Kaplan's 900 GRE

Abdicate

To step down from a position of Power

Abeyance

a temporary suspension of activity

Ablution

the act of washing one's body

Abnegate

to deny to oneself, renounce, surrender

Abridge

To shorten, condense or lessen in length

Abrogate

to repeal, to set aside, to nullify

Abscond

to leave quickly and secretively

Absolve

to forgive or free from blame

Abstinence

voluntarily refraining from eating certain foods or drink

Abstruse

hard to understand or grasp

Abysmal

extremely wretched, bottomless

Accede

a : to express approval or give consent : to agree to a request or demand, b : to become a party to something (such as an agreement), 2: to enter upon an office or position

Accolade

award or honor, high praise

Accoutrements

personal clothing, accessories, or equipment

Acidulous

sour, ill tempered

Acquiesce

to comply passively, to give in

Acquit

to find not guilty, to conduct oneself

Adjure

to command or urge solemnly and earnestly

Adumbrate

to suggest partly, to give a hint of things to come

Adventitious

accidental

Advocate

to support, or be in favor of

Aegis

protection, patronage

Aesthetic

concerned with or appreciative of beauty

Affinity

sympathy, attraction, kinship

Afflatus

a creative impulse, divine inspiration

Agathism

the belief that things ultimately lead to good

Agenda

Program, things to be done

Aggrandize

to make great or greater, to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of

Aggrieve

to distress, to mistreat

Agnate

from the father's side of the family

Akimbo

having one's hands in a bent position on the hips,

Alacrity

cheerful readiness, liveliness or eagerness

Alchemy

a process of transformation that is seemingly magical

Aleatory

based on chance

Allopathic

relating to or being a system of medicine that aims to combat disease by using remedies (such as drugs or surgery) which produce effects that are different from or incompatible with those of the disease being treated

Allusion

an indirect reference

Altruistic

unselfish concern with the welfare of others

Ambulatory

able to walk or move about

Ameliorate

to make better, to ease or improve

Amnesty

an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law

Ana

a collection of the memorable sayings of a person, a collection of anecdotes or interesting information about a person or a place

Anathema

something or someone loathed or intensely dislike

Ancillary

subsidiary, subordinate

Animosity

ill will, active dislike

Animus

hostile feeling

Anomalous

irregular, abnormal, unusual

Anomie

instability caused by an erosion of value or lack of purpose

Antediluvian

extremely old, antiquated

Antinomy

a contradiction between two seemingly true statements

Antipodal

situated on opposite side of the earth or being exactly opposite

Aphasia

loss of speech

Aphorism

a wise saying

Apocryphal

false, spurious, of doubtful origin

Apoplexy

a stroke resulting from loss of blood of the brain,

Apostasy

the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief or principle.

Appellation

a name or title

Arable

suitable for the growing of crops

Arduous

difficult to do, laborious

Arrant

notoriously without moderation, downright

Arriviste

a social climber, an upstart

Ascetic

denial, austere

Aseptic

surgically clean, free of germs

Assiduous

hardworking, busy, diligent

Assignation

a secret meeting, a tryst, or something assigned

Atrabilious

given to or marked by melancholy, gloomy

Augment

to increase or enlarge

Austere

stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals

Aversion

strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance

Bacchanal

a drunken reveler or orgy

Bailiwick

a particular area of expertise

Banal

commonplace, trite, unoriginal

Banausic

routine, mechanical, boring

Bandy

to toss and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib way

Baroque

extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation

Bathos

a transition from the illustrious to the commonplace, overdone pathos,

Begrudge

to envy another's possessions, to concede reluctantly

Behemoth

something that is enormous, or monstrous in size and power

Belie

to run counter to, to show something as false

Bellicose

having or showing a desire to argue or fight (aggressive)

Bellwether

a person who assumes a leadership role or takes initiative

Benediction

a blessing, a good wish

Benign

gentle, not harmful, kind

Benison

blessing, benediction

Besmirch

to stain or soil( commonly as to reputation )

Bibulous

highly absorbent, given to or fond of alcoholic beverages

Bifurcated

forked, divided into two branches

Bilious

tempered, cranky, angry

Bivouac

a temporary encampment

Blanch

to turn pale

Blithe

happily, lighthearted, joyful

Bon Vivant

someone who enjoys luxurious living

Boondoggle

a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft. The project is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.

Bosky

wooded, covered with trees and shrubs

Botch

to bungle, to foul up

Bowdlerize

to censor prudishly

Bracing

invigorating, to prepare

Braggadocio

arrogant pretension, empty conceit

Broach

to open up a subject for discussion

Brook

to tolerate, to put up with something

Brummagem

bogus, fraudulent, cheap, showy