Top 12 words on GRE Flashcards
Equivocate
V. To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
Sent: when faced with criticism of her policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking she agreed with them
Anomaly
N. Deviation from what is normal.
Sent: Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates
Assuage
V. To make something unpleasant less severe
Sent: Serena used aspirin to assuage her pounding headache
Enigma
N. A puzzle; a mystery
Sent: Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma.
Erudite
Adj. learned, scholarly, bookish.
Sent: The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most erudite, well published individuals in the field
Fervid
Adj. intensely emotional; feverish
Sent: The fans of Maria Callas were unusually fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of he great opera singer.
Lucid
Adj. clear and easily understood
The explanations were written in simple and lucid manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned.
Opaque
Adj. impossible to see though; preventing the passage of light.
The heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made them opaque
Placate
V. Too soothe or pacify
The burglar tried to placate the snarling dog by saying “nice doggy,” and offering it a treat.
Precipitate
V. To cause a bad situation or event to happen prematurely.
The incident precipitated a political crisis
Adj. done without careful consideration.
I must apologize on behalf of my staff, their actions were precipitate
Prodigal
Adj. lavish, wasteful
The prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure.
Zeal
n. passion, excitement.
She brought her typical zeal to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.
Exacerbate
V. Make worse
Adj. cynical
Motivated by self -interest; selfish
Adj. disinterestedness
Not being impartial; objectiveness; unbiased
