GRE Major Tests Chapter 7 Flashcards
Ambivalence
lack of clarity, wavering, undecided, mixed feelings or emotion
ex) Even though the new job meant more money, He felt a great deal of ambivalence about accepting the position.
Cantankerous
bad-tempered, quarrelsome
ex) The leading character in the movie was a cantankerous old man who hated the world.
Derogatory
uncomplimentary
ex) To a mentally disabled person, the term “retarded” is viewed as a derogatory word.
Exemplify
to serve a good example
ex) When James chooses his assistant manager, he will select the employee who can most exemplify the core values of the company.
Impecunious
having no money
ex) Impecunious students commonly find themselves in debt after overindulging in the use of credit cards.
Lucid
clear
ex) Lucid experiments have been most helpful to my understanding.
Ornate
highly decorated
ex) An ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace.
Precipice
steep slope, a point where danger, trouble, or difficulty begins.
ex) She is now on a precipice of bankruptcy and might have to sell the family home.
Salubrious
health-giving
ex) Vegetables are salubrious foods which provide essential nutrients.
Truant
shrinker, someone absent without permission.
ex) Keep an eye on the student. He seems to be a truant.
Ambulatory
able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
ex) If he uses his crutches, he can be ambulatory.
Capacious
spacious, something huge or roomy
ex) That car has a capacious trunk that makes it a good choice for families.
Desecrate
to damage or pollute a holy place
ex) Do not desecrate the temple by speaking loudly during your visit.
Exhaustive
complete and thorough
ex) He made an exhaustive study of the dinosaur fossils.
Impious
wicked, profane
ex) His lack of protocol in the church caused him to gain a reputation for being impious.
Ludicrous
ridiculous, silly
ex) The ludicrous movie is about a dog that becomes the president of a country.
Orthodox
conventional
ex) I dislike orthodox opinions.
Precipitous
done in a hurry, steep
ex) People were shocked by his precipitous fall from political power.
Salutary
something which teaches you a lesson, beneficial
ex) It has a salutary effect on everyone.
Truncate
cut short
ex) I had to truncate my presentation so it would not exceed five minutes.
Ameliorate
make better
ex) A solution to ameliorate the negative impact of these areas is needed.
Capitulate
surrender
ex) I will not capitulate on this deal unless I receive the stock options I have requested.
Desecration
spoiling something holy
ex) The communicants were aghast at the desecration of the altar.
Exonerate
acquits, absolves, free from guilt.
ex) He was exonerated from the accusation of cheating.
Impoverished
destitute, poor
ex) The impoverished girl knew she did not have enough money to attend college.
Lukewarm
unenthusiastic, neither hot nor cold
ex) He has a very lukewarm attitude towards his family.
Ossify
turn to bone, become fixed and rigid
ex) A disease that ossifies joints.
Preclude
prevent or make impossible
ex) Even though he has a disability, he never allows it to preclude her from living a normal life.
Sanctimonious
hypocritically holy
ex) My sanctimonious aunt tends to look down upon people who do not go to church early Sunday.
Tumult
uproar, noise
ex) Economists are working to find solutions to the financial tumult that is ruining the lives of many Americans.
Amelioration
improvement
ex) Scratching your eye will not ameliorate itching.
Carping
constant criticism
ex) I swear I would have heard less carping from him.
Desist
stop, discontinue
ex) The document from the court orders the magazine to desist from publishing false stories about the actor.
Exorcism
getting free, eliminate (demons)
ex) An exorcism is probably needed.
Impromptu
unrehearsed, spontaneous
ex) I get scared to speak impromptu in public.
Lummox
clumsy person
ex) That player is a lummox in the outfield, with three errors just this week.
Ostentatious
showy
ex) They made an ostentatious display of their wealth every time they hosted a party.
Precocious
developing early
ex) My precocious girl thinks she knows everything there is to know about life.
Sanction
give approval to
ex) he president has sanctioned the use of military force to free hostages.
Turpitude
depravity
ex) The criminal was sentenced to life in prison for the acts of turpitude he committed.
Amiable
friendly
ex) I love going to my doctor’s office because his staff is so amiable.
Cartographer
person who makes maps
ex) Map making is done by a cartographer.
Despondent
having no hope, miserable
ex) How can I help but be despondent after losing my job.
Expatriate
refugee, emigrant, someone living away from his country.
Inadvertent
not intentional
ex) He made an inadvertent disclosure of the winner of the Super Bowl.
Luscious
juicy, moist, succulent
ex) It has the luscious flavor of strawberry.
Oust
push out of a position
ex) If you wish to oust a politician form office, then you must go tot he polls and vote him or her out.
Predecessor
one who came before
ex) The iPhone5’s was the predecessor of the iPhone6.
Sanguinary
bloodthirsty, bloody
ex) This bitter and sanguinary war.
Tyro
novice, beginner
ex) I suggest you read this book titled “Introduction to computers” as it’s perfect for a tech tyro like yourself.
