GRE Major Tests Chapter 1

Question 1

Abhor

Answer 1

hate

ex) I abhor discrimination of any kind.

Question 2

Bigot

Answer 2

narrow-minded, prejudiced person

ex) Because Donald is Bigot, he is always looking for a reason to dislike somebody.

Question 3

Counterfeit

Answer 3

fake, false

ex) counterfeit goods/software etc.

Question 4

Enfranchise

Answer 4

giving voting rights

ex) The Enfranchise of EU citizens.

Question 5

Hamper

Answer 5

to make it difficult for someone to do something.

ex) An attempt to rescue the men has been hampered by bad weather.

Question 6

Kindle

Answer 6

to start fire

ex) As a sociology teacher, my job is to kindle my students interests in the cultures of the world.

Question 7

Noxious

Answer 7

harmful, poisonous

ex) Noxious fumes.

Question 8

Placid

Answer 8

calm, peaceful

ex) The Lake was placid and still under the moonlight.

Question 9

Remuneration

Answer 9

payment for work done

ex) The Salary earned by teachers is not enough remuneration for all the work they do daily.

Question 10

Talisman

Answer 10

lucky charm

ex) Catherine believed if she destroyed the talisman she would have seven years of misfortune.

Question 11

Abrasive

Answer 11

rough, harsh

ex) She has a rather abrasive manner.

Question 12

Bilk

Answer 12

cheat, defraud

ex) He bilked clients out of tens of millions of dollars.

Question 13

Covert

Answer 13

hidden, undercover

ex) He has taken in part in a number of covert military operations.

Question 14

Engender

Answer 14

cause

ex) The issue has engendered a considerable amount of debate.

Question 15

Hangar

Answer 15

storage area (like garage) for a plane

ex) The plane taxied across the field to the hangar.

Question 16

Knotty

Answer 16

complex, difficult to solve

ex) I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast.

Question 17

Nuance

Answer 17

something subtle, a fine shade of meaning

ex) Careful observers picked up on the nuances of his gestures.

Question 18

Plagiarism

Answer 18

taking credit for someone else’s writing or ideas

ex) Other writers can easily plagiarize your copy.

Question 19

Renown

Answer 19

fame

ex) He achieved great renown for his discoveries.

Question 20

Tangent

Answer 20

going off the main subject

ex) It surprised everyone when our history teacher went off on a tangent about physics.

Question 21

Abasement

Answer 21

humiliation, degradation

ex) Because Mark hated himself, he often tried to abase others by calling them names.

Question 22

Billowing

Answer 22

swelling, fluttering, waving

ex) Sheets billowing in the breeze.

Question 23

Cower

Answer 23

recoil in fear or servility, shrink away from

ex) Even though my son was terrified, he refused to cower in front of the school bully.

Question 24

Enhance

Answer 24

improve

ex) Garlic enhances the flavor of meals.

Question 25

Harangue

Answer 25

noisy, attacking speech ex) Even thought the members of the church were falling asleep, the minister continued his harangue on the evils of society.

Question 26

Labyrinth

Answer 26

a maze ex) I got lost in a Labyrinth.

Question 27

Nullify

Answer 27

to counter, make unimportant, cancel the effectiveness of something ex) Hopefully the coffee will nullify the drowsy effects of the medication and allow me to stay awake,

Question 28

Plaintiff

Answer 28

petitioner (in court of law) ex) The plaintiff must be a resident of the state for two years before filling a petition for divorce.

Question 29

Replete

Answer 29

full, abundantly supplied or provided ex) Indeed, the book is replete with descriptive detail.

Question 30

Tangible

Answer 30

can be touched ex) The trial judge was only interested in evidence that was tangible and visible.

Question 31

Abrogate

Answer 31

cancel, deny, repeal ex) You cannot abrogate anyone's right to the speech.

Question 32

Blasphemy

Answer 32

speech which offends religious sentiments ex) To say that man is precisely what God made him to be is sheer blasphemy.

Question 33

Credible

Answer 33

believable ex) The government has failed to present any credible evidence supporting its claims.

Question 34

Enigma

Answer 34

puzzle, mystery ex) Some clue to his enigma might be found by asking a lot of questions.

Question 35

Harbingers

Answer 35

indicators, bringers of warnings ex) Whenever I see clouds, I know they are a harbinger of an approaching storm.

Question 36

Labyrinthine

Answer 36

complicated, highly convoluted ex) Its hard to find my classes at the labyrinthine building at my school.

Question 37

Nuzzle

Answer 37

cuddle, snuggle ex) He said nothing for a moment then lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.

Question 38

Plaudit

Answer 38

statement giving strong praise ex) The parents begged that their daughter hard received many plaudits for her academic achievements.

Question 39

Reprehensible

Answer 39

shameful, very bad ex) Her attitude is most reprehensible.

Question 40

Tardy

Answer 40

slow, late ex) The manager is too tardy and deserves to be demoted.

Question 41

Absolution

Answer 41

forgiveness, pardon ex) The killer got on his knees and begged for absolution for his execution.

Question 42

Blatant

Answer 42

obvious ex) When the judge heard the defendant's blatant lie, he became very angry.

Question 43

Creditable

Answer 43

praiseworthy ex) The team produced a creditable performance.

Question 44

Ensconce

Answer 44

establish firmly in a position, placed in a secure environment ex) Once my youngest daughter is ensconced in her bed, I can enjoy some quiet time.

Question 45

Hasten

Answer 45

hurry ex) Failing to wash your hands properly will hasten the spread of the flu virus.

Question 46

Laceration

Answer 46

a cut ex) He suffered a laceration to his head and face.

Question 47

Obdurate

Answer 47

stubborn ex) Although all evidence was against her, Ciara was still obdurate in her conclusion that the prisoner was innocent.

Question 48

Plausible

Answer 48

can be believed ex) The latter explanation might be the more plausible of the two.

Question 49

Reprieve

Answer 49

respite, postponement of a sentence ex) He was sentenced to death but then reprieved.

Question 50

Tawdry

Answer 50

of little value, cheap ex) Although my Aunt has a lot of money, she always wear such tawdry jewelry.