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Additional GRE Vocab > Barrons list A with examples > Flashcards

Barrons list A with examples Flashcards

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1
Q

abbreviate

A

shorten (Eg: Because we were running out of time, the lecturer had to abbreviate her speech. )

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3
Q

abate

A

subside or moderate (Eg: Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. )

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5
Q

abortive

A

unsuccessful; fruitless (Eg: We had to abandon our abortive attempts. )

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7
Q

absolute

A

complete; totally unlimited; certain (Eg: Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch, he did not want to behead his unfaithful wife )

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9
Q

abstract

A

theoretical; not concrete; non,representational (Eg: To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal. )

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11
Q

abusive

A

coarsely insulting; physically harmful (Eg: An abusive parent damages a child both mentally and physically. )

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13
Q

accelerate

A

move faster (Eg: In our science class, we learn how falling bodies accelerate. )

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15
Q

accessible

A

easy to approach; obtainable (Eg: We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot. )

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17
Q

accessory

A

additional object; useful but not essential thing (Eg: She bought an attractive handbag as an accessory for her dress. )

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19
Q

abscond

A

depart secretly and hide (Eg: The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found. )

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21
Q

aberrant

A

abnormal or deviant (Eg: Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. )

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23
Q

abeyance

A

suspended action (Eg: The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. )

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25
Q

adamant

A

hard, inflexible (Eg: He was adamant in his determination to punish the wrongdoer. )

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27
Q

adulterate

A

make impure by mixing with baser substances (Eg: )

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29
Q

adversity

A

poverty, misfortune (Eg: We must learn to meet adversity gracefully. )

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31
Q

abase

A

lower; degrade; humiliate (Eg: Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam; when told to cast herself down on the ground before )

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33
Q

abash

A

embarrass (Eg: He was not at all abashed by her open admiration. )

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35
Q

abdicate

A

renounce; give up (Eg: When Edward VII abdicated the British throne, he surprised the entire world. )

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37
Q

abet

A

assist, usually in doing something wrong (Eg: She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned. )

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39
Q

abject

A

wretched; lacking pride (Eg: On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from )

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41
Q

abjure

A

renounce upon oath (Eg: He abjured his allegiance to the king. )

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43
Q

ablution

A

washing (Eg: His daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he humorously labeled Opera in the Bath. )

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45
Q

abnegation

A

renunciation; self,sacrifice (Eg: Though Rudolph and Duchess Flavia loved one another, their love was doomed, for she had to wed the )

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47
Q

abominate

A

loathe; hate (Eg: Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom. )

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49
Q

abrasive

A

rubbing away; tending to grind down (Eg: Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener’s )

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51
Q

abrogate

A

abolish (Eg: He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. )

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53
Q

absolve

A

pardon (an offense) (Eg: The father confessor absolved him of his sins. )

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55
Q

abstain

A

refrain; withhold from participation (Eg: After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic performance, he decided to abstain from drinking )

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57
Q

abut

A

border upon; adjoin (Eg: Where our estates abut, we must build a fence. )

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59
Q

abysmal

A

bottomless (Eg: His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance. )

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61
Q

accede

A

agree (Eg: If I accede to this demand for blackmail, I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands. )

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63
Q

acclimate

A

adjust to climate or environment (Eg: One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travellers to acclimate themselves to their new )

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65
Q

acclivity

A

sharp upslope of a hill (Eg: The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear. )

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67
Q

accolade

A

award of merit (Eg: In Hollywood, an Oscar is the highest accolade. )

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69
Q

accord

A

agreement (Eg: She was in complete accord with the verdict. )

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71
Q

accost

A

approach and speak first to a person (Eg: When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me. )

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73
Q

accoutre

A

equip (Eg: The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the sporting goods store could supply )

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75
Q

accretion

A

growth; increase (Eg: The accretion of wealth marked the family’s rise in power. )

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77
Q

accrue

A

come about by addition (Eg: You must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum. )

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79
Q

acidulous

A

slightly sour; sharp; caustic (Eg: James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous remarks. )

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81
Q

acme

A

peak; pinnacle; highest point (Eg: Welles’s success in Citizen Kane marked the acme of his career as an actor; never again did he achieve such )

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83
Q

acquiesce

A

assent; agree passively (Eg: Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about )

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85
Q

acquittal

A

deliverance from a charge (Eg: His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. )

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87
Q

acrid

A

sharp; bitterly pungent (Eg: )

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89
Q

acrimonious

A

stinging, caustic (Eg: His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his audience. )

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91
Q

actuarial

A

calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics (Eg: According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago. )

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93
Q

actuate

A

motivate (Eg: I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily. )

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95
Q

acuity

A

sharpness (Eg: In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses. )

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97
Q

acumen

A

mental keenness (Eg: His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed. )

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99
Q

adage

A

wise saying; proverb (Eg: There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money. )

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101
Q

addendum

A

addition; appendix to book (Eg: Jane’s editor approved her new comparative literature text but thought it would be even better with an )

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103
Q

addle

A

muddle; drive crazy (Eg: This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. )

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105
Q

adherent

A

supporter; follower (Eg: In the wake of the scandal, the senator’s one,time adherent quietly deserted him. )

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107
Q

adjunct

A

something attached to but holding an inferior position (Eg: I will entertain this concept as an adjunct to the main proposal. )

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109
Q

adjuration

A

solemn urging (Eg: Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the witnesses’ testimony. )

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111
Q

adjutant

A

staff officer assisting the commander; assistant (Eg: Though Wellington delegated many tasks to his chief adjutant, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Somerset was in no )

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113
Q

admonish

A

warn; reprove (Eg: He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways. )

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115
Q

adorn

A

decorate (Eg: Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. )

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117
Q

adroit

A

skillful (Eg: His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his employers. )

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119
Q

adulation

A

flattery; admiration (Eg: The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes,men. )

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121
Q

advent

A

arrival (Eg: Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the Nuclear Age until the news of Hiroshima reached )

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123
Q

adventitious

A

accidental; casual (Eg: He found this adventitious meeting with his friend extremely fortunate. )

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125
Q

adversary

A

opponent; enemy (Eg: Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the machinations of his wicked adversary, the Joker. )

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127
Q

adverse

A

unfavorable; hostile (Eg: adverse circumstances compelled him to close his business. )

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129
Q

advert

A

refer to (Eg: Since you advert to this matter so frequently, you must regard it as important. )

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131
Q

advocate

A

urge; plead for (Eg: The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves. )

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133
Q

aegis

A

shield; defense (Eg: Under the aegis of the Bill of Rights, we enjoy our most treasured freedoms. )

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135
Q

affable

A

courteous (Eg: Although he held a position of responsibility, he was an affable individual and could be reached by anyone )

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137
Q

affected

A

artificial; pretended (Eg: His affected mannerisms irritated may of us who had known him before his promotion. )

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139
Q

affidavit

A

written statement made under oath (Eg: The court refused to accept his statement unless he presented it in the form of an affidavit. )

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141
Q

affiliation

A

joining; associating with (Eg: His affiliation with the political party was of short duration for he soon disagreed with his colleagues. )

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143
Q

affinity

A

kinship (Eg: She felt an affinity with all who suffered; their pains were her pains. )

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145
Q

affirmation

A

positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath (Eg: Despite Tom’s affirmation of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie. )

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147
Q

affix

A

attach or add on; fasten (Eg: First the registrar had to affix his signature to the license; then he had to affix his official seal. )

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149
Q

affluence

A

abundance; wealth (Eg: Foreigners are amazed by the affluence and luxury of the American way of life. )

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151
Q

affront

A

insult; offend (Eg: Accustomed to being treated with respect, Miss Challoner was affronted by Vidal’s offensive behavior. )

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153
Q

agape

A

openmouthed (Eg: She stared, agape, at the many strange animals in the zoo. )

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155
Q

agenda

A

items of business at a meeting (Eg: We had so much difficulty agreeing upon an agenda that there was very little time for the meeting. )

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157
Q

agglomeration

A

collection; heap (Eg: It took weeks to assort the agglomeration of miscellaneous items she had collected on her trip. )

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159
Q

aggrandize

A

increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor (Eg: The history of the past quarter century illustrates how a President may aggrandize his power to act )

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161
Q

aggregate

A

sum; total (Eg: The aggregate wealth of this country is staggering to the imagination. )

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163
Q

aghast

A

horrified (Eg: He was aghast at the nerve of the speaker who had insulted his host. )

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165
Q

agility

A

nimbleness (Eg: The agility of the acrobat amazed and thrilled the audience. )

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167
Q

agitate

A

stir up; disturb (Eg: Her fiery remarks agitated the already angry mob. )

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169
Q

agnostic

A

one who is skeptical of the existence of knowability of a god or any ultimate reality (Eg: The agnostic demanded proof before she would accept the statement of the minister. )

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171
Q

agog

A

highly excited; intensely curious (Eg: We were all agog at the news that the celebrated movie star was giving up his career in order to enter a )

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173
Q

agrarian

A

pertaining to land or its cultivation (Eg: As a result of its recent industrialization, the country is gradually losing its agrarian traditions. )

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175
Q

alacrity

A

cheerful promptness (Eg: He demonstrated his eagerness to serve by his alacrity in executing the orders of his master. )

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177
Q

alchemy

A

medieval chemistry (Eg: The changing of baser metals into gold was the goal of the students of alchemy. )

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179
Q

alcove

A

nook; recess (Eg: Though their apartment lacked a full,scale dining room, an alcove adjacent to the living room made an )

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181
Q

alias

A

an assumed name (Eg: John Smith’s alias was Bob Jones. )

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183
Q

alienate

A

make hostile; separate (Eg: Her attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith in each other. )

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185
Q

alimentary

A

supplying nourishment (Eg: The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there. )

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187
Q

alimony

A

payments make to an ex,spouse after divorce (Eg: Because Tony had supported Tina through medical school, on their divorce he asked the court to award )

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189
Q

allay

A

calm; pacify (Eg: The crew tried to allay the fears of the passengers by announcing that the fire had been controlled. )

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191
Q

allege

A

state without proof (Eg: It is alleged that she had worked for the enemy. )

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193
Q

allegory

A

story in which characters are used as symbols; fable (Eg: Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of the temptations and victories of the human soul. )

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195
Q

alleviate

A

relieve (Eg: This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs. )

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197
Q

alliteration

A

repetition of beginning sound in poetry (Eg: The furrow followed free is an example of alliteration. )

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199
Q

alloy

A

mixture as of metals (Eg: alloy of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal. )

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201
Q

allude

A

refer indirectly (Eg: Try not to allude to this matter in his presence because the topic annoys him. )

203
Q

allure

A

entice; attract (Eg: allured by the song of the sirens, the helmsman steered the ship toward the reef. )

205
Q

allusion

A

indirect reference (Eg: the allusions to mythological characters in Milton’s poems bewilder the reader who has not studied Latin. )

207
Q

alluvial

A

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water (Eg: The farmers found the alluvial deposits at the mouth of the river very fertile. )

209
Q

aloof

A

apart; reserved (Eg: Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest conversed. )

211
Q

aloft

A

upward (Eg: The sailor climbed aloft into the rigging. )

213
Q

altercation

A

noisy quarrel (Eg: Throughout the altercation, not one sensible word was uttered. )

215
Q

altruistic

A

unselfishly generous; concerned for others (Eg: In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships to hundreds of economically disadvantaged )

217
Q

amalgamate

A

combine; unite in one body (Eg: The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body. )

219
Q

amass

A

collect (Eg: The miser’s aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible. )

221
Q

amazon

A

female warrior (Eg: Ever since the days of Greek mythology we refer to strong and aggressive women as amazons. )

223
Q

ambidextrous

A

capable of using either hand with equal ease (Eg: A switch,hitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous. )

225
Q

ambience

A

environment; atmosphere (Eg: She went to the restaurant not for the food but for the ambience. )

227
Q

ambiguous

A

unclear or doubtful in meaning (Eg: His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take. )

229
Q

ambivalence

A

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes (Eg: Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the )

231
Q

amble

A

moving at an easy pace (Eg: When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the animal to go faster than a gentle amble. )

233
Q

ambrosia

A

food of the gods (Eg: ambrosia was supposed to give immortality to any human who ate it. )

235
Q

ambulatory

A

able to walk (Eg: He was described as an ambulatory patient because he was not confined to his bed. )

237
Q

ameliorate

A

improve (Eg: Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums. )

239
Q

amenable

A

readily managed; willing to be led (Eg: He was amenable to any suggestions that came from those he looked up to; he resented advice from his )

241
Q

amend

A

correct; change, generally for the better (Eg: Hoping to amend his condition, he left Vietnam for the United States. )

243
Q

amenities

A

convenient features; courtesies (Eg: )

245
Q

amiable

A

agreeable; lovable (Eg: His amiable disposition pleased all who had dealings with him. )

247
Q

amicable

A

friendly (Eg: The dispute was settled in an amicable manner with no harsh words. )

249
Q

amiss

A

wrong; faulty (Eg: Seeing her frown, he wondered if anything were amiss. )

251
Q

amity

A

friendship (Eg: Student exchange programs such as the Experiment in International Living were established to promote )

253
Q

amnesia

A

loss of memory (Eg: Because she was suffering from amnesia, the police could not get the young girl to identify herself. )

255
Q

amnesty

A

pardon (Eg: When his first child was born, the king granted amnesty to all in prison. )

257
Q

amoral

A

non,moral (Eg: The amoral individual lacks a code of ethics; he should not be classified as immoral. )

259
Q

amorous

A

moved by sexual love; loving (Eg: Don Juan was known for his amorous adventures. )

261
Q

amorphous

A

shapeless; vague; indeterminate (Eg: John was subject to panic attacks that left him prey to vague, amorphous fears: he knew he was terrified, )

263
Q

amphibian

A

able to live both on land and in water (Eg: Frogs are classified as amphibian. )

265
Q

amphitheater

A

oval building with tiers of seats (Eg: The spectators in the amphitheater cheered the gladiators. )

267
Q

ample

A

abundant (Eg: He had ample opportunity to dispose of his loot before his police caught up with him. )

269
Q

amplify

A

enlarge (Eg: Her attempts to amplify her remarks were drowned out by the jeers of the audience. )

271
Q

amputate

A

cut off part of body; prune (Eg: When the doctors had to amputate Ted Kennedy’s leg to prevent the spread of cancer, he did not let the )

273
Q

amok

A

in a state of rage (Eg: )

275
Q

amulet

A

charm; talisman (Eg: Around her neck she wore the amulet that the witch doctor had given her. )

277
Q

anachronism

A

something or someone misplaced in time (Eg: Shakespeare’s reference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism; no clocks existed in Caesar’s time. )

279
Q

analgesic

A

causing insensitivity to pain (Eg: The analgesic qualities of his lotion will provide temporary relief. )

281
Q

analogous

A

comparable (Eg: She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that )

283
Q

analogy

A

similarity; parallelism (Eg: Your analogy is not a good one because the two situations are not similar. )

285
Q

anarchist

A

person who rebels against the established order (Eg: Only the total overthrow of all governmental regulations would satisfy the anarchist. )

287
Q

anarchy

A

absence of governing body; state of disorder (Eg: The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy. )

289
Q

anathema

A

solemn curse; someone or something that is despised (Eg: He heaped anathema upon his foe. )

291
Q

anathematize

A

curse (Eg: The high priest anathematized the heretic. )

293
Q

anchor

A

secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place (Eg: We set the post in concrete to anchor it in place. )

295
Q

ancillary

A

serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary (Eg: In an ancillary capacity Doctor Watson was helpful; however, Holmes could not trust the good doctor to )

297
Q

anecdote

A

short account of an amusing or interesting event (Eg: Rather than make concrete proposals for welfare reform, President Raegan told anecdotes about poor )

299
Q

anemia

A

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles (Eg: The doctor ascribes her tiredness to anemia. )

301
Q

anesthetic

A

substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness (Eg: His monotonous voice acted like an anesthetic; his audience was soon asleep. )

303
Q

anguish

A

acute pain; extreme suffering (Eg: Visiting the site of explosion, Premier Gorbachev wept to see the anguish of the victims and their families. )

305
Q

angular

A

sharp,cornered; stiff in manner (Eg: His features, though angular, were curiously attractive. )

307
Q

animadversion

A

critical remark (Eg: He resented the animadversions of his critics, particularly because he realized they were true. )

309
Q

animated

A

lively (Eg: Her animated expression indicated a keenness of intellect. )

311
Q

animosity

A

active enmity (Eg: He incurred the animosity of the ruling class because he advocated limitations of their power. )

313
Q

animus

A

hostile feeling or intent (Eg: The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting )

315
Q

annals

A

records; history (Eg: In the annals of this period, we find no mention of democratic movements. )

317
Q

anneal

A

reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (Eg: After the glass is annealed, it will be less subject to chipping and cracking. )

319
Q

annihilate

A

destroy (Eg: The enemy in its revenge tried to annihilate the entire population. )

321
Q

annotate

A

comment; make explanatory notes (Eg: In the appendix to the novel, the critic sought to annotate many of the more esoteric references. )

323
Q

annuity

A

yearly allowance (Eg: The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can )

325
Q

annul

A

make void (Eg: The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage. )

327
Q

anodyne

A

drug that relieves pain; opiate (Eg: His pain was so great that no anodyne could relieve it. )

329
Q

anoint

A

consecrate (Eg: The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil, crowning him king of Israel. )

331
Q

anomalous

A

abnormal; irregular (Eg: He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that he despised. )

333
Q

anomaly

A

irregularity (Eg: A bird that cannot fly is an anomaly. )

335
Q

anonymity

A

state of being nameless; anonymousness (Eg: )

337
Q

antagonistic

A

hostile; opposed (Eg: Despite his lawyers’ best efforts to stop him, the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to )

339
Q

antecede

A

precede (Eg: The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century. )

341
Q

antecedents

A

preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; early life; ancestors (Eg: Before giving permission for Drummie to marry Estella, Miss Havisham had a few questions about the )

343
Q

antediluvian

A

antiquated; ancient (Eg: The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years. )

345
Q

anthropoid

A

manlike (Eg: The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals. )

347
Q

anthropologist

A

student of the history and science of humankind (Eg: Anthropologists have discovered several relics of prehistoric humans in this area. )

349
Q

anthropomorphic

A

having human form or characteristics (Eg: Primitive religions often have deities with anthropomorphic characteristics. )

351
Q

anticlimax

A

letdown in thought or emotion (Eg: After the fine performance in the first act, the rest of the play was an anticlimax. )

353
Q

antipathy

A

aversion; dislike (Eg: His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends. )

355
Q

antiquated

A

obsolete; outdated (Eg: Accustomed to editing his papers on word processors, Philip thought typewriters were too antiquated for )

357
Q

antiseptic

A

substance that prevents infection (Eg: It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound, no matter how slight or insignificant. )

359
Q

antithesis

A

contrast; direct opposite of or to (Eg: This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for, and he fought it with all his strength. )

361
Q

anvil

A

iron block used in hammering out metals (Eg: After heating the iron horseshoe in the forge, the blacksmith picked it up with his tongs and set it on the )

363
Q

apathetic

A

indifferent (Eg: He felt apathetic about the conditions he had observed and did not care to fight against them. )

365
Q

apathy

A

lack of caring; indifference (Eg: A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never )

367
Q

ape

A

imitate or mimic (Eg: He was suspended for a week because he had aped the principal in front of the whole school. )

369
Q

aperture

A

opening; hole (Eg: She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room. )

371
Q

apex

A

tip; summit; climax (Eg: He was at the apex of his career. )

373
Q

aphasia

A

loss of speech due to injury or illness (Eg: After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could )

375
Q

aphorism

A

pithy maxim (Eg: An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific. )

377
Q

apiary

A

a place where bees are kept (Eg: Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee. )

379
Q

aplomb

A

poise; composure (Eg: Wellington’s nonchalance and aplomb in the heat of battle always heartened his followers. )

381
Q

apocalyptic

A

prophetic; pertaining to revelations; especially of disaster (Eg: His apocalyptic remarks were dismissed by his audience as wild surmises. )

383
Q

apocryphal

A

untrue; made up (Eg: To impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city. )

385
Q

apogee

A

highest point (Eg: When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth, it is at its apogee. )

387
Q

apoplexy

A

stroke; loss of consciousness followed by paralysis (Eg: He was crippled by an attack of apoplexy. )

389
Q

apostate

A

one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs (Eg: Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate. )

391
Q

apothecary

A

druggist (Eg: In Holland, apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills. )

393
Q

apothegm

A

pithy, compact saying (Eg: Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. )

395
Q

apotheosis

A

deification; glorification (Eg: The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor his apotheosis; she hoped that on her death she, too, )

397
Q

appal

A

dismay; shock (Eg: We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city’s jails. )

399
Q

apparition

A

ghost; phantom (Eg: Hamlet was uncertain about the identity of the apparition that had appeared and spoken to him. )

401
Q

appease

A

pacify; soothe (Eg: We have discovered that, when we try to appease our enemies, we encourage them to make additional )

403
Q

appellation

A

name; title (Eg: He was amazed when the witches hailed him with his correct appellation. )

405
Q

append

A

attach (Eg: I shall append this chart to my report. )

407
Q

application

A

diligent attention; (secondary meaning) apply (Eg: Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application. )

409
Q

apposite

A

appropriate; fitting (Eg: He was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion. )

411
Q

appraise

A

estimate the value of (Eg: It is difficult to appraise old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. )

413
Q

appreciate

A

be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of (Eg: Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks ave her, whose value appreciated )

415
Q

apprehend

A

arrest ( a criminal); dread; perceive (Eg: The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long. )

417
Q

apprehensive

A

fearful; discerning (Eg: His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness. )

419
Q

apprise

A

inform (Eg: When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, he decided to postpone his trip. )

421
Q

approbation

A

approval (Eg: Wanting her parents’ regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. )

423
Q

appropriate

A

acquire; take possession of for one’s own use (Eg: The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians’ use. )

425
Q

appurtenances

A

subordinate possessions (Eg: He bought the estate and all its appurtenances. )

427
Q

apropos

A

with reference to; regarding (Eg: I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. )

429
Q

aptitude

A

fitness; talent (Eg: The counselor evaluated his aptitudes before advising him about the career he should follow. )

431
Q

aquiline

A

curved, hooked (Eg: He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle. )

433
Q

arable

A

fit for plowing (Eg: The land was no longer arable; erosion had removed the valuable topsoil. )

435
Q

arbiter

A

person with power to decide a matter in a dispute; judge (Eg: As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers. )

437
Q

arbitrary

A

unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical (Eg: The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. )

439
Q

arbitrate

A

act as judge (Eg: She was called upon to arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management. )

441
Q

arboretum

A

place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited (Eg: Walking along the treelined paths of the arboretum, Rita noted poplars, firs, and some particularly fine )

443
Q

arcade

A

a covered passageway, usually lined with shops (Eg: The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and the )

445
Q

arcane

A

secret; mysterious (Eg: What was arcane to us was clear to the psychologist. )

447
Q

archaeology

A

study of artifacts and relics of early mankind (Eg: The professor of archaeology headed an expedition to the Gobi Desert in search of ancient ruins. )

449
Q

archaic

A

antiquated (Eg: Methinks, thee, and thou are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary. )

451
Q

archetype

A

prototype; primitive pattern (Eg: The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island )

453
Q

archipelago

A

group of closely located islands (Eg: When he looked at the map and saw the archipelagoes in the South Seas, he longed to visit them. )

455
Q

archives

A

public records; place where public records are kept (Eg: These documents should be part of the archives so that historians may be able to evaluate them in the )

457
Q

ardor

A

heat; passion; zeal (Eg: Katya’s ardor was contagious; soon all her fellow demonstrators were busily making posters and handing )

459
Q

arduous

A

hard; strenuous (Eg: Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy. )

461
Q

argot

A

slang (Eg: In the argot of the underworld, she was taken for a ride. )

463
Q

aria

A

operatic solo (Eg: At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma. )

465
Q

arid

A

dry; barren (Eg: The cactus had adapted to survive in an arid environment. )

467
Q

aristocracy

A

hereditary nobility; privileged class (Eg: Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy: )

469
Q

armada

A

fleet of warships (Eg: Queen Elizabeth’s navy was able to defeat the mighty armada that threatened the English coast. )

471
Q

aromatic

A

fragrant (Eg: Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe. )

473
Q

arraign

A

charge in court; indict (Eg: After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court. )

475
Q

array

A

marshal; draw up in order (Eg: His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him. )

477
Q

array

A

clothe; adorn (Eg: She liked to watch her motherarray herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. )

479
Q

arrears

A

being in debt (Eg: He was in arrears with his payments on the car. )

481
Q

arrogance

A

pride, haughtiness (Eg: The arrogance of the nobility was resented by the middle class. )

483
Q

arroyo

A

gully (Eg: Until the heavy rains of the past spring, this arroyo had been a dry bed. )

485
Q

articulate

A

effective; distinct (Eg: Her articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers. )

487
Q

artifacts

A

products of primitive culture (Eg: Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia Minor and came to )

489
Q

artifice

A

deception; trickery (Eg: The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military )

491
Q

artisan

A

a manually skilled worker (Eg: Artists and artisans alike are necessary to the development of a culture. )

493
Q

artless

A

without guile; open and honest (Eg: Red Riding Hood’s artless comment, Grandma, what big eyes you have! indicates the child’s innocent )

495
Q

ascendancy

A

controlling influence (Eg: President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendency over Philippines. )

497
Q

ascetic

A

practicing self,denial; austere (Eg: The wealthy young man could not understand the ascetic life led by the monks. )

499
Q

asceticism

A

doctrine of self,denial (Eg: We find asceticism practiced in many monastries. )

501
Q

ascribe

A

refer; attribute; assign (Eg: I can ascribe no motive for her acts. )

Additional GRE Vocab (2 decks)

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