Barron's Essential Words for the GRE: Set 2 Flashcards
impermeable
impossible to penetrate
The virus protection software is said to be impermeable to attacks by malicious software.
imperturbable
not easily disturbed
Buddha counseled that one should try to remain imperturbable through life’s vicissitudes.
impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
We were amazed how Laura could study organic chemistry at a noisy party, impervious to the noise around her.
impinge
to strike; encroach
When you look at a star that is 50 light-years away, the light that is impinging on your retina forms an image of the star as it was 50 years ago.
implacable
inflexible; incapable of being pleased
implicit
implied; understood but not stated
Implicit in the review is the idea that the writing of serious literature is a moral undertaking.
implode
to collapse inward violently
impute
to relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic
People generally impute cleverness to cats.
vicissitude
mutability; favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance; a fluctuation of state or condition
hermetic
magical; tightly sealed
The hermetic tradition refers to a number of interrelated subjects such as alchemy, magic, and astrology.
heterodox
unorthodox; not widely accepted
The theologian’s heterodox conclusions were censured by the church.
harrowing
extremely distressing; terrifying
J.R.R. Tolkien’s story The Lord of the Rings recounts Frodo Baggin’s harrowing journey from to carry the One Ring from Rivendell to the Crack of Doom and destroy it before Sauron gets to it.
hirsute
covered with hair
Anthropologists believe that early human beings were hirsute.
histrionic
relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect
Most mothers are astute at judging whether their child’s tears are genuine or mostly histrionics.
impudent
cocky; insolent; audacious
eclecting
selecting from various sources
document
provide written evidence
doggerel
poor verse
Even the doggerel of a great poet like John Milton is interesting.
dross
worthless; trivial matter
effete
depleted of vitality; overrefined; decadent
It is interesting how some traditions remain strong, while others gradually become effete.
dogmatic
stating opinions without proof
Bertrand Russel observed that people are most dogmatic about things that is least possible to be certain about.
effervescence
the state of high spirits or liveliness; bubbling that occurs when gas escape
A person who believes he is unattractive might develop an effervescent personality as a compensation for his perceived deficiency.
ebullient
enthusiastic; exhilarated
The fans were ebullient after the team they rooted for won.
quagmire
marsh; difficult situation
The Nissan patrol sank halfway into the quagmire.
purport
claim; profess; suppose
pungent
caustic; strong or sharp in taste or smell; to the point; mordant
Slang frequently expresses an idea succintly and pungently.
quail
cower; lose heart
The bank teller quailed as the masked robber threatened her with a gun.
qualms
uneasy feeling about the rightness of actions; sudden feeling of nausea
qualified
limited or restricted
pusillanimous
cowardly
quibble
to argue over insignificant or irrelevant details
The lawyers quibbled over details that they made little progress in reaching an agreement on the central issue.
quiescent
inactive; still
Although malignant tumors remain quiescent for a period of time, they never become benign.
mettle
courage; endurance
In many cultures, young men are expected to test their mettle by performing difficult and dangerous tasks.
misanthrope
one who hates humanity
militate
to work against
The student’s laziness militates stongly against the likelihood of success.
minatory
menacing; threatening
The student stood quietly while the teacher made minatory gestures.
microcosm
a small system having analogies to a larger system
The city was a microcosm of American society.
minutia
petty details
mettlesome
full of courage and fortitude; spirited
inveigh
to protest vehemently; disapprove
The political leaders regularly inveighed against the corruption of Western influence.
inured
hardened; accustomed; used to
After 20 years in the army, the chaplain still has not become inured to the sight of dying men on the field.
invidious
offensive; likely to provoke ill will
The book makes invidious comparisons between American and European culture.
inundate
to cover with water; overwhelm
The domestic market was inundated with foreign goods to the detriment of local manufacturers.
inveterate
deeply rooted; long standing; confirmed
He was an inveterate gambler.
irresolute
unsure of how to act; weak
We should not be irresolute about our goals.
irascible
easily angered
The irascible old man complains ever time someone makes a little noise.
invective
verbal abuse
The debate judge cautioned participants not to engage in invective, but rather in reasoned and decorous discourse.
inveigle
to win over by flattery or acquire through ingenuity or coaxing
The students inveigled their professor into postponing the test for a week.
She inveigled her way to a promotion.
to win over by flattery or acquire through ingenuity or coaxing
inveigle
verbal abuse
invective
easily angered
irascible
unsure of how to act; weak
irresolute
impossible to penetrate
Impermeable
Not easily disturbed
Imperturbable
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
impervious
vituperative
using or containing harsh, abusive censure
The critic’s vituperative comments aroused the wrath of of nearly every serious composer
vitiate
to impair the quality of; corrupt morally; make inoperative
One error in the study’s methodology vitiates the entire body of work.
visage
appearance; countenance; aspect
The infant studied its mother’s visage intently.
vindictive
spiteful; unforgiving; vengeful
The treaty of Versailles, which concluded World War CI was deliberately vindictive, imposing tremendous penalties on the defeated nation.
viable
practicable; capable of developing
Spend money to keep cities viable by rebuilding decrepit infrastructure or allow them to decay
vexation
irritation; annoyance; confusion; puzzlement
Some people have the fortitude to live prosperous lives despite many vexations.
vacillate
waver; ocillate
Philip is vacillating between going to medical school and law school.
venerate
to adore; honor; respect
Mother Teresa is venerated for her compassion for the poor people in India.
vendetta
prolonged feud marked by bitter hostility
The vendetta between the two families have gone on for more than 20 yrs now with no prospect of reconciliation.
venal
corruptible; bribable; mercenary
Men going into politics in the Philippines are dissemblers pretending to want to help the poor when their motives are entirely venal.
vaunt
to boast; brag
The head coach warned her players not to vaunt their undefeated record.
variegated
varied; marked with different colors
The flower fields are variegated; a plethora of flowers of different colors and kinds overwhelm your view.
vacuous
empty; void; lacking intelligence; purposeless
Lydia, the youngest of the Bennett sisters, is portrayed as a vacuous young woman with few interests other than having fun.
irritation; annoyance; confusion; puzzlement
vexation
practicable; capable of developing
viable
spiteful; unforgiving
vindictive
appearance; countenance; aspect
visage
to impair the quality of; corrupt morally; make inoperative
vitiate
using or containing harsh, abusive censure
vituperative
empty; void; lacking intelligence; purposeless
vacuous
varied; marked with different colors
variegated
to boast; brag
vaunt
corruptible; bribable; mercenary
venal
to adore; honor; respect
venerate
solvent
able to meet financial obligations
During the financial crisis several large banks had difficulty remaining solvent.
somatic
relating to or affecting the body; corporeal
A pyschosomatic disorder is a malady caused by a mental disorder that adversely affects somatic functioning.
soporific
sleep producing; tending to dull alertness or awareness
This medication is soporific, so don’t drive after taking it.
sordid
filthy; contemptible; corrupt
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a sordid human being.
specious
seeming to be logical and sound, but not really so
The article systematically rebuts the specious argument advanced by the so called expert in the field.