GRE words

abate

to lessen in intensity or degree

accolade

an expression of praise

adulation

excessive praise; intense adoration

aesthetic

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

ameliorate

to make better or more tolerable

ascetic

one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

avarice

greed, esp. for wealth (adj. avaricious)

axiom

a universally recognized principle

burgeon

to grow rapidly or flourish

bucolic

rustic and pastoral, characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

cacophony

harsh, jarring, discordant sound, dissonance

canon

an established set or principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

castigation

severe criticism or punishment (verb - castigate)

catalyst

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing, a person or thing that causes change

caustic

burning or stinging, causing corrosion

chary

wary, cautious, sparing

cogent

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason, convincing

complaisance

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

contentious

argumentative, quarrelsome, causing controversy or disagreement

contrite

regretful, penitent, seeking forgiveness

culpable

deserving blame (noun - culpability)

dearth

smallness of quantity or number, scarcity, a lack

demur

to question or oppose

didactic

intended to teach or instruct

discretion

cautious reserve in speech, ability to make responsible decisions

disinterested

free or bias or self-interest, impartial

dogmatic

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles

ebullience

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

eclectic

composed of elements drawn from various sources

elegy

a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

emollient

soothing, esp. to the skin, making less harsh, mollifying, an agent that softens or smooths the skin

empirical

based on observation or experiment

enigmatic

mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand

ephemeral

brief, fleeting

esoteric

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

eulogy

a speech honoring the dead

exonerate

to remove blame

facetious

playful, humorous

fallacy

an invalid or incorrect notion, a mistaken belief

furtive

marked by stealth, covert, surreptitious

gregarious

sociable, outgoing, enjoying the company of other people

harangue

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade, a long pompous speech

heretical

violating accepted dogma or convention

hyperbole

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

impecunious

lacking funds, without money

incipient

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

inert

unmoving, lethargic, sluggish

innocuous

harmless, causing no damage

intransigent

refusing to compromise

inveigle

to obtain by deception or flattery

morose

sad, sullen, melancholy

odious

evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque

impenetrable by light, not reflecting light

oscillation

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

penurious

penny pinching, excessively thrifty, ungenerous

peruse

to examine with great care

pious

extremely reverent or devout, showing strong religious devotion

precursor

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

preen

to dress up, to primp, to groom oneself with elaborate care

prodigious

abundant in size, force or extent, extraordinary

prolific

producing large volumes or amounts, productive

putrefy

to rot, to decay and give off a foul odor

quaff

to drink deeply

quiescence

stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest

redoubtable

awe-inspiring, worthy of honor

sanction

authoritative permission or approval, a penalty intended to enforce compliance, to give permission or authority to

satire

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

squalid

sordid, wretched and dirty as from neglect

stoic

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steadfast

supplant

to take the place of, supersede

torpid

lethargic, sluggish, dormant

ubiquitous

existing everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread

urbane

sophisticated, refined, elegant

vilify

to defame, to characterize harshly

viscous

thick, sticky

acumen

keen, accurate judgment or insight

adulterate

to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

amalgamate

to combine several elements into a whole

archaic

outdated, associated with an earlier, more primitive time

aver

to state as a fact, to declare or assert

bolster

to provide support or reinforcement

bombastic

pompous, grandiloquent

diatribe

a harsh denunciation

dissemble

to disguise or conceal, mislead

eccentric

departing from norms or conventions

endemic

characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region or people

evanescent

tending to disappear like vapor, vanishing

exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

fervent

greatly emotional or zealous

fortuitous

happening by accident or chance

germane

relevant to the subject at hand, appropriate in subject matter

grandiloquence

pompous speech or expression

hackneyed

rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage

halcyon

calm and peaceful

hedonism

devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp.

hegemony

the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

iconoclast

one who attacks or undermines conventions or institutions

idolatrous

given to intense or excessive devotion to something

impassive

revealing no emotion

imperturbable

marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness