GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
abate
abatement
v. to lessen in intensity or degree
n. a lessening in amount or degree
aberrant
aberration
(Ab = Latin for away or not)
adj. deviating from the norm, odd, peculiar, irregular
n. someone or something that deviates from the norm
abjure
Ab away) + (Ure swear
v. to renounce or reject solemly (=sincerely);
to recant/ to retract (especially a belief);
to avoid
abrogate
(Gate scandal esp. politicial)
Abolish + authority
A brother is asked to get rid of the gate bc strong
A brother runs away from the gate and x do job
v. to revoke formally; to evade (a responsibility)
Ex. Darren abrogated his responsibility to the paper when he went on vacation without submitting his article before the deadline.
abscission
abcise
n. act of cutting off or removing;
the actual cut itself
v. to cut off or remove
abscond
Abs gone»_space; to secretly …
v. to leave clandestinely (klan destan clan secretly);
to run away and hide
(Usually due to illegal activity)
abstain
abstinence
v. to refrain from an activity
n. the action of regraining from an activity
accolade
Laud= high praise
n. high praise;
an award
accretion (uh KREE shun)
accrete
n. growth, increase by successsive addition, building up
v.
acerbic (uh SUHR bik)
Ass or bit(ter)
adj. having a sour or bitter taste or character (personality)
acumen (AK u men)
Acute ~ sharp
Men~ ppl
n. quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight
actue = sharp angles, sharp pain
admonish
admonition
admonitory
v. to reprove;
to express warning or disapproval
n. warning or scolding
adj. expressing warning or disapproval
adroit (uh DROIT)
maladroit
Android = skilled so I can’t use apple
adj. adept, dexterous (having skill, esp. w hands)
adj. clumsy, incompetent
adulation (a ju LAY shun)
n. excessive praise;
intense adoration
adulterate (uh DUL tur ayt)
adulteration
unadulterated
v. to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients, to bring about a lower quality by mixing
n. process or effect of adulterating
adj. pure
adumbrate (a DUM brayt)
A dumb person’s rating= not affect future bc vague reason
v. to foreshadow vaguely;
to indicate or suggest faintly
advocate
v. to argue for, to support a cause
n. person who supports a cause
aesthetic
adj. related to beauty or art, appreciative of beauty or art
aggrandize (uh GRAND yz)
Latin grandis for large
v. to increase in strength, power or wealth;
to make reputation greater
alacrity (uh LAK ruh tee)
It’d be nice if everyone said Alabama’s city! w enthusiasm
n. cheerful enthusiasm
alchemy
n. magical or wonderful transformation
originally a science where you change base metals into gold and silver, curing all diseases
alloy (uh LOY)
unalloyed
v. to commingle (to mix or blend);
to debase by mixing with something inferior
n. the mixture itself
adj. pure
amalgamate (uh MAL guh mayt)
amalgamation
v. to combine several things into a whole
n. a combination of several things into a whole
ambiguity
ambiguous
n. uncertainty in meaning
adj. uncertain
ameliorate (uh MEE lee or ayt)
Amelia Bedilia always gets things wrong even though she tries to make things better.
v. to make (something bad) better or more tolerable
amenable (uh MEE nuh bul)
Amen means you agree or approve.
adj. agreeable;
responsive to suggestion, receptive
(amen = you agree or approve)
anachronism (uh NAK rah ni zum)
anachronistic
Ana = up, against, back
n. someone or something belonging to another time
adj. belonging to another time
anathema (uh NATH uh muh)
Anabelle + Agatha = cursed
n. a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse;
thoroughly loathed person or thing
anodyne (ANN uh dyn)
Calamine lotion relieves you of itchiness.
adj. soothing or calming
n. something that assuages (uhs swage) (= make (a bad feeling) less intense) pain, something that comforts
anomaly
anomalous
A (no) + normal
n. deviation from the normal order, form or rule;
abnormality
adj. odd, peculiar, irregular
antagonize
antagonist
v. to irritate or cause hostility
n. the rival or adversary in a play, opposite of protagonist
antipathy (ann TIP uh thee)
antipathetic (…. thetic)
Anti + not on same path
Anti sympathy
n. aversion, strong dislike
adj. showing a strong dislike
antithetical
antithesis
adj. directly opposite
n. the direct opposite
apathy
apathetic
(Greek root pathos = feeling)
(prefix a = without)
n. a lack of interest or feeling
adj. uninterested
apocryphal (uh PAH cri ful)
Apocalypse= entire world believes it but you don’t + Ful as in full o shit
adj. of dubious (doubtful) authenticity (even though widely believed to be true);
spurious (false or fake, note being what it seems)
apogee (ap O gee)
perigee
- When moon is furthest from earth during orbit
- When moon is closest to Earth during orbit
n. farthest or highest point;
culmination (highest point after a long time);
zenith (most powerful or successful time)
n. lowest or closest point, or the nadir
apostate
apostacy
Opposite + state»_space;changed mind and refuses to follow
n. person who refuses to follow a religion or political convictions;
a betrayer who abandons loyalty
adj. abandoning a religious or political belief
n. act of….
n
apotheosis (uh POTH e o sis)
apo (Greek prefix for from) + theo (a god) + sys (size)
n. highest point in the development of something, deification (elevation of someone to being godlike) , the perfect example
apposite (AH po sit)
A (not) + Opposite = match well
adj. appropriate, relevant, well-suited
apprise
App rises on phone to inform
v. to inform
approbation (ap pro ba tion)
approbate
approbatory
n. approval or praise;
Action of approving or praising
v. to approve officially or formally
adj. expressing approval or praise
appropriate v
v. to take for one’s own use, to confiscate
note: adj has totally different meaning!
arabesque (ar a besk)
n. complex, ornate design;
a type of ballet position
adj. having a complex, ornate design
arcane (ar cane)
arcanum/ arcana
Arcades are old and not known by many
adj. mysterious, known by few
n. deep secret(s)- singular/plural
archaic
adj. outdated;
associated with an earlier time
arduous
adj. difficult, taxing
arrant
Arrogant person would be arrant
adj. impudent (having disregard);
complete, utter»_space; used to say how BAD something is Ex. Complete nonsense
Completely erratic
arrest
arresting
When you arrest someone, you must get them to stop. Then you want to know their crime so you listen.
v. to bring to a stop (ex. Sickness arrested his activity);
to engage
adj. holding one’s attention
articulate
v. to pronounce clearly;
to express oneself clearly
adj. can express oneself clearly
artless
artful
adj. innocent;
natural, without artificiality
adj. full of guile and trickery,
unnatural
ascetic (uh said ic)
asceticism
NO~ I said it! I won’t do it!
n. one who practices strict self-discipline from indulgence (esp. bc of religious reasons)
adj. austere, stark = severe or strict
n. the adherence or belief in practices of strict self-denial Ex. Ascetic life of prayer.
asperity
As per tea, you are not invited.
n. severity or harsh;
roughness (touch);
Rough temper, irritability
aspersion
Ass person defames and makes you look like an ass.
n. act of defamation, an attack on reputation or integrity
assiduous
U and us work our asses off
adj. diligent, hard-working
assuage (uhs swage)
Keep doing it in the ass as you age
v. to ease or lessen (things that cause stress or pain)
to appease or pacify
astringent
adj. having a tightening effect on living tissue;
harsh or severe
attenuate
If only at 10 you ate, you’d lose weight/become thinner
v. to make thinner; to lessen (force/effect of)
audacious
audacity
adj. daring and fearless, recklessly bold
n. quality of being ^
augury (aug uh ree)
augur (aug ur)
August is ur daY
In August, ur..
n. prediction, omen or portent (=warning something bad’ll happen/important warning that shouldn’t be ignored),
v. to predict
n. person or thing doing the foretelling
august
King August
adj. majestic;
venerable (ven uhr ah buhl) (=greatly respected or honored)
auspice
auspicious
A spice protects your stomach
n. protection or support;
patronage (=support (financial or other) given by a person)
n. a good omen, good sign
adj. successful or prosperous
austere
austerity (usually followed by word “measures”)
Ex. Governor imposed austerity measure to stop the economy from failing.
adj. Having extremely simple or plain appearance, unadorned,
having no comfort/luxury in life;
ascetic (severe or strict) manner, attitude or appearance;
Ex. A monk has an austere life
n. rigid economy
avarice (avuh ris)
avaricious (avuh ri cious)
(Avarything/ avary piece of rice)
n. greed, especially for wealth
adj. greedy (esp. for wealth)
aver (uh verr)
Sounds like aware
v. to confirm as true
ambivalence
ambivalent
n. quality of having opposing ideas or mixed feelings
adj. Having mixed feelings
