SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 255

Set 255 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: wayward, amiss, contemptible, tenuous, naturalistic. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. wayward · adjective/ˈweɪwərd/

   difficult to control or predict because of unusual behavior

   The wayward child often wandered off during family outings, leaving his parents worried about his safety.

   Synonyms: willful, impulsive, unruly

   Origin: Middle English 'wayward', from the phrase 'way' + 'ward' meaning 'turned towards a way'.

2. amiss · adjective/əˈmɪs/

   not quite right or out of place

   She could sense that something was amiss during the meeting, as no one was speaking up about the important issues.

   Synonyms: wrong, faulty, inappropriate

   Origin: Middle English 'amis', from Old French 'à mise', meaning 'out of place' or 'missing'

3. contemptible · adjective/kənˈtɛmptəbl/

   deserving contempt; despicable

   His contemptible behavior during the meeting shocked everyone and undermined his credibility.

   Synonyms: despicable, vile, contemptuous

   Origin: from Middle French 'contemptible', from Latin 'contemptibilis', meaning 'worthy of being despised'

4. tenuous · adjective/ˈtɛnjuəs/

   lacking substance or strength; flimsy or weak

   The connection between the two theories is quite tenuous, relying on assumptions that are hard to justify.

   Synonyms: weak, flimsy, insubstantial

   Origin: from Latin 'tenuis' meaning 'thin, fine, or weak'

5. naturalistic · adjective/ˌnæ.tʃəˈrɪs.tɪk/

   relating to or denoting a style of art or literature that aims to represent subjects as they are in nature or in real life

   The artist's naturalistic portrayal of the countryside captures every detail of the landscape as it appears in reality.

   Synonyms: realistic, lifelike, true-to-life

   Origin: from natural + -istic, modeled after the French 'naturaliste', referring to the philosophy of naturalism