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GRE > Vocab 1 > Flashcards

Vocab 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Aberration

A

A departure from what is usual or normal. This word typically has a negative connotation and implies that the departure is unwelcome

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2
Q

Abscond

A

To leave quickly and secretly, to hide, typically to avoid detection for something illegal
“She absconded with the remaining one thousand dollars”

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3
Q

Alacrity

A

Eager and enthusiastic willingness
“She accepted the invitation with alacrity”

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4
Q

Anomaly

A

Deviation from the normal order or rule, abnormality

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5
Q

Approbation

A

An expression of approval or praise
“the opera met with high approbation”

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6
Q

Arduous

A

Strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort

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7
Q

Assuage

A

To ease or lessen
“the letter assuaged the fears of most members”

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8
Q

Audacious

A

Daring and fearless, recklessly bold

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9
Q

Austere

A

Without adornment, bare, very simple, severe or strict in manner or appearance
“Conditions in the prison could hardly be more austere”
“An austere man with a rigidly puritanical outlook”

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10
Q

Axiomatic

A

Taken as a given, self evident, unquestionable
“It is axiomatic that good athletes have a strong mental attitude”

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11
Q

Canonical

A

Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards

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12
Q

Canon

A

A general law, rule, or principle, often religious in nature
“the appointment violated the canons of fair play and equal opportunity”

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13
Q

Capricious

A

Inclined to change one’s mind impulsively, erratic, unpredictable

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14
Q

Censure

A

To criticize severely, to officially rebuke
“a judge was censured for a variety of types of injudicious conduct”

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15
Q

Chicanery

A

The use of trickery to achieve a political, legal, or financial purpose
“the candidate only won the election through chicanery”

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16
Q

Connoisseur

A

An informed and astute judge in matters of taste, an expert

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17
Q

Convoluted

A

Complex or complicated

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18
Q

Disabuse

A

To undeceive, to set right, to persuade someone that an idea or belief is mistaken

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19
Q

Discordant

A

Conflicting, dissonant or harsh in sound

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20
Q

Disparate

A

Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar

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21
Q

Effrontery

A

Extreme boldness, presumptuousness, insolence
“She had the effrontery to ask for two free samples”

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22
Q

Eloquent

A

Well spoken, expressive, articulate

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23
Q

Enervate

A

To weaken, to reduce in vitality
“the heat enervated us all”

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24
Q

Ennui

A

Dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy, a feeling of listlessness
“The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui”

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25
Q

Equivocate

A

To use ambiguous language with deceptive intent
When asked directly for his position on the issue, the candidate only equivocated

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26
Q

Equivocal

A

Open to more than one interpretation, ambiguous

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27
Q

Erudite

A

Very learned, scholarly

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28
Q

Exculpate

A

To exonerate, to clear of blame
“The court exculpated him after a thorough investigation”

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29
Q

Exigent

A

Urgent, pressing, requiring immediate action or attention

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30
Q

Extemporaneous

A

Improvised, done without preparation
“Caught by surprise, I had to make an extemporaneous speech at the awards banquet”

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31
Q

Filibuster

A

Intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action

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32
Q

Fulminate

A

To loudly attack or denounce, to express vehement protest
“he fulminated against the evils of his time”

33
Q

Ingenuous

A

Artless, frank and candid, lacking in sophistication, innocent and unsuspecting
“Her ingenuous nature made her an easy target for the con man”

34
Q

Inured

A

Accustomed to accepting something undesirable
“these children have been inured to violence”

35
Q

Irascible

A

Easily angered, prone to temperamental outbursts

36
Q

Laud

A

To praise highly
“the obituary lauded him a great statesman”

37
Q

Lucid

A

Clear, easily understood

38
Q

Magnanimity

A

The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving
“He had the magnanimity to forgive her for lying about him”

39
Q

Martial

A

Associated with war and the armed forces

40
Q

Mundane

A

Typical of or concerned with the ordinary

41
Q

Nascent

A

Coming into being, in early developmental stages
“The nascent republic is holding its first election this month”

42
Q

Nebulous

A

Vague, cloudy, lacking clearly defined form
“a nebulous recollection of the meeting”

43
Q

Neologism

A

A new word, expression, or usage, the creation of new words or sentences

44
Q

Noxious

A

Harmful, injurious

45
Q

Obtuse

A

Lacking sharpness of intellect, not clear or precise in thought or expression, not sharp, blunt

46
Q

Obviate

A

To anticipate and make unnecessary
“to obviate the risk for serious injury”

47
Q

Onerous

A

Troubling, burdensome

48
Q

Paean

A

A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving

49
Q

Parody

A

A humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art

50
Q

Perennial

A

Recurrent through the year or many years, happening repeatedly
“Classical literature remains a perennial in liberal arts classrooms”

51
Q

Perfidy

A

Intentional breach of faith, treachery

52
Q

Perfunctory

A

Cursory, done without care or interest

53
Q

Perspicacious

A

Acutely perceptive, having keen discernment
“It offers quite a few facts to the perspicacious reporter”

54
Q

Prattle

A

To babble meaninglessly, to talk in an empty and idle manner

55
Q

Precipitate

A

Verb- to cause or happen before anticipated or required
Adjective- acting with excessive haste or impulse

56
Q

Predilection

A

A preference, a disposition in favor of something

57
Q

Prescience

A

Foreknowledge of events, knowing of events before they happen

58
Q

Prevaricate

A

To deliberately avoid the truth, to mislead
“He seemed to prevaricate when the journalists asked pointed questions”

59
Q

Qualms

A

Misgivings, reservations, causes for hesitancy

60
Q

Recant

A

To retract, especially a previously held belief

61
Q

Refute

A

To disprove, to successfully argue against

62
Q

Relegate

A

To forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position

63
Q

Reticent

A

Quiet, reserved, reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

64
Q

Solicitous

A

Concerned and attentive, eager
“She was always solicitous about the welfare of her students”

65
Q

Sordid

A

Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor, foul

66
Q

Sporadic

A

Occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances

67
Q

Squander

A

To waste by spending or using irresponsibly

68
Q

Static

A

Not moving, active, or in motion, at rest

69
Q

Stupefy

A

To stun, baffle, or amaze

70
Q

Stymie

A

To block, to thwart

71
Q

Synthesis

A

The combination of parts to make a whole

72
Q

Torque

A

A force that causes rotation

73
Q

Tortuous

A

Winding, twisting, excessively complicated
“The route is remote and tortuous”

74
Q

Truculent

A

Fierce and cruel, eager to fight
“his days of truculent defiance were over”

75
Q

Veracity

A

Truthfulness, honesty

76
Q

Virulent

A

Extremely harmful or poisonous, bitterly hostile or antagonistic

77
Q

Voracious

A

Having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit, ravenous

78
Q

Waver

A

To move to and fro, to sway, to be unsettled in opinion

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