GRE11 Flashcards
consistency
absence of contradictions; uniformity; degree of thickness or firmness; Ex. consistency of thick cream; CF. viscous
grandeur
impressiveness; stateliness; majesty
sublimate
refine; purify; replace (natural urges) with socially acceptable activities; change between a solid state and a gaseous state
clasp
hold firmly within arms
pedestrian
ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; Ex. pedestrian prose; N.
vivid
(of light or color) bright and distinct; evoking lifelike mental images; Ex. vivid red hair/description
juxtapose
place side by side; CF. next
dolt
slow-thinking stupid person; CF. dull
seismic
pertaining to earthquakes
stereotype
one regarded as embodying a set image or type; fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture often reflecting prejudice; Ex. stereotype of the happy slave; V: make a stereotype of; represent by a stereotype; Ex. It is wrong to stereotype
fruitful
producing results; profitable; prolific; producing in abundance
insidious
treacherous; stealthy; sly; working or spreading harmfully in a stealthy manner; Ex. insidious spreading of dry rot
parameter
limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (with dislike of any others); N: strong supporter of a party; guerrilla
undertaker
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials
exorbitant
(of costs or demands) excessive; exceeding reasonable bounds
deadlock
standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate
jovial
good-natured; merry; cheerful
iota
very small quantity
tawdry
cheap and gaudy; Ex. tawdry jewelry
genre
particular variety of art or literature
billow
large wave of water; a great swell or surge (of smoke); V: surge, swell, roll in billows
impeccable
faultless
tome
large volume; book
restitution
returning something (lost or stolen) to the rightful owner; reparation; indemnification; compensation for loss, damage, or injury
abridge
condense or shorten
penumbra
partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow
stanza
division of a poem (composed of two or more lines)
lax
careless; negligent; not paying enough attention; Ex. lax service
caprice
whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause
converse
opposite; ADJ.
renovate
restore to good condition; renew
impassable
not able to be traveled or crossed
dolorous
sorrowful; N. dolor
onslaught
vicious assault; fierce attack; Ex. unexpected onslaught of the enemy
adhere
stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality
bestow
confer
physiognomy
face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features
flutter
(of a bird with large wings) wave (the wings) lightly, rapidly, and irregularly; vibrate rapidly or erratically; fly by waving quickly; flitter; N.
declivity
downward slope
astigmatism
eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism
niggle
spend too much time on minor points (esp. when finding fault); find fault; Ex. niggle over details; ADJ. niggling
salutary
tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome; Ex. The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy; CF. health
d'eb\^acle
sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster
preeminent
outstanding; superior
temper
moderate; make less severe; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) as by alternate heating and cooling
probe
explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation; Ex. space probe
regatta
boat or yacht race
nib
beak(bill); pen point
shrivel
make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying)
chuckle
laugh quietly
intolerant
not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one’s own; CF. tolerant; CF. tolerate
desolate
(of a place) deserted; unpopulated; (of a person) lonely; forlorn; joyless
emolument
salary; payment for an office; compensation
tempestuous
stormy; violent; impassioned; N. tempest: violent storm
travesty
copy or example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous; Ex. travesty of justice; OP. paragon
throes
violent anguish
heresy
opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion; ADJ. heretical; CF. heretic
orientation
act of finding oneself in society; orienting
hurtle
crash; rush; move with great speed; Ex. hurtling runaway train
rancid
having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank
cohabit
live together
edifice
building (of imposing size)
cull
pick out from others (to kill the weakest members); reject; select; collect (information); N.
adversary
opponent; enemy
healthy
possessing good health; healthful
rhetoric
art of effective communication; art of using language effectively and persuasively; style of speaking or writing; grandiloquent language; Ex. political rhetoric; ADJ. rhetorical; CF. rhetorical question: question to which no answer is expected as ``Who kn
nirvana
in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude
forte
strong point or special talent in a person’s character
vicissitude
change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China
agenda
items of business at a meeting
inarticulate
speechless; producing indistinct speech; not articulate; not expressing oneself clearly
reciprocal
mutual; given and received in return; exchangeable; interacting; Ex. reciprocal trade agreement
incongruity
lack of harmony; absurdity; ADJ. incongruous: lacking in harmony; inappropriate
sallow
(of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; Ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice
nutrient
nourishing substance; ADJ: providing nourishment
opiate
medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction; sleep-producing drug containing opium
fauna
animals of a period or region; CF. flora
semblance
outward appearance; guise; Ex. We called in the troops to bring a/some semblance of order to the city.
castigation
punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
gnarled
twisted
decoy
lure or bait; V.
malapropism
comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop
azure
sky blue
verdant
green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows
bid
command; utter (a greeting); offer as a price; N: offer of a price; amount offered; earnest effort to gain something; Ex. bid for freedom
pedigree
line of ancestors; ancestry; lineage; ADJ. (of an animal) descended from of a chosen family; Ex. pedigree dog; CF. crane’s foot
mingle
mix together in close association
expose
public revelation of something discreditable
presume
take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone’s kindness or connection); N. presumption
atheistic
denying the existence of God; N. atheism
beware
be cautious (of)
tend
have a tendency; take care of; minister; serve at; apply one’s attention; attend
ignominy
deep disgrace; shame or dishonor; ADJ. ignominious; Ex. ignominous defeat
renege
break a promise; deny; go back on; Ex. renege on the contract/paying off the debt
outlaw
fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed.
niggardly
meanly stingy; parsimonious; N. niggard: stingy person
haggle
argue about prices (in an attempt to bargain)
mammoth
gigantic; enormous
maniacal
raging mad; insane; N. maniac: insane person; CF. mania: disorder of the mind; intense enthusiasm
dubious
questionable; (of something) causing doubt; (of someone) filled with doubt; N. dubiety
sinewy
(of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew: tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone
diverge
vary; go in different directions from the same point; ADJ. divergent: differing; deviating
ventilate
admit fresh air into to replace stale air
prime
period of ideal or peak condition; earliest or beginning stage; Ex. in the prime of life; Ex. prime of the year(spring); ADJ: first in importance or rank; first; V: make ready; prepare
procurement
obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a prostitute) for another
tipple
drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink
infiltrate
pass into or through; penetrate or enter (an organization) sneakily; Ex. infiltrate the troops into enemy territory; CF. infiltrator
avantgarde
group of artists whose work is based on the newest ideas and methods; CF. vanguard
finesse
delicate skill; V: handle with finesse
uncanny
strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack
gambit
opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed; action made to produce a future advantage
incognito
with identity concealed; using an assumed name; ADJ.
refractory
unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse
facet
small plane surface (of a gem(precious stone)); a side
inordinate
beyond reasonable limits; unrestrained; excessive; Ex. inordinate demands
scenario
plot outline; screenplay(script for a movie); opera libretto; outline of possible future events
flora
plants of a region or era
divulge
reveal
bouillon
clear beef (or meat) soup
pedigree
ancestry; lineage
correlation
mutual relationship
rococo
ornate; highly decorated; N. CF. 18th century
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
mandatory
obligatory; compulsory; of a mandate
pathological
pertaining to disease; N. pathology: study of disease
shift
change position or place; exchange (one thing) for another; change in direction or position; Ex. shift the stolen goods; N. group of workers which takes turns with other groups; working period of such a group
sleigh
large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice
galley
low ship with sails (rowed along by slaves)
cistern
reservoir or water tank
bridle
harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
brittle
hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation
gouge
tear out; cut out (as if with a gouge); Ex. gouge his eyes out; N: chisel for cutting out hollow areas in wood
drama
prose or verse composition to be performed by actors; play; exciting and unusual situation
interregnum
period between two successive reigns or governments
recite
repeat aloud (something learned); describe; Ex. recite his complaints; N. recitation
amphitheater
oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
clipper
sailing vessel built for great speed
reticent
inclined to silence; uncommunicative; reserved; Ex. He was reticent about the reasons; N. reticence
default
failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V.
gratuity
tip
blue
gloomy; depressed
nip
snip off; stop something’s growth or development; bite; make numb with cold; Ex. nip the plan; Ex. A guard dog nipped the postman; Ex. fingers nipped by the extreme chill
muse
ponder at length; N: source of inspiration (esp. of a poet)
pert
(esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat
gorge
stuff oneself (with food); glut; CF. gorgeous: dazzlingly beautiful
denouement
final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained
benefactor
gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose
recast
reconstruct (a sentence, story, statue, etc.); fashion again
demographic
related to population balance; N. demography: statistical study of human population
subliminal
below the threshold of conscious perception; Ex. subliminal advertisement
nurture
nourish; feed; educate; rear; care for while it is growing or developing; foster; cultivate; N: something that nourishes; rearing
peer
one who has equal standing with another; nobleman; V: look intently; N. peerage; CF. peeress
backslide
revert (to bad habits); N. reverter
quarantine
isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection; V: isolate in quarantine
virulent
(of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom
pinnacle
peak; highest point; acme; Ex. pinnacle of fame
vendor
seller
verbalize
put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb
retiring
shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality
clique
small exclusive group of people
barrage
barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
arcane
esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
ingrained
deeply established; firmly rooted; Ex. ingrained dirt/prejudice
complacency
self-satisfaction; smugness; ADJ. complacent
crass
very unrefined; grossly insensible; crude and undiscriminating; Ex. crass behavior
neologism
new or newly coined word or phrase
boorish
rude; insensitive
continence
self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; ADJ. continent
supine
lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision
isthmus
narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land
capsize
(of a boat) turn over
demotic
of or pertaining to the people
litotes
understatement for emphasis; Ex. ``not bad(=pretty good)’’
dissipate
squander; waste foolishly; scatter
itinerant
wandering; traveling from place to place (to perform work); Ex. itinerant preacher
wreak
inflict; Ex. wreak one’s vengeance on
cosmic
pertaining to the universe; vast
tint
slight degree of color; V: give a tint to
pendant(pendent)
hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging from a necklace etc.)
alleviate
relieve (pain)
berserk
mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited
salacious
lascivious; lustful; Ex. salacious monk
deranged
insane
naivet'e(naivety)
quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility; ADJ. naive(na"ive): ingenuous; lacking worldliness; simple; credulous
disaffected
disloyal; lacking loyality; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty
sheaf
bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together
idiom
expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style (of expression); Ex. idiom of the modern popular music; ADJ. idiomatic
inverse
opposite
impermeable
impervious; not permitting passage through its substance; impossible to permeate
plethora
excess; overabundance; Ex. a plethora of excuses
grumble
complain; mutter discontentedly; grouch; N.
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
demolition
destruction; V. demolish
stratified
divided into classes; arranged into strata; V. stratify
martyr
one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer; Ex. martyr to his rheumatism
infallible
unerring; never making mistakes
protrude
stick out; jut; project; Ex. protruding teeth
potential
expressing possibility; latent; N: capacity for growth
prey
target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice.
