GRE Vocab Flashcards
1
Q
abate
A
To reduce in amount, degree, or severity
2
Q
abscond
A
To leave secretly
3
Q
abstain
A
To choose not to do something
4
Q
abyss
A
An extremely deep hole
5
Q
adulterate
A
To make impure
6
Q
advocate
A
To speak in favor of
7
Q
aesthetic
A
Concerning the appreciation of beauty
8
Q
aggrandize
A
To increase in power, influence, and reputation
9
Q
alleviate
A
To make more bearable
10
Q
amalgamate
A
To combine; to mix together
11
Q
ambiguous
A
Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
12
Q
ameliorate
A
To make better; to improve
13
Q
anachronism
A
Something out of place in time
14
Q
analogous
A
Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
15
Q
anomaly
A
Deviation from what is normal
16
Q
antagonize
A
To annoy or provoke to anger
17
Q
antipathy
A
Extreme dislike
18
Q
apathy
A
Lack of interest or emotion
19
Q
arbitrate
A
To judge a dispute between two opposing parties
20
Q
archaic
A
Ancient, old-fashioned
21
Q
ardor
A
Intense and passionate feeling
22
Q
articulate
A
Able to speak clearly and expressively
23
Q
assuage
A
To make something unpleasant less severe
24
Q
attenuate
A
To reduce in force or degree; to weaken
25
audacious
Fearless and daring
26
austere
Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
27
banal
Predictable, cliched, boring
28
bolster
To support; to prop up
29
bombastic
Pompous in speech and manner
30
cacophony
Harsh, jarring noise
31
candid
Impartial and honest in speech
32
capricious
Changing one's mind quickly and often
33
castigate
To punish or criticize harshly
34
catalyst
Something that brings about a change in something else
35
caustic
Biting in wit
36
chaos
Great disorder or confusion
37
chauvinist
Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
38
chicanery
Deception by means of craft or guile
39
cogent
Convincing and well-reasoned
40
condone
To overlook, pardon, or disregard
41
convoluted
Intricate and complicated
42
corroborate
To provide supporting evidence
43
credulous
Too trusting; gullible
44
crescendo
Steadily increasing volume or force
45
decorum
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
46
deference
Respect, courtesy
47
deride
To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
48
desiccate
To dry out thoroughly
49
desultory
Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
50
diatribe
An abusive, condemnatory speech
51
diffident
Lacking self-confidence
52
dilate
To make larger; to expand
53
dilatory
Intended to delay
54
dilettante
Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
55
dirge
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
56
disabuse
To set right; to free from error
57
discern
To perceive; to recognize
58
disparate
Fundamentally different; entirely unlike
59
dissemble
To present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
60
dissonance
A harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
61
dogma
A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
62
dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
63
dupe
To deceive; a person who is easily deceived
64
eclectic
Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
65
efficacy
Effectiveness
66
elegy
A sorrowful poem or speech
67
eloquent
Persuasive and moving, especially in speech
68
emulate
To copy; to try to equal or excel
69
enervate
To reduce in strength
70
engender
To produce, cause, or bring about
71
enigma
A puzzle; a mystery
72
enumerate
To count, list, or itemize
73
ephermeral
Lasting a short time
74
equivocal
Open to more than one interpretation; misleading
75
equivocate
To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
76
erratic
Wandering and unpredictable
77
erudite
Learned, scholarly, bookish
78
esoteric
Known or understood by only a few
79
estimable
Admirable
80
eulogy
Speech in praise of someone
81
euphemism
Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
82
exacerbate
To make worse
83
exculpate
To clear from blame; prove innocent
84
exigent
Urgent; requiring immediate action
85
exonerate
To clear of blame
86
explicit
Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
87
fanatical
Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
88
fawn
To grovel
89
fervid
Intensely emotional; feverish
90
florid
Excessively decorated or embellished
91
foment
To arouse or incite
92
frugality
A tendency to be thrifty or cheap
93
garrulous
Tending to talk a lot
94
gregarious
Outgoing, sociable
95
guile
Deceit or trickery
96
gullible
Easily deceived
97
homogeneous/homogenous
Of a similar kind
98
iconoclast
One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
99
imperturbable
Not capable of being disturbed
100
impervious
Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
101
impetuous
Quick to act without thinking
102
implacable
Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
103
inchoate
Not fully formed; disorganized
104
ingenous
Showing innocence or childlike simplicity
105
inimical
Hostile, unfriendly
106
innocuous
Harmless
107
insipid
Lacking interest or flavor
108
intransigent
Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
109
inundate
To overwhelm; to cover with water
110
irascible
Easily made angry
111
laconic
Using few words
112
lament
To express sorrow; to grieve
113
Laud
To give praise; to glorify
114
Lavish
To give unsparingly (v.); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
115
Lethargic
Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
116
Loquacious
Talkative
117
Lucid
Clear and easily understood
118
Luminous
Bright, brilliant, glowing
119
Malinger
To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
120
Malleable
Capable of being shaped
121
Metaphor
A figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
122
Meticulous
Extremely careful about details
123
misanthrope
A person who dislikes others
124
mitigate
To soften; to lessen
125
mollify
To clam or make less severe
126
monotony
Lack of variation
127
naive
Lacking sophistication or experience
128
obdurate
Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
129
obsequious
Overly submissive and eager to please
130
obstinate
Stubborn, unyielding
131
obviate
To prevent; to make unnecessary
132
occlude
To stop up; to prevent the passage of
133
onerous
Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
134
opaque
Impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
135
opprobrium
Public disgrace
136
ostentation
Excessive showiness
137
paradox
A contradiction or dilemma
138
paragon
Model of excellence or perfection
139
pedant
Someone who shows off learning
140
perfidious
Willing to betray one's trust
141
perfunctory
Done in a routine way; indifferent
142
permeate
To penetrate
143
philanthropy
Charity; a desire or an effort to promote goodness
144
placate
To soothe or pacify
145
plastic
Able to be molded, altered, or bent
146
plethora
Excess
147
pragmatic
Practical as opposed to idealistic
148
precipitate
To throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
149
prevaricate
To lie or deviate from the truth
150
pristine
Fresh and clean; uncorrupted
151
prodigal
Lavish, wasteful
152
proliferate
To increase in number quickly
153
propitiate
To conciliate; to appease
154
propriety
Correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
155
prudence
Wisdom, caution, or restraint
156
pungent
Sharp and irritating to the senses
157
quiescent
Motionless
158
rarefy
To make thinner or sparser
159
repudiate
To reject the validity of
160
reticient
Silent, reserved
161
rhetoric
Effective writing or speaking
162
satiate
To satisfy fully or overindulge
163
soporific
Causing sleep or lethargy
164
specious
Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
165
stigma
A mark of shame or discredit
166
stolid
Unemotional; lacking sensitivity
167
sublime
Lofty or grand
168
tacit
Done without using words
169
taciturn
Silent, not talkative
170
tirade
Long, harsh speech or verbal attack
171
torpor
Extreme mental and physical sluggishness
172
transitory
Temporary, lasting a brief time
173
vacillate
To sway physically; to be indecisive
174
venerate
To respect deeply
175
veracity
Truthfulness; accuracy
176
verbose
Wordy
177
vex
To annoy
178
volatile
Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
179
waver
To fluctuate between choices
180
whimsical
Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
181
zeal
Passionate, excitement
