GRE words Flashcards
terminology to practice for the GRE exam
1
Q
“speculative”
A
- hypothetical, theoretical, abstract
2. involving high risk of loss
2
Q
“derivative”
A
- imitative of another source
3
Q
“eclecticism”
A
- broad range of subjects
4
Q
“depict”
A
- portray, present, describe, show, represent
5
Q
“temporal”
A
- secular, worldly (not spiritual)
- time-related (like 1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- temporal region in the head
6
Q
“arbiter”
A
- se1. having large influence over others
ttles disputes - has authority
7
Q
“patron”
A
- customer/client
2. sponsor (gives money for a cause)
8
Q
“crass”
A
- NO class, sensitivity, etc
9
Q
“diminutive”
A
- small
10
Q
“belie(s/d)”
A
- surprisingly opposite of what is expected
11
Q
“cosmopolitan”
A
- includes many different ethnicities/countries; multicultural
12
Q
“erudite”
A
- academically experienced, learned, prestigously academic
13
Q
“sedulous”
A
- diligent, hard working
14
Q
“deferential”
A
- respectful
15
Q
“austere”
A
- plain/simple/ascetic
2. strict
16
Q
“plausible”
A
- reasonable
- probable
- persuasive
17
Q
“statuary”
A
- relating to statues
18
Q
“concede”
A
- admit
- give into something (surrender)
19
Q
“generalization”
A
- inferring based on a specific case
“from this case, I am generalizing that…”
20
Q
“cursory”
A
- quick and haste
21
Q
“cognizant”
A
- being aware of
22
Q
“repudiate”
A
- NOT accept/be associated with
23
Q
“acquiesce”
A
- reluctant acceptance
24
Q
“mercurial”
A
- sudden/unpredictable changes (in mood/behaviour)
25
"vain"
1. self-absorbed
| 2. useless/pointless
26
"temperance"
1. moderation/self-control
27
"notoriety"
- famous for a bad reason
| ie. , infamous
28
"eminence"
- fame for excellence; superior
29
"tumultuous"
- uproar, disorder
30
"providential"
- occurring at a favourable time (divine timing, perfect timing)
31
"dispassionate"
- not swayed by emotion, therefore can be impartial
32
"precarious"
- uncertain, insecure, will collapse
33
"predilection"
- preference
34
"despondent"
- low spirits, disheartened, hopeless
35
"amiable"
- friendly (think, mon amie in french, my friend)
36
"enlist"
- enroll
37
"effrontery"
- rude behaviour, audacity,
38
"palatability"
- accepting or pleasant to taste
39
"extolment"
- praise highly
40
"sequester"
1. to hide away
| 2. take legal possession of something until paid off (like debt)
41
"ensue"
- happening afterward. "the hopeless feel that ensued after the breakup"
42
"trifling"
- trivial, insignificant
43
"pioneering"
- the first to inhabit new (ideas, land)
44
"ameliorate"
- alleviate, make better
45
"ascertain"
- discover (the cause)
46
"exacerbate"
- worsen
47
"cumbersome"
- too large/heavy to use efficiently
48
"haphazard"
- disorganized
49
"zealous"
- enthusiastic, passionate
50
"backhanded"
1. indirect, uncertain, ambiguous
| 2. insincere
51
"frugal"
- thrifty (with money and food)
52
"thrifty"
- using resources carefully and not wastefully
53
"equanimity"
- being calm/composed in difficult situations
54
"divergent"
- different
55
"disparate"
- different
56
"interchangeable"
- identical/similar
57
"prophetic"
1. predicting future
| 2. relating to prophets
58
"harbinger"
- sign, indicator
59
"virtual"
- practically (almost) the same, but not identical
| "virtually the same thing"
60
"obscure"
- not known/seen
61
"incongruous"/"incongruent"
- not in harmony with surrounding
62
"equitable"
- fair, just, equal
63
"fortuitous"
- luck, chance, accident
64
"copious"
- abundant, lots, considerable
65
"acerbic"
- sharp, biting, harsh, cutting
66
"scathing"
- very critical
67
"miserliness"
1. extreme money-saving
2. extremely mean
3. feeling inadequate/small
68
"stingy"
- unwilling to spend
| - not generous
69
"diffidence"
- modesty/shyness from lack of self-confidence
70
"illiberal"
- not open to freedom of thought/behaviour
| - uncultured/mean
71
"intolerant"
- unaccepting of views other than one's own
72
"fanciful"
- overimaginative and unrealistic
73
"involved" (not involve, which means to include, but involveD)
1. complicated, difficult to understand
| 2. connected to/concerned with someone on a deep personal level "he's involved with her"
74
"inconsequential"
- insignificant
75
"demanding"
1. requires lot of skill/effort
| 2. demanding others
76
"partisan"
1. follower of a cause
| 2. biased towards a cause
77
"erudite"
- showing great deal of knowledge
78
"insular"
- ignorant/uninterested/narrow-minded towards other's cultures/experience
79
"imperturbable"
- calm. not upset or excited, even.
80
"patent"
- obvious
81
"pervasive"
- spreading unwelcomingly
82
a) "adorn"
| b) "unadorn"
a) to make more beautiful
| b) to make plain
83
"exigent"
- demanding
84
"extraneous"
- irrelevant/unrelated
85
"garrulous"
- really talkative
86
"munificent"
- generous, large
87
a) resolute
| b) irresolute
a) certain, determined
| b) uncertain
88
"laconic"
- using very few words; to the point, brief
89
"fastidious"
- very detailed and cleaned, scrupulous,
90
taciturn
- untalkative
91
"solicitous"
- concerned, interested, anxious to do something
92
"sporadic"
- scattered
93
"irascible"
- irritable
94
"pugnacious"
- eager/quick to argue/fight
95
"fitfully"
- irregularly
96
"judicious"
- good judgement
97
"mendacity"
= lying
98
"evasive"
= indirect, avoidance, lying
99
"prevaricate"
= evasive
100
"baseness"
= immoral, bad character,
101
"avarice"
= greedy
102
"aesthetic"
- relating to beauty
103
"innocuous"
- inoffensive, unimportant, uninteresting
104
"soporific"
- causing sleepiness
105
"esoteric"
1. few know about it
| 2. rare/special interest
106
"servile"
- excessive need to please others
107
"obsequious"
- excessively attentive/obedient
108
"fawning"
- exaggerated display of flattery to someone; obsequious
109
"flattery"
- excessive or insincere praise
110
"meticulous"
- detail-attentive, precise, fussy
111
"pragmatic"
= practical, sensible, realistic not theoretical or idealistic
112
"ephemeral"
- fleeting, temporary ("fame only ephemeral")
113
"gregarious"
= sociable, likeable
114
"merit"
- worthy of praise/reward
115
"specious"
- superficially plausible, but actually wrong
- misleading in appearance
(politic speech, etc)
116
"audacious"
- recklessly bold/brave/daring/uninhibited
117
"ascetic"
- severe self-discipline away from indulgences
118
"intelligible"
= comprehensible, understandable
119
"lucid"
- easily understandable, clear
120
"caustic"
1. sharply critical/sarcastic; acerbic (sharp, bitter)
| 2. corrosive, able to burn through
121
"acerbic"
- sharpy, forthright, bitter, acidic
122
"onerous"
- having burdensome obligations/duties that outweigh the advantages
"i did so much work for this little money?"
123
"prodigal"
= spendthrift
| - living/spending extravagantly/irresponsibly
124
"condemn"
- attack/disapprove
125
"denunciation"
publicly condemn someone/something
126
"rant"
- long passionate speech about something
127
"impassioned"
- very passionately
128
"tirade"
- *long fuming speech of *criticism
129
"diatribe"
- *sharply abusive **condemnation
130
"anomaly"
- abnormal, unusual, incongruent, inconsistent
131
"dissent"
- going opposite of the norm; rebellious
132
"maverick"
- unorthodox, independent-minded, eccentric, original, non-conforming free spirit of a person
133
"dignity"
- composed/serious manner worthy of respect
134
"decorum"
- dignified speech, dress and behaviour
135
"eulogy"
speech/writing praising a person/thing
136
"precipitate"
1. cause something to happen unexpectedly/prematurely
| 2. change to solid
137
"catalyst"
a person/thing that suddenly causes something to occur
138
"smug"
- excessive pride in oneself
139
"complacent"
- high self-regard and uncritical satisfaction with one's own achievements. "i don't need to do any work, i'm already perfect"
140
"disclination"
- no enthusiasm
141
"aversion"
- strong dislike
142
"antipathy"
strong dislike
143
"disdain"
- being one unworthy of respect
144
"scorn"
contempt
145
"dormant"
suspended, slow
146
"torpor"
laziness, lethargic, dormant
147
"complicit"
involved in a wrong activity (like crime)
148
"iconoclast"
1. one who attacks deeply held (religious) beliefs
| 2. one who destroys religious images
149
"efficacy"
effectiveness
150
"discordant"
1. harsh, unpleasant, unharmonious
| 2. incongruent, disagreeing
151
"cacophony"
- harsh, unharmonious sound
152
"deference"
- humble and respectful submission
153
"propriety"
- conforming to the norm
| sounds like "proper"
154
"quell"
end, suppress, quieten
155
"pacify"
quieten down, suppress, end
156
"mitigate"
- make less severe
157
"appease"
1. alleviate
| 2. satisfy
158
"placate"
- to calm anger by promising a reward
159
"mollify"
- to alleviate one's anxiety/anger
160
"concession"
- reward in return of something
| eg) allowance
161
"enervate"
- to weaken/drain mentally, physically or morally
162
"vacillate"
- to go back and forth (oscillating/fluctuating) between two things, indecisively
163
"waver"
- to be indecisive, unsteady, unreliable, irresolute
164
"fortify"
strengthen
165
"bolster"
- support, strengthen, prop up
166
"gainsay"
oppose, deny, dispute, contradict
167
"conjecture"
- form an opinion based on incomplete information
168
"aggrandize"
to make greater (beyond facts)
169
"burgeon"
1. grow quickly
| 2. start to grow; bud through
170
"abate"
= lessen something bad
171
"disabuse"
- to correct someone's wrong idea
172
"acquitt"
1. free someone from jail because they're innocent
| 2. conduct oneself in a way
173
"vindicate"
1. clear someone of blame
| 2. to verify
174
"exculpate"
1. clear someone of blame
175
"instigate"
- to initiate/begin
176
"foment"
- to begin and develop something
177
"sanction"
1. to allow
| 2. to punish
