GRE Vocab List C (Prep Scholar) (75 words)

Question 1

abate

Answer 1

v. to diminish in intensity

v. to cause to diminish in intensity

Question 2

acumen

Answer 2

n. keen judgment and perception

Question 3

affectation

Answer 3

n. fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth
ex. “His French accent is just an affectation.”

Question 4

ameliorate

Answer 4

v. to improve or mitigate a situation

Question 5

amenable

Answer 5

adj. easily convinced or persuaded

Question 6

sartorial

Answer 6

adj. relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress

Question 7

panache

Answer 7

n. flamboyant confidence of style or manner.

ex. “he entertained Palm Springs society with great panache”

Question 8

brandish

Answer 8

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

“a man leaped out brandishing a knife”

syn. flourish, wave, shake, wield, raise

Question 9

quixotic

Answer 9

adj. exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

ex. “a vast and perhaps quixotic project”

Question 10

flout

Answer 10

v. openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).

ex. “these same companies still flout basic ethical practices”

Question 11

ameliorate

Answer 11

v. to improve or mitigate a situation

Question 12

artless

Answer 12

adj. without artifice

adj. natural, untrained

Question 13

aver

Answer 13

v. to assert or allege

Question 14

castigate

Answer 14

v. to scold or berate strongly

Question 15

commensurate

Answer 15

adj. in accordance with, proportional

Question 16

contrite

Answer 16

adj. remorseful

Question 17

craven

Answer 17

adj. cowardly to the point of being shameful

Question 18

credulous

Answer 18

adj. gullible, naïve

Question 19

deftness

Answer 19

adj. skill, acumen

adj. manual dexterity

Question 20

diatribe

Answer 20

n. a rant or angry speech denouncing someone or something

Question 21

dissemble

Answer 21

v. to mislead or conceal the truth, esp. with respect to one’s motives
ex. “he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else”
syn. dissimulate, pose

Question 22

enervate

Answer 22

v. to exhaust or drain of energy

Question 23

engender

Answer 23

v. to cause or give rise to

Question 24

esoteric

Answer 24

adj. intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest
adj. obscure, arcane

Question 25

exculpate

Answer 25

v. to exonerate or vindicate

Question 26

exacting

Answer 26

adj. challenging, demanding, grueling

Question 27

expatiate

Answer 27

v. to elaborate on something in great detail

Question 28

foment

Answer 28

v. to foster unrest or discontent

Question 29

forestall

Answer 29

v. to hold off or try to prevent

Question 30

gainsay

Answer 30

v. deny or oppose

Question 31

gauche

Answer 31

adj. socially inept, inappropriate, or awkward

Question 32

galvanize

Answer 32

v. to prod someone into action

Question 33

germane

Answer 33

adj. relevant to the matter at hand

Question 34

imprudence

Answer 34

n. bad judgment

Question 35

inchoate

Answer 35

adj. rudimentary, in the beginning stages

Question 36

indolent

Answer 36

adj. lazy | adj. idle

Question 37

ingenuous

Answer 37

adj. naïve or innocent

Question 38

insipid

Answer 38

adj. bland, uninspired, inane

Question 39

intransigent

Answer 39

adj. uncompromising, obstinate

Question 40

malign

Answer 40

adj. evil or harmful | v. to speak negatively about someone or something

Question 41

munificent

Answer 41

adj. very generous

Question 42

offset

Answer 42

v. to counterbalance or counteract

Question 43

onerous

Answer 43

adj. difficult or burdensome

Question 44

platitude

Answer 44

n. a trite or cliché statement

Question 45

precipitate

Answer 45

v. to cause adj. hastily and not well-considered n. particulate matter formed within a solution

Question 46

profligate

Answer 46

adj. extravagant and wasteful, esp. in an immoral way

Question 47

prodigal

Answer 47

n. a reckless spender

Question 48

sanction

Answer 48

v. to give official permission v. to impose a penalty for a particular action n. punishments imposed for breaking a regulation

Question 49

stolid

Answer 49

adj. calm and dependable

Question 50

tenuous

Answer 50

adj. weak, flimsy, insubstantial

Question 51

timorous

Answer 51

adj. meek or timid

Question 52

torpor

Answer 52

n. tiredness, lethargy

Question 53

tirade

Answer 53

n. an angry rant

Question 54

vacillate

Answer 54

v. to shift between multiple options or opinions

Question 55

venality

Answer 55

n. the state of being capable of being bribed

Question 56

untenable

Answer 56

adj. weak or unsupportable, esp. with respect to an opinion or situation

Question 57

pedestrian

Answer 57

adj. boring, monotonous, run-of-the-mill

Question 58

patent

Answer 58

adj. blatant, obvious

Question 59

magnanimity

Answer 59

n. generosity and nobility of spirit

Question 60

lucid

Answer 60

adj. clear and coherent

Question 61

laud

Answer 61

v. to praise

Question 62

laudable

Answer 62

adj. praiseworthy

Question 63

inveterate

Answer 63

adj. ingrained, habitual

Question 64

inscrutable

Answer 64

adj. enigmatic, incomprehensible

Question 65

guile

Answer 65

n. craftiness and cunning

Question 66

gregarious

Answer 66

adj. sociable, genial

Question 67

fortuitous

Answer 67

adj. fortunate and lucky

Question 68

insipid

Answer 68

adj. bland, uninspired, inane

Question 69

exposition

Answer 69

n. a thorough explanation | n. a public show or fair

Question 70

eschew

Answer 70

v. avoid or abstain from

Question 71

elegy

Answer 71

n. sad poem or song, often in remembrance of someone deceased

Question 72

disparate

Answer 72

adj. dissimilar to such a degree that comparison is not possible

Question 73

disinterested

Answer 73

adj. objective, unbiased | adj. not invested in the outcome

Question 74

demur

Answer 74

v. to object or raise concerns

Question 75

delineate

Answer 75

v. to describe very accurately v. to clearly demarcate a boundary v. to render an outline