GRE Group 6

admonish

reprimand someone firmly, with the goal of improving their behavior

“The coach admonished the players for arriving late to practice.”

think of “abolish”

aesthetic

concerned with beauty

affectation

pretentious, done just for show (pretentious)

think affection vs affectation (not coming from the heart)

Her posh British accent is just an affectation because she grew up in Ohio.

alleviate

lessen severity (of a suffering, problem…)

analogous

comparable (equivalent, similar)

bolster

support or strengthen

chauvinistic

extreme patriotism or nationalism; sexism (believing you are superior to another group/gender)

connoisseur

expert in a certain subject

dissemble

conceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs

“disassemble” your true feelings (take your honesty away)

"She tried to dissemble her disappointment when she received the small gift, forcing a bright smile."

dogged

showing tenacity and persistence even when things get difficult

“Her dogged effort to solve the complex math problem finally paid off”

think of “having that dog in you”

dupe

to trick, deceive (can also refer to someone who is fooled, tricked)

empirical

based on evidence/scientific experiment; testable/observable

opposite of theoretical

engender

cause or give rise to

entitled

behaving as if you deserve special privileges above others

pertinacious

obstinate; stubborn persistance

positive or negative

think of “tenacious”

presumptuous

overconfident; failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate; can mean arrogant

“that’s a bit presumptuous”

probity

having strong moral principles (integrity)

“probe with integrity”

proliferate

increase rapidly

specious

something that appears plausible on the surface but is actually false (ex: an argument); something deceptively attractive

"The politician made a specious promise that sounded good, but was impossible to fulfill”

spurious

fake or flawed logic

"The politician dismissed the allegations as spurious and lacking any real evidence."

subjective

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions

subvert

undermine the power and authority (of an established system, belief)

timorous

showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence

think of “timid”

tortuous

full of twists and turns; or a long, complicated, indirect process (ex a physical path/road or figuratively of an explanation, argument…)

(convoluted)

tractable

easy to control or influence (docile)

for animals, problems (easy to solve), physical materials…

think of “tractor” (easy to steer and manage)

transient

lasting for a short period of time (passagé)

ubiquitous

present or found everywhere (omnipresent)

“Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern daily life."

underscore

emphasize

venal

corrupt (in exchange for money, bribes, other personal gain…)

venerate

worship