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GRE Verbal Reasoning > Vocab 1 > Flashcards

Vocab 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Innocuous

A

Harmless; inoffensive; unobjectionable; unexceptionable

Eg; “It was an innocuous question”

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2
Q

Paucity

A

(n.) Insufficient quantity; scarcity

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3
Q

Prolific

A

(adj.) Abundant; plentiful; rich; fertile

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4
Q

Pundit

A

(n.) Expert who gives authoritative opinions to public

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5
Q

Ebullient

A

Cheerful and full of energy

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6
Q

Trepidation

A

Fear/agitation about something that may happen

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7
Q

Approbation

A

Praise/approval

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8
Q

Axiom

A

Universal truth; established rule

Eg; “The axiom that supply equals demand”

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9
Q

Surfeit

A

Excessive amount of something

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10
Q

Tantalizing

A

Showing something unobtainable; tormenting/teasing

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11
Q

Acumen

A

Shrewdness; acuity; perspicuity; ingenuity; sagacity

Eg; “If only I had financial acumen”

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12
Q

Shrewdness

A

Powers of good judgement

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13
Q

Reverence

A

Deep respect for someone/something

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14
Q

Didacticism

A

Teaching with intentions of moral lesson

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15
Q

Iconoclasm/Iconoclast

A

Nonconformist; heterodox; dissident; maverick

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16
Q

Fastidious

A

Attentive; assiduous; punctilious; scrupulous; sedulous

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17
Q

Polemic

A

Critical/hostile attack; acerbic; caustic; sardonic; virulent

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18
Q

Miserly

A

Extreme stinginess

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19
Q

Tenuous

A

(adj.) Weak; slight; flimsy; insubstantial

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20
Q

Omniscient

A

Knowing everything

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21
Q

Partisanship

A

Prejudice in favour of a particular person/cause; bias

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22
Q

Cede

A

To give up (power/territory)

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23
Q

Precarious

A

Not securely held in position; uncertain; insecure

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24
Q

Reticent

A

Reserved/withdrawn

Eg; “She was extremely reticent about her personal affairs”

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25
Q

Posturing

A

Behaviour intended to impress/mislead

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26
Q

Bungle (bungling)

A

Lacking aptitude; incompetent/clumsy

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27
Q

Inept

A

Incompetent; bungling; clumsy

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28
Q

Equivocation

A

Use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself

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29
Q

Arcane

A

Understood by few; mysterious/secret

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30
Q

Insolent

A

Rude/arrogant lack of respect

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31
Q

Exposition

A

Comprehensive description and explanation of an idea/theory

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32
Q

Antithetic

A

Directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible

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33
Q

Banal

A

Lacking originality/boring; hackneyed; trite; mundane; platitude

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34
Q

Ubiquitous

A

Present everywhere; omnipotent

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35
Q

Apologist

A

Person who offers an argument in defence of something controversial

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36
Q

Orthodox

A

Conforming to what is traditionally accepted as true

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37
Q

Connote

A

Imply an idea/feeling in addition to the literal meaning

Eg; “Family” connotes love and comfort

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38
Q

Anachronistic

A

Belonging to an earlier period; old-fashioned

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39
Q

Apostle

A

Missionary; preacher; follower; disciple

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40
Q

Dogmatic

A

Asserting opinions in an arrogant manner; opinionated

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41
Q

Antedate

A

Coming before something in time; Precede

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42
Q

Marginalization

A

Treating person, group, or concept as insignificant/peripheral

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43
Q

Lionization

A

Treating someone as a celebrity; adoration

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44
Q

Capricious/caprice

A

Unpredictable change in mood/behaviour

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45
Q

Modicum

A

Small quantity of something; especially something valuable

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46
Q

Dissent

A

Disagreement from the majority opinion

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47
Q

Quixotic

A

Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

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48
Q

Pious

A

Devoutly religious

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49
Q

Demur

A

Objecting to or hesitating over something

Eg; “After some demur, I accepted”

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50
Q

Posthumous

A

Occurring or published after the death of originator

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51
Q

Terse

A

Using few words; brief and concise

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52
Q

Arbitrary

A

Unreasonable; acting on whim rather than reason

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53
Q

Sartorial

A

Relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress

Eg; “His sartorial choices were rather eccentric”

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54
Q

Undemonstrative

A

Restrained expression or feeling

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55
Q

Panache

A

Flamboyant confidence of style/manner

Eg; “He entertained the CEO with great panache”

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56
Q

Brandish

A

Waving something as threat or in anger/excitement; especially a weapon

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57
Q

Trite

A

Overused; lacking originality; hackneyed

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58
Q

Trivial

A

Of little value/importance

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59
Q

Fleeting

A

Lasting for a short time

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60
Q

Abreast

A
  1. To keep up-to-date or informed on something

2. Alongside and facing the same way

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61
Q

Allegory

A

Something that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning; typically political

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62
Q

Abridge

A

Shortened writing; synopsis

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63
Q

Lurid

A

Vividly shocking or sensational terms

Eg; Explicit details in sexual crimes

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64
Q

Circumspect

A

Cautious; wary, chary; heedful; prudent

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65
Q

Resolute

A

(adj.) Quality of being determined, purposeful, and unwavering

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66
Q

Intransigent

A

Unwilling to compromise, change one’s beliefs, or agree

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67
Q

Probity

A

Having strong moral principles; honesty and decency

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68
Q

Profligate

A

Recklessly wasteful of resources; Extravagant

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69
Q

Acquisitive

A

Greediness for money and material things

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70
Q

Disappropriation

A

Dishonest appropriation; embezzlement

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71
Q

Tendentious

A

Intended to promote a particular cause/POV; especially controversial views

“As a supporter, his provided a tendentious reading of history”

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72
Q

Fractious

A

Troublesome, irritable, difficult to control

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73
Q

Complacency

A

Uncritical self-satisfaction; smugness

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74
Q

Immutable

A

Unchanging; fixed/rigid

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75
Q

Misnomer

A

Wrong/inaccurate name or design

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76
Q

Profundity

A

Great depth of knowledge or thought; deep insight

State of being profound

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77
Q

Anomaly

A

Deviation from the common rule; an outlier

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78
Q

Inimical

A

To be harmful/detrimental or hostile/antagonistic

Eg; “his actions were inimical to our interests”

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79
Q

Pellucid

A

Transparent; clear; easily understood

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80
Q

Enigmatic

A

Difficult to understand; mysterious

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81
Q

Malignant

A

Deadly or harmful;

Spiteful, malicious, or malevolent

82
Q

Benign

A

Harmless

Gentle; kindly

83
Q

Virulence

A

Severity of disease; harmfulness

84
Q

Imperialism

A

Practice of a larger country growing stronger by taking over poorer countries that have important resources

85
Q

Relativism

A

Doctrine that knowledge, truth and morality exist in relation to cultural/historical context, and are not absolute

86
Q

Dismal

A

Dark; gloomy; depressing

87
Q

Scintillating

A

Brilliantly clever or skillful

Eg; The audience loved his scintillating wit

88
Q

Beatific

A

Blissfully happy

89
Q

Enervate

A

Cause someone to feel drained; weaken

90
Q

Blinkered(ness)

A

Limited outlook; narrow-minded

91
Q

Impertinent

A

Showing no respect; rude; insolent

92
Q

Importune

A

Persistently harass someone to do something

93
Q

Aerate

A

Let air into something

94
Q

Indemnify

A

Compensate for damages/losses

95
Q

Excoriate

A

To scold/criticize someone severely

96
Q

Dither

A

Indecisive

97
Q

Duplicity

A

Deceitfulness; two-faced

98
Q

Falter

A

Lose strength or momentum

99
Q

Extant

A

Still in existence

100
Q

Laconic

A

Person, speech, or writing using few words

101
Q

Acrimony

A

Bitterness and ill-will

102
Q

Belie

A

To contradict or misrepresent

Eg; “His shaky hands belied his calm voice”

103
Q

Auspicious

A

Favorable; opposite of sinister

104
Q

Castigate

A

To reprimand; chastise; berate

105
Q

Prevaricate

A

Speak evasively; beat around the bush

106
Q

Stupefy

A

Make someone unable to think/feel properly

107
Q

Parochial

A

Restricted outlook; narrow-minded

108
Q

Galvanize

A

Excite/inspire someone to action

109
Q

Calumny

A

False and slanderous statement

110
Q

Censure

A

Expression of formal disapproval; condemn

111
Q

Egregious

A

Standing out negatively; shockingly bad

112
Q

Vindicate

A

Absolve of accusation/blame; acquit

113
Q

Venality

A

Quality of being susceptible to bribes/corruption

114
Q

Amalgam

A

Mixture of multiple things

115
Q

Restive

A

Restless

116
Q

Gregarious

A

Sociable; affable

117
Q

Mecurial

A

Unpredictable changes in mood

118
Q

Prodigal

A

Wastefully extravagant

119
Q

Veracious

A

Truthful or accurate

Eg; We obtained a veracious report of the events

120
Q

Commensurate

A

Corresponding in size or degree; proportionate

121
Q

Expediency

A

Quality of being convenient/practical despite being immoral

122
Q

Invidious

A

Action/event likely to arouse resentment or anger in others

123
Q

Plangent

A

Loud or melancholy/plaintive sound

124
Q

Beseech

A

Plead someone urgently to do something

125
Q

Enamor

A

Feeling of love/admiration

126
Q

Incumbent

A

Necessary duty/obligation for someone

The current holder of an office or position

127
Q

Nugatory

A

Of little importance/value

128
Q

Gerrymandering

A

Manipulate the boundaries of electoral constituency in favor of one party; unfair advantage

129
Q

Predilection

A

Special preference for something

130
Q

Sanguine

A

Remaining optimistic in a bad or difficult situation

131
Q

Choleric

A

Bad tempered; irritable

132
Q

Austere

A

Plain and simple; spartan; stark; ascetic; unadorned; bleak

133
Q

Subvention

A

Receiving a grant/financial aid from government; endowment

134
Q

Visceral

A

Acting on impulse/emotion rather than thought/reason

135
Q

Fatalism

A

Outcomes are NOT influenced by human will/behavior

No matter what you do/believe, the same outcomes will occur

136
Q

Deference

A

Submission or respect shown in recognition of authority

137
Q

Rancor

A

Bitter resentment; ill will

138
Q

Dereliction

A

Neglect of duty/obligation;

State of abandonment and dilapidation

139
Q

Sordid

A

Morally degraded; dirty or filthy

140
Q

Thespian

A

Referring to theater/drama;

An actor/actress

141
Q

Machiavellian

A

Cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous; especially in politics

142
Q

Eviscerate

A

To disembowel or deprive of essential component

143
Q

Proclivities

A

A natural propensity or liking

Eg; “proclivity to complain”

144
Q

Anomie

A

Social instability and alienation caused by lack of standards, values, or moral guidance

145
Q

Penology

A

Study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation

146
Q

Nativism

A

Policy of protecting the interests of natives/inhabitants against those of immigrants

Theory that mental capacities/structures are innate rather than learnt

147
Q

Sacrosanct

A

Regarded as sacred or inviolable; untouchable

148
Q

Adage

A

Aphorism; general truth derived from experience/custom

149
Q

Quintessential

A

Perfect or typical example of a quality or class

150
Q

Silo

A

Cylindrical structure used to store grain;

Underground chamber holding missile ready for launch

151
Q

Propitious

A

Favorable circumstances conducive to success; auspicious

Favorably disposed to someone

152
Q

Supplant

A

Supersede and replace

153
Q

Adversarial

A

Characterized by conflict or opposition; hostile

Adversarial System: Legal system which 2 parties represent their case to impartial judge

154
Q

Megalomania

A

Delusional fantasies of omnipotence or grandeur; unlimited power or importance

155
Q

Pillory

A

Wooden framework with holes for the head and hands; offender was imprisoned and exposed to public abuse

156
Q

Adroit

A

Quick and skillful in body or mind; deft; agile

157
Q

Repudiate

A

Refuse/reject to be associated with

Refute/deny the truth or validity

Refuse to fulfill/discharge an agreement, obligation, or debt; cancel; revoke

158
Q

Vociferous

A

Vehement (passionate/intense) and clamorous (loud) - especially of a person or speech

Eg; “He was a vociferous opponent”

159
Q

Kernel

A

Central or most important part; edible seed

160
Q

Asunder

A

Apart; divided; in pieces

161
Q

Stymie

A

Prevent or hinder the process of

162
Q

Denigrate

A

Criticize unfairly; belittle; disparage

163
Q

Truism

A

Statement that is obviously true; cliche; platitude (nothing new or interesting)

Eg; “You get what you pay for”

164
Q

Ensconce

A

To settle in a comfortable, safe, or secret place

165
Q

Stultify

A

To cause loss of enthusiasm/initiative due to tedious or restrictive routine; to bore; hamper

To cause someone to appear foolish or absurd

166
Q

Consternation

A

Feelings of anxiety or dismay; typically at something unexpected

167
Q

Hegemony

A

Political, economic, or military predominance/control of one state over others

168
Q

Wherewithal

A

Necessary financial means for particular purpose

169
Q

Detritus

A

Waste or debris of any kind; eroded matter

170
Q

Feign

A

To pretend to be affected by a feeling, state, or injury

Eg; “She feigned nervousness”

171
Q

Equivocal

A

Subject to multiple interpretations; deliberately ambiguous

172
Q

Truculence

A

Aggressively self-assertive; hostile; belligerent

173
Q

Clemency

A

Mercy; lenience

174
Q

Pugnacious/Pugnacity

A

Eager to fight; aggressive; combative; belligerent

175
Q

Intrepid

A

Fearless, bold, brave, adventurous

176
Q

Imperil

A

Put at risk of harm/injury; endanger

Eg; “Its fast-growing debt imperils the nation’s future”

177
Q

Libertine

A

(n.) Characterized by a disregard of morality, especially in sexual matters; philanderer

Eg; “His more libertine impulses”

178
Q

Toil

A

To work extremely hard or incessantly

179
Q

Valor

A

Great courage in the face of danger; bravery

180
Q

Chide

A

Scold; rebuke; chastise

181
Q

Balk

A

Hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking

182
Q

Recession

A

Business cycle contraction; general decline in economic activity

183
Q

Haughty

A

Arrogantly superior and disdainful; conceited; supercilious

184
Q

Squelch

A

Soft sucking sound

Eg; Sound of walking heavily through mud

185
Q

Apocryphal

A

False; dubious; fictitious; spurious

186
Q

Beholden

A

Owing thanks or duty to someone in return for their help/service; indebted

187
Q

Assay

A

To evaluate, analyze, or test

188
Q

Descry

A

To detect or catch sight of

189
Q

Putative

A

Commonly assumed as being the thing mentioned

Eg; I am the putative leader of our team, even though you hold the title as captain

190
Q

Sectarian

A

Denoting groups with particular interests/beliefs

191
Q

Opulent

A

Characterized by or exhibiting wealth; rich; luxurious; affluent

192
Q

Riposte

A

Quick and clever reply to an insult

193
Q

Harried

A

Feeling strained by persistent demands; harassed

194
Q

Endemic

A

Disease/condition found among particular group/area

Eg; “complacency is endemic in industry today”

195
Q

Neophyte

A

Person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief; beginner

196
Q

Malady

A

A disease or ailment; illness; disorder

197
Q

Noisome

A

Having an unpleasant smell

198
Q

Cursory

A

Hasty and careless; without thorough detail

199
Q

Haphazard

A

Lacking any principle or organization; random; unplanned

200
Q

Wanting

A

Lacking a necessary quality; inadequate; flawed

GRE Verbal Reasoning (5 decks)

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