Shared Flashcard Set

Details

GRE Test Prep 2
Group 2
42
Language - English
Graduate
07/29/2010

Additional Language - English Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
accolade
Definition

noun:

an expression of praise

 

The play receivedaccolades from the press.

Term
aesthetic
Definition

adjective:

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art of the beautiful

 

The new building has little aesthetic value/appeal.

Term
avarice
Definition

noun:

greed, esp. for wealth

 

Her business empire brought her wealth beyond the dreams ofavarice (= an extremely large amount of money).

Term
axiom
Definition

noun:

a universally recognized principle

 

It is a widely held axiom that governments should not negotiate with terrorists.

Term
bucolic
Definition

 

adjective:

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their in habitants

The painting shows a typically bucolic scene with peasants harvesting crops in a field.

 

Term
canon
Definition

noun:

an established set of principles or code of laws

 

In many respects, the established canons of visual communication theory have been challenged.

Term
chary
Definition

 

adjective:

wary; cautious; sparing

I'm a bit chary of using a travel agency that doesn't have official registration.

 

Term
contentious
Definition

 

adjective:

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

She has some rather contentious views on education.

 

Term
culpable
Definition

 

adjective:

deserving blame

He was held culpable (= blamed) for all that had happened.

 

Term
dearth
Definition

noun;

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

 

a dearth of new homes in the region

Term
demur
Definition

verb:

to question or oppose

 

The lawyer requested a break in the court case, but the judge demurred.

Term
didactic
Definition

 

adjective:

intended to teach or instruct

a didactic approach to teaching

 

Term
discretion
Definition

noun:

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

 

"Can you trust him with this?" "Yes, he's the soul of discretion (= he will not tell other people)."

 

leave the decision to your discretion (= to your good judgment).

Term
dogmatic
Definition

 

adjective:

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles

I fear that this sort of dogmatic assertion tends to stifle discussion over a very serious issue.

 

Term
eclectic
Definition

 

adjective:

composed of elements drawn from various sources

an eclectic taste in literature

 

Term
emollient
Definition

adjective:

soothing esp. to the skin; making less harsh
an emollient mood/tone
Noun:
mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin

 

Term
enigmatic
Definition

 

adjective:

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

The Mona Lisa has a famously enigmatic smile.

 

Term
ephemeral
Definition

 

adjective:

brief; fleeting

Fame in the world of rock and pop is largely ephemeral.

 

Term
eulogy
Definition

noun:

a speech honoring the dead

 

The song was a eulogy to the joys of travelling.

Term
furtive
Definition

 

adjective:

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right

 

Term
gregarious
Definition

 

adjective:

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

Emma's a gregarious, outgoing sort of person.

 

Term
harangue
Definition

verb/noun:

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech

 

A drunk in the station was haranguing passers-by.

Term
heretical
Definition

 

adjective:

violating accepted dogma or convention

Her belief that a split would be good for the party was regarded as heretical.

 

Term
impecunious
Definition

 

adjective:

lacking funds; without money

I first knew him as an impecunious student living in a tiny bedsit.

 

Term
incipient
Definition

adjective:

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

signs of incipient public frustration

 

Term
inveigle
Definition

verb:

to obtain by deception or flattery

 

Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.

Term
odious
Definition

 

adjective:

evoking intense aversion or dislike

 

an odious little man

 

Term
opaque
Definition

 

adjective:

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

opaque glass/tights

 

Term
penurious
Definition

 

adjective:

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty

How wonderfully indignant the penurious man often is at the stinginess or want of public spirit of another!

 

Term
pernicious
Definition

 

adjective:

extremely harmful; potentially causing death

The cuts in government funding have had a pernicious effect on local health services.

 

Term
peruse
Definition

verb:

to examine with great care

 

He opened a newspaper and began to peruse the personal ads.

Term
pious
Definition

 

adjective:

extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.

 

Term
preen
Definition

verb:

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

 

Roald always spends ages preening (himself) before he goes out.

Term
prodigious
Definition

 

adjective:

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

He had a prodigious appetite for both women and drink

 

Term
prolific
Definition

 

adjective:

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.

 

Term
putrefy
Definition

verb:

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

 

The body had putrefied beyond recognition.

Term
quaff
Definition

verb:

to drink deeply

 

Yes, wealthy people feasted on steak and quaffed warm champagne in the days after the storm.

Term
redoubtable
Definition

 

adjective:

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

Tonight Villiers faces the most redoubtable opponent of his boxing career.

 

Term
squalid
Definition

 

adjective:

sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

Many prisons, even today, are overcrowded and squalid places.

It's the usual squalid rock star tale of drugs, sex and overdoses.

 

Term
stoic
Definition

 

adjective:

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

We knew she must be in pain, despite her stoic attitude.

 

Term
supplant
Definition

verb:

to take the place of; supersede

 

In most offices, the typewriter has now been supplanted by the computer.

Term
torpid
Definition

 

adjective:

lethargic; sluggish; dormant

If you have a sudden loss of cabin pressure at 20 000 feet, passengers will become torpid and then lose consciousness.

 

Supporting users have an ad free experience!