Princeton Review -- GRE Vocab Key Terms 2

abate

v. to lessen in intensity or degree

accolade

n. an expression of praise

adulation

n. excessive praise

aesthetic

adj. appreciative of, or responsive to, art or the beautiful

ameliorate

v. to make better or more tolerable

avarice

n. greed, esp for wealth

burgeon

v. to grow rapidly or flourish

bucolic

adj. rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas

cacophony

n. harsh, jarring, discordant sound

canon

n. an established set of principles or code of laws

castigation

n. severe criticism or punishment

catalyst

n. a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction; or a person or thing that causes change

caustic

adj. burning or stinging; causing corrosion

chary

adj. wary; cautious

cogent

adj. convincing; appealing to the mind or to reason

compliasance

n. the willingness to comply to the wishes of others

contentious

adj. argumentative, quarrelsome

contrite

adj. regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

culpable

adj. deserving blame

dearth

n. a lack; scarcity

demur

v. to question or oppose

didactic

adj. intended to teach or instruct

discretion

n. cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

disinterested

adj. impartial; free of bias and self-interest

dogmatic

adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

ebullience

n. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts or feelings

eclectic

adj. composed of elements drawn from various sources

elegy

n. a mournful poem, especially lamenting the dead

emollient

adj./n. soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying

empirical

adj. based on observation or experiment

enigmatic

adj. mysterious; obscure

ephemeral

adj. brief; fleeting

esoteric

adj. intended for or understood by a small, specific group

eulogy

n. a speech honoring the dead

exonerate

v. to remove blame

facetious

adj. playful; humorous

fallacy

n. an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

furtive

adj. marked by stealth; surrepititious

gregarious

adj. sociable, outgoing

harangue

v./n. to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing

heretical

adj. violating accepted dogma or convention

hyperbole

n. an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

impecunious

adj. lacking funds; without money

incipient

adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent

inert

adj. temporary tiredness or sluggishness

innocuous

adj. harmless; causing no damage

intransigent

adj. refusing to compromise

inveigle

v. to obtain by deception or flattery

morose

adj. sad; sullen

odious

adj. evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque

adj. impenetrable by light

oscillation

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

penurioius

adj. penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

pernicious

adj. extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

peruse

v. to examine with great care

pious

adj. extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

precursor

n. one that precedes and indicates or announces another

preen

v. to dress up; to groom oneself with elaborate care

prodigious

adj. abundant in size, force, or extent

prolific

adj. producing large volumes or amounts; productive

putrefy

v. to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

quaff

v. to drink deeply

quiescence

n. stillness, motionless; quality of being at rest

redoubtable

adj. awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

sanction (n)

n. a penalty intended to enforce compliance

sanction (v)

v. to give permission or approval

satire

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

squalid

adj. sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

stoic

adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

supplant

v. to take the place of

torpid

adj. prolonged state of inactivity

ubiquitous

adj. existing everywhere at the same time; widespread

urbane

adj. sophisticated; refined; elegant

vilify

v. to defame; to characterize harshly

viscous

adj. thick; sticky