Barrons GRE words Flashcards
1
Q
Abeyance
A
Temporary suppression or suspension
2
Q
Abjure
A
To reject or abandon
3
Q
Ablution
A
The act of cleansing
4
Q
Abrade
A
To wear off or down by scraping or rubbing
5
Q
Abscission
A
The act of cutting; natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
6
Q
Abrogate
A
To abolish or invalidate by authority
7
Q
Abstraction
A
Act or result of considering something independently of its qualities
8
Q
Academic
A
Having no practical purpose; theoretical
9
Q
Accede
A
To express approval; agree to
10
Q
Acrid
A
harsh, bitter
11
Q
Ad hoc
A
for the present purpose only
12
Q
Acumen
A
sharpness of insight
13
Q
Adumbrate
A
to sketch in a shadowy way; foreshadow
14
Q
Adventitious
A
Added from without
Ex: The house was colonial, without adventitious later additions
15
Q
Aegis
A
Protection; sponsorship; shield
16
Q
Afflatus
A
Creative impulse; divine inspiration
17
Q
A fortiori
A
For a still stronger reason
18
Q
Alacrity
A
Cheerful willingness; speed
19
Q
Alluvial
A
Relating to sediment deposited by flowing water
20
Q
Ambit
A
Sphere or scope
21
Q
Ancillary
A
Accessory, subordinate
22
Q
Animadvert
A
To comment critically
23
Q
Animus
A
Ill will
24
Q
Anomie
A
Alienation and purposelessness as a result of a lack of values or ideals
25
Antipodes
any two places on opposite sides of the earth
26
Aphelion
Point in a planet's orbit furthest away from the sun
27
Aplomb
Self confident assurance
28
Apogee
the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited
29
Apoplexy
sudden impairment of neurological function; a fit of extreme anger
30
Apothegm
terse, witty saying
31
A priori
from a general law to a particular instance
32
Arcana
secrets or mysteries
33
Argot
specialized vocabulary used by a group
34
Articulate
distinct; effective
35
Asperity
severity; irritability
36
Aspersion
slander; false rumor
37
Assay
to subject a substance to chemical analysis to determine the strength and quality of its components, to examine by trial or experience
38
Assiduous
diligent, hard working
39
Atavism
the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generation sof absence
40
Au courant
up to date
41
Avuncular
like an uncle
42
Axiomatic
taken for granted
43
Balk
to refuse
44
Bedizen
to dress in a showy manner
45
Bastion
fortification
46
Belabor
to insist repeatedly
47
Bellicosity
condition of being warlike or aggressive
48
Bete Noir
something especially dreaded or hated
49
Bonhomie
atmosphere of good cheer
50
Bromide
a commonplace remark; a platitude
51
Cachet
superior status; prestige
52
Cant
insincere talk; language of a particular group
53
Capacious
large, roomy
54
Carte Blanche
unrestricted power
55
Casuistry
false or excessively subtle reasoning
56
Cavort
to frolic
57
Certitude
assurance, certainty
58
Chary
wrathful, cautious
59
Chagrin
shame, embarrassment
60
Cipher
non-entity; worthless person or thing
61
Cogitate
to think carefully; ponder
62
Cognomen
surname; nickname
63
Compunction
uneasiness caused by guilt
64
Conflagration
big fire
65
Congenial
similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to
66
Consanguinity
relationship by blood or common ancestor
67
Convoke
to call together
68
Coquette
flirty woman
69
Corollary
a proposition that follows logically from one already proven
70
Coterminous
having common boundaries
71
Cozen
mislead by trickery or fraud
72
Cupidity
greed
73
Cynosure
object of common interest
74
Dearth
scarcity/paucity
75
De Facto
in fact; actual, existing weather rightfully or not
76
Denigrate
slur someone's reputation
77
Denude
to make bare
78
Desuetude
state of disuse
79
Deus ex machina
artificial method of solving a difficulty, improbable element added to a story to solve a situation
80
Diaphanous
transparent; insubstantial; vague
81
Discursive
wandering from topic to topic
82
Distrait
inattentive; preoccupied
83
Doggerel
poor verse
84
Doyen
a man holding a high position
85
Dudgeon
feelings of resentment
86
Emend
to correct
87
Encomium
a formal expression of praise
88
Enfant terrible
a person whose unusual behavior disturbs others
89
Errant
mistaken; straying from the proper course
90
Fait accompli
something done about which is too late to argue
91
Fatuous
foolishly self-satisfied
92
Frieze
ornamental band on a wall
93
Gauche
course and uncouth
94
Germane
appropriate relevant
95
Getsalt
relating to a pattern of elements so unified that properties cannot be derived from the sum of its parts
96
Gnomic
expressed in short pithy sayings
97
Hirsute
covered with hair
98
Hobson's choice
a double bind; a choice where all decisions are equally unsatisfactory
99
Ilk
type or kind
100
Imbroglio
complicated situation
101
Impinge
encroach upon
102
Impresario
a sponsor or producer of public entertainments
103
Imprimatur
official approval to publish
104
Impute
to relate to a particular cause or source
105
Inanition
exhaustion
106
Inculcate
to teach
107
Inculpate
to blame, charge with a crime
108
Indolent
habitually lazy
109
Ingress
entrance
110
Insouciant
indifferent
111
Interlope
trespasser
112
Internecine
deadly to both sides
113
Inveigle
to win over by flattery
114
Investiture
ceremony conferring authority
115
Inveterate
confirmed, long standing, deeply rooted
116
In vivo
within a living organism
117
Junta
a group of people united in political intrigue
118
Kafkaesque
characterized by distortion and impending danger
119
Kismet
fate or destiny
120
Labile
likely to change
121
Lamarckism
a theory of biological evolution holding that acquired traits can be inherited.
122
Legerdemain
trickery
123
Liaise
to communicate and maintain contact with
124
Lien
right to possess or sell property of a debtor
125
Limn
to draw or describe
126
Magnate
powerful person
127
Manumission
freedom from slavery
128
Maven
an expert
129
Mea culpa
an admission of a personal fault or mistake
130
Meretricious
gaudy; plausible but false
131
Militate
to work against
132
Minatory
threatening; menacing
133
Miscreant
villain; criminal
134
Mnemonic
related to memory
135
Modicum
limited quantity
136
Mordant
bitingly sarcastic
137
Mote
tiny particle
138
Nonpariel
having no match or equal
139
Nugatory
of no value, or importance
140
Obdurate
stubborn
141
Obeisance
Deference or homage
142
Obloquy
abusively detractive language
143
Oeuvre
the sum of the lifework of an artist
144
Ontology
theory about the nature of existence
145
Onus
A difficult responsibility or burden
146
Opalescent
iridescent, displaying colors
147
Opprobrium
disgrace; contempt, censure, harsh criticism
148
Palaver
idle talk
149
Pastiche
piece of literature of music imitating other works
150
Patois
a regional dialect; nonstandard speech; the jargon of a group
151
Pediment
triangular gable on a roof or facade
152
Penultimate
next to last
153
Penumbra
partial shadow
154
Peregrination
wandering from place to place
155
Perfidious
faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
156
Perigee
point in an orbit that is closest to the earth
157
Perihelion
point in orbit nearest to the sun
158
Peripatetic
moving from place to place
159
Philatelist
stamp collector
160
Pique
fleeting feeling of hurt pride
161
Piscivore
a fish eating animal
162
Planetesimal
any of numerous small celestial bodies that may have existed at an early stage of the development of the solar system
163
Plutocracy
society ruled by the wealthy
164
Ply
to use diligently; engage, join together
165
Portent
omen
166
Preceptor
teacher
167
Prehensile
capable of grasping
168
Privation
lack of usual necessities or comforts
169
Probity
honesty
170
Protean
readily assuming different forms or characters
171
Propinquity
nearness
172
Pusillanimous
cowardly
173
Putsch
a sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government
174
Quid Pro Quo
a favor given in return for something
175
Rapt
deeply absorbed
176
Recidivism
tendency to relapse into previous behavior
177
Redolent
odorous fragrant suggestive or an odor
178
Resplendent
splendid brilliant
179
Sanguine
ruddy
180
Satyr
a creature that is half-man half-beast with the horns and legs of a goat; a lecher
181
Scintilla
trace amount
182
Scintillate
to sparkle or flash
183
Scion
descendant or heir
184
Scurrilous
vulgar,
185
Sedulous
diligent
186
Slavish
servile; blindly imitative
187
Solecism
grammatical mistake
188
Solipsism
belief that the self is the only reality
189
Sublethal
almost lethal
190
Sui generis
one of a kind; unique
191
Supernal
celestial; heavenly
192
Sybarite
a person devoted to pleasure and luxury
193
Syllogism
form of deductive reasoning that has a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
194
Sylvan
related to the woods or forest
195
Tabula rasa
condition of mind free from ideas or impressions
196
Tantamount
equivalent in value
197
Tautological
needlessly repetitious
198
Tensile
capable of withstanding physical stress
199
Tenuous
weak, insubstantial
200
Terra incognita
an unexplored region or area of knowledge
201
Transmogrification
change from one shape or form to another
202
Tropism
the movement of an organism or part of an organism toward or away from an external stimulus
203
Tutelary
serving as a guard or protector
204
Umbrage
offense
205
Untoward
not favorable
206
Vagary
unpredictable or erratic action
207
Vapid
tasteless, dull
208
Viaduct
a series of elevated arches used to cross a valley
209
Vignette
a decorative design
210
Virile
manly, having qualities of an adult male
211
Weltanschauung
a comprehensive conception of the universe and of humanity's relation to it
212
Weltschmerz
feeling of melancholy and world weariness
213
Yahoo
course or brutish person
