GRE Flash Cards 2

Question 1

tenacious

Answer 1

adj. unwilling to accept defeat or stop doing/having something (She is a xxx opponent - she never gives in)

Question 2

benevolence

Answer 2

n. the quality of being well meaning; kindness (xxx towards mankind excites wishes for their welfare, and such wishes endear the means of fulfilling them)

Question 3

recalcitrant

Answer 3

adj. difficult to manage or change (think calc made him rant b/c it was so)

Question 4

cantankerous

Answer 4

adj. irritable; ill-humored (xxx old man)

Question 5

sublime

Answer 5

adj. awesome (xxx music)

Question 6

puerile

Answer 6

adj. childish (think puberty, xxx sense of humor)

Question 7

facetious

Answer 7

adj. playfully funny (xxx comedian)

Question 8

lugubrious

Answer 8

adj. mournful or gloomy (I became xxx when I found out she passed away)

Question 9

console

Answer 9

v. to give comfort and sympathy to someone who is sad/disappointed (the boys xxx one another after their teams first defeat)

Question 10

invigorate

Answer 10

v. to give new energy or strength to someone or something (they argued that a cut in the tax rate would xxx the economy)

Question 11

cogently

Answer 11

adj. forceful and to the point, as a reason or argument, compelling; convincing (To argue xxx; to express themselves plainly and clearly; and to bring a skeptical mind to their research)

Question 12

definitive

Answer 12

adj. not able to be changed or improved ; considered to be the best of its type (The police have no xxx proof of their guilt)

Question 13

germane

Answer 13

adj. something relevant to the topic (Her remarks could not have been more xxx to the discussion)

Question 14

sieve

Answer 14

v. to pour something through a strainer or to examine something carefully, focusing on every detail (to make the pastry, xxx the flour and salt into a bowl.)

Question 15

assay

Answer 15

v. to test or survey, especially to determine the quantity of metal that a mixture has or to test a medicine (xxx evaluability rate for primary lung cancers was only 11%.

Question 16

glib

Answer 16

adj. fluent in an insincere way; off hand (her parents were not satisfied by her xxx explanation of why she had not been able to study for the exam)

Question 17

decorous

Answer 17

adj. behaving politely and in a controlled way (His manner, as ever, was xxx)

Question 18

exquisite

Answer 18

adj. very beautiful and delicate (ax xxx of china, look at the xxx painting)

Question 19

affluent

Answer 19

adj. having a lot of money or owning a lot of things (xxx nations/neighborhoods where celebrities live)

Question 20

encumber

Answer 20

v. to weigh someone or something down, or to make it difficult for someone to do something (Today, thankfully women tennis players are not xxx with long, heavy skirts and high-necked blouses)

Question 21

prudent

Answer 21

adj. careful and avoiding risks (It’s always xxx to read a contract properly before singing it)

Question 22

comely

Answer 22

adj. describes a woman who is attractive in appearance (she is very xxx, with the beauty indigenous to this country)

Question 23

Scourge

Answer 23

n. something or someone that causes great suffering or a lot of trouble (AIDS has been described as the xxx of the modern world)

Question 24

benighted

Answer 24

adj. without knowledge or morals (Some of the early explorers thought of the local people as xxx savages who could be exploited)

Question 25

ire

Answer 25

n. anger (Petty restriction easily raised the xxx of such a creative artist)

Question 26

antipode

Answer 26

n. exact opposite (think anti-pole, north pole is xxx to the south pole)

Question 27

wanton

Answer 27

adj. (of something bad, such as damage, cruelty, water) extreme and showing no care at all (xxx destruction of human life, xxx disregard for safety)

Question 28

uncouth

Answer 28

adj. behaving in a rude, unpleasant way (she found him loud-mouthed and xxx)

Question 29

timorous

Answer 29

adj. fearful (think timid of us, he was xxx of ghosts)

Question 30

paean

Answer 30

n. song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy (Fundamentally, the poem is a xxx of joy, celebrating the coming of democracy to the country)

Question 31

dearth

Answer 31

n. lack (think dead earth, there will be a dearth of food this weekend)

Question 32

quibble

Answer 32

v. to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details (The lawyers spent so much time xxx over details that they made little progress in reaching an agreement on the central issue); can also be a noun

Question 33

kibitz

Answer 33

v. 1. look on and offer unwelcome advice, especially at a card game. 2. speak informally; chat; (she xxx with friends, Brigham stood behind them, xxxing)

Question 34

equitable

Answer 34

adj. 1. fair and impartial; (the xxx distribution of resources)

Question 35

delude

Answer 35

v. make (someone) believe something that is not true (too many theorists have xxx the public)

Question 36

tactless

Answer 36

adj. having or showing a lack of skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or w/ difficult issues (a xxx remark, he was rather xxx discussing his friend’s old flame in front of her.

Question 37

prurient

Answer 37

adj. having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the sexual activity of others (she’d been the subject of much xxx curiosity)

Question 38

sacrosanct

Answer 38

adj. holy (think sacred sanctuary, the temple was declared xxx to protect it from real estate developers)

Question 39

pedestrian

Answer 39

adj. dull; ordinary (think pedestrian, cool kids drive to school, those that don’t are xxx)

Question 40

expound

Answer 40

v. present and explain (a theory or idea) in detail (he was xxxing a powerful argument)

Question 41

stagnation

Answer 41

n. an extended period of slow economic growth accompanied by relatively high unemployment

Question 42

Stigmas

Answer 42

n. marks of shame (think stick-mas, One of our xxx growing up was we didn?t really celebrate x-mas - we were too poor)

Question 43

supercilious

Answer 43

adj. behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important (he spoke in a haughty, xxx voice)

Question 44

amenable

Answer 44

adj. willing; cooperative (think amen-able; after she shouted “amen” I was able to tell she was xxx to my plan)

Question 45

acquiescent

Answer 45

adj. willing to do what other people want (she has a very xxx nature)

Question 46

demure

Answer 46

adj. (especially of women) quiet and well behaved: (she gave him a xxx smile)

Question 47

Kindle

Answer 47

v. to start to stir up (think Kindling, to xxx the campfire, you need?)

Question 48

Tactiturn

Answer 48

adj. not talkative (think Takes his turn, He was passive and xxx at the debate)

Question 49

Exodus

Answer 49

n. the departure of many people (think exit us, During the war, there was a mass xxx of refugees who traveled to America)

Question 50

demur

Answer 50

v. to object (MURMUR, Though no one has spoken up yet, THE MURMUR from the class suggests they xxx to my idea that they do more homework)