magoosh Flashcards
Prosaic (adj)
dull and lacking imagination Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.
Veracity (n.)
truthful. After years of political scandals, the congressman was hardly known for his veracity; yet despite this distrust, he was voted into yet another term.
Paucity (n.)
Lack of something. There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most jobs have either been automated or outsourced.
Maintain (v.)
To assert. The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate.
Contrite (adj.)
To be remorseful. Though he stole his little sister’s licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn’t stop crying.
Contentious (adj.)
Like to argue. Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.
Auspicious (adj.)
Favorable. Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike’s road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.
Equivocate (v.)
To speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive. More generally, equivocal can mean ambiguous. The findings of the study were equivocal—the two researchers had divergent opinions on what the results signified.
Sedulous (adj.)
Diligently and carefully. An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.
Blinkered (adj.)
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.
Check (n./v.)
To stop its growth (similar to stem but with more of a focus on growth than flow). 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.
Checkered (adj.)
A past 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.
Retiring (adj.)
To be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company. Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
Expansive (adj.)
- extensive, wide-ranging. 2. 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”.
Moment (n.)
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.
Base (adj.)
Without any moral principles. She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.
Imbibe (v.)
Drink, usually copiously. 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.
Scintillating (adj.)
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.
Benighted (adj.)
State of ignorance. Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.
Hedge (n./v.)
To limit or qualify. When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.
Flush (adj.)
- to be in abundance 2. to drive out of hiding The GRE Reading Comprehension passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have learned only yesterday.
Fell (adj.)
Terribly evil. For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement.
Arch (adj.)
To be deliberately teasing. The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn’t pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious.
Beg (v.)
- To evade a question 2. invite an obvious question 3. to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions. By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall.
Tender (v.)
To offer up. (ie a letter of resignation) The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation.
Intimate (adj./v.)
To suggest something subtly. At first Manfred’s teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy’s precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.
Fleece (v.)
To deceive. Many have been fleeced by Internet scams and have never received their money back.
Qualify (v.)
To limit.
Demur (v.)
To object or show reluctance. When asked if she wanted to visit the war torn region without a translator by his side, the journalist demurred.
Beatific (adj.)
To radiate bliss. 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.
Peremptory (adj.)
Bossy and domineering. My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.
Indigent (adj.)
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.
Arrant (adj.)
Complete and utter. 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.
Artless (adj.)
Innocent, guileless.
Artful (adj.)
Cunning and wily.
Artifice (n.)
To be artful (cunning and wily).
Expurgate (v.)
Remove objectionable material (censor).
Expunge (v.)
To wipe out or remove any trace off. Many people who commit petty crimes have those crimes expunged from their records.
Censure (v.)
To express strong disapproval.
Ponderous (adj.)
To be weighed-down and to move slowly and in a labored fashion.
Imponderable (adj./n.)
Something that is impossible to estimate, fathom or figure out.
Kowtow (v.)
Acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner (neg connotation). Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.
Imbroglio (n.)
A confusing, and potentially embarrassing, situation. The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.
Juggernaut (n.)
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.
Nabob (n.)
A wealthy, influential person. The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno.
Sangfroid (n.)
Calmness and poise, especially in trying situations. The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head.
Parvenu (n.)
A person who has recently acquired wealth, and has therefore risen in class (derogatory). The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats.
Arriviste (n.)
Someone who recently acquired wealth (parvenu), but with ruthless ambition. The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.
Melee (n.)
Wild, confusing fight or struggle. Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so fond of baiting arrivistes into.
Lagniappe (n.)
An unexpected gift. The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered.
Picayune (adj.)
- Trifling or meager amount. 2. Person who is petty. English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.
Hector (v.)
To bully or intimidate. The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.
Pollyannaish (adj.)
Extremely optimistic.
Pyrrhic (adj.)
Any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it is a pyrrhic victory. George W. Bush’s win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.
Kafkaesque (adj.)
Referring to the absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies. The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation.
Quixotic (adj.)
Wildly idealistic. For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.
Maudlin (adj.)
Outward outpouring of emotion (with neg connotation). Just as those who were alive during the 70’s are mortified that they once cavorted about in bell-bottoms, many who lived during the 80’s are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy.
Panglossian (adj.)
Blind optimism (neg connotation). Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age.
Quisling (n.)
Traitor. History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—he who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.
Supercilious (adj.)
Haughty and disdainful. Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.
Protean (adj.)
A very versatile actor, musician, or writer. Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.
Sartorial (adj.)
The way we dress. Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complemented his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.
Saturnine (adj.)
Morose. Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that’s why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.
Mercurial (adj.)
Anyone who unpredictably changes his or her mood is mercurial. Martha Argerich’s mercurial nature is perfectly matched with playing Chopin: she’ll toss off, with aplomb, effervescent passages, before moments later plumbing the depths of her soul to give voice to bars of music steeped in the utmost melancholy.
Jejune (adj.)
- Dull, insipid and lacking flavor. 2. Childish and immature.
Bilious (adj.)
Angry. Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he’d had his morning cup of coffee.
Choleric (adj.)
Highly irascible. While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.
Sanguine (adj.)
Cheerful, optimistic. With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine.
Martinet (n.)
Strict disciplinarian. The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize—and inevitably criticize—every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.
Reprobate (n.)
The object of an expression of disapproval (but someone you have fondness for). Those old reprobates drinking all day down by the river –they are not going to amount to much.
Virago (n.)
Ill- tempered and sometimes violent woman. Poor Billy was the victim of the virago’s invective—she railed at him for a good 30
Syncretic (adj.)
Amalgam of different schools of thoughts. Jerry the shrink takes a syncretic approach to psychotherapy: he mixes the Gestalt school with some Jung and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your view) dose of Freud.
Parochial (adj.)
Narrow-minded in one’s view. Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; “After all,” she quipped on her blog, “he considered Chef Boyrdee ethnic food.”
Catholic (adj.)
Universal, wide-ranging, all-embracing. Jonah’s friends said that Jonah’s taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.
Anathema (n.)
The source of someone’s hate. Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.
Desecrate (v.)
To violate or destroy a sacred place. The felon had desecrated the holy site, and was on the church’s Top 10 Anathema list.
Apostasy (n.)
The act of turning against or renouncing a faith, or political belief. An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party but dubs himself a “literal independent.”
Sanctimonious (adj.)
Holier-than-thou. Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time.
Malfeasance (n.)
A wrongdoing, usually by a public official. Not even the mayor’s trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he’d been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.
Embroiled (adj.)
To become caught up in a scandal. These days we are never short of a D.C. imbroglio—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one scandal, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.
Venality (n.)
Corruption. If our legal system becomes plagued with venality, then the very notion of justice is imperiled.
Turpitude (n.)
Acts that are downright wicked and immoral (syn depravity). During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.
Spendthrift (n.)
Someone who spends a lot. Weekly trips to Vegas and five-star restaurants on Tuesday evenings, Megan was a spendthrift whose prodigality would inevitably catch up with her.
Parsimonious (adj.)
Extremely frugal. (syn miserly, stingy). Even with millions in his bank account, Fred was so parsimonious that he followed a diet consisting of nothing more than bread and canned soup.
Sybarite (n.)
A person who indulges in luxury. Despite the fact that he’d maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the feds found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial.
Impecunious (adj.)
Not having any money. In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.
Penurious (adj.)
- Not having any money (penury). 2. Miserly Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. Sarah chose to be penurious and drive a beat-up VW, though with her wealth she could have easily afforded an Italian sports car.
Profligate (adj./n.)
Spending recklessly almost to the point of immorality. Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.
Cupidity (n.)
Greed for money. Some people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.
Defray (v.)
Help pay the cost of. In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college his magnanimous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly infusion of cash.
Pittance (n.)
A small amount of money (neg connotation. Vinny’s uncle beamed smugly about how he’d offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere pittance.
Mulct (v.)
To swindle or defraud someone. The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but not hundreds of pounds.
Apogee (n.)
The highest point or culmination of something. The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart’s music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.
Apotheosis (n.)
Someone who has reached a point to be god-like. As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg’s career, many believe, is yet to come.
Nadir (n.)
The lowest point. Mike had walked in cold to the new GRE and was not surprised afterwards that he’d hit a standardized test nadir.
Untoward (adj.)
Not favorable, inconvenient. Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on attaining tenure.
Overweening (adj.)
Presumptuously arrogant. Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.
Truculent (adj.)
Fierce, savage nature. Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.
Contentious (adj.)
Like to fight with words. She became increasingly contentious, misconstruing even an innocuous statement as a hostile one.
Jingoist (adj.)
A person who thinks their country should always be at war. In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.
Dog (v.)
To pursue relentlessly. Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.
Cow (v.)
To use intimidation to make someone give in. Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards!
Mellifluous (adj.)
Something that sounds as sweet as honey. Chelsea’s grandmother thought Franz Schubert’s music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother’s chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.
Palimpsest (n.)
Anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen.
Defenestrate (v.)
A comical way of saying to throw someone out of a window. Defenestration is rare in these days of sealed windows.
Invective (n.)
Harsh, critical language. The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.
Inveigle (v.)
To coax.
Screed (n.)
An abusive rant that has since become tedious and hackneyed. Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, would enumerate all of the government’s deficiencies, only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.
Harangue (n./v.)
Syn tirade, diatribe. Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.
Vituperation (n.)
A violent launch into an invective or tirade. Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants would vituperate him for forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots.
Mercurial (adj.)
Moody and unpredictable. The fact that Ella’s moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn’t help that she lived in Chicago.
Slapdash (adj.)
Hastily put together. The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.
Aboveboard (adj.)
Open an honest. It usually refers to government officials who are honest. The mayor, despite his avuncular visage plastered about the city, was hardly aboveboard – some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it.
Thoroughgoing (adj.)
Absolute. As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.
Cadaverous (adj.)
So skinny or emaciated that they look like a dead person. Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear cadaverous.
Macabre (adj.)
Story/ film/ etc filled with gruesome details about death and horror. Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to—and often those moments after—a grisly death.
Diabolical (adj.)
Extremely wicked like the devil. The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city.
Phantasmagorical (adj.)
A series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream, whether those images are real or in one’s head. Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.
Ingenuous (adj.)
To be naïve and innocent. Two-years in college in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.
Gregarious (adj.)
To be likely to socialize with others. Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can often be introverted.
Peruse (v.)
To read very carefully. Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signature at the bottom.
Disabuse (v.)
To persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid. As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess—one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.
Mettlesome (adj.)
Courage or valor. For its raid on the Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.
Affable (adj.)
Likeable, easy to talk to. For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn’t around other people.
Amenable (adj.)
Easily persuaded, cooperative. Even though she did not like bad weather, Shirley was generally amenable and decided to accompany her brother to the picnic.
Acrimony (n.)
Bitterness, ill will. The acrimonious dispute between the president and vice-president sent an unequivocal signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.
Aberration (n.)
A deviation from what is normal or expected. Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon makes headlines.
Conciliate (v.)
To make peace with. His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.
Calumny (n.)
Making of a false statement meant to injure a person’s reputation.
Commensurate (adj.)
To be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount. The convicted felon’s life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.
Churlish (adj.)
Lacking manners or refinement. The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly unbecoming.
Castigate (v.)
To reprimand harshly. (syn chastise). Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.
Cogent (adj.)
Clear and persuasive.
Contentious (adj.)
- controversial (in terms of an issue) 2. inclined to arguing As soon as the discussion turns to politics, Uncle Hank becomes highly contentious, vehemently disagreeing with those who endorse the same positions.
Fractious (adj.)
Irritable and is likely to cause disruption. We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.
Factious (adj.)
Causing factions (splitting into smaller groups). The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted.
Factitious (adj.)
Artificial, not natural, phony. The defendant’s story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies.
Vindictive (adj.)
To have a very strong desire for revenge.
Vicissitude (n.)
Any change in one’s circumstances, usually for the worse. Miri’s vicissitude caused her to have a black heart.
Venal (adj.)
Corrupt, and likely to accept bribes.
Venial (adj.)
Minor and pardonable sin or offense. His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious—on one occasion he simply did not come to a complete stop; another time he tried to escape across state lines at speeds in excess of 140 mph.
Veracious (adj.)
Truthful.
Venerate (v.)
To respect someone deeply. The professor, despite his soporific lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.
Excoriate (v.)
- To criticize really, really harshly. 2. To tear one’s skin from his/her body. Entrusted with the prototype to his company’s latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company—the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.
Execrate (v.)
To curse and hiss. Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than execrable pastiche of tired cliché’s and canned laughter.
Exegesis (n.)
A critical interpretation of a scholarly work. The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in a Gideon.
Exhort (v.)
To strongly urge on, encourage. Nelson’s parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.
Impertinent (adj.)
Not showing the proper respect. Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, found the police officer’s questions impertinent—after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what the dog’s favorite snack was?
Unconscionable (adj.)
An act so horrible and deplorable that it makes everyone around aghast. The lawyer’s demands were unconscionable, and rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the man decided to find a new lawyer.
Immaterial (adj.)
Not relevant. The judge found the defendant’s comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.
Inflammable (adj.)
- Easily light on fire. 2. Extremely controversial. It only takes one person to leave an inflammable comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.
Belie (v.)
The outward appearance does not match up with the reality. Her surface calm belied her roiling emotions. The effortless fluidity with which the pianist’s fingers moved belied the countless hours he had practiced. Her upbeat attitude during the group project belied her inherent pessimism towards any collective endeavor.
Disinterested (adj.)
Unbiased, neutral. The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.
Equivocal (adj.)
Vague, undecided. Whether we can glean an artist’s unconscious urges through his or her art remains equivocal – that we can ever even really tap into another person’s hidden motives remains in doubt.
Sententious (adj.)
To be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense. The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, “Youth is wasted on the young.”
Propitiate (v.)
Attempting to placate or appease. The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him – the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.
Feckless (adj.)
Lazy and irresponsible. By the way, I’m feckless—I won’t include an example sentence (oops, I just walked into a contradiction).
Tendentious (adj.)
Likely to espouse a controversial view. Biased Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite proclamations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today’s pressing issues.
Limpid (adj.)
Clarity in terms of expression (typically used to describe writing or music). Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.
Betray (v.)
To reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally.
Remiss (adj.)
To be negligent in one’s duty. Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principle was relieved of his position after only three months.
Restive (adj.)
Restless. The crowd grew restive as the comedian’s opening jokes fell flat.
Repine (v.)
To complain or fret over something. Standing forlornly by the window, she repined for her lost love.
Remonstrate (v.)
To make objections while pleading. The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.
Puissant
it used to describe something powerful. A related word is impuissant. It means weak, lacking power.
Numinous
Supernatural (not common gre word)
Iniquitous
behavior that is downright immoral or eviil
the phrase “den of iniquity” is often used to describe a group of people—usually politicians—who engage in all kinds of unseemly behavior.
Flagitious
villainous and vile (maybe too obscure for gre)
Munificent
Very giving and generous, and comes from the Latin munus, meaning gift.
In times of economic prosperity, the munificent ruler rewarded his people by hosting weekly festivals, in which denizens could dance, drink and eat for free.
