GRE6 Flashcards
EMBARRASS
abash, chagrin, compunction,, contrition, diffidence, expiate, foible, gaucherie, rue.
abash
to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed EMBARRASS:
He said nothing but looked abashed.
chagrin
a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation EMBARRASS:
To his parents’ chagrin, he had no intention of becoming a lawyer.
compunction
a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse, when you feel slightly guilty for something you have done or might do EMBARRASS:
I wouldn’t have any compunction about telling him to leave.
contrition
sincere penitence or remorse EMBARRASS:
a contrite apology/expression.
foible
a weak point, failing, minor flaw EMBARRASS:
Married couples must learn to accept each other’s little foibles.
gaucherie
a socially awkward or tactless act EMBARRASS:
She was wearing cubic zircons with a silk moiré Givenchy ballgown, and he was mortified by the gross gaucherie of which she was unaware.
NAG
admonish, cavil, belabor, enjoin, exhort, harangue, hector, martinet, remonstrate, reproof.
admonish
to urge to a duty; remind NAG:
to admonish them about their obligations.
cavil
to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about ) to make unreasonable complaints, especially about things that are not important NAG:
He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
The one cavil I have about the book is that it is written as a diary.
belabor
to explain, worry about, or work at (something) repeatedly or more than is necessary, to assail persistently NAG:
He kept belaboring the point long after we had agreed.
hector
a blustering, domineering person; a bully NAG:
He had a loud, hectoring manner.
martinet
a strict disciplinarian, authoritarian, bully, despot NAG
PREDICT
augur, auspice, fey, harbinger, portentous, precursor, pressage, prescient, prognosticate
augur
to divine or predict, as from omens; prognosticate, foreshadow PREDICT:
The company’s sales figures for the first six months augur well for the rest of the year.
auspice
Often, auspices. a favorable sign or propitious circumstance, a divination or prognostication, with the protection of PREDICT:
Financial aid is being provided to the country under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund.
fey
mysterious and strange, or trying to appear like this PREDICT:
He dismissed her later poems as fey and frivolous.
harbinger
anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign PREDICT:
Frost is a harbinger of winter.
precuror
an indication of the approach of something or someone, forerunner, predecessor PREDICT:
Infection with HIV is a precursor to AIDS.
presage
something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication PREDICT:
But still the economy is not showing signs of any of the excesses that normally presage a recession.
prescient
knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight PREDICT:
The prescient economist was one of the few to see the financial collapse coming.
the prescience of her remarks
prognosticate
to forecast or PREDICT:
LUCK
adventitious, amulet, auspicious, fortuitous, kismet, optimum, portentous,
adventitious
not expected or planned LUCK:
an adventitious event/situation
amulet
an object worn because it is believed to protect against evil, disease or unhappiness LUCK:
auspicious
promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable LUCK:
an auspicious occasion.
fortuitous
lucky, happening by chance PREDICT:
fortunate: a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career.
kismet
fate; destiny LUCK:
It was simply kismet; they were meant to be together.
propitious
presenting favorable conditions; favorable LUCK: propitious weather.
serendipity
good fortune; luck LUCK:
The scientist’s discovery was a real case of serendipity.
talisman
any amulet or charm LUCK:
HARSH-SOOUNDING
cacophony, din, dissonant, raucous, strident,
PLEASANT-SOUNDING
euphonious, harmonious, melodious, sonorous
sonorous
having a deep pleasant sound:
a sonorous voice
abdicate
to give up power, relinquish:
The people of the state do not wish to abdicate their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them.
abject
utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched:
abject poverty.
averse
having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, ; opposed:
He is not averse to having a drink now and then.
ambidextrous
able to use both hands equally well:
an ambidextrous surgeon.
preamble
an introductory statement; preface:
The Declaration of Independence had a preamble when it was first written.
animadversion
an unfavorable or censorious comment:
to make animadversions on someone’s conduct.
animosity
enmity that tends to display itself in action:
a deep-seated animosity between two sisters; animosity against one’s neighbor.
equanimity
mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium:
Her equanimity during the ominous trial was astonishing to her husband and family.
unanimity
a consensus or undivided opinion, agreed by everyone:
The jury was unanimous in finding him guilty.
The unanimity of the delegates was obvious on the first ballot.
anticlimax
letdown/disappointment in thought or emotion:
After so much preparation, the party was a bit of an anticlimax.
subaqueous
existing or situated under water; underwater
embellish
to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn:
In a seemingly paradoxical fashion, a new technology was used to embellish nature.
bellicose
inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious:
The general made some bellicose statements about his country’s military strength.
benefactor
donor:
Every Christmas, the students on scholarships send thank-you cards to their benefactors.
biped
a two-footed animal.
bifurcate
to divide into two parts:
A sample of water was taken from the point where the river bifurcates.
debonair
courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm:
a debonair gentleman.
bursar/bursary
a treasurer or business officer, especially of a college or university/ the treasury of a monastery.
desiccate/Parch
to dry thoroughly; dry up:
Trees lose their leaves so that they don’t desiccate.
malleable
capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers, adaptable or tractable:
the malleable mind of a child.
ABATE
ebb, lapse, let up, moderate, relent, slacken, subside, wane.
lapse
become void; fall back into previous pattern:
slacken
ABATE to make or become less active, vigorous, intense, etc:
Economic growth is slackening.
subside
ABATE to sink to a low or lower level:
The violence seems to be subsiding at last.
abscond
to leave secretly:
The thieves intended to abscond with several of the museum’s most valuable paintings but failed.’
abyss
Extremely deep hole:
She stood facing the abyss, uncertain whether to turn towards life or to take a final step into the darkness.
apotheosize
aggrandize, apotheose, deify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, glorify, idealize, idolize, laud, put on a pedestal, worship:
She is attracted to the idea of violent social disruption but doesn’t apotheosize killing for its own sake.
exalt
to raise in rank, honor, power, character, quality, etc.; elevate:
He was exalted to the position of president.
swell
to increase in size:
One side of his face had swollen up where he’d been stung.
commingle/intermingle/mingle
to mix or mingle together; combine AMALGAMATE:
The schools regularly commingled funds between accounts.
fuse
to combine or blend by melting together; melt AMALGAMATE: