GRE17 From3185-3384 Flashcards
rightful
legally correct; Ex. rightful owner
bulwark
strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
dilettante
aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one’s sins; CF. penitent
grumble
complain; mutter discontentedly; grouch; N.
pretend
feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions to; Ex. I don’t pretend to much expertise; N. pretense
discriminating
able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination
miserly
stingy; mean
divest
strip (as of clothes); deprive (as of rights); dispossess; N. divestiture(divestment)
sterile
incapable of producing young; free from microorganism; V. sterilize
laborious
demanding much work or care; tedious
rotund
(of a person) fat and round
fraught
filled (with something unpleasant); full; Ex. fraught with danger and difficulties; CF. freight
mellifluous
(of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune
stymie
thwart; present an obstacle; stump
submerge
place under water; dip; go under water; cover completely (as with water); Ex. submerged in work
provincial
pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow; unsophisticated
vegetate
live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan
impotent
weak; ineffective; lacking in physical strength or power
calligraphy
beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
capsize
(of a boat) turn over
clasp
hold firmly within arms
paste
smooth viscous mixture as of flour(powder made by crushing grain) and water (used as an adhesive); V: cause to adhere by applying paste
cession
yielding to another; ceding
decomposition
decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts
lexicon
dictionary
forbearance
patience; forgiveness; V. forbear: refrain from (in a generous and forgiving way); be patient; Ex. forbear to send him to prison
obtrude
push (oneself or one’s ideas) forward or intrude; impose (oneself or one’s ideas) on others; butt in; stick out or extrude; thrust out; Ex. obtrude A on B; ADJ. obtrusive; N. obtrusion; CF. unobtrusive
pugnacity
combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature
expunge
cancel; remove a word or name (from a book or list); erase
ponderous
having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness; dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing
animosity
active enmity
accessory
additional object; useful but not essential thing
blowhard
talkative boaster; braggart
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities
implicit
understood but not stated; implied; unquestioning and complete; Ex. implicit trust
irrevocable
unalterable; irreversible; impossible to revoke
frail
weak; N. frailty
avalanche
great mass of falling snow and ice
sprout
begin to grow; give off shoots or buds; N: new growth on a plant; shoot
pretension
pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist.
bilk
swindle; cheat
redress
remedy; compensation; Ex. seek redress for the damage to your car; V: put right; remedy or rectify (a wrong); make amends for
degradation
humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank
monochrome
painting in only one color; ADJ.
indemnify
make secure against damage or loss; compensate for damage or loss; CF. make uninjured
fodder
coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food
surrogate
substitute; person or thing used in place of another; Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ.
frolicsome
prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky
pandemic
widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; CF. all people
medium
element that is a creature’s natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated; appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise; middle position between extremes; intervening substance through which something else is transmitted
curator
superintendent; manager (in charge of a museum or a library)
consanguinity
kinship; relationship by birth
psychosomatic
of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease)
boorish
rude; insensitive
genealogy
record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry
unceremonious
not done politely without due formalities
distraught
upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry
philanthropist
lover of mankind; doer of good; N. philanthropy
compulsion
compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse
analogous
comparable; similar
quaint
odd in an old-fashioned way; odd; old-fashioned; picturesque
demoniac(demoniacal)
fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil
occult
mysterious; secret; supernatural; beyond human comprehension; CF. mysterious to human ?; OP. bare
suborn
persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury); N. subornation
tickle
touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter; please
perimeter
outer boundary; length of the outer boundary; circumference
objective
not influenced by emotions; fair; N: goal; aim
simian
monkeylike; N: ape or monkey
palatable
agreeable; pleasing to the taste
narrative
related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration
rubric
title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol
uninhibited
having no inhibitions; free in behavior and feelings
militia
army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers
formidable
menacing; arousing fear; threatening; difficult to defeat; Ex. formidable foe/question
pushy
disagreeably aggressive
masticate
chew
incessant
uninterrupted; unceasing
interim
meantime; Ex. in the interim; ADJ. taking place during an interim; Ex. interim paper
mimicry
imitation
countermand
cancel; revoke (an order)
erode
eat away; wear away gradually by abrasion; Ex. The sea erodes the rocks.
caldron(cauldron)
large kettle
swagger
walk or behave with an over-confident manner
squeamish
easily shocked or sickened by unpleasant things; fastidious; Ex. A nurse should not be squeamish.
parallel
similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line; person or thing that is parallel (to another); similarity; Ex. know of no parallel to the case; Ex. without parallel; V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your experience parallels mine; CF. unparalleled
effeminate
having womanly traits
lustrous
shining; brilliant; Ex. lustrous hair
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 people; Ex. stereotyped answer
filch
steal (things of small value)
imminent
impending; near at hand
corpus
collection (of writings or information); Ex. the corpus of Shakespear’s works; Cf. corpse
piquant
pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help
anomaly
irregularity
nondescript
undistinctive; ordinary; ordinary-looking; Ex. nondescript fellow in a crowd
gauche
clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth
sophist
teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument
agog
highly excited; intensely curious
transpire
(of a fact) become known; be revealed; happen; give off (watery waste matter) through pores
debut
d'ebut; first public appearance; formal presentation of a young woman to society
fictitious
imaginary; non-existent; purposely invented to deceive; untrue; Ex. fictitious name/boyfriend; CF. fictional
romp
play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N.
mantle
loose sleeveless outer garment; cloak; something that covers or envelops; the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
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
torso
trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk
dissipate
squander; waste foolishly; scatter
stringent
(of rules) binding; rigid; marked by scarcity of money; Ex. stringent economic conditions
ewe
female sheep
cavalcade
procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; CF. cavalry
cardiologist
doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
draw
choosing of a lot or card
hap
chance; luck
pinnacle
peak; highest point; acme; Ex. pinnacle of fame
sound
in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense; thorough; complete; Ex. sound mind/investment/training
austere
forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk’s austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathedral; N. austerity
unilateral
one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex. unilateral declaration
prominent
protruding(sticking out); conspicuous; notable; eminent
degenerate
become worse in quality; deteriorate; ADJ: having become worse; Ex. a degenerate species; N: depraved or corrupt person
Elysium
place or condition of bliss
anthem
song of praise or patriotism; Ex. national anthem
derivative
unoriginal; obtained from another source; Ex. derivative prose style; N.
daze
stun as with a blow or shock; bemuse; benumb; N.
skim
read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing; brush; remove from the surface of a liquid
preposterous
absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous
apostate
one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy
funereal
sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
lag
move or develop more slowly; straggle; Ex. lag behind the rest; N.
labyrinth
maze
devolve
deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); Ex. devolve on/upon/to
obligatory
binding; required; compulsory; V. oblige: constrain; make grateful; do a favor; accommodate
undertaker
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials
chaff
worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
mammal
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young
eloquence
expressiveness; persuasive speech; ADJ. eloquent: movingly expressive; expressing ideas well so that the hearers can be influeneced
document
provide written evidence (for a claim); record with documents; N.
matrix
point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die; Ex. the matrix of Western civilization
excoriate
scold with biting harshness; censure strongly; strip the skin off
mute
silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of
molten
melted; Ex. molten lava
allege
state without proof
calumny
malicious misrepresentation; slander
reduce
diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction
obsessive
related to thinking about something constantly; of an obsession; preoccupying; N. obsession: compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea; compulsive idea; V. obsess: preoccupy the mind of excessively
infraction
violation (of a rule or regulation); breach
dehydrate
remove water from; dry out
weary
tired after long work; V.
sluice
artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow)
fleck
spot; mark with flecks; N: small mark or spot
temporize
gain time as by postponing an action; avoid committing oneself
indifferent
unmoved or unconcerned by; having no interest in; mediocre; neither good nor bad
behoove(behove)
be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
rebuke
scold harshly; criticize severely
theoretical
based on theory; not practical or applied; hypothetical
inanimate
lifeless; not animate
lilliputian
extremely small; CF. Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels
cajole
persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
imperial
like an emperor; related to an empire; CF. imperialism
maculated
spotted; stained; CF. immaculate
infernal
pertaining to hell; devilish; N. inferno: place of fiery heat or destruction
depict
portray
patina
green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
expound
explain
herbivorous
grain-eating; CF. herbivore
tenuous
thin; slim; rare
emancipate
set free; liberate
odoriferous
giving off an odor
engulf
surround and swallow up
ramshackle
(of a building or vehicle) poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart
nefarious
very wicked
deign
condescend; stoop
hue
outcry; loud cry or clamor; strong protest; Ex. hue and cry against the new rule
suckle
give or take milk at the breast or udder
filth
dirty matter; ADJ. filthy
passive
not active; acted upon; receiving an action without acting in return; accepting without resistance
hybrid
mongrel; mixed breed; V. hybridize
excise
cut away; cut out; N: government tax on good produced and used inside a country; N. excision
groove
long narrow channel made in a surface to guide the movement of something; Ex. groove of the record
outgoing
sociable; eager to mix socially with others
communal
held in common; public; of a group of people; of a commune
leave-taking
farewell or departure
tatter
torn piece of cloth; ADJ. tattered: (of clothes) old and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes
bolster
support; reinforce
elliptical
elliptic; oval; of an ellipse; containing an ellipsis; ambiguous either purposely or because key words have been left out
charisma
divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism
turgid
swollen; distended (as from liquid)
billowing
swelling out in waves; surging
mercurial
capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood
hoodwink
deceive; delude
tread
walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step
vitreous
of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify
ductile
malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled
amputate
cut off part of body; prune (a limb)
ambush
act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; Ex. lie in ambush; V.
magniloquent
boastful; pompous
novelty
something new; newness; ADJ. novel: new; original
decree
authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; V: order or judge by decree
palimpsest
parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased
insipid
lacking in flavor; lacking interest; dull; Ex. insipid food/character
luscious
pleasing to taste or smell; delicious
