Originally Posted: Jun 4, 2019
Last Updated: Jun 4, 2019
Standardized tests have been known to cause students some serious stress. As you prepare to take the SAT for the first (or second or third) time, you need to find the right balance between studying for each section of the exam and taking necessary study breaks.
At CollegeXpress, we’re all about time management and ways to make studying more fun…and with The Dictionary of Difficult Words, you can unwind and study your SAT vocab at the same time.
This book isn’t a traditional test prep resource: The Dictionary of Difficult Words is technically a children’s book, written by Jane Solomon—a lexicographer who writes definitions for Dictionary.com—with illustrations by Louise Lockhart. It’s full of fun fonts, whimsical artwork, and—most importantly—really hard, unfamiliar words with proper pronunciation and simplified definitions. It’s the perfect book to browse during a quick study break that will entertain you but keep your mind sharp.
The Dictionary of Difficult Words features common SAT vocabulary like:
Aesthetic
[es-thet-ik] ~ noun
When someone uses the word aesthetic, they are talking about what makes something beautiful to them. People often use this word when they’re talking about art.
Emulate
[em-yuh-leyt] ~ verb
If you emulate someone, you try to be just like them because you think they’re great.
Fortuitous
[fahr-too-i-tuhs] ~ adjective
Something that is fortuitous is a good and lucky thing that happens unexpectedly.
Plus words that make you sound extra smart, such as:
Nebulous
[neb-yuh-luhs] ~ adjective
If an idea is nebulous, it’s hard to describe because it’s not completely clear what the idea is.
Onomatopoeia
[on-uh-mah-tuh-pee-uh] ~ noun
An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like a noise when you say it aloud.
Umbriferous
[uhm-brif-er-uhs] ~ adjective
If a tree is umbriferous, there is shade underneath it.
And words that sound totally fictional, like:
Spaghettification
[spuh-get-uh-fi-key-shuhn] ~ noun
Spaghettification is the idea that objects get long and skinny like spaghetti when they’re sucked into black holes.
Hurdy-gurdy
[hur-dee-gur-dee] ~ noun
A hurdy-gurdy is a type of musical instrument with strings, a keyboard, and a crank.
Frabjous
[frab-juhs] ~ adjective
Something that is frabjous is wonderful, joyous, and amazing. This word was actually made up by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland.
(Excerpts used with permission from The Quarto Group)
You can learn more about the book here. Want another fun way to study your vocabulary? Check out our SAT Word Game!
