GRE vocab 2 Flashcards
(25 cards)
acclamation
n. loud and enthusiastic approval, typically to welcome or honor someone or something.
abjure
v. solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).
chagrin
n. distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated.
v. feel distressed or humiliated.
bemuse
v. puzzle, confuse, or bewilder (someone).
altruism
n. the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
relativism
n. the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute
malfeasance
n. wrongdoing, esp. by a public official.
supercilious
adj. behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
sardonic
adj. grimly mocking or cynical.
fatuous
adj. silly and pointless.
ribald
adj. referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way.
imprudent
adj. not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash.
acumen
n. the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.
acrid
adj. having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell
trenchant
adj. vigorous or incisive in expression or style.
adj. (of a weapon or tool) having a sharp edge.
mellifluous
adj. (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
recondite
adj. (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.
punctilious
adj. showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.
vociferous
adj. (esp. of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous.
waggish
humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner.
mien
n. a person’s look or manner, esp. one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.
enfeeble
v. make weak or feeble.
truculent
adj. eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
panegyric
n. A panegyric is a formal public speech, or (in later use) written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical.
