By Helen C.
A robust vocabulary gives you an edge on DSAT Reading Writing and even Math questions. One confusing word can throw you off for an entire section. The more words you know, the less likely you are to encounter this kind of friction.
I’ve seen these ten words trip up my students:
- Benign – gentle; kindly
- Concede – admit that something is true or valid after first denying it
- Disparate – essentially different in kind
- Evince – to display clearly; reveal
- Ephemeral – lasting a very short time
- Innocuous – not harmful or offensive
- Paucity – the presence of something only in small or insufficient amounts
- Preponderance – the quality of being greater in number, quantity, or importance
- Repudiate – refuse to accept or be associated with
- Venerate – to regard with reverential respect
Here are 3 ways to boost your vocabulary with impact and efficiency:
1. Use Bespoke’s DSAT Vocabulary Flashcard Sets on Quizlet
By putting you on the spot to remember something, flashcards build those memory muscles for test day. Bespoke’s test prep experts have compiled over 600 words that we have found commonly show up on DSAT into our Vocabulary Flashcard Sets on Quizlet.
2. Write a sentence that illustrates the word’s meaning.
Since the DSAT asks you to identify “words in context,” learn the word and practice hunting for context clues by writing your own sentences.
Example: She evinced an interest in art from an early age by drawing all over the walls of her apartment with crayons.
The fact that she was “drawing all over the walls of her apartment with crayons” reveals or evinces her interest in art.
…which “reveals” my next tip…
3. Identify synonyms and antonyms.
If “reveal” is a synonym for evince then “conceal” is an antonym. Oh look! You just learned 3 words!
Looking back at the list above, can you find two words that are (roughly) antonyms or (roughly) synonyms?
Get started with these tips then reach out to Bespoke to build a strong overall vocabulary strategy for the DSAT.
