GRE Prep

abscond

depart secretly and hide

adversity

a state of misfortune or affliction

aggravate

make worse

arduous

difficult to accomplish

belie

to contradict, to give a false impression

bombast

pompous or pretentious talk or writing

castigation

punishment; severe criticism or disapproval

censure

harsh criticism or disapproval

coercive

serving or intended to compel by force or authority

condemn

express strong disapproval of

conspire

engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together

covert

secret or hidden

cower

To crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame

denigrate

to attack the reputation of; to speak ill of

denounce

to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

derision

the act of deriding or treating with contempt

diatribe

a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

discomfit

cause to lose one's composure

disingenuous

not straightforward; crafty

dissemble

hide under a false appearance

exacerbate

make worse

fraud

something intended to deceive

furtive

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

impudent

marked by casual disrespect

inopportune

coming at a bad time; not appropriate

irascible

quickly aroused to anger

malevolent

wishing or appearing to wish evil to others

martial

suggesting war or military life

misanthrope

someone who dislikes people in general

morose

showing a brooding ill humor

obsequious

attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

obstinate

persist stubbornly

onerous

troubling; burdensome

pedantic

marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects

perjury

criminal offense of making false statements under oath

recalcitrant

stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority

secrete

generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids

spurious

plausible but false

tirade

a long, angry speech, usually very critical

vexation

something or someone that causes anxiety

amalgamate

to bring or combine together or with something else

assuage

to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

bolster

support and strengthen

burgeon

grow and flourish

buttress

(v.) to support, prop up, strengthen; (n.) a supporting structure

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

catalyst

something that causes an important event to happen

caustic

harsh or corrosive in tone

centrifuge

an apparatus that uses centrifugal force to separate particles from a suspension

converge

move or draw together at a certain location

conversion

the act of changing from one use or function or purpose to another

corrosion

a state of deterioration in metals caused by oxidation or chemical action

decibel

unit of measurement for the loudness of sounds

distill

remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation

divest

reduce or dispose of

enervate

weaken mentally or morally

ephemeral

enduring a very short time

eradicate

destroy completely, as if down to the roots

expel

force to leave or move out

extend

span an interval of distance, space or time

facilitate

make easier

incubation

maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development

intransigent

not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course

inundate

fill or cover completely, usually with water

lackluster

lacking brilliance or vitality

lethargic

deficient in alertness or activity

luminous

softly bright or radiant

obviate

prevent the occurrence of

pervasive

spreading throughout

placate

to appease, soothe, pacify

plod

walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

plummet

drop sharply

precipitate

bring about abruptly

propagate

transmit or cause to broaden or spread

prune

weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

rarefy

to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

rectify

make right or correct

retard

cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate

saturate

infuse or fill completely

sever

cut off from a whole

tentative

under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

vigor

active strength of body or mind

viscous

having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

vitality

an energetic style

volatile

liable to lead to sudden change or violence

waver

the act of pausing uncertainly

aberrant

markedly different from an accepted norm

ambiguous

having more than one possible meaning

anomalous

deviating from the general or common order or type

anomaly

deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule

archaic

so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree or extent

conspicuous

obvious to the eye or mind

derivative

unoriginal; derived from another source

deviance

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

deviation

departure or wandering away from the accepted standard

discrete

constituting a separate entity or part

diffuse

spread out

digress

wander from a direct or straight course

discordant

not in agreement or harmony