GRE Major Tests Chapter 2 Flashcards
Abstain
desist, go without, withdraw
ex) Janet will abstain from smoking while she is pregnant.
Blighted
damaged, destroyed
ex) The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians.
Credulous
gullible
ex) The salesperson was able to easily sell his products to credulous buyers.
Enshroud
cover
ex) He used the blanket to enshroud the delicate picture frame.
Haughtiness
arrogance, pride
ex) The great mansion was filled with an aura of haughtiness and wealth.
Lachrymose
tearful, sad
ex) I do not enjoy watching sad movies with my lachrymose wife because she is very sensitive.
Obfuscate
deliberately make something hard to understand
ex) Politicians keep obfuscating the issues.
Plethora
an excess
ex) In order for you to look into happiness, there is plethora books to guide you.
Repudiate
not accepted
ex) Her assignment was repudiated by her teacher as it was plagiarized.
Tedium
boredom
ex) The tedium of english class caused me too fall asleep.
Abstemious
self denying, sparing in consumption
ex) Although my husband is normal abstemious with his money, he will buy a ticked of a football game anytime.
Blithe
free-spirited, carefree
ex) The rebellious teenager as blithe about her falling grades.
Crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
ex) The fact that many desert creatures are crepuscular allow them to avoid high temperature.
Enunciation
clear pronunciation
ex) When he was intoxicated, he was hard to understand because he did not enunciate his statements.
Lackluster
dull
ex) Are you looking to energize your lackluster career this year?
Objective
unbiased
ex) We have to base our students marks on objective measures, such as test results.
Pliable
flexible
ex) Even though the hose seemed pliable, Henry wasn’t able to curve it around the corner of the house.
Rescind
retract, repeal, to end (law, contract, agreement)
ex) I cannot believe her boyfriends tried to rescind his marriage proposal.
Headstrong
stubborn, willful
ex) He was headstrong and determined.
Temper
to moderate, soften
ex) He tempered his criticism with a few words of encouragement.
Abstruse
difficult to understand, obscure
ex) Some of the books were too abstruse for beginning readers to understand.
Blunderbuss
ancient weapon (type of gun), clumsy person
ex) Being the blunderbuss he is my husband has broken nearly every glass in our house.
Cringe
recoil, flinch, shy away
ex) The sight of blood made me cringe,
Envenom
to cause bitterness and bad feeling
ex) It requires but a few drops of poison to envenom a whole well.
Hedonism
self indulgence
ex) My neighbor is a hedonist who likes to party all night.
Laconic
using few words, brief, to the point
ex) He had a reputation for being laconic.
Oblique
indirect
ex) The slight wink was his oblique way of flirting with me.
Plumage
feathers of a bird
ex) I found a plumage in the garden and decorate my study table with it.
Resignation
acceptance of fate
ex) I accepted her decision with resignation.
Tenacious
stubborn
ex) A tenacious negotiator.
Accolade
tribute, honor
ex) She received a Grammy Award, the highest accolade in the music business.
Bolster
support
ex) Her presence would bolster his weak will.
Cryptic
puzzling, enigmatic
ex) The question was so cryptic that i did not understand what it meant.
Ephemeral
short-lived, existing or popular for only a short time
ex) Brand value is ephemeral.
Hedonist
pleasure seeker
ex) He was known as a hedonist.
Lamentation
expression of regret or sorrow
ex) The death of her uncle left her in severe lamentation.
Obliterate
destroy
ex) Hiroshima was nearly obliterated by the atomic bomb.
Plummet
fall suddenly and deeply
ex) Profits plummeted from 49 million to 11 million.
Resolution
determination
ex) Then, with sudden resolution, she stood up.
Tentative
not certain
ex) The time of the party is tentative and subject to change.
Acquiesce
to agree to, go along
ex) The administration decided to acquiesce and let students have a dance.
Bombast
arrogant, pompous language
ex) His bombastic rant made her rethink her decision to go on a date with him.
Curtail
cut short, limit something
ex) Until the celebrities stalker is caught, we will curtail her public appearances.
Epicure
somebody who appreciates good food and drink
ex) The food critic is an epicure who gets happy when he eats a delicious meal.
Heed
listen too
ex) He won’t heed the warning.
Lampoon
ridicule, spoof
ex) Although he uses comic format to lampoon social issues, his underlying message is intended to be taken seriously,
Oblivious
totally unaware
ex) He seems oblivious that his selfish actions inconvenience everyone else.
Podium
raised platform
ex) Tom walked to the podium.
Resonant
echoing
ex) When the length of the tube increases, the resonant frequency decreases.
Tenuous
flimsy, not solid
ex) I have a tenuous relationship with my girlfriend.
