ACT Vocab Audit: February 2025

Tracking the most troublesome tested words

Saturdays are perfect days for surprisingly tough vocabulary on high stakes tests. Surprise—we’re talking about vocabulary on the ACT today!

We talk quite a bit around here about how helpful a rich, practical vocabulary can be on the Reading & Writing sections of the SAT. Intuitively, a college entrance exam should test a college-level vocabulary, right? Nonetheless, those of us in the test prep space have often downplayed the number of tough words test takers encounter on the other influential entrance exam, the ACT.

Please don’t blame me for auditing the February ACT after the March SAT: the February ACT My Answer Key wasn’t released until March 21. However, based on the surprisingly tough vocab on this test, better late than never!

Here are the challenging February 2025 words we've already featured on Roots2Words:

apprehension (noun) - fear or dread about an anticipated event; contemplation, conception, or understanding
BREAKDOWN: AP- (toward) + PREHEN- (grasp) + -SION (state of)

comprise (verb) - to contain, include, or form; to be formed from or made up of
BREAKDOWN: COM- (together) + PRIS- (to hold)

demure (adj) - reserved, modest, and possibly shy or coy; decorous or prim
BREAKDOWN: based on the Latin root MATUR- meaning, of course, mature.

elucidate (verb) - to make clear, to explain or throw light upon
BREAKDOWN: E- (completely) + LUC- (clear) + -ID (to be) + -ATE (to make)

eulogy (noun) - a public speech or oration honoring the virtues or achievements of someone recently deceased
BREAKDOWN: EU- (good) + LOG- (speech) + -Y (act or state)

ideograph (noun) - a symbol that represents an idea or thing directly rather than a word or sound (also ideogram)
BREAKDOWN: IDEO- (idea) + GRAPH- (write)

peruse (verb) - to read or examine in a thorough or careful way OR to read or skim casually
BREAKDOWN: PER- (thoroughly) + USE- (make use of)

picaresque (adj) - of, pertaining to, or describing rogues, rascals, or vagabonds; adventurous or devilish
BREAKDOWN: likely derived from the root PIC- meaning to prick or sting in words like piquant and pike

visage (noun) - face, countenance, or appearance
BREAKDOWN: VIS- (see) + -AGE (state of)

Many of the challenging words we haven’t covered yet were based on word roots:

beguiling (adj) - charming, enchanting, or attractive
BREAKDOWN: BE- (to make) + GUILE- (deceit, trickery) + -ING (act or state)

clamor (verb) - to call for, cry out, or complain; a loud uproar or outcry or any loud and continued noise
BREAKDOWN: CLAM- (cry or shout) + -OR (quality of)

culminate (verb) - to reach a peak, climax, or final result
BREAKDOWN: CEL- (be prominent) + -MEN (result) + –ATE (make or do)

deploy (verb) - to organize, arrange, or move into position
BREAKDOWN: DE- (undo) + PLOY- (to fold)

exude (verb) - to display in abundance; to give off, send out, or emit
BREAKDOWN: EX- (out) + SUD- (to sweat)

fume (noun) - vapor, gas, or smoke; to emit a vapor or to feel great anger
BREAKDOWN: FUM- (vapor)

insolence (noun) - rude or impertinent behavior or manner
BREAKDOWN: IN- (not) + SOLE- (be accustomed to) + -ENCE (quality)

middling (adj) - average, adequate, or moderate
BREAKDOWN: MID- (middle) + -ING (act or state)

morph (verb) - to transform in shape, state, or appearance; also a variant in phenotype or form
BREAKDOWN: MORPH- (form, shape)

nominal (adj) - existing or being such in name only; small or trifling; titular or so-called
BREAKDOWN: NOMEN- (name) + -AL (pertaining to)

punctuate (verb) - to interrupt or occur at intervals; to emphasis; to add punctuation marks
BREAKDOWN: PUNCT- (point) + -ATE (make or do)

quandary (noun) - a state of perplexity, uncertainty, or doubt
BREAKDOWN: QUA- (who or what) + -ARY (pertaining to)

retort (verb) - to reply in a quick or sharp manner; to hurl back; a witty or retaliatory reply
BREAKDOWN: RE- (back) + TORT- (twist)

Interestingly, the toughest word on the test was part of an English COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS question:

delusive (adj) - of or pertaining to a delusion; deceptive or misleading
BREAKDOWN: DE- (down) + LUS- (to play) + -IVE (prone to)

It is delulu to expect test takers to know this word, which was merely a distractor for the predictable elusive/allusive confusion:

allusive (adj) - tending or intended to imply or infer
BREAKDOWN: A- (to) + LUS- (to play) + -IVE (prone to)

elusive (adj) - hard to grasp, express, or define
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + LUS- (to play) + -IVE (prone to)

The test also includes a site/sight challenge. As usual, a couple of important words had a minor or nonexistent connection to classic roots:

elegiac (adj) - sad or mournful; of or pertaining to an elegy

phalanx (noun) - a group of individuals, often military, in close formation

All in all, this test featured tougher words than we’ve seen in a long time on the ACT, although science terminology was relatively tame. Is this the level of vocabulary we can expect on the Enhanced ACT? Can’t wait to find out!

For more Vocab Audits, explore our SAT/ACT Resources page.