GRE Verbal Words Flashcards
prevarication
when someone tells a lie, sneakily
dissembler
a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives
mawkish
sentimental in a feeble way
perfunctory
with minimum effort
draconian
excessively harsh
prevaricate
speak or act evasively
legion
in great number
thoroughgoing
absolute
equivocation
speak or act evasively
glibness
being talkative in a smooth, almost insincere way
stridency
making or having a harsh sound
parsimony
extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources
perfidy
deceitfulness
hamstrung
crippled by having their hamstrings cut
precis
summary of a larger work
pithy
concise and forcefully expressive
aphorism
short sayings, usually of general truth
ignominy
public shame, disgrace
tepid
slightly warm
heresy
belief contrary to orthodox
lionize
give lots of public attention and approval to
obsequious
servile, obedient
truculent
eager to argue, defensive
caustic
sarcastic in scathing way
resplendent
attractive, impressive via colors/splendidness
specious
superficially plausible but wrong
pastiche
medley
insolvent
unable to pay debts
recondite
difficult to penetrate, incomprehensible
prosaic
lacking imagination, dull
caviling
raising frivolous objections
ponderous
weighed down
hobnob
drink together
muckracking
seeking to expose corruption
polemic
strong verbal or written attack
apocryphal
of questionable authenticity
apprehended
fully understood
staid
respectable, unadventurous
garrulous
excessively talkative
eminent
famous, respected in particular profession
apogee
highest point
nadir
lowest point
precocity
maturing early
fastidious
giving careful attention to detail
trenchant
full of vigor, cutting, incisive
pugnacious
disposed to fighting, quarrelsome
imperil
put at risk of being harmed
gall
to irritate
disabuse
to persuade someone that their belief is not valid
debase
reduce the quality/value of something
banal
repeated too often, overfamiliar
ramshackle
out of repair, loose, disjointed
sycophantic
using flattery to get what one wants, behaving obsequiously
preeminent
surpassing all others, best
disapprobation
strong disapproval
braggadocio
a boasting person
cupidity
greed for money
revile
hurl abusive language
extol
praise
stultify
cause one to lose enthusiasm or energy, likely due to routine
perennial
lasting indefinitely, continually recurring
protracted
prolonged
lachrymose
showing sorrow
penurious
poor
sybarite
someone who indulges in luxury
germane
relevant and appropriate
largesse
gift of money given
untenable
incapable of being defended
repudiate
refuse to accept or be associated with
recapitulate
summarize and restate main points of
facetious
flippant, treating serious issues casually
patent (adj)
obvious
anoint
ceremonially give divine office to (e.g. anoint a king), rub oil
solicitous
showing interest or concern
munificent
more generous than usual/necessary
laconic
using few words
mendacity
untruthfulness
judicious
showing good judgment
doctrinaire
seeking to impose doctrine regardless of practicality
jettison
abandon, discard
modish
conforming to what is fashionable, popular
pernicious
harmful, especially subtle/gradual
salubrious
health-giving, healthy
remedial
intended as remedy
florid
elaborately intricate, excessively complicated
calumnious
slanderous
inveigle
persuade using flattery or deception
timorous
timid
innocuous
not harmful nor offensive
intractable
hard to control
recrudescent
breaking out again, renewing
inimical
tending to obstruct or harm
ostensible
appearing to be true but not necessarily so
openhanded
giving generously
consummate (adj)
highly skilled
denigrate
criticize unfairly
profliglate
spending resources recklessly
revelry
lively, noisy celebration
carousing
drinking and enjoying yourself noisily and livelily
jingoism
extreme patriotism
restiveness
uneasily impatient, hard to control
eschew
deliberately avoid
obdurate
stubborn, unable to be moved
impertinent
disrespectful, rude
munificent
very generous
sopoforic
sleep inducing
expansive
open, communicative
saturnine
slow and gloomy
antedate
precede in time
sclerotic
hard, indurated, firm
pilloried
ridiculed in public, attacked
propitious
favorable, likely to win
predilection
strong liking
behoove
it is a duty of someone to do smth, e.g. it behooves him to train before the game
is incumbent upon
necessary as a duty to help, e.g. it is incumbent upon us to help
punctilious
showing great attention to detail, correctness
myopic
lacking foresight
reticent
disinclined to talk
indelible
unable to be forgotten or removed
insouciance
lacking concern, indifference
pundit
expert in field
assiduity
diligence
inexonorable
unstoppable
sedulous
done diligently and carefully
artifice (n.)
using cunning tricks to deceive
spurious
plausible but false
inundate
overwhelm, flood
vitiate
spoil, impair quality of
redress
remedy, make right
belie
disguise, contradict
base (adj)
without morals, ignoble
hubris
excessive pride
mettlesome
full of courage and spirit
volubility
talkativeness
probity
integrity, honesty, decency
venality
openness to bribery and corruption
inchoate
beginning to form, not fully formed
supercilious
haughty
clemency
leniency
derelict
not doing one’s duties
inveterate
habitual
celerity
speed
feckless
lazy, irresponsible
bucolic
relating to countryside
intransigent
refusing to change one’s views
stolid
showing little emotion
anodyne
soothing pain
augury
omen, object for foretelling the future
histrionic
overly theatrical
temerity
fearless daring
torrid
burning, parched from heat
inclement
unpleasant, stormy
fecund
abundantly producing, fertile
pelucid
clear, understandable
pejorative
derogatory, showing contempt
tractable
controllable, manageable
enjoin
urge someone to do smth
dissimulation
concealing of one’s thoughts
nebulous
vague, unclear
taciturn
uncommunicative, saying little
apotheosis
highest point
vicissitudes
irregularly changing state, revolution
circumscribe
to constrict
studied
deliberate, contrived, careful
affectation
artificial behavior meant to impress
self-effacting
not claiming attention, modest
unstinting
without restraint
loath to
unwilling
intrepid
fearless
benighted
unenlightened
avail yourself to
take advantage of
