GRE Major Tests Chapter 30 Flashcards
Compromised
- damaged or put in doubt (esp. of reputation) 2. reached an agreement by giving up part of a claim
ex) Eventually they reached a compromise.
Drabness
dullness
ex) It’s the unrelieved drabness of big industrial cities that depresses me.
Endow
to bestow something in a natural way or to give funds that are needed to support a project
ex) The billionaire will endow the school of nursing with a huge donation.
Esoterica
obscure details
ex) It was the sort of esoterica I had never had an interest in but which now composed a whole world.
Falters
hesitates
ex) When the bank teller noticed that the masked man began to falter slightly, she discreetly pressed the silent alarm.
Prattle
mindless talk
ex) At every party, there is always one lady who has to prattle on about her cute kids.
Prohibitive
- prohibiting 2. exorbitantly expensive
ex) The park association was prohibitive of bringing glass on the beach.
Purist
a perfectionist who believes in sticking to all of the rules
ex) Dressed in a suit and tie, the purist raised his hand every time to answer each question the teacher asked.
Quack
charlatan, fake
ex) A quack doctor.
Taunt
mock, tease
ex) As the visiting team walked on the court, the hometown fans began to taunt the players.
Arresting (a)
attracting attention, striking
ex) Quinn asked, arresting everyone’s attention.
Barrage
extended gunfire to cover an attack; dam across river; deluge or information etc.
ex) The attorney asked the reporters not to barrage his client with questions until he had made a statement.
Chantey
type of song sung by sailors
ex) I love singing chanteys.
Ferrous
concerned with iron or its compounds
ex) The water was reacting with the ferrous iron in the tank.
Manipulative
scheming
ex) Edith is a very manipulative woman.
Orate
speak in a pompous manner
ex) Although the pope’s oration lasted for only fifteen minutes, it left many in the audience in tears.
Psychosis
severe mental disturbance
ex) After three doctor visits, the man suffered from psychosis due to his mind-altering hallucinations and obscure delusions.
Savor
enjoy
ex) The team will savor the championship victory for years to come.
Table (v)
put down for future discussion
ex) The committee tabled the issue until the next meeting.
Underwrite
give guarantee, insure
ex) A university willing to underwrite an archaeological expedition.
Dissident
person who disagrees [dissidence (n)]
ex) The dissident was jailed for refusing to obey the law.
Enigmatic
puzzling [enigma (n)]
ex) The lady in red had an enigmatic smile which made all the men curious about her.
Foolhardy
reckless [foolhardiness (n)]
ex) It is foolhardy to not go to the doctor when one is having chest pains.
Homogeneity
evenness, uniformity
ex) As races have mixed, the world’s population has become more and more homogenous.
Personification
- represent something as a person 2. a concrete example of
ex) The queen was the personification of royalty as she waved from her coach.
Plaque
- surface deposit on teeth or in artery etc. 2. decorative plate or sign
ex) A bronze plaque marked the city’s oldest building.
Plausibility
believability [plausible (a)]
ex) This idea is plausible but needs further empirical support.
Resilience
resistance, ability to spring back [resilience (a)]
ex) The community was highly spirited and resilient despite a hurricane disaster.
Trilogy
set of three (literary works etc.), tetralogy = set of four
ex) The first book in the trilogy sets the course for the other two books in the series.
Vagary
something unaccountable, freak
ex) Because Kim has a bipolar disorder, she is known to display a vagary without any warning.
Aisle
corridor, passageway (esp. between rows of seats)
ex) The bus ride home was so packed that anyone without a seat was forced to sit in the center aisle.
Discountenance
disallow
ex) The teachers discountenanced smoking by the students.
Imperative
must be obeyed
ex) It is imperative that we continue to move with speed to make housing more affordable.
Indigent
poor, needy [indigence (n)]
ex) The indigent man could not afford food or clothing.
Nadir
lowest point
ex) Since the relationship between the two warring nations has reached its nadir, world leaders are greatly concerned about the risk of nuclear war.
Paranoia
an illogical belief that others are against you
ex) Jake kept his money under his mattress because of his paranoia about crooked bankers.
Prudence
caution, wisdom
ex) It is not prudent to go swimming during a hurricane.
Resuscitation
revival from unconsciousness [resuscitate (v)]
ex) Although we tried, we could not resuscitate the puppy who got hit by the speeding car.
Shirk
avoid (esp. work)
ex) The man tried to shirk his duties by pretending to be ill.
Teetotalism
total abstinence from alcohol
ex) He will not be having a celebratory drink, as he is teetotal.
Balm
soothing ointment or anything soothing [balmy (a)]
ex) After shaking his dry cracking hand, I realized that the old man needed to rub some balm on his hands.
Calibrate
mark an accurate scale on a device
ex) The hospital pharmacist knows how important it is to calibrate the IV medications correctly.
Cataclysmic
violently disruptive [cataclysm (n)]
ex) A severe attack upon the Internet could cause a cataclysm in the financial world.
Impropriety
inappropriate behavior
ex) The teacher was arrested for performing a sexual impropriety with a female student.
Pith
center, soft part of stem, essence
ex) The heart of a watermelon is the best part because he pith tastes the best.
Primordial
in the beginning, in a basic way
ex) Sometimes I feel primordial when I eat food without silverware.
Reconnaissance
examination or survey conducted in advance [reconnoiter (v)]
ex) The football coach sent his assistant to his rival’s field to perform reconnaissance on the other team’s strategy.
Sinistral
left-handed (or counterclockwise) [dextral - right handed]
ex) Left-handed or sinistral specimens occur rarely.
Tempers
moderates
ex) He had to learn to temper his enthusiasm.
Undermine
to weaken, hinder, sabotage
ex) Chloe hoped that her allergies were not going to undermine her ability to perform in the recital.
