GRE Major Tests Chapter 21 Flashcards
Abate
reduce in intensity
ex) I hope this medicine will abate the pain in my leg.
Abjure
renounce, swear to refrain from something
ex) In order to marry the peasant he loved, the prince made the decision to abjure his title.
Blandishment
words used to coax or flatter
ex) Despite his nervousness at meeting his in-laws, Dylan was able to offer just the right blandishment to get their approval.
Boor
ill-mannered person
ex) Jack was such a boor he would not even hold a door for his mother.
Cardinal
- high ranking church official; 2. major, important
ex) In a town in Italy, having litter-free land is a cardinal law due to the number of environmentalists who live there.
Deliberate
- slow (a); 2. to think over (v); 3. on purpose (a)
ex) Tom deliberately broke the window.
Equivocation
speaking ambiguously [equivocate (v), equivocal (a)]
ex) The crooked salesman went out of his way to equivocate the sales terms to the elderly couple.
Feckless
feeble, helpless, lacking in initiative
ex) Larry was such a feckless manager that the company was forced to declare bankruptcy.
Imperturbability
quality of being calm and not easily disturbed [imperturbable (a)]
ex) The imperturbable actress carried on with her performance even when her costar forgot his lines.
Meretricious
falsely attractive, tawdry
ex) Adding those flamboyant earrings to such a colorful skirt gives your entire outfit a meretricious effect.
Augury
prediction, looking for omens [augur (v)]
ex) There are those who view the virus as an augury of the world coming to an end.
Boycott
refuse to have dealings with
ex) Since the employees have had their insurance demands met, they have ended the boycott and are now returning to work.
Glib
speaking easily but without thinking carefully; speaking in a smooth, easy way that is insincere
ex) How could he have been so glib about such a traumatic event?
Incise
cut into [incision (n); incisive (a)]
ex) The clay is incised to create a design.
Moralistic
concerned with morals [moralize (v)]
ex) The conversation took a moralistic turn as my mother began to scold me for living a lifestyle she felt to be immoral.
Ostracism
shunning, social isolation [ostracize (v)]
ex) Sadly, the rich children ostracize the other girl because she comes from a poor family.
Penchant
inclination, leaning, tendency, predilection
ex) At an early age, my annoying brother seemed to have a penchant for getting into trouble.
Rarefy
make less dense [rarefaction (n)]
ex) To make the mixture less dense, add water to rarefy it.
Repine
fret, be discontented
ex) While in prison the man did nothing but repine for his freedom.
Stipulate
to insist upon something as a condition of an agreement [stipulation (n)]
ex) Before I agree to close the deal, I must stipulate a few requirements that must be met before I sign on the dotted line.
Diaphanous
transparent, thin and delicate
ex) Most dancers wear several layers of clothing because the stage lights often make their costumes appear diaphanous.
Feint
pretended attack, a move intended to deceive
ex) The child’s feint involved pretending to be ill so he would not have to face his bullies at school.
Inured
able to withstand hardship, to become accustomed to something unpleasant by prolonged exposure
ex) Ever since Melissa lost her mother when she was a child, she has been inured to hardship.
Mettlesome
describes a person or animal that is both spirited and brave
ex) My brother is a mettlesome boy whose free-spirit always leads him to some type of adventure.
