Kaplan GRE Flashcards
Peregrinate
to wander fro place to place; to travel; especially on foot
Anodyne
something that calms or soothes pain
Inquest
an investigatin; an inquiry
Coterie
an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose
Enervate
to reduce in strength
Chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
Glib
fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual
Apocryphal
of questionable authority or authenticity
Vicissitude
a change or variation; ups and downs
Gambol
to dance or skip around playfully
condemn
express complete disapproval of; censure.
Disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
Frenetic
frantic; frenzied
Pathogenic
causing disease
Mollify
to calm or make less severe
Dogmatic
dictatorial in one’s opinions
revelation
a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others.
Sardonic
cynical; scornfully mocking
Credulous
too trusting; gullible
Mannered
artifical or stilted in character
strident
(of a sound) loud and harsh; grating.
Gradation
process occurring by regular degrees or stages; variation in color
Tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
Querulous
inclined to complain; irritable
Hyperbole
purposeful exaggeration for effect
Martinet
strict discipliarian; one who rigidly follows rules
Rustic
rural
Torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
Hapless
unfortunate; having bad luck
Monastic
extremly plain or secluded, as in a monastery
Tacit
done without using words
Inimical
hostile; unfriendly
Rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
Obdurate
hardening in feeling; resistant to persuasion
Amortize
to diminish by installment payments
Proclivity
a natural inclination or predisposition
Largess
generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior
Phalanx
a compact or close-knit body of people, animals, or things
Surfeit
excessive amount
Inundate
to overwhelm; to cover with water
Abeyance
temporary suppression or supension
harbinger
a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
Veracity
filled with truth and accuracy
Lavish
extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly
vociferous
expressing or characterized by passionate opinions.
Malleable
capable of being shaped
Divine
to foretell or know by inspiration
Waver
to fluctuate between choices
Epicure
person with refined taste in food and wine
malfeasance
wrongdoing, especially (US) by a public official
Abstemious
moderate in appetite
Furtive
secret; stealthy
Stasis
a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
Sportive
frolicsome; playful
Tome
book, usually large and academic
Officious
too helpful; meddlesome
prosaic
commonplace; unromantic
Peripatetic
wandering from place to place, especially on foot
Pithy
profound or substantial yet concise, succinct and to the point
Magnate
powerful or influential person
Usury
the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
Zeal
passion; excitement
Capricious
changing one’s mind quickly and often
Tangential
digressing; diverting
Perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
barranness
unproductive; unfruitful
brisk
(of wind or the weather) cold but pleasantly invigorating.
Contrite
deeply sorrowful and repentatnt for a wrong
Turgid
swollen as from a fluid; bloated
Analogous
similar or alike insome way; equivalent to
Archaic
ancient; old-fashioned
Intractable
not easily managed or manipulated
Penury
an oppressive lack of resources (as money); severe poverty
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
Hermetic
tightly sealed
Erratic
wandering and unpredictable
ignominious
deserving or causing public disgrace or shame
Fatuous
stupid; foolishly self-satisfied
Liberal
tolerant or broad-minded; generous or lavish
Guile
deceit; trickery
Insipid
lacking interest or flavor
Innocuous
harmless
Vacillate
to physically sway or to be indecisive
Assail
to attack; assault
Impious
not devout in religion
evocative
bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.
Onerous
troublesome and oppresive; burdensome
Nettle
to irritate
Puerile
childish, immature, or silly
Decorous
proper; tasteful; socially correct
Analgesia
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
Abscond
to leave secretly
Verbose
wordy
Opine
to express an opinion
Demur
to express doubts or objections
muggy
(of the weather) unpleasantly humid.
Dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Wily
clever; deceptive
gaudy
brilliantly or excessively showy
Blithe
joyful; cheerful; or without appropriate thought
Abdicate
to give up a position, right, or power
acumen
the ability to make good judgements and take quick decisions
Jingoism
belligerent support of one’s country
Embellish
to add ornamental or fictitious details
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
Plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
Tawdry
gaudy, cheap,or showy
Yoke
to join together
Sobriquet
nickname
Ingratiate
to gain favor with another by deliberate effort; to seek to please somebody so as to gain an advantage
Desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
Verdant
green with vegtation; inexperienced
Elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
Erudite
learned; scholarly; bookish
preposterous
contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous.
Homogeneous
of a similar kind
Contumacious
rebellious
Requite
to return or repay
Euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
Bifurcate
to divide into two parts
Ignoble
having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean
intriguing
arousing one’s curiosity or interest; fascinating.
bedlam
a scene of uproar and confusion.
ailing
in poor health.
apogee
the highest point in the development of something; a climax or culmination / the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is furthest from the earth.
Jargon
nonsensical talk; specialized language
Decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
Encomium
warm praise
Iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
Propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
Vex
to annoy; irritate; puzzle; confuse
Machination
plot or scheme
Sentient
aware; conscious; able to perceive
Bilk
to cheat; defraud
Specious
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
Inculcate
to teach; impress in the mind
Vituperate
to abuse verbally; berate
Caustic
biting in wit
Syncopation
temporary irregularity in musical rhythm
Irascible
easily made angry
Whimsical
lightly acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
Rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
perseverant
persistent in doing something despite difficulty; unwavering.
Indolent
habitually lazy or idle
Cupidity
greed; strong desire
Diffident
lacking self-confidence
Prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
Mendicant
beggar
Chaos
great disorder or confused situation
Neophyte
novice; beginner
Numismatics
coin collecting
Vestige
a trace; remnant
Investiture
ceremony conferring authority
Malinger
to evade responibilty by pretending to be ill
Languid
lacking energy; indifferent
Nuance
a subltle expression of meaning or quality
Fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
Mores
fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes
Sycophant
a self-serving flatterer; yes-man
Sagacious
shrewd; wise
enfeeble
make weak or feeble.
Glower
to glare or stare angrily and intensely
Leery
suspicious
Levity
an inappropriate lack of seriousness; overly casual
Maudlin
overly sentimental
Metaphor
figure of speech comparing two different things
Ersatz
fake
Pusillanimous
cowardly; without courage
Plebeian
crude or coarse; characteristic of commoners
Limpid
clear; transparent
Taciturn
silent; not talkative
Noisome
stinking; putrid
Profligate
corrupt; degenerate
Sacrosanct
extremely sacred; beyond criticism
Acidulous
sour in taste or manner
Phlegmatic
calm and unemotional in temperament
Unconscionable
unscrupulous; shockingly unfair or unjust
Imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
Quiescent
motionless
Philanthropy
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
Banal
predictable; cliched; boring
Mar
to damage or deface; spoil
Eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of soures
Lucid
clear and esily understood
Precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruplty; lacking deliberation
Parley
discussion, usually between enemies
quandary
a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
Axiom
premise; postulate; self-evident truth
Panegyric
elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
Ingrate
ungrateful person
Catholic
universal broad and comprehensive
patronize
give financial or other support to (a person, organization, or cause)
Hoary
very old; whitish or gray from age
Licentious
immoral; unrestrained by society
extirpate
eradicate or destroy completely.
Upbraid
to scold sharply
Talon
claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey
Lissome
easily flexed; limber; agile
Kindle
to set fire to or ignite; excite or inspire
August
dignified; grandiose
Advocate
to speak in favor of
Dilate
to make larger; expand
recuperate
recover from illness or exertion.
mien
a person’s appearance or manner, especially as an indication of their character or mood.
Panegyrical
a public speech or published text designed to praise someone or something
Peccadillo
minor sin or offense
Stentorian
extremely loud
Itinerant
wandering from place to place; unsettled
ambivalent
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
Panoply
impressive array
Fallow
dormant; unused
Paragon
model of excellence or perfection
Gullible
easily deceived
immense
extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree.
supercilious
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others
Calumny
a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation
Doctrinaire
rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic
Replete
abundantly supplied, complete
Kinetic
relating to motion; characterized by movement
Effrontery
impudent boldness; audacity
Nominal
existing in name only; negligble
Trenchant
acute, sharp, or incisive; forecful; effective
ingratitude
ungratefulness
Cloying
sickly sweet; excessive
Acme
highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable
ridicule
the subjection of someone or something to contemptuous and dismissive language or behaviour.
reminiscence
a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator.
Castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
Ardor
intense and passionate feeling
Adulterate
to make impure
Nascent
starting to develop; coming into existence
Listless
lacking energy and enthusiasm
Loquacious
talkative
Anachronism
something out of place in time
Potentate
a monarch or ruler with great power
Obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
Dictum
authoritative statement