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GRE Words
GRE words to know
183
Language - English
Graduate
04/05/2011

Additional Language - English Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
remuneration
Definition
payment for work done
Term
bilk
Definition
cheat, defraud
Term
engender
Definition
cause
Term
knotty
Definition
complex, hard to solve
Term
abasement
Definition
humiliation
Term
harangue
Definition
noisy, attacking speech
Term
replete
Definition
full
Term
abrogate
Definition
cancel, deny, repeal
Term
harbingers
Definition
indicators; bringers of warnings
Term
labyrinthine
Definition
complicated; highly convoluted
Term
plaudit
Definition
statement giving strong praise
Term
absolution
Definition
pardon, forgiveness, release
Term
ensconce
Definition
establish firmly in a position
Term
obdurate
Definition
stubborn
Term
tawdry
Definition
of little value, gaudy
Term
blighted
Definition
damaged, destroyed, ruined
Term
credulous
Definition
gullible; ready to believe anything
Term
ignominious
Definition
discreditable; humiliating
Term
lachrymose
Definition
sad, tearful
Term
obfuscate
Definition
deliberately make something difficult to understand; confuse
Term
repudiate
Definition
shun, eschew
Term
eschew
Definition
to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid
Term
abstemious
Definition
self denying; refraining from indulging
Term
blithe
Definition
free-spirited; carefree
Term
crepuscular
Definition
active at dawn and dusk
Term
abstruse
Definition
difficult to understand; obscure
Term
blunderbuss
Definition
1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person
Term
envenom
Definition
to cause bitterness or a bad feeling
Term
hedonism
Definition
self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Term
laconic
Definition
using few words; brief; to the point
Term
oblique
Definition
indirect; slanting
Term
tenacious
Definition
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose
Term
bolster
Definition
support; prop up
Term
ephemeral
Definition
short-lived
Term
acquiesce
Definition
to agree to; give in to
Term
epicure
Definition
someone who appreciates good food and drink
Term
lampoon
Definition
ridicule; spoof
Term
tenuous
Definition
flimsy; not solid
Term
abscond
Definition
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
Term
aberrant
Definition
deviating from the norm (noun: aberration)
Term
alacrity
Definition
eager and enthusiastic willingness
Term
approbation
Definition
an expression of approval or praise
Term
audacious
Definition
fearless, daring, recklessly bold
Term
austere
Definition
without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
Term
ascetic
Definition
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially in a religious capacity
Term
axiomatic
Definition
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth (noun: axiom)
Term
canonical
Definition
following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
Term
capricious
Definition
inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
Term
censure
Definition
to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
Term
chicanery
Definition
trickery or subterfuge
Term
subterfuge
Definition
an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.
Term
convoluted
Definition
complex or complicated
Term
disabuse
Definition
to set right; undeceive
Term
disparate
Definition
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
Term
effrontery
Definition
extreme boldness; presumptuousness
Term
enervate
Definition
to weaken, reduce in vitality
Term
ennui
Definition
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
Term
equivocate
Definition
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adj: equivocal)
Term
erudite
Definition
very learned; scholarly
Term
exculpate
Definition
exonerate; to clear of blame
Term
extemporaneous
Definition
improvised; done without preparation
Term
fulminate
Definition
to loudly attack or denounce
Term
ingenuous
Definition
artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
Term
inured
Definition
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
Term
irascible
Definition
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
Term
lucid
Definition
clear, easy to understand
Term
magnanimity
Definition
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart; forgiving (adj: magnanimous)
Term
martial
Definition
associated with war and armed forces
Term
nascent
Definition
coming into being; in early developmental stages
Term
nebulous
Definition
vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
Term
neologism
Definition
a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
Term
obtuse
Definition
lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
Term
obviate
Definition
to anticipate and make unnecessary
Term
onerous
Definition
troubling; burdensome
Term
paean
Definition
a hymn or song of praise and thanksgiving
Term
perfidy
Definition
intentional breach of faith; treachery
Term
perfunctory
Definition
cursory; done without care or interest
Term
cursory
Definition
going rapidly over something without noticing the details; hasty; superficial
Term
perspicacious
Definition
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (adj: perspicacity)
Term
prattle
Definition
to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
Term
precipitate (adj.)
Definition
acting with excessive haste or impulse
Term
precipitate (v.)
Definition
to cause or happen before anticipated or required
Term
prescience
Definition
foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring (adj: prescient)
Term
prevaricate
Definition
to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
Term
relegate
Definition
to forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position
Term
reticent
Definition
quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
Term
solicitous
Definition
concerned and attentive; eager
Term
sordid
Definition
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
Term
squander
Definition
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
Term
stymie
Definition
to block; thwart
Term
synthesis
Definition
the combination of parts to make a whole
Term
torque
Definition
a force that causes rotation
Term
tortuous
Definition
winding, twisting; excessively complicated
Term
truculent
Definition
fierce and cruel; eager to fight
Term
virulent
Definition
extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile and antagonistic
Term
abate
Definition
to lessen in intensity or degree
Term
adulation
Definition
excessive praise; intense adoration
Term
ameliorate
Definition
to make better or more tolerable
Term
axiom
Definition
a universally recognized principle
Term
burgeon
Definition
to grow rapidly or fluorish
Term
bucolic
Definition
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
Term
canon
Definition
established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
Term
castigation
Definition
severe criticism or punishment
Term
catalyst
Definition
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
Term
caustic
Definition
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
Term
chary
Definition
wary; cautious; sparing
Term
cogent
Definition
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
Term
contentious
Definition
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
Term
contrite
Definition
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun: contrition)
Term
culpable
Definition
deserving blame (noun: culpability)
Term
dearth
Definition
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
Term
demur
Definition
to question or oppose
Term
didactic
Definition
intended to teach or instruct
Term
disinterested
Definition
free from bias or self-interest; impartial
Term
dogmatic
Definition
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles (noun: dogma)
Term
ebullience
Definition
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj: ebullient)
Term
eclectic
Definition
composed of elements drawn from various sources
Term
elegy
Definition
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
Term
emollient
Definition
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin
Term
empirical
Definition
based on observation or experiment
Term
enigmatic
Definition
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
Term
ephemeral
Definition
brief; fleeting
Term
esoteric
Definition
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
Term
facetious
Definition
playful; humorous
Term
fallacy
Definition
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
Term
furtive
Definition
marked by stealth; cover; surreptitious
Term
gregarious
Definition
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
Term
harangue (adj.)
Definition
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
Term
hyperbole
Definition
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj: hyperbolic)
Term
impecunious
Definition
lacking funds; without money
Term
incipient
Definition
beginning to come into being or beginning to become apparent
Term
inert
Definition
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
Term
innocuous
Definition
harmless; causing no damage
Term
intransigent
Definition
refusing to compromise (noun: intransigence)
Term
inveigle
Definition
to obtain by deception or flattery
Term
morose
Definition
sad; sullen; melancholy
Term
odious
Definition
evoking intense aversion or dislike
Term
oscillation
Definition
the act of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
Term
penurious
Definition
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
Term
peruse
Definition
to examine with great care (noun: perusal)
Term
precursor
Definition
one that precedes or indicates or announces another
Term
preen
Definition
to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
Term
prodigious
Definition
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
Term
prolific
Definition
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
Term
quaff
Definition
to drink deeply
Term
quiescence
Definition
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
Term
redoubtable
Definition
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
Term
sanction
Definition
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
Term
satire
Definition
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
Term
squalid
Definition
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
Term
stoic
Definition
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
Term
supplant
Definition
to take the place of; supersede
Term
torpid
Definition
lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun: torpor)
Term
ubiquitous
Definition
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
Term
urbane
Definition
sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun: urbanity)
Term
viscous
Definition
thick; sticky (n: viscosity)
Term
acumen
Definition
keen, accurate judgment or insight
Term
aver
Definition
to state as fact, to declare or assert
Term
bombastic
Definition
pompous; grandiloquent
Term
diatribe
Definition
a harsh denunciation
Term
dissemble
Definition
to disguise or conceal; to mislead
Term
endemic
Definition
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
Term
evanescent
Definition
tending to disappear like vapor, vanishing
Term
fervent
Definition
greatly emotional or zealous
Term
fortuitous
Definition
happening by accident or chance
Term
germane
Definition
relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
Term
grandiloquence
Definition
pompous speech or expression
Term
hackneyed
Definition
rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
Term
halcyon
Definition
calm and peaceful
Term
amalgamate
Definition
to combine several elements into a whole (noun: amalgamation)
Term
hedonism
Definition
devotion to pleasurable pursuits
Term
hegemony
Definition
the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
Term
iconoclast
Definition
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
Term
idolatrous
Definition
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
Term
impassive
Definition
revealing no emotion
Term
imperturbable
Definition
marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
Term
implacable
Definition
not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
Term
impunity
Definition
immunity from punishment or penalty
Term
inchoate
Definition
in an initial stage, not fully formed
Term
infelicitous
Definition
unfortunate; inappropriate
Term
insipid
Definition
without flavor or taste, lacking in spirit; bland
Term
loquacious
Definition
extremely talkative (noun: loquacity)
Term
malevolent
Definition
having or showing often vicious ill will, spite or hatred
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