GRE18 Flashcards
distinct
clearly different; clearly noticed
amalgamate
(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
deadpan
wooden; impassive; with no show of feeling; with an expressionless face
manifest
evident; visible; obvious; V: show plainly
perspicuous
(of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments
terminus
last stop of railroad; end
brink
edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon
perfunctory
done routinely and with little care; superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; Ex. perfunctory kiss
abstinence
restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
inevitable
unavoidable
rave
overwhelmingly favorable review; V: talk wildly as if mad; Ex. raving lunatic
slavish
of or like a slave; servile; showing no originality; copied very closely; Ex. slavish devotion/copy of the original
susceptible
impressionable; easily influenced; sensitive; having little resistance as to a disease; likely to suffer; receptive to; capable of accepting; Ex. susceptible to persuasion/colds; Ex. The agreement is not susceptible of alteration; N. susceptibility
lucre
money; profit; Ex. filthy lucre
squalor
condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally repulsive; Ex. squalid story
kudos
honor; glory; acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
agape
openmouthed
delusive
deceptive; likely to delude; misleading; raising vain hopes; Ex. delusive promises
surrogate
substitute; person or thing used in place of another; Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ.
invincible
unconquerable
ambulatory
able to walk
lurid
wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome; horrible; Ex. lurid details of the murder
gavel
hammerlike tool; mallet(wooden hammer) used by a presiding officer or an auctioneer; V.
incinerate
burn to ashes
paranoia
psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; N: ADJ: paranoid, paranoiac
affinity
feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
harry
harass, annoy, torment (by repeated attacks); raid
calamity
disaster; misery
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
demise
death
emboss
produce a design in raised relief; decorate with a raised design
relegate
put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children’s room; Ex. relegated to the second division
license
official or legal permission; latitude of action or speech; excessive freedom that causes harm or damage; V.
rudimentary
elementary; not developed; crude; N. rudiment: fundamental element or principle; Ex. rudiments of the language
lambaste
beat; thrash verbally or physically
feline
of a member of the cat family; N.
bolt
door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
parched
extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat)
fluctuate
waver; shift; rise and fall as if in waves; change or vary irregularly
beget
father; become the father of; produce; give rise to
percussion
striking one object against another sharply; Ex. percussion instrument; N: striking together of two bodies; sound caused by percussion
concurrent
happening at the same time; in agreement
profound
deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness; N. profundity
venom
poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous
unconscionable
unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. unconscionable demand
skittish
inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit
lavish
liberal; wasteful; generous or wasteful in giving or using; abundant; profuse; great; Ex. decorated lavishly; V. give in abundance
hypnosis
induced sleeping state; ADJ. hypnotic; V. hypnotize
repulsion
distaste; disgust; act of driving back; ADJ. repulsive: causing disgust; tending to drive away; V. repel (not `repulse’)
collate
examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
ventral
abdominal
mauve
pale purple
amulet
charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
scoff
laugh (at); mock; ridicule; Ex. scoff at their threats
tanner
person who turns animal hides into leather
deploy
spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically
defame
harm someone’s reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. defamation; ADJ. defamatory
maculated
spotted; stained; CF. immaculate
peruse
read through with care; N. perusal
capacious
spacious
sentinel
sentry; lookout
secular
worldly; not pertaining to church matters or religion; temporal
demagogue
person who appeals to people’s prejudice; false leader of people; CF. demagoguery
compound
combine; produce by combining; increase; make worse by adding to or increasing; exacerbate; Ex. compound an error; ADJ: consisting of two or more parts; N: combination of two or more parts; area enclosed by a wall containing a group of buildings; Ex. fact
venal
capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal
fawning
courting favor by cringing and flattering; V. fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness
solvent
able to pay all depths; N. solvency
empirical
based on experience
lionize
treat (a person) as a celebrity
pucker
gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold
eerie
weird; causing fear because strange
implacable
incapable of being pacified; impossible to appease; Ex. implacable enemy
sarcasm
cutting ironic remark; scornful remarks; stinging rebuke; ADJ. sarcastic
abate
subside or moderate
waif
homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays
preposterous
absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous
matinee(matinee)
dramatic or musical performance given in the afternoon
cardiologist
doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
taut
tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
objective
not influenced by emotions; fair; N: goal; aim
collected
composed; calm; self-possessed
apex
tip; summit; climax; highest point
impale
pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear
terrestrial
on or relating to the earth
cringe
shrink back as if in fear; cower
taxonomist
specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy: science of classification
convention
social or moral custom; established practice; formal meeting; international agreement
diffuse
wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
ingenuous
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated; candid
flail
beat with or as if with a flail; move wildly; thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about; N: threshing tool consisting of a stick swinging from the end of a long handle
painstaking
taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care; very careful and through
civil
having to do with citizens; not military or religious; courteous and polite; Ex. married in a civil ceremony; Ex. civil strife/disorder/law; N. civility; CF. civic
dyspeptic
suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food
acclaim
applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
expenditure
payment or expense; expending; something expended; output; Ex. receipt for the expenditure; Ex. expenditure of all the energy
provisional
tentative; temporary
variegate
change the appearance of (by marking with different colors)
shun
keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors.
marshal
put in order; guide ceremoniously to the correct place; Ex. marshal the children into the museum; N: military officer; official
devise
think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest
behoove(behove)
be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
terminal
part that forms the end; railroad or bus station; ADJ. forming an end; ending in death; fatal; Ex. terminal cancer
excerpt
selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V.
testy
irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; N. testiness
hybrid
mongrel; mixed breed; V. hybridize
infirmity
weakness
low
moo; make the sound of a cow
synoptic
providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis
licentious
amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained
apprise
inform
prefatory
introductory; of a preface
sham
pretend; feign; ADJ: not genuine; fake; Ex. sham jewelry; N: something that is not what it appears; impostor; pretense; Ex. The agreement was a sham.
ingratiate
become popular with; bring (oneself) in favor of another; Ex. ingratiate himself with the boss
blemish
mar; spoil the beauty or perfection of; N: flaw or defect (that spoils perfection); Ex. blemishes in the crystal; CF. unblemished
felicitous
(of a word or remark) apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
dignitary
person of high rank or position
interdict
prohibit; forbid; N.
imperil
put in danger
pragmatist
practical person; N. pragmatism: pragmatic way of dealing with things
anarchy
absence of governing body; state of disorder
repugnance
disgust; strong dislike; loathing; ADJ. repugnant: arousing disgust; repulsive
torrid
(of weather) hot or scorching; passionate; Ex. torrid love affairs
epigram
witty thought or saying, usually short
gracious
kind in a generous way (to someone less important)
aboriginal
being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine
swerve
deviate; turn aside sharply from a straight course; Ex. swerve from the principle; Ex. The car swerved to the right.
insurmountable
overwhelming; unbeatable; insuperable
beleaguer
besiege or attack (with an army); harass; beset
maroon
leave helpless on a deserted island or coast; ADJ. red brown
earthly
of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; Ex. no earthly reason
stem_from
arise from; originate from
retribution
deserved punishment for wrongdoing; punishment for offenses; compensation; vengeance; CF. pay back
rig
fix or manipulate; manipulate dishonestly for personal gain; Ex. rig the election
disseminate
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
wane
decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N.
disclaim
disown; renounce claim to; deny; CF. disclaimer
voracious
ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious animal/reader
pliant
flexible; easily influenced
friction
clash or conflict in opinion; rubbing against
gall
bitterness of feeling; nerve; effrontery; ´ãÃó(bile); CF. gall bladder
chase
ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch
substantiate
support (a claim) with evidence; establish with evidence; verify
witticism
witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark)
decomposition
decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts
inerrancy
infallibility
seamy
sordid; base; filthy; unwholesome; Ex. seamy side of city life
sovereign
ruler in a monarchy; ADJ: (of a country) independent and self-governing; having supreme power; supreme; excellent
chassis
framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached
distract
take (one’s attention) off something; upset emotionally; make anxious; ADJ. distracted
ogle
look at amorously; make eyes at; Ex. old men ogling young girls
frolicsome
prankish; gay; playful; merry; frisky
slough
(of a snake) shed or cast off (dead outer skin); N: outer layer that is shed
amnesty
pardon (allowed by government to political criminals)
infamous
notoriously bad; notorious; well known for being bad; Ex. infamous behavior; N: infamy: infamous act; evil fame or reputation
discount
disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost
coy
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer¸¦ ¹Þ¾ÒÀ» ¶§
odious
arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile
acumen
mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
gory
bloody; N. gore: blood (from a wound)
edify
instruct; correct morally
pretension
pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist.
detain
keep waiting; prevent from leaving or going; N. detention
ebb
(of the tide) recede; lessen; diminish; N. OP. flow: rise of tide
contention
assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition
exiguous
small in amount; minute
synthetic
not natural; artificial; resulting from synthesis; Ex. synthetic fiber; N.
turbulence
state of violent agitation; ADJ. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed
salubrious
healthful; conducive to health or well-being; socially desirable; Ex. salubrious area; CF. health
slur
pronounce indistinctly; speak indistinctly; mumble
castrate
remove the sex organs (of a male animal or person)
sully
defile; soil; tarnish; Ex. sully one’s hands in menial labor
intellect
higher mental powers; person of great intellectual ability
impute
attribute; ascribe; charge; N. imputation
shudder
shake uncontrollably; tremble; V.
denounce
condemn; criticize; N. denunciation
thresh
beat (cereal plants) with a machine or flail to separate the grains from the straw
awe
solemn wonder; feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear; V: fill with awe; ADJ. awesome
apocryphal
(of a story) widely believed but untrue
intransigence
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness; ADJ. intransigent: uncompromising
subpoena
writ(written command issued by a court) summoning a witness to appear in court; V: summon with a subpoena
lunatic
insane; Ex. lunatic asylum
meteoric
like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. meteoric rise to fame; N. meteor
prefigure
be a sign of; foreshadow
polarity
state of having two opposite qualities
slacken
slow up; loosen; make or become slack
prohibitive
so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting; inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax
vile
despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander
buffoonery
clowning
efface
rub out; remove the surface of
presentiment
premonition; foreboding; feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear
mawkish
mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental
draught
current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time
lugubrious
mournful; sorrowful
ghastly
horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; CF. aghast
cataract
great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)
dour
sullen; gloomy; stubborn
attentive
alert and watchful; listening carefully; paying attention; considerate; thoughtful; politely helpful; Ex. attentive audience; Ex. He was attentive to the old lady; N. attentions: act of courtesy and consideration
harangue
long, passionate, and vehement speech; V.
flamboyant
ornate; highly elaborate; richly colored; ostentatious; showy; CF. flame
