GRE Vocab Flashcards

Indefatigable

tireless; incapable of being exhausted

Dubious

doubtful; uncertain or suspect

Precarious

unstable; risky

Impugned

challenged; called into question

Extolled

praised highly

Pejorative

expressing contempt or disapproval

Conundrum

difficult problem or puzzle

Misnomer

incorrect or misleading name

Disquietude

unease; anxiety

Magnanimity

generosity; nobility of spirit

Aplomb

composure; confidence under pressure

Vigilance

watchfulness; alertness

Fringe

outer edge; unconventional group

Denigrate

criticize unfairly; belittle

Deft

skillful; nimble

Tantamount

equivalent in effect

Germane

relevant; pertinent

Sophist

one who argues deceptively

Martinet

strict disciplinarian

Ascetic

practicing self-denial

Pastiche

imitation of styles

Acerbically

in a sharp, bitter manner

Prolix

excessively wordy

Preternaturally

beyond what is normal

Reticent

reserved; not revealing thoughts

Blithely

casually; without concern

Infallibility

inability to be wrong

Discomfiting

unsettling; causing discomfort

Remedial

intended to correct something

Anoint

formally appoint or choose

Vacuity

emptiness; lack of intelligence

Abstruseness

difficulty to understand

Undermine

weaken gradually

Transcend

go beyond

Sovereignty

supreme authority

Genealogy

study of lineage or ancestry

Subordinated

made less important

Doctrinaire

rigidly adhering to beliefs

Eclectic

deriving ideas from various sources

Cynical

distrustful of others’ motives

Orthodoxy

established beliefs or traditions

Debased

degraded; reduced in quality

Dismissing

rejecting as unworthy

Demystifying

making easier to understand

Spurns

rejects with disdain

Subsumes

includes within a larger whole

Turgid

overly complex or dull

Truculent

aggressively defiant

Torpid

sluggish; inactive

Temerarious

reckless; rash

Tenacious

persistent; determined

Impudence

shameless boldness; disrespect

Inscrutability

inability to be understood

Brazen

bold and shameless

Venality

corruption; bribery

Objurgation

harsh criticism

Nettles

irritates; annoys

Unremarkable

ordinary; not notable

Blighted

ruined; damaged

Disenchantment

disappointment; loss of illusion

Provincialism

narrow-mindedness

Candor

honesty; openness

Impervious

unaffected; not influenced

Raillery

teasing; light mockery

Obfuscation

deliberate confusion; obscurity

Inimical

hostile; harmful

Belied

contradicted; misrepresented

Dexterity

skill; agility

Modish

fashionable

Sanguine

optimistic; cheerful

Equivocal

ambiguous; unclear

Banal

boring; unoriginal

Elusive

difficult to grasp or find

Laudable

worthy of praise

Enfeeble

weaken

Surfeit

excess; overabundance

Predilection

preference

Penchant

strong liking

Wanting

lacking; deficient

Presage

foretell; predict

Portend

signal a future event

Forestall

prevent beforehand

Supplication

humble request

Insolence

rude disrespect

Entreaty

earnest plea

Contentment

satisfaction

Cogency

clarity; persuasiveness

Spurned

rejected

Flouted

openly disregarded

Spurious

false; not genuine

Staid

serious; reserved

Sober

serious; not excessive

Trifling

insignificant

Zealots

fanatical supporters

Ideologues

rigid believers in ideology

Irascibly

in an irritable manner

Pugnaciously

aggressively; combatively

Tactless

lacking sensitivity

Impolitic

unwise; inappropriate