GRE16 Flashcards
catcall
shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.
apothegm
pithy, compact saying
crotchety
(of someone old) eccentric; odd; whimsical; bad-tempered; N. crotchet: odd or whimsical notion
guile
deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning; Ex. persuade her by guile
liquidate
settle accounts; pay off (a debt); clear up; eliminate; kill or abolish
tension
stretching; condition of being stretched; mental strain; strained relationship between groups or people
indeterminate
uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
die
metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; CF. dice
impinge
infringe; encroach; influence; touch; collide with; Ex. The effects are impinging on every aspect of our lives.
pastiche
imitation of another’s style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists
conjecture
surmise; guess; V.
bookish
fond of books and reading
grate
make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred by rubbing against a rough surface; Ex. grated cheese N: framework of metal bars to hold fuel in a fireplace
existential
pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism
missive
letter; written statement; CF. sent
brindled
tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
gentility
those of gentle birth; high social class; refinement; quality of being genteel
bantering
joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N.V. banter
resurrect
revive
epistemologist
philosopher who studies the nature of knowledge; N. epistemology
whittle
pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim
vindictive
disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak
toady
servile flatterer; yes man; sycophant; V: be a toady to; fawn
fringe
decorative edge of hanging threads; edge
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities
clamber
climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
overbearing
bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate
rendezvous
meeting place; meeting at a set time or place; V.
dally
trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time
swipe
hit with a sweeping motion; N.
imply
suggest a meaning not expressed; signify
exacting
extremely demanding; Ex. exacting standard of safety
erode
eat away; wear away gradually by abrasion; Ex. The sea erodes the rocks.
torso
trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk
fortitude
bravery; courage; strength of mind
spoof
parody
crone
hag; ugly old woman
winnow
sift; separate the chaff from grain by blowing; separate good parts from bad; CF. wind
zephyr
gentle breeze; west wind
botch
mismanage; blow
panacea
cure-all; remedy for all diseases
opprobrium
infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
hireling
one who serves for hire (usually used contemptuously); one who works solely for compensation; Ex. hireling politician
reckon
count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose
clarion
shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times
vouch
give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher
ecologist
person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; CF. ecology
thrifty
careful about money; economical; N. thrift
gorge
narrow canyon; steep rocky cleft; ravine (made by a stream which runs through it)
adapt
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
eccentricity
oddity; idiosyncrasy
glutinous
sticky; viscous; gluey
amicable
peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement
engender
cause; produce; give rise to
missile
object to be thrown or projected
vampire
ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living
preclude
make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate
misconduct
immoral behavior; bad management; V.
parochial
narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes
petrify
turn to stone; cause to become stonelike; stun or paralyze
corrosive
eating away by chemicals or disease; (of language) fierce
impropriety
improperness; unsuitableness
auxiliary
offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary; N: helper; assistant
unwitting
not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know
irascible
irritable; easily angered
sophisticated
worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; N. sophistication; V. sophisticate
hem
surround tightly so that movement is impossible; Ex. hem in; N.
polity
(particular form of) political organization; form of government of nation or state; Ex. student polity
stench
strong foul odor; reek; stink
franchise
right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
braid
plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)
delirium
mental disorder marked by confusion; uncontrolled excitement; ADJ. delirious
ford
place where a river can be crossed on foot; V.
levitate
rise and float in the air (especially by magical means); CF. light
illusive
deceiving; based on illusion; causing illusion; deceptive
quiver
tremble; shake; N.
handsome
large in quantity; generous; Ex. handsome reward
irresolute
uncertain how to act; weak; lacking in resolution; indecisive; N. irresolution
detonation
explosion
relevant
having importance; pertinent; referring to the case in hand; N. relevance, relevancy
innuendo
indirect or subtle (derogatory) hint; insinuation; Ex. sexual innuendo
extenuate
weaken; mitigate; lessen the seriousness of (bad behavior)
inopportune
untimely; inappropriate or ill-timed; poorly chosen
analgesic
causing insensitivity to pain; N.
abrogate
abolish
gloss_over
explain away with the intention of deceiving or hiding faults
promontory
headland
abut
border upon; adjoin
emetic
substance causing vomiting; ADJ.
betray
be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.
mores
conventions; moral standards; moral customs
headfirst
moving with the head leading; headlong
witless
lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic
embroider
decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish
brawl
noisy quarrel
revelry
boisterous merrymaking; V. revel: engage boisterous festivities; enjoy greatly; N: boisterous festivity or celebration
lassitude
languor; weariness; listlessness
retroactive
taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax); (of a law) having effect on the past as well as the future
dissimulate
pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble
vanguard
forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF. rearguard
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one’s sins; CF. penitent
ruddy
reddish; (of the face) reddish and healthy-looking
consonant
harmonious; in agreement; N.
affiliation
joining; associating with
stifle
suppress; extinguish; inhibit; smother or suffocate
exertion
effort; expenditure of much physical work; V. exert oneself: make a great effort
trek
travel; journey; V: make a long difficult journey
rapacious
voracious; ravenous; taking everything one can; excessively grasping; plundering; subsisting on live prey; Ex. rapacious birds
conjure
cause to appear by magic; summon (a devil or a spirit) by magical power; practice magic (esp. by very quick movement of the hands); evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.
coterie
group that meets socially; select circle; close group of people with shared interests
bard
poet
definitive
most reliable; authorative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; definite; Ex. definitive decision by the supreme court
grim
causing great fear; unrelenting; determined in spite of fear; Ex. grim smile
canter
slow gallop; V. CF. trot
mural
wall painting
complement
complete; consummate; make perfect; N.
ligneous
like wood
camp
group sharing a common cause or opinion
cacophonous
discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds
duration
length of time something lasts
miscreant
wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant; CF. believe
statutory
created by statute or legislative action; regulated by statute; Ex. statutory age limit
harping
tiresome dwelling on a subject; V. harp: dwell on(think or speak a lot about) tediously
baroque
highly ornate
tantamount
equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount
concordat
formal agreement
indemnify
make secure against damage or loss; compensate for damage or loss; CF. make uninjured
queue
line (of waiting people or vehicles)
blurt
utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement
anchor
secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
effrontery
rudeness without any sense of shame; shameless boldness; presumptousness; nerve; cheek
dummy
imitation of a real object used as a substitute; effigy
sylvan
pertaining to the woods or the country
jollity
gaiety; cheerfulness; ADJ. jolly: merry; gay
respite
time for rest; interval of relief; delay in punishment; reprieve
mordant
biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit
inequity
unfairness; ADJ. inequitable
fiend
evil spirit; devil
emulate
imitate; rival; try to equal or excel (through imitation)
vignette
small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter; picture; short literary sketch; short written description of a character or scene
screech
unpleasant high sharp sound; shriek; V.
inscrutable
difficult to understand; impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious
myopic
nearsighted; lacking foresight; N. myopia
maverick
rebel; nonconformist (in a group)
simile
comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as
impede
hide; retard or obstruct the progress of; block
distrait
absentminded; distracted
vaporize
turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.)
proximity
nearness; ADJ. proximate
bloated
(unpleasantly) swollen or puffed as with water or air
refuse
anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash
abortive
unsuccessful; fruitless
replica
copy
anemia
condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic
vantage
position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point); CF. vantagepoint
imponderable
weightless; that cannot undergo precise evaluation; CF. pound
scanty
meager; insufficient
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
timidity
lack of self-confidence or courage
malleable
(of a metal) capable of being shaped by pounding(beating); pliable; (of someone) impressionable(easily influenced); easily controlled; tractable
superficial
of the surface; not deep; shallow; not thorough; trivial; Ex. superficial analysis/knowledge
indigenous
native; Ex. plant indigenous to the New World
replenish
fill up again
skulk
move furtively and secretly; Ex. He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city.
qualified
limited; restricted; V. qualify: limit the meaning of; modify
tithe
tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay a tithe
apparent
evident; easily seen or understood; appearing as such; Ex. apparent improvement
tread
walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step
dappled
spotted
arroyo
gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater
altercation
noisy quarrel
broach
introduce as a subject; moot; open up
anthropologist
student of the history and science of humankind
gentle
kindly; soft; mild; of good family
granulate
form into grains or granules; N. granule: grain or particle
institutionalize
make into an institution; put or confine in an institution
stratum
layer of earth’s surface; layer of society; PL. strata
predetermine
determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly
perturb
disturb greatly
acclimate
adjust to climate or environment; adapt
debar
bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services
imperceptible
unnoticeable; impossible to perceive; undetectable
furor
frenzy; great anger and excitement; CF. fury
implicit
understood but not stated; implied; unquestioning and complete; Ex. implicit trust
resolution
determination; resoluteness; ADJ. resolute: firm or determined in purpose
mote
small speck (esp. of dust)
soar
rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared into the sky.
truism
self-evident truth
warren
tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live
concession
an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; CF. concessionaire
auspicious
favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices
lachrymose
producing tears; tearful
spatula
broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing
warble
(of a bird) sing; babble; N.
prosaic
lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose
flowery
full of flowers; full of ornate expressions
consternation
great shock; dismay
obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; N. obstetrics; CF. midwife
isotope
varying from of an element
plebiscite
direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue)
