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GRE Vocab > Vocabs > Flashcards

Vocabs Flashcards

1
Q

Verisimilitude

A

N; Seeming true; appearance of being real

She included photos in the book to lend verisimilitude to the story

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2
Q

Inclement

A

Adj; (of weather) unpleasant

The concert was cancelled due to inclement weather

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3
Q

Bucolic

A

Adj; Relating to the countryside\

The painting shows bucolic scenes with farmers

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4
Q

Intrepid

A

Adj; Extremely brave; showing no fear in danger

A team of intrepid explorers set out for the jungles

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5
Q

Behooves

A

V; Behooves sb to do sth; right for someone to do something

It behooves the team to consider profitability

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6
Q

Forthwith

A

Adv; Immediately

We expect the malpractice to cease forthwith

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7
Q

Promulgate

A

V; Spread belief/ideas among a lot of people

The new laws were promulgated last year

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8
Q

Mawkish

A

Adj; Showing emotion or love in an awkward/silly way

The novel falls into mawkish sentimentality in the end

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9
Q

Draconian

A

Adj; Extremely severe; go further than necessary; usually laws/policies
The crowd protested the draconian laws on abortion

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10
Q

Perfunctory

A

Adj; Done quickly without care/interest

He gave a perfunctory nod to her detailed explanation

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11
Q

Asceticism, abnegation

A

N; Avoiding physical pleasures and living simple life, often for religious reasons
The nun lived an ascetic life, prioritising simplicity over pleasures

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12
Q

Libertine

A

N/Adj; A person who lives in a way that is not moral, having sexual relationship with many
He is a libertine who indulges in amorous impulses

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13
Q

Crestfallen

A

Adj; Disappointed/sad to have failed unexpectedly

He looked crestfallen at their inappropriate decision

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14
Q

Circumscribe

A

V; To limit sth

Their movements have been circumscribed by quarantine rules during the pandemic

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15
Q

Incendiary

A

Adj; Designed to cause fire

An incendiary bomb

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16
Q

Decrepit

A

Adj; In very bad condition due to being old/not taken care of/used a lot
The decrepit buildings dated back to the pre-war period

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17
Q

Paean

A

N; A song/film/writing that praises someone/sth enthusiastically
The song is a paean to the heroic general

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18
Q

Cower

A

V; lower head/body in fear, moving backwards

The child cowered in a corner when reprimanded

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19
Q

Bristle

A

N; hair
V; react angrily
She bristled at the suggestion to reduce budget for her team
Phrasal: bristle with sth; Full of sth
The helicopter hovered above them bristling with guns

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20
Q

Vacillate, Dither

A

V; uncertain what to do/change between 2 opinions

His policies vacillated between strictness and laxness

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21
Q

Prevaricate

A

V; Evasion of truth or duty

He accused the minister of prevaricating. None of his speech addressed why the disaster happened.

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22
Q

Equivocation

A

N; way of speaking that is intentionally not clear/confusing to hide the truth
He answered openly and without equivocation
(Unequivocal: expressed clearly and certainly)

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23
Q

Candor

A

N; Honest and true, especially about a difficult/embarrassing subject
The manager reported the failure with candor

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24
Q

Glibness

A

N; Quality of being confident, but simple and lacking in careful thought
The young violinist played with glibness

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25
Q

Stridency

A

N; (1) Forcefulness; expressed in forceful language that does not try to avoid upsetting people (2) Loud, unpleasant and rough in sound
The activist expressed her opinions with stridency.

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26
Q

Brazenness, audacity

A

N; behaviour in which someone does sth in an obvious way, without trying to hide it
The authorities were surprised by the brazenness of the museum theft

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27
Q

Parsimony

A

N; quality of not willing to spend/ give and use a lot of sth
Corporate parsimony over staff salaries creates barriers to minimum wage legislation

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28
Q

Treachery

A

N; Behavior that deceives/is not loyal to someone who trusts you
Shakespeare’s plays are often about treachery and betrayal

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29
Q

Perfidy

A

N; Not loyal

The leader denounces perfidy and highlights the importance of trust and loyalty

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30
Q

Hamstrung

A

V hamstring; To limit the ability/power of someone to do sth

The reform was hamstrung by bureaucratic red tapes

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31
Q

Hobble

A

V; (1) Walk awkwardly, usually because legs are injured (2) To limit sth
The prolonged Congress debate hobbled the quick implementation of this policy

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32
Q

Erudite

A

Adj; Very knowledgeable, from reading/studying

She is erudite and well-read

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33
Q

Innumerable

A

Adj; too many to be counted

Innumerable civilians died in the explosion

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34
Q

Immutable

A

Adj; Unable to be changed

The Constitution is generally regarded as an immutable set of principles

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35
Q

Legion

A

Adj; large in number

The inconsistencies surrounding this court case are legion

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36
Q

Thoroughgoing

A

Adj; Complete, detailed, careful

The thoroughgoing research report resulted in an overhaul of draconian policies

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37
Q

Precis

A

N; Short form of a text that gives only the important parts

To enhance clarity, you should begin the report with a précis

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38
Q

Amenable

A

Adj; willing to accept or be influenced by suggestion

She might be more amenable to your suggestion if you tell her how much money it would save

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39
Q

Posterity

A

N; the people who will exist in the future

Sustainability initiatives ensure that the environment is preserved for posterity

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40
Q

Apogee

A

N; the most successful/popular/powerful point

At its apogee, the novel claimed top spot on the NYT bestseller list

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41
Q

Nadir

A

N; the worst moment

The economic crash precipitated the nadir of the stock market

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42
Q

Forlorn

A

Adj; hopeless

After the scandal, the President appeared on TV in a forlorn attempt to save his public image

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43
Q

Arriviste

A 
N; a person who is trying to move into a higher class in society
The entrepreneur is sometimes described as an arriviste, due to his close ties with the aristocracy
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44
Q

Bungling

A

Adj; doing sth badly, in a careless or stupid way

The essay presents a bungling string of misinformed thoughts

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45
Q

Bogus

A

Adj; False, not real

“Bogus!” cried the minister over fakes news

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46
Q

Happenstance

A

N; chance situation, esp one producing a good result

By happenstance the long lost friends bumped into each other in Italy!

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47
Q

Rambling

A

Adj; (1) too long and confused (talk); (2) large and spreading out in many different directions
The rambling speech lasted an hour and delivered few arguments

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48
Q

Torrid

A

Adj; (1) involving strong emotions, especially those of sexual love (emotion); (2) extremely hot (weather)
Call Me By Your Name is about a summer of torrid love

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49
Q

Aver

A

V; say sth that is certainly true

The lawyer averred his client’s innocence

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50
Q

Abstruse; inscrutable

A

Adj; not known/understood by many

This is an abstruse philosophy essay directed at academics

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51
Q

Impugn

A

V; cause doubt by criticising

The opinion piece published yesterday impugned the politician’s competence

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52
Q

Pithy

A

Adj; concise and meaningful

The short book is a pithy introduction to American politics

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53
Q

Sedulously

A

Adv; Carefully and with effort/determination

The art collector searched sedulously for rare pieces of baroque art

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54
Q

Chiseled

A

Adj; Strong and sharp, in an attractive way

The attractive young man has chiseled features

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55
Q

Brio

A

N; energy and confidence

She stepped into her managerial position with brio

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56
Q

Cumbrous/Cumbersome

A

Adj; Awkward because off being large, heavy, ineffective

A government troubled by cumbrous bureaucracy

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57
Q

Ponderous

A

Adj; Slow and awkward being of being heavy/large

The ponderous reporting style market the evening news dull viewing

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58
Q

Preponderance

A

N; largest part or greatest amount

The preponderance of evidence suggests he is guilty

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59
Q

Prosaic

A

Adj; without interest, imagination, excitement

The lecture was boring and prosaic

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60
Q

Recondite

A

Adj; not known by many people and difficult to understand

We had to work with material that was complex and recondite

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61
Q

Muckraking

A

N; Activity, especially by newspapers and reporters, of trying to find unpleasant info about people/organization to make it public
There was so much muckraking about his family that he ultimately decided against running for election

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62
Q

Hobnob

A

V; Spend time being friendly with someone who is important and famous
She often hobnobs with the rich and famous in the Hamptons

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63
Q

Machinate

A

V; To make secret plans in order to get an advantage

The politician machinated a plan to gain more votes

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64
Q

Cravenness

A

N; Not brave

The situation is made worse by the cravenness of politicians to take action

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65
Q

Heinous

A

Adj; very bad and shocking

A heinous crime of looting

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66
Q

Audacious

A

Adj; Willingness to take risks/offend people

He had the audacity to request my support after betraying me earlier on

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67
Q

Foolhardy

A

Adj; brave in a silly way, taking unnecessary risks

Sailing the ocean in such a tiny boat wasn’t so much brave as foolhardy

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68
Q

Plucky

A

Ad; Brave

It was plucky of you to chase after the burglar

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69
Q

Derelict

A

Adj; buildings/places not cared for and in bad condition

The city needs funding to revitalise the derelict factory buildings

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70
Q

Corral

A

V; To bring a group of people together and keep them in one place in order to control them
The police corralled most demonstrators in a small area

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71
Q

Rile

A

V; To annoy/make angry

The loud music riled up the neighbours

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72
Q

Hoodwink

A

V; To deceive or trick someone

He hoodwinked us into signing this unfair contract

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73
Q

Drivel

A

N; Nonsense/boring/unnecessary info

You don’t believe the drivel you read on the internet, do you?

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74
Q

Plodding

A

Adj; Slow, continuous, not exciting

The novel is heavy and plodding, with little excitement in it

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75
Q

Miasma

A

N; A very unpleasant general feeling or character of a situation
After the layoffs, the office descended into a miasma of depression for a whole week

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76
Q

Attenuate

A

V; To make sth less or weaker

They proposed more peacekeeping troops to attenuate the violence

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77
Q

Belabor

A

V; To explain sth more than necessary

I belaboured the point to the interns

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78
Q

Forthright

A

Adj; too honest or direct in behaviour

His forthright manner can be mistaken for rudeness

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79
Q

Cavil

A

V; To make unreasonable complaints, especially about things that are not important
The main cavil is that the film went on for too long

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80
Q

Gloating

A

Adj; express satisfaction due to someone else’s failure

The troops made a gloating victory after earlier defeats

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81
Q

Carp

A

V; To complain all the time about matters that are not important
However much people carp about junk mail, many of them read it

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82
Q

Groveling

A

Adj; behave sycophantically

He sent a grovelling note of apology to his boss in order to save his own job

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83
Q

Evanescent

A

Adj; Lasting a short time, then disappearing quickly/forgotten
Her fame was evanescent and subsided after the one hit

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84
Q

Forsake

A

V; leave someone when they need you

God please don’t forsake us at this time of need

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85
Q

Affability

A

N; Friendly

Her affability made her a well liked member of the team

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86
Q

Diffidence

A

Adj; quality of being shy/not confident about abilities

There was a diffident quality in her soft voice

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87
Q

Boorish

A

Adj; rude, clownish, no manners

I found him rather boorish and aggressive

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88
Q

Apocryphal

A

Adj; story of questionable authenticity

It’s a good story but apocryphal at best

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89
Q

Unassailable

A

Adj; Can’t be defeated/doubted

The president looked unassailable with over 60% of votes

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90
Q

Apprehend

A

V; (1) understand (2) catch/arrest someone

The police finally apprehended the killer

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91
Q

Fastidious

A

Adj; Giving attention to details

He is fastidious about how a suitcase should be packed

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92
Q

Trenchant

A

Adj; Strong criticism

He reserved his most trenchant criticism for the leader

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93
Q

Countermand

A

V; Change an order already given, especially by giving a new order
The amendment countermanded the bill

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94
Q

Nettlesome

A

Adj; Annoying, difficult

He attempted to tackle the nettlesome issue of police brutality

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95
Q

Proffer

A

V; Offer advice/opinion

I didn’t think it wise to proffer an opinion

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96
Q

Forthcoming

A

Adj; (1) Happening soon (2) Helpful

I had difficulty getting details because she wasn’t forthcoming

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97
Q

Insolence

A

N; Rude behaviour that does not show respect

There is no excuse for such insolence

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98
Q

Temerity

A

N; fearless daring

She had the temerity to call her manager a liar

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99
Q

Wherewithal

A

N; the money necessary for a particular purpose

I’d like to buy a bigger house, but I don’t have the wherewithal

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100
Q

Modicum

A

N; small amount of sth good such a truth/honesty

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would have seen that this plan doesn’t work

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101
Q

Misgiving

A

N; doubt/worry about future event

Many teachers expressed misgivings about the new tests

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102
Q

Facile

A

Adj; Simple and lacking depth

A facile explanation does not suffice at this level

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103
Q

Recriminations

A

N; Arguments between people who are blaming each other

The peace talks failed and ended in bitter mutual recriminations

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104
Q

Recalcitrant

A

Adj; Rebellious

A group of recalcitrant teenagers

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105
Q

Debonair

A

Adj; attractive, confident, and carefully dressed

A debonair young man

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106
Q

Histrionic

A

Adj; Overtly theatrical

The heir to the family’s great fortune put on a histrionic display of grief at the funeral

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107
Q

Lionized

A

V; to make someone famous

Modern sportsmen are often lionised by mainstream media

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108
Q

Fortuitous

A

Adj; happening by chance

The collapse of its rival was a fortuitous opportunity for the company

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109
Q

Obtuse

A

Adj; stupid and slow to understand

I’m not trying to be obtuse - but I don’t understand

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110
Q

Wily

A

Adj; cunning and sly

A wily politician

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111
Q

Artless

A

Adj; Simple and not wanting to deceive

He is an artless straight shooter

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112
Q

Itinerant

A

Adj; traveling from place to place

An itinerant trader selling goods across continents

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113
Q

Penurious

A

Adj; Extremely poor

The daughter was left penurious and deserted after her family’s betrayal

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114
Q

Peripatetic

A

Adj; traveling around to different places, usually because you work in more than pone place
A consultant has a peripatetic lifestyle

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115
Q

Abscond

A

V; to leave suddenly and securely in order to escape

Two prisoners absconded last night, triggering a nationwide search

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116
Q

Abjure

A

V; to say formally/publicly that you no longer agree with a belief
He abjured his religion after much reflection

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117
Q

Cleave

A

V; separate violently

With one mighty blow, the rock cleaved

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118
Q

Sanguine

A

Adj; Positive and hoping for good things

They are less sanguine about the prospects for peace after years of civil war

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119
Q

Imperious

A

Adj; Unpleasantly proud and expecting to be obeyed

She sent them away with an imperious wave of hand

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120
Q

Egregious

A

Adj; Oustandingly bad

It was an egregious error for a statesman to show such ignorance

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121
Q

Timorous

A

Adj; nervous

He is a timorous employee not likely to challenge his managers

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122
Q

Bellicose

A

Adj; wishing to fight/start a war

The general made some bellicose statements about his country’s military strength

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123
Q

Thrall

A

N; in thrall; someone has a lot of power to control you

She was completely in thrall to his love

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124
Q

Offing

A

N; in the offing; likely to happen soon

With an election in the offing, the PM is keen to maintain his popularity

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125
Q

Vexed

A

Adj; difficult, causes disagreement

Economists argue over the vexed question of how to reduce income inequality

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126
Q

Agog

A

Adj; Excited and eager to know more

We waited agog for the news

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127
Q

Preclude

A

V; To prevent sth

His NDA precludes him from discussing his work with anyone outside the company

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128
Q

Intransigent

A

Adj; refusing to change opinions

Management continues to maintain an intransigent position towards the demands of the union

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129
Q

Implacable

A

Adj; Having strong opinions that are impossible to change

An implacable army surrounded the walled city for days

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130
Q

Stolid

A

Adj; not showing emotion

He is a stolid and serious man

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131
Q

Ebb

A

V; becomes less strong

His strength is ebbing away

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132
Q

Ameliorate

A

V; Make a bad situation better

Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effects of the famine

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133
Q

Sanction

A

N/V; (1) An official order to make usually a country obey (2) formal permission
UN has imposed sanctions on the country because of its violation of human rights

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134
Q

Superfluity

A

N; An excess and unnecessary amount

The new director said there is a superfluity of staff in the company, gesturing a potential round of cuts

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135
Q

Auguries

A

N; A sign of what might happen in the future

These sales figure are a good augury for another profitable year

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136
Q

Trope

A

N; An idea often used in a particular artist’s work

Human-like robots are a classic trope of science fiction

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137
Q

Anodyne

A

Adj; Soothing

This is a relaxing song with anodyne lyrics about love and happiness

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138
Q

Jingoism

A

N; Extreme patriotism, in support of war

Patriotism can turn into jingoism and intolerance

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139
Q

Restive

A

Adj; Unwilling to be controlled

The audience was becoming restive as they waited for the performance to start

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140
Q

Cupidity

A

N; A strong desire to have sth, esp wealth

The embezzlement evidence revealed the cupidity of the company’s directors

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141
Q

Urbane

A

Adj; Civil and courteous

His urbane and worldly manners impressed me

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142
Q

Lurid

A

Adj; Shocking because involving violence/sex

You can read all the lurid details of the affair in today’s tabloid paper

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143
Q

Nonplussed

A

Adj; Surprised and not sure how to react

I was completely nonplussed by his abrupt comment

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144
Q

Cede

A

V; to allow someone else to have sth

Hong Kong was ceded to Britain after the Opium War

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145
Q

Lambaste

A

V; to criticise severely

His first novel was lambasted by the critics

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146
Q

Languish

A

V; To exist in an unwanted situation

He languished in jail for the past 20 years

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147
Q

Chafe

A

V; Become annoyed because of rules

We have been chafing under draconian regulations for too long

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148
Q

Coterminous

A

Adj; Having a shared limit/coextensive in scope

Elizabeth’s rule was coterminous with Brtiain’s golden age

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149
Q

Voracious

A

Adj; eager for sth

He is a voracious reader of historical novels

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150
Q

Sated

A

Adj; having had more than enough

Sated with food, he said he’s full

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151
Q

Reticent

A

Adj; Unwilling to speak

He is very reticent about his abusive childhood

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152
Q

Scrupulous, painstaking

A

Adj; Extreme care/clear sense of right and wrong

A scrupulous politician would not lie about his business interest

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153
Q

Simpering

A

V; Smile in a silly way

The little girl gave her teacher a simpering smile after causing a mess

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154
Q

Impervious

A

Adj; Not influenced by sth

Our freedom is not impervious to external threats

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155
Q

Requisite

A

Adj; Necessary for a purpose

He lacked the requisite skills for the job

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156
Q

Approbation

A

N; Approval

The council indicated approbation of the plans

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157
Q

Resplendent

A

Adj; Bright/beautiful appearance

She stood in the room, resplendent in a red dress

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158
Q

Panache

A

N; A stylish, original, confident way of doing things that makes people admire you
The orchestra played with panache

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159
Q

Truculent

A

Adj; Combative and argumentative

He was truculent and difficult to deal with

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160
Q

Obsequious, grovelling

A

Adj; too eager to praise

She is embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority

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161
Q

Commensurate

A

Adj; Suitable amount compared to sth

A salary that is commensurate with skills and experience

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162
Q

Caustic

A

Adj; hurtful/critical

She’s famous for her caustic wit

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163
Q

Insolvent

A

Adj; not having enough money

The insolvent company had no choice but to declare bankruptcy

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164
Q

Specious

A

Adj; Seems right, but wrong

The essay is filled with specious arguments

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165
Q

Exactitude

A

N; Quality of being exact

She laid out her arguments in exactitude

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166
Q

Vindicate

A

V; Prove that someone was right, after other people thought wrong
The jury ultimately vindicated the innocent suspect

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167
Q

Hard-pressed

A

Adj; lots of difficulties

The education reform put extra pressure on teachers who were already hard-pressed

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168
Q

Stymie

A

V; prevent something from happening

In our search for evidence, we were stymied by bureaucracy

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169
Q

Iota

A

N; Extremely small amount

I haven’t seen one iota of evidence to support his claim

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170
Q

Sullen

A

Adj; ill humour and not pleasant

His daughter stared back with an expression of sullen resentment

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171
Q

Aghast

A

Adj; Suddenly filled with strong feelings of shock and worry

Workers were aghast at the layoffs

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172
Q

Unbidden

A

Adj; Spontaneous/uninvited

Unbidden images came into her mind, causing insomnia

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173
Q

Erstwhile

A

Adj; former

The erstwhile president of the company attended the event

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174
Q

Gall

A

N; rudeness

Considering that he never even bothers to visit his parents, I’m amazed that he has the gall to ask them for money

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175
Q

Disabuse

A

V; Cause someone no longer to have a wrong idea

He thought all women liked children, but she soon disabused him of that notion

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176
Q

Debase

A

V; To reduce the value of sth

Some argue that money has debased football

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177
Q

Rankle

A

V; To make someone annoyed or angry for a long time

The way she left him still rankles

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178
Q

Mull

A

V; mull sth over; to think carefully

I need a few days to mull things over before I decide if I’m taking the job

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179
Q

Discomfit

A

V; To make someone uncomfortable

The campaign’s religious undertone discomfited many voters

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180
Q

Ruffle

A

V; to annoy/upset someone

He’s easily ruffled by criticisms

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181
Q

Blase

A 
Adj; Bored/not excited
He flies first class so often he's become blasé about it
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182
Q

Cavalier

A

Adj; Not considering other people’s feelings/safety

Trump’s administration had a cavalier attitude towards public health concerns during the pandemic

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183
Q

Disingenuous

A

Adj; Slightly dishonest

It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the case

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184
Q

Extant

A

Adj; Very old that is still existing

Extant parish records from the 16th century

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185
Q

Belie

A

V; To show sth to be false

Her calm face belied her internal terror

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186
Q

Machiavellian

A

Adj; manipulative in a deceitful way

Frank Underwood is a machiavellian character

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187
Q

Gregarious

A

Adj; Liking to be with other people

She is a gregarious outgoing individual

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188
Q

Garrulous

A

Adj; Talkative

I talked so many about myself I felt like a garrulous fool

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189
Q

Taciturn

A

Adj; tending not to speak much

He is a reserved taciturn person

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190
Q

Obdurate

A

Adj; Stubborn

The president remains obdurate on immigration

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191
Q

Insipid

A

Adj; No interest or energy

A pale insipid wine

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192
Q

Chicanery

A

N; Clever, dishonest talk used to deceive people

The investigation revealed political chicanery and corruption at the highest level

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193
Q

Paragon

A

N; extremely large amount of good characteristics

Virgin Mary is the paragon of virtue

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194
Q

Tirade

A

N; A long, angry speech

She launched into an angry tirade about how she had been unfairly treated

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195
Q

Estimable

A

Adj; deserving praise

He writes estimable poetry under a pseudonym

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196
Q

Florid

A

Adj; too much decoration

A florid architectural style

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197
Q

Ingenuous

A

Adj; overtly trusting/innocent

It was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage

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198
Q

Irascible

A

Adj; Angry easily

She’s becoming more and more irascible and cranky as she grows older

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199
Q

Opprobrium

A

N; Severe criticism

International opprobrium has been heaped on the country following its invasion of its neighbours

200
Q

Disconsolate

A

Adj; Extremely disappointed

They players were disconsolate after losing what should have been an easy game

201
Q

Doleful

A

Adj; Very sad

A doleful and sad expression

202
Q

Sojourn

A

N; A temporary stay

After a brief sojourn in Holland to study dutch, he moved to Germany to study German

203
Q

Munificence

A

N; very generous

We thanked the donors for their munificence

204
Q

Precipitate

A

V; Cause quickly

An invasion precipitated a political and economic crisis

205
Q

Fervid

A

Adj; Having strong beliefs

He is a fervid supporter of the communist party

206
Q

Loquacious

A

Adj; talkative

He is a loquacious and talkative guy

207
Q

Laconic

A

Adj; Using few words

He is reticent and laconic

208
Q

Engender

A

V; Cause

Her latest book about the hidden lives of celebrities engendered a lot of controversy

209
Q

Desiccated

A

V; damaged

He was politically desiccated by the scandal

210
Q

Assuage

A

V; To mitigate

The government tried to assuage public fear

211
Q

Corroborate

A

V; to confirm/add proof

Recent research corroborates his theory

212
Q

Opaque

A

Adj; Not transparent

His poetry is opaque and arcane

213
Q

Propriety

A

N; Correct behaviour

The director insisted there was no question as to the propriety of how the funds were raised

214
Q

Ignominy

A

N; Public embarrassment

The incumbent party experienced the ignominy of total defeat in the most recent election

215
Q

Lugubrious

A

Adj; Sad and serious

A lugubrious and sullen face

216
Q

Mirth

A

N; Happiness

Her comedic impersonations were a source of mirth

217
Q

Arcane

A

Adj; known by few

He was the only person who understood the arcane details of the treaty

218
Q

Plunder

A

V; to steal violently (during a war)

The future of our planet is in danger if we continue to plunder its resources

219
Q

Callow

A

Adj; Behaves in a way that shows little experience

Mark was a callow youth when he first started the job

220
Q

Callous

A

Adj; Cruel disregard for others

His callous comments about the murder made me shiver

221
Q

Deferential

A

Adj; Polite and showing respect

She is deferential towards her teachers

222
Q

Fortitude

A

N; Courage and strength

She showed remarkable fortitude in her battle against cancer

223
Q

Anachronism

A

N; Sth that exists out of its time in history

For some people, marriage is an anachronism

224
Q

Hortatory

A

Adj; Trying to strongly persuade someone to do sth

He delivered his speeches in a hortatory style

225
Q

Incumbent

A

Adj; (1) necessary/duty (2) person that holds office

The incumbent president faces election

226
Q

Abrogate

A

V; revoke/relinquish formally
As part of the agreement between the labor union and the company, the workers abrogated their right to strike for 4 years in exchange for better health insurance

227
Q

Torpor

A

N; lethargy

As winter descended, the soldiers fell into a state of torpor and hunger

228
Q

Aberrant

A

Adj; different from an accepted norm

When the manager became violent towards his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behaviour

229
Q

Contrived

A

Adj; unnatural, forced

Though an esteemed actress, her recent performances appear contrived

230
Q

Staid

A

Adj; serious and boring

In an attempt to change its staid image, the newspaper created a new section for young readers

231
Q

Bumbling

A

Adj; Lacking physical movement skills

Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter broke 10 glasses and was fired

232
Q

Prosaic

A

Adj; dull and lacking imagination

Paul is not talented in art and ended up painting a prosaic mosaic

233
Q

Apprehend

A

V; understand

The global model was already widely apprehended by the time Columbus made his first transatlantic voyage

234
Q

Bemoan

A

V; express discontent and sorrow

They bemoaned the loss of dinner allowance

235
Q

Luddite

A

V; person opposed to new technology

A small-minded Luddite resisting progress

236
Q

Elusive

A

Adj; difficult to find/achieve

These rare birds are elusive, so the ecologists were excited to see them

237
Q

Dispatch

A

N; property of being efficient

She finished her thesis with dispatch, amazing her advisor who couldn’t believe she finished 60 pages so quickly

238
Q

Smitten

A

V; smitten with; in love, struck hard

The story’s about a man smitten with love for the princess

239
Q

Uncanny

A

Adj; surpassing normal, supernatural

Sam has an uncanny ability to connect with animals

240
Q

Prodigious

A

Adj; remarkably large scale

The stove consumed a prodigious amount of fuel

241
Q

Snide

A

Adj; express contempt
The chairman interpreted Taylor’s question about promotions as a snide remark, but he was honestly trying to understand the process

242
Q

Artifice

A

N; cunning tricks used to deceive

The candidates accused each other of artifices designed to mislead the public

243
Q

Bastardisation

A

N; an act that corrupts

The move adaptation is a complete bastardisation of the book

244
Q

Humdrum

A

Adj; dull

Growing up in a humdrum suburb, Jacob relished in NYC after moving

245
Q

Spartan

A

Adj; simple, self-denial

After losing everything, Tim decided to live in spartan conditions

246
Q

Austere

A

Adj; simple, self-denial

The government practiced austerity to improve the nation’s dire financial situation

247
Q

Valor

A

Adj; fighting bravely

The soldier is a man of valor

248
Q

Imperil

A

V; put at risk of harm

They advised against the tax increase for fear of imperilling the economy

249
Q

Pugnacious

A

Adj; quarrelsome and combative

250
Q

Retiring

A

Adj; shy

He was retiring and made no effort to be expansive

251
Q

Allay

A

V; Put at rest (fear, suspicion)

The report attempted to educate the public and allay fears

252
Q

Ramshackle

A

Adj; out of repair

The empty old industrial building was in ramshackle conditions

253
Q

Sedate

A

Adj; calm and beautiful

In the old days, business was carried on at a rather more sedate pace

254
Q

Calumniate

A

V; utter maliciously false statements

They spoke of being persecuted and calumniated by a small group of rich and powerful people

255
Q

Subterfuge

A

N; sth that misrepresents the true nature of an activity

Finally deciding to abandon all subterfuge, Arthur revealed to his wife everything about his secret affair

256
Q

Fulsome

A

Adj; Excessively flattering

The press is embarrassingly fulsome in their appreciation

257
Q

Derision

A

N; Contemptuous ridicule

My Stories were greeted with derision and disbelief

258
Q

Cloistered

A

Adj; Solitary

He lived a cloistered lifestyle following retirement

259
Q

Ebullient

A

Adj; joyously unrestrained

Can you blame him for his ebullient mood? He just graduated from medical school

260
Q

Dysphoric

A

Adj; distressed

Adolescents can often experience dysphoria and an uncertain outlook on life

261
Q

Unflappable

A

Adj; extreme composure

My dad was unflappable and comforted the family when the earthquake hit

262
Q

Taciturn

A

Adj; habitually reserved

While the CEO is gregarious, the CFO is far more taciturn, rarely revealing his perspective

263
Q

Despondent

A

Adj; extremely sad and hopeless

Sally was a very strong woman and never appeared despondent no matter how many misfortunes she went through

264
Q

Consummate

A

Adj; great skill and flair

She dressed with consummate elegance

265
Q

Persnickety

A

Adj; fussy

She’s very persnickety about her food

266
Q

Impertinent, impudent

A

Adj; disrespectful
Dexter, distraught over losing his pet, found the police officer’s questions impertinent - did she have to pry into such details as to what his pet’s favourite snack was?

267
Q

Stonewall

A

V; refuse to cooperate

She has repeatedly stonewalled queries about her love life

268
Q

Vicissitude

A

N; Change of fortune

Her husband’s sharp vicissitudes of fortune left the family penurious

269
Q

Apotheosis

A

N; highest point of development

Many believe that the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg’s career is yet to come

270
Q

Celerity

A

N; speed

We aim to respond to customer queries with celerity, with no longer than a 24 hour wait time

271
Q

Deliberation

A

N; slowness and carefulness in decision

He replaced the glass on the table with deliberation

272
Q

Fecklessness

A

N; Lazy and irresponsible

Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents, becoming more feckless with each passing day

273
Q

Pastoral

A

Adj; pleasant countryside

I want a holiday in the pastoral southern parts of France

274
Q

Myopic

A

Adj; lacking foresight/imagination

The company went bankrupt because the myopic managers did not adapt to the changing business climate

275
Q

Remiss

A

Adj; negligent

Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning, the principal was swiftly dismissed

276
Q

Punctilious

A

Adj; precise attention to details
The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that his troops felt compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes

277
Q

Magnanimity

A

N; Generosity

Both sides will have to show magnanimity to peacefully resolve the conflict

278
Q

Chastening

A

N; punishment

He was chastened by his mother for coming home late

279
Q

Castigate

A

V; reprimand severely

He was castigated for not setting a good example

280
Q

Trounce

A

V; punish severely/win by wide margin

Insider dealing has been roundly trounced

281
Q

Dithering

A

N; undecided

I can’t bear people who dither and can’t make a decision

282
Q

Bewildered

A

Adj; confused

I was bewildered by his rash decision and didn’t know how to best react

283
Q

Stoke

A

V; stir up

His composure had the effect of stoking her anger

284
Q

Aesthete

A

N; one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature
A true aesthete, Marty would spend hours at the museum, staring at the same painting

285
Q

Chauvinist

A

N; a person who believes in the superiority of their group
Chauvinists live on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with their own

286
Q

Philistine

A

Adj; ignorant towards artistic and cultural values

Although Jane consider Al completely philistine, she didn’t know how well read he really was

287
Q

Untoward

A

Adj; unfavorable/inconvenient
Some academics find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research

288
Q

Propitious

A

Adj; favourable

Although her symptoms are still severe, I am seeing some propitious signs and I think that she may be healing

289
Q

Pandemonium

A

N; wild and noisy disorder

There was complete pandemonium - everyone panicked

290
Q

Straitened

A

Adj; confined/poverty

They lived in straitened circumstances

291
Q

Halcyon

A

Adj; Calm and peaceful

The first decade after WWI was a halcyon period in America with new found wealth and improving technology

292
Q

Snub

A

N/V; ignore/rebuff disdainfully

The opposition party’s action was a snub to the government

293
Q

Revile

A

V; Criticise in an insulting manner

He was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead

294
Q

Supercilious

A

Adj; arrogant

A bunch of supercilious elites

295
Q

Germane

A

Adj; relevant

This is not germane to our topic discussed today

296
Q

Aplomb

A

N; composure under strain

Nancy acted with aplomb, remaining calm throughout the rescue mission

297
Q

Subjugation

A

N; Bringing someone under control

The colonial subjugation of a country by means of force

298
Q

Incontrovertible

A

Adj; Impossible to deny

Unless you can provide incontrovertible evidence, I will remain skeptical

299
Q

Sacerdotal

A

Adj; priestly/relating to priest

He was dismissed from his sacerdotal duties after allegations of misconduct

300
Q

Warped

A

Adj; perverse

He has a warped sense of humour that can be mistaken as crudeness

301
Q

Racket

A

N; illegal scheme for obtaining money

He sensed that this insurance scheme was a racket and quickly ended the conversation

302
Q

Besotted

A

Adj; Drunk/strongly affectionate

Even though her father did not approve, Juliet became besotted with the young Romeo

303
Q

Somber

A

Adj; melancholy

The somber church bell rang as the funeral proceeded

304
Q

Protean

A

Adj; versatile

He was a truly protean actor, readily mastering different roles

305
Q

Noxious

A

Adj; harmful

They were overcome by the noxious fumes

306
Q

Disparage

A

V; regard as being of little worth

He never missed an opportunity to disparage his opponent

307
Q

Evanescent

A

Adj; Quickly fading

The evanescent Arctic summer

308
Q

Effervescent

A

Adj; Vivacious and enthusiastic

Effervescent young people

309
Q

Mollify

A

V; make someone less angry, placate

No one can mollify Harry in the morning unless he had his cup of coffee

310
Q

Floundering

A

Adj; in serious difficulty

Many firm are floundering during the economic crisis

311
Q

Assiduity

A

Adj; care and perseverance

She was assiduous in belabouring every feature to her client

312
Q

Sartorial

A

Adj; related to fashion/clothes

Monte was astute at his job; sartorially, however, he was founding wanting - he typically wore pyjamas to work

313
Q

Inchoate

A

Adj; Not fully developed

A still inchoate democracy

314
Q

Obsolete

A

Adj; not used anymore

Vinyl record are generally obsolete as a way to play music

315
Q

Vanguard

A

N; group of people leading in new developments

Nokia was once at the vanguard of mobile phone innovations

316
Q

Epigrammatic

A

Adj; a brief and memorable statement

317
Q

Apothegm

A

N; short, pithy saying

318
Q

Pejoratives

A

N; Expressing contempt

What he said was inflammatory and filled with pejoratives

319
Q

Platitude

A

N; a remark used too often to be interesting/thoughtful

She began uttering liberal platitudes

320
Q

Maladroit

A

Adj; Clumsy

As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer

321
Q

Dilatory

A

Adj; Wasting time

Lawyer use dilatory tactics so that it take years before the case is actually decided

322
Q

Stultify

A

V; Lose energy through routine

As an undergrad Mark felt stultified by classes outside his area of study

323
Q

Spurn

A

V; reject with disdain

She spurned my offers of help and preferred to go off on her own

324
Q

Hamper

A

V; hinder

Their work is hampered by lack of funds

325
Q

Perennial

A

Adj; Everlasting

David Beckham is a perennial favourite of soccer fans

326
Q

Protracted

A

Adj; lasting for a long time

A protracted and bitter dispute led to huge financial losses on both sides

327
Q

Lachrymose

A

Adj; sorrow

Lachrymose and depressed, Alex walked two miles home in the rain after learning his wife was having an affair

328
Q

Admonish

A

V; advise/warn/reprimand

She admonished him to drink no more than one glass of wine daily

329
Q

Diminution

A

N; Lessening

The President’s diminution of power was precipitated by a string of defeats in recent battles

330
Q

Cronies

A

N; (disapproving) a close partner

Corrupted by handshakes, the leader cared only for his cronies and nothing for his languishing people

331
Q

Chum

A

N; close friends

She shared the cake with her chums

332
Q

Coffer

A

N; money an organisation can spend

Government coffers

333
Q

Largesse

A

N; gift/money given out of benevolence

Presumably public money is not dispensed with such largesse to anyone else

334
Q

Strictures

A

N; restriction/sternly critical instruction

His strictures on their lack of civic virtue

335
Q

Heckler

A

N; person who interrupts performer/public speaker with derisive abuse
He was adept at dealing with hecklers

336
Q

Amorphous

A

Adj; without defined form

An amorphous and leaderless legislature

337
Q

Spinelessness

A

N; cowardly

The spineless individual cutler off, head down, as soon as he has been identified

338
Q

Stealthy, Furtive, Surreptitious

A

Adj; secretive

The silence and stealth of a hungry cat

339
Q

Ambivalent

A

Adj; mixed/conflicting emotions about sth
Sam was ambivalent about studying for the exam because doing so ate up lots of time, yet he was able to improve his analytical skills

340
Q

Impeach

A

V; act of declaring guilt

The federal judge faces impeachment

341
Q

Aboveboard

A

Adj; legitimate, honest and open

We felt the judging was above board and fair

342
Q

Untenable

A

Adj; indefensible

With the new factual evidence, the old theory became untenable to most educated people

343
Q

Recapitulate

A

V; Summarise again main points

He began to recapitulate his arguments with care

344
Q

Sacrosanct

A

Adj; too important to be interfered with

The individual’s right to work has been upheld as sacrosanct

345
Q

Pellucid

A

Adj; easily understandable

The professor had a remarkable ability to make the most abstruse concepts seem pellucid

346
Q

Efflorescence

A

N; state of flowering

These works are the efflorescence of his genius

347
Q

Genial

A

Adj; conducive to comfort

Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her grace

348
Q

Surliness

A

N; gloomy

His surly temper was well known to all his employees

349
Q

Solicitous

A

Adj; concerned

She was always delicious about the welfare of her students

350
Q

Substantive

A

Adj; firm basis in reality and so meaningful; independent

There is no substantive evidence for the efficacy of these drugs

351
Q

Misnomer

A

N; misname

Morning sickness is a misnomer for many pregnant women, since the nausea can occur any time during the day

352
Q

Braggadocio

A

N; boastful person

Infamous for his braggadocio, Trump lists out his “achievements” in each rally

353
Q

Reproach

A

V; criticise

At first, Sarah was going to yell at the boy, but she didn’t want to reproach him for telling the truth

354
Q

Brusquely

A

Adv; Blunt, direct manner

Not one for social pleasantries, the Chief would brusquely ask his subordinates for anything he wanted, even coffee

355
Q

Pleasantries

A

N; Inconsequential remark made aspart of a polite convo

After an exchange of pleasantries, I proceeded to outline a plan

356
Q

Indecorous, unseemly

A

Adj; not keeping with accepted standards

Eating with elbows on table is considered indecorous in refined circles

357
Q

Sybarite

A

N; person who indulges in luxury

Max was a sybarite: when the police found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan

358
Q

Agnostic

A

Adj; a person who believes that nothing is known; expressing ignorance or unknowableness

359
Q

Sordid, lurid

A

Adj; arousing moral distate

The tabloid published all the sordid details of the affair

360
Q

Beleaguered

A

Adj; put in difficult situation

The board is supporting the beleaguered director

361
Q

Spasmodically, Intermittently

A

Adv; happening intermittently

The skirmishes happened spasmodically

362
Q

Spurious

A

Adj; plausible but false

When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones

363
Q

Clemency

A

N; Leniency shown toward offenders

In the final moments of the trial, Phillips begged the judge for clemency

364
Q

Expansive

A

Adj; communicative, social

After a few sips of cognac, the usually irascible gentleman became expansive, speaking fondly of his childhood

365
Q

Facetious, flippant

A

Adj; treating serious issues with inappropriate humour

A facetious remark was made during the funeral

366
Q

Trite

A

Adj; lacking originality or freshness

The point may now seem obvious and trite

367
Q

Benighted

A

Adj; state of ignorance

Far from being a period of benightedness, the Medieval Ages produced some great works o theological speculation

368
Q

Beatification

A

N; supreme happiness

Often we imagine Buddhist monks to always wear a beatific smile, but, like any of us, they can have a bad day

369
Q

Inveterate

A

Adj; habitual

He is an inveterate smoker and told his family and friends there is no way he can quit

370
Q

Dogmatic

A

Adj; highly opinionated

Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat, claiming that all pictures of a spherical earth are fake

371
Q

Exemplar

A

N; something to be imitated

Lena’s homework is on the wall because it is an exemplar of clean and thoughtful work

372
Q

Pedantic

A

Adj; excessively concerned with minor details

His analyses are careful and painstaking, but never pedantic

373
Q

Efface

A

V; erase/make oneself seem insignificant

To efface oneself is not the easiest of duties

374
Q

Vitriolic

A

Adj; harsh in tone

The teacher was vitriolic toward Peter’s paper, casting every flaw in the harshest light

375
Q

Convivial

A

Adj; lively atmosphere

The wedding reception was convivial; friends drink and ate together.

376
Q

Redoubtable

A

Adj; inspiring fear or awe

When you stand in front of a NBA player, his height is truly redoubtable

377
Q

Hodgepodge

A

N; a confusing jumble

Those in attendance represented a hodgepodge of the city’s denizens, from chimney sweepers to stockbrokers

378
Q

Insouciance

A 
N; lack of concern
Surprisingly, Hank the CEO is remembered by his childhood friends as a boy who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance
379
Q

Begrudge

A

V; Envy/deny/give reluctantly

I don’t begrudge him his freedom

380
Q

Lucid

A

Adj; clear

His prose is lucid and easy to grasp

381
Q

Exegesis

A

N; critical explanation

The task of biblical exegesis

382
Q

Nebulous

A

Adj; vague

Nebulous concepts like quality of life

383
Q

Mar

A

V; impair quality

Violence marred a number of New Year celebrations

384
Q

Saturnine; morose

A

Adj; gloomy

Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine

385
Q

Antedate

A

V; come before

A civilisation that antedated the Roman Empire

386
Q

Pillory

A

V; attack publicly

He found himself pilloried by members of his own party

387
Q

Sclerotic

A

Adj; unresponsive

Sclerotic management plagued the company; management often did not adapt to situations

388
Q

Ossified

A

Adj; stagnate

Ossified political institutions

389
Q

Fiasco

A

N; Complete and ridiculous failure

The performance was a fiasco and ended up setting the stage on fire

390
Q

Nary

A

Adj; not

There was nary a murmur or complaint

391
Q

Qualm

A

N; uneasiness about an action

I believe in the plank, so I feel no qualms in pouring resources to it

392
Q

Politic

A

Adj; shrewd

He made a politic reply at the negotiation table

393
Q

Obscure

A

Adj; not discovered or known

His origins and parentage are obscure

394
Q

Interminable

A

Adj; Endless

We got bogged down in interminable discussions

395
Q

Boon

A

N; helpful or beneficial

The route will be a boon to many travellers

396
Q

Forestall

A

V; Obstruct

They will present their resignations to forestall a vote of no confidence

397
Q

Obviate

A

V; remove a difficulty/need

The presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains

398
Q

Beholden to

A

Adj; owing thanks

I don’t like to be beholden to anybody

399
Q

Inept

A

Adj; clumsy

The referee’s inept handling of the match

400
Q

Duplicity

A

Adj; deceitfulness

The president was accused of duplicity in his feelings with Congress

401
Q

Polemical

A

Adj; strongly critical

A polemical essay criticising the government

402
Q

Venality

A

N; dishonestly motivated by money

The government was plagued by venality and corruption

403
Q

Objurgation

A

N; Harsh reprimand

A teenager who gets home hours after curfew can expect objurgation from angry parents

404
Q

Portentous

A

Adj; momentous significance

This portentous year in Canadian history

405
Q

Plastic

A

Adj; Malleable

406
Q

Hand-wringing

A

N; excessive concern

There is no time for more hand-wringing about bias in the media, we must act

407
Q

Irresolute

A

Adj; uncertain

She stood irresolute outside his door

408
Q

Avarice

A

N; extreme greed for wealth

He was rich beyond the dreams of avarice

409
Q

Mendacity

A

N; Untruthfulness

He was publicly castigated for past mendacity

410
Q

Indefatigable

A

Adj; persisting tirelessly

An indefatigable defender of human rights

411
Q

Jettison

A

V; throw

Six aircraft jettisoned their loads in the sea

412
Q

Blighted

A

Adj; severe detrimental effect

The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

413
Q

Apposite

A

Adj; apt given the circumstance

An apposite quotation

414
Q

Fitful

A

Adj; occurring intermittently

A few hours’ fitful sleep

415
Q

Prodigal

A

Adj; Spending money recklessly

Prodigal habits die hard

416
Q

Unscrupulous

A

Adj; without principles
In the courtroom, the lawyer was unscrupulous, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself

417
Q

Ingratiating

A

Adj; intend to win favour

He talked to his boss in an ingratiating manner

418
Q

Fawning

A

Adj; Obsequious

He look at the girl in fawning adoration

419
Q

Vociferous

A

Adj; vehement outcry
In giving Marcia a particular vociferous response, Paul caused people at every other table in the restaurant to turn around and look at them bewildered

420
Q

Harried

A

Adj; troubled persistently

With a team of new hires to train, Martha was constantly harried with little questions and could not focus

421
Q

Disbarred

A

Adj; to exclude

Competitors wearing rings will be disbarred from the competition

422
Q

Fete

A

V; celebrate a person

After WW21, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten

423
Q

Desist

A

V; stop doing something

Each pledged to desist from acts of sabotage

424
Q

Pernicious

A

Adj; exceedingly harmful
The most successful viruses are pernicious: an infected person may feel perfectly healthy for several months while incubating and spreading the virus

425
Q

Credence

A

N; belief in something
He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability o mark people part with their money

426
Q

Inexorable

A

Adj; impossible to stop

As summer near its end, brown beats eat as much as possible to prepare for the inexorable coming of winter

427
Q

Incorrigible

A

Adj; impervious to correction by punishment
Tom Sawyer seems like an incorrigible youth until Huck Finn enters the novel; even Sawyer can’t match his fierce individual spirit

428
Q

Loath

A

Adj; unwilling

I was loath to leave

429
Q

Calumny

A

N; false statement meant to injure a person’s reputation

With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny

430
Q

Slight

A

N; Disregard intentionally

An unintended slight can create grudges

431
Q

Litany

A

Adj; a tedious repetitive series

A litany of complaints

432
Q

Heretofore

A

Adj; before now

Diseases that heretofore were limited to rural areas

433
Q

Illusory

A

Adj; not real

You think you may see water in the distance in a desert, but it is only an illusory effect

434
Q

Quixotic

A

Adj; wildly idealistic, impractical
For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to the the next big name in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable

435
Q

Corollary

A

N; consequence

436
Q

Lapses

A

N; Temporary failure in judgement

A lapse in concentration in the second set cost her the match

437
Q

Flagrant

A

Adj; glaring, notorious

A flagrant crime against humanity was committed

438
Q

Paucity

A

N; a lack of something
There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most such jobs have either been automated or outsourced

439
Q

Menial

A

Adj; not requiring much skills

Menial factory jobs

440
Q

Smattering

A

N; small amount

I know only a smattering of German, but Helen is able to read German newspapers

441
Q

Concoct

A

V; Create a plan

His cronies concocted a simple plan

442
Q

Couch

A

V; express something in language of a specific style

The assurances were couched in general terms

443
Q

Tractable

A

Adj; Easily managed

Compared to middle school students, who are recalcitrant, high school students are somewhat more tractable

444
Q

Thoroughgoing

A

Adj; attending to every detail

A thoroughgoing reform of the whole economy

445
Q

Travail

A

N; Hard work, agony/anguish
While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend

446
Q

Tribulations

A

N; distress, great trouble

His time of tribulation was just beginning

447
Q

Hold forth on

A

V; talk lengthily and assertively

He was holding forth on the merits of the band’s debut LP

448
Q

Profundity

A

N; great depth of insight

The simplicity and profundity of the message

449
Q

Intimation

A

N; in indirect suggestion
At first the hostess tried intimation, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess asked him to use a fork

450
Q

Contrivance

A

N; to pull off a plan through skill/trickery
Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to writing his own glowing letters of recommendation

451
Q

Churlish

A

Adj; lacking manners

The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello

452
Q

Unstinting

A

Adj; very generous

Helen is unstinting with her time, often spending hours at the house of a sick friend

453
Q

Arch

A

Adj; deliberately teasing
The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople, but they couldn’t pick up on her dry humour and though she was supercilious

454
Q

Puckish

A

Adj; mischievous

A puckish sense of humour

455
Q

Stilted

A

Adj; elevated and formal

Stilted mode of expression

456
Q

Oblique

A

Adj; not direct

He issued an oblique attack on the President

457
Q

Discursively

A

Adv; digressing from subject to subject

Student often write dull, discursive prose

458
Q

Undergird

A

V; provide firm basis for

459
Q

Peccadillo

A

N; relatively minor fault

The sexual peccadilloes of celebrities aren’t necessarily news

460
Q

Chortle

A

V; chuckle

Walking into the cafe, I heard happy, chortling people and smelled the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans

461
Q

Guffaw

A

V; laugh boisterously

Whenever the jester fell to the ground in mock pain, the king guffawed

462
Q

Quibble

A

V; raise objections over trivial matter

They are always quibbling about the amount they are prepared to pay

463
Q

Bridle

A

V; restraining power/react angry

The hostess bridled at the tactless dinner guests who insisted on eating before everybody had gotten their food

464
Q

Enjoin

A

V; direct somebody to do something with authority/prohibit (law)
The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump

465
Q

Askew

A

Adj; not in a level position, wrong

The plan went sadly askew

466
Q

Lampoon

A

V; publicly criticise by using ridicule

The actor was lampooned by the press

467
Q

Balk

A

V; hesitate to accept an idea

He balked at such a drastic solution

468
Q

Steel

A

V; fill with resolution or determination

He steeled himself for what would be a pugnacious news cycle

469
Q

Charlatan

A

N; Flamboyant deceiver
You may call him a “motivational speaker” but I call him a charlatan - he doesn’t have any idea what he’s really talking about

470
Q

Lickspittle

A

N; the practice of giving empty flattery for personal gain

471
Q

Arrant

A

Adj; complete

What arrant nonsense

472
Q

Conceit

A

Adj; excessive pride

he was puffed up with conceit

473
Q

Retrench

A

V; reduce quantity/spending

As a result of the recession the company retrenched

474
Q

Adroit

A

Adj; Skilful

He was adroit at tax evasion

475
Q

Aphorism, Dictum

A

N; pithy observation that contains a general truth

The old aphorism/dictum “might is right”

476
Q

Bromide

A

N; trite saying intended to soothe

Feel-good bromides create the illusion of problem solving

477
Q

Extemporaneous

A

Adj; spoken or done without much thought

An extemporaneous speech thrown together last minute

478
Q

Sloth

A

N; laziness

He should overcome his natural sloth and laziness

479
Q

Ingenuous

A

Adj; overtly trusting/innocent

It was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage

480
Q

Ingenious

A

Adj; clever and original

He was ingenious enough to overcome the budget cut

481
Q

Probity

A

N; strong moral principles

The social enterprise is known for financial probity

482
Q

Edifying

A

Adj; provide moral instructions

Seeing a person blind drunk is not an edifying sight

483
Q

Waggish

A

Adj; humorous in a facetious manner

The facetious boy made a waggish remark that humoured nobody

484
Q

Maundering

A

Adj; talk in a rambling manner

Dennis maundered on about the wine

485
Q

Risible

A

Adj; provoking ludicrous laughter

A risible lovemaking scene in a tent

486
Q

Meretricious

A

Adj; apparently attractive but no real value

Meretricious souvenir for the tourist trade

487
Q

Mettlesome

A

Adj; filled with courage

Navy Seal, for many Americans, is the embodiment of mettle

488
Q

Obstreperous

A

Adj; noisily defiant

When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to behave, he threw a fit

489
Q

Subsume

A

V; include something in something else

Most of these phenomena can be subsumed in two categories

490
Q

Volubility

A

Adj; writing easily and continuously

The professor’s volubility knows no bounds; he could talk through a hurricane.

491
Q

Graft

A

N; Corruption

In countries with rampant graft, getting a driver’s license can require no more than paying an official

492
Q

Querulous

A

Adj; habitually complaining

The querulous old woman was beginning to war down even the happier members of the staff

493
Q

Petulant

A

Adj; easily irritated
Although the kid was often described as mature for his age, he was petulant and whiny whenever his father forgot to remove the crust from his sandwich

494
Q

Redress

A

N; making something right

Barry’s redress for forgetting his wife’s birthday two years in a row was surprising her with a trip to Tahiti

495
Q

Inured to

A

Adj; made tough by habitual exposure

These children living in war zone have been inured to violence

GRE Vocab (1 decks)

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