GRE Major Tests Chapter 12 Flashcards
Apprehensive
worried
ex) The apprehensive parents kept their children indoors as neighborhood crime increased.
Circumspect
cautious
ex) He found himself circumspect of dating a women he hardly knew.
Discordancy
cacophony, harshness
ex) the discordant sound of the teacher’s high-pitched voice silenced the class.
Fitful
not continuous
ex) When I visited the doctor, he was concerned about my fitful heartbeat.
Inexorable
relentless
ex) Of course, the public is engaged by the inexorable rise in gas prices.
Maverick
a loner
ex) He is a maverick at school.
Parsimony
stringiness, cost-cutting
ex) Parsimony prevents man to spend money carelessly.
Prosaic
dull, boring
ex) Students were yawning during the prosaic speech.
Smorgasbord
a Swedish buffet of cold dishes, a huge mixture of different things
ex) Every morning the director has the first deal with a smorgasbord of problems.
Vagrant
person wandering without a home
ex) The vagrant does not appear to work and frequently asks tourists for money.
Arable
can be cultivated
ex) In a natural desert, there is no arable earth for farming.
Circumvent
avoid
ex) How would you circumvent our old electrical system when installing our new oven?
Discrepancy
something which does not match up
ex) When the store manager noticed a discrepancy in the inventory, he called all of his employees into his office.
Flagrant
clearly wrong
ex) The basketball player committed a flagrant foul.
Inexpedient
not advisable
ex) Because of his age it was inexpedient to inflict punishment for the crime.
Meager
in short supply
ex) I cannot think of anyone who will take on the huge project for such a meager wage.
Partisan
biased
ex) Newspaper have become increasingly partisan.
Proscribe
forbid
ex) Most states have laws that proscribe texting while driving.
Solace
comfort for grief
ex) The student took solace in music.
Vapid
dull
ex) She did not take part in the vapid conversation.
Arbitrary
random, for not definite reason
ex) He made an arbitrary decision to take the car.
Clairvoyant
psychic, mystic
ex) If I was a clairvoyant, I could win the latter easily.
Discriminate
to make a clear distinction
ex) My employee is a fair man who does not discriminate.
Flamboyant
showy
ex) The immature singer was arrested for speeding in his flamboyant sports car.
Infallible
perfect
ex) While you think you are infallible, you make mistakes just like everyone else.
Meander
wander from side to side
ex) He started to meander about the village without any special purpose.
Pathos
evoking sadness or pity
ex) The pathos of the movie caused me to leave the theatre with tears in my eyes.
Prosody
study of versification
ex) Prosody is the study of the tune and rhythm of speech.
Solicit
to ask for
ex) During the war, they looked to solicit help from their allies.
Variegated
multicolored, speckled
ex) The meeting concluded with variegated opinions.
Arcane
obscure
ex) The elderly teacher had an arcane way of teaching mathematics.
Clamor
shout
ex) When I am working in my home office, my kids often clamor for my attention.
Discursiveness
long windedness
ex) When the writer was drunk, he often talked for hours in a discursive manner.
Flaunt
show off
ex) He loves to flaunt his flashy clothes because he thinks that he is super cool.
Infamous
famous for something bad
ex) The singer is infamous for her indecent costumes.
Mellow
soft
ex) He was in a mellow mood.
Patron
One who give support (usually financial)
ex) He’s been a patron of this state for many years.
Prostration
lying face down
ex) The medical test requires me to lie prostrate on the exam table with my nose pressed in the middle of the pillow.
Somnambulist
sleepwalker
ex) My father’s somnambulist was interfering with my mother’s ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Vehemence
violence
ex) The vehement debate lasted for hours.
Archaic
ancient, outdated
ex) Because my archaic computer is no longer useful to me, I’am giving it away for free.
Clandestine
secret
ex) At a clandestine meeting, the two spies exchanged secret information.
Disdain
contempt, strong dislike
ex) I have so much disdain for cheaters.
Flippant
making jokes about serious matters
ex) I mean you no disrespect so please forgive my flippant tone.
Infer
deduce, conclude
ex) It’s difficult to infer how these changes will affect ordinary citizens.
Menagerie
collection of animals
ex) A menagerie of rare creatures.
Patronize
condescend to, behave in an arrogant manner towards
ex) I smiled at my friend, not to patronize him, but because I knew he was telling the truth.
Protagonist
main character
ex) The protagonist was willing to give his life for the woman he loved.
Soothsayer
fortuneteller
ex) I don’t believe what soothsayers tell me.
Vehement
forceful
ex) The vehement debate lasted for hours.
