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GRE Studying > Deck 6 > Flashcards

Deck 6 Flashcards

1
Q

Forestall

A

(verb): to delay, hinder, or prevent. Think: FOR STALL. The booby traps I surrounded my fort with will FORESTALL invaders - they’re FOR STALLING.

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2
Q

Risible

A

(adjective): funny; inclined to laugh. Think: get a RISE. If you like to get a RISE out of people by being a class clown, you’re probably RISIBLE.

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3
Q

Prescient

A

(adjective): seeing the future; well-planned and thought out. Think: knowing about PRESENT you SENT. Since I’m PRESCIENT, I already know what’s in the PRESENT you SENT me.

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4
Q

Putrid

A

(adjective): foul or rotten. Think: PUKED. The dead mouse smelled so PUTRID that I almost PUKED while getting rid of it.

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5
Q

Levity

A

(noun): lightheartedness. Think: LEVITATE. The comedian’s LEVITY put us in such a good mood that our spirits felt as if they were LEVITATING.

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6
Q

Consternation

A

(noun): confusion; agitation; dismay. Think: CONCERNED NATION. On 9/ / 0, a CONCERNED NATION stood in CONSTERNATION watching the aftermath of terrorism.

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7
Q

Obfuscated

A

(verb): made unclear. Think: OBSTACLES CONFUSED. The professor barely spoke English: the OBSTACLES his speech created CONFUSED us and OBFUSCATED his message.

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8
Q

Capitulate

A

(verb): to surrender. Think: CAPSIZED? TOO LATE. Once your boat has CAPSIZED, IT’S TOO LATE to think about winning the race: CAPITULATE and just try not to drown.

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9
Q

Orthodox

A

(adjective): conventional; traditional. Think: ORTHODONTIST. Look for an ORTHODOX ORTHODONTIST; you don’t want someone getting creative with your teeth.

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10
Q

Coddle

A

(adjective): to treat with excessive care. Think: CUDDLE. The mother dog would CODDLE and CUDDLE her puppy so much that I thought it would never learn to fend for itself.

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11
Q

Haughty

A

(adjective): proud in a way that looks down on others. Think: stuck-up HOTTIE. Unfortunately, that senior class HOTTIE is usually HAUGHTY when you talk to her.

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12
Q

Bilious

A

(adjective): bad-tempered. Think: BULLY US. We goth kids are only BILIOUS because the jocks like to BULLY US.

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13
Q

Neophyte

A

(noun): a beginner. Think: NEO FIGHT. When NEO has his first FIGHT with an agent in The Matrix, he is a NEOPHYTE and gets his ass kicked.

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14
Q

Coltish

A

(adjective): undisciplined; playful; frisky. Think: COLT. Of course the COLT is COLTISH - it’s young, full of energy, and hasn’t been trained yet.

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15
Q

Ascetic

A

(adjective): practicing self-denial. Think: ASSET? ICK! The ASECTIC Buddhist monk, when offered the chance to take money or another ASSET, said “ICK!”

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16
Q

Pulchritude

A

(noun): beauty. Think: POLL: CHRIST, DUDE. She had so much PULCHRITUDE that the most common response about her looks in the bros’ POLL was just, “CHRIST, DUDE!”

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17
Q

Excoriated

A

(verb): strongly condemned. Think: SCOURED. Simon Cowell’s criticism on American Idol EXCORIATED the contestant - she felt as if she’d been SCOURED by a rough dish pad.

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18
Q

Unsavory

A

(adjective): unpleasant, esp. morally unpleasant. Think: UN-SAVOR. The icky memory of the UNSAVORY used car salesman was not one I wanted to SAVE or SAVOR.

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19
Q

Palatial

A

(adjective): magnificent. Think: PALACE. The PALATIAL resort, with luxurious amenities and gourmet food, was like a PALACE.

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20
Q

Perturb

A

(verb): to disturb greatly. Think: DISTURBED by TURDS. The TURDS your dog leaves on my beautiful lawn not only DISTURB me - they PERTURB me.

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21
Q

Understated

A

(adjective): downplayed; made to seem less than it actually is. Think: UNDERSTATEMENT. “I have no complaints” is an UNDERSTATED way to respond if you’re wealthy and asked how much money you make; it’s an UNDERSTATEMENT.

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22
Q

Lackadaisical

A

(adjective): without energy or spirit. Think: LIKE A DAZE. LACKADAISICAL people are lazy, LIKE a DAZE has come over them.

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23
Q

Miasma

A

(noun): an unhealthy atmosphere. Think: MY ASTHMA. The smog in Los Angeles is a MIASMA that worsens MY ASTHMA.

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24
Q

Harbinger

A

(noun): something that shows what will happen in the future. Think: BRINGER. The superstitious woman thought the black cat crossing her path was a HARBINGER of bad luck and a BRINGER of misfortune.

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25
Q

Gaffe

A

(noun): a social mistake. Think: LAUGH. It’s definitely a GAFFE to bring your pet giraffe to the party - everyone will LAUGH.

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26
Q

Garrulous

A

(adjective): annoyingly talkative. Think: GORILLAZ. The rapper in the band GORILLAZ is GARRULOUS, especially since he uses phrases like “chocolate attack”.

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27
Q

Schism

A

(noun): a separation into opposing groups; a divide. Think: SCHIZOPHRENIC. The SCHIZOPHRENIC patient underwent a SCHISM that gave him multiple personalities.

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28
Q

Dour

A

(adjective): gloomy; stern. Think: SOUR. The teacher’s DOUR expression made her pupils feel SOUR.

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29
Q

Rankled

A

(verb): irritated. Think: WRINKLED. Tim Gunn told the “Project Runway” contestant to “make it work”, so the WRINKLED dress she made RANKLED him.

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30
Q

Bumptious

A

(adjective): assertive in a loud, arrogant way. Think: BUMP US. You’re the type of guy who would push past us in a crowd and BUMP US and not say you’re sorry - you’re BUMPTIOUS.

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31
Q

Truculent

A

(adjective): ready to fight. Think: TRUCE YOU LENT. The armies should write their own peace treaty, because they’re still TRUCULENT after that TRUCE YOU LENT them.

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32
Q

Encompass

A

(verb): to include. Think: COMPASS. Use this COMPASS to draw a circle around the things you want to ENCOMPASS.

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33
Q

Odious

A

(adjective): arousing or deserving hatred. Think: ODOROUS ONIONS. Only eating onions is ODIOUS because they make one’s breath so ODOROUS.

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34
Q

Discomfit

A

(verb): to embarrass or confuse. Think: DISCOMFORT. Realizing one’s suit had been replaced with a too-tight Speedo would DISCOMFORT and DISCOMFIT anyone.

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35
Q

Mercurial

A

(adjective): having rapidly changing moods. Think: MERCURY. Marie Curie was notorious for her MERCURIAL moods, which revolved as fast as the planet MERCURY.

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36
Q

Grievous

A

(adjective): causing great pain; severe. Think: GRIEF US. The GRIEVOUS wounds you inflicted cause GRIEF to US.

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37
Q

Froward

A

(adjective): stubbornly disobedient. Think: AFRO. I try to straighten my hair but it’s FROWARD - after a few hours, it’s a FRO again.

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38
Q

Nontrivial

A

(adjective): important. Think: NOT TRIVIAL. The issue of global warming has become NONTRIVIAL; the rising of sea levels is NOT TRIVIAL.

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39
Q

Recalcitrant

A

(adjective): difficult to manage or change. Think: CALC RANT. The CALC worksheet made Alex RANT because it was so RECALCITRANT.

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40
Q

Plenipotentiary

A

(adjective): fully empowered. Think: PLENTY of POTENCY. If Clinton wins the election, she will be PLENIPOTENTIARY; being president will give her PLENTY of POTENCY.

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41
Q

Redress

A

(verb) to set right. Think: RE-DRESS Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga’s fashion choices are so wrong that the only way to REDRESS her style is to literally RE-DRESS her.

42
Q

Fracas

A

(noun): a noisy brawl. Think: FRAT RUCKUS. The FRAT brothers often caused a RUCKUS by getting into a drunken FRACAS. Fractious (adjective): cranky. Think: FRACTURE US. The FRACTIOUS football player is best avoided: if his team loses, he gets mad enough to FRACTURE US.

43
Q

Dither

A

(verb): to stress out from indecision. Think: DITZ DO EITHER. You’re such a DITZ - you’d DO EITHER and it’s making you DITHER.

44
Q

Flippant

A

(adjective): lacking respect or seriousness. Think: FLIP OFF. If you’re FLIPPANT, you probably FLIP people off on a regular basis.

45
Q

Dormant

A

(adjective): temporarily inactive. Think: DOORMAN. If you work as a DOORMAN, you know that most of the time you’re just standing there, DORMANT.

46
Q

Unwieldy

A

(adjective): awkward; cumbersome. Think: UNABLE to WIELD. The ogre dropped his giant club and I picked it up, but it was too UNWIELDY to WIELD against him in battle.

47
Q

Arduous

A

(adjective): strenuous; difficult. Think: HARD FOR US. Clearing out that hoarder’s house is ARDUOUS; it’s HARD FOR US because he kept every piece of junk mail he ever received.

48
Q

Whet

A

(verb): to sharpen; to make more intense. Think: WET MOUTH. If you’re starving and I show you a picture of a cheeseburger, it will WHET your appetite and your mouth will water and get WET.

49
Q

Vapid

A

(adjective): dull; air-headed. Think: VAPOR. All VAPOR and no substance, MTV is so VAPID that it makes me want to take a nap.

50
Q

Haggard

A

(adjective): worn-out looking. Think: HAG. After months of partying with little sleep, Lindsay Lohan began to look HAGGARD and worried people would think she was an old HAG.

51
Q

Peevish

A

(adjective): irritable; whiny; bratty. Think: PET PEEVE. In the Harry Potter books, Peeves is a PEEVISH ghost in Hogwarts whose PET PEEVE is happy students - so he tattletales on them.

52
Q

Vicarious

A

(adjective): felt by imagining the experience of another. Think: BI-CURIOUS. The BI-CURIOUS woman preferred to keep her fantasy VICARIOUS, so she just watched.

53
Q

Cosset

A

(verb): to pamper. Think: KISS and COSTUME IT. When I take my pug for a walk, I COSSET it by KISSING it and dressing it up in a cozy COSTUME.

54
Q

Champion

A

(verb): to fight for. Think: CHAMPION (noun). If you CHAMPION (verb) that turtle in the turtle race and cheer for her really loudly, it’s more likely she’ll become the CHAMPION (noun).

55
Q

Rapturous

A

(adjective): full of wonderful feelings; ecstatic. Think: RAPTOR saw US. The RAPTOR saw US being lowered into his cage and felt RAPTUROUS since he was hungry.

56
Q

Nadir

A

(noun): the lowest point. Think: NADS. A dude’s NADS are literally the NADIR of his reproductive system.

57
Q

Penurious

A

(adjective): stingy. Think: PENNY FURIOUS. The PENNY tip made the waiter FURIOUS; the customer must have been PENURIOUS.

58
Q

Euphemism

A

(noun): an inoffensive term used in place of an offensive one. Think: USE FEMINISM. USE FEMINISM if you’re a guy and want to create a EUPHEMISM for PMS - otherwise you might get yourself killed.

59
Q

Motile

A

(adjective): having the ability to move. Think: MOBILE. Now that my one-year-old can walk, he’s so MOTILE that I have to be really MOBILE just to catch up to him.

60
Q

Cryptic

A

(adjective): having an unclear or hidden meaning. Think: CRYPT. Scrawled in blood on the wall of the mummy’s CRYPT, the CRYPTIC hieroglyphics both confused and frightened us.

61
Q

Foible

A

(noun): a minor weakness of character. Think: FOIL-ABLE. Your plan to take over the world is FOIL-ABLE because you have many FOIBLES.

62
Q

Wanting

A

(adjective): lacking or absent. Think: WANTING a boyfriend. WANTING (verb) a boyfriend is normal if the romance in your life is WANTING (adjective).

63
Q

Tumultuous

A

(adjective): disorderly; like a riot. Think: TUMBLED US. The mosh pit was so TUMULTUOUS that it TUMBLED US around like a clothes dryer.

64
Q

Nebulous

A

(adjective): vague. Think: NEBULA. The Horsehead NEBULA is so many light-years away that we only have a NEBULOUS idea of what it’s like.

65
Q

Quiescent

A

(adjective): at rest. Think: QUIET. The hibernating bear was both QUIET and QUIESCENT.

66
Q

Filial

A

(adjective): like a son or daughter. 0 Think: AFFILIATED. It was the son’s FILIAL duty to care for his dying mother since he was AFFILIATED with her by blood.

67
Q

Prattle

A

(noun): meaningless talk. Think: RATTLE. Her PRATTLE about reality TV was as exciting as listening to a baby shake its RATTLE.

68
Q

Stringent

A

(adjective): strict. Think: STRICT GENT. Our architecture professor is a STRICT GENT: he’s so STRINGENT that if your drawing has any eraser marks, he’ll dock you a full letter grade.

69
Q

Sapid

A

(adjective): flavorful. Think: SAP. We make maple syrup from the SAP of maple trees because their SAP is naturally SAPID.

70
Q

Asperity

A

(noun): bad temper. Think: A SPEAR IN ME. I have ASPERITY because I have A SPEAR IN ME - can you blame me?

71
Q

Pangs

A

(noun): sharp feelings of pain. Think: PAINS. I read The Hunger Games for six hours, but then had to stop because of the PAINS from my own hunger PANGS.

72
Q

Holistic

A

(adjective): dealing with something as a whole. Think: WHOLE LIST. HOLISTIC medicine treats the WHOLE LIST of body issues instead of just addressing one symptom.

73
Q

Flagrant

A

(adjective): shockingly bad. Think: FRAGRANT VAGRANT. No matter what your feelings towards homeless people are, you can’t deny that man is a FRAGRANT VAGRANT - his B.O. is so bad it’s FLAGRANT.

74
Q

Acrimonious

A

(adjective): bitter. Think: A CRIME ON US. Committing A CRIME ON US makes us ACRIMONIOUS.

75
Q

Antediluvian

A

(adjective): ancient; primitive. Think: ANTI-DILDO-LOVIN’. Only someone with ANTEDILUVIAN views on sex would be ANTI-DILDO-LOVIN’.

76
Q

Tutelage

A

(noun): instruction. Think: TUTOR. To prepare for the GRE, I am under the TUTELAGE of a TUTOR.

77
Q

Gallant

A

(adjective): courageous; noble. Think: GALLOPING knight. She’s still single because she’s waiting for a GALLANT knight to come GALLOPING in on his horse and sweep her away.

78
Q

Capricious

A

(adjective): impulsive; done without forethought. Think: CAPRI PANTS. Jenny made the CAPRICIOUS decision to buy five pairs of CAPRI PANTS, which she later regretted when they went out of style.

79
Q

Aghast

A

(adjective): struck by fear or amazement. Think: A GHOST. I was AGHAST when I looked in the mirror and saw A GHOST standing next to me.

80
Q

Annotation

A

(noun): a comment or note on a literary work. Think: A NOTATION. There are lots of ANNOTATIONS in my copy of Hamlet; I made A NOTATION every time I needed to define an unfamiliar term.

81
Q

Profane

A

(adjective): sacrilegious; vulgar; improper. Think: PROFANITY. Using PROFANITY in church is obviously PROFANE.

82
Q

Apropos

A

(adjective): relevant. Think: APPROPRIATE. It’s APROPOS and APPROPRIATE that we’re talking about POSING because I was just discovered and contracted to be a model!

83
Q

Palatable

A

(adjective): tasty. Think: PAL AT TABLE. Having my PAL AT the TABLE for dinner seems to make the food more PALATABLE since I’m in a good mood.

84
Q

Skulduggery

A

(noun): tricky or sneaky behavior. Think: SKULL HE DUG. The SKULL he DUG up from the local cemetery proved he was a witch doctor who practiced SKULDUGGERY.

85
Q

Cosmopolitan

A

(adjective): sophisticated. Think: COSMO. After reading the dating advice in COSMO, the -year-old thought she was quite COSMOPOLITAN.

86
Q

Ensorcelled

A

(adjective): bewitched; enchanted. Think: SORCERER. The SORCERER ENSORCELLED the adventurers with a powerful spell that made them forget who they were.

87
Q

Temporal

A

(adjective): relating to time. Think: TEMPORARY. Technically, diamonds aren’t forever; in a TEMPORAL sense, they’re only TEMPORARY and will turn to dust one day.

88
Q

Inane

A

(adjective): lacking meaning; silly. Think: INSANE. Saying you “like stuff” if others ask about your interests is INANE, and it might even make them think you’re INSANE.

89
Q

Peremptory

A

(adjective): bossy, prone to cutting others off. Think: PRE-EMPTED. The Emperor PRE-EMPTED Luke’s replies so much that even Darth Vader called him PEREMPTORY.

90
Q

Lax

A

(adjective): loose; not strict. Think: LACKS. His diet plan was LAX because he LACKS the discipline to avoid junk food.

91
Q

Precarious

A

(adjective): dangerously unstable. Think: PREACH CAREFULNESS. PREACH CAREFULNESS to people who are standing on PRECARIOUS rock ledges.

92
Q

Dilettante

A

(noun): a dabbler; one with superficial knowledge of an area. Think: DILUTED. The DILETTANTE’s knowledge of the subject was, understandably, DILUTED.

93
Q

Absolve

A

(verb): to free from guilt; to forgive. Think: DISSOLVE. Catholics believe that confessing to a priest will DISSOLVE their guilt and ABSOLVE them from sin.

94
Q

Docile

A

(adjective): Calm, even-tempered. Think: DOCTOR. The DOCILE DOCTOR remained calm even though his patient was clinging to life by a thread.

95
Q

Ossified

A

(verb): became hard or inflexible. Think: FOSSIL-FIED. The Velociraptor’s bones could bend slightly, but after death, they OSSIFIED and turned into FOSSILS.

96
Q

Non sequitur

A

(noun): something unrelated. Think: NOT SEQUENCE. Bringing up koala bears after my girlfriend asked me about our relationship was a NON SEQUITUR; it was NOT in the right SEQUENCE.

97
Q

Astute

A

(adjective): having keen judgment; shrewd. Think: TUTOR. ASTUTE TUTORS teach better than not-so-bright ones.

98
Q

Shelve

A

(verb): to put aside or postpone. Think: SHELF. I SHLEVED my plan to sabotage my rival and put my notes for it back on the SHELF once I learned I got the promotion.

99
Q

Abase

A

(verb): to humiliate or degrade. Think: Give up A BASE. When you’re making out with someone, if you give up A BASE too quickly, then you just ABASE yourself.

100
Q

Aberration

A

(noun): an exception or departure from the norm. Think: A BARE ASIAN. Seeing A BARE ASIAN would be an ABERRATION - Asians usually wear clothes.

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