GRE VOCAB: "A" + "B"

Abate (v)

to lessen in intensity or degree

1. We realized with great relief that the storm had abated before breaking through the sea wall.

2. Attempts by the administration to abate the intensity of the controversy were mostly unsuccessful; it continued to consume everyone’s attention.

abatement

a lessening in amount or degree

1. The city’s new noise abatement plan targeted live music venues, but many people felt the focus should be on decreasing the number of low flying airplanes passing over the city.

Aberrant (adj)

deviating from the norm

1. Jim’s aberrant behavior at the dance raised some eyebrows; he was certainly the only one who spent the night walking (and dancing) on his hands.

Aberration

someone or something aberrant (deviating from the norm)

1. The D Jenny received on the chemistry test was just an aberration, since she has received only A’s the rest of the semester.

Abjure (v)

to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid

1. The reformed socialite abjured her former lifestyle and all those with whom she had previously associated.

   1. Steve had to abjure all indulgence when he entered the training camp.

Abrogate (v)

to abolish or annul by authority; put down

1. The court ruling abrogated the defendant’s rights to any profit from the sale of the house.

2. Darren abrogated his responsibility to the paper when he went on vacation without submitting his article before the deadline.

Abscission (n)

act of cutting off or removing. Can also mean the actual cut itself.

1. Dr. Carter recommended an immediate abscission of the abscess in order to minimize any further infection

Abscise

to cut off or remove

1. When she called for the resignation of key legislators ,the congresswoman claimed that it was the only way to abscise the corruption before it spread.

Abscond (v)

to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide

1. Doug was left penniless when the two con men absconded with his life savings.

2. Raccoons are notorious for absconding and hiding shiny objects; no one knows why they need all those spoons and watches, though.

Abstain (v)

to refrain from an activity

1. Sheryl chose to abstain form eating chocolate, her favorite treat, for the season of Lent.

Abstinence

the act of abstaining (to refrain from an activity)

1. The old health textbook recommended abstinence from sexual activity as the primary means of birth control.

Abstemious

marked by moderation, particularly where food and drink are concerned

1. Though some regard the diet as a fad, in fact it recommends some very traditional habits, such as consuming sugar and alcohol abstemiously.

Abstruse (adj)

hard to understand

1. While the book received great praise in academic circles, it was too abstruse for the average person to comprehend.

2. Her research paper contained a number of abstruse arguments that only those well-versed in her field would understand.

Accolade (n)

an expression of praise; an award

1. The diva received her accolades graciously, blowing kisses to her adoring fans.

2. Doris so craved her coaches accolades that she showed up an hour early to every practice.

Accretion (n)

Growth, increase by successive addition, build up

1. Limestone is formed by the accretion of tiny particles from objects such as shells and coral over a very, very long time.

2. The accretion of dirt has changed the color of the kitchen floor from white to brown, which is pretty disgusting.

Acerbic (adj)

having a sour or bitter taste or character

1. Dorothy Parker was famous for her wit, which could be quite acerbic; Parker could be devastating when she wanted to be.

2. I like my lemonade with very little sugar in it; the acerbic tang is refreshing when the weather’s warm.

Acumen (n)

quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight

1. The media often comments on the CEO’s business acumen, remarking on his company’s financial successes, but I think his fashion sense is much more interesting.

2. Her acumen in anticipating her opponent’s strategy is legendary; it’s what makes her so hard to beat.

Admonish (v)

to reprove; to express warning or disapproval

1. How many times has your roommate admonished you to put the toilet seat down?

admonition + admonitory

admonition: a warning or a scolding

admonitory: expressing warning or disapproval

1. He tried to admonish us not to open the secret passageway, but his admonition fell on deaf ears. Man, were we sorry we hadn’t listened to him when all the monsters came rushing out!

2. Dad’s admonitory tone made us feel guilty about ruining our appetites with pre-dinner cookies.

adroit (adj)

adept, dexterous

1. Karl had always been an adroit manipulator; even when he was a kid he could get people to do what he wanted.

2. Although he adroit handling of the situation minimized the damage, nothing could really save the conference after the room flooded.

3. Since he is ambidextrous, he is equally adroit at shooting marbles with either hand.

Maladroit

clumsy or bungling

1. Adam Sandler was able to make a career out of playing maladroit characters.

Adulation (n)

excessive praise; intense adoration

1. Taylor Swift is the object of much adolescent adulation.

2. Samuel had taken his little brother’s adulation for granted until his brother grew four inches taller and was no longer as easily impressed.

Adulator

someone who shows excessive admiration or devotion

Adulterate (v)

to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

1. There was a huge scandal when customers discovered that the health food store had been adulterating the wheat grass juice with clippings from the front lawn.

2. In an effort to determine why the house’s foundation was crumbling, the inspectors tested the concrete to see if it had been improperly adulterated when it was mixed.

Unadulterated

pure

1. I could tell that what her used car salesman was saying was one hundred percent pure, unadulterated hogwash.

Adumbrate (v)

to foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest, or outline sketchily

1. The possibilities for further cooperation between the two parties were adumbrated at the first, private meeting, but nothing was finalized until much later.

2. The first volume of the trilogy only adumbrates the basics of the story that will be developed in the next two books.

Advocate (v)

to argue for or support a cause

1. Though the senator did not openly advocate for the bill, he voted for it because he thought it would save him some face among his critics

Aesthetic (adj)

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

1. Many people say they see no aesthetic value in some modern artwork, claiming the pieces look like a kindergartner’s finger painting.

2. Her finely tuned aesthetic sensibilities made it very painful for her to be around so much baby blue polyester.

Aggrandize (v)

to increase in intensity, power, or prestige; to make appear greater

1. Michael’s attempts to aggrandize his achievements produced the exact opposite effect; everyone ended up thinking he had accomplished less than he really had. in other words, he would have been better off without the self-aggrandizing.

2. The multi-million dollar advertising campaign was part of a plan to aggrandize the company’s stock before it went public.

Alacrity (n)

eager and enthusiastic willingness

1. Amy responded to the invitation to join the planning committee with alacrity, and even volunteered to take on additional responsibilities.

2. The alacrity with which Calvin offered to do the dishes made his mother suspicious; usually he would only do chores kicking and screaming.

Alchemy (n)

a magical or wonderful transformation

1. The remarkable alchemy among the cast members made watching the familiar and sometimes boring play into a completely new experience.

Alloy (v)

to commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior

1. Alloying the punch with prune juice turned out not to be such a good idea after all

alloy (noun): the mixture itself, as in an alloy between sitcom and game show.

Unalloyed

pure

1. The reviewer described the movie as an unalloyed pleasure, saying it was the first film in years in which every single minute was worth watching.

Amalgamate (v)

to combine several elements into a whole

1. A griffin, theoretically at least, is an amalgamation of an eagle and a lion into one mean-looking mythical creature.

2. It makes sense that the metal used in fillings is called in amalgam since it is a combination of mercury and silver.

Ambiguity (n)

uncertainty in meaning

1. The ambiguity of the poem’s title allows scholars to interpret it many different ways

Ambivalence (n)

the quality of having opposing ideas or feelings

1. Nikki’s ambivalence about the job offer was apparent; on one hand, the money and benefits would be better than at her current job, but on the other, she didn’t want to risk losing the wonderful work environment she already had.

Ameliorate (v)

To make better or more tolerable

1. Jonas was sure that nothing could ameliorate the taste of beets; brussels sprouts, on the other hand, could be made quite palatable with the introduction of plenty of butter.

2. All attempts to ameliorate the relationship between the long-standing adversaries seemed futile; they were as hostile toward one another as ever.

Amenable (adj)

Agreeable; responsive to suggestion

1. If you’re amenable, let’s go for a walk before lunch.

2. The actress was known for being amenable to direction, which made her a favorite of directors.

Anachronism (n)

Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

1. The wristwatch worn by one of the characters in the period movie set in Rome in 25 B.C. was just one of the many anachronisms that spoiled the movie’s credibility.

2. Mr. Jones’ students felt his insistence on strict classroom discipline was an anachronism and that he should “get with the times.”

Anathema (n)

A solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing

1. He was an anathema to his entire town once it was revealed that he had been a secret police informant.

2. The percepts of eugenics became almost universally anathema around the world once the horrors of World War II began to be revealed.

3. Hearing the anathema pronounced against her filled her with foreboding.

Anodyne (adj)

Soothing

1. Don’t you agree that nothing is quite so anodyne as a long soak in a bubble bath?

2. I’ve also found that its anodyne effect can be enhanced by some good music and a glass of wine.

Anodyne (n): something that assuages or allays pains, or comforts

1. After such a hectic week, Casey very much looked forward to the anodyne of a relaxing weekend of camping at the lake.

Anomaly (n)

Deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality

1. Pickles for sale in a tire store would be an anomaly; tires for sale in a pickle store would be equally weird.

2. The anomalous results the scientist received the third time she ran the experiment made her question her initial hypothesis, since she couldn’t find any other reason for the deviation from her prior results.

Antagonize (v)

To irritate or cause hostility

1. Alonzo constantly antagonized his younger sister by stealing her lunch money and refusing to give it back.

Antipathy (n)

Aversion, dislike

1. Sam very clearly expresses his antipathy toward certain breakfast foods in the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham.

2. Her longstanding antipathy toward her boss was tempered with at least a little gratitude after she received her big raise and promotion.

Antipathetic

Showing a strong aversion

1. He was completely antipathetic to any new ideas, especially any that might suggest that his way wasn’t the best way. I’ve never met such a closed-minded person.

Antithetical (adj)

Diametrically opposed, as in antithesis

1. I couldn’t help but feel that he always deliberately expressed a position antithetical to mine, as if he enjoyed playing devil’s advocate even more than he cared about expressing what he really thought.

2. Nothing could be more antithetical to the spirit of sportsmanship than point shaving.

Antithesis

the opposite of something

1. The antithesis of poverty is wealth.

Apathy (n)

Lack of interest or feeling

1. There was such a pervading air of apathy in the high school that most clubs were shut down due to lack of interest.

Apathetic (adj)

adjective form of apathy

1. Though my pipes have been leaking for days, my landlord is so apathetic that he hasn’t answered any of my phone calls or come by to fix anything.

Apocryphal (adj)

Of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious

1. Most people believe that stories of alien abduction are apocryphal, but what if there really is a big government conspiracy and all those stories are true?

2. My favorite urban myth is the one about the fate of Little Mikey swallowing pop rocks and then drinking soda. I know it’s apocryphal, but I still think it pays to be careful.

Apogee (n)

Farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith

1. No one could have foreseen that receiving the Pulitzer Prize at the age of eighteen would be the apogee of his career, and that nothing he produced afterward would achieve any kind of critical success.

Perigee

The lowest or closest point, or the nadir

1. The moon is at apogee when it is at its farthest point away from the earth in its orbit; it is at perigee is when it is closest to earth.

Apostate (n)

One who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of a cause

1. Jordan was an apostate of modern culture; he renounced all the trappings of modern life that he used to love, and went to live in a cave.

2. His fellow party members were shocked when Fred became an apostate, running for office on his former opponent’s ticket.

Apotheosis (n)

Deification, glorification to godliness, the perfect example

1. The apotheosis of technology in modern society seems to be reaching new highs; computers and gadgets are practically worshipped by consumers.

2. She is the apotheosis of nurturing motherhood; she makes soup for sick friends, nurses wounded birds, and listens to everyone’s problems.

Apposite (adj)

Appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apropos

1. His choice of songs for the opening ceremony was entirely apposite; everyone agreed that it was perfectly suited to the event.

2. The fact that she hasn’t called for two weeks is hardly apposite to whether she’s going to call me today, since she hadn’t read my amazing love poem before.

Apprise (v)

Give notice to, inform

1. The officer apprised Chris of his rights before questioning him.

2. The shipping department left a message to apprise me of the status of the shipment, letting me know it was scheduled to arrive the following day.

Approbation (n)

An expression of approval or praise

1. Providing approbation for good behavior is the best way to train puppies; the praise is particularly effective when accompanied by treats.

2. The judges expressed their approbation of Stephen’s performance by awarding him the gold medal.

Approbate (v)

To approve something officially

Disapprobation

an expression of disapproval

Appropriate (v)

To take for one’s own use, confiscate

1. As they passed through the town, both armies appropriated housing, food, and ammunition from the town’s residents. Whatever hadn’t been taken by the first was taken by the second, leaving the inhabitants with insufficient resources to survive the coming winter.

2. My friend Oscar is a natural mimic; he unintentionally appropriates the mannerisms of others until it’s impossible to tell which ones are his own.

Arabesque (n)

Complex, ornate design

1. A beautiful arabesque of fruits and flowers surrounded the central pattern of the print

also: a position in ballet, and sometimes used metaphorically in this sense.

1. Her assistants performed an arabesque of practiced efficiency around her as she prepared for the press conference.

Arcane (adj)

Mysterious, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates

1. Elizabeth was a font of arcane knowledge; she could tell you not only the names of the pets of every cabinet member of every administration, but also how many gumballs are produced annually.

2. Knowledge of the arcane secrets of any bureaucracy is always restricted to those who work within it. They’re the only ones who know how to fill out the forms, too

Arcana

deep secrets (singular: arcanum— but it’s almost always used in the plural)

Archaic (adj)

Outdated; associated with an earlier perhaps more primitive time

1. Geoff’s archaic leisure suit looked like it had been in storage for thirty years, and it probably should have stayed there.

2. The archaic instruments used in the village clinic shocked the visiting physicians.

Arduous (adj)

Strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort

1. This is the third time since she got here that Grandpa’s told us the story of his arduous trips to and from school when he was a kid— uphill in the snow both ways.

2. Learning all these vocab words may seem like an arduous task, but if you just learn a few a day, it will be a piece of cake, I promise.

Arrant (adj)

Impudent; in every way, being completely such, bare-faced, utter

1. Don Juan’s arrant philandering made him a legend. He seemed to have had the ability to turn many of his admirers into arrant fools.

Arrest (v)

To suspend; to engage

1. Sometime I think my brother’s emotional development was arrested at a young age; he often acts like a five year old.

2. My attention was immediately arrested by the view; a breathtaking panorama of mountains and lakes that had me completely mesmerized.

Arresting

Holding one’s attention

1. It was a most arresting portrait; there was a crowd of people staring at it for hours.

Articulate (v)

To enunciate or pronounce clearly; to express oneself clearly

1. The new radio announcer could not be understood because he had not yet learned to articulate his words clearly

As an adjective, articulate is used to describe someone who can articulate ideas clearly.

1. Though she was just six years old; Misha presented a cogent and articulate argument for why she should receive an allowance.

Artless (adj)

Completely without guile; natural, without artificiality

1. Her artless portrayal of the young ingénue charmed the critics, who all commented on her fresh, unaffected performance.

Artful

The opposite of Artless (completely without guile; natural, without artificiality)

1. The Artful Dodger was a cunning pickpocket in Dickens’s Oliver Twist.

Artful can also mean showing art or skill, and artless can mean without skill, but the definitions above are the ones more likely to be tested on the GRE.

Ascetic (n)

One who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion

1. A true ascetic would be able to resist eating these chocolate éclairs, which is why I know I’m not an ascetic.

Ascetic can also be an adjective, meaning austere or stark.

1. His ascetic lifestyle was indistinguishable form that of a monk.

2. In keeping with Larry’s ascetic taste in home furnishings, the only place to sit was the floor, which didn’t even have a rug.

Asceticism

The adherence to or belief in ascetic (one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion) practices

Asperity (n)

Severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability

1. The asperity of her response to his pleas for leniency suggested that there was no chance she would be ending his detention any time in the next three months.

2. The asperity of a northern winter can lead to serious depression.

Aspersion (n)

An act of defamation or maligning

1. Pete resented the aspersions cast by his opponent, who called Pete a low-down, no good snake who didn’t eat his vegetables.

2. She had to resort to aspersions when she realized her argument wouldn’t hold up against close scrutiny.

Assiduous (adj)

Diligent, hardworking

1. Pedro’s assiduous preservation of every fragment of the document that had survived eventually allowed him to reconstruct whole stanzas of the poem.

2. Carla was an assiduous note-taker. She wrote down almost every word of each of her professor’s lectures.

Assuage (v)

To ease or lessen; to appease or pacify

1. Convincing her that it was all the rage in Paris helped assuage Christine’s fears about painting her walls chartreuse.

2. Ken was able to assuage the pain of his headache by lying in a dark room with a damp cloth over his eyes.

Astringent (adj)

Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe

1. Although she hadn’t intended to be quite so harsh, Kayla’s astringent remarks apparently made the board drop the proposal altogether.

2. Witch hazel is a mild astringent that is sometimes applied to the face.

Attenuate (v)

To rarefy, weaken or make thinner, lessen

1. Copper’s highly ductile nature allows it to be attenuated to a thin filament without breaking, and makes it a useful material for wiring.

2. The atmosphere at the top of Mt. Everest is so attenuated that climbers must carry oxygen with them in order to breathe for any length of time.

3. The endless discussion attenuated the point until everyone lost interest in it.

Audacious (adj)

Daring and fearless; recklessly bold

1. Liz is an audacious mountain climber who goes where few of her competitors dare to follow.

2. No matter how audacious a cartoon villain’s plan for world domination may be, there always seems to be hero waiting to foil it.

Audacity

The quality of being audacious (daring and fearless; recklessly bold)

1. His friends were surprised by Lewis’s audacity; he just went up to the podium and started speaking, even though he wasn’t on the program for the evening.

Augury (n)

Omen, portent, the reading of omens

1. Augury in ancient Rome and other societies was performed largely by interpreting the flight of birds.

2. His first attempts at glassblowing gave little augury of the skill he would later develop with practice.

August (adj)

Majestic, venerable

1. The august presence of the pharaohs endures through the millennia, embodied in their massive tombs.

2. Despite his simple dress and advanced years, the august politician managed to convey a sense of dignity and subtle power.

Auspice (n)

Protection or support, patronage

1. As long as we were working under the auspices of the local authorities, the villagers were extremely cooperative; once we headed out on our way, however, we found that no one wanted to talk to us.

Auspice can also mean sign or portent.

1. Since the auspices seemed good, we decided to go ahead and buy thirty lottery tickets.

Auspicious (adj)

Favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous

1. The sold-out opening night and standing ovation from the audience provided an auspicious beginning for the play’s run on Broadway.

2. Weddings are generally considered auspicious occasions; you can tell by all the toasting and well-wishing that goes on.

Austere (adj)

Without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic

1. The building’s austere façade gave no indication of the rich ornamentation inside.

2. Lincoln’s often austere appearance reflected the somber, grave side of his personality, but not his sense of humor.

3. The austerity of her writing style can make it seem as if her meaning is similarly simple, but she is actually known for the subtle complexity of her ideas.

Austerity can also mean rigid economy. If used in this sense, it is often followed by measures.

1. The prime minister imposed austerity measures in an attempt to stop the country’s downward economic spiral.

Avarice (n)

Greed, especially for wealth

1. Her avarice for power was matched only by her lust for money; even when she had more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime; she schemed to get still more.

2. King Midas’ avarice led him to wish for the power to turn everything he touched to gold; we know how well that worked out for him.

Avaricious

Greedy

1. Even though the jury decided in favor of the plaintiff, it awarded very little in the way of punitive damages; the jurors apparently felt the request for 40 million dollars was avaricious.

Aver (v)

To state as a fact; to confirm or support

1. When the suspect solemnly averred that he had been on another planet when the burglary occurred, the investigators didn’t know whether he meant it literally or figuratively, but they could tell he meant it.

2. Although Michele averred that she would never be late again, her friends remained understandably skeptical.

Axiom (n)

A universally recognized principle; a generally accepted or common saying

1. It is an axiom of the American legal system that one is innocent until proven guilty.

2. It is hardly surprising that every field has its axioms, which are universally held within the discipline; what can be surprising is how often they are mutually incompatible when compared across fields.

adjective form: axiomatic

Axiomatic (adj)

Generally accepted or taken as a given

1. In this society, we take it as axiomatic that individual merit rather than family name should be the basis for success in life.

2. Nowadays it is axiomatic that most contagious diseases are caused by microscopic organisms, but it wasn’t long ago that most people thought these diseases were caused by everything from harmful vapors to personality traits.

Baleful (adj)

Sinister, pernicious, ominous

1. The basilisk is a notoriously cranky, albeit mythical, creature whose baleful glare is fatal.

Looks, glances, and glares are more often baleful than anything else is, but other things can be baleful too.

1. A sort of baleful miasma lingered in the room after the infamous Sir Evildoer departed in a swirl of black and red cape.

Bane (n)

Cause of injury, source of harm; source of persistent frustration

1. Even for those who recognize that smoking is far more of a bane than a benefit, quitting can be a struggle.

2. Paolo’s little sister was the bane of his existence; she followed him everywhere and told their mom whenever he did anything he wasn’t supposed to.

Baneful

Causing harm or ruin, pernicious, destructive

1. The baneful effect of the curfew on my social life cannot be overestimated.

Beatify (v)

To bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly

1. She was described in such a glowing way; every single quality she possessed was beatified.

Beatitude and beatific

Beatitude: a state of bliss

Beatific: having a blissful appearance

His beatific smile could only mean that he had just eaten some exceptionally good sushi.

Bedizen (v)

To adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner; festoon, caparison

1. The speakeasy was bedizened with every manner of tawdry decoration.

2. Sophie the cow came wandering home after the festival, bedizened with a wreath of flowers over each horn and somewhat the worse for wear.

Begule (v)

To influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; to mislead

1. He used a fake identity to beguile the investigators

2. In 2000, mortgage lenders beguiled a number of individuals into buying homes they could ill afford by offering misleading lending terms.

Belie (v)

To give a false impression of, to misrepresent

1. Carlos’s disapproving countenance was belied by the twinkle in his eye, making it hard to believe that he was angry at all.

2. Gabriela’s seeming clumsiness belied her true grace as a dancer.