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Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook > I > Flashcards

I Flashcards

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1
Q

icon

A

n. image; representation

The Statue of Liberty is an icon known around the world.

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2
Q

iconoclast

A

n.one who attacks traditional or popular ideas or institutions

The writer is an iconoclast who continually questions the established order.

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3
Q

iconography

A

n. the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject, especially a religious or legendary subject

In Hindu iconography the rotation of the Swastika in four directions has been used to represent many ideas, but it primarily describes the four directions, the four Vedas, and their harmonious whole.

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4
Q

idealistic

A

adj. relating to the pursuit of noble goals

There is an idealistic element in American culture.

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5
Q

ideological

A

adj. relating to a set of beliefs forming the basis of a political system

The party is trying to avoid ideological disputes.

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6
Q

ideology

A

n. a set of beliefs forming the basis of a political system

The country’s ideology was shaped by its culture.

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7
Q

idiom

A

n. expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words

“Out-of-the-blue” is an idiom meaning “unexpected.”

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8
Q

idiosyncrasy

A

n. peculiarity of temperament, eccentricity

Everyone has some idiosyncrasies.

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9
Q

idiot savant

A

n. a mentally retarded person who exhibits extraordinary talent in one field

The idiot savant startled the mathematics teacher by almost instantly calculating the square root of 23,787 in her head.

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10
Q

idolatry

A

n. n. idol worship; blind or excessive devotion

The young lovers places her lover on a pedestal and worships him with honest idolatry.

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11
Q

idyllic

A

adj. simple and carefree; tranquil

The couple lives an idyllic life in Tahiti.

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12
Q

igneous

A

adj. produced by fire; volcanic

Geologists identified the rock as igneous.

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13
Q

ignoble

A

adj. dishonorable, not noble in character

His ignoble act disgraced his family.

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14
Q

ignominious

A

adj. disgraceful and dishonorable

His life came to an ignominious end.

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15
Q

ilk

A

n. type or kind

People of that ilk are often misunderstood.

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16
Q

illicit

A

adj. illegal, improper

The ca was searched at the border for illicit drugs.

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17
Q

illimitable

A

adj. limitless

On a clear night the stars seem illimitable.

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18
Q

illuminate

A

v. to make understandable

The English professor’s lecture illuminated the poem.

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19
Q

illusion

A

n. erroneous belief or perception

The magician created the illusion that the car had disasppeared.

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20
Q

illusory

A

adj. deceptive; not real
[
It took Mr. Rogers nearly a lifetime to realize that he was pursuing an illusory goal.

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21
Q

illustrious

A

ad. famous, renowned

The illustrious basketball player signed autographs at the school.

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22
Q

imbroglio

A

n. complicated situation; an entanglement

The novel’s plot is based on how the main character gets into and out of one imbroglio after another.

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23
Q

imbue

A

v. to infuse; dye, wet, moisten

The school held a pep rally to imbue students with school spirit.

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24
Q

immaculate

A

adj. spotless; free from error

Ted’s new white shirt is immaculate.

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25
Q

immanent

A

adj. existing within

That religion believes that God is immanent in nature.

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26
Q

immaterial

A

adj. extraneous, inconsequential, irrelevant, nonessential; not consisting of matter

It is immaterial to me whether you study or not.

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27
Q

imminent

A

adj. about to happen; impending

The wedding is imminent.

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28
Q

immunological

A

adj. relating to immune system

Dr. Stevenson is an expert on immunological disorders.

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29
Q

immutable

A

adj. unchangeable

Scientists believe that the laws of nature are immutable.

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30
Q

impartial

A

adj. unbiased, fair

The judge tries to be impartial.

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31
Q

impasse

A

n. blocked path, dilemma with no solution

After a month of negotiations they reached an impasse.

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32
Q

impassioned

A

adj. with passion

The convicted man made an impassioned plea for mercy.

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33
Q

impassive

A

adj. showing no emotion

The novelist sees herself as an impassive recorder of human behavior.

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34
Q

impeach

A

v. to charge with misdeeds in public office; accuse

The Senate voted to impeach the judge.

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35
Q

impeccable

A

adj. perfect

The actor gave an impeccable performance.

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36
Q

impecunious

A

adj. poor, having no money

The government offers help to those who are impecunious.

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37
Q

impede

A

v. to hinder; block

The student’s progress is impeded by an inability to concentrate on his work.

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38
Q

impediment

A

n. barrier, obstacle

Russ believes that the greatest impediment to success is lack of focus on the task at hand.

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39
Q

imperative

A

adj. essential; mandatory

It is imperative that you follow instructions precisely in an emergency.

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40
Q

imperious

A

adj. arrogantly self-assured, domineering, overbearing

No one on the staff likes the boss’s imperious manner.

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41
Q

impermeable

A

adj. impossible to penetrate

The groundskeeper put an impermeable covering on the field.

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42
Q

impertinent

A

adj. rude

The teacher considered the student’s remark to be impertinent.

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43
Q

imperturbable

A

adj. not easily disturbed

The head emergency room nurse remains imperturbably through every medical crisis.

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44
Q

impervious

A

adj. impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

Most people regard Bart as a terrible writer, yet he continues to churn out stories, impervious to criticism.

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45
Q

impetuous

A

adj. quick to act without thinking

She regretted her impetuous action almost as soon as she did it.

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46
Q

impinge

A

v. to encroach

The Supreme Court ruling was criticized as impinging on civil liberties.

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47
Q

impious

A

adj. not devout in religion

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was accused of being impious.

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48
Q

implacable

A

adj. inflexible, incapable of being pleased

They were implacable in their opposition to the plan.

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49
Q

implausible

A

adj. unlikely; unbelievable

The explanation was implausible but nevertheless turned out to be correct.

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50
Q

implement

A

v. put into effect

The plan was implemented immediately.

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51
Q

implicate

A

v. to involve in a crime, incriminate

Organized crime has been implicated in the recent murder.

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52
Q

implication

A

n. that which is hinted or suggested

Theimplications of the decision are not clear.

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53
Q

implicit

A

adj. implied; understood but not stated

Implicit in her remark is a criticism of the idea.

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54
Q

implode

A

v. to collapse inward violently

The submarine sank to the sea floor and later imploded.

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55
Q

imply

A

v. to hint or suggest

I don’t understand what you are implying.

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56
Q

impolitic

A

adj. not wise or expedient

It would be impolitic to present the governor with our decision at this time.

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57
Q

imponderable

A

adj. unable to be weighed or assessed

A pragmatist, Jim sees no point in thinking about imponderable questions such as “Why do things exist?”

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58
Q

importune

A

v. to ask repeatedly, beg

The student importuned the teacher to raise his grade.

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59
Q

impose

A

v. to inflict, force upon

The general imposed military rule on the country.

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60
Q

imposing

A

adj. dignified, grand

Government buildings are often designed to be imposing.

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61
Q

imposition

A

n. something inflicted or forced upon

The request was regarded as an imposition by many.

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62
Q

impotent

A

adj. powerless, ineffective, lacking strength

The country launched a full-scale nuclear attack, seeking to render the enemy impotent.

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63
Q

impound

A

v. to seize and confine

The car was impounded because its owner didn’t make the monthly payment.

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64
Q

impoverish

A

v. make poor or bankrupt

The citizens of the state complained that high taxes were impoverishing them.

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65
Q

imprecation

A

n. curse

The witch uttered an imprecation.

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66
Q

impregnable

A

adj. totally safe from attack, able to resist defeat

The commander believes the base to be impregnable.

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67
Q

impresario

A

n. a sponsor or producer of public entertainments

Bill Graham was a noted rock impresario.

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68
Q

impressionable

A

adj. easily influenced or affected

He is at an impressionable age.

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69
Q

imprimatur

A

n., official approval to publish; sanction

The Nobel laureate’s introduction to the young scholar’s book served as a sort of imprimatur.

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70
Q

impromptu

A

adj. spontaneous, without rehearsal

The teacher asked the students to give impromptu speeches.

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71
Q

improvident

A

adj. without planning or foresight, negligent

Because Jim was improvident, he had no savings.

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72
Q

improvise

A

v. perform without preparation; make from available materials

The actor was forced to improvise when he forgot his lines.

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73
Q

imprudent

A

adj. unwise or indiscreet

The coach’s decision to start a freshman as quarterback was criticized as imprudent.

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74
Q

impudent

A

adj. arrogant, audacious

The teacher punished the student for her impudent remark.

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75
Q

impugn

A

v. to call into question, attack verbally

The newspaper article impugned the judge’s integrity.

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76
Q

impunity

A

n. exemption from penalty, punishment, or harm

After the enemy’s air defenses were destroyed, our airplanes bombed their targets with impunity.

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77
Q

impute

A

v. to relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic

The audience imputed an evil intention to the character.

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78
Q

inadvertent

A

adj. careless, unintentional

The mistake was clearly inadvertent.

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79
Q

inalienable

A

adj. incapable of being surrendered

The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens certain inalienable rights.

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80
Q

inane

A

adj. silly; senseless

The English teacher told the class that inane comments would not receive credit.

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81
Q

inanimate

A

adj. not exhibiting life

In the cartoon inanimate objects come alive.

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82
Q

inanition

A

n. exhaustion

In one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson says about Holmes, “My friend had no breakfast himself, for it was one of his peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food, and I have known him presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition.”

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83
Q

inarticulate

A

adj. incapable of giving coherent, clear, or effective expression to one’s ideas or feelings

Timothy was so upset that he became inarticulate.

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84
Q

inaugurate

A

v. to begin or start officially; induct into office

The new president will be inaugurated in January.

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85
Q

incalculable

A

adj. impossible to calculate; unpredictable

There are an incalculable number of starts in the universe.

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86
Q

incandescent

A

adj. shining brightly

Thomas Edison invented the first commercially practical incandescent lamp.

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87
Q

incarcerate

A

v. to put in jail; confine

The judge ordered that the prisoner be incarcerated.

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88
Q

incarnadine

A

adj. blood-red in color

The dragon’s flashing incarnadine eyes terrified the young knight.

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89
Q

incarnate

A

v. to give bodily, especially human form to

The ancient Greeks believed that the goddess incarnated as a beautiful girl on the island of Naxos.

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90
Q

incendiary

A

adj. combustible, flammable, burning easily

Incendiary bombs were dropped on the ciry.

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91
Q

incense

A

v. to infuriate, enrage

The actor was incensed by the bad review of his performance.

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92
Q

inception

A

n. beginning

Since its inception the paper has been unsuccessful.

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93
Q

incessant

A

adj. continuous, never ceasing

I am going to complain about the incessant barking of my neighbor’s dog.

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94
Q

incest

A

n. sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry legally

Nearly every society has taboos against incest.

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95
Q

inchoate

A

adj. imperfectly formed or formulated

The plan is still inchoate.

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96
Q

incidental

A

adj. not essential; minor

The company will pay for the incidental expenses of your trip.

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97
Q

incipient

A

adj. beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage

It is difficult to diagnose the disease in its incipient stage.

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98
Q

incisive

A

adj. perceptive; penetrating

This book offers an incisive analysis of the issue.

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99
Q

incite

A

v. to arouse to action

The prisoner incited his fellow inmates to riot.

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100
Q

inclusive

A

adj. tending to include all

Its leaders are working to make the political party more inclusive.

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101
Q

incognito

A

adj. in disguise, concealing one’s identity

The detective went to the party incognito.

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102
Q

incoherent

A

adj. unintelligible; illogical

Your argument is incoherent.

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103
Q

incommunicado

A

adj. deprived of communication with other people

The prisoner is being held incommunicado.

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104
Q

incompatible

A

adj. inharmonious

The couple divorced because they were incompatible.

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105
Q

inconceivable

A

adj. impossible, unthinkable

All0out nuclear war would cause inconceivable destruction.

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106
Q

inconclusive

A

adj. not certain; open to doubt

The results of the experiment were inconclusive.

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107
Q

incongruity

A

n. something that doesn’t fit in

The detective looked for an incongruity in the suspect’s story.

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108
Q

incongruous

A

adj. not fitting

The old-fashioned furniture is incongruous in the modern office.

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109
Q

inconsequential

A

adj. insignificant’ unimportant

One dollar is an inconsequential amount of money to a billionaire.

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110
Q

inconspicuous

A

adj. not readily noticeable

The new student made herself as inconspicuous as she could.

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111
Q

incontrovertible

A

adj. indisputable

The findings of the commission are incontrovertible.

112
Q

incorrigible

A

adj. uncorrectable

The incorrigible student was sent to the principal.

113
Q

incredulity

A

n. skepticism, doubtfulness

Imagine our incredulity when we were told that a UFO had landed nearby.

114
Q

incredulous

A

adj. skeptical, doubtful

We were incredulous when the newspaper reported that a UFO had landed on the White House lawn.

115
Q

incremental

A

adj. relating to an increase

Countries are talking incremental steps toward eliminating environmental pollution.

116
Q

inculcate

A

v. to teach, impress in the mind

Schools try to inculcate good values i students.

117
Q

inculpate

A

v. to blame, charge with a crime

Andrew was inculpated in the crime.

118
Q

incumbent

A

adj. holding a specified office, often political

It is generally difficult for a challenger to defeat an incumbent president.

119
Q

incursion

A

n. sudden invasion

The country’s defenses are prepared to resist an enemy incursion.

120
Q

indefatigable

A

adj. never tiring

Lucy was indefatigable in her efforts to improve her vocabulary.

121
Q

indelible

A

ad. permanent, not erasable

My first grade teacher made an indelible impression on me.

122
Q

indeterminate

A

adj. uncertain; indefinite

The witness described the man as being of an indeterminate age.

123
Q

indicative

A

adj. showing or pointing out, suggestive of

The speaker’s tone is indicative of her attitude toward the subject.

124
Q

indict

A

v. to charge

Ten people were indicted for criminal activity.

125
Q

indifferent

A

adj. unmoved or unconcerned; mediocre

Many people are indifferent to events that occur far away.

126
Q

indigenous

A

adj. native, occurring naturally in an area

Trees introduced from Europe are driving out indigenous ones in many parts of Australia.

127
Q

indigent

A

adj. very poor

The indigent family applied for food stamps.

128
Q

indignant

A

adj. angry, incensed, offended

The student was indignant at the suggestion that she had copied her assignment.

129
Q

indiscriminate

A

adj. random; not properly restrained

The city is troubled by acts of indiscriminate violence.

130
Q

indoctrinate

A

v. to imbue with a partisan point of view

The company tries to indoctrinate new workers.

131
Q

indolent

A

adj. habitually lazy, idle

The manager fired the indolent worker.

132
Q

indomitable

A

adj. fearless, unconquerable

The indomitable explorer refused to give up.

133
Q

indubitable

A

adj. unquestionable

The facts of the case are indubitable.

134
Q

inducement

A

n. act or process of persuasion or bringing about

No inducement could get the child to go to shcool.

135
Q

induct

A

v. to place ceremoniously in office; to admit to military service

The all-star basketball player was inducted into the hall of fame.

136
Q

induction

A

n. the process of deriving general principles from particular facts

The problem was solved by the use of induction.

137
Q

inductive

A

adj. related to induction

The following is an example of inductive reasoning: All of the ice we have examined so far is cold. There fore, all ice is cold.

138
Q

indulge

A

v. to give in to a craving or desire

I went to the ice cream parlor to indulge my craving for chocolate ice cream.

139
Q

indulgent

A

adj. humoring; lenient; tolerant

The indulgent parents spoiled their child.

140
Q

inebriated

A

adj. drunk, intoxicated

Julia was arrested for driving when she was inebrated.

141
Q

ineffable

A

adj. incapable of being expressed

The poem is trying to express the ineffable.

142
Q

ineffectual

A

adj. not effective; weak

The steps taken to reduce unemployment were ineffectual.

143
Q

ineluctable

A

adj. not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable

The ineluctable conclusion of the research is that the comet will strike the Earth in 22 years.

144
Q

inept

A

adj. clumsy, awkward; incompetent

The actor’s performance was inept.

145
Q

inert

A

adj. unable to move; sluggish

After the feast we sat at the table, inert.

146
Q

inertia

A

n. resistance to action or change

The inertia in the education system makes change slow.

147
Q

inestimable

A

adj. too great to be estimated

The diamond’s worth is inestimable.

148
Q

inevitable

A

adj. unavoidable

It is inevitable that we will die.

149
Q

inexorable

A

adj. inflexible, unyielding

Nothing could stop the inexorable advance of the invading army.

150
Q

inexplicable

A

adj. difficult or impossible to explain

The inexplicable event left us all puzzled.

151
Q

inextricabel

A

adj. incapable of being disentangled

Politics and economics are often inextricable.

152
Q

infallible

A

adj. incapable of making a mistake

No one is infallible.

153
Q

infamous

A

adj. notoriously bad

Adolph Hitler is one of history’s infamous characters.

154
Q

infamy

A

n. reputation for bad deeds

Hitler and Stalin are names that will live in infamy.

155
Q

infantile

A

adj. childish, immature

The teacher scolded the student for his infantile behavior.

156
Q

infatuated

A

adj. strongly or foolishly attached to, inspired with foolish passion

Sheila is infatuated with Bill.

157
Q

inference

A

n. deduction; conclusion

What inference can we make from the statement?

158
Q

infidel

A

n. person who does not believe in a religion

The knight went on a crusade against the infidels.

159
Q

infiltrate

A

v. to pass secretly into enemy territory

The spy infiltrated enemy headquarters.

160
Q

infinitesimal

A

adj. extremely tiny

A year is an infinitesimal amount of time in the life of the universe.

161
Q

infirmity

A

n. disease, ailment

The infirmities of the elderly are a major problem for society.

162
Q

inflated

A

dj. exaggerated

Bill has an inflated idea of his importance.

163
Q

infrastructure

A

n. an underlying foundation; basic facilities needed in a community

The poor country received a loan to improve its infrastructure.

164
Q

infringement

A

n. act of encroaching or trespassing; transgression, violation

The Supreme Court ruled that the law is an infringement of individual rights.

165
Q

infuriate

A

v. to enrage, provoke, outrage

The failing grade on the test infuriated the student.

166
Q

ingenious

A

adj. clever

The plan was ingenious.

167
Q

ingénue

A

n. a naïve, innocent girl or young woman

The actress plays the part of the ingénue who falls in love with a Casanova.

168
Q

ingenuous

A

adj. naïve and trusting; lacking sophistication

The ingenuous young heiress fell in love with the scheming Casanova.

169
Q

ingrate

A

n. ungrateful person

The ingrate refused to acknowledge the help he had received.

170
Q

ingratiate

A

v. to bring oneself purposely into another’s good graces

The new employee tried to ingratiate himself with his boss.

171
Q

ingress

A

n. entrance

No means of ingress could be found on the UFO.

172
Q

inherent

A

adj. firmly established by nature or habit

The religion teaches the inherent goodness of human nature.

173
Q

inhibit

A

v. to prohibit; restrain

The lant’s growth was inhibited by poor soil.

174
Q

inimical

A

adj. injurious or harmful; hostile, unfriendly

The policy was criticized as inimical to the country.

175
Q

inimitable

A

adj. defying imitation; matchless

No writer has matched the inimitable words of William Shakespeare.

176
Q

iniquity

A

n. wickedness, evil act

The preacher urged them all to avoid iniquity.

177
Q

initiate

A

v. to begin, introduce; enlist; induct

The question of which country had initiated hostilities didn’t seem to matter much after the war started.

178
Q

injunction

A

n. command, order

The teacher’s injunction was clear.

179
Q

inkling

A

n. hint; vague idea

We had only an inkling of what the future would bring.

180
Q

innate

A

adj. inborn

Most people probably have innate abilities that they don’t fully develop.

181
Q

innocuous

A

adj. harmless

Many bacteria are innocuous.

182
Q

innovation

A

n. something newly introduced

Gabe likes to keep up with innovations in electronics.

183
Q

innuendo

A

n. indirect and subtle criticism, insinuation

The businessman used innuendo to undermine his rival’s reputation.

184
Q

innumerable

A

adj. too many to be counted

The editor found innumerable errors in the manuscript.

185
Q

inopportune

A

adj. untimely; poorly chosen

The phone call came at an inopportune time.

186
Q

inquest

A

n. investigation; court or legal proceeding

The army began an inquest into the soldier’s death.

187
Q

insatiable

A

adj. never satisfied

The student’s demand for knowledge is insatiable.

188
Q

inscribe

A

v. to write or mark on a surface

The pen has my name inscribed on it.

189
Q

inscrutable

A

adj. impossible to understand fully

This poem is difficult to understand because it contains many inscrutable lines.

190
Q

insensible

A

adj. unconscious; unresponsive

A hard left hook to his head rendered the prize fighter insensible.

191
Q

insentient

A

adj. unfeeling, unconscious

The boxer was insentient after being hit with a hard right hook.

192
Q

insidious

A

adj. sly, treacherous, devious; causing harm in a way that is not apparent

The gangster’s insidious plan was to infiltrate the police force.

193
Q

insinuate

A

v. to suggest, say indirectly, imply

Are you insinuating that I should improve my vocabulary?

194
Q

insipid

A

adj. lacking in flavor; dull

Joe was so tired all he felt like doing was watching insipid shows on television.

195
Q

insolent

A

adj. insulting and arrogant

The insolent student was suspended from school.

196
Q

insoluble

A

adj. not able to be solved or explained

The mathematician concluded that the problem was insoluble.

197
Q

insolvent

A

adj. bankrupt, unable to pay one’s debts

The bank was forced to close when it became insolvent.

198
Q

insouciant

A

adj. indifferent; lacking concern or care

The teenager’s insouciant attitude annoys her teacher.

199
Q

instigate

A

v. to incite, urge, agitate

The president vowed to bring those who had instigated the rebellion to justice.

200
Q

instinctual

A

adj. related to or derived from instinct

Much of human behavior is instinctual.

201
Q

instrumental

A

adj. serving as a means or a cause

Instrumental in our success was good planning.

202
Q

insubstantial

A

adj. modest, insignificant

Our mean was in substantial.

203
Q

insular

A

adj. narrow-minded; isolated

The insular country allows no foreign newspapers to be sold.

204
Q

insuperable

A

adj. insurmountable, unconquerable

Despite seemingly insuperable obstacles, our team won the state championship.

205
Q

insurgent

A

adj. rebellious, insubordinate

The insurgent forces took over the capital.

206
Q

insurrection

A

n. rebellion

The insurrection was led by generals unhappy with the country’s leadership.

207
Q

intangible

A

ad. not material

The nurse find the intangible rewards of her job more satisfying that the tangible ones.

208
Q

integral

A

adj. central, indispensable

The engine is an integral part of a car.

209
Q

integrity

A

n. uprightness; wholeness

The witness testified to the integrity of the accused.

210
Q

intemperate

A

adj. not moderate

Try not to be intemperate in eating.

211
Q

inter

A

v. to bury

The bodies of the victims of the disaster were interred in a mass grave.

212
Q

interdict

A

v. to forbid, prohibit

The interdicted goods were seized by border police.

213
Q

interject

A

v. to interpose, insert

The comedian interjected humorous remarks during the speech.

214
Q

interlocutor

A

n. someone taking part in a dialogue

My interlocutor looked me directly in the eye.

215
Q

interloper

A

n. trespasser; meddler in others’ affairs

Some of the older workers regarded the new boss as an interloper.

216
Q

interminable

A

adj. endless

After years of interminable debate, the bill was passed.

217
Q

intermittent

A

adj. starting and stopping

The rain is intermittent.

218
Q

internecine

A

adj. deadly to both sides

Centuries of internecine wars left both countries weak.

219
Q

interpolate

A

v. to inert; change by adding new words or material

The editor interpolated some information to clarify the writer’s reference.

220
Q

interpose

A

v. to insert; intervene

The referee interposed himself between the two boxers.

221
Q

interregnum

A

n. interval between reigns; gap in continuity

The interregnum between empires lasted 100 years.

222
Q

interrogate

A

v. to question formally

The police detective interrogated the suspect.

223
Q

intersperse

A

v. to distribute among, mix with

Plain clothes agents were interspersed among uniformed policemen.

224
Q

intervene

A

v. to come between

The governor intervened in the dispute between the company and the labor union.

225
Q

intimacy

A

n. close acquaintance

Fred is afraid of intimacy.

226
Q

intimate (v.)

A

v. make known subtly and indirectly; hint (n. intimation)

The boss intimated that he would not approve my application for unpaid leave.

227
Q

intimate (adj.)

A

adj. marked by close acquaintance

They have been intimate for five years.

228
Q

intimation

A

n. clue, suggestion

The first intimation we had that a problem existed was when the teacher called us.

229
Q

intimidate

A

v. fill with fear; inhibit by threats

The coach told his team not to be intimidated by the opponent’s reputation.

230
Q

intractable

A

adj. not easily managed

The intractable student was assigned to a special class.

231
Q

intramural

A

adj. within an institution such as a school

Jane plays on the intramural basketball team.

232
Q

intransigent

A

adj. uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled

Both sides in the dispute were intransigent.

233
Q

intrepid

A

adj. fearless

The intrepid mountain climber refused to be driven back by the snowstorm.

234
Q

intricate

A

adj. complex; tangled

The lawyer was familiar with all the intricate details of the case.

235
Q

intrinsic

A

adj. inherent, internal

The philosopher believes in the intrinsic worth of all human beings.

236
Q

introspective

A

adj. contemplating one’s own thoughts and feelings

Mary becomes introspective when she writes in her diary.

237
Q

introvert

A

n. someone given to self-analysis

The introvert was uncomfortable giving a speech.

238
Q

intrusive

A

adj. relating to trespass or invasion of another’s privacy

I did not appreciate Tom’s intrusive questions about my involvement with the group.

239
Q

intuitive

A

adj. instinctive, untaught

The mathematician solved the problem by an intuitive process.

240
Q

inundate

A

v. to cover with water; overwhelm

The rock star was inundated with fan mail after his concert.

241
Q

inure

A

v. to harden; accustom; become used to

The peasants have become inured to hardship.

242
Q

invalidate

A

v. to negate or nullify; cancel

New evidence has invalided the theory.

243
Q

invariable

A

adj. unchanging

The journalist’s invariable practice is not to reveal her sources.

244
Q

invective

A

n. verbal abuse

The moderator warned the debaters not to engage in invective.

245
Q

inveigh

A

v. to disapprove; protest vehemently

The critic inveighed against the decline in standards in music.

246
Q

inveigle

A

v. to win over by flattery or coaxing

Sam managed to inveigle his father into letting him borrow his car.

247
Q

invert

A

v. to turn upside down or inside out

The road sign was inverted by a gang of teenagers.

248
Q

invest

A

v. to endow with authority

The U.S. Constitution invests great power in the president.

249
Q

investiture

A

n. ceremony conferring authority

The student council holds its investiture in October.

250
Q

inveterate

A

adj. confirmed, long-standing, deeply rooted

An inveterate USC football fan, Steve never misses their games.

251
Q

invidious

A

adj. likely to provoke ill will, offensive

The invidious comments are likely to provoke a reaction.

252
Q

invincible

A

adj. invulnerable, unbeatable

The army believes it has assembled an invincible fighting force.

253
Q

inviolable

A

adj. safe from violation or assault

At the core of his values was a set of inviolable beliefs.

254
Q

inviolate

A

ad. not violated; intact

Certain central principles are inviolate.

255
Q

in vitro

A

adv. and adj. outside the living organism in an artificial environment

Over the past thirty years scientists have made great advances in in vitro fertilization.

256
Q

in vivo

A

adv. and adj. within a living organism

The researchers are conducting their studies of human metabolism in vivo.

257
Q

invocation

A

n. prayer

The invocation was given by a Navy chaplain.

258
Q

invoke

A

v. to call upon, request help

In his speech the president invoked the spirit of the country’s Founding Fathers.

259
Q

iota

A

n. very tiny amount

There’s not an iota of evidence to support the theory.

260
Q

irascible

A

adj. easily angered

Everyone is careful not to criticize Rick since he’s such an irascible character.

261
Q

irate

A

adj. extremely angry; enraged

The irate customer demanded an immediate refund.

262
Q

iridescent

A

adj. showing many colors

The diamond is iridescent.

263
Q

ironic

A

adj. related to an incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs

It is ironic that the bus driver died as a passenger on a bus.

264
Q

irony

A

n. hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words conveying a meaning opposite to literal meaning

The writer makes frequent use of irony.

265
Q

irreconcilable

A

adj. cannot be accepted or resolved

The differences between the two sides are irreconcilable.

266
Q

irredeemable

A

adj. incapable of being remedied or reformed

The high school principal refused to believe that the boy’s behavior was irredeemable.

267
Q

irrefutable

A

adj. impossible to disprove

Their argument was irre4futable, so we had little choice but to agree.

268
Q

irrelevant

A

adj. not applicable; unrelated

The editor cut irrelevant material from the story.

269
Q

irreproachable

A

adj. blameless

One of the reasons he was made a judge is his irreproachable character.

270
Q

irresolute

A

adj. unsure of how to act

Seeing that everyone else was irresolute in the crisis, the president’s chief of staff took action in the president’s absence.

271
Q

irresolvable

A

adj. unable to be resolved; not analyzable

The scientist concluded that the problem was irresolvable.

272
Q

irreverent

A

adj. disrespectful

The cartoonist takes an irreverent approach in portraying public figures.

273
Q

irrevocable

A

adj. conclusive, irreversible

The president took the irrevocable step of breaking diplomatic relations with the country.

274
Q

isotope

A

n. one of two or more atoms having the same atomic number but different mass numbers

Elements are composed of one or more naturally occurring isotopes.

275
Q

itinerant

A

adj. wandering from place to place, unsettled

Itinerant workers picked most of the grapes.

276
Q

itinerary

A

n. route of a traveler’s journey

The boss’s secretary confirmed his itinerary.

Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook (26 decks)

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