GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: C Words

cache

(n.) a hiding place; something hidden or stored

(noun) hidden storage

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

(noun) harsh, unpleasant sound

cadge

(verb) to beg, to get by begging

cajole

(v.) to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises

(v.) persuade through flattery

calamitous

(adj.) causing great misfortune

(adj.) related to calamity

callous

emotionally hardened, unfeeling

(adj.) unsympathetic

(adj.) hard-hearted

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise

(adj.) inexperienced

calumnious

falsely and maliciously accusing; defamatory; slanderous

(adj.) an untrue statement intended to injure one’s reputation

(adj.) slanderous

camaraderie

(noun) togetherness, trust, group dynamic of trust

canard

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story

canny

(adj.) clever

canonize

(verb) recognize a person as a saint

(verb) make someone saint

capacious

(adj.) spacious

capitulate

(verb) to surrender

capricious

(adj.) - impulsive, unpredictable, subject to whim

captious

(adj.) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up

(adj.) overly critical

Mnemonic: capture+ issues

cardinal

(adj.) most important; chief

caricature

(verb) exaggerated portrayal of one's features

castigate

(verb) to criticize or punish severely

caterwaul

(verb) to cry or complain loudly

(verb) to cry loudly

causal

implying a cause-and-effect relationship

(adj.) relating to the cause of something

celerity

(adj.) quickness

censure

(verb) to criticize harshly

cerebral

(adj.) intellectual

chagrin

(n.) irritation or humiliation caused by disappointment or frustration; (v.) to cause such a feeling

(noun) distress caused by disappointment

champion

(verb) to fight for, defend, or support.

chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident

(adj.) cautious

chicanery

(noun) trickery, deception, deceit.

choleric

(adj.) bad-tempered or irritable

(adj.) irritable

chronological

(adj) arranged in or relating to time order

(adj.) ordered by time

churlish

(adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude

(adj.) rude

cinematic

having the qualities of a motion picture

(adj.) suggestive of a movie

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct

circumscribed

(adj.) restricted

circumspect

(adj.) cautious

circumvent

(verb) get around; avoids

clairvoyant

(adj.) able to see the future

clandestine

(adj.) secretive

clangorous

(adj.) Having a loud resonant metallic sound

(n.) clangor

(adj.) loud

clemency

(noun) mercy

climatic

having to do with the climate

(adj.) climate related

Climax

the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.

(noun) the most important part of something

cloying

(adj.) sickly sweet; excessive

(adj.) gross because it’s too much

coalesce

(verb) to fuse or unite

(verb) to unite

coddle

(verb) to pamper

(verb) to treat with excessive care

coerce

to force by using pressure, intimidation, or threats

(verb) to force

coeval

living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age

(adj.) existing at the same time

cognizant

(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction

(adj.) aware

Coherence

the quality of being logical and consistent and the quality of forming a unified whole

(noun) the quality of being logical and consistent.

(noun) consistency

cohesive

(adj.) sticking or holding together; unified

(adj.) sticking together

cohort

A group of individuals of the same age.

(noun) friend

coin

(verb) to devise a new word or phrase

(verb) to invent a new word or phrase

collusion

(noun) secret agreement or cooperation

(noun) the process of working together to deceive, often illegally by businesses

(noun) secret agreement to deceive others

commensurate

(adj.) proportional

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

companionable

(adj.) friendly

complicit

(adj.) involved in a crime

composure

(noun) calmness

compunction

Feeling of regret or remorse

(noun) regret

concession

A reluctant acknowledgment or yielding.

(noun) admitting partial or total defeat

concoct

(v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate

(verb) to make

concomitant

accompanying in a subordinate fashion

(adj.) accompanying

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

(noun) harmony

condign

(adj.) deserved; appropriate

condone

(verb) to overlook, pardon, or disregard

(verb) to allow something that is bad

conferred

1. (verb) given to

2. (verb) talk to

confiscate

To seize, by force if necessary; to take possession of

(verb) to take something away

conflagration

(noun) a large fire

(noun) a fire

conflate

(verb) to confuse

confound

(verb) to confuse

conglomerate

business combination merging more than three businesses that make unrelated products

(verb) to gather into a whole

conniving

cunning, scheming

(verb) secretly plotting harm

connoisseur

an expert in matters of culture, food, or wine

(noun) an expert

conscientious

careful

(adj.) driven by the urge to do what’s right

conspicuous

(adj.) noticeable

consternation

(noun) dismay, confusion

contumacious

(adj.) disobedient, rebellious

conundrum

(noun) a difficult problem

conversant

(adj.) familiar with

copious

abundant; plentiful

(adj.) plentiful

cordial

(adj.) warm and friendly

(adj.) affectionate

cordon

extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress;

(verb) to enclose, either to restrict or to protect

corroborate

(verb) to support with evidence

cosmopolitan

(adj.) familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures

(adj.) Worldly or sophisticated

covert

(adj.) hidden; undercover; secret

cowed

(adj.) intimidated

craven

(adj.) cowardly

credence

(noun) belief

credulous

(adj.) gullible; ready to believe anything

Crepuscular

(adj.) of, resembling, or relating to twilight

(adj.) relating to twilight

crestfallen

discouraged, dejected, downcast

(adj.) depressed

cryptic

(adj.) having hidden meaning

cull

To select and remove weak or inferior members from.

(verb) selective slaughtering

culminate

(v.) to reach a high point of development; to end, climax

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame

cumbersome

awkward and hard to handle

(adj.) hard due to large size

cunning

(adj.) clever at being deceitful

cupidity

(n.) an eager desire for something; greed

curmudgeon

cranky person, usually old

(noun) a grumpy old man

cursory

(adj.) hasty and superficial

(adj.) hasty