What they are, where to find them, and what they mean. You're in your smart era, right?
Taylor Swift is many things – singer, dancer, writer, actress, Kansas City Chiefs fan. . . and SAT tutor? As Taylor has matured, so too has her lyrical vocabulary. If you've ever had to pull out the dictionary while listening to a new Taylor Swift album, you are not alone. Her word choices are careful and eloquent yet sometimes uncommon.
I've organized and defined 12 of these vocab words so you can keep on listening AND developing your own lexicon. Win win.
Whether you are studying for the SAT or just want to see how many of these vocab words you know, here are 12 SAT Vocab Words in Taylor Swift Songs.
Unmoored
Song: evermore
Lyric: "Hey December/ guess I'm feeling unmoored/ can't remember/ what I used to fight for"
Definition: adj. insecure, lacking contact with reality; (of a vessel) not or no longer attached to a mooring.
Self-effacing
Song: All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
Lyric: "That's what happened/ you who charmed my dad with self-effacing jokes"
Definition: adj. not claiming attention for oneself; retiring and modest.
Albatross
Song: The Albatross
Lyric: "She's the albatross/ she is here to destroy you"
Definition: n. a very large oceanic bird with long narrrow wings; a source of frustration or guilt.
Illicit
Song: illicit affairs
Lyric: "and that's the thing about illicit affairs/ and clandestine meetings and longing stares"
Definition: adj. forbidden by law, rules, or custom.
Clandestine
Song: illicit affairs
Lyric: "and that's the thing about illicit affairs/ and clandestine meetings and longing stares"
Definition: adj. kept secret or done secretively.
Refract
Song: I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
Lyric: "The lights refract sequined stars off her silhouette every night"
Definition: v. (of water, air, or glass) make (a ray of light) change direction when it enters at an angle.
Peculiar
Song: evermore
Lyric: "I had a feeling so peculiar/ that this pain would be for/ evermore."
Definition: adj. strange or odd; unusual; particular; special.
Labyrinth
Song: Labyrinth
Lyric: "It only feels this raw right now/ lost in the labyrinth of my mind."
Definition: adj. strange or odd; unusual; particular; special.
Torrid
Song: The Manuscript
Lyric: "Now and then, she reads the manuscript/ of the entire torrid affair."
Definition: adj. very hot and dry; full of passionate or highly charged emotions.
Antithetical
Song: Hits Different
Lyric: "Bet I could still melt your world/ argumentative, antithetical dream girl."
Definition: adj. directly opposed or mutually incompatible; connected with, containing, or using the rhetorical device of antithesis.
Disposition
Song: All Too Well
Lyric: "Oh, your sweet disposition/ and my wide-eyed gaze"
Definition: n. a person's inherent qualities of mind and character; the way in which something is placed or arranged, especially in relation to other things.
Vigilante
Song: Vigilante S**t
Lyric: "And I don't dress for villains/ or for innocents/ I'm on my vigilante s**t again"
Definition: n. a member of a group of volunteers who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority.
That's the list of 12 SAT Vocab Words in Taylor Swift Songs.
How many did you know?
(Definitions in the post came from Oxford Languages)
Comments