SAT Vocabulary Ep. 7: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 7: adverse, bolster, deprecate, fortuitous, galvanize, 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.7 Words in Context - Set 7

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Adverse Negative	adjective	Unfavorable or harmful in effect; working against something	"The drug trial was halted after researchers observed several adverse reactions in the participants."
Bolster Positive	verb	To support or strengthen something	"The senator cited new economic data to bolster her argument for the proposed tax reform."
Deprecate Negative	verb	To express disapproval of something, often dismissing its value	"Critics deprecated the committee's report, arguing that its methodology was too outdated to be trusted."
Fortuitous Positive	adjective	Happening by lucky chance; fortunate and unplanned	"It was a fortuitous coincidence that the researcher stumbled upon the missing data just before the deadline."
Galvanize Neutral	verb	To shock or excite someone into taking action	"The photograph of the flooded town galvanized volunteers across the state to organize a relief effort."
Impetuous Negative	adjective	Acting suddenly and rashly, without thinking things through	"The young officer's impetuous decision to advance without orders nearly compromised the entire mission."
Nuanced Neutral	adjective	Having subtle shades of meaning or distinction	"The historian offered a nuanced account of the treaty, showing how it helped some groups while harming others."
Obsolete Neutral	adjective	No longer in use; outdated by something newer	"Once the new software update rolled out, the old filing system quickly became obsolete."
Quell Neutral	verb	To forcefully suppress or put an end to something	"Officials moved quickly to quell rumors about the factory closing, releasing a statement the same afternoon."
Robust Positive	adjective	Strong, healthy, and vigorous; able to withstand difficulty	"The bridge's robust design allowed it to withstand decades of heavy traffic and severe weather."

Look-Alike Words

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Bolster

To strengthen or support something that already exists.

Galvanize

To suddenly spur people into action, often through shock or excitement.

Tip: Bolster reinforces something already in place. Galvanize sparks new action, often suddenly.

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Fortuitous

Happening by lucky chance, without being planned.

Impetuous

Acting suddenly and rashly, without thinking things through.

Tip: Fortuitous describes a lucky accident. Impetuous describes a rash decision - one is about luck, the other about impulse.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Deprecate

To express disapproval of something, often dismissing its value.

Quell

To forcefully suppress or put an end to something.

Tip: Deprecate dismisses something with words. Quell shuts something down through force or action.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.7

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.7 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

Extreme heat created __________ conditions for the marathon runners, forcing organizers to add extra water stations.

Question 2 of 13

The coach reviewed game film to __________ the team's confidence before the championship match.

Question 3 of 13

The film critic tended to __________ any movie with a happy ending, dismissing it as shallow.

Question 4 of 13

It was entirely __________ that the two old friends ended up on the same flight after years apart.

Question 5 of 13

News of the factory's closing __________ workers to organize and demand a meeting with management.

Question 6 of 13

Her __________ decision to quit her job without a backup plan worried her parents.

Question 7 of 13

Rather than praising or criticizing the policy outright, the report offered a __________ analysis of its costs and benefits.

Question 8 of 13

Within a decade, the once cutting-edge computer had become completely __________.

Question 9 of 13

Security guards moved quickly to __________ the panic after the fire alarm went off by mistake.

Question 10 of 13

The company's __________ supply chain kept shelves stocked even during the storm.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A coach who gives a fiery pep talk that suddenly pushes a tired team to fight back is best described as galvanizing them, rather than simply __________ their confidence.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A hiker who dashes off-trail without checking a map, just because a shortcut looked promising, is acting __________, not fortuitously.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A principal who calms a hallway of panicked students during a fire drill is best described as someone who quells the chaos, rather than someone who __________ it.

out of 13 correct

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

Answer Key & Explanations

1Adverse. Extreme heat working against the runners and forcing extra precautions is exactly what adverse, unfavorable in effect, describes.

2Bolster. Reviewing game film to strengthen the team's existing confidence is exactly what bolster means.

3Deprecate. Dismissing any happy ending as shallow describes a tendency to express disapproval, which is deprecate.

4Fortuitous. Two old friends ending up on the same flight by lucky, unplanned chance is exactly what fortuitous describes.

5Galvanized. News that shocks workers into suddenly organizing and taking action is exactly what galvanize describes.

6Impetuous. Quitting a job without a backup plan, acting suddenly and rashly, is exactly what impetuous describes.

7Nuanced. An analysis showing both costs and benefits rather than a simple verdict is exactly what nuanced describes.

8Obsolete. A once cutting-edge computer that stopped being used within a decade is exactly what obsolete describes.

9Quell. Acting quickly to forcefully put an end to panic is exactly what quell describes.

10Robust. A supply chain strong enough to keep shelves stocked even during a storm is exactly what robust describes.

11Bolstering. A pep talk that suddenly pushes a tired team into action is galvanizing them, not simply bolstering their existing confidence.

12Impetuously. Dashing off-trail without checking a map, purely because a shortcut looked promising, is acting impetuously, not fortuitously.

13Deprecates. Someone who quells chaos calms it through action, as opposed to someone who deprecates it, dismissing it with words instead.

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