GRE Major Tests Chapter 11 Flashcards
Antiquated
outdated, old-fashioned
ex) Music cassettes are considered antiquated nowadays.
Choleric
easily angered
ex) The choleric baby would not stop crying.
Diorama
model of scene
ex) Gloved hands holding the camera, and it becomes obvious that I’am part of a diorama.
Fecund
fertile, intellectually productive
ex) The computer programmer was a fecund person who could quickly identify and solve problems.
Inebriation
drunkenness, intoxication
ex) To one end of the bar, populated entirely by men in various stages of inebriation were the restrooms.
Marshal
to gather together
ex) The soldier marshaled all his courage and ran towards the enemy.
Parity
equality
ex) Because both playoff teams are great, the party of the championship games is going to make for exciting television.
Profound
having deep meaning
ex) The speakers profound words made me think about my future.
Servile
overly submissive, groveling
ex) Because she has a servile disposition, Janet is a great nurse.
Usurp
take someone’s position (usually by force)
ex) You must be crazy with this attempt to usurp the ship’s captain.
Apathetic
indifferent, uninterested
ex) Although James was apathetic with his classes, he loved playing football.
Chronicler
person who records historical information
ex) I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler.
Dirge
mournful song
ex) As the dirge was played on the church piano, the widow and her children wept.
Felicitous
apt, well-suited for the occasion
ex) I hope I have given you a felicitous answer for your question.
Ineffable
cannot be expressed in words.
ex) The joy I experienced at the birth of my first child was ineffable.
Marsupial
pouched mammal (like a kangaroo)
ex) Study reveals extinct marsupial lion may have had the strongest bite among mammals.
Parochial
narrow-minded
ex) Parochial attitudes.
Profundity
depth
ex) The profundity of his thoughts.
Skeptical
doubting
ex) My friends looked at me skeptically when I told them I would be a millionaire by the age of thirty.
Utilitarian
useful
ex) The bed is comfortable and also includes utilitarian features like drawers and bookshelves.
Apathy
lack of interest or emotion
ex) Because of voter apathy, there is a very short line at the polls today.
Circuitous
indirect
ex) My boss asked me to simplify the circuitous language for the average reader.
Disapprobation
disapproval
ex) Jack showed disapprobation for his daughter’s poor grades by taking her car keys.
Fervor
passion
ex) The woman’s spiritual fervor led her to leave her husband and become a nun.
Inept
incompetent, unskilled
ex) Although she had gone to cooking school for two years, she was still an inept cook.
Martinet
person who believes in strict discipline
ex) The prison warden is viewed as a martinet because of his strict management of the correctional facility.
Parody
a mockery
ex) Do you think the singer will laugh when he hears my parody of his song?
Proletarian
member of the working class, workers without high status
ex) If she had no money, she was a proletarian.
Skirmish
minor battle
ex) They skirmished over the property.
Utopian
a believer in an ideal world
ex) It’s a utopian dream.
Apocryphal
of doubtful origin
ex) The old man often shared apocryphal ghost stories with anyone who would listen.
Circumlocution
using too many words
ex) As a politician, the senator had no problem using circumlocution to make his responses sound honest.
Discern
to distinguish one thing from another
ex) We must discern between truth and lies.
Fickle
unpredictable
ex) Because he is such a fickle man, he will probably never settle down with one woman.
Inertia
inactivity, lethargy
ex) Because of the patients inertia and failure to complete physical therapy, the ankle injury has worsened.
Masochist
person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself
ex) Sarah does not like enduring or observing pain so she definitely is not a masochist.
Parry
ward off, avoid
ex) He parried questions from reporters outside the building.
Prolific
producing a lot
ex) Every team in the league wanted the prolific soccer player.
Sluggard
slow-moving, lethargic person
ex) I’m waiting for those sluggards to bring my steak.
Vacillate
waver, hesitate
ex) You will miss a great opportunity if you vacillate.
Appease
pacify, calm down, make peace with
ex) A simply apology will appease my wounded pride and make me feel better.
Circumscribe
limit
ex) As soon as the doctor got into power, he immediately began to circumscribe the rights of the people.
Discord
disagreement
ex) We discorded commonly on two points.
Finesse
skill
ex) The winner of the chess match displayed his finesse in the game.
Inevitable
cannot be avoided
ex) At school, it is inevitable that a sick child will give a cold to a healthy child.
Matriarchy
society governed by women
ex) During the matriarchy, women had the power.
Parsimonious
economical, frugal, the quality of being careful with money or resources
ex) To save money, the parsimonious old men always bought used clothes.
Proponents
promoters, supporters
ex) He is a proponent of women’s rights.
Smelt
refine an ore
ex) Tin smelting.
Vacuous
empty, meaningless
ex) Her life was just one vaucous day after another.
