GRE07 Flashcards
lottery
contest in which winners are selected in a drawing of lots
debase
degrade; reduce in quality or value; degenerate; lower in esteem; disgrace; N. debasement
belittle
disparage; depreciate
effulgent
shining brightly; brilliant
philanderer
faithless lover; flirt
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; Ex. mundane existence; CF. world
impunity
freedom from punishment or harm; CF. punish
stampede
sudden frenzied rush (of panic-stricken animals or people); V: participate in or cause stampede; Ex. stampede before the price rises
endorse
approve; support; write one’s signature on the back of; N. endorsement; CF. dorsal
deliberate
consider; ponder; ADJ: done on purpose; slow
obviate
make unnecessary; get rid of; Ex. obviate the need
parquet
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece
volition
act of using one’s will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition.
amphibian
able to live both on land and in water; N.
calculated
deliberately planned; likely
hail
frozen rain drop; V: salute or greet; precipitate hail
pell-mell
in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell
lumen
unit of light energy (one candle’s worth)
scourge
lash; whip (formerly used for punishment); source of severe punishment; V: whip; afflict
judicious
sound on judgment; wise
blighted
suffering from a disease; destroyed
proletarian
member of the working class; blue collar guy; N. proletariat: working class (who have to work for wages)
waggish
humorous; mischievous; tricky
parasite
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside
insubstantial
lacking substance; insignificant; frail; immaterial
geniality
cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy; ADJ. genial: cheerful and good-tempered
palatial
of or suitable for a palace; magnificent
tyranny
oppression; cruel government; ADJ. tyrannical: of a tyrant or tyranny; despotic; V. tyrannize: treat tyrannically; oppress
doff
take off; OP. don
gustatory
affecting or relating to the sense of taste
spoilsport
one who spoils the pleasure of others
foist
insert improperly; impose upon another by coercion; palm off; pass off as genuine or worthy; CF. fist
rapport
close relationship; emotional closeness; harmony
regal
royal; of a monarch; Ex. regal manner
affidavit
written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)
affluence
abundance; wealth
unceremonious
not done politely without due formalities
imperative
absolutely necessary; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; Ex. It is imperative that; N: something that must be done
unrequited
not requited; not reciprocated; Ex. unrequited love
collateral
security given for loan; ADJ: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters
unsavory
distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory activity/reputation
surmise
guess; N.
obsidian
black volcanic rock
implore
beg
throng
crowd (of people or things); V.
unexceptionable
entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism
mammal
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young
rampart
defensive mound of earth
actuarial
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
shirk
avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger
cross
bad-tempered; showing ill-humor; angry
ovation
enthusiastic applause
mirage
unreal reflection; optical illusion
snuffle
sniffle; sniff repeatedly (in order to keep liquid from running out of the nose)
intermediary
intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between
tart
sharp to the taste; acid-tasting; caustic; sarcastic; Ex. tart apple/reply
modicum
limited quantity; small amount; Ex. He does not have a modicum of sense; CF. moderate
coiffure
hairstyle
bivouac
temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.
abscond
depart secretly and hide
motif
theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure
maim
mutilate; injure lastingly; disable; cripple; Ex. maimed for life
entreat
plead; ask earnestly
covenant
binding agreement between two groups or people; compact; V: enter into a covenant; promise
gloss
brief explanation note or translation of a difficult expression; V.
token
outward sign; Ex. a token of our gratitude
seine
seine net; net for catching fish
chameleon
lizard that changes color in different situations
patrimony
property inherited from a father
ignite
kindle; light; catch fire or set fire to
compliance
conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield; disposition to yield to others; V. comply
antidote
remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles
impediment
hindrance; stumbling-block; speech defect preventing clear articulation; Ex. speech impediment
conjugal
pertaining to marriage
ferret
drive or hunt out of hiding; hunt with ferrets; drive out (as from a hiding place); expel; uncover or discover by searching; Ex. ferret out the secret; N. small fierce animal which catches rats and rabbits by going into their holes
regent
a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; ADJ. Ex. the Prince regent
inundate
flood; overflow; submerge; cover completely; Ex. inundated with work
memorialize
commemorate
anguish
acute pain; extreme suffering
induce
persuade; lead to do something; bring about; N. inducement
hermitage
home of a hermit
leeway
room to move; margin; latitude; Ex. leeway for the deadline
groom
man employed to take care of horses; V: make neat and trim; clean and brush (an animal)
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force
wrongheaded
stubbornly wrong
facilitate
help bring about; make less difficult
gossamer
sheer; very light; like cobwebs; N: soft and sheer fabric; cobweb
lewd
lustful
weather
pass safely through (a storm or difficult period); endure the effects of weather or other forces
fastidious
difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky
expurgate
clean; remove offensive parts of a book
cynical
skeptical or distrustful of human motives; N. cynicism; CF. cynic: person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness
lithe
flexible; supple; CF. limber
indecisive
marked by indecision; inconclusive; Ex. indecisive battle
tensile
capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber
spate
sudden flood or rush; Ex. spate of accidents
latch
fastening or lock consisting of a movable bar that fits into a notch; V: close with a latch
stump
base of a tree trunk left after the rest has been cut down; V: walk in a heavy manner; baffle; puzzle
depose
dethrone; remove from office; give a deposition; testify
rickety
(of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D
pathetic
causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching
cataclysm
deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
vestige
trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion
pittance
small amount (of money); small allowance or wage
aperture
opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
wispy
thin; slight; barely discernible
postmortem
autopsy; ADJ: occurring after death; of a postmortem
defunct
dead; no longer in use or existence
qualms
uneasy feelings; misgivings; uneasy fears especially about matters of conscience; Ex. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen.
faction
party; clique (within a large group); dissension
executioner
person administering capital punishment
cogitate
think over; ponder
wrangle
quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle; N.
requiem
mass for the dead; dirge
concede
admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal
confidence
self-assurance; calm unworried feeling based on a strong belief in one’s abilities; strong belief in the ability of a person or plan; trust or faith in a person or thing; something confided; secret; Ex. confidence in your ability; Ex. I’m telling you this
punctilious
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail
calligraphy
beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
methodical
systematic; N. method: systematic method of procedure
smolder
smoulder; burn slowly without flame; be liable to break out at any moment; exist in a suppressed state; Ex. smoldering anger
vitiate
spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally
rampant
growing or spreading uncontrollably; growing in profusion; unrestrained; Ex. rampant lawlessness/weed
accord
agreement
metamorphosis
change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis
aloof
apart; not open in one’s relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
retentive
holding; able to retain things (esp. facts in the mind); having a good memory
fete(f\^ete)
honor at a festival; celebrate or honor with a feast; N. (outdoor) festival or feast; CF. feast
temporize
gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself
idle
not working; not employed or busy; lazy; without purpose; useless; lacking substance; baseless; not based on truth; Ex. idle worker; Ex. talk idly; V.
anathema
solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize
pedagogy
teaching; art of education
caustic
burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
philatelist
stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting
engage
attract; employ; hire; pledge oneself; confront; fight; enter into confliction; interlock; lock together; participate; N. engagement: agreement to marry; arrangement to meet someone or to do something; battle
epicure
connoisseur of food and drink; gourmet; ADJ. epicurean; CF. Epicurus
oblique
indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference
vying
contending; CF. vie
consanguineous(consanguine)
having a common ancestor
plutocracy
society ruled by the wealthy
apologist
one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia
deserts
what someone deserves
oatmeal
crushed oats used for making porridge
commiserate
feel or express pity or sympathy for
blandishment
flattery
cessation
stoppage
sonorous
resonant; producing a full deep sound; producing sound
rife
(of something bad) widespread; abundant; current
ossify
change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one’s ideas
concord
harmony; accord
gerontology
study of the sociological phenomena associated with old age
delve
dig; search deeply; investigate
ruminant
animal that ruminates; ADJ.
anomaly
irregularity
gerrymander
change voting district lines in order to favor a political party; N. CF. Elbridge Gerry + (sala)mander
recidivism
habitual return to crime (even after being punished); N. recidivist
careen
lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
mangle
tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure; Ex. badly mangled bodies
oligarchy
government by a privileged few
wag
shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged its tail; N: humorous person; wit
cupidity
greed (for wealth); CF. cupid; CF. Cupid
mash
crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl
tertiary
third in order or rank
fertile
producing many young, fruits, or seeds; (of land) producing good crops; V. fertilize
gesticulation
motion; gesture; V. gesticulate: make gestures (while speaking)
lustrous
shining; brilliant; Ex. lustrous hair
willowy
flexible; pliant; slender; CF. willow
foster
rear; bring up (for a certain period only); encourage; promote the development of (feelings or ideas); Ex. help foster friendly relations; ADJ: giving parental care although not related by blood; Ex. foster parents
culpable
deserving blame; blameworthy
timorous
fearful; timid; demonstrating fear
rusticate
banish to the country; dwell in the country
braggart
boaster; bragger
eugenic
pertaining to the improvement of race; N. eugenics: study of hereditary improvement of the human race
shove
push forward; push roughly; Ex. pushing and shoving to get on the bus; N.
chortle
chuckle with delight; N.
memoir
memoirs; autobiography; biography
pseudonym
pen name; fictitious name assumed by an author; ADJ. pseudonymous
figurative
not literal but metaphorical; using a figure(impression) of speech
fusillade
simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.)
obnoxious
offensive; disagreeable; Ex. obnoxious smell
haughtiness
pride; arrogance; ADJ. haughty
consanguinity
kinship; relationship by birth
fleck
spot; mark with flecks; N: small mark or spot
fluency
smoothness of speech; ADJ. fluent
disenfranchise
disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise
prong
pointed projecting part
droll
queer and amusing
shard
fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl, or cup)
amity
friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
exigency
urgent situation; ADJ. exigent
extort
wring from; get money by threats, etc.; obtain by force or threats; CF. extortionate: exorbitant
junta
group of persons joined in political intrigue; cabal; group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power (by force)
demoniac(demoniacal)
fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil
slag
glassy residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter
refurbish
renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish
rejoinder
reply; retort; comeback; V. rejoin: say in reply
antagonism
hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in oppostion to the protagonist
testator
maker of a will; CF. testatrix
chaff
worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
gaunt
lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren
asteroid
small planet
