GRE14 From2588-2787 Flashcards
overblown
inflated; exaggerated
recession
withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity
spin
rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); N.
impediment
hindrance; stumbling-block; speech defect preventing clear articulation; Ex. speech impediment
sustenance
sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food
warranty
guarantee; assurance by seller
aspire
seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership
contest
dispute; argue about the rightness of; compete for; try to win; Ex. contest the election results; Ex. contest a seat in Parliament; N.
audacious
daring; bold; N. audacity
emend
correct (usually a text); N. emendation: correction of errors; improvement
hermitage
home of a hermit
spangle
small shiny metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation
reprise
musical repetition; repeating of a piece of music; repeat performance; recurrent action; Ex. reprise in the finale; Ex. constant reprises
conventional
ordinary; typical; not nuclear; Ex. conventional weapons
provender
dry food for livestock; fodder
vampire
ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living
spoonerism
accidental transposition of sounds in successive words; Ex. Let me sew you to your sheet'' forLet me show you to your seat’’; CF. William Spooner
figment
invention; something invented; imaginary thing; Ex. figment of your imagination
ensconce
settle comfortably; place comfortably (in a secure place)
egoism
excessive interest in one’s self; belief that one should be interested in one’s self rather than in others; selfishness; ADJ. egoistic, egoistical
haggard
wasted away; gaunt; Ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners
monolithic
solidly uniform; unchangeable; unyielding; N. monolith: large block of stone
resign
give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively
affront
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
gouge
overcharge (with high price); extort from; Ex. gouge the public; CF. usury
mortician
undertaker; CF. death
flag
droop; grow feeble; decline in vigor or strength; ADJ. flagging; CF. unflagging
maverick
rebel; nonconformist (in a group)
forum
public square of an ancient Roman city; public place for open discussion; court of law
enthrall
capture; enslave; captivate; hold the complete attention of (as if magic); hold spellbound
emblazon
ornament richly (a shield or flag); N. emblazonment
subsume
include (as a member of a group); encompass
parched
extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat)
standstill
condition of no movement or activity; stop
foreshadow
give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure
manifest
evident; visible; obvious; V: show plainly
pusillanimous
cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted
parish
area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church
emollient
soothing or softening remedy (for the skin); ADJ.
utopia
ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian
nexus
connection
arboreal
of or living in trees
boisterous
violent; rough; noisy
deluge
flood; rush; V.
fake
not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature
unprepossessing
unattractive
correlate
either of the correlated things; V.
heterogeneous
dissimilar; mixed; not homogeneous; consisting of dissimilar elements or plants
addendum
addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)
germ
earliest form of an organism; seed or bud; something that may develop into something larger or more important; microbe
polemic
attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art of debate or controversy
self-indulgence
excessive indulgence of one’s own desire
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
gist
essence; main point; substance
perpetual
everlasting
holster
leather pistol case (that hangs on a belt around the waist)
astral
relating to the stars
enunciate
announce; proclaim; utter or speak, especially distinctly; pronounce clearly; articulate; Ex. This theory was first enunciated by him.
elegy
poem or song expressing lamentation (for the dead); ADJ. elegiacal, elegiac
absolve
pardon (an offense)
sophomoric
immature; half-baked; like a sophomore
negligence
neglect; failure to take reasonable care; ADJ. negligent: neglectful; lax; not taking enough care
irretrievable
impossible to recover or regain; CF. retrieve
frustrate
thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose
vortex
whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged
maladroit
clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling
filial
pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; Ex. filial respect
fray
brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person’s temper or nerves); CF. rub
genuflect
bend the knee as in worship
eon(aeon)
long period of time; an age; longest division of geologic time containing two or more eras
egregious
notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking
perfidious
treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery
epitaph
inscription in memory of a dead person (as on a tombstone)
concoct
prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; Ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; N. concoction
alienate
make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of
squelch
produce a splashing sound (when stepping through mud); crush; squash; CF. ÁøÈëÀ» À§¿¡¼ ¹âÀ» ¶§
rickety
(of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D
podiatrist
doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics
dossier
file of documents on a subject or person; file; CF. bundle of papers labeled on the back
pass'e
old-fashioned; past the prime
hubbub
confused uproar; loud noise; din
witless
lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic
robust
strong; vigorous
earthly
of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; Ex. no earthly reason
fetish(fetich)
object believed to have spiritual powers; object of excessive attention or reverence; CF. fetishism
demean
disgrace; humiliate; debase in dignity; behave
hyperbole
exaggeration; overstatement; ADJ. hyperbolic: of hyperbole; of a hyperbola
dainty
delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
insolvent
bankrupt; lacking money to pay; N. insolvency
plebiscite
direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue)
purgatory
place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins
gory
bloody; N. gore: blood (from a wound)
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force
Shangri-la
imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon
credo
creed
strangle
kill by choking or suffocating; suppress
exhume
dig out of the ground; remove from a grave
writhe
twist in coils; contort in pain
torque
twisting force; force producing rotation
frenetic(phrenetic)
frenzied; frantic
lope
gallop slowly
abbreviate
shorten
vicar
parish priest; representative
bovine
cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm
epitome
perfect example or embodiment; brief summary; Ex. epitome of good manners; V. epitomize: make an epitome of; be an epitome of; embody
sever
separate; cut off (a part) from a whole; break up (a relationship); N. severance; CF. severance pay: extra pay given an employee upon leaving a position
benefactor
gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose
vigilant
watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance
bugaboo
bugbear; object of baseless terror
chagrin
annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
trenchant
cutting; incisive; keen
precipitous
steep; overhasty; precipitate
tonsure
shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V.
forsake
desert; abandon; renounce
obstinate
stubborn; hard to control or treat; Ex. obstinate cough; N. obstinacy
noxious
harmful; CF. obnoxious
motley
multi-colored (as of a garment worn by a jester); mixed; heterogeneous; CF. jester: one who jests (as a paid fool at medieval courts)
buoyant
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
whinny
neigh like a horse; CF. neigh: make the sound which horses make
concomitant
that which accompanies; Ex. Deafnes is a frequent concommitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
dumbfound(dumfound)
astonish (making dumb); ADJ. dumbfounded, dumfounded, dumbstruck
indiscriminate
choosing at random; confused; not based on careful distinctions
vaunted
boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag
halfhearted
exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm
sidetrack
switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track
chasten
discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
reminiscent
suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence
amazon
female warrior
leaven
add leaven to; cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven; N: agent, such as yeast, that causes dough to rise (by fermentation); element that lightens or enlivens
ablution
washing
cleave
split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
censor
(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
levy
impose (a fine); collect (a payment); impose or collect (a tax); Ex. levy a tax on tobacco
daub
smear (as with paint); cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one’s clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint
squabble
minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel; Ex. squabbling children
submissive
willing to obey orders; yielding; timid
siren
apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature
nostrum
questionable medicine; quack medicine; CF. our (remedy)
discretion
prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; ADJ. discreet; CF. discretionary
disjointed
disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin
hermetic
sealed by fusion so as to be airtight; airtight
comestible
something fit to be eaten
dispatch
speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill
resumption
taking up again; recommencement; V. resume: begin or take up again; take or occupy again; Ex. Kindly resume your seats.
adverse
going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
ecstasy
rapture; very strong feeling of joy and happiness; any overpowering emotion; ADJ. ecstatic: causing or experiencing ecstasy
negligible
so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded
monotheism
belief in one God
gastronomy
art and science of preparing and serving good food; CF. gastronome
wispy
thin; slight; barely discernible
enrapture
please intensely; fill with rapture and delight
discombobulated
discomposed; confused
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
alleviate
relieve (pain)
mosaic
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ.
forensic
suitable to debate or courts of law; of or used in legal proceedings and the tracking of criminals; Ex. forensic science/medicine
seasoned
experienced
soporific
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness; drowsy
munificent
very generous in giving; Ex. munificent benefactor; N. munificience
urge
drive or force forward (by causing impulses); drive to take action; impel; entreat earnestly; Ex. urge horses; N: impulse that prompts action
pulsate
throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
irresolute
uncertain how to act; weak; lacking in resolution; indecisive; N. irresolution
irksome
annoying; tedious; V. irk: annoy
furrow
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V.
castrate
remove the sex organs (of a male animal or person)
cadence
rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat; regular beat of sound; rhythm
validate
make valid; confirm; ratify
insurmountable
overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable
antidote
remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles
kleptomaniac
person who has a compulsive desire to steal
scotch
stamp out(put an end to); thwart; hinder; Ex. scotch the rumor; CF. cut; CF. È°µ¿À» ÁÙÀÌ´Â ÀǹÌ
amend
correct; change ; generally for the better
xenophobia
fear or hatred of foreigners; N. xenophobe
igneous
produced by fire; of fire; volcanic; (of rocks) formed from lava; Ex. igneous meteorite
facilitate
help bring about; make less difficult
mortify
humiliate by embarassing excessively; shame; punish the flesh; discipline (one’s body) by self-denial; Ex. mortified by her blunder; Ex. mortify the flesh; CF. cause to die
wary
very cautious; watchful
legend
explanatory list of symbols on a map
vivacious
lively or animated; sprightly
compute
reckon; calculate
toga
Roman outer robe
emulate
imitate; rival; try to equal or excel (through imitation)
polyglot
speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N.
paltry
insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash
diva
operatic singer; prima donna
embroil
throw into confusion; involve in strife, dispute, or quarrel; entangle; CF. imbroglio
lank
long and thin; Ex. Lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln
surveillance
close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion); watching; guarding
draft
first rough form; conscription; draught; V: make a draft of; conscript
berate
scold strongly
penetrate
enter into; pierce; permeate; see through; grasp the inner significance of; understand
slovenly
untidy; careless in work habits; slipshod; N. sloven: one who is habitually untidy or careless
condign
adequate; (of punishment) severe and well deserved
nether
lower; Ex. nether garments/regions
fabricate
build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; Ex. fabricate the whole story; CF. fabric: underlying structure; Ex. fabric of society
dregs
sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue
mediocre
ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad
demure
(of a woman or child) grave; quiet and serious; coy; pretending to be demure
hurtle
crash; rush; move with great speed; Ex. hurtling runaway train
