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GRE Studying > Deck 4 > Flashcards

Deck 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

Piquant

A

(adjective): pleasantly spicy or tangy. Think: PICKLED ANT. I never thought I’d like eating PICKLED ANT, but it’s surprisingly PIQUANT.

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2
Q

Slovenly

A

(adjective): untidy; sloppy. Think: SLOPPY. Charlie Brown’s friends make fun of Pig-Pen because of his SLOPPY, SLOVENLY appearance.

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3
Q

Belittle

A

(verb): to put down; to disparage. Think: BE LITTLE. When you say “Good boy!” and pat me on head, you BELITTLE me and make me feel as if I BE LITTLE.

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4
Q

Picturesque

A

(adjective): lovely. Think: PICTURES. The Grand Canyon at sunrise is so PICTURESQUE that you can’t help but take PICTURES.

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5
Q

Imprimatur

A

(noun): official approval. Think: IMPRINT. In Game of Thrones, a king conveys his IMPRIMATUR with an IMPRINT of his crest on a scroll’s wax seal.

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6
Q

Prolific

A

(adjective): abundantly productive. Think: PRO-LIFE-IC. That state is anti-abortion, and they’re PROLIFIC baby-makers because of their PRO-LIFE-IC stance on the subject.

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7
Q

Plausible

A

(adjective): apparently true. Think: APPLAUSE-ABLE. When the magician sawed the lady in half, it looked so PLAUSIBLE that it was APPLAUSE-ABLE.

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8
Q

Amalgamate

A

(verb): unify; join parts into a whole. Think: GUM. After breaking the vase, MALCOLM used GUM to AMALGAMATE the pieces back together.

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9
Q

Dearth

A

(noun): lack. Think: DEAD EARTH. Due to the DEAD EARTH of our farmland, there will be a DEARTH of food this winter.

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10
Q

Exculpated

A

(verb): freed from blame. Think: EX-CULPRIT. If you commit a crime but have a clever lawyer, you’ll be EXCULPATED and be an “EX-CULPRIT”.

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11
Q

Polarize

A

(verb): to separate into two conflicting or opposite positions. Think: Earth’s POLES. Democrats and Republicans are so POLARIZED that I’m surprised they don’t stay at the North and South POLES to keep as far apart as they can.

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12
Q

Imbroglio

A

(noun): complicated situation. Think: IGLOO BRO. I knew my friend was in an IMBROGLIO after getting the text, “I just woke up and I’M IN AN IGLOO, BRO!”

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13
Q

Abate

A

(verb): to reduce. Think: REBATE. It may be annoying to have to mail it in, but the REBATE on the new cell phone will ABATE its cost.

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14
Q

Nonpareil

A

(adjective): having no equal. Think: NO PARALLEL. The master parachutist had NONPAREIL skill; he truly had NO PARALLEL in the parachuting field.

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15
Q

Extant

A

(adjective): present or existing (opposite of extinct). Think: EXISTING ANT. Since he was about to get stepped on, the ANT exclaimed “I EXIST!” to the elephant.

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16
Q

Glacial

A

(adjective): slow and/or cold. Think: GLACIER. My answer had a GLACIAL (slow) pace, and the interviewer gave me a GLACIAL (cold) look that made me feel like I was on a GLACIER.

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17
Q

Churlish

A

(adjective): rude; difficult. Think: CHURCH LUSH. The CHURCH LUSH usually showed up to mass stumbling drunk, inviting us to call him CHURLISH.

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18
Q

Perquisites

A

(noun): privileges or bonuses. Think: PERKS. Hey suckahhhs - now that I’m CEO, I enjoy PERQUISITES like a company helicopter and a gold wastebasket - PERKS you’ll never have.

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19
Q

Sonorous

A

(adjective): having a deep, rich sound. Think: TYRANNO-SONOROUS REX. TYRANNOSAURUS Rex had a SONOROUS roar that could be heard for miles.

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20
Q

Utilitarian

A

(adjective): useful. Think: UTILIZE. The military likes to buy UTILITARIAN tools that can be UTILIZED for many different tasks.

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21
Q

Condones

A

(verb): allows something that is bad. Think: CON DONE. The CON DONE it because the lazy warden CONDONES misbehavin’.

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22
Q

Replete

A

(adjective): full. Think: REPLACE COMPLETELY. REPLACE your energy COMPLETELY after your workout so your body stays REPLETE with energy.

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23
Q

Intimate

A

(verb): to hint at. Think: INTIMATE apparel. I like my girlfriend’s INTIMATE (adjective) apparel because it INTIMATES (verb) at the shape of her body without looking trashy.

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24
Q

Opine

A

(verb): to hold or state as an opinion. Think: OPINION. If you OPINE about the election on Facebook, everyone gets to hear your OPINION whether they like it or not.

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25
Q

Ethereal

A

(adjective): delicate; heavenly; insubstantial. Think: OTHER than REAL. My God, Joyce - your meringue cookies are ETHEREAL - so light, so delicious - they must be something OTHER than REAL.

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26
Q

Sycophant

A

(noun): one who flatters for self gain. Think: SICK OF ELEPHANT. The animals were SICK of the ELEPHANT because he was a SYCOPHANT who kissed up to the zookeeper.

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27
Q

Feckless

A

(adjective): weak; worthless; irresponsible. Think: F in CLASS. If you get an F in CLASS, your study habits were probably FECKLESS.

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28
Q

Slake

A

(verb): to quench or satisfy. Think: LAKE. If you’re a zebra, you probably can’t operate a water fountain: SLAKE your thirst at the LAKE.

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29
Q

Grouse

A

(verb): to complain. Think: GROUCH. Oscar the GROUCH likes to GROUSE about everyone else on Sesame Street.

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30
Q

Laudable

A

(adjective): worthy of praise. Think: APPLAUDABLE. Something that’s LAUDABLE is APPLAUDABLE.

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31
Q

Tremulous

A

(adjective): fearful. Think: TREMBLE. I felt so TREMULOUS when I saw a shark swim underneath me that I began to TREMBLE.

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32
Q

Discreet

A

(adjective): having or showing self-restraint and good judgment. Think: THIS SECRET. I’m pregnant - but please, be DISCREET and keep THIS SECRET - if my parents find out, they’ll kill me.

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33
Q

Demagogue

A

(noun): a leader who gains power by trickery. Think: DEMIGOD. The cult was led by a DEMAGOGUE; he manipulated followers into thinking he was a DEMIGOD.

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34
Q

Execrable

A

(adjective): detestable; awful. Think: EXCREMENT. Your unfunny jokes about EXCREMENT are EXECRABLE - they’re shit.

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35
Q

Vehement

A

(adjective): strongly emotional. Think: HE MEANT IT. His warning was so VEHEMENT that we knew HE MEANT IT.

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36
Q

Unbridled

A

(adjective): not restrained. Think: UN-BRIDLE. After I took off my horse’s BRIDLE, he became so UNBRIDLED that I had no control over him.

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37
Q

Apace

A

(adverb): quickly. Think: KEEP PACE. The Indy 500 racer’s pit crew changed his tires APACE so he could KEEP PACE with the leaders.

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38
Q

Sententious

A

(adjective): using quotable or preachy sayings. Think: SENTENCES. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is SENTENTIOUS because many people quote his SENTENCES.

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39
Q

Sapient

A

(adjective): wise. Think: Homo SAPIENS. Be proud that you’re a member of Homo SAPIENS; you’re more SAPIENT than any other animal on the planet.

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40
Q

Copious

A

(adjective): plentiful. Think: COPY US. If the zombie apocalypse happens and we survive, let’s hope cloning can COPY US and make humans more COPIOUS.

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41
Q

Beneficence

A

(noun): the quality of being kind or charitable. Think: BENEFIT SENT. Through the BENEFICENCE of musicians like Paul McCartney and Sting, the BENEFIT SENT millions of dollars to starving children.

42
Q

Ornate

A

(adjective): elaborately or excessively decorated. Think: ORNAMENTS. ORNAMENTS covered every inch of the Christmas tree due to the decorator’s ORNATE style.

43
Q

Inimical

A

(adjective): unfriendly; hostile. Think: ENEMY. Of course the other beauty contestant hid your lipstick! She’s your ENEMY; it’s no surprise she’ll be INIMICAL.

44
Q

Lassitude

A

(noun): tiredness; laziness. Think: LAZY ATTITUDE. Your LASSITUDE is caused by your LAZY ATTITUDE and your belief that Lassie will come save you if you need help.

45
Q

Openhanded

A

(adjective): generous. Think: OPEN your HAND. To be OPENHANDED, OPEN your HAND and share what you have with others instead of keeping it clenched in your fist.

46
Q

Behemoth

A

(noun): something huge. Think: BEAST MAMMOTH. One really large BEAST was the woolly MAMMOTH, a BEHEMOTH that lived during the Ice Age.

47
Q

Pedestrian

A

(adjective): dull; ordinary. Think: PEDESTRIAN (noun). You’re PEDESTRIAN (adjective) because you’re a PEDESTRIAN (noun) - cool kids drive to school.

48
Q

Brazen

A

(adjective): shamelessly bold. Think: BLAZIN’. BLAZIN’ up a joint during class is certainly BRAZEN, but it’ll get you expelled 00 out of 00 times.

49
Q

Specious

A

(adjective): seeming true but actually false. Think: SUSPICIOUS McLovin. It’s understandable the cashier in Superbad is SUSPICIOUS when she sees Fogell’s SPECIOUS license that identifies him as “McLovin”.

50
Q

Obdurate

A

(adjective): hardened; stubbornly persistent. Think: OBSTACLE DURABLE. That 0-ton boulder you blocked my front door with is an OBSTACLE that’s DURABLE - I tried to push it, but it’s OBDURATE.

51
Q

Turpitude

A

(noun): vile or immoral behavior. Think: TURD ATTITUDE. His TURD ATTITUDE made him engage in TURPITUDE.

52
Q

Prophetic

A

(adjective): that which foretells the future. Think: PROPHET. In the bible, Jesus is considered to be a PROPHET because many of his PROPHETIC claims actually happened - like predicting that Peter would deny him three times.

53
Q

Soupcon

A

(noun): a little bit. Think: SOUP CAN. After surviving the apocalypse, we only had a SOUPCON of food left: in fact, we only had one Campbell’s SOUP CAN.

54
Q

Minatory

A

(adjective): threatening. Think: MINOTAUR. The MINOTAUR, a creature that is half-man and half-bull, is MINATORY by nature.

55
Q

Emphatic

A

(adjective): forceful. Think: EMPHASIZE. When I yell at people, I EMPHASIZE every word to be more EMPHATIC about my demands.

56
Q

Judicious

A

(adjective): having good judgment. Think: JUDGMENT. The Beatles’ song “Hey JUDE” says to be JUDICIOUS, to use good JUDGMENT, and to “let her into your heart”.

57
Q

Pungent

A

(adjective): strongly scented. Think: PUNCH SCENT. The boxer’s body odor was so PUNGENT it was like getting hit by a PUNCH of SCENT.

58
Q

Stopgap

A

(noun): a temporary solution. Think: STOP GAP. Using scotch tape to close your broken pants zipper will STOP the GAP, but it’s only a STOPGAP.

59
Q

Genteel

A

(adjective): aristrocratic; polite; refined. Think: GENTLEMAN. When he saw that I was crying, the GENTEEL GENTLEMAN offered me a silk handkerchief.

60
Q

Parley

A

(verb): to talk. Think: PARSLEY. If you’re going to PARLEY with someone you like, eat some PARSLEY - it’s good for your breath.

61
Q

Concupiscence

A

(noun): strong desire, esp. sexual desire. Think: CUPID’S ESSENCE. If you have CONCUPISCENCE, you have CUPID’S ESSENCE running through your veins.

62
Q

Reap

A

(verb): to gather or obtain. Think: REAPER. If there’s a knock on the door and you see the Grim REAPER through the peephole, don’t answer: he has come to REAP your life.

63
Q

Insular

A

(adjective): narrow-minded. Think: INSULATED. The hermit’s outlook was so INSULAR because his cave INSULATED him from the rest of the world.

64
Q

Assail

A

(verb): to attack violently. Think: ASS SAIL. Come at me, bro: if I ASSAIL you, I’ll make your ASS SAIL out the window.

65
Q

Enervating

A

(adjective): tiring. Think: RENOVATING. RENOVATING their kitchen by themselves not only got on the couple’s nerves, but also was extremely ENERVATING.

66
Q

Cynosure

A

(noun): something that guides or stands out. Think: SIGN to be SURE. Polaris (the North Star) was a CYNOSURE for ancient sailors, a SIGN they could be SURE of.

67
Q

Reprehensible

A

(adjective): deserving blame. Think: PRETEND HENS. Heyyy… you sold me PRETEND HENS instead of real ones - that’s REPREHENSIBLE.

68
Q

Paragon

A

(noun): a model of excellence. Think: ARAGORN. If you’re looking for a PARAGON in The Lord of the Rings, choose ARAGORN: he became the king.

69
Q

Obstreperous

A

(adjective): stubbornly resistant to control; noisy. Think: STREP. The bacteria that cause STREP throat are so OBSTREPEROUS that many people take antibiotics for the condition.

70
Q

Mundane

A

(adjective): commonplace. Think: MONDAYS. MONDAYS are usually pretty MUNDANE: no one goes out after work or does anything exciting.

71
Q

Egregious

A

(adjective): bad in an obvious way. Think: OUTRAGEOUS. Her excuse about having to wash her hamster was so EGREGIOUS and OUTRAGEOUS that it made me say “Jesus!”

72
Q

Embellish

A

(verb): to decorate. Think: BELLS. Hanging little BELLS all over your home is one (weird) way to EMBELLISH it.

73
Q

Prognosticate

A

(verb): to predict. Think: PROFESSIONAL KNOWS. Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who PROGNOSTICATES whether winter will last for six more weeks, is obviously a PROFESSIONAL that KNOWS the future.

74
Q

Apportion

A

(verb): to divide and distribute. Think: A PORTION. If you want A PORTION of lunch, go ask the lunch lady - she APPORTIONS it to everyone.

75
Q

Simper

A

(verb): to smile in a silly way. Think: SMILE CHIMP. Have you ever seen a SMILE on a CHIMP? They SIMPER in a way that cracks me up.

76
Q

Miscreant

A

(noun): a person who behaves badly or in a way that breaks the law. Think: MISTAKE of CREATION. The harsh judge believed the MISCREANT was a MISTAKE of CREATION.

77
Q

Profuse

A

(adjective): plentiful; abundant. Think: PROFESSORS USE. PROFESSORS USE books with a PROFUSE amount of information to make reading assignments take forever.

78
Q

Amicable

A

(adjective): friendly. Think: HAMMOCK-ABLE. When AMY reminded me that her HAMMOCK was ABLE to hold two people, I knew that she was AMICABLE.

79
Q

Untoward

A

(adjective): improper; troublesome. Think: UNDERTOW. The beach’s dangerous UNDERTOW was UNTOWARD, dragging the girl underwater and loosening her bikini.

80
Q

Peripatetic

A

(adjective): wandering; traveling; constantly moving from place to place. Think: PITTER-PATTER. The mouse in my house is PERIPATETIC since I’m constantly hearing the PITTER-PATTER of his little feet in the walls.

81
Q

Malinger

A

(verb): to fake sickness to avoid working. Think: LINGER. Those who MALINGER often LINGER in bed, pretending to have the flu.

82
Q

Mellifluous

A

(adjective): having a sweet, smooth, rich flow. Think: MELODY FLOW. Adele’s MELLIFLUOUS voice lets a MELODY FLOW from her lips like honey.

83
Q

Efficacious

A

(adjective): effective. Think: EFFECTIVENESS. If you have senioritis, a brief vacation is an EFFICACIOUS way to increase your EFFECTIVENESS.

84
Q

Zenith

A

(noun): the highest point. Think: BENEATH. Once you reach the ZENITH, everything else is BENEATH it.

85
Q

Approbation

A

(noun): approval; praise. Think: APPROVE PROBATION. Maybe the best APPROBATION I ever received was when the judge finally APPROVED me for PROBATION.

86
Q

Disconcert

A

(verb): to confuse or frustrate. Think: DISS the CONCERT. To liven up recitals, I DISCONCERT the musicians by DISSING the CONCERT.

87
Q

Apartheid

A

(noun): the policy of separating groups based on race. Think: APART TO HIDE. In South Africa, APARTHEID kept blacks APART TO HIDE them from racist whites.

88
Q

Depredate

A

(verb): to take by force; to ravage; to ruin. Think: PREDATOR. The PREDATORS in the forest will DEPREDATE your village’s livestock if you don’t build a really good fence and get guard dogs.

89
Q

Artless

A

(adjective): simple; without cunning. Think: ART-LESS. Flirting is an ART I use LESS than most people; it’s definitely pretty ARTLESS when I just go up to a girl and tell her I like her.

90
Q

Crestfallen

A

(adjective): dejected; depressed. Think: CREST FALLEN. When I saw that my CREST toothpaste had FALLEN off my brush into the sink, I was CRESTFALLEN since that was a waste of perfectly good toothpaste.

91
Q

Macerate

A

(verb): to weaken, break down, or make soft. Think: MACE. Spraying a mugger in the face with MACE (tear gas) will hopefully MACERATE him.

92
Q

Tortuous

A

(adjective): winding. Think: TORTOISE. The streets of Boston are so TORTUOUS that you have to drive at TORTOISE’S speed.

93
Q

Occluded

A

(adjective): closed up; blocked. Think: OCTOMOM CLUTTERED. OCTOMOM CLUTTERED the hospital’s nursery with her eight babies and OCCLUDED it so no other infants were admitted.

94
Q

Vertiginous

A

(adjective): dizzy or producing dizziness. Think: VERTIGO. Standing on the edge of the skyscraper made me feel really VERTIGINOUS because I have VERTIGO.

95
Q

Desuetude

A

(noun): disuse. Think: DISUSE ATTITUDE. The security guard at the knitting store had an air of lazy DESUETUDE about him - kind of a DISUSE ATTITUDE.

96
Q

Avaricious

A

(adjective): greedy. Think: HAVE OUR RICHES. My boy band and I don’t trust you as an agent - you’re AVARICIOUS and just want to HAVE OUR RICHES.

97
Q

Ostentatious

A

(adjective): showy; pretentious; boastful. Think: OSTRICH STUNT. That OSTRICH STUNT - when you showed up at the prom riding one like a horse - was OSTENTATIOUS.

98
Q

Byzantine

A

(adjective): devious; complicated. Think: BUSY ANT. BUSY ANTS create BYZANTINE tunnels.

99
Q

Arresting

A

(adjective): attention-getting; striking. Think: ARREST. The spectacle of my neighbor getting ARRESTED was so ARRESTING that a little crowd formed.

100
Q

Chary

A

(adjective): very cautious. Think: CHAIR-WARY. My brothers were always pulling my CHAIR away as I was about to sit down, so now I’m CHARY, or CHAIR-WARY.

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