This site is 100% ad supported. Please add an exception to adblock for this site.

Val's GRE Words

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
partisan
a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person
insular
ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience
cosmopolitan
amiliar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures
petulant
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered
plucky
having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties
verbosity
using or expressed in more words than are needed
perfidy
deceitfulness; untrustworthiness
futility
incapable of producing any useful result; pointless
indolent
wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy
umbrage
offense or annoyance
diffident
modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
exigent
pressing, demanding
apocryphal
(of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true
endemic
(of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
inure
(usu. be inured to) accustom (someone) to something, esp. something unpleasant
benediction
the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, esp. at the end of a religious service
rejoinder
a reply, esp. a sharp or witty one : she would have made some cutting rejoinder but none came to mind
proclivity
a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing
scintilla
a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling : a scintilla of doubt
opprobrium
harsh criticism or censure : his films and the critical opprobrium they have generated
noisome
having an extremely offensive smell : noisome vapors from the smoldering waste
multifarious
many and of various types : multifarious activities. ⬢ having many varied parts or aspects : a vast multifarious organization
maudlin
self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness : the drink made her maudlin | a maudlin ballad
vacillate
alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive
antipathy
a deep feeling of dislike; aversion
cacophony
a harsh, discordant mixture of words
deride
express contempt for, ridicule
dissonance
lack of harmony among musical notes; a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements
enervate
cause(someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken
garrulous
excessively talkative, esp. on trivial matters
ingenuous
(of a person or action)innocent or unsuspecting
malleable
(of a metal or other material) able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking
misanthrope
a person to dislikes humankind and avoids human society
obdurate
stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action
ostentation
pretentious and vulgar display, esp. of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice
paradox
a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory
prevaricate
speak or act in an invasive way
venerate
regard with great respect; revere
philanthropic
(of a person or organization) seeking to promote the welfare of others, esp. by donating money to good causes; generous and benevolent
furtive
attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive
provident
making or an indicative of timely preparation for the future
portentous
done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress
syllogism
an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion
circumlocution
the use of many words where fewer would do, esp. in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive
axiom
a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true
rapt
completely fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing
derisive
expressing contempt or ridicule
pliant
pliable
estimable
worthy of great respect
cogitate
think deeply about something, meditate or reflect
fervent
having or displaying a passionate intensity
striated
marked with striae
striae
a linear mark, slight ridge, or groove on a surface, often one of a number of similar parallel features
placid
(of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited
sardonic
grimly mocking or cynical : Starkey attempted a sardonic smile
specious
superficially plausible, but actually wrong : a specious argument. ⬢ misleading in appearance, esp. misleadingly attractive : the music trade gives Golden Oldies a specious appearance of novelty
ossify
turn into bone or bony tissue : these tracheal cartilages may ossify
quiesicant
in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy : strikes were headed by groups of workers who had previously been quiescent
cosset
care for and protect in an overindulgent way : all her life she'd been cosseted by her family
taciturn
(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
cupidity
greed for money or possessions
hegemony
leadership or dominance, esp. by one country or social group over others : Germany was united under Prussian hegemony after 1871
intredpid
fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect) : our intrepid reporter
A
A
pragmatic
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
loquacious
talkative
ephemeral
lasting a very short time
vapid
offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging
stolid
calm, dependable, and showing little or no emotion
variegated
marked by variety
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
phlegmatic
having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition
enigmatic
difficult to interpret to understand, mysterious
lassitude
a state of physical or mental weariness, lack of energy
impropriety
a failure to observe standards or show due honesty or modesty
ignominy
public shame or disgrace
degeneracy
an immoral or corrupt person
disrepute
the state of being held in low esteem by the public
deleterious
causing harm or damage
quixotic
exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic and impractical
metacognition
awareness and understanding of one's own thought process
sentient
able to perceive or feel things
bipedal
animal using two legs for walking
penury
extreme poverty, destitution
munificence
a gift or sum of money larger or more generous than usual
paucity
the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts, scarcity
unsullied
not spoiled or made impure
vitiated
spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of
militarism
the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests
martyrdom
the death or suffering of a martr
tribulation
a cause of great trouble or suffering
misogyny
the hatred of women by men
repugnant
extremely distasteful, unacceptable
largess
generosity in bestowing gifts or money on others
disparities
a great difference
sullied
damage the purity or integrity of something
besieged
surround with armed forces in order to capture or force surrender
circumspect
wary and unwilling to take risks
laudable
deserving praise and commendation
reprehensible
deserving censure or condemnation
censure
express severe disapproval of, typically in a formal statement
amorphous
without clearly defined shape or form
quotidian
of or occurring every day; daily
regressive
returning to a former or less developed state
prattle
talk at length in foolish or inconsequential way
assuage
make less intense
allay
diminish or put at rest
ballistics
the science of projectiles and firearms
eugenics
the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics
hidebound
unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention
efficacy
the ability to produce a desired or intended result
chary
cautious;wary
deft
neatly skillful and quick in one's movements
enrapture
to give intense pleasure or joy to
consecrate
make or declare something sacred
acrid
having an irritatingly strong taste or smell; angry and bitter
surly
bad-tempered and unfriendly
affectation
behavior, speech, or writing that is artificial and designed to impress
artlessness
without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple
decimation
kill, destroy, or remove a large percentage of
effrontery
insolent or impertinent behavior
imprecation
a spoken curse
impugn
dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of
turgid
swollen and distended or congested
garbled
reproduce (a message, sound, or transmission) in a confused and distorted way
clamorous
loud and confused noise, esp. that of people shouting vehemently
pithy
concise and forcefully expressive
inebriate
make drunk, intoxicate
brevity
concise and exact use of words in writing or speech
equanimity
mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, esp. in a difficult situation
frivolity
not having any serious purpose or value
belied
fail to give a true notion or impression of
covetous
having or showing a great desire to possess something
paragon
a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality
dogma
a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true
obstinacy
stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so
laudation
praise, commendation
blandishments
a flattering or pleasing statement or action used to persuade someone gently to do something
batter
strike repeatedly with hard blows; pound heavily and insistently
expurgate
remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from
intransigent
unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something
ineluctable
unable to be resisted or avoided
modality
a particular mode in which something exists or is experienced or expressed. ⬢ a particular method or procedure
anomaly
something that deviates from what is standard, normal or expected
Aridity
Having little or no rain
Berated
Scold or criticize angrily
Zeal
A great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
Tedium
The state of being tedious
Ineffectual
Not producing any or desired affect
Vitriol
Cruel and bitter criticism
Reticence
Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily
Trepidation
A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
Ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Chastened
Having restraining or moderating effect on
Jettison
Abandon or discard
Ploddingly
Slow-moving and unexciting
Permissive
Allowing or characterized by great or excessive freedom of behavior
Puritanical
Practicing or affecting strict religious or moral behavior
Disenchanted
Free from illusion; disappointment
Espouse
Adopt or support
Postulating
suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of (something) as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief
Infinitesimal
Extremely small, an indefinitely small quantity
Manifests
Clear or obvious to the mind or eye
Heretical
a person believing in or practicing religious heresy
Impudence
Not showing due respect for another person
Insolence
Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
Eminence
fame or recognized superiority, esp. within a particular sphere or profession
indolence
wanting to avoid activity or exertion, lazy
travail
painful or laborious effect
eclectic
deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
profundity
deep insight, great depth of knowledge or thought
pejoratives
expressing contempt or disapproval
anachronisms
a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned
pomposity
affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important
disparagement
regard or represent as being of little worth
unassailable
unable to be attacked, questioned or defeated
insubstantial
lacking in strength and solidity
candor
the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness
piqued
a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, esp. to one’s pride
vindicated
show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified
enigma
a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
equivocal
open to more than one interpretation, uncertain
erudite
having or showing great knowledge or learning
fervid
intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
lucid
expressed clearly, easy to understand
opaque
not able to be seen through, not transparent
placate
make someone less angry or hostile
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely
prodigal
spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant
abstain
restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something
adulterate
render something poorer in quality by adding it to another substance, typically an inferior one
apathy
lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern
audacious
showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks
capricious
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
corroborate
confirm or give support to
desiccate
remove the moisture from(esp. food), typically to preserve it; lacking interest in
engender
cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)

Deck Info

197

vgeorge82

permalink