A2: Mneomonics Flashcards
anathema
(noun): something hated; a curse
“uh NATH em uh”
Think: a nasty enema
If a patient is constipated, then a nasty enema may follow, which can be anathema for the nurse
anile
(adjective): sensile. “ANN ile” (rhymes with “dial”)
Think: senile
I knew my Aunt Ann was anile to the point of being senile when she asked to go swimming in the Nile
animosity
(noun): hatred; hostility. “an ih MOSS ih tee”
Think: enemy city
During the war, I accidentally parachuted into the enemy city and was met with animosity
annotation
(noun): a comment or note on a literary work, “ann oh TAY shun”
Think: a notation
There are lots of annotations in my copy of Hamlet; I made a notation every time I needed to define an unfamiliar term
annul
(verb): to cancel. “ann ULL”
Think: null set
in mathematics, the null set means “a set that contains nothing.” if you annul ( cancel) you marriage, you end it
anodyne
(noun): a pain- reliever. “ann oh DINE”
Think: am not dying
I have the flu, but my doctor- prescribed anodyne finally has made me feel like I am not dying
anomaly
(noun): something unusual: “uh NOM uh lee”
Think: abnormally knobby knee
I have abnormally knobby knee; my doctor tells me its an anomaly
antedate
(verb): to come before. “AN tuh date”
Think: auntie ante- (before) date
Chances are that your auntie has a birth date that antedates yours
antediluvian
(adjective): ancient; primitive
“ann tee die LOUVE ee in”
Think: anti-dildo-lovin’
Only someone with antediluvian views on sex would be anti-dildo-lovin’
antipode
(noun): the exact opposite. “ANN tih pode”
Think: anti-pole
The North Pole is the antipode to the South Pole- you might say they’re “anti-poles”
antithesis
(noun): opposite. “ann TITH uh sis:
Think: anti- thesis
You got a “D” on you essay because your examples argued for the antithesis of your introduction’s thesis
apace
(adverb): quickly. “uh PACE”
Think: keep pace
The Indy 500 racer’s pit crew changed his tires apace so he could keep pace with the leaders
apartheld
(noun): the policy of separating groups based on race. “uh PAR thighed”
Think: apart to hide
In south Africa, apartheid kept blacks aprt to hide them from racist whites
aplomb
(noun): confidence. “uh PLOM”
Think: the bomb
If you have aplomb, you think you’re the bomb
apocryphal
(adjective): of doubtful truthfulness
“uh POCK rih full”
Think: apocalypse predictions
The predictions that the apocalypse would happen in 2012 turned out to be apocryphal
apoplectic
(adjective): enraged. “ah puh PLEK tick”
Think: Apu epileptic
In the Simpsons, when Nelson robbed his Kwick-E-Mart, Apu shook with apoplectic rage as if he was having an epileptic seizure
apostle
(noun): a supporter. “uh PAH sill”
Think: A posse
The famous rapper was known to roll deep with his many apostles- his posse, that is
apothegm
(noun): a short, wise remark. “APP uh THEM”
Think: pocket the gem
“Pocket the gem!” is a good apothegm to remember if you’re training to be a jewelry store robber
apotheosis
(noun): a perfect example. “uh Poth ee oh sis”
Think: a potent thesis
My professor said he gave me only A in the class because my paper was the apotheosis of a persuasive essay: it has a potent thesis
appease
(verb): sooth, satisfy or pacify. “uh PEAS”
Think: please with peas
I appease and please my baby daughter by hiding her peas inside of her mash potatoes
apportion
(verb): to divide and distribute. “uh POOR shun”
Think: portion
If you want to portion of lunch, go ask the lunch lady- she apportions it to everyone
apposite
(adjective): approriate. “APP uh sit”
Think: a positive state
Wikipedia is a positive site because it’s apposite for all kinds of research
approbation
(noun): approval; praise. “app pro BAY shun”
Think: approve probation
Maybe the best approbation I ever received was when the judge finally approved me for probation
apropos
(adjective): relevant. “app pro POH”
Think: appropriate
It’s apropos and appropriate that we’re talking about posing because I have just discovered and contracted to be a model!
arbitrary
(adjective): done without reason; random “ARE bit TRARE ee”
Think: varies a bit
When I order a pizza, the amount of toppings I get often seems pretty arbitrary- it always varies a bit
arcane
(adjective) Mysterious: known only to a few “are Cane”
Think: Ark of the Covenant
Indiana Jones understood the arcane Ark of the Covenant
the Nazis did not, which is why they perished
arch
(adjective) : sassy. “arch”
think: arched eyebrow
Her playful, arch comment made me arch my eyebrow
archaic
(adjective): no longer current; outdated
“are KAY ick”
Think: arch age
I knew you time- traveled here from the Roman Empire because your archaic expressions sound like you’re form the arch age
arduous
(adjective): strenous; difficult. “ARE joo us”
Think: hard for us
Clearing out that hoarder’s house is arduous; it’s hard for us because he kept every piece of junk mail he ever recieved
arid
(adjective): very dry. “AIR rid”
Think: Arrid Extra Dry
“Get a littler closer; don’t be shy! Get a little closer, with Arrid extra Dry deodorant (which keeps your armpits arid)!
arrogate
(verb): to unrightfully take or claim “ARE uh gate”
Think: a rogue ate
My liege- a rogue ate my rations may I have more since he arrogated what was rightfully mine?
articulate
(adjective): using clear, expressive language, “are TICK you lit”
Think: article
Oscar Wilde was so articulate that his conversational speech could be used as a newspaper article without any editing
artifice
(noun): Deception; trickery. “ART ih fiss”
Think: artifical
In the Hunger Games, Effie Trinket tries to win people over with artifice, but it doesn’t work because her sweetness is so artificial
artless
(adjective): simple; without cunning. “ART less”
Think: art-less flirting
Flirting is an art I use less than most people; it’s definitely pretty artless when I just go up to a gilr and tell her I like her
ascendancy
(noun): governing or controlling influence. “Uh SEND and see”
Think: ascend and see
In battles, armies strive to take hills: ascending to higher ground makes it easier to see one’s enemy and leads to tactical ascendancy
ascetic
(adjective): practicing self- denial. “uh SET ick”
Think: asset? ick!
The ascetic Buddhist monk, when offered the chance to take money or another asset, said “ick!”
ashen
(adjective): very pale “ASH in”
Think: ash
When he saw the ghost, his complexion became so ashen that his face was the color of ash
askew
(adjective): slanted to one side “uh SKEW”
Think: skew
Your picture is askew because the earthquake skewed it from hanging evenly
asperity
(noun): bad temper. “ass PEAR it ee”
Think: a spear in me
I have asperity because I have a spear in me- can you blame me?
aspersion
(noun): a false claim intended to harm. “ass SPUR shun”
Think: asp poison
Her aspersions about what I did last night felt like asp poison
aspiration
(noun): a hope or ambition. “asp ear A shun”
Think: as a pirate
As a pirate, I’ll be able to fulfill my aspiration of sailing the high seas and robbing the rich
assail
(verb): to attack violently. “ass SALE”
Think. ass sail
Come at me, bro: if i assail you, I’ll make your ass sail out the window
assiduous
(adjective): hardworking; dedicated “ass SID you us”
Think: assist us
Assiduous Sid worked his ass off to assist us
assuage
(verb): to make less severe. “uh SWAJ”
Think: massage
astray
(adj): away from the correct path; into error “ass TRAY”
Think: a stray dog
A stray dog has gone astray from its family
astute
(adjective): clever “ass TOOT”
Think: SAT student
I had an SAT student named Stu who was so astute that he got a 1600 on SAT
attenuate
(verb): to reduce. “at TEN you ate”
Think: ten to eight
If you go from ten drinks a week to eight drinks a week, then you’ve attenuated your number of beverages
audacious
(adjective) fearlessly bold; arrogantly bold, “awe DAY shus”
Think: awed us
Walking up to Obama and swiping his pen as he was about to sign the bill was so audacious that it awed us
augment
(verb): to increase the size of or to improve “awwg MEANT”
Think: Aug. meant.
The arrival of Aug. meant that the colonist could augment their food storage by harvesting maize
august
(adjective): majestic. “awe GUST”
Think: Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, was so august that they named a month after him
auspicious
(adjective): favorable. “awe SPISH us”
Think: suspicious I’m awesome
Dude, the chances she’ll go out with me are auspicious or “awe-spicious” because I’m suspicious that I’m awesome
austere
(adjective): plain; strict; serious; cold. “awe STEER”
Think: Austria stern
Life among the Alps in Austria in stern and austere- it’s hard to party when there’s a wind chill of -20.
authoritative
(adjective): having impressive knowledge about a subject; confident. “Auth OR it tay tive:
Think: author
The reason we can speak authoritatively about GRE vocab Capacity is that we wrote it: we are the authors
automation
(noun): one who acts in a robotic way. “awe tah mah tahn” (rhymes with “on”)
Think: automation
Working on assembly line wehre automation was replaced creativity can make you feel like an automaton
autonomous
(adjective): operating independently.
“awe tahn mon us”
Think: Auto no mo’ us
With the advent of self-driving autos like the Google car, the cars won’t be needing us no mo’
avaricious
(adjective): greedy. “ave uh RISH us”
Think: have our riches
My boy band and I dont trust you as an agent- you’re avaricious and just want to have our riches
aver
(verb): to state confidently; to declare. “uh VAIR”
Think: verify
After I verify that the blood sample from the crime scene matches your DNA, I’ll aver that you are the killer
aversion
(noun) : A tendency to avoid or dislike. “uh VER shun”
think: cover versions
I have an aversion to cover versions of songs- I almost always prefer the original tune
avuncular
(adjective): like an uncle “un VUNK you lure”
Think: uncle
The avuncular professor was like an uncle to him, dispensing well-intentioned advice
