GRE hard words (groups 1-17)

diffident

shy, lacking self

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

deference

humble submission and respect

censure

to criticize harshly

equivocate

(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

cursory

lacking effort; without care

abjure

to reject; abandon formally

contrite

feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing

cogent

forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point

burgeon

to grow and flourish

construe

Understand someone subjectively

alacrity

eagerness to do something

desultory

unplanned; without enthusiasm

abate

to decrease in intensity

chicanery

trickery; deception

calumny

slander, false accusation

craven

lacking bravery; weak

caustic

Hostile, bitter, acidic

demur

to express doubts or objections

covet

desire

assuage

to make something unpleasant less severe

quixotic

unrealistic and impractical, impossible

banal

common, ordinary

benign

kind and gentle

obsequious

overly submissive and eager to please

anomalous

abnormal; irregular

approbation

approval or praise

scrupulous

exact, careful

recondite

difficult to understand; profound

placid

calm, peaceful

paradigmatic

1. serving as a typical example of something.

intimate

to suggest something subtly

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

prudent

wise, careful, cautious

pedantic

overly concerned with minute details

garrulous

talkative

Enigmatic

Hard to understand, mysterious

Fanciful

Highly imaginative, unrealistic

Frivolous

Not taking things seriously

Imperious

Having an arrogant or domineering manner

Impertinent

Unrelated to something, inappropriate

Laudable

Worthy of admiration and praise

Panache

A stylish and confident manner

Plodding

Moving slowly

Prosaic

Straightforward, unoriginal

Restive

Not Staying still

Utterly

Completely without exception

Weary

Tired, exhausted

Zealous

Intensely passionate

Admonish

Scold someone, give someone urgent advice

Affectation

A show meant to impress someone

Chauvinistic

Intensely patriotic or biased for a cause

Dogged

Demonstrating a persistence

Dupe

Trickery or fool

Engender

Produce or stimulate the development of something

Pertinacious

Stubbornly holding onto a belief or course of action

Presumptuous

Overstepping boundaries in an overconfident way

Probity

Having strong ethical standards

Proliferate

To rapidly increase in numbers

Specious

Seeming reasonable but actually wrong

Spurious

Not genuine, bogus

Subvert

To undermine or weaken

Timorous

Displaying nervousness, lacking confidence

Tractable

Easy to be solved/controlled

Transient

Short lasting, not permanent

Ubiquitous

Being everywhere at once

Venal

Open to bribery or corruption

Underscore

Emphasize

Venerate

Regard with deep respect

Arbitrary

Determined by chance not by reason

Dearth

Lack of something in an particular area

Immutable

Not capable of being changed

Indefatigable

Excessively energetic or eager

Indolent

Habitually lazy, not painful

Insular

Limited in outlook or experience

Intransigent

Refusing to compromise, stubborn

Intrepid

Resolutely fearless, brave

Irreverent

Lacking proper respect or fearlessness

Malign

Evil, vilify, harmful

Neophyte

An amateur or novice

Platitude

An unoriginal statement (a banal statement)

Prescient

Processing anticipation of future events

Reproach

To express criticism towards

Salubrious

Pleasant, promoting health/wellbeing

Sedulous

Paying attention to detail

Soporific

Causing sleep

Tendentious

Promoting or expressing a view (usually controversial)

Gainsay

Deny or refute an argument

Galvanize

To stimulate or excite an action activity or opinion

Indiscriminate

Lacking subjectivity or judgement, often with harmful effects

Innocuous

Harmless

Obviate

Sidestep or bypass a potential problem

Palpable

Clearly noticeable

Perfidy

Act of betrayal or unfaithfulness

Profuse

Abundant, present in large amounts

Pugnacious

Quick to engage in an argument (argumentative)

Sanguine

Cheerfully optimistic

Skullduggery

Sneaky or dishonest actions

Utilitarian

Functionality over aesthetics