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GRE Vocab Flashcards

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1
Q

dissonance

A

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.”

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2
Q

malinger

A

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.”

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3
Q

dilate

A

verb – to make larger; to expand

“When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes dilate to let in more light.”

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4
Q

minuscule

A

adjective - extremely small; tiny

“A minuscule fragment of DNA”

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5
Q

ample

A

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.”

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6
Q

myriad

A

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”

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7
Q

multitudinous

A

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”

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8
Q

inhibited

A

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”

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9
Q

unassuming

A

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”

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10
Q

affable

A

adjective - pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite

“I admired his affable charm and winning smile”

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11
Q

shabby

A

adjective - in poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care.

“a conscript in a shabby uniform saluted the car”

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12
Q

stumpe

A

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”

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13
Q

melange

A

noun - a mixture; a medley; patchwork.

“a melange of tender vegetables and herbs”

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14
Q

jumble

A

noun - an untidy collection or pile of things.

“the books were in a chaotic jumble”

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15
Q

satiate / sate

A

verb - satisfy to the full.

“he folded up his newspaper, his curiosity satiated”

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16
Q

belabor

A

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”

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17
Q

assiduous

A

adjective - showing great care and perseverance.

“she was assiduous in pointing out every feature”

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18
Q

germane

A

adjective - relevant to a subject under consideration.

“that is not germane to our theme”

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19
Q

allay

A

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”

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20
Q

outlaw / fugitive

A

noun - a person who has broken the law, especially one who remains at large or is a fugitive.

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21
Q

frumpy

A

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.”

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22
Q

grimness

A

noun - something unpleasant, depressing, or not enjoyable.

“His film traces the evolution of the celebrated Manchester band, while depicting the grimness of Seventies Britain”.

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23
Q

resolved

A

adjective - firmly determined to do something.

“Constance was resolved not to cry”

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24
Q

baffle

A

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”

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25
Q

prying

A

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.”

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26
Q

clerical

A

adjective - relating to the clergy.

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27
Q

unwieldy

A

adjective - not easily managed, handled, or used (as because of bulk, weight, complexity, or awkwardness)

“the first mechanical clocks were large and unwieldy”

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28
Q

row

A

noun - a noisy acrimonious quarrel; a serious dispute.

“they had a row and she stormed out of the house”

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29
Q

seize on

A

verb - take (an opportunity or initiative) eagerly and decisively.

“he seized his chance to attack as Delaney hesitated”

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30
Q

rein

A

verb - keep under control; restrain.

“with an effort, she reined back her impatience”

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31
Q

smear

A

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”

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32
Q

advent

A

noun - the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

“the advent of television”

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33
Q

incipient

A

adjective - beginning to come into being or to become apparent

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34
Q

accord

A

noun - agreement, conformity

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35
Q

adamant

A

adjective - refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind.

“he is adamant that he is not going to resign”

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36
Q

pervading

A

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”

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37
Q

ecstatic

A

adjective - feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.

“ecstatic fans filled the stadium”

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38
Q

secular

A

adjective - denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.

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39
Q

fallout

A

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”

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40
Q

inane

A

adjective - lacking significance, meaning, or point.

“That last sentence is so inane you wonder whether he realizes what he’s saying.”

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41
Q

lurid

A

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”

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42
Q

peremptory

A

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”

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43
Q

reprehensible

A

adjective - deserving censure or condemnation.

“his complacency and reprehensible laxity”

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44
Q

latent

A

adjective - (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.

“discovering her latent talent for diplomacy”

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45
Q

deplorable

A

adjective - deserving strong condemnation; shockingly bad in quality.

“the deplorable conditions in which most prisoners are held”

“her spelling was deplorable”

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46
Q

rile

A

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”

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47
Q

antidote

A

noun - a remedy to counteract the effects of poison; something that relieves, prevents, or counteracts.

“needed the antidote for the snake’s venom.”

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48
Q

delinquent

A

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”

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49
Q

collected

A

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”

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50
Q

ad lib

A

to improvise especially lines or a speech; spoken, composed, or performed without preparation.

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51
Q

adjure

A

verb - urge or request (someone) solemnly or earnestly to do something.

“I adjure you to tell me the truth”

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52
Q

vinous

A

adjective - resembling, associated with, or fond of wine.

“a vinous smell”

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53
Q

aboriginal

A

adjective - indigenous

“the aboriginal populations in Southeast Asia”

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54
Q

relinquish

A

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”

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55
Q

solitude

A

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.”

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56
Q

secluded

A

adjective - (of a place) not seen or visited by many people; sheltered and private.

“the gardens are quiet and secluded”

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57
Q

categorical

A

adjective - unambiguously explicit and direct.

“a categorical assurance”

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58
Q

portean

A

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”

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59
Q

protracted

A

adjective - relatively long in duration.

synonyms: drawn-out, extended, lengthy, prolonged long.

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60
Q

charitably

A

adverb - in a way that judges others leniently or favorably, especially when undeserved.

“we charitably assume he’s being satirical”

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61
Q

anything but

A

“not”

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62
Q

congenital

A

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”

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63
Q

nuance

A

noun - a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

“the nuances of facial expression and body language”

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64
Q

redress

A

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”

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65
Q

staunch

A

adjective - loyal and committed in attitude.

“a staunch supporter of the antinuclear lobby”

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66
Q

sycophantic

A

adjective - behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage.

“a sycophantic interview”

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67
Q

frantic

A

adjective - wild or distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion.

“she was frantic with worry”

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68
Q

inebriate

A

verb - make (someone) drunk; intoxicate.

“it is a rum-based drink designed more to inebriate the masses than to please the palate”

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69
Q

co-opted

A

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”

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70
Q

prickly

A

adjective - covered in prickles; (of a person) ready to take offense.

“masses of prickly brambles”

“she came across as prickly and generally difficult”

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71
Q

dwell on

A

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”

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72
Q

lewd

A

adjective - crude and offensive in a sexual way.

“she began to gyrate to the music and sing a lewd song”

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73
Q

titular

A

adjective - holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority.

“the queen is titular head of the Church of England”

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74
Q

casuistry

A

noun - the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions; sophistry.

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75
Q

uprightness

A

noun - the condition or quality of being honorable or honest; rectitude.

“there is a general lack of uprightness in these postmodern times”

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76
Q

indelible

A

adjective - not able to be forgotten or removed.

“his story made an indelible impression on me”

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77
Q

glut

A

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”

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78
Q

maintain

A

verb - state something strongly to be the case; assert.

“he has always maintained his innocence”

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79
Q

pillory

A

verb - attack or ridicule publicly.

“he found himself pilloried by members of his own party”

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80
Q

fetter

A

verb - restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles.

“there were no chains immediately available to fetter the prisoners”

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81
Q

qualify

A

verb - make (a statement or assertion) less absolute; add reservations to; soften.

“she felt obliged to qualify her first short answer”

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82
Q

vulgar

A

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”

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83
Q

put forward

A

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”

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84
Q

unctuous

A

adjective - (of a person) excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily.

“he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way”

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85
Q

meek

A

adjective - quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.

“I used to call her Miss Mouse because she was so meek and mild”

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86
Q

coarse

A

coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language

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87
Q

vilification

A

noun - abusively disparaging speech or writing.

“the widespread vilification of politicians”

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88
Q

coax

A

verb - gently and persistently persuade (someone) to do something.

“the trainees were coaxed into doing boring work”

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89
Q

hasten

A

verb - be quick to do something.

“he hastened to refute the assertion”

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90
Q

lowbrow

A

noun - a person who is not highly intellectual or cultured.

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91
Q

impassioned

A

adjective - filled with or showing great emotion.

“she made an impassioned plea for help”

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92
Q

emphatic

A

adjective - showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly.

“the children were emphatic that they would like to repeat the experience”

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93
Q

rife

A

adjective - prevalent especially to an increasing degree; abundant, common, abounding

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94
Q

inert

A

adjective - lacking the power to move; very slow to move or act; deficient in active properties.

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95
Q

disparage

A

verb - regard or represent as being of little worth.

“he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”

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96
Q

buzzing

A

adjective - full of excitement or activity.

“the Latvian capital combines winter charm with buzzing nightlife”

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97
Q

fortify

A

verb - provide (a place) with defensive works as protection against attack.

“the enclave has been heavily fortified in recent years”

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98
Q

formidable

A

adjective - inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.

“a formidable opponent”

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99
Q

bustling

A

adjective - moving about in an energetic and busy manner.

“an absurd and bustling busybody”

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100
Q

blustering

A

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”

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101
Q

gaiety

A

noun - the state or quality of being lighthearted or cheerful.

“the sudden gaiety of children’s laughter”

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102
Q

fanatic

A

noun - a person whose enthusiasm or zeal for something is extreme or beyond normal limits

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103
Q

stealthy

A

adjective - behaving, done, or made in a cautious and surreptitious manner, so as not to be seen or heard.

“stealthy footsteps”

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104
Q

certitude

A

noun - absolute certainty or conviction that something is the case.

“the question may never be answered with certitude”

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105
Q

jaded

A

adjective - tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.

“meals to tempt the most jaded appetites”

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106
Q

enviable

A

adjective - arousing or likely to arouse envy; coveted.

“an enviable reputation for academic achievement”

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107
Q

chide

A

verb - scold or rebuke.

“she chided him for not replying to her letters”

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108
Q

amble

A

verb - walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace.

“they ambled along the riverbank”

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109
Q

scoundrel

A

noun - a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue; a reprobate.

“that scoundrel sets a bad example for the other young men”

110
Q

unimaginative

A

derivative

111
Q

ancillary

A

adjective - subordinate, subsidiary, incidental; auxiliary, supplementary.

112
Q

crotchety

A

adjective - irritable; fractious.

“he was tired and crotchety”

113
Q

defiant

A

adjective - showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight; truculent

114
Q

rectitude

A

noun - morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness; probity.

“Maddie is a model of rectitude”

115
Q

juxtapose

A

verb - place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.

“black-and-white photos of slums were starkly juxtaposed with color images”

116
Q

incensed

A

adjective - very angry; enraged.

“I was absolutely incensed”

117
Q

immense

A

adjective - extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree.

“the cost of restoration has been immense”

118
Q

involved

A

adjective - difficult to comprehend; complicated.

“a long, involved conversation”

119
Q

apostile

A

noun - a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular policy, idea, or cause.

“Leo Buscaglia, leading apostle of love and okayness”

120
Q

out of step

A

anachronistic

121
Q

contracting

A

verb - decrease in size, number, or range; dwindling.

“glass contracts as it cools”

122
Q

foreground

A

verb - make (something) the most prominent or important feature; call attention to.

“sexual relationships are foregrounded and idealized”

123
Q

unenlightened

A

not showing understanding or knowledge; not enlightened; benighted, clueless, ignorant.

124
Q

modicum

A

noun - a small quantity of a particular thing, especially something considered desirable or valuable.

“his statement had more than a modicum of truth”

125
Q

sartorial

A

adjective - relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.

“sartorial elegance”

126
Q

brandish

A

verb - wave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement.

“a man leaped out brandishing a knife”

127
Q

pragmatic

A

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”

128
Q

dreary

A

adjective - dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing.

“the dreary routine of working, eating, and trying to sleep”

129
Q

spate

A

noun - a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession.

“a spate of attacks on travelers”

130
Q

paucity

A

noun - the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.

“a paucity of information”

131
Q

upheaval

A

noun - a violent or sudden change or disruption to something.

“major upheavals in the financial markets”

132
Q

bourgeoisie

A

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”

133
Q

invective

A

noun - insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

“he let out a stream of invective”

134
Q

illustrious

A

adjective - well known, respected, and admired for past achievements; distinguished.
“his illustrious predecessor”

135
Q

oratory

A

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”

136
Q

unchecked

A

adjective - not restrained or controlled; incontinent, unbridled, uncurbed, ungoverned, wanton.

“an unchecked temper” synonyms

137
Q

untethered from

A

divorced from

138
Q

anodyne

A

adjective - not likely to provoke dissent or offense; inoffensive, often deliberately so; innocuous.

“anodyne New Age music”

139
Q

assent

A

noun - the expression of approval or agreement.

“a loud murmur of assent”

140
Q

learned

A

adjective - (of a person) having much knowledge acquired by study; erudite.

“a learned, generous, and notoriously absent-minded man”

141
Q

derision

A

noun - contemptuous ridicule or mockery.

“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”

142
Q

impartial

A

adjective - treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just, detached.

“independent and impartial advice”

143
Q

adulate

A

verb - praise (someone) excessively; venerate

“he was adulated in the press”

144
Q

sap

A

verb - gradually weaken or destroy (a person’s strength or power); enervate

“our energy is being sapped by bureaucrats and politicians”

145
Q

doleful

A

adjective - expressing sorrow; mournful; plaintive

“a doleful look”

146
Q

degeneracy

A

noun - the state or property of being degenerate; decadence; dissipation.

“a slide into moral degeneracy”

147
Q

windfall

A

noun - a piece of unexpected good fortune, typically one that involves receiving a large amount of money; boon

“windfall profits”

148
Q

senescence

A

noun - the process of growing old.

149
Q

canvass

A

verb - solicit votes from (electors in a constituency).

“in each ward, two workers canvassed some 2,000 voters”

150
Q

dumbfound

A

verb - greatly astonish or amaze.

“I was dumbfounded by the low prices there”

151
Q

meager

A

adjective - (of something provided or available) lacking in quantity or quality; sparse.

“they were forced to supplement their meager earnings”

152
Q

impel

A

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”

153
Q

circulate

A

verb - move or cause to move continuously or freely through a closed system or area; disseminate.

“antibodies circulate in the bloodstream”

154
Q

havoc

A

noun - widespread destruction.

“the hurricane ripped through Florida causing havoc”

155
Q

forswear

A

forsake

156
Q

advance

A

verb - put forward (a theory or suggestion); propose

“the hypothesis I wish to advance in this article”

157
Q

concede

A

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”

158
Q

forthright

A

adjective - (of a person or their manner or speech) direct and outspoken; straightforward and honest.

“his most forthright attack yet on the reforms”

159
Q

gritty

A

adjective - showing courage and resolve.

“a gritty pioneer woman”

160
Q

misgiving

A

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”

161
Q

grievous

A

adjective - (of something bad) very severe or serious; egregious

“his death was a grievous blow”

162
Q

bring about

A

verb - cause something to happen.

“she brought about a revolution”

163
Q

revolt

A

noun - an attempt to put an end to the authority of a person or body by rebelling.

“a revolt against oppressive rule”

164
Q

revelatory

A

adjective - revealing something hitherto unknown; prophetic.

“an invigorating and revelatory performance”

165
Q

deadpan

A

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”

166
Q

repentant

A

adjective - expressing or feeling sincere regret and remorse; remorseful; contrite

“he is truly repentant for his incredible naivety and stupidity”

167
Q

wretch

A

noun - a despicable or contemptible person; reprobate

“ungrateful wretches”

168
Q

quotidian

A

adjective - ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane.

“his story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details”

169
Q

pejorative

A

adjective - expressing contempt or disapproval.

“permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term”

170
Q

efflorescence

A

noun - period of prosperity; a period of greatest prosperity or productivity.

171
Q

on the verge of

A

something is about to happen or is very likely to happen

172
Q

jejune

A

adjective - (of ideas or writings) dry and uninteresting.

“the poem seems to me rather jejune”

173
Q

excise

A

verb - remove (a section) from a text or piece of music.

“the clauses were excised from the treaty”

174
Q

untapped

A

adjective - (of a resource) not yet exploited or used.

“the vast untapped potential of individual women and men”

175
Q

kindred

A

adjective - similar in kind; related.

“books on kindred subjects”

176
Q

outmoded

A

adjective - old-fashioned.

“an outmoded Victorian building”

177
Q

protagonist

A

noun - an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea.

“a strenuous protagonist of the new agricultural policy”

178
Q

dissipate

A

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”

179
Q

rancorous

A

adjective - characterized by bitterness or resentment; acrimonious

“sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes”

180
Q

profane

A

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”

181
Q

circumvent

A

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”

182
Q

adorn

A

verb - make more beautiful or attractive; embellish

“pictures and prints adorned his walls”

183
Q

synthesize

A

verb - combine (a number of things) into a coherent whole; integrate.

“pupils should synthesize the data they have gathered”

184
Q

acerbic

A

adjective - (especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.

“his acerbic wit”

185
Q

impassive

A

adjective - not feeling or showing emotion.

“impassive passersby ignore the performers”

186
Q

recalcitrant

A

adjective - having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.

“a class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds”

187
Q

stymied

A

verb - prevent or hinder the progress of; neutralized

“the changes must not be allowed to stymie new medical treatments”

188
Q

absolve

A

verb - set or declare (someone) free from blame, guilt, or responsibility; exonerate.

“the pardon absolved them of any crimes”

189
Q

evince

A

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”

190
Q

insouciant

A

adjective - showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent, cavalier.

“an insouciant shrug”

191
Q

betoken

A

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”

192
Q

court

A

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”

193
Q

defy

A

verb - openly resist or refuse to obey.

“a woman who defies convention”

194
Q

rugged

A

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”

195
Q

sketchy

A

adjective - not thorough or detailed.

“the information they had was sketchy”

196
Q

cow

A

verb - cause (someone) to submit to one’s wishes by intimidation.

“the intellectuals had been cowed into silence”

197
Q

curt

A

adjective - rudely brief.

“his reply was curt”

198
Q

sinister

A

adjective - giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.

“there was something sinister about that murmuring voice”

199
Q

fatuous

A

adjective - silly and pointless.

“a fatuous comment”

200
Q

inept

A

adjective - having or showing no skill, clumsy; feckless

“the inept handling of the threat”

201
Q

opulence

A

noun - great wealth or luxuriousness; exorbitance.

“rooms of spectacular opulence”

202
Q

diverting

A

adjective - entertaining or amusing.

“fans of these actors will find this book a diverting read”

203
Q

symbiotic

A

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”

204
Q

mirthful

A

adjective - full of mirth; merry or amusing.

“mirthful laughter”

205
Q

affluence

A

noun - the state of having a great deal of money; wealth.

“a sign of our growing affluence”

206
Q

machinations

A

noun - a plot or scheme.

207
Q

proscribed

A

verb - forbid, especially by law; denounce or condemn; outlaw (someone).

“strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces”

208
Q

hubristic

A

adjective - excessively proud or self-confident; arrogant.

“a hubristic belief in his own self-proclaimed genius”

209
Q

ensconced

A

verb - establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe, or secret place.

“Agnes ensconced herself in their bedroom”

210
Q

epitome

A

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”

211
Q

impecunious

A

adjective - having little or no money.

“a titled but impecunious family”

212
Q

extant

A

adjective - (especially of a document) still in existence; surviving.

“the original manuscript is no longer extant”

213
Q

unwittingly

A

done without knowing or planning

214
Q

promulgate

A

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”

215
Q

make out

A

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”

216
Q

markedly

A

adverb - to an extent which is clearly noticeable; significantly.

“new diagnoses have increased markedly since 1998”

217
Q

hedge

A

verb - limit or qualify (something) by conditions or exceptions; prevaricate.

“experts usually hedge their predictions, just in case”

218
Q

culprit

A

noun - the cause of a problem or defect.

“viruses could turn out to be the culprit”

219
Q

impetus

A

noun - the force or energy with which a body moves.

“hit the booster coil before the flywheel loses all its impetus”

220
Q

vindicate

A

verb - clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.

“hospital staff were vindicated by the inquest verdict”

221
Q

concoct

A

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”

222
Q

unexpurgated

A

adjective - (of a text) complete and containing all the original material; uncensored.

223
Q

premonitory

A

something is a warning or gives a feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen

224
Q

provisional

A

temporally; makeshift

225
Q

devolve

A

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”

226
Q

appropriate

A

verb - take (something) for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.

“his images have been appropriated by advertisers”

227
Q

inconsequential

A

adjective - not important or significant.

“they talked about inconsequential things”

228
Q

vituperation

A

noun - bitter and abusive language.

“no one else attracted such vituperation”

229
Q

solicitous

A

adjective - characterized by or showing interest or concern.

“she was always solicitous about the welfare of her students”

230
Q

runaway

A

out of control

231
Q

trope

A

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”

232
Q

cinch

A

noun - an extremely easy task.

“the program was a cinch to use”

233
Q

obliterated

A

verb - destroy utterly; wipe out.

“the memory was so painful that he obliterated it from his mind”

234
Q

furnish

A

render

235
Q

turmoil

A

noun - a state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.

“the country was in turmoil”

236
Q

relic

A

noun - something left behind after decay or disappearance; vestige

237
Q

grandiosity

A

noun - pompous superiority or pretentiousness.

“he was self-absorbed and prone to grandiosity”

238
Q

vernacular

A

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”

239
Q

barbarity

A

noun - extreme cruelty or brutality; sadism

“the barbarity of the act outraged millions”

240
Q

obloquy

A

noun - strong public criticism or verbal abuse.

“he endured years of contempt and obloquy”

241
Q

scrutinize

A

verb - examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

“customers were warned to scrutinize the small print”

242
Q

virtuosity

A

noun - great skill in music or another artistic pursuit.

“a performance of considerable virtuosity”

243
Q

doom

A

verb - condemn to certain destruction or death.

“fuel was spilling out of the damaged wing and the aircraft was doomed”

244
Q

congruent

A

adjective - in agreement or harmony.

“the rules may not be congruent with the requirements of the law”

245
Q

antebellum

A

adjective - occurring or existing before a particular war, especially the American Civil War.

“the conventions of the antebellum South”

246
Q

triteness

A

noun - something is dull, hackneyed, or unoriginal because it has been expressed too often.

247
Q

sacrosanct

A

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”

248
Q

stagnated

A

verb - cease developing; become inactive or dull.

“teaching can easily stagnate into a set of routines”

249
Q

insulate

A

verb - to place in a detached situation; isolate

250
Q

vantage

A

noun - a place or position affording a good view of something.

“from my vantage point I could see into the front yard”

251
Q

preside

A

verb - be in the position of authority in a meeting or other gathering.

“Bishop Herbener presided at the meeting”

252
Q

seethe

A

verb - (of a person) be filled with intense but unexpressed anger.

“inwardly he was seething at the slight to his authority”

253
Q

resuscitate

A

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”

254
Q

upend

A

verb - set or turn (something) on its end or upside down; refute.

255
Q

chimerical

A

adjective - hoped for but illusory or impossible to achieve.

“the notion of tolerance is a chimeric dream”

256
Q

hidebound

A

adjective - unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention.

“you are hidebound by your petty laws”

257
Q

murky

A

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”

258
Q

plethora

A

noun - a large or excessive amount of (something); surfeit.

“a plethora of committees and subcommittees”

259
Q

unmistakable

A

adjective - not able to be mistaken for anything else; very distinctive.

“the unmistakable sound of his laughter”

260
Q

debacle

A

noun - a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

“the economic debacle that became known as the Great Depression”

261
Q

foibles

A

noun - a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character.

“they have to tolerate each other’s little foibles”

262
Q

autocratic

A

adjective - relating to a ruler who has absolute power.

“the constitutional reforms threatened his autocratic power”

263
Q

patron

A

noun - a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity.

“a celebrated patron of the arts”

264
Q

kinetic

A

adjective - relating to or resulting from motion.

265
Q

vice

A

noun - immoral or wicked behavior.

“an open sewer of vice and crime”

266
Q

quackery

A

noun - dishonest practices and claims to have special knowledge and skill in some field, typically medicine.

“a website dedicated to exposing medical quackery”

267
Q

nepotism

A

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”

268
Q
A
269
Q

self-effacing

A

adjective - shy and likes to stay out of the spotlight, shunning attention and praise

270
Q
A
271
Q

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

A

stemming, checking
imperceptible, gradual
canned, formulaic
superficial, discerning
perspicacity, discernment
quackery, cronyism
tonic, restorative
caterwauling, shrieking
warbling, crooning
malodorous, noisome
meting, doling

GMAT/GRE (3 decks)

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