SAT Vocabulary, The E Words

an order or decree

"The ruler issued an ________________________ requiring all his subjects to bow down before him."

to wipe out, obliterate, rub away

"The husband was so angry at his wife for leaving him that he ________________________ all evidence of her presence; he threw out pictures of her and gave away all her belongings."

bubbly, lively

"My friend is so _____________________ that she makes everyone smile."

highly effective

"My doctor promised me that the cold medicine was ____________________, but I'm still sniffling."

impudence, nerve, insolence

"When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my __________________________."

radiant, splendorous

"The golden palace was _____________________________."

extremely bad

"The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his _______________________________ behavior."

overjoyed, thrilled

"When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was ______________________."

a speech given in honor of a dead person

"At the funeral, the widow gave a moving _________________________ describing her love for her late husband."

to bring forth, draw out, evoke

"Although I asked several times where the exit was, I _________________________ no response from the stone-faced policeman."

expressive, articulate, moving

"The priest gave such an _______________________ sermon that most churchgoers were crying."

to clarify or explain

"I didn't understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I asked Janine to _______________________ her feelings."

very thin, enfeebled looking

"My sister eats a lot of pastries and chocolate but still looks _________________________."

to decorate, adorn, or to add details to

"My mom ________________________ the living room by adding lace curtains."

distinguished, prominent, famous

"Mr. Phillips is such an ________________________ scholar that every professor on campus has come to hear him lecture."

soothing

"This _______________________ cream makes my skin very smooth."

to express emotions

"The director told the actor he had to _______________, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through."

sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own

"I feel such ___________________ for my sister when she's in pain that I cry too."

based on observation or experience

"The scientist gathered _______________________ data on the growth rate of dandelions by studying the ones behind his house."

to imitate

"I idolize Britney Spears so much that I ___________________ everything she does."

to fill with love, fascinate

"I grew ___________________________ of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem."

to weigh down, burden

"At the airport, my friend was _______________________ by her luggage, so I offered to carry two of her bags."

to weaken, exhaust

"Writing these sentences ______________________ me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish."

to grant the vote to

"The Nineteenth Amendment ___________________________ women."

to bring about, create, generate

"During the Olympics, the victories of U.S. athletes _______________ a patriotic spirit among Americans."

mystifying, cryptic

"The man wearing the dark suit and dark glasses is so _______________________ that no one even knows his name."

ill will, hatred, hostility

"Mark and Andy have clearly not forgiven each other, because the ____________________ between them is obvious to anyone in their presence."

boredom, weariness

"I feel such ___________________ that I don't look forward to anything, not even my birthday party."

to charm, hold spellbound

"The sailor's stories of fighting off sharks and finding ancient treasures _____________________ his young son."

short-lived, fleeting

"She promised she'd love me forever, but her forever was only ___________________; she left me after one week."

relating to or contained in letters

"Some people call me 'Auntie's boy,' because my aunt and I have such a close ___________________________ relationship that we write each other every day."

a perfect example, embodiment

"My mother, the _____________________ of good taste, always dresses more elegantly than I do."

composure

"Even though he had just been fired, Mr. Simms showed great ___________________ by neatly packing up his desk and wishing everyone in the office well."

ambiguous, uncertain, undecided

"His intentions were so ______________________ that I didn't know whether he was being chivalrous or sleezy."

learned or knowledgeable

"My Latin teacher is such an ______________________ scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse ancient poetry."

to shun, avoid

"George hates the color green so much that he __________________ all green food."

understood by only a select few

"Even the most advanced students cannot understand the physicist's _________________ theories."

to take up as a cause, support

"I love animals so much that I ______________________ animal rights."

heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined

"In her flowing silk gown and lace veil, the bride looked ________________________."

elated, uplifted

"I was ______________________ when I found out that my sister had given birth to twins."

fleeting, momentary

"My joy at getting promoted was ________________________ because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office environment."

to show, reveal

"Christopher's hand-wringing and nail-biting ______________________ how nervous he is about the upcoming SAT exam."

to make more violent, intense

"The gruesome and scary movie I saw last night ________________________ my fears of the dark."

to irritate, irk, annoy

"George's endless complaints ___________________________ his roomate."

to free from guilt or blame, exonerate

"My discovery of the ring behind the dresser __________________________ me from the charge of having stolen it."

loathsome, detestable

"Her pudding is so ________________________ that it makes me want to vomit."

to urge, prod, spur, motivate

"Henry ____________________________ his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university's hiring policies."

urgent, critical

"The patient has an _____________________ need for medication, or else he will lose his sight."

to free from guilt or blame, exculpate

"The true thief's confession __________________________ the man who had been held in custody for the crime."

excessive

"Her _____________________________ praise made me blush and squirm in my seat."

advisable, advantageous, serving one's self-interest

"In his bid for reelection, the governor made an ___________________________ move by tabling all the controversial legislation."

to make amends for, to atone

"To _______________________ my selflishness, I gave all my profits to charity."

to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually from a book

"The history editors ________________________ from the text all disparaging and inflammatory comments about the Republican Party."

existing, not destroyed or lost

"My mother's ______________________ love letters to my father are in the attic trunk."

irrelevant, extra, not necessary

"Personal political ambitions should always remain _________________________ to legislative policy."

to disentangle

"Instead of trying to mediate between my brother and sister, I _____________________ myself from the family tension entirely and left the house for the day."

to rejoice

"When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary ____________________ by dancing and singing through the school's halls."