gre prep

disingenuousness

the quality of being insincere or deceitful, often characterized by a lack of genuine feelings or intentions; dishonest or not giving the whole truth

divergence

the act or state of diverging, or moving or pointing in different directions (not directly opposed) from a common point; a receding one from another

opposed to convergence ex: “the divergence of lines”

the act of differing or deviating from a standard, pattern, or expectation, often resulting in a separation of ideas or paths; straying away from the main point of a discussion

exculpation

the act of freeing someone from blame or guilt; a clearing of responsibility/wrongdoing; no longer considered guilty

superciliousness

the quality of being haughty or disdainful; an attitude of superiority towards others; arrogance

superfluity

the state of being beyond what is needed; something which serves for show or luxury; more than what is necessary; an overabundance of something

someone or something that is extraneous/excessive

veneer

a thin layer or coating that disguises or enhances the appearance of something beneath it; often used to describe a superficial or deceptive outward appearance

a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance that hides something unpleasant or unwanted; false front

abstruse

difficult to understand; obscure or complex in nature, often requiring specialized knowledge.

concealed, deep; one who is not easily understood

garrulous

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters; chatty and verbose in conversation

one who talks too much in a negative way

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal; very talkative

one who talks too much in a negative way

lachrymose

tearful or given to weeping; causing tears or sadness; showing strong sorrow; mournful

gregarious

to be likely to socialize with others; sociable and outgoing; talkative in a good way

recondite

difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge

(like abstruse: obscure, concealed, deep, difficult to comprehend)

stolid

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited; emotionless

wistful

full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; be musingly sad or pensive; regretful

consummate

to make perfect and complete in every respect; extremely skilled and accomplished; of the highest degree; perfect and complete in every detail

contrite

feeling or showing sorrow or remorse for improper or objectionable behavior, actions, etc.; one who is filled with pain or guilt for sins, offenses, wrongdoings

coy

affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way; not inclined to be forward; being unwilling to give details or answer questions about something

stoic

not affected by or showing passion or feeling; especially firmly restraining response to pain or distress

cordial

friendly, but formal and polite; pleasant but not overly close or emotional; effort to be friendly

endemic

of or relating to a disease only limited to a particular geographic area or a group of people, indigenous, native, local, inherent; constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality

originated and lived in an area

indigenous

native, inherent, originating in and characteristic of a particular place

quintessential

the most perfect, typical, or essential representation of a quality or class or state

truculent

having a fierce, savage nature, or being hostilely self-assertive; eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.

displaying poor behavior; violent, savage, or cruel, with an underlying theme of evil intent

veracious

truthful, honest, or accurate

antonym: mendacious, which means falsehood

viable

capable of living; something capable of functioning properly, growing, or developing; being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are; practical

aver

to formally and solemnly declare or affirm something as true; prove truth of, state it is true; to allege or assert

doctrinaire

stubbornly insistent on theory without regard for practicality or suitability; someone excessively devoted to or seeking to impose beliefs without regard or practical considerations

dogmatic

highly opinionated, not accepting that one's own beliefs may not be correct; inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true; characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles

ebullient

joyously unrestrained, full of enthusiasm, or excitement; lively and cheerful; buoyant in disposition

eclectic

comprised of a variety of styles; elements derived drawn from various source

erudite

having or showing profound knowledge; scholarly, deeply learned; educated

felicitous

happy, suitable, appropriate; well expressed and to the point; pleasant and delightful

fledgling

a young bird that has grown feathers and is learning to fly; new and untried or immature or inexperienced

insensible

incapable or bereft of feeling or sensation; barely able to be perceived; unresponsive to stimulation

ingenuous

to be naïve and innocent; someone who has a childlike innocence and openness; trusting and unsuspecting

lacking craft or subtlety, or being noble or honorable

neophyte

a beginner or novice in a subject, skill, or belief/religion; an amateur who is new to a particular field, subject, or activity and lacks experience or knowledge in it but still learning 

indigent

suffering from extreme poverty; lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty

very poor or needy, destitute

totally lacking in something specified (archaic)

mendacious

given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth; someone is prone to lying, especially intentionally and habitually; dishonest

mendicant

practicing beggary; a pauper who lives by begging; destitute

a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms

misanthropic

having a negative view of human nature and motives, or a general hatred of humankind; believing the worst of human nature and motives; antisocial

morose

ill-tempered and not inclined to talk; showing a brooding ill humor; gloomy and sullen

quiescent

marked by inactivity or repose; tranquilly at rest; causing no trouble or symptoms

quiet; still; inactive or motionless

diatribe

a long, angry, and critical speech or writing that attacks someone or something; a bitter, abusive and lengthy oration/denunciation often employing humor, sarcasm, and appeals to emotion

ironic or satirical criticism; a prolonged discourse (archaic); a poignant verbal attack

synonyms: tirade, harangue

tirade

a long, angry speech that is often forceful and unrestrained, and is used to criticize or verbally attack someone or something

a prolonged outburst of criticism, anger, or verbal attack showing denunciation and disapproval

synonym: diatribe, harangue

harangue

a long, forceful, and often angry speech or writing that is delivered to a public assembly or group of people; a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; passionate, and vehement speech

synonym: diatribe, harangue

hyperbole

the sense of over-reaching, or grasping beyond what is necessary in order to describe a certain feeling, an experience, or response

obvious and intentional exaggeration; an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally

diffidence

especially a lack of self-confidence, or a doubt about one's own abilities, worth, or fitness; doubt of the ability or disposition of others

the quality or state of being unassertive or bashful; showing modest reserve

euphemism

a word or phrase that replaces an offensive or unpleasant expression with a more agreeable or inoffensive one; use of nice words in place of distasteful ones.

equivocation

a logical fallacy that involves using a word or phrase with multiple meanings to mislead or confuse the meaning of an argument; when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and then another meaning in another portion of the argument

ambiguity of speech; specifically, the use, with a view to mislead, of words or expressions susceptible of a double signification; prevarication

use of intentionally vague language

countenance

to tolerate, approve of or give support to something; the appearance conveyed by a person's face; approval

mental composure; visage; bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction; moral support

(archaic) aspect, semblance, pretense

belie

to give a false representation of something or to misrepresent; to hide something; put up a false front

affect (noun)

a person's display of emotion, mood, or other behavioral aspect; the facial expressions, gestures, postures, and vocal intonations that usually accompany an emotion; attitude

artless

characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious; without cunning or deceit; showing a lack of artifice or cunning; ingenuous.

lacking art, knowledge, or skill; naively simple; honest and natural

synonym: ingenuous.

contentious

likely to cause disagreement or argument; someone who is prone to fighting or willing to take a stand; inclined or showing an inclination to dispute; argumentative

deferent

to show or express respect and high regard for a superior or elder; giving in out of respect for another

synonym: reticent, courteous

mealymouthed

someone not straightforward or honest, or is being devious; not plain and sincere in speech

avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; someone afraid to tell the truth and state facts

craven

lacking courage or being a coward; mean-spirited cowardice; lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful; contemptibly fainthearted.

synonyms: pusillanimous

pusillanimous

lacking courage, strength, or resolution, or being contemptibly fearful; lacking courage and resolution

decadent

characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence, or marked by decay or decline; wasteful indulgence or extravagance; of low moral standards

austere

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; without decoration; practicing self-denial or living minimally

synonym: ascetic

anachronous

something is out of place in time, or misplaced chronologically

avaricious

having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions; a pathological, driven greediness for money or other valuables; having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain

assiduous

showing great care, attention, and effort, and perseverance; someone who is diligent, meticulous, or hardworking; marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application

abject

most unfortunate or miserable,; showing utter humiliation or submissiveness; of the most contemptible kind; utter resignation or hopelessness; wretched

ascetic

practicing self-denial, as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline

vestigial

something is small, imperfectly developed, or unable to function; forming a very small remnant of something that was once much larger or more noticeable

(of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution

dearth of

a lack or scarcity of it, especially in serious situation