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Key Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

aberrant (adj)

A

deviating from the norm (noun form: abberation)

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2
Q

abscond (verb)

A

to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide

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3
Q

alacrity (noun)

A

eager and enthusiastic willingness

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4
Q

anomaly (noun)

A

deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality (adj. form: anomalous)

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5
Q

approbation (noun)

A

an expression of approval or praise

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6
Q

arduous (adj)

A

strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort

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7
Q

assuage (verb)

A

to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify

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8
Q

audacious (adj)

A

daring and fearless; recklessly bold

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9
Q

austere (adj)

A

without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic

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10
Q

axiomatic (adj)

A

taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth

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11
Q

canonical (adj)

A

following or in agreement with accepted traditional standards

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12
Q

capricious (adj)

A

inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic; unpredicatable

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13
Q

censure (verb)

A

to criticize severely; to officially rebuke

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14
Q

chicanery (noun)

A

trickery or subterfuge

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15
Q

connoisseur (noun)

A

an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert

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16
Q

convoluted (adj)

A

complex or complicated

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17
Q

disabuse (verb)

A

to undeceive; to set right

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18
Q

discordant (adj)

A

conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound

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19
Q

disparate (adj)

A

fundamentally distinct or dissimilar

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20
Q

effrontery (noun)

A

extreme boldness; presumptuousness

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21
Q

etiolate (verb)

A

to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow by excluding light/to cause to be weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor

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22
Q

sidereal (adj)

A

determined by or of the stars/ of or relating to the stars

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23
Q

eloquent (adj)

A

well-spoken; expressive; articulate

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24
Q

exacerbate (verb)

A

to weaken; to reduce in vitality

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25
Q

ennui (noun)

A

dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy

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26
Q

equivocate (verb)

A

to use ambiguous language with deceptive intent

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27
Q

erudite (adj)

A

very learned; scholarly

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28
Q

exculpate (verb)

A

to exonerate; to clear of blame

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29
Q

exigent (adj)

A

urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention

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30
Q

extemporaneous (adj)

A

improvised; done without preparation

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31
Q

filibuster (noun)

A

intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action

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32
Q

fulminate (verb)

A

to loudly attack or denounce

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33
Q

ingenuous (adj)

A

artless; frank & candid; lacking in sophistication

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34
Q

inured (adj)

A

accustomed to accepting something undesirable

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35
Q

irascible (adj)

A

easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

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36
Q

laud (verb)

A

to praise loudly

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37
Q

lucid (adj)

A

clear; easily understood

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38
Q

magnanimity (noun)

A

the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving

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39
Q

martial (adj)

A

associated with war and the armed forces

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40
Q

mundane (adj)

A

of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary

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41
Q

nascent (adj)

A

coming into being; in early developmental stages

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42
Q

nebulous (adj)

A

vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form

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43
Q

neologism (noun)

A

a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses

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44
Q

noxious (adj)

A

harmful, injurious

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45
Q

obtuse (adj)

A

lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression

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46
Q

obviate (verb)

A

to anticipate and make unnecessary

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47
Q

onerous (adj)

A

troubling; burdensome

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48
Q

paean (noun)

A

a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving

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49
Q

parody (noun

A

a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art

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50
Q

perennial (adj)

A

recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly

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51
Q

perfidy (noun)

A

intentional breach of faith; treachery

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52
Q

perspicacious (adj)

A

acutely perceptive; having keen discernment

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53
Q

prattle (verb)

A

to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner

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54
Q

precipitate (adj)

A

acting with excessive haste or impulse

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55
Q

predilection (noun)

A

a predisposition in favor of something; preference

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56
Q

prescience (noun)

A

foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occuring

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57
Q

prevaricate (noun)

A

to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead

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58
Q

qualms (noun)

A

misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy

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59
Q

recant (verb)

A

to retract, especially a previously held belief

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60
Q

refute (verb)

A

to disprove; to successfully argue against

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61
Q

relegate (verb)

A

to forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position

62
Q

reticent (adj)

A

quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

63
Q

solicitous (adj)

A

concerned and attentive; eager

64
Q

sordid (adj)

A

characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul

65
Q

sporadic (adj)

A

occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances

66
Q

squander (verb)

A

to waste by spending or using irresponsibly

67
Q

static (adj)

A

not moving, active, or in motion; at rest

68
Q

stupefy (verb)

A

to stun, baffle, or amaze

69
Q

stymie (verb)

A

to block; to thwart

70
Q

synthesis (noun)

A

the combination of parts to make a whole

71
Q

torque (noun)

A

a force that causes rotation

72
Q

tortuous (adj)

A

winding, twisting; excessively complicated

73
Q

truculent (adj)

A

fierce and cruel; eager to find

74
Q

veracity (noun)

A

truthfulness; honesty

75
Q

virulent (adj)

A

extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic

76
Q

voracious (adj)

A

having an impossible appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous

77
Q

waver (verb)

A

to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion

78
Q

abate (verb)

A

to lessen in intensity or degree

79
Q

accolade (noun

A

an expression of praise

80
Q

adulation (noun)

A

excessive praise; intense adoration

81
Q

aesthetic (adj)

A

dealing with, appreciation of, or responsible to art or the beautiful

82
Q

ameliorate (verb)

A

to make better or more tolerable

83
Q

ascetic (adj)

A

one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion

84
Q

avarice (noun)

A

greed, especially for wealth

85
Q

burgeon (verb)

A

to grow rapidly or flourish

86
Q

bucolic (adj)

A

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

87
Q

cacophony (noun)

A

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

88
Q

canon (noun)

A

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

89
Q

castigation (noun)

A

severe criticism or punishment

90
Q

catalyst (noun)

A

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

91
Q

caustic (adj)

A

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

92
Q

chary (adj)

A

wary; cautious; sparing

93
Q

cogent (adj)

A

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; unconvincing

94
Q

complaisance (noun)

A

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

95
Q

contentious (adj)

A

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

96
Q

contrite (adj)

A

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

97
Q

culpable (adj)

A

deserving blame

98
Q

dearth (noun)

A

smallness of quality or number; scarcity; a lack

99
Q

demur (verb)

A

to question or oppose

100
Q

didactic (adj)

A

intended to teach or instruct

101
Q

discretion (noun)

A

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

102
Q

disinterested (adj)

A

free of bias or self-interest; impartial

103
Q

dogmatic (adj)

A

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

104
Q

ebullience (noun)

A

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression or thoughts and feelings

105
Q

eclectic (adj)

A

composed of elements drawn from various sources

106
Q

elegy (noun)

A

a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead

107
Q

emollient (adj)

A

soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or soothes the skin

108
Q

empirical (adj)

A

based on observation or experiment

109
Q

enigmatic (adj)

A

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

110
Q

ephemeral (adj)

A

brief; fleeting

111
Q

esoteric (adj)

A

intended for or understood by a small ,specific group

112
Q

eulogy (noun)

A

a speech honoring the dead

113
Q

exonerate (verb)

A

to remove blame

114
Q

facetious (adj)

A

playful; humorous

115
Q

fallacy (noun)

A

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

116
Q

furtive (adj)

A

marked by stealth; covert; surrepititious

117
Q

gregarious (adj)

A

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

118
Q

harangue (verb)

A

to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing

119
Q

heretical (adj)

A

violating accepted dogma or convention

120
Q

hyperbole (noun)

A

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

121
Q

impecunious (adj)

A

lacking funds ;without money

122
Q

incipient (adj)

A

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

123
Q

inert (adj)

A

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

124
Q

innocuous (adj)

A

harmless; causing no damage

125
Q

intransigent (adj)

A

refusing to compromise

126
Q

inveigle (verb)

A

to obtain by deception or flattery

127
Q

morose (adj)

A

sad; sullen; melancholy

128
Q

odious (adj)

A

evoking intense aversion or dislike

129
Q

opaque (adj)

A

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

130
Q

oscillation (noun)

A

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

131
Q

penurious (adj)

A

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

132
Q

pernicious (adj)

A

extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

133
Q

peruse (verb)

A

to examine with great care

134
Q

pious (adj)

A

extremely irreverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

135
Q

precursor (noun)

A

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

136
Q

preen (verb)

A

to dress up; to groom oneself with elaborate care

137
Q

prodigious (adj)

A

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

138
Q

prolific (adj)

A

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

139
Q

putrefy (verb)

A

to rot, decay, and give off a foul odor

140
Q

quaff (verb)

A

to drink deeply

141
Q

quiescence (noun)

A

stillness; motionless; quality of being at rest

142
Q

redoubtable (adj)

A

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

143
Q

satire (noun)

A

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

144
Q

squalid (adj)

A

sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

145
Q

stoic (adj)

A

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

146
Q

supplant (verb)

A

to take the place of; to supercede

147
Q

torpid (adj)

A

lethargic; sluggish dormant

148
Q

ubiquitous (adj)

A

existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread

149
Q

urbane (adj)

A

sophisticated; refined; elegant

150
Q

vilify (verb)

A

to defame; to characterize harshly

151
Q

viscous (adj)

A

thick; sticky

GRE Vocabulary (3 decks)

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