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GRE Vocab > Common Vocab 1, 2, 3 > Flashcards

Common Vocab 1, 2, 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

extant

A

Still in existence, usually refers to documents

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2
Q

calumny

A

Making false statement(s) meant to injure a person’s reputation.

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3
Q

amenable

A

Easily persuaded

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4
Q

enervate

A

To sap energy from.

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5
Q

profligate

A

Spending recklessly or wastefully.

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6
Q

demur

A

Object or show reluctance.

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7
Q

venality

A

Condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption.

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8
Q

parsimonious

A

Extremely frugal; Miserly

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9
Q

prevaricate

A

Speak in an evasive way.

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10
Q

prodigal

A

Wastefully extravagant

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11
Q

ambiguous

A

Open to more than one interpretation.

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12
Q

ingenuous

A

To be naive and innocent.

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13
Q

iconoclast

A

Somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

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14
Q

venerate

A

Respect deeply

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15
Q

galvanize

A

Excite or inspire (someone) to action.

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16
Q

amorphous

A

Shapeless

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17
Q

egregious

A

Standing out negatively; Shockingly bad.

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18
Q

betray

A

Reveal or make known, usually unintentionally.

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19
Q

undermine

A

Weaken or lessen

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20
Q

laconic

A

Using very few words.

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21
Q

mercurial

A

Prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood.

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22
Q

aberration

A

Deviation from what is normal or expected.

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23
Q

anomalous

A

Not normal

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24
Q

acrimony

A

Bitterness and ill will.

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25
Q

impertinent

A

Disrespectful; Improperly forward or bold; Irrelevant

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26
Q

gregarious

A

Likely to socialize with others.

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27
Q

castigate

A

Reprimand harshly

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28
Q

veracious

A

Truthful

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29
Q

involved

A

Complicated, and difficult to comprehend.

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30
Q

chastise

A

Reprimand harshly

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31
Q

frugal

A

Not spending much money (wisely)

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32
Q

intimate

A

To suggest subtly

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33
Q

commensurate

A

To be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount.

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34
Q

disinterested

A

Unbiased; Neutral

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35
Q

ambivalent

A

Mixed or conflicting emotions about something.

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36
Q

upbraid

A

Reproach; Scold

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37
Q

censure

A

Express strong disapproval

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38
Q

artful

A

Exhibiting artistic skill; Clever, cunning

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39
Q

amalgam

A

Mixture of multiple things.

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40
Q

maintain

A

To assert

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41
Q

innocuous

A

Harmless and doesn’t produce any ill effects.

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42
Q

parochial

A

Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook.

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43
Q

equivocal

A

Confusing or ambiguous

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44
Q

wanting

A

Lacking

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45
Q

restive

A

Restless

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46
Q

auspicious

A

Favorable, not sinister.

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47
Q

qualify

A

Make less severe; Limit

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48
Q

vindicate

A

Clear of accusation, blame, suspicion or doubt.

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49
Q

harangue

A

Long pompous speech; Tirade

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50
Q

belie

A

Give false representation to; Misrepresent

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51
Q

concede

A

Acknowledge defeat; Admit; Give over; Surrender or relinquish

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52
Q

impudent

A

Improperly forward or bold.

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53
Q

gainsay

A

Deny or contradict; Speak against or oppose

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54
Q

frivolous

A

Not serious in content or attitude or behavior

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55
Q

exacerbate

A

Make worse

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56
Q

banal

A

Repeated too often; Overfamiliar

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57
Q

platitude

A

Trite or obvious remark

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58
Q

bucolic

A

Relating to the pleasant aspects of the country.

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59
Q

dogmatic

A

Highly opinionated, not accepting that one’s own beliefs may not be correct.

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60
Q

meticulous

A

Marked by extreme care in treatment of details.

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61
Q

decorous

A

Good taste in manners and conduct.

62
Q

querulous

A

Habitually complaining

63
Q

vociferous

A

Offensively loud; Given to vehement outcry

64
Q

culpability

A

State of guilt

65
Q

glut

A

Excessive supply; Supply with an excess of.

66
Q

aesthete

A

One who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature.

67
Q

obscure

A

Make unclear; Known by few

68
Q

inexorable

A

Impossible to stop or prevent

69
Q

incisive

A

Having ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions.

70
Q

torpor

A

Inactivity from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy.

71
Q

entrenched

A

Fixed firmly or securely.

72
Q

reticent

A

Disinclined to talk, not revealing one’s thoughts.

73
Q

apathetic

A

Lack of interest

74
Q

deferential

A

Showing respect

75
Q

culminate

A

Reach the highest or most decisive point.

76
Q

perfidy

A

Act of deliberate betrayal; Breach of trust

77
Q

predilection

A

A strong liking

78
Q

lambast

A

Criticize severely or angrily.

79
Q

gall

A

Trait of being rude and impertinent; Feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will.

80
Q

fortuitous

A

Occurring by happy chance; Having no cause or apparent cause.

81
Q

dictatorial

A

Expecting unquestioning obedience; Characteristic of an absolute ruler.

82
Q

prescience

A

Power to foresee the future.

83
Q

cryptic

A

Mysterious or vague, usually intentionally.

84
Q

chortle

A

Chuckle, laugh merrily, often in a muffled way.

85
Q

aesthetic

A

Concerned with the appreciation of beauty; Set of principles guiding work of a particular artist or movement.

86
Q

didactic

A

Instructive (especially excessively)

87
Q

germane

A

Relevant and appropriate

88
Q

gossamer

A

Unusual lightness and delicacy.

89
Q

engender

A

Give rise to; Cause

90
Q

preclude

A

Keep from happening or arising; Make impossible

91
Q

mitigate

A

Make less severe or harsh.

92
Q

mawkish

A

Overly sentimental to the point the it is disgusting.

93
Q

rustic

A

Characteristic of rural life; Awkwardly simple and provincial.

94
Q

audacious

A

Willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks.

95
Q

volubility

A

Quality of talking or writing easily and continuously.

96
Q

eschew

A

Avoid and stay away from deliberately.

97
Q

conspicuous

A

Without any attempt at concealment; Obvious

98
Q

recondite

A

Difficult to penetrate; Incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge.

99
Q

diffident

A

Showing modest reserve; Lacking self-confidence

100
Q

superfluous

A

Serving no useful purpose; More than is needed, desired, or required.

101
Q

spurious

A

Plausible but false.

When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

102
Q

travesty

A

An absurd presentation of something; Mockery

What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

103
Q

derive

A

Come from; Reason by deduction

Many words in the English language are derived from Latin.

From the multiple sets of footprints in the living room, the investigator derived an important clue.

104
Q

subsume

A

Contain or include; Consider as part of a general rule or principle.

The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk.

Don Quixote subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.

105
Q

delineate

A

Describe in detail

After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

106
Q

refractory

A

Stubbornly resistant to authority or control.

Use to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergarteners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said.

107
Q

fallacious

A

Of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning.

The widespread belief that Eskimos have forty different words for snow is fallacious, based on one false report.

108
Q

tenacious

A

Stubbornly unyielding

Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

109
Q

ameliorate

A

Make something bad better.

“X” tells the story of western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

110
Q

haughty

A

Having/showing arrogant superiority to and disdain fo those one views as unworthy.

The haughty manager didn’t believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant as his own.

111
Q

ascetic

A

Practicing self-denial.

His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty.

…ascetics like Gandhi are often considered wise…

112
Q

mollify

A

To make someone that is angry less angry; Placate

In the morning, Janine was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he’d had his cup of coffee.

113
Q

insidious

A

Working in a subtle but destructive way.

Tooth plaque is insidious, eating away at our enamel, causing cavities and other problems.

114
Q

itinerant

A

Traveling from place to place to work.

Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients’ homes.

115
Q

quotidian

A

Found in the ordinary course of events.

Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle’s arguments that he forgets quotidian concerns, such as eating regularly.

116
Q

derivative

A

Not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence.

Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular movies, they did well at the box office.

117
Q

precocious

A

Characterized by exceptionally early development or maturity.

118
Q

staunch

A

Firm and dependable especially in loyalty.

No longer a staunch supporter of the movement…

119
Q

magnanimous

A

Noble and generous in spirit, especially to those inferior in power or a rival.

He was a great sportsman; In defeat he was complimentary and in victory he was magnanimous.

120
Q

heretic

A

Person who holds unorthodox opinions.

121
Q

disaffected

A

Discontented as toward authority.

After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.

122
Q

languid

A

Not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; Slow and relaxed.

Due to hot weather, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

123
Q

forlorn

A

Marked by hopelessness

After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn.

124
Q

ephemeral

A

Lasting a very short time.

The lifespan of a mayfly is ephemeral, lasting only a few hours.

125
Q

tantamount

A

Being essentially equal to something.

Silence is tantamount to admitting guild, so speak to prove your innocence.

126
Q

vehement

A

Extreme intensity of emotions or convictions.

Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

127
Q

rudimentary

A

In the earliest stages of development; Basic facts or principles.

128
Q

contrive

A

Pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery.

Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation.

129
Q

avaricious

A

Excessively greedy

130
Q

unequivocal

A

Of no doubt or misunderstanding; Having only one meaning or interpretation.

Showing hesitation and ignorance during prior speeches, he was careful to make his position completely unequivocal.

131
Q

eminent

A

Standing above others in quality or position.

Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.

132
Q

guileless

A

Free of deceit

At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

133
Q

vilify

A

Spread negative information about.

Todd was noble after the divorce, choosing to say only complimentary things about Barbara, but Barbara did not hesitate to vilify Todd.

134
Q

treacherous

A

Tending to betray; Dangerously unstable and unpredictable.

…remembered more for his treacherous actions than for eliminating a criminal.

The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

135
Q

jingoism

A

Fanatical patriotism

North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

136
Q

supplant

A

To take the place of.

For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone.

137
Q

incongruous

A

Lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness.

The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America’s ideals.

138
Q

eclectic

A

Comprised of a variety of styles.

Joey was known for his eclectic tastes in music…

139
Q

immutable

A

Not able to be changed.

Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land…

140
Q

juxtapose

A

Place side by side for contrast.

141
Q

denote

A

To be a sign or indication of; Have as a meaning.

Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes “stop” to all motorists in America.

142
Q

belligerent

A

One who is eager to fight.

143
Q

circumvent

A

Cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations.

One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores.

144
Q

apathy

A

Absence of emotion or enthusiasm.

Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

145
Q

panache

A

Distinctive and showy elegance.

Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat and cane.

146
Q

elucidate

A

Make clearer and easier to understand.

Youtube is great place to learn just about anything - an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

147
Q

abstain

A

Choose not to consume or take part in.

148
Q

jubilant

A

Full of high-spirited delight due to triumph or success.

My hard work paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.

149
Q

frustrate

A

Hinder or prevent efforts, plans or desires.

I thought I would finish writing the paper by lunchtime, but a number of urgent interruptions served to frustrate my plan.

150
Q

negligible

A

So small as to be meaningless; Insignificant

The GRE tests cumulative knowledge, so if you cram the night before it is, at best, likely to only have a negligible impact on your score.

GRE Vocab (9 decks)

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