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GRE Prep > Common Words In Context > Flashcards

Common Words In Context Flashcards

1
Q

A date

A

To reduce in amount

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2
Q

Abscond

A

To leave secretly

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3
Q

Abstain

A

To choose not to do something

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4
Q

Abyss

A

To choose not to do something

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5
Q

Abyss

A

An extremely deep hole

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6
Q

Adulterated

A

To make impure

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7
Q

Advocate

A

To speak in favor of

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8
Q

Aesthetic

A

Concerning the appreciation of beauty

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9
Q

Aggrandize

A

To increase in power, influence, and reputation

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10
Q

Alleviate

A

To make more bearable

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11
Q

Amalgamate

A

To combine, to mix together

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12
Q

Ambiguous

A

Doubtful or uncertain, able to interpret several ways

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13
Q

Ameliorate

A

To make better, to improve

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14
Q

Anachronism

A

Something out of place in time

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15
Q

Analogous

A

Similar or alike in some way

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16
Q

Anatoly

A

Deviation from what is normal

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17
Q

Antagonize

A

To annoy or provoke to anger

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18
Q

Antipathy

A

Extreme dislike

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19
Q

Apathy

A

Lack of interest or emotion

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20
Q

Arbitrate

A

To judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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21
Q

Archaic

A

Ancient, old fashioned

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22
Q

Ardor

A

Intense and passionate feeling

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23
Q

Articulate

A

Able to speak clearly and expressively

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24
Q

Assuage

A

To make something unpleasant less severe

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25
Q

Attenuate

A

To reduce in force or degree

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26
Q

Audacious

A

Fearless and daring

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27
Q

Austere

A

Severe or stern in appearance

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28
Q

Banal

A

Predictable, cliched, boring

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29
Q

Bolster

A

Support, to prop up

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30
Q

Bombastic

A

Pompous in speech and manner

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31
Q

Cacophony

A

Harsh, jarring noise

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32
Q

Candid

A

Impartial and honest in speech

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33
Q

Capricious

A

Changing ones mind quickly and often

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34
Q

Castigate

A

To punish or criticize harshly

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35
Q

Catalyst

A

Something that brings about a change in something else

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36
Q

Caustic

A

Biting in wit

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37
Q

Chaos

A

Great disorder or confusion

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38
Q

Chauvinist

A

Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

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39
Q

Chicanery

A

Deception by means of craft or guile

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40
Q

Cogent

A

Convincing and well reasoned

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41
Q

Condone

A

To overlook, pardon, disregard

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42
Q

Convoluted

A

Intricate and complicated

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43
Q

Corroborate

A

To provide supporting evidence

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44
Q

Credulous

A

Too trusting, gullible

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45
Q

Crescendo

A

Steadily increasing volume or force

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46
Q

Decorum

A

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct

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47
Q

Deference

A

Respect, courtesy

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48
Q

Deride

A

To speak of or treat with contempt

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49
Q

Desiccate

A

To dry out thoroughly

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50
Q

Desultory

A

Jumping from one thing to another

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51
Q

Diatribe

A

Abusive, condemnations speech

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52
Q

Diffident

A

Lacking self-confidence

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53
Q

Dilate

A

To make larger, to expand

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54
Q

Dilatory

A

Intended to delay

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55
Q

Dilettante

A

Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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56
Q

Dirge

A

Funeral hymn

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57
Q

Disabuse

A

To set right

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58
Q

Discern

A

To perceive, to recognize

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59
Q

Disparate

A

Fundamentally different

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60
Q

Dissemble

A

Present a false appearance, disguise one’s real intentions or character

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61
Q

Dissonance

A

Harsh and disagreeable combination

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62
Q

Dogma

A

Firmly held opinion

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63
Q

Dogmatic

A

Dictatorial in one’s opinions

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64
Q

Dupe

A

To deceive, person who is easily deceived

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65
Q

Eclectic

A

Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

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66
Q

Efficacy

A

Effectiveness

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67
Q

Elegy

A

Sorrowful poem or speech

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68
Q

Eloquent

A

Persuasive and moving

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69
Q

Emulate

A

To copy, try to equal

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70
Q

Enervate

A

To reduce in strength

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71
Q

Engender

A

To produce, cause, bring about

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72
Q

Enigma

A

Puzzle

73
Q

Enumerate

A

To count, list, itemize

74
Q

Ephemeral

A

Lasting a short time

75
Q

Equivocal

A

Open to more than one interpretation

76
Q

Equivocate

A

To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

77
Q

Erratic

A

Wandering and unpredictable

78
Q

Erudite

A

Learned, scholarly, bookish

79
Q

Esoteric

A

Known or understood by only a few

80
Q

Estimable

A

Admirable

81
Q

Eulogy

A

Speech in praise of someone

82
Q

Euphemism

A

Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

83
Q

Exacerbate

A

To make worse

84
Q

Exculpatory

A

To clear from blame

85
Q

Exigent

A

Urgent, requiring immediate action

86
Q

Exonerate

A

Clear of blame

87
Q

Explicit

A

Clearly stated or shown

88
Q

Fanatical

A

Acting excessively enthusiastic

89
Q

Fawn

A

To grovel

90
Q

Fervid

A

Intensely emotional

91
Q

Florid

A

Excessively decorated or embellished

92
Q

Foment

A

To arouse or incite

93
Q

Frugality

A

Tendency to be thrifty or cheap

94
Q

Garrulous

A

Tending to talk a lot

95
Q

Greagarious

A

Outgoing, sociable

96
Q

Guile

A

Deceit or trickery

97
Q

Gullible

A

Easily deceived

98
Q

Homogenous

A

Similar kind

99
Q

Iconoclast

A

One who opposed established beliefs, customs, and institutions

100
Q

Imperturbable

A

Not capable of being disturbed

101
Q

Impervious

A

Impossible to penetrate

102
Q

Impetuous

A

Quick to act without thinking

103
Q

Implacable

A

Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

104
Q

Inchoate

A

Not fully formed

105
Q

Ingenuous

A

Showing innocence or childlike simplicity

106
Q

Inimical

A

Hostile, unfriendly

107
Q

Innocuous

A

Harmless

108
Q

Insipid

A

Lacking interest or flavor

109
Q

Intransigent

A

Unpromising, refusing to be reconciled

110
Q

Inundate

A

To overwhelm, to cover with water

111
Q

Irascible

A

Easily made angry

112
Q

Laconic

A

Using few words

113
Q

Lament

A

To express sorrow

114
Q

Laud

A

Give praise

115
Q

Lavish

A

Five unsparingly

116
Q

Lethargic

A

Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

117
Q

Loquacious

A

Talkative

118
Q

Lucid

A

Clear and easily understood

119
Q

Luminous

A

Bright, brilliant, glowing

120
Q

Malinger

A

Evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

121
Q

Malleable

A

Capable of being shaped

122
Q

Metaphor

A

Figure of speech comparing two different things

123
Q

Meticulous

A

Extremely careful about details

124
Q

Misanthrope

A

Person who dislikes others

125
Q

Mitigate

A

To soften, to lesson

126
Q

Mollify

A

To calm or make less severe

127
Q

Monotony

A

Lack of variation

128
Q

Naive

A

Lacking sophistication or experience

129
Q

Obdurate

A

Hardened in feeling

130
Q

Obsequious

A

Overly submissive and eager to please

131
Q

Obstinate

A

Stubborn, unyielding

132
Q

Obviate

A

To prevent, make unnecessary

133
Q

Occlude

A

To stop up, prevent passage of

134
Q

Onerous

A

Troublesome and oppressive

135
Q

Opaque

A

Impossible to see through, preventing passage of light

136
Q

Opprobrium

A

Public disgrace

137
Q

Ostentation

A

Excessive showiness

138
Q

Paradox

A

Contraction or dilemma

139
Q

Paragon

A

Model of excellence or perfection

140
Q

Pedant

A

Someone who shows off learning

141
Q

Perfidious

A

Willing to betray one’s trust

142
Q

Perfunctory

A

Done in a routine way

143
Q

Permeate

A

To penetrate

144
Q

Philanthropy

A

Charity, desire or effort to promote goodness

145
Q

Placate

A

To soothe or pacify

146
Q

Plastic

A

Able to be molded, altered, or bent

147
Q

Plethora

A

Excess

148
Q

Pragmatic

A

Practical as opposed to idealistic

149
Q

Precipitate

A

To throw violently to bring about abruptly

150
Q

Prevaricate

A

To lie or deviate from the truth

151
Q

Pristine

A

Fresh and clean

152
Q

Prodigal

A

Lavish, wasteful

153
Q

Proliferate

A

To increase in number quickly

154
Q

Propitiate

A

To conciliate, to appease

155
Q

Propriety

A

Correct behavior, obedience to rules and customs

156
Q

Prudence

A

Wisdom, caution, or restraint

157
Q

Pungent

A

Sharp and irritating to the senses

158
Q

Quiescent

A

Motionless

159
Q

Rarefy

A

To make thinner or sparse

160
Q

Repudiate

A

To reject the validity of

161
Q

Reticent

A

Silent, reserved

162
Q

Rhetoric

A

Effective writing or speaking

163
Q

Satiate

A

To satisfy fully or overindulge

164
Q

Soporific

A

Causing sleep or lethargy

165
Q

Specious

A

Deceptively attractive, seemingly plausible but fallacious

166
Q

Stigma

A

Mark of shame or discredit

167
Q

Stolid

A

Unemotional, lacking sensitivity

168
Q

Sublime

A

Lofty or grand

169
Q

Tacit

A

Done without using words

170
Q

Taciturn

A

Silent, not talkative

171
Q

Tirade

A

Long, harsh, speech, or verbal attack

172
Q

Torpor

A

Extreme mental and physical sluggishness

173
Q

Transitory

A

Temporary, lasting a brief time

174
Q

Vacillate

A

Sway physically, be indecisive

175
Q

Respect deeply

A

Truthfulness

176
Q

Wordy

A

Annoy

177
Q

Easily aroused or changeable

A

Fluctuate between choices

178
Q

Whimsical

A

Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner

179
Q

Zeal

A

Passion, excitement

GRE Prep (7 decks)

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