gre hard words

abeyance

Temporary suspension, inactivity

Odium

General dislike for someone as a result of their actions

Plangent

Causing lament

Invidious

Arousing anger in others

Ineluctable

Inescapable

acme

Summit, peak, highest point

adumbrate

Give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure

aerie

Dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk, built on a mountain or cliff

anodyne

Medicine that relieves pain (noun); soothing, relieving pain (adj)

apposite

Highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant

apprise

Inform, give notice to

arrogate

Claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so

august

Venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration

aver

Declare or affirm with confidence

bilk

Cheat or defraud

bonhomie

Friendliness, open and simple good heartedness

canard

Rumor, a false or baseless story

catholic

Universal, broad-minded

coda

Final part of a musical composition; an ending, esp. one that sums up what has come before

complaisant

Eager to please; cheerfully complying

contumacious

Rebellious; stubbornly disobedient

cosset

Treat as a pet, pamper

coterie

Close or exclusive group, clique

craven

Very cowardly, lacking courage

declivity

Downward slope

delimit

Fix, mark, or define the boundaries of

desultory

Lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic

diaphanous

Very sheer, fine, translucent

diffident

Lacking confidence, shy

disabuse

Free someone from a mistake in thinking

distaff

Female, esp. relating to the maternal side of the family; women or women's work; a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning

dyspeptic

Grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion)

effrontery

Shameless boldness

epicure

Person with cultivated, refined tastes, esp. in food and wine

euphony

Pleasing or sweet sound, especially as formed by a harmonious use of words

exigent

Requiring immediate attention, action, or aid; excessively demanding

fallacious

Containing a fallacy, or mistake in logic; logically unsound; deceptive

fecund

Fruitful, fertile; capable of abundantly producing offspring, vegetation, or creative or intellectual work

felicitous

Admirably appropriate, very well-suited for the occasion; pleasant, fortunate, marked by happiness

fulminate

Explode, detonate; attack verbally in a vehement, thunderous way

gambol

Frolic; skip or leap playfully

garrulous

Talkative, wordy, rambling

gradation

A progression, a process taking place gradually, in stages; one of these stages

grandiloquent

Relating to lofty speech, esp. to the point of being pompous, overblown, bombastic

harangue

Long, intense verbal attack, esp. when delivered publicly

husband

Manage prudently, sparingly, or economically; conserve

illiberality

Narrow-mindedness, bigotry; strictness or lack of generosity

impecunious

Poor, without money

imperious

Commanding, domineering; acting like a high-ranking person; urgent

impious

Not religious, lacking reverence, ungodly

imprecation

Curse; prayer for harm to come to someone

impugn

Attack the truth or integrity of

incarnadine

Blood red or flesh-colored

inchoate

Just begun, undeveloped, unorganized

invective

Violent denunciation; accusations, insults, or verbal abuse

inveigle

Entice, lure; get something by flattery, cleverness, or offering incentives

irascible

Irritable, easily angered

lachrymose

Tearful, mournful

lassitude

Tiredness, weariness; lazy indifference

legerdemain

Slight-of-hand (magic as performed by a magician); trickery or deception

limpid

Clear, transparent; completely calm

lissome

Flexible, supple, agile

martinet

Person who adheres to rules extremely closely; strict disciplinarian

mendacious

Lying, habitually dishonest

meretricious

Attractive in a vulgar or flashy way, tawdry; deceptive

militate

Have a great effect, weigh heavily (often as militate against)

mollify

Calm or soothe (an angry person); lessen or soften

multifarious

Diverse, having a lot of variety

munificent

Generous, giving liberally

neophyte

Beginner, novice; person newly converted to a religion

obdurate

Stubborn, hardhearted, hardened in wrongdoing

occlude

Stop up, close, shut in or shut off

officious

Excessively eager in giving unwanted advice or intruding where one is not wanted; meddlesome, pushy

opprobrium

Disgrace and disapproval that result from outrageously shameful actions

orotund

Full, rich, and clear (of the voice or speaking); pompous, bombastic

panegyric

Formal or lofty expression of praise

peccadillo

Small sin or fault

pellucid

Transparent, translucent; clear, easy to understand

penury

Extreme poverty or scarcity

peregrinate

Travel from place to place, esp. on foot

perfidious

Disloyal, treacherous, violating one's trust

peripatetic

Journeying from place to place; traveling on foot

perspicacious

Having penetrating insight or good discernment

ponderous

Heavy; bulky and unwieldy; dull, labored

potentate

Ruler, person of great power

précis

Concise summary, abstract

prevaricate

Stray from the truth, mislead, lie

prolix

Excessively long and wordy (of a person, piece of writing, etc.)

prosaic

Dull, ordinary

puerile

Juvenile, immature

pulchritude

Physical beauty

pusillanimous

Cowardly, timid

querulous

Given to complaining, grumbling

raconteur

Witty storyteller

recondite

Not easily understood, hidden, dealing with an obscure topic

recrudescent

Revival, breaking out into renewed activity

redound

To have a good or bad effect, esp. as a result of a person's efforts or actions (usually used with to, on, or upon)

repast

A meal (noun); to eat or feast (verb)

reprobate

Disreputable, unprincipled, or damned person (noun); shameless, depraved (adj)

scintilla

A tiny bit or trace