SAT Vocabulary Ep. 25: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

Master 10 SAT words about emotion and expression - Ebullient, Garrulous, Nostalgic, Vex & more - with definitions and a free quiz.

CRAMBOOKNOTES SAT Vocab Series

SAT High-Frequency Vocabulary

Ep.25 Words in Context - Set 25

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Antipathy Negative	noun	A deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion toward someone or something	"The memoir traces the narrator's growing antipathy toward a mentor who once shaped nearly every decision in his life."
Ebullient Positive	adjective	Cheerful and full of energy; overflowing with enthusiasm	"The coach's ebullient reaction to the last-second win contrasted sharply with her usually reserved demeanor on the sideline."
Garrulous Negative	adjective	Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters	"The otherwise garrulous professor grew unexpectedly quiet whenever the conversation turned to his years abroad."
Meager Negative	adjective	Lacking in quantity or richness; scanty	"Despite the region's meager rainfall that year, the community's shared irrigation system kept most crops alive."
Nostalgic Neutral	adjective	Feeling a sentimental longing for the past	"The exhibit's collection of handwritten letters left many visitors feeling nostalgic for an era of communication most of them never experienced firsthand."
Pithy Positive	adjective	Concise and forcefully expressive; brief but full of meaning	"The editor praised the closing line for being pithy, delivering the essay's entire argument in a single sharp sentence."
Quibble Negative	verb	To argue or complain about a minor, unimportant point	"Rather than address the study's larger conclusions, the reviewer chose to quibble over a single footnote."
Reprehensible Negative	adjective	Deserving strong criticism or condemnation	"The court ruled that the company's decision to conceal the defect was reprehensible, regardless of the financial pressure it faced."
Stagnant Negative	adjective	Not flowing or developing; showing no activity or growth	"Wages in the industry remained largely stagnant for over a decade, even as company profits climbed steadily."
Vex Negative	verb	To annoy, worry, or frustrate someone	"The unsolved equation continued to vex mathematicians for nearly two centuries before a proof was finally published."

Look-Alike Words

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Ebullient

Overflowing with energy, enthusiasm, and cheerfulness.

Stagnant

Not moving, growing, or changing; stuck in place.

Tip: Ebullient is full of forward energy. Stagnant is the complete absence of it.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Garrulous

Talking a lot, often about small or unimportant things.

Pithy

Saying a lot in very few, carefully chosen words.

Tip: A garrulous speaker uses many words to say little. A pithy speaker uses few words to say a lot.

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Antipathy

A strong feeling of dislike toward someone or something.

Reprehensible

Deserving strong criticism because of how wrong an action is.

Tip: Antipathy is the feeling of dislike itself. Reprehensible describes the behavior that often causes that feeling.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.25

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.25 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

Years of unresolved conflict left the two coworkers with quiet __________ toward one another.

Question 2 of 13

The whole team was __________ after clinching the final spot in the tournament.

Question 3 of 13

Their normally __________ tour guide barely said a word once they reached the memorial.

Question 4 of 13

The startup operated for months on a __________ budget, reusing furniture from a nearby office closure.

Question 5 of 13

Flipping through the old yearbook made her __________ for a group of friends she hadn't seen in years.

Question 6 of 13

His __________ summary captured the entire two-hour meeting in a single sentence.

Question 7 of 13

Instead of addressing the main proposal, the committee began to __________ over minor wording changes.

Question 8 of 13

Critics called the company's decision to ignore the safety report entirely __________.

Question 9 of 13

Sales remained __________ for three straight quarters despite the new marketing campaign.

Question 10 of 13

The missing puzzle piece continued to __________ her long after everyone else had given up looking.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A once-thriving town where no new businesses have opened in a decade is best described as __________, not ebullient.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A toast that sums up an entire friendship in one perfect sentence is __________, not garrulous.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A company that dumps waste into a river to save money is engaging in __________ behavior, rather than something people merely feel antipathy toward.

out of 13 correct

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

Answer Key & Explanations

1Antipathy. A deep, long-standing dislike between neighboring towns is exactly what antipathy describes.

2Ebullient. Bursting with excitement and unable to stop talking about a trip is exactly what ebullient means.

3Garrulous. Turning a simple hello into a twenty-minute conversation is exactly what garrulous describes.

4Meager. Barely enough food to last the week is exactly what meager means, scarcely sufficient.

5Nostalgic. A song that instantly brings back childhood summers is exactly what nostalgic describes.

6Pithy. A single sentence that captures the entire argument is exactly what pithy means, brief and full of meaning.

7Quibble. Arguing over a tiny wording detail instead of the main point is exactly what quibble describes.

8Reprehensible. Behavior serious enough to warrant public condemnation is exactly what reprehensible means.

9Stagnant. Water that no longer flows and starts to smell is exactly what stagnant describes.

10Vex. A problem that keeps returning no matter how many times it's solved is exactly what vex means, to annoy persistently.

11Pithy. A short line that says everything needed is pithy, distinct from garrulous, which describes talking at length.

12Quibble. Objecting to a single word choice while ignoring the main point is a quibble, a minor complaint rather than reprehensible, serious wrongdoing.

13Stagnant. Water that no longer moves or flows is stagnant, distinct from meager, which describes an insufficient amount rather than a lack of movement.

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