Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook > O > Flashcards

O Flashcards

(71 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

obdurate

A

adj. stubborn

They remained obdurate about their position.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

obeisance

A

n. deference or homage

Once a year the king’s subjects pay him obeisance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

obfuscation

A

n. act of confusing, obscuring

The witness used obfuscation to hide the truth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

objectify

A

v. to present or regard as an object or make objective or external

The idea of justice is objectified in the novel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

objective

A

adj. not influenced by emotions; fair; unbiased

The judge was objective in evaluating the evidence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

objet d’art

A

n. object with artistic value

During the war the museum stored its most valuable objets d’art in a vault.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

oblique

A

adj. indirect, evasive; misleading, devious

Many people missed the writer’s oblique reference.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

obliterate

A

v. to destroy completely

The explosion obliterated the house.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

oblivion

A

n. state of not being aware

We experience oblivion when we sleep.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

oblivious

A

adj. not aware

The audience was oblivious of the events occurring backstage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

obloquy

A

n. abusively detractive language; ill repute

Obloquy was heaped on the negotiator for failing to prevent the war.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

obscure

A

adj. dim, unclear; not well-known

The reference was to a obscure author.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

obscure

A

v. to make dim or unclear; conceal in obscurity

The view of the valley is obscured by the high-rise apartments.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

obsequious

A

adj. overly submissive

The servants are obsequious.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

obsequy

A

n. funeral ceremony

Obsequies were held for the obsolescent model.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

obsolete

A

adj. outmoded; no longer used; old-fashioned

The model car became obsolete last year.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

obstinate

A

adj. stubborn

Jim is obstinate about not wanting to rewrite his essay.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

obstreperous

A

adj. troublesome, boisterous, unruly

The crowd became obstreperous.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

obtrusive

A

adj. pushy; too conspicuous

The teacher supervising the exam tried not to be obtrusiove.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

obtuse

A

adj. insensitive, stupid, dull

His obtuse remark showed how stupid he could be.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

obviate

A

v. to make unnecessary; anticipate and prevent

The increase in revenue has obviated the need for a price increase.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

occlude

A

v. to shut, block

The cloud is occluding the moon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

occult

A

adj. related to supernatural phenomena; secret

The religious teacher revealed his occult knowledge to his closest followers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Ockham’s razor

A

n. the principle that no more assumptions than necessary should be made in explaining a phenomenon

Most philosophers would probably agree that Ockham’s razor should be used with great care.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
odious
adj. hateful, contemptible The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for his odious crime.
26
odyssey
n. a long adventurous voyage; a quest Tom's odyssey took him to over fifty countries.
27
oeuvre
n. the sum of the lifework of an artist The professor is writing a study of the author's oeuvre.
28
officious
adj. too helpful, meddlesome We're tried of the officious fools interfering in our affairs.
29
ogle
v. to stare at The man ogled the pretty girl.
30
olfactory
adj. concerning the sense of smell The air pollution has impaired his olfactory sense.
31
oligarchy
n. government by a few After the coup d'état the generals formed an oligarchy to run the country.
32
oligopoly
n. a situation in which there are few sellers so that action by any one of them will affect price The government is investigating the situation to see if an oligopoly exists.
33
ombudsman
n. a person who investigates complaints and mediates settlements between parties Some Americans advocate the more widespread use of ombudsmen in this country.
34
ominous
adj. threatening There were ominous troop movements on the country's border.
35
omnipotent
adj. having unlimited power The emperor feels he is virtually omnipotent.
36
omniscient
adj. having infinite knowledge Many novels use an omniscient narrator.
37
omnivorous
adj. eating everything; absorbing everything Human beings are omnivorous.
38
onerous
adj. burdensome The judge has the onerous duty of sentencing convicted criminals to prison.
39
onomatopoeia
n. formation or use of words that imitate sounds of actions they refer to The words hiss, buzz, and whack are examples of onomatopoeia.
40
ontology
n. theory about the nature of existence Ontology is a subject for philosophy, not science.
41
onus
n. a difficult responsibility or burden "The onus is on each of you to master the material," the professor told the class.
42
opalescent
adj. iridescent, displaying colors The diamond is opalescent.
43
opaque
adj. not transparent; obscure; unintelligible The prose of the French structuralist can be described as opaque.
44
operative
adj. functioning, working, most important The operative word in the phrase "greatest living writer" is "living."
45
opine
v. to express an opinion The newspaper columnist opines on every topic under the sun.
46
opportune
adj. appropriate, fitting It is an opportune time for a coffee break.
47
opportunist
n. person who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage Opportunists took advantage of the disaster to raise prices.
48
opprobrium
n. disgrace; contempt The cowardly act brought opprobrium on the soldier.
49
opulence
n. wealth The wedding allowed the family to display its opulence.
50
oracle
n. person who foresees the future and gives advice; prediction of the future Lucy consulted an oracle to find out when she would be married.
51
oracular
adj. prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous None of us understood the oracular utterance.
52
oration
n. lecture, formal speech The subject of the senator's oration is foreign policy.
53
orb
n. spherical body; eye The astronauts are in orbit around a large orb.
54
orchestrate
v. to arrange music for performance; coordinate, organize The election campaign was orchestrated by the White House.
55
ordain
v. to make someone a priest or minister; order Father O'Brien was ordained in 1992.
56
ornate
adj. elaborately ornamented The art pieces are too ornate for my taste.
57
ornithologist
n. scientist who studies birds The ornithologist discovered a new bird species.
58
orthodox
adj. traditional; conservative The new book challenges orthodox thinking on the subject.
59
oscillate
v. to move back and forth The governor is oscillating between two positions on the issue.
60
osmosis
n. diffusion of a fluid; gradual assimilation or absorption Learning a language is to some degree a process of osmosis.
61
ossify
v. to turn to bone; become rigid; make rigidly conventional The dead animal's skin ossified.
62
ostensibly
adv. apparently; professedly The purpose of the test was ostensibly to measure the students' improvement.
63
ostentation
adj. showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious The billionaire urged his family to avoid ostentatious displays of wealth during the recession.
64
ostracism
n. exclusion, temporary banishment The warrior faces ostracism from his tribe.
65
ouster
n. expulsion, ejection The ouster of the country from the United Nations was applauded around the world.
66
outré
adj. unconventional; eccentric The town is not as bohemian as in the past, but the outré spirit does survive.
67
overt
adj. open and observable The CIA has detected no overt signs of an invasion.
68
overture
n. musical introduction; proposal, offer The company rejected the merger overture.
69
overweening
adj. presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing The tragic hero is brought down by his overweening pride.
70
overwrought
adj. agitated, overdone Don't make the decision in your overwrought condition.
71
oxymoron
n. the combining of incongruous or contradictory terms The phrase "deafening silence" is an oxymoron.

Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook (26 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions