GRE Vocabulary Common Words II

Chortle

To chuckle, laugh merrily, often in a breathy, muffled way

Recondite

Difficult to penetrate, incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge

Gossamer

Characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy

Audacious

Willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks

Gainsay

Deny or contradict, speak against or oppose

Torpor

Inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy

Diffident

Showing modest reserve, lacking self-confidence

Dogmatic

Highly opinionated, no accepting that one’s own beliefs may not be correct

Eschew

Avoid and stay away from deliberately, stay clear of

Vociferous

Conspicuously and offensively loud, given to vehement outcry

Predilection

A strong liking

Gall

1. The trait of being rude and impertinent

2. Feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

3. To strongly bother, vex, annoy, exasperate

Frivolous

Not serious in content or attitude or behavior

Exacerbate

Make worse

Culpability

A state of guilt

Glut

an excessive supply

Platitude

A trite or obvious remark

Dictatorial

Expecting unquestioning obedience, characteristic of an absolute ruler

Culminate

Reach the highest or most decisive point

Rustic

Characteristic of rural life, awkwardly simple and provincial

Aesthete

One who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature

Aesthetic

1. Concerned with the appreciation of beauty

2. A set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.

Apathetic

Marked by a lack of interest

Deferential

Showing respect

Obscure

1. Make unclear

2. Known by only a few

Mawkish

Overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting

Banal

Repeated too often, overfamiliar through overuse

Didactic

Instructive (especially excessively)

Prescience

The power to foresee the future

Fortuitous

Occurring by happy chance, having no cause or apparent cause

Meticulous

Marked by extreme care in treatment of details

Conspicuous

Without any attempt at concealment, completely obvious

Cryptic

Mysterious or vague, usually intentionally

Volubility

The quality of talking or writing easily and continuously

Perfidy

An act of deliberate betrayal, a breach of a trust

Decorous

Characterized by good taste in manners and conduct

Bucolic

Relating to the pleasant aspects of the country

Mitigate

1. Make less severe or harsh

2. Lessen the severity of an offense

Superfluous

1. Serving no useful purpose

2. More than is needed, desired, or required

Concede

Acknowledge defeat

Incisive

Having or demonstrating ability to recognizing or draw fine distinctions

Impudent

Improperly forward or bold

Preclude

Keep from happening or arising, make impossible

Entrenched

Fixed firmly or securely

Inexorable

Impossible to stop or prevent

Germane

Relevant and appropriate

Reticent

Disinclined to talk, not revealing one’s thoughts

Querulous

Habitually complaining

Lambast

Criticize severely or angrily

Engender

Give rise to