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GRE® Vocabulary > Advanced Vocab Words - Set 9 > Flashcards

Advanced Vocab Words - Set 9 Flashcards

Learn to understand and effectively use 100 advanced vocabulary words. Improve your test scores, or simply be more articulate in your daily life. Each word is used in context in a sample sentence and includes synonyms and a pronunciation guide.

1
Q

Define

mendacious

(men-dey-shuhs)

A

adj. dishonest

Phyllis is mendacious yet entertaining; she is fun to talk to at a party, but I wouldn’t believe a word she says.

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2
Q

Define

consequential

(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)

A

adj. important

adj. pompous, self-important

I am not prepared to accept such consequential airs from a journalist 20 years my junior.

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3
Q

Define

tremulous

(trem-yuh-luhs)

A

adj. trembling, timid, fearful

He signed the contract with a tremulous hand.

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4
Q

Define

mendicant

(men-dih-kuhnt)

A

n. a beggar, a supplicant

There was a large number of _mendicant_s stalking the street.

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5
Q

Define

egress

(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)

A

n. exit

v. to exit

It was thought that the prisoner, seeking egress from his cell before the spreading fire consumed it, had managed to slip out between the warping floorboards.

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6
Q

Define

preternatural

(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)

A

adj. beyond what is normal or natural

Occasionally, people with mental illnesses also exhibit preternatural abilities in mathematics or memorization.

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7
Q

Define

fulminate

(fuhl-muh-neyt)

A

v. to verbally attack

v. to explode

The crotchety old fool _fulminate_d about every sort of modern improvement while we listened, too stunned to interrupt him.

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8
Q

Define

gull

(guhl)

A

v. to fool or deceive

They _gull_ed Akiko so well that she walked right into her own surprise party without suspecting a thing.

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9
Q

Define

rebus

(ree-buhss)

A

n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures

Pictures of bees and eyes are commonly used in a rebus to symbolize the words “be” and “I”.

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10
Q

Define

pedestrian

(puh-dess-tree-uhn)

A

adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable

Timothy’s dissertation was lengthy but pedestrian.

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11
Q

Define

distrait

(diss-trey)

A

adj. distracted as a result of anxiety

The distrait teacher kept pausing mid-sentence to look out the window.

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12
Q

Define

nefarious

(nih-fair-ee-uhs)

A

adj. vicious, evil

The nefarious conspirators left nothing in the poor woman’s house.

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13
Q

Define

factious

(fak-shuhss)

A

adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious

Many networks purposely select factious personalities to appear in their reality T.V. shows in the hopes that their bickering will attract viewers.

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14
Q

Define

ignoble

(ig-noh-buhl)

A

adj. dishonorable, disgraceful

The ignoble act of profiteering at someone else’s expense is not to be condoned.

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15
Q

Define

epithet

(epp-ih-thet)

A

n. a characterizing phrase

n. a disparaging word or phrase

Ivan the Terrible’s name was one epithet I do not envy.

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16
Q

Define

anodyne

(ann-uh-dahyn)

A

adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland

n. a distress-reliever

She tried to keep the conversation as anodyne as possible

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17
Q

Define

jejune

(djih-djoon)

A

adj. uninteresting, dull

adj. immature

adj. lacking in nutrition

It may be said that her verse is jejune, but I happen to find a sage sensibility in her later poems.

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18
Q

Define

conciliatory

(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)

A

adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility

Karen’s conciliatory attitude helped her to move up in the business.

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19
Q

Define

diaspora

(dahy-ass-per-uh)

A

n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)

n. a community of dispersed people

The African diaspora throughout the world has settled into certain traditions, some of which are not actually African in origin.

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20
Q

Define

welter

(well-ter)

A

v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil

The lake _welter_ed in the storm, tossing the boat all over.

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21
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dishonest

A

mendacious

(men-dey-shuhs)

synonyms: deceptive, false

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22
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. important

adj. pompous, self-important

A

consequential

(kon-suh-kwen-shuhl)

synonyms: significant, considerable; egotistic

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23
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. trembling, timid, fearful

A

tremulous

(trem-yuh-luhs)

synonyms: quivering, cowardly, nervous

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24
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beggar, a supplicant

A

mendicant

(men-dih-kuhnt)

synonyms: panhandler, pauper

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25
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. exit

v. to exit

A

egress

(n. ee-grehss; v. ih-grehss)

synonyms: departure, escape, withdrawal

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26
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. beyond what is normal or natural

A

preternatural

(pree-ter-nach-er-uhl)

synonyms: anomalous, irregular, bizarre

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27
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to verbally attack

v. to explode

A

fulminate

(fuhl-muh-neyt)

synonyms: berate, condemn; blast, blow up

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28
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to fool or deceive

A

gull

(guhl)

synonyms: mislead, hoodwink, dupe

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29
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a riddle in which words are represented by pictures

A

rebus

(ree-buhss)

synonyms: puzzle, enigma

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30
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. commonplace, trite, unremarkable

A

pedestrian

(puh-dess-tree-uhn)

synonyms: everyday, dull, uninteresting

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. distracted as a result of anxiety

A

distrait

(diss-trey)

synonyms: preoccupied, engrossed, scatterbrained

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. vicious, evil

A

nefarious

(nih-fair-ee-uhs)

synonyms: atrocious, malevolent

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. inclined to make arguments, divisive, contentious

A

factious

(fak-shuhss)

synonyms: conflicting, warring, belligerent

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dishonorable, disgraceful

A

ignoble

(ig-noh-buhl)

synonyms: corrupt, lewd, petty

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a characterizing phrase

n. a disparaging word or phrase

A

epithet

(epp-uh-thet)

synonyms: nickname, title, designation

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. pain-relieving, soothing; bland

n. a distress reliever

A

anodyne

(ann-uh-dahyn)

synonyms: curative, dull, toothless

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. uninteresting, dull

adj. immature

adj. lacking in nutrition

A

jejune

(dji-djoon)

synonyms: empty, banal, childlike

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. agreeable; overcoming distrust or hostility

A

conciliatory

(kuhn-sill-ee-uh-tawr-ee)

synonyms: appeasing, pacifying

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a dispersion of people from their homeland (esp. Jews)

n. a community of dispersed people

A

diaspora

(dahy-ass-per-uh)

synonyms: dispersion, exodus

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to writhe, toss about; to be in turmoil

A

welter

(well-ter)

synonyms: commotion, tumble, sway

41
Q

Define

ruminate

(roo-muh-neyt)

A

v. to meditate at length; to muse

v. to chew cud

The monk _ruminate_d over the moral dilemma.

42
Q

Define

maudlin

(mawd-lin)

A

adj. overly sentimental

The teacher insisted on taking a maudlin picture with each one of her students every year.

43
Q

Define

convoke

(kuhn-vohk)

A

v. to convene or call together

He _convoke_d a meeting of the nation’s top CEOs and Vice Presidents.

44
Q

Define

effluence

(eff-loo-uhns)

A

n. the act of flowing out

n. something that flows out

An effluence of people from the stadium crowded the streets.

45
Q

Define

eschew

(ess-choo)

A

v. to shun or avoid

Most vegetarians eschew fur coats as well as consuming meats.

46
Q

Define

ambulatory

(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)

A

adj. of walking, adapted for walking

The ambulatory excursion drew few people because of the poor weather.

47
Q

Define

rigmarole

(rig-muh-rohl)

A

n. an extremely tedious and complicated process

The rigmarole I am subjected to every time I visit the DMV would be funny were it not so depressing.

48
Q

Define

forswear

(fuhr-swair)

A

v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate

The young nation forswore entangling alliances.

49
Q

Define

gastronomy

(gahss-trawn-uh-mee)

A

n. the science of good eating or cooking

n. cooking particular to a region

Jim was studying Japanese gastronomy along with his mandatory classes.

50
Q

Define

jibe

(jahyb)

A

v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another

His story _jibe_d with mine.

51
Q

Define

stentorian

(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)

A

adj. extremely loud and powerful

Even without a microphone, the principal’s stentorian voice filled the auditorium and commanded everyone’s attention.

52
Q

Define

lachrymose

(lak-rih-mowss)

A

adj. sad, tearful

The opera’s lachrymose final scene has tested the dramatic range of generations of sopranos.

53
Q

Define

abrogate

(ab-ruh-geyt)

A

v. to abolish or annul by authority

The court ruling _abrogate_d his rights to any profits.

54
Q

Define

bemuse

(bih-myooz)

A

v. to puzzle or confuse

The _bemuse_d expression on his face was priceless.

55
Q

Define

expurgate

(ek-spurr-gehyt)

A

v. to censor, esp. obscenity

The _expurgate_d version of the album had a more family-friendly rating.

56
Q

Define

tumid

(too-mid)

A

adj. swollen

The river banks were tumid from the spring rain.

57
Q

Define

natty

(nah-tee)

A

adj. trim, neat, or tidy

She was a natty dresser, with never a seam out of place.

58
Q

Define

sentinel

(sehn-tih-null)

A

n. one who keeps guard

v. to watch over

The sentinel at the city gates watched over the city.

59
Q

Define

winsome

(win-suhm)

A

adj. charming, happy, engaging

Mei’s winsome smile won her many friends.

60
Q

Define

reconnoiter

(ree-kuh-noy-ter)

A

v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of

We sent him to reconnoiter the party before we arrived, in case it turned out to be a dud.

61
Q

Define

malfeasance

(mal-fee-zuhnss)

A

n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)

Joel was studying malfeasance in the Panamanian government.

62
Q

Define

halcyon

(hal-see-uhn)

A

adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous

The halcyon days of summer are here again.

63
Q

Define

plenipotentiary

(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)

A

adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy

The ambassador is plenipotentiary; he does not need to consult with his home country to sign accords on its behalf.

64
Q

Define

filch

(filch)

A

v. to steal, esp. something unimportant

The girl was caught _filch_ing chalk from all the classrooms but would not say why she had done it.

65
Q

Define

fastness

(fast-niss)

A

n. a safe, fortified place

The guerrillas retreated to their mountain fastness in order to regroup and consolidate their battered forces.

66
Q

Define

bellwether

(bell-weth-ur)

A

n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes

The Midwest is considered a bellwether for the political tide of the nation, since trends often become apparent there sooner than in other states.

67
Q

Define

camarilla

(kam-uh-rill-uh)

A

n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive

The dictator was obsessed with the possibility of foreign attack, but it was his own disgruntled camarilla of aides who did him in in the end.

68
Q

Define

interregnum

(in-tur-reg-num)

A

n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders’ tenures

The interregnum that followed the king’s deposition ended only when one of the warlords grew strong enough to control the entire nation.

69
Q

Define

malinger

(muh-ling-gur)

A

v. to pretend to be sick

Souheila was known to malinger on test days, so her father insisted on taking her temperature before he would let her stay home from school.

70
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to meditate at length; to muse

v. to chew cud

A

ruminate

(roo-muh-neyt)

synonyms: think, ponder; chew, gnaw

71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. overly sentimental

A

maudlin

(mawd-lin)

synonyms: overemotional, gushing, mushy

72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to convene or call together

A

convoke

(kuhn-vohk)

synonyms: assemble, gather, summon

73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of flowing out

n. something that flows out

A

effluence

(eff-loo-uhns)

synonyms: outpouring, discharge, gushing

74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to shun or avoid

A

eschew

(ess-choo)

synonyms: abandon, abstain

75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. of walking, adapted for walking

A

ambulatory

(am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee)

synonyms: roaming, afoot, vagrant

76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an extremely tedious and complicated process

A

rigmarole

(rig-muh-rohl)

synonyms: red tape, tedium

77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to renounce, disavow, repudiate

A

forswear

(fuhr-swair)

synonyms: abandon, deny, reject

78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the science of good eating or cooking

n. cooking particular to a region

A

gastronomy

(gahss-strawn-uh-mee)

synonyms: cooking, culinary science

79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to be in accord; to agree; to suddenly shift from one side to another

A

jibe

(jahyb)

synonyms: agree, correspond

80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extremely loud and powerful

A

stentorian

(sten-tawr-ee-uhn)

synonyms: blaring, booming

81
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sad, tearful

A

lachrymose

(lak-rih-mowss)

synonyms: tearful, weepy, mournful

82
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to abolish or annul by authority

A

abrogate

(ab-ruh-geyt)

synonyms: cancel, dissolve, negate

83
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to puzzle or confuse

A

bemuse

(bih-myooz)

synonyms: addle, bewilder, perplex

84
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to censor, esp. obscenity

A

expurgate

(ek-spurr-gehyt)

synonyms: clean up, screen, whitewash

85
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. swollen

A

tumid

(too-mid)

synonyms: bloated, enlarged

86
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. trim, neat, or tidy

A

natty

(nah-tee)

synonyms: classy, clean

87
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who keeps guard

v. to watch over

A

sentinel

(sehn-tih-null)

synonyms: watchman, guard, lookout

88
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. charming, happy, engaging

A

winsome

(win-suhm)

synonyms: alluring, appealing, pleasing

89
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to engage in reconnaissance, to make a preliminary inspection of

A

reconnoiter

(ree-kuh-noy-ter)

synonyms: examine, inspect, scout

90
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. misconduct or wrongdoing (esp. by a public official)

A

malfeasance

(mal-fee-zuhnss)

synonyms: impropriety, delinquency

91
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. calm and peaceful, prosperous

A

halcyon

(hal-see-uhn)

synonyms: gentle, happy, harmonious

92
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. representing a country or other body with complete authority to act as its proxy

A

plenipotentiary

(plen-ih-poh-ten-shee-air-ee)

synonyms: authoritative, competent to represent

93
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to steal, esp. something unimportant

A

filch

(filch)

synonyms: take, pilfer

94
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a safe, fortified place

A

fastness

(fast-niss)

synonyms: stronghold, bunker

95
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an indicator, esp. one that predicts future outcomes

A

bellwether

(bell-weth-ur)

synonyms: prognosticator, sign

96
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a group of counselors to a leader, esp. ones who plot or connive

A

camarilla

(kam-uh-rill-uh)

synonyms: conspiracy, cabal

97
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the interval of time between the reign of a ruler and that of his successor; the time between two leaders’ tenures

A

interregnum

(in-tur-reg-num)

synonyms: hiatus, interruption

98
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to pretend to be sick

A

malinger

(muh-ling-gur)

synonyms: evade, play hooky

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