PSAT: Challenging Words: List 11

We've identified 200 challenging words you may see on the PSAT. Rely on your knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to guess the meaning of each word as you practice and master each list.
15 words 90 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  2. palliative
    moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
  3. jettison
    throw away, of something encumbering
  4. quintessential
    representing the perfect example of a class or quality
  5. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  6. hedonism
    an ethical system that values the pursuit of pleasure
  7. Draconian
    imposing a harsh code of laws
  8. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
  9. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  10. preempt
    acquire for oneself before others can do so
  11. priggish
    exaggeratedly or self-righteously proper
  12. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  13. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  14. curmudgeon
    an irascible, cantankerous person full of stubborn ideas
  15. semaphore
    an apparatus for visual signaling
Created on Thu Jun 05 15:36:58 EDT 2025 (updated Thu Nov 20 13:29:20 EST 2025)

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