GRE vocab

anomaly

something unusual or unexpected

equivocal

not easily understood or explained

lucid

very clear and easy to understand

precipitate

to cause something to happen quickly or suddenly

assuage

to make an unpleasant feeling less intense

erudite

having or showing great knowledge

opaque

not able to be seen through; not easily understood

prodigal

(adj.) wastefully extravagant; reckless/wasteful with money/time/resources

enigma

a person or thing that is mysterious/puzzling or difficult to understand

fervid

intensely enthusiastic or passionate

placate

to make someone less angry/hostile

zeal

strong feel of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something

abstain

to restrain oneself for doing or enjoying something

audacious

a willingness to take bold risk; showing a lack of respect

desiccate

to remove the moisture from something; to dry out

guillible

easily persuaded to believe something

laudable

deserving praise and commendation

pedant

a person who makes an excessive display of learning

vacillate

to waver between different opinions or actions

adulterate

to make something impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality

capricious

given to sudden changes of mood or behavior

engender

to produce, cause, or give rise to

homogenous

of the same or similar kind

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal

pragmatic

dealing with problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories

volatile

likely to change rapidly and unpredictably

apathy

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

corroborate

to confirm or make more certain

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time

laconic

using few words

mitigate

make less severe/serious/painful

propriety

the state or quality of being correct or proper

advocate

publicly recommend/support

cacophony

a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds

enervate

cause (someone/smth) to feel drained of energy; weaken

ingenuous

innocent and unsuspecting

misanthrope

a person who dislikes humankind

paradox

a statement that contradicts itself but might be true

venerate

regard with great respect

antipathy

a strong feeling of dislike

deride

to express contempt for; ridicule

contempt

strong feeling or attitude of intense dislike/scorn based on the belief that another person is inferior

condemn

to express strong/formal disapproval of smth, to declare someone legally guilty

eulogy

a speech that praises someone, typically someone who has recently died

lethargic

lacking energy

obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion

philanthropic

seeking to promote the welfare of others

bolster

to support or strengthen

dissonance

a lack of harmony or agreement

garrulous

excessively talkative

Castigate

to criticize, reprimand, or scold someone severely

Pithy

brief and packed with deep meaning (statement)

Preordained

decided, planned, or fixed in advance by a greater power, fate, or an inevitable circumstance so that it cannot be changed

Prudent

acting with care, showing good judgement, and avoiding unnecessary risks/mistakes/waste

ergonomic

applied science of designing and arranging things so that people and equipment interact safely and efficiently

convoluted

extremely complex, intricate, and difficult to understand or physically twisted/coiled//rolled upon itself

Indemnify

to promise to compensate someone for damages/losses/expenses they have incurred or may incur to protect them from legal responsibility and liability

prevaricate

to speak/act/answer evasively in order to avoid telling the truth/dodge a direct question, or create a false impression without outright lying - to beat around the bush to give misleading statements rather than a straight answer

evasive

avoiding direct answers/shying away from commitment or taking a physical action to dodge a hazard

dauntless

showing great determination/bravery/fearlessness especially when facing danger/difficulty

mercurial

someone/smth subject to rapid/unpredictable changes in mood/behavior/weather

dither

hesitate/delay/unable to make a final decision because you feel uncertain/anxious/flustered

apace

quickly/swiftly/fast speed

impetuous

acting or done quickly/suddenly/without thought

credulous

too willing to believe what you are told and easily deceived - innocent/inexperienced

abate

to reduce in amount/degree/severity

aggrandize

to increase in power/influence/reputation

amalgamate

to combine; to mix together

arbitrate

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

archaic

ancient; old fashioned

ardor

intense/passionate feeling

articulate

able to speak clearly and expressively (eloquent)

attenuate

to reduce in force or degree/ to weaken (devitalize/enervate)

austerity

severity, especially poverty

banal

predicatable; clichéd, boring

synoptic

a general view of a whole, summary, or seeing things together

prophetic

accurately foretelling, predicting or foreshadowing future events

precarious

not safe, strong, or steady, or a situation that is uncertain/unstable

aberration

a departure from what is normal/usual or expected

caustic

speech that is bitterly sarcastic or sharp

acerbic

speech or a person’s temper that is sharp/biting or severely critical

cogent

argument/reason/explanation that is clear/logical/deeply convincing

condone

to overlook/pardon/disregard

mollify

to soothe someone’s anger or anxiety, soften hurt feelings or make a severe situation less intense

quixotic

exceedingly idealistic/unrealistic/impractical

reticent

inclined to be silent/uncommunicative/reserved about one’s thoughts

elusive

something/someone who is difficult to find/catch/grasp/remember/understand

overt

done/shown/or occurring in the open/plain sight without secrecy or concealment

colloquial

language that is casual, informal, more suitable for everyday spoken conversation than formal writing or speech

facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate, playful, or lighthearted humor, or saying something that is not meant to be taken literally or seriously

gregarious

sociable, friendly, and fond of the company of others

galvanizing

to shock/excite or inspire a person/group into taking sudden action

fleeting

short, quick, temporary, or passing swiftly through time, lasting only a brief moment of time

indisposed

feeling slightly ill or unwell, or unwilling and disinclined to do something

querulous

full of complaints, whining, or inclined to find fault in a peevish or irritated manner

proliferation

a rapid/sudden increase in number/amount/spread of something

brazen

acting or done in a very open/shocking and shameless way without caring about what others think

conspicuous

very easy to see, obvious to the eye or mind, or naturally attracting attention

opulent

ostentatiously rich, luxurious, lavish, describing an abundance of wealth

perfunctory

done quickly, mechanically, out of routine duty/obligation rather than with genuine interest/care