GRE06 Flashcards
sheer
pure; thin and transparent; very steep
mace
ceremonial staff used as a symbol of authority; clublike medieval weapon
disburse
pay out (as from a fund); N. disbursement; CF. purse
brood
sit on in order to hatch; think deeply or worry anxiously; N: the young of certain animals; group of young birds hatched at one time
garner
gather; store up; amass
conducive
helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards
ecosystem
ecological community together with its environment
archipelago
group of closely located islands
giddy
light-hearted; not serious; frivolous; dizzy; causing dizziness; Ex. giddy youth; Ex. giddy climb/height
ecstasy
rapture; very strong feeling of joy and happiness; any overpowering emotion; ADJ. ecstatic: causing or experiencing ecstasy
gauche
clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth
meticulous
excessively careful (with great attention to detail); painstaking; scrupulous
expletive
meaningless word; interjection; profane oath; swear-word
squabble
minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel; Ex. squabbling children
condiments
seasonings; spices
exact
demand and obtain by force; Ex. exact a promise from him; N. exaction
virus
disease communicator
plumber
one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes)
scrappy
quarrelsome
recant
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one’s faith/a statement
masticate
chew
embryonic
undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo: organism in the early stage of development
languor
lack of physical or mental energy; lassitude; depression
mendacious
lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
billowing
swelling out in waves; surging
vibrant
full of vigor or energy; vibrating
indices
signs; indications; Ex. indices of a student’s potential; CF. index: something that reveals or indicates; sign; Ex. cost-of-living index
juncture
crisis; point in time; joining point; joint; act of joining
efficacy
power to produce desired effect; ADJ. efficacious: effectual
forum
public square of an ancient Roman city; public place for open discussion; court of law
constituency
voters represented by an elected official; district so represented; group of supporters (or constituents)
fester
rankle; produce irritation or resentment; (of a cut or wound) generate pus or rot; Ex. His insult festered in my mind for days.
neophyte
recent convert; new member of a religious group; beginner; CF. plant
reparable
capable of being repaired
exonerate
acquit; exculpate; free from blame or guilt
agility
nimbleness; ability to move quickly
inhibit
restrain; prohibit; retard or prevent; N. inhibition
prodigal
wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality
hedonist
one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life; CF. hedonism: practice of living one’s life purely for pleasure
rebuttal
refutation; response with contrary evidence; V. rebut: refute; disprove
sadistic
inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty
gratify
please; satisfy; Ex. gratify a desire
equitable
fair; impartial; OP. inequitable
stammer
speak with involuntarily pauses or repetitions
undermine
weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath
browse
graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
rescind
repeal; annul; cancel (a law, decision, or agreement)
swelter
(of a person) suffer from oppressive heat; be oppressed by heat
orthodox
traditional; (of someone) conservative in belief; adhering to an established doctrine
veneer
thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade; V.
regimen
prescribed course of diet or exercise; prescribed diet and habits; Ex. daily regimen of a dancer
escapade
prank; flighty conduct; reckless adventure that disobeys rules
dislodge
remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
aspirant
seeker after position or status
melee
fight
remote
distant in manner; aloof
precedent
something preceding in time which may be used as an authority or guide for future action; V. precede; CF. unprecedented
interloper
intruder; one who interferes
hubris
arrogance; excessive self-conceit
paraphrase
restate a passage in one’s own words while retaining thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words
emissary
agent (sent on a mission to represent another); messenger
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
behemoth
huge creature; something of monstrous size or power
appease
pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement
incarnation
act of assuming a human body and human nature; one who personifies something; personification; Ex. previous incarnation/reincarnation
dwindle
shrink; reduce gradually
truncate
cut the top off; shorten
defiance
refusal to yield; resistance; V. defy; ADJ. defiant
debutante
young woman making formal entrance into society
implode
burst inward; CF. vaccum tube
absolute
complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
depredation
plundering; destruction
gadfly
animal-biting fly; irritating person
idyllic
charmingly carefree; simple and happy; Ex. idyllic scene
propensity
natural inclination
dowdy
untidy (of a woman or clothes); slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; CF. unattractive woman
anarchist
person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
quietude
tranquillity; calmness
fallible
liable to err
chivalrous
courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
helm
steering wheel of a ship; position of control
gratuitous
given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for; done without good reason; Ex. gratuitous comment
opportunist
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances; N. opportunism
retrograde
go backwards; recede; degenerate; deteriorate; ADJ.
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
nauseous
causing nausea; feeling nausea
pry
inquire impertinently (someone else’s private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying
nemesis
someone seeking revenge; source of downfall or ruin; CF. Nemesis
redundant
superfluous; more than is necessary; verbose; excessively wordy; repetitious
paean
song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory
visionary
produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas
hermetic
concerning alchemy or magic; obscure and mysterious; occult
flay
strip off skin; plunder; remove the skin from; criticize harshly
nomenclature
terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things
enumerate
list; mention one by one
stoic
stoical; impassive; unmoved by joy or grief; N. CF. stoicism
dissent
disagree
valediction
saying farewell; expression of leave-taking
parity
equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate
opus
work (esp. musical composition); Ex. magnum opus: masterpiece; CF. opera
indicative
suggestive; implying; serving to indicate
aseptic
preventing infection; having a cleansing effect
exclaim
cry out suddenly; N. exclamation; ADJ. exclamatory
unctuous
oily; bland; insincerely suave
simplistic
oversimplified
hibernal
wintry; wintery; of or like winter
perspicacious
(of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute
canny
shrewd in money matters; thrifty
precarious
unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex. precarious living
reprehensible
deserving blame; blameworthy; V. reprehend: blame
annotate
comment; make explanatory notes
exuberance
overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness; ADJ. exuberant: high-spirited and lively; growing abundantly and strongly
interjection
exclamation; Ex. ``Ouch’’
career
rush wildly; go at full speed
crochet
make (a piece of needlework) by looping thread with a hooked needle; N. CF. crotchet
sycophant
servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic
brochure
pamphlet
slipshod
slovenly; careless; sloppy; untidy; shabby; Ex. slipshod work
pitfall
hidden danger; concealed trap
connoisseur
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art
patronize
support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports; regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott
impartial
not biased; fair; N. impartiality
disfigure
mar the appearance of; spoil
jettison
throw overboard (from a ship or plane)
shyster
lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner
artful
exhibiting art or skill; deceitful; cunning; CF. artifice
askance
with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at
luscious
pleasing to taste or smell; delicious
perpetrate
commit an offense; do (something wrong)
patent
obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N.
whine
complain (in a sad voice); make a high sad sound (as in pain or supplication)
putrid
decayed and foul-smelling; foul; rotten; decayed; N. putridity
paraphernalia
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman’s property exclusive of her dowry
lust
intense sexual desire; intense eagerness; V.
denomination
religious group; unit in a system; name or designation; CF. denominator: common trait or characteristic
quay
dock; wharf; pier; landing place (for boats)
pliable
flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable
quarry
person or animal of pursuit; victim; object of a hunt; prey
coax
persuade by flattery
loll
lounge about
novelty
something new; newness; ADJ. novel: new; original
temerity
boldness; nerve; rashness; Ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day’s work
loft
room or space under the roof; attic
strangle
kill by choking or suffocating; suppress
unilateral
one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex. unilateral declaration
grill
question severely; cook on a grill; broil; N: cooking surface of parallel metal bars
importunate
urging; always demanding; troublesomely urgent or persistent
coalition
partnership; league; union of separate political parties
ennui
boredom; listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; CF. annoy
jurisprudence
science of law
appall
dismay; shock deeply
fell
cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile)
zenith
point directly overhead in the sky; summit; acme; highest point
remission
temporary moderation (of disease symptoms); remitting of a debt or punishment; cancelation of a debt; pardon; Ex. The disease went into remission; Ex. Christians pray for the remission of sins.
cardinal
chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
illuminate
brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten; enable to understand; Ex. illuminating remarks
trigger
set off; start
refulgent
effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; Ex. refulgent moon
satire
form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly
tacit
understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; Ex. tacit agreement
migrant
changing its habitat; wandering; Ex. migrant birds/workers; N: one that migrates
anachronism
an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
diligence
steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
culprit
one guilty of a crime
annihilate
destroy
sluggard
lazy person
phylum
major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division
swarm
large group of insects moving in a mass; crowd of people or animals; V: move in a crowd or mass
obliterate
destroy completely; wipe out; Ex. obliterate the village
tractable
docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability
sodden
thoroughly soaked; dull or stupid as if from drink
providence
quality of being provident; divine care; god’s care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate
marrow
soft fatty tissue that fills most bone cavities and is the source of blood cells
boost
lift by pushing up from below; increase; raise; N: push upward; increase
conduit
aqueduct; passageway for fluids
mishap
unfortunate accident
orator
public speaker
appreciate
be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference
attenuate
make thin; weaken
prim
proper to the point of affectation; very precise and formal; exceedingly proper
decimate
kill (usually one out of ten or every tenth man); destroy or kill a large part of
embezzlement
taking for one’s own use in violation of trust; stealing (of money placed in one’s care)
rabies
disease passed on by the bite of an infected animal (causing madness and death)
acquiesce
assent; agree passively; comply without protest
mollify
soothe an angry person
anthropomorphic
having human form or characteristics
factitious
artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; Ex. factitious tears
jumble
mix in a confused way
heyday
time of greatest success or power; prime
synchronous
similarly timed; simultaneous with; occurring at the same time; V. synchronize
holster
leather pistol case (that hangs on a belt around the waist)
merit
deserve; ADJ. meritorious: deserving reward or praise
begrudge
envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn’t begrudge him his success.
monarchy
government under a single ruler
desolate
make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert
dehydrate
remove water from; dry out
nuptial
related to marriage or the wedding ceremony; N. nuptials: wedding ceremony
perdition
damnation; complete ruin; hell
apothecary
druggist; pharmacist
tenure
holding of an office or real estate; time during which such an office is held
