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GRE Study Material > GRE words in context > Flashcards

GRE words in context Flashcards

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1
Q

Abate

A

to reduce in amount, degree or severity
As the hurricane’s force abated, the winds dropped and the sea calmed.
subside, relent, wane

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2
Q

abscond

A

to leave secretly

The patron absconded from the restaurant so he didn’t have to pay his bill.

Flee decamp escape

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3
Q

abyss

A

an extremely deep hole

the submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unchartered territory

abyssal- pertaining to great depth
abysmal-extremely bad

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4
Q

adulterate

A

to make impure

The restaurant owner adulterated the ketchup with water so it would last longer

to doctor up, dilute

unadulterated: pure
The night was full of unadulterated (pure) fun!

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5
Q

aggrandize

A

to increase in power, influence and reputation

The manager sought to aggrandize himself by claiming the acheivements of his staff were his own.

amplify
swell
glorify
enlarge
augment
elevate
magnify

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6
Q

amalgamate

A

to combine or mix together
a mixture of especially two metals
commingle, blend, combine, intermix, compound, fuse, merge

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7
Q

antagonize

A

to annoy or provoke anger
The boy tried to antagonize the cat by pulling its tail
clash
irritate
provoke
vex
incite
pester

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8
Q

arbitrate

A

to judge or dispute between two opposing parties

Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was needed to arbitrate their divorce.

moderate
referee
ajudge
determine
adjudicate
rule
decidee

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9
Q

archaic

A

old-fashioned

The archaic computer could not process the new software

antediluvian
ancient
old fashioned
outdated
prehistoric

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10
Q

ardor

A

intense or passionate feeling

The Bishops ardor for landscape was evident when he detailed the beauty of the Hudson valley.

fervid
zealous
fire
enthusiasm
passion

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11
Q

articulate

A

ability to speak clearly and expressively

She is such an articulate defender of the labor that unions are among her strongest supporters

eloquent
lucid
fluent
smooth-spoken

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12
Q

attenuate

This word might be used a lot because it means to undo.

A

to reduce in force or degree, to weaken

The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will.

enervate
dibilitate
devaluate
unnerve
undo
weaken

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13
Q

audacious

A

fearless and daring

The audacious student told the teacher to shut up!
bold
daring
fearless
couragious
assertive
dauntless

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14
Q

Austere

A

severe or stern in appearance, undecorated

austerity-serverity, especially poverty

bleak
hard
hard
harsh
severe

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15
Q

banal

A

boring, cliche, boring

She decided to shake up her banal routine by having a girls night out!

bland
jejune
commonplace
innocuous
trite
vapid

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16
Q

bombastic

A

pompous in speech or manner

Biden’s speech was mostly bombastic, full of prevaricated stories most new where lies.

pretentious
rhetorical

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17
Q

candid

A

impartial or honest in speech

The observations of a chld can be entertaining because they are candid and unpretentious.

direct
honest
straight
open
frank
sincere

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18
Q

capricious

A

changing ones mind quickly and often
The young boy was capricious when picking a toy, his mother never knew what he was going to end up buying.

erratic
mercurial
fickle
whimsical
changeable

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19
Q

castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly
Minor crimes in the U.S. would be met with great castigation in China.

admonish
rebuke
chastisse
reprimand
chide
reproach

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20
Q

caustic

A

biting in wit

Bill Burr is a caustic comedian who knows exactly how to undercut in a funny and witty way.

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21
Q

chaos

A

great disorder or confusion
In most religions, God crearted a universe from what was once chaos.

chaotic-jumbled, confused
clutter
disarray
scramble
disorderliness
dissarrangement
turmoil

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22
Q

chauvinist

A

someone prejudiced in favor to a group that he or she belongs to

The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male chauvanists.

Partisan

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23
Q

chicanery

A

deceptions by means of craft or guile

Dishonest salesmen usuallly use chicanery to sell beat up old cars.

conning
craftiness
artifice
deceptions
deviousness
sneakiness
underhanded
misrepresentation

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24
Q

cogent

A

convincing and well-reasoned
Swayed by the cogent argument of the defense the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.

cogitate-to think deeply

persuasive
telling
solid
sound
convincing

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25
Q

condone

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

Some people believe that refusal to prosecute minor crimes is the same as condoning general unlawfulness

excuse
remit
pardon

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26
Q

convoluted

A

intricate and complicated

The convoluted alibi used by the suspect was hard to follow and very suspicious.

complex
knotty
tangled
perplexing
intricate
elaborate

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27
Q

credulous

A

too trusting, gullible

The credulous women thought the man was going to leave his wife and children and live with her.

naive
susceptible

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28
Q

crescendo

A

steadily increasing volume or force
The crescendo of tension became unbearable as the the dare devil prepared for the jump.

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29
Q

decorum

A

appropriateness of behavior, propriety

The children lacked the decorum to visit the white house, they were running around and screaming.

correctness
manners
decency
etiquette
seemliness

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30
Q

deference

A

respect, courtesy

The PA treated the attending doctor with deference for his knowledge and willingness to teach.

honor
respect
homage
reverence
veneration
courtesy

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31
Q

derisive

A

in a mocking manner

Her derisive lecture left the worker in tears.

ridicule
taunt
jeer
scoff
mock
sneer

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32
Q

desultory

A

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

Diane had a desultory academic record, she changed her major 12 times in 3 years.

erratic
unplanned
aimless
purposeless
haphazard
random

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33
Q

diatribe

A

an abusive condemnatory speech

The trucker unleased a diatribe at the driver who cut him off.

tirade
fulmination
harangue

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34
Q

diffident

A

lacking self confidence

Steve’s diffidence during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience.

bashful
modest
shy
timid
demure

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35
Q

dilate

A

to make large or expand

When you enter a dark room your pupils dialate to let in more light.

amplify
enlarge
develop
expand
expatiate
elaborate

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36
Q

dilatory

A

intended to delay

The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill.

dragging
lagging
slow-going

37
Q

dilettante

A

someone with an amateurish or superficial interest in a topic

Gabby was such a dilettante that she changed her hobby every month.

dabbler

38
Q
A
39
Q

dirge

A

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

Elegy

40
Q

disabuse

A

to set free, to free from error

Gallileos observatons disabused scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the Earth.

correct
undeceive

41
Q

discern

A

to perceive or recognize

it is easy to discern the difference between a tenurednprofessor and a newbie.

distinguish
detect
discriminate

42
Q

disparate

A

Although the twins were born identical over the years, their appearances were disparate.

entirely unlike, fundamentally different
divergent, diverse, dissimiliar, various, variant

43
Q

dissemble

A

The popstar could no longer dissemble to her fans, they recognized her behind her disguise.

to present a false appearance, disguise
act, fake, camouflage, coverup, masquerade, shame, pose, counterfeit, pretend, assume

44
Q

dissonance

A

Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when a long- standing belief is contradicted by proven evidence.

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

45
Q

dogmatic

A

dictatorial in one’s opinion

Her idiot exboyfriend was dogmatic, he thought he was always right.

bossy, dominating, masterful, imperial, overbearing

46
Q

Dupe

A

He tried to dupe her with his good behavior, but overtime she saw he was inherently a bad person.

to deceive, or a person who is easily deceived

fool, mislead, beguile, fool, bluff, delude, trick

47
Q

eclectic

A

made from a variety of sources

Her eclectic fashion mixed country with boho chic.

selective, broad

48
Q

efficacy

A

effectiveness

The efficacy of the program was questioned when the graduates couldn’t perform elementary tasks.

efficacious-effective productive

force, proficiency, productiveness

49
Q

elegy

A

a sad, sorrowful poem or speech
The widow’s elegy left the mourners in tears.

dirge, lament

50
Q

eloquent

A

persuasive and moving especially in speech

The valedictorian’s eloquent speech left the graduates motivated for the future.

articulate, meaningful, loquaciousm, espressive, effective

51
Q

emulate

A

to copy to try to equal or excel

It was her goal to emulate her superior who she admired and adjulated.

ape, imitate, simulate

52
Q

enervate

A

to reduce in strength
The ruthless dance teachers remarks before her performance were meant to enervate the rival dancer.

enfeeble, sap, debilitate, weaken

53
Q

enumerate

A

count, list, itemize
Moses returned from the mountain with a tablet with the commandments enumerated.

catalog, index, tabulate

54
Q

erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable
His erratic behavior was typical when he had too much to drink, he would go off alone and act strange.

capricious, whimsical, inconstant

55
Q

esoteric

A

known or understood by very few

Only a few experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric subject of particle physics

abstruse, arcane, obscure

56
Q

estimable

think “esteemable”

A

admirable, honorable
Many people consider it estimable that Mother Theresa worked with the poor of India.

commendable, laudible, commendable, respectable, credible,
venerable, meritorious

57
Q

Eulogy

A

a speech of praise for someone

His bestfriend gave the eulogy outlining all the of his unique acheivements and accomplishments

commend, extol, laud

58
Q

Euphemism

A

use of an inoffensive more tasetful word in the place of a distasteful one

The funeral director preferred to use the Euphemism “sleeping” instead of the word dead

circumlocution, whitewash

59
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

One should not take aspirin with heartburn it will only exacerbate the problem.

annoy, aggrivate, irritate, provoke, intensify

60
Q

exculpate

A

to clear from blame, to prove innocent
The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and exculpate those who are innocent.

absolve, exonerate, acquit, vindicate, clear

61
Q

exigent

A

urgent, requiring immediate action

The patient was bleeding out, it was exigent to stop the source of bleeding.

critical, urgent, needed,imperative

62
Q

exonerate

A

to clear of blame
The suspect was exonerated when another criminal confessed to the crime.

absolve, acquit, exculpate, vindicate, acquit, clear

63
Q

explicit

A

clearly stated or shown, fortright in expression
The owners of the house left explicit instructions for the housesitters to follow.

candid, unequivicol, frank, straighforward

64
Q

Fanatical

A

acting excessively enthusiastic, filled with extreme unquestioned devotion
The stormtroppers where fanatical to the emperor, sacrificing their lives for him.

extremist, zealous, fiery, frenzied

65
Q

fawn

A

to grovel

The mother fawned over the director in hopes that her daughter would get the lead role.

pander, bootlick, pander

66
Q

Florid

A

excessively decorated or embellished
The house had been decorated in a florid style, every inch was covered with embellishments.

ornate, elaborate, ostentatious, flamboyant, rococo

67
Q

foment

A

to arouse or excite

The protesters tried to foment feelings against the with their speeches.

impassion, instigate, agitate, inflame, kindle

68
Q

frugality

A

The tendency to be thrifty or cheap

Scrooge’s frugality left him a large sack of money he knew he would never spend.
prudence, economical, sparing, parsimony

69
Q

gregarious

A

outgoing and sociable
She was so gregorious that when she found herself alone she was sad.
congenial, sociable, communicative, affable

70
Q

guile

A

deceit or trickery

Because he wasn’t fast enough to catch the roadrunner, Wil E. Coyote resorted to guile in an effort to trap the him.

chicanery, connivery, duplicity, artifice

71
Q

imperturbable

A

not capable of being disturbed
The counselor was so seasoned he was imperturbable even with the most tantrous children.

Perturb- to disturb greatly

impassive, stoical, composed, serene, dispassionate

72
Q

impervious

A

impossible to penetrate

a good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.

resistant, impregnable

73
Q

impetous

A

guick to act without thinking

It’s not good for a stock broker to be impetous as trading requireds a great deal of thought.

impulse, reckless, spontaneous, rash, precipate

74
Q

implacable

think of placate, to calm, pacify, mollify

A

unable to be calmed down

His rage over her betrayal left him impacable for weeks

irreconcilable, unforgiving

75
Q

inchoate

A

not fully formed or organized
The dance was its inchoate stage during the first rehearsal, but the dancers were excited about what it would eventually become.

unorganized, incoherent, complete

76
Q

inimical

A

hostile, unfriendly

Even months after the ceasefire, the two sides were still inimical toward eachother.

antagonistic, adverse

77
Q

innocuous

A

harmless

Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are innocuous and pose no danger.

benign, harmless, inoffensive

78
Q

insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor
The critique remarked that the book was insipid and hard to finish.

stale, bland, vapid, banal, dull

79
Q

intransigent

A

uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled

The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting everyone submit it on time.

impacable, rigid, unyeilding, obstinate, unbending, remorseless

80
Q

inundate

A

to overwhelm, to cover with water

The tidal wave inundated Atlantis that was lost beneath the water.

deluge, drown, submerge, flood, engulf

81
Q
A
82
Q

irascible

A

easily made angry

Atila the hun’s irascile and violent nature left his enemies fearful.

irritable, ornary, testy, cantakerous

83
Q

malinger

A

to avoid responsibility by pretending to be ill

A common way to avoid the draft was to malinger with a physical or mental disability.

linger-be slow to leave

shirk or slack

84
Q

meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

The detective was meticulous in the investigation, wanting to solve the crime.

conscientious, precise, scrupulous

85
Q

mollify

A

to calm or make less severe
The couple was so petty, it was hard to believe any judgement would mollify both sides.

appease, mitigate, placate, assuage,conciliate, pacify

86
Q

monotony

A

tedium, lack of variation
The monotony of his job left him bored and wanting to change his position.

drone, tedium

87
Q

obdurate

A

hardened in resistance to persuasion

The president was completely obdurate the issue and nothing would change his mind.

inflexible
tenacious
unyielding
intransigent

88
Q
A

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