Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GRE Vocab > Definitions > Flashcards

Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

taciturn

A

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; reticent, aloof, sullen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

placated

A

make (someone) less angry or hostile; pacify, appease, conciliate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

loquacious

A

tending to talk a great deal; garrulous, verbose, prolix,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

capricious

A

given to sudden or unaccountable changes of mood or behavior; unpredictable, fickle, mercurial, erratic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

didactic

A

in the manner of a teacher, treating someone in a patronizing way; condescending, pedantic, moralistic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

belies

A

fail to give a true notion or impression of something; mask, debunk, disguise, distort

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

conspicuous

A

standing out so as to be clearly visible; discernible, perceptible, flagrant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

obsequious

A

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree; sycophantic, groveling, subservient

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

insipid

A

lacking flavor, vigor, or interest; vapid, lackluster, trite, prosaic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

spendthrift

A

a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way; profligate, prodigal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

misanthropic

A

disliking humankind and avoiding people; antisocial, reclusive, cynical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

ingenuous

A

(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting; naïve, artless, candid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

demurred

A

raised doubts, objected, showed reluctance; dissented, caviled, protested

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

caustic

A

sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way; derisive, acerbic, acrimonious, polemic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

castigate

A

reprimand (someone) severely; censure, admonish, berate, chide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

ambivalent

A

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone; equivocal, inconclusive, irresolute, vacillating

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

contrite

A

feeling or expressing remorse; penitent, repentant, apologetic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

alacrity

A

brisk and cheerful readiness; eagerness, ardor, fervor, zeal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

deference

A

humble submission and respect; reverence, homage, acquiescence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

burgeoned

A

rapidly increased or grew; swelled, proliferated, escalated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

diffident

A

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence; unassuming, timid, wary, reluctant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

equivocating

A

using ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself; prevaricating, wavering, quibbling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

anomalous

A

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected; exceptional, aberrant, divergent, incongruous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

abated

A

lessened, reduced, or removed (especially a nuisance); diminished, alleviated, appeased

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

arcane

A

understood by few; mysterious or secret; enigmatic, esoteric, recondite, opaque

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

censured

A

expressed severe disapproval of (someone or something); scolded, castigated, admonished

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

desultory

A

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; acting randomly; erratic, cursory, perfunctory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

dilatory

A

slow to act; sluggish, lax, idle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

assuaged

A

make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense; mitigated, abated, soothed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

betrayed

A

unintentionally revealed; disclosed, divulged, exposed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

contends

A

asserts something as a position in an argument; avows, alleges, professes

32
Q

denounce

A

declare something wrong; condemn, castigate, proscribe

33
Q

sham

A

fake or false; bogus, insincere, contrived

34
Q

amenable

A

easily persuaded; compliant, acquiescent, malleable

35
Q

coin

A

invent a new word or phrase; devise, create, conceive

36
Q

comity

A

courteous behavior; civility, urbanity, affability

37
Q

abjure

A

renounce or reject something; repudiate, abnegate, relinquish

38
Q

haughty

A

arrogantly superior; conceited, snobbish, pompous

39
Q

avaricious;

A

having or showing an extreme greed for wealth; rapacious, miserly, acquisitive

40
Q

pertinacious

A

holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action; persistent, assiduous, indefatigable, implacable

41
Q

inimical

A

tending to obstruct or harm; deleterious, pernicious, hostile

42
Q

venal

A

showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt, unscrupulous, avaricious

43
Q

wheedle

A

use flattery to persuade; cajole, beguile, coerce

44
Q

decadent

A

characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline; dissolute, corrupt, profligate

45
Q

lampoon

A

publicly criticize; ridicule, mock

46
Q

goad

A

provoke or annoy; prod, incite, rouse

47
Q

verisimilitude

A

the appearance of being true or real; plausibility, credibility

48
Q

mercurial

A

volatile or sudden changes of mood or mind; capricious, fickle, mutable

49
Q

wane

A

to decrease in size; decrease, diminish, dwindle

50
Q

precipitous

A

steep or sudden; abrupt, sharp, impulsive

51
Q

contravene

A

to break the rules; breach, infringe, flout

52
Q

exhort

A

strongly encourage or urge someone to do something; adjure, incite, goad, implore

53
Q

ebullient

A

cheerful and full of energy; exuberant, vivacious, effervescent

54
Q

superfluous

A

unnecessary or redundant; surplus, expendable, gratuitous

55
Q

forestall

A

prevent or delay something; preempt, thwart, impede

56
Q

pellucid

A

translucent or clear; limpid, articulate, intelligible

57
Q

vigilant

A

careful; keeping an eye out; attentive, prudent, circumspect

58
Q

specious

A

looks right but is actually wrong; misleading, deceptive, fallacious

59
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting for a very short time; transient, transitory, evanescent

60
Q

recondite

A

little know or obscure; abstruse, arcane, esoteric

61
Q

intimated

A

implied or hinted; proclaimed, announced, divulged

62
Q

scrupulous

A

diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details; meticulous, assiduous, punctilious

63
Q

precipitated

A

caused to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely; provoked, expedited, instigated

64
Q

opaque

A

not able to be seen through; not transparent; perplexing, blurred, muddied

65
Q

approbation

A

approval or praise; acclaim, adulation, veneration

66
Q

polemical

A

strongly critical or controversial writing or speech; hostile, vitriolic, acerbic

67
Q

disparate

A

essentially different in kind; contrasting, diverse

68
Q

enervated

A

drained of energy; exhausted

69
Q

prophetic

A

accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future; far-seeing

70
Q

enigmatic

A

difficult to interpret or understand; confounding, perplexing, ambiguous

71
Q

impertinent

A

not showing proper respect; rude, undiplomatic, audacious

72
Q

paradigmatic

A

serving as a typical example of something; standard

73
Q

zealous

A

having or showing zeal; passionate, fervent, ardent, devout

74
Q

prosaic

A

lacking poetic beauty; commonplace, humdrum, unimaginative

75
Q

restive

A

unable to keep still or silent and becoming increasingly difficult to control; unruly, agitated, defiant

76
Q

sporadic

A

occurring at irregular intervals; scattered, isolated, patchy

GRE Vocab (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions