GRE Vocabulary 2 Flashcards
abate
(verb) to lessen in intensity or degree
accolade
(noun) an expression of praise
adulation
(noun) excessive praise; intense adoration
aesthetic
(adj.) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
ameliorate
(verb) to make better or more tolerable
ascetic
(noun) one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
avarice
(noun) greed, esp. for wealth (adj: avaricious)
axiom
(noun) a universally recognized principle (adj: axiomatic)
burgeon
(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish
bucolic
(adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
cacophany
(noun) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj: cacophonous)
canon
(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj: canonical)
castigation
(noun) severe criticism or punishment (verb: castigate)
catalyst
(noun) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
caustic
(adj.) burning or stinging; causing corrosion
chary
(adj.) wary, cautious, sparing
cogent
(adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
complaisance
(noun) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj: complaisant)
contentious
(adj.) argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement)
contrite
(adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun: contrition)
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame (noun: culpability)
dearth
(noun) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
demur
(verb) to question or oppose
didactic
(adj.) intended to teach or instruct
discretion
(noun) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj: discrete)
disinterested
(adj.) free of bias or self-interest; impartial
dogmatic
(adj.) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (noun: dogma)
ebullience
(noun) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj: ebullient)
eclectic
(adj.) composed of elements drawn from various sources
elegy
(noun) a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead (adj. elegiac)