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GRE Vocab - 2 > E-1 > Flashcards

E-1 Flashcards

1
Q

earthy

A

unrefined; coarse (Eg: His earthy remarks often embarrassed the women in the audience. )

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2
Q

ebb

A

recede; lessen (Eg: His fortunes began to ebb during the recession. )

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3
Q

ebullient

A

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm (Eg: )

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4
Q

eccentric

A

odd; whimsical; irregular (Eg: The comet passed close by the earth in its eccentric orbit. )

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5
Q

eccentricity

A

oddity; idiosyncrasy (Eg: Some of his friends tried to account for his rudeness to strangers as the eccentricity of genius. )

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6
Q

ecclesiastic

A

pertaining to the church (Eg: The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit. )

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7
Q

eclectic

A

selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources (Eg: His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods- )

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8
Q

eclipse

A

darken; extinguish; surpass (Eg: The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985. )

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9
Q

ecologist

A

person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment (Eg: The ecologist was concerned that the new dam would upset the natural balance of the creatures living in )

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10
Q

economy

A

efficiency or conciseness in using something (Eg: Reading the epigrams of Pope- I admire the economy of his verse: in few words he conveys worlds of )

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11
Q

ecstasy

A

rapture- joy; any overpowering emotion (Eg: The announcement that the war had ended brought on an ecstasy that resulted in many uncontrolled )

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12
Q

eddy

A

swirling current of water- air- etc. (Eg: The water in the tide pool was still- except for an occasional eddy. )

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13
Q

edify

A

instruct; correct morally (Eg: Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience- many of his listeners were amused )

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14
Q

eerie

A

weird (Eg: In that eerie setting- it was easy to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings. )

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15
Q

efface

A

rub out (Eg: The coin had been handled so many times that its data had been effaced. )

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16
Q

effectual

A

efficient (Eg: If we are to succeed- we must seek effectual means of securing our goals. )

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17
Q

effeminate

A

having womanly traits (Eg: His voice was high-pitched and effeminate. )

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18
Q

effervescence

A

inner excitement; exuberance (Eg: Nothing depressed her for long; her natural effervescence soon reasserted itself. )

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19
Q

effete

A

worn out; exhausted; barren (Eg: The literature of the age reflected the effete condition of the writers; no new ideas were forthcoming. )

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20
Q

efficacy

A

power to produce desired effect (Eg: The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage. )

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21
Q

effigy

A

dummy (Eg: The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy. )

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22
Q

effluvium

A

noxious smell (Eg: Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are )

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23
Q

effrontery

A

shameless boldness (Eg: She had the effrontery to insult the guest. )

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24
Q

effusion

A

pouring forth (Eg: The critics objected to her literary effusion because it was too flowery. )

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25
Q

effusive

A

pouring forth; gushing (Eg: Her effusive manner of greeting her friends finally began to irritate them. )

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26
Q

egoism

A

excessive interest in one’s self; belief that one should be interested in one’s self rather than in (Eg: others )

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27
Q

egotism

A

conceit; vanity (Eg: She thought so much of herself that we found her egotism unwarranted and irritating. )

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28
Q

egregious

A

notorious; conspicuously bad; shocking (Eg: She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said. )

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29
Q

egress

A

exit (Eg: Barnum’s sign To the Egress fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and )

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30
Q

ejaculation

A

exclamation (Eg: He could not repress an ejaculation of surprise when he heard the news. )

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31
Q

elaboration

A

addition of details; intricacy (Eg: Tell what happened simply- without any elaboration. )

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32
Q

elated

A

overjoyed; in high spirits (Eg: Grinning from ear to ear- Bonnie Blair was clearly elated by her Olympic victory. )

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33
Q

elegy

A

poem or song expressing lamentation (Eg: )

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34
Q

elicit

A

draw out by discussion (Eg: The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot. )

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35
Q

elixir

A

cure-all; something invigorating (Eg: The news of her chance to go abroad acted on her like an elixir. )

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36
Q

ellipsis

A

omission of words from a text (Eg: Sometimes an ellipsis can lead to a dangling modifier- as in the sentence Once dressed- you should )

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37
Q

elliptical

A

oval; ambiguous- either purposely or because key words have been left out (Eg: An elliptical billiad ball wobbles because it is not perfectly round; an elliptical remark baffles because it is )

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38
Q

eloquence

A

expressiveness; persuasive speech (Eg: The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King’s eloquence. )

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39
Q

elucidate

A

explain; enlighten (Eg: He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article. )

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40
Q

elusive

A

evasive; baffling; hard to grasp (Eg: His elusive dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially. )

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41
Q

elysian

A

relating to paradise; blissful (Eg: An afternoon sail on the bay was for her an elysian journey. )

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42
Q

emaciated

A

thin and wasted (Eg: His long period of starvation had left him emaciated. )

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43
Q

emanate

A

issue forth (Eg: A strong odor of sulfur emanated from the spring. )

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44
Q

emancipate

A

set free (Eg: At first- the attempts of the Abolitioninst to emancipate the slaves were unpopular in New England as well )

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45
Q

embargo

A

ban on commerce or other activity (Eg: As a result of the embargo- trade with colonies was at a standstill. )

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46
Q

embark

A

commence; go on board a boat; begin a journey (Eg: In devoting herself to the study of gorillas- Dian Fossey embarked on a course of action that was to cost )

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47
Q

embed

A

enclose; place in something (Eg: Tales of actual historical figures like King Alfred have become embedded in legends. )

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48
Q

embellish

A

adorn (Eg: )

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49
Q

embezzlement

A

stealing (Eg: The bank teller confessed his embezzlement of the funds. )

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50
Q

embroil

A

throw into confusion (Eg: He became embroiled in the heated discussion when he tried to arbitrate the dispute. )

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51
Q

embryonic

A

undeveloped; rudimentary (Eg: The evil of class and race hatred must be eliminated while it is still in an embryonic state; otherwise- it may )

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52
Q

emend

A

correct- usually a text (Eg: The critic emended the book by retranslating several passages. )

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53
Q

emendation

A

correction of errors; improvement (Eg: Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract. )

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54
Q

emetic

A

substance causing vomiting (Eg: The use of an emetic like mustard is useful in cases of poisoning. )

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55
Q

eminent

A

high; lofty (Eg: After his appointment to this emiment position- he seldom had time for his former friends. )

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56
Q

emissary

A

agent; messenger (Eg: The secretary of State was sent as the President’s special emissary to the conference on disarmament. )

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57
Q

emollient

A

soothing or softening remedy (Eg: He applied an emollient to the inflamed area. )

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58
Q

emolument

A

salary; compensation (Eg: In addition to the emolument this position offers- you must consider the social prestige it carries with it. )

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59
Q

empathy

A

ability to identify with another’s feelings- ideas- etc (Eg: What made Ann such a fine counselor was her empathy- her ability to put herself in her client’s place and )

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60
Q

empirical

A

based on experience (Eg: He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data. )

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61
Q

emulate

A

rival; imitate (Eg: As long as our political leaders emulate the virtues of the great leaders of this country- we shall flourish. )

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62
Q

enamored

A

in love (Eg: Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty. )

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63
Q

enclave

A

territory enclosed within an alien land (Eg: The Vatican is an independent enclave in Italy. )

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64
Q

encomiastic

A

praising; eulogistic (Eg: Some critics believe that his encomiastic statements about Napoleon were inspired by his desire for )

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65
Q

encomium

A

high praise; eulogy (Eg: Uneasy with the encomiums expressed by his supporters- Tolkien felt unworthy of such high praise. )

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66
Q

encompass

A

surround (Eg: Although we were encompassed by enemy forces- we were cheerful for we were well stocked and could )

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67
Q

encroachment

A

gradual intrusion (Eg: The encroachment of the factories upon the neighborhood lowered the value of the real estate. )

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68
Q

encumber

A

burden (Eg: Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage- when they take short trips. )

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69
Q

endearment

A

fond word or act (Eg: Your gifts and endearments cannot make me forget your earlier insolence. )

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70
Q

endemic

A

prevailinig among a specific group of people or in a specific are or country (Eg: This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or )

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71
Q

endorse

A

approve; support (Eg: Everyone waited to see which one of the rival candidates for the city council the mayor would endorse. )

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72
Q

endue

A

provide with some quality; endow (Eg: He was endued with a lion’s courage. )

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73
Q

enduring

A

lasting; surviving (Eg: Keats believed in the enduring power of great art- which outlast its creator’s brief lives. )

74
Q

energize

A

invigorate; make forceful and active (Eg: Rather than exhausting Maggie- dancing energized her. )

75
Q

enervate

A

weaken (Eg: She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window evervated her. )

76
Q

enfranchise

A

admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote) (Eg: Although blacks were enfranchised shortly after the Civil War- women did not receive the right to vote )

77
Q

engage

A

attract; hire; pledge oneself; confront (Eg: Your case has engaged my interest- my lord- said Holmes- You many engage my services. )

78
Q

engender

A

cause; produce (Eg: To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child. )

79
Q

engross

A

occupy fully (Eg: John was so engrossed in his studies that he did not hear his mother call. )

80
Q

enhance

A

advance; improve (Eg: Your chances for promotion in this department will be enhanced if you take some more courses in evening )

81
Q

enigma

A

puzzle (Eg: Depite all attempts to decipher the code- it remained an enigma. )

82
Q

enigmatic

A

obscure; puzzling (Eg: Many have sought to fathom the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa. )

83
Q

enjoin

A

command; order; forbid (Eg: The owners of the company asked the court to enjoin the union from picketing the plant. )

84
Q

enmity

A

ill will; hatred (Eg: At Camp David President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented Egypt and Israel )

85
Q

ennui

A

boredom (Eg: The monotonous routine of hopital life induced a feeling of ennui which made him moody and irritable. )

86
Q

enormity

A

hugeness (in a bad sense) (Eg: He did not realize the enormity of his crime until he saw what suffering he had caused. )

87
Q

enrapture

A

please intensely (Eg: The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration. )

88
Q

ensconce

A

settle comfortably (Eg: The parents thought that their children were ensconced safely in the private school and decided to leave )

89
Q

ensue

A

follow (Eg: The evils that ensued were the direct result of the miscalculations of the leaders. )

90
Q

enthrall

A

capture; enslave (Eg: From the moment he saw her picture- he was enthralled by her beauty. )

91
Q

entice

A

lure; attract; tempt (Eg: She always tried to entice her baby brother into mischief. )

92
Q

entity

A

real being (Eg: As soon as the charter was adopted- the United Nations became an entity and had to be considered as a )

93
Q

entomology

A

study of insects (Eg: I found entomology the least interesting part of my course in biology; studying insects bored me. )

94
Q

entrance

A

put under a spell; carry away with emotion (Eg: Shafts of sunlight on a wall could entrance her and leave her spellbound. )

95
Q

entreat

A

plead; ask earnestly (Eg: She entreated her father to let her stay out till midnight. )

96
Q

entree

A

entrance; a way in (Eg: Because of his wealth and social position- he had entree into the most exclusive circles. )

97
Q

entrepreneur

A

businessperson; contractor (Eg: Opponents of our present tax program argue that it discourages entrepreneurs from trying new fields of )

98
Q

enumerate

A

list; mention one by one (Eg: Huck hung his head in shame as Miss Watson enumerated his many flaws. )

99
Q

enunciate

A

speak distinctly (Eg: How will people understand you if you do not enunciate? )

100
Q

environ

A

enclose; surround (Eg: Paris was environed by a wall )

101
Q

eon

A

long period of time; an age (Eg: It has taken eons for our civilization to develop. )

102
Q

epaulet

A

ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform- etc.) (Eg: The shoulder loops on Sam Spade’s trench coat are the nonmilitary counterparts of the fringed epaulets on )

103
Q

ephemeral

A

short-lived; fleeting (Eg: The mayfly is an ephemeral creature. )

104
Q

epic

A

long heroic poem- novel- or similar work of art (Eg: Kurosawa’s film Seven Samurai is an epic portraying the struggle of seven warriors to destroy a band of )

105
Q

epicure

A

connoisseur of food and drink (Eg: epicures frequent this restaurant because it features exotic wines and dishes. )

106
Q

epigram

A

witty thought or saying- usually short (Eg: Poor Richard’s epigrams made Benjamin Franklin famous. )

107
Q

epilogue

A

short speech at conclusion of dramatic work (Eg: The audience was so disappointed in the play that many did not remain to hear the epilogue. )

108
Q

episodic

A

loosely connected (Eg: Though he tried to follow the plot of Gravity’s Rainbow- John found the novel too episodic. )

109
Q

epistemologist

A

philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge (Eg: What is more important- a knowledge of nature of the nature of knowledge? the epistemologist asked the )

110
Q

epitaph

A

inscription in memory of a dead person (Eg: In his will- he dictated the epitaph he wanted placed on his tombstone. )

111
Q

epithet

A

word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing (Eg: So many kings of France were named Charles that modern students need epithets to tell them apart: )

112
Q

epitome

A

perfect example or embodiment (Eg: Singing I am the very model of a modern Major-General in The Pirates of Penzance- Major-General )

113
Q

epoch

A

period of time (Eg: The glacial epoch lasted for thousands of years. )

114
Q

equable

A

tranquil; steady; uniform (Eg: After the hot summers and cold winters of New England- he found the climate of the West Indies equable )

115
Q

equanimity

A

calmness of temperament (Eg: In his later years- he could look upon the foolishness of the world with equanimity and humor. )

116
Q

equestrian

A

rider on horseback (Eg: These paths in the park are reserved for equestrians and their steeds. )

117
Q

equilibrium

A

balance (Eg: After the divorce- he needed some time to regain his equilibrium. )

118
Q

equine

A

resembling a horse (Eg: His long- bony face had an equine look to it. )

119
Q

equinox

A

period of equal days and nights; the beginning of spring and autumn (Eg: The vernal equinox is usually marked by heavy rainstorms. )

120
Q

equipoise

A

balance; balancing force; equilibrium (Eg: The high-wire acrobat used his pole as an equipose to overcome the swaying caused by the wind. )

121
Q

equitable

A

fair; impartial (Eg: I am seeking an equitable solution to this dispute- one which will be fair and acceptable to both sides. )

122
Q

equity

A

fairness; justice (Eg: Our courts guarantee equity to all. )

123
Q

equivocal

A

doubtful; ambiguous (Eg: Macbeth was misled by the equivocal statements of the witches. )

124
Q

equivocate

A

lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth (Eg: The audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and ridiculed his )

125
Q

erode

A

eat away (Eg: The limestone was eroded by the dripping water )

126
Q

erotic

A

pertaining to passionate love (Eg: The erotic passages in this novel should be removed as they are merely pornographic. )

127
Q

errant

A

wandering (Eg: Many a charming tale has been written about the knights-errant who helped the weak and punished the )

128
Q

erratic

A

odd; unpredictable (Eg: Investors become anxious when the stock market appears erratic. )

129
Q

erroneous

A

mistaken; wrong (Eg: I thought my answer was correct- but it was erroneous. )

130
Q

erudite

A

learned; scholarly (Eg: His erudite writing was difficult to read because of the many allusions which were unfamiliar to most )

131
Q

escapade

A

prank; flighty conduct (Eg: The headmaster could not regard this latest escapade as a boyish joke and expelled the young man. )

132
Q

eschew

A

avoid (Eg: He tried to eschew all display of temper. )

133
Q

esoteric

A

hard to understand; known only to the chosen few (Eg: New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events: the implication is if )

134
Q

espionage

A

spying (Eg: In order to maintain its power- the government developed a system of espionage that penetrated every )

135
Q

espouse

A

adopt; support (Eg: She was always ready to espouse a worthy cause. )

136
Q

esteem

A

repect; value; judge (Eg: I esteem Ezra Pound both for his exciting poetry and for his acute comments on literature. )

137
Q

estranged

A

separated; alienated (Eg: The estranged wife sought a divorce. )

138
Q

ethereal

A

light; heavenly; fine (Eg: Visitors were impressed by her ethereal beauty- her delicate charm. )

139
Q

ethnic

A

relating to races (Eg: Intolerance between ethnic groups is deplorable and usually is based on lack of information. )

140
Q

ethnology

A

study of mankind (Eg: Sociology is one aspect of the science of ethnology. )

141
Q

ethos

A

underlying character of a culture- group- etc. (Eg: Seeing how tenderly Spaniards treated her small daughter made author Barbara Kingsolver aware of how )

142
Q

etymology

A

study of word parts (Eg: A knowledge of etymology can help you on many English tests. )

143
Q

eugenic

A

pertaining to the improvement of race (Eg: It is easier to apply eugenic principles to the raising of racehorses or prize cattle than t the development of )

144
Q

eulogistic

A

praising (Eg: To everyone’s surprise- the speech was eulogistic rather than critical in tone. )

145
Q

eulogy

A

praise (Eg: All the eulogies of his friends could not remove the sting of the calumny heaped upon him by his enemies. )

146
Q

euphemism

A

mild expression in place of an unpleasant one (Eg: The expression he passed away is a euphemism for he died. )

147
Q

euphony

A

sweet sound (Eg: Noted for its euphony even when it is spoken- the Italian language is particularly pleasing to the ear when )

148
Q

euphoria

A

feeling of exaggerated (or unfounded) well-being (Eg: Jill’s been on cloud nine ever since Jacj asked her out- said Betty- dismissing her friend’s euphoria. )

149
Q

euthanasia

A

mercy killing (Eg: Many people support euthanasia for terminally ill patients who wish to die. )

150
Q

evanescent

A

fleeting; vanishing (Eg: For a brief moment- the entire skyline was bathed in an orange-red hue in the evanescent rays of the )

151
Q

evasive

A

not frank; eluding (Eg: Your evasive answers convinced the judge that you were witholding important evidence. )

152
Q

evince

A

show clearly (Eg: When he tried to answer the questions- he evinced his ignorance of the subject matter. )

153
Q

evenhanded

A

impartial; fair (Eg: Do men and women receive evenhanded treatment from their teachers- or- as recent studies suggest- do )

154
Q

evoke

A

call forth (Eg: He evoked much criticism by his hostile manner. )

155
Q

ewe

A

female sheep (Eg: The flock of sheep was made up of dozens of ewes- together with only a handful of rams. )

156
Q

exacerbate

A

worsen; embitter (Eg: This latest arrest will exacerbate the already existing discontent of the people and enrage them. )

157
Q

exacting

A

extremely demanding (Eg: The colonies rebelled against the exacting financial claims of the mother country. )

158
Q

exalt

A

raise in rank or dignity; praise (Eg: The actor Alec Guinness was exalted to the rank of knighthood by the Queen; he now is known as Sir Alec )

159
Q

exasperate

A

vex (Eg: Johnny often exasperates his mother with his pranks. )

160
Q

excerpt

A

selected passage (written or musical) (Eg: The cinematic equivalent of an excerpt from a novel is a clip from a film. )

161
Q

exchequer

A

treasury (Eg: He had been Chancellor of the exchequer before his promotion to the office he now holds. )

162
Q

excise

A

cut away; cut out (Eg: When you excise the dead and dying limbs of a tree- you not only improve its appearance but also enhance )

163
Q

excoriate

A

flay; abrade (Eg: These shoes are so ill-fitting that they will excoriate the feet and create blisters. )

164
Q

exculpate

A

clear from blame (Eg: He was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed. )

165
Q

execrable

A

very bad (Eg: The anecdote was in execrable taste and shocked the audience. )

166
Q

execrate

A

curse; express abhorrence for (Eg: The world execrates the memory of Hitler and hopes that genocide will never again be the policy of any )

167
Q

execute

A

put into effect; carry out (Eg: The choreographer wanted to see how well she could execute a pirouette. )

168
Q

exegesis

A

explanation- especially of biblical passages (Eg: I can follow your exegesis of this passage to a limited degree; some of your reasoning eludes me. )

169
Q

exemplary

A

serving as a model; outstanding (Eg: Her exemplary behavior was praised at commencement. )

170
Q

exemplify

A

show by example; furnish an example (Eg: Three-time winner of the Super Bowl- Joe Montana exemplifies the ideal quarterback. )

171
Q

exertion

A

effort; expenditure of much physical work (Eg: The exertion involved in unscrewing the rusty bolt left her exhausted. )

172
Q

exhort

A

urge (Eg: The evangelist will exhort all sinners in his audience to reform. )

173
Q

exhume

A

dig out of the ground; remove from a grave (Eg: Because of the rumor that he had been poisoned- his body was exhumed in order that an autopsy might be )

174
Q

exigency

A

urgent situation (Eg: In this exigency- we must look for aid from our allies. )

175
Q

exiguous

A

small; minute (Eg: Grass grew there- an exiguous outcropping among the rocks. )

176
Q

existential

A

pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism (Eg: To the existential philosopher- human reason is inadequate to explain an irrational- meaningless universe. )

177
Q

exodus

A

departure (Eg: The exodus from the hot and stuffy city was particularly noticeable on Friday evenings. )

178
Q

exonerate

A

acquit; exculpate (Eg: I am sure this letter naming the actual culprit will exonerate you. )

179
Q

exorbitant

A

excessive (Eg: The people grumbled at his exorbitant prices but paid them because he had a monopoly. )

180
Q

exorcise

A

drive our evil spirits (Eg: By incantation and prayer- the medicine man sought to exorcise the evil spirits that had taken possession of )

GRE Vocab - 2 (6 decks)

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