GRE Vocab Flashcards
dissonance
noun – a lack of harmony or agreement
“The school board’s meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by dissonance among opinions.”
malinger
verb – to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
“A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering – pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being enlisted by the army.”
dilate
verb – to make larger; to expand
“When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes dilate to let in more light.”
minuscule
adjective - extremely small; tiny
“A minuscule fragment of DNA”
ample
adjective - generous or more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity; generously sufficient to satisfy a requirement or need.
“There was room for an ample garden.”
myriad
adjective - countless or extremely great in number.
“the myriad lights of the city”
noun - a countless or extremely great number.
“networks connecting a myriad of computers”
multitudinous
adjective - very numerous; consisting of or containing many individuals or elements.
“the tinkling of multitudinous bells from the herd”
“the multitudinous array of chemical substances that exist in the natural world”
inhibited
adjective - unable to act in a relaxed and natural way because of self-consciousness or mental restraint.
“I could never appear nude, I’m far too inhibited”
unassuming
adjective - as in meek. not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
“he’s very unassuming and never talks about his success”
affable
adjective - pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite
“I admired his affable charm and winning smile”
shabby
adjective - in poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care.
“a conscript in a shabby uniform saluted the car”
stumpe
verb - (of a question or problem) be too hard for, baffle; walk stiffly and noisily.
“education chiefs were stumped by some of the exam questions”
“he stumped away on short thick legs”
melange
noun - a mixture; a medley; patchwork.
“a melange of tender vegetables and herbs”
jumble
noun - an untidy collection or pile of things.
“the books were in a chaotic jumble”
satiate / sate
verb - satisfy to the full.
“he folded up his newspaper, his curiosity satiated”
belabor
verb - argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail; attack or assault (someone) physically or verbally.
“critics thought they belabored the obvious”
“Tyndale seized every opportunity to belabor the Roman Church”
assiduous
adjective - showing great care and perseverance.
“she was assiduous in pointing out every feature”
germane
adjective - relevant to a subject under consideration.
“that is not germane to our theme”
allay
verb - diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry); relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger).
“the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears”
“some stale figs partly allayed our hunger”
outlaw / fugitive
noun - a person who has broken the law, especially one who remains at large or is a fugitive.
frumpy
adjective - drab, old-fashioned, and unattractive; not in accord with or not following current fashion.
“It matters if she’s doing it in a frumpy dress and nasty straw wedges.”
grimness
noun - something unpleasant, depressing, or not enjoyable.
“His film traces the evolution of the celebrated Manchester band, while depicting the grimness of Seventies Britain”.
resolved
adjective - firmly determined to do something.
“Constance was resolved not to cry”
baffle
verb - totally bewilder or perplex; restrain or regulate (a fluid, sound, etc.).
“an unexplained occurrence that baffled everyone”
“to baffle the noise further, I pad the gunwales”
prying
adjective - excessively interested in a person’s private affairs; too inquisitive.
“she felt there was no place where she could escape from the prying eyes.”
clerical
adjective - relating to the clergy.
unwieldy
adjective - not easily managed, handled, or used (as because of bulk, weight, complexity, or awkwardness)
“the first mechanical clocks were large and unwieldy”
row
noun - a noisy acrimonious quarrel; a serious dispute.
“they had a row and she stormed out of the house”
seize on
verb - take (an opportunity or initiative) eagerly and decisively.
“he seized his chance to attack as Delaney hesitated”
rein
verb - keep under control; restrain.
“with an effort, she reined back her impatience”
smear
verb - coat or mark (something) messily or carelessly with a greasy or sticky substance; damage the reputation of (someone) by false accusations, slander.
“his face was smeared with dirt”
“someone was trying to smear her by faking letters”
advent
noun - the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
“the advent of television”
incipient
adjective - beginning to come into being or to become apparent
accord
noun - agreement, conformity
adamant
adjective - refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind.
“he is adamant that he is not going to resign”
pervading
adjective - (especially of a smell) spread through and be perceived in every part of; (of an influence, feeling, or quality) be present and apparent throughout.
“a smell of stale cabbage pervaded the air”
“the sense of crisis that pervaded Europe in the 1930s”
ecstatic
adjective - feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.
“ecstatic fans filled the stadium”
secular
adjective - denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
fallout
noun - the adverse side effects or results of a situation.
“almost as dramatic as the financial scale of the mess is the growing political fallout”
inane
adjective - lacking significance, meaning, or point.
“That last sentence is so inane you wonder whether he realizes what he’s saying.”
lurid
adjective - (of a description) presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms, especially giving explicit details of crimes or sexual matters.
“the more lurid details of the massacre were too frightening for the children”
peremptory
adjective - (especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.
““Just do it!” came the peremptory reply”
reprehensible
adjective - deserving censure or condemnation.
“his complacency and reprehensible laxity”
latent
adjective - (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.
“discovering her latent talent for diplomacy”
deplorable
adjective - deserving strong condemnation; shockingly bad in quality.
“the deplorable conditions in which most prisoners are held”
“her spelling was deplorable”
rile
verb - make (someone) annoyed or irritated; make (water) turbulent or muddy.
“it was his air of knowing all the answers that riled her”
“he’d been drinking sweet, clear water from a well, and now that water had been muddied and riled”
antidote
noun - a remedy to counteract the effects of poison; something that relieves, prevents, or counteracts.
“needed the antidote for the snake’s venom.”
delinquent
adjective - in arrears or failing in one’s duty; (typically of a young person or that person’s behavior) showing or characterized by a tendency to commit crime, particularly minor crime.
“delinquent accounts”
“delinquent children”
collected
adjective - (of a person) not perturbed or distracted; (of individual works) brought together in one volume or edition.
“outwardly they are cool, calm, and collected”
“the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe”
ad lib
to improvise especially lines or a speech; spoken, composed, or performed without preparation.
adjure
verb - urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something.
“I adjure you to tell me the truth”
vinous
adjective - resembling, associated with, or fond of wine.
“a vinous smell”
aboriginal
adjective - indigenous
“the aboriginal populations in Southeast Asia”
relinquish
verb - to give up; to withdraw or retreat from.
“by signing this you relinquish your rights of ownership”
“he was reluctant to relinquish control of the business”
solitude
noun - the quality or state of being alone or far-off from society; a lonely place (as a desert)
“She wished to work on her novel in solitude. “
“He enjoyed the peace and solitude of the woods.”
secluded
adjective - (of a place) not seen or visited by many people; sheltered and private.
“the gardens are quiet and secluded”
categorical
adjective - unambiguously explicit and direct.
“a categorical assurance”
portean
adjective - tending or able to change frequently or easily; able to do many different things; versatile.
“it is difficult to comprehend the whole of this protean subject”
“Shostakovich was a remarkably protean composer, one at home in a wide range of styles”
protracted
adjective - relatively long in duration.
synonyms: drawn-out, extended, lengthy, prolonged long.
charitably
adverb - in a way that judges others leniently or favorably, especially when undeserved.
“we charitably assume he’s being satirical”
anything but
“not”
congenital
adjective - (of a disease or physical abnormality) present from birth; (of a person) having a particular trait from birth or by firmly established habit; innate.
“a congenital malformation of the heart”
“a congenital liar”
nuance
noun - a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
“the nuances of facial expression and body language”
redress
noun - remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance.
“those seeking redress for an infringement of public law rights”
verb - remedy or set right (an undesirable or unfair situation).
“the power to redress the grievances of our citizens”
staunch
adjective - loyal and committed in attitude.
“a staunch supporter of the antinuclear lobby”
sycophantic
adjective - behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage.
“a sycophantic interview”
frantic
adjective - wild or distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion.
“she was frantic with worry”
inebriate
verb - make (someone) drunk; intoxicate.
“it is a rum-based drink designed more to inebriate the masses than to please the palate”
co-opted
verb - to take into a group (as a faction, movement, or culture), assimilate
“the green parties have had most of their ideas co-opted by bigger parties”
prickly
adjective - covered in prickles; (of a person) ready to take offense.
“masses of prickly brambles”
“she came across as prickly and generally difficult”
dwell on
think, speak, or write at length about a particular subject, especially one that is a source of unhappiness, anxiety, or dissatisfaction.
“I’ve got better things to do than dwell on the past”
lewd
adjective - crude and offensive in a sexual way.
“she began to gyrate to the music and sing a lewd song”
titular
adjective - holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority.
“the queen is titular head of the Church of England”
casuistry
noun - the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions; sophistry.
uprightness
noun - the condition or quality of being honorable or honest; rectitude.
“there is a general lack of uprightness in these postmodern times”
indelible
adjective - not able to be forgotten or removed.
“his story made an indelible impression on me”
glut
noun - an excessively abundant supply of something
“there is a glut of cars on the market”
verb - supply or fill to excess.
“the factories for recycling paper are glutted”
maintain
verb - state something strongly to be the case; assert.
“he has always maintained his innocence”
pillory
verb - attack or ridicule publicly.
“he found himself pilloried by members of his own party”
fetter
verb - restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles.
“there were no chains immediately available to fetter the prisoners”
qualify
verb - make (a statement or assertion) less absolute; add reservations to; soften.
“she felt obliged to qualify her first short answer”
vulgar
adjective - lacking sophistication or good taste, unrefined; making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily functions; coarse and rude.
“the vulgar trappings of wealth”
“a vulgar joke”
put forward
recommend someone as a suitable candidate for a job or position; submit a plan, proposal, or theory for consideration.
“he put me forward as head of publicity”
“the authority put forward positive proposals”
unctuous
adjective - (of a person) excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily.
“he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way”
meek
adjective - quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.
“I used to call her Miss Mouse because she was so meek and mild”
coarse
coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language
vilification
noun - abusively disparaging speech or writing.
“the widespread vilification of politicians”
coax
verb - gently and persistently persuade (someone) to do something.
“the trainees were coaxed into doing boring work”
hasten
verb - be quick to do something.
“he hastened to refute the assertion”
lowbrow
noun - a person who is not highly intellectual or cultured.
impassioned
adjective - filled with or showing great emotion.
“she made an impassioned plea for help”
emphatic
adjective - showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly.
“the children were emphatic that they would like to repeat the experience”
rife
adjective - prevalent especially to an increasing degree; abundant, common, abounding
inert
adjective - lacking the power to move; very slow to move or act; deficient in active properties.
disparage
verb - regard or represent as being of little worth.
“he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”
buzzing
adjective - full of excitement or activity.
“the Latvian capital combines winter charm with buzzing nightlife”
fortify
verb - provide (a place) with defensive works as protection against attack.
“the enclave has been heavily fortified in recent years”
formidable
adjective - inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.
“a formidable opponent”
bustling
adjective - moving about in an energetic and busy manner.
“an absurd and bustling busybody”
blustering
adjective - (of a storm, wind, or rain) blowing or beating fiercely and noisily; talking in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.
“a strong, blustering gale”
“a blustering bully”
gaiety
noun - the state or quality of being lighthearted or cheerful.
“the sudden gaiety of children’s laughter”
fanatic
noun - a person whose enthusiasm or zeal for something is extreme or beyond normal limits
stealthy
adjective - behaving, done, or made in a cautious and surreptitious manner, so as not to be seen or heard.
“stealthy footsteps”
certitude
noun - absolute certainty or conviction that something is the case.
“the question may never be answered with certitude”
jaded
adjective - tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
“meals to tempt the most jaded appetites”
enviable
adjective - arousing or likely to arouse envy; coveted.
“an enviable reputation for academic achievement”
chide
verb - scold or rebuke.
“she chided him for not replying to her letters”
amble
verb - walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace.
“they ambled along the riverbank”
scoundrel
noun - a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue; a reprobate.
“that scoundrel sets a bad example for the other young men”
unimaginative
derivative
ancillary
adjective - subordinate, subsidiary, incidental; auxiliary, supplementary.
crotchety
adjective - irritable; fractious.
“he was tired and crotchety”
defiant
adjective - showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight; truculent
rectitude
noun - morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness; probity.
“Maddie is a model of rectitude”
juxtapose
verb - place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.
“black-and-white photos of slums were starkly juxtaposed with color images”
incensed
adjective - very angry; enraged.
“I was absolutely incensed”
immense
adjective - extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree.
“the cost of restoration has been immense”
involved
adjective - difficult to comprehend; complicated.
“a long, involved conversation”
apostile
noun - a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular policy, idea, or cause.
“Leo Buscaglia, leading apostle of love and okayness”
out of step
anachronistic
contracting
verb - decrease in size, number, or range; dwindling.
“glass contracts as it cools”
foreground
verb - make (something) the most prominent or important feature; call attention to.
“sexual relationships are foregrounded and idealized”
unenlightened
not showing understanding or knowledge; not enlightened; benighted, clueless, ignorant.
modicum
noun - a small quantity of a particular thing, especially something considered desirable or valuable.
“his statement had more than a modicum of truth”
sartorial
adjective - relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.
“sartorial elegance”
brandish
verb - wave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement.
“a man leaped out brandishing a knife”
pragmatic
adjective - dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
“a pragmatic approach to business ethics”
dreary
adjective - dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing.
“the dreary routine of working, eating, and trying to sleep”
spate
noun - a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession.
“a spate of attacks on travelers”
paucity
noun - the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
“a paucity of information”
upheaval
noun - a violent or sudden change or disruption to something.
“major upheavals in the financial markets”
bourgeoisie
noun - the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
“the rise of the bourgeoisie at the end of the eighteenth century”
(in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society’s wealth and means of production.
“the conflict of interest between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat”
invective
noun - insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.
“he let out a stream of invective”
illustrious
adjective - well known, respected, and admired for past achievements; distinguished.
“his illustrious predecessor”
oratory
noun - the art or practice of formal speaking in public; exaggerated, eloquent, or highly colored language.
“the gift of persuasive oratory”
“learned discussions degenerated into pompous oratory”
unchecked
adjective - not restrained or controlled; incontinent, unbridled, uncurbed, ungoverned, wanton.
“an unchecked temper” synonyms
untethered from
divorced from
anodyne
adjective - not likely to provoke dissent or offense; inoffensive, often deliberately so; innocuous.
“anodyne New Age music”
assent
noun - the expression of approval or agreement.
“a loud murmur of assent”
learned
adjective - (of a person) having much knowledge acquired by study; erudite.
“a learned, generous, and notoriously absent-minded man”
derision
noun - contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”
impartial
adjective - treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just, detached.
“independent and impartial advice”
adulate
verb - praise (someone) excessively; venerate
“he was adulated in the press”
sap
verb - gradually weaken or destroy (a person’s strength or power); enervate
“our energy is being sapped by bureaucrats and politicians”
doleful
adjective - expressing sorrow; mournful; plaintive
“a doleful look”
degeneracy
noun - the state or property of being degenerate; decadence; dissipation.
“a slide into moral degeneracy”
windfall
noun - a piece of unexpected good fortune, typically one that involves receiving a large amount of money; boon
“windfall profits”
senescence
noun - the process of growing old.
canvass
verb - solicit votes from (electors in a constituency).
“in each ward, two workers canvassed some 2,000 voters”
dumbfound
verb - greatly astonish or amaze.
“I was dumbfounded by the low prices there”
meager
adjective - (of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality; sparse.
“they were forced to supplement their meager earnings”
impel
verb - drive, force, or urge (someone) to do something; drive forward; propel, galvanize.
“financial difficulties impelled him to desperate measures”
“vital energies impel him in unforeseen directions”
circulate
verb - move or cause to move continuously or freely through a closed system or area; disseminate.
“antibodies circulate in the bloodstream”
havoc
noun - widespread destruction.
“the hurricane ripped through Florida causing havoc”
forswear
forsake
advance
verb - put forward (a theory or suggestion); propose
“the hypothesis I wish to advance in this article”
concede
verb - admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it; surrender or yield (something that one possesses).
“I had to concede that I’d overreacted”
“to concede all the territory he’d won”
forthright
adjective - (of a person or their manner or speech) direct and outspoken; straightforward and honest.
“his most forthright attack yet on the reforms”
gritty
adjective - showing courage and resolve.
“a gritty pioneer woman”
misgiving
noun - a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something; qualm
“we have misgivings about the way the campaign is being run”
grievous
adjective - (of something bad) very severe or serious; egregious
“his death was a grievous blow”
bring about
verb - cause something to happen.
“she brought about a revolution”
revolt
noun - an attempt to put an end to the authority of a person or body by rebelling.
“a revolt against oppressive rule”
revelatory
adjective - revealing something hitherto unknown; prophetic.
“an invigorating and revelatory performance”
deadpan
adjective - deliberately impassive or expressionless
“answers his phone in a deadpan tone”
verb - say something amusing while affecting a serious manner.
“I’m an undercover dentist,” he deadpanned”
repentant
adjective - expressing or feeling sincere regret and remorse; remorseful; contrite
“he is truly repentant for his incredible naivety and stupidity”
wretch
noun - a despicable or contemptible person; reprobate
“ungrateful wretches”
quotidian
adjective - ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane.
“his story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details”
pejorative
adjective - expressing contempt or disapproval.
“permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term”
efflorescence
noun - period of prosperity; a period of greatest prosperity or productivity.
on the verge of
something is about to happen or is very likely to happen
jejune
adjective - (of ideas or writings) dry and uninteresting.
“the poem seems to me rather jejune”
excise
verb - remove (a section) from a text or piece of music.
“the clauses were excised from the treaty”
untapped
adjective - (of a resource) not yet exploited or used.
“the vast untapped potential of individual women and men”
kindred
adjective - similar in kind; related.
“books on kindred subjects”
outmoded
adjective - old-fashioned.
“an outmoded Victorian building”
protagonist
noun - an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.
“a strenuous protagonist of the new agricultural policy”
dissipate
verb - with reference to a feeling or other intangible thing) disappear or cause to disappear; squander or fritter away (money, energy, or resources).
“the concern she’d felt for him had wholly dissipated”
“he had dissipated his entire fortune”
rancorous
adjective - characterized by bitterness or resentment; acrimonious
“sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes”
profane
adjective - relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical, secular rather than religious; (of a person or their behavior) not respectful of orthodox religious practice; irreverent.
“a talk that tackled topics both sacred and profane”
“desecration of the temple by profane adolescents”
circumvent
verb - find a way around (an obstacle); overcome (a problem or difficulty), typically in a clever and surreptitious way; deceive, outwit.
“I found it quite easy to circumvent security”
“he’s circumvented her with some of his stories”
adorn
verb - make more beautiful or attractive; embellish
“pictures and prints adorned his walls”
synthesize
verb - combine (a number of things) into a coherent whole; integrate.
“pupils should synthesize the data they have gathered”
acerbic
adjective - (especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.
“his acerbic wit”
impassive
adjective - not feeling or showing emotion.
“impassive passersby ignore the performers”
recalcitrant
adjective - having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.
“a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds”
stymied
verb - prevent or hinder the progress of; neutralized
“the changes must not be allowed to stymie new medical treatments”
absolve
verb - set or declare (someone) free from blame, guilt, or responsibility; exonerate.
“the pardon absolved them of any crimes”
evince
verb - reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling); be evidence of; indicate.
“his letters evince the excitement he felt at undertaking this journey”
“man’s inhumanity to man as evinced in the use of torture”
insouciant
adjective - showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent, cavalier.
“an insouciant shrug”
betoken
verb - be a sign of, indicate; be a warning or indication of (a future event).
“she wondered if his cold, level gaze betokened indifference or anger”
“the falling comet betokened the true end of Merlin’s powers”
court
verb - of a male bird or other animal) try to attract (a mate);
pay special attention to (someone) in an attempt to win their support or favor.
“Western politicians courted the leaders of the newly independent states”
defy
verb - openly resist or refuse to obey.
“a woman who defies convention”
rugged
adjective - (of ground or terrain) having a broken, rocky, and uneven surface; having or requiring toughness and determination.
“a rugged coastline”
“a week of rugged, demanding adventure at an outdoor training center”
sketchy
adjective - not thorough or detailed.
“the information they had was sketchy”
cow
verb - cause (someone) to submit to one’s wishes by intimidation.
“the intellectuals had been cowed into silence”
curt
adjective - rudely brief.
“his reply was curt”
sinister
adjective - giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.
“there was something sinister about that murmuring voice”
fatuous
adjective - silly and pointless.
“a fatuous comment”
inept
adjective - having or showing no skill, clumsy; feckless
“the inept handling of the threat”
opulence
noun - great wealth or luxuriousness; exorbitance.
“rooms of spectacular opulence”
diverting
adjective - entertaining or amusing.
“fans of these actors will find this book a diverting read”
symbiotic
adjective - two different organisms living in close physical association; denoting a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups.
“the fungi form symbiotic associations with the roots of plant species”
“the reader can have a symbiotic relationship with the writer”
mirthful
adjective - full of mirth; merry or amusing.
“mirthful laughter”
affluence
noun - the state of having a great deal of money; wealth.
“a sign of our growing affluence”
machinations
noun - a plot or scheme.
proscribed
verb - forbid, especially by law; denounce or condemn; outlaw (someone).
“strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces”
hubristic
adjective - excessively proud or self-confident; arrogant.
“a hubristic belief in his own self-proclaimed genius”
ensconced
verb - establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe, or secret place.
“Agnes ensconced herself in their bedroom”
epitome
noun - a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
“she looked the epitome of elegance and good taste”
impecunious
adjective - having little or no money.
“a titled but impecunious family”
extant
adjective - (especially of a document) still in existence; surviving.
“the original manuscript is no longer extant”
unwittingly
done without knowing or planning
promulgate
verb - promote or make widely known (an idea or cause); put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation.
“these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization”
“in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated”
make out
verb - manage with some difficulty to see or hear someone or something; recognize.
“in the dim light it was difficult to make out the illustration”
markedly
adverb - to an extent which is clearly noticeable; significantly.
“new diagnoses have increased markedly since 1998”
hedge
verb - limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions; prevaricate.
“experts usually hedge their predictions, just in case”
culprit
noun - the cause of a problem or defect.
“viruses could turn out to be the culprit”
impetus
noun - the force or energy with which a body moves.
“hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus”
vindicate
verb - clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.
“hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict”
concoct
verb - make (a dish or meal) by combining various ingredients; create or devise (a story or plan).
“they concoct relish from corn that is so naturally sweet no extra sugar is needed”
“they concocted a preposterous but entertaining story”
unexpurgated
adjective - (of a text) complete and containing all the original material; uncensored.
premonitory
something is a warning or gives a feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen
provisional
temporally; makeshift
devolve
verb - transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administration.
“measures to devolve power to the provinces”
appropriate
verb - take (something) for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.
“his images have been appropriated by advertisers”
inconsequential
adjective - not important or significant.
“they talked about inconsequential things”
vituperation
noun - bitter and abusive language.
“no one else attracted such vituperation”
solicitous
adjective - characterized by or showing interest or concern.
“she was always solicitous about the welfare of her students”
runaway
out of control
trope
noun - a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.
“perhaps it is a mistake to use tropes and parallels in this eminently unpoetic age”
cinch
noun - an extremely easy task.
“the program was a cinch to use”
obliterated
verb - destroy utterly; wipe out.
“the memory was so painful that he obliterated it from his mind”
furnish
render
turmoil
noun - a state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.
“the country was in turmoil”
relic
noun - something left behind after decay or disappearance; vestige
grandiosity
noun - pompous superiority or pretentiousness.
“he was self-absorbed and prone to grandiosity”
vernacular
noun - the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
“he wrote in the vernacular to reach a larger audience”
barbarity
noun - extreme cruelty or brutality; sadism
“the barbarity of the act outraged millions”
obloquy
noun - strong public criticism or verbal abuse.
“he endured years of contempt and obloquy”
scrutinize
verb - examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
“customers were warned to scrutinize the small print”
virtuosity
noun - great skill in music or another artistic pursuit.
“a performance of considerable virtuosity”
doom
verb - condemn to certain destruction or death.
“fuel was spilling out of the damaged wing and the aircraft was doomed”
congruent
adjective - in agreement or harmony.
“the rules may not be congruent with the requirements of the law”
antebellum
adjective - occurring or existing before a particular war, especially the American Civil War.
“the conventions of the antebellum South”
triteness
noun - something is dull, hackneyed, or unoriginal because it has been expressed too often.
sacrosanct
adjective - (especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
“the individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct”
stagnated
verb - cease developing; become inactive or dull.
“teaching can easily stagnate into a set of routines”
insulate
verb - to place in a detached situation; isolate
vantage
noun - a place or position affording a good view of something.
“from my vantage point I could see into the front yard”
preside
verb - be in the position of authority in a meeting or other gathering.
“Bishop Herbener presided at the meeting”
seethe
verb - (of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger.
“inwardly he was seething at the slight to his authority”
resuscitate
verb - revive (someone) from unconsciousness or apparent death; make (something such as an idea or enterprise) active or vigorous again.
“an ambulance crew tried to resuscitate him”
“measures to resuscitate the ailing Japanese economy”
upend
verb - set or turn (something) on its end or upside down; refute.
chimerical
adjective - hoped for but illusory or impossible to achieve.
“the notion of tolerance is a chimeric dream”
hidebound
adjective - unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention.
“you are hidebound by your petty laws”
murky
adjective - dark and gloomy, especially due to thick mist; not fully explained or understood, especially with concealed dishonesty or immorality, suspicious
“the sky was murky and a thin drizzle was falling”
“the murky world of espionage”
plethora
noun - a large or excessive amount of (something); surfeit.
“a plethora of committees and subcommittees”
unmistakable
adjective - not able to be mistaken for anything else; very distinctive.
“the unmistakable sound of his laughter”
debacle
noun - a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.
“the economic debacle that became known as the Great Depression”
foibles
noun - a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character.
“they have to tolerate each other’s little foibles”
autocratic
adjective - relating to a ruler who has absolute power.
“the constitutional reforms threatened his autocratic power”
patron
noun - a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity.
“a celebrated patron of the arts”
kinetic
adjective - relating to or resulting from motion.
vice
noun - immoral or wicked behavior.
“an open sewer of vice and crime”
quackery
noun - dishonest practices and claims to have special knowledge and skill in some field, typically medicine.
“a website dedicated to exposing medical quackery”
nepotism
noun - the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs; cronyism
“he promised an end to corruption and nepotism”
self-effacing
adjective - shy and likes to stay out of the spotlight, shunning attention and praise
cavil
perturb
glee
toady
intricate
menacing
indemnify
rift
unpremeditated
dissolution
melding
disgruntled
muster
effervescent
inroads
thwarted
quips
dire
redolent
jarring
flair
illiberality
fuse
cleave
gruesome
blathering
taunt
downcast
douse
conscientious
expunged
Humility
progeny
adumbrations
salient
rehabilitations
tenacious
crabbed
credulity
credo
intemperate
bumptious
gallantry
satire
blandishments
limber
raucous
prominent
quell
friable
stemming, checking
imperceptible, gradual
canned, formulaic
superficial, discerning
perspicacity, discernment
quackery, cronyism
tonic, restorative
caterwauling, shrieking
warbling, crooning
malodorous, noisome
meting, doling
