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

criticize severely or angrily

The angry coach decided to ~ the team in the locker room for their poor performance

perfidy

an act of deliberate betrayal; a breach of trust

*per (perverted) fid (faith/loyalty/fidelity)

platitude

preclude

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

*pre (before) clude (to close) - to close before or shut off in advance

The manager locked the gate to ~ the possibility of people entering undetected.

recondite

obscure, abstruse, or difficult to understand

I found Ulysses ~.

*I can only reckon (guess) it

reticent

volubility

elucidate

refractory

supplant

inchoate

partially formed; incipient; rudimentary

She had an ~ sense that something was wrong

rococo

highly or excessively ornamented

Her writing style is too ~, filled with unnecessary words and complex metaphors.

garish

unpleasantly bright, overly showy, or glaringly colorful in bad taste

My aunt wore ~ jewelry to casual events.

categorical

absolute and leaving no room for exceptions

She gave a ~ “no.”

heterodox

unorthodox, contrary to generally accepted opinion

*hetero (different) orthodox

Her ~ approach to teaching science initially surprised her more traditional colleagues.

malign

cruel; to say unfair, unpleasant, or false things about someone to damage their reputation

*malignant (tumor)

The dictator had a ~ influence on the country.

She felt ~ed by the false rumors in the gossip column.

expatiate

to speak or write at length

*ex paid she ate - food critic who is paid to write long, detailed reviews after she ate a fancy meal

commodious

spacious and roomy

*space that accomodates many people

histrionic

dramatic, theatrical, or excessively emotional

*hysteria

extemporaneous

improvised; done without preparation

*ex (outside) of time (temporal)

pusillanimous

cowardly, timid, or lacking courage

*pussy

reprehensible

deserving of disapproval

The company's decision to dump toxic waste into the local river was completely ~.

rapacious

greedy; predatory

*rape

terpsichorean

relating to dance

*Terpsichore was the Muse of dance and chorus in Greek mythology

odious

distasteful

~ odor

somniferous

causing or inducing sleep

*somnia (not INsomnia)

analeptic

drug or substance that stimulates the central nervous system to increase energy, improve alertness, or ease breathing; stimulant

beleaguered

troubled

*league where every team captain red-carded or constantly harassed you with problems, leaving you beleaguered

sepulcher

tomb

ossuary

tomb

superannuated

old, outdated, or no longer useful because of age

*super+annual (age)

subterranean

*sub (below) terra (earth)

City life becomes almost ~ during winter, as pedestrians are driven off the streets into the underground tunnels that link many buildings

unflappable

staying calm, relaxed, and steady, even during difficult, stressful, or chaotic situations

*word comes from 20th-century British slang, where a "flap" meant a state of panic or commotion

The veteran nurse remained ~ during the emergency room rush.

prevaricator

liar, hypocrite, or someone who speaks evasively to avoid telling the truth

perjury

the offense of willfully telling a untruth in a court after having taken an oath

*presenting a perverted truth to the jury

philanderer

man who has casual, unfaithful sexual or romantic relationships with many women

*phil (love) and (man) / Phil the philanderer

remonstrator

someone who protests, complains, or argues against something

*monster who grumbles because he has to redo chores

Machiavellian

cunning, devious, ruthless

Faustian

Done for present gain without regard for future consequences; sacrificing moral integrity or spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material wealth

*Faust bargained away his soul

Herculean

of extraordinary power or intensity

*Hercules was known for physical strength

surreptitious

secret, stealthy, or done by creeping around to avoid notice

*suspicious and surreptitious go hand in hand

usury

excessively high interest rate paid on a loan (loan sharking)

*usurer uses and abuses

candor

open and honest in speech and attitude

*candle that shines light on truth

renege

to go back on a promise or break a commitment

*sounds very close to renegade (a traitor or person who deserts a group). A renegade breaks away from their team, just like one reneges by breaking away from a deal

bravado

fake bravery (all talk no action)

bravura

impressive, showy skill and daring, especially in an artistic performance

*brave + aura

ludicruous

ridiculous, foolish

*lewd/silly

condign

well-deserved, fitting, appropriate (usually of a punishment)

The prison sentence was ~ in the eyes of the jury.

*A convict gets a dignified/fitting punishment that they truly deserve

meet

fitting; well-deserved

The prison sentence was ~ in the eyes of the jury.

clement

merciful; mild

*clement clementine

hyperbole

exaggeration, embellishment

a figure of speech that uses obvious, extreme exaggeration to make a point, show strong feelings, or add humor. It is not meant to be taken literally.

hyperbole example: I am so hungry I could eat a horse

hauteur

overbearing pride, arrogance, or a haughty manner of treating others as inferiors

*haughty

She walked into the room with such ~ that she didn't even acknowledge the waiter.

cynosure

a person or thing that is the center of attention, admiration, or guidance

During the gala, the bride's stunning dress made her the ~ of all eyes.

insouciant

showing a casual lack of concern, being carefree, or remaining unbothered by things that normally worry others

*insouciant about soup

Her ~ attitude toward the looming deadline frustrated her stressed-out colleagues

piquant

spicy, zesty; intellectually engaging and provocative

*picante

Beyond food, the mystery novel offered a ~ riddle for the readers to solve.

recreant

cowardly; unfaithful

*ant that recreates excuses because it’s cowardly

He was dishonorably discharged from the armed forces for his ~ behavior.

dilatorily

causing delay

astringent

foods that cause a puckery mouthfeel

lackadaisical

lazy

punctilious

paying extreme, meticulous attention to minor details, rules, or etiquette, often to the point of being fussy

*finicky about punctuality

prosaic

dull, ordinary, or lacking imaginative appeal

*prose is prosaic compared to poetry

aggrandize

to increase the power, wealth, status, or scope of someone or something—often by exaggerating importance or achievement

The corrupt politician tried to ~ his personal wealth by misusing public funds

vituperating

speak abusively

buffeting

relentless, repeated physical blows

*people buffeting (shoving and elbowing) each other violently out of the way at the buffet

insurgent

rebel or someone who rises up against an established government or authority

*in (against) surge (rise or swell up) - to rise against authority

abiding

enduring; continuing without change

*Throughout his life, music was his ~ passion