Top GRE Vocab words Flashcards

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1
Q

anomaly

A

an irregularity

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2
Q

assuage

A

to make something unpleasant less severe

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3
Q

abscond

A

to leave secretly

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4
Q

abstain

A

to choose not to do something

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5
Q

abyss

A

an extremely deep hole

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6
Q

adulterate

A

to make impure

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7
Q

advocate

A

to speak in favor of

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8
Q

aesthetic

A

concerning the appreciation of beauty

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9
Q

aggrandize

A

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

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10
Q

alleviate

A

to make more bearable

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11
Q

amalgamate

A

to combine, mix together

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12
Q

ambiguous

A

doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted in several ways

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13
Q

ameliorate

A

to make better, improve

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14
Q

anachronism

A

something out of place in time

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15
Q

analogous

A

similar or alike in some way, equivalent to

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16
Q

antagonize

A

to annoy or provoke to anger

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17
Q

antipathy

A

extreme dislike

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18
Q

apathy

A

lake of interest or emotion

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19
Q

arbitrate

A

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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20
Q

archaic

A

ancient

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21
Q

ardor

A

intense and passionate feeling

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22
Q

articulate

A

able to speak clearly and expressively

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23
Q

attenuate

A

to reduce in force or degree, to weaken

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24
Q

audacious

A

fearless and daring

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25
Q

austere

A

severe or stern in appearance, undecorated

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26
Q

banal

A

predictable, cliched, boring

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27
Q

bolster

A

to support, prop up

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28
Q

bombastic

A

pompous in speech and manner

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29
Q

cacophony

A

harsh, jarring noise

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30
Q

candid

A

impartial and honest in speech

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31
Q

capricious

A

changing ones mind quickly and often

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32
Q

castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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33
Q

catalyst

A

something that brings about a change in something else

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34
Q

caustic

A

biting in wit

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35
Q

chaos

A

great order or confusion

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36
Q

chauvinist

A

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

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37
Q

chicanery

A

deception by means of craft or guile

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38
Q

cogent

A

convincing and well reasoned

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39
Q

condone

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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40
Q

convoluted

A

intricate and complicated

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41
Q

corroborate

A

to provide supporting evidence

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42
Q

credulous

A

too trusting, gullible

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43
Q

crescendo

A

steadily increasing volume or force

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44
Q

decorum

A

appropriateness of behavior or conduct, propriety

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45
Q

deference

A

respect, courtesy

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46
Q

deride

A

to speak or treat with contempt, to mock

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47
Q

desiccate

A

to dry out throughly

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48
Q

desultory

A

jumping from one thing to another

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49
Q

diatribe

A

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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50
Q

diffident

A

lacking self confidence

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51
Q

dilate

A

to make larger, to expand

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52
Q

dilatory

A

intended to delay

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53
Q

dilettante

A

someone with an amateurish and superficuak interest in a topic

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54
Q

dirge

A

a mornful speech or funeral hymn

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55
Q

disabuse

A

to set right, to free from error

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56
Q

discern

A

to percieve, to recognize

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57
Q

disparate

A

fundamentally different, entirely unlike

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58
Q

dissemble

A

to present a false appearance, to disguise ones real intentions or character

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59
Q

dissonance

A

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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60
Q

dogma

A

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

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61
Q

dogmatic

A

dictatorial in ones opinion

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62
Q

dupe

A

to deceive

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63
Q

eclectic

A

selecting from or made up of a variety of sources

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64
Q

efficacy

A

effectiveness

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65
Q

elegy

A

a sorrowful poem or speech

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66
Q

eloquent

A

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

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67
Q

emulate

A

to copy, to try to equal or excel

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68
Q

enervate

A

to reduce in strength

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69
Q

engender

A

to produce, cause or bring about

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70
Q

enigma

A

a puzzle, a mystery

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71
Q

enumerate

A

to count, list, or itemize

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72
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting a short time

73
Q

equivocate

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

74
Q

erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable

75
Q

erudite

A

learned, scholarly, bookish

76
Q

esoteric

A

known or understood by only a few

77
Q

estimable

A

admirable

78
Q

eulogy

A

a speech in praise of someone

79
Q

euphemism

A

use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

80
Q

exacerbate

A

to make worse

81
Q

exculpate

A

to make clear from blame, prove innocent

82
Q

exigent

A

urgent, requiring immediate action

83
Q

exonerate

A

to clear of blame

84
Q

explicit

A

clearly stated or shown, forthright in expression

85
Q

fanatical

A

acting excessively enthusiastic

86
Q

fawn

A

to grovel

87
Q

fervid

A

intensely emotional

88
Q

florid

A

excessively decorated or embellished

89
Q

foment

A

to arouse or incite

90
Q

frugality

A

a tendency to be thrifty

91
Q

garrulous

A

tending to talk a lot

92
Q

gregarious

A

outgoing, social

93
Q

guile

A

deceit or trickery

94
Q

gullible

A

easily deceived

95
Q

homogenous

A

of a similar kind

96
Q

iconoclast

A

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

97
Q

imperturable

A

not capable of being disturbed

98
Q

impervious

A

impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected

99
Q

impetuous

A

quick to act without thinking

100
Q

implacable

A

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

101
Q

inchoate

A

not fully formed, disorganized

102
Q

ingenuous

A

showing innocence or childlike simplicity

103
Q

inimical

A

hostile, unfriendly

104
Q

innocuous

A

harmless

105
Q

insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor

106
Q

intransigent

A

uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled

107
Q

inundate

A

to overwhlem, to cover with water

108
Q

irascible

A

easily made angry

109
Q

laconic

A

using few words

110
Q

lament

A

to express sorrow, to grieve

111
Q

laud

A

to give praise, to glorify

112
Q

lavish

A

to give unsparingly, extremely generous

113
Q

lethargic

A

acting in an indifferent or slow manner

114
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

115
Q

lucid

A

clear and easily understood

116
Q

leminous

A

bright, brilliant, glowing

117
Q

malinger

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

118
Q

malleable

A

capable of being shaped

119
Q

methaphor

A

a figure or speech comparing two different things, a symbol

120
Q

meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

121
Q

misanthrope

A

a person who dislikes others

122
Q

mitigate

A

to soften, to lessen

123
Q

mollify

A

to calm or make less severe

124
Q

monotony

A

lack of variation

125
Q

naive

A

lacking sophistication or experience

126
Q

obdurate

A

hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion

127
Q

obsequious

A

overly submissive and eager to please

128
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn, unyielding

129
Q

obviate

A

to prevent, to make unnecessary

130
Q

occulde

A

to stop up, prevent the passage of

131
Q

onerous

A

troublesome and oppressive, burdensome

132
Q

opaque

A

impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light

133
Q

oppobrium

A

public disgrace

134
Q

ostentation

A

excessive showiness

135
Q

paradox

A

a contradiction or dilemma

136
Q

paragon

A

a model of excellence or perfection

137
Q

pedant

A

someone who shows off learning

138
Q

perfidious

A

willing to betray ones trust

139
Q

perfunctory

A

done in a routine way, indifferent

140
Q

permeate

A

to penetrate

141
Q

philanthropy

A

charity

142
Q

placate

A

to soothe or pacify

143
Q

plastic

A

able to be molded, altered

144
Q

plethora

A

excess

145
Q

pragmatic

A

practical as opposed to idealistic

146
Q

precipitate

A

to throw violently or bring about abruptly, lacking deliberation

147
Q

prevaricate

A

to lie or deviate from the truth

148
Q

pristine

A

fresh and clean, uncorrupted

149
Q

prodigal

A

lavish, wasteful

150
Q

proliferate

A

to increase in number quickly

151
Q

propitiate

A

to conciliate, to appease

152
Q

propriety

A

correct behavior, obedience to rules and customes

153
Q

prudence

A

wisdom, caution, or restraint

154
Q

pungent

A

sharp and irratating to the senses

155
Q

quiescent

A

motionless

156
Q

rarefy

A

to make thinner or sparser

157
Q

repudiate

A

to reject the validity of

158
Q

reticent

A

silent, reserved

159
Q

rhetoric

A

effective writing or speaking

160
Q

satiate

A

to satisfy fully or overindulge

161
Q

soporific

A

causing sleep or lethargy

162
Q

specious

A

deceptively attractive, seemingly plausible but fallicious

163
Q

stigma

A

a mark of shame or discredit

164
Q

stolid

A

unemotional, lacking sensitivity

165
Q

sublime

A

lofty or grand

166
Q

tacit

A

done without using words

167
Q

taciturn

A

silent, not talkative

168
Q

tirade

A

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

169
Q

torpor

A

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

170
Q

transitory

A

temporary, lasting a brief time

171
Q

vacillate

A

to sway physically, to be indecisive

172
Q

venerate

A

to respect deeply

173
Q

veracity

A

filled with truth and accuracy

174
Q

verbose

A

wordy

175
Q

vex

A

to annoy

176
Q

volatile

A

easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive

177
Q

waver

A

to fluctuate between choices

178
Q

whimsical

A

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable

179
Q

zeal

A

passion, excitement