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Vocab Flashcards

(145 cards)

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0
Q

Adulterate

A

to make impure

The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water.

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1
Q

Abate

A

to reduce in amount, decree, or severity

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2
Q

Aggrandize

A

to increase in power, influence, and reputation.

The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own.

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3
Q

Amalgamate

A

to combine, to mix together

Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products Inc.

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4
Q

Ameliorate

A

to make better, improve

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5
Q

Anachronism

A

something out of place in time

The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years.

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6
Q

Anomaly

A

deviation from what is normal

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7
Q

Antipathy

A

Extreme dislike

The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.

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8
Q

Arbitrate

A

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.

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9
Q

Ardor

A

Intense and passionate feeling

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10
Q

Assuage

A

to make something pleasant less severe

Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache.

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11
Q

Attenuate

A

to weaken

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12
Q

Audacious

A

fearless and daring

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13
Q

Austere

A

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye.

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14
Q

Banal

A

predictable, cliche, boring

He used BANAL phrases like Have a nice day.

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15
Q

Bolster

A

to support

The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that the Sasquatch was in the area.

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16
Q

Bombastic

A

pompous in speech and manner

The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis of fact.

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17
Q

Cacophony

A

harsh, jarring noise

The orchestra created an unbeatable CACOPHONY as they tuned their instruments.

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18
Q

Candid

A

impartial and honest in speech

The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.

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19
Q

Capricious

A

changing one’s mind quickly and often

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20
Q

Catalyst

A

something that brings about a CHANGE in something else

The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution.

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21
Q

Caustic

A

biting in wit

Dorothy gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults.

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22
Q

Chauvinist

A

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

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23
Q

Chicanery

A

strategic deception

ex. used car salesmen

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24
Cogent
convincing an well reasoned Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury acquit the defendant.
25
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
26
Convoluted
intricate and complicated
27
Corroborate
to provide supporting evidence Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness's testimony.
28
Credulous
too trusting; gullible
29
Crescendo
steadily increasing volume or FORCE
30
Decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
31
Deference
respect, courtesy
32
Deride
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock The awkward teenager was DERIDED by his "cooler" peers.
33
Desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
34
Desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected Diane had a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.
35
Diatribe
an abusive, condemn story speech
36
Diffident
lacking self-confidence
37
Dilate
to make larger; expand
38
Dilatory
intended to delay The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill.
39
Dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic ex. Miley and the violin
40
Dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
41
Disabuse
to set right; to free from error; correct
42
Discern
to recognize; perceive
43
Disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
44
Dissemble
to present false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
45
Dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination; often of sounds
46
Dogma
a firm opinion; often a religious opinion
47
Dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
48
Dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
49
Efficacy
effectiveness
50
Elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
51
Emulate
to copy
52
Engender
to produce, cause, or bring about
53
Enigma
a puzzle; a mystery
54
Enumerate
to count, list, itemize
55
Equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
56
Erratic
unpredictable
57
Erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
58
Esoteric
known or understood by only a few
59
Estimable
admirable
60
Eulogy
speech in praise of someone
61
Euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of an inappropriate one ex. replacing passed rather than dead
62
Exacerbate
to make worse
63
Exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
64
Exigent
urgent; requiring immediate action
65
Exonerate
to clear of blame
66
Explicit
clearly sated or shown
67
Fawn
to grovel
68
Fervid
intensely emotional Ex. Bieber fans
69
Florid
excessively decorated or embellished
70
Foment
to arouse ex. cheerleaders
71
Garrulous
tending to talk a lot
72
Gregarious
outgoing, sociable
73
Guile
deceit or trickery
74
Imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed ex: A CPS counselor experiencing so much that nothing really disturbs her
75
Impervious
impossible to penetrate or be affected
76
Impetuous
quick to act without thinking
77
Implacable
Unable to calm down
78
Inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
79
Ingenuous
innocent; childlike simplicity
80
Inimical
hostile, unfriendly
81
Innocuous
harmless
82
Insipid
lacking interest or flavor
83
Intransigent
uncompromising
84
Inundate
to overwhelm, to cover with water
85
Irascible
easily made angry
86
Lavish
extremely generous or extravagant
87
Loquacious
talkative
88
Malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
89
Malleable
able to be shaped
90
Misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
91
Mitigate
to soften, lessen
92
Mollify
make less severe, to calm
93
Monotony
lack of variation
94
Naive
lacking sophistication or experience
95
Obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
96
Obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
97
Obstinate
stubborn
98
Obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary The river was so shallow at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge.
99
Occlude
to prevent the passage of
100
Onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
101
Opprobrium
public disgrace
102
Ostentation
excessive showiness
103
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
104
Paragon
model of excellence or perfection
105
Pedant
someone who shows off learning
106
Perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
107
Perfunctory
done in a routine way
108
Permeate
to penetrate
109
Philanthropy
charity, a desire or effort to promote goodness
110
Plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
111
Plethora
excess; too much
112
Pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
113
Precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation ex. getting married too soon
114
Prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
115
Pristine
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
116
Prodigal
lavish, wasteful
117
Proliferate
to increase in number quickly
118
Propitiate
to appease
119
Propriety
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
120
Prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.
121
Pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses ex. cigarette smoke
122
Quiescent
motionless
123
Rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
124
Repudiate
to reject the validity of
125
Reticent
silent, reserved
126
Rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
127
Satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it.
128
Soporific
causing sleep or lethargy, boring
129
Specious
seems plausible but is false
130
Stigma
a mark of shame or discredit ex. Scarlet Letter A was a stigma for adultery
131
Stolid
unemotional; lacking sensitivity The prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence.
132
Sublime
lofty or grand The music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.
133
Tacit
done without using words
134
Taciturn
silent, not talkative The clerk's TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob."
135
Tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
136
Torpor
extreme mental an physical sluggishness (high) Ex. after anesthesia
137
Transitory
temporary, lasting a short time
138
Vacillate
to sway physically; to be indecisive The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between caramel or chocolate ice cream
139
Venerate
respect deeply
140
Veracity
filled with truth and accuracy
141
Verbose
wordy
142
Vex
to annoy The old man who lived his peace and quiet was VEXED by his his neighbor's loud music
143
Volatile
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive His VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything.
144
Waver
fluctuate between choices

GRE Vocab (1 decks)

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