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GRE English > GRE Vocab > Flashcards

GRE Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

ABATE

A

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

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2
Q

ABSCOND

A

to leave secretly

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3
Q

ABSTAIN

A

to choose not to do something

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4
Q

ADULTERATE

A

to make impure

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5
Q

AGGRANDIZE

A

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

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6
Q

AMELIORATE

A

to make better; to improve

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7
Q

ANTIPATHY

A

extreme dislike

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8
Q

ARBITRATE

A

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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9
Q

ARDOR

A

intense and passionate feeling

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10
Q

ASSUAGE

A

to make something unpleasant less severe

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11
Q

ATTENUATE

A

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

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12
Q

AUSTERE

A

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

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13
Q

BANAL

A

predictable; clichéd; boring

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14
Q

BOLSTER

A

to support; to prop up

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15
Q

BOMBASTIC

A

pompous in speech and manner

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16
Q

CACOPHONY

A

harsh, jarring noise

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17
Q

CAPRICIOUS

A

changing one’s mind quickly and often

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18
Q

CASTIGATE

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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19
Q

CATALYST

A

something that brings about a change in something else

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20
Q

CAUSTIC

A

biting in wit

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21
Q

CHAUVINIST

A

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which one belongs

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22
Q

CHICANERY

A

deception by means of craft or guile

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23
Q

COGENT

A

convincing and well reasoned

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24
Q

CONDONE

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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25
Q

CONVOLUTED

A

intricate and complicated

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26
Q

CORROBORATE

A

to provide supporting evidence

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27
Q

CREDULOUS

A

too trusting; gullible

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28
Q

CRESCENDO

A

steadily increasing volume or force

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29
Q

DESULTORY

A

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

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30
Q

DIATRIBE

A

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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31
Q

DIFFIDENT

A

lacking self-confidence

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32
Q

DILATORY

A

intended to delay

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33
Q

DILETTANTE

A

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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34
Q

DIRGE

A

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

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35
Q

DISABUSE

A

to set right; to free from error

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36
Q

DISCERN

A

to perceive; to recognize

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37
Q

DISPARATE

A

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

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38
Q

DISSONANCE

A

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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39
Q

ENERVATE

A

to reduce in strength

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40
Q

ENGENDER

A

to produce, cause, or bring about

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41
Q

EQUIVOCAL

A

open to more than one interpretation; misleading

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42
Q

EQUIVOCATE

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

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43
Q

ESOTERIC

A

known or understood by only a few

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44
Q

ESTIMABLE

A

admirable

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45
Q

EUPHEMISM

A

use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

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46
Q

EXACERBATE

A

to make worse

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47
Q

EXCULPATE

A

to clear from blame; prove innocent

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48
Q

EXIGENT

A

urgent; requiring immediate action

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49
Q

EXONERATE

A

to clear of blame

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50
Q

FAWN

A

to grovel

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51
Q

FERVID

A

intensely emotional; feverish

52
Q

FLORID

A

excessively decorated or embellished

53
Q

FOMENT

A

to arouse or incite

54
Q

FRUGALITY

A

a tendency to be thrifty or cheap

55
Q

GARRULOUS

A

tending to talk a lot

56
Q

GREGARIOUS

A

outgoing; sociable

57
Q

ICONOCLAST

A

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

58
Q

IMPERTURBABLE

A

not capable of being disturbed

59
Q

IMPETUOUS

A

quick to act without thinking

60
Q

IMPLACABLE

A

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

61
Q

INCHOATE

A

not fully formed; disorganized

62
Q

INGENUOUS

A

showing innocence or childlike simplicity

63
Q

INIMICAL

A

hostile, unfriendly

64
Q

INNOCUOUS

A

harmless

65
Q

INSIPID

A

lacking interest or flavor

66
Q

INTRANSIGENT

A

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

67
Q

INUNDATE

A

to overwhelm; to cover with water

68
Q

IRASCIBLE

A

easily made angry

69
Q

LACONIC

A

using few words

70
Q

LOQUACIOUS

A

talkative

71
Q

LUCID

A

clear and easily understood

72
Q

LUMINOUS

A

bright; brilliant; glowing

73
Q

MALINGER

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

74
Q

MISANTHROPE

A

a person who dislikes others

75
Q

MITIGATE

A

to soften; to lessen

76
Q

MOLLIFY

A

to calm or make less severe

77
Q

OBDURATE

A

hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

78
Q

OBSEQUIOUS

A

overly submissive and eager to please

79
Q

OBVIATE

A

to prevent; to make unnecessary

80
Q

OCCLUDE

A

to stop up; to prevent the passage of

81
Q

ONEROUS

A

troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

82
Q

OPPROBRIUM

A

public disgrace

83
Q

OSTENTATION

A

excessive showiness

84
Q

PARAGON

A

model of excellence or perfection

85
Q

PARADOX

A

a contradiction or dilemma

86
Q

PEDANT

A

someone who shows off learning

87
Q

PERFIDIOUS

A

willing to betray one’s trust

88
Q

PERFUNCTORY

A

done in a routine way; indifferent

89
Q

PERMEATE

A

to penetrate

90
Q

PHILANTHROPY

A

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

91
Q

PLASTIC

A

able to be molded, altered, or bent

92
Q

PLACATE

A

to soothe or pacify

93
Q

PLETHORA

A

excess

94
Q

PRECIPITATE

A

to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

95
Q

PREVARICATE

A

o lie or deviate from the truth

96
Q

PRISTINE

A

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

97
Q

PRODIGAL

A

lavish; wasteful

98
Q

PROLIFERATE

A

to increase in number quickly

99
Q

PROPITIATE

A

to conciliate; to appease

100
Q

PROPRIETY

A

correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

101
Q

PRUDENCE

A

wisdom, caution, or restraint

102
Q

PUNGENT

A

sharp and irritating to the senses

103
Q

QUIESCENT

A

motionless

104
Q

RAREFY

A

to make thinner or sparser

105
Q

REPUDIATE

A

to reject the validity of

106
Q

RETICENT

A

silent; reserved

107
Q

RHETORIC

A

effective writing or speaking

108
Q

SATIATE

A

to satisfy fully or overindulge

109
Q

SOPORIFIC

A

causing sleep or lethargy

110
Q

SPECIOUS

A

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

111
Q

STIGMA

A

a mark of shame or discredit

112
Q

STOLID

A

unemotional; lacking sensitivity

113
Q

SUBLIME

A

lofty or grand

114
Q

TACIT

A

done without using words

115
Q

TACITURN

A

silent, not talkative

116
Q

TIRADE

A

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

117
Q

TORPOR

A

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

118
Q

TRANSITORY

A

temporary; lasting a brief time

119
Q

VACILLATE

A

to sway physically; to be indecisive

120
Q

VENERATE

A

to respect deeply

121
Q

VERACITY

A

filled with truth and accuracy

122
Q

VERBOSE

A

wordy

123
Q

VEX

A

to annoy

124
Q

VOLATILE

A

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

125
Q

WAVER

A

to fluctuate between choices

126
Q

WHIMSICAL

A

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

127
Q

ZEAL

A

passion; excitement

GRE English (3 decks)

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