GRE Common Vocab Flashcards
1
Q
abate
A
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
2
Q
abscond
A
to leave secretly
3
Q
abstain
A
to choose to not something
4
Q
abyss
A
an extremely deep hole
5
Q
adulterate
A
to make impure
6
Q
advocate
A
to speak in favor of
7
Q
aggrandize
A
to increase in power, influence or reputation
8
Q
alleviate
A
to make more bearable
9
Q
amalgamate
A
to combine, to mix together
10
Q
ambigious
A
doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted several ways
11
Q
ameliorate
A
to make better, to improve
12
Q
anachronism
A
something/someone in a time period that it doesn’t belong (modern businessman in a teepee)
13
Q
analogous
A
similar or alike in some way, equivalent to
14
Q
anomaly
A
deviation from what is normal
15
Q
antagonize
A
to annoy or provoke to anger
16
Q
antipathy
A
extreme dislike
17
Q
apathy
A
lack of interest of emotion
18
Q
arbitrate
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
19
Q
archaic
A
ancient, old fashioned
20
Q
ardor
A
intense and passionate feeling
21
Q
articulate
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
22
Q
assuage
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
23
Q
attentuate
A
to weaken
24
Q
audacious
A
fearless and daring
25
austere
severe or strict in manner OR undecorated/plain
26
banal
predictable, cliched, boring
27
bolster
to support, to prop up
28
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
29
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
30
candid
impartial and honest in speech
31
capricious
changing ones mind quickly and often
32
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
33
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something
34
caustic
sarcastic in bitter way
35
chaos
great disorder or confusion
36
chaunvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
37
chicanery
deception by means of craft or cunning intelligence
38
cogent
convincing and well reasoned
39
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
40
convoluted
intricate and complicated
41
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
42
credulous
too trusting, gullible
43
crescendo
steadily increasing volume or force
44
decorum
appropriateness of behavior
45
deference
respect, courtesy
46
deride
to mock
47
dessicate
to dry out thoroughly
48
desultory
jumping from one thing to another, lacking purpose
49
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
50
diffident
lacking self confidence
51
dilate
to make larger, expand
52
dilatory
intended to delay
53
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
54
dirge
funeral hymn or mournful speech
55
disabuse
to set right, to free from error
56
discern
to perceive, to recognize
57
disparate
fundamentally different, entirely unlike
58
dissemble
to present a false appearance, disguise one's character
59
dissonance
harsh and disagreeable combination
60
dogma
firmly held opinion
61
dupe
to deceive, person who is easily deceived
62
eclectic
extensive, wide-ranging
63
efficacy
effectiveness
64
elegy
sorrowful poem or speech
65
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
66
emulate
to copy, to try to equal or excel
67
enervate
to reduce in strength
68
engender
to produce, bring about, cause
69
enigma
a puzzle, mystery
70
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
71
ephemeral
lasting a short time
72
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation, misleading
73
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning to mislead
74
erratic
wandering and unpredictable
75
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
76
esoteric
known or understood by only a few
77
estimable
admirable
78
eulogy
speech in praise of someone
79
euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a distasteful one (saying passed away instead of died)
80
exacerbate
to make worse
81
exculpate
to clear from blame, prove innocent
82
exigent
urgent, requiring immediate action
83
exonerate
to clear of blame
84
explicit
clearly stated or shown
85
fanatical
extremely obsessed with something
86
fawn
display flattery
87
fervid
intensely emotional, feverish
88
florid
excessively decorated or embellished
89
foment
to instigate or incite (violent or unlawful behavior)
90
frugality
tendency to be cheap
91
garrulous
tending to talk a lot
92
gregarious
outgoing, sociable
93
guile
deceit or trickery
94
gullible
easily deceived
95
homogenous
of a similar kind
96
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, or institutions, critic
97
imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
98
impervious
impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected
99
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
100
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
101
inchoate
not fully formed, disorganized
102
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
103
inimical
hostile, unfriendly
104
innocuous
harmless
105
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
106
intransigent
uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled
107
inundate
to overwhelm, to cover with water
108
irascable
easily angered
109
laconic
using few words
110
lament
to express sorrow, to grieve
111
laud
to give praise, to glorify
112
lavish
to give unsparingly (v), extremely generous or extravagant (adj)
113
lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
114
loquacious
talkative
115
lucid
clear and easily understood
116
luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
117
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
118
malleable
capable of being shaped
119
metaphor
comparing two things, a symbol
120
meticulous
extremely careful about detail
121
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
122
mitigate
to lessen, to soften
123
mollify
to calm or make less severe
124
monotony
lack of variation
125
naive
lacking sophistication or experience
126
obdurate
hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion
127
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
128
obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
129
obviate
to prevent, to make unnecessary
130
occlude
to stop up, to prevent the passage of
131
onerous
troublesome and oppressive, burdensome
132
opaque
impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light
133
opprobrium
public disgrace
134
ostentation
excessive showiness
135
paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
136
paragon
model of excellence or perfection
137
pedant
someone who shows off learning
138
perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
139
perfunctory
done in a routine way, indifferent
140
permeate
to penetrate
141
philanthropy
charity, a desire or effort to promote goodness
142
placate
to soothe or pacify
143
plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
144
plethora
excess
145
pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
146
precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly, lacking deliberation
147
prevaricate
to lie
148
pristine
fresh and clean
149
prodigal
lavish, wasteful
150
proliferate
to increase in number quickly
151
propitate
to conciliate, to appease, stop someone from being angered
152
propietary
correct behavior
153
prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
154
pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses
155
quiescent
motionlesss, dormant, at rest
156
rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
157
repudiate
to reject the validity of
158
reticent
silent, reserved
159
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
160
satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
161
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
162
specious
deceptively attractive, seemingly plausible but fallacious
163
stigma
a mark of shame or discredit
164
stolid
unemotional, lacking sensitivity
165
sublime
superb
166
tacit
done without using words
167
taciturn
silent
168
tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
169
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
170
transitory
temporary
171
vacillate
to sway physically, indecisive
172
venerate
to respect deeply
173
veracity
truthfulness, accuracy
174
verbose
wordy
175
vox
to annoy
176
volatile
easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive
177
waver
to fluctuate between choices
178
whimsical
acting in fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable
179
zeal
passion, excitement
