GRE Pt 2 Flashcards
Cacophony
Noun
Definition: a harsh, jarring noise
Synonyms: chaos, clamor, din, discord, disharmony, noise
Sentence: The band emitted a cacophony as many of them were out of tune
Abase
Verb
Definition: to humble; to disgrace
Synonyms: demean, humiliate
Sentence: The girl abased the other girl for having a bad makeup base
Cupidity
Noun
Definition: greed; strong desire
Synonyms: avarice, covetousness, rapacity
Sentence: The niffler looked at the shiny necklace with cupidity
Eloquent
Adjective
Definition: persuasive and moving, especially in speech
Synonyms: articulate, expressive, fluent, meaningful, significant, smooth-spoken
Sentence: The public speaker had an eloquent way of speaking and moved everyone in the room
Grovel
Verb
Definition: to humble oneself in a demeaning way
Synonyms: bootlick, cringe, fawn, kowtow, toady
Sentence: The boy groveled to his ex-girlfriend, hoping that she would take him back
Divine
Verb
Definition: to foretell or know by inspiration
Synonyms: auger, foresee, intuit, predict, presage
Sentence: Professor Trelawney divined Harry’s future as being full of danger
Efficacy
Noun
Definition: effectiveness
Synonyms: dynamism, effectiveness, efficiency, force, power, productiveness, proficiency, strength, vigor
Sentence: It is important to know the efficacy of a medication before administering it
Gradation
Noun
Definition: a degree or stage in a process; a variation in color
Synonyms: nuance, shade, step, subtlety
Sentence: I have many gradations of red nail polish and it can be hard to choose
Flag
Verb
Definition: to decline in vigor, strength, or interest
Synonyms: dwindle, ebb, slacken, subside, wane
Sentence: Harry’s strength flagged after being faced with a dementor
Glib
Adjective
Definition: fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual
Synonyms: easy, superficial
Sentence: The auto salesman was a glib speaker and convinced people to buy the old cars
Repast
Noun
Definition: meal to mealtime
Synonyms: banquet, feast
Sentence: The boy requested pasta for his repast
Redress
Noun
Definition: relief from wrong or injury
Synonyms: amends, indemnity, quittance, reparation, restitution
Sentence: The patient wanted redress for the doctor’s malpractice, so he sued the hospital
Sentient
Adjective
Definition: aware; conscious; able to perceive
Synonyms: feeling, intelligent, thinking
Sentence: Stuffed animals are not sentient
Rarefy
Verb
Definition: to become thinner or sparser
Synonyms: attenuate, thin
Sentence: Her patience rarified as the child continued to scream
Volatile
Adjective
Definition: easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
Synonyms: capricious, erratic, fickle, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, temperamental
Sentence: The dog was volatile and it was difficult to predict how he’d react to strangers
Wily
Adjective
Definition: clever, deceptive
Synonyms: crafty, cunning, tricky
Sentence: Foxes are known to be wily
Raconteur
Noun
Definition: a witty, skillful storyteller
Synonyms: anecdotalist, monologist
Sentence: The man was regarded as a raconteur for his top notch recounting of stories
Tangential
Adjective
Definition: digressing; diverting
Synonyms: digressive, extraneous, inconsequential, irrelevant, peripheral
Sentence: She was tangential in her speech, going off topic multiple times
Toady
Noun
Definition: one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors
Synonyms: parasite, sycophant
Sentence: The toad was a toady and would often compliment the other animals in hopes of getting more food
Sinecure
Noun
Definition: a well-paying job or office that requires little or no work
Synonyms: N/A
Sentence: My last co-op was a sinecure
Venerate
Verb
Definition: to respect deeply
Synonyms: adore, honor, idolize, revere
Sentence: In many Eastern societies, it is common to venerate your elders
Vex
Verb
Definition: to annoy, irritate, puzzle, or confuse
Synonyms: annoy, bother, chafe, exasperate, irk, nettle, peeve, provoke
Sentence: The girl was vexed by the loud people in the library
Syncopation
Noun
Definition: temporary irregularity in musical rhythm
Synonyms: N/A
Sentence: The song, Amadeus, had syncopation between the band and the orchestra
Vicissitude
Noun
Definition: a change or variation
Synonyms: inconstancy, mutability
Sentence: The weather in New England is full of vicissitudes
Ribald
Adjective
Definition: humorous in a vulgar way
Synonyms: coarse, gross, indelicate, lewd, obscene
Sentence: Frank, a bald man, has a ribald sense of humor
Spartan
Adjective
Definition: highly self-disciplined; frugal; austere
Synonyms: restrained, simple
Sentence: The fourth floor of Snell is meant to be a spartan place
Sagacious
Adjective
Definition: shrewd; wise
Synonyms: astute, judicious, perspicacious, sage, wise
Sentence: Ravenclaws are known to be sagacious and are well known for their wisdom
Usury
Noun
Definition: the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
Synonyms: N/A
Sentence: The banker was convicted of usury when he was charging 50% interest on loans
Sportive
Adjective
Definition: frolicsome; playful
Synonyms: frisky, merry
Sentence: The sporty dog was also known to be sportive and loved playing with his owner
Repudiate
Verb
Definition: to reject the validity of
Synonyms: deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, renounce
Sentence: The girl’s claim of being a European royal was repudiated by her family tree
Requite
Verb
Definition: to return or repay
Synonyms: compensate, reciprocate
Sentence: The man was unable to requite his friend’s loan of $500
Satiate
Verb
Definition: to satisfy fully or overindulge
Synonyms: cloy, glut, gorge, surfeit
Sentence: Nothing could satiate the man’s desire for power
Symbiosis
Noun
Definition: cooperation; mutual helpfulness
Synonyms: association, interdependence
Sentence: The rhino and the tick-eating bird live in symbiosis
Peregrinate
Verb
Definition: to wander from place to place; to travel, especially on foot
Synonyms: journey, traverse, trek
Sentence: Nomads are known to peregrinate
Precipitate
Adjective
Definition: thrown violently or brought about abruptly; lacking deliberation
Synonyms: abrupt, hasty, headlong, hurried, ill-considered, impetuous, impulsive, prompt, rash, reckless, sudden
Sentence: Alexa and her husband’s marriage was precipitate
Perfidious
Adjective
Definition: willing to betray someone’s trust
Synonyms: disloyal, faithless, traitorous, treacherous
Sentence: The perfidious girl divulged her boyfriends secrets to her friends
Pariah
Noun
Definition: an outcast
Synonyms: castaway, derelict, leper, offscouring, untouchable
Sentence: He was a pariah, as he was very different from his peers
Impervious
Adjective
Definition: impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
Synonyms: impregnable, resistant
Sentence: My dark hair is impervious to hair dye
Idiosyncrasy
Noun
Definition: peculiarity of temperament; eccentricity
Synonyms: humor, oddity, quirk
Sentence: The mom from The Maid has idiosyncrasies that show her love of art
Ingenuous
Adjective
Definition: showing innocence or childlike simplicity
Synonyms: artless, guileless, innocent, naïve, simple, unaffected
Sentence: The old woman was ingenuous and found happiness with the baby doll
Multifarious
Adjective
Definition: diverse
Synonyms: assorted, heterogeneous, indiscriminate, legion, motley, multifold, multiform, multiplex, populous, varied
Sentence: I have a multifarious mix of beasts in the room of requirement
Inure
Verb
Definition: to harden; accustom
Synonyms: condition, familiarize, habituate
Sentence: I am inured to the sirens in Boston and can sleep through them
Imbue
Verb
Definition: to infuse, dye, wet, or moisten
Synonyms: charge, freight, impregnate, permeate, pervade
Sentence: Kailey is trying to imbue Felix with how to behave
Intractable
Adjective
Definition: not easily managed or manipulated
Synonyms: stubborn, unruly
Sentence: The baby was intractable but eventually ate the food it was given
Mannered
Adjective
Definition: artificial or stilted in character
Synonyms: affected, unnatural
Sentence: The portrait of the king had a mannered look
Livid
Adjective
Definition: discolored from a bruise; pale; reddened with anger
Synonyms: ashen, black-and-blue, furious, pallid
Sentence: The woman was livid when she found red lipstick on her white bag
Machination
Noun
Definition: plot or scheme
Synonyms: cabal, conspiracy, design, intrigue
Sentence: There was a machination to kill Dumbledore
Malleable
Adjective
Definition: capable of being shaped
Synonyms: adaptable, ductile, plastic, pliable, pliant
Sentence: The clay was malleable when wet and hard when dry
Mendicant
Noun
Definition: beggar
Synonyms: panhandler, pauper
Sentence: The lady on the street was known as “Mandy the Mendicant”
Impasse
Noun
Definition: a blocked path; a dilemma with no solution
Synonyms: cul-de-sac, deadlock, stalemate
Sentence: The girl was driving away until she came to an impasse and had to stop
Imprecation
Noun
Definition: a curse
Synonyms: damnation
Sentence: Anne Sallow suffered a imprecation
Lavish
Adjective
Definition: extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly
Synonyms: extravagant, exuberant, luxuriant, opulent, prodigal, profuse, superabundant
Sentence: Evelyn Hugo lived a lavish life
Iniquity
Noun
Definition: a sin; an evil act
Synonyms: enormity, immorality, injustice, vice, wickedness
Sentence: The man accused the woman of iniquity and she was banned from the church
Maudlin
Adjective
Definition: overly sentimental
Synonyms: bathetic, mawkish, saccharine, weepy
Sentence: Bella’s daughter was a maudlin topic and constantly makes people cringe
Jocular
Adjective
Definition: playful; humorous
Synonyms: amusing, comical
Sentence: It was surprising to find that the jock was also a jocular person
Larceny
Noun
Definition: theft of property
Synonyms: burglary, robbery, stealing
Sentence: The man who stole his neighbor’s car was convicted of larceny
Invective
Noun
Definition: abusive language
Synonyms: denunciation, revilement, vituperation
Sentence: The girl shouted invectives at the boy that got dirt on her dress
Innocuous
Adjective
Definition: harmless
Synonyms: benign, harmless, inoffensive, insipid
Sentence: The scary-looking cat turned out to be innocuous
Irascible
Adjective
Definition: easily made angry
Synonyms: cantankerous, ornery, testy
Sentence: The tiger’s irascible nature made it impossible to tame
Languid
Adjective
Definition: lacking energy; indifferent; slow
Synonyms: lackadaisical, listless, sluggish, weak
Sentence: The man felt languid when he had COVID
Lampoon
Verb
Definition: to ridicule with satire
Synonyms: tease
Sentence: Harry Potter was initially lampooned when he claimed that Voldemort was back
Ignoble
Adjective
Definition: having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean
Synonyms: lowly, vulgar
Sentence: Lizzo, a body-positive singer, was seen as ignoble when her past dancers accused her of fat-shaming
Inculcate
Verb
Definition: to teach; to impress in the mind
Synonyms: implant, indoctrinate, instill, preach
Sentence: Many strict parents attempt to inculcate their children to be obedient
Mar
Verb
Definition: to damage or deface; to spoil
Synonyms: blemish, disfigure, impair, injure, scar
Sentence: The activist marred the sculpture by throwing paint on it
Magnate
Noun
Definition: powerful or influential person
Synonyms: dignitary, luminary, nabob, potentiate, tycoon
Sentence: The magnate bought a mansion to add to his collection
Judicious
Adjective
Definition: sensible; showing good judgement
Synonyms: circumspect, prudent, sagacious, sapient
Sentence: The judge was known to be judicious
Prevaricate
Verb
Definition: to lie or deviate from the truth
Synonyms: equivocate, lie, perjure
Sentence: The girl prevaricated that car troubles made her late for work and not her iced coffee run
Ostensible
Adjective
Definition: apparent
Synonyms: represented, supposed, surface
Sentence: His reasoning for wanting to sit next to his crush was ostensible only to some
Pithy
Adjective
Definition: profound or substantial yet concise, succinct, and to the point
Synonyms: brief, compact, laconic, terse
Sentence: The abstract of the study was surprisingly pithy, describing the study in only a few sentences
Officious
Adjective
Definition: too helpful; meddlesome
Synonyms: eager, intrusive, unwanted
Sentence: He was known to be an officious office worker, and constantly tried to help with projects where he was not wanted
Posit
Verb
Definition: to assume as real conceded; to propose as an explanation
Synonyms: hypothesize, postulate, presuppose
Sentence: Many scientists posit a hypothesis before beginning an experiment
Ostentation
Noun
Definition: excessive showiness
Synonyms: conspicuousness, flashiness, pretentiousness, showiness
Sentence: The rich woman was an ostentation and always showed off her money
Parry
Verb
Definition: to ward off or deflect, especially by a quick-witted answer
Synonyms: avoid, evade, repel
Sentence: The celebrity parried all the questions the press had about her love life
Pare
Verb
Definition: to trim off excess; to reduce
Synonyms: clip, peel
Sentence: The girl had to pare the banas for the smoothies
Noisome
Adjective
Definition: stinking; putrid
Synonyms: disgusting, fowl, malodorous
Sentence: The smell of the rotting food was noisome
Prudence
Noun
Definition: wisdom, caution, or restraint
Synonyms: astuteness, circumspection, discretion, frugality, judiciousness, providence, thrift
Sentence: Penny shows prudence when she learns about a Beast before approaching it
Explicit
Adjective
Definition: clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
Synonyms: candid, clear-cut, definite, definitive, express, frank, specific, straightforward, unambiguous, unequivocal
Sentence: The instructions explicitly stated the steps of the experiment
Decorous
Adjective
Definition: proper; tasteful; socially correct
Synonyms: appropriate, comme il faut, courteous, polite
Sentence: The princess was raised to be decorous in order to keep up the family’s reputation
Diurnal
Adjective
Definition: active or occurring during the day
Synonyms: daylight, daytime
Sentence: Diurnal creatures are active during the day
Garrulous
Adjective
Definition: tending to talk a lot
Synonyms: effusive, loquacious
Sentence: The garrulous cashier talked to every customer in line