gre vocab

Abound

be present in large quantities

Amorphous

Lacking structure, unclear

Austere

(1) (of a person): strict and stern in character

(2) (of living conditions): lacking luxury, extremely harsh

Belie

Give a false impression of; mask

Capricious

Having varying moods; fickle

Cerebral

(1) related to the brain

(2) intellectual; focused on learning rather than emotion

Congenial

(1) (of a person) likable and friendly, often due to shared interests

(2) (of a thing) enjoyable because it aligns with one's tendencies

Conspicuous

Easily noticed; obvious

Cursory

Lacking effort; without care

Daunting

scary or frightening; (of a task) seeming impossible

Deify

look up to someone or something as a god

Didactic

Meant for teaching; educational, sometimes in a condescending manner

Disseminate

Distribute or circulate broadly

Feasible

Likely to be achieved; practical

Flout

Break a rule without guilt

Homogeneous

Composed of similar parts; alike

Humdrum

Boring; unlikely to excite

Insipid

Without flavor; lacking energy

Loquacious

Likely to talk a lot; wordy

Misanthropic

having a distaste for humans and society

Misnomer

A misleading or inaccurate name

Negligent

Lacking care or attention

Obsequious

Extremely submissive to authority

Placate

Decrease someone's anger or other negative emotion

Proclivity

A fondness or liking for something

Puerile

Immature and childish

Quixotic

Excessively visionary; infeasible

Spendthrift

someone who spends money recklessly

Taciturn

Of few words; speaking little

Wary

Exercising caution; careful

Adulterate

Damage the quality of; corrupt

Advocate

(1) to support; to be in favor of

(2) someone who supports a cause, organization, or person

Aggrandize

enhance one's power or standing

Alacrity

Eagerness to do something

Ambivalent

Having conflicting emotions; unsure

Ameliorate

improve a bad feeling or situation

Amenable

(1) (of a person) receptive to change; open

(2) (of a thing) responsive to

Anachronistic

of the wrong time or era; out of date

Audacious

(1) bold, unafraid of taking risks

(2) rude; exhibiting disrespect

Avaricious

greedy; always wanting more

Banal

Unoriginal and dull; lacking creativity

Benign

(1) harmless, having little effect

(2) (of a person's character) kindhearted; nice

Brazen

Shameless; excessively forward

Calumny

slander, defamation

Candid

honest, without deception

Castigate

Scold someone harshly

Caustic

(1) (of speech) hostile and bitter

(2) (of a chemical) corrosive, acidic

Construe

understand something subjectively

Contrite

feeling regretful or guilty

Convoluted

difficult to understand, complicated

Covet

Strongly desire, yearn for, crave

Craven

lacking bravery; weak-kneed

Decorum

politeness, correct behavior

Deft

Highly proficient; skilled

Demur

(1) hesitate or object; express doubt

(2) hesitation

Derivative

Based on someone else's work (often in a negative sense)

Desiccate

dry out; remove all moisture

Diatribe

an angry rant; verbal abuse

Incredulous

doubtful; disbelieving

Ingenuous

Naive; lacking experience

Abate

Decrease in intensity; lessen

Abjure

Strongly reject (an idea); forgo

Anomalous

Differing from what is normal; atypical

Antipathy

Profound hostility or hatred

Arcane

Comprehended by very few people; secret

Arduous

Very challenging; needing great effort

Artless

(1) naive; inexperienced

(2) plan and simple

(3) lacking skill

Ascetic

(1) (of a lifestyle) very strict and lacking luxury

(2) someone who adopts an ascetic lifestyle (hermit, recluse)

Assuage

1. Decrease a negative feeling

2. Fulfill a certain desire

Betray

unknowingly disclose or reveal

Bucolic

Associated with tranquil rural life

Burgeon

Quickly increase or grow; skyrocket

Cacophonous

extremely noisy; grating

Canonize

treat like a god; deeply venerate

Censure

strongly criticize or disapprove

Chicanery

Using deception to attain a certain goal

Coalesce

Bring elements together; unite

Cogent

Persuasive and clear; compelling

Compelling

1. persuasive and clear

2. attracting interest; fascinating

Contend

1. Argue a certain point of view; assert

2. Compete

3. Struggle or attempt to overcome something

Copious

Existing in great supply; abundant

Cosmopolitan

1. (Of a city) highly diverse

2. (Of a person) sophisticated and urbane

Deference

High regard and respect; esteem