Top GRE Words Flashcards
1
Q
Ababte
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 previous unseen depths.
5
Q
Adulterate
A
to make impure
The chief 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 ALLEVIATE a headache.
10
Q
Amalgamate
A
to combine; to 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 me were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn.
12
Q
Ameliorate
A
to make better; to improve
The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patients 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
Analogous
A
similar or alike in some way; 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 provoke to anger or annoy
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 or 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
22
Q
Articulate
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
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; to weaken
25
Audacious
fearless and daring
Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving.
26
Austere
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye.
27
Banal
predictable, cliched, boring
28
Bolster
to support; to prop up
29
Bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
The ranting of the radio talk show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting 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
32
Capricious
changing ones mind quickly and often
33
Castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
34
Catalyst
something that brings about change in something else
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
37
Chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
38
Chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
39
Cogent
convincing and well reasoned
Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendent
40
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
41
Convoluted
intricate and complicated
42
Corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
43
Credulous
too trusting; gullible
44
Crescendo
steadily increasing volume or force
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
49
Desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
50
Diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off.
51
Diffident
lacking self-confidence
52
Dilate
to make larger; to expand
53
Dilatory
intended to delay
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
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
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
60
Dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
61
Dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
62
Dogmatic
dictatorial in one's opinions
63
Dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
64
Eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
65
Efficacy
effectiveness
66
Elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
67
Eloquent
persuasive and moving especially in speech
68
Emulate
to copy; to try to equal or excel
69
Enervate
to reduce in strength
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
72
Enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
73
Ephemeral
lasting a short time
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
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
78
Estimable
admirable
79
Eulogy
speech in praise of someone
80
Euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
81
Exacerbate
to make worse
82
Exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
83
Exigent
urgent; requiring immediate action
84
Exonerate
to clear of blame
85
Explicit
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
86
Fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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
89
Florid
excessively decorated or embellished
90
Foment
to arouse or incite
The protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations.
91
Frugality
a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
92
Garrulous
tending to talk a lot
93
Gregarious
outgoing, sociable
94
Guile
deceit or trickery
95
Gullible
easily deceived
96
Homogenous
of similar kind
97
Iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
98
Imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
99
Impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
100
Impetuous
quick to act without thinking
101
Implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
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 moved to the big city.
104
Inimical
hostile, unfriendly
105
Innocuous
harmless
106
Insipid
lacking interest or flavor
The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all.
107
Intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
The professor was INTRANSIGENT on the deadline, insisting everyone turn the assignment in at the same time.
108
Inundate
to overwhelm; to cover with water
109
Irascible
easily made angry
110
Laconic
using few words
111
Lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
112
Laud
to give praise; to glorify
113
Lavish
to give unsparingly (v); extremely generous or extravagant (adj.)
114
Lethargic
acting indifferent or slow; sluggish manner
115
Loquacious
talkative
116
Lucid
clear and easily understood
117
Luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
118
Malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
119
Malleable
capable of being shaped
120
Metaphor
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
121
Meticulous
extremely careful about details
122
Misanthrope
a person who dislikes others
123
Mitigate
to soften; to lessen
124
Mollify
to calm or make less severe
125
Monotony
lack of variation
126
Naive
lacking sophistication or experience
127
Obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
128
Obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
129
Obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
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
133
Opaque
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
134
Opprobrium
public disgrace
After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM.
135
Ostentation
excessive showiness
136
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
137
Paragon
model of excellence or perfection
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
140
Perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent
141
Permeate
to penetrate
142
Philanthropy
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
143
Placate
to soothe or pacify
144
Plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
145
Plethora
excess
146
Pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
147
Precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
148
Prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
149
Pristine
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
150
Prodigal
lavish, wasteful
151
Proliferate
to increase in number quickly
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, restraint
The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.
155
Pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses
156
Quiescent
motionless
157
Rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
158
Repudiate
to reject the validity of
159
Reticent
silent, reserved
160
Rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
161
Satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
162
Soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
163
Specious
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
The students SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when her teacher called her home.
164
Stigma
mark of shame or discredit
165
Stolid
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
166
Sublime
lofty or grand
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
169
Tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
170
Torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
171
Transitory
temporary, lasting a brief time
172
Vacillate
to sway physically; to be indecisive
173
Venerate
to respect deeply
174
Veracity
filled with truth and accuracy
175
Verbose
wordy
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
178
Waver
to fluctuate between choices
179
Whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
180
Zeal
passion, excitement
181
Excoriate
to denounce or berate severely
182
Elucidation
to make lucid or clear
183
Obfuscation
to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy
184
Malapropism
an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound
185
Kismet
fate, destiny, luck
186
Imbroglio
confusion, a misunderstanding, a disagreement
187
Bemuse
to bewilder or confuse
188
Aplomb
self assurance, poise
189
Derision
ridicule, mockery, harsh criticism
190
Furtively
secretly, sly, stealthy
191
Felicitous
appropriate, pleasingly expressed, well suited for the occasion
192
Vociferous
crying out noisily, loudly, and vehemently expressive
193
Garrulous
wordy
194
Imbibe
to consume by eating or drinking
195
Imperturbation
freedom from perturbation, tranquility, calmness
196
Moribund
in a dying state; near death; on the verge of extinction
197
Sinecure
a job that does not require work
198
Subjugation
the act, fact, or process of subjugating, or bringing under control
199
Trifling
unimportant, insignificant
200
Vernacular
pertaining to everyday language; slang
201
Innocuous
harmless
202
Didactic
intended for instruction; instructive
203
Unequivocal
clear without exception
204
Diffident
shy, reserved
205
Oft-admonished
frequently scolded
206
Incorrigible
bad beyond correction or reform
207
Reviling
denounce
208
Intransigent
refusing to agree or compromise, unjust, unfair
209
Burgeoning
to grow or develop quickly, flourish
210
Languid
lacking in vitality; slack or slow; indifferent; lazy
211
Dogmatic
stubbornly opinionated
212
Fetid
having an offensive odor
213
Forborn
sad, lonely
214
Brazen
shameless
215
Fervid
very enthusiastic
burning, glowing, intensely hot
