Memly's SAT® Vocabulary Foundations: 300 Words in Context
Master 300 high-value words for reading arguments and evidence in context.
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Showing a 30-card sample of 300.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| assertion (noun) — what does it mean? | A statement presented as true, often without full proof yet. look for a writer making a claim that needs support. |
| interpretation (noun) — what does it mean? | An explanation of what evidence, words, or events mean. different readers may have different interpretations of the same passage. |
| support (noun) — what does it mean? | Material that backs up a claim or idea. support can be facts, quotations, examples, or data. |
| sustain (verb) — what does it mean? | To maintain or support a claim with evidence over time. in arguments, support must sustain the point, not just mention it once. |
| hypothesis (noun) — what does it mean? | A tentative explanation that can be tested with evidence. in science and analysis, a hypothesis is an informed starting point. |
| correlative (adjective) — what does it mean? | Showing a relationship where two things change together, though one may not directly cause the other. correlation is not the same as causation. |
| correlation (noun) — what does it mean? | A connection or pattern in which two things vary together. correlation suggests a relationship, not necessarily cause. |
| responsible (adjective) — what does it mean? | Being the likely cause of something or accountable for it. in analysis, “responsible for” often points to cause. |
| comparison (noun) — what does it mean? | The act of examining two or more things to see how they are alike or different. comparison can help reveal patterns or priorities. |
| analogy (noun) — what does it mean? | A comparison that explains one thing by relating it to another, usually more familiar thing. analogies help readers understand relationships. |
| baffled (adjective) — what does it mean? | Completely confused or puzzled. a reaction to language or events that do not fit together. |
| caustic (adjective) — what does it mean? | Sharply critical, often in a way that burns emotionally. a remark meant to sting rather than merely inform. |
| detached (adjective) — what does it mean? | Emotionally distant, uninvolved, or not personally invested. a narrator who reports events without visible feeling. |
| evasive (adjective) — what does it mean? | Avoiding direct answers or clear commitment. a reply that circles around the point instead of stating it. |
| harsh (adjective) — what does it mean? | Severe, rough, or unpleasant in sound, treatment, or judgment. a voice or opinion that feels hard-edged. |
| judgmental (adjective) — what does it mean? | Quick to criticize or make negative evaluations. a tone that feels more like condemning than understanding. |
| perceptive (adjective) — what does it mean? | Quick to notice and understand things that others might miss. a reader who sees subtext or implication. |
| scathing (adjective) — what does it mean? | Extremely harsh and cutting in criticism. a review that burns through politeness. |
| assess (verb) — what does it mean? | To judge the value, quality, or importance of something after considering evidence. often signals evaluation, comparison, or a reasoned opinion. |
| outline (verb) — what does it mean? | To describe the main points briefly and in order. signals a summary of structure rather than full detail. |
| adapt (verb) — what does it mean? | To change in order to fit a new situation or purpose. may refer to organisms, people, or texts that are modified for a different setting. |
| modify (verb) — what does it mean? | To change something a little so it works better or fits a new need. less dramatic than transform; often used for plans, methods, or wording. |
| specify (verb) — what does it mean? | To state clearly and exactly. often used when an author narrows a broad idea into a precise detail. |
| complex (adjective) — what does it mean? | Made of many connected parts; not simple. often describes systems, emotions, arguments, or historical events. |
| historical (adjective) — what does it mean? | Related to the past or to history. can describe events, evidence, or context from earlier times. |
| versatile (adjective) — what does it mean? | Able to do many different things well or adapt to many uses. often describes tools, skills, or people with flexible value. |
| gradual (adjective) — what does it mean? | Happening slowly over time, not all at once. often used for trends, changes, or recovery. |
| synthesis (noun) — what does it mean? | the combination of ideas or evidence into a coherent whole. identify what the word does in the local sentence or argument. |
| consequently (adverb) — what does it mean? | as a result; introducing an effect that follows from prior information. identify what the word does in the local sentence or argument. |
| notwithstanding (preposition) — what does it mean? | despite a fact or condition. identify what the word does in the local sentence or argument. |
About this deck
Digital SAT Reading and Writing questions test how words and transitions function in context, which is why a list of rare words moves the score so little. These 300 independently written cards build precise meaning, evidence language, rhetorical relationships and high-utility transition logic; the final section concentrates on qualification, cross-text synthesis, inference and sentence-to-sentence connection. Each answer supplies a concise meaning, a context cue and an original sentence. Import it and the whole deck joins your spaced-repetition schedule. Words you already know stretch out and drop out of sight; the ones that keep slipping come back until they stop slipping. What goes down is the number of words you still don't know — not the time it takes to flip past 300 cards you mostly do.
Frequently asked
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- Who writes these cards?
- Memly writes all of them — every meaning and context cue. That is deliberate: the digital SAT tests how a word functions inside a sentence, and a borrowed glossary entry cannot show function.
- Why does this deck include rhetorical and logical words?
- SAT vocabulary is tested in context. Words that signal claims, evidence, contrast, cause, tone and degree help with both vocabulary-in-context and passage reasoning.
SAT® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this deck. No official questions or scoring guidelines are reproduced, and every card is written by Memly. Compiled 2026-08-21.