GRE Major Tests Chapter 4 Flashcards

1
Q

Adulation

A

strong admiration

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

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2
Q

Bristle

A

to show irritation

ex) She bristled at his rudeness.

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3
Q

Decoy

A

lure, trap

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

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4
Q

Erratic

A

wandering, irregular

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

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5
Q

Histrionic

A

theatrical, exaggerated

ex) I was accustomed to my mothers histrionics.

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6
Q

Laud

A

praise

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

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7
Q

Obstreperous

A

noisy and boisterous

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

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8
Q

Portend

A

foretell

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

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9
Q

Retraction

A

withdrawal

ex) The retraction of the apology.

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10
Q

Titter

A

giggle quietly

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

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11
Q

Adversity

A

hardship

ex) Adversity happens to everyone.

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12
Q

Broach

A

start to discuss, approach

ex) She was reluctant to broach the subject.

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13
Q

Deference

A

respect

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

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14
Q

Esoteric

A

obscure and difficult to understand

ex) An esoteric statement.

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15
Q

Hoary

A

old

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

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16
Q

Lavish

A

on a grand scale, wasteful

ex) He is lavish with his money.

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17
Q

Obtuse

A

mentally dull

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

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18
Q

Portent

A

a warning sign

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

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19
Q

Revere

A

worship

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

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20
Q

Tome

A

large book

ex) The tome was far heavier than she expected.

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21
Q

Advocate

A

support

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

22
Q

Brusque

A

blunt

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

23
Q

Defoliate

A

cause leaves to fall off

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

24
Q

Espouse

A

promote

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

25
Hone
sharpen ex) He wanted to hone his skills as a photographer.
26
Lax
careless, relaxed ex) The lax security at the event allowed people to just slip in and out unnoticed.
27
Obviate
avoid, make unnecessary ex) we replaced the old mechanisms because we wanted to obviate any nervousness about potential breakdown.
28
Poseur
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.
29
Riddled
full of (usually full of holes) ex) The bodies of four people were found riddled with bullets.
30
Torpid
inactive, lazy ex) During the colder months these reptiles remain in a torpid state.
31
Aesthetic
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.
32
Bulwark
fortification, barricade ex) vaccines act as a bulwark against many childhood diseases.
33
Defunct
no longer in existence ex) After being hit by a hurricane, the entire neighborhood was defunct.
34
Etymology
the study of word origins ex) I was puzzled about how the word typhoon came into English so I researched its etymology.
35
Hyperbole
grossly exaggerated speech ex) Although what I say may sound like a hyperbole, it really is the truth.
36
Legend
key to map, myth ex) He is a legend.
37
Odious
hateful ex) Because he had an odious personality, he had very few friends.
38
Posterity
future generations ex) we bury time capsules for ourselves and for posterity.
39
Rife
common ex) The beach is rife with young people during summer months.
40
Torpor
dormancy, inactivity ex) If my husband does not come out of his torpor and get his job, I will divorce him.
41
Affable
friendly, social ex) Since he wanted to be voted the most affable by at school, Jason always had a smile for everyone.
42
Bureaucracy
officialdom ex) In the waiting room, we were given numerous documents to complete as part of the hospitals pretreatment bureaucracy.
43
Degradation
deprivation, poverty ex) The degradation of the land surrounding New Orleans was caused by Hurricane Katrina.
44
Eulogy
praise ex) I was asked to give the eulogy at my friends funeral.
45
Hypochondriac
a person obsessed with health ex) My college roommate was a hypochondriac who wore a facial mask to avoid inhaling germs.
46
Legion
in large numbers ex) Legions of people came to see him perform.
47
Officious
domineering ex) I didn't appreciate the policeman's officious attitude when he was questioning me.
48
Posthumous
after death ex) These are his posthumous works.
49
Rigor
thoroughness ex) They underwent the rigors of military training.
50
Totter
walk unsteadily ex) The drunkard tottered across the road.