SAT Words 52-56

Root 11

52. exuberant

Amid exuberant optimism, the region embraced

democracy, open trade and the free market.

exuberant

• (ex-ZOO-burr-ent) adjective

• Sounds like: ex-zoo bear aunt• Picture… a grizzly bear who left the

zoo but returns to visit his aunt. When they see each other, they are both very happy, hugging, dancing, and singing for many hours.

• Other forms: exuberance (noun); exuberantly (adverb)

• Definition: uncontrollably joyous

53. fallacious

The idea that gratification is a completion of the

wish is fallacious.

fallacious• (fuh-LAY-shuss) adjective• Sounds like: full ashes• Picture… a father and son on the

lawn in front of the son’s house. Dad says, “Be sure to always clean the ashes out of the fireplace and the entire chimney. As the ashes are spilling out onto the roof, the young man says, “Don’t worry, Dad. I clean it out every day.”

• Other forms: fallacy (noun); fallaciously (adverb)

• Definition: false; misleading

54. fastidious

Rabbits are fastidious animals and will frequently groom

themselves.

fastidious• (fass-TID-ee-uss) adjective• Looks like: fast hideous• Picture… a decorator showing her

client many kinds of wallpaper. Every time she holds up a sample, the client says, “Hideous!” The faster she shows the samples, the faster the client says, “Hideous!”

• Other forms: fastidiousness (noun); fastidiously (adverb)

• Definition: difficult to please

55. fervor

During the campaign, the two major parties had attempted to outdo each other in their anti-

terror fervor.

fervor

• (FER-ver) noun• Sounds like: fever, or forever• Picture… a young man telling his girlfriend how

much he loves her. He speaks with an intensity of passion that seems to have no limits. “Ophelia, my love for you is like a hurricane at sea, wild, uncontrollable! I’m drowning in it! It’s swallowing me up, tearing me to pieces, dashing me against the rocks. I am shredded by passion! I am consumed with fever! A fever that will last forever!”

• Other forms: fervidness(n); fervidly(adv)

• Definition: strong passion

56. fickle

Popularizing science is a tough, fine, fickle line

between too simple and too complex.

fickle

• (FIK-uhl) adjective• Rhymes with: pickle and nickel

• Picture… a little girl and her teacher. The teacher is holding up a picture of a pickle and a picture of a nickel and has asked the girl which she likes better. The girl says she likes pickles better. Then she says she likes nickels better. She continues to alternate, changing her mind every few seconds.

• Other form: fickleness (noun)

• Definition: lacking loyalty; unpredictably changeable; erratic

Root 11: pan, pan(t)

His economic philosophy is a good one, but he

tries to use it as a panacea.

pan, pan(t)

• Meaning: all, every

• Sample words: panacea (a cure-all)

pangram ( a sentence using all letters of the alphabet)

pantaphobia (no fear of anything)

pantomime ( performance using gestures and body movements without

words.)