Standardized reading exams are designed to assess advanced language skills, which naturally include complementary skills like vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. The SAT certainly cares about vocabulary, which is why we analyze reports from official administrations.
The September SAT featured its share of tough words, including a plethora of words with the prefix SUB- meaning under or beneath. Thanks to all those self-prep heroes on the r/SAT subreddit—led by supermod yodatsracist—who shared the most challenging vocabulary they encountered on the U.S. and International administrations of the September 2025 SAT.
Here are the challenging September 2025 words we’ve already featured on Roots2Words:
anomaly (noun) - a departure or deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule; an abnormality or irregularity
BREAKDOWN: AN- (not) + HOMO- (same) + -AL (pertaining to) + -Y (state)
disparity (noun) - an obvious lack of equality or similarity
BREAKDOWN: DIS- (apart) + PAR- (equal) + -ITY (state of)
extemporaneous (adj) - delivered, performed, or executed with little or no advance preparation
BREAKDOWN: EX- (out) + TEMPOR- (time) + -ANEOUS (characterized by)
harbinger (noun) - someone or something that foreshadows an event or signals the approach of another; a forerunner or precursor
BREAKDOWN: Middle English herbengar meaning one sent ahead to arrange lodgings
inconspicuous (adj) - not easily noticed or seen; not prominent or attracting attention
BREAKDOWN: IN- (not) + CON- (thoroughly) + SPIC- (look) + -OUS (having qualities of)
inculcate (verb) - to teach through repeated instruction or admonition; to induce or influence understanding of a sentiment or idea
BREAKDOWN: IN- (in) + CALC- (heel) + -ATE (to do)
meticulous (adj) - extremely or overly careful in thinking about or dealing with small details; precise, picky, or punctilious
BREAKDOWN: The word meticulous derives from the Latin metus, meaning fear, apprehension, or anxiety.
multifarious (adj) - varied, diverse, or manifold
BREAKDOWN: MULTI- (many) + -FARIOUS (in ways)
quintessential (adj) - representing the most typical, ideal, or iconic essence of something; embodying the best of its kind
QUINT- (fifth) + ES- (to be) + -ENCE (state of) + -IAL (pertaining to)
rectify (verb) - to set right; to correct or straighten
BREAKDOWN: RECT- (right) + -FY (to make)
sophist (noun) - someone who uses clever, confusing, or illogical arguments to deceive
BREAKDOWN: SOPH- (knowledge) + -IST (one who does)
tangential (adj) - lightly touching; slightly or barely connected; incidental or peripheral
BREAKDOWN: TANG- (touch) + -ENT (state of) + -IAL (pertaining to)
ubiquitous (adj) - seeming to appear or exist everywhere; omnipresent
BREAKDOWN: The Latin ubique meaning everywhere—UBI meaning where and QUE which can mean many things but, in this case, means both every and also maybe where.
unambiguous (adj) - not open to more than one interpretation or meaning; clear and precise
BREAKDOWN: UN- (not) + AMBI- (both) + IG- (do) + -OUS (full of)
unequivocal (adj) - unambiguous; clear; unquestionable
BREAKDOWN: UN- (not) + EQUI- (equal) + VOC- (speak) + -AL (pertaining to)
untenable (adj) - unable to be supported, maintained, or held; indefensible or unsustainable
BREAKDOWN: UN- (not) + TEN- (hold) + -ABLE (able to)
Many of the challenging words we haven’t covered (yet) were based on word roots:
abut (verb) - to touch, join, or share a common boundary
BREAKDOWN: A- (to) + BUT- (to beat or strike)
copious (adj) - abundant or profuse; in large or excessive quantities
BREAKDOWN: CO- (with) + OP- (abundance) + -IOUS (full of)
cull (verb) - to collect or choose from a larger number or quantity; to reduce or control the size of a group through selective removal
BREAKDOWN: CO- (with) + LECT- (gather) [the same roots as collect]
denote (verb) - to reveal or indicate explicitly
BREAKDOWN: DE- (completely) + NOT- (mark)
diffusion (noun) - the act of spreading widely; net movement of anything from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration
BREAKDOWN: DI- (apart) + FUS- (to pour) + -ION (act or state)
embellish (verb) - to decorate, beautify, or make more interesting through addition
BREAKDOWN: EM- (into) + BEL- (beautiful) + -ISH (act of)
enumerate (verb) - to count or list one by one
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + NUM- (number, to count) + -ATE (to make or do)
halting (adj) - slow, hesitant, or faltering; stopping and starting repeatedly
BREAKDOWN: HOLD- (to grasp or contain) + -ING (act or state)
impromptu (adj) - done without planning, preparation, or rehearsal
BREAKDOWN: IM- (in) + PRO- (forward) + EMPT- (to take)
inaugurate (verb) - to begin or set into motion; to invest or admit formally into office
BREAKDOWN: IN- (in) + AUG- (to increase) + -UR (one who does) + -ATE (to make or do)
insolent (adj) - boldly arrogant, disrespectful, or rude
BREAKDOWN: IN- (not) + SOLE- (be accustomed to) + -ENCE (quality)
integral (adj) - necessary to the whole; essential for completion; intact
BREAKDOWN: IN- (not) + TEG- (touch) + -AL (pertaining to)
multifaceted (adj) - having many sides, aspects, or characteristics; well-rounded and complex
BREAKDOWN: MULTI- (many) + FAC- (face) + -ET (little) + -ED (made of)
obtrusive (adj) - prominent or noticeable in a way that is unpleasant, unwanted, or unwelcome; meddlesome; protruding
BREAKDOWN: OB- (forward) + TRUS- (to thrust or push) + -IVE (prone to)
premiere (noun) - the first showing of a theatrical, artistic, or musical work; the first performance in a series or season
—premiere as a verb means to present or perform a work for the first time
BREAKDOWN: PRIM- (first) + -IERE (one who does)
proxy (noun) - someone or something that acts as a substitute or agent for another; something that indirectly represents or signals another
BREAKDOWN: PRO- (just as) + CUR- (care for)
renounce (verb) - to officially reject, relinquish, or abandon
BREAKDOWN: RE- (against) + NOUNC- (to shout)
spectacle (noun) - a public show or display, especially on a large scale
BREAKDOWN: SPECT- (look) + -ACLE (small)
sporadic (adj) - irregular, random, or scattered
BREAKDOWN: SPER- (spread) + -ATIC (characterized by)
subdued (verb) - muted, restrained, or controlled
BREAKDOWN: SUB- (under, away) + DUC- (lead) + -ED (state)
subordinate (adj) - lower in rank or less important; submissive or supporting
BREAKDOWN: SUB- (under) + ORDIN- (row, rank, or series) + –ATE (being)
substantiate (verb) - to support with evidence or show to be true; to embody or give form to
BREAKDOWN: SUB- (under) + STAN- (stand, be firm) + -IATE (to make)
subvert (verb) - to overthrow or ruin; to corrupt, undermine, or pervert
BREAKDOWN: SUB- (under) + VERT- (turn)
synthesis (noun) - a combination of multiple parts, elements, or ideas to form a complete whole
BREAKDOWN: SYN- (together) + THE- (set or put) + -SIS (action or state)
transpose (verb) - to reverse, transfer, or change the order of something; to interchange
BREAKDOWN: TRANS- (across, over) + POS- (to place)
Amazingly, every SAT word reported as challenging on the September 2025 exam has a clear or useful connection to classical roots. Good thing you’re learning both words and roots, right?
If the SAT is in your future, you should learn all of these words. For more Vocab Audits, explore our SAT/ACT Resources page.
“All words are pegs to hang ideas on.” —Henry Ward Beecher