GRE vocab set 1

Abandon

Abandon

To give up completely; to desert

Abate

To reduce in intensity or amount

Aberrant

Deviating from the norm

Abet

To assist or encourage, especially in wrongdoing

Abeyance

A state of temporary disuse or suspension

Abhor

To regard with disgust and hatred

Abide

To accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation)

Abject

Extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading

Abjure

To renounce a belief, cause, or claim

Abound

To exist in large numbers or amounts

Abrasive

Capable of polishing or cleaning a hard surface by rubbing or grinding; showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh

Abreast

Side by side and facing the same way; up to date with the latest news, ideas, or information

Abridge

To shorten (a book, movie, speech, or other text) without losing the sense

Abrogate

To repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement)

Abscond

To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest

Abstain

To restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something

Abstract

Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence

Abstraction

The quality of dealing with ideas rather than events; something that exists only as an idea

Abstruse

Difficult to understand; obscure

Accentuate

To make more noticeable or prominent

Accessible

Able to be reached or entered; easy to understand

Acclaim

To praise enthusiastically and publicly

Accolade

An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit

Accord

To give or grant someone (power, status, or recognition); an official agreement or treaty

Acerbic

Sharp and forthright (especially of a comment or style of speaking)

Acolyte

A person assisting a priest in a religious service or procession; an assistant or follower

Acquiesce

To accept something reluctantly but without protest

Acquisitive

Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things

Acrimonious

(Typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter

Activism

The policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change

Acumen

The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain

Acute

(Of a bad, difficult, or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree

Adept

Very skilled or proficient at something

Adherent

Someone who supports a particular party, person, or set of ideas

Adhoc

Created or done for a particular purpose as necessary

Admonish

To warn or reprimand someone firmly

Adroit

Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind

Adulation

Excessive admiration or praise

Adulterate

To render something poorer in quality by adding another substance

Adverse

Preventing success or development; harmful; unfavorable

Advocate

A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy; to publicly support or recommend

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

Affable

Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

Affect

To have an effect on; make a difference to

Affectation

Behavior, speech, or writing that is artificial and designed to impress

Affinity

A natural liking for and understanding of someone or something

Affluence

The state of having a great deal of money; wealth

Affront

An action or remark that causes outrage or offense

Aggrandize

To increase the power, status, or wealth of

Aghast

Filled with horror or shock

Agitate

To make someone troubled or nervous

Agreeable

Enjoyable and pleasurable; pleasant

Ahistorical

Lacking historical perspective or context

Alacrity

Brisk and cheerful readiness

Alienate

To cause someone to feel isolated or estranged

All-Encompassing

Including or covering everything or everyone; comprehensive

Allegorical

Constituting or containing allegory (a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one)

Alleviate

To make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe

Allusive

Working by suggestion rather than explicit mention

Aloof

Not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant

Altruistic

Showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others

Amalgamate

To combine or unite to form one organization or structure

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness

Ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

Ameliorate

To make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better

Amenable

(Of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

Amend

To make minor changes in (a text) in order to make it fairer, more accurate, or more up-to-date

Amiable

Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner

Amicable

(Of relations between people) having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement or rancor

Amorphous

Without a clearly defined shape or form

Amuse

To cause someone to find something funny; entertain

Anachronism

A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned

Anachronistic

Belonging to a period other than that being portrayed

Analogous

Comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Animosity

Strong hostility

Animus

Hostility or ill feeling; motivation to do something

Anoint

To smear or rub with oil, typically as part of a religious ceremony

Anomalous

Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected

Anomaly

Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected

Antagonistic

Showing or feeling active opposition or hostility toward someone or something

Antagonize

To cause someone to become hostile

Antedate

To precede in time; come before (something) in date

Antipathy

A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion

Antiquity

The ancient past, especially the period before the Middle Ages

Antithesis

A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else

Apathy

Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

Aphorism

A pithy observation that contains a general truth

Aplomb

Self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation

Apogee

The highest point in the development of something; the climax or culmination

Apologist

A person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial

Appease

To pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands

Apposite

Apt in the circumstances or in relation to something

Apprehension

Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen

Apprise

To inform or tell (someone)

Approbation

Approval or praise

Appropriate

Suitable or proper in the circumstances; to take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission

Apropos

With reference to; concerning

Apt

Appropriate or suitable in the circumstances; having a tendency to do something

Arbitrary

Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system