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Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook > S > Flashcards

S Flashcards

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1
Q

saccharine

A

adj. excessively sweet or sentimental

The love story is too saccharine for Bill’s taste.

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2
Q

sacrilege

A

n. the desecration of something holy

The robber committed the sacrilege of opening the saint’s tomb.

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3
Q

sacrosanct

A

adj. extremely sacred; beyond criticism

The idea of freedom is sacrosanct.

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4
Q

sagacious

A

adj. having insight; wise

Many young students seek the advice of the sagacious processor.

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5
Q

sagacity

A

n. insight; wisdom

Socrates is remembered as a person of great sagacity.

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6
Q

saga

A

n. prose narrative

The novel tells the saga of the settling of America by Europeans.

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7
Q

sage

A

n. wise older person

The sage advised the students to seek the truth within themselves.

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8
Q

salacious

A

adj. lascivious; lustful

The film’s salacious content got it an X rating.

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9
Q

salient

A

adj. prominent or conspicuous

Your opening paragraph should outline the salient points of your argument.

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10
Q

sallow

A

adj. sickly yellow in color

The long illness left Bob looking sallow.

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11
Q

salubrious

A

adj. healthful

After she enjoyed the salubrious climate of Western Australia, Jill’s health was restored.

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12
Q

salutary

A

adj. effecting an improvement; favorable to health

Regular exercise has a salutary effect on Joan’s health.

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13
Q

salutation

A

n. greeting

“Hi” has become a populate e-mail salutation.

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14
Q

sanctify

A

v. to set apart as holy; consecrate

The church was sanctified by the bishop.

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15
Q

sanctimonious

A

adj. pretending to be pious or righteous

We were annoyed by the sanctimonious newspaper editorial.

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16
Q

sanction (v.)

A

v. to approve; ratify; permit; penalize

The governor sanctioned the use of force to stop the riot.

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17
Q

sanction (n.)

A

n. approval; ratification; permission; penalization

The drug has received the sanction of health officials.

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18
Q

sanguine

A

adj. ruddy; cheerfully optimistic

Most economists are sanguine about the economy.

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19
Q

sardonic

A

adj. cynical, scornfully mocking

The sardonic article criticizes government policy.

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20
Q

sartorial

A

adj. pertaining to tailors

Professor Parker’s small sartorial rebellion is to wear jeans during his tutorials.

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21
Q

satiate

A

v. to satisfy

The university library has more than enough books to satiate your hunger for knowledge.

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22
Q

satire

A

n. use of ridicule to expose vice or foolishness

The movie is a satire on consumers in modern society.

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23
Q

satirical

A

adj. relating to the use of ridicule to expose vice or foolishness

The drama society performed a satirical anti-war skit.

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24
Q

saturnine

A

adj. gloomy

The mood on campus after the big loss was saturnine.

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25
Q

satyr

A

n. a creature that is half-man, half-beast with the horns and legs of a goat; a lecher

Joan’s friends urged her to steer clear of the satyr.

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26
Q

savant

A

n. learned person

The savant has written book son many subjects.

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27
Q

savior faire

A

n. ability to behave appropriately in social situations

A big part of the actor’s appeal is his remarkable savior faire.

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28
Q

savory

A

adj. agreeable in taste or smell; morally respectable

Only savory characters are accepted to the teacher’s college.

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29
Q

scabbard

A

n. sheath for sword or dagger

After slaying the dragon, the knight returned his sword to its scabbard.

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30
Q

scathing

A

adj. harshly critical; painfully hot

The opposition party was scathing in its criticism of government policy.

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31
Q

scenario

A

n. plot outline; possible situation

in this scenario, the company loses money for awhile but gains in the long run.

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32
Q

schematic

A

n. a outline or diagram

The engineer made a schematic of the radio’s circuit.

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33
Q

schism

A

n. division; split

The schism in the party eventually led to its breakup.

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34
Q

scintilla

A

n. trace amount

There is not one scintilla of evidence to support the case.

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35
Q

scintillate

A

v. to sparkle, flash

The actor’s performance was adequate but did not scintillate.

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36
Q

scion

A

n. descendant or heir

The scion of the billionaire established a foundation to help the poor.

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37
Q

scourge

A

n. source of widespread affliction or devastation

War was one of the scourge of the twentieth century.

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38
Q

scrivener

A

n. professional copyist

With modern technology, scriveners are not in much demand.

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39
Q

scruple

A

n. conscientious feeling that tends to hinder action

His scruples don’t allow him to participate in war.

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40
Q

scrupulous

A

adj. conscientious; very thorough

The scrupulous editor discovered many errors in the manuscript.

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41
Q

scrutinize

A

v. to examine closely and critically

The teacher scrutinized the student’s exam paper.

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42
Q

scurrilous

A

adj. vulgar, low, indecent

There were scurrilous rumors about the girl.

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43
Q

secrete

A

v. to produce and release substance into an organism

The physiologist in studying the mechanisms by which the body secretes digestive juices.

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44
Q

sect

A

n. a group of people forming a distinct unit within a larger group due to distinctions of belief

The religious sect has doubled its membership over the last twenty years.

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45
Q

sectarian

A

adj. narrow-minded; relating to a group or sect

The president does not want his decision on the issue to be influenced by sectarian interests.

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46
Q

secular

A

adj. not specifically pertaining to religion

The church has a department to take care of secular matter.

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47
Q

sedentary

A

adj. inactive, stationary; sluggish

A sedentary lifestyle is not healthy.

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48
Q

sedimentary

A

ad. relating to or containing sediment, that is material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers

Geologists are studying the sedimentary rocks.

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49
Q

sedition

A

n. behavior promoting rebellion

The writer was accused of sedition.

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50
Q

sedulous

A

adj. diligent

Karen has a reputation as a sedulous worder.

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51
Q

segregation

A

n. separation from others; policy of separating races in society

Segregation was ended in America in the middle of the last century.

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52
Q

seismology

A

n. science of earthquakes

Advances in seismology may some day allow scientists to make accurate predictions of earthquakes.

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53
Q

self-indulgent

A

adj. relating to excessive gratification of desires

Lucy has become so self-indulgent that she doesn’t care about work anymore.

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54
Q

self-perpetuating

A

adj. having the power to renew itself

The scientists are creating a self-perpetuating robot.

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55
Q

semantics

A

n. the study of meaning in language

The debate on democracy was largely a discussion of semantics.

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56
Q

semblance

A

n. outward appearance; resemblance

Although this book has a semblance of scholarship, if you examine it closely, it contains falsehoods and errors.

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57
Q

seminal

A

adj. relating to the beginning or seeds of something; containing the seeds of later development

The scientist did seminal work in the field of biophysics.

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58
Q

semiotic

A

adj. related to semiotics or the production of meanings by sign systems

Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose could be described as a semiotic novel.

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59
Q

semiotics

A

n. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communication

The advertising firm has hired an expert on semiotics as a consultant.

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60
Q

Semitic

A

adj. related to Semites, members of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs or to a descendant of these peoples

The most widely spoken Semitic language today is Arabic.

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61
Q

senescent

A

adj. aging, growing old

The government is trying to help senescent industries.

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62
Q

sensibility

A

n. receptiveness to impression; refined awareness and appreciation in feeling

Visiting a good art gallery can improve your artistic sensibility.

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63
Q

sensual

A

adj. satisfying or gratifying the senses; suggesting sexuality

Heather’s father doesn’t want her to wear such sensual outfits.

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64
Q

sensuous

A

adj. relating to the senses; operating through the senses

Barbara loves the sensuous feeling of silk on her skin.

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65
Q

sententious

A

adj. having a moralizing tone

The speaker wants to talk about moral issues without sounding sententious.

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66
Q

sentience

A

n. awareness, consciousness, ability to perceive

The scientists are studying what produces sentience in the human brain.

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67
Q

sentient

A

adj. aware, conscious, able to perceive

No one knows if there’s sentient life on other planets.

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68
Q

sentiment

A

n. general attitude toward something; a view based on emotion rather than reason; emotion

The teacher asked the students to express their sentiments about the budget cuts.

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69
Q

sequester

A

v. to remove or set apart; put into seclusion

The class was sequestered after being exposed to the virus.

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70
Q

seraphic

A

adj. angelic, pure, sublime

The infant gave her mother a seraphic smile.

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71
Q

serendipitous

A

adj. resulting from a fortunate discovery by chance

It was a serendipitous discovery.

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72
Q

serendipity

A

n. habit of making fortunate discoveries by chance

The scientist thanked serendipity for helping her make the discovery.

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73
Q

serenity

A

n. calm, peacefulness

Many people enjoy the serenity of nature.

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74
Q

serpentine

A

adj. serpent-like; twisting, winding

The stream takes a serpentine course through the valley.

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75
Q

serrated

A

adj. saw-toothed, notched

Use a serrated knife to cut the wood.

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76
Q

servile

A

ad. submissive, obedient

The boss likes employees who are cooperative without being servile.

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77
Q

sextant

A

n. navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude

A sextant is often used to sight the sun and moon to find one’s latitude.

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78
Q

shaman

A

n. a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, controls spiritual forces, and cures illnesses

The shaman went into a trance, hoping to get the spirit’s help to heal the dying child.

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79
Q

shard

A

n. piece of broken glass or pottery

The scientist found a shard she thought was part of an ancient Greek vase.

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80
Q

shibboleth

A

n. a belief or custom that distinguishes a curtain group, especially one regarded as outmoded

Members of the party have begun to break with the shibboleths of the left.

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81
Q

sibyl

A

n. one of a number of women regarded as oracles or prophets by the ancient Greeks and Romans; a woman prophet

One of the main characters in the novel is a sibyl who seems to know what is going to happen to most of the other characters.

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82
Q

sidereal

A

adj. relating to the stars

Astronomers generally use sidereal time in their work.

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83
Q

simian

A

adj. ape-like; relating to apes

Human beings evolved from simian creatures.

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84
Q

simile

A

n. comparison of one thing with another using “like” as “as”

A simile from the French writer Balzac: “She snatched her happiness like swimmer seizing a willow branch overhanging the river to draw himself to land and rest for a while.”

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85
Q

simper

A

v. to smirk, smile foolishly

The director told the stress to stop simpering.

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86
Q

sinecure

A

n. well-paying job or office that requires little or no work

The former government official was offered a sinecure.

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87
Q

singular

A

adj. unique; extraordinary; odd

The appearance of the UFO was a singular event.

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88
Q

sinister

A

adj. suggesting or threatening evil; ominous

The country’s troop buildup was seen by many observers as sinister.

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89
Q

sinuous

A

adj. winding; intricate, complex

The road follows a sinuous path over the mountain.

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90
Q

Sisyphean

A

adj. endlessly laborious or futile

The housekeeper aptly described his job as Sisyphean.

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91
Q

skeptic

A

n. one who doubts

Lynn is a skeptic when it comes to UFOs.

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92
Q

skeptical

A

adj. doubting; suspending judgment

The investigator takes a skeptical approach to alleged occult phenomena.

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93
Q

skewed

A

adj. distorted in meaning

His interpretation of the poem might be skewed by his religious beliefs.

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94
Q

skulk

A

v. to move in a stealthy or cautious manner; sneak

We saw two men skulking around outside our house.

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95
Q

slavish

A

adj. servile; blindly imitative

The teacher warned the students that they couldn’t make a slavish copy of the test.

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96
Q

slipshod

A

adj. careless, hasty

The barber gave Tom a slipshod haircut.

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97
Q

sloth

A

n. sluggishness, laziness

Rick’s sloth means that he will never succeed.

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98
Q

slough

A

v. to discard or shed

The snake sloughed off its skin.

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99
Q

slovenly

A

adj. untidy, messy

Ted will never get the job with his slovenly appearance.

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100
Q

smelt

A

v. to melt metal in order to refine it

The ore is smelted to obtain copper.

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101
Q

snippet

A

n. tiny part, tidbit

I’ve included snippets from several books in the article.

102
Q

sobriety

A

n. seriousness

The judge is a man of great sobriety.

103
Q

sobriquet

A

n. nickname

The center on our basketball team was given the sobriquet “The Tower.”

104
Q

Socratic irony

A

n. profession of ignorance while questioning another person in order to discover the truth

The detective puts Socratic irony to good use when she questions suspects.

105
Q

sodden

A

adj. thoroughly soaked; saturated

The sodden field made it difficult to play soccer.

106
Q

soiree

A

n. an evening party

The poets had a soiree at which they read their poems.

107
Q

sojourn

A

n. visit, stay

My sojourn to Australia lasted two weeks.

108
Q

solace

A

n. comfort in sorrow; consolation

The relatives of the soldiers killed in the battle drew solace from the knowledge that they had died for a noble cause.

109
Q

solarium

A

n. room or glassed-in area exposed to the sun

We enjoy eating breakfast in the solarium in the winter.

110
Q

solecism

A

n. grammatical mistake

Even good writers sometimes commit solecisms.

111
Q

solicitude

A

n. concern, attention; eagerness

The students appreciate their teacher’s solicitude.

112
Q

soliloquy

A

n. literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others

Playwrights sometimes use a soliloquy to convey something about a character’s inner life.

113
Q

solipsism

A

n. belief that the self is the only reality

Solipsism raises many interesting philosophical issues.

114
Q

solipsistic

A

adj. relating to the belief that the self is the only reality

Critics see her poems as solipsistic and self-absorbed.

115
Q

solstice

A

n. shortest and longest day of the year

In a week, the winter solstice will occur.

116
Q

soluble

A

adj. capable of being solved or dissolved

Sugar is soluble in water.

117
Q

solvent

A

adj. able to meet financial obligations

Mr. Lesh is happy to still be solvent after paying for his four children’s college education.

118
Q

somatic

A

adj. relating to or affecting the body

The psychologist investigated the patient’s complaint to see if there were any somatic symptoms.

119
Q

somber

A

adj. dark and gloomy; melancholy, dismal

Ted tried to break the somber mood by cracking a joke.

120
Q

somnambulist

A

n. sleepwalker

The somnambulist doesn’t remember what he did last night.

121
Q

somnolent

A

adj. drowsy, sleep; inducing sleep

The drug made Liz somnolent.

122
Q

sonic

A

adj. relating to sound

The jet fighter created a sonic boom when it broke the sound barrier.

123
Q

sonorous

A

adj. producing a full, rich sound

The audience enjoyed listening to the speaker’s sonorous voice.

124
Q

sophist

A

n. person good at arguing deviously

The debater accused her opponents of being sophists.

125
Q

sophistical

A

adj. relating to deceptive reasoning or argumentation

The debater’s sophistical reasoning didn’t confuse the judges.

126
Q

sophistry

A

n. deceptive reasoning or argumentation

Good debaters should not need to resort to sophistry.

127
Q

sophomoric

A

adj. immature and overconfident

The judge called the lawyer’s presentation sophomoric.

128
Q

soporific

A

n. something that produces sleep

Jim took a soporific to help him get to sleep.

129
Q

sordid

A

adj. filthy; contemptible and corrupt

The actress tried to keep the sordid affair out of the newspaper.

130
Q

sovereign

A

adj. having supreme power

Singapore became a sovereign nation in 1965.

131
Q

Spartan

A

adj. austere, severe, grave; simple, bare

The soldiers live in Spartan quarters.

132
Q

spate

A

n. a sudden outpouring

There has been a spate of violence recently.

133
Q

spawn

A

v. to generate, produce

The new invention soon spawned many imitations.

134
Q

speciation

A

n. the evolutionary formation of new biological species

There is a debate within evolutionary biology about the rate at which speciation events occur over time.

135
Q

specious

A

adj. seeming to be logical, sound, etc., but not really so

The debate tea used a specious argument.

136
Q

specter

A

n. an apparition; a threatening possibility

In creasing international tension has led to the specter of war.

137
Q

spectrum

A

n. band of colors produced when sunlight passes through prism; a broad range of related ideas or objects

The electromagnetic spectrum is one of our precious natural resources.

138
Q

speculate

A

v. take something as true based on insufficient evidence

The astronomer doesn’t like to speculate about life in outer space.

139
Q

spendthrift

A

n. a person who spends money recklessly

Richard’s reputation as a spendthrift didn’t help him to get a bank loan.

140
Q

spontaneous

A

adj. one the spur of the moment, impulsive

In a spontaneous act of gratitude, the student hugged the teacher.

141
Q

sporadic

A

adj. irregular

Sporadic gunfire could still be heard in the city.

142
Q

sportive

A

adj. frolicsome, playful

Sportive children danced on the lawn during the celebration.

143
Q

sprightly

A

adj. lively, animated, energetic

The sprightly actress gave a lively performance.

144
Q

spur

A

v. to prod

Failure on the exam spurred Carol to study harder for the next one.

145
Q

spurious

A

adj. lacking authenticity; counterfeit, false

The salesperson’s claims are spurious.

146
Q

spurn

A

v. to reject; scorn

Marcia spurned Wayne’s offer of marriage

147
Q

squalid

A

adj. filthy; morally repulsive

The family lives in squalid conditions.

148
Q

squander

A

v. to waste

The student squandered time in the exam daydreaming.

149
Q

staccato

A

adj. marked by abrupt, clear-cut sounds

We heard the staccato sound of the drum approaching.

150
Q

staid

A

adj. self-restrained to the point of dullness

The banker wears staid clothes to work.

151
Q

stanch

A

v. to stop or check the flow of

Use a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding.

152
Q

stark

A

adj. bare, empty, vacant

The writer concentrates best in a stark environment.

153
Q

stasis

A

adj. motionless state; standstill

The family settled into the dull stasis of country life.

154
Q

static

A

adj. at rest

The airplane engine was subjected to a static test.

155
Q

stature

A

n. status; achieved level

The professor has achieved a high stature in the field.

156
Q

status quo

A

n. existing condition

The election results suggest the majority doesn’t want to change the status quo.

157
Q

stentorian

A

adj. extremely loud

The orator’s stentorian voice echoed through the hall.

158
Q

stigma

A

n. mark of disgrace or inferiority

Divorce is no longer the stigma it was fifty years ago.

159
Q

stilted

A

adj. stiff, unnatural

Avoid stilted language when you write an essay.

160
Q

stint

A

n. period of time spent doing something

Joe had a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.

161
Q

stipend

A

n. a regular fixed payment

His father receives a monthly stipend from the government.

162
Q

stipulate

A

v. to specify as an essential condition

The contract stipulates that Ms. Smith teaches for two years.

163
Q

stoic

A

adj. indifferent to or unaffected by emotions

The monk has a stoic acceptance of life’s misfortunes.

164
Q

stolid

A

adj. having or showing little emotion

The soldier was stolid despite being severely wounded.

165
Q

stratagem

A

n. trick designed to deceive an enemy

The enemy’s stratagem was to make us think that they were retreating.

166
Q

stratify

A

v. to arrange into layers

The scientist studied how the layers of soil had stratified.

167
Q

stratum

A

n. layer

John knows people in the highest stratum of society.

168
Q

striated

A

adj. marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels

The geologist believes that the rock is striated because of flowing water.

169
Q

stricture

A

n. something that restrains; negative criticism

The writer refuses to be bound the my strictures of modern taste.

170
Q

strident

A

adj. loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy

There were several strident objections to the proposal from the audience.

171
Q

stultify

A

v. to impair or reduce to uselessness

If you keep changing your views, your will stultify yourself.

172
Q

stupefy

A

v. to dull the senses of; stun, astonish

The artillery barrage stupefied the soldiers.

173
Q

stupor

A

n. daze; state of mental confusion

They stole his watch when he was in a drunken stupor.

174
Q

stygian

A

adj. dark and gloomy; hellish

The soldier’s memoir describes the atmosphere of the battlefield as stygian.

175
Q

stylized

A

adj. conforming to a particular style

Kabuki is a Japanese drama that is performed in a stylized manner.

176
Q

stymie

A

v. to block or thwart

The proposal was stymied by congressional opposition.

177
Q

suave

A

adj. smoothly gracious or polite; blandly ingratiating

Ralph’s suave manner makes him popular.

178
Q

subdued

A

v. suppressed, stifled

The rebellion was finally subdued.

179
Q

subjective

A

adj. taking place within a person; particular to a person

The analysis is regarded as too subjective to be of much scientific value.

180
Q

subjugate

A

v. to conquer, subdue; enslave

The ruler’s ambition was to subjugate China.

181
Q

sublethal

A

adj. almost lethal

The victim had been given a sublethal dose of poison.

182
Q

sublime

A

adj. awe-inspiring; of high spiritual or moral value

The professor has spent much of his life studying the sublime work of Shakespeare.

183
Q

subliminal

A

adj. subconscious; imperceptible

Studies suggest that violence on television has a subliminal effect on children.

184
Q

sublimity

A

n. nobility; majesty; high spirituality or moral value

Rarely has a artist produced a work of such sublimity.

185
Q

subpoena

A

n. notice ordering someone to appear in court

Peter received a subpoena yesterday.

186
Q

substantiate

A

v. support with proof or evidence

The writer substantiates his claims with eyewitness accounts.

187
Q

substantive

A

adj. essential; pertaining to the substance

The two sides are in agreement on the substantive issues.

188
Q

subsume

A

v. to include or incorporate in something else

Most of the phenomena can be subsumed under three broad categories.

189
Q

subterfuge

A

n. trick or tactic used to avoid something

The enemy general’s subterfuge allowed most of his forces to escape.

190
Q

subterranean

A

adj. hidden, secret; underground

Geologists found a vast subterranean store of fresh water not far from the city.

191
Q

subtlety

A

n. quality of state of being hard to detect or describe

The subtlety of the poem makes it too advanced for a high school class.

192
Q

subversive

A

adj. intended to undermine or overthrow, especially an established government

The intelligence agency is monitoring subversive activity.

193
Q

subvert

A

v. to undermine or corrupt

The group was accused of subverting the government.

194
Q

succinct

A

adj. terse, brief, concise

The lawyer prepared a succinct account of events.

195
Q

succor

A

n. help and support in times of hardship and distress

The prisoners of war were freed by friendly forces and given succor.

196
Q

succulent

A

adj. juicy; full of vitality or freshness

The steak is succulent.

197
Q

succumb

A

v. yield; give in; die

The old man finally succumbed to the disease.

198
Q

sufferable

A

adj. bearable

The long journey was made sufferable by the good novel I had brought.

199
Q

suffrage

A

n. the right to vote

Suffrage was extended to women in the early twentieth century.

200
Q

suffragist

A

n. one who advocates extended voting rights

Nineteenth-century suffragists campaigned to extend the right to vote to women.

201
Q

suffuse

A

v. spread through

His writing is suffused with irony.

202
Q

sui generis

A

adj. one of a kind; unique

Many critics regard the book Wuthering Heights as sui generis.

203
Q

sullen

A

adj. brooding, gloomy

The boy was sullen after being told that he had not been selected for the football team.

204
Q

sully

A

v. to soil, stain, tarnish; taint

The player’s’ uniforms were sullied after the soccer match.

205
Q

summa bonum

A

n. greatest good

For millennia human beings have searched for the summa bonum.

206
Q

sumptuous

A

adj. lavish, splendid

We enjoyed a sumptuous Christmas dinner.

207
Q

sundry

A

adj. various

“There are sundry reasons I don’t want to go to graduate school,” Amy said.

208
Q

superannuated

A

ad. too old, obsolete, outdated

The superannuated teacher works as a volunteer in the school.

209
Q

supercilious

A

ad. arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending

No body likes the boss’s supercilious attitude.

210
Q

supererogatory

A

adj. more than needed; superfluous

The coach decided that any more practice would be supererogatory.

211
Q

superfluity

A

n. overabundance; excess

There is a superfluity of males of marriageable age in China.

212
Q

superfluous

A

adj. excessive; overabundant; unnecessary

The teacher wrote a single page of comments about the essay; any more would be superfluous.

213
Q

supernal

A

adj. celestial; heavenly

The fantasy novel describes voyages to a supernal world.

214
Q

supersede

A

v. to take the place of; replace

The teacher announced that the latest test result would supersede the earlier one.

215
Q

supine

A

adj. lying on the back; marked by lethargy

The long distance runner was supine on the track after the race.

216
Q

supplant

A

v. to replace, substitute

our school’s main rival has supplanted us in first place.

217
Q

supple

A

adj. flexible, pliant

The gymnast does stretching exercises to keep her body supple.

218
Q

suppliant

A

adj. beseeching

The king looked down from his throne at the suppliant asked the king to pardon her son.

219
Q

supplicant

A

n .one who asks humbly and earnestly

The supplicant asked the king to pardon her son.

220
Q

supplication

A

n., humble and earnest entreaty

The referee was deaf to the coach’s supplications.

221
Q

supposition

A

n., the act of assuming to be true or real

The investigation was conducted on the supposition that the victim was murdered.

222
Q

suppositiontious

A

adj. hypothetical; not genuine; suppositious

The critic described the linguist’s work as “the supposititious reconstruction of a dead language.”

223
Q

surfeit

A

n. excessive amount

We have such a surfeit of food for the picnic that we’ll be eating all day.

224
Q

surly

A

adj. rude and bad-tempered

The boy told the surly man a joke to make him laugh.

225
Q

surmise

A

v. to make an educated guess

The teacher surmised that the student had not studied by the test result.

226
Q

surmount

A

v. to conquer, overcome

With steady work you will be able to surmount the obstacles.

227
Q

surreal

A

adj. fantastic; bizarre

The science fiction novel describes a surreal futuristic world.

228
Q

surrealistic

A

adj. irrational and fantastic

The futuristic movie contains several surrealistic scenes.

229
Q

surreptitious

A

adj. secret

The lovers had a surreptitious date.

230
Q

surrogate

A

adj. relating to a substitute

Ms. Hughes volunteered to be a surrogate mother for the orphan.

231
Q

swagger

A

v. behave arrogantly or pompously; walk proudly

Ted swaggered down the aisle of his office.

232
Q

swarthy

A

adj. having a dark complexion

The witness said she saw a swarthy man at the scene of the crime.

233
Q

sybarite

A

n. person devoted to pleasure and luxury

The sybarite spends most of his money on food and entertainment.

234
Q

sycophant

A

n. self-serving flatterer, yes-man

The sycophant was surprised when he didn’t get the promotion.

235
Q

syllogism

A

n. form of deductive reasoning that has a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion

The statement “All dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs” is a syllogism.

236
Q

sylvan

A

adj. related tot he woods or forest

The play has a sylvan setting.

237
Q

symbiotic

A

adj. relating to cooperation; mutually helpful

Over the years the couple development a symbiotic relationship.

238
Q

symmetry

A

n. balance of parts; harmony

The architect strives to achieve symmetry in her designs.

239
Q

symposium

A

n. meeting with short presentations on related topic

The symposium on health care will be held in Hawaii.

240
Q

synchronous

A

adj. occurring at the same time; moving at the same rate

The celebrations in New York and Los Angeles will be synchronous.

241
Q

syncopation

A

n. temporary irregularity in musical rhythm

The song has unusual syncopation.

242
Q

syncretistic

A

adj. composed of differing systems of belief

The new religion is a syncretistic blend of the beliefs of three existing religions.

243
Q

syndrome

A

n. a group of symptoms that indicate an abnormal condition

The doctor recognized the patient’s syndrome.

244
Q

synergy

A

n. the interaction of two or more forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects

The two companies believe that synergies will come out of their merge.

245
Q

synopsis

A

n. brief summary

The synopsis makes the book sound interesting.

246
Q

synoptic

A

adj. providing an overview; summary

The historian wrote a synoptic account of the middle ages.

247
Q

syntactic

A

adj. related to syntax

Proficient readers make use of syntactic clues.

248
Q

syntax

A

n. the way in which words are put together to form phrases and sentences

Her syntax suggests that she is not a native English speaker.

249
Q

synthesis

A

n. blend, combination

The new philosophy is a synthesis of several earlier philosophies.

250
Q

systematic

A

adj. based on a system; orderly

A systematic study of the problem should produce a solution.

251
Q

systemic

A

adj. relating to systems; affecting the entire body

Unfortunately, his illness appears to be systemic.

Barron's GRE Verbal Workbook (26 decks)

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