Shared Flashcard Set

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GRE
vocab words
175
English
Graduate
11/29/2011

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Cards

Term
Aberrant
Definition
Abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path
Term
abstemious
Definition
sparing in use of food or drink
Term
acerbic
Definition
1. tasting sour or bitter
2. harsh in language or temper
Term
alacrity
Definition
cheerful promptness or speed
Term
allude
Definition
to refer indirectly to something
Term
allusion
Definition
an indirect reference; a hint
Term
altruism
Definition
unselfish devotion to the welfare of others rather than self
Term
amalgam
Definition
a mixture or combination (often of metals)
Term
amalgamate
Definition
to mix, merge, combine
Term
ameliorate
Definition
to improve or make better
Term
anachronism
Definition
something out of place in time ( a plane in 1942)
Term
anomaly
Definition
an oddity, inconsistency; a devation from the norm
Term
antipathy
Definition
a natural dislike or repugnance
Term
apposite
Definition
suitable; apt; relavant
Term
arcane
Definition
obscure; secret; mysterious
Term
archetype
Definition
the first model from which others are copied; prototype
Term
arduous
Definition
laborious, difficult; strenuous
Term
arid
Definition
extremely dry, parched; barren, unimaginative
Term
articulate adj.
Definition
clear, distinct; expressed with clarity; skillful with words
Term
articulate v.
Definition
to utter clearly and distinctly
Term
ascetic
Definition
1. one who leads a simple life of self-denial
2. rigorously abstinent
Term
aseptic
Definition
germ free
Term
aspersion
Definition
slanderous statement; a damaging or derogatory criticism
Term
assiduous
Definition
carefully attentive; industrious
Term
assuage
Definition
to relieve; ease; make less severe
Term
astringent
Definition
1. a substance that contracts bodily tissues
2. causing contraction; tightening; stern, austere
Term
atrophy
Definition
to waste away, as from lack of use; to wither
Term
attenuate
Definition
to make thin or slender; to weaken or dilute
Term
autocracy
Definition
an absolute monarchy; government where one person holds power
Term
autocrat
Definition
an absolute ruler
Term
baleful
Definition
harmful, malign, detrimental
Term
banal
Definition
trite; without freshness or originality
Term
beneficent
Definition
conferring benefits; kindly; doing good
Term
bilateral
Definition
pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides
Term
bombast
Definition
pompous speech; pretentious words
Term
burgeon
Definition
to grow or develop quickly
Term
cacophony
Definition
a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance
Term
cant
Definition
insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; the jargon of a particular group or occupation
Term
caprice
Definition
a sudden, unpredictable, or whimsical change
Term
catharsis
Definition
a purging or relieving of the body or soul
Term
chicanery
Definition
trickery or deception
Term
churlishness
Definition
a crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant
Term
circumlocution
Definition
a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; not to the point
Term
cloture
Definition
a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote
Term
cloying
Definition
too sugary; too sentimental or flattering
Term
coda
Definition
in music, a concluding passage
Term
codify
Definition
to organize laws or rules into a systematic collection
Term
cogent
Definition
to the point; clear; convincing in its clarity and presentation
Term
cogitate
Definition
to think hard; ponder, meditate
Term
cognitive
Definition
possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative; capable of perception
Term
cognizant
Definition
aware of; perceptive
Term
coherent
Definition
sticking together; connected; logical; consistent
Term
cohesion
Definition
the act or state of sticking together
Term
comeliness
Definition
beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior
Term
commodious
Definition
spacious and convenient; roomy
Term
complaisance
Definition
the quality of being agreeable or eager to please
Term
compliant
Definition
complying; obeying; yielding
Term
connotative
Definition
containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one
Term
constrain
Definition
to force, compel; to restrain
Term
contentious
Definition
quarrelsome
Term
contiguous
Definition
touching; or adjoining and close, but may not be touching
Term
contravene
Definition
to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict
Term
conundrum
Definition
a puzzle or riddle
Term
converge
Definition
to move toward one point ( opposite: diverge)
Term
coterie
Definition
a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially
Term
crass
Definition
stupid, unrefined; gross; materialistic
Term
debacle
Definition
disaster; collapse; a rout
Term
debilitate
Definition
to enfeeble; to wear out
Term
decorous
Definition
suitable; proper; seemly
Term
deleterious
Definition
harmful; hurtful; noxious
Term
denigrate
Definition
to defame, to blacken or sully; to belitle
Term
deprecate
Definition
to express disapproval of; to protest against
Term
deride
Definition
to laugh vat with contempt; to mock
Term
derision
Definition
the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery
Term
desiccate
Definition
to dry upt
Term
diatribe
Definition
a bitter or abusive speech
Term
diffident
Definition
timid; lacking self-confidence
Term
diffuse
Definition
spread out; verbose (wordy); not focused
Term
discourse
Definition
to converse; to communicate in orderly fashion
Term
discrete
Definition
separate; individually distinct; composed of distinct parts
Term
disingenuous
Definition
not frank or candid; deceivingly simple
Term
disinterested
Definition
neutral; unbiased ( alternate meaning: uninterested)
Term
disparate
Definition
unequal,dissimilar; different
Term
disputatious
Definition
argumentative; inclined to disputes
Term
dissemble
Definition
to pretend; to feign; to conceal by pretense
Term
dissonant
Definition
not in harmony; in disagreement
Term
ebullience
Definition
an overflowing of high spirits; effervescence
Term
ellipsis
Definition
omission of words that would make the meaning clear
Term
elucidate
Definition
to make clear; to explain
Term
emollient
Definition
softening or soothing to the skin; havingt the power ot soften or relax living tissues
Term
encomium
Definition
high praise
Term
endemic
Definition
native to a particular area or people
Term
enervate
Definition
to weaken; to deprive of nerve or strength
Term
engender
Definition
to bring about; beget; to bring forth
Term
ephemeral
Definition
very short-lived; lasting only a short time
Term
eulogy
Definition
words of praise, especially for the dead
Term
evanescent
Definition
vanishing quickly; dissipating like a vapor
Term
exigent
Definition
requiring immediate action; urgent, pressing
Term
extemporize
Definition
to improvise; to make it up as you go along
Term
extrapolate
Definition
to estimate the value of something beyond the scale; to infer what is unknown from something known
Term
facetious
Definition
not meant to be taken seriously; humorous
Term
feign
Definition
pretend
Term
gainsay
Definition
to speak against; to contradict; to deny
Term
garrulous
Definition
extremely talkative or wordy
Term
iconoclast
Definition
one who smashes revered images; an attacker of cherished beliefs
Term
impassive
Definition
showing no emotion
Term
imperturbable
Definition
calm; not easily excited
Term
impervious
Definition
impenetrable; not allowing anything to pass through; unaffected
Term
implacable
Definition
unwilling to be pacified or appeased
Term
impugn
Definition
to attack with words; to question the truthfullness or integrity
Term
inchoate
Definition
not yet fully formed; rudimentary
Term
incisive
Definition
getting to the heart of things; to the point
Term
incredulous
Definition
skeptical
Term
indigenuous
Definition
native to the region; inborn or innate
Term
inept
Definition
incompetent; clumsy
Term
inert
Definition
not reacting chemically; inactive
Term
ingenuous
Definition
noble; honorable; candid; naive
Term
inherent
Definition
part of the essential character; intrinsic
Term
insipid
Definition
uninteresting, boring, flat, dull
Term
intractable
Definition
stubborn, obstinate; not easily taught or disciplined
Term
intransigent
Definition
uncompromising
Term
intrepid
Definition
fearless, bold
Term
irascible
Definition
prone to anger
Term
laconic
Definition
sparing of words; terse, pithy, concise
Term
loquacious
Definition
very talkative; garrulous
Term
luminous
Definition
emitting light; shining; also enlightened or intelligent
Term
macerate
Definition
to soften by steeping in a liquid ( including softening food by the action of a solvent)
Term
maculate
Definition
spotted, blotched; hence defiled, impure (opp: immaculate)

v. stain, spot, defile
Term
magnanimity
Definition
a quality of nobleness of mind, disdaining meanness or revenge
Term
malevolent
Definition
wishing of evil (opposite: benevolent)
Term
malign
Definition
v. to speak evil of
adj. having an evil dispostion toward others (opposite: benign)
Term
malleable
Definition
easy to shape or bend
Term
misanthrope
Definition
a hater of mankind
Term
obdurate
Definition
stubborn
Term
obsequious
Definition
servilely attentive; fawning
Term
obviate
Definition
to make unnecessary
Term
ossify
Definition
to turn to bone; to harden
Term
palpable
Definition
touchable; clear, obvious
Term
panegyric
Definition
high praise
Term
paradigm
Definition
model, prototype; pattern
Term
paradox
Definition
a tenet seemingly contradictory or false, but actually true
Term
parsimonious
Definition
very frugal; unwilling to spend
Term
pedantic
Definition
overly concerned with minute details, especially in teaching
Term
penuroius
Definition
stingy, miserly
Term
perfunctory
Definition
done in a routine, mechanical way, without interest
Term
petulant
Definition
peevish; cranky; rude
Term
placate
Definition
to appease or pacify
Term
plethora
Definition
a superabundance
Term
prevaricate
Definition
to speak equivocally or evasively. I.e. to lie
Term
pristine
Definition
primitive, pure, uncorrupted
Term
propensity
Definition
an inclination; a natural tendency toward; a liking for
Term
putrefaction
Definition
a smelly mass that is the decomposition of organic matter
Term
putrefy
Definition
to decompose; to rot
Term
quiescence
Definition
state of being at rest or without motion
Term
rancor
Definition
strong ill will; enmity
Term
recalcitrant
Definition
stubbornly rebellious
Term
recondite
Definition
hard to understand; concealed; characterized by profound scholarship
Term
redundant
Definition
superfluous; exceeding what is needed
Term
sagacious
Definition
wise
Term
salubrious
Definition
promoting good health
Term
sinuous
Definition
full or curves; twisting and turning
Term
specious
Definition
plausible, but deceptive; apparently, but not actually, true
Term
spurious
Definition
not genuine, false; bogus
Term
squalid
Definition
filthy; wretched (from squalor)
Term
subjugate
Definition
to dominate or enslave
Term
sycophant
Definition
a flatterer of important people
Term
taciturn
Definition
inclined to silence; speaking little; dour, stern
Term
tenous
Definition
thin, slim, delicate; weak
Term
tortuous
Definition
full of twists and turns; not straightforward; possibly deceitful
Term
tractable
Definition
easily managed
Term
truculent
Definition
fierce, savage, cruel
Term
ubiquitous
Definition
omnispresent; present everywhere
Term
vacuous
Definition
dull, stupid; empty-headed
Term
viscous
Definition
thick and sticky ( said of fluids)
Term
welter
Definition
a confused mass; turmoil
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