Top GRE Words

Question 1

ABATE

Answer 1

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity; as the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm

Question 2

ABSCOND

Answer 2

to leave secretly; the patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door

Question 3

ABSTAIN

Answer 3

to choose not to do something; she ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray

Question 4

ABYSS

Answer 4

an extremely deep hole; the submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths

Question 5

ADULTERATE

Answer 5

to make impure; the chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water

Question 6

ADVOCATE

Answer 6

to speak in favor of; the vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat

Question 7

AESTHETIC

Answer 7

concerning the appreciation of beauty; followers of the AESTHETIC Movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art

Question 8

AGGRANDIZE

Answer 8

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

Question 9

ALLEVIATE

Answer 9

to make more bearable; taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache

Question 10

AMALGAMATE

Answer 10

to combine or mix together; Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated

Question 11

AMBIGUOUS

Answer 11

doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways; the directions she gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn

Question 12

AMERLIORATE

Answer 12

to make better or improve; the doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers

Question 13

ANACHRONISM

Answer 13

something out of place in time; the aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years

Question 14

ANALAGOUS

Answer 14

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.”

Question 15

ANOMALY

Answer 15

deviation from what is normal; albino animals may display too great an ANOMALY in their coloring to attract normally colored mates

Question 16

ANTAGONIZE

Answer 16

to annoy or provoke to anger; the child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail

Question 17

ANTIPATHY

Answer 17

extreme dislike; the ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare

Question 18

APATHY

Answer 18

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

Question 19

ARBITRATE

Answer 19

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

Question 20

ARCHAIC

Answer 20

ancient, old-fashioned; her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software

Question 21

ARDOR

Answer 21

intense and passionate feeling; Bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley

Question 22

ARTICULATE

Answer 22

able to speak clearly and expressively; she is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters

Question 23

ASSUAGE

Answer 23

to make something unpleasant less severe; Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache

Question 24

ATTENUATE

Answer 24

to reduce in force or degree or weaken; The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will

Question 25

AUDACIOUS

Answer 25

fearless and daring; her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving

Question 26

AUSTERE

Answer 26

severe or stern in appearance or undecorated; the lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye

Question 27

BANAL

Answer 27

predictable, clichéd, boring; he used BANAL phrases like Have a nice day, or Another day, another dollar.

Question 28

BOLSTER

Answer 28

to support or prop up; the presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area

Question 29

BOMBASTIC

Answer 29

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

Question 30

CACOPHONY

Answer 30

harsh, jarring noise; the junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments

Question 31

CANDID

Answer 31

impartial and honest in speech; the observations of a child can be ch arming since they are CANDID and unpretentious

Question 32

CAPRICIOUS

Answer 32

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

Question 33

CASTIGATE

Answer 33

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

Question 34

CATALYST

Answer 34

something that brings about a change in something else; the imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution

Question 35

CAUSTIC

Answer 35

biting in wit; Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults

Question 36

CHAOS

Answer 36

great disorder or confusion; in many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS

Question 37

CHAUVINIST

Answer 37

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

Question 38

CHICANERY

Answer 38

deception by means of craft or guile; dishonest used care sales people often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars

Question 39

COGENT

Answer 39

convincing and well reasoned; swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant

Question 40

CONDONE

Answer 40

to overlook, pardon, or disregard; some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness

Question 41

CONVOLUTED

Answer 41

intricate and complicated; although many people bough A Brief History of Time, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories

Question 42

CORROBORATE

Answer 42

to provide supporting evidence;fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment

Question 43

CREDULOUS

Answer 43

too trusting, gullible; although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine-year-olds also believe in him

Question 44

CRESCENDO

Answer 44

steadily increasing volume or force; the CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses

Question 45

DECORUM

Answer 45

appropriateness of behavior or conduct, propriety; the countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace

Question 46

DEFERENCE

Answer 46

respect, courtesy; the respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE

Question 47

DERIDE

Answer 47

to speak of or treat with contempt, to mock; the awkward child was often DERIDED by his “cooler” peers

Question 48

DESICCATE

Answer 48

to dry out thoroughly; after a few weeks of lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely DESICCATED

Question 49

DESULTORY

Answer 49

jumping from one thing to another, disconnected; Diane had a DESULTORY academic record;s eh had changed majors 12 times in three years

Question 50

DIATRIBE

Answer 50

an abusive, condemnatory speech; the trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the drive who had cut him off

Question 51

DIFFIDENT

Answer 51

lacking self-confidence; Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field

Question 52

DILATE

Answer 52

to make larger, to expand; when you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light

Question 53

DILATORY

Answer 53

intended to delay; the Congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill

Question 54

DILETTANTE

Answer 54

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

Question 55

DIRGE

Answer 55

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

Question 56

DISABUSE

Answer 56

to set right, to free from error; Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth

Question 57

DISCERN

Answer 57

to perceive, to recognize; it is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping

Question 58

DISPARATE

Answer 58

fundamentally different, entirely unlike; although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE

Question 59

DISSEMBLE

Answer 59

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

Question 60

DISSONANCE

Answer 60

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds; cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence

Question 61

DOGMA

Answer 61

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief; Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded

Question 62

DOGMATIC

Answer 62

dictatorial in one’s opinions; the dictator was DOGMATIC–he, and only he, was right

Question 63

DUPE

Answer 63

to deceive, a person who is easily deceived; Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit

Question 64

ECLECTIC

Answer 64

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources; Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles

Question 65

EFFICACY

Answer 65

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

Question 66

ELEGY

Answer 66

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

Question 67

ELOQUENT

Answer 67

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

Question 68

EMULATE

Answer 68

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

Question 69

ENERVATE

Answer 69

to reduce in strength; the guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army

Question 70

ENGENDER

Answer 70

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

Question 71

ENIGMA

Answer 71

a puzzle, a mystery; speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA

Question 72

ENUMERATE

Answer 72

to count, list, or itemize; Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED

Question 73

EPHEMERAL

Answer 73

lasting a short time; the lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours

Question 74

EQUIVOCATE

Answer 74

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

Question 75

ERRATIC

Answer 75

wandering and unpredictable; the plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience

Question 76

ERUDITE

Answer 76

learned, scholarly, bookish; the annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field

Question 77

ESOTERIC

Answer 77

known or understood by only a few; only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics

Question 78

ESTIMABLE

Answer 78

admirable; most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India

Question 79

EULOGY

Answer 79

speech in praise of someone; his best friend gave the EULOGY, outlining his many achievement and talents

Question 80

EUPHEMISM

Answer 80

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

Question 81

EXACERBATE

Answer 81

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

Question 82

EXCULPATE

Answer 82

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

Question 83

EXIGENT

Answer 83

urgent, requiring immediate action; the patient was losing blood so rapidly that is was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding

Question 84

EXONERATE

Answer 84

to clear of blame; the fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime

Question 85

EXPLICIT

Answer 85

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

Question 86

FANATICAL

Answer 86

acting excessively enthusiastic, filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion; the stormtroopers were FANATICAL int heir devotion tot he emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him

Question 87

FAWN

Answer 87

to grovel; the understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis

Question 88

FERVID

Answer 88

intensely emotional, feverish; the fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer

Question 89

FLORID

Answer 89

excessively decorated or embellished; the palace had been decorated in a FLORID style, every surface had been carved and gilded

Question 90

FOMENT

Answer 90

to arouse or invite; the protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations

Question 91

FRUGALITY

Answer 91

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

Question 92

GARRULOUS

Answer 92

tending to talk a lot; the GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking

Question 93

GREGARIOUS

Answer 93

outgoing, social; she was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone, she felt quite sad

Question 94

GUILE

Answer 94

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

Question 95

GULLIBLE

Answer 95

easily deceived; the con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information

Question 96

HOMOGENOUS

Answer 96

the class was fairly HOMOGENOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors

Question 97

ICONOCLAST

Answer 97

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions; his lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST

Question 98

IMPERTURBABLE

Answer 98

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

Question 99

IMPERVIOUS

Answer 99

impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected; a good raincoat will be IMPERVIOUS to moisture

Question 100

IMPETUOUS

Answer 100

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

Question 101

IMPLACABLE

Answer 101

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful; his rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks

Question 102

INCHOATE

Answer 102

not fully formed, disorganized; the ideas expressed in Nietzsche’s mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing

Question 103

INGENUOUS

Answer 103

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

Question 104

INIMICAL

Answer 104

hostile, unfriendly; even though the children had grown up together, they were INIMICAL to each other at school

Question 105

INNOCUOUS

Answer 105

harmless; some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans

Question 106

INSIPID

Answer 106

lacking interest or flavor; the critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing to interesting qualities at all

Question 107

INTRANSIGENT

Answer 107

uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled; the professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time

Question 108

INUNDATE

Answer 108

to overwhelm, to cover with water; the tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water

Question 109

IRASCIBLE

Answer 109

easily made angry; Attila the Hun’s IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives

Question 110

LACONIC

Answer 110

using few words; she was a LACONIC poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible

Question 111

LAMENT

Answer 111

to express sorrow, to grieve; the children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise

Question 112

LAUD

Answer 112

to give praise, to glorify; Parades and fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels

Question 113

LAVISH

Answer 113

to give unsparingly, extremely generous or extravagant; she LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled

Question 114

LETHARGIC

Answer 114

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

Question 115

LOQUACIOUS

Answer 115

talkative; she was naturally LOQUACIOUS, which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking

Question 116

LUCID

Answer 116

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

Question 117

LUMINOUS

Answer 117

bright, brilliant, glowing; the park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine, which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors

Question 118

MALINGER

Answer 118

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

Question 119

MALLEABLE

Answer 119

capable of being shaped; gold is the most MALLEABLE of previous metals, it can easily be formed into almost any shape

Question 120

METAPHOR

Answer 120

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

Question 121

METICULOUS

Answer 121

extremely careful about details; to find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigators METICULOUSLY examined every inch of the area

Question 122

MISANTRHOPE

Answer 122

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

Question 123

MITIGATE

Answer 123

to soften, to lessen; a judge may MITIGATE a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need

Question 124

MOLLIFY

Answer 124

to calm or make less severe; their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them

Question 125

MONOTONY

Answer 125

lack of variation; the MONOTONY of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy

Question 126

NAIVE

Answer 126

lacking sophistication or experience; having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more NAIVE than their high school counterparts on the field trip

Question 127

OBDURATE

Answer 127

hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion; the president was completely OBDURATE on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind

Question 128

OBSEQUIOUS

Answer 128

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

Question 129

OBSTINATE

Answer 129

stubborn, unyielding; the OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked

Question 130

OBVIATE

Answer 130

to prevent, to make unnecessary; the river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge

Question 131

OCCLUDE

Answer 131

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

Question 132

ONEROUS

Answer 132

troublesome and oppressive, burdensome; the assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it

Question 133

OPAQUE

Answer 133

impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light; the heavy buildup of dirt and grime on the windows almost made the OPAQUE

Question 134

OPPROBIRUM

Answer 134

public disgrace; after the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM

Question 135

OSTENTATION

Answer 135

excessive showiness; the OSTENTATION of the Sun King’s court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles

Question 136

PARADOX

Answer 136

a contradiction or dilemma; it is a PARADOX that hose most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it

Question 137

PARAGON

Answer 137

model of excellence or perfection; she is the PARAGON of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking, and just

Question 138

PEDANT

Answer 138

someone who shows off learning; the graduate instructor’s tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a PEDANT

Question 139

PERFIDIOUS

Answer 139

willing to betray one’s trust; the actress’s PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist

Question 140

PERFUNCTORY

Answer 140

done in a routine way, indifferent; the machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a PERFUNCTORY smile

Question 141

PERMEATE

Answer 141

to penetrate; this miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE stains and dissolved them in minutes

Question 142

PHILANTHROPY

Answer 142

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

Question 143

PLACATE

Answer 143

to soothe or pacify; the burglar tried to PLACATE the snarling dog by saying “Nice doggy,” and offering it a treat

Question 144

PLASTIC

Answer 144

able to be molded, altered, or bent; the new material was very PLASTIC and could be formed into products of vastly different shapes

Question 145

PLETHORA

Answer 145

excess; assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHORA of excuses

Question 146

PRAGMATIC

Answer 146

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

Question 147

PRECIPITATE

Answer 147

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

Question 148

PREVARICATE

Answer 148

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

Question 149

PRISTINE

Answer 149

fresh and clean, uncorrupted; since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived

Question 150

PRODIGAL

Answer 150

lavish, wasteful; the PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure

Question 151

PROLIFERATE

Answer 151

to increase in number quickly; although she only kept two guinea pigs initially, they PROLIFERATED to such an extent that she soon had dozens

Question 152

PROPITIATE

Answer 152

to conciliate, to appease; the management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members

Question 153

PROPRIETY

Answer 153

correct behavior, obedience to rules and customs; the aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY, adhering to even the most minor social rules

Question 154

PRUDENCE

Answer 154

wisdom, caution, or restraint; the college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her résumé

Question 155

PUNGENT

Answer 155

sharp, and irritating to the senses; the smoke form the burning tires was extremely PUNGENT

Question 156

QUIESCENT

Answer 156

motionless; many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy

Question 157

RAREFY

Answer 157

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

Question 158

REPUDIATE

Answer 158

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

Question 159

RETICENT

Answer 159

silent, reserved; physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting

Question 160

RHETORIC

Answer 160

effective writing or speaking; Lincoln’s talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address

Question 161

SATIATE

Answer 161

to satisfy fully or overindulge; his desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it

Question 162

SOPORIFIC

Answer 162

causing sleep or lethargy; the movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater

Question 163

SPECIOUS

Answer 163

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

Question 164

STIGMA

Answer 164

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

Question 165

STOLID

Answer 165

unemotional, lacking sensitivity; the prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge’s harsh sentence

Question 166

SUBLIME

Answer 166

lofty or grand; the music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place

Question 167

TACIT

Answer 167

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

Question 168

TACITURN

Answer 168

silent, not talkative; the clerk’s TACITURN nature earned him the nickname “Silent Bob”

Question 169

TIRADE

Answer 169

long, harsh speech or verbal attack; observers were shocked at the manager’s TIRADE over such a minor mistake

Question 170

TORPOR

Answer 170

extreme mental and physical sluggishness; after surgery, the patient experience TORPOR until the anesthesia wore off

Question 171

TRANSITORY

Answer 171

temporary, lasting a brief time; the reporter lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story

Question 172

VACILLATE

Answer 172

to sway physically, to be indecisive; the customer help up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream

Question 173

VENERATE

Answer 173

to respect deeply; in a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders, deferring to the elders’ wisdom and experience

Question 174

VERACITY

Answer 174

filled with truth and accuracy; she had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events

Question 175

VERBOSE

Answer 175

wordy; the professor’s answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been

Question 176

VEX

Answer 176

to annoy; the old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor’s loud music

Question 177

VOLATILE

Answer 177

easily aroused or changeable, lively or explosive; his VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything

Question 178

WAVER

Answer 178

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

Question 179

WHIMSICAL

Answer 179

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner, unpredictable; the ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets

Question 180

ZEAL

Answer 180

passion, excitement; she brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members