Hot SAT Words

Lessons

21-30

LESSON # 30

More Tricky Twins & Triplets!

Words that Sound and Look Alike but Have Different Meanings

IMPRUDENTAdj. careless; rash

IMPRUDENTJogging at night without wearing

reflective clothing is IMPRUDENT.

IMPUDENT

Adj. rude; disrespectful

IMPUDENT

IMPUDENTAnswering my father in an

IMPUDENT manner is IMPRUDENT indeed!

INDIGENOUS

Adj. native

INDIGENOUSPineapples are INDIGENOUS to

Hawaii.

INDIGENT

Adj. poor; impoverished

INDIGENTAngela’s Ashes is the story of an

INDIGENT Irish family’s struggles.

INDIGNANT

Adj. angry

INDIGNANTI get INDIGNANT when someone

cuts ahead of me in line after I’ve been waiting a long tim.

INTIMATEv. To suggest; to hint at

INTIMATEThe principal INTIMATED that

school might be closed if heavy snow is predicted.

INTIMIDATE

V. To frighten; to hint at threateningly

INTIMIDATEMarcy is INTIMIDATED by

standardized tests, but she is learning to deal with her fears.

The bully INTIMIDATES the children into doing what he wants.

OBSCURE

Adj. hard to understand; abstract

OBSCURETom started as an OBSCURE actor

in the provinces, but now he’s world famous.

Maria found an allusion to an OBSCURE 14th century monk who invented what we call the pencil.

OBTUSEAdj. stupid; not clear or precise

OBTUSEAre you being deliberately

OBTUSE or are you just naturally stupid?

PONDERABLEAdj. important enough

to require a lot of thought

PONDERABLEWhether to skip class and take

the drivers’ test is a no-brainer for most, but for Cynthia it’s a PONDERABLE issue.

PONDEROUSAdj. very heavy or

bulky; dull or lifeless

PONDEROUSMany students find Willa

Cather’s style of writing PONDEROUS.