columnist’s calumny ruined the mayor’s reputation when he published multiple articles filled with lies and propaganda.
Rachel's calmuny and other poor actions caused an extreme lack of trust among her peers.
Chloe begged for clemency after she broke the garage window with a baseball bat.
The older man cajoled little Jason into doing things he did not want to.
I stopped at the stand on the street for Randy to burnish my loafers before my important court date.
Money has been a boon upon his family for years.
Upon the discovery of the grafitti in the student bathrooms, the teachers abrogated the possesion of spray paint on school property.
The college students were pleased when they were told about the buffet on campus.
When we tried to cajole Sue to go to the concert, she only became more defient.
We werent surprised when Larry did not have money for the movies because he is always very capricious in his spending habits.
During his sentencing, the defendent broke down and begged for clemency from the jurors.
"Leave me alone!" the young woman shouted acerbically after the man made a rude gester towards her.
People usually look to psychologists for acumen on their problems and dilemmas.
I felt strong antipathy towards the girl who ratted me out to my parents.
The biggest problem in high school girls is their calumny towards anyone that crosses them.
After a couple weeks of dismal weather, I took the sunshine as the greatest boon, and a wonderful mood uplifter.
---On the last day of school, it's hard to ignore the cacophony produced by hundreds of students running for the parking lot.
---Yvonne decided not to fake sick when she realized a free luncheon buffet would be offered at school that day.
---Joe despised burnishing the plates at the classy restaurant.
---Winning the lottery has been a boon for the Monroe family.
---The teacher's brusque attitude caused the girl to transfer out of the class.
Dave was so used to Bree's capricious personality that he hardly ever took any of her plans seriously.
Candace wanted to provide a variety of different foods for her dinner party so she prepared a buffet.
Tyler approached his new position at work with eagerness and alacrity.
The Olympic gold medal winner returned to his hometown to a community wide greeting and much approbation.
My parents grounded me eventhough I told them I was cajoled by my friends into sneaking out of my house.
A friend that does you wrong can suddenly become an anathema to you.
In order to be promoted at her job, Jane planned to blandish her manager into giving her the new position.
The sudden rain storm that swept across our area was an obvious boon to all of us.
Instead of writing the lengthy homework that was assigned, Tim turned in brusque work.
Having neglected to take out the trash, Henry begged his mother for
clemency when she yelled at him.
Before attempting to write out the rough draft of her senior research paper, Sally adumbrated the ideas that she plans develop into her final product.
When the performance ended, the audience filled the theatre with approbation toward the performers and choreographers.
Harry decided to stay home from the party that all of his friends were going to in order to support his effort to live an ascetic life, as his parents had taught him.
Even though Tracy is a sweet and compassionate friend, her friends sometimes feel uncomfortable confiding their secrets in her due to her capricious personality.
His company is always a boon after a busy day full of stress, pressure and labor.
Even though they did well in class, the teacher felt antipathy for the student for disrupting her class time.
After years of friendship the two girls began to feel acrimony whenever they were around each other.
The administration adumbrated a plan of execution that very few people could follow.
The baseball player hit with so much power, he would buffet the ball farther than anyone.
Although he was a very smart man, many students disliked the brusque manner of the professor.
After tripping on the runway, Blaire's friends cajoled her to get up and keep walking.
I told my family I would only burnish silverware if the queen was coming into town.
Her assiduous personality is what earned her a top spot at Yale University.
After taking all the singers that claimed they were the best, the choir actually turned into a cacophony full of singers off-pitch.
I have an antipathy for those who feel justified to harm innocent people.
Sarah and her dog Rocky only had time for a brusque walk before the storm hit their town.
When Andrea told her friends about her recent crush, they cajoled her into asking him for his number.
After Lisa met the man who had raped her daughter, she declared that she could not even look at such an anathema.
When Mary got straight A's at the end of her junior year, her parents rewarded her with much approbation.
When Melissa wasn't looking, her 2 year old son threw a large ball into a huge stack of metal cans at the grocery store, which created a loud cacophony.
The olympian received worthy approbation for his gold medal.
The oncoming storm was a much needed boon for the desolate land.
When the twin towers fell down a great cacophony was heard not only from the buildings.
James was unfortunately cajoled into letting Ryan cheat off his test.
The Nazis showed no clemency towards the Jews in World War II.
1. The scientist abjured the statement because it wasn't scientifically testable.
2. THE Communists of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union abrogate religion by sending people who refused to deny their faith to concentration camps and by dstroying churches.
3. War only causes acrimony, so why then do we fight?
4. A teacher has acumen into the ability of her pupils as a psychologist has acumen into the situations of his patients.
5. When I write a paper, I first adumbrate what I want to write about before I start writing.
Sorry, I meant to write tried in fron of abborgate in my second sentence.
Bob cajoled his buddy Tom to stay out past his curfew promising that it would be well worth any later repercussions
After missing his curfew, Tom had to plead with his parents for clemency
The baseball buffeted the car's hood, causing all the neighborhood children to scatter
The salesman's brusque attitude did not bode well for his upstart business
After scoring the game winning goal Kyle was greeted with approbation from both his teammates and the fans
Joel was cajoled into joining the martial arts class even though he did not wish to attend.
People caught cheating on the test will receive no clemency from the professor; regardless what excuse the person may have.
I prayed to God that he would send a boon my way in the form of currency.
My mother informed me that this year I must be especially assiduous in my school work.
Nina was in awe by the approbation she had gotten for such a small adjustment in study habits.
The judge granted the defendant clemency for his crimes due to his previous spotless record.
Despite his brilliance, Tim was unable to cajole Jim into going into the haunted house.
The woman granted the students boons for helping her find her lost wallet.
The boy burnished his jet ski in hopes it would be noticeable from the road in a hope to sell it.
The assiduous mechanic even sprayed Febreze in the car to assure a thorough job.
As of this posting, everything else submitted in late.
The Boss
The flying buttresses of Notre Dame cathedral have been considered for centuries by artists and architects alike as a very beautiful and practical way of supporting the great structure.
We all considered his presence to be a boon during our tenure at the institution, as his lightheartedness and jovial demeanor were always able to keep us chipper enough to get through the days.
I recommended the young man in good conscience, knowing that he had always been a very assiduous individual with regards to his studies and athletics.
The senator held a press conference this morning, delivering a speech in which she vowed to get past her opponent's recent calumny and once again restore her good name.
It was the alacrity with which he completed the appointed tasks that gave him the reputation among the coaches as being their go-to guy.
After several hours of persuading, Mot eventually calojed Matt into sneaking out.
The break in the canopy of the jungle was the boon from God that Sammy needed to perserveer.
After gambling all his money away Benjamin Koyal became acerbic towards the staff members of the Vegas casino.
Now with all his money lost, "Benny" must resort to burnishing rich men's shoes on the streets for a nice piece of change.
Tabloids are commonly littered with calumny, attracting readers with theirs outreageous articles.
The teachers brusque was noticeable from the first day of class.
The football players buffet one another each play sometimes resulting in injury.
The mother welcomed her son home for war with approbation and love.
The student was easily cajoled by classmates to disrupt the teacher.
The man begged for clemency after being caught trying to steal money form his boss.
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