GRE vocab 3 Flashcards
(22 cards)
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others; a hater of humankind
Synonyms: cynic, hater
Memory trick: The sore loser became such a hater after he missed the chance to get another trophy
“Mr. Scrooge is a misanthrope - he dislikes everyone”
specious
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible; deceptively attractive
Synonyms: misleading, deceitful, inaccurate
Memory trick: A pornstar’s vagina may look specially delicious, but in reality it’s probably covered with STDs.
“Appearances can be specious.”
repudiate
to reject the validity of; refuse to accept
Synonyms: reject, disavow, dismiss
Memory trick: Trump gained a reputation of hate because he rejects everyone’s ideas and refuses to accept immigrants.
“The claim that the child was his was repudiated after the DNA test showed he was not the father”
desultory
lacking in order; disconnected; jumping from one thing to another; digressing from the main subject
Synonyms: random, aimless, haphazard
Memory trick: The sultry Tory kept making random sexual remarks while we were talking, resulting in a desultory conversation
“My ADD causes my throughts to sometimes act in a desultory manner when I am distracted.”
assuage
to make milder or less severe
Synonyms: appease, soothe, calm, mollify, relieve
Memory trick: When you’re little, you cry every time you fall down, but as you age, you learn how to assuage the pain.
“I used aspirin to assuage my headache”
deride
to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock
Synonyms: make fun of, disdain, ridicule
Memory trick: Santa’s reindeer ride is led by Rudolph, who once was mocked for his red nose
“Other children would deride me because I was awkward.”
pedant
someone who shows off learning; a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense
Memory trick: Pedro anticipates and answers every question, not letting the other students even have a chance to answer it.
“The guy from Good Will Hunting at the bar who was showing off to get the girls was such a pedant.”
corroborate
to confirm or give support to
Synonyms: confirm, validate, verify
Memory trick: Sounds like collaborate. Two criminals collaborating on a murder will corroborate each other’s story.
“The finger prints corroborated the victim’s testimony”
paragon
model of excellence; someone of exceptional merit
Synonyms: epitome, exemplar, apotheosis
Memory trick: Papa’s dragon is the fiercest and strongest of all dragons
“He is the paragon of what a son should be”
perfidious
willing to betray one’s trust
Synonyms: treacherous, deceitful, traitorous
Memory trick: His lover’s perfectly odious perfume on his shirt revealed his affair and betrayal.
“We were betrayed by a perfidious ally.”
dilatory
tending to delay or procrastinate; intended to cause delay, gain time, or defer decision
Synonyms: procrastinating, delayed, dallying
Memory trick: A dildo’s vibratory sensation delays a girl’s need to have sex with a real guy
“Pappy takes dilatory measures to delay a house fraud foreclosure”
inimical
adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful; unfriendly; hostile
Synonyms: destructive, adverse, injurious
Memory trick: -imical sounds like amicable. Amicable means friendly (think Spanish “amigo”), and in- reverses the meaning → not friendly
“High inflation may be inimical to economic growth”
insolent
boldly rude or disrespectful
Synonyms: rude, impolite, brazen
Memory trick: His insolent son ate a pig during lent
“To this demand they returned an insolent reply and refused to come”
chicanery
the use of trickery to achieve political, financial, or legal purpose
Synonyms: dishonesty, duplicity, deviousness
Memory trick: Las chicas (Spanish) use underhanded tricks to get to the top of the popularity ladder.
“Dishonest used car salesmen use chicanery to sell their cars.”
intransigent
refusing to agree or compromise
Synonyms: inflexible, obstinate, stubborn
Memory trick: The trans gentleman refuses to conform to his biological sex no matter what society says.
“The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in on time”
cogent
convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, or clear presentation; to the point; relevant; pertinent
Synonyms: effective, compelling, persuasive
Memory trick: That convincing gentleman is a skilled conman
“Swayed by the defense’s cogent argument, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.”
occlude
to stop up; prevent the passage of
Synonyms: block, clog, congest
Memory trick: The baby octopus blocked the dude’s throat to avoid being eaten alive
“Fat occluded his artery.”
antipathy
extreme dislike; an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling
Synonyms: disgust, animosity, detestation, hatred
Memory trick: think of the spectrum of caring:
antipathy – apathy – empathy
hate a lot – not care – care a lot
“The antipathy between the French and English frequently led to warfare”
disabuse
to free (a person) from deception or error; persuade someone that an idea is a mistake
Synonyms: debunk, disillusion, enlighten
Memory trick: I will disabuse her from the idea that she can just use these abs and objectify me like that.
“It will disabuse his mind of the notion that he has any claim on me.”
foment
to instigate or foster; promote the growth or development of
Synonyms: instigate, incite, provoke
Memory trick: The folk omens incited fear
“They accused him of fomenting political unrest.”
caustic
biting in wit; severely critical or sarcastic; capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue
Synonyms: abrasive, scathing, harsh
Memory trick: The harsh words he used against our cause stung like a stick up your ass.
“She gained a reputation for caustic wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults”
obdurate
stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing; resistant to persuasion
Synonyms: stubborn, obstinate, inflexible
Memory trick: durate→duro (Spanish “hard”)
Think of someone being hard and inflexible
“The bully was obdurate in his actions”
