GRE

Question 1

She gave an equivocal answer

Trump’s equivocal relationship with white nationalism

Answer 1

ambiguous, ambivalent, vague (veɪɡ) (ɪˈkwɪvəkl)

Question 2

But that may not be enough to assuage voters.

Answer 2

ease or lessen, alleviate (pain), satisfy (hunger); soothe, appease, mollify, placate (anger), allay (əˈsweɪdʒ)

Question 3

she was a well-respected and erudite scholar

They are most erudite when speaking of violence

Answer 3

learned; scholarly (ˈerudaɪt)

Question 4

prodigal in their expenditures
they countenance prodigal borrowing
He is a bit of a prodigal son figure

Answer 4

wasteful, squandering; profligate (ˈprɑːflɪɡət), squanderer (ˈprɑːdɪɡl)

Question 5

the enigma of Irene’s disappearance

it’s a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma

Answer 5

conundrum, puzzle, mystery (ɪˈnɪɡmə)

Question 6

The advertisement is aimed at gullible young women

gullible Trump supporters are still convinced that he is a self-made man

Answer 6

naive, credulous, easily deceived, unwary (ʌnˈweri) (ˈɡʌləbl)

Question 7

fervid melodrama
fervid opposition to the Iran nuclear deal
a fervid day in August

Answer 7

passionate, fervent (ˈfɜːrvənt), fierce (fɪrs), ardent (ˈɑːrdnt), earnest (ˈɜːrnɪst), zealous (ˈzeləs) vehement (ˈviːəmənt) (ˈfɜːrvɪd)

Question 8

he shimmering wheat fields are desiccated

a desiccate romance/culture

Answer 8

dehydrate, dry up, exsiccate; arid, dull (ˈdesɪkeɪtɪd)

Question 9

The water supply had been adulterated with chemicals from the soil

Answer 9

contaminate, spoil, dilute (əˈdʌltəreɪt)

Question 10

problems engendered by the restructuring of the company

The place engendered immediate feelings of friendship

Answer 10

caused to happen, bring about, instil, inculcate (ɪnˈdʒendər)

Question 11

He is particularly loquacious on the topic of politics

Answer 11

garrulous (ˈɡærələs), chatty, talkative, voluble (ləˈkweɪʃəs)

Question 12

It is a critic’s job to follow every ephemeral fashion

Answer 12

short-lived, transient, transitory

impermanent, temporary (ɪˈfemərəl)

Question 13

His laconic comment was, ‘Too bad!’

Answer 13

succinct, concise, curt, terse (ləˈkɑːnɪk)

Question 14

Nobody questioned the propriety of her actions
They were careful to observe the proprieties
Putting aside questions of propriety, is this true?

Answer 14

suitableness, correctness, properness (prəˈpraɪəti) - correct and acceptablemoral and social behaviour

Question 15

They do not advocate the use of violence

experts advocate rewarding your child for good behaviour

Answer 15

campaign for, tout, urge, promote (ˈædvəkeɪt)

Question 16

our fear of hell purports to enervate good behavior

this energy bill would enervate America

Answer 16

weaken, make feeble - enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate (ˈenərveɪt)

Question 17

our fear of hell purports to enervate good behavior

The main purport of my writing is, to tell you that

Answer 17

aim, intend, mean; profess (pərˈpɔːrt)

Question 18

At one time, he was venerated across China

Answer 18

revere, esteem, admire, adore (rɪˈvɪr) (ˈvenəreɪt)

Question 19

It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision
You’re too ingenuous

Answer 19

naive, gullible; innocent, frank, open (ɪnˈdʒenjuəs)

Question 20

He gave a funeral eulogy for James Baldwin

a eulogy to marriage

Answer 20

a praising speech, tribute, acclamation (ˈjuːlədʒi)

Question 21

to remain obdurate

Some members are likely to prove obdurate on this matter

Answer 21

stubborn, obstinate, implacable, inexorable (ɪnˈeksərəbl), relentless, indomitable (ɪnˈdɑːmɪtəbl) (ˈɑːbdərət)

Question 22

In 90 days, if Beijing prevaricates, tariffs will increase
Stop prevaricating and come to the point
And once again Trump prevaricated on the war in Iraq

Answer 22

beat about the bush, equivocate, dodge, avoid straight answer, mislead (prɪˈværɪkeɪt)

Question 23

He became positively garrulous after a few glasses of wine

Answer 23

loquacious (ləˈkweɪʃəs) , chatty, talkative, voluble (ˈɡærələs)

Question 24

It’s easier to learn when you’re young and malleable

the truth is malleable, instrumental, subjective

Answer 24

flexible, adaptable, easily influenced or changed, pliable (ˈmæliəbl)

Question 25

The weather made her lethargic

I was lethargic and tired all the time

Answer 25

lazy, sluggish, lackadaisical, slothful (ləˈθɑːrdʒɪk)

Question 26

He still sees no need to indulge in ornament or ostentation

Answer 26

boasting, bragging, flamboyance, pretentiousness (ˌɑːstenˈteɪʃn)

Question 27

a demure smile/blouse

he did not demur at using words like “craven”

Answer 27

modest, shy, reticent; hesitate, falter (ˈfɔːltər), wobble on (ˈwɑːbl), waver on/about/between (ˈweɪvər), dither over (ˈdɪðər), vacillate between (ˈvæsəleɪt), scruple about (ˈskruːpl) (dɪˈmjʊr)/(dɪˈmɜːr)

Question 28

The government is keen to allay the public’s fears

The inquiry has done little to allay suspicion

Answer 28

assuage, console, solace, quell, soothe, appease, mollify, placate, mitigate (əˈleɪ)

Question 29

can be construed as a violation

Her words could hardly be construed as an apology

Answer 29

interpret, deduce (kənˈstruː)

Question 30

Capital punishment is a highly emotive issue

Answer 30

emotional, causing to feel strong emotions (ɪˈmoʊtɪv)

Question 31

bland special effects
bland background music
After the meeting, a bland statement was issued

Answer 31

humdrum, dull, insipid, tasteless, unexciting (blænd)

Question 32

chicken served with a piquant sauce

Answer 32

spicy, savory, pungent (ˈpʌndʒənt) (ˈpiːkənt)

Question 33

I look forward to some serious indolence, like binge- watching “Babylon Berlin”

Answer 33

sloth, laziness, slothfulness, sluggishness, torpidness, lackadaisicalness (ˈɪndələns)

Question 34

She felt a slight queasiness in the mornings

It’s possible that Amazon is feeling a similar queasiness around the show

Answer 34

nausea, wanting to vomit; anxiety, nervousness, misgiving, qualm, disquiet, apprehension, agitation (ˈkwiːzinəs)

Question 35

he cloying sentimentality of her novels

Answer 35

sickly sweet, over-sentimental (ˈklɔɪɪŋ)

Question 36

Petrodollars and the fear of a knock on the door still buy quiescence
A new study sheds light on a biological process called quiescence

Answer 36

dormancy, inactivity, ease (kwiˈesns)

Question 37

The captain’s behaviour is above/beyond reproach

Such living conditions are a reproach to our society

Answer 37

rebuke, reprehension, reproof, admonishment (rɪˈproʊtʃ)

Question 38

to draw conclusions about the drugs’ efficacy

Answer 38

effectiveness (ˈefɪkəsi)

Question 39

I offer a berry to Locke, but he demurs

Answer 39

show reluctance; hesitate, falter (ˈfɔːltər), wobble on (ˈwɑːbl), waver on/about/between (ˈweɪvər), dither over (ˈdɪðər), vacillate between (ˈvæsəleɪt) scruple about (ˈskruːpl) (dɪˈmɜːr)

Question 40

whimsical story

whimsical trip to Europe

Answer 40

weird, amusing, fanciful;

capricious, impulsive (ˈwɪmzɪkl)

Question 41

I overcame my moral scruples

He had no scruples about spying on her

Answer 41

principle, rule/standard of good behavior;

misgiving, qualm, queasiness, dimur, agitation (ˈskruːpl)

Question 42

a shout of approbation

Answer 42

approval, agreement (ˌæprəˈbeɪʃn)

Question 43

Canada’s public castigation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights practices

Answer 43

severe scolding, verbal punishment, chastisement, rebuke, reproof (ˈtʃæstɪzmənt) (ˌkæstɪˈɡeɪʃn)

Question 44

the beneficent powers of Nature

Answer 44

giving help; showing kindness; generous, benevolent (bəˈnevələnt)
benign (bɪˈnaɪn) (bɪˈnefɪsnt)

Question 45

chastisement

Answer 45

castigation, rebuke, reproof (ˈtʃæstɪzmənt)

Question 46

physical chastisement leads to a lower quality of parent-child relationship

Answer 46

castigation, rebuke, reproof (ˈtʃæstɪzmənt)

Question 47

an egregious error

Answer 47

brazen, atrocious (əˈtroʊʃəs), flagrant (ˈfleɪɡrənt), nefarious (nɪˈferiəs), deplorable (ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs)