GRE Major Tests Chapter 13 Flashcards
Archetype
classic example of
ex) According to the popular magazine, the year’s most handsome man is the archetype of the perfect male.
Clemency
mercy
ex) He knew without clemency he would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Disinterested
unbiased
ex) A banker is under an obligation to give disinterested advice.
Flout
defy, to intentionally disobey
ex) Safety guidelines exist for a reason, and if you flout them, there could be serious consequences.
Ingenue
naive, unsophisticated
ex) In her latest film she plays the part of an ingenue.
Mendacious
given to lying
ex) My wife is mendacious for dating another man.
Paucity
shortage
ex) It will be difficult for me to construct the project with such a paucity of tools.
Protean
changeable
ex) Since the mutant superhero is protean, she can take the form of anyone she encounters.
Sophomoric
juvenile, immature
ex) The sophomoric humor in the movie only appeals to teenagers.
Venal
corrupt
ex) He is a venal politician.
Archives
collection of old records, place of storage of old documents
ex) The encyclopedia is a archive of world history.
Cliche
overused expression, something unoriginal
ex) By using a cliche repeatedly in the lyrics, the songwriter has made the tune very boring.
Disparage
criticize
ex) You disparage my brother by saying he is worthless?
Flustered
worked-up
ex) The flustered defendant began to yell at the prosecutor.
Ingrate
ungrateful
ex) After the singer refused to accept the award, she was called an ingrate.
Mercenary
concerned only with money
ex) Because he is a mercenary, he is motivated by financial gain.
Peccadillo
minor weakness, a small mistake
ex) Unless you’re perfect, you should never complain about a peccadillo of someone else.
Protege
person under protection of
ex) The King was stunned when the protege he guided tried to take his throne.
Soporific
inducing sleep
ex) There is a soporific effect of eating that makes people sleepy after every meal.
Veneer
surface coating
ex) She wears a veneer of friendliness while trying to backstab everyone in the office.
Articulate
clear
ex) A polished speaker, Jenna was able to articulate her points during any discussion.
Clientele
customers
ex) In their opinion, the clientele seem tight and distant.
Disparity
an inequality
ex) The disparity between the giants height and the dwarf’s height is obvious.
Fly-by-night
unreliable
ex) I used to work for this fly by night company which tricked people into buying defective property.
Inimical
hostile
ex) The police officer had an inimical attitude towards animals.
Mercurial
volatile, changeable
ex) Because she is taking a new medication, her moods have become mercurial.
Pedant
giving too much importance to details and formal rules
ex) As a grammar teacher, it is hard for me to not review everything with a pedantic eye.
Protocol
procedure, code of behavior
ex) He broke protocol when her approached the queen without being summoned.
Sparse
spare, bare
ex) With only a sparse amount of hair, the main decided to completely shave his head.
Venerate
revere, worship
ex) the Bible says we should venerate our parents and elders.
Artifice
deception
ex) The crooked delivery guy hoped his artifice of overcharging customers would go unnoticed.
Coalesce
come together
ex) Their ideas coalesced into one theory.
Dispassionate
neutral, objective
ex) The dispassionate father watched television while his son cried on the floor.
Forensic
concerned with argument or debate
ex) Forensic science.
Innate
inherited, inborn
ex) Penguins are born with the innate inclination to live together.
Merge
come together
ex) Mitsubishi Bank merged with Tokyo Bank.
Pedestrian
common
ex) Pedestrian concerns like paying the bills and getting the kids to school on time.
Provincial
unsophisticated, narrow-minded
ex) Even though James had travelled all over the world, he still wore clothing which was quite provincial and outdated.
Specious
false
ex) The intruder tried to give the authorities a specious excuse regarding his presence in the building.
Venial
minor, unimportant
ex) Generally, young children are allowed to make venial mistakes without consequence.
Artisan
craftsman
ex) This carpet was made by the local artisans.
Coddle
pamper, indulge
ex) Old people are to be coddled.
Disseminating
circulating, spreading
ex) Cover your mouth while sneezing so that you do not disseminate bacteria.
Fortitude
bravery
ex) Most successfull businessmen are not afraid to show fortitude when they face failure.
Innocuous
harmless
ex) When compared to football, tennis seems like a very innocuous sport.
Metaphorically
symbolically
ex) He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.
Peerless
without equal
ex) The peerless boxer never loses a fight.
Prudent
cautious
ex) It is not prudent to go swimming during a hurricane.
Speckled
spotted
ex) The sky was dark and speckled with stars.
Veracity
truthfulness
ex) Veracity is the strongest element of her character.
