The Hit Parade Alphabetical Index The Princeton Review, L.L.C.

2002 Now stop reading this footer and get back to work! Page 1
The Hit Parade
Heres an alphabetical index of the 250 Hit Parade words. If you dont know them already,
get started! You cant expect to improve on Verbal if you dont know the words on the test!
Each word is followed by the number of the week it appeared in the original Hit Parade list.
abstract (5) not applied to actual objects
acquired (3) developed or learned; not naturally occurring
aesthetic (4) having to do with the appreciation of beauty
affable (3) easy-going; friendly
alienated (1) removed or disassociated from (friends, family, or homeland)
alleviate (2) to ease a pain or a burden
alliance (1) a union of two or more groups
ambiguous (2) open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent (2) simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
amenable (3) responsive; agreeable
ample (5) describing a large amount of something
anthology (4) a collection of literary pieces
apathetic (2) feeling or showing little emotion
apparatus (5) equipment; a group of machines
apprehension (5) anxiety or fear about the future
arbiter (1) a judge who decides a disputed issue
arbitrary (2) determined by impulse rather than reason
archaic (4) characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
arid (5) describing a dry, rainless climate
assertion (1) a declaration or statement
assiduous (3) hard-working
assimilation (3) to absorb; to make similar
astute (2) shrewd; clever
asylum (2) a place of retreat or security
auspicious (2) favorable; promising
austere (5) without decoration; strict
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benevolent (2) well-meaning; generous
benign (2) kind and gentle
biased (1) prejudiced
brittle (4) easily broken when subjected to pressure
brusque (4) rudely abrupt
camaraderie (3) good will between friends
camouflage (2) to hide by blending in with the surroundings
candor (5) sincerity; openness
capricious (2) impulsive and unpredictable
cartographer (5) one who designs or makes maps
catalog (5) (v.) to make an itemized list of
caustic (4) bitingly sarcastic or witty
clandestine (2) secretive
clarity (1) clearness in thought or expression
cogent (1) convincing; reasonable
coherent (1) logically connected
cohesive (1) condition of sticking together
compelling (3) forceful; urgently demanding attention
comprehensive (5) large in scope or content
conception (3) the ability to form or understand an idea
condemn (4) to express strong disapproval of; denounce
condescending (1) treating people as weak or inferior
conflagration (5) a widespread fire
consensus (3) general agreement
contemporary (4) current, modern; from the same time
contemptuous (1) feeling hatred; scornful
context (3) circumstances of a situation; environment
conviction (3) a fixed or strong belief
convoluted (1) intricate; complex
copious (5) plentiful; having a large quantity
cordial (3) friendly; sincere
coup (2) a brilliantly executed plan
cryptic (1) difficult to comprehend
decorous (4) proper; marked by good taste
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deleterious (4) having a harmful effect; injurious
derived (3) copied or adapted from a source
despotic (1) exercising absolute power; tyrannical
dictatorial (1) domineering; oppressively overbearing
didactic (1) intended to instruct
dilatory (1) habitually late
dilettante (4) one with an amateurish understanding of a field of knowledge
diligent (3) marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
discourse (1) verbal expression or exchange; conversation
discredit (4) to cause to be doubted
disdain (1) (n.) contempt, scorn (v.) to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on
disingenuous (2) not straightforward; crafty
disparage (4) to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
disparity (1) inequality in age, rank or degree; difference
dogged (3) stubbornly persevering
dogmatic (3) stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proved beliefs
dubious (2) doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
ebullience (2) intense enthusiasm
eclectic (4) made up of a variety of sources or styles
effusive (2) emotionally unrestrained; gushy
egregious (2) conspicuously bad or offensive
eloquence (1) the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
elusive (3) difficult to capture
embellish (2) to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
emigrate (3) to leave one country or region and settle in another
emollient (2) (adj.) softening and soothing (n.) something that softens or soothes
emphasize (1) to give special attention to something, to stress
endure (3) to put up with, to survive a hardship
enlightening (3) informative; contributing to ones awareness
enmity (4) mutual hatred or ill will
equanimity (4) the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
equivocate (2) to avoid making a definite statement
excerpt (4) a selected part of a passage or scene
exculpate (1) to free from guilt or blame
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exemplary (5) commendable; worthy of imitation
fabricated (2) made; concocted in order to deceive
facetious (3) playfully humorous
facile (5) done or achieved with little effort; easy
fastidious (5) possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
feral (4) savage; untamed
flagrant (2) extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
florid (2) describing flowery or elaborate speech
fluid (1) easily flowing
fractious (4) quarrelsome; unruly
frank (5) open and sincere in expression; straightforward
frenetic (2) wildly excited or active
futile (1) having no useful purpose; pointless
genre (4) describing a category of artistic endeavor
gratuitous (2) given freely; unearned; unwarranted
hackneyed (4) worn-out through overuse; trite
harbinger (5) something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
haughty (1) arrogant; vainly proud
heinous (4) hatefully evil; abominable
hierarchy (5) a group organized by rank
hypocrisy (2) the practice of pretending to be something one is not; insincerity
idealize (5) to consider perfect
impartial (1) not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased
impede (1) to slow the progress of
imperious (1) arrogantly domineering or overbearing
impinge (3) hinder; interfere with
implication (1) the act of suggesting or hinting
impression (3) a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
inconsequential (2) unimportant
incontrovertible (1) indisputable; not open to question
incorrigible (4) unable to be reformed
incumbent (3) imposed as a duty; obligatory
indifferent (2) not caring one way or the other
indolent (1) lazy
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inevitable (3) certain to happen; unavoidable
ingrate (4) an ungrateful person
inherent (3) inborn; built-in
innate (3) possessed at birth; inborn
innovative (5) introducing something new
insipid (1) uninteresting; unchallenging
insolent (4) insulting in manner or speech
integrity (1) trustworthiness; completeness
intrepid (3) courageous; fearless
intuition (3) the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
inveterate (3) long established; deep-rooted; habitual
jurisprudence (1) the philosophy or science of law
lament (3) express grief for; mourn
laudatory (5) giving praise
listless (1) lacking energy
lucid (1) easily understood; clear
malfeasance (4) misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official
malice (4) extreme ill will or spite
malleable (3) easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
maverick (3) one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
medieval (4) referring to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned
mediocrity (5) the state or quality of being average; of moderate to low quality
medley (4) an assortment or a mixture, especially of musical pieces
melancholy (3) sadness; depression
meticulous (5) extremely careful and precise
misconception (3) an incorrect understanding or interpretation
modest (4) quiet or humble in manner or appearance
mollify (2) to calm or soothe
mundane (5) commonplace; ordinary
mural (4) a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
nave (5) lacking sophistication
narrative (4) (adj.) characterized by the telling of a story (n.) a story
nascent (5) coming into existence; emerging
nocturnal (5) of or occurring in the night
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notorious (4) known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
novel (5) strikingly new or unusual
novice (5) a beginner
obdurate (3) stubborn; inflexible
objectivity (1) treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices
obscure (1) (adj.) relatively unknown (v.) to conceal or make indistinct
obsolete (4) no longer in use; old-fashioned
obstinate (3) stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action
ominous (5) menacing; threatening
omnipotent (3) all-powerful
opulent (2) exhibiting a display of great wealth
ornate (2) elaborately decorated
ostentatious (2) describing a showy or pretentious display
paradigm (5) an example or model
paramount (5) of chief concern or importance
parody (4) an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
patronizing (1) treating in a condescending manner
pejorative (4) describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
penitent (1) expressing remorse for ones misdeeds
perception (3) awareness; insight
permeated (5) spread or flowing throughout
perspective (3) point of view
pervasive (5) dispersed throughout
phenomenon (5) an unusual, observable event
plagiarism (4) the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as ones own
plausible (1) seemingly valid or acceptable; credible
poignant (2) profoundly moving; touching
ponderous (5) extremely dull
pragmatic (5) practical
premonition (5) a feeling about the future
prodigious (5) enormous
profound (3) having great depth or seriousness
proliferate (3) to grow or increase rapidly
propriety (4) appropriateness of behavior
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prosaic (5) unimaginative; dull
proximity (3) closeness
prudent (4) exercising good judgment or common sense
pugnacious (4) combative; belligerent
pundit (1) an authority who expresses his/her opinions
putrid (4) rotten
quandary (1) a state of uncertainty or perplexity
rancorous (4) hateful; marked by deep seated ill will
rational (5) logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
realism (4) artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
reclamation (2) the act of making something useful again
replete (5) abundantly supplied; filled to capacity
reprehensible (4) worthy of blame
rhetoric (1) the art of using language effectively and persuasively
ruse (2) a crafty trick
sanction (3) (n.) an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
sanction (2) (v.) to give official authorization or approval
sedentary (5) not migratory; settled
serene (4) calm
servile (1) submissive; like a servant
slander (2) false charges and malicious oral statements about someone
solvent (5) able to pay ones debts
sonorous (5) producing a deep or full sound
spontaneous (2) unplanned; naturally occurring
spurious (2) not genuine; false; counterfeit
staid (4) unemotional; serious
stoic (4) indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive
stratagem (2) a clever trick used to deceive or outwit
subdue (3) to restrain; to hold back
substantiated (1) supported with proof or evidence; verified
superficial (2) concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
superfluous (2) extra; unnecessary
suppressed (1) subdued; kept from being circulated
surreptitious (2) done by secretive means
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tenacity (3) persistence
tenuous (2) having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure; weak
theoretical (5) lacking verification or practical application
timorous (5) timid; fearful about the future
torpor (1) laziness; inactivity; dullness
toxic (4) poisonous
transient (3) passing away with time; passing from one place to another
transitory (3) short-lived or temporary
trepidation (5) uncertainty; apprehension
trivial (2) of little importance or significance
truncated (3) shortened; cut off
venerated (5) highly respected
vilify (4) to make vicious statements about
vindicated (1) freed from blame
virtuoso (4) a tremendously skilled artist
vitality (3) energy; power to survive
vocation (5) an occupation or profession
wary (2) on guard; watchful
whimsical (2) subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
wily (2) cunning
If you want to learn more words, get yourself a copy of our Hardcore Vocab list!