GRE Essential Vocabulary – Lecture Notes

52 vocabulary flashcards covering all key terms from the provided lecture notes.

anomaly

something that is unusual or unexpected

equivocal

not easily understood or explained; ambiguous

lucid

very clear and easy to understand; comprehensible

precipitate

to cause something to happen quickly or suddenly

assuage

to make an unpleasant feeling less intense

erudite

having or showing great knowledge; scholarly

opaque

not able to be seen through; not easily understood

prodigal

wastefully extravagant

enigma

a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

fervid

intensely enthusiastic or passionate

placate

to make someone less angry or hostile

zeal

strong interest and enthusiasm that makes someone eager or determined

abstain

to restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something

audacious

willing to take bold risks; showing a lack of respect

desiccate

to remove moisture from something; dry out

gullible

easily persuaded to believe something

laudable

deserving praise and commendation; admirable

pedant

a person who makes an excessive display of learning; academic

vacillate

to waver between different opinions or actions; fluctuate

adulterate

to make something impure or weaker by adding an inferior substance

capricious

given to sudden changes of mood or behavior; fickle

engender

to produce, cause, or give rise to something; induce

homogenous

of the same or similar kind

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal; chatty

pragmatic

dealing with problems in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories

volatile

likely to change rapidly and unpredictably

apathy

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

corroborate

to confirm or make more certain

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time; fleeting

laconic

using few words; concise

mitigate

to make less severe, serious, or painful

propriety

the state or quality of being correct or proper

advocate

to publicly recommend or support

cacophony

a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds

enervate

to cause someone or something to feel drained of energy; weaken; exhaust

ingenuous

innocent and unsuspecting; naive

misanthrope

a person who dislikes humankind

paradox

a statement that contradicts itself but might be true

venerate

to regard with great respect; honor

antipathy

a strong feeling of dislike; hatred

deride

to express contempt for; ridicule; mock

eulogy

a speech that praises someone, typically someone who has recently died

lethargic

lacking energy

obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion; unyielding

philanthropic

seeking to promote the welfare of others

waver

to go back and forth between choices or opinions

bolster

to support or strengthen

dissonance

a lack of harmony or agreement; conflict

garrulous

excessively talkative

malleable

easily influenced; pliable

ostentation

excessive display of wealth; flashiness

prevaricate

to avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question; equivocate

abnormality

A synonym for 'anomaly', meaning something that is unusual or unexpected.

vague

A synonym for 'equivocal', meaning not easily understood or explained; ambiguous.

explicit

A synonym for 'lucid', meaning very clear and easy to understand; comprehensible.

trigger

A synonym for 'precipitate', meaning to cause something to happen quickly or suddenly.

alleviate

A synonym for 'assuage', meaning to make an unpleasant feeling less intense.

learned

A synonym for 'erudite', meaning having or showing great knowledge; scholarly.

obscure

A synonym for 'opaque', meaning not able to be seen through; not easily understood.

lavish

A synonym for 'prodigal', meaning wastefully extravagant.

mystery

A synonym for 'enigma', meaning a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.

zealous

A synonym for 'fervid', meaning intensely enthusiastic or passionate.

pacify

A synonym for 'placate', meaning to make someone less angry or hostile.

passion

A synonym for 'zeal', meaning strong interest and enthusiasm that makes someone eager or determined.

refrain

A synonym for 'abstain', meaning to restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.

bold

A synonym for 'audacious', meaning willing to take bold risks; showing a lack of respect.

dehydrate

A synonym for 'desiccate', meaning to remove moisture from something; dry out.

naive

A synonym for 'gullible', meaning easily persuaded to believe something.

commendable

A synonym for 'laudable', meaning deserving praise and commendation; admirable.

purist

A synonym for 'pedant', meaning a person who makes an excessive display of learning; academic.

hesitate

A synonym for 'vacillate', meaning to waver between different opinions or actions; fluctuate.

dilute

A synonym for 'adulterate', meaning to make something impure or weaker by adding an inferior substance.

unpredictable

A synonym for 'capricious', meaning given to sudden changes of mood or behavior; fickle.

generate

A synonym for 'engender', meaning to produce, cause, or give rise to something; induce.

uniform

A synonym for 'homogenous', meaning of the same or similar kind.

talkative

A synonym for 'loquacious', meaning tending to talk a great deal; chatty.

sensible

A synonym for 'pragmatic', meaning dealing with problems in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories.

unstable

A synonym for 'volatile', meaning likely to change rapidly and unpredictably.

indifference

A synonym for 'apathy', meaning lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

validate

A synonym for 'corroborate', meaning to confirm or make more certain.

momentary

A synonym for 'ephemeral', meaning lasting for a very short time; fleeting.

brief

A synonym for 'laconic', meaning using few words; concise.

ease

A synonym for 'mitigate', meaning to make less severe, serious, or painful.

decorum

A synonym for 'propriety', meaning the state or quality of being correct or proper.

champion

A synonym for 'advocate', meaning to publicly recommend or support.

discord

A synonym for 'cacophony', meaning a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds.

exhaust

A synonym for 'enervate', meaning to cause someone or something to feel drained of energy; weaken; exhaust.

childlike

A synonym for 'ingenuous', meaning innocent and unsuspecting; naive.

cynic

A synonym for 'misanthrope', meaning a person who dislikes humankind.

contradiction

A synonym for 'paradox', meaning a statement that contradicts itself but might be true.

revere

A synonym for 'venerate', meaning to regard with great respect; honor.

animosity

A synonym for 'antipathy', meaning a strong feeling of dislike; hatred.

mock

A synonym for 'deride', meaning to express contempt for; ridicule; mock.

tribute

A synonym for 'eulogy', meaning a speech that praises someone, typically someone who has recently died.

sluggish

A synonym for 'lethargic', meaning lacking energy.

stubborn

A synonym for 'obdurate', meaning stubbornly refusing to change one

charitable

A synonym for 'philanthropic', meaning seeking to promote the welfare of others.

falter

A synonym for 'waver', meaning to go back and forth between choices or opinions.

fortify

A synonym for 'bolster', meaning to support or strengthen.

discord

A synonym for 'dissonance', meaning a lack of harmony or agreement; conflict.