GRE Vocab

abridge

to shorten

accentuate

to make more noticeable, to emphasize

accord

agreement, harmony

acute

severe, intense, or urgent; highly developed (of senses);

adulterate

to make impure by adding another substance or element

allay

to make less severe, to calm

aloof

not sociable or friendly toward others

ameliorate

to make better

apprehensive

fearful and nervous

arduous

requiring great effort

assuage

to soothe or ease, to relieve

avarice

greed

auspicious

signaling future success

austere

harshly plain or simple; or serious and unfriendly in manner

beget

to bring into existence (of o"spring); to bring about or give rise to

banal

boring and unoriginal, ordinary

brusque

brief and direct, esp. in a rude way (of speech or manner)

burgeon

to grow rapidly

buttress

to support or strengthen

candid

honest and straightforward

canny

clever and showing good judgment

celestial

supremely good or relating to the sky

circuitous

longer than the most direct way.

connoisseur

an expert in a particular subject

conundrum

a confusing or difficult problem or question

cumbersome

diffcult to handle or use because of large size and weight;

slow-moving

curt

rudely brief

decadent

indulgent and pleasurable; involving pleasure-seeking and a lack of morals

decree

An official order

deference

submission and respect

deft

skillful and quick (of the mind or body)

deleterious

harmful, damaging

din

a loud continued noise, esp. an unpleasant one

discerning

showing good judgement

disenchant

to free from illusion; to disappoint

disillusion

to cause to stop having a mistaken belief that something is good or true

disparate

essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

disseminate

to spread widely, esp. ideas, information, etc.

emphatic

forceful and clear

evocative

bringing to mind strong images, memories, or feelings

extraneous

unnecessary or irrelevant

fanciful

imaginative, esp. in an unrealistic way

fastidious

very particular about how things are done, esp. regarding

neatness, cleanliness, or attention to detail

fawning

using excessive flattery and attentiveness to gain favor

feeble

weak, esp. due to age or illness

feign

pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury).

fickle

changing often, esp. of loyalties, interests, etc.

fledgling

something that is just starting out; an immature or inexperienced person

fortuitous

lucky, fortunate

furtive

attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.

gale

a clumsy or embarrassing error made in a social situation

hallmark

a typical feature of something, a distinguishing characteristic

haphazard

having no organization or plan, random

happenstance

happening by chance

hasty

rushed, overly quick

haughty

looking down on others, having an arrogant attitude of

superiority

herald

a sign that something is about to happen

hodgepodge

a random mix of things

humdrum

boring

indignant

angry about something unfair or wrong

inept

without skill; clumsy or incompetent

insolent

rude and disrespectful

ire

intense anger

irk

to annoy or irritate

lament

to express regret, sorrow, or disappointment about

latent

present but not yet developed, visible, or active

lenient

permissive, not strict

lush

thickly growing; sensuously rich

mainstay

a person or thing serving as the main support of something

malign

to say negative (often untrue) things about, to bad-mouth

mar

to damage the condition of, to spoil

miser

 a person who spends as little money as possible

morose

sulky and unhappy, gloomy

obstinate

stubborn

onerous

burdensome

opaque

not able to be seen through; not transparent

opulent

rich and luxurious or lavish

ornate

made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns.

 oust

 to force someone out of a position or place

palatial

resembling a palace in being spacious and splendid.

 pensive

immersed in or involving deep thought

peripheral

relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something

 placate

to calm the anger of, esp. by giving something wanted

placid

 calm, not easily excited; peaceful, undisturbed

pompous

self-important, arrogant

profundity

intellectual depth; depth or intensity

proliferation

anachronism

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

caustic

harshly critical

immutable

something that cannot or will not be changed

venality

the state or quality of being open to bribery or corruption, especially by money

mawkish

sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.

beseech

ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something; implore; entreat.

callowness

the state of being inexperienced, immature, and lacking worldly knowledge or sophistication

callowness

the state of being inexperienced, immature, and lacking worldly knowledge or sophistication

callousness

insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

aggrandize

increase the power, status, or wealth of.

reconcile

restore friendly relations between.

make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed.

lucid

expressed clearly; easy to understand.
bright or luminous.

nebulous

in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy

(of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined.