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GRE > Barron's - 2 > Flashcards

Barron's - 2 Flashcards

GRE words

1
Q

Desultory

A

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

“a few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion”

Similar:

casual

half-hearted

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2
Q

Deterrent

A

a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.

“cameras are a majordeterrent tocrime”

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3
Q

Diatribe

A

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

“a diatribe against consumerism”

Similar:

tirade

harangu

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4
Q

Dichotomy

A

.

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

“a rigiddichotomy betweenscience and mysticism”

Similar:

division

separation

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5
Q

Digression

A

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing.

“let’s return to the main topic after that brief digression”

Similar:

deviation

detour

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6
Q

Dirge

A

a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.

Similar:

elegy

lament

funeral song/chant

burial hymn

requiem

dead march

keen

coronach

threnody

threnode

monody

a mournful song, piece of music, or sound.

“singers chanted dirges”

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7
Q

Disabuse

A

persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken.

“he quicklydisabusedmeofmy fanciful notions”

Similar:

disillusion

undeceive

correct

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8
Q

Discredit

A

harm the good reputation of.

“his remarks were taken out of context in an effort to discredit him”

Similar:

disgrace

dishonour

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9
Q

disingenuous

A

not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.

“this journalist was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical”

Similar:

dishonest

deceitful

underhand

underhanded

duplicitous

double-dealing

two-faced

dissembling

insincere

false

lying

untruthful

mendacious

not candid

not frank

not entirely truthful

artful

cunning

crafty

wily

sly

sneaky

tricky

scheming

calculating

designing

devious

unscrupulous

shifty

foxy

economical with the truth

terminologically inexact

subtle

hollow-hearted

false-hearted

double-faced

truthless

unveracious

Opposite:

ingenuous

frank

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10
Q

Disparage

A

regard or represent as being of little worth.

“he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”

Similar:

belittle

denigrate

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11
Q

Dissemble

A

conceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs.

“an honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble”

Similar:

dissimulate

pretend

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12
Q

Dissonance

A

Discord, opposite of harmony.

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13
Q

Distend

A

swell or cause to swell by pressure from inside.

“the abdomen distended rapidly”

Similar:

swell

bloat

bulge

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14
Q

Divest

A

deprive someone of (power, rights, or possessions).

“men are unlikely to be divested of power without a struggle”

Similar:

deprive

strip

dispossess

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15
Q

Ebullient

A

cheerful and full of energy.

“she sounded ebullient and happy”

Similar:

exuberant

buoyant

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16
Q

Effrontery

A

insolent or impertinent behaviour.

“one jurorhad the effrontery tochallenge the coroner’s decision”

Similar:

impudence

impertinence

17
Q

Elegy

A

in modern literature) a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

18
Q

Elicit

A

evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone.

“I tried toelicita smilefromJoanna”

Similar:

obtain

bring out

draw out

extract

evoke

bring about

bring forth

induce

excite

give rise to

call forth

prompt

generate

engender

spark off

trigger

kindle

extort

exact

wrest

derive

provoke

wring

screw

squeeze

worm out

19
Q

Equanimity

A

calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.

“she accepted both the good and the badwith equanimity”

Similar:

composure

calmness

20
Q

Equivocate

A

Lie, mislead, use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

“the government have equivocated too often in the past”

21
Q

eulogy

A

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, especially a tribute to someone who has just died.

“a eulogy to the Queen Mother”

22
Q

Euphemism

A

substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

“the jargon has given us ‘downsizing’ asa euphemism forcuts”

Similar:

polite term

substitute

23
Q

Exculpate

A

show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.

“the article exculpated the mayor”

24
Q

Exigency

A

an urgent need or demand.

“women worked long hours when the exigencies of the family economy demanded it”

Similar:

need

demand

25
Q

Extrapolation

A

Projection, the action of estimating or concluding something by assuming that existing trends will continue or a current method will remain applicable.

“sizes were estimated by extrapolation”

26
Q

Fatuous

A

silly and pointless.

“a fatuous comment”

Similar:

silly

foolish

27
Q

Felicitous

A

well chosen or suited to the circumstances.

“a felicitous phrase”

Similar:

apt

well chosen

well expressed

well put

choice

fitting

suitable

appropriate

apposite

pertinent

germane

to the point

relevant

congruous

apropos

spot on

Opposite:

inappropriate

pleasing and fortunate.

“the view was the room’s only felicitous feature”

Similar:

fortunate

28
Q

Fervor

A

intense and passionate feeling.

“he talked with all the fervour of a new convert”

Similar:

passion

ardour

29
Q

Flout

A

openly disregard (a rule, law, or convention).

“the advertising code is being flouted”

Similar:

defy

30
Q

Gouge

A

overcharge or swindle (someone).

“drugs sold by the same manufacturers who are gouging patients in this country”

obtain money by swindling or extortion.

“he’dgougedwadsout ofMorty”

31
Q

stigma

A

a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

“the stigma of having gone to prison will always be with me”

Similar:

shame

disgrace

32
Q

Stint

A

restrict (someone) in the amount of something, especially money, given or permitted.

“to avoid having to stint yourself, budget in advance”

be very economical or mean about spending or providing something.

“he doesn’tstint onwining and dining”

Similar:

skimp on

scrimp on

33
Q

Striated

A

striped or streaked.

“you can emboss, pierce, or striate wood”

34
Q

Verbose

A

using or expressed in more words than are needed.

“much academic language is obscure and verbose”

Similar:

wordy

loquacious

GRE (8 decks)

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