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GRE Vocabulary > Deck 10 > Flashcards

Deck 10 Flashcards

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1
Q

personable

A

adjective: having a pleasant appearance and character

She is intelligent, hard-working, and personable.

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2
Q

nugatory

A

adjective: worth nothing or of little value

a nugatory amount

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3
Q

solipsistic

A

adjective: relating to or characteristic of solipsism (= the belief that only your own experiences and existence can be known or are important)

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4
Q

sophomoric

A

adjective: silly and behaving like a child

a sophomoric sense of humour

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5
Q

undue

A

adjective: to a level that is more than is necessary, acceptable, or reasonable

Such a high increase will impose an undue burden on the local tax payer.

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6
Q

ape

A

verb: to copy something or someone badly and unsuccessfully

He called the new building unoriginal and said that it merely aped the classical traditions.

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7
Q

ponderous

A

adjective: slow and awkward because of being very heavy or large

He had a slow and ponderous manner.

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8
Q

literati

A

noun: people with a good education who know a lot about literature
Her novels are popular with university literati, but they have failed to attract a wider audience.

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9
Q

hoi-polloi

A

noun: ordinary people

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10
Q

painstaking

A

adjective: extremely careful and correct, and involving a lot of effort

It took months of painstaking research to write the book.

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11
Q

baneful

A

adjective: causing harm or trouble

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12
Q

peccadillo

A

noun: a small fault or mistake, or something that someone does wrong that is not very serious

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13
Q

abridge

A

verb: to make a book, play, or piece of writing shorter by removing details and information that is not important

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14
Q

lascivious

A

adjective: lewd, libidinous, expressing a strong desire for sexual activity

a lascivious smile

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15
Q

prescient

A

adjective: clairvoyant, knowing or suggesting correctly what will happen in the future

a prescient warning

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16
Q

preternatural

A

adjective: otherwordly, more than is usual or natural

Anger gave me preternatural strength, and I managed to force the door open.

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17
Q

preordained

A

adjective: (especially of a power thought to be greater than ordinary people) to decide or fix what will happen in a way that cannot be changed or controlled

Illness and suffering seemed (to be) preordained to be her lot.

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18
Q

caustic

A

adjective: A caustic chemical burns or destroys things, especially anything made of living cells

a caustic substance

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19
Q

vicissitudes

A

noun: changes that happen at different times during the life or development of someone or something, especially those that result in conditions being worse

Losing your job is just one of the vicissitudes of life.

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20
Q

akimbo

A

adjective: If a person’s arms are akimbo, they are bent at the elbows (= the middle part of the arms where they bend) with the hands on the hips

He stood, arms akimbo, refusing to move.

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21
Q

obtuse

A

adjective: stupid and slow to understand, or unwilling to try to understand

The answer’s obvious - or are you being deliberately obtuse?

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22
Q

apologist

A

oun: a person who supports a particular belief or political system, especially an unpopular one, and speaks or writes in defence of it

There are few apologists for the old system.

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23
Q

lackey

A

noun: a servant or someone who behaves like one by obeying someone else’s orders or by doing unpleasant work for them

He treats us all like his lackeys.

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24
Q

mercenary

A

adjective: interested only in the amount of money that you can get from a situation

He had some mercenary scheme to marry a wealthy widow.

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25
Q

improvident

A

adjective: not planning carefully for the future, especially by spending money in a way that is unwise

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26
Q

aghast

A

adjective: suddenly filled with strong feelings of shock and worry

He looked at her aghast.

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27
Q

impecunious

A

adjective: having very little money

I first knew him as an impecunious student living in a tiny apartment.

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28
Q

grandiloquent

A

adjective: a grandiloquent style or way of using language is complicated in order to attract admiration and attention, especially in order to make someone or something seem important

Her speech was full of grandiloquent language, but it contained no new ideas.

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29
Q

cajole

A

verb: to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and (sometimes false) promises

He really knows how to cajole people into doing what he wants.

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30
Q

insouciance

A

noun: a relaxed and happy way of behaving without feeling worried or guilty

I admired his youthful insouciance.

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31
Q

homily

A

noun: a piece of spoken or written advice about how someone should behave

He launched into a homily on family relationships.

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32
Q

anachronistic

A

adjective: existing out of its time in history

He described the law as anachronistic and ridiculous.

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33
Q

providential

A

adjective: happening exactly when needed but without being planned

a providential opportunity

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34
Q

shrewd

A

adjective: having or based on a clear understanding and good judgment of a situation, resulting in an advantage

He was shrewd enough not to take the job when there was the possibility of getting a better one a few months later.

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35
Q

inure

A

verb: If you become inured to something unpleasant, you become familiar with it and able to accept and bear it

After spending some time on the island they became inured to the hardships.

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36
Q

effusive

A

adjective: expressing welcome, approval, or pleasure in a way that shows very strong feeling

They gave us such an effusive welcome it was quite embarrassing.

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37
Q

syncopate

A

verb: to have a rhythm in which strong notes are not on the beat, or to create music that has this rhythm

The music suddenly syncopates, like ragtime.

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38
Q

inveigle

A

verb: to persuade someone to do something in a clever and dishonest way, when they do not want to do it

Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.

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39
Q

coltish

A

adjective: a coltish person is young and energetic but awkward

Gigi is a coltish young girl growing up in turn-of-the-century Paris.

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40
Q

sentry

A

noun: a soldier who guards a place and prevents those who are not allowed in from entering:

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41
Q

forebear

A

noun: ancestor, a relative who lived in the past

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42
Q

recant

A

noun: to announce in public that your past beliefs or statements were wrong and that you no longer agree with them

After a year spent in solitary confinement, he publicly recanted (his views).

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43
Q

stouter

A

adjective: (especially of older people) fat and solid-looking, especially around the waist

Mrs Blower was the stout lady with the glasses.

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44
Q

unobtrusive

A

adjective: discreet, not noticeable; seeming to fit in well with the things around

Make-up this season is unobtrusive and natural-looking.

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45
Q

concomitant

A

noun: something that happens with something else and is connected with it

Loss of memory is a natural concomitant of old age.

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46
Q

vestigial

A

adjective: being a small remaining part or amount

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47
Q

sagacious

A

adjective: having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments

a sagacious person/comment/choice

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48
Q

skittish

A

adjective: (of a person) not serious and likely to change their beliefs or opinions often

Marilyn was like a child, playful and skittish one moment, sulky and withdrawn the next.

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49
Q

solicitous

A

adjective: showing care and helpful attention to someone

He made a solicitous enquiry after her health.

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50
Q

endearing

A

adjective: adorable, making someone like you

She laughs at herself a lot, which is always endearing.

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51
Q

obloquy

A

noun: very strong public criticism or blame

His controversial essays have brought him much obloquy.

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52
Q

parsimony

A

noun: the quality of not being willing to spend money or to give or use a lot of something

She criticised government parsimony with defence investment.

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53
Q

tepid

A

adjective: lukewarm

54
Q

antediluvian

A

adjective: antiquated, extremely old-fashioned

My mother has some hopelessly antediluvian ideas about the role of women.

55
Q

deplorable

A

adjective: very bad

I thought his behaviour was absolutely deplorable.

56
Q

berserk

A

adjective: very angry or out of control

My mother will go berserk (= be extremely angry) when she finds out I’ve ruined her favourite dress.

57
Q

cunning

A

adjective: clever

58
Q

desultory

A

adjective: without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest

She made a desultory attempt at conversation.

59
Q

sangfroid

A

adjective: the ability to stay calm in a difficult or dangerous situation

60
Q

semiotic

A

adjective: relating to semiotics (= the study of signs and symbols)

They deconstruct text and images on the basis of their semiotic meaning beyond the surface text.

61
Q

parlous

A

adjective: very bad, dangerous, or uncertain

Relations between the two countries have been in a parlous state for some time.

62
Q

entreaty

A

noun: an attempt to persuade someone to do something

She refused to become involved with him despite his passionate entreaties.

63
Q

stopgap

A

noun: something intended for temporary use until something better or more suitable can be found

Hostels are used as a stopgap until the families can find permanent accommodation.

64
Q

paragon

A

noun: a person or thing that is perfect or has an extremely large amount of a particular good characteristic

In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue.

65
Q

truism

A

noun: a statement that is so obviously true that it is almost not worth saying

As far as health is concerned, it’s a truism that prevention is better than cure.

66
Q

plaudit

A

noun: praise

She’s received plaudits for her work with homeless people.

67
Q

amity

A

noun: friendship, a good relationship

The two groups had lived in perfect amity for many years before the recent troubles.

68
Q

solace

A

noun: help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried

When his wife left him, he found solace in the bottle (= drank alcohol).

69
Q

terseness

A

noun: the use of few words to say something, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly

He answered with uncharacteristic terseness, “Yes, to both”.

70
Q

tendentious

A

adjective: (of speech or writing) expressing or supporting a particular opinion that many other people disagree with

71
Q

protean

A

adjective: easily and continuously changing

the protean talents of this comedian

72
Q

arcadian

A

adjective: showing or relating to an image or idea of perfect countryside life

He described a scene of Arcadian tranquillity.

73
Q

squalid

A

adjective: (of places) extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money

Many prisons, even today, are overcrowded and squalid places.

74
Q

tony

A

adjective: stylish and expensive

He lives in a tony neighborhood of Los Angeles.

75
Q

spartan

A

adjective: simple and severe with no comfort

a spartan diet/meal

76
Q

deft

A

adjective: skilful, clever, or quick

Her movements were deft and quick.

77
Q

effete

A

adjective: weak and without much power

With nothing to do all day the aristocracy had grown effete and lazy.

78
Q

accrue

A

verb: to increase in number or amount over a period of time

Interest will accrue on the account at a rate of seven percent.

79
Q

beholden

A

adjective: feeling you have a duty to someone because they have done something for you

She wanted to be independent and beholden to no one.

80
Q

seethe

A

verb: to feel very angry but to be unable or unwilling to express it clearly

The rest of the class positively seethed with indignation when Julia won the award.

81
Q

bay

A

verb: (of dogs and wolves) to make a long, deep cry repeatedly

82
Q

heterodox

A

adjective: (of beliefs, ideas, or activities) different to and opposing generally accepted beliefs or standards

His opinions have always been distinctly heterodox.

83
Q

enshrinement

A

noun: something that is held as sacred

84
Q

unkempt

A

adjective: untidy; not cared for

an unkempt lawn

85
Q

ratify

A

verb: (especially of governments or organizations) to make an agreement official

Many countries have now ratified the UN convention on the rights of the child.

86
Q

fester

A

verb: If a cut or other injury festers, it becomes infected and produces pus

a festering sore

87
Q

bogus

A

adjective: fake, phoney, false, not real, or not legal

On investigation, his claim was found to be bogus.

88
Q

vitreous

A

adjective: made of or similar to glass

vitreous china/enamel

vitrina

89
Q

grizzled

A

adjective: having hair that is grey or becoming grey

Grizzled veterans in uniform gathered at the war monument.

90
Q

rancorous

A

adjective: having or showing a feeling of hate and continuing anger about something in the past

a rancorous dispute

91
Q

doting

A

adjective: adoring, fond, showing that you love someone very much

We saw photographs of the doting father with the baby on his knee.

92
Q

duplicitous

A

adjective: two-faced, involving duplicity

a duplicitous traitor/spy/politician

93
Q

mutiny

A

noun: an occasion when a group of people, especially soldiers or sailors, refuses to obey orders and/or attempts to take control from people in authority

Conditions on the ship were often very bad, and crews were on the point of mutiny.

94
Q

helmsman

A

noun: a person who directs a ship or boat, using a handle or wheel

95
Q

interlocutor

A

noun: someone who is involved in a conversation and who is representing someone else

Abraham was able to act as interpreter and interlocutor for our group.

96
Q

belie

A

verb: to show something to be false, or to hide something such as an emotion

Her calm face belied the terror she was feeling.

97
Q

ebullient

A

adjective: very energetic, positive, and happy

He wasn’t his usual ebullient self.

98
Q

taxonomy

A

noun: a system for naming and organizing things, especially plants and animals, into groups that share similar qualities

99
Q

nonchalance

A

noun: calm behaviour that suggests you are not interested or do not care

He leaned back in his chair with apparent nonchalance.

100
Q

idle

A

adjective: not working or being used

Half these factories now stand idle.

101
Q

flagrancy

A

adjective: conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible, shameless

102
Q

partition

A

noun: a vertical structure like a thin wall that separates one part of a room or building from another

The partitions between the toilets were very thin.

103
Q

albatross

A

noun: something or someone you want to be free from because that thing or person is causing you problems

Her own supporters see her as an albatross who could lose them the election.

104
Q

hallmark

A

noun: a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing

Simplicity is a hallmark of this design.

105
Q

titillation

A

noun: the act of intentionally making someone slightly excited, usually with sexual images or descriptions

We’ve certainly seen an increase on TV of foul language and sexual titillation.

106
Q

simulacrum

A

noun: something that looks like or represents something else, effigy

107
Q

abettor

A

noun: someone who helps or encourages another person to do something wrong or illegal

They are all aiders and abettors.

108
Q

balkanize

A

verb: to break up into smaller and often hostile units

109
Q

patrician

A

adjective: of or like a person of high social rank, aristocratic

110
Q

sinecure

A

noun: a position which involves little work, but for which the person is paid

111
Q

disquieting

A

adjective: causing worry

112
Q

meddlesome

A

adjective: interfering; often getting involved in situations where you are not wanted, especially by criticizing in a damaging or annoying way

113
Q

subvert

A

verb: to try to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system

The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.

114
Q

salubrious

A

adjective: a salubrious place is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in
He doesn’t live in a very salubrious part of town.

115
Q

comestible

A

adjective: edible

116
Q

cultivar

A

noun: a variety (= type) of a plant that has been produced by breeding

Rice cultivars exist that are adapted to deep flooding.

117
Q

fiduciary

A

adjective: relating to the responsibility to take care of someone else’s money in a suitable way

a breach of fiduciary duty

118
Q

equanimity

A

noun: a calm mental state, especially after a shock or disappointment or in a difficult situation

He received the news of his mother’s death with remarkable equanimity.

119
Q

gawkiness

A

noun: awkwardness, clumsiness; the carriage of someone whose movements and posture are extremely ungainly and inelegant

120
Q

quixotic

A

adjective: not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic

121
Q

brandish

A

verb: move or swing back and forth

122
Q

cloaked

A

adjective: having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

123
Q

lurid

A

adjective: marked by sensationalism

124
Q

disapprobation

A

noun: an expression of strong disapproval; pronouncing as wrong or morally culpable

125
Q

acquisitive

A

adjective: eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas

126
Q

tendentiousness

A

noun: an intentional and controversial bias

127
Q

fractiousness

A

noun: the trait of being prone to disobedience and lack of discipline

128
Q

misnomer

A

noun: an incorrect or unsuitable name

129
Q

curtail

A

verb: reduce in extent or quantity, impose a restriction on; deprive someone of (something)

130
Q

bridle

A

verb: to bring something under control; to curb

GRE Vocabulary (11 decks)

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