Top GRE Words Flashcards
1
Q
Abate
A
Reduce in amount, degree, or severity
2
Q
Abscond
A
To leave secretly
3
Q
Abyss
A
An extremely deep hole
4
Q
Adulterate
A
to make impure
5
Q
Advocate
A
to speak in favor of
6
Q
Aesthetic
A
concerning appreciation beauty
7
Q
Aggrandize
A
to increase in power, influence, and reputation
8
Q
Alleviate
A
to make more bearable
9
Q
Amalgamate
A
to combine; to mix together
10
Q
Ameliorate
A
to make better; to improve
11
Q
Anachronism
A
something out of place in time
12
Q
Anagolous
A
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
13
Q
Anomaly
A
deviation from what is normal
14
Q
Antagonize
A
to annoy or provoke to anger
15
Q
Anipathy
A
extreme dislike
16
Q
Arbitrate
A
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
17
Q
Archaic
A
ancient, old-fashioned
18
Q
Ardor
A
intense and passionate feeling
19
Q
Articulate
A
able to speak clearly and expressively
20
Q
Assuage
A
to make something unpleasant less severe
21
Q
Attenuate
A
to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
22
Q
Audacious
A
fearless and daring
23
Q
Austere
A
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
24
Q
Banal
A
predictable, cliched, boring
25
Bolster
to support; to prop up
26
Bombastic
pompous in speech and manner
27
Cacophony
harsh, jarring noise
28
Candid
impartial and honest in speech
29
Castigate
to punish or criticize harshly
30
Catalyst
something that brings about change in something else
31
Caustic
biting in wit
32
Chaos
great disorder or confusion
33
Chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
34
Chicanery
deception by means of craft or guile
35
Cogent
convincing and well reasoned
36
Condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
37
Convoluted
intricate and complicated
38
Corroborate
to provide supporting evidence
39
Credulous
too trusting; gullible
40
Crescendo
steadily increasing volume or force
41
Decorum
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
42
Deference
respect, courtesy
43
Deride
to speak of or treat w/ contempt; to mock
44
Desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
45
Desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
46
Diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech
47
Diffident
lacking self-confidence
48
Dilate
to make larger; to expand
49
Dilatory
intended to delay
50
Dilettante
someone w/ an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
51
Dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
52
Disabuse
to set right; to free from error
53
Discern
to perceive, to recognize
54
Disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
55
Dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
56
Dissonance
a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
57
Dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
58
Eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
59
Efficacy
effectiveness
60
Elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
61
Eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
62
Emulate
to copy; to try to equal or excel
63
Enervate
to reduce in strength
64
Enigma
a puzzle; a mystery
65
Enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
66
Ephemeral
lasting a short time
67
Equivocal
open to more than one interpretation; misleading
68
Equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
69
Erratic
wandering and unpredictable
70
Erudite
learned, scholarly, bookish
71
Esoteric
known or understood by only a few
72
Estimable
admirable
73
Eulogy
speech in praise of someone
74
Euphemism
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
75
Exacerbate
to make worse
76
Exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
77
Exigent
urgent; requiring immediate action
78
Exonerate
to clear of blame
79
Explicit
clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
80
Fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled w/ extreme, unquestioned devotion
81
Fawn
to grovel
82
Fervish
intensely emotional; feverish
83
Florid
excessively decorated or embellished
84
Foment
to arouse or incite
85
Garrulous
tending to talk a lot
86
Gregarious
outgoing, sociable
87
Guile
deceit or trickery
88
Gullible
easily deceived
89
Homogenous
of a similar kind
90
Iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
91
Imperturbable
not capable of being disturbed
92
Impervious
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
93
Impetuous
quick to act w/o thinking
94
Implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peacefule
95
Inchoate
not fully formed; disorganize
96
Ingenuous
showing innocence or childlike simplicity
97
Immical
hostile, unfriendly
98
Innocuous
harmless
99
Insipid
lacking interest or flavor
100
Intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
101
Inundate
to overwhelm; to cover w/ water
102
Irascible
easily made angry
103
Laconic
using few words
104
Lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
105
Laud
to give praise; to glorify
106
Lavish
to give unsparingly (v); extremely generous or extravagant (adj)
107
Lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
108
Loquacious
talkative
109
Lucid
clear and easily understood
110
Luminous
bright, brilliant, glowing
111
Malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
112
Malleable
capable of being shaped
113
Metaphor
a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol
114
Meticulous
extremely careful about details
115
Misanthrope
a person who dislike others
116
Mitigate
to soften; to leesen
117
Mollify
to calm or make less severe
118
Monotony
lack of variation
119
Naive
lacking sophistication or experience
120
Obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
121
Obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
122
Obstinate
stubborn, unyielding
123
Obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary
124
Occlude
to stop up; to prevent passage of
125
Opprobium
public disgrace
126
Ostentation
excessive showiness
127
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
128
Paragon
model of excellence of perfection
129
Pedant
someone who shows off learning
130
Perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
131
Perfunctory
done in a routine way; indiferrent
132
Permeate
to penetrate
133
Philanthropy
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
134
Placate
to soothe or pacigy
135
Plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
136
Plethora
excess
137
Pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic
138
Precipitate
to throw or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
139
Prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth
140
Pristine
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
141
Prodigal
lavish, wasteful
142
Proliferate
to increase in number quickly
143
Propritiate
to conciliate; to appease
144
Propriety
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
145
Prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
146
Pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses
147
Quiescent
motionless
148
Rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
149
Repudiate
to reject validity of
150
Reticent
silent, reserved
151
Rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
152
Satiate
to satisfy fully or overindulge
153
Soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
154
Specious
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
155
Stigma
a mark of shame or discredit
156
Stolid
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
157
Sublime
lofty or grand
158
Tacit
done w/o using words
159
Taciturn
silent, not talkative
160
Tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
161
Torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
162
Transitory
temporary, lasting a brief time
163
Vacillate
to sway physically; to be indecisive
164
Venerate
to respect deeply
165
Veracity
truthfulness; accuracy
166
Verbose
wordy
167
Vex
to annoy
168
Volatile
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
169
Waver
to fluctuate between choices
170
Whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
171
Zeal
passion, excitement
