Cracking the new GRE (2012) Hit Parade Group 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Abate

A

to lessen in intensity or degree

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2
Q

Accolade

A

an expression of praise

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3
Q

Adulation

A

excessive praise; adoration

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4
Q

Aesthetic

A

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

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5
Q

Ameliorate

A

to make better or more tolerable

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6
Q

Ascetic

A

one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

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7
Q

Avarice

A

greed, esp. for wealth

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8
Q

Axiom

A

a universally recognized principle

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9
Q

Burgeon

A

to grow rapidly or to flourish

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10
Q

Bucolic

A

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants.

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11
Q

Cacophony

A

harsh, jarring, discordant sounds; dissonance

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12
Q

Canon

A

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

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13
Q

Castigation

A

severe criticism or punishment

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14
Q

Catalyst

A

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change.

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15
Q

Caustic

A

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

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16
Q

Chary

A

wary; cautious; sparring

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17
Q

Cogent

A

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

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18
Q

Complaisance

A

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

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19
Q

Contentious

A

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

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20
Q

Contrite

A

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

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21
Q

Culpable

A

deserving blame

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22
Q

Dearth

A

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

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23
Q

Demur

A

to question or oppose

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24
Q

Didactic

A

intended to teach or instruct

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25
Q

Discretion

A

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions.

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26
Q

Disinterested

A

free of bias or self-interest; impartial

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27
Q

Dogmatic

A

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

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28
Q

Ebullience

A

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

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29
Q

Eclectic

A

composed of elements drawn from various sources

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30
Q

Elegy

A

a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

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31
Q

Emollient

A

soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that soften or smooths the skin

32
Q

Empirical

A

based on observation or experiment

33
Q

Enigmatic

A

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

34
Q

Ephemeral

A

brief; fleeting

35
Q

Esoteric

A

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

36
Q

Eulogy

A

a speech honoring the dead

37
Q

Exonerate

A

to remove blame

38
Q

Facetious

A

playful; humorous

39
Q

Fallacy

A

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

40
Q

Furtive

A

marked by stealth; convert; surreptitious

41
Q

Gregarious

A

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

42
Q

Harangue

A

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long pompous speech

43
Q

Heretical

A

violating accepted dogma or convention

44
Q

Hyperbole

A

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

45
Q

Impecunious

A

lacking funds; without money

46
Q

Incipient

A

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

47
Q

Inert

A

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

48
Q

Innocuous

A

harmless; causing no damage

49
Q

Intransigent

A

refusing to compromise

50
Q

Inveigle

A

to obtain by deception or flattery

51
Q

Morose

A

sad; sullen; melancholy

52
Q

Odious

A

evoking intense aversion or dislike

53
Q

Opaque

A

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

54
Q

Oscillation

A

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm.

55
Q

Penurious

A

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

56
Q

Pernicious

A

extremely harmful; potentially causing death

57
Q

Peruse

A

to examine with great care

58
Q

Pious

A

extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

59
Q

Precursor

A

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

60
Q

Preen

A

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

61
Q

Prodigious

A

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

62
Q

Prolific

A

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

63
Q

Putrefy

A

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor.

64
Q

Quaff

A

to drink deeply

65
Q

Quiescence

A

stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

66
Q

Redoubtable

A

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

67
Q

Sanction

A

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to

68
Q

Satire

A

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

69
Q

Squalid

A

sordid; wretched and dirty from neglect

70
Q

Stoic

A

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

71
Q

Supplant

A

to take the place of; to supersede

72
Q

Torpid

A

lethargic; sluggish; dormant

73
Q

Ubiquitous

A

existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread

74
Q

Urbane

A

sophisticated; refined; elegant

75
Q

Vilify

A

to defame; to characterize harshly

76
Q

Viscous

A

thick; sticky