GRE Vocabulary Cartoons: P Words

pacific

(adj.) peaceful; serene

painstaking

very thorough; careful

(adj.) very careful

palatable

(adj.) agreeable to the taste or one's sensibilities; suitable for consumption.

(adj.) tasty

palatial

(adj.) magnificent

palimpsest

something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen

(noun) something with multiple layers, changes, or meanings

pall

something that covers or conceals

(noun) something that covers; a feeling of gloom

palliate

(verb) to reduce the severity of

pallid

(adj.) lacking color

panacea

(noun) cure-all

pander

(v.) to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others; (n.) a person who does this

(verb) to appeal to someone’s desire for selfish reasons

pangs

a sudden sharp pain or painful emotion

(noun) sharp feelings of pain

panned

(verb) to criticize severely

(verb) sharply criticized

paradigm

a model; an example

(noun) an example used as a pattern or model

paragon

(noun) a model of excellence or perfection

(noun) a model of excellence

pariah

(noun) an outcast

parley

(noun, verb) discussion, usually between enemies

(verb) to talk

parochial

(adj.) narrow-minded

Parody

a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner

(noun) a mocking or satirical imitation

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

(noun) an attack, spasm, or outburst

parsimonious

(adj.) stingy

partiality

A favorable bias or a prejudice toward something

(noun) an (often unfair) liking or bias towards something

partisan

one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party

(adj.) biased towards one side

pastiche

Mix of incongruous parts; artistic work imitating the work of other artists, often satirically

1. (noun) an imitation

2. (noun) something made of many things

Pathos

(noun) a quality that evokes pity or sadness

patois

jargon; a regional dialect

(noun) the speech/slang used by a particular group

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

pedantic

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

(adj.) teacherly

pedestrian

(adj.) ordinary or dull

peevish

(adj.) easily irritated or annoyed

(adj.) irritable

penchant

a strong inclination or liking for something

(noun) a liking for something

pendulous

(adj.) hanging loosely

penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes. (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing

(adj.) being sorry for one’s actions

penurious

(adj.) stingy, relating to great poverty

1. (adj.) stingy

2. (adj.) extremely poor

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

(noun) the state of being extremely poor

Peons

workers forced to labor for a landlord in order to pay off a debt

(noun) lower-class workers used by someone of a superior class

peregrinate

(verb) to travel

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute

(adj.) bossy

perennial

1. (adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent

2. (n.) a plant that lives for many years

perfidy

(noun) treachery

perfunctory

acting routinely with little interest or care

(adj.) showing little interest

peripatetic

(adj.) wandering from place to place, especially on foot

peripheral

(adj.) marginal; outer

permeated

(verb) to spread throughout

permutation

an alteration; a rearrangement of elements, especially in mathematics

(noun) a transformation or rearrangement

pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal

(adj.) deadly

perquisites

(n) benefits and privileges; perks

(noun) privileges or bonuses

personified

was a perfect example of

1. (verb) to be the best example of something

2. (verb) to represent a thing as a person

perspicacious

keen; mentally sharp

(adj.) sharp; clever

pertinacious

(adj.) stubbornly persistent

perturb

(verb) to disturb greatly

pervasive

(adj.) widespread, prevalent

perverse

(adj.) inclined to go against what is expected; stubborn; turned away from what is good and proper

1. (adj.) contrary to what is expected

2. (adj.) bad

petulant

(adj.) Irritable or short-tempered

phlegmatic

1. (adj.) slow-moving, sluggish;

2. (adj.) unemotional

physiological

having to do with an organism's physical processes

picaresque

(adj.) involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventurers

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

picturesque

visually attractive, especially in a quaint or pretty style

piebald

multicolored; spotted

pilfer

to steal

pillory

(v.) to expose to public contempt or ridicule

pinnacle

a high peak or point

pioneering

original

piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

pitfall

hidden danger; concealed trap

pith

(n) core, essence; significance or weight

pittance

a very small amount

pivotal

(adj.) vitally important, essential

placate

to appease, soothe, pacify

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

(adj.) sounding sad and mournful

platitude

stale; overused expression

platonic

marked by the absence of romance or physical attraction

plaudits

(n. pl.) applause; enthusiastic praise or approval

plausible

(adj.) appearing true, reasonable, or fair

Plebian

common people

plenipotentiary

having full power or authority

pluck

courage

plutocracy

government by the wealthy

polarize

to break up into opposing factions or groupings

polemic

an aggressive argument against a specific opinion

politesse

politeness

politic

(adj.) prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient

pomp

ceremony and splendid display

ponderous

Heavy and slow moving

portentous

foreshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty, pompous

poseur

someone who puts on an act

posit

assume as fact

posthumous

after death

pragmatic

practical

prattle

meaningless, foolish talk

precarious

Dangerous; risky; lacking in security or stability

precocious

talented beyond one's age

precursor

that which comes before; forerunner

predilection

preference

premonition

(n.) forewarning or foreboding of a future event

prescient

to have foreknowledge of events

pretext

a false reason, deceptive excuse

prevarication

evasiveness, lie

primed

prepared

primordial

original; existing from the beginning