Magoosh 1 Flashcards
(107 cards)
1
Q
Alacrity
A
The GRE has a predilection for words that don’t really sound like what they mean. Alacrity is no exception. Many think the word has a negative connotation. Alacrity, however, means an eager willingness to do something.
So imagine the first day at a job that you’ve worked really hard to get. How are you going to complete the tasks assigned to you? With alacrity, of course.
An interesting correlation: the more alacritous (adjective form) you are when you’re learning GRE
vocabulary, the better you will do
2
Q
Prosaic
A
Prosaic conjures up a beautiful mosaic for some. For others, the pro- is clearly positive. So if somebody or something is prosaic, it must surely be good.
Once again the GRE confounds expectations. Prosaic means dull and lacking imagination. It can be used to describe plans, life, language, or just about anything inanimate that has become dull (it is not used
to describe people).
A good mnemonic: prose is the opposite of poetry. And where poetry, ideally, bursts force with imagination, prose (think of text-book writing), lacks imagination. Hence, prose-aic.
3
Q
Veracity
A
Veracity sounds a lot like voracity. Whereas many know voracity means full of hunger (the adjective form voracious is more common), few know veracity. Unfortunately, many confuse the two on the test.
Veracity means truthful. The adjective form, veracious, sounds a lot like voracious. So be careful.
4
Q
Paucity
A
Paucity is a lack of something. In honor of paucity, this entry will have a paucity of words.
5
Q
Maintain
A
The second definition of this word – and one the new GRE favors – is to assert. One can maintain their innocence. A scientist can maintain that a recent finding support her theory. The latter context is the one you’ll encounter on the GRE.
6
Q
Contrite
A
Word roots are often misleading. This word does not mean with triteness (con- meaning with). To be contrite is to feel remorse.
7
Q
Laconic
A
Another word that sounds different from what it means. A person is described as laconic when he/she says very few words.
I’m usually reminded of John Wayne, the quintessential cowboy, who, with a gravely intonation, muttered few words. As this allusion betrays may age more than anything else, think of Christian Bale in Batman.
8
Q
Pugnacious
A
Much like a pug dog, which aggressively yaps at things near it, a person who is pugnacious likes to aggressively argue about everything. Verbally combative is another good way to describe pugnacious.
9
Q
Disparate
A
If two things are fundamentally different, they are disparate. For instance, verbal skills and math skills are disparate, and as such are usually tested separately, the GRE being no exception.
10
Q
Egregious
A
‘Greg’ is the Latin root for flock. At one point egregious meant standing out of the flock a positive way.
This definition went out of vogue sometime in the 16th century, after which time egregious was used ironically.
Thus for the last five hundred years, ‘egregious’ meant standing out in a bad way. In sports, an egregious foul would be called on a player who slugged another player (not including hockey, of course).
11
Q
Innocuous
A
Something innocuous is harmless and doesn’t produce any ill effects. Many germs are innocuous. As are most bug bites. Even television, in small doses, is typically innocuous. Innocuous can also mean inoffensive. An innocuous question is unlikely to upset anyone.
Everyone found Nancy’s banter innocuous—except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.
12
Q
Candid
A
A straightforward and honest look at something is a candid one. Many great photographers have created enduring work because they turn their respective lens on what is real. Whether these photos are from the Dust Bowl, the Vietnam War, or on the Arab Winter, they move us because they reveal how people felt at a certain moment.
A person can also be candid if they are being honest and straightforward with you.
Even with a perfect stranger, he was candid and would rarely hold anything back.
13
Q
Erratic
A
Unpredictable, often wildly so, erratic is reserved for pretty extreme cases. An athlete who scores the winning point one game, and then botches numerous opportunities. The stock market. And your sleep,
especially if your stocks aren’t doing well, can become erratic.
Erratic can also mean strange and unconventional. Someone may be known for their erratic behavior.
Regardless of which meaning you are employing, you should not be erratic in your GRE prep.
14
Q
Bleak
A
If one has a very depressing take on life, we say that person has a bleak outlook. Landscapes can be bleak (Siberia in April, the Texas of No Country for Old Men), and writers, too (Dostoevsky, Orwell).
15
Q
Profuse
A
If something literally pours out in abundance we say it is profuse. This pouring is usually figurative. A person who apologies ceaselessly does so profusely. Perhaps a little more vividly, certain men who fail to button up their shirts all the way, let the world – perhaps not unwittingly – know of their profuse chest hair (which, on their part, should necessitate a profuse apology).
16
Q
Extant
A
Many think this word means extinct. Extant is actually the opposite of extinct.
Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.
A great mnemonic is to put the word ‘is’ between the ‘x’ and the ‘t’ in extant. This gives you existant (don’t mind the misspelling).
17
Q
Contentious
A
This GRE word does not mean content, as you could have probably guessed. It comes from the word contend, which means to argue. If you are contentious, you like to argue.
Contentious is a very common GRE word, so unless you want me to become contentious, memorize it now!
18
Q
Auspicious
A
This word sounds very sinister. Auspicious is actually the opposite and means favorable.
Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike’s road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and broke next to his wrecked automobile.
The opposite, inauspicious, is also common on the GRE.
19
Q
Enervate
A
Most people think this words means to energize. It actually means to sap the energy from.
John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he’d spent the day sightseeing.
20
Q
Equivocate
A
People tend to think that equivocate has to do with equal. It actually means to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive. The related word unequivocal also can be confusing. To state something unequivocally is to state it in such a way that there is no room for doubt.
21
Q
Ambivalent
A
Students often believe that to be ambivalent towards something is to be indifferent. The truth is almost the opposite. See, when you are ambivalent you have mixed or conflicting emotions about something.
Imagine somebody asked you how it was studying for the GRE.
You could say, “I am ambivalent about studying for the GRE because it ate up a lot of time. On the plus
side, I did learn many words and improved my reading comprehension.”
22
Q
Sedulous
A
I am not quite sure why students can never seem to remember the definition for this word. Perhaps the sed- reminds them of sitting and being idle. To be sedulous, however, is to be anything but idle. If you are sedulously studying for the GRE, you are studying diligently and carefully—making flashcards, writing down important words and formulas, and, of course, checking out the Magoosh blog every day.
23
Q
Stem
A
To stem means to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something. You can stem bleeding, you (can attempt to) stem the tide. Do not stem the flow of vocabulary coursing through your brains. Make sure to use these words whenever you can.
To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.
24
Q
Blinkered
A
If you blink a lot you are likely to miss something. Indeed, your view would be very limited. Extending this meaning, we get the definition of blinkered: means to have a limited outlook or understanding.
In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.
25
Check
To check something is to stop its growth (similar to stem but with more of a focus on growth than flow).
If something is left unchecked, then it grows freely.
Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence –weeds grew unchecked in the front yard.
26
Checkered
The meaning of checkered is completely unrelated to the meaning of check above– very tricky, so be sure to know the difference between the two. A checkered past is one that is marked by disreputable happenings.
One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts – from embezzlement to infidelity – sabotaging their campaigns.
27
Raft
A raft is an inflatable boat. It can also mean a large number of something. I know – it doesn’t really make much sense. But a good mnemonic – imagine a large number of rafts and you have a raft of rafts.
28
Involved
We are involved in many things, from studying to socializing. For something to be involved, in terms of the GRE definition, means it is complicated, and difficult to comprehend.
The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate’s eyes glazed over.
29
Retiring
Sure, many dream of the day when they can be retiring (preferably to some palatial estate with a beachfront view). The second definition does not necessarily apply to most. To be retiring is to be shy, and have the inclination to retract from company.
Nelson always was the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
30
Expansive
Yes, expansive means expansive. It also means communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner.
After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the “good old days”.
31
Moment
A moment is a point in time. We all know that definition. If something is of moment, it is significant and important (think of the word momentous).
Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton’s writing career, and, within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts.
32
Base
```
When the definition of this word came into existence, there were some obvious biases against the lower classes (assuming that lexicographers were not lower class). It was assumed that those from the base, or the lowest, class were without any moral principles. They were contemptible and ignoble. Hence, we have this second definition of base (the word has since dropped any connotations of lower class).
She was not so base as to begrudge the mendicant the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.
```
33
Imbibe
Literally, to imbibe is to drink, usually copiously. Figuratively, imbibe can refer to an intake of knowledge or information.
The professor was a fountain of erudition, and we imbibed his wisdom.
Plato imbibed Socrates’ teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.
34
Inundate
Speaking of floods, inundate is a synonym for deluge. Figuratively, to be inundated means to be overwhelmed by too many people or things.
Once inundated with 5,000 vocabulary words, GRE students now have to contend with somewhat fewer words.
The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.
35
Scintillating
If something gives off sparks, such as when photons collide, it is said to scintillate. Figuratively, scintillating describes someone who is brilliant and lively.
Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.
36
Benighted
If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, benighted. However, if a people are benighted (this word is usually reserved for the collective), that group falls in a state of ignorance.
Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.
37
Galvanize
Need to strengthen steel by giving it a final coat? Or, perhaps you need to motivate somebody? Well, in both cases, you would literally be galvanizing. Figuratively, to galvanize is to excite to action or spur on.
At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, “Go Kyle”; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.
38
Hedge
If you are really into horticulture—which is a fancy word for gardening—you’ll known hedges are shrubs, or small bushes that have been neatly trimmed. If you know your finance, then you’ve probably heard of hedge funds (where brokers make their money betting against the market). Hedge can also be used in a verb sense. If you hedge your bets, you play safely. If you hedge a statement, you limit or qualify that statement. Finally, hedge can also mean to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating.
39
Flush
What word means to turn red (especially in the face), to send down the toilet, to be in abundance, and to drive out of hiding? Yep, it’s flush, which has all four of these totally unrelated definitions.
40
Fell
Imagine an evil person who cuts down trees, and then falls himself. Well, that image is capturing three different definitions of fell—to cut down a tree, the past tense of fall (we all know that) and evil. Yes, I know, fell can’t possibly mean evil…but the English language is a wacky one. Fell indeed means terribly evil.
41
Arch
You have arches in architecture, or at a well-known fast-food restaurant. You can arch your back, or a bow. Arches are even a part of your foot. But, did you know that to be arch is to be deliberately teasing, as in, “he shrugged off her insults because he knew she was only being arch” Finally, arch as a root means chief or principal, as in archbishop.
42
Beg
Commonly, when we think of begging, we think of money, or a favor. But, one can also beg a question, and that’s where things start to get complicated. To beg a question can mean to evade a question, invite an obvious question, or, and this is where it starts to get really tricky, to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions.
For instance, let’s say you are not really sure if you are going to take the GRE. If somebody asks you when you are going to take the GRE, then that person is assuming you are going to take the GRE. That is, they are begging the question. If you avoid giving a direct answer, then you are also begging the question (albeit in a different sense). Which finally begs the question, how did this whole question begging business get so complicated in the first place?
43
Tender
Tender is a verb, and it does not mean to behave tenderly. When you tender, something you offer it up.
For instance, when you tender your resignation, you hand in a piece of paper saying that you are resigning.
44
Intimate
Just as tender doesn’t relate to two people in love, neither does intimate, at least on the GRE. The secondary meaning for intimate is to suggest something subtly.
45
Wanting
Wanting means lacking. So, if your knowledge of secondary meanings is wanting, this eBook is a perfect place to start learning.
46
Becoming
Another secondary meaning that changes parts of speech, becoming an adjective. If something is becoming, it matches nicely.
Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful.
47
Start
The secondary meaning for start is somewhat similar to the common meaning. To start is to suddenly move or dart in a particular direction.
48
Fleece
If you are thinking Mary Had a Little Lamb (…fleece as white as snow), you have been fleeced by a secondary meaning. To fleece is to deceive.
49
Telling
If something is telling, it is significant and stands out.
| Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.
50
Wax
Melting wax will only lead you astray. The secondary meaning for wax is to increase. The opposite of wax is to wane.
51
Check
To check is to limit, and is usually used to modify the growth of something.
When government abuses are not kept in check, a ruling body is likely to become autocratic.
52
Qualify
This is perhaps the most commonly confused secondary meaning and the one that is most important to learn for the GRE. To qualify is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion.
I love San Francisco.
I love San Francisco, but it is always windy.
The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or limit, my love for San Francisco.
In the context of the GRE, the concept of qualification is usually found in the Reading Comprehension passage. For example, an author usually expresses qualified approval or some qualified opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they qualify, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval.
53
Zeitgeist
Okay, German is by no means a distant tongue, or for that matter, an exotic one. Zeitgeist, however, doesn’t look anything like your typical English word. Translated literally from German, zeitgeist means “time-ghost”. In terms of an actual definition, zeitgeist means spirit of the times.
Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990’s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000’s was a curious admixture of fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on YouTube.
54
Ambivalent
Students often believe that to be ambivalent towards something is to be indifferent. The truth is almost the opposite. See, when you are ambivalent you have mixed or conflicting emotions about something.
Imagine somebody asked you how it was studying for the GRE.
You could say, “I am ambivalent about studying for the GRE because it ate up a lot of time. On the plus
side, I did learn many words and improved my reading comprehension.”
55
Sedulous
I am not quite sure why students can never seem to remember the definition for this word. Perhaps the sed- reminds them of sitting and being idle. To be sedulous, however, is to be anything but idle. If you are sedulously studying for the GRE, you are studying diligently and carefully—making flashcards, writing down important words and formulas, and, of course, checking out the Magoosh blog every day.
56
Stem
To stem means to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something. You can stem bleeding, you (can attempt to) stem the tide. Do not stem the flow of vocabulary coursing through your brains. Make sure to use these words whenever you can.
To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.
57
Blinkered
If you blink a lot you are likely to miss something. Indeed, your view would be very limited. Extending this meaning, we get the definition of blinkered: means to have a limited outlook or understanding.
In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.
58
Check
To check something is to stop its growth (similar to stem but with more of a focus on growth than flow).
If something is left unchecked, then it grows freely.
Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence –weeds grew unchecked in the front yard.
59
Checkered
The meaning of checkered is completely unrelated to the meaning of check above– very tricky, so be sure to know the difference between the two. A checkered past is one that is marked by disreputable happenings.
One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts – from embezzlement to infidelity – sabotaging their campaigns.
60
Raft
A raft is an inflatable boat. It can also mean a large number of something. I know – it doesn’t really make much sense. But a good mnemonic – imagine a large number of rafts and you have a raft of rafts.
61
Involved
We are involved in many things, from studying to socializing. For something to be involved, in terms of the GRE definition, means it is complicated, and difficult to comprehend.
The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate’s eyes glazed over.
62
Retiring
Sure, many dream of the day when they can be retiring (preferably to some palatial estate with a beachfront view). The second definition does not necessarily apply to most. To be retiring is to be shy, and have the inclination to retract from company.
Nelson always was the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
63
Expansive
Yes, expansive means expansive. It also means communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner.
After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the “good old days”.
64
Moment
A moment is a point in time. We all know that definition. If something is of moment, it is significant and important (think of the word momentous).
Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton’s writing career, and, within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts.
65
Base
```
When the definition of this word came into existence, there were some obvious biases against the lower classes (assuming that lexicographers were not lower class). It was assumed that those from the base, or the lowest, class were without any moral principles. They were contemptible and ignoble. Hence, we have this second definition of base (the word has since dropped any connotations of lower class).
She was not so base as to begrudge the mendicant the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.
```
66
Imbibe
Literally, to imbibe is to drink, usually copiously. Figuratively, imbibe can refer to an intake of knowledge or information.
The professor was a fountain of erudition, and we imbibed his wisdom.
Plato imbibed Socrates’ teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.
67
Inundate
Speaking of floods, inundate is a synonym for deluge. Figuratively, to be inundated means to be overwhelmed by too many people or things.
Once inundated with 5,000 vocabulary words, GRE students now have to contend with somewhat fewer words.
The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.
68
Scintillating
If something gives off sparks, such as when photons collide, it is said to scintillate. Figuratively, scintillating describes someone who is brilliant and lively.
Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.
69
Benighted
If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, benighted. However, if a people are benighted (this word is usually reserved for the collective), that group falls in a state of ignorance.
Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.
70
Galvanize
Need to strengthen steel by giving it a final coat? Or, perhaps you need to motivate somebody? Well, in both cases, you would literally be galvanizing. Figuratively, to galvanize is to excite to action or spur on.
At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, “Go Kyle”; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.
71
Hedge
If you are really into horticulture—which is a fancy word for gardening—you’ll known hedges are shrubs, or small bushes that have been neatly trimmed. If you know your finance, then you’ve probably heard of hedge funds (where brokers make their money betting against the market). Hedge can also be used in a verb sense. If you hedge your bets, you play safely. If you hedge a statement, you limit or qualify that statement. Finally, hedge can also mean to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating.
72
Flush
What word means to turn red (especially in the face), to send down the toilet, to be in abundance, and to drive out of hiding? Yep, it’s flush, which has all four of these totally unrelated definitions.
73
Fell
Imagine an evil person who cuts down trees, and then falls himself. Well, that image is capturing three different definitions of fell—to cut down a tree, the past tense of fall (we all know that) and evil. Yes, I know, fell can’t possibly mean evil…but the English language is a wacky one. Fell indeed means terribly evil.
74
Arch
You have arches in architecture, or at a well-known fast-food restaurant. You can arch your back, or a bow. Arches are even a part of your foot. But, did you know that to be arch is to be deliberately teasing, as in, “he shrugged off her insults because he knew she was only being arch” Finally, arch as a root means chief or principal, as in archbishop.
75
Beg
Commonly, when we think of begging, we think of money, or a favor. But, one can also beg a question, and that’s where things start to get complicated. To beg a question can mean to evade a question, invite an obvious question, or, and this is where it starts to get really tricky, to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions.
For instance, let’s say you are not really sure if you are going to take the GRE. If somebody asks you when you are going to take the GRE, then that person is assuming you are going to take the GRE. That is, they are begging the question. If you avoid giving a direct answer, then you are also begging the question (albeit in a different sense). Which finally begs the question, how did this whole question begging business get so complicated in the first place?
76
Tender
Tender is a verb, and it does not mean to behave tenderly. When you tender, something you offer it up.
For instance, when you tender your resignation, you hand in a piece of paper saying that you are resigning.
77
Intimate
Just as tender doesn’t relate to two people in love, neither does intimate, at least on the GRE. The secondary meaning for intimate is to suggest something subtly.
78
Wanting
Wanting means lacking. So, if your knowledge of secondary meanings is wanting, this eBook is a perfect place to start learning.
79
Becoming
Another secondary meaning that changes parts of speech, becoming an adjective. If something is becoming, it matches nicely.
Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful.
80
Start
The secondary meaning for start is somewhat similar to the common meaning. To start is to suddenly move or dart in a particular direction.
81
Fleece
If you are thinking Mary Had a Little Lamb (…fleece as white as snow), you have been fleeced by a secondary meaning. To fleece is to deceive.
82
Telling
If something is telling, it is significant and stands out.
| Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.
83
Wax
Melting wax will only lead you astray. The secondary meaning for wax is to increase. The opposite of wax is to wane.
84
Check
To check is to limit, and is usually used to modify the growth of something.
When government abuses are not kept in check, a ruling body is likely to become autocratic.
85
Qualify
This is perhaps the most commonly confused secondary meaning and the one that is most important to learn for the GRE. To qualify is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion.
I love San Francisco.
I love San Francisco, but it is always windy.
The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or limit, my love for San Francisco.
In the context of the GRE, the concept of qualification is usually found in the Reading Comprehension passage. For example, an author usually expresses qualified approval or some qualified opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they qualify, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval.
86
Miserly vs. Frugal
This is one of the most commonly confused pairs. These words, despite popular opinion, are not the same. Frugal has a positive connotation, i.e. you spend money wisely, and miserly has a negative connotation, i.e. you pinch every penny.
Monte was no miser, pinching each penny, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.
87
Prevaricate vs. Variance
To prevaricate is to speak in an evasive way. Prevaricate does not mean to vary before; indeed, it is totally unrelated to variance, which simply means the quality of varying. A good synonym for prevaricate is equivocate. And that’s no lie.
The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate”.
88
Histrionic vs. History
Histrionic is totally unrelated to history. It comes from the Latin for actor. To be histrionic is not to have a penchant for bad Pacino or Brando imitations, but to be overly theatrical.
Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she’d been handed a death sentence.
89
Demur vs. Demure
To demur is a verb meaning to object or show reluctance.
Wallace dislike the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps.
To be demure is to be modest and shy. This word refers to a woman, so don’t call a man demure, as they will surely demur.
90
Beatific vs. Beautiful
A beatific person is one who radiates bliss. This person is so happy, they almost seem blessed and holy (think of a saint, of the Buddha). As for beautiful, well you may be beatific if you are beautiful, or you may be totally unhappy. The two words are totally unrelated.
Marred by the ravages of time, the idols were hardly beautiful, yet each seemed to emanate a beatific aura that not even 500 years could diminish.
91
Perfunctory vs. Preemptive vs. Peremptory
Ever done dishes before? As far as daily experiences go, this one represents the nadir for most. As a result, when we do dishes, we do them in a routine way. We are hardly inspired.
To do something in such a manner is to be perfunctory. The word also carries with it the connotation of carelessness. That is, if you do something in which you are merely going through the motions, you are probably not doing your best (as far as my perfunctory dish-cleaning goes, my wife can attest to this).
To act before someone else does is to act preemptively.
Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it.
Preemptive is often times heard in a political context. A country that strikes before another country can do so is launching a preemptive strike.
If you are peremptory you are bossy and domineering.
My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.
92
Powwow
No, it’s not kowtow’s cousin – in fact, this word sprung from American soil, namely the Algonquin tribe of North America. A powwow was quite a hootenanny of a time and involved a big party of dancing and dining between tribes.
Strangely, today’s meaning is a lot more subdued, and far less fun. Any informal discussion or colloquy is regarded as a powwow. You and your co-worker can have a mid-afternoon powwow over coffee. A political leader can have a powwow with his cronies (I’m presuming they’d favor cigars over coffee).
93
Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude is one of those words that at first glance may seem gratuitous. After all, do we really need a word that literally translates from the German as harm-joy? Unfortunately, a twisted quirk of human nature is that we can sometimes take joy in the suffering of others. Luckily, German has provided us a word to use if we ever see someone cackling sardonically at the suffering of others.
From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.
94
Amuck
To run amuck is to run about frenzied. While this word comes to us via Malay, you don’t have to live on the Malaysian peninsula to witness people running amuck.
Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for one glance at his boyish face.
95
Indigent vs. Indigenous vs. Indignant
Indigent word means poor, having very little means.
In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the wherewithal to enjoy material luxuries.
Indigenous means relating to a certain area. Plants and animals are often indigenous, as are people.
The flora and fauna indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you’re not dealing with an opossum.
Imagine you are waiting in line to order your morning coffee. Right as you are about to order a nice steaming cup, someone cuts in front of you and places an order for six people. How would you feel? Indignant.
Indignant means to feel anger over a perceived injustice. And you don’t want to be indignant the day of the test, when ETS just happens to pick that one word you always end up confusing with another word.
96
Errant vs. Arrant vs. Errand vs. Err
To be errant is to be wandering, not sticking to a circumscribed path.
Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus to help his brain function.
Arrant means complete and utter.
It usually modifies a noun with a negative connotation, e.g. liar, fool, etc.
An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt.
An errand is a small chore.
Maria carried out her errands with dispatch, completing most before noon.
To err is (surprise!) make an error.
He erred in thinking that errant and arrant were synonyms.
97
Artless vs. Artful vs. Artifice
Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet…surely they relate to the second word, and definitely not the first, which would be reserved for people like me who reached their artistic apotheosis with the drawing of stickfigures.
Well, as far as the GRE is concerned, neither word relates to art (both in the lower case and upper case sense). To be artful means to be cunning and wily. To have artifice is to be artful. Perhaps you’ve read Dickens, and remember The Artful Dodger. The titular artful dodger did not have a penchant for watercolors, but was instead a devious, wily lad. This trait, presumably, allowed him to dodge tricky situations.
If somebody is artless, on the other hand, that person is innocent, guileless. It should come as little surprise, then, that the literary canon is absent an artless dodger, as he would be too innocent and naive to dodge much of anything.
Finally, artful and artless can refer back to the original usage of art. Therefore, Picasso is artful and I am artless. However, the GRE rarely, if ever, tests this definition.
98
Expurgate vs. Expunge
They both mean to remove, but in different ways. To expurgate means to remove objectionable material. If you’ve ever watched a rated-R film that has been adapted for prime time, you’ll probably note that all those F-words—factitious, facetious, and fatuous—have been removed. That’s expurgation (think of the beep).
To expunge simply means to wipe out or remove any trace off. Many people who commit petty crimes have those crimes expunged from their records, given that person doesn’t decide to start running every other red-light. So, if you’ve been a good driver over the last 10 years, then that one incident when 85 became the new 65…well, that’s probably been expunged from your record.
99
Censure vs. Censor
Speaking of beeping out the F-word, we have a synonym for expurgate: censor. Censure, the much more common GRE word, has nothing to do with removing objectionable words and/or material.
However, if you decide to start dropping the F-bomb in public—and I don’t mean facetious—then you can easily expect someone to censure you. To censure someone is to express strong disapproval of that person.
100
Ponderous vs. Imponderable
Ponder means to think over. So, ponderous must mean thinking. However, this is not the case.
Ponderous is derived from ‘pondus’, which means weight (think of a pound). So, to be ponderous means to be weighed-down, and to move slowly and in a labored fashion.
Imponderable is not the opposite of ponderous. It actually relates to thinking. An imponderable is something that is impossible to estimate, fathom or figure out. Say a child was to ask, “How long would it take driving in a car to go from one end of the universe to the other?” Unless you have a really big calculator—and a very fast car—then the answer to this question would be imponderable.
101
Kowtow
Nope, kowtow is not a giant truck for pulling bovines, but a word that comes from the imperial courts of China. When a person kowtowed to the emperor, or any eminent mandarin for that matter, he or she knelt and touched the ground with his or her forehead. Such a gesture was intended to show respect and submission.
Today, kowtow has a negative connotation and implies that a person is acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner.
He kowtowed to his boss on even the most trivial matters that the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.
102
Junta
Junta means to join and comes via Portugal and Spain. But this joining was in no way peaceful.
Whenever a military group joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta.
Today, junta can refer to the aggressive takeover by a group.
103
Imbroglio
It may sound like an exotic vegetable or a pungent pasta dish, but it’s neither. Imbroglio comes to us via mid-18th century Italian and has nothing to do with the kitchen. Instead it is related to the verb ‘embroil’ and describes a confusing, and potentially embarrassing, situation.
The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating off-putting dishes on an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.
104
Juggernaut
To many, this word was forever immortalized in X-Men 2, when one of the main characters, Juggernaut, ran through walls, pulverizing them. This power to knock over and destroy anything in its path can also be traced to the original juggernaut, a word that comes to us via Hindi. A juggernaut was a large temple vehicle—and when I mean large I mean humongous—under which followers of Krishna would
supposedly throw themselves.
Today, the word juggernaut doesn’t necessarily include any grisly sacrifices, but refers to any large force that cannot be stopped.
Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.
105
Pariah
This word means an outcast. It comes from Hindi, one of the most prominent languages spoken in India.
While India is on the other side of the world (at least from where I’m sitting), it should come as no surprise that we have acquired words from Hindi. After all, the British (remember, the people who “invented” English) colonized India and greatly influenced her for more than a century. The influence went both ways, as we now have words like pundit, meaning an expert in a particular area. And any pundit on geography and linguistics can tell you that another common language spoken in India is English.
The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the research community.
106
Nabob
This word is fun to say. It definitely wouldn’t be fun to see on the GRE, if you didn’t know what it meant. So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. A nabob is a wealthy, influential person. This word also comes from Hindi, and was originally used by Indians to describe a wealthy British person living in India.
While it is not as common as pundit and pariah, nabob applies to many living here in the U.S., though I don’t think it a good idea to call Donald Trump a nabob to his face.
107
Bwana
This word comes from Swahili and means master. The word was originally from Arabic, and meant father.
