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GRE > Top 52 > Flashcards

Top 52 Flashcards

1
Q

n. something that is unusual or unexpected

A

anomaly

The student’s poor performance on the latest test was an anomaly since she had previously earned excellent grades

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2
Q

adj. not easily understood or explained

A

equivocal

Politicians have been known to provide equivocal answers to reporters’ questions.

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3
Q

adj. very clear and easy to understand

A

lucid

The lecture was lucid and straightforward, allowing the students to fully grasp the concepts presented.

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4
Q

v. to cause (something) to happen quickly or suddenly

A

precipitate

Unforeseen costs can precipitate a budget crisis.

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5
Q

v. to make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense

A

assuage

A massage can assuage the soreness in your muscles.

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6
Q

adj. having or showing great knowledge.

A

erudite

High school students often struggle with novels that are more erudite than they are entertaining.

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7
Q

adj. not able to be seen through; not easily understood

A

opaque

Medical jargon includes many opaque terms like macrosomic, which describes a newborn who weights more than 4,000 grams.

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8
Q

adj. wastefully extravagant

A

prodigal

The prodigal prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events.

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9
Q

n. a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

A

enigma

Scientists continue to research cancer to solve the enigma of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure.

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10
Q

adj. intensely enthusiastic or passionate

A

fervid

The child showed a fervid fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours.

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11
Q

v. to make (someone) less angry or hostile

A

placate

A parent may decide to placate a baby with a pacifier.

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12
Q

n. a strong feel of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something

A

zeal

The great emperor’s crusading zeal led him to conquer many lands.

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13
Q

v. to restrain oneself for doing or enjoying something

A

abstain

Doctors encourage their patients to abstain from smoking cigarettes.

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14
Q

adj. a willingness to take bold risks, OR showing a lack of respect

A

audacious

The new CEO pursued audacious initiatives to save the company from bankruptcy.

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15
Q

v. remove the moisture from (something)

A

desiccate

The heat and energy from the sun can desiccate even the most hearty plants.

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16
Q

adj. easily persuaded to believe something

A

gullible

The gullible little boy gave his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him.

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17
Q

adj. deserving praise and commendation

A

laudable

Providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is a laudable goal.

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18
Q

n. a person who makes an excessive display of learning

A

pedant

Professor Blackwell, a well-known pedant, required his pre-med students to speak in Latin throughout the entire semester.

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19
Q

v. to waver between different opinions or actions

A

vacillate

Undergraduate students often vacillate among various majors before deciding which degree to pursue.

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20
Q

v. to make (something) impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality.

A

adulterate

Many chefs uses fresh produce and refuse to adulterate their dishes with canned ingredients.

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21
Q

adj. given to sudden changes of mood or behavior.

A

capricious

The capricious supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next.

22
Q

v. to produce, cause, or give rise to (something)

A

engender

Political debates can engender controversy regarding the subjects discussed.

23
Q

adj. of the same or similar kind

A

homogenous

There are very few truly homogenous cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread.

24
Q

adj. tending to talk a great deal

A

loquacious

The loquacious professor was known for his fiver-hour lectures.

25
Q

adj. dealing with the problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories

A

pragmatic

A pragmatic approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics.

26
Q

adj. likely to change rapidly and unpredictably

A

volatile

It is possible for a country’s political climate to remain volatile for decades.

27
Q

n. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

A

apathy

Political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to apathy than older citizens.

28
Q

v. to confirm or make more certain

A

corroborate

The scientist was able to corroborate his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources.

29
Q

adj. lasting for a very short time

A

ephemeral

An ephemeral moment of victory may last mere seconds, but it can remain as a triumphant memory for decades.

30
Q

adj. using few words

A

laconic

The student’s laconic response suggested that she did not know very much about the topic the professor was discussing.

31
Q

v. make less severe, serious, or painful

A

mitigate

We want to mitigate students’ GRE stress by offering helpful study tools.

32
Q

n. the state or quality of being correct or proper

A

propriety

The students were instructed to behave with the utmost propriety while on their class field trip.

33
Q

v. publicly recommend or support

A

advocate

The governor chose to advocate for a higher minimum wage rather than a tax incentive.

34
Q

n. a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds

A

cacophony

The cacophony of the middle school band warming up was nearly unbearable for the audience.

35
Q

v. cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken

A

enervate

The boxer used a swift left uppercut to the jaw to enervate his opponent.

36
Q

adj. innocent and unsuspecting

A

ingenuous

The scam artist preyed on ingenuous nursing home residents.

37
Q

n. a person who dislikes humankind

A

misanthrope

The neighborhood misanthrope surrounded his yard with barbed wire to keep people away.

38
Q

n. a statement that contradicts itself but might be true

A

paradox

The fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted seven cats is an intriguing paradox.

39
Q

v. regard with great respect

A

venerate

to venerate the fire chief’s forty years of service, the department held a special banquet.

40
Q

n. a strong feeling of dislike

A

antipathy

The students voiced their antipathy for homework very loudly.

41
Q

v. to express contempt for; ridicule

A

deride

The unreasonable supervise was known to deride his employees on a daily basis.

42
Q

n. a speech that praises someone, typically some who has recently died

A

eulogy

The rabbi’s eulogy was both heartfelt and inspiring.

43
Q

adj. lacking energy

A

lethargic

It’s not uncommon to feel lethargic for weeks or even months after major surgery.

44
Q

adj. stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion

A

obdurate

The obdurate three-year-old refused to eat any vegetables, no matter how they were prepared.

45
Q

adj. seeking to promote the welfare of others

A

philanthropic

The students were grateful to receive financial support from philanthropic organizations that promote education.

46
Q

v. to go back and forth between choices or opinions

A

waver

Some citizens vote soley along party lines and never waver in their political decisions.

47
Q

v. to support or strengthen

A

bolster

The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would bolster her case against the defendant.

48
Q

n. a lack of harmony or agreement

A

dissonance

The school board’s meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by dissonance among opinions.

49
Q

adj. excessively talkative

A

garrulous

The garrulous hair stylist talked to each customer for hours at a time.

50
Q

adj. easily influenced; pliable

A

malleable

Children’s moods are often malleable since children are greatly affected by their surroundings.

51
Q

n. excessive display of wealth

A

ostentation

Owning a mansion doesn’t imply ostentation, but traveling exclusively by private jet certainly can.

52
Q

v. avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question

A

prevaricate

During the trial, the lead witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend.

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