SAT Vocabulary Level 1 — Set 12

Set 12 of SAT Vocabulary Level 1 covers 5 words: prospective, mute, mere, abusive, fancy. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. prospective · adjective/prəˈspɛktɪv/

   likely to happen at a future date

   The company is currently interviewing several prospective candidates for the open position.

   Synonyms: potential, likely, anticipated

   Origin: from Latin 'prospectivus' meaning 'looking forward'

2. mute · adjective/mjut/

   unable or unwilling to speak

   During the meeting, she remained **mute**, not wanting to share her thoughts on the controversial topic.

   Synonyms: silent, speechless, dumb

   Origin: from Latin 'mutus', meaning 'silent' or 'unable to speak'

3. mere · adjective/mɪr/

   only or just; nothing more

   He is a mere child, not yet old enough to understand the complexities of life.

   Synonyms: only, just, simple

   Origin: Middle English 'mere', from Old English 'mære', related to the notion of 'pure' or 'simple'

4. abusive · adjective/əˈbjuːsɪv/

   involving mistreatment or violence toward someone

   The patient reported experiencing abusive treatment from the staff during her stay at the hospital.

   Synonyms: harmful, cruel, offensive

   Origin: from Middle English 'abusif', from Old French 'abusif', from 'abuser' meaning 'to abuse'

5. fancy · adjective/ˈfæn.si/

   elaborate in structure or decoration often implying elegance or extravagance

   She wore a fancy dress adorned with intricate beadwork for the gala.

   Synonyms: ornate, elaborate, extravagant

   Origin: Middle English 'fancy' from Old French 'fancie' from 'fancier' meaning to imagine or to form a mental image.