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GRE Vocab - 3 > N,O > Flashcards

N,O Flashcards

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1
Q

nadir

A

lowest point (Eg: Although few people realized it- the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an )

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2
Q

naivete

A

quality of being unsophisticated (Eg: I cannot believe that such naivete is unassumed in a person of her age and experience. )

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3
Q

narcissist

A

conceited person (Eg: A narcissist is his own best friend. )

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4
Q

narrative

A

related to telling a story (Eg: A born teller of tales- Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story ‘‘I Stand Here )

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5
Q

nascent

A

incipient; coming into being (Eg: If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state- we would be able to eliminate )

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6
Q

natation

A

swimming (Eg: The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in natation. )

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7
Q

natty

A

neatly or smartly dresssed (Eg: Priding himself on being a natty dresser- the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits )

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8
Q

nauseate

A

cause to become sick; fill with disgust (Eg: The foul smells began to nauseate him. )

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9
Q

nautical

A

pertaining to ships or navigation (Eg: The Maritime Museum contains many models of clipper ships- logbooks- anchors and many other items of )

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10
Q

nebulous

A

vague; hazy; cloudy (Eg: She had only a nebulous memory of her grandmother’s face. )

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11
Q

necromancy

A

black magic; dealings with the dead (Eg: Because he was able to perform feats of necromancy- the natives thought he was in league with the devil. )

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12
Q

nefarious

A

very wicked (Eg: He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds. )

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13
Q

negation

A

denial (Eg: I must accept his argument since you have been unable to present any negation of his evidence. )

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14
Q

negligence

A

carelessness (Eg: negligence can prove costly near complicated machinery. )

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15
Q

negligible

A

so small- trifling- or unimportant as to be easily disregarded (Eg: Because the damage to his car had been negligible- Michael decided he wouldn’t bother to report the )

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16
Q

nemesis

A

revenging agent (Eg: Captain Bligh vowed to be Christian’s nemesis. )

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17
Q

neologism

A

new or newly coined word or phrase (Eg: As we invent new techniques and professions- we must also invent neologisms such as ‘‘microcomputer’’ )

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18
Q

neophyte

A

recent convert; beginner (Eg: This monuntain slope contains slides that will challenge esperts as well as neophytes. )

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19
Q

nepotism

A

favoritism (to a relative) (Eg: John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather )

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20
Q

nether

A

lower (Eg: Tradition locates hell in the nether regions. )

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21
Q

nettle

A

annoy; vex (Eg: Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks. )

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22
Q

nexus

A

connection (Eg: I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events. )

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23
Q

nib

A

beak; pen point (Eg: The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded. )

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24
Q

nicety

A

precision; minute distinction (Eg: I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning. )

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25
Q

niggardly

A

meanly stingy; parsimonious (Eg: The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty. )

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26
Q

niggle

A

spend too much time on minor points; carp (Eg: Let’s not niggle over details. )

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27
Q

nihilism

A

denial of traditional values; total skepticism (Eg: nihilism holds that existence has no meaning. )

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28
Q

nirvana

A

Buddihist teachings- the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an (Eg: impersonal beatitude )

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29
Q

nocturnal

A

done at night (Eg: Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops. )

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30
Q

noisome

A

foul smelling; unwholesome (Eg: I never could stand the noisome atmosphere surrounding the slaughter houses. )

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31
Q

nomadic

A

wandering (Eg: Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year. )

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32
Q

nomenclature

A

terminology; system of names (Eg: She struggled to master scientific nomenclature. )

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33
Q

nominal

A

in name only; trifling (Eg: He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee. )

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34
Q

nonchalance

A

indifference; lack of interest (Eg: Few people could understand how he could listen to the news of the tragedy with such nonchalance; the )

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35
Q

noncommittal

A

neutral; unpledged; undecided (Eg: We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his )

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36
Q

nondescript

A

undistinctive; ordinary (Eg: The private detective was a short- nondescript fellow with no ourstanding features- the sort of person one )

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37
Q

nonentity

A

person of no importance; nonexistence (Eg: Don’t dismiss John as a nonentity; in his quiet way- he’s very important to the firm. )

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38
Q

nonplus

A

bring to a halt by confusion; perplex (Eg: Jack’s uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill- leaving her uncertain how to react. )

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39
Q

nostalgia

A

homesickness; longing for the past (Eg: The first settlers found so much work to do that they had little time for nostalgia. )

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40
Q

nostrum

A

questionable medicine (Eg: No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. )

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41
Q

notoriety

A

disrepute; ill fame (Eg: To the starlet- any publicity was good publicity: if she couldn’t have a good reputation- she’d settle for )

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42
Q

novelty

A

something new; newness (Eg: )

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43
Q

novice

A

beginner (Eg: Even a novice can do good work if he follows these simple directions. )

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44
Q

noxious

A

harmful (Eg: We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us. )

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45
Q

nuance

A

shade of difference in meaning or color (Eg: The unskilled eye of the layperson has difficulty in dicerning the nuances of color in the paintings. )

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46
Q

nubile

A

marrigeable (Eg: Mrs. Bennet- in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- was worried about finding suitable husbands for her )

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47
Q

nugatory

A

futile; worthless (Eg: This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. )

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48
Q

nullify

A

to make invalid (Eg: Once the contract was nullified- it no longer had any legal force. )

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49
Q

numismatist

A

person who collects coins (Eg: The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins. )

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50
Q

nuptial

A

related to marriage (Eg: Their nuptial ceremony was performed in Golden Gate Park. )

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51
Q

nurture

A

nourish; educate; foster (Eg: The head Start program attempts to nurture prekindergarten children so that they will do well when they )

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52
Q

nutrient

A

nourishing substance (Eg: As a budding nutritionist- Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic )

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53
Q

oaf

A

stupid- awkward person (Eg: He called the unfortunate waiter a clumsy oaf. )

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54
Q

obdurate

A

stubborn (Eg: He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. )

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55
Q

obeisance

A

bow (Eg: She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room. )

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56
Q

obelisk

A

tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid (Eg: Cleopatra’s Needle is an obelisk in New York City’s Central Park. )

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57
Q

obese

A

excessively fat (Eg: It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight. )

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58
Q

obfuscate

A

confuse; muddle (Eg: Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments. )

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59
Q

obituary

A

dealth notice (Eg: I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper. )

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60
Q

objective

A

not influenced by emotions; fair (Eg: Even though he was her son- she tried to be objective about his behavior. )

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61
Q

objective

A

goal; aim (Eg: A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective. )

62
Q

obligatory

A

binding; required (Eg: It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks. )

63
Q

oblique

A

slanting; deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line (Eg: The sergeant ordered the men to march ‘‘oblique right.’’ )

64
Q

obliterate

A

destroy completely (Eg: The tidal wave obliterated several island villages. )

65
Q

oblivion

A

forgetfulness (Eg: Her work had fallen into a state of oblivion; no one bothered to read them. )

66
Q

obloquy

A

slander; disgrace; infamy (Eg: I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation. )

67
Q

obnoxious

A

offensive (Eg: I find your behavior obnoxious; please mend your ways. )

68
Q

obscure

A

dark; vague; unclear (Eg: Even after I read the poem a fourth time- its meaning was still obscure. )

69
Q

obscure

A

darken; make unclear (Eg: At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning- preferring mystery to clarity. )

70
Q

obsequious

A

slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic (Eg: Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an )

71
Q

obsequy

A

funeral ceremony (Eg: Hundreads paid their last respects at his obsequies. )

72
Q

obsession

A

fixed idea; continued brooding (Eg: This obsession with the supernatural has made him unpopular with his neighbors. )

73
Q

obsidian

A

clak volcanic rock (Eg: The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indiacation that volcano had erupted in ancient )

74
Q

obsolete

A

outmoded (Eg: ‘‘Hip’’ is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts. )

75
Q

obstetrician

A

physician specializing in delivery of babies (Eg: Unlike midwives- who care for women giving birth at home- obstetricians generally work in a hospital )

76
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn (Eg: We tried to persuade him to give up smoking- but he was obstinate and refused to change. )

77
Q

obstreperous

A

boisterous; noisy (Eg: The crowd became obstreperous and shouted their disapproval of the proposals made by the speaker. )

78
Q

obtrusive

A

pushing forward (Eg: I found her a very obstrusive person- constantly seeking the center of the stage. )

79
Q

obtuse

A

blunt; stupid (Eg: Because he was so obtuse- he could not follow the teacher’s reasoning and asked foolish questions. )

80
Q

obviate

A

make unnecessary; get rid of (Eg: I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. )

81
Q

occident

A

the West (Eg: It will take occident to understand the ways and customs of the orient. )

82
Q

occlude

A

shut; close (Eg: A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. )

83
Q

occult

A

mysterious; secret; supernatural (Eg: The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. )

84
Q

oculist

A

physician who specialized in treatment of the eyes (Eg: In many states- an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of )

85
Q

odious

A

hateful (Eg: I find the task of punishing you most odious. )

86
Q

odium

A

repugnance; dislike (Eg: I cannot express the odium I feel at your heinous actions. )

87
Q

odoriferous

A

giving off an odor (Eg: )

88
Q

odorous

A

having an odor (Eg: This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden. )

89
Q

odyssey

A

long- evenful journey (Eg: The refugee’s journey from Cambodia was a terrifying odyssey. )

90
Q

offensive

A

attacking; insulting; distasteful (Eg: Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers- who are required by law to restrict )

91
Q

offhand

A

casual; done without prior thought (Eg: Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her costs- Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand )

92
Q

officious

A

meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services (Eg: After her long flight- Jill just wanted to nap- but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the )

93
Q

ogle

A

glance coquettishly at; make eyes at (Eg: Sitting for hours at the sidewalk cafe- the old gentleman would oggle the young girls and recall his youthful )

94
Q

olfactory

A

concerning the sense of smell (Eg: The olfactory organ is the nose. )

95
Q

oligarchy

A

government by a few (Eg: The feudal oligarchy was supplanted by an autocracy. )

96
Q

ominous

A

threatening (Eg: Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way. )

97
Q

omnipotent

A

all-powerful (Eg: The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts. )

98
Q

omnipresent

A

universally present; ubiquitous (Eg: On Christmas Eve- Santa Claus is omnipotent. )

99
Q

omniscient

A

all-knowing (Eg: I do not pretend to be omniscient- but I am positive about this fact. )

100
Q

omnivorous

A

eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything (Eg: Some animals- including humans- are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either )

101
Q

onerous

A

burdensome (Eg: He asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous. )

102
Q

onomatopoeia

A

words formed in imitation of natural sounds (Eg: Words like ‘‘rustle’’ and ‘‘gargle’’ are illustrations of onomatopoeia. )

103
Q

onslaught

A

vicious assault (Eg: We suffered many casualties during unexpected onslaght of the enemy troops. )

104
Q

onus

A

burden; responsibility (Eg: The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead- he relegated the assignment to )

105
Q

opalescent

A

iridescent (Eg: The Ancient Mariner admired the opalescent sheen on the water. )

106
Q

opaque

A

dark; not transparent (Eg: The opaque window kept the sunlight out of the room. )

107
Q

opiate

A

sleep producer; deadener of pain (Eg: By such opiates- she made the people forget their difficulties and accept their unpleasant circumstances. )

108
Q

opportune

A

timely; well chosen (Eg: You have come at an opportune moment for I need a new secretary. )

109
Q

opportunist

A

individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances (Eg: Forget about ethics! He’s such an opportunist that he’ll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break. )

110
Q

opprobrium

A

infamy; vilification (Eg: He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he )

111
Q

optician

A

maker and seller of eyeglasses (Eg: The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician. )

112
Q

optimist

A

person who looks on the bright side (Eg: The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optimist says it is half-full. )

113
Q

optimum

A

most favorable (Eg: If you wait for the optimum moment to act- you may never begin your project . )

114
Q

optional

A

not compulsory; left to one’s choice (Eg: I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available. )

115
Q

optometrist

A

one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects (Eg: Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders- she may not use medicinesor surgery in )

116
Q

opulence

A

extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance (Eg: The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella’s breath away. )

117
Q

opus

A

work (Eg: )

118
Q

oracular

A

foretelling; mysterious (Eg: Oedipus could not understand the oracular warning he received. )

119
Q

oratorio

A

dramatic poem set to music (Eg: The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital. )

120
Q

ordain

A

command; arrange; consecrate (Eg: The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to enter the city. )

121
Q

ordeal

A

severe trial or affliction (Eg: Terry Anderson spoke movingly of his long ordeal as a hostage in Lebanon. )

122
Q

ordinance

A

decree (Eg: Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance. )

123
Q

ordination

A

ceremony conferring holy orders (Eg: The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocean officers before being judged )

124
Q

orient

A

get one’s bearings; adjust (Eg: Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city. )

125
Q

orientation

A

act of finding oneself in society (Eg: Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new )

126
Q

orifice

A

mouthlike opening; small opening (Eg: The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice )

127
Q

ornate

A

excessively or elaborately decorated (Eg: Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings. )

128
Q

ornithologist

A

scientific student of birds (Eg: Auduborn’s drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to the ornithologists but also to )

129
Q

orthodox

A

traditional; conservative in belief (Eg: Faced with a problem- he preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone. )

130
Q

orthography

A

correct spelling (Eg: Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are written )

131
Q

oscillate

A

vibrate pendulumlike; waver (Eg: It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism. )

132
Q

osseus

A

made of bone; bony (Eg: The hollow ‘‘soft spot’’ found at the top of the infant’s skull gradually closes as new osseus tissue fills in the )

133
Q

ossify

A

change or harden into bone (Eg: When he called his opponent a ‘‘bonehead-‘’ he implied that his adversary’s brain had ossified and that he )

134
Q

ostensible

A

apparent; professed; pretended (Eg: Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands- we are really interested in )

135
Q

ostentatious

A

showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention (Eg: Trump’s latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East: it easily )

136
Q

ostracize

A

exclude from public favor; ban (Eg: As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals- his friends began to )

137
Q

oust

A

expel; drive out (Eg: The world wondered if Aquino would be able to oust Marcos from office. )

138
Q

outlandish

A

bizzare; peculiar; unconventional (Eg: The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an )

139
Q

outmoded

A

no longer stylish; old-fahioned (Eg: Unconcerned about keeping in style- Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they )

140
Q

outskirts

A

fringes; outer borders (Eg: Living outskirts of Boston- Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city. )

141
Q

outspoken

A

candid; blunt (Eg: The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words )

142
Q

outrtip

A

surpass; outdo (Eg: Jesse Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold metal at the Olympic Games. )

143
Q

outwit

A

outsmart; trick (Eg: By disguising himself as an old woman- Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture. )

144
Q

ovation

A

enthusiastic applause (Eg: When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Boheme- he was greeted by a tremendous )

145
Q

overbearing

A

bossy; arrogant; decisively important (Eg: )

146
Q

overt

A

open to view (Eg: According to the United States Constitution- a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for )

147
Q

overweening

A

presumptuous; arrogant (Eg: His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified. )

148
Q

overwrought

A

extremely agitated; hysterical (Eg: When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy- she became too overwrought to work and had to leave )

149
Q

ovoid

A

egg-shaped (Eg: At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes. )

150
Q

overhaul

A

thoroughly examine the condition of and repair if necessary (Eg: It is necessary for the engineers of NASA to overhaul the rocket everyday; otherwise- an incident similar to )

GRE Vocab - 3 (5 decks)

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