GRE Vocab

appease

1. pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.

2. assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling).

arbitrary

1. based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

2. (of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority.

archaic

very old or old-fashioned.

clamorous

1. making a loud and confused noise.

2. expressing or characterized by vehement protests or demands.

dearth

a scarcity or lack of something.

explicable

able to be accounted for or understood.

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

immutable

unchanging over time or unable to be changed.

indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.

indolent

1. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.

2. (of a disease or condition) causing little or no pain.

insular

ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.

intransigent

unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.

intrepid

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).

irreverent

showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

loathe

feel intense dislike or disgust for.

malign

1. evil in nature or effect.

2. speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner.

malleable

easily influenced; pliable.

neophyte

1. a person who is new to a subject or activity.

2. a new convert to a religion.

plastic

1. not genuine; artificial or unnatural.

2. (of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded.

platitude

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

prescient

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.

pristine

in its original condition; unspoilt.

reproach

express to (someone) one's disapproval of or disappointment in their actions.

robust

1. strong and healthy; vigorous.

2. (of wine or food) strong and rich in flavour or smell.

salubrious

1. health-giving; healthy.

2. (of a place) pleasant; not run-down.

sanction

1. a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.

2. official permission or approval for an action.

sedulous

(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence.

soporific

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.

stern

(of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.

tendentious

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.

accentuate

make more noticeable or prominent.

conjectural

based on or involving conjecture.

convivial

friendly, lively, and enjoyable.

decadent

characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.

egregious

outstandingly bad; shocking.

evanescent

soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

flamboyant

1. (of a person or their behaviour) tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness.

2. bright, colourful, and very noticeable.

forestall

prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking advance action.

gainsay

deny or contradict (a fact or statement).

galvanize

1. shock or excite (someone) into taking action.

2. coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc.

indiscriminate

done at random or without careful judgement.

innocuous

not harmful or offensive.

momentary

lasting for a very short time; brief.

mundane

1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.

2. of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.

nettlesome

causing annoyance or difficulty.

nullify

make legally null and void; invalidate.

obviate

1. remove (a need or difficulty).

2. avoid or prevent (something undesirable).

omnipresent

widely or constantly encountered; widespread.

oust

drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place.

palpable

1. (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible.

2. able to be touched or felt.

perfidy

the state of being deceitful and untrustworthy.

profuse

(especially of something offered or discharged) very plentiful; abundant.

pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

sagacious

having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement; wise or shrewd.

sanguine

optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

scant

barely sufficient or adequate.

skulduggery

underhand, unscrupulous, or dishonest behaviour or activities.

trivial

of little value or importance.

utilitarian

1. designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.

2. relating to or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

vapid

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland.

abstain

1. restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.

2. formally decline to vote either for or against a proposal or motion.

approbation

approval or praise.

cherish

1. protect and care for (someone) lovingly.

2. keep (a hope or ambition) in one's mind.

corroborate

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

disparate

essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.

emulate

match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

enervate

make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality.

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time.

fervid

intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree.

garrulous

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.

incendiary

1. tending to stir up conflict.

2. (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.

inimical

tending to obstruct or harm.

intimate

1. closely acquainted; familiar.

2. state or make known.

invigorate

give strength or energy to.

mitigate

make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

obsolete

no longer produced or used; out of date.

opaque

1. not able to be seen through; not transparent. 2. (especially of language) hard or impossible to understand.

paradigmatic

1. serving as a typical example of something.

2. of or denoting the relationship between a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles.

pedantic

excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous.

placid

1. not easily upset or excited.

2. calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity.

polemical

of or involving strongly critical or disputatious writing or speech.

precipitate

cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.

profundity

great depth of insight or knowledge.

prophetic

accurately predicting what will happen in the future.

prudent

acting with or showing care and thought for the future.

punctilious

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.

recondite

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.

scrupulous

(of a person or process) careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.

tranquil

free from disturbance; calm.

vacillate

waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.

abate

(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.

abjure

solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).

anomalous

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

antipathy

a deep-seated feeling of aversion.

arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret.

arduous

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

artless

without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple.

ascetic

characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

assuage

make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.

betray

1. unintentionally reveal; be evidence of.

2. expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy.