GRE Advanced Vocab I Flashcards
(100 cards)
1
Q
Prognostication
A
A statement made about the future
2
Q
Precipitate
A
Hasty or rash; to cause to happen
3
Q
Excoriate
A
To criticize very harshly
4
Q
Cow
A
To intimidate; hector
5
Q
Limpid
A
Having clarity in terms of expression
6
Q
Factitious
A
Artificial; not natural
7
Q
Histrionic
A
To be overly theatrical
8
Q
Base
A
The lowest, without any moral principles
9
Q
Jejune
A
Dull; lacking flavor; immature; childish
10
Q
Venial
A
Easily excused or forgiven; pardonable
11
Q
Mulct
A
To defraud or swindle
12
Q
Truculent
A
Having a fierce, savage nature
13
Q
Choleric
A
Prone to outbursts of temper
14
Q
Pollyannaish
A
Extremely optimistic
15
Q
Remonstrate
A
To make objections while pleading
16
Q
Malfeasance
A
Misconduct; wrongdoing
17
Q
Arch
A
To be deliberately teasing
18
Q
Plucky
A
Marked by courage and determination
19
Q
Apotheosis
A
Exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development
20
Q
Curmudgeon
A
A grouchy, surly person
21
Q
Fell
A
Terribly evil
22
Q
Gaffe
A
A socially awkward or tactless act
23
Q
Defray
A
To help pay the cost of, either in part or in full
24
Q
Bilious
A
Irritable; always angry
25
Bowdlerize
Censor; omitting or modifying indelicate parts
26
Nadir
The lowest point
27
Picayune
Trifling or petty
28
Execrate
To curse; to hiss at
29
Imbroglio
Confusing and potentially embarrassing situation
30
Alacrity
Eagerness and willingness to do something
31
Sangfroid
Calmness; poise
32
Untoward
Unfavorable; inconvenient
33
Beg
To assume something is true (usually followed by "the question")
34
Arrant
Complete and wholly (usually used for nouns with negative connotation)
35
Feckless
Lazy and irresponsible
36
Mettlesome
Filled with courage and valor
37
Blinkered
Having a limited outlook or understanding
38
Quisling
A traitor
39
Sybarite
A person who indulges in luxury
40
Equivocate
To speak vaguely, with intention to deceive; prevaricate
41
Protean
Readily taking on different roles; versatile
42
Supercilious
Haughty and disdainful; looking down on others
43
Expansive
Communicative; prone to talking in a sociable manner
44
Maudlin
Overly emotional and sad
45
Exegesis
Critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text
46
Phantasmagorical
Illusive; unreal
47
Catholic
Of broad scope; universal
48
Impecunious
Lacking money; poor
49
Peremptory
Bossy; domineering
50
Churlish
Lacking manners or refinement
51
Diatribe
Strong verbal attack against something or someone
52
Factious
Produced by, or characterized by, internal dissention
53
Perfunctory
Done routinely and with little interest
54
Approbatory
Expressing praise or approval
55
Parvenu
A person who suddenly became wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of the higher class
56
Sententious
To be moralizing, usually in a pompous tone
57
Indigent
Poor, having very little; a poor or needy person
58
Turpitude
Depravity; a depraved act
59
Contentious
Likely to argue
60
Apostate
A person who has abandoned a religious faith
61
Benighted
Fallen into a state of ignorance
62
Attenuate
To weaken in terms of intensity; to taper off; wane
63
Hector
To bully or intimidate; cow
64
Quixotic
Wildly idealistic; impractical
65
Portentous
Ominously prophetic
66
Martinet
A strict disciplinarian
67
Tendentious
Likely to lean toward a controversial view
68
Vicissitude
Change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse
69
Penurious
Lacking money; miserly; poor
70
Lascivious
Lecherous; sexually perverted
71
Sartorial
Related to fashion or clothing
72
Schadenfreude
Joy from watching the suffering of others
73
Pyrrhic
Describing a victory that comes at a great cost such that the victory is not worthwhile
74
Derelict
Not doing one's duties; abandoned
75
Mellifluous
Smooth and sweet-sounding
76
Malapropism
The confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar
77
Ponderous
Weighed-down; moving slowly
78
Expurgate
To remove objectionable material
79
Sedulous
Done diligently and carefully
80
Vituperate
To criticize harshly; to berate
81
Palimpsest
Something that has changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can be seen
82
Invective
Abusive or denunciatory language
83
Expunge
To eliminate completely
84
Saturnine
Morose; gloomy
85
Propitiate
To placate or appease
86
Mordant
Biting or harsh in thought, manner, or style
87
Jaundiced
To be biased against something due to envy or prejudice
88
Chary
Cautious; suspiciously reluctant to do something
89
Cupidity
Greed for money
90
Anodyne
Something that soothes and relieves pain; inoffensive, innocuous
91
Caustic
Sarcastic in a scathing way
92
Anathema
A detested person; source of somebody's hate
93
Overweening
Arrogant; presumptuous
94
Disabuse
To persuade somebody that his or her belief is not valid
95
Arriviste
A person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber
96
Juggernaut
A force that cannot be stopped
97
Byzantine
Intricate and complex
98
Anemic
Lacking energy and vigor
99
Fractious
Irritable and likely to cause friction
100
Conciliate
To make peace with
