GRE Basic Vocab Flashcards
Errant
Wandering
Fete
To celebrate a person
Sordid
Involving ignoble action; arousing moral distaste; repulsive
Conniving
Taking part in an evil plot
Chauvinist
One who believes in the superiority of one’s group
Sanguine
Cheerful; optimistic
Vicarious
Felt as if one were taking part in the experience of another
Balk
To refuse to comply
Genial
Agreeable; conducive to comfort
Staid
Characterized by dignity and propriety
Ferret
To search for something persistently
Clemency
Leniency and compassion shown in the court
Malodorous
Having an unpleasant smell
Presumptuous
Excessively forward or bold; impertinent
Piquant
Possessing an agreeably pungent taste
Peevish
Easily irritated; petulant
Vanquish
To come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
Amok
In a frenzied or uncontrolled state
Pine
To yearn for
Surly
Inclined to anger or bad feelings
Perquisite
A right reserved for a particular person or group
Humdrum
Dull and lacking excitement
Paucity
A lack of something
Behoove
To be one’s duty or obligation
Spurn
Reject with contempt
Sentimental
Insincerely emotional
Appreciable
Large enough to be noticed
Whimsical
Determined by impulse; capricious
Indignant
Angry over perceived injustice
Smattering
Slight or superficial understanding; small amount
Brusquely
In a blunt, direct manner
Vie
To compete for something
Malleable
Capable of being shaped or bent; easily influenced
Foolhardy
Marked by defiant disregard for danger
Eke
To live off meager resources
Fleece
To deceive
Scintillating
Brilliant; lively
Leery
Openly distrustful
Glib
Speaking with ease but without sincerity
Junta
Aggressive takeover by a group
Snub
To refuse to acknowledge; to outrightly reject
Creditable
Deserving praise but not that amazing
Virago
Ill-tempered or violent woman
Reprobate
A person without morals
Cerebral
Involving intelligence, as opposed to emotions
Wax
To gradually increase in size or intensity
Finagle
Achieve something by trickery or devious means
Affable
Likeable; easy to talk to
Facetious
Cleverly amusing in tone
Boorish
Ill-mannered and coarse; contemptible in behavior or appearance
Insolvent
Bankrupt
Raffish
Carefree unconventionality or disreputableness
Redress
To make something right
Enumerate
To determine the number or amount of; to list out
Start
Sudden move in a particular direction
Quip
A witty saying or remark
Obliging
Showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
Peruse
To read very carefully
Cadaverous
Emaciated; gaunt; thin
Raft
A large number
Tawdry
Tastelessly showy
Serendipity
An instance in which an accidental, fortunate discovery is made
Perennial
Lasting an indefinitely long time; eternal
Voracious
Extremely hungry; ravenous
Exhort
To strongly urge on; to encourage
Compound
To make more intense, stronger, more marked
Veneer
Thin superficial layer that hides underlying substance
Begrudge
To give reluctantly; to envy someone
Unconscionable
Unreasonable; unscrupulous; excessive
Demure
modest; shy
Exasperate
To irritate intensely
Debase
To reduce the quality or value of something
Flush
To be in abundance
Moot
Open to argument; undecidable in a meaningless way
Demean
To insult
Extenuating
Making less guilty or more forgivable
Cardinal
Of primary importance
Stolid
Not easily excited; revealing little emotion
Incumbent
Necessary as duty or responsibility
Becoming
Appropriate
Fawn
Try to gain favor by extreme flattery
Flounder
Behave awkwardly; have difficulties
Smug
Marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
Spendthrift
One who spends money extravagantly
Irascible
Quickly aroused to anger
Unseemly
Not keeping up with acceptable societal standards
Vacuous
Devoid of intelligence, matter, or significance
Sanctimonious
Making a show of being pious; holier-than-thou
Antedate
To precede in time
Snide
Expressive of contempt; derogatory or mocking
Credulity
Tendency to believe easily; gullibility
Boon
Desirable state; something helpful; convivial
Screed
An abusive rant
Contrite
Remorseful
Replete
To be full of something
Guffaw
To laugh boisterously
Goad
To urge on with unpleasant comments
Ascendancy
When one person has power over another
Tact
Consideration in dealing with others
Remiss
To be negligent in one’s duty
Thrifty
Spending money wisely
Err
To make an error
Evenhanded
Without partiality
Qualm
Uneasiness about the fitness of an action
Miscreant
One who breaks the law
Inarticulate
Deprived of the use of speech or words
Rankle
To gnaw into; to make resentful or angry
Macabre
Gruesome; suggesting horror of death and decay
Foible
A behavioral attribute that is distinctive to an individual
Presumption
An assumption taken for granted; audacious behavior
Beatific
Blissfully happy
Fledgling
Young and inexperienced
Genteel
Marked by refinement in taste
Irk
To irritate or vex
Embroiled
Involved in argument or contention
Besiege
To harass, with questions or requests, and cause distress
Cavalier
Marked by haughty disregard of others
Irresolute
Uncertain how to act or proceed; nonplussed
Profuse
Plentiful
Endemic
Native; indigenous
Checkered
Marked by disreputable or unfortunate happenings
Rakish
Marked by carefree unconventionality; raffish
Aboveboard
Open and honest
Credence
Belief in something
Inclement
Unpleasant weather; person showing no mercy
Moment
Significant and important value
Retiring
To be shy
Plodding
Slow and laborious
Quandary
State of uncertainty
Wanton
Without check or limitation; lack of moral restraint
Analogous
Comparable in certain respects, but not fully
Consummate
Revealing supreme mastery; make perfect
Grovel
To show submission or fear
Devolve
To pass on; to grow worse
Robust
Sturdy in form and constitution
Carping
Persistently petty and unjustified criticism
Placid
Not easily irritated
Lassitude
Extreme tiredness, either mental or physical