100 ACT Words | Vocabulary To Study

The ACT, just like the SAT, tests your vocabulary. To make life easier, practice using these ACT words that are likely to show up sooner or later.

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100 ACT Words That You Should Be Aware Of NOW

Word Definition
abbreviate shorten, abridge
abstinence act of refraining from
adhere to stick to a surface or substance [or] to follow a practice or belief
adulation high praise
aesthetic pertaining to beauty
amicable agreeable
anachronistic out-of-date
anecdote short account of event
anonymous nameless
antagonist opponent
anticipate to regard as probable [or] to expect or predict
arid extremely dry
assiduous hard-working
asylum sanctuary
benevolent friendly, helpful
camaraderie trust among friends
censure to criticize harshly
characteristic a special quality of a person, thing, or group
circuitous indirect, roundabout
clairvoyant able to see the future
collaborate to work together
compromise to settle differences
condescending patronizing
conditional provisional, contingent
conformist follower of customs
convergence joining of parts
critical expressing criticism or disapproval
deleterious harmful
demagogue rabble-rousing leader
differentiate to recognize what makes someone or something different
digression straying from main point
diligent hard-working
disdain to regard with scorn
divergent variant, moving apart
empathy sharing of feelings
emulate follow an example
enervating tiring, weakening
ephemeral momentary, fleeting
evanescent short-lived, as an image
exemplary outstanding
extenuating guilt diminishing
florid flushed, ornate
fortuitous lucky
frugal thrifty
glaring giving or reflecting a strong light, very obvious or conspicuous
hackneyed overused, cliched
haughty arrogant, condescending
hedonist pleasure seeker
hypothesis theory requiring proof
impetuous rash, impulsive
impute to attribute to someone
incompatible unable to work together
inconsequential trivial
inevitable unavoidable, certain
intrepid fearless, adventurous
intuitive instinctive, untaught
jubilation joy, exultation
justify to show or prove to be right
lobbyist persuader of legislators
longevity long life
mundane ordinary, common
nonchalant calm, casual
novice beginner
omit to intentionally leave something or someone out
opulent wealthy
orator speaker
ostentatious displaying wealth
parched dried up
perfidious disloyal
precocious talented beyond one’s age
pretentious pompous, self-important
prosaic run-of-the-mill
provocative inflammatory
prudent wise, careful, cautious
querulous irritable
rancorous hateful
reclusive withdrawn, hermit-like
reconciliation agreement after a quarrel
redundant no longer usefu
relevant appropriate to the matter at hand
renovation state of being renewed
resilient quick to recover
restrained controlled, restricted
reverence profound respect
sagacity wisdom
scrutinize to observe carefully
spontaneity impulsive action
spurious phony, false
substantiate to verify, confirm
superficial lacking in depth
superfluous more than enough
surreptitious secret, stealthy
tactful diplomatic, polite
tenacious persistent, resolute
transient temporary, fleeting
trivial of small value or importance
uniform not changing in form or character
venerable respectable due to age
vindicate to clear from blame
wary watchful, alert

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Keep an eye out for these kinds of ACT words when doing your ACT English and Writing section studying.

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