Princeton Review Key GRE Terms Group 1 Flashcards
aberrant (adj.)
deviating from the norm (noun form: aberration)
abscond (verb)
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
alacrity (noun)
eager and enthusiastic willingness
anomaly (noun)
deviation from the normal order (adj. form: anomalous)
approbation (noun)
an expression of approval or praise
arduous (adj.)
strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort
assuage (verb)
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
audacious (adj.)
daring and fearless; recklessly bold (noun form: audacity)
austere (adj.)
without adornment; bare; severely simple (noun form: austerity)
axiomatic (adj.)
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth (noun form: axion)
canonical (adj.)
following in or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
capricous (adj.)
inclined to change one’s mind impulsively
censure (verb)
to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
chicanery (noun)
trickery
connoisseur (noun)
an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
convoluted (adj.)
complex or complicated
disabuse (verb)
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
discordant (adj.)
conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
disparate (adj.)
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
effrontery (noun)
extreme boldness
eloquent (adj.)
well-spoken, expressive, articulate
enervate (verb)
to weaken; to reduce in vitality
ennui (noun)
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
equivocate (verb)
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adj. form: equivocal)
erudite (adj.)
scholarly
exculpate (verb)
to exonerate; to clear of blame
exigent (adj.)
urgent, pressing
extemporaneous (adj.)
improvised; done without preparation
filibuster (noun)
intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action
fulminate (verb)
to loudly attack or denounce
ingenuous (adj.)
artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
inured (adj.)
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
irascible (adj.)
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
laud (verb)
to praise highly (adj. form: laudatory)
lucid (adj.)
clear; easily understood
magnanimity (adj.)
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving (adj. form: magnanimous)
martial (adj.)
associated with war and the armed forces
mundane (adj.)
of the worldly; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
nascent (adj.)
coming into being; in early developmental stages
nebulous (adj.)
vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
neologism (noun)
a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
noxious (adj.)
harmful, injurious
obtuse (adj.)
lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
obviate (verb)
to anticipate and make unnecessary
onerous (adj.)
troubling; burdensome
paean (noun)
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
parody (noun)
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic relief, especially in literature and art
perennial (adj.)
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
perfidy (noun)
intentional breach of faith; treachery (adj. form: perfidious)
perfunctory (adj.)
cursory; done without care or interest
perspicacious (adj.)
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (noun form: perspicacity)
prattle (verb)
to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
precipitate (adj.)
acting with excessive haste or impulse
precipitate (verb)
to cause or happen before anticipated or required
predilection (noun)
a disposition in favor of something; preference
prescience (noun)
foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior ro their occurring (adj. form: prescient)
prevaricate (verb)
to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
qualms (noun)
misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
recant (verb)
to retract, especially a previously held belief
refute (verb)
to disprove; to successfully argue against
relegate (verb)
to forcibly assign; especially to a lower place or position
reticent (adj.)
quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
solicitous (adj.)
concerned with and attentive; eager
sordid (adj.)
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
sporadic (adj.)
occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
squander (verb)
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
static (adj.)
not moving, active, or in motion; at rest
stupefy (verb)
to stun, baffle, or amaze
stymie (verb)
to block; to thwart
synthesis (noun)
the combination of parts to make a whole (verb form: synthesize)
torque (noun)
a force that causes rotation
tortuous (adj.)
winding, twisting, excessively, complicated
truculent (adj.)
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
veracity (noun)
truthfulness, honesty
virulent (adj.)
extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
voracious (adj.)
having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
waver (verb)
to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion