GRE Vocabulary

laudatory

expressing praise

E.g. The movie 12th fail garnered laudatory reviews, making it the best movie of this year.

inequitable

unfair, unjust

E.g. Actors felt that nepotism has created an inequitable environment in the show business.

denunciation

an announcement shared publicly to criticize someone or something

E.g. As soon as the employee expressed denunciation on the pay system of the company, she was quickly fired.

frivolous

not having any serious purpose or value

E.g She did not get the job because she approached it in a frivolous manner.

paean

a song of victory or triumph

E.g. Though the movie was criticized by the locals, it received paean from the international community.

E.g He composed a great paean to praise his accomplishments.

rebuff

to turn down or refuse

E.g. She chose to rebuff the internship offer from her company and joined the military instead.

espouse

to support, admire, adopt a belief or cause

E.g. He espoused the idea of the entrepreneurs to build a shelter for stray dogs.

renounce

state officially that you're giving up a title or position

E.g. Prince Harry has decided to renounce his throne.

disdain

a feeling that someone or something is not good enough to deserve your respect or attention

e.g. She looked away from the thief in disdain.

e.g Customers showed great disdain for the cheap products.

spurn

treated or rejected with scorn or contempt

e.g The actor was spurned by all production companies.

aggrandize

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

e.g This action was taken to aggrandize the communist party.

e.g The sole purpose of the Queen was to aggrandize herself.

avaricious

having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain

e.g. The avaricious owners refused to share the tips earned by the workers.

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

e.g She was in search for an obsequious servant to fulfill her every need.

e.g You have to be obsequious in the classroom if you want to be the teacher's favorite.

belligerent

hostile and aggressive; being at war

e.g It took very little alcohol to make him belligerent.

fawning

seeking flavor by flattering

e.g She secured the job by fawning over her boss.

pusillanimous

showing a lack of courage or determination; timid

e.g He was too pusillanimous to take a stand for himself.

slipshod

showing a lack of care or thought

e.g The slipshod management ruined the company's reputation.

surly

bad-tempered and unfriendly

e.g The restaurant got negative reviews as the workers there were rude and surly.

arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret

e.g North Korea is an arcane country with a lack of transparency.

livid

furiously angry, showing extreme emotion or discolored with bruises

e.g She was livid when she found out about the betrayal.

e.g The patient's skin was livid with bruises after the accident.

idyllic

naturally peaceful, picturesque or idealized, extremely happy

e.g The location was in an idyllic setting with only greenery around.

gubernatorial

relating to a governor or the office of governor

e.g The gubernatorial campaign earned huge respect for its social work.

cognizant

being aware of

E.g She was cognizant of the dangers ahead of her.

disconcerting

causing discomfort, confusion or unsettling feeling

E.g. The situation became disconcerting when I met him at the middle of the night in front of a graveyard.

prescient

having knowledge of something before it happens

E.g He gave me prescient information about the stocks that will go down in the future.

incumbent

1. necessary or obligatory; a person who currently holds a particular position

2. a person holding a certain position

E.g It is incumbent upon the DI to check the discipline of students.

The incumbent teacher was seen shouting at the children.

cavalier

1. carefree in an arrogant way

2. supporters in historical context

E.g His cavalier attitude caused the team to fail the presentation.

The cavaliers fought bravely alongside the King.

ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

E.g She had to leave the country after the ignominious scandal.

galvanizing

thrilling, stimulating or exciting someone into action

E.g He cheered the team and galvanized the players into action.

mortified

extremely embarrassed

E.g I was mortified when my wig flew off in between the shoot.

bewilderment

confusion resulting from failure to understand

E.g She was bewildered seeing him in college after he was suspended.

incertitude

the state of being unsure of something

E.g There is an incertitude in the economic market, causing the forecasts to be inaccurate.

fortuitous

lucky, fortunate

E.g She felt fortuitous after winning the lottery.

invariably

in every case or on every occasion; always.

E.g She ensures that she is present invariably for her daughter at any time of the day.

objective

not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts

E.g The judge made an objective decision after evaluating all the facts and figures.

repulsion

Desire to avoid; disgust

E.g Judy's serious repulsion for snakes caused her to shudder at the mention of a reptile.

inept

having or showing no skill; clumsy

E.g The inept detective could not see the most obvious clues

flubbed

to mess up

E.g The actor flubbed his line and had to redo the scene.

flouted

openly disregard, show contempt

E.g She flouted the environmental rules by dumping waste into the river.

baleful

threatening harm, destructive

E.g Her baleful glare scared the innocent lady.

Polluting the air will have a baleful effect on citizen's health.

spurred

give an incentive or encouragement to someone

E.g The viral tweet spurred debate among the employees about their rights.

reverence

deep respect for someone or something

E.g Everyone treated the King with a great deal of reverence.

enraptured

delighted beyond measure

E.g She was enraptured at the sight of the rainbow.

rapture

a state of intense joy

E.g She raptured me this summer by introducing me to the most wonderful book.

veneration

great respect; reverence

E.g The fellow artist had admiration and veneration for his great master.

rescinded

revoked, canceled, or repealed

E.g His appeal to the court was rescinded, making him angry.

hubris

excessive pride or arrogance

E.g Her hubris made her ignore the advice of her colleague, and the project ended in a disaster.

trepidation

a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen

E.g He entered a dark room with trepidation, unsure what he might find.

equivocal

ambiguous; intentionally misleading

Eg. The politician gave an equivocal answer, smartly avoiding any controversies.

stolid

showing little or no emotion

Eg. Despite all the chaos, the crowd remained stolid.

insouciance

carefree, unconcerned attitude

E.g His insouciance during the tense meeting surprised everyone.

tepid

lukewarm, unenthusiastic

Eg. His tepid handshake made it clear he wasn't interested in the deal.

tacit

understood or implied without being stated

Eg. He nodded his head, offering his tacit approval for us to start the game.

impetuously

impulsively; acting without thought or consideration

Eg. She impetuously jumped to conclusions without listening to his perspective.

cterm-54ocounter to what one would think; contradictoryunter to what one would think; contradictory

paradoxically

in a way that seems contradictory or opposite but may actually be true

Eg. He thought he'd be happy with success but paradoxically, it made him even sadder.

pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight

Eg. His pugnacious attitude made it difficult for him to maintain lasting friendships.

mollify

to calm or make less severe

Eg. The sleeping pills mollified the insomniac.

salubrious

beneficial to health, promoting healthy lifestyle or environment

Eg. She moved to a salubrious neighborhood near the forest to enjoy fresher air.

buoyancy

cheerful, optimistic lifting attitude or mood

Eg. Despite the challenges, his buoyancy kept him optimistic for his future.