You are on page 1of 16

GRE 1 (A-I)

aberrant
a
departing from the right, normal, or usual course.
abscond
vw
to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture
and legal prosecution
advocate
vo
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend
publicly
aggrandize
vo
to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend.
amalgamate
vo
to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine
ambiguous
a
open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations;
equivocal
ambrosial
a
exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant.
anachronism
n
something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological
time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time
anomalous
a
1

deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule;


irregular abnormal
antediluvian
a
of or belonging to the period before the Flood. Gen. 7, 8.
antipathy
n
a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion.
arbitrate
vo
to decide as arbitrator or arbiter determine.
assuage
vo
to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate
attenuate
vo
to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or value
audacious
a
extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless
aver
vo
to assert or affirm with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory
manner.
banal
a
devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite
barefaced
a
with the face uncovered.
blandishment
n
2

something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax, entice,


etc.
bombast
n
speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words.
breach
n
the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture.
burgeon
vw
to grow or develop quickly; flourish
buttress
n
any external prop or support built to steady a structure by opposing its
outward thrusts, especially a projecting support built into or against the
outside of a masonry wall.
cadge
vo
to obtain by imposing on another's generosity or friendship.
caprice
n
a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather.
castigate
vo
to criticize or reprimand severely.
catalyst
n
a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself
being affected.
caustic
a
capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
chicanery
3

n
trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry
complaisant
a
inclined or disposed to please; obliging; agreeable or gracious; compliant
conflagration
n
a destructive fire, usually an extensive one.
corporeal
a
of the nature of the physical body; bodily.
corporal
a
of the human body; bodily; physical
corroborate
vo
to make more certain; confirm
craven
a
cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous.
culpable
a
deserving blame or censure; blameworthy.
dearth
n
an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack
deference
n
respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of
another.
depict
vo
to represent by or as if by painting; portray; delineate.
4

deprecation
vo
to express earnest disapproval of.
depredation
n
the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage.
descry
vo
to see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern; espy
desiccate
vo
to dry thoroughly; dry up.
diatribe
n
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
diffident
a
lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
disabuse
vo
to free (a person) from deception or error.
disparaging
vo
to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle
dispassionate
a
free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias;
impartial; calm
dissemble
vo
to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real
nature of
dogged
5

stubborn or determined; "Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually


paid off".
dogmatic
relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence
eclectic
a
selecting or choosing from various sources.
efficacy
n
capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness
effluent
a
flowing out or forth.
emollient
a
having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance;
soothing, especially to the skin
emulate
vo
to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass
encomium
n
a formal expression of high praise; eulogy
endemic
a
natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native;
indigenous
enervate
vo
to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
engender
vo
to produce, cause, or give rise to
6

enigma
n
a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
ephemeral
a
lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory
equivocal
a
allowing the possibility of several different meanings, as a word or
phrase, especially with intent to deceive or misguide; susceptible of
double interpretation; deliberately ambiguous
erudite
a
characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly
esoteric
a
understood by or meant for only the select few who have special
knowledge or interest; recondite
eulogy
n
a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration
in honor of a deceased person.
exacerbate
vo
to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling,
etc.); aggravate.
exculpate
vo
to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame; vindicate.
exorbitant
a
exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in
amount or extent; highly excessive
explicit
7

a
fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely
implied; unequivocal
extant
a
in existence; still existing; not destroyed or lost
fathom
n
a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical
measurements. fath
fawn
to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly (n, adj: fawning)
feign
vo
to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of
fervent
a
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling,
enthusiasm, etc.; ardent
fervid
a
heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc.
fledgeling
a young bird just fledged, an inexperienced person
florid
flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery:
"florid prose."
floundering
vw
to struggle with stumbling or plunging movements (usually followed by
etc.)
garrulous
a
8

excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about


trivial matters.
gossamer
n
a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in
calm weather, especially in autumn.
guile
n
insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity.
guileless
free from guile; sincere; honest; straightforward; frank.
hapless
a
unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.
headlong
adv.
with the head foremost; headfirst
homogenous
a
corresponding in structure because of a common origin.
iconoclast
n
a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious
veneration.
impecunious
a
having little or no money; penniless; poor.
imperious
domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing; commanding
implication
n
something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or
understood
9

imply
vo
to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated
improvidence
a
not provident lacking foresight; incautious; unwary.
inchoate
not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary; in an initial or early
stage;
incorrigible
not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform not capable of being
corrected
indelible
making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like; permanent.
ineffable
a
incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible
infer
vo
to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence
ingenuous
a
free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere.
inhibit
vo
to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).
innocuous
a
not harmful or injurious; harmless
insensible
a
incapable of feeling or perceiving; deprived of sensation; unconscious,
as a person after a violent blow.
10

insipid
a
without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid
insular
a
of or pertaining to an island or islands
intransigent
a
refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.
irascible
a
easily provoked to anger; very irritable
laconic
a
using few words; expressing much in few words; concise
latent
a
present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential
laudable
a
deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable
leviathan
n
a sea monster.
loquacious
a
talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling;
garrulous
lucid
a
easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible
lugubrious
a
11

mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or


unrelieved manner
magnanimity
n
the quality of being magnanimous
malevolent
a
wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed;
malicious
misanthrope
one who hates people
misnomer
n
a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.
misogyny
n
hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women.
mitigate
vo
to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain;
moderate.
nefarious
a
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous
noisome
a
offensive or disgusting, as an odor.
obdurate
a
unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
obviate
vo
12

to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.)


by effective measures; render unnecessary
occlude
vo
to close, shut, or stop up (a passage, opening, etc.).
opaque
a
not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light
to pass through.
ossified
a
hardened like or into bone.
panegyric
n
a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy.
peccadillo
n
a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault.
pedantic
a
ostentatious in one's learning.
perfidious
a
deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful
petulant
a
moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some
trifling annoyance
philantrophy
tendency or action for the benefit of others
phlegmatic
a
not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish.
13

placate
vo
to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures
plastic
n
any of a group of synthetic or natural organic materials that may be
shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins,
resinoids, polymers, cellulose derivatives, casein materials, and proteins:
used in place of other materials, as glass, wood, and metals, in
construction and decoration, for making many articles, as coatings, and,
drawn into filaments, for weaving. They are often known by trademark
names, as or
plethora
n
overabundance; excess
ponderous
a
of great weight; heavy; massive.
pragmatic
a
of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
precipice
n
a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
precipitate
vo
to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or
suddenly
precursor
n
a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
prevaricate
vw
to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an
incorrect impression; lie.
14

prodigal
a
wastefully or recklessly extravagant
propitiate
vo
to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.
pulchritudinous
a
physically beautiful; comely.
pusillanimous
a
lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
quiescence
a
being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless
rarefy
vo
to make rare or rarer; make less dense
reproof
n
the act of reproving, censuring, or rebuking.

15

16

You might also like