GRE Hit Parade Group 2 Flashcards
abate
(verb) to lessen in intensity or degree
accolade
(noun) an expression of praise
adulation
(noun) excessive praise; intense adoration
aesthetic
(adj.) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
ameliorate
(verb) to make better or more tolerable
ascetic
(noun) one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
avarice
(noun) greed, especially for wealth; avaricious
axiom
(noun) a universally recognized principle; axiomatic
burgeon
(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish
bucolic
(Adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
cacophony
(noun) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
canon
(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature; canonical
castigation
(noun) severe criticism or punishment; castigate
catalyst
(noun) reaction without itself change; a person or thing that causes change
caustic
(adj.) burning or stinging; causing corrosion
chary
(adj.) wary; cautious; sparing
cogent
(adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
complaisance
(noun) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others; complaisant
contentious
(adj.) argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
contrite
(adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness; contrition
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame; culpability
dearth
(noun) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
demur
(verb) to question or oppose
didactic
(adj.) intended to teach or instruct
discretion
(noun) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions; discrete
disinterested
(Adj.) free of bias or self-interest; impartial
dogmatic
(adj.) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (dogma)
ebullience
(noun) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
eclectic
(adj.) composed of elements drawn from various sources
elegy
(noun) a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead (elegiac)