Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GRE > set 1 > Flashcards

set 1 Flashcards

1
Q

abjure

A

reject

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

abject

A

miserable

After the death of his wife, he was an abject man

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

abscond

A

depart secretly

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

abeyance

A

temporary suspension

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

abstemious

A

moderate use of sth

Bcoz i was abstemious with alcohol in my youth, now i am quite healthy

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

accretion

A

growth in size

accretion of terror -1000s wounded

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

accrue

A

increase

john’s goal in life is to accrue as much money

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

abysmal

A

very bad

the movie’s plot was so abyssmal the critic left the theater after five mins

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

aberrant

A

diverging from normal

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

abate

A

reduce

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

admonish

A

to warn someone not to do something, in a kind way, or to tell someone to do something

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

adulterate

A

to make sth weaker or worse by adding sth else

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

advocate

A

to support/reccommend

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

aesthetic

A

concerned with beauty

would you mind giving me your aesthetic opinion of my new handbag?

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

affected

A

fake/not sincere

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

aggrandize

A

enlarge/increase

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

alacrity

A

speed and eagerness

She accepted the money with alacrity.

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

alchemy

A

a type of chemistry that would change ordinary metals into gold and with trying to find a medicine that would cure any disease

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

allay

A

to make a negative emotion less strong or a problem less difficult
seeing her, allayed my fears

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

alleviate

A

to make sth bad like problems or pain less severe

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

alloy

A

to spoil something or reduce it in value

My pleasure in receiving the letter was somewhat alloyed by its contents.

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

amalgamate

A

to join together or unite, or to cause to join together

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

ambiguous

A

having more than one possible meaning, and therefore likely to cause confusion

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

ambivalence

A

state of having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel
The young people discussed their ambivalence about ambition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

ambrosia

A

food eated by Greek gods/ pleasant food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

ameliorate

A

to make a bad situation better

Drinking didn’t ameliorate the man’s problems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

amenable

A

willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion

is this contract amenable to change?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

amulet

A

an object worn because it is believed to protect against evil, disease, or unhappiness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

anachronism

A

someone or something placed in the wrong period in history, or something that belongs to the past rather than the present
He uses only e-mail, never anachronistic regular mail.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

analogous

A

having similar features to another thing and therefore able to be compared with it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

anarchy

A

a situation in which there is no organization and control, especially in society, because there is no effective government

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

anodyne

A

not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull
He would say anodyne things that didn’t offend people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

anomalous

A

different from what is usual, or not in agreement with something else and therefore not satisfactory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

antecedent

A

previous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

antediluvian

A

extremely old fashioned

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

antipathy

A

strong dislike/opposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

apathy

A

lack of interest, or the attitude of not caring resulting from it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

apogee

A

most successful, popular, or powerful point

Just when his power reached its apogee, he began losing his grip

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

apothegm

A

short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth
Time heals, according to the ever-popular apothegm.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

appease

A

to prevent further disagreement by giving to the other side something that they have demanded
the government had changed the law in order to appease their critics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

appellation

A

a name/title

As a child, he received the appellation “Mouse”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

apposite

A

suitable and right for the occasion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

apprise

A

to tell someone sth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

approbation

A

approval or agreement

Kids need their fathers’ approbation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

appropriate

A

TAKE:to take something for your own use, usually without permission
KEEP MONEY:to keep an amount of money to use for a particular purpose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

apropos

A

1) suitable in a particular situation or at a particular time
eg. clothes that are apropos to the occasion
2) used to introduce something that is related to or connected with something that has just been said
eg. Apropos what you said yesterday, …..

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

arabesque

A

ballet/ art (leaves,flowers together)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

ardor

A

enthusiasm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

arduous

A

difficult, needing a lot of effort

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

argot

A

words and expressions that are used by small groups of people and that are not easily understood by other people eg: thieves argot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

artless

A

simple and not wanting to deceive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

ascetic

A

avoiding physical pleasures and living a simple life, often for religious reasons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

asperity

A

the quality of being severe (harsh) in the way that you speak and behave

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

aspersion

A

An attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

assiduous

A

showing hard work, care, and attention to detail

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

assuage

A

to make unpleasant feelings less strong

the government has tried to assuage the public’s fears

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

astringent

A
  1. Astringent remarks are clever but unkind or criticize someone
  2. Having a dry, sour, slightly bitter taste or smell
  3. An astringent substance causes the skin or other tissue to tighten
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

atavism

A

a feeling or reaction that comes from long ago in human history, rather than being necessary or appropriate in modern times
Ruby’s red locks were viewed as atavism since her great-grandmother had the red hue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

audacious

A

showing a willingness to take risks or offend people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

austere

A

1) very simple, with only the things that are absolutely necessary
2) plain and without decoration or unnecessary details
3) severe and unfriendly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

avarice

A

greed

62
Q

altruism

A

practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others

63
Q

agog

A

very eager/curious to hear or see sth

64
Q

arbiter

A

person who settles a dispute

65
Q

aver

A

to say that sth is definitely true

66
Q

avocation

A

work you do in addition to your main job or profession, especially for enjoyment
Trisha excelled at the avocation of sewing and ultimately turned it into a career.

67
Q

avuncular

A

friendly, kind, or helpful, like the expected behaviour of an uncle

68
Q

axiomatic

A

obviously true and therefore not needing to be proved

69
Q

bacchanalian

A

boring, ordinary, and not original > movie

70
Q

banter

A

conversation that is funny and not serious

71
Q

bard

A

poet

72
Q

bawdy

A

containing humorous remarks about sex

73
Q

beatify

A

to describe or think of someone as if they are extremely good and have no fault

74
Q

behemoth

A

something that is extremely large and often extremely powerful

75
Q

belie

A

to show something to be false, or to hide something

His gruff manner belied a gentle personality

76
Q

beneficent

A

helping people and doing good acts

77
Q

blandishment

A

pleasant words or actions to persuade someone to do sth

78
Q

blase

A

bored

79
Q

bombastic

A

using long and difficult words to make people think you know more than you do

80
Q

boorish

A

rude and not considering other people’s feelings

81
Q

brazen

A

obvious, without any attempt to be hidden

brazen lie

82
Q

broach

A
  1. OPEN : a bottle/ barrel

2. BEGIN : a discussion of sth difficult

83
Q

bucolic

A

relating to the countryside

84
Q

burgeoned

A

to develop

85
Q

burnish

A

to polish

to improve sth like your public image

86
Q

buttress

A

to make support for an idea or argument stronger by providing a good reason for it

87
Q

cacophonous

A

unpleasant mixture of sounds

88
Q

cadge

A

to (try to) get something from someone else without paying for it
Can I cadge a lift home?

89
Q

callous

A

unkind, cruel,

90
Q

calumny

A

(the act of making) a statement about someone that is false and intended to damage the reputation of that person
He was subjected to the most vicious calumny, but he never complained and never sued

91
Q

canard

A

unfounded rumour

I hope that the canard will not spread.

92
Q

canon

A

all the writings or other works known to be by a particular person

93
Q

cant

A

hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature.
“he had no time for the cant of the priests about sin”

94
Q

cantankerous

A

arguing a lot

cantankerous at old age

95
Q

capricious

A

changing mood or behaviour suddenly

capricious child

96
Q

captious

A

tending to find faults/ petty objections

captious teacher

97
Q

cardinal

A

main

98
Q

carnal

A

relating to the physical desires of the body

A priest is supposed to ignore carnal temptations and devote his life to the church.

99
Q

carping

A

to complain abt unimportant matters

However much people carp about junk mail, many of them read it

100
Q

cartography

A

science or art of making maps

101
Q

castigation

A

criticise

102
Q

cataclysm

A

an extremely destructive event or violent change

catclysmic flood

103
Q

categorical

A

without any doubt or possibility of being changed

When Jill asked her father to borrow his new car, she received a categorical no in response.

104
Q

caucus

A

meeting of a group of people with influence or an interest in something to consider a particular issue or problem

105
Q

causal

A

relating to or acting as a cause.

the causal factors associated with illness

106
Q

caustic

A

A caustic remark or way of speaking is hurtful, critical, or intentionally unkind
caustic comments

107
Q

celestial

A

from the sky or out of this world

108
Q

centrifugal

A

moving away from the point around which it is turning

109
Q

centripetal

A

moving towards the point around which it is turning

110
Q

champion

A
  1. Winner

2. Supporter

111
Q

chasten

A

to make somebody feel sorry for something they have done

112
Q

chicanery

A

clever, dishonest talk or behaviour that is used to deceive people
You can smell the chicanery from a dishonest politician

113
Q

chivalry

A

very polite behaviour esp. men towards women

114
Q

churlish

A

rude, unfriendly, and unpleasant

They invited me to dinner and I thought it would be churlish to refuse.

115
Q

circuitous

A

roundabout/indirect path

116
Q

clamor

A

to make a loud complaint or demand

The children were all clamoring for attention

117
Q

clique

A

a small group of people who spend their time together and do not welcome other people into that group

118
Q

cloister

A

a covered stone passage around the four sides of a courtyard

119
Q

coalesce

A

to combine into a single group or thing

120
Q

codify

A

to arrange something, such as laws or rules, into a system

121
Q

cognizant

A

understanding or realizing sth

Dean, cognizant of this, suggested they take the afternoon off.

122
Q

commensurate

A

in a correct and suitable amount compared to something else

a salary that is commensurate with skills and experience

123
Q

compendium

A

a short but complete account of a particular subject, especially in the form of a book:

124
Q

complacent

A

feeling so satisfied with your own abilities or situation that you feel you do not need to try any harder

125
Q

complaisant

A

willing to satisfy others by being polite and fitting in with their plans

126
Q

compliant

A

willing to do what other people want you to do

127
Q

compunction

A

a slight guilty feeling about something you have done or might do

128
Q

conciliatory

A

showing willingness to end a disagreement, or trying to make someone less angry
I had intended to adopt a more conciliatory approach, but his whole manner made me angry

129
Q

concoct

A

1) to invent a story or excuse, esp. to deceive others
He concocted the story because he did not want to do his chores.
2)to make something, usually food, by adding several different parts together, often in a way that is original or not planned

130
Q

concomitant

A

something that happens with something else and is connected with it
she loved travel, with all its concomitant worries

131
Q

condone

A

to accept or allow behaviour that is wrong

132
Q

confound

A

to mix up/confuse someone by being difficult to explain or deal with
The purpose of the article is not to confound the readers but to inform them.

133
Q

congenial

A

friendly and pleasant

134
Q

conjugal

A

connected with the relationship between married people

135
Q

connoiseur

A

a person who has expert knowledge of something, esp. an art, food, or drink, and is qualified to judge and appreciate its quality

136
Q

concript

A

enlist (someone) compulsorily, typically into the armed services

137
Q

consecrate

A

to officially make something holy and suitable to be used for religious ceremonies

138
Q

contend

A

1) COMPETE
2) CLAIM
contend with: to try to deal with a difficult situation or person

139
Q

contentious

A

causing or likely to cause disagreement

140
Q

contiguous

A
  1. next or touching each other

2. next in sequence

141
Q

continence

A
  1. ability to control movements of the bowels and bladder.

2. self restraint especially with regard to sex.

142
Q

contrite

A

feeling very sorry and guilty for something bad that you have done

143
Q

contumacious

A

refusing to obey or show respect

144
Q

conundrum

A

a problem that is difficult to deal with

145
Q

convention

A
  1. Norm
  2. Meeting
  3. Agreement
146
Q

convivial

A

pleasant and friendly

147
Q

convoluted

A
  1. (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow.
  2. very twisted
148
Q

copious

A

in large amounts; more than enough

149
Q

coquette

A

a woman who likes to attract attention by behaving as if she is sexually interested in people, in a pleasant but not serious way

150
Q

cornucopia

A

a large amount or supply of something

GRE (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions