0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (S)

SACROSANCT: Very holy - a shrine. regarded as sacrosanct. Synonyms:  consecrated, inviolable, hallowed.

SAGACIOUS (noun: SAGACITY): Wise; shrewd - proved to be sagacious in his judgment. Synonyms: perspicacious, astute, sapient, discerning, sage.

SALLOW: Sick - a sallow complexion. Synonym: pallid. Antonyms: rubicund, ruddy, florid.

SALLY: (verb): To rush forth suddenly - sallied out to meet the enemy. (noun): A Witty remark - amused the audience with his sallies against his opponent. Synonyms:  quip, banter.

SANCTIMONIOUS: Pretending to be religious - showed his hypocrisy in a sanctimonious display of piety.

SANGUINARY: Bloody - a sanguinary battle. Synonym: gory.

SANGUINE: Of a hopeful disposition; blood-red in color - a perennial optimist, sanguine in temperament. Synonyms: buoyant, ardent.

SARTORIAL: Pertaining to a tailor or clothes - a picture of sartorial perfection.

SATELLITE: (1) An attentive or flattering follower - a prince surrounded by many satellites. Synonyms:  lackey, toady, disciple, adherent; adj., fawning, obsequious, partisan. (2) A country influenced or controlled by another - Freedom is conspicuously absent ,in the Soviet satellites. (3) A body (natural or artificial) which revolves around a larger body, generally a planet - The moon is the only natural satellite of the earth, but in recent years it has been joined by many artificial satellites.

SCINTILLA: A trace; a particle - not a scintilla of convincing evidence. Synonyms: iota; vestige.

SCOURGE (verb): To punish severely; to afflict; to whip - a disease that scourged the country. Synonyms: excoriate, flay. (noun). A whip or other means of punishment; a cause of affliction - The Black Plague was a dreadful scourge of the Middle Ages. Synonym: tribulation.

SCRUTINIZE: To examine carefully -scrutinized the contents of the letter.

SHIBBOLETH: A party slogan - a shibboleth designed to attract votes.

SIMPER (verb): To smile in a silly or affected way simpered as he greeted each guest. (noun): An affected or silly smile - stood nervously, a simper on his face. Synonym: (verb and noun) smirk.

SINECURE: Employment entailing little or no responsibility or labor - His job was a sinecure.

SINISTER: Threatening or showing evil; dishonest - the sinister look of a gangster.

SLEAZY: Flimsy and cheap - sleazy cloth which is used only in cheap garments. Synonym: unsubstantial.

SLOVENLY: Untidy-severely criticized the student's slovenly appearance. Synonyms: slipshod, slatternly, frowzy.

SOPORIFIC: Tending to induce sleep - a poorly written novel, soporific in effect.

SORDID: Mean and base; filthy - Sordid motives breed selfish actions. Synonyms: degraded, vile, ignoble.

SOVEREIGN: Supreme m power and authority; independent of the control of any other government - possessing sovereign powers; a sovereign state. Synonyms: autonomous, imperial, majestic, paramount.

SPORADIC: Occurring singly, at irregular intervals; scattered - sporadic cases of illness.

SPURN: To refuse or reject with contempt - an offer that was spurned instantly. Synonyms: repel, snub.

STOIC: Indifferent, calm in bearing pain or pleasure; practising remarkable self-control over emotions - maintained a stoic attitude despite all his trials. Synonyms: stolid, impassive.

STRINGENT: Strict; compelling, constraining stringent regulations; stringent requirements. Synonyms: exacting, rigid. Antonym: lax.

STUPENDOUS: Amazing by, virtue of its immense size, force, or any quality in exceptional degree - The circus is a stupendous spectacle. Synonyms:  astounding, prodigious, monstrous, marvelous, colossal, awful.

SUCCULENT: juicy - a succulent steak. Antonyms: desiccated, vapid.

SULTRY: Close, hot, and moist - sultry tropical weather.

SUPINE: (1) Lying flat on the back - resting in a supine position. Antonym: erect. (2) Inert, inactive, averse to taking action - a supine, ineffective administrator. Synonyms: listless, torpid.

0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (R)

RACONTEUR: A skilled storyteller - held spellbound by a superb raconteur.

RADICAL (noun): One who advocates extreme basic changes - The reform movement was led by a radical. (adj.): Thorough, extreme - radical measures adopted to meet the emergency. Antonym (noun and adj.): conservative.

RAMIFICATION: A branching; sub-division - studied the subject in all its ramifications.

RAZE: To tear down completely- razed the old building. Synonyms: level. Antonym: rear.

RECAPITULATE: To restate in a brief, concise form; to sum up - recapitulated the main ideas.

RECIPROCAL: Mutual; done in return for something received - held each other in reciprocal esteem.

RECUMBENT: Lying down; leaning back or down - resting in a recumbent position.

REDOLENT: (1) Fragrant - a room redolent of roses. Synonym: aromatic. (2) Reminiscent of - redolent of olden times.

REDOUBTABLE: Commanding fear or respect - cringing before a redoubtable enemy. Synonym: formidable.

REFUTE: To prove incorrect or false-refuted his opponent's argument. Synonyms: rebut, confute. Antonyms: substantiate, confirm, corroborate.

REITERATE: Repeat (several times) - reiterated his story once more.

REMUNERATIVE: Profitable - a remunerative job. Synonyms: lucrative, gainful.

RENEGADE: One who forsakes political or party principles or his religious faith - a renegade from his former allegiance. Synonyms: turncoat, apostate, recreant, traitor.

REPRISAL: Injury inflicted in turn for one received - took action in reprisal against his neighbor. Synonym: retaliation.

RESENTMENT: Feeling of displeasure or indignation resulting from mistreatment or abuse - showed resentment at what he considered an unwarranted insult. Synonyms: umbrage, dudgeon, animosity.

RESILIENT: Elastic; light-hearted; possessing power of recovery - a resilient Spirit, refusing to admit defeat. Synonyms: flexible, pliable, supple, limber.

RESPITE: (1) Temporary deferment or cessation of work or pain - a brief respite from labor. Synonym: surcease. (2) A temporary delay in the execution of -a sentence - granted the doom man a temporary respite. Synonym: reprieve.

RETRIBUTION: The reward or punishment exacted for an injury, wickedness, or other action - suffered just retribution for his folly. Synonyms: requital, nemesis.

RETRIEVE: (1) To make good -retrieved a mistake. (2) To recover -retrieved the suitcase left at the station. (3) To restore - retrieved his lost fortunes.

REVERBERATE: To echo - a shot reverberating through the valley. Synonym: resound.

RUDIMENTARY: In an early stage of development - possessing only a rudimentary, knowledge of physics. Synonym: incipient.

RUE (adj.: RUEFUL): To be sorry for-He will rue the day he left home. Synonyms: regret, repent.

0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (Q)

QUASH: To crush; to render void - quashed a rebellion; quashed an indictment. Synonyms: suppress, extinguish, quell; annul.

QUERULOUS: Given to fault-finding and complaining - Her querulous nature estranged many people. Synonyms: fretful, whining, captious, carping, peevish, petulant. Antonym: affable.

QUIXOTIC: Extravagantly romantic or idealistic; highly impractical - a quixotic scheme that can never materialize. Synonyms: utopian, visionary, fantastic.

0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (P)

PANACEA: A remedy for all ills - seeking a panacea to cure our social troubles. Synonym: nostrum.

PANEGYRIC: A speech or writing of extravagant praise - delivered a panegyric at his friend's testimonial dinner. Synonyms: eulogy, adulation, tribute, laudation (adj. laudatory), encomium. Antonyms: censure, disparagement, derogation, castigation, depreciation.

PARADOX: A self -contradictory statement; something 'that appears to be absurd and yet may be true -"Life is too important a matter to he taken seriously." - a paradox by Oscar Wilde. Synonym: anomaly.

PARAPHRASE: To restate the meaning of a passage in other words - paraphrased the poem in a few lines of prose.

PARODY (noun): A humorous imitation of an author's style and mannerisms - wrote a parody on Kipling's "Gunga Din."  Synonym: burlesque. (verb): To write a parody - parodied the popular authors of the (lay to his audience's amusement. Synonym: Mimic.

PECCADILLO: A petty fault-possesses one peccadillo among his many virtues. Synonyms: frailty, foible, flaw, blemish.

PECUNIARY: Pertaining to money - involved in pecuniary difficulties. Synonyms; financial, fiscal, monetary.

PEDANT (adj.: PEDANTIC): One who proudly shows off his learning or who overrates his knowledge - like a pedant glorying in his scholarly trifles.

PENSIVE: Sadly thoughtful - softly sang his pensive song. Synonyms:  reflective, meditative, contemplative, musing.

PEREMPTORY: Positive in expressing an opinion - gave a peremptory judgment. Synonyms: decisive, resolute, imperious, positive, dogmatic. Antonyms: indecisive, tentative.

PERTINACIOUS: Clinging doggedly to an opinion or purpose - pertinacious in his efforts. Synonyms: obdurate, tenacious, persistent, persevering, intractable, inflexible.

PERUSE: To read carefully - perused the important letter.

PERVERSE: Willfully bent on doing the wrong thing - a perverse lad, always disobeying his parents. Synonyms: headstrong, froward, refractory, wayward, fractious.

PETRIFY: To paralyze with horror, fear, or surprise - petrified by the enemy bombardment. Synonyms: stupefy, stun, bewilder, amaze.

PLAGIARISM. Adopting and reproducing, without acknowledgment, the writings or ideas of another and passing them off as one's own - denied the charge of deliberate plagiarism.

PLATITUDE: A dull and commonplace remark - bored people by his pompous phrases and platitudes. Synonyms: bromide, truism, axiom.

PLEBEIAN: Pertaining to the common people; hence, common or vulgar - plebeian in his tastes and outlook. Antonyms: patrician, aristocratic.

PLEBISCITE. A direct vote by the people - The decision to confederate was ratified by plebiscite.

POIGNANT: (1) Gripping and moving the feelings powerfully - a poignant grief. (2) Piercing, biting, pointed - a poignant cry; poignant wit.

PONDEROUS: Very heavy; clumsy; dull - a ponderous speech, extremely boring.

PRECARIOUS: Uncertain or risky - earning a precarious livelihood, providing no luxuries.

PRECIPITOUS: (1) Very steep - a precipitous cliff. (2) Descending rapidly - a precipitous decline in popularity.

PRELUDE: An introduction, forerunner, or preliminary step - a short prelude to the play. Synonyms: preface, prologue, preamble. Antonym: epilogue.

PREROGATIVE: A privilege or power attaching to a position - It is a woman's prerogative to refuse to tell her age. Synonym: license.

PRESTIGE: Esteem or influence accorded for recognized achievements or reputation - As Senator he enjoyed great prestige. Synonym: distinction.

PRESUMPTION: (1) Something taken for granted - acted on a reasonable presumption. (2) Going beyond proper bounds; impudent boldness - His question was downright presumption. Synonyms:  effrontery, forwardness, arrogance.

PREVARICATE: To disguise or conceal the truth to lie - prevaricated in order to avoid detection. Synonyms:  quibble, equivocate; (adj.) mendacious. Antonyms:  (noun) veracity, verity; (adj.) forthright.

PROCRASTINATE: To postpone or put off to another time - missed his opportunity by procrastinating too long. Synonyms: defer, delay.

PROGNOSTICATE (noun: PROGNOSIS): To forecast - The Weather Bureau prognosticates daily. Synonyms: presage, portend, augur, forebode.

PROLETARIAT: The wage-earning class - a truckman, humble member of the proletariat.

PROMONTORY: A cliff - an imposing promontory along the coast. Synonyms: headland, precipice.

PROMULGATE: To publish or proclaim; to spread abroad The President promulgated a decree. Synonym: disseminate.

PROTUBERANT: Bulging or swelling out - a protuberant jaw. Antonyms: receding, recessive.

PROVISIONAL: Temporary; for the time being - a provisional plan until a permanent decision is reached. Synonym: tentative.

PROXIMITY: Nearness-worked in close proximity to his home. Synonyms: propinquity, vicinity. Antonym remoteness.

PSEUDONYM: A false name assumed by a writer - concealed his identity by a pseudonym. Synonyms: alias, pen name, nom de plume.

PUNITIVE: Inflicting, or concerned with, punishment - took punitive measures against deserters.

0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (O)

OBDURATE: Hard-hearted; stubborn - an obdurate, unrepentant criminal. Synonyms: adamant, unyielding, inflexible. Antonyms: submissive, docile, compliant.

OBLIVIOUS (noun: OBLIVION): Forgetful; absent-minded - walking oblivious of his surroundings. Synonyms: unmindful, heedless, abstracted.

OBSESSION: A persistent feeling, idea, activity, etc., which dominates a person; the state of being exclusively preoccupied by a fixed idea - Now that he has learned bowling, it has become his obsession. Synonyms: mania, infatuation (a foolish passion), monomania.

OBSOLETE: No longer in use - an obsolete word, not even included by most dictionaries. Synonyms: archaic, antiquated.

OBTRUSIVE (verb: OBTRUDE): Thrusting oneself or itself into undue prominence - made himself obnoxiously obtrusive. Synonyms: intrusive, aggressive.

OBVIATE: To prevent, dispose of, or make unnecessary by appropriate actions - an act which obviated all objections. Synonyms: preclude, forestall.

OMNIPOTENT: All-powerful - an omnipotent despot.

ONUS: Burden; duty; obligation - bore the onus of his difficult office creditably.

OSTENSIBLE: Apparent; pretended - his ostensible, though not actual, purpose. Synonyms: professed, plausible (that is, appearing true, reasonable, or fair), specious.

OSTRACIZE: To banish; to exclude from public favor or privileges - a former premier ostracized by popular vote. Synonym: outlaw.

0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (N)

NAUTICAL: Pertaining to ships or navigation - a nautical career. Synonyms: marine, naval, maritime. NETTLE: To irritate or provoke - nettled by his critics. Synonyms: vex, pique, goad. NOCTURNAL: Pertaining to, or occurring in, the night - awakened by the sounds of a nocturnal prowler. Antonym: diurnal. NOISOME: Foul-smelling; harmful-the swamp gave off a noisome odor. Synonyms: malodorous, fetid, disgusting; noxious, deleterious. Antonym: salubrious. NONCHALANT: Unmoved or indifferent; casual - reacted to the news in a nonchalant manner. Synonym: apathetic. Antonyms: enthusiastic, zealous. NOSTALGIA: Homesickness - felt nostalgia for the old homestead. NOTORIOUS: Widely known (in a bad sense) - a notorious gambler. NOVICE: A beginner - conducted himself in politics like a novice. Synonyms: tyro, neophyte. Antonym: virtuoso. NOSTALGIA: Homesickness - felt nostalgia for the old homestead. NOTORIOUS: Widely known (in a bad sense) - a notorious gambler. NOVICE: A beginner - conducted himself in politics like a novice. Synonyms: tyro, neophyte. Antonym: virtuoso. Please leave a comment IF you like the entry. It's like visiting a place where there is a guest book by the front door. Before you exit, you sign it to leave a note about your experience of the place. I know that people are visiting by virtue of site meter, but almost no one leaves a comment. If you are in a hurry (and who isn't these days?), just leave a "thanks". Thanks