GRE Vocab

Abstain

to choose not to do somethin

Before the medical procedure you must abstain from eating

forbear, refrain, withold

Adulterate

to make impure

the restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water

debase, doctor, load

Anomaly

deviation from what is normal

An anomaly in the orbit of a binary star system led scientists to deduce the existence of a planet orbiting the two stars

aberrancy, aberration, abnormality, deviance, deviation, irregularity, preternaturalness

Apathy

lack of interest or emotion

The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so

coolness, disinterest, disregard, indifference

Assuage

To make something unpleasant less severe

The statistics indicating how safe air travel actually is did nothing to assuage griffin’s fear of flying

alleviate, comfort, mitigate

Audacious

fearless and daring

The audacious peasant dared to insult the kings mother

aggressive, bold, brave

Capricious

changing one’s mind quickly and often

queen elizabeth I was quite capricious; her cortiers could never be sure which one would catch her fanfy

arbitrary, chance, changeable

adjective

Corroborate

to support with evidence

All the DA needed were fingerbrints to corroborate the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment

Authenticate, back, confirm

Desiccate

to dry out thoroughly

After a few weeks lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely desiccated

dehydrate, dry, parch

Engender

to produce cause or bring about

His fear and hatred of clowns were engendered when he witnessed a bank robbery carried out by five men wearing clown suits and make-up'

beget, generate, spawn

Enigma

a puzzle; a mystery

speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma

conundrum, perplexity

Ephemeral

lasting a short time

the lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours

evanescent, fleeting, momentary, transient

Equivocate

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

when faced with criticism of his policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them

be ambiguous, evade, waffle

Erudite

learned, scholarly, bookish

The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most erudite, well- published individuals in the field

learned, shcolastic, wise

Fervid

intensely emotional, feverish

the fans of maria callas were particularly fervid, doing anything to catch a glimse of the great opera singer

burning, impassioned, passionate

Gullible

easily deceived

the con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool gullible bank customers into giving hi their account information

credulous, exploitable, naive

Homogenous

of a similar kind

The class was fairly homogenous since almost all of the students were journalism majors

consistent, standardized, uniform

Laconic

Using few words

he was the classic laconic native of Maine; he talked as if he were being charged for each word

concise, curt, terse

Laud

To give praise; to glorify

Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels

acclaim, applaud, commend

Loquacious

talkative

she is naturally loquacious, which is a problem in situations where listening is more important than talking

effusive, garrulous, verbose

Lucid

clear and easily understood

the explanations were written in a simple and lucid manner so that students were immediately able to apply what they learned

clear, coherent, explicit

Mitigate

To soften, to lessen

A judge may mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need

alleviate, ease, lighten

Opaque

impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light

the heavy build-up of dirt and grime on the windows made them almost opaque

blurred, cloudy, nontransparent

Pedant

someone who shows off learning

the graduate instructor’s tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a pedant

doctrinaire, nitpicker, pedagogue

Placate

to soothe or pacify

the burglar tried to placate the snarling dog by referring to it as a nice doggy and offering it a treat

appease, conciliate, mollify

Pragmatic

practical as opposed to idealistic

while idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them

rational, realistic

Precipitate

Thrown violently or brought about abruptly, lacking deliberation

Theirs was a precipitate marriage- they had only known each other for two weeks before they we

abrupt, hasty, impulsive

Prodigal

Lavish; wasteful

the prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure

extravagant, lavish, wasteful

Propriety

The quality of behaving in a proper manner; obeying rules and customs

The aristocracy maintained a high level of propriety, adhering to even the most minor social rules

appropriateness, decency, modesty

Vacillate

to physically sway, to be indecisive

The customer held up the line as he vacillated between ordering chocolate-chip or rocky-road ice cream

falter, fluctuate, oscillate

Volatile

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

his volatile personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything

erratic, inconsistant, temperamental

Zeal

passion, excitement

She brought her typical zeal to the project sparking enthusiasm in the other team members

fire, passion, fervor

Aesthetic

concerning the appreciation of beauty

The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art

artictic, tasteful

Abscond

To leave secretly

The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door

decamp, escape, flee

Ameliorate

to make better; to improve

The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient’s suffering using painkillers

amend, better, improve, pacify, upgrade

antipathy

extreme dislike

The antipathy between fans of the rival soccer teams made the game even more electrifying to watch

abhorrence, animosity, hostility

noun

Anachronism

something out of place in time

The play was set in the nineteenth century but was ruined by anachronisms, like the lead actor’s digital watch

archaism, incongruity
noun

Ambiguous

doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways

The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on which way to turn

Cloudy, doubtful, dubious
adj

Abate

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

As the hurricane’s force abated the winds dropped and the sea became calm

ebb, lapse, relent

verb

Advocate

To speak in favor of

The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat

back, champion, support

verb

Abjure

To reject; to abandon formally

the spy abjured his allegiance to the United States when he defected to russia

forswear; recall; retract

verb

Amalgamate

To combine; to mix together

Giant industries amalgamated with mega products to form giant-mega products incorporated

blend; combine; compound

verb

Alleviate

To make more bearable

Taking aspirin helps to alleviate a headache

assuage; comfort; ease

verb

Arbitrary

determined by chance or impulse

When you lack the information to judge what to do next, you will be forced to make an arbitrary decision

changeable, erratic, random

adj

Aberrant

deviating from what is normal or expected

Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers did not expect his aberrant burst of rage

abnormal, deviant, irregular

adj

Bolster

to support; to prop up

The presence of giant footprints bolstered the argument that bigfoot was in the area

brace; crutch; prop

verb

Chicanery

deception by means of craft or guile

dishonest used car salespeople often use chicanery to sell their beat up old cars

conniving; deception; deviousness

noun

Cogent

convincing and well-reasoned

Swayed by the cogent argument of the defence, the jury had no choice but to acquite the defendant

convincing, persuasive, valid

adj

Contrite

deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong

after three residents were mugged in the lobby while the watchman was away from his post he felt very contrite

apologetic, regretful, remorseful

adj

Cacophony

a harsh, jarring noise

The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable cacophony as they tried to tune their instruments

chaos; discord; disharmony

noun

Credulous

too trusting; gullible

Although some four-year-olds believe in the tooth fairy, onl the most credulous nine-year-olds believe in her

naive, susceptible, trusting

adj

Candid

impartial and honest in speech

The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious

direct; frank; honest

adj

Crescendo

steady increase in volume or force

The detective nove'l’s intricate plotting had masterfully created a crescendo of suspense in the pages leading the the revelation of the perpetrator’s identity

capstone, climax, peak

noun

Craven

lacking courage

the craven lion cringed in the corner of his cage, terrified of the mouse

fainthearted; spineless; timid

adj

Calumny

a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation

The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent in the senatorial race

defamation; libel; slander

noun

Convoluted

intricate and complicated

Although many people bought the professor’s book, few people could follow its convoluted ideas and theories

complex; elaborate; perplexing

adj

Connoisseur

A person with expert knowledge or discriminating tastes

Dr. Ramirez was a connoisseur of fine food and wine, drinking and eating only the best

Authority; epicure; expert

noun

Cartography

The science or art of making maps

Gail’s interest in cartography may stem from the extensive travelling she did as a child

charting; surveying; topography

noun

Catalyst

Something that brings about a change in something else

The imposition of harsh taxes was the catalyst that finally brought on the revolution

Accelerator; goad; impetus; impulse; incentive; motivation; spur; stimulant

noun

Deference

respect; courtesy

The respectful young law clerk treated the supreme court justice with the utmost deference

courtesy, honor, respect

noun

Decorum

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

The countless complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace

correctness; decency; etiquette

noun

Demur

to express doubts or objections

When scientific authorities claimed that all the planets resolved around the earth, galileo, with his superior understanding of the situation, was forced to demur

Dissent; expostulate; protest

verb

Dissonance

A harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds

Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence

Clash; discord; friction

noun

Diatribe

an abusive, condemnatory speech

The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off

harangue; tirade; invective

noun

Dilettante

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

Jerry’s friends were such dilettantes they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week

amateur, dabbler, superficial

noun

Deride

To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

The awkward child was often derided by his cooler peers

gibe; jeer; mock; ridicule

verb

Diffident

lacking self-confidence

Steve was diffident during the job interview because of his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field

backward; bashful; coy

adj

Enervate

To reduce in strength

The guerrillas hopes that a series of surprise attacks would enervate the regular army

debilitate, enfeeble, sap, weaken

Exonerate

To clear of blame

The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime

Absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, vindicate

Eulogy

A speech in praise of someone

His best friend gave the eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents

Commendation, tribute

Eschew

To shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)

The filmmaker eschewed artificial light for her actors, resulting in a stark movie style

Avoid, elude, escape, evade

Esoteric

Known or understood only by a few

Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric world of particle physics

abtruse, arcane, obscure

Exigent

Urgent; requiring immediate action

The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was eigent to stop the bleeding

Critical, imperative, needed

Fortuitous

Happening by chance; fortunate

It was fortuitious that he won the lotto just before he had to pay back his loans

chance, fortunate, lucky

Glib

Fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual

The slimy politician managed to continue gaining supporters because he was a glib speaker

easy, superficial

Emulate

To copy; to try to equal or excel

The graduate student sought to emulate his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class

Imitate, simulate

Garrulous

Tending to talk a lot

The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with it's continuous talking

effusive, loquacious

Hyperbole

Purposeful exaggeration for effect

When the mayor claimed his town was one of the seven wonders of the world, outsiders classified his statement as a hyperbole

Embelishment, inflation, magnificaiton

Heterogenous

Composed of unlike parts; different; diverse

THe United Nations is by nature a heterogenous body

Assortes; mixed; varied

Implacable

Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks

inexorable, intransigent, unforgiving

Iconoclast

One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an iconoclast

maverick; nonconformist, rebel

Irascible

Easily made angry

Attila the Hun’s irascible and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives

Cantankerous, irritable, testy

Ingenuous

Showing innocence or childlike simplicity

She was so ingenuous that her friends feared htat her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city

artless, innocent, naive

Intractable

Not easily managed or manipulated

Intractable for hours, the wild horse eventually allowed the rider to mount

Stubborn; unruly

Innocuous

Harmless

Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are innocuous and pose no danger to humans

Benign, harmless, inoffensive, insipid

Insipid

lacking interest or flavor

The critic claimed that the painting was insipid containing no interesting qualities at all

Bland, dull, stale

Intransigent

Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time

implacable, inexorable, rigid

Intrepid

Fearless, resolutely courageous

Despite freezing winds, the intrepid hiker completed his ascent

brave

Inchoate

Not fully formed; disorganized

THe ideas expressed in Nietzsche’s mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing

Incoherent, incomplete, unorganized

Inimical

Hostile, unfriendly

Even though a cease-fire had been in place for months, the two sides were still inimical to each other

adverse; antagonistic; dissident

Lethargic

Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

The clerk was so lethargic that, even when business was slow, he always had a long line in front of him

aparthetic, lackadaiscal, languid

Luminous

Bright; brilliant; glowing

The park was bathed in luminous sunshine that warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors

incandescent, lustrous, radiant

Malleable

Capable of being shaped

Gold is the most malleable of precious metals; it can easily be formed into almost any shape

adaptable, plastic, pliable

Misanthrope

A person who dislikes others

Most people in the neighborhood happily handed out candy to children on Halloween; one man, however, was such a misanthrope that he would ignore any children that came to his door

Curmudgeon

Occlude

To stop up; to prevent the passage of

A shadow is thrown across the Earth’s surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is occluded by the moon

Barricade, block, close

Obsequious

Overly submissive and eager to please

The obsequious new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor’s tie and agree with him on every issue

Compliant; deferential; servile'; subservient

Opprobrium

Public disgrace

After the scheme to defraud the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter opprobrium

Discredit; disgrace; dishonor

Obstinate

Stubborn, unyielding

The obstinate child could not be made to eat any food that he perceived to be yucky

intransigent; persistent; stubborn

Ostentation

Excessive showiness

The ostentation of the Sunk King’s court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace at Versailles

conspicuousness; flashiness; showiness

Obdurate

Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

The president was completely obdurate on the issue and no amount of persuasion would change his mind

inflexible; intransigent; unyielding