SAT Vocabulary Ep. 10: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 10: ascertain, circumvent, divergent, esoteric, feign, and 5 more words with definitions, look-alike word pairs, and a 13-question practice quiz.

CRAMBOOKNOTES SAT Vocab Series

SAT High-Frequency Vocabulary

Ep.10 Words in Context - Set 10

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Ascertain Neutral	verb	To find out or determine something with certainty	"Before approving the loan, the bank needed to ascertain whether the applicant's income matched the figures on the application."
Circumvent Negative	verb	To find a clever way around an obstacle, rule, or difficulty	"The company was accused of circumventing safety regulations by labeling the device as a toy rather than medical equipment."
Divergent Neutral	adjective	Developing or moving in different directions from a shared starting point	"The two economists reached strikingly divergent conclusions despite analyzing the exact same data set."
Esoteric Neutral	adjective	Intended for or understood by only a small, specialized group	"The professor's lecture veered into such esoteric details of medieval trade law that only a handful of students could follow along."
Feign Negative	verb	To pretend to feel, know, or experience something	"Historians debate whether the king truly believed the treaty was fair or merely feigned agreement to buy time."
Malleable Neutral	adjective	Easily influenced, shaped, or changed	"Gold is prized in jewelry making partly because it is so malleable that it can be shaped without cracking."
Nebulous Negative	adjective	Unclear, vague, or poorly defined	"The proposal remained nebulous, offering broad goals but no concrete plan for how they would be achieved."
Obstinate Negative	adjective	Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action	"Despite mounting evidence against his theory, the scientist remained obstinate, refusing to revise a single conclusion."
Pertinent Positive	adjective	Relevant and directly applicable to the matter at hand	"The witness was asked to limit her testimony to information pertinent to the specific night in question."
Wary Neutral	adjective	Feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems	"Investors grew wary of the startup after its second missed earnings report in a row."

Look-Alike Words

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Nebulous

Vague and unclear, lacking a definite shape or explanation.

Esoteric

Understood by only a small, specialized group of people.

Tip: Nebulous means something is hard to pin down. Esoteric means something is understood only by a select few, even if it's clearly defined to them.

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Malleable

Easily shaped, influenced, or changed.

Obstinate

Stubbornly resistant to change, even when given good reasons.

Tip: Malleable bends easily. Obstinate refuses to bend at all.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Circumvent

To get around a rule or obstacle, often through a clever workaround.

Feign

To pretend to feel or experience something that isn't real.

Tip: Circumvent avoids a real obstacle. Feign creates a false impression.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.10

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.10 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

Detectives spent weeks trying to __________ exactly where the missing shipment had been rerouted.

Question 2 of 13

The hikers found a narrow trail that let them __________ the flooded section of the main path.

Question 3 of 13

The committee members offered strikingly __________ opinions on how to spend the surplus funds.

Question 4 of 13

His knowledge of eleventh-century shipbuilding techniques is impressive, if a little __________, for casual dinner conversation.

Question 5 of 13

To avoid an awkward conversation, he decided to __________ a phone call and step outside.

Question 6 of 13

Warm wax is far more __________ than the same wax once it has cooled and hardened.

Question 7 of 13

Without a clear budget or timeline, the proposal remained too __________ for the board to approve.

Question 8 of 13

The __________ toddler refused to put on his shoes no matter how his parents tried to persuade him.

Question 9 of 13

The judge reminded the attorney to keep her questions __________ to the case at hand.

Question 10 of 13

After the scam email, she became __________ of any message asking for personal information.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A hobby that only a handful of collectors in the world truly understand is best described as esoteric, rather than simply __________.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: An intern who happily adjusts his approach based on any feedback he receives is __________, not obstinate.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: An employee who pretends to be sick to skip a boring meeting is __________ an illness, rather than circumventing the meeting through a legitimate excuse.

out of 13 correct

Full explanations for every question appear below after you check your answers.

Answer Key & Explanations

1Ascertain. Detectives working for weeks to find out exactly where a shipment was rerouted is exactly what ascertain describes.

2Circumvent. Finding a narrow trail specifically to get around a flooded section is exactly what circumvent means.

3Divergent. Two economists reaching strikingly different conclusions from the identical data is exactly what divergent describes.

4Esoteric. Detailed knowledge of medieval shipbuilding, understood by only a small group, is exactly what esoteric describes.

5Feign. Pretending to take a phone call specifically to avoid an awkward conversation is exactly what feign means.

6Malleable. Warm wax that can be shaped far more easily than once it hardens is exactly what malleable describes.

7Nebulous. A proposal with broad goals but no concrete plan is exactly what nebulous describes.

8Obstinate. A toddler stubbornly refusing to change his mind no matter how his parents try to persuade him is exactly what obstinate describes.

9Pertinent. Testimony limited strictly to what is directly relevant to the case is exactly what pertinent describes.

10Wary. Growing cautious of messages after being scammed once is exactly what wary describes.

11Nebulous. Something vague and hard to pin down is nebulous, distinct from esoteric, which is clearly defined but understood by only a few.

12Malleable. Happily adjusting one's approach based on feedback is malleable, easily shaped, the opposite of obstinate.

13Feigning. Pretending to be sick is feigning an illness, distinct from circumventing a meeting through a legitimate excuse.

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