SAT Vocabulary Ep. 12: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 12: assiduous, convoluted, cursory, debunk, formidable, 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.12 Words in Context - Set 12

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Assiduous Positive	adjective	Showing great care, attention, and perseverance in one's work	"Her assiduous note-taking throughout the semester meant she had a complete record to study before finals."
Convoluted Negative	adjective	Extremely complex and difficult to follow	"The plot grew so convoluted by the final act that even attentive readers struggled to track every character's motive."
Cursory Negative	adjective	Done quickly, with little attention to detail	"A cursory glance at the report was not enough to catch the error buried in the third appendix."
Debunk Neutral	verb	To expose the falseness of a claim, idea, or belief	"The study was designed specifically to debunk the widely repeated claim that the supplement improved memory."
Formidable Neutral	adjective	Inspiring fear, respect, or admiration through impressive strength or ability	"The chess champion faced a formidable opponent whose calculated style had defeated three previous title holders."
Obfuscate Negative	verb	To make something unclear or difficult to understand, often deliberately	"Critics argued that the company's vague press release was designed to obfuscate the true scale of the layoffs."
Paramount Positive	adjective	More important than anything else; supreme	"In the committee's final report, passenger safety was described as paramount, outweighing every other design consideration."
Placate Neutral	verb	To make someone less angry or upset by doing something to please them	"The airline offered a full refund in an attempt to placate passengers stranded by the canceled flight."
Stoic Positive	adjective	Enduring hardship or pain without showing feelings or complaint	"Despite losing the championship match, the young athlete remained remarkably stoic during the post-game interview."
Vacillate Negative	verb	To waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive	"The committee vacillated for weeks between the two finalists before finally reaching a decision."

Look-Alike Words

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Cursory

Done quickly and without much attention to detail.

Assiduous

Done with great care, attention, and steady effort.

Tip: Cursory work is rushed and shallow. Assiduous work is careful and thorough.

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Convoluted

So complicated and tangled that it's hard to follow.

Obfuscate

To deliberately make something confusing or unclear.

Tip: Convoluted describes something that already is complicated. Obfuscate describes the act of making something confusing on purpose.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Formidable

Impressive enough to inspire respect, caution, or even fear.

Paramount

So important that it outranks everything else.

Tip: Formidable is about strength or scale that commands respect. Paramount is about importance that comes before everything else.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.12

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.12 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

Her __________ preparation for the trial included reviewing every page of testimony twice.

Question 2 of 13

The instructions were so __________ that even the technician had to call the manufacturer for help.

Question 3 of 13

A __________ inspection missed the crack that later caused the pipe to burst.

Question 4 of 13

The documentary set out to __________ the popular theory that the ship had sunk without warning.

Question 5 of 13

Despite being new to the league, the team quickly became a __________ opponent for even the top-ranked schools.

Question 6 of 13

Lawyers accused the company of using dense legal language to __________ what the contract actually required.

Question 7 of 13

For the rescue team, reaching the stranded hikers before nightfall became __________.

Question 8 of 13

The manager offered a free meal to __________ the customer after the long wait.

Question 9 of 13

Even as the surgery was explained in detail, the patient remained __________ and asked only practical questions.

Question 10 of 13

He __________ between the two job offers for nearly a month before finally accepting one.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: An editor who reads every line three times and checks every citation is being __________, not merely cursory.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A spokesperson who deliberately buries bad news in confusing jargon is choosing to __________ the truth, rather than simply presenting a convoluted explanation by accident.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A rule that must always come before every other consideration, no exceptions, is best described as __________, rather than merely formidable.

out of 13 correct

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

Answer Key & Explanations

1Assiduous. Reviewing every page of testimony twice shows great care and steady effort, which is exactly what assiduous describes.

2Convoluted. Instructions so complex that even a trained technician needed outside help are exactly what convoluted describes.

3Cursory. An inspection quick enough to miss a crack that later caused a burst pipe is exactly what cursory describes.

4Debunk. A documentary designed specifically to expose a popular theory as false is exactly what debunk means.

5Formidable. A new team that quickly earns fear and respect from top-ranked opponents is exactly what formidable describes.

6Obfuscate. Using dense legal language specifically to hide what a contract requires is exactly what obfuscate means.

7Paramount. Reaching stranded hikers before nightfall becoming more important than anything else is exactly what paramount describes.

8Placate. Offering a free meal specifically to calm an upset customer is exactly what placate means.

9Stoic. Remaining composed and asking only practical questions, even while a surgery is explained in detail, is exactly what stoic describes.

10Vacillated. Wavering indecisively between two job offers for nearly a month is exactly what vacillate describes.

11Assiduous. Reading every line three times and checking every citation is assiduous, careful and thorough, distinct from a merely cursory pass.

12Obfuscate. Deliberately burying bad news in confusing jargon is choosing to obfuscate the truth, not simply presenting an accidentally convoluted explanation.

13Paramount. A rule that must come before every other consideration, with no exceptions, is paramount, distinct from formidable, which is about impressiveness rather than priority.

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