GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
Abridge
to shorten, reduce
Compendium
comprehensive collection, publication containing many works
Cursory
rapidly performed or produced
Curtail
to slow down, put restrictions on, stop entirely
Terse
using few words smoothly elegant
Impetuous
marked by impulsive passion or force
Baneful
seriously harmful
Vociferous
marked by or given to intense outcry
Neophyte
a new convert, beginner
Cognoscenti
a person who has expert knowledge in a subject
Malcontents
one who beard a grudge, is in active opposition
Canonical
present in a canon (a generally accepted principle)
Seminal
creative or having the power to originate; highly influential
Antithetical
being in direct opposition
Inchoate
being only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Incipient
beginning to come into being or be apparent
Stalwart
marked by outstanding strength; an unwavering person
Irrefragable
impossible to refute; impossible to break
Fecund
fruitful in offspring; intellectually productive
Ephemeral
lasting a very short time
Incessant
continuing without interruption
Elocution
the art of effective public speaking
Paean
a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph
Oratory
the art of public speaking; art of making speeches
Panegyric
formal or elaborate praise
Diatribe
bitter speech or writing
Harangue
speech addressed to public
Repudiate
to refuse to accept, reject as untrue
Lionized
to treat as an object of great interest or importance
Obstinate
stubbornly adhering to an opinion; not easily subdued
Elucidation
to give a clarifying explanation
Obfuscation
to make obscure; confuse
Malapropism
unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase
Tepid
lacking in passion, force, or zest
Emaciated
very thin and feeble
Kismet
fate
Imbroglio
an embarrassing misunderstanding, scandal, complicated situation; confused mass
Bemuse
to make confused; to occupy the attention of; to cause to have feelings of wry
Excortiate
to wear off the skin of; to censure scathingly
Extol
to praise highly, glorify
Flippant
lacking proper respect or seriousness; glib, talkative
Aplomb
complete and confident composure or self-assurance
Derision
the use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt; an object of ridicule or scorn
Taciturn
temporarily disinclined to talk `
Furtive
done in a a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed; obtained shadily
Stentorian
extremely loud
Felicitous
very well suited or expressed; pleasantly delightful
Garrulous
pointlessly or annoyingly talkative
Poignant
painfully affecting the feelings, deeply affecting; designed to make an impression; pleasurably stimulating; being to the point; pungently pervasive
Imbibe
drink; to take up or in
Trepidation
a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation; a tremulous motion
Imperturbation
freedom from agitation
Ochlocracy
government by the mob
Plutocracy
government by the wealthy
Oligarchy
government by the few
Autocracy
government by one person
Scintillation
the act of emitting sparks; a brilliant outburst (of wit); a flash of the eye
Censure
a judgement involving condemnation; an official reprimand; to find fault with; to formally reprimand someone
Quittance
Discharging from a debt or obligation; a document evidencing quittance
Irascible
marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger
Lambaste
to assault violently; to attack verbally
Innocuous
producing no injury; not likely to give offense
Commensurate
corresponding in size, amount, or degree; equal in measure
Diffident
hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence
Petulant
insolent or rude in speech or behavior
Disquietude
anxiety, agitation
Destitute
lacking something needed or desirable; lacking possessions and resources
Surreptitious
done, made, or acquired by stealth
Iconoclast
a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions
Circuitous
having a circular or winding course; not being direct
Abnegate
deny, rennoucne; surrender, relinquish
Excogitate
to think out
Incongruous
lacking congruity
Quotidian
occurring everyday; commonplace
Intransigent
characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an often extreme position or attitude
Abstemious
marked by restraint
Affable
being pleasant and at ease in talking to others; characterized by ease and friendliness
Reticent
inclined to be silent in speech; restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance
Veracity
conformity with truth or fact; devotion to the truth; something true
Vacillate
to waver in mind, will, or feeling
Probity
adherence to the highest principles and ideals
Melodious
having a pleasing melody
Acerbic
sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper or mood
Unctuous
having, revealing, or marked by a smug and false earnestness or spirituality
Caustic
corrosive; marked by incisive sarcasm
Sonorous
producing sound; full or loud in sound; imposing or impressive in effect or style
Esoteric
requiring knowledge that is restricted to a small group
Abstruse
difficult to understand
Lackadaisical
lacking life, spirit, or zest
Hapless
having no luck
Duplicitous
deceptive in words or actions
Listless
characterized by a lack of interest, energy, or spirit
Artless
made without skill; free from guile
Mendacious
characterized by deception
Efficacious
having the power to produce a desired effect
Interpolate
to alter or corrupt by inserting something new; to insert between other things
Apogee
the farthest or highest point
Impugn
to assail by words or arguments
Acrimony
anger and bitterness
Cacophony
harsh sound; a striking mixture
Sinecure
an office or position that requires little or no work and provides and income; an ecclesiastical benefice without the care of souls
Paltry
inferior; mean; trivial; meager
Abhorrent
causing or deserving strong dislike or hatred
Desultory
marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose; not connected to the main subject; disappointing in progress
Truculent
aggressively self-assertive
Sacrosanct
most sacred or holy
Enmity
active hatred
liminal
barely perceptible
Approbation
praise
Largesse
liberal giving
Galvanize
to subject to the action of an electric current
Miscreant
unbelieving, heretical; depraved, villainous
Interloper
one that intrudes; an illegal trader
Duress
forcible restraint
Ebullience
quality of lively expression of thoughts
Inscrutable
not readily investigated, mysterious
Capitulate
to cease resisting
Insipid
lacking qualities that interest; lacking taste
Draconian
characteristic of Draco; cruel
Prolocutor
spokesman; presiding officer
Despot
ruler with absolute power
Cognizant
knowledgeable of something especially through personal experience
Phlegmatic
relating to the humor phlegm; having a slow temperament
Conciliate
appease; to gain by pleasing acts; to make compatible
Cantankerous
difficult to deal with
Ignoble
characterized by lowness; Plebeian
Facetious
joking inappropriately; intended to be funny
Ingratiate
to gain favor by deliberate effort
Avuncular
of or relating to an uncle
Eidetic
marked by extraordinarily accurate recall
Obtrusive
forward in conduct; protruding
Minutia
a minor detail
Magnanimous
showing a lofty and courageous spirit
Monotony
tedious sameness
Arbitrate
to settle a dispute
Acrid
sharp and harsh in taste or odor, deeply bitter
Concord
a state of agreement
Propitious
tending to favor; being a good omen
Salubrious
favorable to health
Aspersion
a false charge meant to harm one’s reputation; a sprinkling of water (religious ceremony)
Facsimile
an exact copy
Foible
a minor flaw
Enervate
to reduce the mental vigor of; to lessen the strength of
Promulgate
to proclaim
Epitome
an ideal example; a summary of a written work; a miniature form
Ontology
branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature and relations of being
Countenance
look, expression; mental composure; face, visage; to extend approval to
Tempestuous
relating to a tempest
Placid
serenely free of interruption
Mercurial
having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or influence of the planet Mercury; characterized by rapid mood change
Pliant
easily influenced; suitable for varied uses
Frenetic
marked by fast and energetic activity
Arrogate
to claim without justification; to claim on behalf of another
Eschew
to avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds
Imbue
to provide with something freely; to permeate or influence; to dye deeply
Sectarian
characteristic of a sect; limited in character or scope
`Riposte
a retaliatory maneuver
Harried
beset by problems
Noisome
noxious; highly obnoxious
Penury
an oppressive lack of resources; extreme frugality
Sanguine
marked by eager hopefulness; relating to blood
Descry
to catch sight of; discover
Adumbrate
to foreshadow vaguely; overshadow, obscure
Insouciance
nonchalance
Attenuate
to reduce the severity of; to make thin
Castigate
to subject to severe punishment or criticism
Sojourn
a temporary stay
Tenet
a belief or doctrine generally held to be true
Polity
political organization
Spurious
falsified origin; of a deceitful nature
Fallacious
embodying a fallacy; tending to deceive
Bellicose
inclined to start fights or wars
Blithe
lacking consideration; of lighthearted character
Arduous
hard to accomplish
Penchant
a strong inclination
Apace
at a quick pace
Headlong
without deliberation; without delay
Precipitate
to throw violently; to bring about abruptly; to cause to separate from solution
Abet
to encourage; to assist or support in the achievement of a purpose
Ancillary
subordinate; supplementary
Espouse
to marry; to take up and support as a cause
Mainstay
a chief support
Munificent
very liberal in giving
Bilious
of an ill-natures disposition
Dudgeon
a state of indignation
Pettish
fretful, peevish
Pique
to excite or arouse; to arouse anger in
Querulous
habitually complaining
Umbrage
the feeling of resentment; shade, shadow
Waspish
resembling a wasp in behavior
Dilettante
a person having a superficial interest
Novitiate
novice
Proselyte
a new convert
Tyro
a beginner in learning
Burgeoning
growing rapidly
Callow
lacking adult sophistication
Engender
beget, procreate; to cause to exist
Nascent
having recently come into existence
Acidulous
somewhat acid or harsh in nature
Asperity
roughness in manner
Mordacious
biting or sharp in manner
Mordant
biting and caustic in manner
Trenchant
sharply perceptive
Banal
lacking originality
Hackneyed
lacking in freshness or originality
Platitude
the quality of being dull
Prosaic
characteristic of prose; ordinary
Quotidian
occurring everyday
Trite
boring from much use
Depraved
marked by corruption
Dissipation
an act of self-indulgence; dispersion
Iniquity
gross injustice; a wicked act or thing
Libertine
a freethinker (especially in religious matter); a person unrestrained by convention or morality
Libidinous
marked by lustful desires
Reprobate
a depraved person; scoundrel
Ribald
marked by coarseness or lewdness
Salacious
arousing sexual desire or imagination
Sordid
vile; wretched
Turpitude
inherent baseness, depravity
Caprice
disposition to do things impulsively
Volatile
subject to rapid change; tending to erupt in violence
Calumny
a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation
Decry
to depreciate officially or publicly; to express strong disapproval of
Disparge
to speak slightingly about; to degrade
Gainsay
to declare to be untrue; contradict
Inveigh
to protest or complain bitterly
Objurgation
a harsh rebuke
Obloquy
abusive language; bad repute
Opprobrium
something that brings disgrace
Pillory
to expose to public ridicule; a device used to publicly punish offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes for the head and hands
Remonstrate
to urge reasons in opposition
Reprove
to scold or correct gently; to express disapproval of
Revile
to subject to verbal abuse
Tirade
a protracted speech usually marked by abusive language
Vituperate
to berate; to use harsh condemnatory language
Bereave
to deprive of something
Defunct
no longer living, existing, or functioning
Dolorous
causing or marked by misery or grief
Knell
an indication of the end or failure of something; a sound of a bell rung slowly (for death)
Macabre
having death as a subject; dwelling on the gruesome
Moribund
approaching death; being in a state of inactivity
Obsequies
funeral or burial rites
Sepulcher
a place of burial
Wraith
ghost; an insubstantial form
Ascetic
practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal discipline; austere in appearance or nature
Hegemony
authority over others
Imperious
marked by arrogant assurance
Peremptory
putting an end to something
Arcane
known to only a few people
Opaque
blocking light; hard to understand or explain; thickheaded
Recondite
difficult to understand; something obscure; hidden from sight
Turbid
deficient in clarity
Fetid
having a bad smell
Invidious
of an unpleasant nature; tending to cause discontent; envious
Odious
arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance
Rebarbative
repellent, irritating
Cogent
convincing; having power to compel
Limpid
clear and simple in style; absolutely serene and untroubled
Lucid
clear to the understanding; having full use of one’s faculties
Pellucid
admitting maximum passage of light without distortion; easy to understand
Aberrant
deviating from the usual
Anachronism
a person or thing that is chronologically out of place
Abash
to destroy one’s self confidence
Compunction
anxiety arising from awareness of guilt
Contrite
feeling sorrow and remorse for a sin
Expiate
to make amends for
Gaucherie
a tactless or awkward act
Rue
regret, sorrow
Tantamount
equivalent in value, significance, or effect
Apocryphal
of doubtful authenticity
Canard
a false or unfounded story
Chicanery
trickery
Dissemble
to hide under false appearance
Equivocal
of uncertain nature
Ersatz
being a usually artificial and inferior substitution or imitation
Perfidy
the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal
Prevaricate
to deviate from the truth
Specious
having a false look of truth; having deceptive attraction or allure
Consanguine
of the same blood or origin
Distaff
female, maternal; a staff for holding wool in spinning
Endogamy
marriage within a certain group as required by custom or law
Filial
relating to a son or daughter
Scion
descendent, child; heir; graft for a plant
Doctrinaire
stubbornly devoted to a doctrine or theory without regard to practical considerations
Fervid
burning; marked by intense feeling
Palliate
to moderate the intensity of
Droll
having a humorous or odd quality
Gibe
to utter taunting words
Jocular
said or done as a joke
Levity
excessive frivolity
Raillery
good natured ridicule
Abate
to decrease force or intensity; to put an end to
Interregnum
a lapse or pause in a continuous series (especially between two regimes)
Interstice
a space that intervenes between things
Unstinting
not restricted or holding back; giving generously
Rapacious
excessively covetous
Venal
purchasable; associated with corrupt bribery
Baleful
deadly in influence
Dour
stern, harsh; gloomy, sullen
Fell
fierce, sinister
Sardonic
disdainfully or skeptically humorous
Vitriol
bitterly harsh in language or criticism
Inimical
being adverse often by reason of hostility
Minatory
having a menacing quality
Pernicious
highly injurious or destructive
Din
a loud continuous noise
Dissonance
lack of agreement; mingling of discordant sounds
Raucous
disagreeably harsh
Strident
characterized by harsh, insistent, discordant sound
Anathema
something intensely disliked
Odium
hatred accompanied by contempt
Rancor
bitterly deep-seated ill-will
Dither
tremble; to act indecisively
Churlish
marked by a lack of civility
Curmudgeon
a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man
Credulous
ready to believe on slight evidence
Ingenuous
lacking craft or subtlety
Fulsome
characterized by abundance
Indolent
habitually lazy; causing little or no pain
Inert
lacking the power to move
Languid
drooping from exhaustion; sluggish in character or disposition
Lassitude
condition of weariness
Quiscent
marked by inactivity; causing no trouble or symptoms
Torpid
sluggish in function
Auspicious
showing that the future is likely
Portentous
eliciting amazement; relating to a foreshadowing
Providential
marked by foresight
Admonish
to indicate duties to; to give advice to
Cavil
to raise trivial objection
Enjoin
to direct of impose by authoritative order; forbid
Hector
to behave in an arrogant or intimidating way
Martinet
a strict disciplinarian
Reproof
criticism for a fault
Askance
with disapproval; with a side-glance, obliquely
Carom
to strike and rebound
Sidle
to cause to move or turn sideways
Sinuous
of a serpentine or wavy from
Undulate
having a wavy surface; to from or move in waves
Bombastic
speech or writing that is given exaggerated importance by artificial means
Circumlocution
use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea; evasion in speech
Grandiloquence
a lofty, pompous style or manner especially in language
Loquacious
full of excessive talk
Periphrasis
use of a longer phrase in place of a short one
Prolix
drawn out; using an excess of words
Turgid
excessively embellished in style; being in a state of distention
Ameliorate
to make more tolerable
Assuage
to lessen the intensity of (something that pains); to put an end to by satisfying
Mollify
to soothe in temper; reduce intensity or rigidity
Slake
to lessen the force of; satisfy
Euphonious
pleasing to the ear
Esurient
hungry, greedy
Impecunious
having very little or no money
Indigent
suffering from extreme poverty
Accolade
an expression of praise; a salutation marking the conferring of knighthood
Encomium
glowing praise
Eulogize
to speak or write in high praise
Augur
an official diviner of ancient Rome; to foretell, give promise of
Fey
able to see into the future; marked by an otherworldly air
Harbinger
something that foreshadows a future event; one that initiates a major change
Presage
something that foreshadows an event; an intuition about what the future will bring
Prescience
foreknowledge of events
Prognosticate
to foretell from signs
Discomfit
to put in a state of embarrassment; to thwart the plans of
Encumber
to weigh down; to impede or hamper the function of
Forfend
to ward off; protect, preserve
Astute
mentally sharp or clever
Perspicuous
plain to the understanding
Perspicacious
of acute mental vision or discernment
Discountable
cheerless; dejected, downcast
Doleful
full of grief; causing grief
Dolor
mental suffering
Elegiac
of, relating to, or comprising an elegy (especially expressing sorrow)
Forlorn
sad and lonely because of isolation; nearly hopeless
Lugubrious
mournful; dismal
Morose
having a sullen and gloomy disposition
Cimmerian
very dark or gloomy; mythical people described by Homer as dwelling in a remote realm of mist and gloom
Plaintive
melancholy
Threnody
a song of lamentation for the dead, elegy
Inexorable
not to be persuaded or stopped
Obdurate
stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
Recalcitrant
defiant or authority; resistant
Renitent
resisting physical pressure
Untoward
difficult to guide; marked by trouble
Laconic
using minimal words
Antedate
to precede in time
Craven
lacking the least bit or courage
Pusillanimous
lacking courage and resolution
Recreant
cowardly; unfaithful to duty
Timorous
of a timid disposition
Fealty
intense fidelity
Indubitable
too evident to be doubted
Verity
the quality or state of being true
Idiosyncrasy
characteristic peculiarity
Ambulatory
able to walk about
Itinerant
traveling from place to place
Peripatetic
relating to waling, moving from place to place; pedestrian
Discursive
moving from topic to topic without order
Expatiate
to move about freely; to speak or write in great detail
Peregrinate
to travel especially on foot; to travel or walk all over
Adulterate
to corrupt or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element; tainted with adultery
Obviate
to anticipate and prevent something
Stultify
to have an inhibiting effect on; to cause something to appear or be foolish
Vitiate
to make faulty; to debase in moral or aesthetic status
Aphorism
a concise statement of a principle; a short formulation of a truth or sentiment
Apothegm
a short, pithy, and instructive saying or formulation
Bromide
a commonplace or tiresome person, bore
Dictum
a noteworthy statement
Epigram
a concise poem; a terse, witty saying
Sententious
given to or abounding in aphoristic expression
Truism
an undoubted self-evident truth
Abeyance
a state of temporary inactivity; a lapse in succession
Abjure
to renounce upon oath; to abstain from
Abrogate
to abolish by authoritative action; to treat as nonexistent
Decamp
to depart suddenly
Recidivism
a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or behavior
Renege
to go back on a promise; to deny, renounce
Sycophantic
describing a self-seeking flatterer
Egregious
conspicuous, especially bad
