GRE Vocab

ersatz

synthetic, artificial

~ meat products

mendacious

untruthful, dishonest, or given to telling lies

The politician faced heavy criticism for his ~ promises

nugatory

trifling, worthless

The old law was never enforced and became completely ~

solipsistic

extremely self-centered; relates to solipsism (philosophical theory where a person can only be sure that their own consciousness exists)

newborn babies are perfectly ~

sophomoric

foolish, immature, and intellectually pretentious or overconfident

~jokes

quixotic

extravagantly idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical, often pursuing noble goals without regard for common sense or reality; utopian

Fixing all the world's problems in a single day is a ~ goal

ran the gamut

to cover, experience, or include the entire range or a wide variety of something (gamut = whole range)

Historically, arguments against women’s suffrage ~ from the claim that women would cancel out their husbands’ votes to the charge that women would merely ape their husbands’ preferences, thus making their votes redundant.

run the gauntlet

facing a long, difficult series of risks, criticisms, or attacks from many sides

The celebrity had to ~ of reporters and photographers just to reach the front door

hold the line

stand firm; maintain a position or resist change

The manager told the team they must ~ on spending to keep the budget balanced

ponderous

very heavy, clumsy, massive; unpleasantly dull and boring

slow, ~ gait

~ lecture

cogent

clear, logical, and convincing

The lawyer presented a ~ argument that easily convinced the jury

hoi polloi

ordinary people; general public (negative/snobbish/patronizing tone)

The famous movie star sat in a private room to avoid mingling with the ~

cabal

small, secret group of people who work together to plot or gain power

The political party was run by a ~ of donors and insiders

dulcet

melodious

~ tones of the cello

urbane

polite, refined, and confident in social situations; sophisticated

His ~ manners impressed every guest at the dinner party.

stolid

person who is calm, dependable, and shows little or no emotion, excitement, or interest; stoic

He remained ~ and silent throughout the difficult meeting

ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation

ambivalent

having mixed, contradictory, or simultaneous opposing feelings

equivocal

open to more than one interpretation, often with the intention of hiding the truth or misleading someone

officious

meddlesome; interfering

The ~ clerk insisted on checking every single receipt twice, holding up the entire line

supersede

take the place of something or someone, often because the new thing is better, older, or more modern

This new edition of the textbook will ~ the old one

overtake

to catch up with and pass someone/thing

outstrip

exceed; surpass; transcend; outdo

The fast runner managed to ~ all of his competitors in the final lap

paean

formal tribute, joyous song, or literary work of high praise

the film is a glowing ~ to resilience

poultices

a soft, moist mass of herbs, clay, or other materials—often heated—applied to the skin to ease pain, reduce swelling, or draw out infection

foibles

a minor weakness, quirk, or eccentric habit in someone's character

We chose to laugh at his harmless ~ instead of getting annoyed

peccadilloes

small faults, minor sins, or slight mistakes that are not very serious

Many of those in the art world feel that an acknowledgment of the artist’s ~ would help to humanize the artist and make the art more accessible

prevaricate

to speak in an evasive way

politicians seem to ~

profligate

spending resources recklessly or wastefully

The tech CEO's ~ spending on private jets drove the startup into bankruptcy within a year.

venality

the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption

the vendor was not immune to ~

decorous

characterized by good taste in manners and conduct

Sally’s parties are ~ affairs, and instead of the usual beer and music, there is tea and intellectual conversation

*decorate us

diffident

showing modest reserve; lacking self-confidenct

She was ~ as a young girl

*difficult to be confident

culpability

a state of guilt

The CEO accepted ~ for the financial collapse instead of blaming the employees

*culprit + able

inexorable

impossible to stop or prevent

Aging is an ~ process that happens to everyone

lambast

perfidy

platitude

preclude

recondite

reticent

volubility

elucidate

refractory

supplant