This list includes 49 SAT words that start with L, from “lackadaisical” to “luxuriant”. They range from everyday adjectives to formal nouns and help you on reading, writing, and essays.
SAT words that start with L are vocabulary items commonly tested on the SAT and useful in academic writing. Several come from Latin roots, so learning these helps you decode unfamiliar words in context.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Difficulty, Definition and Example.
Word: Shows the vocabulary entry so you can focus practice on spelling, pronunciation, and recognition in reading passages.
Difficulty: A concise tag (easy, medium, hard) that helps you prioritize study time for highest scoring return.
Definition: A one-line, dictionary-style meaning that helps you quickly grasp the word’s core sense for SAT contexts.
Example: A single clear sentence showing typical usage so you can model tone and correct grammatical form.
SAT words that start with L
| Word | Part of speech | Difficulty | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| laconic | adj | medium | Using few words; terse. |
| lament | verb | medium | Express grief or mourn aloud. |
| lampoon | verb | medium | Publicly criticize by satire or ridicule. |
| languid | adj | medium | Displaying little energy or vitality. |
| languish | verb | medium | Become weakened or lose vigor; suffer neglect. |
| largesse | noun | hard | Generous gifting or bestowal of money. |
| latent | adj | medium | Existing but not yet visible or active. |
| laud | verb | medium | Praise highly, especially publicly. |
| laudable | adj | medium | Deserving praise or commendation. |
| lavish | adj | medium | Excessively generous or elaborate. |
| leery | adj | medium | Cautious or suspicious about something. |
| legacy | noun | easy | Something handed down from an ancestor or past. |
| lenient | adj | medium | Not strict; permissive or merciful. |
| lethal | adj | medium | Capable of causing death; deadly. |
| levity | noun | medium | Lightness of manner or speech, often humorous. |
| lexicon | noun | medium | The vocabulary of a language or subject. |
| liaison | noun | medium | A person or link facilitating communication. |
| libel | noun | medium | A published false statement damaging someone’s reputation. |
| license | noun | easy | Official permission to do or use something. |
| licentious | adj | hard | Morally unrestrained; lacking legal or sexual restraints. |
| lofty | adj | medium | Elevated in position, style, or ideals; haughty. |
| loathe | verb | medium | Feel intense dislike or disgust for. |
| loath | adj | medium | Unwilling or reluctant to do something. |
| logical | adj | easy | Consistent with clear, valid reasoning. |
| logistics | noun | medium | Detailed coordination and organization of operations. |
| lucid | adj | medium | Clearly expressed and easy to understand. |
| ludicrous | adj | medium | So absurd as to be laughable or ridiculous. |
| lugubrious | adj | hard | Excessively mournful or gloomy, often exaggerated. |
| lull | noun | easy | A temporary period of calm or inactivity. |
| luminous | adj | medium | Emitting or reflecting light; intellectually clear. |
| lurid | adj | medium | Sensationally shocking; vividly explicit in an unpleasant way. |
| lurk | verb | medium | Remain hidden, often with sinister intent. |
| lucrative | adj | medium | Producing considerable profit or financial gain. |
| luminary | noun | medium | A prominent, influential person or source of inspiration. |
| lumber | verb | medium | Move in a slow, heavy, awkward way. |
| luxuriant | adj | medium | Richly abundant or profuse in growth. |
| lackadaisical | adj | hard | Showing little enthusiasm or determination. |
| legible | adj | easy | Clear enough to read easily. |
| legislate | verb | medium | To make or enact laws formally. |
| leverage | noun | medium | Strategic use of influence or financial advantage. |
| languor | noun | hard | A state of tiredness, inactivity, or pleasant inertia. |
| lithe | adj | medium | Gracefully thin and flexible; nimble. |
| litany | noun | medium | A long, repetitive recital or list. |
| listless | adj | medium | Lacking energy or enthusiasm; indifferent. |
| literal | adj | easy | Following the primary or strict meaning of words. |
| literate | adj | easy | Able to read and write; knowledgeable in a subject. |
| litigious | adj | medium | Prone to engage in lawsuits or legal actions. |
| levy | verb | medium | Impose or collect (a tax, fee, or fine). |
| lamentable | adj | medium | Deserving of regret or sorrow; deplorable. |
Descriptions
laconic
Useful for tone and concision questions; common in prep lists and dictionaries. “Her laconic reply ended the conversation.”
lament
Valuable for passage tone and evidence questions; appears in many SAT vocab lists. “Students lamented the exam’s difficulty.”
lampoon
Useful for rhetorical analysis of satire; listed in major dictionaries and prep lists. “The column lampooned the celebrity’s antics.”
languid
Common in descriptive passages; appears in SAT prep resources. “He moved with a languid, unhurried gait.”
languish
Useful for inference questions about decline, in dictionaries and prep lists. “The neglected garden continued to languish.”
largesse
High-value literary noun; appears in Barron’s-style lists and Merriam-Webster. “Philanthropists celebrated his unexpected largesse.”
latent
Common on SAT passages about potential or hidden traits; in major dictionaries. “The virus remained latent for years.”
laud
Useful for tone and argument questions; found in SAT prep materials. “Critics lauded her innovative performance.”
laudable
Good choice for positive evaluation language; appears in prep lists. “Their laudable efforts improved attendance.”
lavish
Useful for tone and style questions; listed in mainstream dictionaries. “They threw a lavish celebration for the team.”
leery
Handy for describing cautious attitudes in passages; appears in prep lists. “She was leery of the stranger’s offer.”
legacy
Useful in history and literature contexts; common in prep materials. “The scientist left a lasting legacy.”
lenient
Appears on SAT lists about judgment and policy contexts. “The judge was criticized for lenient sentences.”
lethal
Appears in science and argument passages; in major dictionaries. “They discovered a lethal flaw in the design.”
levity
Useful for tone contrasts; frequent in prep lists and dictionaries. “His levity lightened the tense meeting.”
lexicon
Common for analysis of terminology and register; in prep lists. “The article expanded my political lexicon.”
liaison
Useful in organizational or narrative passages; appears in dictionaries and prep lists. “She served as the liaison between teams.”
libel
Relevant for law or media passages; in major dictionaries and prep lists. “The newspaper faced a libel lawsuit.”
license
Common across prompts and reading passages; appears in prep resources. “He renewed his driver’s license online.”
licentious
Appears in advanced vocab lists and dictionaries; useful for tone. “The critic condemned the novel as licentious.”
lofty
Useful for tone and rhetorical analysis; common in prep lists. “She expressed a lofty, idealistic vision.”
loathe
Important for tone and attitude questions; found in prep materials. “He came to loathe dishonest politicians.”
loath
SAT-tricky word often confused with loathe; listed in dictionaries. “She was loath to admit her mistake.”
logical
Core academic term frequently tested in SAT context. “His conclusion seemed perfectly logical.”
logistics
Useful for passages about planning or operations; in prep lists. “The logistics of the event took weeks to arrange.”
lucid
Commonly used in clarity and argument questions; in major dictionaries. “The professor’s explanation was lucid and helpful.”
ludicrous
Useful for tone and exaggeration questions; common in prep lists. “The suggestion was utterly ludicrous.”
lugubrious
Advanced tone word found in high-value vocab lists and dictionaries. “The film’s lugubrious score set a somber mood.”
lull
Useful for sequencing and cause-effect passages; common in prep lists. “There was a lull in the conversation.”
luminous
Appears in descriptive and figurative language contexts on the SAT. “Her argument provided a luminous explanation.”
lurid
Useful for tone and sensationalism questions; in dictionaries and lists. “The tabloids printed lurid details.”
lurk
Useful for inference about motives and tone; common in prep materials. “Danger seemed to lurk behind the smiles.”
lucrative
Common in economics and argument passages; appears in prep lists. “They launched a lucrative new product line.”
luminary
Useful in biography or cultural impact passages; in dictionaries. “She became a luminary in tech innovation.”
lumber
Descriptive verb useful for imagery questions; listed in major dictionaries. “The giant elephant lumbered across the plain.”
luxuriant
Appears in descriptive passages and prep lists; useful for imagery. “The garden was full of luxuriant foliage.”
lackadaisical
High-value word for tone and character description; found in prep lists. “His lackadaisical approach hurt his performance.”
legible
Practical word used in evidence and detail questions; in dictionaries and prep lists. “Her handwriting was neatly legible.”
legislate
Useful in civics and policy passages; common in prep materials. “Congress will legislate new environmental rules.”
leverage
Useful in argument and economics contexts; appears in SAT prep lists. “The company used debt as leverage for expansion.”
languor
Useful for tone and descriptive passages; appears in major dictionaries. “An afternoon of languor followed the heavy meal.”
lithe
Often used in literary description; appears in prep lists and dictionaries. “The dancer’s lithe movements captivated the audience.”
litany
Useful for summarizing or critical tone passages; in major dictionaries. “He offered a litany of excuses.”
listless
Useful in character and tone analysis; common in prep lists. “After the long flight, she felt listless.”
literal
Important contrast to figurative language on the SAT. “Take the instruction in its literal sense.”
literate
Useful for educational and competency passages; in prep lists. “He is literate in three languages.”
litigious
Useful in legal-context passages and arguments; appears in dictionaries. “The company became increasingly litigious.”
levy
Relevant in policy and civics passages; listed in major dictionaries. “The city plans to levy a new tax.”
lamentable
Useful for evaluative tone questions; common in prep resources. “The team’s performance was lamentable.”