Top GRE Words A-E Flashcards
Abate
To reduce.
“Jenny Abate was abated. That’s why she’s short.”
Abscond
To leave secretly.
“I absconded out of the house when I woke up next to the grenade.”
Aggrandize
To increase in power/influence/reputation.
“She felt aggrandized after her promotion.”
Amalgamate
To combine or mix together.
“We amalgamated forces to become an incredible duo!”
Ameliorate
To improve.
“Being around her ameliorates my pain.”
Anachronism
Something out of place or time.
“I felt anochronistic in the bar full of college kids.”
Antipathy
Extreme dislike.
“There is an obvious antipathy between the two since their divorce.”
Arbitrate
To mediate.
“The judge arbitrated the custody agreement between the parents.”
Ardor
Intense and passionate feeling.
“I’ve always had an ardor for poetry.”
Assuage
To make something less severe.
“The tylenol assuaged the pounding headache.”
Audacious
Fearless.
“Skydiving is a sport for the audacious.”
Austere
Stern or severe appearance.
“The old man’s austere appearance made him difficult to approach.”
Banal
Predictable or cliche.
“The plot of the movie was banal and unoriginal.”
Bolster
To support or prop up.
“The case was won with the bolstering evidence.”
Bombastic
Arrogant.
“The man attempted to impress the woman on their date but instead came across as bombastic.”
Cacophony
Harsh noise.
“Her attempt at singing was an unbearable cacaphony.”
Capricious
Fickle.
“Going shopping with her was unbearable due to her capricious nature when deciding on what to buy.”
Castigate
To severely reprimand.
“He was castigated for an hour after arriving home at 3am.”
Caustic
Bitterly sarcastic.
“His insults were caustic, sending the sensitive girl into tears.”
Chicanery
Crafty deception.
“Salesman often use chicanery to persuade their customers.”
Cogent
Convincing.
“The man’s excuse was cogent enough to warrant his wife’s forgiveness.”
Convoluted
Complex or difficult to follow.
“The poem was so convoluted it left it’s readers feeling frustrated and perplexed.”
Credulous
Gullible.
“My parents didn’t bother with fairytales as I wasn’t a very credulous child.”
Crescendo
Steadily increasing in volume/force.
“The long silence began a crescendo of tension.”
