GRE Pt 3 Flashcards
Cosset
Verb
Definition: to pamper; to treat with great care
Synonyms: cater to, cuddle, dandle, fondle, love, pamper, pet, spoil
Sentence: Grandparents often cosset their grandchildren
Advocate
Verb
Definition: to speak in favor of
Synonyms: back, champion, support
Sentence: Malala advocates for women’s education
Cabal
Noun
Definition: a secret group seeking to overturn something
Synonyms: camp, circle, clan, clique, coterie, in-group, mafia, mob, ring
Sentence: The boys formed a cabal to keep the girls out of the field
Apathy
Noun
Definition: lack of interest or emotion
Synonyms: coolness, disinterest, disregard, impassivity, indifference, insensibility, lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, phlegm, stolidity, unconcern, unresponsiveness
Sentence: She had a sense of apathy when she failed her quiz, as she did not care about her grades
Fortuitous
Adjective
Definition: happening by chance; fortunate
Synonyms: chance, fortunate, haphazard, lucky, propitious, prosperous
Sentence: It was fortuitous that I got a Victoria’s Secret coupon when I needed a bra
Decorum
Noun
Definition: appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
Synonyms: correctness, decency, etiquette, manners, mores, propriety, seemliness
Sentence: Having a high-ranking job requires a high level of decorum
Fallow
Adjective
Definition: dormant; unused
Synonyms: idle, inactive, unseeded
Sentence: In some cultures, it is important for a woman to be fallow after giving birth
Deride
Verb
Definition: to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
Synonyms: gibe, jeer, mock, ridicule, scoff, sneer, taunt
Sentence: The loner was derided by the bullies
Diffident
Adjective
Definition: lacking self-confidence
Synonyms: backward, bashful, coy, demure, modest, retiring, self-effacing, shy, timid
Sentence: The girl felt diffident on stage in front of all her peers
Gullible
Adjective
Definition: easily deceived
Synonyms: credulous, exploitable, naive
Sentence: The young child was gullible and believed everything his older sister told him
Fawn
Verb
Definition: to grovel
Synonyms: bootlick, grovel, pander, toady
Sentence: The employee fawned over his manager in hopes of getting a raise
Florid
Adjective
Definition: excessively decorated or embellished
Synonyms: baroque, elaborate, flamboyant, ornate, ostentatious, rococo
Sentence: The florid flowers were perfect for the eccentric wedding
Foment
Verb
Definition: to arouse or incite
Synonyms: agitate, impassion, inflame, instigate, kindle
Sentence: Trump fomented the insurrection
Euphony
Noun
Definition: pleasant, harmonious sound
Synonyms: harmony, melody, music, sweetness
Sentence: The symphony sounds more like a euphony when played in symphony hall
Glower
Verb
Definition: to glare or stare angrily and intensely
Synonyms: frown, lower, scowl
Sentence: The women glowered at the loud man on the train
Dilate
Verb
Definition: to make larger; to expand
Synonyms: amplify, develop, elaborate, enlarge, expand, expatiate
Sentence: Our eyes dilate in the dark so we can see more
Fervid
Adjective
Definition: intensely emotional; feverish
Synonyms: burning, impassioned, passionate, vehement, zealous
Sentence: The obsessed academic was fervid over his work
Distend
Verb
Definition: to swell, inflate, or bloat
Synonyms: broaden, bulge
Sentence: Her stomach was distended after the thanksgiving feast
Estimable
Adjective
Definition: admirable
Synonyms: admirable, commendable, creditable, honorable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy, respectable, venerable, worthy
Sentence: The student found the professor estimable and loved her work
Gambol
Verb
Definition: to dance or skip around playfully
Synonyms: caper, cavort, frisk, rollick, romp
Sentence: The child gamboled around the water park in the hot sun
Erratic
Adjective
Definition: wandering and unpredictable
Synonyms: capricious, inconstant, irresolute, whimsical
Sentence: The angry animal was erratic, the people were not sure what it would do next
Diatribe
Noun
Definition: an abusive, condemnatory speech
Synonyms: fulmination, harangue, jeremiad, malediction, obloquy, tirade
Sentence: Sara shouted a diatribe at the people who were talking on the 4th floor of Snell
Guile
Noun
Definition: deceit; trickery
Synonyms: artifice, chicanery, connivery, duplicity
Sentence: The fox used guile to trick the lion
Dither
Verb
Definition: to act confusedly or without clear purpose
Synonyms: falter, hesitate, vacillate, waffle, waver
Sentence: The lost girl dithered around the mall trying to decide what to get for her friend’s birthday
Demur
Verb
Definition: to express doubts or objections
Synonyms: dissent, expostulate, protest, remonstrate
Sentence: The girl demured to the group about the project, as the data was incorrect
Grievous
Adjective
Definition: causing grief or sorrow; serious and distressing
Synonyms: dire dolorous, grave, mournful
Sentence: The woman cried through the grievous events of the funeral
Ephemeral
Adjective
Definition: lasting a short time
Synonyms: evanescent, fleeting, momentary, transient
Sentence: The pain from the shot was ephemeral
Embellish
Verb
Definition: to add ornamental or fictitious details
Synonyms: adorn, bedeck, elaborate, embroider, enhance, exaggerate
Sentence: The girl embellished the back of her jacket with diamonds
Ersatz
Adjective
Definition: fake
Synonyms: artificial, dummy, false, imitation, mock, sham, simulated, spurious, substitute
Sentence: The fashion expert could spot an ersatz handbag from a mile away
Dirge
Noun
Definition: a funeral hymn or mournful speech
Synonyms: elegy, lament
Sentence: The man wrote a dirge to speak at his best friend’s funeral
Eclectic
Adjective
Definition: selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Synonyms: broad, catholic
Sentence: The Broken Elbo is an eclectic bar
Enigma
Noun
Definition: a puzzle; a mystery
Synonyms: conundrum, perplexity
Sentence: The character had to solve the enigma before moving on to the next trial
Meretricious
Adjective
Definition: gaudy; falsely attractive
Synonyms: flashy, insincere, loud, specious, tawdry
Sentence: The modern architecture was meretricious to me
Mendacious
Adjective
Definition: dishonest
Synonyms: deceitful, false, lying, untruthful
Sentence: The mendacious student claimed he was sick when really he had skipped class
Jingoism
Noun
Definition: belligerent support of one’s country
Synonyms: chauvinism, nationalism
Sentence: The people who stormed the Capital were jingoists
Inter
Verb
Definition: to bury
Synonyms: entomb, inhume
Sentence: The school interred the time capsule where it would sit for the next 50 years
Lugubrious
Adjective
Definition: sorrowful; mournful; dismal
Synonyms: funereal, gloomy, melancholy, somber, woeful
Sentence: Most funeral services are lugubrious
Impious
Adjective
Definition: not devout in religion
Synonyms: immoral, irreverent, profane
Sentence: Many young people are impious and are not devout to their religion
Monotony
Noun
Definition: no variation; tediously the same
Synonyms: drone; tedium
Sentence: The meeting was a monotony and people got bored quickly
Martinet
Noun
Definition: strict disciplinarian; one who rigidly follows rules
Synonyms: dictator, stickler, tyrant
Sentence: Hermione was a martinet in the first Harry Potter movie
Molt
Verb
Definition: to shed hair, or an outer layer periodically
Synonyms: cast, defoliate, desquamate
Sentence: The snake molted its skin
Legerdemain
Noun
Definition: trickery
Synonyms: chicanery, conjuring
Sentence: The girl used legerdemain to get past the club bouncer
Libertine
Noun
Definition: a free thinker (usually used disparagingly); one without moral restraint
Synonyms: hedonist
Sentence: The libertine gambled away his families money and did not care
Iconoclast
Noun
Definition: one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
Synonyms: maverick, nonconformist, rebel, revolutionary
Sentence: The young woman was an iconoclast in her traditional family, she did not believe in tradition
Lissome
Adjective
Definition: easily flexed; limber; agile
Synonyms: graceful, lithe, supple
Sentence: The contortionist was lissome and could easily bend her body
Hapless
Adjective
Definition: unfortunate; having bad luck
Synonyms: ill-fated, ill-starred, jinxed, luckless, unlucky
Sentence: The hapless man had less luck than those around him
Missive
Noun
Definition: a written note or letter
Synonyms: message
Sentence: The boy wrote a missive to his lover
Intrepid
Adjective
Definition: fearless; resolutely courageous
Synonyms: brave
Sentence: The intrepid man was the first to fight the monster
Kindle
Verb
Definition: to set fire to or ignite; to excite or inspire
Synonyms: arouse, awaken, light, spark
Sentence: The man did his best to kindle the fire with damp wood
Meticulous
Adjective
Definition: extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking
Synonyms: finicky, fussy, picky, precise, punctilious, scrupulous
Sentence: The perfectionist was meticulous in everything she did
Latent
Adjective
Definition: potentially available, but not readily apparent
Synonyms: concealed, dormant, inert, potential, quiescent
Sentence: Her humor was latent, as she was a shy and reserved person
Sybarite
Noun
Definition: a person devoted to pleasure and luxury
Synonyms: hedonist, sensualist
Sentence: The CEO was a sybarite and regularly went on expensive vacations
Venerable
Adjective
Definition: worthy of respect or reverence due to age, wisdom, dignity, or position
Synonyms: distinguished, elderly, esteemed, respectable
Sentence: Dumbledore was a venerable wizard, due to his age and experience
Sedition
Noun
Definition: behavior that promotes rebellion or civil disorder against the state
Synonyms: conspiracy, insurrection
Sentence: Trump was arrested for sedition/for inciting violence
Surly
Adjective
Definition: rude and bad-tempered
Synonyms: gruff, grumpy, testy
Sentence: Some customers in retail are surly
Supplant
Verb
Definition: to replace (another) by force; to take the place of
Synonyms: displace, supersede
Sentence: Trump tried to supplant Joe Biden as president by altering the election results
Verdant
Adjective
Definition: green with vegetation; inexperienced
Synonyms: grassy, leafy, naive, wooded, unsophisticated
Sentence: The English countryside is verdant due to the large amounts of rain
Waver
Verb
Definition: to fluctuate between choices
Synonyms: dither, falter, fluctuate, oscillate, vacillate
Sentence: She wavered on her decision of which job offer to accept
Sanguine
Adjective
Definition: ruddy; cheerfully optimistic
Synonyms: confident, hopeful, positive, rosy, rubicund
Sentence: The sanguine girl always tried to look on the bright side of things
Stentorian
Adjective
Definition: extremely loud
Synonyms: clamorous, noisy
Sentence: No one could hear the teacher over the noise of the stentorian students
Sardonic
Adjective
Definition: cynical; scornfully mocking
Synonyms: acerbic, caustic, sarcastic, satirical, snide
Sentence: The girl was annoyed by the sardonic comments made by her brother
Vernal
Adjective
Definition: related to spring; fresh
Synonyms: springlike, youthful
Sentence: My seasonal depression seems to fade when the weather becomes vernal
Verbose
Adjective
Definition: wordy
Synonyms: long-winded, loquacious, prolix, superfluous
Sentence: Some people use a lot of verbs and are verbose
Stratagem
Noun
Definition: trick designed to deceive an enemy
Synonyms: artifice, feint, maneuver, ruse, wile
Sentence: The Trojan Horse is an old stratagem used to trick people
Salubrious
Adjective
Definition: healthful
Synonyms: bracing, curative, medicinal, therapeutic, tonic
Sentence: Yoga has a salubrious effect on both my mental and physical health
Vestige
Noun
Definition: a trace; a remnant
Synonyms: relic, remains, sign
Sentence: The detective searched for a vestige of the criminal’s DNA
Vim
Noun
Definition: vitality and energy
Synonyms: force, power
Sentence: The coffee helped the lady worked with a vim
Transitory
Adjective
Definition: temporary; lasting a brief time
Synonyms: ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, impermanent, momentary
Sentence: The pain from the flu shot was transitory
Wraith
Noun
Definition: a ghost or specter; a ghost of a living person seen just before his or her death
Synonyms: apparition, bogeyman, phantasm, shade, spirit
Sentence: There was a wraith in the basement of the shop
Zeal
Noun
Definition: passion; excitement
Synonyms: ardency, fervor, fire, passion
Sentence: The man loved knitting and finished his sweater with zeal
Wanton
Adjective
Definition: undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless
Synonyms: capricious, lewd, licentious
Sentence: The teenager committed a wanton act and stole the wontons from the restaurant
Eschew
Verb
Definition: to shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)
Synonyms: avoid, elude, escape, evade, shun, shy
Sentence: The girl would eschew the rude girls so they would not be rude to her
Endemic
Adjective
Definition: belonging to a particular area; inherent
Synonyms: indigenous, local, native
Sentence: We first thought that COVID was an endemic, as it was localized in China
Ethos
Noun
Definition: the beliefs or character of a group
Synonyms: culture, ethic, philosophy
Sentence: The ethos of the cult was to follow their leader
Desiccate
Verb
Definition: to dry out thoroughly
Synonyms: dehydrate, dry, parch
Sentence: After leaving the fruit in the dehydrator, they were desiccated
Frugality
Noun
Definition: tending to be thrifty or cheap
Synonyms: economy, parsimony, prudence, sparingness
Sentence: My parents’ frugality has caused me to be careful with my spending
Esoteric
Adjective
Definition: known to understood only by a few
Synonyms: abstruse, arcane, obscure
Sentence: The details of string theory is esoteric
Philistine
Noun
Definition: a person who is guided by materialism and is disdainful of intellectual or artistic values
Synonyms: boor, bourgeois, capitalist, materialist, vulgarian
Sentence: Rafe was philistine; he did not care about the history of the gold cross, just the value
Palatial
Adjective
Definition: relating to a palace; magnificent
Synonyms: grand, stately
Sentence: After living in a small apartment, the girl thought the house looked palatial
Permeate
Verb
Definition: to penetrate
Synonyms: imbue, infuse, pervade, suffuse
Sentence: Heavy duty cleaners help to permeate stains
Numismatics
Noun
Definition: coin collecting
Synonyms: N/A
Sentence: The little boy was a fan of numismatics and had a variety of coins
Nascent
Adjective
Definition: starting to develop; coming into existence
Synonyms: embryonic, emerging, inchoate, incipient
Sentence: The girl’s idea was nascent and she needed to develop it more
Pallid
Adjective
Definition: lacking color or liveliness
Synonyms: ashen, blanched, ghostly, pale, wan
Sentence: Tanu’s room often looks pallid as she does not decorate
Profligate
Adjective
Definition: corrupt; degenerate
Synonyms: dissolute, extravagant, improvident, prodigal, wasteful
Sentence: Many politicians are profligate, which caused things like Watergate
Prescient
Adjective
Definition: having foresight
Synonyms: augural, divinatory, mantic, oracular, premonitory
Sentence: Her decision to leave her job seemed prescient, as the company soon went bankrupt
Husband
Verb
Definition: to manage economically; to use sparingly
Synonyms: conserve, ration
Sentence: The space crew were forced to husband their food after getting stuck in space
Laud
Verb
Definition: to give praise; to glorify
Synonyms: acclaim, applaud, commend, compliment, exalt, extol, hail, praise
Sentence: Dumbledore extoled the gryfindor house after the students helped to save the school
Itinerant
Adjective
Definition: wandering from place to place; unsettled
Synonyms: nomadic, vagrant
Sentence: June’s sister thinks of her as itinerant, as she is moving around a lot in life
Maelstrom
Noun
Definition: whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
Synonyms: eddy, turbulence
Sentence: The town had suffered from the maelstrom of the storm
Impecunious
Adjective
Definition: poor; having no money
Synonyms: destitute, impoverished, indigent, needy, penniless
Sentence: After the natural disaster, many families became impecunious
Indolent
Adjective
Definition: habitually lazy or idle
Synonyms: faineant, languid, lethargic, slothful, sluggish
Sentence: The indolent employee was fired from many jobs
Levity
Noun
Definition: an inappropriate lack of seriousness; an overly casual atmosphere
Synonyms: amusement, humor
Sentence: The joke gave a sense of levity to the important meeting
Listless
Adjective
Definition: lacking energy and enthusiasm
Synonyms: faineant, indolent, languid, lethargic, sluggish
Sentence: I often feel listless when stressed out
Monastic
Adjective
Definition: extremely plain or secluded, as in a monastery
Synonyms: austere, contemplative, disciplined, regimented, self-abnegating
Sentence: The monk lived in his monastic home
Inexorable
Adjective
Definition: inflexible; unyielding
Synonyms: adamant, obdurate, relentless
Sentence: Hurricane Katrina was an inexorable force
Implacable
Adjective
Definition: unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
Synonyms: inexorable, irreconcilable, relentless, remorseless, unforgiving, unrelenting
Sentence: The screaming baby was implacable without her binky
Kudos
Noun
Definition: fame, glory, or honor
Synonyms: acclaim, accolade, encomium, homage, praise
Sentence: The singer was given kudos for her amazing performance
Lassitude
Noun
Definition: a state of diminished energy
Synonyms: debilitation, enervation, fatigue, languor, listlessness, tiredness, weariness
Sentence: When people have COVID, they sometimes suffer from lassitude
Keen
Adjective
Definition: having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp; perceptive
Synonyms: acute, canny, quick
Sentence: The detective had a keen sense of criminals and was able to find the criminal
Militate
Verb
Definition: to operate against; work against
Synonyms: affect, change, influence
Sentence: Dumbledore’s army militated against Voldemort
Lachrymose
Adjective
Definition: tearful
Synonyms: teary, weeping
Sentence: Some psychiatric patients become lachrymose when being interviewed
Hoary
Adjective
Definition: very old; whitish or gray from age
Synonyms: ancient, antediluvian, antique, venerable, vintage
Sentence: Dumbledore was clearly a hoary man
Repose
Noun
Definition: relaxation; leisure
Synonyms: calmness, tranquility
Sentence: I find repose in reading books
Zephyr
Noun
Definition: a gentle breeze; something airy or unsubstantial
Synonyms: breath, draft
Sentence: The zephyr from the ocean made the beach cooler
Wan
Adjective
Definition: sickly pale
Synonyms: ashen, sickly
Sentence: The sick man appeared wan to those around him
Stasis
Noun
Definition: a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
Synonyms: inertia, standstill
Sentence: The unused closet was in a state of stasis for many years
Replete
Adjective
Definition: abundantly supplied; complete
Synonyms: abounding, full
Sentence: The bakery was always replete with a variety of goods
Sycophant
Noun
Definition: a self-serving flatterer; a yes-man
Synonyms: bootlicker, fawner, lickspittle, toady
Sentence: The boss only employed sycophants as he did not like criticism
Taciturn
Adjective
Definition: silent; not talkative
Synonyms: laconic, reticent
Sentence: Elizabeth Bennet would describe Mr. Darcy as taciturn
Talon
Noun
Definition: claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey
Synonyms: claw, nail
Sentence: The eagle used its talons to capture its prey
Winsome
Adjective
Definition: charming; happily engaging
Synonyms: attractive, delightful
Sentence: The woman gave the bouncer a winsome style and he let her in
Tirade
Noun
Definition: a long, harsh speech or verbal attack
Synonyms: diatribe, fulmination, harangue, obloquy, revilement, vilification
Sentence: The boss went on a tirade against his employee for stealing
Viscous
Adjective
Definition: thick and adhesive, like a slow-flowing fluid
Synonyms: gelatinous, glutinous, thick
Sentence: Honey is more viscous than water
Sully
Verb
Definition: to tarnish; to taint
Synonyms: besmirch, defile
Sentence: When the congressman was caught laundering money, his reputation was sullied
Zenith
Noun
Definition: the point of culmination; peak
Synonyms: acme, pinnacle
Sentence: The model considered her appearance on the cover of vogue to be the zenith of her career
