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GRE Vocab - 5 > U,W,X,Y,Z > Flashcards

U,W,X,Y,Z Flashcards

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1
Q

ubiquitous

A

being everywhere; omnipresent (Eg: That Christmas ‘‘The Little Drummer Boy’’ seemed ubiquitous: Justin heard the tune everywhere he went. )

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2
Q

ulterior

A

situated beyond; unstated and often questionable (Eg: You must have an ulterior motive for your behavior- since there is no obvious reason for it. )

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3
Q

ultimate

A

final; not susceptible to further analysis (Eg: Scientists are searching for the ultimate truths. )

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4
Q

ultimatum

A

last demand; warning (Eg: Since they have ignored our ultimatum- our only recourse is to declare war. )

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5
Q

umbrage

A

resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult (Eg: She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff. )

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6
Q

unanimity

A

complete agreement (Eg: We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups. )

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7
Q

unassuaged

A

unsatisfied; not soothed (Eg: Her anger is unassuaged by your apology. )

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8
Q

unassuming

A

modest (Eg: He is so unassuming that some people fail to realize how great a man he really is. )

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9
Q

unbridled

A

violent (Eg: She had a sudden fit of unbridled rage. )

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10
Q

uncanny

A

strange; mysterious (Eg: You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts. )

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11
Q

unconscionable

A

unscrupulous; excessive (Eg: She found the load shark’s demands unconscionable and impossible to meet. )

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12
Q

uncouth

A

outlandish; clumsy; boorish (Eg: )

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13
Q

unction

A

the act of anointing with oil (Eg: The anointing with oil of a person near death is called extreme unction. )

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14
Q

unctous

A

oily; bland; insincerely suave (Eg: Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his ‘'’umility.’’ )

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15
Q

undermine

A

weaken; sap (Eg: The recent corruption scandals have undermined many people’s faith in the city government. )

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16
Q

underscore

A

emphasize (Eg: Adressing the jogging class- Kim underscored the importance to runners of good nutrition. )

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17
Q

undulate

A

move with a wavelike motion (Eg: The flag undulated in the breeze. )

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18
Q

unearth

A

dig up (Eg: When they unearthed the city- the archeologists found many relics of an ancient civilization. )

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19
Q

unearthly

A

not earthly; weird (Eg: There is an unearthly atmosphere in her work that amazes the casual observer. )

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20
Q

unequivocal

A

plain; obvious (Eg: My answer to your proposal is an unequivocal and absolute ‘‘No.’’ )

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21
Q

unerringly

A

infallibly (Eg: My teacher unerringly pounced on the one typographical error in my essay. )

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22
Q

unfaltering

A

steadfast (Eg: She approached the guillotine with unfaltering steps. )

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23
Q

unfeigned

A

genuine; real (Eg: She turned so pale that I am sure her surprise was unfeigned. )

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24
Q

unfettered

A

liberated; freed from chains (Eg: Chained to the wall for months on end- the hostage despaired that he would ever be unfettered. )

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25
Q

unfledged

A

immature (Eg: It is hard for an unfledged writer to find a sympathetic publisher. )

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26
Q

unfrock

A

to strip a priest or minister of church authority (Eg: To disbar a lawyer- to unfrock a priest- to suspend a doctor’s license to practice–these are extreme steps )

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27
Q

ungainly

A

awkward (Eg: He is an ungainly young man; he trips over everything. )

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28
Q

unguent

A

ointment (Eg: )

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29
Q

uniformity

A

sameness; consistency; monotony (Eg: After a while- the uniformity of TV situation comedies becomes boring. )

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30
Q

unilateral

A

one-sided (Eg: This legislation is unilateral since it binds only one party in the controversy. )

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31
Q

unimpeachable

A

blameless and exemplary (Eg: Her conduct in office was unimpeachable and her record is spotless. )

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32
Q

uninhibited

A

unrepressed (Eg: The congregation was shocked by her uninhibited laughter during the sermon. )

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33
Q

unintimidating

A

unfrightening (Eg: Though Phil had expected to feel overawed when he met Joe Montana- he found the experience )

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34
Q

unique

A

without an equal; single in kind (Eg: You have the unique distinction of being the first student whom I have had to fail in this course. )

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35
Q

unison

A

unity of pitch; complete accord (Eg: The choir sang in unison. )

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36
Q

universal

A

characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere (Eg: At first- no one shared Christopher’s opinions; his theory that the world was round was met with universal )

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37
Q

unkempt

A

disheveled; with uncared-for appearance (Eg: The beggar was dirty and unkempt. )

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38
Q

unobtrusive

A

inconspicuous; not blatant (Eg: The secret service agents in charge of protecting the President tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. )

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39
Q

unprecedented

A

novel; unparalleled (Eg: Margaret Mitchell’s book Gone with the Wind was an unprecedented success. )

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40
Q

unprepossessing

A

unattractive (Eg: During adolescence many attractive young people somehow acquire the false notion that their appearance )

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41
Q

unravel

A

disentangle; solve (Eg: With equal ease Miss Marple unraveled tangled balls of yarn and baffling murder mysteries. )

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42
Q

unrequited

A

not reciprocated (Eg: Suffering the pangs of unrequited love- Olivia rebukes Cesario for his hard-heartedness. )

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43
Q

unruly

A

disobedient; lawless (Eg: The only way to curb this unruly mob is to use tear gas. )

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44
Q

unsavory

A

distasteful; morally offensive (Eg: People with unsavory reputations should not be allowed to work with young children. )

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45
Q

unscathed

A

unharmed (Eg: They prayed he would come back from the war unscathed. )

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46
Q

unseemly

A

unbecoming; indecent (Eg: Your levity is unseemly at this time of mourning. )

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47
Q

unsightly

A

ugly (Eg: Although James was an experienced emergency room nurse- he occasionally became queasy when faced )

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48
Q

unsullied

A

untarnished (Eg: I am happy that my reputation is unsullied. )

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49
Q

untenable

A

unsupportable (Eg: I find your theory untenable and must reject it. )

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50
Q

untoward

A

unfortunate; annoying (Eg: Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion. )

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51
Q

unwarranted

A

unjustified; groundless; undeserved (Eg: We could not understand Martin’s unwarranted rudeness to his mother’s guests. )

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52
Q

unwieldy

A

awkward; cumbersome; unmanageable (Eg: The large carton was so unwieldy that the movers had trouble getting it up the stairs. )

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53
Q

unwitting

A

unintentional; not knowing (Eg: She was the unwitting tool of the swindlers )

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54
Q

unwonted

A

unaccustomed (Eg: He hesitated to assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner. )

55
Q

upbraid

A

scold; reproach (Eg: I must upbraid him for his unruly behavior. )

56
Q

uproarious

A

marked by commotion; extremely funny; very noisy (Eg: The uproarious comedy hit Home Alone featured Macaulay Culkin- whose mugging and comic antics )

57
Q

upshot

A

outcome (Eg: The upshot of the rematch was that the former champion proved that he still possessed all the skills of his )

58
Q

urbane

A

suave; refined; elegant (Eg: The courtier was urbane and sophisticated )

59
Q

urchin

A

mischievous child (usually a boy) (Eg: Get out! This store is no place for grubby urchins! )

60
Q

ursine

A

bearlike; pertaining to a bear (Eg: Because of its ursine appearance- the great panda has been identified with the bears; actually- it is closely )

61
Q

usurp

A

seize power; supplant (Eg: The revolution ended when the victorious rebel leader usurped the throne. )

62
Q

usury

A

lending money at illegal rates of interest (Eg: The loan shark was found guilty of usury. )

63
Q

utopia

A

imaginary land with perfect social and political system (Eg: Shangri-la was the name of James Hilton’s Tibetan utopia. )

64
Q

uxorious

A

excessively devoted to one’s wife (Eg: His friends laughed at him because he was so uxorious and submissive to his wife’s desires. )

65
Q

undergird

A

strengthen the base of (Eg: Whereas relativity theory undermined the Newtonian mechanics- cosmology was undergirded by it. )

66
Q

waffle

A

speak equivocally about an issue (Eg: When asked directly about the governor’s involvement in the savings and loan scandal- the press secretary )

67
Q

waft

A

moved gently by wind or waves (Eg: Daydreaming- he gazed at the leaves that wafted past his window. )

68
Q

waggish

A

mischievous; humorous; tricky (Eg: He was a prankster who- unfortunately- often overlooked the damage he could cause with his waggish )

69
Q

waif

A

homeless child or animal (Eg: Although he already had eight cats- he could not resist adopting yet another feline waif. )

70
Q

waive

A

give up temporarily; yield (Eg: I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision. )

71
Q

wallow

A

roll in; indulge in; become helpless (Eg: The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud. )

72
Q

wan

A

having a pale or sickly color; pallid (Eg: Suckling asked- ‘‘Why so pale and wan- fond lover?’’ )

73
Q

wane

A

grow gradually smaller (Eg: From now until December 21- the winter solstice- the hours of daylight will wane. )

74
Q

wangle

A

wiggle out; fake (Eg: She tried to wangle an invitation to the party. )

75
Q

wanton

A

unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste (Eg: Pointing to the stack of bills- Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures. In response- Sara )

76
Q

warble

A

sing; babble (Eg: Every morning the birds warbled outside her window. )

77
Q

warrant

A

justify; authorize (Eg: Before the judge issues the injunction- you must convince her this action is warranted. )

78
Q

warranty

A

guarantee; assurance by seller (Eg: The purchaser of this automobile is protected by the manufacturer’s warranty that he will replace any )

79
Q

warren

A

tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live (Eg: The tenement was a veritable warren- packed with people too poor to live elsewhere. )

80
Q

wary

A

very cautious (Eg: The spies grew wary as they approached the sentry. )

81
Q

wastrel

A

profligate (Eg: He was denounced as a wastrel who had dissipated his inheritance. )

82
Q

wax

A

increase; grow (Eg: With proper handling- his fortunes waxed and he became rich. )

83
Q

waylay

A

ambush; lie in wait (Eg: They agreed to waylay their victim as he passed through the dark alley going home. )

84
Q

wean

A

accustom a baby not to nurse; give up a cherished activity (Eg: He decided he would wean himself away from eating junk food and stick to fruits and vegetables. )

85
Q

weather

A

endure the effects of weather or other forces (Eg: He weathered the changes in his personal life with difficulty- as he had no one in whom to confide. )

86
Q

welt

A

mark from beating or whipping (Eg: The evidence of child abuse was very clear; Jennifer’s small body was covered with welts and bruises. )

87
Q

welter

A

turmoil; bewildering jumble (Eg: The existing welter of overlapping federal and state proclaims cries out for immediate reform. )

88
Q

welter

A

wallow (Eg: At the height of the battle- the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while )

89
Q

wheedle

A

cajole; coax; deceive by flattery (Eg: She knows she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father. )

90
Q

whelp

A

young wolf- dog- tiger- etc. (Eg: This collie whelp won’t do for breeding- but he’d make a fine pet. )

91
Q

whet

A

sharpen; stimulate (Eg: The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served. )

92
Q

whiff

A

puff or gust (of air- scent- etc.); hint (Eg: The slightest whiff of Old Spice cologne brought memories of George to her mind. )

93
Q

whimsical

A

capricious; fanciful (Eg: He dismissed his generous gift to his college as a sentimental fancy- an old man’s whimsical gesture. )

94
Q

whinny

A

neigh like a horse (Eg: )

95
Q

whit

A

smallest speck (Eg: There is not a whit of intelligence or understanding in your observations. )

96
Q

whittle

A

pare; cut off bits (Eg: As a present for Aunt Polly- Tom whittled some clothespins out of a chunk of wood. )

97
Q

whorl

A

ring of leaves around stem; ring (Eg: Identification by fingerprints is based on the difference in shape and number of whorls on the fingers. )

98
Q

willful

A

intentional; headstrong (Eg: Donald had planned to kill his wife for months; clearly- her death was a case of deliberate- willful murder- )

99
Q

wily

A

cunning; artful (Eg: She is as wily as a fox in avoiding trouble. )

100
Q

wince

A

shrink back; flinch (Eg: The screech of the chalk on the blackboard made her wince. )

101
Q

windfall

A

fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event (Eg: This huge tax refund is quite a windfall. )

102
Q

winnow

A

sift; separate good parts from bad (Eg: This test will winnow out the students who study from those who don’t bother. )

103
Q

winsome

A

agreeable; gracious; engaging (Eg: By her winsome manner- she made herself liked by everyone who met her. )

104
Q

wispy

A

thin; slight; barely discernible (Eg: Worried about preserving his few wispy tufts of hair- Walter carefully massaged his scalp and applied hair )

105
Q

wistful

A

vaguely longing; sadly pensive (Eg: With a last wistful glance at the happy couples dancing in the hall- Sue headed back to her room to study )

106
Q

withdrawn

A

introverted; remote (Eg: Rebuffed by his colleagues- the initially outgoing young researcher became increasingly withdrawn. )

107
Q

wither

A

shrivel; decay (Eg: Cut flowers are beautiful for a day- but all too soon they wither. )

108
Q

witless

A

foolish; idiotic (Eg: Such witless and fatuous statements will create the impression that you are an ignorant individual. )

109
Q

witticism

A

witty saying; facetious remark (Eg: What you regard as witticisms are often offensive to sensitive people. )

110
Q

wizardry

A

sorcery; magic (Eg: Merlin amazed the knights with his wizardry. )

111
Q

wizened

A

withered; shriveled (Eg: The wizened old man in the home for the aged was still active and energetic. )

112
Q

wont

A

custom; habitual procedure (Eg: As was his wont- he jogged two miles every morning before going to work. )

113
Q

worldly

A

engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual (Eg: You must leave your worldly goods behind you when you go to meet your Maker. )

114
Q

wrangle

A

quarrel; obtain through arguing; herd cattle (Eg: They wrangled over their inheritance. )

115
Q

wrath

A

anger; fury (Eg: She turned to him- full of wrath- and said- ‘‘What makes you think I’ll accept lower pay for this job than )

116
Q

wreak

A

inflict (Eg: I am afraid he will wreak his vengeance on the innocent as well as the guilty. )

117
Q

wrench

A

pull; strain; twist (Eg: She wrenched free of her attacker and landed a powerful kick to his kneecap. )

118
Q

wrest

A

pull away; take by violence (Eg: With only ten seconds left to play- our team wrested victory from their grasp. )

119
Q

writ

A

written command issued by a court (Eg: The hero of Leonard’s novel is a process server who invents unorthodox ways of serving writs on reluctant )

120
Q

writhe

A

squirm- twist (Eg: He was writhing in pain- desperate for the drug his body required. )

121
Q

wry

A

twisted; with a humorous twist (Eg: We enjoy Dorothy Parker’s verse for its wry wit. )

122
Q

xenophobia

A

fear or hatred of foreigners (Eg: When the refugee arrived in America- he was unprepared for the xenophobia he found there. )

123
Q

yen

A

longing; urge (Eg: She had a yen to get away and live on her own for a while. )

124
Q

yeoman

A

man owing small estate; middle-class farmer (Eg: It was not the aristocrat but the yeoman who determined the nation’s policies. )

125
Q

yield

A

amount produced; crop; income on investment (Eg: An experienced farmer can estimate the annual yield of his acres with surprising accuracy. )

126
Q

yield

A

give in; surrender (Eg: The wounded knight refused to yield to his foe. )

127
Q

yoke

A

join together- unite (Eg: I don’t wish to be yoked to him in marriage- as if we were cattle pulling a plow. )

128
Q

yokel

A

country bumpkin (Eg: At school- his classmates regarded him as a yokel and laughed at his rustic mannerisms. )

129
Q

yore

A

time past (Eg: He dreamed of the elegant homes of yore- but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing. )

130
Q

zany

A

crazy; comic (Eg: I can watch the Marx brothers’ zany antics for hours. )

131
Q

zeal

A

eager enthusiasm (Eg: Wang’s zeal was contagious; soon all his fellow students were busily making posters- inspired by his ardent )

132
Q

zealot

A

fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal (Eg: It is good to have a few zealots in our group for their enthusiasm is contagious. )

133
Q

zenith

A

point directly overhead in the sky; summit (Eg: When the sun was at its zenith- the glare was not as strong as at sunrise and sunset. )

134
Q

zephyr

A

gentle breeze; west wind (Eg: When these zephyrs blow- it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail. )

GRE Vocab - 5 (5 decks)

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