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GRE Prep
GRE
386
English
Graduate
04/17/2013
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Term
Abscond
 Definition
to steal off and hide
Term
Aberrant
 Definition
deviating from the norm
Term
Alacrity
 Definition
eager and enthusiastic willingness
Term
anomaly
 Definition
deviation from the normal order
Term
Approbation
 Definition
an expression of approval or praise
Term
Arduous
 Definition
strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort
Term
Assuage
 Definition
to ease or lessen
Term
Audacious
 Definition
daring and fearless
Term
Austere
 Definition
without adornment, bare, simple
Term
Axiomatic
 Definition
takes as a given, possessing self evident truth
Term
Canonical
 Definition
following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
Term
Capricious
 Definition
inclined to change one's mind impulsively, erratic, unpredictable
Term
Censure
 Definition
to criticize severely
Term
Chicanery
 Definition
trickery or subterfuge
Term
Connoisseur
 Definition
an informed and astute judge in matters of taste
Term
Convoluted
 Definition
complex or complicated
Term
Disabuse
 Definition
to undeceive, to set right
Term
Discordant
 Definition
conflicting
Term
Disparate
 Definition
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
Term
Effrontery
 Definition
extreme boldness
Term
Eloquent
 Definition
Well spoken, expressive, articulate
Term
Enervate
 Definition
to weaken
Term
Ennui
 Definition
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom
Term
Equivocate
 Definition
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
Term
Erudite
 Definition
very learned
Term
Exculpate
 Definition
exonerate, to clear of blame
Term
Exigent
 Definition
urgent
Term
Extemporaneous
 Definition
improvised
Term
filibuster
 Definition
longed speech making to delay legislative action
Term
Fulminate
 Definition
to loudly attack or denounce
Term
Ingenuous
 Definition
artless, frank and candid
Term
Inured
 Definition
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
Term
Irascible
 Definition
easily angered
Term
Laud
 Definition
to praise highly
Term
Lucid
 Definition
clear
Term
Magnanimity
 Definition
the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart
Term
Martial
 Definition
associated with war and the armed forces
Term
Mundane
 Definition
of the world, typical, ordinary
Term
Nascent
 Definition
coming into being
Term
Nebulous
 Definition
vague
Term
Neologism
 Definition
a new word
Term
Noxious
 Definition
harmful, injurious
Term
Obtuse
 Definition
lacking sharpness or intellect
Term
Obviate
 Definition
to anticipate and make unnecessary
Term
Onerous
 Definition
troubling
Term
Paean
 Definition
a song or hymn of praise
Term
Parody
 Definition
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule
Term
Perennial
 Definition
recurrent through the year or many years
Term
Perfidy
 Definition
intentional breach of faith
Term
Perfunctory
 Definition
cursory
Term
Perspicacious
 Definition
acutely perspective
Term
Prattle
 Definition
to babble meaninglessly
Term
Precipitate
 Definition
acting with excessive haste or impulse
Term
Predilection
 Definition
preference
Term
Prescience
 Definition
foreknowledge of events
Term
Prevaricate
 Definition
to deliberately avoid the truth
Term
Qualms
 Definition
misgivings, reservations, causes for hesitancy
Term
Recant
 Definition
to retract
Term
Refute
 Definition
to disprove
Term
Relegate
 Definition
to forcibly assign
Term
Reticent
 Definition
quiet
Term
Solicitous
 Definition
concerned and attentive, eager
Term
Sordid
 Definition
foul
Term
Sporadic
 Definition
occurring only occasionally
Term
Squander
 Definition
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
Term
Static
 Definition
not moving
Term
Stupefy
 Definition
to stun
Term
Stymie
 Definition
to block
Term
Synthesis
 Definition
the combination of parts to make a whole
Term
Torque
 Definition
a force that causes rotation
Term
Truculent
 Definition
fierce and cruel
Term
Veracity
 Definition
truthfulness
Term
Virulent
 Definition
extremely harmful or poisonous
Term
Voracious
 Definition
having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit
Term
Waver
 Definition
to sway in ones opinion
Term
Abate
 Definition
to lessen in intensity or degree
Term
Accolade
 Definition
an expression of praise
Term
Adulation
 Definition
excessive praise
Term
Aesthetic
 Definition
responsive to art or the beautiful
Term
Ameliorate
 Definition
to make better or more tolerable
Term
Ascetic
 Definition
one who practices rigid self denial
Term
Avarice
 Definition
greed for wealth
Term
Axiom
 Definition
a universally recognized principle
Term
Burgeon
 Definition
to grow rapidly or flourish
Term
Bucolic
 Definition
rustic and pastoral
Term
Cacophony
 Definition
harsh discordant sound
Term
Canon
 Definition
an established set of principles or code of laws
Term
Castigation
 Definition
severe criticism or punishment
Term
Caustic
 Definition
burning or stinging
Term
Chary
 Definition
wary, cautious
Term
Cogent
 Definition
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason
Term
Complaisance
 Definition
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
Term
Contentious
 Definition
argumentative
Term
Contrite
 Definition
regretful
Term
Culpable
 Definition
deserving blame
Term
Dearth
 Definition
smallness of quantity or number
Term
Demur
 Definition
to question or oppose
Term
Didactic
 Definition
intended to teach or instuct
Term
Discretion
 Definition
cautious reserve in speech
Term
Disinterested
 Definition
free of bias
Term
Dogmatic
 Definition
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles.
Term
Ebullience
 Definition
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
Term
Eclectic
 Definition
composed of elements drawn from various sources
Term
Elegy
 Definition
a mournful poem
Term
Emollient
 Definition
soothing to the skin
Term
Empirical
 Definition
based on observation or experiment
Term
Enigmatic
 Definition
mysterious
Term
Ephemeral
 Definition
brief
Term
Esoteric
 Definition
intended for or understood by a small group
Term
Exonerate
 Definition
to remove blame
Term
Facetious
 Definition
playful, humorous
Term
Fallacy
 Definition
an invalid or incorrect notion
Term
Furtive
 Definition
marked by stealth
Term
Gregarious
 Definition
sociable
Term
Harangue
 Definition
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade
Term
Heretical
 Definition
violating accepted dogma or convention
Term
Impecunious
 Definition
lacking funds
Term
Incipient
 Definition
beginning to come into being
Term
Innocuous
 Definition
harmless
Term
Intransigent
 Definition
refusing to compromise
Term
Inveigle
 Definition
to obtain by deception
Term
Morose
 Definition
sad
Term
Odious
 Definition
evoking intense aversion or dislike
Term
Penurious
 Definition
penny-pinching
Term
Pernicious
 Definition
extremely harmful
Term
Peruse
 Definition
to examine with great care
Term
Pious
 Definition
showing strong religious devotion
Term
Prodigious
 Definition
abundant in size
Term
Prolific
 Definition
producing large volumes or amounts
Term
Putrefy
 Definition
to rot
Term
Quaff
 Definition
to drink deeply
Term
Quiescence
 Definition
stillness
Term
Redoubtable
 Definition
awe-inspiring
Term
Sanction
 Definition
tended to enforce compliance
Term
Satire
 Definition
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor
Term
Squalid
 Definition
wretched and dirty as from neglect
Term
Stoic
 Definition
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain
Term
Supplant
 Definition
to take the place of
Term
Torpid
 Definition
lethargic
Term
Ubiquitous
 Definition
existing everywhere at the same time
Term
Urbane
 Definition
sophisticated
Term
Vilify
 Definition
to defame
Term
Acumen
 Definition
accurate judgement
Term
Adulterate
 Definition
to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
Term
Amalgamate
 Definition
to combine several elements into a whole
Term
Archaic
 Definition
outdated
Term
Aver
 Definition
to state as fact
Term
Bolster
 Definition
to provide support or reinforcement
Term
Bombastic
 Definition
pompous
Term
Diatribe
 Definition
a harsh denunciation
Term
Dissemble
 Definition
to disguise or conceal
Term
Endemic
 Definition
characteristic of or often found in a particular region or people
Term
Evanescent
 Definition
vanishing
Term
Exacerbate
 Definition
to make worse or more severe
Term
Fervent
 Definition
greatly emotional
Term
Fortuitous
 Definition
happening by accident or chance
Term
Germane
 Definition
relevant to the subject at hand
Term
Grandiloquence
 Definition
pompous speech or expression
Term
Hackneyed
 Definition
rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
Term
Halcyon
 Definition
calm and peaceful
Term
Hedonism
 Definition
devotion to pleasurable pursuits
Term
Hegemony
 Definition
the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
Term
Iconoclast
 Definition
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.
Term
Idolatrous
 Definition
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
Term
Impassive
 Definition
revealing no emotion
Term
Imperturbable
 Definition
marked by extreme calm
Term
Implacable
 Definition
not capable of being changed
Term
Impunity
 Definition
immunity from punishment
Term
Inchoate
 Definition
in an initial stage
Term
Infelicitous
 Definition
unfortunate
Term
Insipid
 Definition
bland
Term
Loquacious
 Definition
extremely talkative
Term
Malevolent
 Definition
having or showing often vicious ill will, spite
Term
Mendacity
 Definition
the condition of being untruthful
Term
Meticulous
 Definition
extreme care and precision
Term
Misanthrope
 Definition
one who hates all other humans
Term
Mitigate
 Definition
to make or become less severe or intense
Term
Obdurate
 Definition
unyielding
Term
Obsequious
 Definition
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Term
Occlude
 Definition
to obstruct or block
Term
Opprobrium
 Definition
disgrace
Term
Pedagogy
 Definition
principles of teaching
Term
Penury
 Definition
poverty
Term
Pine
 Definition
to yearn intensely
Term
Pithy
 Definition
brief and precise
Term
Placate
 Definition
to appease
Term
Platitude
 Definition
a superficial remark
Term
Polemical
 Definition
controversial
Term
Prodigal
 Definition
recklessly wasteful
Term
Profuse
 Definition
extravagant
Term
Querulous
 Definition
prone to complaining
Term
Rancorous
 Definition
long-lasting resentment
Term
Recalcitrant
 Definition
obstinately defiant of authority
Term
Repudiate
 Definition
to disown
Term
Rescind
 Definition
to invalidate
Term
Reverent
 Definition
feeling of profound respect and awe
Term
Rhetoric
 Definition
the study of effective use of language for communication or persuasion
Term
Salubrious
 Definition
promoting health or well-being
Term
Solvent
 Definition
able to meet financial obligations
Term
Specious
 Definition
seeming true but actually false
Term
Spurious
 Definition
false
Term
superfluous
 Definition
exceeding what is sufficient
Term
Surfeit
 Definition
an overabundant supply
Term
Tenacity
 Definition
the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued
Term
Tenuous
 Definition
weak, flimsy
Term
Transient
 Definition
brief
Term
Zealous
 Definition
devoted to a cause
Term
Acerbic
 Definition
sour or bitter taste
Term
Aggrandize
 Definition
to increase in intensity
Term
Amenable
 Definition
agreeable
Term
Anachronism
 Definition
something or someone out of place
Term
Contiguous
 Definition
adjacent
Term
Convention
 Definition
generally agreed upon practice
Term
Credulous
 Definition
gullible
Term
Cynicism
 Definition
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
Term
Derision
 Definition
scorn, ridicule
Term
Desiccate
 Definition
to dry
Term
Dilettante
 Definition
one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts
Term
Disparage
 Definition
to belittle
Term
Divulge
 Definition
to disclose something secret
Term
Fawn
 Definition
to flatter or praise excessively
Term
Flout
 Definition
to show contempt for
Term
Garrulous
 Definition
pointlessly talkative
Term
Glib
 Definition
marked by ease or informality
Term
Hubris
 Definition
arrogance
Term
Immutable
 Definition
not capable of change
Term
Impetuous
 Definition
hastily or rashly energetic
Term
Inimical
 Definition
damaging, harmful
Term
Intractable
 Definition
stubborn
Term
Intrepid
 Definition
steadfast, courageous
Term
Laconic
 Definition
using few words
Term
Mercurial
 Definition
rapid change in mood
Term
Mollify
 Definition
to calm or soothe
Term
Neophyte
 Definition
beginner
Term
Obfuscate
 Definition
to make confusing
Term
Obstinate
 Definition
stubborn
Term
Ostentatious
 Definition
showy
Term
Pervade
 Definition
to permeate throughout
Term
Phlegmatic
 Definition
calm, sluggish
Term
Pragmatic
 Definition
practical
Term
Presumptuous
 Definition
taking liberties
Term
Probity
 Definition
complete and confirmed integrity
Term
Proclivity
 Definition
a natural predisposition
Term
Profligate
 Definition
excessively wasteful
Term
Propensity
 Definition
a natural tendency
Term
Prosaic
 Definition
dull
Term
Quixotic
 Definition
foolishly impractical
Term
Quotidian
 Definition
occurring daily
Term
Rarefy
 Definition
to make or become thin
Term
Recondite
 Definition
hidden
Term
Refulgent
 Definition
radiant
Term
Renege
 Definition
to go back on a promise
Term
Sedulous
 Definition
hard-working
Term
Soporific
 Definition
causing drowsiness
Term
Sparse
 Definition
thin
Term
Spendthrift
 Definition
one who spends money wastefully
Term
Subtle
 Definition
not obvious
Term
Tacit
 Definition
implied
Term
Terse
 Definition
brief and concise
Term
Tout
 Definition
to publicly praise
Term
Trenchant
 Definition
sharply perceptive
Term
Unfeigned
 Definition
genuine
Term
Vacillate
 Definition
to waver indecisively
Term
Variegated
 Definition
multicolored
Term
Vexation
 Definition
annoyance
Term
Vituperate
 Definition
to use harsh condemnatory language
Term
Alloy
 Definition
to commingle
Term
Appropriate
 Definition
to confiscate
Term
August
 Definition
Majestic
Term
Bent
 Definition
tendency
Term
Broach
 Definition
to announce
Term
Brook
 Definition
to tolerate
Term
Cardinal
 Definition
major
Term
Chauvinist
 Definition
blindly devoted patriot
Term
Consequential
 Definition
pompous
Term
Damp
 Definition
to diminish the intensity
Term
Die
 Definition
a tool used for shaping
Term
Exact
 Definition
to demand
Term
Fell
 Definition
inhumanly cruel
Term
Flag
 Definition
to decline
Term
Flip
 Definition
sarcastic
Term
Ford
 Definition
to wade across shallow water
Term
Grouse
 Definition
to complain
Term
Guy
 Definition
guy wire
Term
Intimate
 Definition
to imply
Term
List
 Definition
to lean to to one side
Term
Lumber
 Definition
to move clumsily
Term
Meet
 Definition
fitting
Term
Mince
 Definition
to pronounce or speak effectively
Term
Nice
 Definition
extremely precise
Term
Obtain
 Definition
to be established
Term
Occult
 Definition
hidden
Term
Pied
 Definition
multicolored
Term
Pine
 Definition
to lose vigor
Term
Plastic
 Definition
moldable
Term
Pluck
 Definition
courage
Term
Prize
 Definition
to pry
Term
Rail
 Definition
to complain about bitterly
Term
Rent
 Definition
torn
Term
Quail
 Definition
to lose courage
Term
Qualify
 Definition
to limit
Term
Sap
 Definition
to enervate or weaken
Term
Scurvy
 Definition
despicable
Term
Singular
 Definition
exceptional
Term
Stand
 Definition
group of trees
Term
Steep
 Definition
to saturate
Term
Table
 Definition
to remove from consideration
Term
Waffle
 Definition
to change one's position
Term
Wag
 Definition
joker
Term
Abjure
 Definition
to reject
Term
Adumbrate
 Definition
to foreshadow vaguely
Term
Anathema
 Definition
religious curse
Term
Anodyne
 Definition
soothing
Term
Apogee
 Definition
farthest or highest point
Term
Apostate
 Definition
one who abandons long-held religious convictions
Term
Apotheosis
 Definition
a model of perfection
Term
Asperity
 Definition
severity
Term
Asseverate
 Definition
allege
Term
Assiduous
 Definition
hard-working
Term
Augury
 Definition
omen
Term
Bellicose
 Definition
belligerent
Term
Calumniate
 Definition
to slander
Term
Captious
 Definition
disposed to point out trivial faults
Term
Cavil
 Definition
to find fault without good reason
Term
Celerity
 Definition
speed
Term
Chimera
 Definition
an illusion
Term
Contumacious
 Definition
rebellious
Term
Denouement
 Definition
an outcome or solution
Term
Descry
 Definition
to discriminate
Term
Desuetude
 Definition
disuse
Term
Desultory
 Definition
random
Term
Diaphanous
 Definition
transparent
Term
diffident
 Definition
shy
Term
Dirge
 Definition
a song of grief
Term
Encomium
 Definition
glowing enthusiastic praise
Term
Eschew
 Definition
to avoid
Term
Excoriate
 Definition
to censure scathingly
Term
Execrate
 Definition
to denounce
Term
Exegesis
 Definition
critical examination
Term
Expiate
 Definition
to make amends for
Term
Extirpate
 Definition
to destroy
Term
Fatuous
 Definition
silly
Term
Fractious
 Definition
rebellious
Term
Gainsay
 Definition
to deny
Term
Heterodox
 Definition
unorthodox
Term
Imbroglio
 Definition
embarrassing situation
Term
Indefatigable
 Definition
tireless
Term
Ineluctable
 Definition
certain
Term
Inimitable
 Definition
one of a kind
Term
Insouciant
 Definition
carefree
Term
Inveterate
 Definition
deep rooted
Term
Jejune
 Definition
uninteresting
Term
Lubricious
 Definition
greasy
Term
Mendicant
 Definition
a beggar
Term
Meretricious
 Definition
cheap, showy
Term
Minatory
 Definition
threatening
Term
Nadir
 Definition
low point
Term
Nonplussed
 Definition
baffled
Term
Obstreperous
 Definition
noisily and stubbornly defiant
Term
Ossified
 Definition
to become more rigid with age
Term
Palliate
 Definition
to make less severe
Term
Panegyric
 Definition
formal praise
Term
Parsimonious
 Definition
cheap
Term
Pellucid
 Definition
easy to understand
Term
Peroration
 Definition
concluding part of the speech
Term
Plangent
 Definition
pounding
Term
Prolix
 Definition
long-winded
Term
Propitiate
 Definition
to appease
Term
Puerile
 Definition
childish
Term
Puissance
 Definition
power
Term
Pusillanimous
 Definition
cowardly
Term
Remonstrate
 Definition
to protest
Term
Sagacious
 Definition
having sound judgemnet
Term
Salacious
 Definition
lustful
Term
Salutary
 Definition
causing improvement
Term
Sanguine
 Definition
cheerful
Term
Saturnine
 Definition
gloomy
Term
Sententious
 Definition
tending to moralize excessively
Term
Stentorian
 Definition
extremely loud and powerful
Term
Stygian
 Definition
gloomy, dark
Term
Sycophant
 Definition
parasite
Term
tendentious
 Definition
biased
Term
Timorous
 Definition
timid
Term
Tyro
 Definition
novice
Term
Vitiate
 Definition
to corrupt
Term
Voluble
 Definition
fluent
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