GRE Vocab Flashcards - Common Words Week 1
to learn the most commonly tested GRE Vocabulary Words from the Kaplan Third edition deck.
Aggrandize
uh graan diez
v. to increase in power, influence, and reputation.
The supervisor sough to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
Synonyms of Aggrandize
amplify, apotheosize, augment, dignify, elevate, enlarge, ennoble, exalt, glorify, magnify, swell, uplift.
Affected
uh fehk tihd
adj. phony, artificial
The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases though she had never been to France.
synonyms of Affected
insincere, pretentious, put-on.
Aesthetic
ehs theh tihk
adj. concerning the appreciation of beauty
The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.
Synonyms of aesthetic
artistic, tasteful
Aerie
ayr ee) (eer ee
n. a nest built high in the air, and elevated often secluded, dwelling.
Perched high among the trees, the eagle’s aerie was filled with eggs.
synonyms for aerie
perch, stronghold
Advocate
aad vuh kayt
v. to speak in favor of
The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.
synonyms for advocate
back, champion, support
Adulterate
uh duhl tuhr ayt
v. to make impure
The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.
synonyms for adulterate
debase, doctor, load
Acme
aak mee
n. the highest point, the summit, the highest level or degree attainable.
Just when he reached the acme of his power, the dictator was overthrown.
synonyms for acme
apex, peak, summit
Acidulous
uh si juh luhs
adj. sour in taste or manner
The acidulous taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy’s lips pucker.
Synonyms for acidulous
acerbic, acetous, biting, piquant, pungent, tart
Accretion
uh kree shuhn
n. a gradual growth in size, and increase in amount
The committee’s strong fundraising efforts resulted in an accretion in scholarship money.
Synonyms for accretion
accumulation, buildup
Abyss
uh bihs
n. an extremely deep hole
The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths.
synonyms for abyss
chasm, void
Abstemious
aab stee me uhs
adj. moderate in appetite
Because Alyce is a vegetarian, she was able to eat only an abstemious meal at the Texas Steakhous.
Synonyms for Abstemious
abstinent, continent, self-restraining, sober, temperate
Abstain
v. to choose not to do something
synonyms for abstain
forbear, refrain, withhold.
Abjure
aab jur
v. to reject, to abandon family
The spy abjured his allegiance to the United States when he defected to Russia.
synonyms for abjure
forswear, recall, recant, retract, take back.
Abscond
aab skahnd
v. to leave secretly
The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
synonyms for abscond
decamp, escape, flee
Abeyance
uh bay uhns
n. temporary suppression or suspension
The baseball game was held in abeyance while it continued to rain
synonyms for abeyance
deferral, delay, dormancy, postponement, remission
Abdicate
aab duh kayt
v. to give up a position, right or power
With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.
Synonyms for abdicate
cede, quit, relinquish, resign, yield
Aberrant
uh ber unt
adj. deviating from what is normal or expected
Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers did not expect his aberrant burst of rage
Synonyms for aberrant
abnormal, anomalous, deviant, divergent, errant, irregular
Abate
uh bayt
v. to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
As the hurricane’s force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
Synonyms for abate
ebb, lapse, let up, moderate, relent, slacken, subside, wane.
Abase
uh bays
v. to humble, to disgrace
My intention was not abase the comedian
Synonyms for abase
demean, humiliate
Officious
uh fihsh uhs
adj. too helpful, meddlesome
While planning her wedding, Maya discovered just how officious her future mother in law could be.
Synonyms for officious
eager, intrusive, unwanted
Alacrity
uh laak crih tee
n. speed or quickness
The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their clients’ requests with alacrity.
synonyms for alacrity
celerity, dispatch, haste, swiftness.
Alleviate
uh lee vee ayt
v. to make more bearable
Taking aspirin helps to alleviate a headache.
synonyms for alleviate
allay, assuage, comfort, ease, lessen, lighten, mitigate, palliate, relieve.
Amalgamate
uh maal guh mayt
to combine, to mix together
Giant industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated
Synonyms for amalgamate
admix, blend, coalesce, combine, commingle, commix, compound, fuse, intermingle, intermix, merge, mingle, mix, unite.
Ambiguous
aam bihg yoo uhs
adj. doubtful or uncertain, can be interpreted several ways.
The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn.
Synonyms for ambiguous
cloudy, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, indeterminate,nebulous, obscure, unclear, vague.
Ameliorate
uh meel yuhr ayt
v. to make better, to improve
The doctor was able to ameliorate the patients’ suffering using painkillers
synonyms for ameliorate
amend, better, improve, pacify, upgrade
Amortize
uh mohr tiez or aam er tiez
v. to diminish by installment payments
While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for amortizing it.
Synonyms for amortize
decrease, reduce
Amulet
aam yoo liht
n. an ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
Though she claimed it was not because of superstitioon, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck
synonyms for amulet
fetish, talisman
Anachronism
uh naak ruh nih suhm
n. something out of place in time
They play was set in the nineteenth century, but was ruining by anachronisms, like the lead actor’s digital watch.
Synonyms for anachronism
archaism, incongruity
Analgesia
aah nuhl jee zhuh
n. a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
After having her appendix removed, Tatiana welcomed the analgesia that the painkillers provided.
Analogous
adj. similar or alike in some way, equivalent
His mother argued that not going to college was analogous to throwing his life away.
Synonyms for analogous
alike, comparable, corresponding, equivalent, homogeneous, parallel, similar
Anodyne
aah nuh dien
n. something that calms or soothes pain
The massage was an anodyne that helped remove the knots from the lawyer’s tense shoulders.
Synonyms for Anodyne
narcotic, nepenthe, opiate
Anomaly
uh nahm uh lee
n. deviation from what is normal
Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates.
Synonyms for Anomaly
aberrancy, aberration, abnormality, deviance, deviation, irregularity, preternaturalness
Antagonize
aan taa guh niez
v. to annoy or provoke to anger
The child discovered that he could antagonize the cat by pulling its tail.
Synonyms for antagonize
clash, conflict, incite, irritate, oppose, pester, provoke, vex
Antipathy
aan tih pug thee
n. extreme dislike
the antipathy between fans of the rival soccer teams made the game even more electrifying to watch
synonyms for antipathy
abhorrence, animosity, animus, antagonism, aversion. dislike, enmity, hatred, hostility, loathing, repellence, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion.
Apathy
aa pah thee
n. lack of interest or emotion
the apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.
synonyms for apathy
coolness, disinterest disregard, impassivity, indifference, insensibility, lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, phlegm, stolidity, unconcern, unresponsiveness.
Apocryphal
adj. of questionable authority or authenticity
There is no hard or authoritative evidence to support the apocryphal tales that link the roswell new mexico incident to a downed UFO.
synonyms for apocryphal
disputed, doubtful, fictitious, fraudulent
Apostate
uh pahs tayt
n. one who renounces a religious faith
So that he could divorce his wife, the king scoffed at the church doctrines and declared himself an apostate.
synonyms for apostate
defector deserter traitor
Approbation
aa pruh bay shuhn
n. approval and praise
The approbation that Jerry Lewis recieved in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.
Synonyms for approbation
acclaim, adulation. applause, commendation, compliments, exaltation, extolment, hail, kudos, praise.
Arbitrary
ahr bih trayr ee
adj determined by chance or impulse
When you lack the infromation to judge what to do next you will be forced to make an arbitrary decision.
synonyms for arbitrary
changeable erratic indicriminate random wayward
Arbitrate
ahr bih trayt
v. to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.
synonyms for arbitrate
adjudge, adjudicate, determine, intermidiate, intervene, judge, moderatre, referee, rule.
archaic
adj. ancient, old-fashioned.
synonyms for archaic
ancient, antediluvian, antique, bygone, dated, dowdy, fusty, obsolete, old fashioned, outdated,outmodled, passe, prehistoric, stale, superannuated, superseded, vintage.
Ardor
n. intense and passionate feeling
Bishop’s ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
synonyms for ardor
devotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidity, fervidness, fervor, fire, passion, zeal, zealousness.