GRE08 Flashcards
pedagogue
teacher; CF. child leader
historic
important in history; Ex. historic battle
indiscriminate
choosing at random; confused; not based on careful distinctions
abide
dwell; abide by: comply with; put up with; tolerate; Ex. abide by the rules; Ex. I can’t abide rude people.
sleazy
shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; Ex. sleazy back-street hotel/fabric
affliction
state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
shear
remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; N: shears; pair of scissors
cede
yield (title or territory) to (esp. after losing a war); surrender formally; N. cession
dauntless
bold; fearless
unguent
ointment
maelstrom
violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; CF. stream
conversant
familiar with; having knowledge of
whim
sudden capricious idea; fancy
cursory
casual; hastily done with little attention to detail
flounder
struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion
tenant
one that pays rent to use property owned by another
outspoken
candid; blunt
jostle
shove; bump; push against (someone) rather roughly; Ex. jostled by the crowds
lookout
act of keeping watch; high place commanding a wide view; person who keeps watch
distort
twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; N. distortion
oaf
stupid awkward person; CF. elf
extrinsic
external; not essential or inherent; extraneous; OP. intrinsic
relinquish
give up something (with reluctance); yield; release; Ex. relinquish power/the claim to the land/his hold on my arm
sanguine
optimistic; cheerful; hopeful; of the color of blood; red
carcinogenic
causing cancer; N. carcinogen
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick
abase
lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect
interstice
narrow space between things
dys-
abnormal; impaired
procrastinate
postpone; delay or put off
impecunious
without money
muggy
(of weather) warm and damp
defeatist
resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. defeatism
flux
flowing; series of changes; fluctuation; Ex. in a state of flux
enact
make (a bill) into law
etymology
study of word parts; study of the origins of words
idolatry
worship of idols; excessive admiration or devotion; ADJ. idolatrous
humanitarian
one devoted to the promotion of human welfare; CF. humanism
draconian
extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; CF. Draco: Athenian politician
illicit
illegal
eschew
avoid habitually; Ex. eschew alcoholic drinks
bleak
cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing
contingent
dependent on something uncertain or in the future; conditional; happening by chance; accidental; N: a group of soldiers, ships to a larger force; CF. contingency: future event that may or may not occur; possibility; Ex. prepare for every contingency
afterlife
life after death; later part of one’s life
jest
playful remark or act; V. act or speak playfully
placebo
harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill
chip
lose a small piece from the surface or edge; N: small piece broken off something; CF. French fry; Potato chip/crisp
gratis
free; without charge; ADJ.
sinuous
twisting; winding; bending in and out; not morally honest
congenial
pleasant; friendly; in agreement with one’s tastes and nature; Ex. congenial weather
ostracize
banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism
exacerbate
worsen; aggravate; embitter
heed
pay attention to; N: close attention
legacy
gift made by a will; something handed down from an ancestor
entomology
study of insects
jocular
said or done in jest or playfully; marked by joking
ravel
fall apart into tangles; entangle; unravel or untwist
sanctimonious
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness; N. sanctimony: hypocritical piety
chaste
morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
epilogue
short speech at conclusion of dramatic work
dyslexia
word blindness; learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to read
overblown
inflated; exaggerated
proscenium
part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a stage
camaraderie
good-fellowship; CF. comrade
catapult
slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult
subterfuge
stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; Ex. resort to a harmless subterfuge
engulf
surround and swallow up
wary
very cautious; watchful
fortuitous
accidental; by chance; N. fortuity
disconcert
confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb
extradition
surrender of prisoner by one state to another; Ex. extradition treaty; V. extradite
transport
strong emotion; rapture; Ex. in a transport/transports of; V: move to strong emotion; enrapture
adverse
going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
blithe(blithesome)
gay; joyous
manifestation
outward demonstration; manifesting; indication of the presence of something; Ex. manifestation of his pronounced musical bent
comprehensive
broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive
volley
simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V.
adept
expert at; very skilled
raconteur
story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill
hirsute
hairy; having a lot of hair
necromancy
black magic; sorcery; dealings with the dead; art that professes to communicate with the spirits of the dead so as to predict the future; CF. necromancer; CF. necro+divination; CF. necro-: death; Ex. necropolis
complaisant
trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
buffoon
stupid person; clown
roil
make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb
loom
appear or take shape (usually in an enlarged, indistinct, or distorted form); Ex. The shadow of the gallows loomed threateningly. N: apparatus for making thread into cloth
solvent
substance that dissolves another; ADJ: capable of dissolving another substance
fret
be annoyed or vexed; Ex. fret over your poor grades; N: irritation of mind; ADJ. fretful
hackneyed
commonplace; trite
decapitate
behead
ample
enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
implicate
incriminate; involve incriminatingly; show to be involved (in a crime); Ex. implicate someone in the crime
supposititious
assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical
impiety
irreverence; lack of respect for God or piety
prognosticate
predict (according to present indications)
inveigle
deceive; lead astray by deception; wheedle(cajole); Ex. inveigle her into joining the club; CF. interest dishonestly
bully
one who is habitually cruel to weaker people; V.
deify
turn into a god; make a god of; idolize; Ex. Kings were deified; CF. deity
impalpable
imperceptible(not easily understood); intangible; OP. palpable: tangible; easily perceptible
megalomania
mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance
onerous
burdensome
reputable
respectable; having a good reputation
fake
not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature
discriminating
able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination
protract
prolong; lengthen in time; draw out
circuitous
roundabout
laud
praise; N. ADJ. laudable: praiseworthy; ADJ. laudatory: expressing praise
misapprehension
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend
subsidiary
serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; N.
defrock
strip a priest or minister of church authority; unfrock
imperturbable
unshakably calm; placid
random
without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard; Ex. random shots; Ex. chosen at random
porridge
soft food made by boiling oatmeal
validate
make valid; confirm; ratify
lank
long and thin; Ex. Lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln
archives
public records; place where public records are kept
rectitude
moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment
autocratic
having absolute unchecked power; dictatorial; N. autocrat, autocracy
somnambulist
sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism
omnipresent
universally present; ubiquitous
fallacious
false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument
feral
(of an animal) not domestic; wild
effectual
able to produce a desired effect; valid
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
outgoing
sociable; eager to mix socially with others
high-flown
highly pretentious or inflated
surmount
overcome
rare
(of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains
abolish
cancel; put an end to
aghast
filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
peripheral
of a periphery; marginal; outer; of minor importance; not central; Ex. peripheral nerve/interest
blare
loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
pernicious
very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia
opaque
dark; not transparent; N. opacity
bent
determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination
monogram
design composed of one or more initials of a name; V.
skulduggery
dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election
illusory
illusive; deceptive; not real
flush
redden; blush; flow suddenly and abundantly; wash out by a rapid brief flow of water; N: reddish tinge; blush; brief rush; rush of strong feeling; Ex. flush of pride; ADJ: having surfaces in the same plane; even; blushing
hypercritical
excessively exacting; too critical (without noticing good qualities)
gale
windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughters, tears); Ex. gale of laughter
festive
joyous; celebratory; relating to a feast or festival
choice
delicate; of very fine quality
jocund
merry
skim
read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing; brush; remove from the surface of a liquid
lope
gallop slowly
brocade
rich, figured(patterned) fabric
lament
grieve; express sorrow; N. lamentation
gamut
entire range
component
element; ingredient
commune
small (often rural) community whose members share work and income; V: exchange thoughts or feelings; Ex. commune with nature
engaged
employed; busy; betrothed; involved in conflict
humane
marked by kindness or consideration; kind and compassionate; humanitarian
abject
(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
vital
full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize
obdurate
stubborn; refusing to change one’s belief
vacillate
waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation
pillage
plunder
cherubic
angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order
potent
powerful; convincing; persuasive; greatly influential
desiccate
dry up
maraud
move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army
scrupulous
conscientious; extremely thorough; Ex. scrupulous worker
tortuous
winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road
fanfare
call by bugles or trumpets; showy display; spectacular public display
jubilation
rejoicing; great joy
converge
approach; tend to meet; come together
smelt
melt (ore) for separating and removing the metal; melt or blend ores changing their chemical composition
recipient
receiver
executive
person having administrative authority; one branch of government executing laws; ADJ: relating to executing
bereavement
state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
meter
arrangement of words in the form of poetry (by accentual rhythm)
valedictory
pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at graduation exercises)
conventional
ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons
suffragist
advocate of the extension of voting rights (for women); CF. suffrage
ratify
approve formally; confirm; verify
meddlesome
interfering; V. meddle: interfere
indignation
anger at an injustice; Ex. righteous indignation; ADJ. indignant
pejorative
(of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife’’ a pejorative expression, because it patronized them.
sportive
playful; frolicsome; merry; CF. sport: play or frolic; CF. sportsmanlike
squelch
produce a splashing sound (when stepping through mud); crush; squash; CF. ÃøÈëÀ» À§¿¡¼ ¹âÀ» ¶§
stygian
unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead
enfranchise
admit to the rights of citizenship (especially the right to vote); CF. franchise
exceptionable
objectionable; likely to cause dislike; offensive; CF. unexceptionable: entirely acceptable
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; Ex. nebulous proposal
rubric
title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol
lethal
deadly
pithy
concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty
sequester
isolate; segregate; seclude; retire from public life
prophylactic
used to prevent disease; N: something prophylactic; condom; N. prophylaxis: prevention of disease
spruce
neat and trim in appearance; smart; Ex. Be spruce for your job interview; V.
wax
increase gradually (as the moon); grow
fermentation
chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds; unrest; agitation
stellar
pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding; Ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance
luminary
celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)
sleight
dexterity; CF. sleight of hand: legerdemain; quickness of the hands in doing tricks
histrionic
theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior
ascetic
practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism
colloquy
informal discussion; conversation
clamor
loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous
veracity
truthfulness; adherence to the truth
