ASVAB Vocabulary List: 120 Words to Know

Is there an official ASVAB vocabulary list?

No. The official site describes what Word Knowledge measures and gives sample questions, but it does not publish a list of tested words. Its preparation advice is to build a "solid core of courses" in English and other subjects and to work sample questions (Official ASVAB: Preparing for the ASVAB). Any list you find, including this one, is a study tool written by someone outside the testing program.

This list was built for usefulness. The words are ones an adult reader meets in news, manuals, workplace memos and textbooks, at the level of difficulty a general aptitude test uses. Each entry gives the most common modern meaning, so you do not waste time on rare senses. Learning these 120 words will also make reading passages easier, which helps Paragraph Comprehension.

How should you use this ASVAB word list?

Learn a small batch each day, test yourself by covering the meaning column, and use each word in a sentence of your own. Reading the list from top to bottom feels productive but fades fast.

Pick one theme table and learn 10 words from it today.
Cover the meaning column and say each meaning out loud. Mark the ones you miss.
Write one new sentence for each word you missed, about something in your own life.
Review tomorrow, in three days and in a week. Missed words go back into the next day's batch.
Mix themes after a week so you recall words without the theme as a hint.

Group words that people confuse and learn them together: imply and infer, adverse and averse, ample and amble. A pair learned side by side is harder to mix up on test day.

Which ASVAB words describe people and attitudes?

These 20 words describe how people act and what they are like. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
amiable	adj.	friendly and pleasant to be around	The amiable desk clerk learned every regular customer's name.
arrogant	adj.	acting as if you are better or more important than others	The arrogant driver refused to admit he had taken a wrong turn.
candid	adj.	honest and direct, even when the truth is uncomfortable	Her candid review pointed out three errors in the plan.
cautious	adj.	careful to avoid danger or mistakes	A cautious hiker checks the weather before leaving the trailhead.
diligent	adj.	showing steady, careful effort	The diligent recruit reviewed his notes every night.
docile	adj.	calm and easy to control or teach	The docile horse stood still while the children brushed it.
earnest	adj.	serious and sincere	He made an earnest promise to repay the loan by spring.
frugal	adj.	careful not to waste money or resources	A frugal shopper compares unit prices before buying.
gregarious	adj.	enjoying the company of others; sociable	The gregarious cook chatted with everyone in the dining hall.
hostile	adj.	unfriendly and ready to oppose or fight	The crowd grew hostile when the game was canceled.
humble	adj.	not proud; modest about your own importance	After winning the award, she stayed humble and thanked her team.
indifferent	adj.	having no interest or concern	He seemed indifferent to the score and left before the last inning.
lethargic	adj.	slow and lacking energy	The heat left everyone lethargic by midafternoon.
obstinate	adj.	stubbornly refusing to change your mind	The obstinate mule would not cross the bridge.
prudent	adj.	showing good judgment, especially about future risks	It is prudent to keep a spare tire in the trunk.
resilient	adj.	able to recover quickly from difficulty	The resilient town reopened its schools a week after the flood.
sincere	adj.	honest; meaning what you say	His apology sounded sincere because he named exactly what he did wrong.
tenacious	adj.	holding on firmly; not giving up easily	The tenacious reporter called the office every day until someone answered.
timid	adj.	shy and lacking courage	The timid puppy hid behind the couch when guests arrived.
zealous	adj.	full of strong enthusiasm for a cause or goal	The zealous volunteer arrived an hour early to set up tables.

Which ASVAB words describe amount, size and change?

These 20 words describe quantity, size and how things grow or shrink. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
abundant	adj.	existing in large amounts; plentiful	Steady rain made the berries abundant this summer.
adequate	adj.	enough for a purpose; acceptable	The shelter had adequate blankets for everyone.
ample	adj.	more than enough	The garage has ample space for two trucks.
augment	v.	to make larger by adding to	The crew augmented its water supply with two extra tanks.
compact	adj.	closely packed; taking little space	The compact stove fit easily in his backpack.
curtail	v.	to cut short or reduce	The storm forced the team to curtail the training march.
deplete	v.	to use up a supply	Running the heater all night depleted the fuel tank.
dwindle	v.	to become gradually smaller	The crowd dwindled as the rain grew heavier.
excessive	adj.	more than is necessary or reasonable	Excessive speed caused the truck to slide on the curve.
expand	v.	to become or make larger	The bakery expanded into the empty shop next door.
finite	adj.	having limits; not endless	The ship carries a finite amount of fresh water.
fluctuate	v.	to rise and fall irregularly	Gas prices fluctuate from week to week.
immense	adj.	extremely large	An immense cargo ship blocked the view of the harbor.
meager	adj.	small in amount; barely enough	The meager lunch left him hungry by two o'clock.
negligible	adj.	so small it is not worth considering	The price difference between the two brands was negligible.
proliferate	v.	to increase rapidly in number	Weeds proliferate when no one tends the garden.
replenish	v.	to fill up again	The medic replenished the first aid kit after the exercise.
sparse	adj.	thinly scattered; few and far apart	Trees are sparse on the windy ridge.
surplus	n.	an amount left over beyond what is needed	The farm sold its surplus corn to a neighbor.
wane	v.	to decrease gradually in size or strength	Interest in the old game began to wane after the new one came out.

Which ASVAB words are about speaking and communication?

These 20 words describe how people speak, write and get a message across. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
advocate	v.	to speak or argue in support of	The nurse advocated for longer breaks between shifts.
allude	v.	to mention indirectly	The speech alluded to last year's flood without naming it.
ambiguous	adj.	open to more than one meaning; unclear	The ambiguous sign did not say which door was the exit.
articulate	adj.	able to express ideas clearly	The articulate speaker explained the new rule in two minutes.
clarify	v.	to make clearer	The supervisor clarified which forms were due Friday.
coherent	adj.	logical and clearly connected	After some sleep, his report was coherent and easy to follow.
concur	v.	to agree	Both doctors concurred that the wrist was sprained.
contradict	v.	to say the opposite of; to deny	The second witness contradicted the first about the car's color.
digress	v.	to wander away from the main topic	The instructor digressed into a story about his first job.
elaborate	v.	to add more detail	Could you elaborate on how the schedule will change?
emphasize	v.	to give special importance to	The coach emphasized drinking water before the long run.
imply	v.	to suggest without saying directly	His silence implied that he disagreed.
implore	v.	to beg urgently	She implored the driver to slow down.
infer	v.	to reach a conclusion from evidence	From the wet streets, we inferred that it had rained overnight.
lucid	adj.	clear and easy to understand	The manual gives a lucid explanation of each step.
reiterate	v.	to say again	The sergeant reiterated the time of the formation.
retort	n.	a quick, sharp reply	Her quick retort ended the argument.
rhetoric	n.	language meant to persuade, sometimes without much substance	Voters grew tired of rhetoric and wanted specific plans.
terse	adj.	using very few words, sometimes in an unfriendly way	He gave a terse answer and walked away.
verbose	adj.	using more words than needed	The verbose memo took four pages to say the office was closing early.

Which ASVAB words are about thinking and judging?

These 20 words describe reasoning, judgment and how believable something is. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
analyze	v.	to examine in detail to understand	The mechanic analyzed the engine noise before replacing any parts.
arbitrary	adj.	based on chance or personal choice rather than reason	The seating chart seemed arbitrary, with no order by name or rank.
biased	adj.	unfairly favoring one side	A biased referee called every foul against the visiting team.
credible	adj.	believable; worthy of trust	The story became credible once the photos were released.
discern	v.	to notice or understand something that is not obvious	In the fog, he could barely discern the shape of the tower.
dubious	adj.	doubtful; probably not true or honest	He made a dubious claim that the package had never arrived.
evaluate	v.	to judge the value or quality of	The panel evaluated each applicant's driving record.
feasible	adj.	possible and practical to do	Finishing the roof before dark was not feasible.
hypothesis	n.	an idea proposed so it can be tested	Her hypothesis was that the plants needed more light.
impartial	adj.	fair; not favoring either side	An impartial judge listens to both sides before deciding.
inevitable	adj.	certain to happen; unavoidable	With the brakes gone, the crash was inevitable.
irrelevant	adj.	not connected to the matter at hand	His shoe size is irrelevant to the job interview.
objective	adj.	based on facts rather than feelings	A scale gives an objective measure of weight.
plausible	adj.	seeming reasonable or likely	Heavy traffic was a plausible excuse for being late.
pragmatic	adj.	dealing with problems in a practical way	The pragmatic manager fixed the leak first and planned the remodel later.
rational	adj.	based on reason and logic	A rational plan saves time when everyone else is panicking.
skeptical	adj.	doubtful; not easily convinced	She was skeptical of the ad that promised instant results.
trivial	adj.	of little importance	They argued over a trivial detail about the menu.
vague	adj.	not clear or exact	His directions were vague, so we got lost twice.
valid	adj.	logically sound, or officially acceptable	Your license must be valid on the day of the test.

Which ASVAB words describe action and effort?

These 20 words describe doing, starting, stopping and fixing things. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
abandon	v.	to leave completely; to give up	The crew had to abandon the stuck vehicle.
accelerate	v.	to speed up	The car accelerated as it merged onto the highway.
alleviate	v.	to make pain or a problem less severe	Ice alleviated the swelling in his ankle.
collaborate	v.	to work together	Two departments collaborated on the safety manual.
comply	v.	to follow a rule or request	All drivers must comply with the posted speed limit.
deter	v.	to discourage someone from acting	Bright lights deter thieves from the parking lot.
endeavor	n.	a serious effort or attempt	Building the boat was a two-year endeavor.
expedite	v.	to make something happen faster	Paying the extra fee expedited the passport.
hinder	v.	to make progress difficult	Deep mud hindered the convoy.
implement	v.	to put a plan into action	The school will implement the new schedule in January.
initiate	v.	to begin or start	The pilot initiated the landing checklist.
mitigate	v.	to make less harmful or severe	Sandbags mitigated the flood damage.
persevere	v.	to keep trying despite difficulty	She persevered through three failed attempts and passed on the fourth.
postpone	v.	to delay until a later time	The ceremony was postponed because of lightning.
procure	v.	to obtain, especially with effort	The supply clerk procured extra cots for the visitors.
rectify	v.	to correct; to put right	The bank rectified the error within a day.
relinquish	v.	to give up control or possession	The captain relinquished command at the ceremony.
scrutinize	v.	to examine very closely	The inspector scrutinized every weld on the frame.
sustain	v.	to keep going over time; to support	The team could not sustain that pace for ten miles.
undermine	v.	to weaken gradually or secretly	Constant rumors undermined trust in the new manager.

Which ASVAB words describe situations and qualities?

These 20 words describe conditions, risks and the qualities of things. Each definition is the most common modern sense.

Word	Type	Meaning	Example sentence
adverse	adj.	harmful or unfavorable	Adverse weather grounded every flight.
arduous	adj.	requiring great effort; hard and tiring	The arduous climb took six hours.
benevolent	adj.	kind and wanting to help others	A benevolent neighbor shoveled the sidewalks on the whole block.
chronic	adj.	lasting a long time or coming back often	Chronic back pain kept him from lifting heavy boxes.
conspicuous	adj.	easy to notice; standing out	The orange vest made the worker conspicuous from far away.
covert	adj.	secret; hidden	The covert meeting was held in a closed room with no sign on the door.
detrimental	adj.	causing harm	Skipping sleep is detrimental to memory.
durable	adj.	able to last a long time without wearing out	The durable boots lasted him through two winters.
hazardous	adj.	dangerous	Hazardous chemicals must be stored in a locked cabinet.
imminent	adj.	about to happen	Dark clouds signaled an imminent storm.
jeopardy	n.	danger of loss or harm	One more late payment would put the lease in jeopardy.
lenient	adj.	not strict; tolerant	The lenient teacher accepted the late homework.
novel	adj.	new and unusual	The engineer proposed a novel way to cool the engine.
obsolete	adj.	no longer used; out of date	The old radios became obsolete when the base switched systems.
prevalent	adj.	widespread; common	Colds are prevalent during the winter months.
rigid	adj.	stiff; not able to bend or change	The rigid schedule left no time for questions.
stringent	adj.	very strict or exact	Stringent rules control who can enter the lab.
tedious	adj.	long, slow and boring	Counting inventory by hand is tedious work.
vital	adj.	absolutely necessary; essential	Clean water is vital after a disaster.
volatile	adj.	likely to change suddenly and unpredictably	The volatile situation calmed once the police arrived.

How do you answer a question about a word from this list?

Use the definition you learned as your prediction, then confirm it with substitution. Here are two worked examples with words from the tables.

Example: The two reports concur on the cause of the fire. Concur most nearly means: (A) disagree (B) agree (C) guess (D) report

Recall the definition from the communication table: concur means to agree.
Predict: "The two reports agree on the cause."
Match: (B) agree is the same word as the prediction.
Check the trap: (A) disagree is the exact opposite, a common distractor. (D) report repeats a word from the sentence, which is another common trap.

Answer: (B) agree.

Example: Arduous most nearly means: (A) loving (B) difficult (C) quick (D) noisy

Recall: arduous means requiring great effort, hard and tiring.
Predict: hard.
Match: (B) difficult.
Check the trap: (A) loving is a sound-alike trap from "ardent," which means passionate. Arduous and ardent are different words.

Answer: (B) difficult.

If you are unsure of a word, combine what you remember with the word roots and the context clues in the sentence.

Which words on this list are easy to confuse?

These pairs look or sound alike but mean different things. Each is a likely distractor.

Word	Meaning	Often confused with	Meaning
imply	to suggest without saying	infer	to conclude from evidence
adverse	harmful or unfavorable	averse	strongly unwilling
credible	believable	credulous	too ready to believe
eminent	famous and respected	imminent	about to happen
prudent	wise about risks	prudish	easily shocked by improper things
ample	more than enough	amble	to walk slowly
arduous	hard and tiring	ardent	passionate

The speaker implies; the listener infers. The writer of a note implies something, and the reader infers it.

What should you do after learning these 120 words?

Test them in real question format, then keep adding words from your own reading. Work the free Word Knowledge practice and read the Word Knowledge strategies for timing and elimination. When you read and meet a word you cannot define, add it to your cards with a sentence from the article. Your list will grow toward the words you actually see.

Practice questions

Work each one on paper first, then open the explanation. These are original AptiStep items, not real ASVAB questions.

Question 1

Frugal most nearly means:

generous
careless
thrifty
wealthy

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. thrifty

Frugal means careful not to waste money or resources, so thrifty is the closest synonym. Generous suggests giving freely, which is a different idea, and careless is nearly the opposite. Wealthy describes how much money someone has, not how they spend it.

Question 2

The supply of fuel was depleted by the third day. Depleted most nearly means:

used up
refilled
tested
stolen

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. used up

Deplete means to use up a supply. By the third day the fuel was gone, so used up fits. Refilled is the opposite, matching replenish instead. Nothing in the sentence suggests testing or theft, so those choices add unsupported ideas.

Question 3

Her answer was so verbose that the meeting ran late. Verbose most nearly means:

rude
wordy
quiet
wrong

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. wordy

Verbose means using more words than needed. The meeting ran late because the answer was too long, which supports wordy. Quiet does not explain a delay, and the sentence says nothing about the answer being rude or wrong.

Question 4

Imminent most nearly means:

famous
distant
dangerous
about to happen

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. about to happen

Imminent means about to happen, as in an imminent storm. Famous is the meaning of eminent, the look-alike trap. Distant is the opposite in time. Dangerous can describe some imminent events, but it is not what the word itself means.

Question 5

The judge stayed impartial throughout the trial. Impartial most nearly means:

fair
tired
strict
confused

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. fair

Impartial means not favoring either side. The prefix im- (not) plus partial (favoring one part) gives not favoring. Fair is the best match. Strict describes how firmly rules are applied, not whether someone takes sides.

Question 6

Constant delays began to undermine the team's confidence. Undermine most nearly means:

build up
measure
weaken
explain

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. weaken

Undermine means to weaken gradually. Delays usually hurt confidence, so weaken fits. Build up is the opposite. Measure and explain do not describe an effect on confidence, so substituting them changes the meaning of the sentence.

Question 7

Which word is the best antonym (opposite) of "abundant"?

plentiful
heavy
expensive
scarce

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. scarce

Abundant means existing in large amounts. The opposite is scarce, meaning not enough to meet the need. Plentiful is a synonym, not an antonym, which is a common trap when the question asks for the opposite. Heavy and expensive are unrelated.

Question 8

The rules for handling the samples were stringent. Stringent most nearly means:

temporary
strict
written
simple

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. strict

Stringent means very strict or exact. Rules for handling lab samples are usually tight, which supports strict. Simple points the other way, and temporary and written describe the form or length of the rules rather than how demanding they are.

Frequently asked questions

Are these the exact words on the ASVAB?

No one outside the testing program can say which words appear, and this list does not claim to. It is an original list of common test-level words chosen for usefulness.

How long does it take to learn 120 words?

At 10 to 15 new words a day with review, most people get through the list in about two weeks. Keep reviewing after that so the words stay fresh.

Should I learn more than one meaning per word?

Learn the most common meaning first. When you meet a second sense in your reading, add it to the card with its own example sentence. Context clues will tell you which sense a question uses.

Where can I practice these words in test format?

Try the free Word Knowledge practice. The AptiStep app also drills vocabulary in context, but it is an independent study tool, not an official ASVAB product.

Sources

Checked November 14, 2026. AptiStep is an independent study site; confirm anything that affects your enlistment with a recruiter.

ASVAB vocabulary list: 120 useful words with meanings and examples

Is there an official ASVAB vocabulary list?

How should you use this ASVAB word list?

Which ASVAB words describe people and attitudes?

Which ASVAB words describe amount, size and change?

Which ASVAB words are about speaking and communication?

Which ASVAB words are about thinking and judging?

Which ASVAB words describe action and effort?

Which ASVAB words describe situations and qualities?

How do you answer a question about a word from this list?

Which words on this list are easy to confuse?

What should you do after learning these 120 words?

Practice questions

Frugal most nearly means:

The supply of fuel was depleted by the third day. Depleted most nearly means:

Her answer was so verbose that the meeting ran late. Verbose most nearly means:

Imminent most nearly means:

The judge stayed impartial throughout the trial. Impartial most nearly means:

Constant delays began to undermine the team's confidence. Undermine most nearly means:

Which word is the best antonym (opposite) of "abundant"?

The rules for handling the samples were stringent. Stringent most nearly means:

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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