Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

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


See full index

GRE vocab words > 357 words > Flashcards

357 words Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
GRE® Vocabulary flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Abate (əˈ beɪt)

A

v. to diminish in intensity

v. to cause to diminish in intensity

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

Aberrant

/æˈ berənt/

A

adj. diverging from the standard type

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

abjure

/əbˈʤʊə/

A

v. to reject or renounce

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

abscond

æbˈ skɑnd

A

v. to leave secretly, evading detection

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

abstain

/əbˈsteɪn/

A

v. to voluntarily refrain from doing something

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

acumen

/əˈkjuːmen/

A

n. keen judgment and perception

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

admonish

/ædˈmʌnɪʃ/

A

v. scold or to advise firmly

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

adulterate

/əˈdʌltəˌreɪt/

A

v. to contaminate or make impure by introducing inferior elements

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

advocate

A

v. to recommend, support, or advise

n. one who advocates

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

aesthetic

/esˈθetɪk/

A

adj. concerned with the nature of beauty and art

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

affectation

/æfekˈ teɪʃən/

A

n. fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth

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

aggrandize

A

v. enlarge or increase, esp. wealth, power, reputation

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

alacrity

/əˈlækrɪtiː/

A

n. promptness and eagerness

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

alleviate

/əˈliːviːeɪt/

A

v. to relieve a problem or ease a burden

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

amalgamate

A

v. to combine to or mix together

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

ambiguous

/æmˈbɪgjuːəs/

A

adj. unclear

adj. open to multiple interpretations

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

ambivalent

æmˈbɪvələnt

A

adj. having mixed or contradictory feelings about someone or something

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

ameliorate

/əˈmiːljəreɪt/

A

v. to improve or mitigate a situation

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

amenable

/əˈmiːnəbəl/

A

adj. easily convinced or persuaded

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

anachronism

/əˈnækrʌˌnɪzəm/

A

n. something old-fashioned

n. something appearing in a time period where it does not belong

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

analogous

/əˈnælʌgəs/

A

n. comparable

n. appropriate for analogy

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

anoint

/əˈnɔɪnt/

A

v. to choose for a particular office or position

v. to use oil on a person in a religious ceremony

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

anomaly

/əˈnɑːməliː/

A

n. an exception or unusual case

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

antipathy

/ænˈtɪpəθiː/

A

n. strong dislike or hatred

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

antithetical

/ˌæntɪˈθetɪkəl/

A

adj. contrary to the very nature of

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

apathy

/ˈæpəθiː/

A

n. state of total disinterest or unenthusiasm

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

appease

/əˈpiːz/

A

v. to placate

v. to satisfy (an appetite, a need)

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

arbitrary

/ɑːrbɪˌtreriː/

A

adj. seemingly chosen or designated without reason or purpose

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

arcane

A

adj. secret or known only to a select group

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

archaic

A

adj. old-fashioned

adj. no longer in the common usage

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

arduous

A

adj. difficult, taxing, requiring considerable effort

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

articulate

A

adj. exhibiting considerable communication skills, well-spoken

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

artless

A

adj. without artifice

adj. natural, untrained

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

ascetic

A

adj. austere or self-denying

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

assuage

A

v. to provide relief from an unpleasant feeling

v. to satisfy a need or appetite

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

astonishment

A

n. total surprise, shock

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

audacious

A

adj. very bold or presumptuous

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

austere

A

adj. severe, unadorned

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

avarice

A

n. greed

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

aver

A

v. to assert or allege

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

banal

A

adj. boring, cliché

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

belie

A

v. give a false impression (intentional or unintentional) in word, appearance, or deed

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

benign

A

adj. gentle, harmless

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

biased

A

adj. prejudiced, displaying partiality

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

bolster

A

v. to shore up or support

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

bombastic

A

adj. overblown, theatrical

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

brazen

A

adj. bold or open to the point of shocking

adj. shameless

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

bucolic

A

adj. pastoral, rustic, countryfied

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

burgeon

A

v. flourish, bloom, expand or increase quickly

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

cacophony

A

n. loud and chaotic noise

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

calumny

A

n. lie or slander

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

candid

A

adj. honest, open

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

canon

A

n. accepted rules and tenets of a discipline
n. sacred works/scripture; in this sense it is also used to refer to notable literary and artistic works of a culture or discipline

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

capacity

A

n. the capability to perform a particular action or fulfill a given function
n. the total amount a container can hold

n. a particular position or role (i.e. “she served in an advisory capacity”)

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

capricious

A

adj. mercurial, unpredictable, whimsical

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

castigate

A

v. to scold or berate strongly

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

catalyst

A

n. something that speeds up a process or causes action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

caustic

A

adj. corrosive

adj. bitterly sarcastic

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

censure

A

v. to express intense condemnation

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

chauvinist

A

n. someone who believes prejudicially that their own group is the superior one

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

chicanery

A

n. trickery or deception

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

chronological

A

adj. ordered by time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

coalesce

/koʊəˈles/

A

v. to come together, esp. from disparate parts (

essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

cogent

/ˈkoʊʤənt/

A

adj. clearly laid out and persuasive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

commensurate

/kəˈmensərɪt/

A

adj. in accordance with, proportional

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

compelling

A

adj. captivating

adj. very persuasive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

comprehensive

A

adj. complete and thorough

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

condone

A

v. to approve or allow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

confound

A

v. to confuse or astonish

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

connoisseur

/kɑːnəˈsɜːr/

A

n. an expert in a particular subject matter area, usually relating to the fine arts or cultural pursuits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

consequential

A

adj. as a result of

adj. significant or memorable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

construe

A

v. to interpret

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

consumption

A

n. utilization (esp. of a resource)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

contend

A

v. assert or claim

v. grapple with

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
75
Q

contentious

A

adj. controversial

adj. involving conflict

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
76
Q

contrite

A

adj. remorseful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
77
Q

convoluted

A

adj. roundabout, not straightforward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
78
Q

copious

A

adj. plentiful or abundant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
79
Q

cosmopolitan

A

adj. of or relating to a city or urban area

adj. sophisticated

80
Q

covet

A

v. to desire something that does not belong to you

81
Q

craft

A

n. cunning

n. skill

82
Q

craven

A

adj. cowardly to the point of being shameful

83
Q

credence

A

n. belief or trust

84
Q

credulous

A

adj. gullible, naïve

85
Q

decorum

A

n. appropriate behavior or good manners

86
Q

deference

A

n. respect or polite submission

87
Q

deflect

A

v. divert or cause to ricochet

88
Q

deftness

A

adj. skill, acumen

adj. manual dexterity

89
Q

delineate

A

v. to describe very accurately
v. to clearly demarcate a boundary
v. to render an outline

90
Q

demur

A

v. to object or raise concerns

91
Q

denigrate

A

v. say negative things about, particularly in a defamatory way

92
Q

deride

A

v. to mock or ridicule

93
Q

derivative

A

adj. imitates another work in a way that is unoriginal or uninspiring

94
Q

desiccate

A

v. to dry out completely

v. to suck out the vitality and passion

95
Q

desultory

A

adj. halfhearted

adj. inconsistent or random

96
Q

detachment

A

n. objectivity or aloofness

97
Q

determinant

A

n. a strong factor in an outcome

98
Q

diatribe

A

n. a rant or angry speech denouncing someone or something

99
Q

didactic

A

adj. educational or with an instructive purpose; often includes an element of moralizing

100
Q

diffident

A

adj. shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence

101
Q

dilettante

A

n. someone with an amateur, nonserious interest in something

102
Q

dirge

A

n. funeral or mourning lament

n. any sad, slow song

103
Q

disabuse

A

v. to dispel someone’s illusions or false impressions about something

104
Q

discern

A

v. to perceive

105
Q

discrepancy

A

n. inconsistency

106
Q

disinterested

A

adj. objective, unbiased

adj. not invested in the outcome

107
Q

disparage

A

v. to belittle

108
Q

disparate

A

adj. dissimilar to such a degree that comparison is not possible

109
Q

dispassionate

A

adj. impartial or cool

110
Q

disregard

A

v. to ignore or pay no attention to

111
Q

dissemble

A

v. to mislead or conceal the truth, esp. with respect to one’s motives

112
Q

disseminate

A

v. to spread widely (esp. information)

113
Q

dissonance

A

n. a clash between two elements that don’t blend well

114
Q

diverge

A

v. to split apart, esp. a road or path

115
Q

dogma

A

n. the official beliefs or tenets of particular sect or group

116
Q

dupe

A

v. to deceive or fool

117
Q

ebullient

A

adj. cheerful, enthusiastic, excited

118
Q

eccentric

A

adj. quirky or unusual

119
Q

eclectic

A

adj. composed of a variety of styles, themes, motifs, etc.

120
Q

efficacy

A

n. effectiveness

121
Q

elegy

A

n. sad poem or song, often in remembrance of someone deceased

122
Q

elicit

A

v. to provoke a response

123
Q

eloquence

A

adj. persuasive and articulate speech

124
Q

eminent

A

adj. well-known, respected, distinguished

125
Q

empirical

A

adj. based on evidence

126
Q

emulate

A

v. to imitate or attempt to equal in accomplishment

127
Q

enervate

A

v. to exhaust or drain of energy

128
Q

engender

A

v. to cause or give rise to

129
Q

enhance

A

v. intensify, increase, augment

130
Q

entitlement

A

n. belief that one deserves things one has not earned

n. the rights one is afforded under the law

131
Q

ephemeral

A

adj. short-lived or transient

132
Q

equable

A

adj. even-tempered

adj. not given to much change or variation

133
Q

equivocate

A

v. to use ambiguous language in order to mislead or deceive

134
Q

erroneous

A

adj. incorrect

135
Q

erudite

A

adj. learned

136
Q

eschew

A

v. avoid or abstain from

137
Q

esoteric

A

adj. obscure, arcane

138
Q

estimable

A

adj. deserving respect, esteem, and admiration

139
Q

eulogy

A

n. memorial speech for one who has passed, normally given at a funeral

140
Q

exacerbate

A

v. to make worse

141
Q

exacting

A

adj. challenging, demanding, grueling

142
Q

exculpate

A

v. to exonerate or vindicate

143
Q

exigent

A

adj. urgent or pressing

144
Q

exonerate

A

v. to clear of charges of wrongdoing

145
Q

expatiate

A

v. to elaborate on something in great detail

146
Q

explicate

A

v. to explain in detail

147
Q

exposition

A

n. a thorough explanation

n. a public show or fair

148
Q

extraneous

A

adj. irrelevant or superfluous

149
Q

extrapolate

A

v. to estimate or conjecture about the future based on presently available information or facts

150
Q

facetious

A

adj. glib or flippant

151
Q

facilitate

A

v. to make something easier or simpler

152
Q

fallacious

A

adj. relying on a fallacy and thus incorrect/misinformed

153
Q

fastidious

A

adj. meticulous

adj. invested in cleanliness

154
Q

fluctuate

A

v. to shift without apparent pattern

155
Q

foment

A

v. to foster unrest or discontent

156
Q

forestall

A

v. to hold off or try to prevent

157
Q

fortuitous

A

adj. fortunate and lucky

158
Q

frugal

A

adj. economical, thrifty

159
Q

gainsay

A

v. deny or oppose

160
Q

galvanize

A

galvanize

161
Q

garrulous

A

adj. talkative

162
Q

gauche

A

adj. socially inept, inappropriate, or awkward

163
Q

germane

A

adj. relevant to the matter at hand

164
Q

glib

A

adj. talking volubly, but carelessly or insincerely

165
Q

gregarious

A

adj. sociable, genial

166
Q

guile

A

n. craftiness and cunning

167
Q

hackneyed

A

adj. cliché, trite, banal

168
Q

harangue

A

n. diatribe or rant

169
Q

hedonism

A

n. the pursuit of pleasure

170
Q

hierarchical

A

adj. arranged in rank order or hierarchy

171
Q

homogenous

A

adj. uniform, identical

172
Q

hyperbole

A

n. obvious exaggeration for effect

173
Q

loquacious

A

adj. talkative

/ləʊˈ kweɪʃəs/

174
Q

Malign

A

adj. evil or harmful

v. to speak negatively about someone or something

175
Q

misanthrope

A

/ˈmɪzənθrəʊp/

Person who hates humanity

176
Q

nonplussed

A

adj. confused and baffled

177
Q

occult

A

n. the mystical and supernatural

178
Q

onerous

A

/ˈ ɑ:nərəs/

adj. difficult or burdensome

179
Q

ostentatious

A

adj. overly showy in a way that is gaudy or vulgar

180
Q

placate

A

/pləˈ keɪt/ - v. to calm, esp. an angry or upset person

181
Q

plethora

A

n. a surplus or overabundance of something

182
Q

plummet

A

v. to fall quickly and far

183
Q

rescind - /rɪˈ sɪnd/

A

v. to take back or retract (an offer or statement)

184
Q

salubrious

A

adj. health-promoting

185
Q

soporific /səpəˈ rɪfɪk/

A

adj. makes sleepy

186
Q

specious

A

adj. spurious; appearing true but actually false

187
Q

sycophant

A

n. a fawning, insincere admirer

188
Q

subversive

A

adj. meant to undercut established institutions or norms

189
Q

superbly

A

adv. excellently

190
Q

tacit

A

adj. unspoken; implicit

191
Q

tenuous

A

adj. weak, flimsy, insubstantial

192
Q

ubiquitous

A

/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/

adj. ever-present or universal

193
Q

untenable

A

adj. weak or unsupportable, esp. with respect to an opinion or situation

194
Q

vacillate

A

v. to shift between multiple options or opinions

195
Q

verbose

A

adj. long-winded;

196
Q

volatile

A

adj. easily changeable or extreme; unstable

GRE vocab words (1 decks)

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