standardizedintermediate100 words

SAT Digital Vocabulary

Digital SAT by College Board

Master the top 100 vocabulary words for Digital SAT Reading and Writing. Real test recurrences, Words in Context traps, and confusion pairs with definitions and examples.

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About Digital SAT by College Board

The Digital SAT is the College Board admissions test used by US colleges, administered in a shorter digital format with an adaptive Reading and Writing section. Words in Context items test vocabulary through short passages with one blank.

Exam Sections

1

Reading and Writing

2

Math

Why Vocabulary Matters

Vocabulary appears as Words in Context questions that reward logic, secondary meanings, and charge reading over bare recall. These context drills train exactly that skill using words that recurred on real administered tests from 2023 to 2026.

Essential Vocabulary Words

Master these 100 high-frequency words to excel in your SAT Digital exam

1

reciprocate

verb
hardmedium

To return a feeling or action

Example: Allies reciprocated the gesture.

2

renunciation

noun
hardmedium

Formal giving up of a claim

Example: The renunciation surprised courts.

3

tenuous

adjective
hardhigh

Weak and barely holding

Example: The link stays tenuous.

4

unobtrusive

adjective
hardmedium

Quiet and not attracting notice

Example: An unobtrusive sensor logged data.

5

precipitate

verb
hardhigh

To cause suddenly

Example: Price jumps precipitated demand.

6

engender

verb
hardhigh

To give rise to feelings

Example: Scarcity engendered panic.

7

elicit

verb
hardhigh

To draw out a response

Example: Polls elicited sharp replies.

8

mutable

adjective
hardmedium

Able to change

Example: Deltas are mutable landscapes.

9

bemused

adjective
hardhigh

Confused and bewildered

Example: Voters looked bemused.

10

disinterested

adjective
hardhigh

Impartial, not biased

Example: A disinterested umpire ruled.

11

enervate

adjective
hardmedium

Lacking energy, weakened

Example: The enervate crew rested.

12

multifaceted

adjective
mediumhigh

Having many aspects

Example: A multifaceted career spanned labs.

13
abateverb
mediumhigh

To grow less intense

Example: The storm abated by noon.

14

assuage

verb
hardmedium

To ease grief or pain

Example: Time assuaged their loss.

15

belie

verb
hardhigh

To give a false impression

Example: Smiles belied his fear.

16

stymie

verb
hardmedium

To block progress

Example: Red tape stymied permits.

17

augment

verb
mediumhigh

To increase in size

Example: Grants augmented the fund.

18

curtail

verb
mediumhigh

To cut short or reduce

Example: Injuries curtailed the season.

19

qualify

verb
mediumhigh

To limit a claim

Example: She qualified her praise.

20

champion

verb
mediummedium

To defend a cause

Example: Senators championed the bill.

21

novel

adjective
easyhigh

New and original

Example: A novel method saved water.

22

plastic

adjective
mediumhigh

Flexible and moldable

Example: Young minds stay plastic.

23

pedestrian

adjective
hardmedium

Dull and ordinary

Example: A pedestrian plot bored readers.

24

currency

noun
mediummedium

Acceptance as current

Example: The rumor gained currency.

25

facility

noun
mediummedium

Ease in doing something

Example: His facility with data impressed all.

26

arresting

adjective
hardmedium

Striking and eye catching

Example: An arresting image opened the book.

27
mediumhigh

To weaken gradually

Example: Leaks undermined the talks.

mediumhigh

Gap between expected and actual

Example: Audits found a discrepancy.

29
plausibleadjective
mediumhigh

Seeming true on the surface

Example: A plausible excuse failed checks.

30

provisional

adjective
hardmedium

Temporary until confirmed

Example: Provisional results favor incumbents.

31

divergent

adjective
hardmedium

Moving apart in views

Example: Divergent paths split the party.

32

exonerate

verb
hardlow

To clear from blame

Example: DNA exonerated the convict.

33

exacting

adjective
hardmedium

Demanding great care

Example: Exacting labs need steady hands.

34

conflate

verb
hardmedium

To merge two ideas wrongly

Example: Pundits conflate heat and warming.

35

acerbic

adjective
hardmedium

Sharp in tone

Example: An acerbic review stung.

36

wry

adjective
hardlow

Dry and ironic in humor

Example: A wry caption went viral.

37

diatribe

noun
hardlow

Bitter verbal attack

Example: The column was pure diatribe.

38

cleave

verb
hardmedium

To split apart firmly

Example: The axe cleft the log.

39

invective

noun
hardlow

Insulting abusive language

Example: The debate sank to invective.

40

sanction

noun
hardhigh

Approval, also a penalty

Example: The board gave its sanction.

41

parody

noun
mediummedium

Comic imitation of a work

Example: The sketch was gentle parody.

42

satire

noun
mediummedium

Mockery exposing folly

Example: The film is sharp satire.

43

irony

noun
easyhigh

Outcome opposite to expected

Example: The delay was pure irony.

44

foreshadow

verb
mediummedium

To hint at future events

Example: Clouds foreshadowed the storm.

45

protagonist

noun
easyhigh

Main character of a story

Example: The protagonist fled the city.

46

antagonist

noun
easymedium

Force opposing the hero

Example: The drought is the antagonist.

47

foil

noun
hardlow

Character contrasting another

Example: The sidekick is a foil.

48

motif

noun
hardlow

Recurring theme or image

Example: Exile is the central motif.

49

allegory

noun
hardlow

Story with hidden meaning

Example: The novel is an allegory.

50

allusion

noun
hardmedium

Indirect reference to a work

Example: The speech held an allusion.

51

hyperbole

noun
mediummedium

Deliberate exaggeration

Example: His praise was hyperbole.

52

understatement

noun
hardmedium

Downplaying for effect

Example: Calling it a dip was understatement.

53

oversight

noun
hardmedium

Supervision, also an omission

Example: The panel kept oversight.

54

anachronism

noun
hardlow

Thing out of its own time

Example: A rotary phone is an anachronism.

55

vernacular

noun
hardlow

Everyday speech of a region

Example: Poets embraced the vernacular.

56

colloquial

adjective
hardlow

Informal everyday style

Example: A colloquial tone charmed readers.

57

register

noun
hardlow

Level of formality in speech

Example: Scholars shift register often.

58

connotation

noun
hardmedium

Feelings a word carries

Example: Home has warm connotations.

59

denotation

noun
hardlow

Literal meaning of a word

Example: Check the denotation first.

60

pejorative

adjective
hardmedium

Expressing contempt

Example: A pejorative nickname stuck.

61

laudatory

adjective
hardlow

Full of praise

Example: Laudatory reviews lifted sales.

62

approbation

noun
hardlow

Approval and praise

Example: The plan won approbation.

63

opprobrium

noun
hardlow

Public disgrace and shame

Example: Defeat brought opprobrium.

64

ignominy

noun
hardlow

Deep public shame

Example: The scandal ended in ignominy.

65

accolade

noun
mediummedium

Award honoring merit

Example: The film earned top accolades.

66
ambiguousadjective
mediumhigh

Open to two readings

Example: The ending stayed ambiguous.

hardhigh

To back with evidence

Example: Polls corroborated the lead.

68
pragmaticadjective
mediumhigh

Practical over ideal

Example: A pragmatic fix shipped first.

69
hardmedium

To ease a burden

Example: Aid alleviated hunger.

70
hardhigh

Break from the pattern

Example: One anomaly skewed results.

71
candidadjective
mediummedium

Frank and direct

Example: A candid memoir revealed all.

72
equivocaladjective
hardmedium

Unclear in meaning

Example: An equivocal reply followed.

73
nuancenoun
hardmedium

Subtle shade of sense

Example: Context supplies the nuance.

74
hardlow

Hard puzzling problem

Example: Funding is the conundrum.

75
mediummedium

Seeming contradiction

Example: Less choice brought more joy, a paradox.

76
hardlow

To set side by side

Example: Essays juxtapose city and farm.

hardlow

Clash of sounds or views

Example: Dissonance split the panel.

78
mediummedium

To unite after conflict

Example: Data reconciled the claims.

79
laconicadjective
hardlow

Brief in speech

Example: A laconic statement closed it.

80
verboseadjective
mediumlow

Wordy and inflated

Example: A verbose draft needed cuts.

81
didacticadjective
hardlow

Meant to instruct

Example: A didactic tone dulled the tale.

82
poignantadjective
hardlow

Sharply moving

Example: A poignant letter ended the war.

83
effusiveadjective
hardlow

Gushing with praise

Example: Effusive blurbs filled covers.

84
austereadjective
hardlow

Severe and bare

Example: An austere style marks the prose.

85
lucidadjective
mediummedium

Crystal clear

Example: A lucid proof settled it.

86
cogentadjective
hardmedium

Forceful and convincing

Example: A cogent brief won the case.

87
malleableadjective
hardlow

Easy to shape

Example: Young views stay malleable.

88
immutableadjective
hardmedium

Never changing

Example: The past is immutable.

89
ephemeraladjective
hardlow

Fleeting and short lived

Example: Fame proved ephemeral.

90
ubiquitousadjective
mediummedium

Found everywhere

Example: Smartphones grew ubiquitous.

91
esotericadjective
hardlow

Known to few experts

Example: An esoteric debate followed.

92
mediumlow

Longing for the past

Example: Nostalgia colored the memoir.

93
zealousadjective
mediumlow

Fiercely devoted

Example: Zealous fans camped outside.

94
sanguineadjective
hardlow

Cheerful and hopeful

Example: A sanguine forecast pleased all.

95
moroseadjective
hardlow

Gloomy and sullen

Example: A morose clerk stamped papers.

96
reticentadjective
hardlow

Quiet and reserved

Example: A reticent witness nodded.

97
hardlow

To honor deeply

Example: Crowds venerate the poet.

hardlow

Attacker of old ideas

Example: The critic was an iconoclast.

99
tenaciousadjective
mediumlow

Holding firm

Example: A tenacious reporter dug on.

100
assiduousadjective
hardlow

Diligent and thorough

Example: Assiduous editing saved the book.

Expert Preparation Tips

Proven strategies to master vocabulary for SAT Digital

Always solve the blank by logic first, covering the options, since SAT tests context rather than recall
Master secondary meanings such as novel meaning new and facility meaning skill, a favorite trap source
Learn contronyms like sanction and cleave in both senses before test day
Tag every option with a charge, positive, negative, or neutral, and eliminate mismatches
Study trap pairs such as bemused versus amused and disinterested versus uninterested as pairs

Stop forgetting SAT Digital words

Reading a list once will not get you the score you want. WordFlippin turns these words into daily practice with spaced repetition, so they stick when the exam clock is ticking.

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SAT Digital Vocabulary: Top 100 Words for Digital SAT by College Board | WordFlippin