GRE supplemental 4 Flashcards

1
Q

emollient

A

adj. soothing; making less harsh; mollifying n. an agent that softens or soothes the skin

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1
Q

n. an expression of praise

A

accolade

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1
Q

v. to lose or lack vitality; fail to make progress or be successful v. suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant situation

A

languish

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1
Q

adj. unfortunate; inappropriate

A

infelicitous

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2
Q

demur

A

v. to question or oppose

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2
Q

imperturbable

A

adj. marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness

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2
Q

n. a harsh denunciation

A

diatribe

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3
Q

pithy

A

adj. precise and brief

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3
Q

v. to feel deep respect or admiration for

A

revere

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4
Q

n. a mournful poem (esp. one lamenting the dead)

A

elegy

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5
Q

axiom

A

a universally recognized principle

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5
Q

eclectic

A

adj. composed of elements drawn from various sources

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6
Q

polemical

A

adj. controversial; argumentative

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6
Q

adj. intended to teach or instruct

A

didactic

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7
Q

n. substance which accelerates a chemical reaction without changing; a person or thing that causes change

A

catalyst

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8
Q

furtive

A

adj. marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

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8
Q

pedagogy

A

n. the profession or principles of teaching or instructing

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8
Q

adj. awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

A

redoubtable

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8
Q

adj. lethargic; sluggish; dormant (n. torpor)

A

torpid

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9
Q

v. to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

A

preen

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11
Q

inveigle

A

v. to obtain by deception or flattery

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11
Q

mendacity

A

n. the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty

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11
Q

adj. extremely harmful; potentially causing death

A

pernicious

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11
Q

n. a work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humour or derision

A

satire

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11
Q

adj. playful; humorous

A

facetious

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12
Q

v. to obstruct or block

A

occlude

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13
Q

aver

A

v. to state as a fact; to declare or assert

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13
Q

adj. having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

A

malevolent

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14
Q

adj. burning or stinging; causing corrosion

A

caustic

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14
Q

v. to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

A

proliferate

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15
Q

adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent

A

incipient

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16
Q

caustic

A

adj. burning or stinging; causing corrosion

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16
Q

preen

A

v. to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

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16
Q

n. questions; doubts in the mind; reservations

A

queries

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17
Q

halcyon

A

adj. calm and peaceful

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17
Q

placate

A

v. to appease; to calm by making concessions

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17
Q

v. to grow rapidly or flourish

A

burgeon

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18
Q

impecunious

A

adj. lacking funds; without money

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19
Q

adj. calm and peaceful

A

halcyon

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19
Q

adj. marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

A

furtive

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20
Q

tirade

A

n. a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation

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21
Q

adj. penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

A

penurious

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23
Q

sanction

A

v. to give permission or authority to n. authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance

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24
Q

opprobrium

A

n. disgrace; contempt; scorn

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24
Q

v. to drink deeply

A

quaff

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24
Q

adj. characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail

A

meticulous

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25
Q

prolific

A

adj. producing large volumes or amounts; productive

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25
Q

idolatrous

A

adj. given to intense or excessive devotion to something

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26
Q

contrite

A

adj. regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

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27
Q

adj. sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of others

A

gregarious

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28
Q

exonerate

A

v. to remove blame

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29
Q

didactic

A

adj. intended to teach or instruct

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30
Q

inert

A

adj. unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

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31
Q

malevolent

A

adj. having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

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33
Q

penury

A

n. poverty; destitution

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34
Q

adj. greatly emotional or zealous

A

fervent

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35
Q

adj. characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment

A

rancorous

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35
Q

n. severe criticism or punishment

A

castigation

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36
Q

primp

A

v. to spend time making minor adjustments to

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37
Q

adj. pertaining to wisdom

A

sapiential

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38
Q

adj. extremely talkative

A

loquacious

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39
Q

evanescent

A

adj. tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

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40
Q

v. to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

A

adulterate

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41
Q

surreptitious

A

adj. kept secret (esp. because not approved)

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41
Q

eccentric

A

adj. departing from norms or conventions

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43
Q

pernicious

A

adj. extremely harmful; potentially causing death

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43
Q

putrefy

A

v. to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

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45
Q

surfeit

A

v. to feed or supply to excess; n. an overabundant supply; excess

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47
Q

insipid

A

adj. without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland

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48
Q

adj. composed of elements drawn from various sources

A

eclectic

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49
Q

n. the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty

A

mendacity

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50
Q

v. to state as a fact; to declare or assert

A

aver

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51
Q

v. to give permission or authority to n. authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance

A

sanction

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53
Q

spurious

A

adj. lacking authority or validity; false; counterfeit

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54
Q

gregarious

A

adj. sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of others

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55
Q

fervent

A

adj. greatly emotional or zealous

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56
Q

penurious

A

adj. penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

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57
Q

v. to spend time making minor adjustments to

A

primp

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57
Q

v. to disguise or conceal; to mislead

A

dissemble

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57
Q

adj. departing from norms or conventions

A

eccentric

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59
Q

acumen

A

n. keen, accurate judgment or insight

60
Q

intransigent

A

adj. refusing to compromise

61
Q

n. immunity from punishment or penalty

A

impunity

62
Q

adj. misleadingly attractive; plausible but false

A

specious

64
Q

adulation

A

n. excessive praise; intense adoration

65
Q

v. to invalidate; to repeal; to retract

A

rescind

66
Q

adj. enabling a person to learn something for themselves (perhaps “hands on” or by trial and error)

A

heuristic

67
Q

adj. producing large volumes or amounts; productive

A

prolific

69
Q

revere

A

v. to feel deep respect or admiration for

71
Q

castigation

A

n. severe criticism or punishment

73
Q

tenuous

A

adj. having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak

75
Q

cacophony

A

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

76
Q

n. the profession or principles of teaching or instructing

A

pedagogy

77
Q

n. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

A

ebullience

78
Q

n. excessive praise; intense adoration

A

adulation

79
Q

loquacious

A

adj. extremely talkative

79
Q

adj. brief; fleeting

A

ephemeral

80
Q

adj. tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

A

evanescent

82
Q

grandiloquence

A

n. pompous speech or expression (designed to impress)

82
Q

peevish

A

adj. easily irritated (esp. by unimportant things)

84
Q

infelicitous

A

adj. unfortunate; inappropriate

86
Q

quaff

A

v. to drink deeply

87
Q

adj. kept secret (esp. because not approved)

A

surreptitious

89
Q

torpid

A

adj. lethargic; sluggish; dormant (n. torpor)

90
Q

adj. revealing no emotion

A

impassive

91
Q

rancorous

A

adj. characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment

92
Q

adj. overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one’s knowledge

A

pedantic

93
Q

n. the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. complaisant)

A

complaisance

94
Q

n. a speech honoring the dead

A

eulogy

96
Q

accolade

A

n. an expression of praise

96
Q

dearth

A

n. smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

97
Q

n. pompous speech or expression (designed to impress)

A

grandiloquence

99
Q

harangue

A

v. to deliver a pompous speech or tirade n. a long pompous speech

99
Q

adj. soothing; making less harsh; mollifying n. an agent that softens or soothes the skin

A

emollient

100
Q

v. to obtain by deception or flattery

A

inveigle

102
Q

chary

A

adj. wary; cautious; sparing

103
Q

v. to deliver a pompous speech or tirade n. a long pompous speech

A

harangue

104
Q

implacable

A

adj. not capable of being appeased or significantly changed

105
Q

diatribe

A

n. a harsh denunciation

106
Q

adj. wary; cautious; sparing

A

chary

108
Q

adj. without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland

A

insipid

109
Q

n. cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. discrete)

A

discretion

110
Q

adj. lacking funds; without money

A

impecunious

112
Q

n. smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

A

dearth

113
Q

v. to defame; to characterize harshly

A

vilify

114
Q

specious

A

adj. misleadingly attractive; plausible but false

116
Q

hegemony

A

n. the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

117
Q

n. stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

A

quiescence

118
Q

v. to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

A

pine

119
Q

v. to feed or supply to excess; n. an overabundant supply; excess

A

surfeit

120
Q

adj. controversial; argumentative

A

polemical

121
Q

adj. precise and brief

A

pithy

122
Q

adj. fleeting; passing quickly; brief

A

transient

123
Q

adj. recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish

A

prodigal

124
Q

adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

A

stoic

125
Q

v. to question or oppose

A

demur

127
Q

bombastic

A

adj. pompous; grandiloquent

128
Q

disinterested

A

adj. free of bias or self-interest; impartial

130
Q

impunity

A

n. immunity from punishment or penalty

131
Q

adj. marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness

A

imperturbable

132
Q

v. to appease; to calm by making concessions

A

placate

133
Q

recalcitrant

A

adj. obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage

134
Q

adj. regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

A

contrite

135
Q

satire

A

n. a work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humour or derision

136
Q

dogmatic

A

adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

138
Q

heuristic

A

adj. enabling a person to learn something for themselves (perhaps “hands on” or by trial and error)

139
Q

v. to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

A

putrefy

140
Q

redoubtable

A

adj. awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

141
Q

adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

A

dogmatic

143
Q

transient

A

adj. fleeting; passing quickly; brief

144
Q

ebullience

A

n. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

145
Q

proliferate

A

v. to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

146
Q

prodigal

A

adj. recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish

148
Q

pine

A

v. to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

149
Q

impassive

A

adj. revealing no emotion

151
Q

adj. not capable of being appeased or significantly changed

A

implacable

153
Q

burgeon

A

v. to grow rapidly or flourish

154
Q

adj. lacking authority or validity; false; counterfeit

A

spurious

155
Q

repudiate

A

v. to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown

156
Q

eulogy

A

n. a speech honoring the dead

157
Q

n. a superficial remark (esp. one offered as meaningful)

A

platitude

158
Q

adulterate

A

v. to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

159
Q

discretion

A

n. cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. discrete)

160
Q

adj. refusing to compromise

A

intransigent

161
Q

languish

A

v. to lose or lack vitality; fail to make progress or be successful v. suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant situation

162
Q

n. a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation

A

tirade

163
Q

n. the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

A

hegemony

164
Q

ephemeral

A

adj. brief; fleeting

166
Q

meticulous

A

adj. characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail

167
Q

facetious

A

adj. playful; humorous

168
Q

v. to remove blame

A

exonerate

169
Q

n. keen, accurate judgment or insight

A

acumen

170
Q

adj. given to intense or excessive devotion to something

A

idolatrous

172
Q

complaisance

A

n. the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. complaisant)

173
Q

v. to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown

A

repudiate

175
Q

quiescence

A

n. stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

176
Q

incipient

A

adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent

177
Q

n. poverty; destitution

A

penury

178
Q

stoic

A

adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

179
Q

misanthrope

A

n. one who hates all other humans

180
Q

adj. having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak

A

tenuous

181
Q

platitude

A

n. a superficial remark (esp. one offered as meaningful)

182
Q

adj. free of bias or self-interest; impartial

A

disinterested

183
Q

subpoena

A

n. a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

184
Q

a universally recognized principle

A

axiom

185
Q

queries

A

n. questions; doubts in the mind; reservations

186
Q

elegy

A

n. a mournful poem (esp. one lamenting the dead)

187
Q

adj. obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage

A

recalcitrant

188
Q

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

A

cacophony

189
Q

rescind

A

v. to invalidate; to repeal; to retract

190
Q

catalyst

A

n. substance which accelerates a chemical reaction without changing; a person or thing that causes change

192
Q

sapiential

A

adj. pertaining to wisdom

193
Q

adj. easily irritated (esp. by unimportant things)

A

peevish

194
Q

dissemble

A

v. to disguise or conceal; to mislead

195
Q

adj. pompous; grandiloquent

A

bombastic

196
Q

occlude

A

v. to obstruct or block

197
Q

n. one who hates all other humans

A

misanthrope

198
Q

n. disgrace; contempt; scorn

A

opprobrium

199
Q

adj. unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

A

inert

200
Q

n. a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

A

subpoena

201
Q

pedantic

A

adj. overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one’s knowledge

202
Q

vilify

A

v. to defame; to characterize harshly