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GRE Vocabulary > Key Terms Group 2 > Flashcards

Key Terms Group 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

abate

A

to lessen in intensity or degree

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2
Q

accolade

A

an expression of praise

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3
Q

adulation

A

excessive praise; intense adoration

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4
Q

aesthetic

A

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

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5
Q

ameliorate

A

to make better or more tolerable

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6
Q

ascetic

A

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

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7
Q

avarice

A

greed, esp. for wealth

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8
Q

axiom

A

a universally recognized principle

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9
Q

burgeon

A

to grow rapidly or flourish

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10
Q

bucolic

A

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

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11
Q

cacophony

A

harsh, jarring, discordant sounds; dissonance

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12
Q

canon

A

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

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13
Q

castigation

A

severe criticism or punishment

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14
Q

catalyst

A

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

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15
Q

caustic

A

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

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16
Q

chary

A

wary; cautious; sparing

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17
Q

cogent

A

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

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18
Q

complaisance

A

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

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19
Q

contentious

A

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

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20
Q

contrite

A

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

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21
Q

culpable

A

deserving blame

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22
Q

dearth

A

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

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23
Q

demur

A

to question or oppose

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24
Q

didactic

A

intended to teach or instruct

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25
Q

discretion

A

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

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26
Q

disinterested

A

free of bias or self-interest; impartial

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27
Q

dogmatic

A

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

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28
Q

ebullience

A

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

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29
Q

eclectic

A

composed of elements drawn from various sources

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30
Q

elegy

A

a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

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31
Q

emollient

A

soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin

32
Q

empirical

A

based on observation or experiment

33
Q

enigmatic

A

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

34
Q

ephemeral

A

brief; fleeting

35
Q

esoteric

A

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

36
Q

eulogy

A

a speech honoring the dead

37
Q

exonerate

A

to remove blame

38
Q

facetious

A

playful; humorous

39
Q

fallacy

A

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

40
Q

furtive

A

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

41
Q

gregarious

A

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

42
Q

harangue

A

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

43
Q

heretical

A

violating accepted dogma or convention

44
Q

hyperbole

A

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

45
Q

impecunious

A

lacking funds; without money

46
Q

incipient

A

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

47
Q

inert

A

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

48
Q

innocuous

A

harmless; causing no damage

49
Q

intransigent

A

refusing to compromise

50
Q

inveigle

A

to obtain by deception or lattery

51
Q

morose

A

sad; sullen; melancholy

52
Q

odious

A

evoking intense aversion or dislike

53
Q

opaque

A

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

54
Q

oscillation

A

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

55
Q

penurious

A

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

56
Q

pernicious

A

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

57
Q

peruse

A

to examine with great care

58
Q

pious

A

extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

59
Q

precursor

A

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

60
Q

preen

A

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

61
Q

prodigious

A

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

62
Q

prolific

A

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

63
Q

putrefy

A

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

64
Q

quaff

A

to drink deeply

65
Q

quiescence

A

stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

66
Q

redoubtable

A

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

67
Q

sanction

A

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority

68
Q

satire

A

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

69
Q

squalid

A

sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

70
Q

stoic

A

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

71
Q

supplant

A

to take the place of; to supersede

72
Q

torpid

A

lethargic; sluggish; dormant

73
Q

ubiquitous

A

existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread

74
Q

urbane

A

sophisticated; refined; elegant

75
Q

vilify

A

to defame; to characterize harshly

76
Q

viscous

A

thick; sticky

GRE Vocabulary (3 decks)

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