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GRE Vocab > GRE Most Used Vocab Words > Flashcards

GRE Most Used Vocab Words Flashcards

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0
Q

Abscond

A

To leave secretly.

The patron ASCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door

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1
Q

Abate

A

To reduce in amount, degree, or severity.

As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.

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2
Q

Abyss

A

An extremely deep hole

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3
Q

Adulterate

A

To make impure

The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water.

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4
Q

Advocate

A

To speak in favor of

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5
Q

Aesthetic

A

Concerning the appreciation of beauty

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6
Q

Aggrandize

A

To increase in power, influence, and reputation.

The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actual her own

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7
Q

Alleviate

A

To make more bearable.

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8
Q

Amalgamate

A

To combine; to mix together

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9
Q

Ambiguous

A

Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways.

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10
Q

Ameliorate

A

To make better; to improve

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11
Q

Anachronism

A

Something out of place in time

The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years.

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12
Q

Analogous

A

Similar or alike in some ways; equivalent to.

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13
Q

Anomaly

A

Deviation from what it normal

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14
Q

Antagonize

A

To annoy or provoke to anger

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15
Q

Antipathy

A

Extreme dislike.

The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.

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16
Q

Apathy

A

Lack of interest or emotion.

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17
Q

Arbitrate

A

To judge a dispute between two opposing parties.

Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forces to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.

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18
Q

Archaic

A

Ancient, old fashioned.

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19
Q

Ardor

A

Intense and passionate feeling.

bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson valley

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20
Q

Articulate

A

Able to speak clearly and expressively

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21
Q

Assuage

A

To make something unpleasant less severe

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22
Q

Attenuate

A

To reduce in force or degree; to weaken.

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23
Q

Audacious

A

Fearless and daring

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24
Q

Austere

A

Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated.

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25
Q

Banal

A

Predictable, cliched, boring

He used BANAL phrases like “have a nice day” or “another day another dollar”

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26
Q

Bolster

A

To support; to prop up.

The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.

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27
Q

Bombastic

A

Pompous in speech and manner

The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact

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28
Q

Cacophony

A

Harsh, jarring noise

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29
Q

Candid

A

Impartial and honest in speech.

The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.

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30
Q

Capricious

A

Changing ones mind quickly and often

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31
Q

Castigate

A

To punish or critisize harshly

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32
Q

Catalyst

A

Something that brings about a change in something else

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33
Q

Caustic

A

Biting in wit

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34
Q

Chicanery

A

Deception by means of craft or guile

Dishonest used car sales people often use CHICANERY to see their beat up old cars.

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35
Q

Cogent

A

Convincing and well reasoned.

Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice by to aquit the defendant.

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36
Q

Convoluted

A

Intricate and complicated

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37
Q

Corroborate

A

To provide supporting evidence.

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38
Q

Credulous

A

Too trusting; gullible

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39
Q

Decorum

A

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct ; propriety

The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace

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40
Q

Deference

A

Respect, courtesy

The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE

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41
Q

Deride

A

To speak if it treat with contempt; to mock

The awkward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers

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42
Q

Desiccate

A

To dry out thoroughly

After a few weeks of lying in the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely DESICCATED

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43
Q

Desultory

A

Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

Diane has a DESULTORY academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.

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44
Q

Diatribe

A

An abusive, condemnatory speech

The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the other driver who had cut him off

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45
Q

Diffident

A

Lacking self-confidence

Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.

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46
Q

Dilatory

A

Intended to delay

The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill.

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47
Q

Dilettante

A

Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

Jerry’s friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week

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48
Q

Dirge

A

A funeral hymn or mournful speech

Melville wrote a poem “a DIRGE for James McPherson” for a funeral of a union general who was killed in 1864

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49
Q

Disabuse

A

To set right; to free from error

Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth.

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50
Q

Discern

A

To perceive; to recognize

It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter flavored topping

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51
Q

Disparate

A

Fundamentally different; entirely unlike

Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE.

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52
Q

Dissemble

A

To present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

The villian could DISSEMBLE to be police no longer - he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.

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53
Q

Dissonance

A

A harse and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.

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54
Q

Dogma

A

A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

Linus’s central DOGMA was that the children who believed in the great pumpkin would be rewarded.

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55
Q

Dogmatic

A

Dictatorial in one’s opinions

The dictator was DOGMATIC. He and only he was right

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56
Q

Efficacy

A

Effectiveness

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57
Q

Elegy

A

A sorrowful poem or speech

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58
Q

Eloquent

A

Persuasive and moving, especially in speech

59
Q

Emulate

A

To copy; to try to equal or excel

60
Q

Enervate

A

To reduce in strength

The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army.

61
Q

Engender

A

To produce, cause, or bring about.

His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of clowns.

62
Q

Enigma

A

A puzzle; a mystery

63
Q

Enumerate

A

To count, list, or itemize

64
Q

Ephemeral

A

Lasting a short time

65
Q

Equivocate

A

To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

When face with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them.

66
Q

Erratic

A

Wandering and unpredictable

The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience.

67
Q

Erudite

A

Learned, scholarly, bookish

68
Q

Esoteric

A

Known or understood by only a few

69
Q

Etstimable

A

Admirable

Many people consider it ESTIMABLE that mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India

70
Q

eulogy

A

Speech in praise of someone

71
Q

Euphemism

A

Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM sleeping instead of the word dead

72
Q

Exacerbate

A

To make worse

73
Q

Exculpate

A

To clear from blame; prove innocent

74
Q

Exigent

A

Urgent; requiring immediate action

75
Q

Exonerate

A

To clear of blame

76
Q

Explicit

A

Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

77
Q

Fanatical

A

Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

78
Q

Fawn

A

To grovel

The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.

79
Q

Fervid

A

Intensely emotional; feverish.

The fans of Maria callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great singer

80
Q

Florid

A

Excessively decorated or embellished

81
Q

Foment

A

To arouse or incite

The protestors tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations

82
Q

Frugality

A

Tendency to be thrifty or cheap

83
Q

Garrulous

A

Tending to talk a lot

84
Q

Guile

A

Deceit or trickery

85
Q

Iconoclast

A

One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions.

His lack of regards for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST

86
Q

Impervious

A

Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture

87
Q

Impetuous

A

Quick to act without thinking

88
Q

Implacable

A

Unaware to be calmed down or made peaceful

89
Q

Inchoate

A

Not fully formed; disorganized

The ideas expressed in Nietzches mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing

90
Q

Ingenuous

A

Showing innocence or childlike simplicity

91
Q

Inimical

A

Hostile, unfriendly

92
Q

Innocuous

A

Harmless

93
Q

Insipid

A

Lacking interest or flavor

94
Q

Intransigent

A

Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled.

95
Q

Inundate

A

To overwhelm; to cover with water

96
Q

Irascible

A

Easily made angry

97
Q

Laconic

A

Using few words

98
Q

Lament

A

To express sorrow; to grieve

The child contributed to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after it’s demise

99
Q

Laud

A

To give praise; to glorify

100
Q

Loquacious

A

Talkative

101
Q

Malinger

A

To evade reaponsibility by pretending to be ill

102
Q

Misanthrope

A

A person who dislikes others

103
Q

Mitigate

A

To soften; to lessen

A judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decides that the perish committed a crime out of need

104
Q

Mollify

A

To calm or make less severe

105
Q

Monotony

A

Lack of variation

106
Q

Obdurate

A

Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

107
Q

Obsequious

A

Overly submissive and eager to please

108
Q

Obstinate

A

Stubborn, unyielding

109
Q

Obviate

A

To prevent; to make unnecessary

110
Q

Occlude

A

To stop up; prevent passage of

111
Q

Onerous

A

Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

112
Q

Opprobrium

A

Public disgrace

After a scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM

113
Q

Ostentation

A

excessive showiness

114
Q

Paragon

A

Model of excellence or perfection

115
Q

Pedant

A

Someone who shows off learning.

116
Q

Perfidious

A

Willing to betray one’s trust

117
Q

Perfunctory

A

Done in a routine way; indifferent

118
Q

Placate

A

To soothe or pacify

The burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by offering a treat

119
Q

Pragmatic

A

Practical as opposed to idealistic

120
Q

Precipitate

A

To throw violently or bring about abruptly; leaking deliberation

121
Q

Prevaricate

A

To lie or deviate from the truth

122
Q

Prodigal

A

Lavish, wasteful

123
Q

Propitiate

A

To conciliate; to appease

The managment PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members

124
Q

Prudence

A

Wisdom, caution, or restraint

125
Q

Quiescent

A

Motionless

126
Q

Rarefy

A

To make thinner or sparser

127
Q

Repudiate

A

To reject there validity of

128
Q

Reticent

A

Silent, reserved

129
Q

Soporific

A

Causing sleep or lethargy

130
Q

Specious

A

Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious.

131
Q

Stolid

A

Unemotional; lacking sensitivity

132
Q

Sublime

A

Lofty or grand

133
Q

Tacit

A

Done without using words

134
Q

Taciturn

A

Silent, not talkative

135
Q

Torpor

A

extreme ment and physic sluggishness

136
Q

Vacillate

A

To sway physically; to be indecisive

137
Q

Venerate

A

To respect deeply

138
Q

Verbose

A

Wordy

139
Q

Vex

A

Annoy

140
Q

Volatile

A

Easily aero used or changeable; lively or explosive

141
Q

Waver

A

To fluctuate between choices

142
Q

Zeal

A

Passion, excitement

143
Q

Morose

A

Sullen and ill tempered

144
Q

Dolorous

A

Feeling depressed, great sorrow

GRE Vocab (1 decks)

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