GRE Princeton Vocab List Flashcards
What is the definition of ‘aberrant’?
Deviating from the norm
Related noun form: aberration
What does ‘abscond’ mean?
To depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
Define ‘alacrity’.
Eager and enthusiastic willingness
What is an ‘anomaly’?
Deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality
Adjective form: anomalous
What does ‘approbation’ signify?
An expression of approval or praise
Define ‘arduous’.
Strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort
What does it mean to ‘assuage’?
To ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
What characterizes something that is ‘audacious’?
Daring and fearless; recklessly bold
Related noun form: audacity
Define ‘austere’.
Without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
Related noun form: austerity
What does ‘axiomatic’ mean?
Taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth
Related noun form: axiom
What is meant by ‘canonical’?
Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
Related noun form: canon
Define ‘capricious’.
Inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
What does it mean to ‘censure’?
To criticize severely; to officially rebuke
What is ‘chicanery’?
Trickery or subterfuge
Who is a ‘connoisseur’?
An informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
What does ‘convoluted’ refer to?
Complex or complicated
What does it mean to ‘disabuse’ someone?
To undeceive; to set right
Define ‘discordant’.
Conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
What does ‘disparate’ mean?
Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
What is ‘effrontery’?
Extreme boldness; presumptuousness
What characterizes someone who is ‘eloquent’?
Well-spoken, expressive, articulate
Related noun form: eloquence
What does ‘enervate’ mean?
To weaken; to reduce in vitality
ennui (noun)
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
equivocate (verb)
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
(adj. form: equivocal)
erudite (adj.)
very learned; scholarly
(noun form: erudition)
exculpate (verb)
to exonerate; to clear of blame
exigent (adj.)
urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
extemporaneous (adj.)
improvised; done without preparation
filibuster (noun)
intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking
fulminate (verb)
to loudly attack or denounce
ingenuous (adj.)
artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
inured (adj.)
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
irascible (adj.)
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
laud (verb)
to praise highly
(adj. form: laudatory)
lucid (adj.)
clear; easily understood
magnanimity (noun)
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving
(adj. form: magnanimous)
martial (adj.)
associated with war and the armed forces
mundane (adj.)
of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
nascent (adj.)
coming into being; in early developmental stages
nebulous (adj.)
vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
neologism (noun)
a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
noxious (adj.)
harmful, injurious
obtuse (adj.)
lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
obviate (verb)
to anticipate and make unnecessary
onerous (adj.)
troubling; burdensome
paean (noun)
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
parody (noun)
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art
perennial (adj.)
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
perfidy (noun)
intentional breach of faith; treachery
(adj. form: perfidious)
perfunctory (adj.)
cursory; done without care or interest
What does ‘perspicacious’ mean?
Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment.
(noun form: perspicacity)
What does ‘prattle’ mean?
To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner.
What does ‘precipitate’ mean when used as an adjective?
Acting with excessive haste or impulse.
What does ‘precipitate’ mean when used as a verb?
To cause or happen before anticipated or required.
What is ‘predilection’?
A disposition in favor of something; preference.
What does ‘prescience’ mean?
Foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring.
(adj. form: prescient)
What does ‘prevaricate’ mean?
To deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead.
What are ‘qualms’?
Misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy.
What does ‘recant’ mean?
To retract, especially a previously held belief.
What does ‘refute’ mean?
To disprove; to successfully argue against.
What does ‘relegate’ mean?
To forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position.
What does ‘reticent’ mean?
Quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings.
What does ‘solicitous’ mean?
Concerned and attentive; eager.
What does ‘sordid’ mean?
Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul.
What does ‘sporadic’ mean?
Occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances.
What does ‘squander’ mean?
To waste by spending or using irresponsibly.
What does ‘static’ mean?
Not moving, active, or in motion; at rest.
What does ‘stupefy’ mean?
To stun, baffle, or amaze.
What does ‘stymie’ mean?
To block; to thwart.
What is ‘synthesis’?
The combination of parts to make a whole.
(verb form: synthesise)
What is ‘torque’?
A force that causes rotation.
What does ‘tortuous’ mean?
Winding, twisting; excessively complicated.
What does ‘truculent’ mean?
Fierce and cruel; eager to fight.
What is ‘veracity’?
Truthfulness; honesty.
What does ‘virulent’ mean?
Extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic.
What does ‘voracious’ mean?
Having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous.
What does ‘waver’ mean?
To move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion.
What does ‘abate’ mean?
To lessen in intensity or degree.
What is an ‘accolade’?
An expression of praise.
What does ‘adulation’ refer to?
Excessive praise; intense adoration.
What does ‘aesthetic’ describe?
Dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful.
What does ‘ameliorate’ mean?
To make better or more tolerable.
Who is an ‘ascetic’?
One who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion.
What is ‘avarice’?
Greed, especially for wealth.
(adj. form: avaricious)
What does ‘burgeon’ mean?
To grow rapidly or flourish.
What does ‘bucolic’ describe?
Rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants.
What is ‘cacophony’?
Harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance.
(adj. form: cacophonous)
What is a ‘canon’?
An established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature.
(adj. form: canonical)
What does ‘castigation’ mean?
Severe criticism or punishment.
(verb form: castigate)
What is a ‘catalyst’?
A substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change.
What does ‘caustic’ mean?
Burning or stinging; causing corrosion.
What does ‘chary’ mean?
Wary; cautious; sparing.
What does ‘cogent’ mean?
Appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing.
What is ‘complaisance’?
The willingness to comply with the wishes of others.
Adjective form: complaisant.
What does ‘contentious’ mean?
Argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement.
What does ‘contrite’ mean?
Regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness.
Noun form: contrition.
What does ‘culpable’ mean?
Deserving blame.
Noun form: culpability.
What is ‘dearth’?
Smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack.
What does ‘demur’ mean?
To question or oppose.
What does ‘didactic’ mean?
Intended to teach or instruct.
What is ‘discretion’?
Cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions.
Adjective form: discreet.
What does ‘disinterested’ mean?
Free of bias or self-interest; impartial.
What does ‘dogmatic’ mean?
Expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles.
Noun form: dogma.
What is ‘ebullience’?
The quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings.
Adjective form: ebullient.
What does ‘eclectic’ mean?
Composed of elements drawn from various sources.
What is an ‘elegy’?
A mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.
Adjective form: elegiac.
What does ‘emollient’ mean?
Soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin.
What does ‘empirical’ mean?
Based on observation or experiment.
What does ‘enigmatic’ mean?
Mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand.
Noun form: enigma.
What does ‘ephemeral’ mean?
Brief; fleeting.
What does ‘esoteric’ mean?
Intended for or understood by a small, specific group.
What is a ‘eulogy’?
A speech honoring the dead.
Verb form: eulogize.
What does ‘exonerate’ mean?
To remove blame.
What does ‘facetious’ mean?
Playful; humorous.
What is a ‘fallacy’?
An invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief.
Adjective form: fallacious.
What does ‘furtive’ mean?
Marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious.
What does ‘gregarious’ mean?
Sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people.
What does ‘harangue’ mean?
To deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing.
What does ‘heretical’ mean?
Violating accepted dogma or convention.
(noun form: heresy)
What does ‘hyperbole’ mean?
An exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech.
(adj. form: hyperbolic)
What does ‘impecunious’ mean?
Lacking funds; without money.
What does ‘incipient’ mean?
Beginning to come into being or to become apparent.
What does ‘inert’ mean?
Unmoving; lethargic; sluggish.
What does ‘innocuous’ mean?
Harmless; causing no damage.
What does ‘intransigent’ mean?
Refusing to compromise.
(noun form: intransigence)
What does ‘inveigle’ mean?
To obtain by deception or flattery.
What does ‘morose’ mean?
Sad; sullen; melancholy.
What does ‘odious’ mean?
Evoking intense aversion or dislike.
What does ‘opaque’ mean?
Impenetrable by light; not reflecting light.
What does ‘oscillation’ mean?
The act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm.
(verb form: oscillate)
What does ‘penurious’ mean?
Penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous.
What does ‘pernicious’ mean?
Extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed.
What does ‘peruse’ mean?
To examine with great care.
(noun form: perusal)
What does ‘pious’ mean?
Extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion.
(noun form: piety)
What does ‘precursor’ mean?
One that precedes and indicates or announces another.
What does ‘preen’ mean?
To dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care.
What does ‘prodigious’ mean?
Abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary.
What does ‘prolific’ mean?
Producing large volumes or amounts; productive.
What does ‘putrefy’ mean?
To rot; to decay and give off a foul odor.
(adj. form: putrid)
What does ‘quaff’ mean?
To drink deeply.
What does ‘quiescence’ mean?
Stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest.
(adj. form: quiescent)
acumen
Keen, accurate judgment or insight.
adulterate
To reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients.
amalgamate
To combine several elements into a whole.
archaic
Outdated; associated with an earlier, primitive time.
aver
To state as a fact; to declare or assert.
bolster
To provide support or reinforcement.
bombastic
Pompous or grandiloquent in speech.
diatribe
A harsh denunciation.
dissemble
To disguise or conceal; to mislead.
eccentric
Departing from norms or conventions.
endemic
Characteristic of a particular region or people.
evanescent
Tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing.
exacerbate
To make worse or more severe.
fervent
Greatly emotional or zealous.
fortuitous
Happening by accident or chance.
germane
Relevant to the subject at hand.
grandiloquence
Pompous speech or expression.
hackneyed
Rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage.
halcyon
Calm and peaceful.
hedonism
Devotion to pleasure, especially of the senses.
hegemony
The consistent dominance of one state over others.
iconoclast
One who attacks traditional conventions.
idolatrous
Given to intense devotion to something.
impassive
Revealing no emotion.
imperturbable
Marked by extreme calm and steadiness.
implacable
Not capable of being appeased or changed.
impunity
Immunity from punishment or penalty.
inchoate
In an initial stage; not fully formed.
infelicitous
Unfortunate; inappropriate.
insipid
Lacking qualities that interest or stimulate.
loquacious
Extremely talkative.
luminous
Characterized by brightness and light.
malevolent
Having or showing vicious ill will or hatred.
malleable
Capable of being shaped or formed; pliable.
mendacity
Condition of being untruthful; dishonesty.
meticulous
Characterized by extreme care and precision.
misanthrope
One who hates all humans.
mitigate
To make less severe or intense.
obdurate
Unyielding; intractable.
obsequious
Exhibiting fawning attentiveness.
occlude
To obstruct or block.
opprobrium
Disgrace; contempt.
pedagogy
The principles of teaching or instructing.
pedantic
Overly concerned with trivial details of learning.
penury
Poverty; destitution.
pervasive
Tendency to permeate or spread throughout.
pine
To yearn intensely; to languish.
pirate
To illegally use or reproduce.
pith
The essential or central part.
pithy
Precise and brief.
placate
To appease or calm.
platitude
A superficial remark often offered as meaningful.
plummet
To plunge or drop straight down.
polemical
Controversial; argumentative.
prodigal
Recklessly wasteful; extravagant.
profuse
Given in large amounts; extravagant.
proliferate
To grow or increase swiftly.
redoubtable
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
sanction
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority