GRE Vocab Set 2

abate

lessen in intensity or degree

accolade

expression of praise

adulation

excessive praise, intense adoration

aesthetic

dealing w, appreciative or, responsive to art or beautiful

ameliorate

make better or more tolerable

ascetic

someone practicing rigid self-denial esp for religious devotion

avarice

greed esp for wealth

burgeon

grow rapidly or flourish

bucolic

rustic and pastoral, characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

cacophony

harsh, jarring, discordant sound

canon

established set of principles or codes of laws often religious in nature

castigation

severe criticism or punishment

catalyst

substance that accelerates rate of chemical reaction without changing itself, person or thing that causes change

caustic

burning or stinging, causing corrosion

chary

wary, cautious, sparing

cogent

appealing forcibly to mind or reason, convincing

complaisance

willingness to comply w wishes of others

contentious

argumentative, quarrelsome, causing controversy or disagreement

contrite

regretful, seeking forgiveness

penitent

feeling or showing sorrow and regret for doing something wrong

culpable

deserving blame

dearth

smallness of quantity or number, scarcity, lack

demur

to question or oppose

didactic

intended to teach or instruct

discretion

cautious reserve in speech, ability to make responsible decisions

disinterested

free of bias or self-interest, impartial

dogmatic

expressing rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

ebullience

quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

eclectic

composed of elements drawn from various sources

elegy

mournful poem esp lamenting the dead

emollient

soothing esp to skin, making less harsh, mollifying, agent that softens or smoothens skin

empirical

based on observation or experiment

enigmatic

mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand

ephemeral

brief, fleeing

esoteric

intended for or understood by small specific group

eulogy

speech honoring dead

exonerate

remove blame

facetious

playful, humorous

fallacy

invalid or incorrect notion, mistaken belief

furtive

marked by stealth, covert, surreptitious

gregarious

sociable, outgoing, enjoying company of other people

harangue

deliver forceful or angry speech, ranting speech or writing

heretical

violating accepted dogma or convention

hyperbole

exaggerated statement often as figure of speech

impecunious

lacking funds, without money

incipient

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

inert

unmoving, lethargic, sluggish

innocuous

harmless, causing no damage

intransigent

reusing to compromise

inveigle

obtain by deception or flattery

mororse

sad, sullen, melancholy

idious

evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque

impenetrable by light, not reflecting light

oscillation

act or state of swinging back and forth w steady uninterrupted rhythm

penurious

excessively thrifty, ungenerous

pernicious

extremely harmful in not easily seen or noticed way

peruse

examine w great care

pious

extremely reverent or devout, showing strong religious devotion

precursor

one that precedes and indicates or annouces another

preen

dress up, primp, groom oneself w elaborate care

prodigious

abundant in size, force or extent, extraordinary

prolific

producing large volumes or amounts, productive

putrefy

rot, decay and give off foul smell

quaff

drink heartily

quiescence

stillness, motionless, quality of being at rest

redoubtable

awe-innspiring, worthy of honor

sanction

authoritative permission or approval, penalty intended to enforce compliance, give permission or authority

satire

literary work that ridicules or criticizes human vice through humor or derision

squalid

sordid, wretched and dirty as from neglect

stoic

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steafast

supplant

take the place of, to supersede

torpid

lethargic, sluggish, dormant

ubiquitous

existing everywhere at same time, constantly encountered, widespread

urbane

sophisticated, refined, elegant

vilify

defame, characterize harshly

viscous

thick, sticky