100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"

No one in that vast audience raised a word of protest, and my spirits fell to their nadir. Gosse, Edmund

Some have argued that the ministers in question should not have been so naive and foolish as to unburden themselves to complete strangers.

But there was a sort of freshness and naivete and youthfulness about her which made him use that adjective. Lyall, Edna

Narcissists blame others for failures, take undeserved credit for success, are hypersensitive to negative feedback, and show an exaggerated sense of entitlement. BusinessWeek (Oct 4, 2010)

Mr. Barton is master of the mystery story, and in this absorbing narrative the author has surpassed his best previous successes. Whitehead, Harold

The initiative also invests in nascent solar companies, acting as an incubator for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to bring disruptive new technologies to market. Scientific American (Feb 29, 2012)

Populist nationalism also tends to favor protectionist policies that shield American workers and businesses, particularly small businesses, from foreign competition.

The first European colonists in America found there two valuable native products—maize and tobacco. Queensland

These styles are the latest thing, Brought from Paris for the Spring, Neat and natty, trim and cool”— “April Fool!” cried Amos. Bromhall, Winifred

Names to him were nothing, and titles naught—assumption always standing back abashed at his cold, intellectual glare. Herndon, William H.

After dialysis, patients can feel weak and nauseated, sometimes experiencing significant head, chest and stomach pain — and the tears often flow. New York Times (Nov 5, 2011)

I still grew nauseous after eating and experienced other stomach-related disorders such as food "Sticking" above my stomach and gastrointestinal disturbances. Isaacson, Lauren Ann

For this expedition Henry Hudson—already known as an experienced and intrepid seaman, and well-skilled in nautical science—was chosen commander. Whymper, Frederick

This, indeed, is an exaggerated vaunt; but the Flemish stuffs were probably sold wherever the sea or a navigable river permitted them to be carried. Hallam, Henry

Washed out roads grounded trucks in the muck, and precarious mountain passes were in some cases too risky to navigate. New York Times (Dec 27, 2011)

“The time for nebulous, unspecified and non-detailed commitments is gone,” Fiat SpA Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said yesterday in London.

Bean’s famed hunting boots are seeing a surge in popularity, necessitating the hiring of more than 100 additional employees to make them. Washington Post (Dec 29, 2011)

The rainy season was fairly under way and suitable shelter was an absolute necessity. Denny, Emily Inez

In necromancy, spirits are summoned by means of spells and incantations. Leuba, James H. (James Henry)

Nor was it understood that the beautiful blossom of the flower, with its sweet nectar, was an exceedingly important factor in attracting the bees. Sadler, William S.

To accomplish his nefarious designs the Evil Spirit assumed forms calculated to attain his object.  Owen, Elias

Chances are, you’d also wind up paying more for housing in your new digs, potentially negating any money saved with a shorter commute.

It is also used as means of coping with anxiety or other negative feelings and to relieve stress or pressure. New York Times (Apr 24, 2012)

She found the men were getting sleepy, and neglected the fire, and so she kept awake, and sat up to throw on the wood. Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)

"Human health is largely neglected, if not entirely ignored, in debates about climate change," said Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization. Scientific American (Apr 5, 2012)

That being the case, he said the spy agency had demonstrated "negligence, ineptitude and failure" in failing to detect the world's most wanted man.

With his usual scant sympathy, Arthur, hardly glancing aside at him, gave a lofty negligent little nod by way of recognition, and was passing on. Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers)

The changes that have taken place in human nature during the historic period are so slight as to be practically negligible. Cohen, Chapman

Often both are negotiable, or at least up for discussion. New York Times (Jan 21, 2011)

Children learn the art of problem solving, negotiating and making compromises. New York Times (Dec 5, 2011)

Government negotiations with bankers and insurers broke up without agreement Friday, although officials said more talks are likely next week.

The strange nemesis that had pursued them step by step had been permitted to wreck their lives completely. Berger, William Merritt

Perhaps the solution is to be found in "neologisms", where words are taken from somewhere totally different and given an entirely new meaning.

The four first students went out, each escorting a less-accustomed neophyte and all fastened firmly together with space-ropes. Leinster, Murray

Mr Yeddyurappa denies claims by political opponents he committed nepotism by selling government land to his two sons and relatives at throwaway prices.

“Father,” said Olive, thrusting her hand through the rector’s arm and nestling up to his side with the most bewitchingly affectionate gesture. Mitford, Bertram

The latest expeditions have looked at seep communities as deep as 1.7 miles — far down the continental slope toward the gulf’s nether regions. New York Times (Jun 22, 2010)

Unlike stinging nettle, which is harder to find in the city, purple dead nettle grows abundantly across the five boroughs. New York Times (Apr 30, 2011)

“Success depends on personal relations with power,” said Mr. Evtushenkov, insisting that a tight personal network is as vital in New York as in Moscow. New York Times (May 4, 2012)

Why are some left to insanity, psychosomatic disorders or neurotic behavior? Isaacson, Lauren Ann

Pure gelatin is an amorphous, brittle, nearly transparent substance, faintly yellow, tasteless and inodorous, neutral in reaction and unaltered by exposure to dry air. Various

After renewed occupation in World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its neutrality and became a front-rank enthusiast for international co-operation. BBC (May 22, 2010)

Three have been eliminated through incineration or neutralization.

Sweating aids in neutralizing the injurious effects of exposure to high temperatures. Various

Humans are newcomers to the planet compared to the 165 million years dinosaurs dominated before becoming extinct 65 million years ago. Seattle Times (Mar 1, 2012)

For many users, the Web site is an irreplaceable nexus of friends, relatives and colleagues online, making it difficult to abandon. New York Times (May 24, 2010)

My father began writing with an abominably scratchy nib. Crawford, Jack

All the little niceties of platform procedure—bowings, exits, dealing with encores—are out of the question. Warner, Frances Lester

Carroll is skilled at finding specific roles and carving out niches for players. Seattle Times (May 1, 2012)

But investors are still jittery, thanks to their niggling anxieties about the bad debts held in Europe's financial institutions.

In her despair she succumbed to a sort of nihilism that made her ask: “What is the reason of anything?... Couperus, Louis

He allied himself with quite another class, making no secret of the fact that he was an out-and-out Socialist, Anti-clerical, Syndicalist, Anarchist, Nihilist. Fisher, Dorothy Canfield

Are not many beasts physically stronger, more nimble and agile than man? Nordau, Max Simon

The wisest among them could not teach him true peace, that profound inward rest, which was already called Nirvana. Bulfinch, Thomas

Honesty, frankness, generosity, and virtue are noble traits. Hartley, Cecil B.

Bats are a top nocturnal predator, eating night-flying insects that feed on agricultural crops. Washington Post (Mar 14, 2012)

It is a sort of mental equivalent for them, their epistemological function, their value in noetic terms. James, William

Here the noisome smell of decaying vegetation nauseated us, for the air in those forest depths is deadly. Le Queux, William

These Indians lived the old nomad life, wandering from place to place, setting up their tents like gypsies, wherever they could remain unmolested. Vandercook, Margaret

They are a nomadic people living by collecting and hunting; the wilder ones will often not remain longer than three days in one place. Haddon, Alfred Court

Technical names of fishes are those that seem to qualify under the International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature. Deacon, James Everett

The ordinary course of dealings was so completely disorganized in many places that the rates were purely nominal, representing little or no actual transactions. Phillips, Chester Arthur

"It’s really weird," she said with that nonchalant shrug of her shoulders and go with the flow attitude.

The worst of it was, that he had been so cautious and noncommittal in his declarations, that she could not upbraid him for his perfidy. Bouton, John Bell

They are nonconformists, mavericks even, in an age when clubs are burdened by regulation, challenging authority and provocatively crossing the boundaries of accepted behaviour.

What society really cares for is harmony; what it dislikes is dissent and nonconformity. Hamerton, Philip Gilbert

The centre's own director, Robert Goodman, has described it as "nondescript and characterless".

The rest were nonentities, the set who drift through their six years, making no mark, hurting no one, doing little good. Waugh, Alec

But these researchers, working in relative obscurity, nonetheless have documented rich and surprisingly diverse communities of organisms in the deep sea. New York Times (Mar 27, 2012)

While the last icing is wet, ornament it with coloured sugar-sand or nonpareils. Leslie, Eliza

This incredible patience, so little in harmony with Martial's usual demeanour, puzzled and nonplussed his aggressors, who looked at each other with amazement. Sue, Eugène

I shook my head and rushed from his presence, completely nonplussed, bewildered, frantic. Cole, E. W. (Edward William)

Talking nonsensically is the utterance of words which contradict each other, or which have no meaning, and the like. Acharya, Madhava

Ethics again is concerned with a norm of life, and in this sense it is frequently styled a normative science. Alexander, Archibald B. C.

The sense of exile was almost gone, the nostalgia for his own land no longer keen. Hayward, Rachel

Britain, to take one example, habitually wallows in a nostalgic and misleading version of its own past.

These efforts are such conspicuous failures that even the patent medicine man has not found his "anti-fat nostrums" the happy means to fortune. Dewey, Edward Hooker

The Web is all about serendipity—people passing along things that are interesting or notable. Slate (Apr 13, 2012)

The new words came about after the Roger noticed people weren't really singing along to the traditional national anthem.

The notion that Wall Street needs regulatory relief—rather than greater structural reform—is simply wrong. Slate (Mar 19, 2012)

But fear and frustration are on the rise in this small farming community, which has gained unwanted notoriety as Japan’s radiation village. New York Times (Apr 6, 2011)

The notorious Owen, as is well known, attempted the establishment of an Infidel community at New Harmony, in Indiana, and totally failed. Caswall, Henry

He who swallows abundantly does not digest it, and instead of being nourished and strengthened, he withers insensibly away. Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)

On Tuesday, Joyce Carol Oates returns to “New Fiction” shelves when her latest novel, Mudwoman, comes out in hardcover.

Yet they strove to gain novelty by inventing fresh situations, giving unexpected turns to dialogue, and varying their action on successive nights. Gozzi, Carlo

She speculated: A novice starting a running program will probably jog only two or three times a week, for 15 or 20 minutes. Seattle Times (Dec 9, 2011)

Investigators initially suspected customers fell ill to noxious fumes from cleaning chemicals. Washington Post (Sep 15, 2011)

Beyond those broad contours, Mr. Muti dealt in nuance, focusing on voicings and details that are often lost in Berlioz’s narrative sweep. New York Times (Apr 18, 2011)

Louise, who, although barely nubile, impatiently longed to become a mother, gave birth to her first child after four years of wedded life. Saintsbury, George

He dove into mainstream topics, working on nuclear and particle physics at Harwell, Britain's civilian atomic energy research center. Scientific American (Jan 30, 2012)

If the clause in question does not secure those political rights, it is entirely nugatory, and might as well have been omitted. Anonymous

But opponents see the birds as a potentially noisy, smelly, predator-attracting nuisance at best, and a health threat at worst. New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)

“Agreements that Turkey decides to sign with the occupied territories in Cyprus are without any meaning, null and void by definition,” he said. Washington Post (Sep 24, 2011)

It was announced yesterday that Osayomi has been stripped of her gold medal, and all her results in the Games have been nullified.

The coins, however, are assigned by at least one numismatist to a later date. New, E. H. (Edmund Hort)

Bates was to escort her on the nuptial journey, and all arrangements for the wedding of the distinguished pair had been completed. Rockwell, Norman

Atalanta could now no longer refuse to marry, and her nuptials were soon celebrated. Guerber, H. A. (H?l?ne Adeline)

In Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, most schools still finish at lunchtime, and full-time nurseries for children under 3 are scarce. New York Times (Jul 20, 2010)

But unlike most boys they nurtured and cultivated the passion and it stayed with them to manhood. Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John)

“Meat provides nutrients runners need like iron to help maintain energy levels. Washington Post (Apr 2, 2012)