GRE Most Used Vocab Words Flashcards
(145 cards)
0
Q
Abscond
A
To leave secretly.
The patron ASCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
1
Q
Abate
A
To reduce in amount, degree, or severity.
As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
2
Q
Abyss
A
An extremely deep hole
3
Q
Adulterate
A
To make impure
The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water.
4
Q
Advocate
A
To speak in favor of
5
Q
Aesthetic
A
Concerning the appreciation of beauty
6
Q
Aggrandize
A
To increase in power, influence, and reputation.
The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actual her own
7
Q
Alleviate
A
To make more bearable.
8
Q
Amalgamate
A
To combine; to mix together
9
Q
Ambiguous
A
Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways.
10
Q
Ameliorate
A
To make better; to improve
11
Q
Anachronism
A
Something out of place in time
The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years.
12
Q
Analogous
A
Similar or alike in some ways; equivalent to.
13
Q
Anomaly
A
Deviation from what it normal
14
Q
Antagonize
A
To annoy or provoke to anger
15
Q
Antipathy
A
Extreme dislike.
The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.
16
Q
Apathy
A
Lack of interest or emotion.
17
Q
Arbitrate
A
To judge a dispute between two opposing parties.
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forces to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.
18
Q
Archaic
A
Ancient, old fashioned.
19
Q
Ardor
A
Intense and passionate feeling.
bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson valley
20
Q
Articulate
A
Able to speak clearly and expressively
21
Q
Assuage
A
To make something unpleasant less severe
22
Q
Attenuate
A
To reduce in force or degree; to weaken.
23
Q
Audacious
A
Fearless and daring
24
Austere
Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated.
25
Banal
Predictable, cliched, boring
He used BANAL phrases like "have a nice day" or "another day another dollar"
26
Bolster
To support; to prop up.
The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.
27
Bombastic
Pompous in speech and manner
The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact
28
Cacophony
Harsh, jarring noise
29
Candid
Impartial and honest in speech.
The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.
30
Capricious
Changing ones mind quickly and often
31
Castigate
To punish or critisize harshly
32
Catalyst
Something that brings about a change in something else
33
Caustic
Biting in wit
34
Chicanery
Deception by means of craft or guile
Dishonest used car sales people often use CHICANERY to see their beat up old cars.
35
Cogent
Convincing and well reasoned.
Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice by to aquit the defendant.
36
Convoluted
Intricate and complicated
37
Corroborate
To provide supporting evidence.
38
Credulous
Too trusting; gullible
39
Decorum
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct ; propriety
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace
40
Deference
Respect, courtesy
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE
41
Deride
To speak if it treat with contempt; to mock
The awkward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers
42
Desiccate
To dry out thoroughly
After a few weeks of lying in the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely DESICCATED
43
Desultory
Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
Diane has a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.
44
Diatribe
An abusive, condemnatory speech
The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the other driver who had cut him off
45
Diffident
Lacking self-confidence
Steve's DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.
46
Dilatory
Intended to delay
The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill.
47
Dilettante
Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Jerry's friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week
48
Dirge
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Melville wrote a poem "a DIRGE for James McPherson" for a funeral of a union general who was killed in 1864
49
Disabuse
To set right; to free from error
Galileo's observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth.
50
Discern
To perceive; to recognize
It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter flavored topping
51
Disparate
Fundamentally different; entirely unlike
Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE.
52
Dissemble
To present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
The villian could DISSEMBLE to be police no longer - he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.
53
Dissonance
A harse and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.
54
Dogma
A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
Linus's central DOGMA was that the children who believed in the great pumpkin would be rewarded.
55
Dogmatic
Dictatorial in one's opinions
The dictator was DOGMATIC. He and only he was right
56
Efficacy
Effectiveness
57
Elegy
A sorrowful poem or speech
58
Eloquent
Persuasive and moving, especially in speech
59
Emulate
To copy; to try to equal or excel
60
Enervate
To reduce in strength
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army.
61
Engender
To produce, cause, or bring about.
His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of clowns.
62
Enigma
A puzzle; a mystery
63
Enumerate
To count, list, or itemize
64
Ephemeral
Lasting a short time
65
Equivocate
To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
When face with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them.
66
Erratic
Wandering and unpredictable
The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience.
67
Erudite
Learned, scholarly, bookish
68
Esoteric
Known or understood by only a few
69
Etstimable
Admirable
Many people consider it ESTIMABLE that mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India
70
eulogy
Speech in praise of someone
71
Euphemism
Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM sleeping instead of the word dead
72
Exacerbate
To make worse
73
Exculpate
To clear from blame; prove innocent
74
Exigent
Urgent; requiring immediate action
75
Exonerate
To clear of blame
76
Explicit
Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
77
Fanatical
Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
78
Fawn
To grovel
The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.
79
Fervid
Intensely emotional; feverish.
The fans of Maria callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great singer
80
Florid
Excessively decorated or embellished
81
Foment
To arouse or incite
The protestors tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations
82
Frugality
Tendency to be thrifty or cheap
83
Garrulous
Tending to talk a lot
84
Guile
Deceit or trickery
85
Iconoclast
One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions.
His lack of regards for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST
86
Impervious
Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture
87
Impetuous
Quick to act without thinking
88
Implacable
Unaware to be calmed down or made peaceful
89
Inchoate
Not fully formed; disorganized
The ideas expressed in Nietzches mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing
90
Ingenuous
Showing innocence or childlike simplicity
91
Inimical
Hostile, unfriendly
92
Innocuous
Harmless
93
Insipid
Lacking interest or flavor
94
Intransigent
Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled.
95
Inundate
To overwhelm; to cover with water
96
Irascible
Easily made angry
97
Laconic
Using few words
98
Lament
To express sorrow; to grieve
The child contributed to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after it's demise
99
Laud
To give praise; to glorify
100
Loquacious
Talkative
101
Malinger
To evade reaponsibility by pretending to be ill
102
Misanthrope
A person who dislikes others
103
Mitigate
To soften; to lessen
A judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decides that the perish committed a crime out of need
104
Mollify
To calm or make less severe
105
Monotony
Lack of variation
106
Obdurate
Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
107
Obsequious
Overly submissive and eager to please
108
Obstinate
Stubborn, unyielding
109
Obviate
To prevent; to make unnecessary
110
Occlude
To stop up; prevent passage of
111
Onerous
Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
112
Opprobrium
Public disgrace
After a scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM
113
Ostentation
excessive showiness
114
Paragon
Model of excellence or perfection
115
Pedant
Someone who shows off learning.
116
Perfidious
Willing to betray one's trust
117
Perfunctory
Done in a routine way; indifferent
118
Placate
To soothe or pacify
The burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by offering a treat
119
Pragmatic
Practical as opposed to idealistic
120
Precipitate
To throw violently or bring about abruptly; leaking deliberation
121
Prevaricate
To lie or deviate from the truth
122
Prodigal
Lavish, wasteful
123
Propitiate
To conciliate; to appease
The managment PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members
124
Prudence
Wisdom, caution, or restraint
125
Quiescent
Motionless
126
Rarefy
To make thinner or sparser
127
Repudiate
To reject there validity of
128
Reticent
Silent, reserved
129
Soporific
Causing sleep or lethargy
130
Specious
Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious.
131
Stolid
Unemotional; lacking sensitivity
132
Sublime
Lofty or grand
133
Tacit
Done without using words
134
Taciturn
Silent, not talkative
135
Torpor
extreme ment and physic sluggishness
136
Vacillate
To sway physically; to be indecisive
137
Venerate
To respect deeply
138
Verbose
Wordy
139
Vex
Annoy
140
Volatile
Easily aero used or changeable; lively or explosive
141
Waver
To fluctuate between choices
142
Zeal
Passion, excitement
143
Morose
Sullen and ill tempered
144
Dolorous
Feeling depressed, great sorrow
