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GRE Vocabulary Words > Commonly used words > Flashcards

Commonly used words Flashcards

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1
Q

abate

A

reduce amount, degree, or severity

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2
Q

abscond

A

leave secretly

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3
Q

abstain

A

choose not to do something

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4
Q

abyss

A

deep hole

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5
Q

adulterate

A

to make impure

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6
Q

advocate

A

to speak in favor of

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7
Q

aesthetic

A

concerning the appreciation of beauty

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8
Q

aggrandize

A

increase power, influence, reputation

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9
Q

alleviate

A

to make more bearable

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10
Q

amalgamate

A

combine; mix together

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11
Q

ambiguous

A

doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways

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12
Q

ameliorate

A

make better; improve

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13
Q

anachronism

A

something out of place in time

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14
Q

analogous

A

similar or alike in some way; equal to

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15
Q

anomaly

A

deviation from what is normal

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16
Q

antagonize

A

to annoy or provoke to anger

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17
Q

antipathy

A

extreme dislike

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18
Q

apathy

A

lack of interest or emotion

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19
Q

arbitrate

A

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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20
Q

archaic

A

ancient, old-fashioned

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21
Q

ardor

A

intense and passionate feeling

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22
Q

articulate

A

able to speak clearly and expressively

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23
Q

assuage

A

to make something unpleasant less severe

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24
Q

attenuate

A

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

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25
Q

audacious

A

fearless and daring

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26
Q

austere

A

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

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27
Q

banal

A

predicable, cliched, boring

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28
Q

bolster

A

to support; to prop up

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29
Q

bombastic

A

pompous in speech and manner

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30
Q

cacophony

A

harsh, jarring noise

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31
Q

candid

A

impartial and honest in speech

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32
Q

capricious

A

changing one’s mind quickly and often

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33
Q

castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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34
Q

catalyst

A

something that brings about a change in something else

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35
Q

caustic

A

snarky

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36
Q

chaos

A

great disorder or confusion

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37
Q

chauvinist

A

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

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38
Q

chicanery

A

deception by means of craft or guile

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39
Q

cogent

A

convincing and well reasoned

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40
Q

condone

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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41
Q

convoluted

A

intricate and complicated

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42
Q

corroborate

A

to provide supporting evidence

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43
Q

credulous

A

too trusting; gullible

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44
Q

crescendo

A

steadily increasing volume or force

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45
Q

decorum

A

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

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46
Q

deference

A

respect, courtesy

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47
Q

deride

A

to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

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48
Q

desiccate

A

to dry out thoroughly

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49
Q

desultory

A

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

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50
Q

diatribe

A

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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51
Q

diffident

A

lacking self-confidence

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52
Q

dilate

A

to make larger; to expand

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53
Q

dilatory

A

intended to delay

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54
Q

dilettante

A

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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55
Q

dirge

A

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

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56
Q

disabuse

A

to set right; to free from error

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57
Q

discern

A

to perceive; to recognize

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58
Q

disparate

A

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

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59
Q

dissemble

A

to present a false appearance; tp disguise one’s real intentions or character

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60
Q

dissonance

A

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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61
Q

dogma

A

a firmly hel opinion, often a religious belief

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62
Q

dogmatic

A

dictatorial in one’s opinions

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63
Q

dupe

A

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

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64
Q

eclectic

A

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

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65
Q

efficacy

A

effectiveness

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66
Q

elegy

A

a sorrowful poem or speech

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67
Q

eloquent

A

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

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68
Q

emulate

A

to copy; to try to equal or excel

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69
Q

enervate

A

to reduce in strength

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70
Q

engender

A

to produce, cause , or bring about

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71
Q

enigma

A

a puzzle; a mystery

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72
Q

enumerate

A

to count, list, or itemize

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73
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting a short time

74
Q

equivocate

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

75
Q

erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable

76
Q

erudite

A

learned, scholarly, bookish

77
Q

esoteric

A

known or understood by only a few

78
Q

estimable

A

admirable

79
Q

eulogy

A

speech in praise of someone

80
Q

euphemism

A

use of inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

81
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

82
Q

exculpate

A

to clear from blame; prove innocent

83
Q

exigent

A

urgent; requiring immediate action

84
Q

exonerate

A

to clear of blame

85
Q

explicit

A

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

86
Q

fanatical

A

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devolution

87
Q

fawn

A

to grovel

88
Q

fervid

A

intensely emotional; feverish

89
Q

florid

A

excessively decorated or embellished

90
Q

foment

A

to arouse or incite

91
Q

frugality

A

a tendency to be thrifty or cheap

92
Q

garrulous

A

tending to talk a lot

93
Q

gregarious

A

outgoing, sociable

94
Q

guile

A

deceit or trickery

95
Q

gullible

A

easily deceived

96
Q

homogenous

A

of a similar kind

97
Q

iconoclast

A

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

98
Q

imperturbable

A

not capable of being disturbed

99
Q

impervious

A

impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

100
Q

impetuous

A

quick to act without thinking

101
Q

implacable

A

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

102
Q

inchoate

A

not fully formed; disorganized

103
Q

ingenuous

A

showing innocence or childlike simplicity

104
Q

inimical

A

hostil, unfriendly

105
Q

innocuous

A

harmless

106
Q

insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor

107
Q

intransigent

A

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

108
Q

inundate

A

to overwhelm; to cover with water

109
Q

irascible

A

easily made angry

110
Q

laconic

A

using few words

111
Q

lament

A

to express sorrow; to grieve

112
Q

laud

A

to give praise; to glorify

113
Q

lavish

A

to give unsparingly; extremely generous or extravagent

114
Q

lethargic

A

acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

115
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

116
Q

lucid

A

clear and easily understood

117
Q

luminous

A

bright, brilliant, glowing

118
Q

malinger

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

119
Q

malleable

A

capable of being shaped

120
Q

metaphor

A

a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol

121
Q

meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

122
Q

misanthrope

A

a person who dislikes others

123
Q

mitigate

A

to soften; to lesson

124
Q

mollify

A

to calm or make less severe

125
Q

monotony

A

lack of variation

126
Q

naive

A

lacking sophistication or experience

127
Q

obdurate

A

hardened in feeling; resistance to persuasion

128
Q

obsequious

A

overly submissive and eager to please

129
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn, unyielding

130
Q

obviate

A

to prevent; to make unnecessary

131
Q

occlude

A

to stop up; to prevent the passage of

132
Q

onerous

A

troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

133
Q

opaque

A

impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light

134
Q

opprobrium

A

public disgrace

135
Q

ostentation

A

excessive showines

136
Q

paradox

A

a contradiction or dilema

137
Q

paragon

A

model of excellence or perfection

138
Q

pedant

A

someone who shows off learning

139
Q

perfidious

A

willing to betray one’s trust

140
Q

perfunctory

A

done in a routine way; indifferent

141
Q

permeate

A

to penetrate

142
Q

philanthropy

A

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

143
Q

placate

A

to soothe or pacify

144
Q

plastic

A

able to be modeled, altered, or bent

145
Q

plethora

A

excess

146
Q

pragmatic

A

practical as opposed to idealistic

147
Q

precipitate

A

to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

148
Q

prevaricate

A

to lie or deviate from the truth

149
Q

pristine

A

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

150
Q

prodigal

A

lavish, wasteful

151
Q

proliferate

A

to increase in number quickly

152
Q

propitiate

A

to conciliate; to appease

153
Q

propriety

A

correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

154
Q

prudence

A

wisdom, caution, or restraint

155
Q

pungent

A

sharp and irritation to the senses

156
Q

quiescent

A

motionless

157
Q

rarefy

A

to make thinner or sparser

158
Q

repudiate

A

to reject the validity of

159
Q

reticent

A

silent, reserved

160
Q

rhetoric

A

effective writing or speaking

161
Q

satiate

A

to satisfy fully or overindulge

162
Q

soporific

A

causing sleep or lethargy

163
Q

specious

A

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

164
Q

stigma

A

a mark of shame or discredit

165
Q

stolid

A

unemotional; lacking sensitivity

166
Q

sublime

A

lofty or grand

167
Q

tacit

A

done without using words

168
Q

taciturn

A

silent, not talkative

169
Q

tirade

A

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

170
Q

torpor

A

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

171
Q

transitory

A

temporary, lasting a brief time

172
Q

vacillate

A

to sway physically; to be indecisive

173
Q

venerate

A

to respect deeply

174
Q

veracity

A

filled with truth and accuracy

175
Q

verbose

A

wordy

176
Q

vex

A

to annoy

177
Q

volatile

A

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

178
Q

waver

A

to fluctuate between choices

179
Q

whimsical

A

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

180
Q

zeal

A

passion, excitement

GRE Vocabulary Words (1 decks)

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