GRE Vocab

abase

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

abash

(v.) to embarrass; to cause to be embarrassed

abate

(v.) to make less active or intense; (v.) to become less in intensity

abdicate

(v.) to give up power

aberration

(n.) the fact or an instance of deviating especially from a moral standard or normal state

abet

(v.) to assist or encourage, often in the case of wrongdoing

abeyance

(n.) a temporary suspension or cessation

abhor

(v.) to find repugnant

abjure

(v.) to reject something; (v.) to retract an oath

aboriginal

(n.) an original inhabitant of any land

abortive

(adj.) imperfectly formed or developed; fruitless or unsuccessful

abscond

(v.) to depart secretly, especially from legal consequences

absolve

(v.) to release from wrongdoing

abstain

(v.) to refrain from engaging in a certain act

abstemious

(adj.) sparing in consumption of, especially in relation to food and drink

abysmal

(adj.) extremely poor or wretched; (adj.) having an immense extension downward, backward, or inward

accede

(v.) to be in accordance with or to agree; (v.) to take office

acclivity

(n.) an upward grade or slope

accolade

(n.) a mark of acknowledgement, an award, (n.) a ceremonial embrace

accoutre

(v.) to provide with military equipment

accretion

(n.) an increase or accumulation brought about naturally; (n.) the process of growth by gradual accumulation

acetic

(adj.) containing or relating to acetic acid; vinegary smell or taste, particularly in relation to wine

acidulous

(adj.) tasting sour, acidic, harsh

acme

(n.) the highest point, peak, or culmination of something

acquiescence

(n.) acceptance without resistance or protest; assent or submission

acquiescent

(adj.) willing to carry out someone else's orders or wishes without any protest or dissent; (adj.) submissive

actuate

(v.) to trigger a reaction or to move and incite to action; (v.) to carry out or perform

adhere

(v.) to be in accordance with or compatible with; to carry out a plan without deviation

adipose

(adj.) of or relating to animal fat

admonish

(v.) to warn against gently and seriously; (v.) to give earnest advice or encouragement

adulterate

(v.) to corrupt or debase by adding a foreign substance; (adj.) mixed with impurities

adumbration

(n.) a vague foreshadowing

adversity

(n.) a state of affliction or misfortune; extreme challenge or hardship

advert

(v.) to turn the mind or attention to; (v.) to make a subversive or overt reference to

aerie

(n.) a lofty nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk

aesthetic

(adj.) relating to beauty or good taste

affable

(adj.) exemplifying warmth and friendliness; (adj.) gracious and mild

affiliation

(n.) association in or with a professional or societal group

affinity

(n.) a close connection marked by shared interests or similarities; likeness based on relationship or causal connection

affray

(n.) a noisy fight or quarrel; the act of disturbing someone; fear or fright

agape

(adj.) with the mouth wide open due to wonder or awe; (n.) unconditional love

aggrandize

(v.) to add details to; to increase in power; (v.) to make something appear exceedingly great or exalted

aghast

(adj.) struck with fear, disgust, dismay

agnostic

(adj.) uncertain of all claims relating to knowledge; (n.) a person who doubts the truth of religion

agrarian

(adj.) agricultural or relating to farms and agriculture, fields or lands; (n.) a person in favor of an equal division of property

alacrity

(n.) cheerful readiness, promptness, eagerness

alchemy

(n.) a forerunner of chemistry, originating from the medieval era; (n.) the manner in which two individuals relate to each other

allay

(v.) to calm; to quench, particularly in terms of thirst

aloof

(adj.) to be somewhat at a distance or apart from a crowd; detached or reserved in mannerisms

amalgamation

(n.) the action or process or result of uniting or merging two or more things

ameliorate

(v.) to make an unpleasant situation better or more bearable

amenable

(adj.) willing to comply; (adj.) responsible to a higher authority

amortize

(v.) to gradually liquidate; to clear off or extinguish, particularly in relation to a debt

anachronism

(n.) something located during a time when it could not have actually existed or occurred; (n.) an artifact that belongs to a different time period; (n.) a person displaced in time

analgesia

(n.) the absence of the sense of pain, but with consciousness still in tact

anesthetic

(adj.) characterized by a lack of sensibility; (n.) a drug that temporarily causes loss of bodily sensations

animus

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

antipathy

(n.) a strong feeling of hostility or dislike

aplomb

(n.) poise (n.) self-confidence

apostate

(n.) a person who has abandoned his or her political party, religion, or cause

ardor

(n.) a feeling of strong eagerness or enthusiasm; an intense feeling of love; (n.) feelings of warmth and affection

arraign

(v.) to command a prisoner or free person accused of a crime to appear in court to answer a charge

arrant

(adj.) extreme without moderation in a negative or derogatory way

artifice

(n.) a clever trick; (n.) skill or cunningness

asceticism

(n.) the practice of strict self-denial as a measure of personal and spiritual discipline

ascribe

(v.) to attribute to; (v.) to assign a quality or characteristic

askance

(v.) to regard with suspicion or disapproval; (v) to view with a side-glance

askew

(adj.) turned or twisted toward one side

assail

(v.) to violently attack; to criticize; (v.) to cause trouble to

assuage

(v.) to make something less intense or severe; (v.) to satisfy or appease, to pacify or calm

astringent

(adj.) causing the contraction of body tissue; severe or harsh; (n.) an drug or lotion that draws pores together and

astute

(adj.) rapid to apprehend or understand

atrocity

(n.) a behavior, event or incident that is characterized by cruelty and wickedness; (n.) an act of extreme cruelty

attrition

(n.) a constant wearing down caused by friction; (n.) a gradual decrease in strength, due to consistent stressful conditions; a gradual reduction in membership or personnel; (n.) repentance for a sin, motivated by the fear of God and punishment

augury

(n.) the practice of interpreting omens or signs to predict the future

austere

(adj.) lacking adornment or decoration; (adj.) stern, in terms of character or disposition

avatar

(n.) a graphical or physical representation of an entity or concept; (n.) the animal or human incarnation of a deity

aver

(v.) to officially assert as a fact; (v.) to justify, qualify or prove

avouch

(v.) to attest to or declare the validity of; (v.) to confirm; to accept responsibility for an action; to confess

avow

(v.) to openly acknowledge; (v.) to positive and undoubtedly profess

axiom

(n.) a universally recognized truth; (n.) a seemingly self-evident principle

baleful

(adj.) harmful, threatening or deadly

baneful

(adj.) causing distress, death or ruin

batten

(n.) a sawed strip of wood or flooring; (v.) to fasten canvas over hatches, especially in preparation for a storm; (v.) to grow fat

bauble

(n.) a showy but worthless object

beleaguer

(v.) to besiege by encircling; to harass or beset with difficulties

benison

(n.) a benediction or blessing

berate

(v.) to severely rebuke or scold; (v.) to criticize, slate

bestial

(adj.) beast-like in behavior, brutish

biennial

(adj.) occurring every two years; (adj.) lasting or living for two years

billingsgate

(n.) abuse, foul or vulgar language

bivouac

(n.) a temporary encampment (usually of military soldiers)

blandish

(v.) to flatter, coax or persuade

brusque

(adj.) abrupt and rough use of language or manner of speech

bumptious

(adj.) arrogant, excessively conceited, forward

burlesque

(n.) mockery, parody usually by caricature

burnish

(v.) to polish or to make shiny

calumniate

(v.) to make false and malicious statements about

candor

(n.) the quality of being open, honest, straightforward; (n.) freedom from bias

canter

(n.) an easy-going gallop; (v.) to move or ride at a canter