GRE Vocabulary Common Words III

Heretic

A person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion)

Belligerent

Characteristic of one eager to fight

Incongruous

Lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness

Denote

Be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning

Magnanimous

Noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful

Disaffected

Discontented as toward authority

Refractory

Stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Guileless

Free of deceit

Jingoism

Fanatical patriotism

Ascetic

Practicing self denial

Subsume

• Contain or include

• Consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle

Negligible

So small as to be meaningless; insignificant

Delineate

Describe in detail

Immutable

Not able to be changed

Precocious

Characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)

Ephemeral

Lasting a very short time

Spurious

Plausible but false

Eminent

Standing above others in quality or position

Contrive

To pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery

Haughty

Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

Quotidian

Found in the ordinary course of events

Rudimentary

Being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles

Circumvent

Cleverly find a way out of one’s duties or obligations

Derive

• Come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example.

• Reason by deduction; establish by deduction.

Derivative

Not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence, especially in reference to a creative product (e.g. music, writing, poetry etc.)

Staunch

Firm and dependable especially in loyalty

Tantamount

Being essentially equal to something

Vehement

Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

Travesty

An absurd presentation of something; a mockery

Abstain

Choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable)

Unequivocal

Admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion

Languid

Not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed

Insidious

Working in a subtle but destructive way

Itinerant

Traveling from place to place to work

Tenacious

Stubbornly unyielding

Forlorn

Marked by or showing hopelessness

Mollify

To make someone who is angry less angry; placate

Elucidate

Make clearer and easier to understand

Jubilant

Full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success

Treacherous

• Tending to betray

• Dangerously unstable and unpredictable

Panache

Distinctively and showy elegance

Frustrate

Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

Juxtapose

Place side by side for contrast

Fallacious

Of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning

Ameliorate

Make something bad better

Apathy

An absence of emotion or enthusiasm

Avaricious

Excessively greedy

Supplant

Take the place or move into the position of

Vilify

Spread negative information about

Eclectic

Comprised of a variety of styles