Common GRE Words - Kaplan Definitions Flashcards
abate
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
abscond
to leave secretly
The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
abstain
to choose not to do something
She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray.
abyss
an extremely deep hole
The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths.
adulterate
to make impure
The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water.
advocate
to speak in favor of
The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat.
aesthetic
concerning the appreciation of beauty
Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
aggrandize
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own.
alleviate
to make more bearable
Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache.
amalgamate
to combine; to mix together
Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
ambiguous
doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
The directions she gave were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn.
ameliorate
to make better; to improve
The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers.
anachronism
something out of place in time
The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases, like “groovy” and “far out,” that had not been popular for years.
analogous
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
In the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker”.
anomaly
deviation from what is normal
The near-boiling river in Peru is called Shanay-Timpishka is a geological ANOMALY: it is the only naturally heated body of water that is not heated by its proximity to a volcano.
antagonize
to annoy or provoke to anger
The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail.
antipathy
extreme dislike
The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.
apathy
lack of interest or emotion
The APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligile to vote actually bother to do so.
arbitrate
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.
archaic
ancient, old-fashioned
Her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software.
ardor
intense and passionate feeling
Bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
articulate
able to speak clearly and expressively
She is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters.
assuage
to make something unpleasant less severe
Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache.
attenuate
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will.
audacious
fearless and daring
Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving.
austere
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye.
banal
predictable, cliched, boring
He used BANAL phrases like “have a nice day” and “another day, another dollar”.
bolster
to support; to prop up
The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
The ranting of the radio talk-show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments.
candid
impartial and honest in speech
The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.
capricious
changing one’s mind quickly and often
Queen Elizabeth I was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy.
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
Many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States.
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution.
caustic
biting in wit
Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults.
chaos
great disorder or confusion
In many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS.
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINISTS.
chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
Dishonest used car salespeople often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars.
cogent
convincing and well-reasoned
Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness.
convoluted
intricate and complicated
Although many people bought “A Brief History of Time,” few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories.
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment.
credulous
too trusting; gullible
Although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine-year-olds still believe in him.
crescendo
steadily increasing in volume or force
The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as EVel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses.
decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace.
deference
respect, courtesy
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE.
deride
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
The awkward child was often DERIDED by his “cooler” peers.
dessicate
to dry out thoroughly
After a few weeks of lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely DESICCATED.
desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
Diane had a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off.
diffident
lacking self-confidence
Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.
dilate
to make larger; to expand
When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light.
dilatory
intended to delay
The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill.
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Jerry’s friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.
dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
Melville wrote the poem “A DIRGE for James McPherson” for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864.
disabuse
to set right; to free from error
Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth.
discern
to perceive; to recognize
It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.
disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE.
dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character
The villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer– he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.
dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.
dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.
dogmatic
dictatorial in one’s opinions
The dictator was DOGMATIC – he, and only he, was right.
dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.
eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles.
efficacy
effectiveness
The EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered.
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
Although Thomas Gray’s “ELEGY Written in a Country Churchyard” is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality.
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ELOQUENT words.
emulate
to copy; to try to equal or excel
The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.
enervate
to reduce in strength
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army.
engender
to produce, cause, or bring about
His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown.
enigma
a puzzle; a mystery
By speaking in riddles and dressing in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA.
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were enumerated.
