GRE Sheet 9 Flashcards
rococo
Very elaborate and ornate (in decorating or metaphorically, as in speech and writing); relating to a highly ornate style of art and architecture in 18th-century France
rudimentary
Elementary, relating to the basics; undeveloped, primitive
rue
Regret, remorse (noun); to feel regret or remorse (verb)
ruminate
Turn over in the mind, reflect on; chew cud (as a cow)
rustic
Relating to country life, unsophisticated; primitive; made of rough wood (adj); a rural or uncultured person (noun)
sacrosanct
Sacred, inviolable, not to be trespassed on or violated; above any criticism
sagacious
Wise; showing good judgment and foresight
salient
Obvious, standing out; projecting, protruding, jutting out
salubrious
Healthful, promoting health
sanction
Permission or approval, something that gives support or authority to something else (noun); to allow, confirm, ratify (verb); OR a legal action by one or more countries against another country to get it to comply (noun); to place sanctions or penalties on (verb)
sanguine
Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful; reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicting health or vitality)
sap
The inner fluid of a plant or any essential body fluid; energy, vitality; a person taken advantage of (noun); undermine, weaken, tire out (verb)
sardonic
Scornfully or ironically mocking, cynically derisive
satiate or sate
To fully satisfy; to go beyond satisfying to the point of excess (possibly inducing disgust, tiredness, etc.)
saturate
Soak or imbue thoroughly; cause a substance to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance
savant
Learned person, scholar, someone admitted to membership in a scholarly field; a person with amazing mental abilities despite having a cognitive difference or disability
savor
Appreciate fully, taste or smell with pleasure
scant
Not enough or barely enough
scathing
Severe, injurious; bitterly harsh or critical (as a remark)
scintilla
A tiny bit or trace
scurvy
Contemptible, mean
searchingly
In a searching or penetrating manner; while examining closely or probing for answers
secrete
Produce and release a substance from a cell or gland of the body for a functional purpose
secular
Not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things
sedition
Inciting rebellion against a government, esp. speech or writing that does this
sedulous
Persevering, persistent, diligent in one’s efforts
semantic
Relating to the different meanings of words or other symbols
sentient
Conscious; experiencing sensation or perceiving with the senses
seraphic
Like an angel; serene, spiritually carried off or transported
shard
Fragment of some brittle substance, esp. a sharp fragment of pottery, glass, etc.
simultaneous
At the same time
sinecure
A job or position that pays while requiring little or no work
skeptic
Person inclined to doubting or questioning generally accepted beliefs
skirt
Border, lie along the edge of, go around; evade
skittish
Shy, fickle, uncertain, or prone to act suddenly due to nervousness; lively in a restless or excessive way
slack
Loose, negligent, lazy, weak (adj); neglect to do one’s duties; loosen up, relax (verb); period of little work (noun)
slake
Satisfy (esp. thirst), cool, or refresh; make less active
slew
A large number or quantity
slight
Small, not very important, slender or delicate (adj); treat as though not very important; snub, ignore (verb); an act of treating in this way, a discourtesy (noun)
sobriquet
A nickname
solecism
Nonstandard use of grammar or words; mistake, esp. in etiquette
solicitous
Concerned or anxious (about another person), expressing care; eager or desirous; very careful
solidarity
Fellowship in interests, feelings, responsibilities, etc., such as among a group of people or among classes, nations, etc.
somatic
Of the body
soporific
Causing sleep; sleepy, drowsy (adj); something that causes sleep (noun)
sound
Measure the depth of (usually of water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand (usually as sound the depths)
spartan
Very disciplined and stern; frugal, living simply, austere; suggestive of the ancient Spartans
spate
Sudden outpouring or rush; flood
spearhead
Be the leader of
specious
Seemingly true but actually false; deceptively attractive
spectrum
A broad range of nevertheless related qualities or ideas, esp. those that overlap to create a continuous series (as in a color spectrum, where each color blends into the next in a continuous way)
speculate
Contemplate; make a guess or educated guess about; engage in a risky business transaction, gamble
sporadic
Occasional, happening irregularly or in scattered locations
sportive
Playful, merry, joking around, done “in sport” (rather than intended seriously)
squalid
Disgusting, filthy, foul, extremely neglected
squelch
Crush, squash; suppress or silence; walk through ooze or in wet shoes, making a smacking or sucking sound
standing
Status, rank, reputation (noun); existing indefinitely, not movable (adj)
stark
Complete, total, utter; harsh or grim; extremely simple, severe, blunt, or plain
stasis
Equilibrium, a state of balance or inactivity, esp. caused by equal but opposing forces
static
Fixed, not moving or changing, lacking vitality
status quo
Existing state or condition
steeped
Immersed (in), saturated (with)
stentorian
Very loud and powerful (generally of a human voice)
stigma
Mark of disgrace, a figurative stain or mark on someone’s reputation
stingy
Not generous with money, reluctant to spend or give
stint
Period of time spent doing something, or a specific, limited amount of work (noun); to be frugal, to get by on little (verb)
stipulate
Specify; make an open demand, esp. as a condition of agreement
stoic or stoical
Indifferent to pleasure or pain, enduring without complaint; person indifferent to pleasure or pain (noun)
stolid
Unemotional, showing little emotion, not easily moved
stratagem
Military maneuver to deceive or surprise; crafty scheme
stratum
One of many layers (such as in a rock formation or in the classes of a society)
strut
A structural support or brace
stymie or stymy
Block, hinder, or thwart (verb); an obstacle (noun)
subjective
Existing in the mind or relating to one’s own thoughts, opinions, emotions, etc.; personal, individual, based on feelings
sublime
Lofty or elevated, inspiring reverence or awe; excellent, majestic; complete, utter
subpoena
A court order requiring a person to appear in court and give testimony
subside
Sink, settle down, become less active; return to a normal level
substantiate
Support with evidence or proof; give a material existence to
succeeding
Coming after or following
sully
Make dirty, stain, tarnish, defile
supersede
Replace, take the position of, cause to be disregarded as void or obsolete
supplant
Take the place of, displace, especially through sneaky tactics
supplicate
Pray humbly; ask, beg, or seek in a humble way
supposition
Assumption, hypothesis, something that has been supposed
surfeit
Excess, excessive amount, overindulgence
surly
Bad-tempered, hostile, unfriendly, or rude
surmise
Guess, infer, think, or make an opinion with incomplete information
surrogate
Substitute, person who acts for another (noun); acting as a replacement (adj)
sybarite
Person devoted to pleasure and luxury
sycophant
Servile flatterer, parasitic person who fawns in order to get ahead
symbiosis
Mutually dependent relationship between two organisms, people, groups, etc.
synchronous
Happening at the same time; occurring at the same rate and thus happening together repeatedly
synoptic
Relating to a synopsis or summary; giving a general view
syntax
The rules governing grammar and how words join to make sentences (or how words and symbols join in writing computer code), the study of these rules, or any system or orderly arrangement
table
Lay aside to discuss later, often as a way to postpone discussion indefinitely
tacit
Understood without being said; implied, not stated directly; silent
taciturn
Not talking much, reserved; silent, holding back in conversation
tangential
Only slightly relevant, going off-topic
tawdry
Gaudy, cheap or cheap-looking; indecent
temperance
Moderation, self-control, esp. regarding alcohol or other desires or pleasures; total abstinence from alcohol
tendentious
Marked by a strong point of view, biased
tenuous
Long and thin, slender; flimsy, having little substance
terrestrial
Relating to the Earth or to land; worldly
terse
Concise, brief and to the point (sometimes to the point of rudeness)
timely
Well-timed, happening at a suitable time
timorous
Fearful, timid
tirade
Bitter, abusive criticism or verbal attack
toady
Someone who flatters or acts in a servile manner for self-serving reasons
token
Sign, symbol, mark, badge; souvenir, memento; coin-like disk used as currency for subways, arcade games, etc.; sample, or person, thing, idea taken to represent an entire group (noun); of very little or merely symbolic value (adj)
tome
Large or scholarly book; one of the volumes in a set of several books
torpor
Sluggishness, lethargy, or apathy; a period of inactivity
torrid
Very hot, parching, burning; passionate
tortuous
Twisting, winding, complex; devious, not straightforward
tractable
Easily controlled or managed, docile; easily shaped or molded
transgression
Violation of a law, moral rule, order, etc.; sin
transitory
Temporary, short-lived, not lasting
travesty
Exaggerated, debased, or grotesque imitation
treacherous
Betraying trust, not faithful or trustworthy; not dependable; dangerous or deceptive
trenchant
Forceful or vigorous, effective, keen; caustic, sharp
trifling
Trivial, not very important; so small as to be unimportant; frivolous, shallow
trite
Lacking freshness and originality, lacking effectiveness due to overuse, cliché
truculent
Fierce, cruel, savage; belligerent
tumultuous
Riotous, violently agitated, marked by disturbance or uproar; noisy, chaotic
turgid
Swollen, inflated; or, metaphorically “inflated,” such as in overblown, pompous speech
turpitude
Depravity, baseness of character, corrupt or depraved acts
tyro
Beginner
ubiquitous
Existing everywhere at the same time
umbrage
Offense or annoyance (usually as take umbrage, meaning become offended or annoyed)
unconscionable
Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, unjust, unreasonable
undermine
Weaken, cause to collapse by digging away at the foundation (of a building or an argument); injure or attack in a secretive or underhanded way
underscore
Emphasize (or, literally, to underline text)
unearth
Dig up, uncover, expose
unequivocal
Unambiguous, clear, absolute; having only one possible meaning
unprecedented
Never before known or seen, without having happened previously
unseemly
Improper, inappropriate, against the rules of taste or politeness
unsparing
Generous, lavish (as in not sparing any help or gifts to others); unmerciful, harsh (as in not sparing any criticism)
untempered
Not toned down; not moderated, controlled, or counterbalanced
upbraid
Find fault with, criticize or scold severely
usury
Charging interest on a loan, esp. charging illegally high or excessive interest
wanton
Reckless, vicious, without regard for what is right; unjustifiable, deliberately done for no reason at all; sexually unrestrained or excessively luxurious
vacillate
Waver in one’s mind or opinions, be indecisive
vanguard
Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in a trend or movement, people on the “cutting edge”; the forefront of a trend or movement
variegated
Varied in color, having multicolored patches or spots; diverse
wary
Watchful, motivated by caution, on guard against danger
venerate
Revere, regard with deep respect and awe
veracity
Truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to the truth
verbose
Wordy
veracity
Truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to the truth
verisimilar
Having the appearance of truth, probable
vernal
Relating to the spring; fresh, youthful
vestige
Trace or sign of something that once existed (noun); deception, covering up of wrongs, errors, misdeeds, etc. (verb)
vex
Annoy or bother; puzzle or distress
via
Through, by means of, by way of (by a route that goes through or touches)
wily
Crafty, cunning, characterized by tricks or artifice
winnow
Sift, analyze critically, separate the useful part from the worthless part
winsome
Charming, engaging, esp. in a sweet and innocent way
wizened
Withered, shriveled
xenophobia
Fear or hatred of foreigners or that which is foreign
yoke
A burden or something that oppresses; a frame for attaching animals (such as oxen) to each other and to a plow or other equipment to be pulled, or a bar across a person’s shoulders to help carry buckets of water, etc. (noun); to unite together or to burden (verb)
zeal
Great fervor or enthusiasm for a cause, person, etc.; tireless diligence in furthering that cause; passion, ardor
zenith
High point, culmination
