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GRE Word Smart 4
Difficult Words (P-R)
125
Language - English
Not Applicable
09/12/2005
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Cards

Term
paean
 Definition
song or expression of praise
Term
palliate
 Definition
to make something appear less serious
Term
panegyric
 Definition
formal expression or praise
Term
paradigm
 Definition
something that serves as a model, example
Term
pariah
 Definition
an outcase
Term
parody
 Definition
a humorous imitation indended for ridicule
Term
parry
 Definition
to block, evade or ward off
Term
parsimonious
 Definition
cheap miserly
Term
partisan
 Definition
one-sided, commited to a party
Term
paucity
 Definition
scarcity, a lacking of
Term
peccadillo
 Definition
a slight offense
Term
pedagogy
 Definition
the art or profession of training, teaching, or instruciting
Term
pedantic
 Definition
ostentatious display of learning
Term
pedestrian
 Definition
commonplace, trite
Term
penchant
 Definition
strong inclination, a liking
Term
penurious
 Definition
penny-pinching
Term
peremptory
 Definition
admitting no contradiciton
Term
perennial
 Definition
recurrent through the year or many years
Term
perfidy
 Definition
intentional breach of faith
Term
perfunctory
 Definition
cursory, done without care or interest
Term
peripathetic
 Definition
itinerant, traveling, nomadic
Term
pernicious
 Definition
extremely harmful
Term
personable
 Definition
pleasing in appearance
Term
perspicacious
 Definition
acutely perceptive
Term
peruse
 Definition
to examine with great care
Term
pervade
 Definition
to permeate throughout
Term
petrous
 Definition
like a rock, hard, stony
Term
petulant
 Definition
impatient, irritable
Term
philistine
 Definition
a crass individual guided by material rather than intellectual values
Term
phlegmatic
 Definition
calm, sluggish
Term
picaresque
 Definition
involving clever rogues or adventurers
Term
pied
 Definition
multi-colored
Term
pillory
 Definition
to punish, hold up to public scorn
Term
pine
 Definition
to yearn intensely
Term
pious
 Definition
extremely devout
Term
piquant
 Definition
agreeably pungent, spicy
Term
pique
 Definition
resentment
Term
pirate
 Definition
to use illegally
Term
pith
 Definition
the essential or central part
Term
placate
 Definition
to appease, calm
Term
plaintive
 Definition
mournful, sorrowful
Term
plangent
 Definition
pounding, thundering, resounding
Term
plastic
 Definition
moldable, pliable, not rigid
Term
platitide
 Definition
a superficial or trite remark
Term
plethora
 Definition
an overabundence
Term
pluck
 Definition
courage
Term
plumb
 Definition
to measure the depth
Term
plummet
 Definition
to plunge or drop straight down
Term
poignant
 Definition
distressing, pertinent, touching
Term
polemical
 Definition
controversial, argumentative
Term
pragmatic
 Definition
practical
Term
prate
 Definition
chatter, babble
Term
prattle
 Definition
to babble meaninglessly
Term
precarious
 Definition
uncertain, risky
Term
precept
 Definition
rule establishing standards of conduct
Term
precipitate
 Definition
acting with excessive haste or impulse
Term
precursor
 Definition
something that precedes
Term
prediliction
 Definition
liking or preference
Term
preempt
 Definition
to replace
Term
preen
 Definition
to dress up
Term
prescience
 Definition
knowing of events prior to their occurance
Term
presumptuous
 Definition
overstepping bounds
Term
prevaricate
 Definition
to mislead
Term
pristine
 Definition
pure
Term
prize
 Definition
to pry, press or force with a lever
Term
probity
 Definition
adherence to highest principles, uprightness
Term
proclivity
 Definition
natural predisposition or inclination
Term
prodigal
 Definition
recklessly wasteful, lavish
Term
prodigious
 Definition
abundant in size
Term
profligate
 Definition
excessively wasteful
Term
profuse
 Definition
given or coming forth abundantly
Term
proliferate
 Definition
to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
Term
prolific
 Definition
producing large volumes and amounts
Term
prolix
 Definition
long-winded, verbose
Term
propensity
 Definition
natural inclination or tendency
Term
propinquity
 Definition
nearness in time or place
Term
propitiate
 Definition
to appease, conciliate
Term
propitious
 Definition
auspicious, favorable
Term
proscaic
 Definition
dull, unimaginitive
Term
proscribe
 Definition
to outlaw or prohibit
Term
provident
 Definition
frugal, looking to the future
Term
puerile
 Definition
childish, immature
Term
pugnacious
 Definition
contentious
Term
punctilious
 Definition
precise
Term
pundit
 Definition
an authority on a subject
Term
pusillanimous
 Definition
cowardly
Term
putrefy
 Definition
to rot, decay
Term
quaff
 Definition
to drink deeply
Term
quail
 Definition
to shrink back in fear, lose courage
Term
qualify
 Definition
to limit
Term
qualms
 Definition
misgivings
Term
queries
 Definition
questions
Term
querulous
 Definition
prone to complaining or grumbling
Term
quiescence
 Definition
stillness
Term
quixotic
 Definition
foolishly impractical
Term
quotidian
 Definition
occuring or recurring daily
Term
rail
 Definition
complain about bitterly
Term
ramify
 Definition
to be divided or subdivided
Term
rancourous
 Definition
characterized by bitter resentment
Term
rapacious
 Definition
voracious, greedy
Term
rarefy
 Definition
to make becoming thin, less dense
Term
rebus
 Definition
riddle
Term
recalcitrant
 Definition
difficult to manage
Term
recant
 Definition
to retract
Term
recondite
 Definition
hidden, concealed
Term
reconnoiter
 Definition
to engange in reconnaissance, make a preliminary inspecition of
Term
recumbent
 Definition
leaning, resting, prone
Term
redolent
 Definition
fragrant, suggestive, or evocative
Term
redoubtable
 Definition
awe-inspiring, worthy of honor
Term
refulgent
 Definition
radiant, shiny; brilliant
Term
refute
 Definition
to disprove
Term
regale
 Definition
to delight, feast
Term
relegate
 Definition
to forcibly assign
Term
remonstrate
 Definition
to protest, object
Term
renege
 Definition
to fail to honor a promise
Term
rent
 Definition
torn, split apart
Term
repine
 Definition
to feel or express dejection
Term
repudiate
 Definition
to refuse to have anything to do with, disown
Term
rescind
 Definition
to invalidate, repeal
Term
resolute
 Definition
adamant, steadfast
Term
reticent
 Definition
quiet, reserved
Term
reverent
 Definition
marked by profound awe
Term
rhetoric
 Definition
the art or study of effective use of language
Term
rubric
 Definition
authoritative rule
Term
rue
 Definition
regret, feel remorse
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