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GRE > Adj. Section 3 > Flashcards

Adj. Section 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

gregarious

A

fond of the company of others; sociable

she is very outgoing and gregarious

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2
Q

gullible

A

easily deceived or cheated; easily persuaded to believe something; credulous
Diehl described his daughter as intelligent but gullible.

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3
Q

halfhearted

A

showing little enthusiasm or energy

And its alternative strategy may be wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s ill-considered, or halfhearted.

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4
Q

haphazard

A

lacking any obvious principle of organization; characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; dependent on chance; aimless
Amazingly, this haphazard approach worked.
The original kitchen was a cramped, haphazard jumble.
We see the haphazard speckling of stars in the sky and group them together into constellations.

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5
Q

harsh

A

ungentle and unpleasant in action or effect; stern; cruel; austere
a harsh climate; a harsh cloth; a harsh contrast; harsh land; harsh to the taste

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6
Q

haughty

A

arrogantly superior and disdainful

a haughty face, look, manner; he replied with haughty disdain

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7
Q

heinous

A

(of a person or wrongful act, especially a crime) utterly odious or wicked
a heinous crime

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8
Q

heretical

A

believing in or practicing religious heresy; characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
heretical beliefs
The belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical.

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9
Q

heterodox

A

not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs, especially in theology
heterodox beliefs, practices

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10
Q

humdrum

A

lacking variety; boring; dull

a humdrum existence, job, life; the use of computers to perform humdrum tasks

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11
Q

illusory

A

causing illusion; deceptive; misleading; based on illusion; not real
filled with illusory hopes; Although the situation appears to change, the change is illusory.

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12
Q

imminent

A

likely to occur at any moment; impending; about to happen

imminent danger; her death is imminent; a storm is imminent

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13
Q

immune

A

protected from a disease or the like

be immune against attack; be immune from smallpox; immune from taxation(taxes)

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14
Q

immutable

A

unchangeable

immutable laws; Scientists once believed that long-term memories were immutable.

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15
Q

impartial

A

not partial or biased; fair; just

impartial judgment

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16
Q

impeccable

A

faultless; flawless
no soul is absolutely impeccable; her written English is impeccable; he was dressed in a suit and an impeccable white shirt

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17
Q

impending

A

about to happen; imminent

an impending disaster; their impending marriage

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18
Q

impenetrable

A

that cannot be penetrated, pierced; incapable of being understood
impenetrable by a bullet; impenetrable darkness; a mind impenetrable by new ideas; an impenetrable mystery, forest, heart, stupidity; a child speaking in an impenetrable language of its own

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19
Q

impenitent

A

not feeling shame or regret about one’s sin, actions or attitudes; obdurate
to this day she remains impenitent about her criminal past

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20
Q

imperious

A

domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing; arrogant and domineering: an imperious person
urgent: imperious need

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21
Q

imperturbable

A

incapable of being upset or agitated; not easily excited; calm
Although he seems outwardly imperturbable, he can get very angry at times; The chef was absolutely imperturbable - even when the kitchen caught on fire.

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22
Q

impervious

A

impenetrable; incapable of being injured or impaired / influenced, persuaded, or affected
an impervious desert; a carpet material impervious to most rough treatment; be impervious to all reason; a man impervious to criticism

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23
Q

impetuous

A

acting or done quickly and without thought or care; impulsive: an impetuous person
moving with great force; violent: an impetuous wind; with impetuous speed

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24
Q

impious

A

not religious; disrespectful

an impious act that horrified their pious mother; an impious son

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25
Q

impolitic

A

not politic, expedient, or judicious; unwise
I thought it impolitic to ask any questions about her ex-husband.
Although he considered the trial to be impolitic and unjust, he performed his duties with calmness and good judgment.

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26
Q

impoverished

A

reduced to poverty; (of a country, area, etc.) having few trees, flowers, birds, wild animals; deprived of strength, vitality, creativeness
impoverished soil; impoverished health; an impoverished rubber

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27
Q

impromptu

A

made or done without previous preparation

an impromptu speech

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28
Q

imprudent

A

not prudent; lacking discretion; incautious; rash

an imprudent investor; she is a very sweet girl, but so imprudent that no one trusts her with a secret

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29
Q

impudent

A

not showing due respect for another person; impertinent

an impudent young rascal

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30
Q

inadvertent

A

unintentional; not attentive

an inadvertent insult; an inadvertent omission

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31
Q

incipient

A

in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop

an incipient disease; an incipient light of day; the project is still in its incipient stages

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32
Q

incompatible

A

unable to exist together in harmony

she asked for a divorce because they were utterly incompatible; incompatible colors

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33
Q

incorrigible

A

not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed; not easily swayed or influenced
an incorrigible criminal; a training school for incorrigible boys; felt an incorrigible optimism
I’ve got an incorrigible sweet tooth, so I can find something to love on any dessert menu.

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34
Q

indispensable

A

absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite

air and water are indispensable to life; an indispensable obligation

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35
Q

indomitable

A

impossible to subdue or defeat; unconquerable

an indomitable spirit, will, warrior, struggle

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36
Q

indulgent

A

having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone
an indulgent parent; be indulgent to children

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37
Q

ineffable

A

too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words

ineffable joy, torture, disgust, bungler

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38
Q

inelegant

A

not elegant

an inelegant posture; inelegant surroundings

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39
Q

inept

A

having or showing no skill; clumsy; inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place; absurd or foolish
he was left feeling inept and inadequate; she is inept at dealing with people

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40
Q

inestimable

A

too great to calculate; valuable beyond measure

the flood caused inestimable damage; jewels of inestimable worth

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41
Q

inevitable

A

unable to be avoided

it was an inevitable consequence of the decision; the English and their inevitable cups of tea

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42
Q

inexorable

A

unyielding; unalterable; impossible to stop or prevent

the inexorable decline of Britain’s manufacturing industry; the seemingly inexorable rise in crime

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43
Q

inexplicable

A

unable to be explained or accounted for

there are many things which are inexplicable by science; inexplicable mystery

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44
Q

infallible

A

incapable of making mistakes or being wrong
an infallible memory, remedy
Although this so-called continuous speech-recognition approach has indeed improved accuracy, it is by no means infallible.

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45
Q

inflammatory

A

tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion

inflammatory speeches; an inflammatory response, process

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46
Q

inflated

A

fill (a balloon, tire, or other expandable structure) with air or gas so that it becomes distended: an inflated tire
unduly increased in level: an inflated style; inflated prices, salaries; the inflated value of land

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47
Q

ingenious

A

clever, original, and inventive

an ingenious mind; an ingenious machine

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48
Q

ingenuous

A

innocent and unsuspecting; artless; naive; candid; sincere

an ingenuous smile; it is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision

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49
Q

ingrained

A

(of a habit, belief, or attitude) firmly fixed or established; difficult to change; deep-rooted
ingrained habits, prejudices; the belief that we should do our duty is deeply ingrained in most of us

50
Q

inherent

A

existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute
weight is an inherent quality of matter; he has an inherent love of beauty; an inherent distrust of strangers

51
Q

inimical

A

tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile
nations inimical to one another; circumstance inimical to success; he received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support

52
Q

iniquitous

A

grossly unfair and morally wrong; wicked; sinful

it is an iniquitous system that allows a person to die because they have no money to pay for medicine

53
Q

innate

A

existing in one from birth; inborn; native

someone’s innate courtesy; an innate defect, gift

54
Q

innocuous

A

not harmful or offensive

an innocuous drug; innocuous generalities

55
Q

innovative

A

(of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original
an innovative approach; an innovative young movie director

56
Q

inoffensive

A

not objectionable or harmful

an inoffensive article; he seemed like a quiet, inoffensive sort of a guy

57
Q

inopportune

A

inappropriate; inconvenient

at an inopportune time; they arrived at an inopportune moment

58
Q

insatiable

A

(of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy

an insatiable hunger for knowledge; be insatiable in learning

59
Q

insidious

A

intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan
stealthily treacherous or deceitful: an insidious enemy
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects
insidious wiles; the insidious approach of age
Climate change is insidious and uncertain, inviting denial and procrastination.
The in-air bird deaths aren’t due to some apocalyptic plague or insidious experiment-they happen all the time, scientists say.
Envy may be the subtlest–perhaps I should say the most insidious–of the seven deadly sins.

60
Q

insipid

A

lacking flavor; bland

insipid food; insipid conversation

61
Q

insolent

A

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect

insolent behavior; an appallingly insolent reply to a reasonable request

62
Q

insular

A

pertaining to an island; ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience
an insular climate, fortress; For another musician, this insular quality might represent a lack of curiosity and range.

63
Q

insurgent

A

rising in active revolt

insurgent troops, groups

64
Q

intact

A

not damaged or impaired in any way; complete
let’s keep our friendship intact; most of the house remains intact even after two hundred years; he emerged from the trial with his reputation intact

65
Q

intangible

A

unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence
intangible value, ideas; an intangible asset; the benefits are intangible

66
Q

intemperate

A

having or showing a lack of self-control; immoderate

intemperate ambition, language, habits, wind, weather

67
Q

interim

A

an intervening time; interval; meantime; temporary; provisional
in the interim; the vice-president took power in the interim period before the election

68
Q

intermittent

A

occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady

intermittent fever, rain; Give yourself intermittent deadlines and take them seriously.

69
Q

internecine

A

destructive to both sides in a conflict

internecine war

70
Q

intimate

A

closely acquainted; familiar, close

an intimate friend; The personal stories shed a light on the intimate involvement of people with their obsession.

71
Q

intransigent

A

refusing to agree or compromise

intransigent in their opposition; an intransigent attitude

72
Q

intrepid

A

fearless; adventurous
an intrepid explorer; And the sea’s silty, cold waters made visibility almost nonexistent for the intrepid few who wanted to explore the medieval ruins.

73
Q

intricate

A

very complicated or detailed

an intricate piece of machinery; an intricate plot, problem

74
Q

intrinsic

A

belonging naturally; essential
intrinsic qualities; So even though this kind of science and thinking has no intrinsic economic value, it’s hugely motivating and quite cheap.

75
Q

invidious

A

(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others
invidious position; Choosing what to protect and what to try to save from the waters around the eastern coast is an invidious task.
She learned quickly not to make invidious comparisons between her husband’s cooking and her father’s expertise in the kitchen.

76
Q

invincible

A

too powerful to be defeated or overcome

an invincible army; invincible ignorance

77
Q

inviolable

A

never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored

an inviolable promise, heaven; Such companies frequently bleat that personal data is secure and inviolable.

78
Q

inviolate

A

free or safe from injury or violation

keep my faith inviolate; their privacy remained inviolate

79
Q

irascible

A

easily provoked to anger; very irritable

she’s becoming more and more irascible as she grows older

80
Q

jaded

A

tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something
a jaded appetite; he became jaded from years of work as a police officer

81
Q

jubilant

A

showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph

the fans were in jubilant mood after the victory

82
Q

judicious

A

showing, or done with good judgment or sense; prudent

judicious use of our resources; judicious planning now can prevent problems later

83
Q

keen

A

finely sharpened, as an edge; extremely sensitive or responsive
a razor with a keen edge; a keen scent; be keen of hearing, sight; keen eyes, ears

84
Q

lackluster

A

lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm

lackluster eyes; lackluster dirt streets

85
Q

laconic

A

expressing much in few words; concise

the sportscaster’s color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point

86
Q

languid

A

(of a person, manner, or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed
a languid wave of the hand; My mid-morning snack cost about three dollars, a delicious if atypical meal for an incredibly hot and languid summer day.

87
Q

latent

A

existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden; concealed
latent disease; the children have a huge reserve of latent talent

88
Q

lavish

A

sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious

be lavish of money; lavish spending, hospitality

89
Q

legitimate

A

according to law; lawful

a legitimate claim, inference

90
Q

lenient

A

(of punishment or a person in authority) permissive, merciful; agreeably tolerant; indulgent
the judge was far too lenient with him

91
Q

lethal

A

sufficient to cause death; deadly; fatal

a lethal chamber; a lethal dose; lethal gas; lethal military aid/non-lethal aid

92
Q

lethargic

A

affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic

the weak and lethargic government; he yielded to the lethargic music and fell asleep

93
Q

lighthearted

A

carefree; cheerful

a lighthearted attitude toward life

94
Q

lithe

A

(especially of a person’s body) thin, supple, and graceful; flexible
the lithe body of a ballerina; he was as lithe and strong as an athlete

95
Q

loath

A

unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse

is loath for him to go; he was loath to admit his mistake

96
Q

lofty

A

extending high in the air; of imposing height; towering; haughty
a lofty mountain; lofty ceilings, rooms, towers; lofty aims, ambitions, ideas, contempt; her lofty disdain for other people

97
Q

lopsided

A

heavier, larger, or more developed on one side than on the other; unevenly balanced; unsymmetrical
a lopsided spill; At the meeting, a dispute breaks out, albeit a lopsided one.

98
Q

lucid

A

expressed clearly; easy to understand; completely intelligible or comprehensible
a lucid mind; his style is lucid and he always makes his meaning clear
shining or bright; clear; pellucid; transparent: lucid streams

99
Q

ludicrous

A

so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous
a ludicrous suggestion; it was ludicrous to think that the plan could succeed

100
Q

lukewarm

A

(of liquid or food that should be hot) only moderately warm; tepid
lukewarm water, food; her proposals got a lukewarm response

101
Q

luminous

A

shining; bright

a luminous body; a square luminous with sunlight; full of luminous ideas; his prose is simple and luminous

102
Q

lurid

A

very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect
a lurid tale of violence and betrayal; the lurid lighting of a nightclub; the light from the fire cast a lurid glow on everything

103
Q

magnificent

A

impressively beautiful, elaborate, or extravagant; striking

a magnificent performance; the twelve-mile coastline has magnificent scenery; she looked magnificent in a long red dress

104
Q

malevolent

A

having or showing a wish to do evil to others

a malevolent look, smile, intention, thought; a gossipy malevolent old woman

105
Q

malignant

A

disposed to cause harm, suffering, or distress deliberately; very dangerous or harmful in influence or effect
a malignant growth, tumor, glare; he developed a malignant hatred for the land of his birth

106
Q

malleable

A

(of a metal or other material) able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking
the malleable character of youth; tactics that are malleable and vary with circumstances; most metals are malleable

107
Q

maniacal

A

wildly disordered

maniacal laughter; a maniacal mob

108
Q

manifest

A

clear or obvious to the eye or mind; obvious; apparent

his nervousness was manifest to all those present; the anger he felt is manifest in his painting

109
Q

meager

A

deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness
a meager food supply, harvest; every morning he eats a meager breakfast of toast and coffee; he came to this country with a fairly meager English vocabulary

110
Q

mediocre

A

of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate
a mediocre performance; he received a mediocre rating; the film’s plot is predictable and the acting is mediocre; parents do not want their children going to mediocre schools

111
Q

melancholy

A

a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
He had no successful military experience, no formal education, and suffered from depression and melancholy all his life.
a bleak and melancholy landscape; a mood of melancholy descended on us; there is a brooding melancholy in his black and white photography

112
Q

melodious

A

of, producing, or having a pleasant tune; tuneful

preferred the melodious sound of the woodlands to anything produced in a concert hall

113
Q

mendacious

A

telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful
a mendacious salesman, report

114
Q

mercenary

A

working or acting merely for money or other reward

a mercenary society, attitude; she is interested in him for purely mercenary reasons

115
Q

mercurial

A

(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic
Emily’s mercurial temperament made her difficult to live with; advertising is a mercurial business

116
Q

meretricious

A

apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity
he claims that a lot of journalism is meretricious and superficial

117
Q

meteoric

A

resembling a meteor in transient brilliance, suddenness of appearance, swiftness
her meteoric rise from dancer to professional actress; the company has experienced meteoric growth; the scandal ended his meteoric political career

118
Q

meticulous

A

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
careful and meticulous calculation; meticulous planning, records, research; he is always meticulous in keeping the record up to date; my father was meticulous about his appearance

119
Q

mettlesome

A

(of a person or animal) full of spirit and courage
a mettlesome debate on the teaching of evolution in the schools; the mettlesome opening dance number got the audience all jazzed up

120
Q

minute

A

extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree

minute descriptions, differences

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