GRE Saad Vocab - New Words List (Part 1) Flashcards

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1
Q

asperity

A

harshness of tone or manner
e.g. “he pointed this out with some asperity”

Synonym: acerbity, acrimony, bitterness

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2
Q

anarchic

A

disordered; without law or control
e.g. “the citywide blackouts caused anarchic looting and rioting”

Synonym: illicit, disorderly, illegal, felonious

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3
Q

expediency/expedient

A

the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral; convenience
e.g. “made the expedient decision to sell the land to whomever offered the most money”

Synonym: prudent, desirable, wise, tactical

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4
Q

anemic

A

weak
e.g. “The band played an anemic rendition of a classic love song.”

Synonym: feeble, frail

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5
Q

enduring

A

lasting over a period of time; durable.
e.g. “he formed several enduring relationships with women”

Synonym: persisting, surviving, withstanding

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6
Q

unabashed

A

not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed
e.g. “unabashed by their booing and hissing, he continued with his musical performance”

Synonym: unashamed, proud, shameless, impudent, brazen

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7
Q

vitriolic

A

cruel and bitter criticism
e.g. “vitriolic attacks on the politicians”

Synonym: acrimonious, rancorous, bitter, caustic, mordant, acerbic, astringent

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8
Q

bombastic

A

to be full of hot air – make grand promises but not delivering
e.g. “a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district”

Synonym: grandiose, histrionic, pompous, turgid

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9
Q

dispatch

A

being prompt and efficient
e.g. “dispatched a messenger with urgent news”

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10
Q

assiduous

A

showing great care and perseverance
e.g. “the fascinating sight of assiduous ants carrying food into the anthill”

Synonym: diligent, engaged, sedulous, industrious

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11
Q

temerity

A

excessive confidence; boldness
e.g. “she had the temerity to ask me if she could borrow some money even though she never repaid the last loan”

Synonym: gall, nerve, audacity, impudence, brazenness

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12
Q

slippery

A

a word or concept elusive in meaning
e.g. “a slippery concept that we had trouble understanding”

Synonym: elusive, evasive

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13
Q

injudicious

A

poor judgment; unwise
e.g. “lost a job because of an injudicious comment regarding the boss’s toupee”

Synonym: inappropriate, imprudent, careless, indiscreet, tactless, unwise

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14
Q

expurgated

A

to remove objectionable material
e.g. “the newspaper had to expurgate the expletive-laden speech that the criminal made upon being sentenced to life imprisonment”

Synonym: censored

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15
Q

corpus

A

a collection of texts
e.g. “Jane Austen’s corpus is modest in number but magnificent in achievement”

Synonym: bulk, collection, compilation, core

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16
Q

substantiated

A

provide evidence to support or prove the truth
e.g. “they had found nothing that substantiated the allegations”

Synonym: ascertained, assured, authenticated, corroborated, demonstrated

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17
Q

frisson

A

thrill; excitement
e.g. “a frisson of excitement”

Synonym: thrill, exhilaration, rush, titillation

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18
Q

maladaptive

A

not adapting well
e.g. “maladaptive coping strategies such as increasing consumption of alcohol”

Synonym: maladjusted, nonadaptive

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19
Q

nugatory

A

has no real value; worthless
e.g. “a nugatory and pointless observation”

Synonym: unimportant, inconsequential, worthless

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20
Q

veritable

A

true; real; actual; genuine
e.g. “the early 1970s witnessed a veritable price explosion”

Synonym: real, genuine, classic, utter, unmitigated

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21
Q

jaded

A

fatigued or bored due to overwork; distrustful attitude; cynical
e.g. “Now, he says, we are all so jaded that we are almost unshockable.”

Synonym: bored, tired, weary, fatigued

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22
Q

postulate

A

to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary
e.g. “He postulates that all people are born with certain rights that can never be taken away from them”

Synonym: hypothesize, posit, presuppose, theorize, predicate

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23
Q

visceral

A

based on intuition
e.g. “the voters’ visceral fear of change”

Synonym: ingrained, innate, intuitive

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24
Q

measured

A

carefully considered
e.g. “his measured prose”

Synonym: careful, deliberate, meticulous

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25
Q

pulverized

A

powderize; reduce to very small particle
e.g. “the brick of the villages was pulverized by the bombardment”

Synonym: busted, collapsed, cracked, crumbled

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26
Q

histrionic

A

overly theatrical or melodramatic in character or style
e.g. “a histrionic outburst”

Synonym: theatrical, melodramatic, stagey, conspicuous, exaggerated, bombastic

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27
Q

stately

A

appear noble or dignified
e.g. “a stately 19th-century mansion”

Synonym: ceremonial, elegant, gracious, grand, palatial, solemn

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28
Q

passe

A

outdated; no longer fashionable
e.g. “minis are passé—the best skirts are knee-length”

Synonym: obsolete, odd, outdated, outmoded

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29
Q

pervasive

A

spreading widely throughout an area; prevalent
e.g. “A pervasive smell filled the room.”

Synonym: widespread, general, prevalent, familiar, rife

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30
Q

unremitting

A

continuous; persistent
e.g. “unremitting rain that lasted for six days”

Synonym: ceaseless, continuous, enduring, eternal, incessant

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31
Q

slipshod

A
  1. careless; disorganized
  2. lack of care, thought or organization
    e.g. “he’d caused many problems with his slipshod management”

Synonym: remiss, lax, shabby, impetuous

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32
Q

archetypal

A

typical
e.g. “St. Peter’s basilica in Rome is considered by some art historians to be the archetypal structure in the baroque style”

Synonym: quintessential, paradigmatic, definitive, exemplary, stereotypical, imitable

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33
Q

in tandem

A

working or occurring in conjunction with each other
e.g. “The heart and lungs will be transplanted in tandem.”

Synonym: in collaboration, in combination, in conjunction, synchronously

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34
Q

opulence

A

great wealth; affluence
e.g. “In some parts of the city, nearly unimaginable opulence can be found side by side with nearly unthinkable poverty”

Synonym: abundance, affluence, lavishness, plentitude

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35
Q

palliate

A

lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of; ease; abate
e.g. “Don’t try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies”

Synonym: abate, ease, allay, alleviate, assuage, camouflage, exculpate

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36
Q

inscrutable

A

not easily understood; unfathomable; enigmatic
e.g. “the many inscrutable beliefs of that ancient religion”

Synonym: enigmatic, impenetrable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, cryptic, obscure

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37
Q

stinting with

A

to be sparing or frugal
e.g. “He is a stinting boss who doesn’t give paid sick leave no matter how long you’ve worked for him”

Synonym: parsimonious, frugal

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38
Q

unwonted

A

unusual; out of the ordinary
e.g. “He was honored for the unwonted courage he showed in battle”

Synonym: anomalous, especial, incredible, aberrant, atypical, preternatural

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39
Q

maverick

A

someone who exhibits independent thought; unorthodox
e.g. “George Sand’s maverick views on marriage scandalized 19th-century French society”

Synonym: dissident, unconventional, iconoclastic

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40
Q

debased

A

adulterate; reduce in quality or value
e.g. “a book that examines the debased character of the criminal mind”

Synonym: degraded, corrupt, sick, depraved, perverted, decadent, debauched, warped, rakish

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41
Q

malefactor

A

criminal; culprit
e.g. “She regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort”

Synonym: evildoer, immoralist, transgressor, rogue, outlaw

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42
Q

succor

A

a helping hand in time of need; aid
e.g. “We see it as our duty to give succor to those in need.”

Synonym: assist, aid, help, palliation

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43
Q

blandish

A

praise someone dishonestly; flatter
e.g. “They blandished her into doing their work for them by complimenting her shamelessly”

Synonym: allure, beguile, cajole, caress, charm, coax, wheedle

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44
Q

wrangling

A

long argument or dispute
e.g. “a town meeting at which local residents wrangled for hours about property taxes”

Synonym: bickering, fighting, arguing, quarrelling, clashing, squabbling

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45
Q

propitious

A

presenting favorable circumstances; promising
e.g. “the success of the first big movie in May was a propitious start for the summer season of blockbusters”

Synonym: promising, bright, optimistic, auspicious, opportune

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46
Q

bemuse

A

puzzle; confuse
e.g. “the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress”

Synonym: bewilder, perplex, confuse, baffle, puzzle, befuddle, mystify, flummox

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47
Q

loath

A

reluctant or unwilling
e.g. “I was loath to accept his claim of having climbed Mount Everest”

Synonym: reluctant, hesitant, unwilling, reticent, disinclined

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48
Q

upbeat

A

pleasantly (or unrealistically) optimistic; cheerful
e.g. “an upbeat attitude about life”

Synonym: buoyant, cheery, rosy, sanguine, blithe, pollyannish

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49
Q

pollyannish

A

unfailingly cheerful; upbeat
e.g. “Wishful thinking and Pollyannaish daydreaming left the trusting girl constantly disappointed.”

Synonym: buoyant, cheery, rosy, sanguine, blithe, upbeat

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50
Q

cynical

A

distrusting or disparaging the motives of others
e.g. “He’s so cynical that he can’t understand why anyone would volunteer to help out at a homeless shelter”

Synonym: misanthropic, skeptical, sardonic

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51
Q

disparage

A

belittle; depreciate; undervalue
e.g. “disparaged polo as a sport for the idle rich”

Synonym: diminish, criticize, denigrate, belittle, derogate

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52
Q

synergy

A

collaboration
e.g. “A synergy has developed among the different groups working on this project”

Synonym: alliance, coaction, harmony, symbiosis

53
Q

prescience

A

foreknowing the future
e.g. “most believers would probably agree that complete prescience is one of God’s attributes”

Synonym: foreknowledge, presage

54
Q

formidable

A

intimidating; inspiring fear or respect
e.g. “a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children”

Synonym: daunting, intimidating, terrifying

55
Q

sycophancy/sycophant

A

obsequious behavior toward someone important in order to gain advantage; fawning over someone
e.g. “be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends”

Synonym: adulator, bootlicker, flunkey, lackey

56
Q

munificent

A

very generous
e.g. “a munificent host who has presided over many charitable events at his mansion”

Synonym: charitable, benevolent, liberal, bountiful, magnanimous

57
Q

clique

A

a small close-knit group of people
e.g. “that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table”

Synonym: cabal, clan, coterie, faction

58
Q

superfluity

A

excess; abundance
e.g. “spends most of her money on designer clothes and other superfluities”

Synonym: abundance, indulgence, extra

59
Q

paucity

A

lack of
e.g. “a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour”

Synonym: dearth, scantiness, shortage, poverty

60
Q

facetious

A

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor
e.g. “The essay is a facetious commentary on the absurdity of war as a solution for international disputes”

Synonym: flippant, waggish, frivolous, jocular

61
Q

sacrosanct

A

sacred; not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with
e.g. “The teacher’s book of grades is sacrosanct, and someone could be expelled for changing anything in it”

Synonym: sacred, holy, inviolable, hallowed

62
Q

perpetrate

A

carry out or commit (a crime)
e.g. “the anonymity of the Web allows pranksters to perpetrate their hoaxes with impunity”

Synonym: carry out, commit, execute, inflict, wreak, enact

63
Q

pilloried

A

attack or ridicule harshly
e.g. “The press pilloried the judge for her decision.”

Synonym: berated, excoriated, lashed, upbraided, castigated, lambasted, rebuked

64
Q

shelved

A

to put off aside; postpone
e.g. “Let’s shelve the project for now”

Synonym: abandoned, deserted, discontinued, repudiated, scrapped

65
Q

immoderation

A

overindulgence; excessive
e.g. “immoderation seemed to inhabit every facet of the actress’s over-the-top life”

Synonym: excess, exorbitance, intemperance, extremism

66
Q

dissimulate

A

conceal one’s thoughts or feelings; pretense; dissemble
e.g. “As an actress she had been trained to dissimulate, so she had no trouble hiding her true feelings offstage as well”

Synonym: camouflage, cloak, deceive, dissemble

67
Q

avocation

A

a hobby or minor occupation
e.g. “photography is merely an avocation for me—I’ve never tried to make money off of it”

Synonym: amusement, diversion

68
Q

amplitude

A

a lot of; abundant
e.g. “Her life had taken on such an amplitude of late that even her dreams seemed richer.”

Synonym: largeness, magnitude, vastness

69
Q

tenebrous

A

dark; shadowy or obscure
e.g. “a tenebrous night with no moon”

Synonym: dark, murky, obscure

70
Q

maladroit

A

inefficient or inept; clumsy.
e.g. “some maladroit steering on her part caused the bicycle to go crashing into the bushes”

Synonym: clumsy, awkward, gauche, inept, klutz

71
Q

adroit

A

clever, skilful
e.g. “he was adroit at tax avoidance”

Synonym: artful, adept, dexterous, deft, agile, nimble, ingenious, masterful

72
Q

concord

A

agreement or harmony
e.g. “a pact of peace and concord”

Synonym: harmony, peace, comity, unity, compatibility, solidarity

73
Q

gratuitous

A

unwarranted; unnecessary; without cause; freely bestowed
e.g. “that violent scene was completely gratuitous and didn’t need to be in the movie at all”

Synonym: needless, unwarranted, dispensable, redundant

74
Q

schematic

A

simple representation of something complex
e.g. “We cannot form more than a schematic conception of what it is like.”

Synonym: simplified, diagrammatic, representational, illustration

75
Q

trumped up

A

invented as an excuse; false accusation
e.g. “he was arrested on trumped-up charges”

Synonym: fraudulent, made-up, fabricated, mendacious, fallacious

76
Q

ignominy

A

deep personal humiliation and disgrace
e.g. “he spent the remainder of his life in ignominy after being involved in a bribery scandal”

Synonym: infamy, contempt, disrepute, odium, opprobrium

77
Q

illustrious

A

well-known, respected, and admired for past achievements
e.g. “his illustrious predecessor”

Synonym: distinguished, eminent, esteemed, exalted, famed

78
Q

repugnant

A

distasteful, objectionable, or offensive
e.g. “graffiti that featured absolutely repugnant racial slurs”

Synonym: abhorrent, abominable, contradictory, disgusting, distasteful, nauseous

79
Q

gaudy

A

flashy/ cheaply showy
e.g. “gaudy decorations on all the doors and windows at festival time”

Synonym: flashy, garish, jazzy, ostentatious, swank

80
Q

adjure

A

to ask or order someone to do something
e.g. “He adjured them not to break the drug laws of any of the countries they would be visiting”

Synonym: beseech, entreat, implore, obligate, admonish, counsel

81
Q

exculpate

A

show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing; absolve
e.g. “I will present evidence that will exculpate my client”

Synonym: absolve, acquit, amnesty, exonerate, remit

82
Q

impugn

A

attack as false or wrong; challenge
e.g. “He impugned his rival’s character.”

Synonym: criticize, blame, denounce, condemn, accuse, lambast, rebuke

83
Q

cosset

A

to pamper, to treat with extreme kindness and attention
e.g. “a luxury spa where guests are cosseted with no expense spared”

Synonym: pamper, indulge, overindulge, mollycoddle

84
Q

absolved

A

declare free from guilt, obligation, or punishment
e.g. “they were absolved of their crimes”

Synonym: exculpate, acquit, amnesty, exonerate, remit

85
Q

atrophied

A

weaken; diminish
e.g. “His body has atrophied to the point where he can’t move.”

Synonym: attenuated, famished, anemic

86
Q

inchoate

A

Not fully formed or developed; imperfect; rudimentary
e.g. “She had inchoate feelings of affection for a man whom she had, up till now, thought of as only a friend”

Synonym: nascent, incipient, inceptive, budding, embryonic, rudimentary

87
Q

onerous

A

burdensome; troublesome
e.g. “He had the onerous and stressful job of notifying the families of soldiers killed in action”

Synonym: arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, cumbersome, laborious

88
Q

incipient

A

beginning to happen or develop; inchoate
e.g. “I have an incipient dislike and distrust of that guy, and I only met him this morning”

Synonym: embryonic, nascent, rudimentary

89
Q

foreboding

A

fearful apprehension; feeling that something bad will happen
e.g. “foreboding clouds began to gather”

Synonym: trepidation, apprehension, dread, premonition, perturbation

90
Q

perturbation

A

unhappy; worried
e.g. “The Dude looks up, one hand flicks his hair out of eyes in perturbation.”

Synonym: anxiety, commotion, confusion, disorder, disruption, apprehension

91
Q

polemical

A

major disagreement; provoking dispute
e.g. “during the Middle Ages even theologians could be surprisingly polemical in their writings”

Synonym: virulent, vitriolic, acerbic, scathing

92
Q

consequential

A

something which is important or significant
e.g. “the new congress lacked consequential leaders”

Synonym: momentous, tectonic, monumental, much, important

93
Q

prelude

A

preliminary; introduces what follows
e.g. “a ceasefire had been agreed as a prelude to full peace negotiations”

Synonym: preliminary, overture, prologue

94
Q

pretext

A

something that is put forward to conceal a true purpose or object
e.g. “The leaders used a minor clash at the border as a pretext for war.”

Synonym: justification, pretense, guise

95
Q

ostensible

A

intended for display
e.g. “the ostensible reason for the meeting turned out to be a trick to get him to the surprise party”

Synonym: plausible, superficial, demonstrable

96
Q

contriving

A

the act of devising something
e.g. “contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils”

Synonym: devising, concocting, constructing, inventing

97
Q

conflate

A

mix together different elements or concepts
e.g. “be careful not to conflate gossip with real news”

Synonym: confuse, confound, mistake, amalgamate

98
Q

saccharine

A

excessively sweet or sentimental
e.g. “the movie was funny, but it had a saccharine ending in which everyone lives happily ever after”

Synonym: cloying, mawkish, schmaltzy, sentimental

99
Q

oblique

A

indirect
e.g. “he issued an oblique attack on the President”

Synonym: roundabout, circuitous, circumlocutory, implicit, backhanded

100
Q

posit

A

put forward; postulate; assert
e.g. “the Confucian view posits a perfectible human nature”

Synonym: postulate, put forward, hypothesize, propound, predicate

101
Q

embolden

A

to fill with courage or strength of purpose
e.g. “his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder”

Synonym: buoy, energize, inspire, invigorate, reassure, galvanize

102
Q

hagiography

A

a biography of saints or venerated person
e.g. “a hagiography of the leader written by one of his closest confidants”

Synonym: biography, memoir

103
Q

edifying

A

providing moral or intellectual instruction
e.g. “his sermon was instructive and edifying”

Synonym: didactic, instructive

104
Q

derail

A

to obstruct the progress of
e.g. “the violence threatens to derail the peace process”

Synonym: hinder, impede, interfere, stall, stonewall, thwart, stymie

105
Q

foible

A

weakness
e.g. “We could tolerate my uncle’s foibles because we loved him dearly”

Synonym: infirmity, frailty

106
Q

acquiescence

A

agreement or consent by silence or without objection compliance
e.g. “good manners demanded our cheerful acquiescence to our host’s plans for dinner”

Synonym: obedience, assent, deference, submissiveness, docility, compliance, subservience

107
Q

emancipatory

A

set free from the control of someone; given freedom (social or political)
e.g. “under the cover of darkness animal rights activists emancipated the inhabitants of the mink ranch”

Synonym: affranchise, discharge, disencumber, enfranchise, loose, manumit

108
Q

prophylactic

A

preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
e.g. “the many prophylactic measures that city officials could have taken to reduce the scope of the disaster”

Synonym: preventive, preventative, precautionary

109
Q

ulterior

A

lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed; undisclosed
e.g. “could there be an ulterior motive behind his request?”

Synonym: underlying, covert

110
Q

heralded

A

be a sign that (something) is about to happen
e.g. “the speech heralded a change in policy”

Synonym: betoken, presage, prescience, portend, forebode

111
Q

foreclose

A

to take back property that was bought with borrowed money
e.g. “They’ve been unable to make their mortgage payments, and the bank has threatened to foreclose.”

Synonym: expropriate, confiscate, dispossess, impound

112
Q

sequester

A

keep away from others; set aside; segregate
e.g. “she is sequestered in deepest Dorset”

Synonym: insulate, restrain, seclude, quarantine

113
Q

risible

A

arousing or provoking laughter
e.g. “a risible comment that made the whole class laugh”

Synonym: farcical, slapstick, facetious

114
Q

comely

A

suitable; fitting; handsome
e.g. “a brood of comely children that any parent would be proud to claim”

Synonym: alluring, attractive

115
Q

jejune

A

dull, insipid; naive, simplistic
e.g. “another moralizing tale filled with jejune platitudes”

Synonym: dull, insipid, humdrum, naive, simplistic

116
Q

oddity

A

odd; strange
e.g. “she was regarded as a bit of an oddity”

Synonym: quirk, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity

117
Q

enterprising

A

undertake; attempt to perform
e.g. “some enterprising teachers have started their own recycling programmes”

Synonym: resourceful, imaginative, ingenious, vigorous

118
Q

interloper

A

invader; a person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted
e.g. “Japanese consumers have in the past been unreceptive to foreign interlopers in the cell phone market”

Synonym: encroacher, trespasser, invader, infiltrator

119
Q

riotous

A

disruptive; unrest; turbulent time
e.g. “a riotous crowd”

Synonym: unruly, rowdy, disorderly, anarchic

120
Q

prattle

A

blabber; unintelligible talk; palaver
e.g. “parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring”

Synonym: cajole, palaver, coax

121
Q

palaver

A

blabber; prattle
e.g. “seemingly endless palaver between the negotiating parties”

Synonym: cajole, prattle, coax

122
Q

protracted

A

long in duration; longer than expected
e.g. “a protracted and bitter dispute”

Synonym: enduring, prolonged, everlasting

123
Q

hubris

A

excessive pride/arrogance
e.g. “His failure was brought on by his hubris.”

Synonym: conceit, haughtiness, pride, vanity, hauteur, pomposity

124
Q

controverts

A

to dispute or oppose by reasoning
e.g. “ever since the poem was first published, critics and scholars have controverted over the meaning of its concluding lines”

Synonym: bicker, quarrel, wrangle

125
Q

disdain

A

abhorrence; to act mean and superior; arrogant
e.g. “showing undisguised disdain for the other employees”

Synonym: malice, hostility, hatefulness, antipathy, arrogance, aversion, contempt

126
Q

skittish

A

unpredictably excitable; flighty; nervous
e.g. “a skittish housing market had both buyers and sellers on edge”

Synonym: capricious, mercurial, temperamental, protean

127
Q

a snare for

A

a trap for
e.g. “you fell for my clever snare, you fool!”

Synonym: deception, entanglement, envelopment, snag, entrapment

128
Q

a boon to

A

helpful to
e.g. “the route will be a boon to many travelers”

Synonym: blessing, gift, relief, godsend

129
Q

unseemly

A

not keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper
e.g. “an unseemly squabble”

Synonym: incongruous, unbecoming, indecorous, perverse