GRE Major Tests Chapter 4

Question 1

Adulation

Answer 1

strong admiration

ex) He was very uncomfortable with the adulation from his fans.

Question 2

Bristle

Answer 2

to show irritation

ex) She bristled at his rudeness.

Question 3

Decoy

Answer 3

lure, trap

ex) They tried to decoy the enemy towards the hidden group.

Question 4

Erratic

Answer 4

wandering, irregular

ex) When the officer saw the man driving in an erratic manner, he pulled him over to question him.

Question 5

Histrionic

Answer 5

theatrical, exaggerated

ex) I was accustomed to my mothers histrionics.

Question 6

Laud

Answer 6

praise

ex) Many people lauded her efforts to help the poor.

Question 7

Obstreperous

Answer 7

noisy and boisterous

ex) Because my nephew was obstreperous, he often gets in trouble at school.

Question 8

Portend

Answer 8

foretell

ex) By hovering nearby, the dark clouds portend a storm in our area.

Question 9

Retraction

Answer 9

withdrawal

ex) The retraction of the apology.

Question 10

Titter

Answer 10

giggle quietly

ex) Some people in the audience tittered nervously during an awkward pause in the speech.

Question 11

Adversity

Answer 11

hardship

ex) Adversity happens to everyone.

Question 12

Broach

Answer 12

start to discuss, approach

ex) She was reluctant to broach the subject.

Question 13

Deference

Answer 13

respect

ex) He bowed his head in deference to his master.

Question 14

Esoteric

Answer 14

obscure and difficult to understand

ex) An esoteric statement.

Question 15

Hoary

Answer 15

old

ex) The hoary house was built in the eighteenth century.

Question 16

Lavish

Answer 16

on a grand scale, wasteful

ex) He is lavish with his money.

Question 17

Obtuse

Answer 17

mentally dull

ex) The obtuse young man had a hard time understanding the simple instructions.

Question 18

Portent

Answer 18

a warning sign

ex) A cat crossing the road before us is a portent of something unpleasant.

Question 19

Revere

Answer 19

worship

ex) People from India revere the cow as a sacred object.

Question 20

Tome

Answer 20

large book

ex) The tome was far heavier than she expected.

Question 21

Advocate

Answer 21

support

ex) Any good doctor will advocate healthy eating for his patients.

Question 22

Brusque

Answer 22

blunt

ex) The salesgirl’s brusque manner made me change my mind about shopping in the store.

Question 23

Defoliate

Answer 23

cause leaves to fall off

ex) The period of defoliation varies in different countries according to the nature of their climate.

Question 24

Espouse

Answer 24

promote

ex) People who espouse the Paleo diet claim that they feel beer and its much easier to control their weight.

Question 25

Hone

Answer 25

sharpen

ex) He wanted to hone his skills as a photographer.

Question 26

Lax

Answer 26

careless, relaxed

ex) The lax security at the event allowed people to just slip in and out unnoticed.

Question 27

Obviate

Answer 27

avoid, make unnecessary

ex) we replaced the old mechanisms because we wanted to obviate any nervousness about potential breakdown.

Question 28

Poseur

Answer 28

someone who puts on an act

ex) The critic labeled the writer a poseur who was not interested in influencing the people than in writing good books.

Question 29

Riddled

Answer 29

full of (usually full of holes)

ex) The bodies of four people were found riddled with bullets.

Question 30

Torpid

Answer 30

inactive, lazy

ex) During the colder months these reptiles remain in a torpid state.

Question 31

Aesthetic

Answer 31

concerning art or beauty

ex) Because Henry could see both the mountains and the ocean from his hotel room, he really enjoyed the aesthetic view.

Question 32

Bulwark

Answer 32

fortification, barricade

ex) vaccines act as a bulwark against many childhood diseases.

Question 33

Defunct

Answer 33

no longer in existence

ex) After being hit by a hurricane, the entire neighborhood was defunct.

Question 34

Etymology

Answer 34

the study of word origins

ex) I was puzzled about how the word typhoon came into English so I researched its etymology.

Question 35

Hyperbole

Answer 35

grossly exaggerated speech

ex) Although what I say may sound like a hyperbole, it really is the truth.

Question 36

Legend

Answer 36

key to map, myth

ex) He is a legend.

Question 37

Odious

Answer 37

hateful

ex) Because he had an odious personality, he had very few friends.

Question 38

Posterity

Answer 38

future generations

ex) we bury time capsules for ourselves and for posterity.

Question 39

Rife

Answer 39

common

ex) The beach is rife with young people during summer months.

Question 40

Torpor

Answer 40

dormancy, inactivity

ex) If my husband does not come out of his torpor and get his job, I will divorce him.

Question 41

Affable

Answer 41

friendly, social

ex) Since he wanted to be voted the most affable by at school, Jason always had a smile for everyone.

Question 42

Bureaucracy

Answer 42

officialdom

ex) In the waiting room, we were given numerous documents to complete as part of the hospitals pretreatment bureaucracy.

Question 43

Degradation

Answer 43

deprivation, poverty

ex) The degradation of the land surrounding New Orleans was caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Question 44

Eulogy

Answer 44

praise

ex) I was asked to give the eulogy at my friends funeral.

Question 45

Hypochondriac

Answer 45

a person obsessed with health

ex) My college roommate was a hypochondriac who wore a facial mask to avoid inhaling germs.

Question 46

Legion

Answer 46

in large numbers

ex) Legions of people came to see him perform.

Question 47

Officious

Answer 47

domineering

ex) I didn’t appreciate the policeman’s officious attitude when he was questioning me.

Question 48

Posthumous

Answer 48

after death

ex) These are his posthumous works.

Question 49

Rigor

Answer 49

thoroughness

ex) They underwent the rigors of military training.

Question 50

Totter

Answer 50

walk unsteadily

ex) The drunkard tottered across the road.