Top GRE Vocab words Flashcards
1
Q
anomaly
A
an irregularity
2
Q
assuage
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
3
Q
abscond
A
to leave secretly
4
Q
abstain
A
to choose not to do something
5
Q
abyss
A
an extremely deep hole
6
Q
adulterate
A
to make impure
7
Q
advocate
A
to speak in favor of
8
Q
aesthetic
A
concerning the appreciation of beauty
9
Q
aggrandize
A
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
10
Q
alleviate
A
to make more bearable
11
Q
amalgamate
A
to combine, mix together
12
Q
ambiguous
A
doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted in several ways
13
Q
ameliorate
A
to make better, improve
14
Q
anachronism
A
something out of place in time
15
Q
analogous
A
similar or alike in some way, equivalent to
16
Q
antagonize
A
to annoy or provoke to anger
17
Q
antipathy
A
extreme dislike
18
Q
apathy
A
lake of interest or emotion
19
Q
arbitrate
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
20
Q
archaic
A
ancient
21
Q
ardor
A
intense and passionate feeling
22
Q
articulate
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
23
Q
attenuate
A
to reduce in force or degree, to weaken
24
Q
audacious
A
fearless and daring
25
austere
severe or stern in appearance, undecorated
26
banal
predictable, cliched, boring
27
bolster
to support, prop up
28
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
29
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
30
candid
impartial and honest in speech
31
capricious
changing ones mind quickly and often
32
castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
33
catalyst
something that brings about a change in something else
34
caustic
biting in wit
35
chaos
great order or confusion
36
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
37
chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
38
cogent
convincing and well reasoned
39
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
40
convoluted
intricate and complicated
41
corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
42
credulous
too trusting, gullible
43
crescendo
steadily increasing volume or force
44
decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct, propriety
45
deference
respect, courtesy
46
deride
to speak or treat with contempt, to mock
47
desiccate
to dry out throughly
48
desultory
jumping from one thing to another
49
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
50
diffident
lacking self confidence
51
dilate
to make larger, to expand
52
dilatory
intended to delay
53
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficuak interest in a topic
54
dirge
a mornful speech or funeral hymn
55
disabuse
to set right, to free from error
56
discern
to percieve, to recognize
57
disparate
fundamentally different, entirely unlike
58
dissemble
to present a false appearance, to disguise ones real intentions or character
59
dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
60
dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
61
dogmatic
dictatorial in ones opinion
62
dupe
to deceive
63
eclectic
selecting from or made up of a variety of sources
64
efficacy
effectiveness
65
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
66
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
67
emulate
to copy, to try to equal or excel
68
enervate
to reduce in strength
69
engender
to produce, cause or bring about
70
enigma
a puzzle, a mystery
71
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
72
ephemeral
lasting a short time
73
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
74
erratic
wandering and unpredictable
75
erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
76
esoteric
known or understood by only a few
77
estimable
admirable
78
eulogy
a speech in praise of someone
79
euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
80
exacerbate
to make worse
81
exculpate
to make clear from blame, prove innocent
82
exigent
urgent, requiring immediate action
83
exonerate
to clear of blame
84
explicit
clearly stated or shown, forthright in expression
85
fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic
86
fawn
to grovel
87
fervid
intensely emotional
88
florid
excessively decorated or embellished
89
foment
to arouse or incite
90
frugality
a tendency to be thrifty
91
garrulous
tending to talk a lot
92
gregarious
outgoing, social
93
guile
deceit or trickery
94
gullible
easily deceived
95
homogenous
of a similar kind
96
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
97
imperturable
not capable of being disturbed
98
impervious
impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected
99
impetuous
quick to act without thinking
100
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
101
inchoate
not fully formed, disorganized
102
ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
103
inimical
hostile, unfriendly
104
innocuous
harmless
105
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
106
intransigent
uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled
107
inundate
to overwhlem, to cover with water
108
irascible
easily made angry
109
laconic
using few words
110
lament
to express sorrow, to grieve
111
laud
to give praise, to glorify
112
lavish
to give unsparingly, extremely generous
113
lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow manner
114
loquacious
talkative
115
lucid
clear and easily understood
116
leminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
117
malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
118
malleable
capable of being shaped
119
methaphor
a figure or speech comparing two different things, a symbol
120
meticulous
extremely careful about details
121
misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
122
mitigate
to soften, to lessen
123
mollify
to calm or make less severe
124
monotony
lack of variation
125
naive
lacking sophistication or experience
126
obdurate
hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion
127
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
128
obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
129
obviate
to prevent, to make unnecessary
130
occulde
to stop up, prevent the passage of
131
onerous
troublesome and oppressive, burdensome
132
opaque
impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light
133
oppobrium
public disgrace
134
ostentation
excessive showiness
135
paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
136
paragon
a model of excellence or perfection
137
pedant
someone who shows off learning
138
perfidious
willing to betray ones trust
139
perfunctory
done in a routine way, indifferent
140
permeate
to penetrate
141
philanthropy
charity
142
placate
to soothe or pacify
143
plastic
able to be molded, altered
144
plethora
excess
145
pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
146
precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly, lacking deliberation
147
prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
148
pristine
fresh and clean, uncorrupted
149
prodigal
lavish, wasteful
150
proliferate
to increase in number quickly
151
propitiate
to conciliate, to appease
152
propriety
correct behavior, obedience to rules and customes
153
prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
154
pungent
sharp and irratating to the senses
155
quiescent
motionless
156
rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
157
repudiate
to reject the validity of
158
reticent
silent, reserved
159
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
160
satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
161
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
162
specious
deceptively attractive, seemingly plausible but fallicious
163
stigma
a mark of shame or discredit
164
stolid
unemotional, lacking sensitivity
165
sublime
lofty or grand
166
tacit
done without using words
167
taciturn
silent, not talkative
168
tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
169
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
170
transitory
temporary, lasting a brief time
171
vacillate
to sway physically, to be indecisive
172
venerate
to respect deeply
173
veracity
filled with truth and accuracy
174
verbose
wordy
175
vex
to annoy
176
volatile
easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive
177
waver
to fluctuate between choices
178
whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable
179
zeal
passion, excitement
