Top GRE Words Flashcards
1
Q
ABATE
A
to reduce in amount, degree, or severity; as the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm
2
Q
ABSCOND
A
to leave secretly; the patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
3
Q
ABSTAIN
A
to choose not to do something; she ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray
4
Q
ABYSS
A
an extremely deep hole; the submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths
5
Q
ADULTERATE
A
to make impure; the chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water
6
Q
ADVOCATE
A
to speak in favor of; the vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat
7
Q
AESTHETIC
A
concerning the appreciation of beauty; followers of the AESTHETIC Movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art
8
Q
AGGRANDIZE
A
to increase in power, influence, and reputation; the supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own
9
Q
ALLEVIATE
A
to make more bearable; taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache
10
Q
AMALGAMATE
A
to combine or mix together; Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated
11
Q
AMBIGUOUS
A
doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways; the directions she gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn
12
Q
AMERLIORATE
A
to make better or improve; the doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers
13
Q
ANACHRONISM
A
something out of place in time; the aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years
14
Q
ANALAGOUS
A
similar or alike in some way or equivalent to; in the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker.”
15
Q
ANOMALY
A
deviation from what is normal; albino animals may display too great an ANOMALY in their coloring to attract normally colored mates
16
Q
ANTAGONIZE
A
to annoy or provoke to anger; the child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail
17
Q
ANTIPATHY
A
extreme dislike; the ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare
18
Q
APATHY
A
lack of interest of emotion; the APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so
19
Q
ARBITRATE
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties; since the couple could not come to agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings
20
Q
ARCHAIC
A
ancient, old-fashioned; her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software
21
Q
ARDOR
A
intense and passionate feeling; Bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley
22
Q
ARTICULATE
A
able to speak clearly and expressively; she is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters
23
Q
ASSUAGE
A
to make something unpleasant less severe; Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache
24
Q
ATTENUATE
A
to reduce in force or degree or weaken; The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will
25
AUDACIOUS
fearless and daring; her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving
26
AUSTERE
severe or stern in appearance or undecorated; the lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye
27
BANAL
predictable, clichéd, boring; he used BANAL phrases like Have a nice day, or Another day, another dollar.
28
BOLSTER
to support or prop up; the presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area
29
BOMBASTIC
pompous in speech and manner; the ranting of the radio talk show host was most BOMBASTIC; his boating and outrageous claims had no basis in fact
30
CACOPHONY
harsh, jarring noise; the junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments
31
CANDID
impartial and honest in speech; the observations of a child can be ch arming since they are CANDID and unpretentious
32
CAPRICIOUS
changing one's mind quickly and often; Queen Elizabeth I was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy
33
CASTIGATE
to punish or criticize harshly; many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE the perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the US
34
CATALYST
something that brings about a change in something else; the imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution
35
CAUSTIC
biting in wit; Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults
36
CHAOS
great disorder or confusion; in many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS
37
CHAUVINIST
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs; the attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINISTS
38
CHICANERY
deception by means of craft or guile; dishonest used care sales people often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars
39
COGENT
convincing and well reasoned; swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant
40
CONDONE
to overlook, pardon, or disregard; some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness
41
CONVOLUTED
intricate and complicated; although many people bough A Brief History of Time, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories
42
CORROBORATE
to provide supporting evidence;fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness's testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim's apartment
43
CREDULOUS
too trusting, gullible; although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine-year-olds also believe in him
44
CRESCENDO
steadily increasing volume or force; the CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses
45
DECORUM
appropriateness of behavior or conduct, propriety; the countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace
46
DEFERENCE
respect, courtesy; the respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE
47
DERIDE
to speak of or treat with contempt, to mock; the awkward child was often DERIDED by his "cooler" peers
48
DESICCATE
to dry out thoroughly; after a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely DESICCATED
49
DESULTORY
jumping from one thing to another, disconnected; Diane had a DESULTORY academic record;s eh had changed majors 12 times in three years
50
DIATRIBE
an abusive, condemnatory speech; the trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the drive who had cut him off
51
DIFFIDENT
lacking self-confidence; Steve's DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field
52
DILATE
to make larger, to expand; when you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light
53
DILATORY
intended to delay; the Congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill
54
DILETTANTE
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic; Jerry's friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week
55
DIRGE
a funeral hymn or mournful speech; Melville wrote the poem " A DIRGE for James McPherson" for the funeral of Union general who was killed in 1864
56
DISABUSE
to set right, to free from error; Galileo's observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth
57
DISCERN
to perceive, to recognize; it is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping
58
DISPARATE
fundamentally different, entirely unlike; although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE
59
DISSEMBLE
to present a false appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or character; the villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer--he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man
60
DISSONANCE
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds; cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence
61
DOGMA
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief; Linus's central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded
62
DOGMATIC
dictatorial in one's opinions; the dictator was DOGMATIC--he, and only he, was right
63
DUPE
to deceive, a person who is easily deceived; Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit
64
ECLECTIC
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources; Budapest's architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles
65
EFFICACY
effectiveness; the EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced, the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered
66
ELEGY
a sorrowful poem or speech; although Thomas Gray's "ELEGY Written in a Country Churchyard" is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality
67
ELOQUENT
persuasive and moving, especially in speech; the Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ELOQUENT words
68
EMULATE
to copy, to try to equal or excel; to graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class
69
ENERVATE
to reduce in strength; the guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army
70
ENGENDER
to produce, cause, or bring about; his fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown
71
ENIGMA
a puzzle, a mystery; speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA
72
ENUMERATE
to count, list, or itemize; Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED
73
EPHEMERAL
lasting a short time; the lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies' average life span is a matter of hours
74
EQUIVOCATE
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead; when faced with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them
75
ERRATIC
wandering and unpredictable; the plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience
76
ERUDITE
learned, scholarly, bookish; the annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field
77
ESOTERIC
known or understood by only a few; only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics
78
ESTIMABLE
admirable; most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India
79
EULOGY
speech in praise of someone; his best friend gave the EULOGY, outlining his many achievement and talents
80
EUPHEMISM
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one; the funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM sleeping instead of the word dead
81
EXACERBATE
to make worse; it is in unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn, instead of providing relief, the drug will only EXACERBATE the problem
82
EXCULPATE
to clear form blame, prove innocent; the adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to EXCULPATE those who are innocent
83
EXIGENT
urgent, requiring immediate action; the patient was losing blood so rapidly that is was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding
84
EXONERATE
to clear of blame; the fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime
85
EXPLICIT
clearly states or shown, forthright in expression; the owners of the house left a list of EXPLICIT instructions detailing their housesitter's duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants
86
FANATICAL
acting excessively enthusiastic, filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion; the stormtroopers were FANATICAL int heir devotion tot he emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him
87
FAWN
to grovel; the understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis
88
FERVID
intensely emotional, feverish; the fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer
89
FLORID
excessively decorated or embellished; the palace had been decorated in a FLORID style, every surface had been carved and gilded
90
FOMENT
to arouse or invite; the protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations
91
FRUGALITY
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap; Scrooge McDuck's FRUGALITY was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money
92
GARRULOUS
tending to talk a lot; the GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking
93
GREGARIOUS
outgoing, social; she was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone, she felt quite sad
94
GUILE
deceit or trickery; since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort to trap his enemy
95
GULLIBLE
easily deceived; the con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information
96
HOMOGENOUS
the class was fairly HOMOGENOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors
97
ICONOCLAST
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions; his lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST
98
IMPERTURBABLE
not capable of being disturbed; the counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums
99
IMPERVIOUS
impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected; a good raincoat will be IMPERVIOUS to moisture
100
IMPETUOUS
quick to act without thinking; it is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS, since much thought should be given to all the possible options
101
IMPLACABLE
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful; his rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks
102
INCHOATE
not fully formed, disorganized; the ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing
103
INGENUOUS
showing innocence or childlike simplicity; she was so INGENUOUS that her friends feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city
104
INIMICAL
hostile, unfriendly; even though the children had grown up together, they were INIMICAL to each other at school
105
INNOCUOUS
harmless; some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans
106
INSIPID
lacking interest or flavor; the critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing to interesting qualities at all
107
INTRANSIGENT
uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled; the professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time
108
INUNDATE
to overwhelm, to cover with water; the tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water
109
IRASCIBLE
easily made angry; Attila the Hun's IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives
110
LACONIC
using few words; she was a LACONIC poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible
111
LAMENT
to express sorrow, to grieve; the children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise
112
LAUD
to give praise, to glorify; Parades and fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels
113
LAVISH
to give unsparingly, extremely generous or extravagant; she LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled
114
LETHARGIC
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner; the clerk was so LETHARGIC that, even when the store was slow, he always had a long line in front of him
115
LOQUACIOUS
talkative; she was naturally LOQUACIOUS, which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking
116
LUCID
clear and easily understood; the explanations were written in a simple and LUCID manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned
117
LUMINOUS
bright, brilliant, glowing; the park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine, which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors
118
MALINGER
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill; a common way to avoid the draft was by MALINGERING--pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army
119
MALLEABLE
capable of being shaped; gold is the most MALLEABLE of previous metals, it can easily be formed into almost any shape
120
METAPHOR
a figure of speech comparing two different things, a symbol; the METAPHOR "a sea of troubles" suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea
121
METICULOUS
extremely careful about details; to find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigators METICULOUSLY examined every inch of the area
122
MISANTRHOPE
a person who dislikes others; the character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing makes him angry
123
MITIGATE
to soften, to lessen; a judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need
124
MOLLIFY
to calm or make less severe; their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them
125
MONOTONY
lack of variation; the MONOTONY of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy
126
NAIVE
lacking sophistication or experience; having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more NAIVE than their high school counterparts on the field trip
127
OBDURATE
hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion; the president was completely OBDURATE on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind
128
OBSEQUIOUS
overly submissive and eager to please; the OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor's tie and agree with him on every issue
129
OBSTINATE
stubborn, unyielding; the OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked
130
OBVIATE
to prevent, to make unnecessary; the river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge
131
OCCLUDE
to stop up, to prevent the passage of; a shadow is thrown across the earth's surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is OCCLUDED by the moon
132
ONEROUS
troublesome and oppressive, burdensome; the assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it
133
OPAQUE
impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light; the heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made the OPAQUE
134
OPPROBIRUM
public disgrace; after the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM
135
OSTENTATION
excessive showiness; the OSTENTATION of the Sun King's court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles
136
PARADOX
a contradiction or dilemma; it is a PARADOX that hose most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it
137
PARAGON
model of excellence or perfection; she is the PARAGON of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking, and just
138
PEDANT
someone who shows off learning; the graduate instructor's tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a PEDANT
139
PERFIDIOUS
willing to betray one's trust; the actress's PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist
140
PERFUNCTORY
done in a routine way, indifferent; the machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a PERFUNCTORY smile
141
PERMEATE
to penetrate; this miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE stains and dissolved them in minutes
142
PHILANTHROPY
charity, a desire or effort to promote goodness; New York's MMA owes much of its collection to the PHILANTHROPY of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum
143
PLACATE
to soothe or pacify; the burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by saying "Nice doggy," and offering it a treat
144
PLASTIC
able to be molded, altered, or bent; the new material was very PLASTIC and could be formed into products of vastly different shapes
145
PLETHORA
excess; assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHORA of excuses
146
PRAGMATIC
practical as opposed to idealistic; while daydreaming gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, PRAGMATIC gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them
147
PRECIPITATE
to throw violently or bring about abruptly, lacking deliberation; upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other only two months, friends and family members expected such a PRECIPITATE marriage to end in divorce
148
PREVARICATE
to lie or deviate from the truth; rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time
149
PRISTINE
fresh and clean, uncorrupted; since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived
150
PRODIGAL
lavish, wasteful; the PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure
151
PROLIFERATE
to increase in number quickly; although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, they PROLIFERATED to such an extent that she soon had dozens
152
PROPITIATE
to conciliate, to appease; the management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members
153
PROPRIETY
correct behavior, obedience to rules and customs; the aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY, adhering to even the most minor social rules
154
PRUDENCE
wisdom, caution, or restraint; the college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her résumé
155
PUNGENT
sharp, and irritating to the senses; the smoke form the burning tires was extremely PUNGENT
156
QUIESCENT
motionless; many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy
157
RAREFY
to make thinner or sparser; since the atmosphere RAREFIES as the altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe
158
REPUDIATE
to reject the validity of; the old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED when DNA tests showed she was of no relation tot hem
159
RETICENT
silent, reserved; physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting
160
RHETORIC
effective writing or speaking; Lincoln's talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address
161
SATIATE
to satisfy fully or overindulge; his desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it
162
SOPORIFIC
causing sleep or lethargy; the movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater
163
SPECIOUS
deceptively attractive, seemingly plausible but fallacious; the student's SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home
164
STIGMA
a mark of shame or discredit; in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A on her clothes as a public STIGMA for her adultery
165
STOLID
unemotional, lacking sensitivity; the prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence
166
SUBLIME
lofty or grand; the music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place
167
TACIT
done without using words; although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a TACIT agreement had been made about which course of action to take
168
TACITURN
silent, not talkative; the clerk's TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob"
169
TIRADE
long, harsh speech or verbal attack; observers were shocked at the manager's TIRADE over such a minor mistake
170
TORPOR
extreme mental and physical sluggishness; after surgery, the patient experience TORPOR until the anesthesia wore off
171
TRANSITORY
temporary, lasting a brief time; the reporter lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story
172
VACILLATE
to sway physically, to be indecisive; the customer help up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream
173
VENERATE
to respect deeply; in a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders, deferring to the elders' wisdom and experience
174
VERACITY
filled with truth and accuracy; she had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events
175
VERBOSE
wordy; the professor's answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been
176
VEX
to annoy; the old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor's loud music
177
VOLATILE
easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive; his VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything
178
WAVER
to fluctuate between choices; fi you WAVER too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice
179
WHIMSICAL
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable; the ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets
180
ZEAL
passion, excitement; she brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members
