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GRE Vocabulary > Word List 30 > Flashcards

Word List 30 Flashcards

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1
Q

quibble

A

to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words
cavil, carp; bicker
an evasion of or shift from the point
a minor objection or criticism

e.g. He spent the entire evening quibbling about the historical inaccuracies in the television series on World War II.
Our only quibble about the trip was that it rained a lot.

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2
Q

quip

A

a clever usually taunting remark; gibe
quibble, equivocation
something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric; oddity

e.g. They traded quips over a beer.
has his share of the quips that seem to come with a title nobility

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3
Q

quiescent

A

marked by inactivity or repose; tranquilly at rest
causing no trouble or symptoms

e.g. a group of quiescent loungers recovering from the Thanksgiving feast

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4
Q

quietus

A

final settlement (as of a debt)
removal from activity; especially, death
something that quiets or represses

e.g. granted a quietus on the remainder of the debt in the old man’s will
Her unshakable belief in a blissful afterlife allowed her to meet her quietus without the slightest tinge of fear or regret.
put the quietus on their celebration

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5
Q

quirk

A

an abrupt twist or curve
a peculiar trait; idiosyncrasy
accident, vagary

e.g. Wearing red shoes every day is just one of her quirks.
a quirk of fate

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6
Q

quisling

A

traitor, collaborator

e.g. warned that all quislings would be punished without mercy

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7
Q

quiver

A

a case for carrying or holding arrows
the arrows in a quiver
to shake or move with a slight trembling motion

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8
Q

quixotic

A

foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially, marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action
capricious, unpredictable

e.g. quixotic dreams about the future
In this age of giant chain stores, any attempt at operating an independent bookstore must be regarded as quixotic.

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9
Q

quota

A

a proportional part or share

e.g. He lost his driver’s license because he exceeded the quota of traffic violations.

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10
Q

quotidian

A

occurring every day
belonging to each day; everyday
commonplace, ordinary

e.g. quotidian fever
quotidian routine

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11
Q

rabble

A

a disorganized or confused collection of things
a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people; mob
the lowest class of people

e.g. The crown prince was reminded that even the rabble of the realm deserved his attention and compassion.

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12
Q

rabid

A

extremely violent; furious
going to extreme lengths in expressing or pursing a feeling, interest, or opinion
affected with rabies

e.g. a politician with rabid supporters

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13
Q

raconteur

A

a person who excels in telling anecdotes

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14
Q

racy

A

full of zest or vigor
having a strongly marked quality; piquant
risque, suggestive

e.g. a racy flavor
racy jokes

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15
Q

raffish

A

marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or rudeness
marked by a careless unconventionality; rakish

e.g. The dowager cringed at the thought of raffish tourists in rough boots tromping all over her Persian rugs.

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16
Q

rafter

A

any of the parallel beams that support a roof

one who maneuvers logs into position and binds them into rafts; one who travels by raft

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17
Q

ragged

A

roughly unkempt
executed in an irregular or uneven manner

e.g. a boy in ragged jeans
You look a little ragged - did you have a rough week?

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18
Q

rail

A

to revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language

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19
Q

rakish

A

dissolute
having a trim or streamlined appearance suggestive of speed
dashingly or carelessly unconventional; jaunty

e.g. rakish behavior
a hat worn at a rakish angle

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20
Q

ram

A 
a male sheep
 to strike with violence; crash 
to move with extreme rapidity 
to make compact; cram, crowd 
to force passage or acceptance of

e.g. They deliberately rammed my car from behind.
ram home an idea

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21
Q

ramble

A

to move aimlessly from place to place
to explore idly
to talk or write in a desultory or long-winded fashion
also

e.g. She rambled for several minutes before introducing the main speaker.
We went for a ramble along the beach.
The first chapter is a 100-page ramble.

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22
Q

rambunctious

A

marked by uncontrollable exuberance; unruly

e.g. That beach is often taken over by packs of rambunctious young people, so don’t go there expecting peace and quiet.

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23
Q

ramify

A

to split up into branches or constituent parts
to send forth branches or extensions

e.g. The rise of cable television ramified the audience, creating even smaller segments for an ever growing array of programming choices.

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24
Q

rampage

A

to rush wildly about
a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action

e.g. Rioters rampaged through the streets of the city.
Some crazy guy went on a rampage in the public library and started grabbing books off the shelves and tossing them around.

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25
Q

rampant

A

marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint
profusely widespread

e.g. The mayor promised to put a stop to the rampant crime that plagued the city.
rampant weed

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26
Q

rampart

A

a protective barrier; bulwark

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27
Q

ramshackle

A

appearing ready to collapse; rickety
carelessly or loosely constructed

e.g. The movie’s ramshackle plot is confusing and not believable.

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28
Q

rancid

A

having a rank smell or taste
offensive

e.g. an unscrupulous food vendor who is as rancid as the meat he serves

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29
Q

rancor

A

bitter deep-seated ill will

e.g. She answered her accusers calmly without rancor.

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30
Q

rankle

A

to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness
to feel anger and irritation

e.g. That kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle.

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31
Q

rapacious

A

excessively grasping or covetous
ravenous

e.g. The jury found it easier to see her as a rapacious sinner than as the beautiful blue-eyed saint.
a rapacious appetite

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32
Q

rapine

A

pillage, plunder

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33
Q

rapport

A

relation; especially, relation marked by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity

e.g. develop a good rapport with others
a lack of rapport between the members

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34
Q

rapprochement

A

established of or state of having cordial relations

e.g. Officials hope that these talks will lead to a rapprochement with the rebels.
The possibility of rapprochement between the two countries seems unlikely.

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35
Q

rapt

A

lifted up and carried away
transported with emotion; enraptured
wholly absorbed; engrossed

e.g. listen with rapt attention
The children sat rapt as the puppets danced.

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36
Q

rarefy

A

to make rare, thin, porous, or less dense

to make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse

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37
Q

rarefaction

A
  • rarefy

e. g. We threw over part of our ballast, and mounted up till the cold and the rarefaction of the air became troublesome.

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38
Q

raspy

A

harsh, grating
irritating

e.g. Her voice was raspy from yelling so much.
Overwork tends to make him raspy.

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39
Q

ratify

A

to approve and sanction formally; confirm

e.g. A number of countries have refused to ratify the treaty.

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40
Q

ratiocination

A

the process of exact thinking; reasoning
a reasoned train of thought

e.g. As an expert in ratiocination, the detective Sherlock Holmes has few rivals.

41
Q

rattle

A

to make a rapid succession of short sharp noises
to chatter incessantly and aimlessly
to be or move about in a place too big or grand
to upset especially to the point of loss of poise and composure; disturb

e.g. windows rattling in the wind
rattle around the big old house

42
Q

raucous

A

disagreeably harsh or strident; hoarse
boisterously disorderly

e.g. The partying neighbors kept up their raucous laughter half the night.

43
Q

ravage

A

to wreak havoc on; affect destructively
also

e.g. Hurricane ravaged Louisiana and Florida in 1992, causing $19 billion in damage.
a face ravaged by grief
the ravages of war

44
Q

rave

A

to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
to talk with extreme enthusiasm
to move or advance violently; storm
also

e.g. raved about its beauty
raving like a madman
The iced gusts still rave and beat.
Her review of the movie was a rave.

45
Q

ravel

A

to separate or undo the texture of; unravel
to undo the intricacies of; disentangle
entangle, confuse

46
Q

ravenous

A

rapacious
very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification

e.g. ravenous wolves

47
Q

ravishing

A

unusually attractive, pleasing, or striking

e.g. a ravishing beauty
a ravishing view of the ocean

48
Q

raze

A

to scrape, cut, or shave off
to destroy to the ground; demolish

e.g. an entire city block razed by a terrible fire
raze an old building

49
Q

reactionary

A

relating to, marked by, or favoring resistance or opposition to a force, influence, or movement; especially, ultraconservative in politics

e.g. Reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword.

50
Q

realm

A

kingdom
sphere, domain

e.g. new discoveries in the realm of medicine
in political and legal realms

51
Q

ream

A

a quantity of paper being 20 quires or variously 480, 500, or 516 sheets
a great amount (usually used in pl.)
cheat, victimize
reprimand (oft. used with out)

e.g. reams of information
reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme
He got reamed in the press for his comments.
reams out his players severely

52
Q

reap

A

to gather by reaping; harvest
obtain, win

e.g. She is now reaping the benefits of her hard work.

53
Q

rebate

A

to reduce the force or activity of; diminish
to give a rebate to; to make a rebate of
a return of a part of a payment

e.g. rebate $5 to me
rebate this air-conditioner
a $50 rebate offered with the printer

54
Q

rebuff

A

to reject or criticize sharply; snub

e.g. The company rebuffed the bid.
Our suggestion was immediately rebuffed.

55
Q

rebuke

A

to criticize sharply; reprimand
to turn back or keep down; check

e.g. The father was forced to rebuke his son for the spendthrift ways he had adopted since arriving at college.

56
Q

rebus

A

a riddle or puzzle made up of letters, pictures, or symbols, whose names sound like the parts or syllables of a word or phrase

e.g. A picture of an eye followed by one of the tine can is a rebus for “I can”.

57
Q

rebut

A

to drive or beat back; repel
to contradict or oppose; to expose the falsity of; refute

e.g. rebut the witness’s testimony
rebut the besiegers after a horrendous loss of life

58
Q

recalcitrant

A

obstinately defiant of authority or restraint
difficult to manage or operate
resistant

e.g. The manager worried that the recalcitrant employee would try to undermine his authority.
The subject is recalcitrant both to observation and to experiment.

59
Q

recant

A

to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly; renounce
revoke

e.g. Church officials asked the minister to recant.
Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper.

60
Q

recantation

A
  • recant
61
Q

recapitulate

A

to restate briefly; summarize
to give new form or expression to
to repeat the principal stages or phases of

e.g. To recapitulate (what was said earlier), ….

62
Q

recast

A

to cast again; also, remodel, refashion

e.g. The director decided to recast the movie with unknowns.
When she quit the movie, I was recast in the leading role.
recasts his political image to fit the times

63
Q

recede

A

to move back or away; withdraw
to grow less or smaller; diminish, decrease

e.g. In the final moments of the season, the supernatural elements of the show will recede.
a receding deficit
a receding hairline

64
Q

receptacle

A

one that receives and contains something; container

e.g. a box as the receptacle for her jewelry

65
Q

recessive

A

tending to recede; withdrawn
(bio) - recessive genes/traits/diseases

e.g. a recessive genius who was most comfortable working alone in his lab

66
Q

reciprocal

A

inversely related; opposite
shared, felt, or shown by both sides
serving to reciprocate; consisting of or functioning as a return in kind
mutually corresponding

e.g. reciprocal respect/aid
the reciprocal devastation of nuclear war
The two nations agreed to give reciprocal work rights to each other’s citizens, thus facilitating the daily border crossings of workers from both countries.

67
Q

reciprocate

A

to give and take mutually
to return in kind or degree
to move forward and backward alternately

e.g. They appreciated her kindness but were not ready to reciprocate the gesture.
We hope to reciprocate for your kindness.
a reciprocating value

68
Q

reclaim

A

to recall from wrong or improper conduct; reform
tame, subdue
to rescue from an undesirable state

e.g. We try to reclaim the worst criminals, and sometimes we succeed.
Sons and daughters are proudly reclaiming the traditions that their parents had forgotten.
reclaim mining sites/swampland

69
Q

recluse

A

marked by withdrawal from society; solitary
a person who leads a secluded or solitary life

e.g. Sick of cities and crowds, he decided to go live by himself in the woods as a recluse.

70
Q

recoil

A

to fall back under pressure

e.g. We recoiled in horror at the sight of his wounded arms.
The rifle recoiled and bruised my shoulder.

71
Q

recollection

A
  • recollect

e. g. She has only a vague recollection of her childhood.

72
Q

recompense

A

to give something to by way of compensation
to pay for
to return in kind; requite

e.g. The cash-strapped museum can recompense lecturers with only token honorariums.

73
Q

recondite

A

hidden from sight; concealed
difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend; deep

e.g. a recondite subject
recondite fact about the origin of the holiday

74
Q

reconnaissance

A

a preliminary survey to gain information; especially, an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

75
Q

reconstitute

A

to constitute again or anew; especially, to restore to a former condition by adding water

e.g. They have plans to reconstitute the bankrupt company.

76
Q

recourse

A

a turning to someone or something for help or protection
a source of help of strength; resort

e.g. The dispute was settled without recourse to law.
A toddler quickly learns that a tantrum is a surefire recourse when a polite request for something is met with parental indifference.

77
Q

rectify

A 
to set right; remedy
to purify (as alcohol) especially by repeated or fractional distillation

e.g. The hotel management promised to rectify the problem.
Let me get the store manager, and he’ll rectify the invoice for your order.

78
Q

rectitude

A

the quality or state of being straight
moral integrity; righteousness
the quality or state of being correct in judgment or procedure

e.g. a finely honed sense of rectitude that keeps him from cheating on exams

79
Q

recumbent

A

suggestive of repose; leaning, resting
lying down

e.g. The Egyptian sphinx has the body of a recumbent lion.

80
Q

recuperate

A

to get back; regain
to bring back into use or currency; revive

e.g. recuperate from flu
recuperate old traditions

81
Q

redolent

A

exuding fragrance; aromatic
evocative, suggestive

e.g. a house redolent with the aroma of baking bread
air redolent of seaweed
a city redolent of antiquity

82
Q

redoubtable

A

causing fear or alarm; formidable
illustrious, eminent; broadly, worth of respect

e.g. His next opponent, the reigning champion, would be by far the most redoubtable adversary the young boxer had ever faced.

83
Q

redress

A

to set right; remedy
to make up for; compensate
to exact reparation for; avenge
also

e.g. Avengers were formed to redress the injustices of the world.
the belief that redressing a murder with another murder, even if carried out by the state, is not morally justified
The office should not treat a matter of such importance with such negligence without any redress.
Redress of grievances could be obtained without severance.

84
Q

reed

A

a tall, thin grass that grows in wet areas
a thin strip of wood, metal, or plastic inside some musical instruments that makes a sound when you blow over it

e.g. the reeds along the edge of a pond
the reed section of the orchestra

85
Q

reek

A

vapor, fog
a strong or disagreeable fume or odor
to emit smoke or vapor
to give off or become permeated with a strong or offensive odor
to give a strong impression of some constituent quality or feature

e.g. a terrible reek coming from the garbage can
see through the reek of smog
a room reeking of incense 
a neighborhood that reeks of poverty
a politician who reeks charm
86
Q

reel

A

a revolvable device on which something flexible is wound
to wind on or as if on a real
to draw by reeling a line

e.g. reel a fish in

87
Q

refection

A

refreshment of mind, spirit, or body; especially, nourishment
the taking of refreshment
food and drink together; repast

e.g. Refections at the monastery are as spartan as the surroundings.

88
Q

refectory

A

a dining hall (as in a monastery or college)

89
Q

refractory

A

resisting control or authority; stubborn, unmanageable
resistant to treatment; unresponsive to stimulus
immune, insusceptible
capable of enduring high temperature

e.g. refractory players ejected from the game
refractory to infection

90
Q

refrain

A

to stop oneself from doing something
a regularly recurring phrase or verse especially at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song; chorus; also, the musical setting of a refrain

e.g. refrained from having dessert
A common refrain among teachers these days is that the schools need more funding.
Not knowing the lyrics of the song, I only sang the refrain.

91
Q

refulgent

A

shining brightly; radiant; gleaming

e.g. Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.

92
Q

fulgurate

A

to flash or dart like lightning

93
Q

refurbish

A

to brighten or freshen up; renovate

94
Q

regale

A

to entertain sumptuously; feast with delicacies
to give pleasure or amusement to

e.g. regaled his grandchildren with stories of his time in Morocco
an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chief

95
Q

regress

A 
an act or the privilege of going or coming back
the act of reasoning backward
 to make or undergo retrograde 
to be subject to or exhibit regression 
to tend to approach or revert to a mean

e.g. The patient is regressing to a childlike state.

96
Q

rehabilitate

A

(transitive) to restore to a former capacity; reinstate
to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency)

e.g. The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts.
He’s still rehabilitating the knee he injured last year.
rehabilitate slum areas

97
Q

rehearse

A

to say again; repeat
to present an account of; relate
to recount in order; enumerate

e.g. rehearse a familiar story
rehearse their demands

98
Q

rein

A

a strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal; a restraining influence; check
controlling or guiding power (oft. pl.)
opportunity for unhampered activity or use
to control or direct with or as if with reins

e.g. He has people working for him, but he has a tight rein on every part of the process.
After the president resigned, the vice president stepped in and took the reins of the company.
gave full rein to her imagination
couldn’t rein his impatience

GRE Vocabulary (50 decks)

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