GRE Essential Vocabulary- List S

Sabotage- vandalism, wrecking, destruction, impairment
Sacred- holy, hallowed, blessed, consecrated
Opp: secular, profane
Sagacious- wise, clever, knowledgeable, sensible
Opp: foolish
Salubrious- healthy, wholesome, pleasant
Opp: unhealthy, unpleasant
Sangfroid- composure, equanimity, self-possession, aplomb
Sanguine- optimistic, bullish, hopeful, positive
Opp: gloomy
Sarcastic- sardonic, ironic, derisive
Saturnine- gloomy, melancholic, moody, glum
Opp: cheerful
Savory- salty, spicy, piquant, luscious
Opp: sweet
Scalding- extremely hot, burning, blistering, piping hot
Scandalous- disgraceful, shocking, monstrous, criminal
Scant- little, minimal, negligible, meager
Opp: abundant, ample
Scarce- short supply, scanty, inadequate, deficient
Opp: plentiful
Scarcely- hardly, barely, almost not
Opp: often
Scathing- withering, blistering, devastating, ferocious
Opp: mild
Skepticism- doubtfulness, a pinch of salt, cynicism
Scorn- contempt, derision, derisiveness, mockery
Opp: admiration, respect
Scourge- whip, lash, strap, birch, switch
Opp: blessing, god sent
Scrooge- miser, penny pincher, niggard, skinflint
Opp: spendthrift
Scurrilous- defamatory, slanderous, libelous, scandalous
Scurry- hurry, hasten, run, scamper
Opp: amble
Sedition- rabble rousing, incitement, subversion, troublemaking
Sedulous- diligent, careful, meticulous, thorough
Seminal- influential, formative, ground breaking, pioneering
Seraphic- blissful, beatific, sublime, rapturous
Serendipitous- chance, accidental, coincidental, fluky
Servitude- slavery, enslavement, subjugation, domination
Opp: liberty
Shackle- chain, fetter, manacle, secure
Shirk- evade, dodge, avoid, side step
Shoddy- poor quality, inferior, second rate, cheap
Opp: quality, careful
Shudder- shake, shiver, quiver, vibrate
Sift- sieve, strain, filter, riddle
Simper- smile affectedly,
Sinuous- winding, serpentine, curving, twisting
Sketchy- incomplete, patchy, fragmentary, cursory
Opp: detailed
Skimpy- revealing, short, flimsy, indecent
Skullduggery- fraudulent, trickery, treachery
Slack- loose, limp, hanging, flexible
Opp: tight, taut
Slatternly- slovenly, untidy, ill groomed, frowzy
Slipshod- careless, lackadaisical, haphazard, disorganized
Opp: meticulous
Slither- slide, slid, slip, glide, crawl
Sneaky- sly, crafty, cunning, devious
Opp: honest
Sneer- smirk, curl of the lip, disparaging smile
Snobbish- elitist, snobby, superior, arrogant
Sobriety- soberness, clear headedness, abstinence, temperance
Sodden- soaking, drenched
Opp: arid
Soggy- mushy, squashy, pulpy, marshy
Sojourn- stay, visit, stop over, vacation
Solecism- mistake, error, blunder
Solicit- request, plead for, implore, supplicate
Solicitous- concerned, caring, considerate, attentive
Solidarity- unanimity, like-mindedness, agreement, accord, harmony
Soliloquy- monologue, speech, address, lecture, oration
Solitude- loneliness, isolation, seclusion, withdrawal
Somber- dark, drab, dingy, restrained
Opp: bright cheerful
Somnolent- sleepy, drowsy, tired, sluggish
Souvenir- memento, keepsake, trophy
Specious- misleading, deceptive, fallacious, unsound
Splendor- magnificence, sumptuousness, grandeur
Opp: ordinariness, simplicity, modesty
Splenetic- bad tempered, ill tempered, angry, petulant
Opp: good, humored
Spooky- eerie, sinister, ghostly, unearthly, mysterious
Sporty- athletic, fit, energetic, jaunty
Sprint- run, race, scamper, hurtle
Opp: walk
Spruce- neat, well groomed, smart, dapper
Opp: untidy
Spunk- courage, bravery, valor, confidence
Spurious- bogus, fake, false, counterfeit
Opp: genuine
Spurn- reject, rebuff, turn down, disdain
Opp: welcome, accept
Squabble- quarrel, disagreement, altercation, shouting match
Squalid- dirty, grubby, wretched, miserable
Opp: clean, pleasant, smart
Squander- waste, misspent, misuse, fritter away
Opp: manage, make good use of
Squeamish- nauseated, nervous, fastidious, honorable
Staid- sedate, respectable, conventional, unadventurous
Opp: frivolous, daring, informal
Startling- surprising, astonishing, unforeseen, staggering
Opp: predictable, ordinary
Stealthy- furtive, secretive, surreptitious, sneaky
Opp: open
Steep- precipitous, sheer, abrupt, sharp, perpendicular
Opp: gentle, gradual, reasonable
Stentorian- loud, thundering, ear splitting
Opp: quiet, soft
Stodgy- solid, substantial, starchy, indigestible, unimaginative
Opp: light, interesting, lively
Stoical- long suffering, uncomplaining, forbearing, patient
Opp: complaining, intolerant
Stooge- underling, minion, subordinate, henchman
Straggly- untidy, messy, straggling, disheveled
Strew- scatter, spread, disperse, bestrew
Stricture- criticism, condemnation, reproach, admonishment
Opp: praise, freedom
Stultify- impede, hamper, thwart, foil, suppress
Stumpy- short, stubby, squat, chunky
Opp: long, thin
Stygian- dark
Stymie- hamper
Suave- polished, refined, poised, dignified
Opp: unsophisticated
Superannuated- old-fashioned, obsolete, antiquated, disused
Superfluous- redundant, surplus, excess, extra
Supine- stretched out, yielding, spineless, docile
Opp: prostrate, strong
Surreptitious- secret, clandestine, sneaky, furtive, hidden
Opp: blatant
Surrogate- deputy, representative, relief, understudy
Surveillance- observation, scrutiny, inspection, spying, espionage
Susceptible- credulous, gullible, innocent, ingenuous
Opp: skeptical, immune, resistant
Swashbuckling- daring, adventurous, romantic, chivalrous
Opp: timid
Swindler- cheat, trickster, charlatan, hustler
Swingeing- extreme, serious, substantial, heavy
Opp: minor
Sycophant- truckler, toady, doormat, lackey