GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: R Words

raconteur

witty, skillful storyteller

(noun) good storyteller

ragamuffin

(noun) a person, typically a child, in ragged, dirty clothes

(noun) a dirty, poor person or child

raiment

(noun) clothing

Mnemonic: Raymond

ramification

a development or consequence resulting from a course of action

(noun) the result of an action or decision

rampant

growing without check, running wild

(adj.) widespread, uncontrolled

rancorous

(adj.) bitter, hateful

rankled

(verb) to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness

(verb) irritated

rapt

completely fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing

(adj.) completely interested

rapturous

full of, feeling, or manifesting ecstatic joy or delight.

(adj.) full of wonderful feelings, ecstatic

(adj.) filled with great joy

rarefied

of high moral or intellectual value

1. (adj.) thin or less dense (literal meaning)

2. (adj.) lofty, reserved only for a select few (figurative meaning)

raucous

making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise

(adj.) noisy, disorderly

raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

(verb) to completely destroy

readily

(adj.) quickly and easily

realization

to make something real

(noun) the making of something into reality

reap

(verb) harvest, gather

(verb) to gather or obtain

Rebuttal

refutation; response with contrary evidence

(noun) response with contrary evidence

recalcitrant

(adj.) stubbornly disobedient

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

(verb) to formally deny a former position

(verb) to withdraw a previously stated belief or statement.

recapitulate

(verb) to summarize

(verb) to recap

recidivist

(noun) one who returns to criminal habits

Mnemonic: "returns" to crime again and again.

reclusive

(adj.) seeking or preferring seclusion or isolation

(adj.) preferring seclusion

recondite

(adj.) difficult to understand; profound

recrudescent

Revival, breaking out into renewed activity

(adj.) reactivating

rectitude

(n.) uprightness, righteousness; correctness

(noun) righteousness

redouble

to make twice as great; to double

(verb) to double

redress

(verb) to set right

reductive

dealing with or describing something complicated in a simple or too simple way

(adj.) related to describing something complicated in a simple way

redundant

(adj.) extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush

(adj.) needlessly repetitive

refracted

(verb, adj.) light deflected from a straight path

refractory

(adj.) stubbornly resistant to authority or control

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent

(adj.) brightly shining

refute

(verb) to prove incorrect

rejuvenated

(verb) to make young or vigorous again; to give youthful qualities to

relinquish

voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up

(verb) to give up to or return to

relish

(n.) enjoyment or satisfaction; something that adds a pleasing flavor; (v.) to enjoy greatly

remedial

(adj.) intended to repair gaps in students' basic knowledge

(adj.) intended to correct at the basic level

reminiscent

(adj.) awakening memories of something similar

remiss

(adj.) neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless

(adj.) careless

remunerated

(verb) pay (someone) for services rendered or work done

(verb) compensated or paid for

renowned

(adj.) well-known, famous, celebrated

repertoire

a stock of plays, dances, or pieces that a company or a performer knows or is prepared to perform.

(noun) collection of skills, abilities, or works

replete

(adj.) full; abundant

reprehensible

(adj.) deserving blame or punishment

reprobate

(noun) a dishonest or immoral person; a scoundrel

(adj.) evil

reprove

(verb) to scold or criticize

repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

(verb) to reject

repugnant

(adj.) offensive, disagreeable, distasteful

(adj.) offensive or gross

(adj.) gross

requisite

needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable

(adj.) necessary

resigned

(adj.) having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about

(adj.) reluctantly accepting of a bad situation

resilient

(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly

(adj.) able to recover quickly

resolute

(adj.) bold, determined; firm

(adj.) firmly determined

resonant

Having an effect; powerful

1. (adj.) creating sonic vibrations (literal)

2. (adj.) Deeply meaningful or emotionally powerful

respite

(noun) a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant

resplendent

attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous

(adj.) shining brilliantly

(adj.) shining brightly

restitution

(n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage

(noun) compensation or payment made to make up for a loss, damage, or wrongdoing.

restive

(adj.) restless, hard to manage, balky

(adj.) restless

resurgence

A rising again to life, use, acceptance, or prominence; a revival

(noun) a comeback

reticent

not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily

(adj.) reserved, quiet

retiring

modest and shy

(adj.) shy

retrenchment

curtailment; reduction; retreat to reassess

(noun) reduction or cutback (especially to save money)

retrospection

a looking back or contemplation of the past

(noun) the act of thinking about of the past

revamp

(verb) to revise; to renovate

(verb) to revise, improve or make over

revanche

(noun) revenge; especially the policy of a government intent on the recovery of lost territory.

(noun) revenge

reverberate

(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly

(verb) to echo

reverent

feeling or showing deep and solemn respect

(adj.) having deep respect for

revile

criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner

(verb) to abuse verbally

revulsion

(noun) great disgust or distaste

rhapsodize

(v.) to engage in excessive enthusiasm (The critic rhapsodized about the movie, calling it an instant classic.)

(verb) to enthusiastically praise

rhetorical

(adj.) pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language

rickety

poorly made and likely to collapse

(adj.) weak

rifling

(verb) searching through quickly, often to steal

rift

a split, break, breach

(noun) a break or split

riposte

retaliatory action or retort

(noun) a sharp comeback

risible

relating to laughter; laughable

1. (adj.) funny

2. (adj.) inclined to laugh

risque

bordering on being inappropriate or indecent

(adj.) almost improper or indecent

robust

(adj.) strong and healthy; vigorous

rotund

1. (adj.) rounded and plump

2. (adj.) full or rich in sound

row

a fight

(noun) loud argument or heated quarrel

(noun) a disagreement

rudimentary

basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development

(adj.) basic

ruffian

(n) a tough or rowdy person (adj) tough or rowdy

(noun) a brutal person

ruminate

to meditate, think about at length

(verb) to think about at length