SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 65

Set 65 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: ingenuous, penitent, fatuous, wistful, unspoken. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. ingenuous · adjective/ɪnˈdʒɛnjuəs/

   innocent and unsuspecting

   Her ingenuous nature made her an easy target for manipulation by those with more experience in deceit.

   Synonyms: naive, innocent, simple

   Origin: from Latin 'ingenuus', meaning 'free-born, noble, frank'

2. penitent · adjective/ˈpɛnɪtənt/

   feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for having done wrong

   After realizing the pain he had caused, John felt truly penitent for his actions and sought forgiveness from those he had hurt.

   Synonyms: repentant, remorseful, contrite

   Origin: from Old French 'penitente', from Latin 'poenitens' meaning 'repenting', which comes from 'poena' meaning 'penalty, punishment'.

3. fatuous · adjective/ˈfætʃ.u.əs/

   silly and pointless

   His fatuous comments during the meeting only served to frustrate the team further.

   Synonyms: silly, foolish, inane

   Origin: The word 'fatuous' originates from the Latin 'fatuus', meaning 'foolish or dull'.

4. wistful · adjective/ˈwɪstfəl/

   having a feeling of vague or regretful longing

   As she looked at the old photographs, a wistful smile spread across her face, reminding her of carefree summers long past.

   Synonyms: yearning, longing, nostalgic

   Origin: Derived from the adjective 'wist,' meaning 'to know,' combined with the suffix '-ful,' indicating a state or quality.

5. unspoken · adjective/ʌnˈspoʊ.kən/

   not expressed in words or spoken

   There was an unspoken agreement between them that they would support each other, no matter what.

   Synonyms: implicit, tacit, unarticulated

   Origin: The word 'unspoken' is formed from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the past participle 'spoken' of the verb 'speak.' It originates from Old English 'spēcan,' which means 'to speak.'