PowerScore GRE Vocabulary: Repeat Offenders

Flashcards of vocabulary from the PowerScore GRE Verbal Reasoning Bible.

abdicate

to give up, often in a formal manner

aberrant

unusual

abeyance

temporary suspension

abjure

to give up, often in a formal manner

abstemious

sparing in consumption, especially of food and drink

abstruse

hard to understand

accretion

an increase

acerbic

sour; harsh

acidulous

sour; sharp

acme

the highest point

acumen

good judgment

adroit

highly skilled, especially with one’s hands

aerie

a nest; a home high on a mountain

aesthetic

relating to beauty

affable

friendly

affected

fake; phony

aggrandize

increase in size

alacrity

liveliness and eagerness

alchemy

magical power; process of turning base metals into gold

amalgamation

a combination

ameliorate

to make better

amenable

agreeable

amiable

friendly

amortize

to eliminate debt by making payments

amulet

magical charm to ward off evil

anachronistic

out of chronological order

analgesic

capable of relieving pain

anodyne

something that relieves pain

anthropocentrism

theory that regards humans as the central element of the universe

antipathy

strong dislike

apathy

an absence of emotion or enthusiasm

apocryphal

fake; untrue

apostate

person who abandons their religion or cause

approbation

approval

archaic

so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

ardor

intense passion

arrogate

to claim without rights

ascertain

to make certain

ascetic

a person who practices self-denial as a spiritual discipline

assail

to attack

assiduous

constant and attentive

assuage

to relieve or ease

attenuate

to weaken

audacious

bold and fearless

augment

to enlarge or increase

augury

divine prediction

august

noble and dignified

auspicious

favorable; fortunate

austere

strict; disciplined; serious

autonomy

independence

avarice

extreme greed for material wealth

avuncular

resembling an uncle in kindness or indulgence

axiom

principle or rule

banal

repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

belfry

a bell tower

benevolent

charitable; kind

bevy

a large group

bifurcate

to divide into two branches

bilk

to cheat or swindle

blight

any factor that causes decay or deterioration

blithe

cheerful

bombast

pompous or pretentious talk or writing

bonhomie

friendliness

boor

a person who is rude, clumsy, and lacking social manners

bromide

a common saying

bucolic

relating to country life; rural

burgeon

to flourish

burnish

to polish

byzantine

highly complex or intricate

cabal

a secret group of plotters or schemers

cacophony

harsh, jarring sound

cajole

to influence by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

callous

insensitive; emotionally hardened

calumny

a false statement intended to harm someone’s reputation

canard

false story or rumor

canonical

authorized or accepted

cantankerous

ill-tempered and unwilling to cooperate

capricious

apt to change suddenly

cartographer

a person who makes maps

castigate

to criticize or punish severely

cataclysm

a violent upheaval

cathartic

inducing a release of tense emotions

catholic

universal; liberal

caustic

burning or stinging

cavalier

a man who is chivalrous and gallant

censure

strong disapproval

charlatan

a person who falsely claims to possess skills or knowledge; an imposter

chary

cautious; timid; choosy

chicanery

the use of tricks to deceive someone

churlish

rude and vulgar

circumlocution

an indirect way of expressing something

circumscribed

restricted

circumspect

cautious; discreet

clandestine

secret

cloying

wearying through excess

coalesce

to blend into one

coffer

a box for storing valuables; funds

cogent

convincing; telling

collusion

a secret agreement; conspiracy

conciliate

to win over; to make peace