GRE Power Vocab - H

Question 1

Hackneyed

Answer 1

adj. rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage

Question 2

Halcyon

Answer 2

ad.j calm and peaceful, properous

The halcyon was a legendary bird that was thought to be able to calm the waves so that it could nest on the sea.

Question 3

Hallow

Answer 3

v. to set apart as holy

Hallowed (adj) means consecrated, or highly venerated

Question 4

Happenstance

Answer 4

n. a chance happening or event

Question 5

Harangue

Answer 5

v. to deliver a loud, pompous speech or tirade

a harangue is what you deliver when you are haranguing someone

Question 6

Harbinger

Answer 6

n. anything that foreshadows a future event; an omen; a sign

Question 7

Harrow

Answer 7

v. to distress, create stress or torment

Question 8

Hedonism

Answer 8

n. devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses

someone who embraces hedonism is called a hedonist. for an antonym to hedonist, see the entry for ascetic

Question 9

Hegemony

Answer 9

n. the consistent dominance or influence of one group, state, or ideology over others

Question 10

Heretical

Answer 10

adj. violating accepted dogma or convention, unorthodox

A heresy is an idea that is heretical

Question 11

Hermetic

Answer 11

adj. airtight, impervious to outside influence

don’t confuse this with hermeneutic, which means explanatory or interpretive

Question 12

Heterodox

Answer 12

adj. unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic

A heterodoxy is an idea that departs from what is accepted

Question 13

Hidebound

Answer 13

adj. narrow or rigid in opinion, inflexible; oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative

Question 14

Hirsute

Answer 14

adj. hairy, shaggy

Question 15

Homily

Answer 15

n. a sermon or morally instructuve lecture, a platitude

Homiletics is the art of preaching

Question 16

Homogenous

Answer 16

adj. same throughout

Homogenous is a less common way of expressing the same idea; the current usage of homogenous probably came from the word homogenize, which is to process a liquid so that its particles do not separate

Question 17

Hortatory

Answer 17

adj. Urging to some course of conduct or action; encouraging

Question 18

Hubris

Answer 18

n. arrogant presumption or pride

Hubris is frequently used in describing classical and epic characters, such as humans who wish to be gods and kings who think they are infallible, but the word has just as many applications in the modern world

Question 19

Hyperbole

Answer 19

n. an exaggerate statement, often used as a figure of speech

something or someone that uses hyperbole is hyperbolic