Barron GRE 501-800 Flashcards
miscellany
mixture of writtings on various subjects
miscreant
villain; criminal
misogynist
one who hates women
mitigate
alleviate; to become less severe
mnemonic
realated to memory; assisting memory
modicum
limited quantity
mollify
to soothe
monolithic
solid and uniform; constituing a single, unified whole
morose
ill-humored; sullen
motley
many colored; made up of many parts
multifarious
diverse
mundane
worldy as opposed to spiritual; concerned with the ordinary
necromancy
black magic
negate
to cancel out; nullify
neologism
new word or expression
neophyte
novice; beginner
nexus
a means of connection; a center
nonplussed
bewildered
nostalgia
sentimental longing for a past time
nostrum
medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness
nugatory
trifling; invalid
obdurate
stubborn
obsequious
overly submissive
obsequy
funeral ceremony
obviate
to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent
occlude
to shut; block
occult
relating to practices connected with supernatural phenomena
odyssey
a long, adventurous voyage; a quest
officious
too helful; meddlesome
olfactory
concerning the sense of smell
oligarchy
form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders
onerous
burdensome
onomatopeia
formation or use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to
opprobium
public disgrace; contempt
ornithologist
scientist who studies birds
oscillate
to move back and forth
ostentatious
showy; pretentious
overweening
presumptuous; arrogant
paean
song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy
paleonthology
study of past geological eras through fossil remains
pallid
lacking color or liveliness
panegyric
elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
paragon
model of perfection or excellence
partisan
one-sided; committed to a party, group or cause
pathological
departing from normal condition
patois
jargon; a regional dialect
paucity
scarcity
pedantic
showing off learning
pellucid
transparent; easily understood
penchant
inclination
penury
extreme poverty
peregrination
wandering from place to place
peremptory
imperative; leaving no choice
perennial
present throughout the years; persistent
perfidious
faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy
perfunctory
superficial; performed really as a duty
perigee
point in an orbit that is closest to the earth
permeable
penetrable
perturb
to disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious
pervasive
spread throughout every part
petulant
rude; peevish
phlegmatic
unemotional; calm in temperament
phoenix
anything that is restored after suffering great destruction
physiognomy
facial features
piety
devoutness
piquant
pleasantly pungent; attractive
pique
fleeting feeling or hurt pride
placate
soothe; pacify
placid
calm
plaintive
melancholy; mournful
plasticity
pliability; condition of being able to be shaped or formed
platitude
stale; overused expression
platonic
spiritual; theoretical
plethora
excess; overabundance
plumb
to examine deeply; determine the depth
plummet
to fall; plunge
plutocracy
society ruled by the wealthy
porous
full of holes; permeable to liquids
poseur
poerson who affects an attitude to impress others
pragmatic
practical
prate
to talk idly; chatter
prattle
meaningless, foolish talk
preamble
preliminary statement
precarious
uncertain
precept
principle; law
precipitate
to cause to happen; throw down from a height
precipitate
rash; hasty; sudden; done without deliberation
precursor
forerunner; predecessor
preempt
to supersede; appropiate for oneself
prehensile
capable of grasping
premonition
forewarning; presentiment
presage
to foretell; indicate in advance
presumptuous
rude; improperly bold
preternatural
supernatural; beyond the normal use of nature
prevaricate
to quibble; evade the truth
primordial
original; existing from the beginning
pristine
untouched; uncorrupted
probity
honesty; high-mindness
problematic
posing a problem; doubtful
prodigal
wasteful; extravagant; lavish
profound
deep, not superficial
prohibitive
so high as to prevent the purchase or use of, forbidding
proliferate
to increase rapidly
propensity
inclination, tendency
propitiate
to win over, appease
propriety
correct conduct, fitness
proscribe
to condemn, forbid, outlaw
provident
providing for future need, frugal
puissant
powerful
punctilious
careful in observing rules fo behavior
pungent
penetrating, caustic, to the point
pusillanimous
cowerdly
purport
to profess, suppose, claim
quagmire
marsh, difficult situation
quail
to cower, lose heart
qualified
limited, restricted
qualm
sudden feeling of faintness or nausea
query
question
quibble
to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details
quiescent
inactive, still