GRE20 Flashcards
hydrophobia
fear of water; rabies
refrain
abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus
viable
capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme
peroration
conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length
knell
tolling of a bell especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell; V.
resourceful
clever and imaginative (in dealing with difficult situations); N. resource, resourcefulness
ravage
devastate; plunder; despoil; Ex. crops ravaged by storms
chaffing
bantering; joking
stun
make unconscious or numb as by a blow; amaze; astound
euphemism
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one; ADJ. euphemistic
foreshadow
give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure
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
dispassionate
calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings
aerie
nest of a large bird of prey
adage
wise saying; proverb
distinction
honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction
callous
hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind
oracular
of an oracle; prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous; hard to understand; N. oracle: wiser person; prophecy made by an oracle
equine
resembling a horse; Ex. equine face
ward
administrative division of a city; division in a hospital or prison; incompetent person placed under the protection of a guardian; V: guard; ward off: avert
plaudit
praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud
outrage
act of extreme violence or viciousness; resentful anger; V: commit an outrage on; produce anger in; ADJ. outrageous: offensive
bohemian
unconventional (in an artistic way)
encipher
encode; convert a message into code; put into cipher
inebriated
habitually intoxicated; drunk; N. inebriety
probity
uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility
talisman
charm; object believed to give supernatural powers to or protect its bearer
effective
effectual; producing a strong response; striking; in operation; in effect; Ex. effective speech/photograph
score
number of points; written form of a musical composition; reason; group of 20; notch or incision; Ex. full/vocal score; Ex. Don’t worry on that score; V: mark with lines or notches; Ex. score the paper to make it easy to fold
iconoclastic
attacking cherished traditions; N. iconoclast: one who attacks traditional ideas; one who destroys sacred images
incisive
(appreciatively) cutting; sharp; Ex. incisive remarks; V. incise: make a cut into
quiescent
dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence
detraction
slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor
hap
chance; luck
churlish
boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
inert
inactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or act; Ex. chemically inert; N. inertia: state of being inert; force which keeps a thing in the position or state
rent
tear made by rending; rip; split
penitent
repentant; N.
progenitor
ancestor
arraign
charge in court; indict
aegis
shield; protection; defense
contentious
quarrelsome; controversial; likely to cause arguments
engaging
charming; attractive
ooze
(of a thick liquid) pass or flow slowly; N: mud or thick liquid as at the bottom of a river
doctrine
teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal
celestial
heavenly
thrash
beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net.
brave
face courageously; Ex. brave the storm
goad
urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; Ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; N: sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; CF. annoy continually
apostate
one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy
hallucination
delusion; false idea; false perception of objects with a compelling sense of their reality; objects so perceived; V. hallucinate; ADJ. hallucinatory
psychosis
mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic
prudent
cautious; careful; prudential
desecrate
profane; violate the sanctity of
jingoist
extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist; N. jingoism: extreme nationalism
crest
top (as of a hill or wave); showy feathers on the head of a bird
uninhibited
unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings
veer
change in direction; swerve
magniloquent
boastful; pompous
convoke
call together; Ex. convoke Parliament; N. convocation
retrieve
recover; put right; find and bring in; regain; Ex. retrieve the situation
garnish
decorate; add a garnish to; decorate (food or drink) with small items such as lemon slices; N.
significant
expressing a meaning; important; Ex. significant smile; N. significance: importance; meaning; V. signify: denote; mean; signal; make known; matter; be significant
genealogy
record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry
allocate
assign; set apart for a particular purpose
equipoise
balance; balancing force; equilibrium
sherbet
flavored dessert ice
abeyance
suspended action
grandiloquent
(of a person or speech) using high sounding or important-sounding language; pompous; bombastic
geriatrics
medical treatment and care of old age
aspire
seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership
climactic
relating to the highest point; N. climax; CF. climatic
polar
of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex. polar opposites
glitter
shine brightly with flashing points of light; Ex. glittering diamond ring; N: sparkling light; attractiveness; glamor; Ex. glitter of the sun on the waves
clime
climate
sardonic
scornfully mocking; disdainful; sarcastic; cynical; Ex. sardonic smile
embody
give a bodily form to; incorporate; include
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse
spontaneity
lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint; ADJ. spontaneous: self-generated; unpremeditated; happening without being planned
conformity
harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; CF. conformance
gamely
in a spirited manner; with courage; Ex. fight gamely against a superior boxer; ADJ. game
rail
complain bitterly; scold; rant; Ex. the weaker railing against injustices
seasoned
experienced
bedizen
dress with vulgar finery
monograph
scholarly article
perquisite(perk)
any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car
palimpsest
parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased
responsiveness
state of reacting readily to appeals, orders, etc.; ADJ. responsive: readily reacting; Ex. responsive to treatment
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
vogue
popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue.
putrescent
becoming putrid; putrefying
paucity
scarcity; dearth
notch
V-shaped cut in a surface; V.
parlance
language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance
foppish
vain about dress and appearance; N. fop: man who takes too much interest in his clothes and appearance
millennium
thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity
arable
fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
contend
struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly
blush
become red in the face (from embarrassment or shame); become red or rosy; N.
aphasia
loss of speech due to injury or illness
reserve
self-control; self-restraint; formal but distant manner; reticence; Ex. without reserve: freely and openly; ADJ. reserved: shy and uncommunicative
boon
blessing; benefit; something very helpful
doddering
shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder
muted
silent; muffled; toned down; Ex. muted traffic noise
jaundice
medical condition in which the skin, the white part of the eyes, etc. turn yellow; V: affect with jaundice; affect with prejudice, envy, or hostility; bias
idiosyncrasy
individual trait usually odd in nature; behavioral peculiarity; eccentricity; attitude, behavior, or opinion peculiar to a person; anything highly individual or eccentric; ADJ. idiosyncratic
disembark
debark; go ashore (from a ship); unload cargo from a ship; CF. embark
disputatious
argumentative; fond of argument
wan
having a pale or sickly color; pallid
extrapolation
projection; conjecture; V. extrapolate: infer (unknown information) from known information
solace
comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble
pinch
squeeze between the thumb and a finger, or other edges; Ex. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. N: amount that can be held between the thumb and a finger
impenetrable
not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; Ex. impenetrable mystery
smother
kill from lack of air; suppress; cover thickly; Ex. smothered in little stickers
querulous
given to complaining; complaining; fretful; whining
nonentity
person of no importance; nonexistence
heterodox
(of beliefs) against accepted opinion; unorthodox; unconventional
propinquity
nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship
salient
prominent; projecting beyond a line; conspicuous; Ex. salient features
biennial
every two years
convene
come together; assemble; call to meet; Ex. convene the council
resplendent
brilliant; splendid in appearance; dazzling; glorious
dynamic
energetic; vigorously active
incorrigible
uncorrectable
monotheism
belief in one God
tenacity
firmness; persistence
bucolic
rustic; pastoral
lap
take in food or drink with one’s tongue; splash gently; Ex. waves lapping the shore; N: front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person
grunt
utter a deep guttural sound (as a pig does); N.
molten
melted; Ex. molten lava
legerdemain
sleight(dexterity) of hand; CF. light of hand
irremediable
incurable; uncorrectable; impossible to remedy
addiction
compulsive habitual need
jurisdiction
right and power to apply the law; authority
drone
idle person who lives on other people’s work; male bee
belated
delayed
wallow
roll in mud; indulge in; (of a ship) roll in a rough sea; become helpless; Ex. wallow in the mud/luxury
parvenu
upstart; newly rich person
trite
hackneyed; commonplace
woeful
sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; Ex. woeful housing conditions
disparity
difference; condition of inequality; OP. parity
devoid
empty; lacking
satirical
using satire; mocking
impasse
predicament(dangerous condition) from which there is no escape; situation allowing for no further progress
leniency
mildness; permissiveness; ADJ. lenient: not severe in judgment or punishment
sibling
brother or sister
precipitous
steep; overhasty; precipitate
succor
assist (someone in difficulty); aid; comfort; N.
disheveled
untidy (of hair or clothing); V. dishevel
rou'e
lecherous man
bereaved
deprived of (someone beloved through death)
Epicurean
believing that pleasure is good and suffering is bad and should be avoided; N.
analogous
comparable; similar
curtail
shorten; reduce
nectar
drink of the gods; sweet liquid collected by bees
tenacious
holding fast (as to a belief); persistent
dissident
dissenting (with an opinion, a group, or a government); rebellious; N.
enclave
territory enclosed within an alien land
killjoy
grouch; spoilsport; one who intentionally spoils the pleasure of others
grievance
cause of complaint; complaint
soluble
able to be dissolved in a liquid; able to be worked out or solved
prosperity
good fortune and financial success; physical well-being
replete
fully filled; filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied; Ex. report replete with errors
larder
pantry; place where food is kept
enigma
puzzle; mystery; ADJ. enigmatic: obscure; puzzling
preponderance
superiority of power, quantity, etc.; V. preponderate: be greater in power, weight, or importance; ADJ. preponderant
dogged
determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert’s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean
meretricious
flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute
assumption
something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume
resign
give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively
abusive
coarsely insulting; physically harmful
postulate
self-evident truth; something assumed without proof; V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument)
concomitant
that which accompanies; Ex. Deafnes is a frequent concommitant of old age; ADJ: existing or happening together with something else
bulk
size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size
devout
pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope
gape
open widely; slack-jawed in wonder ; open the mouth wide; stare wonderingly with the mouth open; CF. agape
podiatrist
doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics
cohere
stick together
render
give; deliver; provide; represent in verbal or artistic form; depict; perform; make; translate; Ex. render the song beautifully
sate
satisfy to the full; satisfy to excess; cloy
moribund
dying; at the point of death; CF. death
arbitrate
act as judge (at the request of both sides)
assimilate
absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking)
seemly
(of behavior) proper; appropriate
indignity
treatment or situation that causes shame or loss of dignity, respect; offensive or insulting treatment; humiliating or degrading treatment; Ex. I suffered the indignity of having to say that in front of them.
cameo
shell or jewel carved in relief; star’s special appearance in a minor role in a film
vagary
capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander
mollycoddle
pamper; coddle; baby; indulge excessively
swathe
swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one’s head swathed in bandages
ostentatious
showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display
retract
withdraw; take back; draw back; Ex. retract a statement/an offer/claws; N. retraction; CF. retractile
domineer
rule over tyrannically
fictitious
imaginary; non-existent; purposely invented to deceive; untrue; Ex. fictitious name/boyfriend; CF. fictional
tendentious
promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction
harrowing
agonizing; distressing; traumatic; V. harrow: break up and level (soil) with a harrow; inflict great distress on; agonize; N: farming machine to break up the earth
pummel
pommel; beat or pound with fists
chasm
abyss; very deep crack
pulchritude
beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous
grovel
crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate; behave in a servile manner
fashion
give shape to; make; Ex. fashion the pot out of clay
