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GRE Test Prep > Key Terms Group 2 > Flashcards

Key Terms Group 2 Flashcards

This is deck 2 of common words on the GRE. (76 cards)

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1
Q

abate (verb)

A

to lessen in intensity or degree

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2
Q

accolade (noun)

A

an expression of praise

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3
Q

adulation (noun)

A

excessive praise; intense adoration

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4
Q

aesthetic (adjective)

A

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

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5
Q

ameliorate (verb)

A

to make better or more tolerable

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6
Q

ascetic (noun)

A

one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion

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7
Q

avarice (noun)

A

greed, especially for wealth (adjective: avaricious)

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8
Q

axiom (noun)

A

a universally recognized principle (adjective: axiomatic)

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9
Q

burgeon (verb)

A

to grow rapidly or flourish

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10
Q

bucolic (adjective)

A

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

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11
Q

cacophony (noun)

A

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adjective: cacophonous)

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12
Q

canon (noun)

A

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adjective: canonical)

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13
Q

castigation (noun)

A

severe criticism or punishment (verb: castigate)

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14
Q

catalyst (noun)

A

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

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15
Q

caustic (adjective)

A

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

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16
Q

chary (adjective)

A

wary; cautious; sparing

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17
Q

cogent (adjective)

A

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

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18
Q

complaisance (noun)

A

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adjective: complaisant)

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19
Q

contentious (adjective)

A

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

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20
Q

contrite (adjective)

A

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun: contrition)

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21
Q

culpable (adjective)

A

deserving blame (noun: culpability)

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22
Q

dearth (noun)

A

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

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23
Q

demur (verb)

A

to question or oppose

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24
Q

didactic (adjective)

A

intended to teach or instruct

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25
discretion (noun)
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adjective: discreet)
26
disinterested (adjective)
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
27
dogmatic (adjective)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (noun: dogma)
28
ebullience (noun)
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adjective: ebullient)
29
eclectic (adjective)
composed of elements drawn from various sources
30
elegy (noun)
a mournful of poem, especially one lamenting the dead (adjective: elegiac)
31
emollient (adjective/noun)
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin
32
empirical (adjective)
based on observation or experiment
33
enigmatic (adjective)
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (noun: enigma)
34
ephemeral (adjective)
brief; fleeting
35
esoteric (adjective)
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
36
eulogy (noun)
a speech honoring the dead (verb: eulogize)
37
exonerate (verb)
to remove blame
38
facetious (adjective)
playful; humorous
39
fallacy (noun)
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adjective: fallacious)
40
furtive (adjective)
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
41
gregarious (adjective)
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
42
harangue (verb/noun)
to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing
43
heretical (adjective)
violating accepted dogma or convention (noun: heresy)
44
hyperbole (noun)
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adjective: hyperbolic)
45
impecunious (adjective)
lacking funds; without money
46
incipient (adjective)
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
47
inert (adjective)
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
48
innocuous (adjective)
harmless; causing no damage
49
intransigent (adjective)
refusing to compromise (noun: intransigence)
50
inveigle (verb)
to obtain by deception or flattery
51
morose (adjective)
sad; sullen; melancholy
52
odious (adjective)
evoking intense aversion or dislike
53
opaque (adjective)
impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
54
oscillation (noun)
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb: oscillate)
55
penurious (adjective)
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
56
pernicious (adjective)
extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
57
peruse (verb)
to examine with great care (noun: perusal)
58
pious (adjective)
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun: piety)
59
precursor (noun)
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
60
preen (verb)
to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
61
prodigious (adjective)
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
62
prolific (adjective)
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
63
putrefy (verb)
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adjective: putrid)
64
quaff (verb)
to drink deeply
65
quiescence (noun)
stillness; motionless; quality of being at rest (adjective: quiescent)
66
redoubtable (adjective)
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
67
sanction (noun/verb)
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
68
satire (noun)
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adjective: satirical)
69
squalid (adjective)
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (noun: squalor)
70
stoic (adjective)
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun: stoicism)
71
supplant (verb)
to take the place of; to supersede
72
torpid (adjective)
lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun: torpor)
73
ubiquitous (adjective)
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
74
urbane (adjective)
sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun: urbanity)
75
vilify (verb)
to defame; to characterize harshly
76
viscous (adjective)
thick; sticky (noun: viscosity)

GRE Test Prep (6 decks)

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