SAT Vocabulary Level 1 — Set 136

Set 136 of SAT Vocabulary Level 1 covers 5 words: earnest, reward, clarity, cheer, fleece. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. earnest · adjective/ˈɜrnəst/

   serious and sincere in intention or effort

   After years of working in his field, he decided to make an earnest effort towards improving the community.

   Synonyms: serious, sincere, devout

   Origin: Middle English, from the Old English 'earnest,' meaning 'serious' or 'seriousness.'

2. reward · noun/rɪˈwɔrd/

   something given in recognition of service, effort, or achievement

   The employee received a generous reward for her outstanding performance during the year.

   Synonyms: prize, award, recompense

   Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'recompenser', from Latin 'recompensare' (re- + compensare 'to compensate')

3. clarity · noun/ˈklær.ɪ.ti/

   the quality of being clear and easy to understand

   The clarity of her explanation made the complex topic easy to understand.

   Synonyms: clearness, lucidity, clarity

   Origin: from Latin 'claritas', meaning 'brightness, clearness'

4. cheer · noun/tʃɪr/

   a shout of joy or encouragement

   The crowd erupted in cheer as the home team scored the winning goal.

   Synonyms: huzzah, shout, applause

   Origin: Middle English 'chere' meaning face or countenance, from Old French 'chiere' meaning face or expression.

5. fleece · noun/fliːs/

   a soft fabric with a texture resembling sheep's wool

   She wrapped herself in a warm fleece blanket while watching the movie on a chilly evening.

   Synonyms: fabric, material, textile

   Origin: Middle English 'fleece', from Old French 'flas', from Latin 'follis' meaning 'bladder' or 'bag', related to the wool covering of sheep.