GRE Major Tests Chapter 10 Flashcards
Antagonism
hostility, strong opposition
ex) Before the American Civil War, there was a great antagonism between the north and south.
Charlatan
trickster who claims knowledge he doesn’t have
ex) The charlatan pretended to be a doctor so he could go into the hospital and steal prescription drugs.
Dike
dam, embarkment
ex) Dike prevents flooding.
Fanatical
obsessive
ex) He is fanatical about his beliefs.
Indifferent
neutral, not interested
ex) The indifferent look on his face made it hard for me to understand his mood.
Malingerer
person who deliberately tries to avoid work.
ex) When it came to facing the physical hardships of the North he was a malingerer.
Paragon
a perfect example
ex) As a paragon of purity, a nun would never dress inappropriately.
Procrastinate
delay, put off
ex) If I didn’t procrastinate so much, I could get more done.
Sentinel
guard
ex) On the road he was stopped by a French sentinel, who ordered him back.
Unwitting
not deliberate, unconscious, not aware
ex) He kept the truth from his unwitting friends.
Antagonistic
opposed, hostile
ex) It shook her up to known that she was to accompany a man so antagonistic to her.
Chary
wary of, cautious about
ex) He is chary of offending people.
Dilatory
slow, falling behind, intended to cause delay
ex) My daughter used dilatory tactics to stay up past her bed time.
Fanaticism
passion
ex) Religious fanaticism created a lot of communal tension in the country.
Indigenous
native to a particular area
ex) Because these trees require very moist temperature, they are only indigenous in rainforests.
Malleable
flexible, can be shaped
ex) Once I made up my mind about a person, my feelings are not malleable.
Paramount
of supreme importance
ex) The interests of the child are of paramount importance.
Prodigal
wasteful
ex) Not a penny was left with him because of being a prodigal man.
Sequester
isolate
ex) The people with the virus was told to sequester themselves at home.
Upbraid
scold
ex) The police officer did not hesitate to upbraid the man for driving without insurance.
Antediluvian
outdated
ex) My daughter often tells me I wear antediluvian clothes.
Chastises
punishes
ex) If you bully someone, the teacher will chastise you and keep you out of school.
Dilemma
puzzling situation
ex) Too many options available in the dress design left me in a dilemma.
Fastidious
overly particular, concerned about accuracy and detail
ex) Your friends will be few if you do now change your habit of being fastidious.
Indolence
laziness
ex) He lost his job because he was an indolent employee.
Mallet
wooden hammer
ex) The doctor hit my knee with a mallet.
Parasite
scrounger
ex) Foxes carry a lot of parasites.
Prodigious
very large
ex) After overindulging in a prodigious meal, I really needed a nap.
Serendipity
fortunate coincidence
ex) Nature has created a wonderful serendipity.
Uproarious
hilarious
ex) The comedian’s jokes were so uproarious.
Anthology
a book which is a collection of poems or stores
ex) Before the Anthology was published, she had to find several more stories to add to it.
Chicanery
trickery
ex) You can smell the chicanery from a dishonest person.
Dilettante
person who dabbles in a subject without serious study
ex) You can always tell a true expert from a dilettante.
Fatuous
silly
ex) Buying a car without negotiating down the price is a fatuous move.
Inductee
novice, beginner
ex) A new crop of inductees produced by the draft.
Manipulatable
influenceable, controllable
ex) His inexperience in the business world meant he was manipulatable.
Parched
dried up
ex) How could the ground be so parched when the air was so water fogged.
Profane
unholy
ex) He seldom yells profane words.
Serene
calm
ex) I sleep best in a serene environment.
Upshot
outcome
ex) The upshot of several days of fighting was the retreat of the British.
Anthropocentrism
putting man at the center of one’s philosophy
ex) He showed a great deal of anthropocentrism in his attitude towards the environment.
Chimerical
changeable, unstable, an invention of an individuals imagination
ex) The company was fined when the government discovered it had used chimerical data to get approval for its new drug.
Diligent
hard-working
ex) He is a diligent student.
Feasible
possible and practicable
ex) Driving with your eyes closed is not feasible.
Indulgent
pampering, satisfying desires
ex) My indulgent parents five me everything I want.
Marred
damaged, spoiled
ex) The rowdy college boys marred the hotel room.
Pariah
an outcast from society
ex) When the child molester was released from prison, he was treated like a pariah in his community.
Profanity
swearing, cursing
ex) The comic uses too much profanity.
Serrated
jagged, saw-like
ex) A serrated knife.
Urbane
sophisticated, suave
ex) He is an urbane traveller who has visited over eighty countries.
