Crafts and Structure
Words in Context
Transition Words: Summary
Continuers Cause and Effect Contradictors
Add Information Accordingly (Al)though
And As a result But
Also As such Despite
Furthermore Because Even so
In addition Consequently Even though
Moreover Since However
Not only...but also So In spite of
Thus Instead
Give Example Therefore Meanwhile
For example Nevertheless
For instance Otherwise
Rather
Define Still
That is Whereas
While
Emphasize Yet
In fact
Indeed Contrast
Even Alternately
Alternatively
Compare In contrast
Likewise On the contrary
Similarly On the other hand
Words that look Negative but aren’t
Critic/ Criticism - A critic is a person who writes commentary — either positive or negative — about a
subject, e.g., art, music, or sports.
Discern/ discerning - To recognize or distinguish; perceptive
Ineffable - Indescribable, sublime, beyond words
Infallible - Unable to be wrong
Ingenious - Clever, brilliant
Ingenuous - Naïve
Inimitable - Unique, one-of-a-kind
Innate - Inborn, natural
Innocuous - Harmless
Intrinsic/Innate - Inborn, a natural part of
Invaluable - Having immense value, priceless
Unassuming - Modest
Unqualified - Absolute
Academic Vocabulary to Know:
Branches of Science
Astronomy - study of stars and planets
Botany - study of plants
Cognitive Science, Neuroscience - science of the brain
Ecology - study of the natural world
Entomology - study of insects
Genetics - study of genes
Geology - study of rocks
Ornithology - study of birds
Paleontology - study of fossils
Zoology - study of animals
Branches of Social Science &
Humanities
Anthropology - study of human behavior and social organization, usually on a large
scale; can include linguistics, biology, and archaeology
Archaeology - study of historical human activity through the recovery or
excavation (digging up) of physical objects
Economics - study of monetary systems
Ethnography - study of individual cultures
Folklore - study of traditional stories and myths
Sociology - study of everyday human social behaviors and interactions at a specific
time
Key Science related Terms
Advantageous - providing an advantage Pigment - color
Charge - in electricity, positive or Predisposed - having a tendency toward
negative Regenerate - regrow
Control group - in an experiment, the group in Replicate - repeat (an experiment) and obtain the
which the variable being tested is not changed same results
Empirical - relying on hard data Saturate - to become completely soaked with
Hierarchy (adj., hierarchical) - system of rank; Stimulus - something that provokes a specific
opposite of egalitarian response
Isotope - alternate form of an element Symbiosis (adj., Symbiotic) - interaction between
Indigenous - native two organisms living close together, benefits
both
Inhibit - prevent, impede (e.g., a response)
Taxonomy - classification system
Innovative - new and revolutionary
Trait - characteristic
Metabolism - the process of converting food to
Velocity - speed
energy
Microbial - relating to microscopic organisms
Make a Claim Rebut
Advance Refute
Posit
Proffer Think about
Speculate
Grapple with
Hypothesize
Mull over
Ruminate about
Support a Claim
Bolster
Buttress Coming Together
Substantiate
Converge
Underscore
Integrate
Intersect
Question a Claim
Ambivalence Moving Apart
Skepticism Diverge
Draw a Conclusion Disparate
Infer
Heterogeneous
Surmise
Eclectic
Provide Sources
Attribute Noticeable, Striking
Cite Conspicuous
Distinctive
Large Amount Salient
Multitude
Plethora Harmless
Profusion Benign
Innocuous
Small Amount
Dearth Inborn
Paucity Inherent
Innate
Intrinsic
Different, Diverse
Common Second Meanings
Afford - Grant (e.g., an opportunity) the vaccine checked the spread of the
disease)
Appreciate - To take into account,
recognize the merits of, OR to increase Coin - To invent (e.g., coin a phrase)
in value
Compromise - To endanger or make
Arrest - To stop (not just put handcuffs vulnerable (e.g., to compromise one's
on a criminal) beliefs)
Assume - To take on responsibility for, Constitution - Build (e.g., a football
acquire (e.g., to assume a new position) player has a solid constitution)
Austerity - Financial policy to reduce Conviction - Certainty, determination. Noun form of
excess spending on luxury or non-essential convinced.
items Couch - To hide
Badger - To pester or annoy (e.g., reporters repeatedly Discriminating - Able to make fine
badgered the candidate after the scandal broke) distinctions (e.g., a discriminating
Bent - Liking for. Synonym for penchant, predilection, palate)
proclivity Doctor - To tamper with
Capacity - Ability Economy - Thrift (e.g., a writer who has an
Chance - To attempt economical style is one who uses few words)
Channel - To direct something (e.g., energy, money) Embroider - To falsify, make up stories
toward a specific purpose about
Check - To restrain, control, or reduce (e.g.,
Common Second Meanings
Execute - To carry out Relate - To tell, give an account of (a story)
Exploit - Make use of (does not carry a negative Reservations - Misgivings
connotation) Reserve - To hold off on (e.g., to reserve judgment)
Facility - Ability to do something Ruffled - Flustered, nonplussed Sap - To drain (e.g., of
easily (e.g., a facility for learning energy)
languages) Scrap - To eliminate
Foil - v. To put a stop to (e.g., to foil a Shelve/Table - To reject or discard (e.g., an idea or
robbery) proposal)
Grave/Gravity - Serious(ness) Solvent - Able to pay all debts (usually used in a business
context)
Grill - To question intensely and repeatedly (e.g., the
police officers grilled the suspect thoroughly) Sound - Firm, stable, reliable, valid (e.g., a sound
argument)
Hamper - To get in the way of, hinder
Spare, Severe - Unadorned, very plain Static -
Harbor - To possess, hold (e.g., to harbor a belief) Unchanging (i.e., in a state of stasis)
Hobble - Prevent, impede
Sustain - To withstand
Plastic - Able to be changed, malleable (e.g., brain
Uniform - Constant, unvarying
plasticity)
Unqualified - Absolute
Provoke - Elicit (e.g., a reaction) Realize - To achieve (a
goal) Upset - To interfere with an expected outcome
Reconcile - To bring together opposing or contradictory
ideas
Relay - To pass on to someone else (e.g., to relay
information)
Common Idiomatic Expressions
About People To cut somebody some slack – To stop being so
To be on cloud nine – To be extremely happy critical of them
Wouldn’t hurt a fly – A person that is inoffensive To give someone the benefit of the doubt – To
and harmless justify or excuse someone’s actions, and not
Like a fish out of the water – Very uncomfortable assume malice
Fit as a fiddle – Very healthy and strong To let someone off the hook – To not hold someone
responsible for something he/she has done wrong
To have your head in the clouds – To be To rain on someone’s parade – To ruin one’s plans
daydreaming and/or lacking concentration or temper one’s excitement
To be under the weather – To feel sick To get off on the wrong foot – To make a bad first
Teacher’s pet – A person who is considered the impression with someone
teacher’s favorite. This can be used in a positive or To keep someone at arm’s distance – To keep your
negative way depending on the context
distance and not get too involved with someone
Gold digger – A person who is pursuing a
relationship with another for the sole purpose of To rub someone the wrong way – To irritate or get
benefiting from their wealth on someone’s nerves
To bend over backward for someone – To go out of
your way to do something for them
About Relationships To burn a bridge – To ruin a relationship to the
Like two peas in a pod – Two people who are point that it cannot be repaired
always together
To give someone the cold shoulder – To
intentionally ignore someone
Common Idiomatic Expressions
About Communication About Scenarios
To break the ice – To get the conversation going A blessing in disguise – A good thing that seemed bad at first
To let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret The best of both worlds – Benefiting from two different opportunities
To spill the beans – To reveal a secret at once
To beat around the bush – To avoid talking about what is important A perfect storm – The worst possible situation
To pull someone’s leg – To say something that is not true as a way of To be on thin ice – To be in a risky situation
joking A snowball effect – A situation that becomes more serious and
To get wind of something – To hear a rumor about something potentially dangerous over time
To wrap your head around something – To understand something When it rains it pours – Everything is going wrong at once
complicated To get out of hand – To lose control in a situation
A penny for your thoughts – Tell me what you are thinking To get a taste of your own medicine – To be treated the way you’ve
To play the devil’s advocate – To argue against an idea for the sake of treated others
debate To throw caution to the wind – To do something without worrying
To see which way the wind is blowing – To try to discover information about the risk
about a situation before taking action To bite the bullet – To force yourself to do something unpleasant or
To hear something straight from the horse’s mouth – To hear from difficult
someone who personally observed a certain event To go down in flames – To fail miserably at something
The elephant in the room – An obvious problem that people do not Best thing since sliced bread – To praise something for being especially
want to talk about great
Comparing apples to oranges – Comparing two things that cannot be Safe bet – Something that is sure to succeed
compared In full swing – Something that is currently in process and moving
To be left in the dark – When someone doesn’t receive all the efficiently along
appropriate information that tells the whole story Up in the air – Something that is uncertain or still undecided
To go around in circles – When you repeat the same things over again
in a conversation without coming to a conclusion or resolution
Common Idiomatic Expressions
About Time Miscellaneous Idioms
Hold your horses – Wait a moment; slow down It’s raining cats and dogs – It’s raining very hard
To do something at the drop of a hat – To do something at A dime a dozen – Something is very common, or of no
once, without any delay particular value
Once in a blue moon – Rarely By the skin of one’s teeth – Narrowly or barely escaping a
To take a rain check – To postpone a plan disaster
To have bigger fish to fry – To have more important things Come rain or shine – No matter the circumstances,
to do with your time something will get done
To miss the boat – To miss an opportunity It costs an arm and a leg – It’s very expensive
Call it a day – It’s time to stop working on something It went to the dogs – Something is no longer as good as it
Round-the-clock – Something that is ongoing for 24-hours was in the past
a day To run like the wind – To run very fast
Kill time – To do something for the sake of passing the Go on a wild goose chase – Go on a futile search or pursuit
time while you’re waiting for another thing to occur A cloud on the horizon – Something that threatens to
Time flies – To express that time passes quickly cause problems in the future
Better late than never – It’s better to do something late Hit the nail on the head – To do something exactly right
than not doing it at all Piece of cake – An especially easy task
At the eleventh hour – When you complete something at Steal one’s thunder – To take credit for someone else’s
the very last minute before it’s too late work or achievements
Third time’s a charm – To describe that the first two times Through thick and thin – To experience both the good and
did not work, but it will work on your third try bad times
Top 100 DSAT Vocabulary Words
Allude
Construe
Contentious
Surreptitious
