GRE Prep

aberrant

markedly different from an accepted norm.

aberration

a deviation from what is normal or expected.

abstain

choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable) Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar--even chocolate.

abstruse

difficult to understand; incomprehensible.

accolade

an award or praise granted as a special honor.

acerbic

harsh in tone.

acrimony

bitterness and ill will.

adamant

refusing to change one's mind.

admonish

to warn strongly, even to the point of reprimanding.

admonitory

serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective.

aesthete

one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature.

aesthetic

concerned with the appreciation of beauty.

aesthetic

a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.

amalgam

a mixture of multiple things.

ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation.

ambivalent

mixed or conflicting emotions about something.

ameliorate

make something bad better.

amenable

easily persuaded.

amorphous

shapeless.

anomalous

not normal.

anomaly

something that is not normal, standard, or expected.

antipathy

an intense feeling of dislike or aversion.

antithetical

sharply contrasted in character or purpose.

apathetic

marked by a lack of interest.

apathy

an absence of emotion or enthusiasm.

apocryphal

being of questionable authenticity.

appease

pacify by acceding to the demands of.

arbitrary

based on a random, groundless decision.

arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge.

arduous

demanding considerable mental effort and skill; testing powers of endurance In order to deal with the arduous cross-country journey, truck drivers often survive on a string of caffeinated drinks, staying awake for up to 30 hours at a time.

artful

exhibiting artistic skill.

artful

clever in a cunning way.

ascetic

practicing self-denial.

ascetic

one who practices great self-denial.

askance

with a look of suspicion or disapproval.

audacious

willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks.

audacity

aggressive boldness in social situations.

auspicious

favorable, the opposite of sinister.

austere

practicing self-denial.

austere

unadorned in style or appearance.

austere

harsh in manner of temperament.

avaricious

excessively greedy.

banal

repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse.

banality

a trite or obvious remark.

belie

to give a false representation to; misrepresent.

belligerent

characteristic of one eager to fight.

betray

to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally.

blatant

without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.

bolster

support and strengthen.

brazen

unrestrained by convention or propriety.

bucolic

relating to the pleasant aspects of the country.

bumbling

lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

burgeon

grow and flourish.

calumny

making of a false statement meant to injure a person"s reputation.

capricious

determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Nearly every month our capricious CEO had a new plan to turn the company around, and none of them worked because we never gave them the time they needed to succeed.

castigate

to reprimand harshly.

censure

to express strong disapproval.

chastise

to reprimand harshly.

chortle

to chuckle, laugh merrily.

circumscribe

restrict or confine.

circumvent

cleverly find a way out of one's duties or obligations.

commensurate

to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount

concede

acknowledge defeat I concede.

concede

admit (to a wrongdoing).

concede

give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another.

confound

be confusing or perplexing to.

confound

mistake one thing for another.

conspicuous

without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious.

constituent

a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes

constituent

an abstract part of something.

construe

interpreted in a particular way.

contingent

a gathering of persons representative of some larger group.

contingent

possible but not certain to occur.

contrition

the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad.

contrive

to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery.

copious

in abundant supply.

craven

pathetically cowardly.

cryptic

mysterious or vague, usually intentionally.

culminate

reach the highest or most decisive point.

culpability

a state of guilt.

decorous

characterized by good taste in manners and conduct.

decorum

propriety in manners and conduct.

deferential

showing respect.

deleterious

harmful to living things.

delineate

describe in detail.

demur

to object or show reluctance.

denigrate

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone.

denote

be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning.

derivative

(or a creative product, e.

derive

come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example.

derive

reason by deduction; establish by deduction.

dictatorial

expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler

didactic

instructive (especially excessively).

diffident

showing modest reserve; lacking self-confidence.

dilatory

wasting time.

dilettante

an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge.

disaffected

discontented as toward authority.

discrete

constituting a separate entity or part.

disinterested

unbiased; neutral.

dispassionate

unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice.