GRE Vocab Flashcards
1
Q
Alacrity
A
eager willingness to do something
“When I get to work I lack alacrity; I just stare at my computer and wait for 5 o’clock to roll around”
2
Q
Prosaic
A
dull and lacking imagination
“All I can say is I’m terrible at arts and crafts. Everything ends up prosaic and blahhh”
3
Q
Veracity
A
truthful
“Alyssa is known for her veracity, thats what makes her a good friend. She’s not afraid to tell you the good and the bad”
4
Q
Paucity
A
lack of something
“Paul seems to have a paucity of money. How will we pay the bills?”
5
Q
Maintain
A
Assert
6
Q
Contrite
A
Remorseful
7
Q
Laconic
A
A person who uses very few words
“I typically go for the guy who is very outgoing but this guy is different. He’s laconic and quiet”
8
Q
Pugnacious
A
one who argues aggressively about everything
“My dad is very good at giving people a hard time but as soon as someone does it him he becomes pugnacious making the person feel bad”
9
Q
Disparate
A
Fundamentally different
“Speech and and religion are so disparate they can’t even been compared”
10
Q
Egregious
A
standing out in a negative way
11
Q
Innocuous
A
harmless, produces no ill effect
“Unless you have a thin skin, Ike’s sarcasm is innocuous”
12
Q
Candid
A
straightforward and honest
“When I take a double chin photo it is more candid than a selfie”
13
Q
Erratic
A
Unpredictable, strange and unconventional
“It doesn’t surprise me when Chris has many different jobs and talks a million words a minute. His ADHD makes him erratic”
14
Q
Bleak
A
very depressing
“After my parents divorce the future seemed bleak, but time passed and think turned to be better then I could have believed”
15
Q
Profuse
A
literally pours out in abundance
“The first and second day of my period are so profuse I have to wear more than the average. After that it’s hardly anything”
16
Q
Extant
A
to still be in existence
“Most people believe marriage is becoming extincting but I believe it will be more extant than people believe”
17
Q
Contentious
A
likes to argue
“I feel like my father is so contentious. We can never have a peaceful discussion”
18
Q
Auspicious
A
favorable
“I was auspicious of Trump until i heard the filth coming out of his mouth about women”
19
Q
Enervate
A
sap the energy from
“I am awake and ready to go at the beginning of the day. By 3 o’clock i feel enervated.
20
Q
Equivocate
A
to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead
“As a teenage I would equivocate with my parents often so I could trick them into letting me do things”
21
Q
Ambivalent
A
having mixed feelings or emotions about something
22
Q
Sedulous
A
the opposite of idle, working diligently and carefully
“I sedulous study for the GRE by listening to lectures on Magoosh and making flashcards”
23
Q
Stem
A
hold back or limit the flow or growth of something
“To stem the tide of applications, schools require you to get a certain score on the GRE”
24
Q
Blinkered
A
limited outlook or understanding
“A teenager has a blinkered mindset believing they know everything when they have only had a little experience in life”
25
Unchecked
Describing something undesirable that has grow out of control
"When my mom decided to move, she let the grass die and didn't do any yard work, leaving the weeks unchecked and the grass dead"
26
Checkered
A past that is marked by disreputable happenings
"One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts—
from embezzlement to infidelity—sabotaging their campaigns"
27
Raft
A large number of something
"Even though Ralph had a raft of pens, he didn't hesitate and bought 20 more"
28
Involved
complicated, difficult to comprehend
"Anatomy is very involved; you have to memorize everything and every part from the toes to the head"
29
Retiring
shy, to be inclined to retract from company
"Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was
retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret."
30
Expansive
communicative, prone to talking in a sociable manner
"After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive,
speaking fondly of the “good old days”."
31
Moment
Significant and important
"Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton’s writing career, and,
within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts."
32
Base
contemptible and ignoble
"She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate."
33
Imbibe
An intake of knowledge or information
"Plato imbibed Socrates’ teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he
directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates."
34
Inundate
being overwhelmed by too many people or things
"The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters
to provide an objective account of the bank robbery"
35
Scintillating
someone who is brilliant and lively
"Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made
lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard."
36
Benighted
falling into a state of ignorance
"Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works
of theological speculation."
37
Galvanize
to excite to action or to spur on
"At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family
holding a banner that read, “Go Kyle”; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three
miles in less than 20 minutes."
38
Hedge
to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating
"When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies
stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct."
39
Flush
to be in abundance
to drive out of hiding
"The GRE Reading Comprehension passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have
learned only yesterday."
40
Fell
terrible wicked
"For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven
lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling
decides to come out of retirement."
41
Arch
deliberately teasing
"The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn’t pick up on
her dry humor, they thought her supercilious."
42
Beg
evade a question, invite an obvious question, ask a question in itself is makes unwarranted presumptions
"By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie begged the question when
she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall."
43
Tender
when you offer up something
"The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation."
44
Intimate
to suggest something subtly
"At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his
parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was
simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade."
45
Wanting
lacking
"She did not find her vocabulary wanting, yet there were so many GRE vocabulary words that inevitably
she did not know a few."
46
Becoming
appropriate and matches nicely
"Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful."
47
Start
suddenly move or dart in a particular direction
"All alone in the mansion, Henrietta started when she heard a sound."
48
Fleece
to deceive
" Many have been fleeced by Internet scams and have never received their money back."
49
Telling
significant and revealing to another factor
"Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion."
50
Wax
to increase
"Her enthusiasm for the diva’s new album only waxed with each song; by the end of the album, it was
her favorite CD yet."
51
Check
to limit
"When government abuses are not kept in check, that government is likely to become autocratic."
52
Qualify
to limit a statement or opinion
I love San Francisco.
I love San Francisco, but it is always windy.
The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or
limit, my love for San Francisco.
53
Miserly
you pinch every penny (negative connotation)
54
Frugal
you spend money wisely (positive connotation)
"Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned."
55
Prevaricate
to speak in an evasive way
"The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate”. "
56
Variance
the quality of varying
"The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate”."
57
Histrionic
to be overly theatrical
"Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought
that she’d been handed a death sentence."
58
Demur
a verb meaning to object or show reluctance
"Wallace dislike the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps."
59
Demure
to be modest and shy
"This word is typically used to describe a woman, so don’t call a man demure, as they will surely demur."
60
Beatific
one who radiates bliss
"Marred by the ravages of time, the idols were hardly beautiful, yet each seemed to emanate a beatific
aura that not even 500 years could diminish."
61
Perfunctory
done in a routine way, carelessly
Like washing the dishes. Dishes are perfunctory
62
Preemptive
to act before someone else does
"Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it."
63
Peremptory
you are bossy and domineering
"My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or
avoid doing altogether."
64
Indigent
poor, having very little means
"In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the wherewithal to
enjoy material luxuries."
65
Indigenous
relating to a certain area
"The flora and fauna indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—
one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you’re not dealing with an opossum."
66
Indignant
to feel anger over perceived injustice
" you don’t want to be indignant the day
of the test, when ETS just happens to pick that one word you always end up confusing with another
word."
67
Errant
wandering, not sticking to a circumscribed path; deviating from acceptable behavior or standards
"Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks
through the university campus to help his brain function."
68
Arrant
complete and utter; usually modifies a noun with a negative connotation
"An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was
every bit as transparent as it was corrupt."
69
Errand
small chore
"Maria carried out her errands with dispatch, completing most before noon."
70
Err
to make an error
"He erred in thinking that errant and arrant were synonyms."
71
Artless
person who is innocent, guileless
"Finally, artful and artless can refer back to the original usage of art. Therefore, Picasso is artful and I
am artless. However, the GRE rarely, if ever, tests these definitions."
72
Artful
to be cunning and wily
"Finally, artful and artless can refer back to the original usage of art. Therefore, Picasso is artful and I
am artless. However, the GRE rarely, if ever, tests these definitions."
73
Artifice
to be artful
74
Expurgate
to remove objectionable material
When a movie has been edited for TV and all the F-words are taken out. Think of the beep
75
Expunge
to wipe out or remove any trace of
76
Censure
express strong disapproval of that person
77
Censor
Refer to expurgate; synonyms
78
Ponderous
to be weighed down, to move slowly and in a labored fashion
79
Imponderable
somethings that is impossible to estimate, fathom, or figure out.
80
Kowtow
kneeling down before a person. Negative connotation showing that person is submissive.
"Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy."
81
Powwow
informal discussion or colloquy
"Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the
players are mentally in the right place."
82
Junta
an aggressive take over by a group
"As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to
gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership."
83
Imbroglio
describes a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation
"The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong
broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget."
84
Juggernaut
any large force that cannot be stopped
"Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his
once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine."
85
Schadenfreude
someone cackling sardonically at the suffering of others
"From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures
below, huddled together in the arctic chill."
86
Amuck
to run about frenzied
"Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck,
hoping for a glance of his boyish face."
87
Pariah
an outcast
"The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the
research community."
88
Nabob
wealthy, influential person
"The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno."
89
Zeitgeist
spirit of the times
"Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990’s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the
American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000’s was a curious admixture of
fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped
into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on
YouTube."
90
Sangfroid
calmness and poise, especially in trying situations
"The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at
his throat or the gun at his head."
91
Parvenu
a person who has recently acquired a lot of money, and has therefore risen in class
"The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats."
92
Arriviste
refer to parvenu, except more ruthless
"The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their
ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress."
93
Melee
a wild confusing fight or struggle
"Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace
grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so
fond of baiting arrivistes into."
94
Lagniappe
an unexpected gift
"The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented
them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered."
95
Picayune
a person who is petty
"English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and
sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules."
96
Mesmerize
to hold spellbound
"The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to
move their eyes from the screen for even a single second."
97
Gerrymander
manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group
" Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election."
98
Hector
to bully or intimidate
"The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new
jobs."
99
Pollyannaish
extremely optimistic
"Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice
and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her."
100
Chauvinist
anyone who thinks their group is better than anybody else's group
"The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are
not consistent with his own."
101
Pyrrhic
any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it
"George W. Bush’s win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his
win alienated close to half of America."
102
Kafkaesque
the absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies
" The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation."
103
Quixotic
someone who is wildly idealistic
"For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful
ever become profitable."
104
Maudlin
one who cries in public for no apparent reason
"Just as those who were alive during the 70’s are mortified that they once cavorted about in bellbottoms,
many who lived during the 80’s are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy—
really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?"
105
Panglossian
blind optimism
" Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever
Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age."
106
Quisling
traitor
107
Byzantine
anything that is extremely intricate and complex
"Getting a driver’s license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so
byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV."
108
Galvanize
to shock or urge somebody/something into action
"The colonel’s speech galvanized the troops, who had all but given up."
109
Supercilious
to be haughty and disdainful
"Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed,
must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though
everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America."
110
Protean
adaptability described a person's ability
"Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a
jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist."
111
Sartorial
relates to the way we dress
"Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he
typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants."
112
Saturnine
to be morose
"Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that’s why in very northerly territories people are
encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose."
113
Mercurial
personality; anyone who unpredictably changes mood
"Martha Argerich’s mercurial nature is perfectly matched with playing Chopin: she’ll toss off, with
aplomb, effervescent passages, before moments later plumbing the depths of her soul to give voice to
bars of music steeped in the utmost melancholy."
114
Abate
to lessen in intensity
| "Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate"
115
Aberration
departure from the norm
"It remains the consensus among investors on Wall Street that current high oil prices are a temporary aberration and that we shall soon see a return to cheap oil"
116
Abeyance
temporary inactivity
"During the military takeover, the constitution was not abolished, but some of its clauses temporarily we put in abeyance as the armed forces took over the administration"
117
abjure
renounce upon oath; abstain from
"Pressure from the university authorities caused the young scholar to abjure his heretical opinions
118
Abrogate
put an end to; abolish by an authoritative action
"Washington sought to abrogate the ABM Treaty in order to be free to push ahead with its anti ballistic missile Star Wars program"
119
Abstemious
sparing in eating and drinking
"Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food upon him"
120
Abstruse
Difficult to understand
"Baffled by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
121
Accolade
recognition of achievement
"In Hollywood, and "oscar" is the highest accolade"
122
Accretion
gradual buildup or increase
"Over the years Bob gradually gained weight; because of this accretion of flab, he went from size M to size XL"
123
Acerbic
bitter in nature
124
Acquiesce
agree with
125
Acumen
mental keenness
126
Admonish
express disapproval; give a mild warning
127
Adroit
having skill or resourcefulness in coping with situations
128
Adulation
excessive admiration
129
Adulterate
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
130
Aesthetic
dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
131
Aggregate
gross amount; whole mass; body of units; materials used in making concrete
132
Alacrity
cheerful willingness
133
Alleviate
make more bearable
134
Allude
refer to indirectly
135
Amalgamate
unite in one body
136
Ameliorate
make better or more bearable
137
Amenable
able to be affected; readily managed or willing to be led; legally answerable
138
Anachronistic
chronologically out of place
139
Analogous
showing a likeness or similarity
140
Ancillary
serving as an aid or accessory
141
Anomaly
deviation from the norm
142
Antagonism
active opposition
143
Antipathy
habitual aversion; intense dislike; natural repugnance
144
Apathy
lack of concern, especially about things that others find important
145
Apocryphal
not authentic; invented rather than true
146
Apostate
one who abandons his or her religious faith or political beliefs
147
Apposite
fitting
148
Apprise
make aware of
149
Approbation
approval
150
Appropriate
take possession of for one's own use
151
Arcane
known only to the initiated
152
Archaic
characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time
153
Arduous
laborious
154
Articulate
express coherently in words
155
Ascetic
one who practices self denial
156
Asperity
harshness of manner
157
Aspersion
slanderous remark
158
Assiduous
diligent
159
Assuage
relieve or reduce in intensity
160
Astringent
harshly biting
161
Asymmetrical
not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
162
Atrophy
waste away
163
Attenuate
weaken or lessen (in density, force, or degree)
164
Attrition
gradual decrease in numbers
165
Audacious
rashly bold; reckless and brave; highly inventive
166
Auspicious
promising well for the future
167
Austere
strict and rigorous
168
Autocratic
having absolute, unchecked power
169
Autonomy
political or personal independence
170
Avarice
insatiable greed for wealth
171
Aver
assert confidently
172
Avid
enthusiastic
173
Axiomatic
in no need of proof; self-evident
174
Baleful
threatening harm or misfortune; having a malign influence
175
Balk
stop short, as if faced by an obstacle, and refuse to continue
176
Banality
lack of originality
177
Bane
cause of ruin or misery
178
Belabor
explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree
179
Belie
give a false impression
180
Bellicose
naturally inclined to fight
181
Beneficent
doing good, especially through works of charity
182
Betoken
be evidence of
183
Blatant
extremely obvious
184
Blithe
merry in disposition; free of anxieties
185
Bode
be an omen of
186
Bolster
reinforce
187
Bombastic
pretentious and long-winded
188
Bowdlerize
expurgate by omitting portions considered vulgar
189
Broach
mention or make known for the first time
190
Brook
put up with
191
Burgeon
develop rapidly
192
Burnish
make shiny by rubbing
193
Buttress
shore up with a support
194
Byzantine
devious and comples; relating to the byzantine empire
195
Cabal
small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
196
Cacophonous
unpleasant sounding
197
Cajole
persuade in the face of reluctance
198
Calumny
malicious misrepresentation
199
Candor
open honesty
200
Canon
collection or authoritative list of books (e.g., by an author, or accepted as scripture); principle, frequently religious
201
Cant
insincere expressions of piety; terminology of a particular class or profession
202
Capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
203
Cardinal
primary
204
Carping
petulant and sometimes perverse cricism
205
Castigation
severe criticism
206
Catalyst
someone or something that precipitates an action or change; substance that initiates or speeds up a chemical reaction without itself being affected
207
Categorical
absolute and explicit
208
Cathartic
inducing catharsis or purging
209
Caustic
able to burn, dissolve, or corrode by chemical action; bitingly sarcastic
210
Cavalier
casual and offhand
211
Cavil
find unnecessary fault with
212
Charisma
magnetic popular charm
213
Charlatan
someone who pretends to have knowledge or an ability that he or she actually lacks
