GRE Vocabulary

opprobrious

(adj.) damning; extremely critical; disgraceful
(syn.) abusive, scurrilous, offensive
(n.) opprobrium = obloquy

alibi

1. (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
2. excuse

aloft

upward; high up in the air

amalgamate

(v.) to bring or combine together or with something else
(syn.) mingle, mix, unify
(adj.) amalgamated
(syn.) coalesced, consolidated, fused, united

amenable

(adj.) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible
(syn.) conformable, compliant, tractable, susceptible

menace

(n.) something that is a source of danger; a threat or the act of threatening
(syn.) threat
(v.) pose a threat to; present a danger to
(syn.) endanger, imperil, peril, jeopardize

analgesic

(n.) something that reduces pain

ancillary

(adj.) subordinate or supplementary
(ant.) heart

anemic

(adj.) lacking in color, spirit, or vitality.

animus

(n.) a feeling of ill-will that arouses hostility

anterior

Coming before in position or time
Located towards the front of the body

antic

(adj.) ludicrously odd
(n.) a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
(v.) act as or like a clown

aphorism

(n.) a short pithy instructive saying

apocalyptic

(adj.) predicting or presaging universal destruction, devastation or ultimate doom

apocryphal

(adj.) of questionable authenticity; false

apoplectic

(adj. n.) Extremely angry or furious

apprehension

(n.)
a. fearful expectation
b. the cognitive condition of someone who understands
c. the act of apprehending a criminal
(syn.) trepidation
(v.) apprehend
(adj.) apprehensive

appraise

(v.) to assess the worth or value of

apprise

(v.) to give notice to; to inform

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
(adj.) approbatory
(ant.) disapprobation

apropos

(adj.) fitting the occasion; suitable or appropriate

appropriate

(v.) take possession of by force, as after an invasion
(syn.) borrow
(adj.) suitable for a particular person, place, condition, etc.
(n.) appropriation

apt

(adj.) suitable, pertinent; tending, likely; quick to learn, smart
(syn.) apposite, pertinent, apropos

ardor

(n.) a strong feeling of energy or eagerness; a strong feeling of love

arrest

(v.)
a. to stop;
b. attract and hold someone's attention;
c. seize, capture

iota

(n.) a very small part or quantity

abase

(v.) cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

abet

(v.) to encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)

abeyant

(adj.) temporarily inactive, stopped or suspended

abiding

(adj.) lasting for a long time; unceasing
(syn.) enduring, imperishable, lasting, permanent

abject

(adj.)
a. of the most miserable or contemptible kind
b. showing utter resignation or hopelessness
c. showing humiliation or submissiveness

abnegate

(v.) deny, renounce ,or surrender

surrogate

(n.) someone who takes the place of another person
(syn.) alternate, replacement
(n.) a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others
(syn.) deputy

arrogate

(v.) seize and take control without authority and possibly with force
(syn.) assume, seize, takeover, usurp
(ant.) forfeit, forgo, give up, waive

abrogate

(v.) to abolish, usually by authority

abolish

(v.)
a. to officially end or stop (something, such as a law)
b. to complete do away with (something)

abstain

(v) hold back, refrain (especially from something bad or unhealthy); decline to vote

abstemious

(adj.) moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking); characterized by abstinence and self-discipline
(syn.) continent, temperate, self-abnegating, self-denying, ascetic
(ant.) voracious, indulgent

abstinent

(adj.) self-restraining; not indulging an appetite
(syn.) ascetic, sober, temperate, teetotal
(ant.) dissolute, squander, hedonistic, licentious, dissipate, libertine, rakish, reprobate,

abstentious

(adj.) self-restraining; not indulging an appetite
(syn.) sober, temperate
(ant.) voracious

continent

(n.) one of the large landmasses of the earth
(adj.) restrained, especially abstaining from sexual intercourse
(syn.) sober, temperate, abstemious, abstinent, abstentious

accede

(v.) to agree to a request or demand; to assume an office or dignity
(syn.) assent, acquiescent

acclimate

(v.) to adapt to a new climate, environment, or situation

accost

(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

accrete

(v.) to grow or increase gradually, as by addition

acrid

(adj.) sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor; harsh or corrosive in tone

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone
(syn.) acerbic, mordant
(n.) acrimony

pungent

(adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting

acute

1. (adj.) sharp, severe
2. (adj.) having keen insight
(syn.) severe

acumen

(n.) keen insight

acuity

(n.) a quick and penetrating intelligence

adjourn

(v.) to stop proceedings temporarily, to break from a meeting or gathering; move to another place

adhere

(v.) to stick to, remain attached; to be devoted or loyal as a follower or supporter

adjunct

(n.) 1. something attached to another in a subordinate position
2. a person who is an assistant or subordinate to another
(syn.) associate

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

adumbrate

(v.) describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of;
to sketch out in a vague way

adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

advert

(v.) give heed to
(n.) a public promotion of some product or service
(adj.) advertent

affinity

(n.) a natural attraction or feeling of kinship; an inherent similarity

affluent

(adj.) rich, wealthy

alacrity

(n.) a quick and cheerful readiness to do something

ascendant

(adj.) rising
(adj.) dominant, important or influent
(n.) position or state of being dominant or in control

aseptic

(adj.) Free from germs
(adj.) lacking vitality, emotion

asperity

(n.) harshness of manner or of temper
(syn.) rude, sharpness
(ant.) bluntness, dullness
(n.) rigor, severity

aspersion

(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming
(syn.) slur
(v.) asperse ~ besmirch, caluminate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sully

aspirant

(n.) a person who goes after high goal

assess

(v.) charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as tax of fine
(v.) evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
(syn.) sharp, shrewd, smart

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value
(n.) attenuation

aversion

(n.) a particular dislike for something

awash

(adj.) covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water

awning

(n.) piece of material attached to a caravan or building which provides shelter from the rain or sun

bait

(v.) to persecute or exasperate with unjust, malicious, or persistent attack

bale

(adj.) deadly or sinister
(adj.) threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
(n.) woe, sorrow

bane

(n.) the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison

baleful

deadly; having a malign influence; ominous
(adj.) harmful, threatening or deadly

balk

(v.) to stop, block abruptly
(v.) to stop short and refuse to go on; to refuse abruptly; to prevent from happening;

balky

(adj.) stubbornly refusing to act
(adj.) stopping short and refusing to go on

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

belittle

(v.) 1.cause to seem less serious; play down
2. lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of
3. express a negative opinion of

denigrate

(v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of
(adj.) denigrating
(syn.) defame, calumniate, slander, libel

denounce

(v.) to condemn openly; to accuse formally
(syn.) fulminate, rail,

deprecate

(v.) 1. to express strong disapproval;
(syn.) deplore
2. to belittle
(syn.) depreciate
(adj.) deprecatory

depreciate

(v.)
1. lose in value
2. lower the value of something
3. belittle
(syn.) deprecate

derogate

(v.) cause to seem less serious; play down

disapprove

(v.)
1. deem wrong or inappropriate
2. consider bad or wrong

dismiss

(v.)
1. put away from consideration; reject
2. terminate the employment of
(syn.) discount, disregard, ignore, push aside, brush aside
(n.) dismissal

disparage

(v) to belittle, say uncomplimentary things; to put down; express a negative opinion of
(syn.) slight, belittle
(ant.) blandish, flatter

slight

(v.) pay no attention, disrespect
(syn.) cold-shoulder, dismiss, disregard, ignore, brush aside

blandish

(v.) praise somewhat dishonestly
(syn.) flatter
(ant.) belittle, dismiss, disparage

declaim

(v.) recite in elocution
(syn.) recite
(v.) speak against in an impassioned manner
(syn.) inveigh

declamation

(n.) a speech or presentation spoken in a formal or theatrical style

proclaim

(v.) declare formally; state or announce
(syn.) exclaim, promulgate
(v.) praise, glorify, or honor
(syn.) exalt, extol, laud

exclaim

(v.) utter loud
(syn.) cry out
(v.) state or announce
(syn.) proclaim, promulgate, declare, trumpet

trumpet

(v.) proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
(syn.) exclaim, proclaim, promulgate

reclaim

(v.) bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one
(syn.) rectify, reform, regenerate
(v.) overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable
(syn.) domesticate, tame,
(v.) claim back
(syn.) repossess
(v.) make useful again; transform from a useless or uncultivated state

acclaim

(n.) high praise

applaud

(v.) To show approval, especially by clapping hands

exalt

(v.) 1. praise, glorify, or honor
2. raise in rank, character, or status
(syn.) extol, glorify, laud, proclaim
(n.) exaltation = encomium

exult

(v.) feel extreme happiness or elation