SAT Vocabulary Level 2 — Set 282

Set 282 of SAT Vocabulary Level 2 covers 5 words: exhilarate, extrude, hackney, decimate, petrify. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. exhilarate · verb/ɪɡˈzɪl.əˌreɪt/

   to make (someone) feel very happy, animated, or elated

   The breathtaking view from the mountain top exhilarated everyone on the hike, filling them with joy and excitement.

   Synonyms: elate, uplift, excite

   Origin: The word 'exhilarate' comes from the Latin 'exhilarare', which means 'to make cheerful' (ex- 'out, from' + hilarare 'to make cheerful').

2. extrude · verb/ɪkˈstruːd/

   to force or push out a material through a shaped opening

   The factory uses a machine to extrude plastic into various shapes for packaging products.

   Synonyms: expel, force out, push out

   Origin: The word 'extrude' originates from the Latin 'extrudere', where 'ex-' means 'out' and 'trudere' means 'to push'.

3. hackney · verb/ˈhækn.i/

   to make use of something in a way that is unoriginal or clichéd

   Many authors hackney their plots with predictable twists that fail to engage readers.

   Synonyms: diminish, drain, exploit

   Origin: The term 'hackney' originates from the Old French word 'hacquenée', which referred to a horse used for riding or driving. Over time, it evolved to mean something that is commonplace or overused.

4. decimate · verb/ˈdɛs.ɪ.meɪt/

   to destroy a large part of something

   The excessive logging in the rainforest had begun to decimate the population of native bird species.

   Synonyms: devastate, obliterate, destroy

   Origin: from Latin 'decimare', meaning to take a tenth, originally referring to the killing of one in every ten soldiers as a form of punishment.

5. petrify · verb/ˈpɛtrɪˌfaɪ/

   to convert into stone or a stony substance

   Over millions of years, the ancient forest was petrified, turning its once-living trees into stunning stone formations.

   Synonyms: calcify, fossilize, stone

   Origin: from Middle French 'pétrifier', from Latin 'petrificare', from 'petra' meaning 'rock'.