ACT Vocabulary List

The ACT English and Reading sections test your understanding of vocabulary in context. A strong vocabulary is essential for success on these sections.

Vocabulary appears throughout the test passages and questions. Understanding both the words in the passages and answer choices is crucial for selecting the correct answers.

How does the ACT test vocabulary?

The ACT tests vocabulary primarily through reading comprehension and English usage questions. You'll need to understand words in context rather than in isolation.

You may encounter questions about word choice, meaning in context, and tone. The test emphasizes practical vocabulary usage rather than obscure words.

Many questions will ask you to choose the most appropriate word or phrase for a given context, testing both your knowledge of definitions and your understanding of how words are used effectively.

How should I prepare?

We've broken up these 295 commonly tested ACT words into three categories: Easy, Medium, and Hard. We recommend studying them in order of increasing difficulty, spending more time on the harder words.

Don't just memorize definitions - practice using these words in your own sentences and try to incorporate them into your daily writing and schoolwork.

Easy Words
Medium Words
Hard Words

Easy Words

#	Word	Part of speech	Definition
1	Abundant	adjective	existing or available in great quantity; more than enough.
2	Accurate	adjective	correct; free from errors or mistakes; precise.
3	Acquire	verb	to get or come into possession of something.
4	Adequate	adjective	enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose; sufficient.
5	Adjacent	adjective	next to or adjoining something else; nearby.
6	Adept	adjective	highly skilled or proficient at something.
7	Ambitious	adjective	having a strong desire for success or achievement.
8	Apparent	adjective	clearly visible or understood; obvious.
9	Ascend	verb	to go up or climb; to rise to a higher level.
10	Bias	noun	a preference or inclination that prevents impartial judgment; prejudice.
11	Boast	verb	to brag or speak with excessive pride about one’s accomplishments or possessions.
12	Bypass	verb	to go around or avoid something (such as an obstacle or rule).
13	Candid	adjective	honest and straightforward; frank.
14	Censor	verb	to remove or suppress parts of something that are considered objectionable.
15	Chronological	adjective	arranged in time order (from earliest to latest).
16	Clarify	verb	to make something clear or easier to understand.
17	Coincide	verb	to happen at the same time or in the same place; to align in time.
18	Compassion	noun	sympathy and concern for the suffering or misfortune of others.
19	Competent	adjective	having the necessary ability or knowledge to do something successfully; capable.
20	Conceal	verb	to hide or keep something secret.
21	Condense	verb	to make something more compact or concentrated; to shorten or compress.
22	Confine	verb	to limit or restrict; to keep someone or something within bounds.
23	Consecutively	adverb	one after another in uninterrupted sequence.
24	Controversial	adjective	giving rise to disagreement or public debate; debatable.
25	Conventional	adjective	following accepted standards; traditional or usual.
26	Convey	verb	to communicate or make known; to transport or carry.
27	Credible	adjective	believable or trustworthy.
28	Crucial	adjective	extremely important; critical to the success or outcome.
29	Deceive	verb	to trick or mislead someone into believing something untrue.
30	Deficiency	noun	a lack or shortage of something that is needed.
31	Depict	verb	to represent or show something in a picture, drawing, or words.
32	Detrimental	adjective	harmful or damaging.
33	Diminish	verb	to make or become smaller or less; reduce.
34	Dismantle	verb	to take apart into pieces.
35	Distinctive	adjective	having a quality that makes something noticeably different; unique.
36	Diverse	adjective	showing a great deal of variety; very different or of various kinds.
37	Dominant	adjective	most powerful, important, or influential; ruling or controlling.
38	Efficient	adjective	achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense; well-organized.
39	Elated	adjective	extremely happy and excited; overjoyed.
40	Eliminate	verb	to remove or get rid of something.
41	Estimate	verb/noun	to roughly calculate or judge the value, number, or quantity of something (verb); a rough calculation or educated guess (noun).
42	Eternal	adjective	lasting or existing forever; without end.
43	Expertise	noun	expert skill or knowledge in a particular field.
44	Expose	verb	to reveal or uncover something hidden; to make something known.
45	Extensive	adjective	covering a large area or scope; great in number or degree.
46	Feasible	adjective	possible to do easily or conveniently; practical and achievable.
47	Flaw	noun	an imperfection, defect, or weakness.
48	Fundamental	adjective	forming a necessary base or core; of central importance; basic.
49	Functional	adjective	designed to be practical and useful; in working order.
50	Glaring	adjective	very obvious or conspicuous; also shining with a strong light.
51	Hindrance	noun	a thing that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction; an obstacle.
52	Historic	adjective	famous or important in history; having great significance.
53	Hostile	adjective	unfriendly; antagonistic; angry and opposed.
54	Hypothetical	adjective	supposed or imagined; based on an assumption or theory (not necessarily real).
55	Immense	adjective	extremely large or great; huge.
56	Imminent	adjective	about to happen; very near in time.
57	Impartial	adjective	fair and not biased; treating all sides equally.
58	Imply	verb	to strongly suggest the truth or existence of something without stating it directly.
59	Indifferent	adjective	having no particular interest or sympathy; not caring one way or the other.
60	Innovative	adjective	featuring new ideas or methods; creative and original in thinking.
61	Integrity	noun	the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
62	Latter	adjective	the second of two things mentioned; nearer to the end.
63	Legitimate	adjective	lawful; in accordance with established rules; genuine or reasonable.
64	Lucid	adjective	expressed clearly; easy to understand; mentally sound or clear.
65	Meticulous	adjective	very careful and precise about details.
66	Modify	verb	to change or adjust something slightly, especially to improve it or make it more suitable.
67	Neglect	verb	to fail to care for properly; to give too little attention to something.
68	Perspective	noun	a particular way of considering something; point of view.
69	Plausible	adjective	seeming reasonable or probable; believable.
70	Potent	adjective	powerful; having a strong effect.
71	Precise	adjective	exact; clearly expressed; strictly defined.
72	Predate	verb	to come before something in time.
73	Premature	adjective	happening or done before the proper time; too early.
74	Prominent	adjective	easily noticeable; well-known; important.
75	Prohibit	verb	to formally forbid something by law or authority.
76	Prolong	verb	to make something last longer; to extend the duration of.
77	Quantitative	adjective	related to quantities (numbers and amounts) rather than qualities.
78	Radical	adjective	very new, different, or extreme.
79	Reluctant	adjective	unwilling or hesitant to do something.
80	Revive	verb	to bring back to life, consciousness, or activity.
81	Revolutionize	verb	to change something radically or fundamentally.
82	Sparingly	adverb	in a restricted or limited manner; using or doing only a little of something.
83	Static	adjective	not moving or changing; stationary; can also mean noise in a radio/TV.
84	Subsequently	adverb	after a particular thing has happened; afterward.
85	Subtle	adjective	not obvious; delicate or fine in meaning or intent (difficult to perceive).
86	Sufficient	adjective	enough; as much as needed.
87	Surpass	verb	to go beyond or do better than.
88	Synonymous	adjective	having nearly the same meaning as another word; closely associated with.
89	Tangible	adjective	perceptible by touch; something that is real or concrete.
90	Terminate	verb	to bring to an end; to conclude.
91	Trivial	adjective	of little importance or value.
92	Ultimate	adjective	last, final, or greatest.
93	Unprecedented	adjective	never done or known before; without previous example.
94	Validate	verb	to prove or confirm that something is true or correct; to make valid.
95	Versatile	adjective	able to adapt or be used in many different ways; having many talents or uses.
96	Vital	adjective	absolutely necessary or essential; related to life.
97	Yearn	verb	to have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.

Medium Words

#	Word	Part of speech	Definition
1	Abbreviate	verb	to shorten (a word, phrase, or text) by leaving out letters or using only the first letters.
2	Abstinence	noun	the act of refraining from or not doing something (often referring to avoiding pleasurable activities like eating rich food, drinking alcohol, etc.).
3	Adhere	verb	to stick to something (literally, like glue, or figuratively, like a plan or belief).
4	Adulation	noun	excessive praise or flattery.
5	Adversity	noun	difficulties; misfortune; a difficult or unpleasant situation.
6	Aesthetic	adjective	related to beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
7	Amicable	adjective	friendly and peaceable (often describing relationships or agreements).
8	Anachronistic	adjective	belonging to a different time period; out of chronological order.
9	Anecdote	noun	a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
10	Anonymous	adjective	not identified by name; of unknown identity.
11	Antagonist	noun	a person who opposes or is hostile to the protagonist (main character) or to a certain cause; an adversary.
12	Anticipate	verb	to expect or predict; to look forward to.
13	Arid	adjective	extremely dry (often describing climate or land); lacking in interest or excitement.
14	Assiduous	adjective	showing great care and perseverance; hard-working and diligent.
15	Asylum	noun	1) protection granted by a nation to someone fleeing danger from another country (seeking refuge); 2) an outdated term for an institution for the care of people, especially those with mental illness.
16	Benevolent	adjective	kind and generous; well-meaning.
17	Camaraderie	noun	mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
18	Censure	verb	to express strong disapproval of someone or something, especially in a formal statement.
19	Characteristic	noun	a distinguishing feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing.
20	Circuitous	adjective	(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way; roundabout.
21	Clairvoyant	adjective	having the supposed ability to see events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact. (Also used as a noun for a person with this ability.)
22	Collaborate	verb	to work jointly on an activity or project; to cooperate with others.
23	Compromise	verb	to settle a disagreement by each side giving up something and coming to an agreement; (noun) an agreement reached by mutual concessions.
24	Condescending	adjective	having or showing a patronizing attitude toward others, acting as though you are superior.
25	Conditional	adjective	subject to one or more conditions being met; not absolute.
26	Conformist	noun	a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices; someone who follows the crowd.
27	Convergence	noun	the process or state of coming together from different directions (to form a union or uniformity).
28	Critical	adjective	1) expressing disapproving judgments; 2) extremely important; 3) involving analysis.
29	Deleterious	adjective	causing harm or damage.
30	Demagogue	noun	a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires, emotions, and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
31	Differentiate	verb	to recognize or show the difference between things; to make something or someone appear different or distinct.
32	Digression	noun	a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing.
33	Diligent	adjective	having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties; hard-working.
34	Disdain	noun	the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one’s respect; contempt. (Can also be used as a verb.)
35	Divergent	adjective	tending to be different or develop in different directions; deviating.
36	Empathy	noun	the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
37	Emulate	verb	to imitate or copy someone/something, especially with the aim to equal or surpass.
38	Enervating	adjective	causing one to feel drained of energy; tiring.
39	Ephemeral	adjective	lasting for a very short time; fleeting.
40	Evanescent	adjective	quickly fading or disappearing, like vapor.
41	Exemplary	adjective	serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind.
42	Extenuating	adjective	serving to lessen the seriousness of an offense (often used in the phrase 'extenuating circumstances').
43	Florid	adjective	1) having a red or flushed complexion; 2) excessively intricate or elaborate (as in florid writing or decoration).
44	Fortuitous	adjective	happening by a lucky chance; fortunate.
45	Frugal	adjective	economical, thrifty, not wasteful with money; simple and costing little.
46	Gullible	adjective	easily deceived or tricked; too willing to believe things.
47	Hackneyed	adjective	overused to the point of being uninteresting; lacking in originality.
48	Haughty	adjective	arrogantly superior and disdainful; having or showing an attitude of contempt for others.
49	Hedonist	noun	a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life.
50	Hypothesis	noun	a proposed explanation for something, based on limited evidence, used as a starting point for further investigation.
51	Impetuous	adjective	acting or done quickly without thought; impulsive.
52	Impute	verb	to attribute or assign (especially something undesirable) to someone or something.
53	Incompatible	adjective	unable to work together or exist together without conflict; not compatible.
54	Inconsequential	adjective	not important or significant.
55	Inevitable	adjective	certain to happen; unavoidable.
56	Intrepid	adjective	fearless; adventurous (often used humorously).
57	Intuitive	adjective	understood or operated by intuition (instinct) rather than explicit instruction; easy to use or understand without explanation.
58	Jubilation	noun	a feeling of great happiness and triumph; rejoicing.
59	Justify	verb	to show or prove to be right or reasonable; to give a good reason for something.
60	Lobbyist	noun	a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators or government officials.
61	Longevity	noun	long life; long duration (particularly of life or service).
62	Mundane	adjective	lacking excitement or interest; dull; also can mean worldly as opposed to spiritual.
63	Nonchalant	adjective	feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm.
64	Novice	noun	a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation; a beginner.
65	Omit	verb	to leave out or exclude (someone or something), either intentionally or forgetfully.
66	Opulent	adjective	very rich and luxurious or lavish.
67	Orator	noun	a person who is a skilled public speaker.
68	Ostentatious	adjective	characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.
69	Parched	adjective	extremely dry; thirsty.
70	Perfidious	adjective	deceitful and untrustworthy.
71	Precocious	adjective	(typically of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual.
72	Pretentious	adjective	attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed; pompous, self-important.
73	Prosaic	adjective	having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty; commonplace or dull.
74	Provocative	adjective	causing a strong reaction (especially deliberately); intended to arouse curiosity, interest, or strong emotion.
75	Prudent	adjective	acting with or showing care and thought for the future; wise and cautious.
76	Querulous	adjective	complaining in a petulant or whining manner.
77	Rancorous	adjective	characterized by bitterness or resentment.
78	Reclusive	adjective	avoiding the company of other people; solitary.
79	Reconciliation	noun	the restoration of friendly relations; the act of making up after a disagreement.
80	Redundant	adjective	not needed or no longer useful; unnecessarily repetitive.
81	Renovation	noun	the act of restoring or improving something (especially a building) to a better state.
82	Resilient	adjective	able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions; able to spring back into shape after bending or stretching.
83	Restrained	adjective	controlled, repressed, or restricted; not excessive or extravagant.
84	Reverence	noun	deep respect for someone or something.
85	Sagacity	noun	wisdom; the quality of having keen judgment and good decision-making.
86	Scrutinize	verb	to examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
87	Spontaneity	noun	the condition of being spontaneous; acting on impulse or without planning.
88	Spurious	adjective	not genuine, true, or valid; false or fake.
89	Substantiate	verb	to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of something.
90	Superficial	adjective	existing or occurring at the surface level; not having depth (literal or figurative); shallow.
91	Superfluous	adjective	unnecessary, especially through being more than enough; excessive.
92	Surreptitious	adjective	kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of; stealthy.
93	Tactful	adjective	having or showing sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues; considerate and discreet.
94	Tenacious	adjective	very determined; persistent; not giving up easily.
95	Transient	adjective	lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
96	Uniform	adjective	not changing in form or character; remaining the same in all cases and at all times. (Also a noun for a distinctive clothing worn by members of a group.)
97	Venerable	adjective	deserving of respect because of age, wisdom, or character.
98	Vindicate	verb	to clear from blame or suspicion; to show or prove to be right or justified.
99	Wary	adjective	feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems; cautious.

Hard Words