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GRE Vocab > Difficult > Flashcards

Difficult Flashcards

1
Q

aphoristic

aphorism

A

something that is concise and instructive of general truth/principle

short instructive saying about a general truth

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2
Q

apostate

A

person who has abandoned a religious faith/cause

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3
Q

anathema

A

detested person; source of somebody’s hate

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4
Q

arrant

A

complete and wholly (usu modifying a noun with negative connotation)

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5
Q

arriviste

A

person who has recently reached a position of power; social climber

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6
Q

arch

A

to be deliberately teasing

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7
Q

apotheosis

A

exaltation to divine status

highest point of development

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8
Q

anemic

A

lacking energy and vigor

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9
Q

anodyne

A

something that soothes/relieves pain

inoffensive

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10
Q

approbatory

A

expressing praise/approval

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11
Q

asperity

A

harness of manner

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12
Q

apposite

A

remarkedly appropriate

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13
Q

antic

A

ludicrously odd

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14
Q

appurtenant

A

supplying added support

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15
Q

artifice

A

cunning tricks used to deceive others

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16
Q

arrogate

A

seize and control without authority

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17
Q

apothegm

A

short, pithy instructive saying = aphorism

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18
Q

atavism

A

reappearance of an earlier characteristic

throwback

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19
Q

aplomb

A

great coolness and composure under strain

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20
Q

byzantine

A

intricate and complex

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21
Q

benighted

A

fallen into a state of ignorance

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22
Q

bowdlerize

A

edit by omitting/modifying parts considered indelicate

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23
Q

brook

A

put up with something/somebody unpleasant

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24
Q

baleful

A

threatening/foreshadowing evil/tragic developments

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25
Q

bristle

A

react in an offended/angry manner

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26
Q

besotted

A

strongly affectionate towards

very drunk

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27
Q

browbeat

A

be bossy towards; discourage/frighten with threats/domineering manner

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28
Q

bridle

A

act of restraining power/action/limiting excess

to react with anger/to take offense

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29
Q

chastise

A

to reprimand harshly

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30
Q

contrive

A

pull off a plan/scheme, usu through skill/trickery

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31
Q

contingent

A

gathering of person’s representative of some larger group

dependent on

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32
Q

contrition

A

feeling of remorse/guilt that comes from doing something bad

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33
Q

corroborate

A

to confirm/lead support to

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34
Q

collusion

A

agreement on a secret plot

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35
Q

connive

A

taking part in immoral and unethical plots

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36
Q

cavalier

A

given to haughty disregard of others

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37
Q

consecrate

A

to make holy/set apart for a high purpose

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38
Q

carping

A

persistently petty and unjustified criticism

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39
Q

chary

A

cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something

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40
Q

cupidity

A

greed for money

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41
Q

curmudgeon

A

grouchy, surly person

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42
Q

charlatan

A

flamboyant deceive; one who attracts customers with tricks/jokes

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43
Q

cosset

A

treat with excessive indulgence

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44
Q

corollary

A

practical consequence that follows naturally

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45
Q

chagrin

A

strong feeling of embarrassment

cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

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46
Q

chimera

A

something desired/wished for but is only an illusion and impossible to achieve

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47
Q

coterminous

A

being of equal extent/scope/duration

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48
Q

chauvinism

A

fanatical patriotism; belief that one’s group/cause is superior to all other groups

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49
Q

canard

A

deliberately misleading fabrication

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50
Q

concomitant

A

describing an event/situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another

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51
Q

disaffected

A

discontented as toward authority

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52
Q

duress

A

compulsory force/threat

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53
Q

demure

A

to be modest and shy

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54
Q

desecrate

A

to willfully violate/destroy a sacred place

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55
Q

destitute

A

poor enough to need help from others

completely wanting/lacking

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56
Q

dilapidated

A

in terrible condition

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57
Q

defray

A

to help pay the cost of, either in part/full

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58
Q

derelict

A

not doing one’s duties

abandoned

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59
Q

dispensation

A

an exemption from a rule/obligation

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60
Q

debonair

A

having a sophisticated charm

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61
Q

doughty

A

brave, bold, courageous

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62
Q

desiccated

A

uninteresting, lacking vitality

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63
Q

despot

A

a cruel and oppressive dictator

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64
Q

dissipate

A

squander/spend money frivolously

to disperse/scatter

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65
Q

doctrinaire

A

seeking to impose a doctrine in all circumstances without regard to practical considerations
= dogmatic, rigid, inflexible; uncompromising, unyielding

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66
Q

eminence

A

fame/recognized superiority, esp within a particular sphere/profession

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67
Q

errant

A

to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path

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68
Q

exasperate

A

to irritate intensely

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69
Q

exegesis

A

critical explanation/analysis, esp of a text

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70
Q

execrate

A

to curse and hiss at

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71
Q

expurgate

A

to remove objectionable material

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72
Q

excoriate

A

to criticize very harshly

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73
Q

ersatz

A

not real/genuine

phony

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74
Q

evanescent

A

tending to vanish like vigor

= vanishing; disappearing

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75
Q

exiguity

A

quality of being meager

76
Q

eponym

A

name derived from a person

the person for whom something is named

77
Q

flounder

A

behave awkwardly; having difficulties

78
Q

factious

A

produced by, or characterized by internal dissension

=state of faction = divided; discordant; conflicting

79
Q

fractious

A

irritable and is likely to cause disruption

80
Q

factitious

A

artificial; not natural

81
Q

gall

A

trait of being rude and impertinent

feeling of deep, bitter anger and ill-will

82
Q

gossamer

A

characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy

83
Q

gambit

A

a maneuver/risk in a game/conversation, designed to secure an advantage

84
Q

gumption

A

resourcefulness and determination

85
Q

graft

A

corruption, usu. through bribery

86
Q

hegemony

A

dominance over certain area

87
Q

hagiographic

A

excessively flattering toward someone’s life/work

88
Q

hubris

A

overbearing pride/presumption

89
Q

halcyon

A

idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquility; marked by peace and prosperity

90
Q

incorrigible

A

impervious (impermeable; unable to be affected by) to correction by punishment
=not able to be corrected, improved, reformed

91
Q

indict

A

to formally charge/accuse of wrong-doing

92
Q

inundate

A

to flood/overwhelm

93
Q

indigent

A

poor; having very little

poor/needy person

94
Q

invective

A

abusive/denunciatory (public condemnation of someone/thing) language

95
Q

imbroglio

A

a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation

96
Q

impecunious

A

lacking money; poor

97
Q

insouciance

A

lack of concern

98
Q

inure

A

to make accustomed to something unpleasant

99
Q

ineffable

A

too sacred to be uttered; defying expression/description

= too great/extreme to be expressed/described in words

100
Q

inanity

A

total lack of meaning/ideas

101
Q

impugn

A

attack as false/wrong

102
Q

impervious

A

not admitting of passage/capable of being affecting

= unable to be affected by

103
Q

junta

A

an aggressive takeover by a group

the group that executes such a takeover

104
Q

jejune

A

dull; lacking flavor

immature; childish

105
Q

juggernaut

A

force that cannot be stopped

106
Q

lascivious

A

lecherous; sexually perverted

107
Q

litany

A

any long and tedious account of something

108
Q

lugubrious

A

excessively mournful

109
Q

lachrymose

A

showing sorrow

110
Q

macabre

A

suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome

111
Q

maxim

A

short saying expressing a general truth

112
Q

miscreant

A

person who breaks the law

113
Q

malfeasance

A

misconduct/wrongdoing

114
Q

mettlesome

A

filled with courage/valor

115
Q

maudlin

A

overly emotional and sad

116
Q

mulct

A

to defraud/swindle

117
Q

martinet

A

strict disciplinarian

118
Q

moribund

A

being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress

119
Q

magisterial

A

offensively self-assured/given to exercising unwarranted power

=showing great authority, domineering, dictatorial

120
Q

mendicant

A

a pauper (poor person) who lives by begging

121
Q

malingerer

A

someone shirking (avoid/neglect) their duty by pretending to be sick/incapacitated

122
Q

obstreperous

A

noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control

123
Q

objurgate

A

express strong disapproval of

124
Q

officious

A

intrusive in a meddling/offensive manner

125
Q

pundit

A

someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field

126
Q

pejorative

A

expressing disapproval

127
Q

posit

A

assume as fact

128
Q

pertinent

A

having precise/logical relevance to the matter at hand

=relevant/applicable to a particular matter

129
Q

piquant

A

having an agreeably pungent taste

130
Q

perquisite

A

a right reserved exclusively by a particular person/group

131
Q

provisional

A

under terms not final/fully worked out/agreed upon

132
Q

penurious

A

lacking money, poor

miserly

133
Q

picayune

A

trifling/petty

=unimportant/trivial

134
Q

phantasmagorical

A

illusive; unreal

135
Q

peremptory

A

bossy and domineering

136
Q

pyrrhic

A

describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile

137
Q

palimpsest

A

something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen

138
Q

parvenu

A

person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class

139
Q

prognostication

A

a statement made about the future

140
Q

portentous

A

ominously prophetic

=done in a pompously/overly solemn manner so as to impress

141
Q

puerile

A

of or characteristic of a child; displaying/suggesting a lack of maturity

142
Q

presentiment

A

feeling of evil to come

143
Q

puissant

144
Q

philistine

A

smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values

145
Q

pontificate

A

talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner

146
Q

panegyric

A

formal expression of praise

147
Q

pillory

A

ridicule/expose to public scorn

148
Q

promulgate

A

state/announce

149
Q

palaver

A

speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

150
Q

qualm

A

uneasiness about the fitness of an action

151
Q

quixotic

A

wildly idealistic; impractical

152
Q

quisling

153
Q

quail

A

draw back, as with fear/pain

154
Q

reprobate

A

person without morals who is disapproved of

155
Q

raft

A

larger number of something

156
Q

raffish

A

marked by a carefree unconventionality/disreputableness

157
Q

respite

A

a pause from doing something

158
Q

renege

A

fail to fulfill a promise/obligation

159
Q

remonstrate

A

to make objections while pleading

= protest

160
Q

recrudesce

A

to break out/happen again

161
Q

reprisal

A

a retaliatory action against on enemy in wartime

162
Q

rapprochement

A

the reestablishing of cordial relations

163
Q

raillery

A

light teasing

164
Q

wanton

A

without check/limitation

showing no moral restraints to one’s anger, desire, appetites

165
Q

screed

A

an abusive rant

166
Q

schadenfreude

A

joy from watching the suffering of others

167
Q

sybarite

A

person who indulges in luxury

168
Q

sangfroid

A

calmness/poise in different situations

169
Q

sartorial

A

related to fashion/clothes

170
Q

sinecure

A

an office that involves minimal duties

171
Q

solecism

A

socially awkward/tactless act

172
Q

subterfuge

A

something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity

173
Q

simulacrum

A

representation of a person

bad imitation

174
Q

umbrage

A

a feeling of anger caused by being offended

175
Q

unpropitious

A

with little chance of success

176
Q

unprepossessing

A

creating an unfavorable/neutral first impression

177
Q

untrammeled

A

not confined/limited

178
Q

unstinting

A

very generous

179
Q

unassailable

A

immune to attack; without flaws

180
Q

venial

A

easily excused/forgiven; pardonable

181
Q

vituperate

A

to criticize hardly; to berate

182
Q

vitriolic

vitriol

A

harsh/corrosive in tone

abusive/venomous language used to express blame/bitter deep-seated ill-will

183
Q

vaunted

A

highly/widely praised/boasted about

184
Q

verisimilitude

A

the appearance of truth

185
Q

veritable

A

truthfully, without a doubt

GRE Vocab (4 decks)

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