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English Vocalbulary > GRE Vocabulary 8 > Flashcards

GRE Vocabulary 8 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Nonchalant (adj)

A

Having an air of easy unconcern or indifference.

He was surprisingly nonchalant about winning the award.

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2
Q

Oscillate (v)

A

To move in one direction and then back again many times.

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3
Q

Ostentatious (adj)

A

Displaying wealth in a way that is meant to attract attention.

She had driven to Prague in her Porsche, telling how ostentatious she might appear.

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4
Q

Overwrought (adj)

A

Very excited or upset.

The witness became overwrought as she described the crime.

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5
Q

Pacific (adj)

A

Calm, collected.

A pacific gesture.

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6
Q

Palatable (adj)

A

Having a pleasant or agreeable taste.

A very palatable local red wine.

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7
Q

Perennial (adj)

A

Year round.

His perennial distrust of the media.

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8
Q

Perfidy (n)

A

The act of betraying someone or something, the state of not being loyal.

It was an example of his perfidy.

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9
Q

Perfunctory (adj)

A

Carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort.

The violinist delivered a perfunctory performance that displayed none of the passion and warmth he was once known for.

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10
Q

Pernicious (adj)

A

Destructive.

The pernicious influences of the mass media.

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11
Q

Perspicacity (n)

A

Clarity of thought and expression.

The perspicacity of her remarks.

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12
Q

Perturb (v)

A

Disturb, agitate.

They were perturbed by her capricious behavior.

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13
Q

Placate (v)

A

To soothe or mollify especially by concessions.

The administration placated protesters by agreeing to consider their demands.

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14
Q

Placid (adj)

A

Calm and steady.

A placid, contented man.

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15
Q

Pivotal (adj)

A

Of vital or critical importance.

Japan’s pivotal role in the world economy.

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16
Q

Pragmatic (adj)

A

Practical, sensible.

A pragmatic approach to politics.

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17
Q

Predilection (n)

A

Predisposition towards something.

Your predilection for pretty girls.

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18
Q

Preside (v)

A

To occupy the place of authority.

The prime minister will preside at an emergency cabinet meeting.

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19
Q

Prevaricate (v)

A

To speak or act in an evasive way.

He seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions.

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20
Q

Probity (n)

A

The quality of a person who is completely honest.

Financial probity.

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21
Q

Proclivity (n)

A

An inclination or predisposition toward something.

A proclivity for hard work.

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22
Q

Prodigal (n) (adj)

A

Characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure.

The government wished to clip the wings of the local authority prodigals.

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23
Q

Pugnacious (adj)

A

Showing a readiness or desire to fight or argue.

He was a short man with heavy shoulders, a slight potbelly, puffy blue eyes, and a pugnacious expression.

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24
Q

Quandary (n)

A

A situation in which you are confused about what to do.

Kate was in a quandary.

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25
Q

Quash (v)

A

To suppress or extinguish summarily and completely.

His conviction was quashed on appeal.

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26
Q

Quibble (v)

A

To argue or complain about small, unimportant things.

The only quibble about this book is the price.

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27
Q

Quiescent (adj)

[kwee-es-uh nt]

A

Being at rest; quiet.

A quiescent mind.

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28
Q

Rancor (n)

A

Bitter, rankling resentment

The rancor between de Blasio and Moskowitz has at least some roots in policy disagreements.

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29
Q

Recalcitrant (adj)

A

Resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant.

A class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds.

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30
Q

Recess (n)

A

A receding part or space, as a bay or alcove in a room.

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31
Q

Redoubtable (adj)

A

That is to be feared, formidable.

He was a redoubtable debater.

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32
Q

Sagacious (adj)

A

Having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd

A sagacious lawyer.

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33
Q

Salubrious (adj)

A

Favorable to or promoting health, healthful.

Salubrious air.

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34
Q

Salutary (adj)

A

Producing good effects; beneficial.

It failed to draw salutary lessons from Britain’s loss of its colonies.

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35
Q

Satiate (v)

A

To satisfy to the full.

He folded up his newspaper, his curiosity satiated.

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36
Q

Scruple (n)

A

A moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force.

I had no scruples about eavesdropping.

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37
Q

Sedentary (adj)

A

Characterized by or requiring a sitting posture.

A sedentary occupation.

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38
Q

Sediment (n)

A

The matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

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39
Q

Sordid (adj)

A

Morally ignoble or base, vile.

Sordid methods.

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40
Q

Specious (adj)

[spee-shuh s]

A

Apparently right though lacking real merit; plausible.

Specious arguments.

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41
Q

Sporadic (adj)

A

Intermittent, happening at unpredictable intervals.

Sporadic fighting broke out.

42
Q

Spurious (adj)

A

Not genuine, of doubtful origin.

Separating authentic and spurious claims.

43
Q

Squalor (n)

A

Filth and misery.

They lived in squalor and disease.

44
Q

Stark (adj)

A

Bluntly or sternly plain; not softened or glamorized:

The stark reality of the schedule’s deadline.

45
Q

Stoic (adj)

A

Emotionless.

A look of stoic resignation.

46
Q

Stratum (n)

[strey-tuh m]

A

A layer of material, naturally or artificially formed.

A stratum of ancient foundations.

47
Q

Stria (n)

A

A slight or narrow furrow, ridge, stripe, or streak, especially one of a number in parallel arrangement:

Striae of muscle fiber.

48
Q

Strident (adj)

A

Having a shrill, irritating quality or character.

A strident tone in his writings.

49
Q

Stringent (adj)

A

Rigorously binding or exacting, strict.

Stringent guidelines on air pollution.

50
Q

Stymie (v)

A

To hinder, block, or thwart.

The changes must not be allowed to stymie new medical treatments.

51
Q

Succinct (adj)

[suh k-singkt]

A

Characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.

Use of short, succinct sentences.

52
Q

Transient (adj)

A

Temporary.

A transient cold spell.

53
Q

Trepidation (n)

A

Fear.

The men set off in fear and trepidation.

54
Q

Turbid (adj)

A

Not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment

The turbid waters near the waterfall

55
Q

Ubiquitous (adj)

A

Present everywhere.

His ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family.

56
Q

Unfeigned (adj)

A

Sincere, genuine.

A broad smile of unfeigned delight.

57
Q

Unimpeachable (adj)

A

Morally sound.

An unimpeachable witness.

58
Q

Untenable (adj)

A

Not able to be maintained or defended against attack.

This argument is clearly untenable.

59
Q

Vacillate (v)

A

Move back and forth on a subject.

I vacillated between teaching and journalism.

60
Q

Vacuous

[vak-yoo-uh s]

A

Without contents, empty

A vacuous way of life.

61
Q

Vociferous (adj)

A

Crying out noisily; clamorous.

A vociferous manner of expression.

62
Q

Wanderlust (n)

A

A strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.

A man consumed by wanderlust.

63
Q

Wheedle (v)

A

To endeavor to influence (a person) by smooth, flattering, or beguiling words or acts

She wheedled him into going with her.

64
Q

Volatile (v)

A

Easily causing vapors.

Volatile solvents such as petroleum ether, hexane, and benzene.

65
Q

Zenith (n)

A

The pinnacle of something.

In 1977, punk was at its zenith.

66
Q

Abjure (v)

A

To renounce or give up under oath; forswear:

To abjure allegiance.

67
Q

Condign (adj)

A

Well-deserved, fitting.

Condign punishment was rare when the criminal was a man of high social standing.

68
Q

Debonair (adj)

A

Courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm.

All the men looked debonair and handsome in white tie and tails.

69
Q

Inveigle (v)

[in-vey-guh l]

A

To entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk.

To inveigle a person into playing bridge.

70
Q

Philistine (n)

A

A person who is lacking in cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement.

I am a complete philistine when it comes to paintings.

71
Q

Suffuse (v)

A

To spread throughout.

Her cheeks were suffused with color.

72
Q

Mettlesome (adj)

A

Spirited, courageous.

Their horses were beasts of burden, not mettlesome chargers.

73
Q

Compuction (n)

A

Moral restraint

74
Q

Contravene (v)

A

To come or be in conflict with.

He contravened the Official Secrets Act.

75
Q

Limn (v)

A

To represent in drawing or painting

Miss Read limns a gentler world in her novels.

76
Q

Obloquy (n)

A

Discredit, disgrace, or bad repute resulting from public blame, abuse, or denunciation.

Abuse and obloquy were heaped upon the Ministers from every quarter.

77
Q

Abate (v)

A

To reduce in amount, degree, intensity.

The storm suddenly abated.

78
Q

Abdicate (v)

A

To renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power.

The government was accused of abdicating its responsibility.

79
Q

Aberrant (adj)

A

Departing from the right, normal.

This somewhat aberrant behavior requires an explanation.

80
Q

Abrade (v)

A

To wear off or down by scraping.

It was a landscape slowly abraded by a fine, stinging dust.

81
Q

Abridge (v)

A

To reduce or lessen in scope.

An abridged text of his speech.

82
Q

Abscond (v)

A

Go missing.

The barman absconded with a week’s takings.

83
Q

Abstruse (adj)

A

Difficult to understand.

An abstruse philosophical inquiry.

84
Q

Accolade (n)

A

An expression of praise or admiration.

The hotel has won numerous accolades.

85
Q

Acerbic (adj)

A

Harsh or severe, as of temper or expression.

Acerbic criticism.

86
Q

Acumen (n)

A

Keen insight, shrewdness.

Remarkable acumen in business matters.

87
Q

Adhesion (n)

A

The act of sticking together.

The adhesion of the gum strip to the paper.

88
Q

Admonish (v)

A

Scold, reprimand.

She admonished me for appearing at breakfast unshaven.

89
Q

Adroit (adj)

A

Skillful.

He was adroit at tax avoidance.

90
Q

Adulate (v)

A

To show excessive admiration or devotion to.

He was adulated in the press.

91
Q

Affable (adj)

A

Pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite:

An affable and courteous gentleman.

92
Q

Affluent (n)

A

Having an abundance of wealth, property.

The affluent societies of the western world.

93
Q

Aggrandize (v)

A

To make great or greater in power, wealth, rank

He cares for nothing save to aggrandize his children, by fair means or foul, and this is his sole desire.

94
Q

Affront (n)

A

A deliberate act or display of disrespect.

An affront to the king.

95
Q

Agrarian (adj)

A

Rural, agricultural.

Brazil is rapidly diversifying its agrarian economy.

96
Q

Alacrity (n)

A

Cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness:

We accepted the invitation with alacrity.

97
Q

Vug (n)

A

A cavity in rock, lined with mineral crystals.

98
Q

Petrous (adj)

A

Like stone, especially in hardness, stony, rocky.

99
Q

Tautology (n)

A

Needless repetition of an idea, especially in words.

100
Q

Gambol (v)

A

To skip about, as in dancing or playing; frolic.

The mare gamboled towards Constance.

English Vocalbulary (31 decks)

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