SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 223

Set 223 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: thunderous, recalcitrant, wry, swarthy, quantifiable. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. thunderous · adjective/ˈθʌndərəs/

   producing a loud deep sound like thunder

   The audience erupted into thunderous applause as the performance came to a close.

   Synonyms: booming, rumbling, deafening

   Origin: Middle English thundrous, from thunder + -ous

2. recalcitrant · adjective/rɪˈkæl.sə.trənt/

   stubbornly refusing to obey rules or authority

   The teacher struggled to manage the recalcitrant student who consistently refused to follow the classroom rules.

   Synonyms: obstinate, defiant, unruly

   Origin: Latin 'recalcitrantem', from 'recalcitrare' meaning 'to kick back'

3. wry · adjective/raɪ/

   using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor

   Her wry smile suggested that she found the situation both amusing and absurd.

   Synonyms: dry, sarcastic, ironic

   Origin: Middle English 'wrye', from Old English 'wrīgan', meaning to twist or to bend.

4. swarthy · adjective/ˈswɔr.ði/

   having a dark complexion or color

   The swarthy man stood out in the crowd with his dark skin and striking features.

   Synonyms: dark, dusky, sallow

   Origin: Middle English *swarþe, from Old English *sweart, related to the word 'swart' which means dark or black.

5. quantifiable · adjective/kwɒnˈtɪf.ə.bəl/

   capable of being measured or expressed as a numerical value

   The project's success can be measured in quantifiable results, such as increased sales and higher customer satisfaction scores.

   Synonyms: measurable, assessable, calculable

   Origin: The word 'quantifiable' is derived from the Latin 'quantificare,' where 'quantus' means 'how much' and 'facere' means 'to make or do.'