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Ivy GlobalSSAT & ISEEVOCABULARY 1, 1ST EDITIONMADE WITH CARENEW YORK

This publication was written and edited by the team at IvyGlobal.Editors: Sacha Azor and Natalia Irizarry-ColeProducers: Lloyd Min and Junho SuhDevelopers: Alexandra Candib, Lei Huang, Amelia McLeod,Yolanda Song, and Adam WolskyAbout Ivy GlobalIvy Global is a pioneering education company that produceshigh-quality educational material.E-mail: publishing@ivyglobal.comWebsite: http://www.ivyglobal.comCopyright 2015 by Ivy Global. All rights reserved.

IntroductionWelcome, students and parents! This pocketbook isintended to help students prepare for the level ofvocabulary encountered on the SSAT & ISEE. Forstudents applying to many top private and independentschools in North America, these exams are a crucial andsometimes daunting step in the admissions process. Byhelping you master these core vocabulary words, IvyGlobal will help you build your confidence and maximizeyour score on these important exams.Comprehensive PrepWe know that no two students are exactly alike—eachstudent brings unique personal strengths to his or her testpreparation. For this reason, we’ve tailored ourpreparation materials to help students with a specificsubject area or goal. Ivy Global also offers full sets ofSSAT and ISEE books to help students develop the beststrategies for each section of these exams: SSAT English, SSAT Math, SSAT PracticeISEE English, ISEE Math, ISEE PracticeThis book is the first in a set of three vocabularypocketbooks for the SSAT and ISEE that include a totalof 365 words for every-day learning: Vocabulary 1 (Essential) – Words 1-125Vocabulary 2 (Extended) – Words 126-250Vocabulary 3 (Advanced) – Words 251-365Ivy Global’s products are available for purchase ativyglobal.com/products or amazon.com.

How to Use This BookThis book is a study aid; it isn't a complete dictionary. Thewords here are selected because they are likely to be usefulwhen studying for the SSAT and ISEE, and we've givenbrief definitions to help you quickly learn the mostcommon meaning of each word. There is moreinformation available about each word, includinginformation about less common definitions and the historyand etymology of each word. When you learn a word, pay attention to its partof speech (is it a noun, verb, adjective, oradverb?) and look for other possible definitionsof the word.Be sure to write your own personal sentence foreach word to help you remember it.When you're writing your sentence, if you don'ttotally understand the meaning of a word youshould try to search for other sentencescontaining the word.Use a pencil, and have a trusted reader checkyour sentences.Correct your sentences if you don't quite capturethe meanings of the words on your first try.In order to master as many words as possiblebefore your exam, create a daily schedule andmake sure to review old words while you arelearning new ones.

Sample Study ScheduleTo begin, try using this sample study plan as a model foryour own personalized study schedule.Sample Study ScheduleWeekWords this WeekGoal Reached?11 - 25 226 - 50 351 - 75 476 - 100 5101 – 125 6Final Review We recommend focusing on 10-40 words each week. Thetable above is for a schedule of learning 25 words perweek.

Learning New WordsAs you work through these vocabulary words, make surethat you’re using the most effective strategies.Use mnemonics: Mnemonics are devices to help improveyour memory and can be used to help you rememberdifficult words. They can use combinations of words,images, patterns of letters or a myriad of other things.Mnemonic devices should only be used with words thatare complex—short, easy to remember words can actuallybecome more complicated with the use of a mnemonicdevice. Mnemonics help you convert abstract informationinto a mix of what you already know.You can use similar sounding words to remember a newone: There are no sirens in this serene neighborhood.Siren is something that is loud and annoying, but serenemeans “calm and clear.” A lack of sirens will make for aserene environment. The wrecking ball was raised to raze thebuilding.Raze means “destroy,” and a wrecking ball wouldprobably get the job done.You can also use something more visual: Novel tea would be a novelty. Usually tea ismade from plants, not books!

Expand your classroom: Don’t think of learningvocabulary as something you need to do just for the SSATor ISEE. Instead, try to make these words a part of youreveryday life. There are lots of creative ways you can useyour new vocabulary words: Start using the words you learn in essays andhomework assignments.Try making a tricky word your theme for an artproject.Use new words in conversations with friendsand family.Tape flash cards or put sticky notes with thewords you’re learning around your house andrecite the definition of a word each time you seeit.Compete with your friends to see who canmaster the most words.Draw a picture that captures the meaning of aword.Know Connotations: A word’s connotation is itssecondary meaning, or the feeling we get from the word.A word can have a positive ( ) connotation if it meanssomething good, a negative (-) connotation if it meanssomething bad, or a neutral connotation if it is neithergood nor bad.For example, the word “horrible” has a negativeconnotation, whereas “joyous” has a positive connotation.If you can remember that a word means somethingpositive or negative, you may be able to eliminate answerchoices with the opposite connotation if you encounterthem on your exam.

Come up with contexts: If you want to remembermultiple definitions of a word, one useful strategy is tocome up with many contexts—phrases where you mighthave heard the word before. A word’s context iseverything in a phrase or sentence that might influence theword’s meaning. The word “charge,” for example canhave many different meanings, depending on its context.It might be helpful to make yourself a bubble chart andthink of as many phrases as you can:free ofchargebe inchargeChargebringchargesagainstsomeonecharge atsomeoneWhat does “charge” mean in each of these contexts? “Freeof charge” means that you don’t have to pay forsomething; to “be in charge” means to have power or bein control; to “charge at someone” means to attacksuddenly or assault; and to “bring charges againstsomeone” means to accuse or blame.Let’s begin!

adequateIvy Global

sufficient; acceptable (adj)Her parents didn’t mind that she wasn’tmaking straight A’s as long as her grades wereadequate.Your sentence:1 of 125

adornIvy Global

decorate (v)He adorned his room with posters of hisfavorite movies.Your sentence:2 of 125

adversityIvy Global

misfortune; challengingcircumstances (n)Her childhood was too full of adversity for herto remember it fondly.Your sentence:3 of 125

aestheticIvy Global

relating to art orbeauty (adj)Those shoes are certainly comfortable, butthey have little aesthetic value.Your sentence:4 of 125

aggravateIvy Global

annoy; make worse (v)The students’ fondness for passing notes inclass aggravated their teacher.Your sentence:5 of 125

alleviateIvy Global

make less severe (v)My favorite ways to alleviate stress arelistening to upbeat music and spending timewith friends.Your sentence:6 of 125

amateurIvy Global

nonprofessional;unskilled (adj)Her pictures are so well-composed that it’shard to believe she’s an amateurphotographer.Your sentence:7 of 125

ambianceIvy Global

the atmosphere or moodof a place (n)The string quartet and candlelit tables gavethe restaurant a luxurious ambiance.Your sentence:8 of 125

ambiguousIvy Global

unclear; uncertain (adj)The Mona Lisa’s ambiguous smile gives thepainting a sense of mystery.Your sentence:9 of 125

animosityIvy Global

intense hostility (n)The animosity between the director and thelead actor made rehearsals an unpleasantexperience for the rest of the cast.Your sentence:10 of 125

anomalyIvy Global

something abnormal (n)An anomaly in the results of her blood testrevealed that she had a serious medicalcondition.Your sentence:11 of 125

aridIvy Global

dry; barren (adj)The desert is so arid that only cacti cansurvive.Your sentence:12 of 125

articulateIvy Global

able to speak fluently andlogically (adj); expressprecisely (v)The college professor was surprised by howarticulate the high school student was.Your sentence:13 of 125

authenticIvy Global

genuine (adj)An authentic designer bag is much moreexpensive than a knock-off you can buy onthe street.Your sentence:14 of 125

bemuseIvy Global

confuse,bewilder (v)The detective was bemused by the evidencethat seemed to point at two differentsuspects for the same crime.Your sentence:15 of 125

bewilderIvy Global

confuse severely (v)At first she was bewildered by Shakespeare’sold-fashioned language, but after using amodern translator he became one of herfavorite authors.Your sentence:16 of 125

blendIvy Global

mix together (v); a mixtureof multiple things (n)The trick to a good sauce is to make sure youblend the ingredients completely.Your sentence:17 of 125

blissIvy Global

total happiness (n)A cozy chair and a good book is my vision ofbliss.Your sentence:18 of 125

boisterousIvy Global

energetic; noisy (adj)We could hear his boisterous laughter all theway across the room.Your sentence:19 of 125

brandishIvy Global

wave something in angeror excitement (v)She brandished her sword to show the kingthat she was serious about leading the army.Your sentence:20 of 125

capitulateIvy Global

surrender; to give in (v)She pouted and whined and begged, but herparents would not capitulate to her demandsfor her own car.Your sentence:21 of 125

chasmIvy Global

a deep divide (n)Over time, water can turn a small dent on thesurface of the earth into a chasm hundreds offeet deep.Your sentence:22 of 125

chronologicalIvy Global

in the order in whichevents occurred (adj)This summer, she plans to read every book byToni Morrison in chronological orderaccording to when they were published.Your sentence:23 of 125

circumventIvy Global

find a way around (v)If we stick to the trail on the map, we’llcircumvent any seriously dangerous terrain.Your sentence:24 of 125

collaborateIvy Global

work together (v)Although I don’t mind working alone, I thinkit’s more fun to collaborate with others.Your sentence:25 of 125

colleagueIvy Global

someone a person workswith in the sameorganization or profession(n)The job itself was a little boring, but herfriendly colleagues made it more interesting.Your sentence:26 of 125

comprehendIvy Global

understand (v)Kelsey couldn’t comprehend why her littlebrother liked putting ketchup on his peas.Your sentence:27 of 125

conjectureIvy Global

idea or opinion withoutevidence (n)The notion that the medicine could lead totrouble sleeping was based on conjectureand needed to be proven in a clinical trial.Your sentence:28 of 125

conservativeIvy Global

traditional; cautious (adj)His conservative style of dressing wasuncommon at the high school, which had nodress code restrictions.Your sentence:29 of 125

contendIvy Global

argue; assert (v)Leticia contended that she was the bestchoice for the assignment, despite herinexperience.Your sentence:30 of 125

courtesyIvy Global

respect, politeness (n)Although disappointed that she did notaccept the job offer, the manager waspleased that Jessica had the courtesy to tellhim that she had taken another job.Your sentence:31 of 125

creedIvy Global

system of beliefs (n)United States law allows all men and womento practice their creed freely.Your sentence:32 of 125

customIvy Global

traditional behavior (n)It is a common custom for Europeans to havelong meals with their families.Your sentence:33 of 125

dearthIvy Global

lack (n)People constantly called and emailed to askquestions about the company because of thedearth of information on their website.Your sentence:34 of 125

debacleIvy Global

disaster (n)The decision to hire inexperienced staffproved to be a major debacle for therestaurant during its peak season.Your sentence:35 of 125

deductIvy Global