Vocabulary Flashcards
3 new words/ day
futile (adj)
serving no useful purpose, completely ineffective
contentious (adj)
controversial, likely to cause argument and disagreement
in so far (adv)
to the extent that
We agree only insofar as the budget is concerned
preclude ____(v)
someone from verb-ing
to prevent someone from doing something
Ex: His difficulties preclude him from leading a normal life
to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of
make impossible
Ex: The secret nature of his work precluded official recognition
construe (v)
interpret in a particular way.
lucrative (adj)
producing great deal of profits
entrench (v)
entrench on/upon (v)
establish (an attitude, habit, or belief) so firmly that change is very difficult or unlikely.
to place in a position of strength; establish firmly or solidly
encroach, trespass, infringe
muddle (n)
disorganized state or collection
The finances were in a muddle
maxim (n)
a concise expression or proverb of a general truth or fundamental principle
Mother’s favorite maxim was “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
proprietor (n)
the owner of a business or a holder of a property
encompass (v)
embrace, encircle
to surround, to include comprehensively
A work that encompasses the entire range of the world’s religious beliefs.
abate (v)
to reduce or diminish in force or intensity
to reduce in value or amount
Syn: deduct, omit
The mechanic consultant already abated part of the cost
Aberration/ Anomaly (n)
Aberrant (adj)
Aberrant (n)
something that stands out or deviates from normal
Atypical, abnormal
Outliers
Winning this Super Bowl with those average players is an aberration
acclaim (v) (n)
to praise enthusiastically and publicly
She has won acclaim for her commitment to democracy
acquisitiveness (n)
desire to acquire more, especially an excessive desire (wealth, material things)
He was known for his acquisitiveness, buying any art work that caught his eye
acreage (n)
land measured in acres
Our property is large, but much of the acreage is swampland not suitable for building
adherent (n)
a person who sticks to a belief or a cause
She has long been an adherent of the Communist Party.
ad-lib (adj) (adv)
spoken, composed, or performed without preparation
without restraint or limit
in accordance with one’s wishes
Ex: The price includes meals and drinks ad lib
adopt (v)
to accept or begin to use something new
take and make one’s own.
to accept formally and put into effect
To adopt a plan implies that you didn’t come up with it yourself
advent (n)
arrival
Transportation was transformed by the advent of the internal combustion engine.
adverse (adj)
acting against or in a contrary direction (hostile)
unfavorable, opposed to one’s interest or position
having a negative or harmful effect on something
They received a lot of adverse publicity/criticism about the changes.
agency (beside its traditional meaning)
the ability to use power or influence
aggravate (v)
make worse
Road repair work has aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.
altogether (adv)
completely, overall
It was an altogether stunning new design
amortize (v)
gradually pay off a debt or gradually write off an asset
write off (n)
a reduction of the recognized value of something.
In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset.
annul (v)
to declare or make legally invalid (often used in marriage context)
to reduce to nothing - obliterate
to make ineffective or inoperative - neutralize
anoint (v)
In religion: to make someone holy in a religious ceremony by putting holy water or oil on them
to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
to choose someone to do a particular job, usually by a person in authority
antithetical (adj)
directly opposite or opposed
The idea that science is antithetical to the arts is wrong.
arbiter (n)
judge, umpire, person empowered to decide matters at hand.
rollback (n) roll back (v)
reduction or decrease (in prices, wages, taxes) to a previous level on national scale
to reduce or decrease
to retreat or withdraw or push back
Syn: rescind, annull, invalidate
albatross (n)
psychological burden/ anxiety
invariably (adv)
in every case / always
Syn: consistently, constantly
___ accord (n) ___
in accord with
Meaning: in agreement
analogous (adj)
similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail
A town council and a government body that serves an analogous function
archaic (adj)
ancient, antiquated, old-fashioned, primitive
The school’s archaic computer system predated even floppy disks.
aristocracy (n)
a class or group of people believed to be superior (rank, wealth & intellectual)
nobility, a hereditary ruling class
ascribe ___ (v)
ascribe to- to give credit
Syn: attribute, credit with
He ascribed his good grades to diligent studying
assimilation (n)
the process by which a minority group adopts the customs and way of life of a larger group
baldly (adv)
plainly, explicitly, to be blunt
befall (v)
to happen by fate (in negative way)
Disaster befell the company once again when the CEO was thrown from a horse
belie (v)
to give a false impression
to show (something) to be false or wrong
to contradict
to disguise
An air of rural charm belies the community’s industrial activity.
blight (n) (v)
disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction
to impair the quality or effect
to ruin
The apple trees were blighted by fungus
brook (v) - often used with the word ‘no’
Suffer or tolerate
The dictator will brook no dissent
buffer (v)
to lessen the shock
Syn: cushion
canon (n)
canonical (adj)
an accepted principle or rule
conforming to a general rule or acceptable procedure
Syn: orthodox
keep/hold in check
restrain, held back
clamor (n) (v)
noisy uproar or protest (as from a crowd)
continuous loud noise
to become loudly insistent
Ex: clamored for his impeachment
cloak (n) (v) - often used as cloaked in
to hide, to cover or conceal
Their plans were shrouded in a cloak of secrecy.
coalesce (v)
come together, unite, fuse together
East and West Germany coalesced into a single country in 1990
cogent (adj)
very convincing, logical
Most GMAT CR arguments are not terribly cogent - they depend on unspoken and reasoning
collude (v)
to work together secretly especially in order to do something illegal or dishonest
concede (v)
concession (n)
give in, admit, yield, grant or give up
Quebec was a French concession to Britain in the Treaty of Paris in 1763
condone (v)
tolerate, overlook
I do not condone his behaviors
confer ___ (v)
on - grant or bestow (a title, degree, benefit, or right)
with - consult or exchange views
I can’t buy this car until I confer with my spouse
contemplative (adj)
expressing or involving prolonged thought
Syn: pensive, meditative
she regarded me with a contemplative eye
conversely (adv)
on the other hand, in an opposite way
Im not here to argue that lack of education causes poverty. Conversely, Im here to argue that poverty causes lack of education
copious (adj)
abundant, plentiful, bountiful
corroborate (v)
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
the witness had corroborated the boy’s account of the attac
countenance (n) (v)
a person face or facial expression
tolerate, allow
culminate (v)
reach the highest point or final stage
A PhD program generally culminates in a written dissertation and a defense of that dissertation to a committee.
currency (n) - beside ‘money’ meaning
something to become a general use, acceptance, or prevalence
a story gaining currency
cynical (adj)
thinking of the worst of other’s motivations
bitterly pessimistic
debase (v)
degrade; lower in quality, value, rank; lower in moral quality
debunk (v)
expose, disprove false or exaggerated claims
The show Mythbusters debunks pseudoscientific claims
decry (v)
condemn openly
deem (v)
consider, to have an opinion, to judge
delimit (v)
to fix or define the limits of
Strict guidelines delimit his responsibilities
denote (v)
denotation (n)
be a name or symbol for; serve an indication of
Ex: the swollen bellies that denote starvation
literal meaning of a word
deride (v)
to laugh at or insult contemptuously
Syn: mock, ridicule
politicians deride their opponents
deterrent (adj)
serving to discourage, prevent, or inhibit
The ads had a deterrent effect on youth smoking.
dichotomy (n)
a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities
Syn: Bifurcation (biology diverge branching)
The amusing spectacle of the recent presidential vote in Florida should remind us of the persistence of the federal-state dichotomy
discount (v)
To discount an idea
disregard, to view with doubt, to underestimate
to not count it is as important
Ex: Michael’s boss shouldn’t discount his contributions
discrepancy (n)
contrast, difference, disagreement, disparateness, disparity
Researchers may also struggle to explain away the discrepancy with new theories, such as some new quantum particle that flits between the electron and positron.
discreet (adj)
having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech
unpretentious, modest
UNOBTRUSIVE, UNNOTICEABLE
discrete (adj)
separate, distinct, detached
existing as individual parts
The advertising agency pitched us not on one campaign, but on three discrete ideas
discretionary (adj)
discretion (n)
subject to someone’s discretion or judgement
individual choice or judgment within legal boundaries
disinterested (adj)
impartial, unbiased
disparate (adj)
distinct, different
A strategic marketing leader spots trends in disparate places, and sees patterns to better understand the big picture.
disseminate (v)
scatter, spread out, broadcast, to disperse
Syn: disperse
divest (v) ___
divest of: deprive or strip of a rank, title, clothing or gear
to sell off holdings
Once his deception was exposed, he was divested of his position on the board
dovetail (v)
join or fit together
echelon (n)
a level, rank or grade in an organization or field of activity
the upper echelons of management
