GRE Vocab Set 25

Question 1

adept

Answer 1

very skilled or proficient at something

Question 2

adverse

Answer 2

preventing success or development; harmful; unfavorable

Question 3

archetype

Answer 3

1. a very typical example of a certain person or thing

2. an original which has been imitated; a prototype

Question 4

articulate

Answer 4

having or showing the ability to speak fluently and conherently

Question 5

auspicious

Answer 5

condusive of success; being a sign of future success

Question 6

bereft

Answer 6

1. deprived of or lacking

2. sad and lonely; esp through someone’s death or departure

Question 7

captious

Answer 7

tending to find fault or raise petty objectives

Question 8

conclusive

Answer 8

having or likely to have the effect of providing a case; decisive

Question 9

conspire

Answer 9

1. make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act
2. seem to be working together to bring about a particular negative result

Question 10

delineate

Answer 10

1. describe or portray precisely

2. indicate the exact position of

Question 11

exhort

Answer 11

strongly encourage or urge to do something

Question 12

frailty

Answer 12

the condition of being weak and delicate/weak in character and morals

Question 13

grievance

Answer 13

a real or imagined cause for complaint, esp unfair treatement

Question 14

harangue

Answer 14

a lengthy and aggressive speech

Question 15

ploy

Answer 15

a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to ones’ own advantage

Question 16

pomposity

Answer 16

the quality of being pompous; self-important

Question 17

proxy

Answer 17

1. the authority to represent someone else, especially in voting
2. a figure that can be used to represent the value of something in calculation

Question 18

relent

Answer 18

abandon or mitigate a severe or harsh attitude

Question 19

rhetoric

Answer 19

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing; especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques

Question 20

vitality

Answer 20

the state of being strong and active; energy