SAT Vocabulary Level 2 — Set 237

Set 237 of SAT Vocabulary Level 2 covers 5 words: ornamental, vicious, hereditary, bleak, imaginable. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. ornamental · adjective/ɔrˈnɑːməntəl/

   serving or intended as decoration rather than for a utilitarian purpose

   The garden was filled with ornamental plants that added beauty to the landscape.

   Synonyms: decorative, embellishing, adornment

   Origin: Derived from the Latin word 'ornamentalis,' from 'ornamentum,' meaning 'an adornment.'

2. vicious · adjective/ˈvɪʃəs/

   deliberately cruel or violent

   The vicious attack on the defenseless animal shocked the entire community.

   Synonyms: ferocious, brutal, savage

   Origin: Middle English *vicious*, from Latin *viciosus*, from *vitium* meaning 'vice, defect, fault'

3. hereditary · adjective/həˈrɛdɪˌtɛri/

   passed down from parents to offspring through genes

   Heart disease can be hereditary, making it important for families to discuss their medical history.

   Synonyms: genetic, inherited, ancestral

   Origin: from Latin 'hereditarius', from 'heres' meaning 'heir'

4. bleak · adjective/blik/

   offering little or no hope; dreary and desolate

   After the devastating storm, the landscape looked bleak, with fallen trees and debris scattered everywhere.

   Synonyms: grim, dreary, desolate

   Origin: Old Norse 'bleikr', meaning 'pale' or 'white', which also evolved to convey meanings related to desolation.

5. imaginable · adjective/ɪˈmædʒɪnəbl/

   able to be formed in the mind or be conceived

   The artist's vision was more vibrant than anything imaginable, filled with colors that seemed to dance on the canvas.

   Synonyms: conceivable, thinkable, feasible

   Origin: The word 'imaginable' comes from the Latin word 'imaginabilis', which is derived from 'imaginari' meaning 'to imagine'.