GRE Common Words Flashcards
1
Q
Abate
A
to reduce in amount, degree, severity
2
Q
Abscond
A
to leave secretly
3
Q
Abstain
A
to choose not to do something
4
Q
Abyss
A
an extremely deep hole
5
Q
Adulterate
A
to make impure
6
Q
Advocate
A
to speak in favor
7
Q
Aesthetic
A
concerning the appreciation of beauty
8
Q
Aggrandize
A
to increase in power, influence, reputation
9
Q
Alleviate
A
to make bearable
10
Q
Ambiguous
A
doubtful/uncertain, able to be interpreted in several ways
11
Q
Ameliorate
A
to make better, improve
12
Q
Anachronism
A
something out of place in time
13
Q
Analogous
A
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
14
Q
Antagonize
A
to annoy/provoke anger
15
Q
Antipathy
A
extreme dislike
16
Q
Apathy
A
lack of interest/emotion
17
Q
Andor
A
intense and passionate feeling
18
Q
Articulate
A
able to speak clearly and epressively
19
Q
Assuage
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
20
Q
Attenuate
A
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
21
Q
Austere
A
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
22
Q
Banal
A
predictable, cliched, boring
23
Q
Bolster
A
to support; to prop up
24
Q
Bombastic
A
pompous in speech and manner
25
Cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
26
Candid
impartial and honest in speech
27
capricious
changing one's mind quickly and often
28
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
29
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
30
caustic
biting in wit
31
chaos
great disorder or confusion
32
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
33
chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
34
cogent
convincing and well-reasoned
35
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
36
Convuluted
intricate and complicated
37
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
38
credulous
too trusting;; gullible
39
cresendo
steadily increasing volume or force
40
Decrum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
41
Deference
respect, courtesy
42
Deride
to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
43
Desiccate
to dry out thourougly
44
Desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
45
Diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
46
Diffident
lacking self-confidence
47
Dilate
to make larger; to expand
48
Dilatory
intended to delay
49
Dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
50
Dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
51
Disabuse
to set right; to free from error
52
Discern
to perceive; to recognize
53
Disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
54
Dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
55
Dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
56
Dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
57
Dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
58
Dupe
to deceive, a person who is easily deceived
59
Eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
60
Efficacy
effectiveness
61
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
62
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
63
emulate
to copy, to try to equal or excel
64
enervate
to reduce in strength
65
engener
to produce, cause, or bring about
66
enigma
a puzzle, a mystery
67
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
68
ephemeral
lasting a short time
69
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation; misleading
70
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
71
erratic
wandering and unpredictable
72
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
73
esoteric
known or understood by only a few
74
estimable
admirable
75
eulogy
speech in praise of someone
76
euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
77
exacerbate
to make worse
78
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
79
exigent
urgent, requiring immediate action
80
exonerate
to clear of blame
81
explicit
clearly stated or shown, forthright in expression
82
Fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
83
Fawn
to grovel
84
Fervid
intensely emotional; feverish
85
Florid
excessively decorated or embellished
86
Foment
to arouse or incite
87
Frugality
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
88
Garrulous
tending to talk a lot
89
Gregarious
outgoing, sociable
90
Guile
deceit or trickery
91
Gulliable
easily deceived
92
Homogeneous
of a similar kind
93
Iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
94
Imperturbable
not capable of being distrubed
95
Impervious
impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected
96
Impetuous
Quick to act without thinking
97
Implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
98
Inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
99
Ingenous
showing innocent or childlike simplicity
100
Inimical
hostile; friendly
101
Innocuous
harmless
102
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
103
Intransigient
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
104
Inundate
to overwhelm; to cover with water
105
Irascible
easily made angry
106
Laconic
using few words
107
Lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
108
Laud
to give praise; to glorify
109
Lavish
to give unsparingly; extremely generous or extravagant
110
Lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
111
Loquacious
talkative
112
Lucid
clear and easily understood
113
Luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
114
somnolence
sleepiness, or drowsiness
115
invective
insult or abuse
116
alacrity
speed or rapidity
117
admonitions
criticisms or warnings about behavior
118
verbosity
wordiness
119
puerility
silliness or childishness
120
vertiginous
dizzying
121
soporific
sleep inducing
122
exacting
severe
123
placid
calm or peaceful
124
excruciating
implies pain, not illness
125
tractable
easily led
126
ffable
friendly
127
inscrutable
hard to understand
128
recalcitrant
resistant, or not obedient
129
amenable
cooperative
130
intrusive
invasive or pushy
131
neatly
concisely or efficiently
132
flippantly
disrespectful or casually
133
congenially
pleasantly having the same tastes
134
cosseted
pampered
135
dandled
pampered
136
tolerated/borne
to put up with
137
exculpated
excused
138
moderated
reduced in severity
139
calamitous
catastrophic
140
bengin/inconsequential
not harmful
141
beneficial
positive word meaning helpful
142
insidious
describes something that is innocuous, but which is actually harmful
143
palliative
tending to relieve
144
lascivious
lustful
145
picayune
insightful or commonplace
146
pervasive
widespread
147
lenient
permissive or merciful
148
obdurate
stubborn
149
apathetic
uninterested
150
clemency
mercy
151
severity
harshness
152
impartiality
fairness
153
sojourn/respite
temporary stay or rest
154
copse
a group of trees
155
conspiracy
an agreement to perform an illegal or wrongful act
156
mutiny
open rebellion
157
fashion
the prevailing style or custom
158
licentious
lewd or immoral
159
erroneous
mistaken
160
credulous
willing to believe/gullible
161
mercurial
flighty and changing
162
Malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
163
malleable
capable of being shaped
164
metaphor
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
165
meticulous
extremely careful about details
166
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
167
mitigate
to soften; to lessen
168
mollify
to calm or make less severe
169
monotomy
lack of variation
170
naive
lacking sophistication or experience
171
obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
172
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
173
obstinate
stubborn; unyielding
174
obviate
to prevent; make unnecessary
175
occlude
to stop up; to prevent passage of
176
nerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
177
opaque
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
178
opprobium
public disgrace
179
ostentation
excessive showiness
