P – MultiHubEdu

Mastering “Vocabulary Word List” for SAT Success

Words	Pronunciation (part of speech)	Word Charge	Word Group
Pantomime	\pan toh MIYM (n.)	= charge COMMUNICATION	communication through gestures
	The guests relied on pantomime to coordinate the surprise as Edna entered her apartment.
Pallid	\PAL id\ (adj.)	– charge UNHEALTHY	lacking color or liveliness
	After one look at her son’s pallid complexion, Kate knew he was coming down with the same bug that his sister had contracted.
Paradox	\PAR uh doks\ (n.)	– charge UNCLEAR	contradiction, incongruity; dilemma, puzzle
	It is a paradox that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.
Paramount	\PAR uh mownt\ (adj.)	+ charge STRONG	supreme, dominant, primary
	It is of paramount importance that we make it back to camp before the storm hits.
Paranoid	\PAR uh noyd\ (adj.)	– charge SAD	exhibiting extreme mistrust of others
	Leonard was very paranoid about losing his credit card, so he frequently checked his wallet as he walked down the street.
Paraphrase	\PAR uh frayz\ (v.)	= charge COMMUNICATION	to reword, usually in simpler terms
	In paraphrasing the poet, she lost the eloquence of his style and the complexity of his message.
Parched	\PARCHt\ (adj.)	– charge WEAK	dried up, shriveled
	The parched traveler searched desperately for a water source.
Pariah	\puh RIY uh\ (n.)	– charge ALONE	outcast
	She needlessly worried that her short hair would make her a social pariah at the school dance.
Parity	\PAR ih teel (n.)	+ charge UNBIASED	equality
	Mrs. Lutskaya tried to maintain parity between her children, although each claimed she gave the other preferential treatment.
Partisan	\PAR ti zun\ (n.)	+ charge ENCOURAGE	strong supporter
	After speaking out at every meeting, Evelia became known as a partisan of her cause.
Passive	\PASS iv\ (adj.)	= charge SUBSERVIENT	submissive; inactive
	Sheila’s parents were worried that their daughter would not succeed because she was too passive and kept waiting for things to happen instead looking for opportunities herself.
Pathetic	\puh THET ik\ (adj.)	– charge WEAK	arousing scornful pity
	The judges could not believe that anyone would submit such a pathetic exhibit and were forced to reject the artist from the competition.
Pathos	\PAH thos\ (n.)	+ charge FRIENDLY	pity, compassion
	Dr. Irwin’s cold lack of pathos for his patients got him fired from the hospital.
Peer	\PEER\ (n.)	+ charge GROUPED	contemporary, equal, match
	Adults often blame their children’s inappropriate actions on pressure from their peers.
Penitent	\PEN ih tent\ (adj.)	+ charge FORGIVE	expressing sorrow for sins or offenses, repentant
	The victim’s family claimed that the murderer did not feel penitent and therefore should not have been released from prison.
Penurious	\puh NOOR ee us\ (adj.)	– charge MONEY	stingy; poverty-stricken
	Scrooge had been miserly for so long that poor people knew to stay away from the penurious old man’s house.
Perception	\per SEP shun\ (n.)	= charge INTELLIGENT	act of seeing or comprehending; ability to see or understand
	The errors in carrying out the plan were the result of poor perception of the desired result.
Perfidious	\pir FID ee uss\ (adj.)	– charge HOSTILE	faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
	The actress’s perfidious companion revealed all her intimate secrets to the gossip columnists.
Perfunctory	\pir FUNK tu ree\ (adj.)	– charge ORDINARY	done in a routine manner; indifferent
	The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a perfunctory smile.
Periodic	\pir ee ODD ik\ (adj.)	= charge TIME	recurring from time to time; cyclical
	Although Phyllis was on a diet, she allowed herself a periodic splurge to eat some ice cream.
Perjure	\PIR joor\ (v.)	– charge FALSE	to tell a lie under oath
	Benson perjured himself to protect his son, claiming that he had spent the evening with him when in fact he had not.
Perplex	\pir PLEKS\ (v.)	– charge UNCLEAR	to confuse
	Shawna had felt sure that she would beat the crowd to the sale; the sight of so many people already in the store deeply perplexed her.
Persevere	\pir suh VEER\ (v.)	+ charge CONTINUE	to refuse to stop, regardless of difficulty
	Gail persevered and trekked through three feet of snow to visit her sick uncle.
Persistence	\pir SIS tuns\ (n.)	+ charge CONTINUE	the act, state, or quality of not giving up
	Jamie’s persistence at getting the petition signed amazed everyone on the team.
Parasite	\PAR uh siyt\ (n.)	– charge HOSTILE	person or animal that lives at another’s expense
	The veterinarian checked Rover, the family dog, for all manner of common infections and parasites.
Perspicacious	(pur spi KAY shuss\ (adj.)	+ charge INTELLIGENT	shrewd, astute, keen-witted
	Sherlock Holmes uses his perspicacious mind to solve mysteries.
Persuasive	\pir SWAY siv\ (adj.)	+ charge BOSSY	convincing
	Because she was such a persuasive negotiator, companies hired her to represent them in high-profile meetings.
Pertinent	\PIR tih nent\ (adj.)	+ charge IMPORTANT	applicable, appropriate
	The supervisor felt that his employee’s complaints were pertinent and mentioned them in the meeting.
Pervasive	\pir VAY siv\ (adj.)	= charge PERMANENT	tending to pervade, spreading throughout
	Japanese animation, commonly known as anime, has proven so pervasive that it has even found its way into mainstream Hollywood television shows and movies.
Pessimism	\PES uh mizm\ (n.)	– charge SAD	negativity
	The player’s pessimism was so contagious that soon the entire team believed they would lose the big game.
Phlegmatic	\fleg MAT ik\ (adj.)	– charge INACTIVE	calm in temperament; sluggish
	The phlegmatic old boar snoozed in the grass as the energetic piglets frolicked around him.
Pigment	\PIG ment\ (n.)	= charge ORGANISMS	substance used for coloring
	Very often a chef will add tasteless pigments, like food coloring, to give the dishes more interesting coloring.
Pinion	\PIN yun\ (n.)	= charge GROUPED	small gear that connects to larger gear or rack
	The mechanic used a pinion to connect the large cogwheel to the shaft of the axle.
Placate	\PLAY kayt\ (v.)	+ charge SOOTHE	to soothe or pacify
	The burglar tried to placate the snarling doberman by offering it a treat and rubbing its head.
Placebo	\plu SEE boh\ (n.)	= charge UNHELPFUL	a substance with no medical value that is given as medication
	When the drug company was testing its new cough medicine it gave half the volunteers the active ingredient, while the other half took a placebo.
Plagiarize	\PLAY ju riyz\ (v.)	– charge FALSE	to pass off another’s ideas as one’s own
	“If you plagiarize your book report, you will fail the class,” said the teacher while handing out the assignment.
Plaudits	\PLAH dits\ (n.)	+ charge PRAISE	enthusiastic praise
	After the play, Shelley walked off the stage to the plaudits of her classmates.
Plentiful	\PLEN tee ful\ (adj.)	+ charge GENEROUS	abundant
	After this year’s plentiful harvest, the farmers were sure they could feed the entire country.
Ploy	\PLOY\ (n.)	= charge CLUMSY	maneuver, plan
	To catch the con artist, the detective developed a ploy whereby the criminal himself would admit his guilt to witnesses.
Polarize	\POH lu riyz\ (v.)	= charge ALONE	to tend toward opposite extremes
	The leaders feared the conflict would polarize the group into two separate camps.
Pollinate	\POL ih nayt\ (v.)	= charge ORGANISMS	to place pollen on the stigma of a flower
	Every summer Andrew would go to the fields to watch the bees fly from flower to flower and pollinate the plants.
Pomp	\POMP\ (n.)	– charge FORMAL	dignified display, splendor
	The audience watched with rapture the solemn pomp of the king’s coronation.
Pompous	\POM pus\ (adj.)	– charge PRETENTIOUS	pretentious, bombastic
	We quickly turned off the television rather than listen to the pompous actress discuss the details of her life.
Postpone	\post POHN\ (v.)	= charge INTERRUPT	defer, delay
	We were forced to postpone the championship game until after the giant snowstorm.
Potentate	\POH tn tayt\ (n.)	= charge BOSSY	monarch or ruler with great power
	The consul was a much kinder person before he assumed the role of potentate.
Pragmatic	\prag MAT ik\ (adj.)	+ charge ABLE	practical; moved by facts rather than abstract ideals
	While daydreaming gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers know that they odds are heavily stacked against them.
Prank	\PRANK\ (n.)	– charge FUNNY	practical joke
	Gary was notorious for playing tricks and pranks on all his coworkers.
Preamble	\PRE am bul\ (n.)	= charge COMMUNICATION	introductory passage
	The preamble to the Constitution begins with the famous phrase, “We the People of the United States…”
Precedent	\PRESS uh dent\ (n.)	= charge TIME	earlier example of a similar situation
	After the lawyer showed that there had been a legal precedent for the defendant’s actions, the judge ruled in his favor.
Precept	\PREE sept\ (n.)	= charge BELIEF	principle; law
	The Supreme Court justices do their best to abide by the precepts of the Constitution.
Precious	\PRESH us\ (adj.)	+ charge LIKE	valuable; beloved
	Although Michelle had a lot of expensive jewelry, the copper bracelet that belonged to her grandmother was her most precious possession.
Precipitate	\pri SIP ih tit\ (adj.)	– charge SURPRISED	sudden and unexpected; reckless
	Since the couple wed after knowing each other only a month, many expected their precipitate marriage to end in divorce.
Preclude	\pre KLOOD\ (v.)	– charge ALONE	prevent, exclude
	Joan was precluded from skating in the Olympics when she began to skate professionally.
Precocious	\pri KOH shiss\ (adj.)	+ charge INTELLIGENT	unusually advanced or talented at an early age
	The precocious infant had already learned a handful of words by her first birthday.
Predetermine	\pree deh TER min\ (v.)	= charge DECISIVE	to decide in advance
	Since the organization had obviously predetermined the winners of the contest, we left the raffle before the official drawing.
Predictable	\pre DIKT uh bul\ (adj.)	= charge TIME	expected beforehand
	Tired of silly, predictable movies, the studio decided to hire a screenwriter to devise an original story that defied all expectations.
Predominant	\pre DOM ih nunt\ (adj.)	= charge IMPORTANT	most important or conspicuous
	While many creatures inhabit J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, elves are the most predominant figures in the early history of the world.
Prepossessing	\pree pu ZES ing\ (adj.)	+ charge ATTRACTIVE	attractive, engaging, appealing
	The young man’s prepossessing appearance and manner made him the most eligible bachelor at the party.
Preserve	\pre ZURV\ (v.)	+ charge PERMANENT	to protect, to keep unchanged
	The museum keeps the ancient manuscripts locked in airtight glass containers in order to preserve them.
Pretense	\PRE tenss\ (n.)	– charge FALSE	false appearance or action
	The spies snuck into the country under the pretense that they were attending a Star Trek Convention.
Pretentious	\pri TEN shuss\ (adj.)	– charge PRETENTIOUS	pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
	The interviewers saw through the applicant’s pretentious facade and rescinded their job offer.
Prevent	\pre VENT\ (v.)	= charge STOP	to keep from happening
	The Panthers tried their best, but they could not prevent the Patriots from winning the Super Bowl again.
Primary	\PRIY meh ree\ (adj.)	= charge TIME	main; first; earliest
	The primary reason that people cannot fly is because they do not have wings.
Proclaim	\pro KLAYM\ (v.)	= charge COMMUNICATION	announce officially
	Romeo wanted to proclaim his love for Juliet, but was afraid of her parents’ reactions.
Procrastinate	\pro KRAS tih nayt\ (v.)	– charge INACTIVE	to push off doing work
	Zack tried to procrastinate as long as possible, but knew that he would have to hand in his assignment eventually.
Procure	\pro KYOOR\ (v.)	= charge ADD	to acquire, obtain; to get
	The evidence was inadmissible in court because the police officer did not procure it legally.
Prod	\PRODI (v.)	= charge ENCOURAGE	poke, nudge
	When the dog fell asleep in the doorway, the child kept prodding it to wake up and move.
Prodigy	\PROD ih jee\ (n.)	+ charge EXPERIENCED	person with exceptional talents
	Her parents noticed very early that she was a math prodigy, capable of doing the most complex computations in her head.
Profane	\pro FAYN\ (adj.)	– charge INAPPROPRIATE	impure; contrary to religion; sacrilegious
	His profane comments caused him to be banished from the temple for life.
Profound	\pro FOWND\ (adj.)	+ charge INTELLIGENT	deep, meaningful; far-reaching
	The audience sat silently listening to the profound ideas of the brilliant philosopher.
Profusion	\pro FYOO zhin\ (n.)	+ charge GENEROUS	abundance, extravagance
	There’s a profusion of opinions on the best method for cooking duck.
Prohibit	\pro HIB it\ (v.)	– charge STOP	to forbid, prevent
	Marge’s parents prohibited her from attending her senior prom because they thought dancing was immoral.
Proliferate	\pro LIF uh rayt\ (v.)	= charge INCREASE	propagate, reproduce; enlarge, expand
	He only had two guinea pigs initially, but they proliferated to such an extent that he soon had dozens.
Prominence	\PROM ih nence\ (n.)	+ charge IMPORTANT	importance, eminence
	The author rose to prominence when the public realized that the predictions made in her last book were coming true.
Promote	\pru MOH\ (v.)	= charge ENCOURAGE	to contribute to the progress of
	The whole team did its best to promote the school’s new fundraising effort.
Promulgate	\PROM ul gayt\ (v.)	= charge COMMUNICATION	to make known publicly
	The publicist promulgated the news of the celebrity’s splendid wedding to the press.
Propagate	\PROP uh gayt\ (v.)	= charge CONTINUE	to spread out; to have offspring
	The general deliberately propagated the rumor of a threatened invasion.
Propel	\pro PEL\ (v.)	= charge CONTINUE	to cause to move forward
	“Our new ideas will propel this company into the next century,” the executive promised.
Prophetic	\pro FET ik\ (adj.)	= charge INTELLIGENT	foretelling events by divine means
	The financial officer’s warnings to the board of trustees proved prophetic as the company sank into bankruptcy.
Proponent	\pruh POH nent\ (n.)	+ charge ENCOURAGE	advocate, defender, supporter
	Rose, a devoted proponent of animal’s rights, rescued stray dogs and cats at every opportunity.
Propriety	\pro PRIY ih tee\ (n.)	+ charge FORMAL	correct behavior; appropriateness
	Although the princess was hungry, propriety demanded that she wait for the king to begin eating first.
Prosaic	\pro ZAY ik\ (adj.)	– charge ORDINARY	relating to prose; dull, commonplace
	Simon’s prosaic style bored his writing teacher to tears, and she dreaded having to mark his essays.
Prospect	\PROSS pekt\ (n.)	+ charge TIME	possibility, a chance
	The prospect of joining the NBA was so enticing to Stephen that he practiced for ten hours every day.
Prosperity	\pross PER ih tee\ (n.)	+ charge MONEY	wealth or success
	While some people have achieved wealth in life, the pursuit of prosperity can mean sacrificing enjoyment and leisure.
Protagonist	\pro TAG uh nist\ (n.)	= charge PEOPLE	main character in a play or story; hero
	In dramatic tragedy, the protagonist often brings about his own downfall.
Protégé	\PRO tuh zhay\ (n.)	= charge INEXPERIENCED	one receiving personal direction and care from a mentor
	Although David was initially a protégé of Pauline, he soon broke loose and developed his own style of writing.
Prototype	\PRO to typ\ (n.)	= charge UNUSUAL	early, typical example
	When designing a computer, engineers will first build a prototype to test the efficiency of their design.
Provocative	\proh VOK uh tiv\ (adj.)	– charge BOLD	tending to provoke a response, usually anger or disagreement
	Under a totalitarian regime, many works of art are censored for being too provocative.
Proximity	\prok SIM ih tee\ (n.)	= charge DISTANCE	nearness
	Tim was careful to put the glass out of reach, since the toddler loved to yank down objects in her proximity.
Prudent	\PROOD int\ (adj.)	+ charge CAUTIOUS	careful, cautious
	Considering the small size of our army, it would not be prudent for us to attack right now.
Prune	\PROON\ (v.)	= charge DECREASE	to trim dead parts of a branch
	When the caretaker noticed that the bushes were turning brown, he had his assistant prune the hedges to remove the sickly branches.
Pun	\PUN\ (n.)	= charge FUNNY	play on words
	The quick-witted entertainer would call random people from the audience on stage and make puns from their answers to different questions.
Punctual	\PUNK shoo ul\ (adj.)	+ charge TIME	on time
	Barbara was surprised that the train came late today because it was usually so punctual.
Pundit	\PUN dit\ (n.)	+ charge INTELLIGENT	critic; learned person
	The weak politician, unable to cope with the attacks of pundits, resigned from office.
Punitive	\PYOO nih tiv\ (adj.)	= charge CRITICIZE	having to do with punishment
	The teacher banished Jack from the classroom as a punitive measure, but the boy was actually overjoyed to be missing class.
Pursuit	\pur SOOT\ (n.)	= charge PRODUCTIVE	the act of chasing or striving
	While the pursuit of happiness is a basic right afforded to citizens in this country, the law limits it when one person’s rights interfere with the wellbeing of others.