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GRE > Vocab 4 > Flashcards

Vocab 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

excess

A

plethora

Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a plethora of excuses.

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2
Q

crude or coarse; characteristic of commoners

A

plebeian

After five weeks of rigorous studying, the graduate settled in for a weekend of plebeian socializing and television watching.

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3
Q

able to be molded, altered, or bent

A

plastic

The new material was very plastic and could be formed into products of vastly different shape.

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4
Q

to soothe or pacify

A

placate

The burglar tried to placate the snarling dog by referring to it as a “nice doggy” and offering it a treat.

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5
Q

an abusive, condemnatory speech

A

diatribe

The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off.

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6
Q

allowing light to show through; delicate

A

diaphanous

These diaphanous curtains do nothing to block out the sunlight.

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7
Q

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

A

desultory

Athena had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in 3 years.

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8
Q

to dry out thoroughly

A

desiccate

After a few weeks lying on the desert’s baking sand, the cow’s carcass became completely desiccated.

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9
Q

to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

A

deride

The awkward child was often derided by his “cooler” peers.

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10
Q

to express doubts or objections

A

demur

When scientific authorities claimed that all the planets revolved around the Earth, Galileo, with his superior understanding of the situation, was forced to demur.

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11
Q

a leader or rabble-rouser, usually one appealing to emotion or prejudice

A

demagogue

He began his career as a demagogue, giving fiery speeches at political rallies.

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12
Q

subtly or unexpectedly harmful

A

deleterious

If only we have known the clocks were defective before putting them on the market, it wouldn’t have been quite so deleterious to our reputation.

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13
Q

respect; courtesty

A

deference

The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost deference.

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14
Q

to mar the appearance of; to vandalize

A

deface

After the wall was torn down, the students began to deface the statues of Communist leaders of the formed Eastern Bloc.

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15
Q

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

A

decorum

The countless complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace.

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16
Q

proper; tasteful; socially correct

A

decorous

The countess trained her daughters in the finer points of decorous behavior, hoping they would make a good impression when she presented them at Court.

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17
Q

a downward slope

A

declivity

Because the village was situated on the declivity of a hill, it never flooded.

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18
Q

to penetrate

A

permeate

This miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes!

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19
Q

to perceive or recognize

A

discern

It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.

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20
Q

to set right; to free from error

A

disabused

Galileo’s observations disabused scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the Earth.

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21
Q

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

A

dirge

Melville wrote a dirge for the funeral of James McPherson, a Union general who was killed in 1864.

22
Q

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

A

dilettante

Jerry’s friends were such dilettantes they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.

23
Q

intended to delay

A

dilatory

The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill.

24
Q

to make larger; to expand

A

dilate

25
Q

lacking self-confidence

A

diffident

26
Q

an authoritative statement

A

dictum

“You have time to lean, you have time to clean.” was the dictum our boss made us live by.

27
Q

the growth process from conception to birth

A

gestation

28
Q

tending to talk a lot

A

garrulous

The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking.

29
Q

to gather and store

A

garner

The director managed to garner financial backing from several different sources for his next project.

30
Q

to dance or skip around playfully

A

gambol

From her office, Amy enviously watched the playful puppies gambol around Central Park.

31
Q

secret; stealthy

A

furtive

Glenn was furtive when he peered out of the corner of his eye at the stunningly beautiful model.

32
Q

tending to be thrifty or cheap

A

frugality

33
Q

frantic; frenzied

A

frenetic

The employee’s frenetic schedule left her little time to socialize.

34
Q

unruly; rebellious

A

fractious

The general had a hard time maintaining discipline among his fractious troops.

35
Q

happening by chance; fortunate

A

fortuitous

It was fortuitous that he won the lotto just before he had to pay back his loans.

36
Q

to prevent or delay; to anticipate

A

forestall

37
Q

to cross a body of water by wading

A

ford

38
Q

to arouse or incite

A

foment

The rebels tried to foment revolution through their attacks on the government.

39
Q

excessively decorated or embellished

A

florid

The palace had been decorated in an excessively florid style.

40
Q

to decline in vigor, strength or interest

A

flag

The marathon runner slowed down as his strength flagged.

41
Q

foul-smelling; putrid

A

fetid

The fetid stench from the outhouse caused Frances to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

42
Q

intensely emotional; feverish

A

fervid

The fans of Maria Callas were particularly fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.

43
Q

fertile; fruitful; productive

A

fecund

The fecund couple yielded a total of 20 children.

44
Q

to grovel

A

fawn

The understudy fawned over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.

45
Q

stupid; foolishly self-satisfied

A

fatuous

Ted’s fatuous comments always embarrassed his keen-witted wife at parties.

46
Q

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

A

fanatical

The stormtroppers were fanatical in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.

47
Q

dignified; grandiose

A

august

The august view of the Grand Teton summit took my breath away.

48
Q

a prophecy; a prediction of events

A

augury

Troy hoped the rainbow was an augury of good things to come.

49
Q

fearless and daring

A

audacious

The audacious peasant dared to insult the king’s mother.

50
Q

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

A

attenuate

The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will.

GRE (13 decks)

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