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GRE VOCAB > Prep Scholar Must Know Words > Flashcards

Prep Scholar Must Know Words Flashcards

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1
Q

dissonance

A

n. a clash between two elements that don’t blend well

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2
Q

fastidious

A

adj. meticulous

adj. invested in cleanliness

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3
Q

caustic

A

adj. corrosive
“a caustic cleaner”

adj. bitterly sarcastic
“the players were making caustic comments about the refereeing”

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4
Q

erroneous

A

adj. incorrect

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5
Q

copious

A

adj. plentiful or abundant

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6
Q

mollify

A

v. placate

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7
Q

indefatigable

A

adj. cannot be made tired

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8
Q

phenomena

A

n. things that happen

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9
Q

burgeon

A

v. flourish, bloom, expand or increase quickly

“manufacturers are keen to cash in on the burgeoning demand”

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10
Q

probity

A

n. integrity and honor

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11
Q

dirge

A

n. funeral or mourning lament

n. any sad, slow song

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12
Q

avarice

A

extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

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13
Q

inadvertent

A

adj. by accident or unintentional

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14
Q

lucid

A

adj. clear and coherent

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15
Q

malign

A

adj. evil or harmful

v. to speak negatively about someone or something

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16
Q

intractable

A

adj. unmanageable

adj. stubborn or obstinate

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17
Q

gregarious

A

adj. sociable, genial

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18
Q

decorum

A

n. appropriate behavior or good manners

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19
Q

confound

A

v. to confuse or astonish

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20
Q

eminent

A

adj. well-known, respected, distinguished

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21
Q

mercurial

A

adj. easily changeable, fickle

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22
Q

opaque

A

adj. not see-through; blocking light

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23
Q

ameliorate

A

v. to improve or mitigate a situation

“the reform did much to ameliorate living standards”

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24
Q

specious

A

adj. spurious; appearing true but actually false

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25
Q

Innocuous

A

adj. harmless

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26
Q

ingenuous

A

adj. naïve or innocent

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27
Q

intransigent

A

adj. uncompromising, obstinate

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28
Q

opportunism

A

n. the practice of taking advantage of opportunities as they arise without particular concern for morality or ethics

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29
Q

maladroit

A

adj. clumsy, awkward, inept

“to handle a diplomatic crisis in a very maladroit way”

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30
Q

obsequious

A

adj. overly fawning and helpful in a way that is disingenuous

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31
Q

disparage

A

v. to belittle

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32
Q

timorous

A

adj. meek or timid

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33
Q

plausible

A

adj. believable, reasonable

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34
Q

abjure

A

v. to reject or renounce

“his refusal to abjure the Catholic faith”

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35
Q

qualification

A

n. credential

n. a modifying statement

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36
Q

inchoate

A

adj. rudimentary, in the beginning stages

“a still inchoate democracy”

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37
Q

eloquence

A

adj. persuasive and articulate speech

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38
Q

assuage

A

v. to provide relief from an unpleasant feeling
“the letter assuaged the fears of most members”

v. to satisfy a need or appetite
“an opportunity occurred to assuage her desire for knowledge”

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39
Q

harangue

A

n. diatribe or rant

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40
Q

empirical

A

adj. based on evidence

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41
Q

construe

A

v. to interpret

“his words could hardly be construed as an apology”

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42
Q

peruse

A

v. to read something carefully and closely
v. to read something informally or quickly
(context is critical for this word!)

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43
Q

prescient

A

adj. knowing things before they happen, prophetic

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44
Q

exacerbate

A

v. to make worse

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45
Q

plastic

A

adj. easily shaped or molded

adj. made of plastic

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46
Q

pristine

A

adj. untouched, clean, pure

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47
Q

quotidian

A

adj. relating to the everyday or mundane

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48
Q

engender

A

v. to cause or give rise to

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49
Q

platitude

A

n. a trite or cliché statement

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50
Q

obviate

A

v. to forestall the need for something

v. to prevent

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51
Q

banal

A

adj. boring, cliché

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52
Q

forestall

A

v. to hold off or try to prevent

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53
Q

diffident

A

adj. shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence

“underneath his diffident exterior was a passionate temperament”

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54
Q

erudite

A

adj. learned

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55
Q

galvanize

A

v. to prod someone into action

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56
Q

artless

A

adj. without artifice
adj. natural, untrained

“an artless, naive girl”

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57
Q

germane

A

adj. relevant to the matter at hand

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58
Q

precipitate

A

v. to cause
adj. hastily and not well-considered
n. particulate matter formed within a solution

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59
Q

aggrandize

A

v. enlarge or increase, esp. wealth, power, reputation

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60
Q

impudent

A

adj. disrespectful

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61
Q

belie

A

v. (of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict.
“his lively alert manner belied his years”

v. fail to fulfill or justify (a claim or expectation); betray.
“the notebooks belie Darwin’s later recollection”

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62
Q

imprudence

A

n. bad judgment

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63
Q

misanthrope

A

n. person who hates humanity

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64
Q

polemical

A

adj. angry, hostile, harshly critical

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65
Q

prevaricate

A

v. to evade or deceive without outright lying

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66
Q

censure

A

v. to express intense condemnation

“a judge was censured in 1983 for a variety of types of injudicious conduct”

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67
Q

fallacious

A

adj. relying on a fallacy and thus incorrect/misinformed

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68
Q

perfidy

A

n. treachery or deceit

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69
Q

olfactory

A

adj. relating to smell or the sense of smell

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70
Q

tenuous

A

adj. weak, flimsy, insubstantial

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71
Q

occlude

A

v. to block or obstruct

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72
Q

untenable

A

adj. weak or unsupportable, esp. with respect to an opinion or situation

“these untenable explanations are not helping your case”

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73
Q

indolent

A

adj. lazy; idle
adj. (of a disease condition) causing little or no pain.

Air-conditioning is for the weak and indolent

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74
Q

aver

A

v. to assert or allege

“he averred that he was innocent of the allegations”

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75
Q

deride

A

v. to mock or ridicule

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76
Q

equable

A

adj. even-tempered

adj. not given to much change or variation

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77
Q

salubrious

A

adj. health-promoting

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78
Q

analogous

A

n. comparable

n. appropriate for analogy

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79
Q

outstrip

A

v. to overtake or outrun

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80
Q

ebullient

A

adj. cheerful, enthusiastic, excited

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81
Q

laudable

A

adj. praiseworthy

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82
Q

obstinate

A

adj. stubborn, uncompromising

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83
Q

prospective

A

adj. potential or likely

adj. applicable to the future

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84
Q

laconic

A

adj. taciturn, reserved, succinct

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85
Q

immutable

A

adj. unchangeable

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86
Q

extrapolate

A

v. to estimate or conjecture about the future based on presently available information or facts

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87
Q

recondite

A

adj. arcane or obscure

88
Q

tacit

A

adj. unspoken; implicit

89
Q

painstaking

A

adj. attentive to detail, meticulous

90
Q

acumen

A

n. keen judgment and perception

91
Q

irresolute

A

adj. wishy-washy, hesitant

92
Q

spurious

A

adj. fake or false

93
Q

sedulous

A

adj. dedicated and careful

94
Q

precarious

A

adj. uncertain or unstable

95
Q

supine

A

adj. laying back with the face upward (opposite position to prone)

96
Q

amenable

A

adj. easily convinced or persuaded

“parents who have had easy babies and amenable children”

97
Q

nascent

A

adj. just beginning or in the early stages

98
Q

intimate

A

adj. close (as in a relationship)
adj. particularly private
v. to imply

99
Q

imminent

A

adj. about to happen

100
Q

eccentric

A

adj. quirky or unusual

101
Q

eschew

A

v. avoid or abstain from

102
Q

deftness

A

adj. skill, acumen

adj. manual dexterity

103
Q

guile

A

n. craftiness and cunning

“he used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in”

104
Q

laud

A

v. to praise

105
Q

aberrant

A

adj. diverging from the standard type

“aberrant chromosomes”

106
Q

stolid

A

adj. calm and dependable

107
Q

austere

A

adj. severe, unadorned

“the cathedral is impressive in its austere simplicity”

108
Q

craven

A

adj. cowardly to the point of being shameful

“a craven abdication of his moral duty”

109
Q

credence

A

n. belief or trust

110
Q

fluctuate

A

v. to shift without apparent pattern

111
Q

supplant

A

v. to overtake or replace

112
Q

abate

A

v. to diminish in intensity
v. to cause to diminish in intensity

“the storm suddenly abated”

113
Q

equivocate

A

v. to use ambiguous language in order to mislead or deceive

114
Q

extraneous

A

adj. irrelevant or superfluous

115
Q

exigent

A

adj. urgent or pressing

116
Q

exacting

A

adj. challenging, demanding, grueling

117
Q

bombastic

A

adj. high-sounding but with little meaning

“bombastic rhetoric”

118
Q

intrepid

A

adj. bold and adventurous

119
Q

vexation

A

n. state of being frustrated, irritated, or concerned.

120
Q

phlegmatic

A

adj. cool and unruffled

121
Q

disabuse

A

disabuse v. to dispel someone’s illusions or false impressions about something

122
Q

desultory

A

adj. halfhearted

adj. inconsistent or random

123
Q

notoriety

A

n. fame for doing something negative or criminal

124
Q

abscond

A

v. to leave secretly, evading detection

“she absconded with the remaining thousand dollars”

125
Q

opprobrium

A

n. criticism or condemnation

126
Q

overshadow

A

v. to literally cast a shadow over

v. to appear more notable than

127
Q

munificent

A

adj. very generous

128
Q

nuance

A

n. subtle shades of difference

129
Q

hackneyed

A

adj. cliché, trite, banal

130
Q

diffident

A

adj. shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence

“underneath his diffident exterior was a passionate temperament”

131
Q

venality

A

n. the state of being capable of being bribed

132
Q

dissemble

A

v. to mislead or conceal the truth, esp. with respect to one’s motives

“she smiled, dissembling her true emotion”

133
Q

imperturbable

A

adj. remaining calm under any circumstance

134
Q

malleable

A

adj. pliant or pliable

adj. easily influenced

135
Q

repudiate

A

v. to renounce or disown

136
Q

contrite

A

adj. remorseful

“a broken and a contrite heart”

137
Q

cogent

A

adj. clearly laid out and persuasive

“Honeyboy Edwards provides a cogent analysis of the shift within the blues over the years”

138
Q

implacable

A

adj. unforgiving

adj. relentless

139
Q

vacillate

A

v. to shift between multiple options or opinions

140
Q

convoluted

A

adj. roundabout, not straightforward

141
Q

reticent

A

adj. hesitant to speak

adj. introverted or silent

142
Q

tractable

A

adj. can be easily influenced or managed

143
Q

onerous

A

adj. difficult or burdensome

144
Q

alacrity

A

n. promptness and eagerness

“she accepted the invitation with alacrity”

145
Q

presumptuous

A

adj. overly familiar; invades social boundaries

146
Q

exculpate

A

v.show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing; to exonerate or vindicate

147
Q

gainsay

A

v. deny or oppose

148
Q

stolid

A

adj. calm and dependable

149
Q

inscrutable

A

adj. enigmatic, incomprehensible

150
Q

proliferate

A

v. to multiply and spread rapidly

151
Q

taciturn

A

adj. reticent or reserved; tending towards silence

152
Q

benign

A

adj. gentle, harmless

153
Q

desiccate

A

v. to dry out completely

v. to suck out the vitality and passion

154
Q

explicate

A

v. to explain in detail

155
Q

derivative

A

adj. imitates another work in a way that is unoriginal or uninspiring

156
Q

monotony

A

n. boredom and repetition

157
Q

sycophant

A

n. a fawning, insincere admirer

158
Q

placate

A

v. to calm, esp. an angry or upset person

“they attempted to placate the students with promises”

159
Q

loquacious

A

adj. talkative

160
Q

maladroit

A

adj. clumsy, awkward, inept

161
Q

esoteric

A

adj. obscure, arcane

162
Q

foment

A

v. to foster unrest or discontent

163
Q

oscillate

A

v. to swing back and forth between two points, poles, or positions

164
Q

exposition

A

n. a thorough explanation

n. a public show or fair

165
Q

underscore

A

v. to line underneath for emphasis

v. to emphasize

166
Q

maverick

A

n. an unorthodox person or rebel

167
Q

commensurate

A

adj. in accordance with, proportional

“salary will be commensurate with experience”

168
Q

nonplussed

A

adj. confused and baffled

169
Q

garrulous

A

adj. talkative

170
Q

dilettante

A

a person who cultivates an area of interest (such as the arts) without real commitment or knowledge; amateur

171
Q

dispassionate

A

adj. impartial or cool

172
Q

satiate

A

v. to completely satisfy (with respect to hunger or appetite)

173
Q

torpor

A

n. tiredness, lethargy

174
Q

affectation

A

n. fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth

175
Q

mitigate

A

v. to improve a painful, unpleasant, or negative situation

176
Q

castigate

A

v. to scold or berate strongly

177
Q

didactic

A

adj. educational or with an instructive purpose; often includes an element of moralizing

178
Q

glib

A

adj. talking volubly, but carelessly or insincerely

179
Q

disabuse

A

v. to dispel someone’s illusions or false impressions about something

“I was quickly disabused of the idea that anything had changed.”

180
Q

adulterate

A

v. to contaminate or make impure by introducing inferior elements

181
Q

pedestrian

A

adj. boring, monotonous, run-of-the-mill

182
Q

ostentatious

A

adj. overly showy in a way that is gaudy or vulgar

183
Q

irascible

A

adj. irritable, testy, touchy

184
Q

inimical

A

adj. harmful or hostile

“laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms”

185
Q

capricious

A

adj. mercurial, unpredictable, whimsical

“a capricious and often brutal administration”

186
Q

enervate

A

v. to exhaust or drain of energy

187
Q

iconoclast

A

n. a person who attacks traditional religious and cultural institutions

188
Q

pith

A

n. the essential substance of something

189
Q

solicitous

A

adj. considerate, attentive

190
Q

ephemeral

A

adj. short-lived or transient

191
Q

pedantic

A

adj. overly concerned with irrelevant detail, fussy

192
Q

exonerate

A

v. to clear of charges of wrongdoing

193
Q

credulous

A

adj. gullible, naïve

Few people are credulous enough to believe such nonsense.

194
Q

expatiate

A

v. to elaborate on something in great detail

195
Q

tortuous

A

adj. winding or twisty

adj. complicated

196
Q

estimable

A

adj. deserving respect, esteem, and admiration

197
Q

profligate

A

adj. extravagant and wasteful, esp. in an immoral way

“he was an out-and-out profligate”

198
Q

inveterate

A

adj. ingrained, habitual

199
Q

venerate

A

v. to give a high degree of respect; may border on worship

200
Q

eclectic

A

adj. composed of a variety of styles, themes, motifs, etc.

201
Q

elegy

A

n. sad poem or song, often in remembrance of someone deceased
elicit

202
Q

deference

A

n. respect or polite submission

“he addressed her with the deference due to age”

203
Q

insipid

A

adj. bland, uninspired, inane

204
Q

prodigal

A

n. a reckless spender

205
Q

mendacity

A

n. untruthfulness, dishonesty

206
Q

perfunctory

A

adj. done without much effort, care, or thought

207
Q

subversive

A

adj. meant to undercut established institutions or norms

208
Q

indolent

A

adj. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.

adj. (of a disease condition) causing little or no pain.

209
Q

ascetic

A

adj. austere or self-denying

“an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor”

210
Q

propitiate

A

v. to obtain special favor from someone, esp. a powerful person or deity, by performing a pleasing action
v. to appease someone who is angry

“the pagans thought it was important to propitiate the gods with sacrifices”

211
Q

gauche

A

adj. socially inept, inappropriate, or awkward

212
Q

intermediary

A

n. a go-between

213
Q

facetious

A

adj. treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.; glib

214
Q

temperance

A

n. moderation and restraint, sometimes used to specifically describe abstinence from alcohol

215
Q

magnanimity

A

n. generosity and nobility of spirit

216
Q

antithetical

A

adj. contrary to the very nature of

“people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”

GRE VOCAB (7 decks)

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