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Barron's GRE > gre 1-500 > Flashcards

gre 1-500 Flashcards

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1
Q

abbreviate

A

shorten (Eg: Because we were running out of time, the lecturer had to abbreviate her speech. )

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2
Q

abate

A

subside or moderate (Eg: Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. )

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3
Q

abortive

A

unsuccessful; fruitless (Eg: We had to abandon our abortive attempts. )

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4
Q

abstract

A

theoretical; not concrete; non-representational (Eg: To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal. )

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5
Q

abusive

A

coarsely insulting; physically harmful (Eg: An abusive parent damages a child both mentally and physically. )

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6
Q

accelerate

A

move faster (Eg: In our science class, we learn how falling bodies accelerate. )

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7
Q

accessible

A

easy to approach; obtainable (Eg: We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot. )

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8
Q

accessory

A

additional object; useful but not essential thing (Eg: She bought an attractive handbag as an accessory for her dress. )

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9
Q

abscond

A

depart secretly and hide (Eg: The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found. )

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10
Q

aberrant

A

abnormal or deviant (Eg: Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. )

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11
Q

abeyance

A

suspended action (Eg: The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. )

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12
Q

adamant

A

hard, inflexible (Eg: He was adamant in his determination to punish the wrongdoer. )

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13
Q

adulterate

A

make impure by mixing with baser substances (Eg: )

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14
Q

adversity

A

poverty, misfortune (Eg: We must learn to meet adversity gracefully. )

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15
Q

abase

A

lower; degrade; humiliate (Eg: Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam; when told to cast herself down on the ground before )

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16
Q

abash

A

embarrass (Eg: He was not at all abashed by her open admiration. )

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17
Q

abdicate

A

renounce; give up (Eg: When Edward VII abdicated the British throne, he surprised the entire world. )

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18
Q

abet

A

assist, usually in doing something wrong (Eg: She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned. )

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19
Q

abject

A

wretched; lacking pride (Eg: On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from )

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20
Q

abjure

A

renounce upon oath (Eg: He abjured his allegiance to the king. )

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21
Q

ablution

A

washing (Eg: His daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he humorously labeled “Opera in the Bath.” )

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22
Q

abnegation

A

renunciation; self-sacrifice (Eg: Though Rudolph and Duchess Flavia loved one another, their love was doomed, for she had to wed the )

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23
Q

abominate

A

loathe; hate (Eg: Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom. )

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24
Q

abrasive

A

rubbing away; tending to grind down (Eg: Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener’s )

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25
Q

abrogate

A

abolish (Eg: He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. )

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26
Q

absolve

A

pardon (an offense) (Eg: The father confessor absolved him of his sins. )

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27
Q

abstain

A

refrain; withhold from participation (Eg: After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic performance, he decided to abstain from drinking )

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28
Q

abut

A

border upon; adjoin (Eg: Where our estates abut, we must build a fence. )

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29
Q

abysmal

A

bottomless (Eg: His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance. )

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30
Q

accede

A

agree (Eg: If I accede to this demand for blackmail, I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands. )

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31
Q

acclimate

A

adjust to climate or environment (Eg: One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travellers to acclimate themselves to their new )

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32
Q

acclivity

A

sharp upslope of a hill (Eg: The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear. )

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33
Q

accolade

A

award of merit (Eg: In Hollywood, an “Oscar” is the highest accolade. )

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34
Q

accord

A

agreement (Eg: She was in complete accord with the verdict. )

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35
Q

accost

A

approach and speak first to a person (Eg: When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me. )

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36
Q

accoutre

A

equip (Eg: The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the sporting goods store could supply )

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37
Q

accretion

A

growth; increase (Eg: The accretion of wealth marked the family’s rise in power. )

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38
Q

accrue

A

come about by addition (Eg: You must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum. )

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39
Q

acidulous

A

slightly sour; sharp; caustic (Eg: James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous remarks. )

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40
Q

acme

A

peak; pinnacle; highest point (Eg: Welles’s success in Citizen Kane marked the acme of his career as an actor; never again did he achieve such )

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41
Q

acquiesce

A

assent; agree passively (Eg: Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about )

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42
Q

acquittal

A

deliverance from a charge (Eg: His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. )

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43
Q

acrid

A

sharp; bitterly pungent (Eg: )

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44
Q

acrimonious

A

stinging, caustic (Eg: His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his audience. )

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45
Q

actuarial

A

calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics (Eg: According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago. )

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46
Q

actuate

A

motivate (Eg: I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily. )

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47
Q

acuity

A

sharpness (Eg: In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses. )

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48
Q

acumen

A

mental keenness (Eg: His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed. )

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49
Q

adage

A

wise saying; proverb (Eg: There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money. )

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50
Q

addendum

A

addition; appendix to book (Eg: Jane’s editor approved her new comparative literature text but thought it would be even better with an )

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51
Q

addle

A

muddle; drive crazy (Eg: This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. )

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52
Q

adherent

A

supporter; follower (Eg: In the wake of the scandal, the senator’s one-time adherent quietly deserted him. )

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53
Q

adjunct

A

something attached to but holding an inferior position (Eg: I will entertain this concept as an adjunct to the main proposal. )

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54
Q

adjuration

A

solemn urging (Eg: Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the witnesses’ testimony. )

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55
Q

adjutant

A

staff officer assisting the commander; assistant (Eg: Though Wellington delegated many tasks to his chief adjutant, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Somerset was in no )

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56
Q

admonish

A

warn; reprove (Eg: He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways. )

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57
Q

adorn

A

decorate (Eg: Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. )

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58
Q

adroit

A

skillful (Eg: His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his employers. )

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59
Q

adulation

A

flattery; admiration (Eg: The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes-men. )

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60
Q

advent

A

arrival (Eg: Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the Nuclear Age until the news of Hiroshima reached )

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61
Q

adventitious

A

accidental; casual (Eg: He found this adventitious meeting with his friend extremely fortunate. )

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62
Q

adversary

A

opponent; enemy (Eg: Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the machinations of his wicked adversary, the Joker. )

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63
Q

adverse

A

unfavorable; hostile (Eg: adverse circumstances compelled him to close his business. )

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64
Q

advert

A

refer to (Eg: Since you advert to this matter so frequently, you must regard it as important. )

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65
Q

advocate

A

urge; plead for (Eg: The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves. )

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66
Q

aegis

A

shield; defense (Eg: Under the aegis of the Bill of Rights, we enjoy our most treasured freedoms. )

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67
Q

affable

A

courteous (Eg: Although he held a position of responsibility, he was an affable individual and could be reached by anyone )

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68
Q

affected

A

artificial; pretended (Eg: His affected mannerisms irritated may of us who had known him before his promotion. )

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69
Q

affidavit

A

written statement made under oath (Eg: The court refused to accept his statement unless he presented it in the form of an affidavit. )

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70
Q

affiliation

A

joining; associating with (Eg: His affiliation with the political party was of short duration for he soon disagreed with his colleagues. )

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71
Q

affinity

A

kinship (Eg: She felt an affinity with all who suffered; their pains were her pains. )

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72
Q

affirmation

A

positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath (Eg: Despite Tom’s affirmation of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie. )

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73
Q

affix

A

attach or add on; fasten (Eg: First the registrar had to affix his signature to the license; then he had to affix his official seal. )

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74
Q

affluence

A

abundance; wealth (Eg: Foreigners are amazed by the affluence and luxury of the American way of life. )

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75
Q

affront

A

insult; offend (Eg: Accustomed to being treated with respect, Miss Challoner was affronted by Vidal’s offensive behavior. )

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76
Q

agape

A

openmouthed (Eg: She stared, agape, at the many strange animals in the zoo. )

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77
Q

agenda

A

items of business at a meeting (Eg: We had so much difficulty agreeing upon an agenda that there was very little time for the meeting. )

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78
Q

agglomeration

A

collection; heap (Eg: It took weeks to assort the agglomeration of miscellaneous items she had collected on her trip. )

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79
Q

aggrandize

A

increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor (Eg: The history of the past quarter century illustrates how a President may aggrandize his power to act )

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80
Q

aggregate

A

sum; total (Eg: The aggregate wealth of this country is staggering to the imagination. )

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81
Q

aghast

A

horrified (Eg: He was aghast at the nerve of the speaker who had insulted his host. )

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82
Q

agility

A

nimbleness (Eg: The agility of the acrobat amazed and thrilled the audience. )

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83
Q

agitate

A

stir up; disturb (Eg: Her fiery remarks agitated the already angry mob. )

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84
Q

agnostic

A

one who is skeptical of the existence of knowability of a god or any ultimate reality (Eg: The agnostic demanded proof before she would accept the statement of the minister. )

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85
Q

agog

A

highly excited; intensely curious (Eg: We were all agog at the news that the celebrated movie star was giving up his career in order to enter a )

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86
Q

agrarian

A

pertaining to land or its cultivation (Eg: As a result of its recent industrialization, the country is gradually losing its agrarian traditions. )

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87
Q

alacrity

A

cheerful promptness (Eg: He demonstrated his eagerness to serve by his alacrity in executing the orders of his master. )

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88
Q

alchemy

A

medieval chemistry (Eg: The changing of baser metals into gold was the goal of the students of alchemy. )

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89
Q

alcove

A

nook; recess (Eg: Though their apartment lacked a full-scale dining room, an alcove adjacent to the living room made an )

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90
Q

alias

A

an assumed name (Eg: John Smith’s alias was Bob Jones. )

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91
Q

alienate

A

make hostile; separate (Eg: Her attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith in each other. )

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92
Q

alimentary

A

supplying nourishment (Eg: The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there. )

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93
Q

alimony

A

payments make to an ex-spouse after divorce (Eg: Because Tony had supported Tina through medical school, on their divorce he asked the court to award )

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94
Q

allay

A

calm; pacify (Eg: The crew tried to allay the fears of the passengers by announcing that the fire had been controlled. )

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95
Q

allege

A

state without proof (Eg: It is alleged that she had worked for the enemy. )

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96
Q

allegory

A

story in which characters are used as symbols; fable (Eg: Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of the temptations and victories of the human soul. )

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97
Q

alleviate

A

relieve (Eg: This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs. )

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98
Q

alliteration

A

repetition of beginning sound in poetry (Eg: “The furrow followed free” is an example of alliteration. )

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99
Q

alloy

A

mixture as of metals (Eg: alloy of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal. )

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100
Q

allude

A

refer indirectly (Eg: Try not to allude to this matter in his presence because the topic annoys him. )

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101
Q

allure

A

entice; attract (Eg: allured by the song of the sirens, the helmsman steered the ship toward the reef. )

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102
Q

allusion

A

indirect reference (Eg: the allusions to mythological characters in Milton’s poems bewilder the reader who has not studied Latin. )

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103
Q

alluvial

A

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water (Eg: The farmers found the alluvial deposits at the mouth of the river very fertile. )

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104
Q

aloof

A

apart; reserved (Eg: Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest conversed. )

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105
Q

aloft

A

upward (Eg: The sailor climbed aloft into the rigging. )

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106
Q

altercation

A

noisy quarrel (Eg: Throughout the altercation, not one sensible word was uttered. )

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107
Q

altruistic

A

unselfishly generous; concerned for others (Eg: In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships to hundreds of economically disadvantaged )

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108
Q

amalgamate

A

combine; unite in one body (Eg: The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body. )

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109
Q

amass

A

collect (Eg: The miser’s aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible. )

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110
Q

amazon

A

female warrior (Eg: Ever since the days of Greek mythology we refer to strong and aggressive women as amazons. )

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111
Q

ambidextrous

A

capable of using either hand with equal ease (Eg: A switch-hitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous. )

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112
Q

ambience

A

environment; atmosphere (Eg: She went to the restaurant not for the food but for the ambience. )

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113
Q

ambiguous

A

unclear or doubtful in meaning (Eg: His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take. )

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114
Q

ambivalence

A

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes (Eg: Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the )

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115
Q

amble

A

moving at an easy pace (Eg: When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the animal to go faster than a gentle amble. )

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116
Q

ambrosia

A

food of the gods (Eg: ambrosia was supposed to give immortality to any human who ate it. )

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117
Q

ambulatory

A

able to walk (Eg: He was described as an ambulatory patient because he was not confined to his bed. )

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118
Q

ameliorate

A

improve (Eg: Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums. )

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119
Q

amenable

A

readily managed; willing to be led (Eg: He was amenable to any suggestions that came from those he looked up to; he resented advice from his )

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120
Q

amend

A

correct; change, generally for the better (Eg: Hoping to amend his condition, he left Vietnam for the United States. )

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121
Q

amenities

A

convenient features; courtesies (Eg: )

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122
Q

amiable

A

agreeable; lovable (Eg: His amiable disposition pleased all who had dealings with him. )

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123
Q

amicable

A

friendly (Eg: The dispute was settled in an amicable manner with no harsh words. )

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124
Q

amiss

A

wrong; faulty (Eg: Seeing her frown, he wondered if anything were amiss. )

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125
Q

amity

A

friendship (Eg: Student exchange programs such as the Experiment in International Living were established to promote )

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126
Q

amnesia

A

loss of memory (Eg: Because she was suffering from amnesia, the police could not get the young girl to identify herself. )

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127
Q

amnesty

A

pardon (Eg: When his first child was born, the king granted amnesty to all in prison. )

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128
Q

amoral

A

non-moral (Eg: The amoral individual lacks a code of ethics; he should not be classified as immoral. )

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129
Q

amorous

A

moved by sexual love; loving (Eg: Don Juan was known for his amorous adventures. )

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130
Q

amorphous

A

shapeless; vague; indeterminate (Eg: John was subject to panic attacks that left him prey to vague, amorphous fears: he knew he was terrified, )

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131
Q

amphibian

A

able to live both on land and in water (Eg: Frogs are classified as amphibian. )

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132
Q

amphitheater

A

oval building with tiers of seats (Eg: The spectators in the amphitheater cheered the gladiators. )

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133
Q

ample

A

abundant (Eg: He had ample opportunity to dispose of his loot before his police caught up with him. )

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134
Q

amplify

A

enlarge (Eg: Her attempts to amplify her remarks were drowned out by the jeers of the audience. )

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135
Q

amputate

A

cut off part of body; prune (Eg: When the doctors had to amputate Ted Kennedy’s leg to prevent the spread of cancer, he did not let the )

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136
Q

amok

A

in a state of rage (Eg: )

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137
Q

amulet

A

charm; talisman (Eg: Around her neck she wore the amulet that the witch doctor had given her. )

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138
Q

anachronism

A

something or someone misplaced in time (Eg: Shakespeare’s reference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism; no clocks existed in Caesar’s time. )

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139
Q

analgesic

A

causing insensitivity to pain (Eg: The analgesic qualities of his lotion will provide temporary relief. )

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140
Q

analogous

A

comparable (Eg: She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that )

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141
Q

analogy

A

similarity; parallelism (Eg: Your analogy is not a good one because the two situations are not similar. )

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142
Q

anarchist

A

person who rebels against the established order (Eg: Only the total overthrow of all governmental regulations would satisfy the anarchist. )

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143
Q

anarchy

A

absence of governing body; state of disorder (Eg: The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy. )

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144
Q

anathema

A

solemn curse; someone or something that is despised (Eg: He heaped anathema upon his foe. )

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145
Q

anathematize

A

curse (Eg: The high priest anathematized the heretic. )

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146
Q

anchor

A

secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place (Eg: We set the post in concrete to anchor it in place. )

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147
Q

ancillary

A

serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary (Eg: In an ancillary capacity Doctor Watson was helpful; however, Holmes could not trust the good doctor to )

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148
Q

anecdote

A

short account of an amusing or interesting event (Eg: Rather than make concrete proposals for welfare reform, President Raegan told anecdotes about poor )

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149
Q

anemia

A

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles (Eg: The doctor ascribes her tiredness to anemia. )

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150
Q

anesthetic

A

substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness (Eg: His monotonous voice acted like an anesthetic; his audience was soon asleep. )

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151
Q

anguish

A

acute pain; extreme suffering (Eg: Visiting the site of explosion, Premier Gorbachev wept to see the anguish of the victims and their families. )

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152
Q

angular

A

sharp-cornered; stiff in manner (Eg: His features, though angular, were curiously attractive. )

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153
Q

animadversion

A

critical remark (Eg: He resented the animadversions of his critics, particularly because he realized they were true. )

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154
Q

animated

A

lively (Eg: Her animated expression indicated a keenness of intellect. )

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155
Q

animosity

A

active enmity (Eg: He incurred the animosity of the ruling class because he advocated limitations of their power. )

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156
Q

animus

A

hostile feeling or intent (Eg: The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting )

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157
Q

annals

A

records; history (Eg: In the annals of this period, we find no mention of democratic movements. )

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158
Q

anneal

A

reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (Eg: After the glass is annealed, it will be less subject to chipping and cracking. )

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159
Q

annihilate

A

destroy (Eg: The enemy in its revenge tried to annihilate the entire population. )

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160
Q

annotate

A

comment; make explanatory notes (Eg: In the appendix to the novel, the critic sought to annotate many of the more esoteric references. )

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161
Q

annuity

A

yearly allowance (Eg: The annuity he set up with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can )

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162
Q

annul

A

make void (Eg: The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage. )

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163
Q

anodyne

A

drug that relieves pain; opiate (Eg: His pain was so great that no anodyne could relieve it. )

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164
Q

anoint

A

consecrate (Eg: The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil, crowning him king of Israel. )

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165
Q

anomalous

A

abnormal; irregular (Eg: He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that he despised. )

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166
Q

anomaly

A

irregularity (Eg: A bird that cannot fly is an anomaly. )

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167
Q

anonymity

A

state of being nameless; anonymousness (Eg: )

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168
Q

antagonistic

A

hostile; opposed (Eg: Despite his lawyers’ best efforts to stop him, the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to )

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169
Q

antecede

A

precede (Eg: The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century. )

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170
Q

antecedents

A

preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; early life; ancestors (Eg: Before giving permission for Drummie to marry Estella, Miss Havisham had a few questions about the )

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171
Q

antediluvian

A

antiquated; ancient (Eg: The antediluvian customs had apparently not changed for thousands of years. )

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172
Q

anthropoid

A

manlike (Eg: The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals. )

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173
Q

anthropologist

A

student of the history and science of humankind (Eg: Anthropologists have discovered several relics of prehistoric humans in this area. )

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174
Q

anthropomorphic

A

having human form or characteristics (Eg: Primitive religions often have deities with anthropomorphic characteristics. )

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175
Q

anticlimax

A

letdown in thought or emotion (Eg: After the fine performance in the first act, the rest of the play was an anticlimax. )

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176
Q

antipathy

A

aversion; dislike (Eg: His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends. )

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177
Q

antiquated

A

obsolete; outdated (Eg: Accustomed to editing his papers on word processors, Philip thought typewriters were too antiquated for )

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178
Q

antiseptic

A

substance that prevents infection (Eg: It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound, no matter how slight or insignificant. )

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179
Q

antithesis

A

contrast; direct opposite of or to (Eg: This tyranny was the antithesis of all that he had hoped for, and he fought it with all his strength. )

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180
Q

anvil

A

iron block used in hammering out metals (Eg: After heating the iron horseshoe in the forge, the blacksmith picked it up with his tongs and set it on the )

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181
Q

apathetic

A

indifferent (Eg: He felt apathetic about the conditions he had observed and did not care to fight against them. )

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182
Q

apathy

A

lack of caring; indifference (Eg: A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never )

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183
Q

ape

A

imitate or mimic (Eg: He was suspended for a week because he had aped the principal in front of the whole school. )

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184
Q

aperture

A

opening; hole (Eg: She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room. )

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185
Q

apex

A

tip; summit; climax (Eg: He was at the apex of his career. )

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186
Q

aphasia

A

loss of speech due to injury or illness (Eg: After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could )

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187
Q

aphorism

A

pithy maxim (Eg: An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific. )

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188
Q

apiary

A

a place where bees are kept (Eg: Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee. )

189
Q

aplomb

A

poise; composure (Eg: Wellington’s nonchalance and aplomb in the heat of battle always heartened his followers. )

190
Q

apocalyptic

A

prophetic; pertaining to revelations; especially of disaster (Eg: His apocalyptic remarks were dismissed by his audience as wild surmises. )

191
Q

apocryphal

A

untrue; made up (Eg: To impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city. )

192
Q

apogee

A

highest point (Eg: When the moon in its orbit is furthest away from the earth, it is at its apogee. )

193
Q

apoplexy

A

stroke; loss of consciousness followed by paralysis (Eg: He was crippled by an attack of apoplexy. )

194
Q

apostate

A

one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs (Eg: Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate. )

195
Q

apothecary

A

druggist (Eg: In Holland, apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills. )

196
Q

apothegm

A

pithy, compact saying (Eg: Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. )

197
Q

apotheosis

A

deification; glorification (Eg: The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor his apotheosis; she hoped that on her death she, too, )

198
Q

appal

A

dismay; shock (Eg: We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city’s jails. )

199
Q

apparition

A

ghost; phantom (Eg: Hamlet was uncertain about the identity of the apparition that had appeared and spoken to him. )

200
Q

appease

A

pacify; soothe (Eg: We have discovered that, when we try to appease our enemies, we encourage them to make additional )

201
Q

appellation

A

name; title (Eg: He was amazed when the witches hailed him with his correct appellation. )

202
Q

append

A

attach (Eg: I shall append this chart to my report. )

203
Q

application

A

diligent attention; (secondary meaning) apply (Eg: Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application. )

204
Q

apposite

A

appropriate; fitting (Eg: He was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion. )

205
Q

appraise

A

estimate the value of (Eg: It is difficult to appraise old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. )

206
Q

appreciate

A

be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of (Eg: Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks ave her, whose value appreciated )

207
Q

apprehend

A

arrest ( a criminal); dread; perceive (Eg: The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long. )

208
Q

apprehensive

A

fearful; discerning (Eg: His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness. )

209
Q

apprise

A

inform (Eg: When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, he decided to postpone his trip. )

210
Q

approbation

A

approval (Eg: Wanting her parents’ regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. )

211
Q

appropriate

A

acquire; take possession of for one’s own use (Eg: The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians’ use. )

212
Q

appurtenances

A

subordinate possessions (Eg: He bought the estate and all its appurtenances. )

213
Q

apropos

A

with reference to; regarding (Eg: I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. )

214
Q

aptitude

A

fitness; talent (Eg: The counselor evaluated his aptitudes before advising him about the career he should follow. )

215
Q

aquiline

A

curved, hooked (Eg: He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle. )

216
Q

arable

A

fit for plowing (Eg: The land was no longer arable; erosion had removed the valuable topsoil. )

217
Q

arbiter

A

person with power to decide a matter in a dispute; judge (Eg: As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers. )

218
Q

arbitrary

A

unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical (Eg: The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. )

219
Q

arbitrate

A

act as judge (Eg: She was called upon to arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management. )

220
Q

arboretum

A

place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited (Eg: Walking along the treelined paths of the arboretum, Rita noted poplars, firs, and some particularly fine )

221
Q

arcade

A

a covered passageway, usually lined with shops (Eg: The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and the )

222
Q

arcane

A

secret; mysterious (Eg: What was arcane to us was clear to the psychologist. )

223
Q

archaeology

A

study of artifacts and relics of early mankind (Eg: The professor of archaeology headed an expedition to the Gobi Desert in search of ancient ruins. )

224
Q

archaic

A

antiquated (Eg: “Methinks,” “thee,” and “thou” are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary. )

225
Q

archetype

A

prototype; primitive pattern (Eg: The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island )

226
Q

archipelago

A

group of closely located islands (Eg: When he looked at the map and saw the archipelagoes in the South Seas, he longed to visit them. )

227
Q

archives

A

public records; place where public records are kept (Eg: These documents should be part of the archives so that historians may be able to evaluate them in the )

228
Q

ardor

A

heat; passion; zeal (Eg: Katya’s ardor was contagious; soon all her fellow demonstrators were busily making posters and handing )

229
Q

arduous

A

hard; strenuous (Eg: Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy. )

230
Q

argot

A

slang (Eg: In the argot of the underworld, she “was taken for a ride.” )

231
Q

aria

A

operatic solo (Eg: At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma. )

232
Q

arid

A

dry; barren (Eg: The cactus had adapted to survive in an arid environment. )

233
Q

aristocracy

A

hereditary nobility; privileged class (Eg: Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy: )

234
Q

armada

A

fleet of warships (Eg: Queen Elizabeth’s navy was able to defeat the mighty armada that threatened the English coast. )

235
Q

aromatic

A

fragrant (Eg: Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe. )

236
Q

arraign

A

charge in court; indict (Eg: After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court. )

237
Q

array

A

marshal; draw up in order (Eg: His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him. )

238
Q

array

A

clothe; adorn (Eg: She liked to watch her motherarray herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. )

239
Q

arrears

A

being in debt (Eg: He was in arrears with his payments on the car. )

240
Q

arrogance

A

pride, haughtiness (Eg: The arrogance of the nobility was resented by the middle class. )

241
Q

arroyo

A

gully (Eg: Until the heavy rains of the past spring, this arroyo had been a dry bed. )

242
Q

articulate

A

effective; distinct (Eg: Her articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers. )

243
Q

artifacts

A

products of primitive culture (Eg: Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia Minor and came to )

244
Q

artifice

A

deception; trickery (Eg: The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military )

245
Q

artisan

A

a manually skilled worker (Eg: Artists and artisans alike are necessary to the development of a culture. )

246
Q

artless

A

without guile; open and honest (Eg: Red Riding Hood’s artless comment, “Grandma, what big eyes you have!” indicates the child’s innocent )

247
Q

ascendancy

A

controlling influence (Eg: President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendency over Philippines. )

248
Q

ascetic

A

practicing self-denial; austere (Eg: The wealthy young man could not understand the ascetic life led by the monks. )

249
Q

asceticism

A

doctrine of self-denial (Eg: We find asceticism practiced in many monastries. )

250
Q

ascribe

A

refer; attribute; assign (Eg: I can ascribe no motive for her acts. )

251
Q

asceptic

A

preventing infection; having a cleansing effect (Eg: Hospitals succeeded in lowering the mortality rate as soon as they introduced asceptic conditions. )

252
Q

ashen

A

ash-colored; deadly pale (Eg: Her face was ashen with fear. )

253
Q

asinine

A

stupid (Eg: Your asinine remarks prove that you have not given this problem any serious consideration. )

254
Q

askance

A

with a sideways or indirect look (Eg: Looking askance at her questioner, she displayed her scorn. )

255
Q

askew

A

crookedly; slanted; at an angle (Eg: When he placed his hat askew upon his head, his observers laughed. )

256
Q

asperity

A

sharpness (of temper) (Eg: These remarks, spoken with asperity, stung the boys to whom they had been directed. )

257
Q

aspersion

A

slanderous remark (Eg: Do not cast aspersions on her character. )

258
Q

aspirant

A

seeker after position or status (Eg: Although I am as aspirant for public office, I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses. )

259
Q

aspiration

A

noble ambition (Eg: )

260
Q

assail

A

assault (Eg: He was assailed with questions after his lecture. )

261
Q

assay

A

analyze; evaluate (Eg: When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. )

262
Q

assent

A

agree; accept (Eg: It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request. )

263
Q

assiduous

A

diligent (Eg: It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son. )

264
Q

assuage

A

ease; lessen(pain) (Eg: Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering. )

265
Q

assumption

A

something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of (Eg: The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her Assumption of )

266
Q

astringent

A

binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe (Eg: The astringent quality of unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult. )

267
Q

astute

A

wise; shrewd (Eg: That was a very astute observation. )

268
Q

asunder

A

into parts; apart (Eg: Their points of view are poles asunder. )

269
Q

atavism

A

resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; (Eg: throwback )

270
Q

atrophy

A

wasting away (Eg: Polio victims need physiotherapy to prevent the atrophy of affected limbs. )

271
Q

attenuate

A

make thin; weaken (Eg: By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines. )

272
Q

attribute

A

ascribe; explain (Eg: I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents. )

273
Q

attrition

A

gradual wearing down (Eg: They decided to wage a war of attrition rather than to rely on all-out attack. )

274
Q

augury

A

omen; prophecy (Eg: He interpreted the departures of the birds as an augury of evil. )

275
Q

august

A

impressive; majestic (Eg: Visiting the palace at Versailes, she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself. )

276
Q

aureole

A

sun’s corona; halo (Eg: Many medieval paintings depict saintly characters with aureols around their heads. )

277
Q

auroral

A

pertaining to the aurora borealis (Eg: The auroral display was particularly spectacular that evening. )

278
Q

auspicious

A

favoring success (Eg: With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail. )

279
Q

austere

A

strict, stern (Eg: His austere demeanor prevented us from engaging in our usual frivolous activities. )

280
Q

austerity

A

sternness; severity; lack of luxuries (Eg: The austerity and dignity of the court were maintained by the new justices, who were a strict and solemn )

281
Q

automaton

A

mechanism that imitates actions of humans (Eg: Long before science fiction readers became aware of robots, writers were creating stories of automation )

282
Q

autonomous

A

self-governing (Eg: This island is a colony; however, in most matters, it is autonomous and receives no orders from the mother )

283
Q

avarice

A

greed for wealth (Eg: King Midas’s avarice has been famous for centuries. )

284
Q

aver

A

state confidently (Eg: I wish to aver that I am certain of success. )

285
Q

averse

A

reluctant (Eg: He was averse to revealing the sources of his information. )

286
Q

aversion

A

firm dislike (Eg: Their mutual aversion was so great that they refused to speak to one another. )

287
Q

avert

A

prevent; turn away (Eg: She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway. )

288
Q

aviary

A

enclosure for birds (Eg: The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds. )

289
Q

avid

A

greedy; eager for (Eg: He was avid for learning and read everything he could get. )

290
Q

avocation

A

secondary or minor occupation (Eg: His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation )

291
Q

avow

A

declare openly (Eg: I must avow that I am innocent. )

292
Q

avuncular

A

like an uncle (Eg: Avuncular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew’s shortcomings. )

293
Q

awe

A

solemn wonder (Eg: The tourists gazed with awe at the tremendous expanse of the Grand Canyon. )

294
Q

awl

A

pointed tool used for piercing (Eg: She used an awl to punch additional holes in the leather belt she had bought. )

295
Q

awry

A

distorted; crooked (Eg: )

296
Q

axiom

A

self-evident truth requiring no proof (Eg: Before a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry, he must accept certain )

297
Q

azure

A

sky blue (Eg: azure skies are indicative of good weather. )

298
Q

babble

A

chatter idly (Eg: The little girl babbled about her doll. )

299
Q

bacchanalian

A

drunken (Eg: Emperor Nero attended the bacchanalian orgy. )

300
Q

badger

A

pester; annoy (Eg: She was forced to change her telephone number because she was badgered by obscene phone calls. )

301
Q

badinage

A

teasing conversation (Eg: Her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badinage. )

302
Q

baffle

A

frustrate; perplex (Eg: The new code baffled the enemy agents. )

303
Q

bait

A

harass; tease (Eg: The soldiers baited the prisoners, terrorizing them. )

304
Q

baleful

A

menacing; deadly (Eg: Casting a baleful eye at his successful rival, the rejected suitor stole off, vowing to have his revenge. )

305
Q

balk

A

stoop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue (Eg: The chief of police balked at sending his officers into the riot-torn area. )

306
Q

balk

A

foil (Eg: When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt. )

307
Q

ballast

A

heavy substance used to add stability or weight (Eg: The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an )

308
Q

balm

A

something that relieves pain (Eg: Friendship is the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. )

309
Q

balmy

A

mild; fragrant (Eg: A balmy breeze refreshed us after the sultry blast. )

310
Q

banal

A

hackneyed; commonplace; trite (Eg: His frequent use of cliches made his essay seem banal. )

311
Q

bandy

A

discuss lightly; exchange blows or words (Eg: The president refused to bandy words with reporters at the press conference. )

312
Q

bane

A

cause of ruin (Eg: Lack of public transportation is the bane of urban life. )

313
Q

bantering

A

good-naturedly ridiculing (Eg: They resented his bantering remarks because they misinterpreted his teasing as sarcasm. )

314
Q

barb

A

sharp projection form fishhook, etc.; pointed comment (Eg: The barb from the fishhook caught in his finger as he grabbed the fish. )

315
Q

bard

A

poet (Eg: The ancient bard Homer sang of the fall of Troy. )

316
Q

barefaced

A

shameless; bold; unconcealed (Eg: Shocked by Huck Finn’s barefaced lies, Miss Watson prayed the good Lord would give him a sense of his )

317
Q

baroque

A

highly ornate (Eg: Accustomed to the severe, angular lines of modern skyscrapers, they found the flamboyance of baroque )

318
Q

barrage

A

barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion (Eg: The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy canyons. )

319
Q

barrister

A

counselor-at-law (Eg: Galsworthy started as a barrister, but when he found the practice of law boring, turned to writing. )

320
Q

barterer

A

trader (Eg: The barterer exchanged trinkets for the natives’ furs. )

321
Q

bask

A

luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth (Eg: basking on the beach, she relaxed so completely that she fell asleep. )

322
Q

bastion

A

stronghold; something seen as a source of protection (Eg: The villagers fortified the town hall, hoping this improvised bastion could protect them from the guerrila )

323
Q

bate

A

let down; restrain (Eg: Until it was time to open the presents, the children had to bate their curiosity. )

324
Q

bauble

A

trinket; trifle (Eg: The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag. )

325
Q

bawdy

A

indecent; obscene (Eg: She took offense at his bawdy remarks. )

326
Q

beatific

A

giving bliss; blissful (Eg: The beatific smile on the child’s face made us very happy. )

327
Q

beatitude

A

blessedness; state of bliss (Eg: Growing closer to God each day, the mystic achieved a state of indescribable beatitude. )

328
Q

bedizen

A

dress with vulgar finery (Eg: The witch doctors were bedizened in their gaudiest costumes. )

329
Q

bedraggle

A

wet thoroughly (Eg: We were so bedraggled by the severe storm that we had to change into dry clothing. )

330
Q

befuddle

A

confuse thoroughly (Eg: His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only on befuddling her further. )

331
Q

beget

A

father; produce; give rise to (Eg: One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another. )

332
Q

begrudge

A

resent (Eg: I begrudge every minute I have to spend attending meetings. )

333
Q

beguile

A

amuse; delude; cheat (Eg: I beguiled himself during the long hours by playing solitaire. )

334
Q

behemoth

A

huge creature; something of monstrous size or power (Eg: Sportcasters nicknamed the linebacker “The Behemoth.” )

335
Q

beholden

A

obligated; indebted (Eg: Since I do not wish to be beholden to anyone, I cannot accept this favor. )

336
Q

behoove

A

be suited to; be incumbent upon (Eg: In this time of crisis, it behooves all of us to remain calm and await the instructions of our superiors. )

337
Q

belabor

A

explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally (Eg: The debate coach warned her student not to bore the audience by belaboring his point. )

338
Q

belated

A

delayed (Eg: He apologized for his belated note of condolence to the widow of his friend and explained that he had just )

339
Q

beleaguer

A

besiege (Eg: As soon as the city was beleaguered, the life became more subdued as the citizens began their long wait for )

340
Q

belie

A

contradict; give a false impression (Eg: His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity. )

341
Q

belittle

A

disparage; depreciate (Eg: Parents should not belittle their children’s early attempts at drawing, but should encourage their efforts. )

342
Q

bellicose

A

warlike (Eg: His bellicose disposition alienated his friends. )

343
Q

belligerent

A

quarrelsome (Eg: Whenever he had too much to drink, he became belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers. )

344
Q

bemused

A

confused; lost in thought; preoccupied (Eg: Jill studied the garbled instructions with a bemused look on her face. )

345
Q

benediction

A

blessing (Eg: The appearance of the sun after the many rainy days was like a benediction. )

346
Q

benefactor

A

gift giver; patron (Eg: Scrooge later became Tiny Tim’s benefactor and gave him a benediction. )

347
Q

beneficent

A

kindly; doing good (Eg: The overgenerous philanthropist had to curb his beneficent impulses before he gave away all his money )

348
Q

beneficiary

A

person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy (Eg: You may change your beneficiary as often as you wish. )

349
Q

benevolent

A

generous; charitable (Eg: His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. )

350
Q

benign

A

kindly; favorable; not malignant (Eg: The old man was well liked because of his benign attitude toward friend and stranger alike. )

351
Q

benison

A

blessing (Eg: Let us pray that the benison of peace once more shall prevail among the nations of the world. )

352
Q

bent

A

determined; natural talent or inclination (Eg: bent on advancing in the business world, the secretary heroine of Working Girl had a true bent for high )

353
Q

bequeath

A

leave to someone by means of a will; hand down (Eg: In his will, Father bequeathed his watch to Phillip; the bequest meant a great deal to the boy. )

354
Q

berate

A

scold strongly (Eg: He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness. )

355
Q

bereavement

A

state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved (Eg: His friends gathered to console him upon his sudden bereavement. )

356
Q

bereft

A

deprived of; lacking (Eg: The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds. )

357
Q

berserk

A

frenzied (Eg: )

358
Q

beset

A

harass; trouble (Eg: Many problems beset the American public school system. )

359
Q

besmirch

A

soil, defile (Eg: The scandalous remarks in the newspaper besmirch the reputations of every member of the society. )

360
Q

bestial

A

beastlike; brutal; inhuman (Eg: The Red Cross sought to put an end to the bestial treatment of prisoners of war. )

361
Q

bestow

A

confer (Eg: He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero. )

362
Q

betroth

A

become engaged to marry (Eg: The announcement that they had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any )

363
Q

bevy

A

large group (Eg: The movie actor was surrounded by a bevy of startlets. )

364
Q

bicameral

A

two-chambered, as a legislative body (Eg: The United States Congress is a bicameral body. )

365
Q

bifurcated

A

divided into two branches; forked (Eg: With a bifurcated branch and a piece of elastic rubber, he made a crude but effective slingshot. )

366
Q

bilious

A

suffering from indigestion; irritable (Eg: His bilious temperament was apparent to all who heard him rant about his difficulties. )

367
Q

bilk

A

swindle; cheat (Eg: The con man specialized in bilking insurance companies. )

368
Q

bivouac

A

temporary encampment (Eg: While in bivouac, we spent the night in our sleeping bags under the stars. )

369
Q

bizarre

A

fantastic; violently contrasting (Eg: The plot of the novel was too bizarre to be believed. )

370
Q

blanch

A

bleach; whiten (Eg: Although age had blanched his hair, he was still vigorous and energetic. )

371
Q

bland

A

soothing; mild (Eg: She used a bland ointment for her sunburn. )

372
Q

blandishment

A

flattery (Eg: Despite the salesperson’s blandishments, the customer did not buy the outfit. )

373
Q

blase

A

bored with pleasure or dissipation (Eg: Your blase attitude gives your students an erroneous impression of the joys of scholarship. )

374
Q

blasphemous

A

profane; impious (Eg: The people in the room were shocked by his his blasphemous language. )

375
Q

blatant

A

extremely obvious; loudly offensive (Eg: Caught in a blatant lie, the scoundrel had only one regret: he wished that he had lied more subtly. )

376
Q

bleak

A

cold; cheerless (Eg: The Aleutian Islands are bleak military outposts. )

377
Q

blighted

A

suffering from a disease; destroyed (Eg: The extent of the blighted areas could be seen only when viewed from the air. )

378
Q

blithe

A

gay; joyous; careless (Eg: Shelley called the skylark a “blithe spirit” because of its happy song. )

379
Q

bloated

A

swollen or puffed as with water or air (Eg: Her bloated stomach came from drinking so much water. )

380
Q

blowhard

A

talkative boaster (Eg: After all Sol’s talk about his big show business connections led nowhere, Sally decided he was just another )

381
Q

bludgeon

A

club; heavy-headed weapon (Eg: His walking stick served him as a bludgeon on many occasions. )

382
Q

bluff

A

pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff (Eg: Claire thought Lord Byron’s boast that he would swim the Hellespont was just a bluff, she was astounded )

383
Q

blunder

A

error (Eg: The criminal’s fatal blunder led to his capture. )

384
Q

blurt

A

utter impulsively (Eg: Before she could stop him, he blurted out the news. )

385
Q

bode

A

foreshadow; portend (Eg: The gloomy skies and the sulfurious odors from the mineral springs seemed to bode evil to those who )

386
Q

bogus

A

counterfeit; not authentic (Eg: The police quickly found the distributors of the bogus twenty-dollar bills. )

387
Q

boisterous

A

violent; rough; noisy (Eg: The unruly crowd became even more boisterous when he tried to quiet them. )

388
Q

bolster

A

support; reinforce (Eg: The debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments. )

389
Q

bombast

A

pompous, inflated language (Eg: Filled with bombast, the orator’s speech left the audience more impressed with his pomposity than with his )

390
Q

boon

A

blessing; benefit (Eg: The recent rains that filled our empty reservoirs were a boon to the whole community. )

391
Q

boorish

A

rude; insensitive (Eg: Though Mr. Potts constantly interrupted his wife, she ignored his boorish behavior, for she had lost hope )

392
Q

bouillon

A

clear beef soup (Eg: The cup of bouillon served by the stewards was welcomed by those who had been chilled by the cold )

393
Q

bountiful

A

generous; showing bounty (Eg: She distributed gifts in a bountiful and gracious manner. )

394
Q

bourgeois

A

middle class (Eg: The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois, who resented the aristocracy. )

395
Q

bovine

A

cowlike; placid and dull (Eg: Nothing excites Esther; even when she won the state lottery, she still preserved her air of bovine calm. )

396
Q

bowdlerize

A

expurgate (Eg: After the film editors had bowdlerized the language in the script, the motion picture’s rating was changed )

397
Q

brackish

A

somewhat saline (Eg: He found the only wells in the area were brackish; drinking the water made him nauseous. )

398
Q

braggadocio

A

boasting (Eg: He was disliked because his manner was always full of braggadocio. )

399
Q

braggart

A

boaster (Eg: Modest by nature, she was no braggart, preferring to let her accomplishments speak for themselves. )

400
Q

bravado

A

swagger; assumed air of defiance (Eg: )

401
Q

brawn

A

muscular strength; sturdiness (Eg: It takes brawn to become a champion weight-lifter. )

402
Q

brazen

A

insolent (Eg: Her brazen contempt for authority angered the officials. )

403
Q

breach

A

breaking of contract or duty; fissure; gap (Eg: They found a breach in the enemy’s fortifications and penetrated their lines. )

404
Q

breadth

A

width; extent (Eg: We were impressed by the breadth of her knowledge. )

405
Q

brevity

A

conciseness (Eg: brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram; you are charged for every word. )

406
Q

brindled

A

tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (Eg: He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled; he had hoped for animals of uniform )

407
Q

bristling

A

rising like bristles; showing irritation (Eg: The dog stood there, bristling with anger. )

408
Q

brittle

A

easily broken; difficult (Eg: My employer’s brittle personality made it difficult for me to get along with her. )

409
Q

broach

A

open up (Eg: He did not even try to broach the subject of poetry. )

410
Q

brocade

A

rich, figured fabric (Eg: The sofa was covered with expensive brocade. )

411
Q

brook

A

tolerate; endure (Eg: The dean would brook no interference with his disciplinary actions. )

412
Q

browbeat

A

bully; intimidate (Eg: Billy resisted Ted’s attempts to browbeat him into handing over his lunch money. )

413
Q

brusque

A

blunt; abrupt (Eg: She was offended by his brusque reply. )

414
Q

bucolic

A

rustic; pastoral (Eg: )

415
Q

buffoonery

A

clowning (Eg: John Candy’s buffoonery in Uncle Buck was hilarious. )

416
Q

bugaboo

A

bugbear; object of baseless terror (Eg: If we become frightened by such bugaboos, we are no wiser than the birds who fear scarecrows. )

417
Q

bullion

A

gold and silver in the form of bars (Eg: Much bullion is stored in the vaults at Fort Knox. )

418
Q

bulwark

A

earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends (Eg: The navy is our principal bulwark against invasion. )

419
Q

bungle

A

spoil by clumsy behavior (Eg: I was afraid you would bungle his assignment but I had no one else to send. )

420
Q

bureaucracy

A

government by bureaus (Eg: Many people fear that the constant introduction of federal agencies will create a government by )

421
Q

burgeon

A

grow forth; send out buds (Eg: In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come. )

422
Q

burlesque

A

give an imitation that ridicules (Eg: In his caricature, he burlesqued the mannerisms of his adversary. )

423
Q

burly

A

husky; muscular (Eg: The burly mover lifted the packing crate with ease. )

424
Q

burnish

A

make shiny by rubbing; polish (Eg: The maid burnished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight. )

425
Q

buttress

A

support; prop up (Eg: Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses, debates buttress their arguments )

426
Q

buxom

A

full-bosomed; plump; jolly (Eg: High fashion models usually are slender rather than buxom. )

427
Q

cabal

A

small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests (Eg: The cabal was defeated when its scheme was discovered. )

428
Q

cache

A

hiding place (Eg: The detectives followed the suspects until he led them to the cache where he had stored his loot. )

429
Q

cacophony

A

discord (Eg: Some people seem to enjoy the cacophony of an orchestra that is tuning up. )

430
Q

cadaver

A

corpse (Eg: In some states, it is illegal to dissect cadavers. )

431
Q

cadaverous

A

like a corpse; pale (Eg: From his cadaverous appearance, we could see how the disease had ravaged him. )

432
Q

cadence

A

rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat (Eg: Marching down the road, the troops sang out, following the cadence set by the sergeant. )

433
Q

cajole

A

coax; wheedle (Eg: I will not be cajoled into granting your wish. )

434
Q

calamity

A

disaster; misery (Eg: As news of the calamity spread, offers of relief poured in to the stricken community. )

435
Q

calligraphy

A

beautiful writing; excellent penmanship (Eg: As we examine ancient manuscripts, we became impressed with the calligraphy of the scribes. )

436
Q

callous

A

hardened; unfeeling (Eg: He had worked in the hospital for so many years that he was callous to the suffering in the wards. )

437
Q

callow

A

youthful; immature (Eg: In that youthful movement, the leaders were only a little less callow than their immature followers. )

438
Q

calorific

A

heat-producing (Eg: Coal is much more calorific than green wood. )

439
Q

calumny

A

malicious misrepresentation (Eg: He could endure his financial failure, but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him. )

440
Q

camaraderie

A

good-fellowship (Eg: What he loved best about his job was the sense of camaraderie he and his co-workers shared. )

441
Q

cameo

A

shell or jewel carved in relief (Eg: Tourists are advised not to purchase cameos from the street peddlers of Rome who sell poor specimens of )

442
Q

canard

A

unfounded rumor (Eg: It is almost impossible to protect oneself from such a base canard. )

443
Q

candor

A

frankness (Eg: The candor and simplicity of his speech impressed all, it was all clear he held nothing back. )

444
Q

canine

A

related to dogs; doglike (Eg: Some days the canine population of Berkeley seems almost to outnumber the human population. )

445
Q

canker

A

any ulcerous sore; any evil (Eg: Poverty is a canker in the body politic; it must be cured. )

446
Q

canny

A

shrewd; thrifty (Eg: The canny Scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers. )

447
Q

cant

A

pious phraseology; jargon of criminals (Eg: Angry that the president had slashed the education budget, we dismissed his speech on the importance of )

448
Q

cantankerous

A

ill-humored; irritable (Eg: Constantly complaining about his treatment and refusing to cooperate with the hospital staff, he was a )

449
Q

cantata

A

story set to music, to be sung by a chorus (Eg: The choral society sang the new cantata composed by its leader. )

450
Q

canter

A

slow gallop (Eg: Because the racehorse had outdistanced its competition so easily, the reporter wrote that the race was won )

451
Q

canto

A

division of a long poem (Eg: Dante’s poetic masterpiece The Divine Comedy is divided into cantos. )

452
Q

canvass

A

determine or seek opinions, votes, etc. (Eg: After canvassing the sentiments of his constituents, the congressman was confident that he represented the )

453
Q

capacious

A

spacious (Eg: In the capacious areas of the railroad terminal, thousands of travelers lingered while waiting for their train. )

454
Q

capillary

A

having a very fine bore (Eg: The changes in surface tension of liquids in capillary vessels is of special interest to physicists. )

455
Q

capitulate

A

surrender (Eg: The enemy was warned to capitulate or face annihilation. )

456
Q

caprice

A

whim (Eg: She was an unpredictable creature, acting on caprice, never taking thought of the consequences. )

457
Q

capricious

A

fickle; incalculable (Eg: The storm was capricious and changed course constantly. )

458
Q

caption

A

title; chapter heading; text under illustration (Eg: I find the captions that accompany these cartoons very clever and humorous. )

459
Q

captious

A

faultfinding (Eg: His criticisms were always captious and frivolous, never offering constructive suggestions. )

460
Q

carafe

A

glass water bottle (Eg: With each dinner, the patron receives a carafe of red or white wine. )

461
Q

carapace

A

shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab, etc) (Eg: At the children’s zoo, Richard perched on top of the giant turtle’s hard carapace as it slowly made its way )

462
Q

carat

A

unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineness of gold (Eg: He gave her a diamond that weighed three carats and was mounted in an eighteen-carat gold band. )

463
Q

carcinogenic

A

causing cancer (Eg: Many supposedly harmless substances have been revealed to be carcinogenic. )

464
Q

cardinal

A

chief (Eg: If you want to increase your word power, the cardinal rule of vocabulary-building is to read. )

465
Q

careen

A

lurch; sway from side to side (Eg: The taxicab careened wildly as it rounded the corner. )

466
Q

caricature

A

distortion; burlesque (Eg: The caricatures he drew always emphasized personal weaknesses of the people he burlesqued. )

467
Q

carillon

A

set of bells capable of being played (Eg: The carillon in the bell tower of the Coca-Cola pavilion at the New York World’s Fair provided musical )

468
Q

carnage

A

destruction of life (Eg: The carnage that can be caused by atomic warfare adds to the responsibilities of our statesmen. )

469
Q

carnal

A

fleshly (Eg: The public was more interested in carnal pleasures than in spiritual matters. )

Barron's GRE (8 decks)

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