GRE Text Completion Flashcards
castigate
reprimand (someone) severely.
S: reprimand, chastise, rebuke
bane
cause of great distress or annoyance
S: ruin, death, plague, destruction
prescient
having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.
S: prophetic, predictive, visionary
preternatural
beyond what is normal or natural
S: extraordinary, unusual, out of the ordinary
indemnify
compensate (someone) for harm or loss
S: reimburse, compensate, guarantee
actuarial
relating to actuaries or their work of compiling and analyzing statistics to calculate insurance risks and premiums
quotidian
of or occurring every day; daily, ordinary, everyday
S: daily, everyday, day-to-day
doyenne
a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field
progeny
a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring
S: offspring, children, young, family
askance
with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval
S: suspiciously, sceptically
acerbic
sharp and forthright
S: sharp, sarcastic, sardonic, satirical
apologist
a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial
S: defender, supporter, advocate, proponent
demarcate
set the boundaries or limits of, separate or distinguish from
S: separate, divide, delimit, distinguish
improvident
not having or showing foresight; spendthrift or thoughtless
S: spendthrift, thriftless, wasteful
dissolute
lax in morals; licentious
S: dissipated, debauched, decadent
pallid
pale, typically because of poor health, feeble
S: insipid, colorless, uninteresting
aghast
filled with horror or shock
S: horrified, appalled, astounded, amazed, dismayed
cajole
persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery
S: persuade, wheedle, coax, maneuver
pann
criticize (someone or something) severely
S: criticize, censure, attack, condemn
roundly
in a vehement or emphatic manner
insouciant
showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent
S: nonchalant, untroubled, unworried, unconcerned
profundity
deep insight; great depth of knowledge or thought
great depth or intensity of a state, quality, or emotion.
S: wisdom, intelligence, acuity, sagacity
providential
occurring at a favorable time; opportune
S: opportune, advantageous, favorable
auspicious
conducive to success; favorable
S: favorable, propitious, promising
propitious
giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable
S: favorable, auspicious, promising, providential
coalesced
come together to form one mass or whole
S: unite, combine, merge, fuse
deftly
in a way that is neatly skillful and quick in movement
in a clever way
abhorrent
inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant
S: detestable, detested, hateful, loathsome
inveigle
persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
S: cajole, wheedle, coax, persuade
hector
talk to (someone) in a bullying way
S: bully, intimidate, browbeat, cow
presage
(of an event) be a sign or warning that (something, typically something bad) will happen
S: portend, augur, foreshadow, prophesy
plaudit
an expression of praise or approval
S: praise, acclaim, acclamation, commendation
omnipotent
(of a deity) having unlimited power; able to do anything
S: all-powerful, almighty, supreme
recanted
say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical
S: renounce, forswear, disavow, deny, repudiate
concomitant
naturally accompanying or associated
S: attendant, accompanying, associated, collateral
vestigial
forming a very small remnant of something that was once much larger or more noticeable
S: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering, persisting
beguile
charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way
S: charm, attract, enchant
coltish
energetic but awkward in one’s movements or behavior.
sycophant
a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage
S: creep, crawler, flatterer
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
S: servile, ingratiating
ingratiating
intended to gain approval or favor; sycophantic
S: sycophantic, toadying, fawning, crawling
fecund
producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile
S: fertile, fruitful, productive
imperious
assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering
S: peremptory, high-handed, commanding, overbearing
peremptory
(especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way
S: brusque, imperious, high-handed, brisk
harbingers
person or a thing that announces or signals the approach of another
S: herald, sign, indicator, indication, prelude
evanescent
soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing
S: vanishing, fading, evaporating, disappearing
high-handed
using power or authority without considering the feelings of others
S: imperious, arbitrary, peremptory, arrogant
peccadilloes
a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin
S: misdemeanor, delinquency, indiscretion
incendiaries
a person who starts up conflicts
(or fires)
S: agitator, demagogue, firebrand
demagogue
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument
S: agitator, firebrand
adverse
preventing success or development; harmful; unfavorable
S: unfavorable, disadvantageous, inauspicious, unpropitious
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
S: trite, cliched, vapid
verdant
inexperienced; unsophisticated
deposed
remove from office suddenly and forcefully
S: overthrow, overturn, topple, bring down
testify/give evidence on oath
S: swear, testify
dulcet
(especially of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically)
S: sweet, mellifluous, euphonious
euphemistic
by means of a mild or indirect word or expression instead of one considered too harsh or blunt
S: polite, mild, understated, softened
precocious
(of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual
S: advanced, forward
motley
incongruously varied in appearance or character; disparate
S: miscellaneous, disparate, diverse, assorted
facetious
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant
S: frivolous, flippant
circumscribe
restrict within limits
S: restrict, limit
