Top GRE Words Flashcards

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1
Q

Abate

A

Reduce in amount, degree, or severity

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2
Q

Abscond

A

To leave secretly

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3
Q

Abyss

A

An extremely deep hole

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4
Q

Adulterate

A

to make impure

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5
Q

Advocate

A

to speak in favor of

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6
Q

Aesthetic

A

concerning appreciation beauty

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7
Q

Aggrandize

A

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

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8
Q

Alleviate

A

to make more bearable

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9
Q

Amalgamate

A

to combine; to mix together

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10
Q

Ameliorate

A

to make better; to improve

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11
Q

Anachronism

A

something out of place in time

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12
Q

Anagolous

A

similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

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13
Q

Anomaly

A

deviation from what is normal

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14
Q

Antagonize

A

to annoy or provoke to anger

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15
Q

Anipathy

A

extreme dislike

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16
Q

Arbitrate

A

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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17
Q

Archaic

A

ancient, old-fashioned

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18
Q

Ardor

A

intense and passionate feeling

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19
Q

Articulate

A

able to speak clearly and expressively

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20
Q

Assuage

A

to make something unpleasant less severe

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21
Q

Attenuate

A

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

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22
Q

Audacious

A

fearless and daring

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23
Q

Austere

A

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

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24
Q

Banal

A

predictable, cliched, boring

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25
Q

Bolster

A

to support; to prop up

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26
Q

Bombastic

A

pompous in speech and manner

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27
Q

Cacophony

A

harsh, jarring noise

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28
Q

Candid

A

impartial and honest in speech

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29
Q

Castigate

A

to punish or criticize harshly

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30
Q

Catalyst

A

something that brings about change in something else

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31
Q

Caustic

A

biting in wit

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32
Q

Chaos

A

great disorder or confusion

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33
Q

Chauvinist

A

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

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34
Q

Chicanery

A

deception by means of craft or guile

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35
Q

Cogent

A

convincing and well reasoned

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36
Q

Condone

A

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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37
Q

Convoluted

A

intricate and complicated

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38
Q

Corroborate

A

to provide supporting evidence

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39
Q

Credulous

A

too trusting; gullible

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40
Q

Crescendo

A

steadily increasing volume or force

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41
Q

Decorum

A

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

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42
Q

Deference

A

respect, courtesy

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43
Q

Deride

A

to speak of or treat w/ contempt; to mock

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44
Q

Desiccate

A

to dry out thoroughly

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45
Q

Desultory

A

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

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46
Q

Diatribe

A

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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47
Q

Diffident

A

lacking self-confidence

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48
Q

Dilate

A

to make larger; to expand

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49
Q

Dilatory

A

intended to delay

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50
Q

Dilettante

A

someone w/ an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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51
Q

Dirge

A

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

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52
Q

Disabuse

A

to set right; to free from error

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53
Q

Discern

A

to perceive, to recognize

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54
Q

Disparate

A

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

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55
Q

Dissemble

A

to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

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56
Q

Dissonance

A

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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57
Q

Dupe

A

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

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58
Q

Eclectic

A

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

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59
Q

Efficacy

A

effectiveness

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60
Q

Elegy

A

a sorrowful poem or speech

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61
Q

Eloquent

A

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

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62
Q

Emulate

A

to copy; to try to equal or excel

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63
Q

Enervate

A

to reduce in strength

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64
Q

Enigma

A

a puzzle; a mystery

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65
Q

Enumerate

A

to count, list, or itemize

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66
Q

Ephemeral

A

lasting a short time

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67
Q

Equivocal

A

open to more than one interpretation; misleading

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68
Q

Equivocate

A

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

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69
Q

Erratic

A

wandering and unpredictable

70
Q

Erudite

A

learned, scholarly, bookish

71
Q

Esoteric

A

known or understood by only a few

72
Q

Estimable

A

admirable

73
Q

Eulogy

A

speech in praise of someone

74
Q

Euphemism

A

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

75
Q

Exacerbate

A

to make worse

76
Q

Exculpate

A

to clear from blame; prove innocent

77
Q

Exigent

A

urgent; requiring immediate action

78
Q

Exonerate

A

to clear of blame

79
Q

Explicit

A

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

80
Q

Fanatical

A

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled w/ extreme, unquestioned devotion

81
Q

Fawn

A

to grovel

82
Q

Fervish

A

intensely emotional; feverish

83
Q

Florid

A

excessively decorated or embellished

84
Q

Foment

A

to arouse or incite

85
Q

Garrulous

A

tending to talk a lot

86
Q

Gregarious

A

outgoing, sociable

87
Q

Guile

A

deceit or trickery

88
Q

Gullible

A

easily deceived

89
Q

Homogenous

A

of a similar kind

90
Q

Iconoclast

A

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

91
Q

Imperturbable

A

not capable of being disturbed

92
Q

Impervious

A

impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

93
Q

Impetuous

A

quick to act w/o thinking

94
Q

Implacable

A

unable to be calmed down or made peacefule

95
Q

Inchoate

A

not fully formed; disorganize

96
Q

Ingenuous

A

showing innocence or childlike simplicity

97
Q

Immical

A

hostile, unfriendly

98
Q

Innocuous

A

harmless

99
Q

Insipid

A

lacking interest or flavor

100
Q

Intransigent

A

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

101
Q

Inundate

A

to overwhelm; to cover w/ water

102
Q

Irascible

A

easily made angry

103
Q

Laconic

A

using few words

104
Q

Lament

A

to express sorrow; to grieve

105
Q

Laud

A

to give praise; to glorify

106
Q

Lavish

A

to give unsparingly (v); extremely generous or extravagant (adj)

107
Q

Lethargic

A

acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

108
Q

Loquacious

A

talkative

109
Q

Lucid

A

clear and easily understood

110
Q

Luminous

A

bright, brilliant, glowing

111
Q

Malinger

A

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

112
Q

Malleable

A

capable of being shaped

113
Q

Metaphor

A

a figure of speech comparing two different things; a symbol

114
Q

Meticulous

A

extremely careful about details

115
Q

Misanthrope

A

a person who dislike others

116
Q

Mitigate

A

to soften; to leesen

117
Q

Mollify

A

to calm or make less severe

118
Q

Monotony

A

lack of variation

119
Q

Naive

A

lacking sophistication or experience

120
Q

Obdurate

A

hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

121
Q

Obsequious

A

overly submissive and eager to please

122
Q

Obstinate

A

stubborn, unyielding

123
Q

Obviate

A

to prevent; to make unnecessary

124
Q

Occlude

A

to stop up; to prevent passage of

125
Q

Opprobium

A

public disgrace

126
Q

Ostentation

A

excessive showiness

127
Q

Paradox

A

a contradiction or dilemma

128
Q

Paragon

A

model of excellence of perfection

129
Q

Pedant

A

someone who shows off learning

130
Q

Perfidious

A

willing to betray one’s trust

131
Q

Perfunctory

A

done in a routine way; indiferrent

132
Q

Permeate

A

to penetrate

133
Q

Philanthropy

A

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

134
Q

Placate

A

to soothe or pacigy

135
Q

Plastic

A

able to be molded, altered, or bent

136
Q

Plethora

A

excess

137
Q

Pragmatic

A

practical as opposed to idealistic

138
Q

Precipitate

A

to throw or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

139
Q

Prevaricate

A

to lie or deviate from the truth

140
Q

Pristine

A

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

141
Q

Prodigal

A

lavish, wasteful

142
Q

Proliferate

A

to increase in number quickly

143
Q

Propritiate

A

to conciliate; to appease

144
Q

Propriety

A

correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

145
Q

Prudence

A

wisdom, caution, or restraint

146
Q

Pungent

A

sharp and irritating to the senses

147
Q

Quiescent

A

motionless

148
Q

Rarefy

A

to make thinner or sparser

149
Q

Repudiate

A

to reject validity of

150
Q

Reticent

A

silent, reserved

151
Q

Rhetoric

A

effective writing or speaking

152
Q

Satiate

A

to satisfy fully or overindulge

153
Q

Soporific

A

causing sleep or lethargy

154
Q

Specious

A

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

155
Q

Stigma

A

a mark of shame or discredit

156
Q

Stolid

A

unemotional; lacking sensitivity

157
Q

Sublime

A

lofty or grand

158
Q

Tacit

A

done w/o using words

159
Q

Taciturn

A

silent, not talkative

160
Q

Tirade

A

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

161
Q

Torpor

A

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

162
Q

Transitory

A

temporary, lasting a brief time

163
Q

Vacillate

A

to sway physically; to be indecisive

164
Q

Venerate

A

to respect deeply

165
Q

Veracity

A

truthfulness; accuracy

166
Q

Verbose

A

wordy

167
Q

Vex

A

to annoy

168
Q

Volatile

A

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

169
Q

Waver

A

to fluctuate between choices

170
Q

Whimsical

A

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

171
Q

Zeal

A

passion, excitement