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GRE Vocab Words > Kaplan I > Flashcards

Kaplan I Flashcards

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1
Q

Elucidation

A

To make clear: clarification

“work that led to the elucidation of the protein structure”

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2
Q

Sinecure

A

Work that does not require work but gives financial benefit - “cushy job”

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3
Q

Confounding (2)

A

(1) Cause surprise or confusion, act against expectations
“the inflation figure confounded previous analysts”

(2) Mix up original things so different elements become indistinguishable
“microwaves confound nuclear radiation with microwave radiation”

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4
Q

Finesse

A

Intricate, fine, delicacy, to do something in a delicate manner
“the shot, which he attempted to finesse, failed”

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5
Q

Kismet

A

Destiny, fate, luck

“what chance did I stand against kismet”

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6
Q

Imbroglio

A

Extremely confused, embarrassing situation

“the Watergate imbroglio”

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7
Q

Bemuse

A

Puzzle, confuse, bewilder

“her bemused look”

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8
Q

Incorrigible

A

Person not able to be corrected, improved or reformed

“she is an incorrigible flirt”

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9
Q

Malevolent

A

Evil

“the glint of dark, malevolent eyes”

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10
Q

Revile

A

To insult, speak critical of, or harshly towards

“he was reviled at the party”

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11
Q

Indelible

A

Unable to remove, can’t be forgotten

“the story made an indelible impression on me”

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12
Q

Florid (2)

A

(1) Red, flushed complexion
“the florid music was beautiful”

(2) Intricate, complicated
“a florid face”

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13
Q

Felicitous

A

Well chosen, suited to the circumstances, pleasing, fortunate
“a felicitous speech”
“the view was the only felicitous thing about the room”

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14
Q

Stentorian

A

Loud and powerful voice, thundering

“they introduced me to the staff with a stentorian announcement”

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15
Q

Garrulous

A

Excessively talkative, particularly about trivial things

“he is portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man”

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16
Q

Vociferous

A

Forceful, passionate intense voice

“he was a vociferous opponent of the merger”

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17
Q

Imbibe (2)

A

(1) Drink
“they imbibed too much beer”

(2) Absorbed knowledge
“she imbibed the Gospel”

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18
Q

Trepidation

A

Fear, agitation

“the man set off in fear and trepidation”

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19
Q

Imperturbation

A

Relaxation, calm

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20
Q

Diffident

A

Modest, shy, lack of self-confidence

“the diffident youth hated speaking up”

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21
Q

Unequivocal

A

Leaving no doubt, completely clear

“the unequivocal answer”

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22
Q

Burgeoning

A

Grow, flourish

“the capitalized on the burgeoning demand”

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23
Q

Verbose

A

More words than needed

“academic language is verbose and unneeded”

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24
Q

Languid

A

Slow, relaxed, sickly
“turned in slow, languid movements”
“she was pale and languid from being sick”

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25
Q

Forlorn

A

Pitifully sad or lonely

“Aragorn was forlorn”

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26
Q

Brazen

A

Bold and without shame

“he was being mean with brazen assurance”

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27
Q

Fetid

A

Smelling extremely unpleasant

“the fetid water of the marsh

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28
Q

Fervid

A

Passionate, especially to an excessive degree

“the fervid thank you letter”

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29
Q

Inert

A

Lacking strength or ability to move

“she lay inert in bed”

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30
Q

Equivocal

A

One to more than one interpretation, ambiguous

“the equivocal nature of her remarks”

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31
Q

Fastidiously

A

Meticulously, very careful

“took notes fastidiously”

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32
Q

Dilatorily

A

Procrastinate, slow, cause delay

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33
Q

Cashe

A

To hide, store away

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34
Q

Clement

A

Merciful, mild

“The king was clement”

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35
Q

Implacable

A

Unable to be placated, relentless, unstoppable

“The king’s daughter was implacable”

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36
Q

Filial

A

Of or due from a son or daughter, generational

“a display of filial affection from the dad to his daughter”

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37
Q

Reprisal

A

Act of retaliation

“The queen sought reprisal for acts done against her”

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38
Q

Approbation

A

Approval or praise

“The singer was met with much approbation”

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39
Q

Decorum

A

Behavior in keeping with good taste or propriety, etiquette

“you exhibit remarkable modest and decorum”

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40
Q

Belied/belies

A

Fail to give a true impression, contradict

“the philosopher belied himself as a reclusive scholar”

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41
Q

Gregarious

A

Sociable, fond of company

“Greg is very gregarious”

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42
Q

Sybaritic

A

Fond of sensual luxury, indulgent

“his sybaritic lifestyle”

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43
Q

Specious

A

Superficially plausible, but not true

“the specious argument”

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44
Q

Eclectic

A

Diverse, diverse knowledge

“her musical tastes are eclectic”

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45
Q

Esoteric

A

Hard to understand, for people with selective knowledge

“the esoteric philosophical arguments”

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46
Q

Lucid

A

Expressed clearly, easy to understand, clear

“the lucid argument”

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47
Q

Obviate

A

Remove, make unnecessary

“the blinds obviate the need for curtains”

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48
Q

Vacillated

A

Between different opinions or actions, indecisive

“I had for a time vacillated between journalism and teaching”

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49
Q

Languish

A

Appear weak or feeble

“plants may appear to be languishing but are just dormant”

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50
Q

Profusion

A

Abundance

“a profusion of flowers”

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51
Q

Hodgepodge

A

A confused mixture

“the room was a hodgepodge of modern and classic furniture”

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52
Q

Remonstrative

A

Objection or disapproval

“he turned angrily to remonstrate Tommy”

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53
Q

Innocuous

A

Not harmful or offensive

“it was an innocuous question”

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54
Q

Deleterious

A

Causing harm or damage

“divorce is known to be deleterious towards children”

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55
Q

Fidelity (2)

A

(1) Loyalty
“fidelity in marriage”

(2) Accuracy in details
“he sought only the strictest fidelity to justice”

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56
Q

Deft

A

Skillful, clever

“a deft piece of footwork”

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57
Q

Mercurial

A

Lively, unpredictable, unpredictable changes in mood

“a mercurial temperament”

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58
Q

Obfuscate

A

Make unclear, obscure or unintelligible

“Nobel obfuscated his activity with the military”

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59
Q

Lackadaisical

A

Lacking determination or enthusiasm

“the team lost because of a lackadaisical defense”

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60
Q

Decorous

A

In keeping with good taste, polite or restrained

“in dancing with decorous space between each partner”

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61
Q

Punctilious

A

Great attention to detail or correct behavior

“he was punctilious in providing goods to his guests”

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62
Q

Hyperboles

A

Exaggerated statements not to be take literally, describing something as better or worse than it actually is

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63
Q

Similes

A

Similes
Literary comparisons
“brave like a lion”
“crazy as a fox”

64
Q

Portents

A

Forewarnings of something bad

“the dead birds were a portents of disease”

65
Q

Auguries

A

Omens, signs of future events

“the sounds were an augury of death”

66
Q

Anachronisms

A

Out of chronological order

“the electric clock was the only anachronism in the ancient room”

67
Q

Inundate

A

Flood, overwhelm someone with things

“he often inundates his girlfriend”

68
Q

Propitiate

A

Win or regain favor by doing something they appreciate

“they tried to propitiate the gods with sacrifices”

69
Q

Carousing

A

Drinking a lot of alcohol

“the danced and caroused until the drink ran out”

70
Q

Venerable

A

Worthy of dignity

“a venerable old man”

71
Q

Bacchanalian

A

Boisterously festive, riotously drunken

“the bacchanalian orgy”

72
Q

Benign

A

Gently, kindly, not harmful
“the benign old lady”
“the benign tumor”

73
Q

Diurnal

A

Active during the day, daily, each day

“diurnal rhythms”

74
Q

Gossamer

A

Lite, thin or delicate

“the gossamer spider web”

75
Q

Adamantine

A

Unbreakable

“adamantine chains”

76
Q

Frangile

A

Fragile, brittle

77
Q

Tensile

A

Related to tension, able to be stretched

78
Q

Attenuated

A

Reduced in strength, unnaturally thin

“she was a attenuated figure”

79
Q

Capitulation

A

Surrendering or yielding to

“a sign of capitulation”

80
Q

Pliable (2)

A

(1) Easily bent, flexible
“the wood is pliable”

(2) Easily influenced
“she is pliable”

81
Q

Quintessence

A

Perfect embodiment of

“she is the quintessence of beauty”

82
Q

Zenith

A

The highest point of

“the sun had reached the zenith”

83
Q

Ineluctable

A

Unable to be resisted or avoided, inescapable

“the ineluctable facts of history”

84
Q

Ingenuous

A

Honest, straightforward, innocent, trusting

85
Q

Inveighed

A

Speak or write strongly against

“they inveighed who worked with the enemy”

86
Q

Levied

A

Impose tax, fine, fee or enlist in the military

“the new tax was levied on the industry”

87
Q

Extolled

A

Praise enthusiastically

“he extolled the virtues of the people”

88
Q

Soporific

A

Causing sleepiness or drowsiness

“the motion of the train had a soporific effect”

89
Q

Assiduity

A

Constant effort or close attention

“the assiduity with which he could where down his opponents”

90
Q

Apocryphal

A

Doubtful authenticity but circulated as being true

“the apocryphal story about the president”

91
Q

Quiescence

A

A ceased state of activity, causing no symptoms or trouble

92
Q

Joviality

A

State of being merry

93
Q

Denouement

A

Resolution of a plot of play, movie or story

“I waited twenty minutes to see the denouement”

94
Q

Arcane

A

Understood by few, mysterious or secret

“the arcane math notions”

95
Q

Modish

A

Conforming to popularity, fashion

“the philosopher was compelled to use the modish jargon”

96
Q

Ennui

A

Boredom from lack of excitement or engagement

97
Q

Peripatetic

A

Traveling from place to place

“the peripatetic nature of military life”

98
Q

Refractory

A

Stubborn or unmanageable

“the refractory mule”

99
Q

Philistine

A

Hostile or indifferent to arts and culture

“I am a complete philistine when it comes to paintings”

100
Q

Acrimony

A

Bitterness or ill feelings

“a quagmire of lawsuits, acrimony and finger-pointing”

101
Q

Forbearance

A

Patience, self-restraint

“forbearance from taking action”

102
Q

Jovial

A

Cheerfully, friendly

“she was in a jovial mood”

103
Q

Lugubrious

A

Looking or sounding sad or dismal

104
Q

Somber

A

Gloomy, dark

“it is a somber reality”

105
Q

Superfluous

A

Unnecessary, more than enough

“avoid asking superfluous information”

106
Q

Postliminary

A

After, later

107
Q

Ineffable

A

To great or extreme to be described in words

“the ineffable truth”

108
Q

Supervening

A

Occurring later, especially in a way that changes the situation
“any plan made is vulnerable to supervening events”

109
Q

Exorbitant

A 
Unreasonably high (especially in monetary terms)
“the exorbitant price of the tickets”
110
Q

Cacophony

A

A harsh mixture of sounds

“a cacophony of alarm bells”

111
Q

Gratuitous

A

Uncalled for, lacking good reason

“gratuitous violence”

112
Q

histrionic

A

“a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper”

too emotional or dramatic, relating to acting or actors

113
Q

augment/augmenting

A

“Heavy rains augmented the water supply.”

to increase the size or amount of (something): to add something to (something) in order to improve or complete it

114
Q

panned

A

“The band’s new album was universally panned by critics, with many deriding their change to a simpler sound”

to criticize severely

115
Q

deriding/deride

A

“The band’s new album was universally panned by critics, with many deriding their change to a simpler sound”

to talk or write about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way: to say that (someone or something) is ridiculous or has no value

116
Q

inimical

A

“received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support”

likely to cause damage or have a bad effect: not friendly

117
Q

abstruse

A

“you’re not the only one who finds Einstein’s theory of relativity abstruse”

hard to understand

118
Q

incinerated/incinerate

A 
"The waste is incinerated in a large furnace."
to burn (something) completely
119
Q

scanty

A

“very small in size or amount”

the camera’s scanty instructions left me somewhat confused

120
Q

robust

A

“He is in robust health.”

strong and healthy: strongly formed or built: successful or impressive and not likely to fail or weaken

121
Q

singular

A

(1) of or relating to a separate person or thing : individual
(2) distinguished by superiority : exceptional
(4) : departing from general usage or expectation : peculiar, odd

122
Q

spurned

A

“to refuse to accept (someone or something that you do not think deserves your respect, attention, affection, etc.)”

fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help

123
Q

reticent (2)

A

(1) “her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago”
inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved

(2) “the room has an aspect of reticent dignity — A. N. Whitehead”
restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance

124
Q

congenial

A

“The town is a congenial place for raising children” “We studied in the congenial atmosphere of the library.”

suitable or appropriate: pleasant and enjoyable: very friendly

125
Q

brusque

A

“She asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: “We don’t have any.””

talking or behaving in a very direct, brief, and unfriendly way

126
Q

scurrilous (2)

A 
1
a :  using or given to coarse language
b :  vulgar and evil 
2
\:  containing obscenities, abuse, or slander
127
Q

shrewd

A

“a shrewd used car dealer who knew how to make the best possible deal”

having or showing an ability to understand things and to make good judgments : mentally sharp or clever

128
Q

chagrin

A

“Much to his chagrin, he was forced to acknowledge the flaw in his reasoning; he responded gracefully, however, and soon returned with a new defense of his argument”

a feeling of being frustrated or annoyed because of failure or disappointment; embarrassed by failure

129
Q

befuddlement

A

“most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test”

to muddle or stupefy, confuse, perplex

130
Q

sardonic

A

“Given the gravity of the situation, Terrence’s sardonic quips were inappropriate; he did not seem to realize it was not the time or place for sarcasm”

disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking, sarcastic

131
Q

malfeasance

A

“a campaign to impeach the governor for malfeasance in office”

wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official

132
Q

supercilious

A

“the supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1,000”

having or showing the proud and unpleasant attitude of people who think that they are better or more important than other people

133
Q

ribald

A

“a ribald tale rife with double entendres and racy innuendo”

crude, offensive : characterized by or using coarse indecent humor

134
Q

imprudent

A

“While mushrooms are popular in many cuisines, it is imprudent to eat those found in the wild since many are poisonous”

not prudent: lacking discretion, wisdom, or good judgment

135
Q

mellifluous

A

“known to all as having a silver tongue, the orator easily distracts audiences from the meaning of his words with his mellifluous” speech
having a smooth, flowing sound

136
Q

euphonic

A

“known to all as having a silver tongue, the orator easily distracts audiences from the meaning of his words with his euphonic speech”

pleasing or sweet sound; especially: the acoustic effect produced by words so formed or combined as to please the ear

137
Q

snubbed

A 
"He snubbed their job offer."
to ignore (someone) in a deliberate and insulting way: to not accept or attend (something) as a way to show disapproval
138
Q

toothsome (2)

A

(1) a : agreeable, attractive
b : sexually attractive <a></a>

(2) of palatable flavor and pleasing texture : delicious

139
Q

ignominious

A

“some of his friends considered the job of janitor to be an ignominious fate for the laid-off executive”

causing disgrace or sham

140
Q

acridity/acrid (2)

A

(1) “Thick, acrid smoke rose from the factory.”
sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor: irritating

(2) “there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land”
deeply or violently bitter: acrimonious

141
Q

trenchancy/trenchant

A

“even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them”

very strong, clear, and effective

142
Q

dexterity

A

“He’s a teacher known for his imagination and verbal dexterity.”

mental skill or quickness: adroitness: readiness and grace in physical activity; especially : skill and ease in using the hands

143
Q

laconic

A

“the sportscaster’s color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point”

using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

144
Q

detritus

A

“Though detritus filled the streets, people seemed unconcerned with the appearance of their city”

the pieces that are left when something breaks, falls apart, is destroyed, etc.

145
Q

refuse

A

"”Though refuse filled the streets, people seemed unconcerned with the appearance of their city”

the worthless or useless part of something: leavings: trash, garbage

146
Q

strident (2)

A

(1) sounding harsh and unpleasant
“strident tone in his voice”

(2) expressing opinions or criticism in a very forceful and often annoying or unpleasant way
“strident slogans”

147
Q

circuitous

A

“Their logic seems a bit circuitous.”

not straight, short, and direct: not said or done simply or clearly

148
Q

extirpate

A

to destroy or remove (something) completely

“the triumph of modern medicine in extirpating certain diseases”

149
Q

recondite

A

not understood or known by many people

“geochemistry is a recondite subject”

150
Q

momentous

A

very important : having great or lasting importance

“a momentous occasion that will go down in the history books”

151
Q

gaudiness

A

“the gaudy dresses of the show girls”

too bright and heavily decorated: very large or impressive

152
Q

bedlam

A

“The park had never had so many visitors at one time. It was total bedlam.”

a very noisy and confused state or scene

153
Q

waggish

A

“G.K. Chesterton’s wit is exemplified in his often waggish responses to his friend and rival George Bernard Shaw”

silly and playful

154
Q

precarious

A

(1) “He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling”
not safe

(2) strong, steady

155
Q

mien

A

“Despite a long career at a famous establishment, the noted croupier chose instead to join the new casino, where he felt he was properly appreciated for his professional mien and efficiency at the table”

a person’s appearance or facial expression

156
Q

convalescing

A

“while he was still convalescing, the doctors advised Phillip to remain home, lest he was contagious, even though his symptoms had receded”

to become healthy and strong again slowly over time after illness, weakness, or injury

157
Q

enfeebled

A

“long periods of being confined to a hospital bed will enfeeble anyone”

to make feeble : deprive of strength

GRE Vocab Words (11 decks)

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