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GRE Vocabulary Group 2

Terms

undefined, object
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abate (v.)
to lessen in intensity or degree
accolade (n.)
an expression of praise
adulation (n.)
excessive praise; intense adoration
aesthetic (adj.)
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
ameliorate (v.)
to make better or more tolerable
ascetic (n.)
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
avarice (n.)
greed, especially for wealth
adj form: avaricious
axiom (n.)
a universally recognized principle
adj form: axiomatic
burgeon (v.)
to grow rapidly or flourish
bucolic (adj.)
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
cacophony (n.)
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
adj form: cacophonous
canon (n.)
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
adj form: canonical
castigation (n.)
severe criticism or punishment
verb form: castigate
catalyst (n.)
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
caustic (adj.)
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
chary (adj.)
wary; cautious; sparing
cogent (adj.)
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
complaisance (n.)
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
adj form: complaisant
contentious (adj.)
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
contrite (adj.)
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
noun form: contrition
culpable (adj.)
deserving blame
noun form: culpability
death (n.)
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
demur (v.)
to question or oppose
didactic (adj.)
intended to teach or instruct
discretion (n.)
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
adj form: discrete
disinterested (adj.)
free from bias or self-interest; impartial
dogmatic (adj.)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
noun form: dogma
ebullience (adj.)
the quality of lively enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
adj form: ebullient
eclectic (adj.)
composed of elements drawn from various sources
elegy (n.)
a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead
adj form: elegiac
emollient (adj./n.)
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
empirical (adj.)
based on observation or experiment
enigmatic (adj.)
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
noun form: enigma
ephemeral (adj.)
brief; fleeting
esoteric (adj.)
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
eulogy (n.)
a speech honoring the dead
verb form: eulogize
facetious (adj.)
playful; humorous
fallacy (n.)
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
adj form: fallacious
furtive (adj.)
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious; secretive;
gregarious (adj.)
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
harangue (v./n.)
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
heretical (adj.)
violating accepted dogma or convention
noun form: heresy
hyperbole (n.)
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
adj form: hyperbolic
impecunious (adj.)
lacking funds; without money
incipient (adj.)
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
inert (adj.)
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
innocuous (adj.)
harmless; causing no damage
intransigent (adj.)
refusing to compromise
noun form: intransigence
inveigle (v.)
to obtain by deception or flattery
morose (adj.)
sad; sullen; melancholy
odious (adj.)
evoking intense aversion or dislike
opaque (adj.)
impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
oscillation (n.)
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
verb form: oscillate
penurious (adj.)
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
pernicious (adj.)
extremely harmful; potentially causing death
peruse (v.)
to examine with great care
noun form: perusal
pious (adj.)
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
noun form: piety
precursor (n.)
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
preen (v.)
to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
prodigious (adj.)
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
prolific (adj.)
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
putrefy (v.)
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
adj form: putrid
quaff (v.)
to drink deeply
quiescence (n.)
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
adj form: quiescent
redoubtable (adj.)
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
sanction (n./v.)
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
satire (n.)
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
adj form: satirical
squalid (adj.)
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
noun form: squalor
stoic (adj.)
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
noun form: stoicism
supplant (v.)
to take the place of; supersede
torpid (adj.)
lethargic; sluggish; dormant
noun form: torpor
ubiquitious (adj.)
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
urbane (adj.)
sophisticated; refined; elegant
noun form: urbanity
vilify (v.)
to defame; to characterize harshly
viscous (adj.)
thick; sticky
noun form: viscosity

Deck Info

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