Barron GRE Vocab (words) Flashcards

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1
Q

ambivalence

A

state of having conflicting emotional attitudes

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1
Q

derivative

A

simple; unoriginal

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2
Q

proscribe

A

to condemn; forbid; outlaw

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3
Q

assiduous

A

diligent; hard working

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3
Q

causality

A

relationship between cause/effect

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3
Q

efficacy

A

effectiveness; efficiency

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4
Q

denigrate

A

to slur someone’s reputation

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4
Q

diffuse

A

to spread out

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4
Q

effrontery

A

shameless boldness; presumptuousness

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4
Q

impermeable

A

impossible to penetrate

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4
Q

mendacious

A

dishonest

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4
Q

negate

A

cancel out; nullify

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4
Q

piety

A

devoutness

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5
Q

lucid

A

bright; clear; intelligible

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5
Q

quibble

A

to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details

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7
Q

quiescent

A

inactive; still

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7
Q

sanction

A

to approve; ratify; permit

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8
Q

capricious

A

fickle; constantly changing one’s mind

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8
Q

confound

A

baffle; mix up; perplex; confuse

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8
Q

plethora

A

excess; overabundance

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8
Q

reverent

A

expressing deep respect; worshipful

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9
Q

burnish

A

to polish

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9
Q

dogmatic

A

stating opinions without proof; dictatorial in one’s opinions

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9
Q

elicit

A

to provoke; draw out

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9
Q

intransigence

A

stubbornness; refusal to compromise

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10
Q

gouge

A

to tear out; scoop out; overcharge

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11
Q

torpor

A

lethargy; dormancy; sluggishness

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12
Q

conciliatory

A

overcoming distrust or hostility

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12
Q

recant

A

to retract a statement or opinion

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13
Q

qualified

A

limited; restricted

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14
Q

antipathy

A

strong dislike; hostility

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14
Q

engender

A

to cause; produce; bring about

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14
Q

inadvertently

A

carelessly; unintentionally

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14
Q

reproach

A

to find fault with; blame

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14
Q

skeptic

A

one who doubts

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14
Q

tractable

A

obedient; yielding

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14
Q

viscous

A

thick, syrupy, and sticky

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15
Q

austere

A

stern; undecorated

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15
Q

euphemism

A

use of agreeable/inoffensive language in place of unpleasant/offensive language

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16
Q

erudite

A

learned, scholarly, bookish

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17
Q

perfunctory

A

superficial; not thorough; performed as only a duty; indifferent

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18
Q

ambiguous

A

unclear or doubtful in meaning;

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18
Q

impassive

A

showing no emotion

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18
Q

perfidious

A

willing to betray one’s trust; faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy

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18
Q

platitude

A

stale, overused expression

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19
Q

digression

A

act of straying from the main point

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19
Q

iconoclastic

A

attacking cherished traditions

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19
Q

plasticity

A

pliability; condition of being able to be shaped or formed

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20
Q

imperturbable

A

not easily disturbed

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21
Q

paragon

A

model of excellence or perfection

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22
Q

oscillate

A

move back and forth

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22
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty

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24
Q

empirical

A

derived from observation or experiment

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25
Q

indeterminate

A

uncertain; indefinite

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26
Q

conundrum

A

riddle; puzzle with no solution

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26
Q

soporific

A

causing sleep or lethargy

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27
Q

connoisseur

A

person possessing expert knowledge or training

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28
Q

commensurate

A

proportional

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29
Q

diatribe

A

bitter verbal attack

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30
Q

garrulous

A

very talkative, wordy

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30
Q

propensity

A

inclination; tendency

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32
Q

abeyance

A

temporary suppression or suspension

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32
Q

goad

A

to prod; urge on

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33
Q

admonish

A

caution or reprimand

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33
Q

aggregate

A

amounting to a whole; total

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34
Q

alacrity

A

cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed

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36
Q

dirge

A

funeral hymn

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37
Q

implacable

A

inflexible; incapable of being pleased

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38
Q

implicit

A

implied; understood but not stated

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38
Q

subpoena

A

notice ordering someone to appear in court

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39
Q

propitiate

A

to win over; appease

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39
Q

volatile

A

tending to vary frequently; fickle

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40
Q

supersede

A

to replace, especially to displace as inferior or antiquated

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41
Q

bombastic

A

pompous in speech and/or manner

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42
Q

indigence

A

poverty

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43
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

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44
Q

insinuate

A

to suggest; say indirectly; imply

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45
Q

artless

A

guileless; natural

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45
Q

zealot

A

one who is fanatically devoted to a cause

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47
Q

idolatry

A

idol worship; blind or excessive devotion

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48
Q

ameliorate

A

to improve

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48
Q

fawning

A

seeking favor through flattery

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49
Q

pragmatic

A

practical (as opposed to realistic)

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50
Q

deference

A

respect, courtesy

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51
Q

penchant

A

inclination

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52
Q

disparate

A

dissimilar

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54
Q

venerate

A

to adore; honor; respect

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56
Q

mitigate

A

to soften; to lessen; to cause to become less harsh, severe, or painful; alleviate

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57
Q

hyperbole

A

purposeful exaggeration for effect

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58
Q

stint

A

to be sparing

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59
Q

disinterested

A

unprejudiced; objective

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59
Q

opprobrium

A

public disgrace; contempt

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60
Q

desultory

A

random; disconnected; rambling

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60
Q

officious

A

too helpful; meddlesome

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61
Q

autonomous

A

self-governing; independent

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61
Q

implode

A

violently collapse inward

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62
Q

precarious

A

uncertain (p)

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63
Q

magnanimity

A

generosity; nobility

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65
Q

tangential

A

peripheral; digressing

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66
Q

diffidence

A

shyness; lack of self confidence

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67
Q

endemic

A

inherent; belonging to an area

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67
Q

felicitous

A

suitably expressed; appropriate; well-chosen

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67
Q

neophyte

A

novice; beginner

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69
Q

analogous

A

similar or comparable

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70
Q

disjointed

A

lacking order or coherence; dislocated

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71
Q

buttress

A

reinforce or support

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71
Q

foment

A

arouse or incite

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71
Q

onerous

A

burdensome; troublesome

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72
Q

disparage

A

to belittle

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73
Q

harangue

A

long, pompous speech; tirade

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73
Q

rescind

A

to cancel

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74
Q

immutable

A

unchangeable

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75
Q

esoteric

A

hard to understand; understood by only a few

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76
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

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78
Q

pristine

A

untouched; uncorrupted

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79
Q

emulate

A

to copy; try to equal or excel

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80
Q

inchoate

A

not fully formed; disorganized

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82
Q

insularity

A

narrow-mindedness; isolation

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83
Q

presumptuous

A

rude; improperly bold

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84
Q

truculence

A

aggressiveness; ferocity

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86
Q

warranted

A

justified

87
Q

mundane

A

worldly (as opposed to spiritual); concerned with the ordinary

88
Q

relegate

A

to consign to an inferior position

89
Q

ephemeral

A

short-lived; not lasting very long

90
Q

dissemble

A

to pretend; disguise one’s motives

90
Q

ingenuous

A

naïve and trusting; lacking sophistication

91
Q

coda

A

something that summarizes or concludes, as in a musical composition

91
Q

plummet

A

to fall; plunge

93
Q

distill

A

extract the essential elements

95
Q

spectrum

A

broad range of related ideas or objects

96
Q

guileless

A

free of cunning or deceit; artless

98
Q

facetious

A

humorous; sarcastic

99
Q

laconic

A

using few words

100
Q

irresolute

A

unsure of how to act; weak

101
Q

misanthrope

A

a person who dislikes others; one who hates humanity

102
Q

precipitate

A

to cause to happen; to throw violently

103
Q

castigation

A

punishment; chastisement; criticism

104
Q

decorum

A

proper behavior

105
Q

enervate

A

to weaken

106
Q

lassitude

A

lethargy; sluggishness

108
Q

partisan

A

one-sided; committed to a party, group, or cause; prejudiced

108
Q

salubrious

A

healthy/healthful

110
Q

embellish

A

to adorn; decorate; enhance; make more attractive by adding details

112
Q

flag

A

to droop; grow weak

112
Q

saturate

A

to soak thoroughly; imbue throughout

113
Q

dismiss

A

reject; put away from consideration

115
Q

vituperative

A

using or containing harsh, abusive censure

116
Q

malleable

A

capable of being shaped

117
Q

mollify

A

to soothe; to calm or make less severe

118
Q

insipid

A

lacking in flavor; dull

119
Q

insensible

A

unconscious; unresponsive

120
Q

fatuous

A

foolishly self-satisfied

120
Q

vacillate

A

to waver; oscillate

122
Q

refractory

A

stubborn; unmanageable; resisting ordinary methods of treatment

123
Q

pedantic

A

showing off learning

125
Q

abscond

A

to leave secretly

126
Q

reprobate

A

morally unprincipled person

127
Q

appropriate

A

to take possession for one’s own use; confiscate

128
Q

tortuous

A

having many twists and turns; highly complex

129
Q

contentious

A

quarrelsome

129
Q

innocuous

A

harmless

131
Q

secrete

A

produce and release substance into organism

132
Q

disingenuous

A

not candid/sincere; crafty

133
Q

forestall

A

prevent; delay

134
Q

gainsay

A

to deny; dispute; oppose

135
Q

permeable

A

penetrable

137
Q

ascetic

A

one who practices self-denial

138
Q

eclectic

A

selecting from various sources

140
Q

intractable

A

not easily managed

141
Q

equanimity

A

composure; calmness

142
Q

stolid

A

having or showing little emotion

144
Q

stipulate

A

to specify as an essential condition

146
Q

cacophonous

A

unpleasant or harsh-sounding

147
Q

viable

A

practicable; capable of developing

149
Q

problematic

A

posing a problem; doubtful; unsettled

150
Q

aberrant

A

deviating from the norm

151
Q

assuage

A

to make less severe

152
Q

laud

A

praise or glorify

153
Q

log

A

record of a voyage; record of daily activities

155
Q

malingerer

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

156
Q

inherent

A

firmly established by nature or habit

157
Q

homogeneous

A

uniform in composition; composed of identical parts

159
Q

complaisant

A

overly polite; willing to please; obliging

161
Q

dissolution

A

disintegration; debauchery

162
Q

chicanery

A

deception through guile or trickery

162
Q

shard

A

piece of broken glass or pottery

164
Q

anachronism

A

something that is out of place in time

165
Q

inundate

A

to overwhelm; to cover with water

167
Q

striated

A

marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels

169
Q

probity

A

honesty; high-mindedness

170
Q

pungent

A

strong or sharp in smell or taste; penetrating; caustic; to the point

171
Q

craven

A

cowardly

173
Q

recalcitrant

A

resisting authority or control

174
Q

levee

A

an embankment that prevent a river from overflowing

175
Q

delineate

A

to represent or depict

175
Q

obviate

A

to make unnecessary; anticipate and prevent

176
Q

levity

A

light manner or attitude

177
Q

veracious

A

truthful; accurate

179
Q

conventional

A

widely observed in a group; customary

180
Q

rarefied

A

refined

181
Q

tacit

A

silently understood; implied

182
Q

disseminate

A

to spread; scatter; disperse

182
Q

welter

A

to wallow or roll; toss about; be in turmoil

184
Q

placate

A

soothe or pacify

185
Q

pervasive

A

spread throughout every part

186
Q

sage

A

wise

188
Q

gregarious

A

sociable

189
Q

elegy

A

lamentful poem or song

191
Q

compendium

A

brief, comprehensive summary

192
Q

discordant

A

not in tune

193
Q

ebullient

A

exhilarated; enthusiastic

194
Q

prevaricate

A

to lie; to quibble; to evade the truth

196
Q

inured

A

hardened; accustomed; used to

197
Q

satiate

A

to satisfy or overindulge

199
Q

obsequious

A

submissive; eager to please

201
Q

tenuous

A

weak; insubstantial

202
Q

facilitate

A

to make less difficult

203
Q

discredit

A

to dishonor; disgrace; cause to be doubted

204
Q

discerning

A

perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgment

205
Q

extraneous

A

not essential

206
Q

invective

A

verbal abuse

207
Q

discrepancy

A

difference between

209
Q

occlude

A

stop up; prevent the passage of

211
Q

ostentatious

A

showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention

213
Q

proliferate

A

to increase rapidly

214
Q

belie

A

contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression

215
Q

stigma

A

mark of disgrace or inferiority

216
Q

anomalous

A

irregular; deviating from the norm

217
Q

lethargic

A

inactive; sluggish

218
Q

refute

A

to contradict; disprove

220
Q

fledgling

A

beginner; novice

221
Q

banal

A

boring, predictable, cliched

222
Q

beneficent

A

kindly; doing good

223
Q

supposition

A

the act of assuming to be true or real

224
Q

pathological

A

departing from normal condition

225
Q

solicitous

A

concerned; attentive; eager

227
Q

fallacious

A

based on a false idea or fact; misleading

228
Q

precursor

A

forerunner; predecessor

229
Q

desiccate

A

to dry out completely

231
Q

morose

A

ill-humored; sullen

232
Q

incongruity

A

state of not fitting

233
Q

perennial

A

present throughout the years; persistent

234
Q

exculpate

A

to clear of blame; vindicate; show innocence

235
Q

equivocate

A

to intentionally use a vague language

236
Q

whimsical

A

fanciful; unpredictable

237
Q

impervious

A

impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

239
Q

strut

A

to swagger; display to impress others

240
Q

dupe

A

to deceive; trick

242
Q

coagulate

A

thicken; congeal

244
Q

phlegmatic

A

calm in temperament; sluggish

245
Q

specious

A

seeming to be logical and sound, but not really so; deceptively attractive

247
Q

frugality

A

tendency to be thrifty or cheap

249
Q

obdurate

A

stubborn; hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

250
Q

transgression

A

act of trespassing or violating a law or rule

251
Q

eulogy

A

high praise, especially of someone recently deceased

252
Q

aver

A

to affirm; declare to be true

253
Q

repudiate

A

to reject as having no authority

254
Q

propriety

A

correct conduct; fitness

255
Q

flout

A

to treat scornfully

257
Q

burgeon

A

to flourish

258
Q

attenuate

A

decrease in force or degree; to weaken

259
Q

impede

A

hinder; block

260
Q

impair

A

damage; injure

261
Q

contention

A

an assertion

263
Q

apprise

A

to inform

264
Q

tirade

A

long, violent speech or verbal assault

265
Q

meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

267
Q

gullible

A

easily deceived

268
Q

paucity

A

scarcity

269
Q

catalyst

A

something that causes change

270
Q

prodigal

A

wasteful; extravagant; lavish

271
Q

boorish

A

rude; insensitive

272
Q

dichotomy

A

division into two (usually contradictory) parts

273
Q

incorporate

A

introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine

274
Q

substantiate

A

to support with proof or evidence

275
Q

reticent

A

not speaking freely; reserved; reluctant

276
Q

resolution

A

determination; resolve

277
Q

grandiloquent

A

pompous; bombastic

278
Q

indolent

A

habitually lazy; idle

280
Q

audacious

A

bold; daring; fearless

281
Q

doctrinaire

A

dogmatic; unyielding

282
Q

maverick

A

dissenter; independent-minded person

283
Q

discrete

A

distinct; constituting a separate thing

284
Q

aesthetic

A

relating to beauty or art

285
Q

recondite

A

difficult to understand; obscure; profound

286
Q

disabuse

A

to free from a misconception; to set right

287
Q

sporadic

A

irregular; deviating from the norm

288
Q

distend

A

to expand; swell out

289
Q

wary

A

careful; cautious

290
Q

approbation

A

praise; approval

291
Q

amalgamate

A

to combine (into a unified whole)

292
Q

exigency

A

crisis; urgent requirements

293
Q

metamorphosis

A

change; transformation

294
Q

abstemious

A

moderate in appetite

295
Q

verbose

A

wordy

296
Q

dissonance

A

discord; lack of harmony

297
Q

convoluted

A

twisted; complicated

298
Q

inert

A

unable to move; sluggish

299
Q

inconsequential

A

insignificant; unimportant

300
Q

irascible

A

easily angered