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GRE Test Prep
Common GRE Vocabulary
153
General Vocab
Graduate
07/23/2009

Additional General Vocab Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
aberrant
Definition
deviating from normal or correct.
Term
abscond
Definition
to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law.
Term
advocate
Definition
to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf.
Term
aggrandize
Definition
to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate.
Term
amalgamate
Definition
to unite or mix.
Term
ambrosial
Definition
extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia)
Term
anachronism
Definition
a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order
Term
anomalous
Definition
peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly)
Term
antediluvian
Definition

ancient; outmoded

Literally: Before the flood

 

Term
antipathy
Definition
hostility toward, objection, or aversion to
Term
arbitrate
Definition
to settle a dispute by impulse
Term
assuage
Definition
to make less severe; to appease or satisfy
Term
attenuate
Definition
weaken
Term
audacious
Definition
extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity)
Term
aver
Definition
to declare
Term
banal
Definition
commonplace or trite
Term

barefaced

Definition
unconcealed, shameless, or brazen
Term
blandishment
Definition
speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something
Term
bombast
Definition
pompous speech
Term
breach
Definition
a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through
Term
burgeon
Definition
to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth
Term
buttress
Definition
to support. a support
Term
cadge
Definition
to get something by taking advantage of someone
Term
castigate
Definition
to chastise or criticize severely
Term
catalyst
Definition
an agent of change
Term
caustic
Definition
capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical
Term
chicanery
Definition
deception by trickery
Term
complaisant
Definition
willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo
Term
conflagration
Definition
a great fire
Term
corporeal
Definition
of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible.
Term
corporal
Definition
of the body: "corporal punishment." a non-commissioned officer ranked between a sergeant and a private.
Term
corroborate
Definition
to strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his story."
Term
craven
Definition
cowardly; a coward
Term
culpable
Definition
deserving of blame
Term
dearth
Definition
lack, scarcity
Term
deference
Definition
submission or courteous yielding
Term
depict
Definition
to show, create a picture of.
Term
depredation
Definition
the act of preying upon or plundering
Term
descry
Definition
to make clear, to say
Term
desiccate
Definition
to dry out thoroughly
Term
diatribe
Definition
a bitter abusive denunciation.
Term
diffident
Definition
lacking self-confidence, modest
Term
disabuse
Definition
to free a person from falsehood or error:
Term
disparaging
Definition
belittling
Term
dispassionate
Definition
calm; objective; unbiased
Term
dissemble
Definition
to conceal one's real motive, to feign
Term
dogged
Definition
stubborn or determined
Term
dogmatic
Definition
relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence
Term
eclectic
Definition
selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources
Term
efficacy
Definition
effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect
Term
effluent
Definition
the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river
Term
emollient
Definition
softening; something that softens
Term
emulate
Definition
to strive to equal or excel
Term
encomium
Definition
a formal eulogy or speech of praise
Term
endemic
Definition
prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people
Term
enervate
Definition
to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of
Term
engender
Definition
give rise to, to propagate, to cause
Term
enigma
Definition
puzzle; mystery
Term
ephemeral
Definition
lasting for only a brief time, fleeting
Term
equivocal
Definition
ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so
Term
erudite
Definition
scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning
Term
esoteric
Definition
intended for or understood by only a few
Term
eulogy
Definition
a spoken or written tribute to the deceased
Term
exacerbate
Definition
to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate
Term
exculpate
Definition
to demonstrate or prove to be blameless
Term
exorbitant
Definition
exceeding customary or normal limits, esp
Term
extant
Definition
in existence, still existing
Term
fathom
Definition
a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it
Term
fawn
Definition
to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly
Term
feign
Definition
to give false appearance or impression
Term
fervid, fervent
Definition
highly emotional; hot
Term
fledgling
Definition
a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced.
Term
florid
Definition
flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery
Term
floundering
Definition
struggling
Term
garrulous
Definition
verbose; talkative; rambling
Term
gossamer
Definition
fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine
Term
guile
Definition

 

skillful deceit

Term
guileless
Definition
honest; straightforward
Term
hapless
Definition
unfortunate
Term
headlong
Definition
headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought
Term
homogenous
Definition
similar in nature or kind; uniform
Term
iconoclast
Definition
one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images
Term
impecunious
Definition
penniless; poor
Term
imperious
Definition
commanding
Term
implication
Definition
insinuation or connotation
Term
improvidence
Definition
an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events
Term
inchoate
Definition
in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized
Term
incorrigible
Definition
not capable of being corrected
Term
indelible
Definition
permanent; unerasable; strong
Term
ineffable
Definition
undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable
Term
infer
Definition
to deduce
Term
ingenuous
Definition
unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid
Term
innocuous
Definition
harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion
Term
insipid
Definition
lacking zest or excitement; dull
Term
insular
Definition
of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive
Term
intransigent
Definition
stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change
Term
irascible
Definition
prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered
Term
laconic
Definition
using few words; terse
Term
latent
Definition
present or potential but not evident or active
Term
laudable
Definition
praiseworthy; commendable
Term
leviathan
Definition
giant whale, therefore, something very large
Term
loquacious
Definition
talkative
Term
lucid
Definition
clear; translucent
Term
lugubrious
Definition
weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree
Term
magnanimity
Definition
generosity and nobility
Term
malevolent
Definition
malicious; evil; having or showing ill will
Term
misanthrope
Definition
one who hates people
Term
misnomer
Definition
incorrect name or word for something
Term
misogynist
Definition
one who hates women
Term
mitigate
Definition
to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable
Term
nefarious
Definition
wicked, evil
Term
noisome
Definition
harmful, offensive, destructive
Term
obdurate
Definition
hardened against influence or feeling; intractable.
Term
obviate
Definition
to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary:
Term
occlude
Definition
to close or shut off; to obstruct
Term
panegyric
Definition
a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing
Term
peccadillo
Definition
a small sin or fault
Term
pedantic
Definition
showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning
Term
perfidious
Definition
deliberately treacherous; dishonest
Term
petulant
Definition
easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable
Term
phlegmatic
Definition
not easily excited; cool; sluggish
Term
placate
Definition
to calm or reduce anger by making concessions
Term
ponderous
Definition
heavy; massive; awkward; dull
Term
pragmatic
Definition
concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional
Term
precipice
Definition
cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance
Term
prevaricate
Definition
to stray away from or evade the truth
Term
prodigal
Definition
rashly wasteful
Term
propitiate
Definition
to conciliate; to appease
Term
Pulchritudinous
Definition
beautiful
Term
pusillanimous
Definition
cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty
Term
quiescence
Definition
inactivity; stillness; dormancy
Term
rarefy
Definition
to make or become thin; to purify or refine
Term
reproof
Definition
the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking.
Term
rescind
Definition
to repeal or annul
Term
sagacious
Definition
having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment
Term
sanguine
Definition
cheerful; confident
Term
sate
Definition
to satisfy fully or to excess
Term
saturnine
Definition
having a gloomy or morose temperament
Term
sedulous
Definition
diligent; persevering; persistent
Term
specious
Definition
seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive
Term
tacit
Definition
unspoken
Term
taciturn
Definition
habitually untalkative or silent
Term
temperate
Definition
exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild
Term
tirade (diatribe)
Definition
an angry speech
Term
tractable
Definition
ability to be easily managed or controlled
Term
turpitude
Definition
depravity; baseness
Term
tyro
Definition
beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor
Term
vacuous
Definition
empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence
Term
venerate
Definition
great respect or reverence
Term
viscous
Definition
slow moving; highly resistant to flow
Term
voracious
Definition
craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things
Term
waver
Definition
to hesitate or to tremble
Term
zeal
Definition
enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal
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