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GRE
Hit Parade 1
156
English
Undergraduate 3
01/05/2012

Additional English Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
abscond
Definition
To depart clandestinely;to steal off and hide
Term
aberrant
Definition
Deviating from the norm
Term
alacrity
Definition
Eager and enthusiastic willingness
Term
anomaly
Definition
Deviating from the normal order,form, or rule;abnormality.
Term
approbation
Definition
an expression of approval or praise
Term
arduous
Definition
Strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort.
Term
assuage
Definition
to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify.
Term
audacious
Definition
Daring and fearless; Recklessly bold.
Term
austere
Definition
without adornment; bare; severely simple, traditional standards.
Term
axiomatic
Definition
taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth.
Term
abate
Definition
to lessen in intensity
Term
accolade
Definition
an expression of praise
Term
adulation
Definition
excessive praise; intense adoration
Term
aesthetic
Definition
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful.
Term
ameliorate
Definition
to make better or more tolerable
Term
ascetic
Definition
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion.
Term
avarice
Definition
greed especially for wealth.
Term
axiom
Definition
a universally recognized principle
Term
acerbic
Definition
having sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting
Term
alchemy
Definition
A medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals especially base metals into gold.
Term
amenable
Definition
agreeable; responsive to suggestion
Term
anachronism
Definition
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context.
Term
astringent
Definition
having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on living tissue.
Term
burgeon
Definition
to grow rapidly or flourish
Term
bucolic
Definition
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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; to officially rebuke
Term
chicanery
Definition
trickery or subterfuge
Term
connoisseur
Definition
an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert.
Term
convoluted
Definition
complex or complicated
Term
cacophony
Definition
harsh, jarring, discordant sound, dissonance.
Term
canon
Definition
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature.
Term
castration
Definition
severe criticism or punishment.
Term
catalyst
Definition
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction with out itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
Term
caustic
Definition
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
Term
chary
Definition
wary; cautious; sparing
Term
cogent
Definition
appealing forcibly to the mind.
Term
complaisance
Definition
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
Term
contentious
Definition
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
Term
contrite
Definition
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
Term
culpable
Definition
deserving of blame
Term
contiguous
Definition
sharing a border, touching; adjacent
Term
convention
Definition
a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude.
Term
credulous
Definition
tending to believe too readily; gullible
Term
cynicism
Definition
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
Term
disabuse
Definition
to undeceive; to set right
Term
discordant
Definition
conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
Term
disparate
Definition
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
Term
effrontery
Definition
extreme boldness; presumptuousness
Term
eloquent
Definition
well-spoken, expressive, articulate
Term
enervate
Definition
to weaken; to reduce in vitality
Term
ennui
Definition
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
Term
equivocate
Definition
To use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
Term
erudite
Definition
very learned; scholarly
Term
exculpate
Definition
exonerate; to clear of blame
Term
exigent
Definition
urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
Term
extemporaneous
Definition
improvised; done without preparation
Term
filibuster
Definition
intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speech making to delay legislative action
Term
fulminate
Definition
to loudly attack or denounce
Term
ingenuous
Definition
artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
Term
inured
Definition
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
Term
irascible
Definition
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
Term
laud
Definition
to praise highly
Term
dearth
Definition
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
Term
demur
Definition
to question or oppose
Term
didactic
Definition
intended to teach or instruct
Term
discretion
Definition
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
Term
disinterested
Definition
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
Term
dogmatic
Definition
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable 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 especially one lamenting the dead
Term
emollient
Definition
soothing especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin
Term
empirical
Definition
based on observation or experiment
Term
enigmatic
Definition
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand.
Term
aggrandize
Definition
to increase in intensity, power, or influence or prestige
Term
decorum
Definition
polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
Term
derision
Definition
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
Term
desiccate
Definition
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
Term
dilettante
Definition
one with amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
Term
disparage
Definition
to slight or belittle
Term
divulge
Definition
to disclose something secret
Term
fawn
Definition
to flatter or to praise excessively
Term
flout
Definition
to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
Term
garrulous
Definition
pointlessly talkative, talking too much
Term
glib
Definition
marked by ease of informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
Term
hubris
Definition
overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
Term
imminent
Definition
about to happen; impending
Term
immutable
Definition
not capable of change
Term
indifferent
Definition
having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
Term
inimical
Definition
damaging;harmful; injurious
Term
impetuous
Definition
hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
Term
intractable
Definition
not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obscure
Term
intrepid
Definition
steadfast and courageous
Term
laconic
Definition
using few words; terse
Term
maverick
Definition
an independent individual who does not go along with a group our party
Term
mercurial
Definition
characterized by rapid an unpredictable change in mood.
Term
mollify
Definition
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
Term
neophyte
Definition
a recent convert; a beginner; novice
Term
obfuscate
Definition
to deliberately make obscure; to make confusing
Term
obstinate
Definition
stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
Term
lucid
Definition
clear; easily understood
Term
magnanimity
Definition
The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving
Term
martial
Definition
associated with war and the armed forces
Term
mundane
Definition
of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
Term
nascent
Definition
coming into being; early in developmental stages
Term
nebulous
Definition
vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
Term
neologism
Definition
a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
Term
noxious
Definition
harmful, injurious
Term
obtuse
Definition
lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
Term
obviate
Definition
to anticipate and make unnecessary
Term
onerous
Definition
troubling; burdensome
Term
paean
Definition
a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
Term
parody
Definition
a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art
Term
perennial
Definition
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
Term
perfidy
Definition
intentional breach of faith; treachery
Term
perfunctory
Definition
cursory; done without care or interest
Term
perspicacious
Definition
acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
Term
ephemeral
Definition
brief; fleeting
Term
esoteric
Definition
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
Term
eulogy
Definition
a speech honoring the dead
Term
exonerate
Definition
to remove blame
Term
facetious
Definition
playful; humorous
Term
fallacy
Definition
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
Term
furtive
Definition
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
Term
gregarious
Definition
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
Term
harangue
Definition
to deliver a long pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
Term
heretical
Definition
violating accepted dogma or convention
Term
hyperbole
Definition
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
Term
impecunious
Definition
lacking funds; without money
Term
incipient
Definition
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
Term
inert
Definition
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
Term
innocuous
Definition
harmless; causing no damage
Term
intransigent
Definition
refusing to compromise
Term
inveigle
Definition
to obtain by deception or flattery
Term
morose
Definition
sad; sullen; melancholy
Term
odious
Definition
evoking intense aversion or dislike
Term
ostentatious
Definition
characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy
Term
pervade
Definition
to permeate throughout
Term
phlegmatic
Definition
calm; sluggish; unemotional
Term
plethora
Definition
an overabundance; a surplus
Term
pragmatic
Definition
practical rather than idealistic
Term
presumptuous
Definition
overstepping due bounds; taking liberties
Term
pristine
Definition
pure; uncorrupted; clean
Term
probity
Definition
adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
Term
proclivity
Definition
natural predisposition or inclination
Term
profligate
Definition
excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
Term
propensity
Definition
a natural inclination or tendency, penchant
Term
prosaic
Definition
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
Term
pungent
Definition
characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
Term
quixotic
Definition
foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
Term
quotidian
Definition
occurring or reoccurring daily; commonplace
Term
rarefy
Definition
to make or become thin; less dense; to refine
Term
recondite
Definition
hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
Term
refulgent
Definition
radiant; shinny, brilliant
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