GRE Vocab 7

abjure

to renounce or repudiate under oath

abrogate

to abolish or repeal through authority

aesthete

one who admires beauty or aesthetics, often excessively

aggress

to initiate an attack, fight, or war

amortize

to liquidate a debt by installment payments

animadversion

harsh or critical comment; censure

apogee

the highest point; peak

apostate

one who abandons previously held beliefs

apse

a domed projection of a building

atavistic

exhibiting traits of ancestors or primitive characteristics

bailiwick

a person’s area of expertise or authority

beatify

to make supremely happy; to bless

bedaub

to smear/soil, ornament in a vulgar fashion

bequest

something left to another by will

besotted

foolishly infatuated or intoxicated

bilge

the lowest part of a ship’s hull

bilious

sickly; irritable; peevish

bowdlerize

modify content by shortening

bumptious

crudely or arrogantly assertive

cabal

a secret conspiratorial group

cadge

to beg or obtain by begging

canard

a false or deliberately misleading story

cant

insincere or trite speech; jargon

cavil

to raise petty objections

churl

a rude, boorish person

cipher

something with no value; a nonentity

comestible

edible

comport

to conduct oneself; to be fitting

conflagration

a large destructive fire

craven

cowardly

defenestration

the act of throwing someone out of a window

descry

to catch sight of; to discern

diaphanous

transparent or translucent

diffidence

lack of self-confidence; shyness

dilatory

causing delay

dilettante

an amateur with superficial knowledge

dint

force or effort

discomfit

to confuse or frustrate

dissemble

false, hide behind false appearance

docent

a teacher or lecturer

ecumenical

universal; worldwide in scope

educe

to draw out; deduce

effete

depleted of vitality; decadent

egress

an exit

emolument

payment or compensation

epicure

one devoted to refined pleasure, especially food

eponym

a person after whom something is named

equable

steady; even-tempered

equanimity

calmness; composure

evince

to show clearly

excoriat(e)

to criticize harshly

exigency

requiring much effort, a need

expatiate

to speak at length

expostulate

to argue earnestly in protest

factious

jockular, at inappropriate times

fallow

plowed but unseeded; inactive

fascicle

a small bundle; section of a book

fatuous

foolishly silly

feckless

ineffective; irresponsible

fecund

fertile; productive

fetid

foul-smelling

fop

a man overly concerned with appearance

forbearance

patience; restraint

ford

a shallow river crossing

forestall

to prevent or delay

forswear

to renounce under oath

frieze

a decorative horizontal band

gamut

the full range or extent

gerontic

relating to old age

gewgaw

a showy trinket

gourmand

a glutton; lover of food

grandiloquence

pompous or bombastic speech

immolate

to sacrifice

impassive

showing no emotion

importunate

urgent; persistent

importune

to harass with demands

impute

to attribute blame

inculcate

to teach by repetition

ineluctable

unavoidable

inexorable

impossible to stop or persuade

interdict

to prohibit authoritatively

intransigent

uncompromising

inveigh

to attack verbally

invidious

causing resentment or envy

jocose

playful; humorous

juggernaut

an overwhelming force

junket

a pleasure trip or feast

junta

a ruling group that seized power

kowtow

to show excessive deference

lachrymose

tearful

leviathan

something very large or powerful

lien

a legal claim on property

ligature

something used for binding

livery

distinctive clothing

lodestone

something that attracts strongly

malapropism

humorous misuse of a word

mendacious

dishonest

mendicant

a beggar

missive

a written message

munificent

extremely generous