Testmaker's Favorite GRE Words Flashcards
anomaly
something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected
-oddity, peculiarity, abnormality
Ex. the growth on her arm is a harmless anomaly
assuage
- make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
-relieve, ease, alleviate
Ex. a pain that could never be assuaged - satisfy (an appetite or desire)
-satisfy, gratify, appease
Ex. her hunger was quickly assuaged
enigma
a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
-mystery, puzzle, riddle
Ex. how it works is an enigma to me
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation
-ambiguous, indefinite, vague
Ex. an equivocal statement
erudite
having or showing great knowledge or learning
-learned, scholarly, educated
Ex. erudite Tagle family
fervid
intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree
-passionate, intense, fervent
Ex. fervid protestations of love
lucid
expressed clearly; easy to understand
-intelligible, comprehensible, understandable
Ex. a lucid description
opaque
not able to be seen through; not transparent
1. nontransparent, cloudy, blurred
Ex. opaque glass
2. obscure, unclear, mysterious, perplexing
Ex. the technical jargon was opaque to him
placate
make someone less angry or hostile
-pacify, calm, appease, soothe
Ex. Ray does his best to placate Michelle
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely verb 1. bring about, cause, lead to Ex. the incident precipitated a crisis 2. hurl, catapult, throw Ex. they were precipitated down the mountain adjective 1. hasty, rash, hurried Ex. their actions were precipitate
prodigal
- spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant
-wasteful, extravagant
Ex. prodigal shopping habits - having or giving something on a lavish scale
-generous, lavish, liberal, unsparing
Ex. a composer who is prodigal with his talents - rich in, abundant in
Ex. a dessert prodigal with whipped cream
zeal
great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
-passion, ardor, love, fervor, fire
Ex. Monica’s zeal for cooking
abstain
restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something
-refrain from, desist from, hold back from, renounce
Ex. she abstained from drinking because she was pregnant
adulterate
render something poorer in quality by adding another substance, typically an inferior one
-make impure, degrade, spoil, taint
Ex. some of the drinks were adulterated with drugs
apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
-indifference, lack of interest
Ex. widespread apathy among the voters
audacious
- showing an impudent lack of respect
-impudent, impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, cheeky, disrespectful
Ex. an audacious remark - showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks
-bold, daring, fearless, in
Ex. a series of audacious takeovers
capricious
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
-fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable
Ex. Socal’s capricious climate
corroborate
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)
-confirm, verify, endorse, authenticate
Ex. the witness had corroborated the boy’s account of the attack
desiccate
- remove the moisture from, typically in order to preserve it
-dried, dehydrated
Ex. desiccated coconut - lacking interest, passion, or energy
Ex. desiccated history of ideas
engender
cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)
-cause, bring about
Ex. the issue engendered continuing controversy
ephemeral
lasting for a very short time
-transitory, transient, fleeting
Ex. fashions are ephemeral
gullible
easily persuaded to believe something
-credulous, naive, overtrusting, easily deceived
Ex. persuade a gullible public
homogenous
of the same kind; alike
-uniform, identical, unvaried
Ex. should members of society become so homogenous that any trace of cultural diversity vanishes?
laconic
(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words
-brief, concise, terse, succinct
Ex. his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic
laudable
(of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation
-praiseworthy, commendable, admirable
Ex. laudable performance in the marathon
loquacious
tending to talk a great deal; talkative
-talkative, voluble, communicative, garrulous
Ex. Joey is a loquacious little girl
mitigate
make less severe, serious, or painful; lessen the gravity of
-alleviate, reduce, diminish, assuage
Ex. the worst symptoms have been mitigated
pedant
a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning
-purist, literalist, formalist
Ex. pedants insist that the twenty-first century starts with 2001
pragmatic
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
-practical, matter of fact, sensible, down-to-earth
Ex. she remains pragmatic in the most emotional circumstances
propriety
the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals
-decorum, respectability, decency
Ex. she behaves with the utmost propriety
vacillate
alternative or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive
-dither, waver, be indecisive
Ex. I vacillated between OT and MPH
volatile
liable to change rapidly and unpredictable, especially for the worse
- unpredictable, changeable, variable
ex. Mary had a volatile personality
