GRE21 Flashcards
hover
hang about; (of birds or aircraft) stay in the air in one place; (of people) wait nearby; stay around one place; waver; be in an uncertain state
inexorable
relentless; unyielding; implacable; not capable of being changed by entreaty or efforts; Ex. inexorable price rises
innocuous
harmless
unison
unity of pitch (in musical performance); complete accord; Ex. The choir sang in unison.
carnivorous
meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore
crust
hard outer covering (as of earth or snow)
integral
complete; necessary for completeness; Ex. integral part
addle
make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg)
natation
swimming
couple
join; unite; OP. uncouple
repository
storehouse
evasive
not frank; trying to hide the truth; eluding; evading; V. evade: avoid (a duty or responsibility) or escape from by deceit
expatriate
exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land; V: exile; banish; leave one’s country
skinflint
miser; stingy person
alcove
nook; recess
surveillance
close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion); watching; guarding
analgesia
condition of being unable to feel pain
wanton
unrestrained; gratuitously cruel; willfully malicious; unchaste; sexually improper; promiscuous; Ex. wanton spending/killing; CF. having no just cause
improvident
thriftless; not providing for the future
anticlimax
letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
dowry
money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage
bicker
quarrel
extol
praise very highly; glorify
vassal
in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent
affected
artificial; pretended
mirth
merriment; laughter
finite
limited
pretentious
ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious; Ex. pretentious films that claim to be art
blight
plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy
pristine
unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition
corporeal
bodily (rather than spiritual); of a bodily form; material; tangible
encumber
burden; N. encumbrance
outwit
outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly
dart
move or throw suddenly and quickly
decant
pour off gently (wine or liquid)
flout
reject; mock; show contempt for; scorn; Ex. flout the rules
transparent
permitting light to pass through freely; easily detected; obvious; clear; Ex. transparent lie
foresight
ability to foresee future happenings; prudence in providing for the future
filth
dirty matter; ADJ. filthy
livid
lead-colored; black and blue (as from a bruise); ashen; enraged; extremely angry
unfaltering
steadfast; firm; not changing
effeminate
having womanly traits
crabbed
sour; bad-tempered; peevish; difficult to read as handwriting
warranty
guarantee; assurance by seller
stoke
stir up a fire or furnace; feed plentifully
infernal
pertaining to hell; devilish; N. inferno: place of fiery heat or destruction
bombardment
attack (as with missiles or bombs); V. bombard
quixotic
idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote
doze
sleep lightly; nap
don
put on; OP. doff
lackluster
lacking luster(shine; gloss); dull
allege
state without proof
seminal
related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field
allude
refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
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
exploit
brave and successful act; deed or action, particularly a brave deed; CF. crossing the Atlantic ocean
kinetic
producing motion; of motion
ominous
threatening; of an evil omen
clavicle
collarbone
offensive
attacking; insulting; distasteful; V. offend: violate; hurt the feelings of; N. offense: offending; violating of a moral or social code; crime; attack; Ex. first offense
impassioned
(of speech) filled with passion; fervent
brisk
quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor
factotum
handyman; person who does all kinds of work; CF. do everything
winsome
charming (in a childlike way); agreeable; gracious; engaging
indecision
irresolution; inability to make up one’s mind
base
contemptible; morally bad; inferior in value or quality; Ex. base motives/conduct; Ex. base metal such as iron
multiplicity
state of being numerous or multiple; large number; Ex. multiplicity of details; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element
plasticity
ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay
rhapsodize
speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic manner; Ex. rhapsodize over the beauty of the scenery
baffle
frustrate; perplex
intoxicate
make drunk; stimulate or excite; Ex. intoxicated by all the money he might win
agglomeration
collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
disparage
belittle
savor
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality; N: taste or smell; distinctive quality
coddle
treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
marginal
of a margin; barely within a limit; Ex. marginal effect/writing ability
glamor
compelling charm; ADJ. glamorous
icon(ikon)
religious image; idol; image or representation
phobia
morbid fear
collage
work of art put together from fragments
breed
produce young; rear; bring up; produce (an undesirable condition); N: kind or sort of animal or plant
succulent
juicy; full of juice or sap; full of richness; N: succulent plant such as a cactus
vigor
active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous
precipitate
hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden
unravel
disentangle; solve
patrician
noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian
tumult
commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; ADJ. tumultuous: noisy and disorderly
nostrum
questionable medicine; quack medicine; CF. our (remedy)
subdue
less intense; quieter; Ex. subdued lighting; Ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; Ex. subdue one’s anger
maladroit
clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling
subservient
behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious; subordinate; N. subservience
erroneous
mistaken; wrong; incorrect
comeback
retort; quick clever reply; return to former status
renounce
abandon; give up (by formal announcement); disown; repudiate; Ex. renounce one’s claim to the property/one’s religion; N. renunciation
sophist
teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument
jab
poke abruptly with something sharp; punch with short blows
fancy
imagination (of a whimsical or fantastic nature); capricious liking; V: imagine; be fond of; ADJ. decorative; elaborate
sear
burn the surface of; char or burn; brand; parch; cause (a plant) to wither
compelling
overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one’s attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel
underlying
lying below; fundamental
uninhibited
having no inhibitions; free in behavior and feelings
terminology
terms used in a science or art; study of nomenclature
sobriety
moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness
peripatetic
walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. peripatetic school of philosophy
stumble
trip and almost fall; proceed unsteadily; act falteringly; N.
embed(imbed)
enclose; place in something; fix firmly in a surrounding mass
institution
instituting; (building for the) organization; established custom, practice, or relationship in a society; mental hospital; Ex. institution of marriage
chancellor
legal official of high rank; CF. chancellery(chancellory): position of a chancellor
precept
practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother’s precept
sojourn
temporary stay; V: stay for a time
personable
attractive (in personality or appearance)
disquietude
uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious
fervent
ardent; zealous; hot
beeline
direct quick route
tremor
trembling; slight quiver (as of the earth or from nervous agitation)
anthropoid
manlike; resembling a human being; N.
hubbub
confused uproar; loud noise; din
horde
crowd; swarm
exude
flow out slowly; discharge (gradually); give forth; N. exudation
carrion
rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
pushy
disagreeably aggressive
credo
creed
languid
lacking energy or vitality; weary; sluggish; listless
adventitious
accidental; casual; happening by chance
improvise
compose on the spur of the moment
supple
flexible; limber; pliant
gambol
romp; skip about; leap about playfully; frolic; N.
fractious
unruly; peevish; cranky; bad-tempered; Ex. fractious horse
tightwad
miser; excessively frugal person
requisition
formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V.
ubiquitous
being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity
liability
drawback; handicap; debts; obligation; responsibility; condition of being liable; ADJ. liable: likely; responsible (for paying)
politic
prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised
expound
explain
orifice
mouthlike opening; small opening (esp. to a cavern or passage of the body); CF. mouth
trifle
something of little importance or value; small amount; Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt
calumny
malicious misrepresentation; slander
allegiance
loyalty
waffle
speak equivocally about an issue; N.
comatose
in a coma; extremely sleepy
psychopathic
pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. psychopath: person with an antisocial personality disorder
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
quisling
traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling
welter
wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood);
turmoil
extreme confusion; great commotion and confusion; Ex. throw the country into turmoil
repercussion
rebound; reaction; reverberation; Ex. serious repercussion
destitute
extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience
elaborate
work out carefully; add more detail or information; ADJ.
bilk
swindle; cheat
malapropos
inappropriate; ADV.
thermal
pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm; Ex. thermal bath; N: rising current of warm air
variegated
(esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored
titillate
tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the audience but to enlighten it
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
germinal
pertaining to a germ; creative; Ex. germinal idea
archaeology
study of artifacts and relics of early mankind
labyrinth
maze
hale
healthy
sovereignty
complete independence and self-government (of a country); supremacy of authority; power to govern
tirade
long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation
extirpate
root up; uproot; destroy completely
riveting
holding one’s attention; absorbing; engrossing
fetter
shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; CF. foot
conveyance
vehicle; transfer; act of conveying; Ex. public conveyance
wither
(of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay
voluptuous
sensual; of or giving sensual pleasure; indulging in sensual pleasures; Ex. voluptuous lines; Ex. voluptuous life of the Romans; N. voluptuary: voluptuous person
pr'ecis
abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise summary of a text
expedite
hasten; make go faster
cubicle
small chamber used for sleeping or work
purgatory
place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins
forge
counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated
expository
explanatory; serving to explain; N. exposition: explaining; exhibition
seep
pass slowly through small openings; ooze; trickle; N. seepage
inebriate
make drunk; intoxicate; N. intoxicated person
stink
stench; V: emit a strong foul odor
drip
fall or let fall in drops; shed drops; N: action or sound of falling in drops; liquid that falls in drops
piecemeal
one part at a time; gradually; in stages; Ex. read a novel piecemeal
defect
shortcoming; V: desert (in order to join the opposite one)
smirk
conceited smile; offensively self-satisfied smile (often at someone else’s misfortune); V.
sturdy
strong and firm (in the body)
fulminate
thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation
convulsion
violent uncontrollable shaking movement (caused by illness); V. convulse; ADJ. convulsive
suppliant
entreating; beseeching; N.
avocation
secondary or minor occupation
balm
something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
avuncular
of or like an uncle
sacrilegious
desecrating; profane; N. sacrilege: desecration, misuse, or theft of something sacred
apropos
with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
impregnate
make pregnant; fill thoroughly; saturate
nourishment
something that nourishes; food
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
meditation
reflection; thought; V. meditate
archaic
antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N.
graphite
black form of carbon used in lead pencils
acclivity
sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity
sonic
of sound or its speed in air; CF. subsonic, supersonic
sour
having a sharp or acid taste; acid; tart; bad-tempered; V.
ransack
search thoroughly; pillage (going through a place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town.
prognosis
forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic
rousing
lively; inducing excitement; stirring; V. rouse: waken; arouse from sleep or depression; excite; stir up
