This list includes 57 SAT words that start with A, from “abate” to “aversion”. These entries are concise, exam-focused vocabulary items you can use for reading comprehension, writing, and test practice.
SAT words that start with A are carefully selected vocabulary items that often appear in formal texts and test passages. Many derive from Latin roots, reflecting their frequent use in academic and literary writing and standardized exams.
Below you’ll find the table with word, difficulty, definition, and example sentence.
Word: The vocabulary entry itself, shown so you can study spelling, pronunciation, and precise form at a glance.
Difficulty: A concise tag (easy/medium/hard) to help you prioritize study based on likely SAT challenge questions.
Definition: A one-line dictionary-style meaning you can quickly learn and recall for reading and multiple-choice questions.
Example sentence: A single clear sentence showing typical usage so you can see the word in context.
SAT words that start with A
| Word | Part of speech | Difficulty | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| abate | verb | medium | To reduce in amount, degree, intensity, or severity. |
| abdicate | verb | medium | To formally renounce a throne, high office, responsibility, or claim. |
| aberrant | adjective | medium | Deviating from the normal, proper, or expected course or type. |
| abhor | verb | medium | To regard with extreme disgust and hatred; to loathe. |
| abject | adjective | hard | Utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched. |
| abjure | verb | hard | To solemnly renounce a belief, cause, or claim. |
| abridge | verb | easy | To shorten a text by condensation, without losing the sense. |
| abscond | verb | medium | To leave hurriedly and secretly, especially to avoid detection or arrest. |
| abstemious | adjective | hard | Not self-indulgent; moderate in appetite, especially for food and drink. |
| abstruse | adjective | hard | Difficult to understand; obscure; esoteric. |
| accede | verb | medium | To agree to a demand, request, or treaty. |
| accolade | noun | medium | An award or privilege granted as a special honor or acknowledgment. |
| acerbic | adjective | medium | Sharp and forthright in tone; tasting sour or bitter. |
| acquiesce | verb | hard | To accept, comply, or submit reluctantly but without protest. |
| acrimonious | adjective | medium | Angry and bitter in nature, speech, or debate. |
| acumen | noun | medium | The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions. |
| adamant | adjective | easy | Refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind; unyielding. |
| admonish | verb | medium | To warn, reprimand, or advise someone firmly. |
| adroit | adjective | medium | Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind; deft. |
| adulation | noun | hard | Excessive admiration, praise, or flattery. |
| adulterate | verb | medium | To make something poorer in quality by adding another, inferior substance. |
| advocate | verb/noun | easy | To publicly recommend or support; a person who supports a cause. |
| aesthetic | adjective/noun | easy | Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. |
| affable | adjective | easy | Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to. |
| aggrandize | verb | hard | To increase the power, status, or wealth of. |
| alacrity | noun | hard | Brisk and cheerful readiness; eagerness. |
| alleviate | verb | easy | To make suffering, a deficiency, or a problem less severe. |
| amalgamate | verb | medium | To combine or unite to form one organization, structure, or substance. |
| ambiguous | adjective | easy | Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning. |
| ambivalent | adjective | medium | Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about someone or something. |
| ameliorate | verb | medium | To make something bad or unsatisfactory better; to improve. |
| amenable | adjective | medium | Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled. |
| amiable | adjective | easy | Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner. |
| anachronism | noun | medium | A thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists. |
| analogous | adjective | easy | Comparable in certain respects, making a comparison clearer. |
| anomaly | noun | medium | Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. |
| antipathy | noun | medium | A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. |
| apathy | noun | easy | Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. |
| apocryphal | adjective | hard | Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. |
| appease | verb | medium | To pacify or placate someone by acceding to their demands. |
| approbation | noun | hard | Approval or praise, often formal or official. |
| appropriate | verb | medium | To take something for one’s own use, typically without permission. |
| arduous | adjective | medium | Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring. |
| articulate | adjective/verb | easy | (adj) Having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently. |
| ascetic | adjective/noun | hard | Characterized by severe self-discipline from all forms of indulgence. |
| assiduous | adjective | hard | Showing great care, attention, and perseverance. |
| assuage | verb | medium | To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to satisfy a need. |
| astute | adjective | medium | Having the ability to accurately assess situations to one’s own advantage. |
| atrophy | verb | medium | To waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells. |
| attenuate | verb | hard | To reduce the force, effect, value, or thickness of something. |
| audacious | adjective | medium | Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks; impudent. |
| augment | verb | medium | To make something greater by adding to it; to increase. |
| auspicious | adjective | medium | Conducive to success; favorable; giving a sign of future success. |
| austere | adjective | medium | Severe or strict in manner or attitude; having no comforts or luxuries. |
| autonomous | adjective | easy | Acting independently or having the freedom to do so; self-governing. |
| avarice | noun | medium | Extreme greed for wealth or material gain. |
| aversion | noun | easy | A strong dislike or disinclination toward something. |
Descriptions
abate
From Old French ‘abattre’ (to beat down). Synonyms: decrease, subside, lessen. The storm’s fury began to abate after midnight, bringing a sense of relief.
abdicate
Think of a king giving up his crown. It implies a formal and often public act. The king was forced to abdicate the throne after the revolution.
aberrant
Root ‘errare’ (to stray). Describes behavior or results that are unusual or abnormal. The scientist noted the aberrant results from the experiment.
abhor
A very strong word for hate, stronger than “dislike.” Synonyms include detest, abominate. As a pacifist, she would abhor any form of violence.
abject
Often used to describe extreme poverty, misery, or a complete lack of pride. The family was forced to live in abject poverty after losing their home.
abjure
A formal and serious word, often used in legal or historical contexts. Upon converting, he had to abjure his former beliefs in a public ceremony.
abridge
Commonly used for books, plays, or articles. Think of “Reader’s Digest” versions. The publisher released an abridged version of the massive novel for younger readers.
abscond
Implies wrongdoing, like a thief running away with stolen goods. The cashier decided to abscond with the day’s earnings, hoping to start a new life.
abstemious
Describes a person who practices restraint and moderation. Synonyms include temperate, sober. The monk lived an abstemious life, eating only simple meals.
abstruse
Used to describe complex and profound subjects like philosophy or theoretical physics. The professor’s lecture on quantum mechanics was too abstruse for most of the students.
accede
Often used in formal or political contexts, it means to yield or give consent. Management was reluctant to accede to the union’s demands.
accolade
Can be a physical award or verbal praise. Synonyms: honor, kudos, tribute. Winning the Nobel Prize is the highest accolade a scientist can receive.
acerbic
Often describes a witty but sharp or critical comment. It’s a common word for describing tone. His acerbic wit made people laugh, but it often stung its target.
acquiesce
You’re not happy about it, but you go along with it. It implies giving in. Although I disagreed, I decided to acquiesce to the committee’s decision.
acrimonious
From Latin ‘acrimonia’ (sharpness). Describes harsh and bitter relationships or arguments. The couple’s divorce proceedings were acrimonious and filled with accusations.
acumen
Often used in a business or strategic context. Synonyms include shrewdness, astuteness. Her business acumen helped her build a successful company from scratch.
adamant
From a mythical stone of impenetrable hardness. Describes someone who is very stubborn. He was adamant that he had not made a mistake and refused to apologize.
admonish
A milder form of scolding, often done with a good intention. The teacher had to admonish the student for talking during the quiet reading time.
adroit
Suggests skill and cleverness, especially in handling situations. A synonym is “deft.” The adroit politician skillfully avoided the reporter’s tricky questions.
adulation
Goes beyond simple praise into worshipful territory. Synonyms: hero-worship, adoration. The rock star grew tired of the constant adulation from his fans.
adulterate
Often used in the context of food, drink, or other products. Think “unadulterated” meaning pure. They would adulterate the olive oil with cheaper vegetable oil to increase profits.
advocate
A very common word, both as a verb (to support) and a noun (a supporter). He was a strong advocate for environmental protection policies.
aesthetic
A key term in art and literature. As a noun, an aesthetic is a set of principles. The minimalist aesthetic of the gallery emphasized the beauty of the sculptures.
affable
A positive personality trait. Synonyms: amiable, genial, personable. The affable host greeted every guest with a warm smile and a handshake.
aggrandize
Often has a negative connotation of self-aggrandizement, or showing off to seem more important. The dictator used propaganda to aggrandize his reputation.
alacrity
Describes doing something quickly and enthusiastically. A positive and energetic word. She accepted the invitation to the party with alacrity, excited to see her friends.
alleviate
From Latin ‘levis’ (light). You make something heavy “lighter.” Synonyms: ease, relieve, assuage. He took a painkiller to alleviate his headache.
amalgamate
Often used in business (mergers) or chemistry (mixing metals with mercury). The two small companies decided to amalgamate to better compete with larger corporations.
ambiguous
A key concept for reading comprehension questions that ask about unclear wording. The politician’s ambiguous statement left voters unsure of his true position.
ambivalent
From ‘ambi-‘ (both) + ‘valere’ (be strong). You feel pulled in two directions. She felt ambivalent about moving to a new city for the job.
ameliorate
Often used for situations, conditions, or problems. A more formal synonym for “improve.” New policies were introduced to ameliorate the poor working conditions in the factory.
amenable
Describes someone who is cooperative and willing to listen. The new manager was amenable to hearing suggestions from his staff.
amiable
Similar to ‘affable’ but often describes a quieter, more gentle kind of friendliness. Despite his imposing size, he was an amiable and soft-spoken man.
anachronism
From Greek ‘ana-‘ (against) + ‘chronos’ (time). A knight using a smartphone is an anachronism. A smart watch on a Roman senator in the movie was a glaring anachronism.
analogous
The noun form is “analogy.” Important for understanding comparisons in reading passages. The relationship between a queen bee and her colony is analogous to a human monarchy.
anomaly
Often used in scientific or data analysis contexts. The adjective form is ‘anomalous’. The sudden spike in the data was an anomaly that required further investigation.
antipathy
From Greek ‘anti-‘ (against) + ‘pathos’ (feeling). A strong, ingrained dislike. He felt a strong antipathy towards his rival, whom he could barely stand to be around.
apathy
From Greek ‘a-‘ (without) + ‘pathos’ (feeling). It’s a state of indifference. Widespread voter apathy was a major concern for the election officials.
apocryphal
Describes stories or claims that are probably not true, like urban legends. The story about alligators living in the city’s sewers is likely apocryphal.
appease
Often has a negative connotation of giving in to a bully to avoid conflict. The government tried to appease the protesters by offering minor concessions.
approbation
A formal word for approval. Think of it as the opposite of “disapprobation.” The new policy received the board’s approbation and was implemented immediately.
appropriate
On the SAT, watch for this verb form, which means “to take or seize.” The invading army began to appropriate land and resources from the local population.
arduous
Describes a task or journey that is very hard. Synonyms: laborious, strenuous. Climbing the mountain was an arduous task that took the hikers all day.
articulate
Can be an adjective describing a person or a verb meaning to express an idea clearly. She was an articulate speaker who could explain complex ideas with ease.
ascetic
Describes a lifestyle of simplicity and austerity, often for religious or spiritual reasons. The monks lived a simple, ascetic life devoted to prayer and meditation.
assiduous
Describes someone who is hardworking and diligent. Synonyms include meticulous and sedulous. She was an assiduous student, spending hours in the library to complete her research.
assuage
Similar to alleviate or soothe. Often used for feelings like guilt, fear, or grief. His kind words helped to assuage her fears about the upcoming surgery.
astute
Describes someone who is sharp, shrewd, and clever. A synonym is “canny.” The astute investor was able to predict the market crash and sell his stocks in time.
atrophy
Often used in a biological context for muscles or organs that shrink from disuse. After months in a cast, his leg muscles began to atrophy.
attenuate
A formal word for “weaken” or “lessen.” Often used in scientific or technical contexts. The thick walls helped to attenuate the sound from the noisy street outside.
audacious
Can be positive (brave) or negative (rude). The noun is “audacity.” The audacious plan to scale the cliff during a storm was both brave and foolish.
augment
A formal word for “add to” or “increase.” He took on a second job to augment his income and save for a new car.
auspicious
The opposite of “inauspicious.” Describes a promising start or favorable conditions. The sunny weather was an auspicious start to their outdoor wedding day.
austere
Can describe a person’s personality or a plain, unadorned style. The headmaster was an austere man, known for his stern demeanor and strict rules.
autonomous
From Greek ‘auto-‘ (self) + ‘nomos’ (law). Think autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars). The region was granted autonomous status, allowing it to create its own laws.
avarice
One of the seven deadly sins. It’s a stronger and more negative word than just “greed.” The CEO’s avarice led him to make unethical decisions to maximize his personal fortune.
aversion
Often followed by “to.” It’s a feeling of repugnance that makes you want to avoid something. He had a strong aversion to snakes and would scream if he saw one.