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GRE Vocab > Most Common GRE Words > Flashcards

Most Common GRE Words Flashcards

1
Q

abate

A

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

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2
Q

abscond

A

to leave secretly

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3
Q

abstain

A

to choose not to do something

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4
Q

abyss

A

an extremely deep hole

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5
Q

adulterate

A

to make impure

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6
Q

advocate

A

to speak in favor of

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7
Q

aesthetic

A

concerning the appreciation of beauty

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8
Q

aggrandize

A

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

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9
Q

alleviate

A

to make more bearable

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10
Q

amalgamate

A

to combine; to mix together

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11
Q

ambiguous

A

doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways

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12
Q

ameliorate

A

to make better; to improve

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13
Q

anachronism

A

something out of place in time

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14
Q

analogous

A

similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

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15
Q

anomoly

A

deviation from what is normal

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16
Q

antagonize

A

to annoy or provoke to anger

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17
Q

antipathy

A

extreme dislike

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18
Q

apathy

A

lack of interest or emotion

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19
Q

arbitrate

A

to judge a dispute between to opposing parties

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20
Q

archaic

A

ancient; old fashioned

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21
Q

ardor

A

intense and passionate feeling

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22
Q

articulate

A

able to speak clearly and expressively

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23
Q

assuage

A

to make something unpleasant less severe

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24
Q

attentuate

A

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

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25
Q

audacious

A

fearless and daring

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26
Q

austere

A

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

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27
Q

banal

A

predictable, cliched, boring

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28
Q

bolster

A

to support; to prop up

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29
Q

bombastic

A

pompous in speech and manner

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30
Q

cacaphony

A

harsh, jarring noise

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31
Q

candid

A

impartial and honest in speech

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32
Q

capricious

A

changing one’s mind quickly and often

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33
Q

castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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34
Q

catalyst

A

something that brings about a change in something else

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35
Q

caustic

A

biting in wit

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36
Q

chaos

A

great disorder or confusion

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37
Q

chauvinist

A

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

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38
Q

chicanery

A

deception by means of craft or guile

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39
Q

cogent

A

convincing and well reasoned

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40
Q

condone

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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41
Q

convoluted

A

intricate and complicated

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42
Q

corroborate

A

to provide supporting evidence

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43
Q

credulous

A

too trusting; gullible

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44
Q

crescendo

A

steadily increasing volume or force

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45
Q

decorum

A

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

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46
Q

deference

A

respect, courtesy

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47
Q

deride

A

to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

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48
Q

dessicate

A

to dry out thoroughly

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49
Q

desultory

A

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

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50
Q

diatribe

A

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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51
Q

diffident

A

lacking self-confidence

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52
Q

dilate

A

to make larger; to expand

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53
Q

dilatory

A

intended to delay

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54
Q

dilettante

A

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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55
Q

dirge

A

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

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56
Q

disabuse

A

to set right; free from error

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57
Q

discern

A

to perceive, to recognize

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58
Q

disparate

A

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

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59
Q

dissemble

A

to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

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60
Q

dissonance

A

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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61
Q

dogma

A

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

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62
Q

dogmatic

A

dictatorial in one’s opinions

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63
Q

dupe

A

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

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64
Q

eclectic

A

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

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65
Q

efficacy

A

effectiveness

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66
Q

elegy

A

a sorrowful poem or speech

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67
Q

eloquent

A

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

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68
Q

emulate

A

to copy; to try to equal or excel

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69
Q

enervate

A

to reduce in strength

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70
Q

engender

A

to produce, cause, or bring about

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71
Q

enigma

A

a puzzle; a mystery

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72
Q

enumerate

A

to count, list, or itemize

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73
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting a short time

74
Q

equivocal

A

open to more than one interpretation; misleading

75
Q

equivocate

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

76
Q

erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable

77
Q

erudite

A

learned, scholarly, bookish

78
Q

esoteric

A

known or understood by only a few

79
Q

estimable

A

admirable

80
Q

eulogy

A

speech in praise of someone

81
Q

euphemism

A

use of an of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distateful one

82
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

83
Q

exculpate

A

to clear from blame, prove innocent

84
Q

exigent

A

urgent; requiring immediate action

85
Q

exonerate

A

to clear of blame

86
Q

explicit

A

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

87
Q

fanatical

A

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

88
Q

fawn

A

to grovel; kiss up to

89
Q

fervid

A

intensely emotional; fervish

90
Q

florid

A

excessively decorated or embellished

91
Q

foment

A

to arouse or incite

92
Q

frugality

A

a tendency to be thrifty or cheap

93
Q

garrulous

A

tending to talk alot

94
Q

gregarious

A

outgoing, sociable

95
Q

guile

A

deceit or trickery

96
Q

gullible

A

easily deceived

97
Q

homogeneous

A

of a similar kind

98
Q

iconoclast

A

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

99
Q

imperturbable

A

not capable of being disturbed

100
Q

impervious

A

impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected (a good raincoat will be impervious to moisture)

101
Q

impetuous

A

quick to act without thinking

102
Q

implacable

A

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

103
Q

inchoate

A

not fully formed; disorganized

104
Q

ingenuous

A

showing innocence or childlike simplicity

105
Q

inimical

A

hostile; unfriendly

106
Q

innocuous

A

harmless

107
Q

insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor

108
Q

intransigent

A

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

109
Q

inundate

A

to overwhelm; to cover with water

110
Q

irascible

A

easily made angry

111
Q

laconic

A

using few words

112
Q

lament

A

to express sorrow; to grieve

113
Q

laud

A

to give praise; to glorify

114
Q

lavish

A

to give unsparingly (v) extremely generous or extravagant (adj)

115
Q

lethargic

A

acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

116
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

117
Q

lucid

A

clear and easily understood

118
Q

luminous

A

bright, brilliant, glowing

119
Q

malinger

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

120
Q

malleable

A

capable of being shaped

121
Q

metaphor

A

a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol

122
Q

meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

123
Q

misanthrope

A

a person who dislikes others

124
Q

mitigate

A

to soften; to lessen

125
Q

mollify

A

to calm to make less severe

126
Q

monotony

A

lack of variation

127
Q

naive

A

lacking sophistication or experience

128
Q

obdurate

A

hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

129
Q

obsequious

A

overly submissive nad eager to please

130
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn, unyielding

131
Q

obviate

A

to prevent, to make unecessary

132
Q

occlude

A

to stop up; to prevent the passage of

133
Q

onerous

A

troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

134
Q

opaque

A

impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light

135
Q

opprobrium

A

public disgrace

136
Q

ostentation

A

excessive showiness

137
Q

paradox

A

a contradiction or dilemma

138
Q

paragon

A

model of excellence or perfection

139
Q

pedant

A

someone who shows off learning

140
Q

peridious

A

willing to betray one’s trust

141
Q

perfunctory

A

done in a routine way; indifferent

142
Q

permeate

A

to penetrate

143
Q

philanthropy

A

charity; a desire or an effort to promote goodness

144
Q

placate

A

to soothe or pacify

145
Q

plastic

A

able to be molded, altered, or bent

146
Q

plethora

A

excess

147
Q

pragmatic

A

practical as opposed to idealistic

148
Q

precipitate

A

to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

149
Q

prevaricate

A

to lie or deviate from the truth

150
Q

pristine

A

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

151
Q

prodigal

A

lavish, wasteful

152
Q

proliferate

A

to increase in number quickly

153
Q

propitiate

A

to conciliate; to appease

154
Q

propriety

A

correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

155
Q

prudence

A

wisdom, caution, or restraint

156
Q

pungent

A

sharp and irritating to the senses

157
Q

quiscent

A

motionless

158
Q

rarefy

A

to make thinner or sparser

159
Q

repudiate

A

to reject the validity of

160
Q

reticent

A

silent, reserved

161
Q

rhetoric

A

effective writing or speaking

162
Q

satiate

A

to satisfy fully or overindulge

163
Q

soporific

A

causing sleep or lethargy

164
Q

specious

A

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

165
Q

stigma

A

a mark of shame or discredit

166
Q

stolid

A

unemotional; lacking sensitivity

167
Q

sublime

A

lofty or grand

168
Q

tacit

A

done without using words

169
Q

taciturn

A

silent, not talkative

170
Q

tirade

A

a long, harsh speech or verbal attack

171
Q

torpor

A

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

172
Q

transitory

A

temporary, lasting a brief time

173
Q

vacillate

A

to sway physically; to be indecisive

174
Q

venerate

A

to respect deeply

175
Q

veracity

A

truthfulness; accuracy

176
Q

verbose

A

wordy

177
Q

vex

A

to annoy

178
Q

volatile

A

easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive

179
Q

waver

A

to fluctuate between choices

180
Q

whimsical

A

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable

181
Q

zeal

A

passion, excitement

182
Q

capricious

A

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior, inconsistent

GRE Vocab (1 decks)

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