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GRE Vocab FlashCards
Aids to studying for GRE Verbal
241
General Vocab
Graduate
10/27/2008

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Cards

Term
abscond
Definition
(verb) to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
Term
aberrant
Definition
(adj.) deviating from the norm (noun form: aberration)
Term
alacrity
Definition
(noun) eager and enthusiastic willingness
Term
anomaly
Definition
(noun) deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality (adj. form: anomalous)
Term
approbation
Definition
(noun) an expression of approval or praise
Term
arduous
Definition
(adj) strenous, taxing; requiring significant effort
Term
assuage
Definition
(verb) to ease or lessen; to appease or pacity
Term
audacious
Definition
(adj)daring and fearless; resklessly bold (noun form: audacity)
Term
austere
Definition
(adj) without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic (noun form: austerity)
Term
axiomatic
Definition
(adj) taken as given; possessing self-evident truth (noun form: axiom)
Term
canonical
Definition
(adj) following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards (noun form: canon)
Term
capricious
Definition
(adj) inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erractic, unpredictable
Term
censure
Definition
(verb) to critize severely; to officially rebuke
Term
chicanery
Definition
(noun) trickery or subterfuge
Term
connoisseur
Definition
(noun) an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
Term
convoluted
Definition
(adj) complex or complicated
Term
disabuse
Definition
(verb) to undeceive; to set right
Term
discordant
Definition
(adj) conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
Term
disparate
Definition
(adj) fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
Term
effrontery
Definition
(noun) extreme blodness; presumptuousness
Term
eloquent
Definition
(adj) well-spoken, expressive, articulate (noun form: eloquence)
Term
enervate
Definition
(verb) to weaken; to reduce in vitality
Term
ennui
Definition
(noun) dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apthay
Term
equivocate
Definition
(verb) to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adj form: equivocal)
Term
erudite
Definition
(adj) very learned; scholarly (noun form: erudition)
Term
exculpate
Definition
(verb) exonerate; to clear of blame
Term
exigent
Definition
(adj) urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
Term
extemporaneous
Definition
(adj) urgrent, pressing; requiring immeditate action or attention
Term
filibuster
Definition
(noun) intentional obstruction, esp. using prolonged speechmaking to dely legislative action
Term
fulminate
Definition
(verb) to loudly attack or denouce
Term
ingenuous
Definition
(adj) artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
Term
inured
Definition
(adj)accustomed to accepting something undesirable
Term
irascible
Definition
(adj) easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
Term
laud
Definition
(verb) to praise highly (adj form: laudatory)
Term
lucid
Definition
(adj)clear; easily understood
Term
magnanimity
Definition
(noun) the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving (adj from: magnanimous)
Term
martial
Definition
(adj) associated with war and the armed forces
Term
mundane
Definition
(adj) of the world;typical of or concerned with the ordinary
Term
nascent
Definition
(adj) coming into being; in early developmental stages
Term
nebulous
Definition
(adj) vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
Term
nelogism
Definition
(noun) a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
Term
noxious
Definition
(adj) harmful, injurious
Term
obtuse
Definition
(adj) lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in though or expression
Term
obviate
Definition
(verb) to anticipate and make unnecessary
Term
onerous
Definition
(adj) troubling; burdensome
Term
paean
Definition
(noun)a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
Term
parody
Definition
(noun) a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, esp. in literature and art
Term
perennial
Definition
(adj) recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
Term
perfidy
Definition
(noun) intentinal breach of faith; treachery (adj form: perfidious)
Term
perfunctory
Definition
(adj) cursory; done without care or interest
Term
perspicacious
Definition
(adj) acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (noun form: perspicacity)
Term
prattle
Definition
(verb) to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
Term
precipitate (adj)




















































precipitate
Definition
(adj)acting with excessive haste or impulse
Term
precipitate (verb)
Definition
to cause or happen before anticipated or required
Term
predilection
Definition
(noun) a diposition in favor of something; prefernce
Term
prescience
Definition
(noun)foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occuring (adj form: prescient)
Term
prevaricate
Definition
(verb) to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
Term
qualms
Definition
(noun) misgivings; reservation; causes for hesitancy
Term
recant
Definition
(verb) to retract, esp. a previously held belief
Term
refute
Definition
(verb) to diprove; to successfully argue against
Term
relegate
Definition
(verb) to forcibly assign, esp. to a lower place or position
Term
reticent
Definition
(adj) quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
Term
solicitious
Definition
(adj) concerned and attentive; eager
Term
sordid
Definition
(adj) characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
Term
sporadic
Definition
(adj) occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
Term
squander
Definition
(verb) to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
Term
static
Definition
(adj) not moving, active, or in motion; at rest
Term
stupefy
Definition
(verb) to stun, baffle, or amaze
Term
stymie
Definition
(verb) to block; thwart
Term
synthesis
Definition
(noun) the combination of parts to make a whole (verb form: synthesize)
Term
torque
Definition
(noun) a force that causes rotation
Term
tortuous
Definition
(adj) winding, twisting; excessively complicated
Term
truculent
Definition
(adj)fierce and cruel; eager to fight
Term
veracity
Definition
(noun) truthfulness, honesty
Term
virulent
Definition
(adj) extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
Term
voracious
Definition
(adj) having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
Term
waver
Definition
(verb) to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion
Term
abate
Definition
(verb) to lessen in intensity or degree
Term
accolade
Definition
(noun) an expression of praise
Term
adulation
Definition
(noun) excessive praise; intense adoration
Term
aesthetic
Definition
(adj) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
Term
ameliorate
Definition
(verb) to make better or more tolerable
Term
ascetic
Definition
(noun) one who practices rigids self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
Term
avarice
Definition
(noun) greed, esp. for wealth (adj form: avaricious)
Term
axiom
Definition
(noun) a universally recognized principle (adj form: axiomatic)
Term
burgeon
Definition
(verb) to grow rapidly or flourish
Term
bucolic
Definition
(adj) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
Term
cacophony
Definition
(noun) harsh, jarring, dicordant sound; dissonance (adj form: cacophonous)
Term
cannon
Definition
(noun) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj form: canonical)
Term
castigation
Definition
(noun) severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate)
Term
catalyst
Definition
(noun) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
Term
caustic
Definition
(adj) burning or stinging; causing corrosion
Term
chary
Definition
(adj) wary; cautious; sparing
Term
cogent
Definition
(adj) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
Term
complaisance
Definition
(noun) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj form: complaisant)
Term
contentious
Definition
(adj)argumentative: quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
Term
contrite
Definition
(adj) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun form: contrition)
Term
culpable
Definition
(adj) deserving blame (noun form: culpability)
Term
dearth
Definition
(noun) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
Term
demur
Definition
(verb) to question or oppose
Term
didactic
Definition
(adj) intended to teach or instruct
Term
discretion
Definition
(noun) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj form: discreet)
Term
disinterested
Definition
(adj) free of bias or self-interest; impartial
Term
dogmatic
Definition
(adj) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (noun form: dogma)
Term
ebullience
Definition
(noun) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj form: ebullient)
Term
eclectic
Definition
(adj) composed of elements drwn from various sources
Term
elegy
Definition
(noun) a mournful poem, esp one lamenting the dead (adj form: elegiac)
Term
emollient
Definition
(adj/noun) soothing, esp. one lamenting the dead (adj form: elegiac)
Term
empirical
Definition
(adj) based on observation or experiment
Term
enigmatic
Definition
(adj) mysterious; obsure; difficult to understand (noun form: enigma)
Term
ephemeral
Definition
(adj) brief; fleeting
Term
esoteric
Definition
(adj) intended for or understood by a small, specific group
Term
eulogy
Definition
(noun) a speech honoring the dead (verb form: eulogize)
Term
exonerate
Definition
(verb) to remove blame
Term
facetious
Definition
(adj) playful; humorous
Term
fallacy
Definition
(noun) an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belift (adj form: fallacious)
Term
furtive
Definition
(adj) marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
Term
advocate
Definition
(verb) to speak, plead or argue for a cause, or in another's behalf (noun) one who advocates
Term
aggrandize
Definition
(verb) to make greater, to increase, thus to exaggerate
Term
amalgamate
Definition
to unite or mix
Term
ambiguous
Definition
(adj) vague; subject to more than one interpretation
Term
ambrosial
Definition
(adj) extremely pleasing to the senses, divine or delicious
Term
anachronism
Definition
(noun) a person or artifact appearing after its own time or our of chronological order
Term
anomalous
Definition
peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm
Term
antediluvian
Definition
ancient; outmoded
Term
antipathy
Definition
hostility toward, objection or aversion to
Term
gregarious
Definition
(adj) sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
Term
harangue
Definition
verb/noun) to deliever a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
Term
heretical
Definition
(adj)violating accepted dogma or convention (noun: heresy)
Term
hyperbole
Definition
(noun) an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj: hyperbolic)
Term
impecunious
Definition
(adj) lacking funds; without money
Term
incipient
Definition
(adj) beginning to come into being or to become apparent
Term
inert
Definition
(adj) unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
Term
innocuous
Definition
(adj) harmless; causing no damage
Term
intransigent
Definition
(adj) refusing to compromise (noun: intransigence)
Term
inveigle
Definition
(verb) to obtain by deception or flattery
Term
morose
Definition
(adj) sad; sullen; melancholy
Term
odious
Definition
(adj) evoking intense aversoin or dislike
Term
opaque
Definition
(adj) impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
Term
oscillation
Definition
(noun) the act of state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterupted rhythm (verb: oscillate)
Term
penurious
Definition
(adj) penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
Term
pernicious
Definition
(adj) extremely harmful; potentially causing death
Term
peruse
Definition
(verb) to examine with great care (noun: perusal)
Term
pious
Definition
(adj) extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun: piety)
Term
precursor
Definition
(noun) one that precedes and indicates or announces another
Term
preen
Definition
(verb) to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
Term
prodigious
Definition
(adj)abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
Term
prolific
Definition
(adj) producting large volumes or amounts; productive
Term
putrety
Definition
(verb) to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj: putrid)
Term
quaff
Definition
(verb) to drink deeply
Term
quiescence
Definition
(noun) stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest (adj: quiesscent)
Term
redoubtable
Definition
(adj) awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
Term
sanction
Definition
(noun/verb) authoritative permission or approval; a pentality intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
Term
satire
Definition
(noun) a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adj: satrical)
Term
squalid
Definition
(adj) sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (noun: squalor)
Term
stoic
Definition
(adj) indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun: stoicism)
Term
supplant
Definition
(verb) to take the place of; supersede
Term
torpid
Definition
(adj) lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun: torpor)
Term
ubiquitous
Definition
(adj) existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; wide-spread
Term
urbane
Definition
(adj)sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun: urbanity)
Term
vilify
Definition
(verb) to defame; to characterize harshly
Term
viscous
Definition
(adj) thick; sticky (noun: viscosity)
Term
acumen
Definition
(noun) keen, accurate judgement or insight
Term
adulterate
Definition
(verb) to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
Term
amalgamate
Definition
(verb) to combine several elements into a whole ( noun: amalgamation)
Term
archaic
Definition
(adj) outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time
Term
aver
Definition
(verb) to state as fact; to declare to assert
Term
bolster
Definition
(verb) to provide support or reinforcement
Term
bombastic
Definition
(adj) pompous; grandiloquent (noun: bombast)
Term
diatribe
Definition
(noun) a harsh denunciation
Term
dissemble
Definition
(verb) to disguise or conceal; to mislead
Term
eccentric
Definition
(adj) departing from norms or conventions
Term
endemic
Definition
(adj) characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
Term
evanescent
Definition
(adj) tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
Term
exacerbate
Definition
(verb) to make worse or more severe
Term
feverent
Definition
(adj) greatly emotional or zealous (noun: fervor)
Term
fervent
Definition
(adj) greatly emotional or zealou (noun: fervor)
Term
fortuitous
Definition
(adj) happening by accident or chance
Term
germane
Definition
(adj) relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
Term
grandiloquence
Definition
(noun) pompous speech or expression (adj: grandiloquent)
Term
hackneyed
Definition
(adj) redered trite or commomplace by frquent usage
Term
halcyon
Definition
(adj) calm and peaceful
Term
hedonism
Definition
(noun) devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses (a hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure)
Term
hegemony
Definition
(noun) the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
Term
iconoclast
Definition
(noun) one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
Term
idolatrous
Definition
(adj) given to intense or excessive devotion to something (noun: idolatry)
Term
impassive
Definition
(adj) revealing no emotion
Term
imperturbable
Definition
(adj) marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
Term
implacable
Definition
(adj) not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
Term
impunity
Definition
(noun) immunity from punishment or penalty
Term
inchoate
Definition
(adj) in an initial stage; not fully formed
Term
infelicitous
Definition
(adj) unfortunate; inappropriate
Term
insipid
Definition
(adj) without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
Term
loquacious
Definition
(adj) extremely talkative (noun: loquacity)
Term
luminous
Definition
(adj) characterized by brightness and the emission of light
Term
malevolent
Definition
(adj) having or showing often vicious ill will, spite or hatred (noun: malevolence)
Term
malleable
Definition
(adj) capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable
Term
mendacity
Definition
(noun) the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty (adj: mendacious)
Term
meticulous
Definition
(adj) characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
Term
misanthrope
Definition
(noun) one who hates all other humans (adj: misanthropic)
Term
mitigate
Definition
(verb) to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
Term
obdurate
Definition
(adj) unyielding; hardhearted; intractable
Term
obsequious
Definition
(adj) exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Term
occlude
Definition
(verb) to obstruct or block
Term
opprobrium
Definition
(noun) disgrace; contempt; scorn
Term
pedagogy
Definition
(noun) the profession or principles of teaching or instructing
Term
pedantic
Definition
(adj) overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's knowledge
Term
penury
Definition
(noun) poverty; destitution
Term
pervasive
Definition
(adj) having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
Term
pine
Definition
(verb) to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor
Term
pirate
Definition
(verb) to illegally use or reproduce
Term
pith
Definition
(noun) the essential or central part
Term
pithy
Definition
(adj) precise and brief
Term
placate
Definition
(verb) to appease; to calm by making concessions
Term
platitude
Definition
(noun)a superficial remark, esp. one offered as meaningful
Term
plummet
Definition
(verb)to plunge or drop straight down
Term
polemical
Definition
(adj) controversail; argumenative
Term
prodigal
Definition
(adj) recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
Term
profuse
Definition
(adj) given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
Term
proliferate
Definition
(verb) to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
Term
queries
Definition
(noun) questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
Term
querulous
Definition
(adj) prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
Term
rancorous
Definition
(adj) characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment (noun: rancor)
Term
recalcitrant
Definition
(adj)obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
Term
repudiate
Definition
(verb) to refuse to have anything to do with; disown
Term
rescind
Definition
(verb) to invalidate; to repeal; to retract
Term
reverent
Definition
(adj) marked by, feeling, or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect (noun: reverence)
Term
rhetoric
Definition
(noun) the art of study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
Term
salubrious
Definition
(adj) promoting health or well-being
Term
solvent
Definition
(adj) able to meet finacncial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
Term
specious
Definition
(adj) seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false
Term
spurious
Definition
(adj) lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
Term
subpoena
Definition
(noun) a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
Term
succinct
Definition
(adj) brief; concise
Term
superfluous
Definition
(adj) exceeding what is sufficient or neccessary
Term
surfeit
Definition
(noun/verb) an overabundant supply, excess; to feed or supply in excess
Term
tenacity
Definition
(noun) the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination (adj: tenacious)
Term
tenuous
Definition
(adj) having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak
Term
tirade
Definition
(noun) a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
Term
transient
Definition
(adj) fleeting; passing quickly; brief
Term
zealous
Definition
(adj) fervent; ardent; impassioned; devoted to a cause (a zealot is a zealous person)
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