GRE Vocab List 2

Question 1

Inimical

Answer 1

detrimental or harmful

Eg- The govt. new policies were inimical to the minority groups.

Question 2

Fastidious

Answer 2

very careful and attentive

Eg- She dressed with fastidious care.

Question 3

Recalcitrant

Answer 3

disobedient
Eg- She taught a  class of recalcitrant 9th graders.

Question 4

Ephemeral

Answer 4

Momentary or passing

Eg- Fashion is ephemeral but style is forever.

Question 5

Pusillanimous

Answer 5

Lacking courage

Question 6

Vacillate

Answer 6

indecisive

Eg- I vacillated between teaching and journalism.

Question 7

Ambivalent

Answer 7

having mixed feelings

Eg- Some loved her, some hated her and some were ambivalent about her.

Question 8

Pedant

Answer 8

too concerned with minor details

Eg- The food critic from ratatouille was such a pedant.

Question 9

Inchoate

Answer 9

rudimentary or just beginning so its unclear

Eg- Einstein’s first paper was very inchoate. His next paper however built his ideas further.

Question 10

Deride

Answer 10

Make fun of or ridicule

Eg- The environmentalists derided the new policies.

Question 11

Tenuous

Answer 11

Flimsy

Eg- The phones cover is tenuous.

Question 12

Paucity

Answer 12

Lack of something

Eg- The paucity of substantial proof did not hold back james from publishing his paper.

Question 13

Penury

Answer 13

Extreme poverty

Eg- His mental health would not allow him to survive another year of penury.

Question 14

Neophyte

Answer 14

Someone who is new at something

Eg- This course is suitable for Neophytes as well as experts.

Question 15

Complaisant

Answer 15

willing to do something to please others

Eg- The dispensary doctors were compaisantly signing sick leaves.

Question 16

Intractable

Answer 16

Hard to deal with or manage

Eg- The pandemic would lead to an intractable economic and social situations.

Question 17

Disparage

Answer 17

belittle

Eg- Trump never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors.

Question 18

Contrite

Answer 18

remorseful

Eg- Jagjit Singh’s music is filled with a contrite tone.

Question 19

Pugnacious

Answer 19

Ready to fight verbally

Eg- Arnab Goswami often speaks in a pugnacious manner with his guests on the show.

Question 20

Profuse

Answer 20

very plentiful and abundant

Eg- I offer my profuse apologies.

Question 21

Egregious

Answer 21

outstandingly bad

Eg- T-Series often engages in egregious abuse of copyright terms.

Question 22

Martinet

Answer 22

Strict disciplinarian

Eg- The sergeant was a martinet that expected complete obedience.

Question 23

Sedulous

Answer 23

diligent

Eg- The security guard did his job sedulously.

Question 24

Blinkered

Answer 24

having a limited outlook or understanding

Eg- A blinkered view of investment will surely lead to losses.

Question 25

Checkered

Answer 25

Up and downs

Eg- The checkered history of India is enough to write hundreds of books.