GRE Vocab

aberrant

abnormal; different from the accepted norm

abeyance

state of suspension; temporary inaction

abscond

to sneak away

abstemious

indicative of self-denial, particularly with food or drink

abstruse

difficult to comprehend

aquiescent

agreeing without protest

acrid

bitter; harsh

acumen

keenness; quickness of intellectual insight

admonition

a gentle reproof; criticism

affect

emotion that influences behavior

affront

to deliberately offend, as with a gesture

aggrandize

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

aggregate

amounting to a whole

allay

to reduce the intensity of

amalgamate

to mix or blend together in a homogenous body

ameliorate

to make better or improve

anachronous

out of place in time

archipelago

a large group of islands

artifice

cleverness or skill

artless

without deceit or cunning; sincere

ascetic

representative of severe self-denial

assiduous

persistent; unceasing

astute

keen; wise

audacious

fearless; bold

augment

to increase in measure or intensity

austere

unadorned; severely simple

avarice

extreme greed and hoarding

aver

to declare or profess

banal

trite; commonplace

base

simple and boring

belie

to present a false front

beset

to surround, as in an attack

blatant

obvious

bombastic

using inflated language; pompous

boon

a timely benefit; a blessing

brevity

briefness or conciseness

browbeat

to intimidate in an overbearing manner

bumptious

offensively self-assertive; pushy

bungle

to perform clumsily or inadequately; botch

burgeon

to grow forth; to send out buds

cacophony

a disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or tone

callous

insensitive; indifferent

calumniate

to make false and malicious statements about; to slaner

candor

the quality of being open and sincere

cantakerous

bad-tempered and uncooperative

carp

to complain unreasonably

chicanery

trickery; deception

churl

a rude, boorish, or surly person

cohort

a companion or associate

complacency

a feeling of quiet security; satisfaction

concillatory

a state of seeking to reconcile or make peace

consternation

unsettling dismay or amazement

consummate

to bring to completion

contentious

quarrelsome

contrite

penitent; apologetic

contumacious

rebellious

countenance

appearance, especially the look or expression of the face

craven

cowardly

credulity

willingness to behave or trust too readily

cronyism

the practice of favoring one's friends, especially in political appointments

curmudgeon

an ill-tempered person

cursory

hasty, superficial, as of a review of something

dearth

an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack

debacle

a complete collapse of failure

decorum

orderliness and good taste in manners

deferent

in a state of giving in out of respect for another person

deleterious

hurtful, morally or physically

delineate

to represent by sketch or diagram; to describe precisely in words

depravity

the state of being morally bad or evil

deride

to ridicule; to make fun of

derision

ridicule

derivative

something obtained or developed from a source

desultory

aimless; haphazard

diatribe

a bitter verbal attack

didactic

intended to instruct

diffidence

shyness; lack of confidence

dilatory

tending to delay or procrastinate

disconcert

to disturb the composure of

discretion

using one's own judgement; being discreet

disquiet

lack of calm, peace, or ease

dissemble

to disguise or pretend in order to deceive or mislead

dissolution

the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration

dissonant

not in harmony; disagreeing, at odds

divergent

deviating from a certain course

divest

to strip; to deprive, often in terms of property

divulge

to tell; to reveal

doctrinaire

rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic

dogmatic

arrogant and stubborn about one's beliefs

doldrums

a state of inactivity or low spirits

dubious

doubtful

dupe

someone who's easily fooled; to fool someone

duplicity

deceitfulness

ebullient

showing great enthusiasm or exhilaration

eclectic

drawn from different sources or based on multiple styles

efficacious

capable of producing the desired effect

efficacy

the power to produce a desired result

effrontery

shameless boldness

egregious

seriously ad or wrong

egress

exit

elegy

a sorrowful poem or speech