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GRE > L > Flashcards

L Flashcards

1
Q

labile

A

likely to change; unstable

Because the hormonal changes they undergo affect their spirits, adolescents may become emotionally labile and experience sudden shifts of mood.

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2
Q

laborious

A

demanding much work or care; tedious

In putting together his dictionary of the English language, Doctor Johnson undertook a laborious task.

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3
Q

lachrymose

A

producing tears

His voice has a lachrymose quality that is more appropriate at a funeral than a class reunion.

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4
Q

lackadaisical

A

affectedly languid

He was lackadaisical and indifferent about his part in the affair.

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5
Q

laconic

A

brief and to the point

Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.

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6
Q

laggard

A

slow; sluggish

The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders.

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7
Q

lagoon

A

shallow body of water near a sea; lake

They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon.

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8
Q

laity

A

laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy

The laity does not always understand the clergy’s problems.

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9
Q

lambaste

A

beat; thrash verbally or physically

It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly.

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10
Q

lampoon

A

ridicule

This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls.

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11
Q

languid

A

weary; sluggish; listless

Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid.

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12
Q

languish

A

lose animation; lose strength

In stories, lovelorn damsels used to languish and pine away.

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13
Q

languor

A

lassitude; depression

His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the theater.

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14
Q

lank

A

long and thin

lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln was a striking figure.

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15
Q

larceny

A

theft

Because of the prisoner’s record, the district attorney refused to reduce the charge from grand larceny to petit larceny.

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16
Q

larder

A

pantry; place where food is kept

The first thing Bill did on returning home from school was to check what snacks his mother had in the larder.

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17
Q

largess

A

generous gift

Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor.

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18
Q

lascivious

A

lustful

Because they might arouse lascivious impulses in their readers, the lewd books were banned by the clergy.

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19
Q

lassitude

A

languor; weariness

The hot, tropical weather created a feeling of lassitude and encouraged drowsiness.

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20
Q

latent

A

dormant; hidden

Her latent talent was discovered by accident.

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21
Q

latitude

A

freedom from narrow limitations

I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter.

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22
Q

laudable

A

praiseworthy; commendable

His laudable deeds will be remarked by all whom he aided.

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23
Q

laudatory

A

expressing praise

The critics’ laudatory comments helped to make her a star.

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24
Q

lavish

A

liberal; wasteful

The actor’s lavish gifts pleased her.

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25
lax
careless We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive.
26
leaven
cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven As bread dough is leavened, it puffs up, expanding in volume.
27
lechery
gross lewdness; lustfulness In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age.
28
lectern
reading desk The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern.
29
leery
suspicious; cautious Don't eat sushi at this restaurant; I'm a bit leery about how fresh it is.
30
leeway
room to move; margin When you set a deadline, allow a little leeway.
31
legerdemain
sleight of hand The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain.
32
levee
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding As the river rose and threatened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls with sandbags.
33
levitate
float in the air (especially by magical means) As the magician passed his hands over the recumbent body of his assistant, she appeared to rise and levitate about three feet above the table.
34
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity Stop giggling abd wriggling around in the pew; such levity is improper in church.
35
levy
impose (a fine); collect (a payment) Crying "No taxation withouth representation," the colonists demonstrated against England's power to levy taxes.
36
lewd
lustful They found his lewd stories objectionable.
37
lexicographer
compiler of a dictionary The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work.
38
lexicon
dictionary I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library.
39
liability
drawback; debts Her lack of an extensive vocabulary was a liability that she was able to overcome.
40
liaison
officer who acts as go-between for two armies; intermediary As the liason, he had to avoid offending the leaders of the two armies.
41
libelous
defamatory; injurious to the good name of a person He sued the newspaper because of its libelous story.
42
libertine
debauched person, roue Although she was aware of his reputation as a libertine, she felt she could reform him and help him break his dissolute way of life.
43
libidinous
lustful They objected to his libidinous behavior.
44
libido
emotional urges behind human activity The psychiatrist maintained that suppression of the libido often resulted in maladjustment and neuroses.
45
libretto
text of an opera The composer of an opera's music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto.
46
licentious
wanton; lewd; dissolute The licentious monarch helped bring about his country's downfall.
47
lien
legal claim on a property There was a delay before Ralph could take possession of his late uncle's home; apparently, another claimant had a lien upon the estate.
48
ligneous
like wood Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stonelike in composition.
49
lilliputian
extremely small Tiny and delicate, the model was built on a lilliputian scale.
50
limber
flexible Hours of ballet classes kept him limber.
51
limn
draw; outline; describe Parodoxically, the more realistic the details this artist chooses, the better able to limn her fantastic, other-worldly landscapes.
52
lineaments
features, especially of the face She quickly sketched the lineaments of his face.
53
list
tilt; lean over That flagpole should be absolutely vertical; instead, it lists to one side.
54
listless
lacking in spirit or energy We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude.
55
litany
supplicatory prayer On this solemn day, the congregation responded to the prayers of the priest during the litany with fervor and intensity.
56
lithe
flexible; supple Her figure was lithe and willowy.
57
litigation
lawsuit Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation.
58
litotes
understatement for emphasis To say, "He little realizes," when we mean that he does not realize at all, is an example of the kind of understatement we call litotes.
59
livid
lead-coloredl; black and blue; ashen; enraged His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy.
60
loath
averse; reluctant They were both loath for him to go.
61
loathe
detest We loathed the wicked villain.
62
lode
metal-bearing vein If this lode that we have discovered extends for any distance, we have found a fortune.
63
lofty
very high They used to tease him about his lofty ambitions.
64
loiter
hang around; linger The policeman told him not to loiter in the alley.
65
loll
lounge about They lolled around in their chairs watching television.
66
lope
gallop slowly As the horses loped along, we had an opportunity to admire the ever-changing scenery.
67
loquacious
talkative She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours.
68
lout
clumsy person The delivery boy is an awkward lout.
69
low
moo From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low.
70
lucre
money Preferring lucre to undying fame, he wrote stories of popular appeal.
71
ludicrous
laughable; trifling Let us be serious; this is not a ludicrous issue.
72
lugubrious
mournful The lugabrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness.
73
lull
moment of calm Not wanting to get wet, they waited under the awning for a lull in the rain.
74
lumber
move heavily of clumsily Still somewhat torpid after its long hibernation, the bear lumbered through the woods.
75
lumen
unit of light energy (one candle's worth) In buying light bulbs, she checked not only their power, as measured in watts, but their brightness, as measured in lumens.
76
luminary
celebrity; dignitary A leading light of the American stage, Ethel Barrymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on.
77
luminous
shining; issuing light The sun is a luminous body.
78
lurid
wild; sensational The lurid stories he told shocked his listeners.
79
lurk
stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived "Who knows what evils lurk in the hearts of men? The shadow knows."
80
luscious
pleasing to taste or smell The ripe peach was luscious.
81
luster
shine; gloss The soft luster of the silk in the dim light was pleasing.
82
lustrous
shining Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to an otherwise drab face.
83
luxuriant
fertile; abundant; ornate Farming was easy in this luxuriant soil.
84

GRE (24 decks)

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