GRE Vocab

abase

(v.) to humiliate, cause to feel shame; (v.) to hurt the pride of

abash

(v.) to embarrass; to cause to be embarrassed

abate

(v.) to make less active or intense; (v.) to become less in intensity

abdicate

(v.) to give up power

aberration

(n.) an aberrant state or condition; (n.) a disorder in a person's mental state; an optical phenomenon which results from the failure of a mirror or lens to produce a good image

abet

(v.) to assist or encourage, , often in the case of wrongdoing; (v.) to support, uphold, or maintain; (v.) to contribute to the commission of an offense

abeyance

(n.) a temporary suspension or cessation; (n.) a temporary suppression

abhor

(v.) to find repugnant, or to shrink back with dislike or horror

abjure

(v.) to reject something; (v.) to retract an oath; (v.) to recant

aboriginal

(n.) an original inhabitant of any land; (n.) an animal or plant native to the region

abortive

(adj.) failing to accomplish an original intent or goal; (adj.) imperfectly formed or developed; (n.) something that is born prematurely; (adj.) made from the skin of a still-born animal

abscond

(v.) to run away, often taking someone or something along; (v.) to hide, withdraw or be concealed

absolve

(v.) to release from moral wrongdoing; (v.) to grant remission of a sin

abstain

(v.) to refrain from engaging in a certain act; (v.) to voluntarily refrain from, especially when having to do with an act involving the appetite or senses

abstemious

(adj.) sparing in consumption of, especially in relation to food and drink; (adj.) marked by moderation in indulgence

abyss

(n.) a gulf or pit that is either bottomless or which possesses an unfathomable and inconceivable depth; (n.) infinite time

abysmal

(adj.) boundless and vast; (adj.) unfathomable

accede

(v.) to give into or yield to someone else's wishes or desires; (v.) to be in accordance with; to agree

acclivity

(n.) an upward grade or slope, on the earth

accolade

(n.) to praise; (n.) a symbol that signifies distinction or approval; (n.) a ceremony that was formerly used to bestow knighthood

accoutre

(v.) to provide with military equipment

accretion

(n.) an increase brought about by natural growth; (n.) an increase in a beneficiary's awarded portion of an estate

acetic

(adj.) containing or relating to acetic acid; vinegary smell or taste, particularly in relation to wine

acidulous

(adj.) tasting sour like

acme

(n.) the highest degree or level attainable, the highest point of something; mature age; (n.) the crisis or height of a disease

acquiescence

(n.) acceptance without resistance or protest; assent or submission; (n.) in criminal law: submission to an injury by the injured party

acquiescent

(adj.) willing to carry out someone else's orders or wishes without any protest or dissent; (adj.) submissive

actuate

(v.) to trigger a reaction or to move and incite to action; (v.) to carry out or perform

adapt

(v.) to modify or change to suit a new purpose or conditions; (v.) to conform one's own self to new conditions or a new environment

addiction

(n.) a situation in which someone is dependent on something that is physiologically and/or psychologically habit forming, particularly in relation to alcohol or drugs

adhere

(v.) to be in accordance with or compatible with; to carry out a plan without deviation; (v.) to come into close contact with; to be a devoted supporter or follower, in a religious sense

adipose

(adj.) composed of animal fat

admonish

(v.) to counsel in relation to one's negative behavior; (v.) to warn against strongly; (v.) to take to task

adulterate

(adj.) mixed with impurities; (v.) to corrupt or debase by adding a foreign substance

adumbration

(n.) a rough summary of the main aspects of an argument or theory; providing vague indications of something in advance

adversity

(n.) a state of affliction or misfortune; extreme challenge or hardship; (n.) a stroke of excessively bad fortune

advert

(v.) to give heed to; (v.) to make a subversive or overt reference to
advocate: (n.) a person who stands for and/or pleads for a cause, idea or person; (n.) a lawyer who pleads a case in a court of law; (v.) to push for or recommend something; (v.) to argue in favor of

aerie

(n.) a lofty nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk; (n.) a habitation of high altitude

aesthetic

(adj.) relating to beauty or good taste; (n.) a specialty in philosophy that relates to what is beautiful and how humans respond to art and beauty in the world

affable

(adj.) exemplifying warmth and friendliness; (adj.) gracious and mild

affected

(adj.) acted on or influenced; (adj.) experiencing an emotional impact

aggrandize

(v.) to add details to; to increase in power; (v.) to make something appear exceedingly great or exalted

affiliation

(n.) association in or with a professional or societal group; (n.) connection in terms of descent (from birth)

affinity

(n.) the force which attracts atoms and binds them together in the formation of a molecule; (n.) a close connection marked by shared interests or similarities; an intrinsic resemblance between persons and/or things; a natural attraction to or feeling of kinship for; (adj.) kinship by marriage or adoption

affray

(n.) a noisy fight or quarrel; the act of disturbing someone; fear or fright

agape

(adj.) with the mouth wide open due to wonder or awe; (n.) a religious meal shared as a sign of fellowship, love, and respect

aggregate

(n.) gathered or having a tendency to gather in a mass or whole; (n.) the whole amount; (v.) to gather in a mass or whole

aghast

(adj.) struck with fear, disgust, dismay and/or horror

agnostic

(adj.) uncertain of all claims relating to knowledge; (n.) a person who doubts the truth of religion and/or does not hold a particular view or perspective on the existence or nonexistence of God

alacrity

(n.) cheerful readiness, promptness, eagerness

agrarian

(adj.) agricultural or relating to farms and agriculture, fields or lands; (n.) a person in favor of an equal division of property

alchemy

(n.) a forerunner of chemistry, originating from the medieval era; (n.) the manner in which two individuals relate to each other

alias

(n.) a temporarily assumed name, other than one's real name

allay

(v.) to lessen the intensity of; (v.) to calm; to quench, particularly in terms of thirst
allege: (v.) to report or accuse

alleviate

(v.) to provide physical relief, particularly from pain; (v.) to make easier

allocate

(v.) to distribute according to a particular plan; (v.) to set aside

aloof

(adj.) to be somewhat at a distance or apart from a crowd; detached or reserved in mannerisms

altercation

(n.) a quarrel or argument

amalgamation

(n.) the mixing or blending together of various elements, including races or societies; (n.) the result of such blending; (n.) the combination of two or more commercial companies

ambiguous

(adj.) unclear; (adj.) uncertain in nature; open to more than one interpretation

ameliorate

(v.) to make something or someone better

amenable

(adj.) willing to comply; (adj.) responsible to a higher authority

amnesia

(n.) a partial or total loss of memory

amnesty

(n.) a period during which criminals are exempt from punishment; (n.) a warrant that grants release from a previously meted out punishment; (v.) the official act of liberating someone, in a legal sense; to grant a pardon

amortize

(v.) to gradually liquidate; to clear off or extinguish, particularly in relation to a debt

amuck

(adj.) in a murderous tumult; wildly or without self-control

amulet

(n.) a piece of jewelry thought to protect an individual against evil

anachronism

(n.) something located during a time when it could not have actually existed or occurred; (n.) an artifact that belongs to a different time period; (n.) a person displaced in time

analgesia

(n.) the absence of the sense of pain, but with consciousness still in tact

analogy

(n.) an insinuation that if things agree in one respect, they agree in others; (n.) a comparison drawn to show similarities

anarchy

(n.) a state of disorder and lawlessness, resulting from a lack of or failure in government

anesthetic

(adj.) characterized by a lack of sensibility; (n.) a drug that temporarily causes loss of bodily sensations

animus

(n.) a feeling of ill-will that arouses hostility or animosity relieve

annul

(v.) to declare void or invalid, particularly in the case of a marriage, law or contract; (v.) to eliminate the existence of

antagonism

(n.) hostility that results in conflict, resistance or opposition; (n.) the condition of being an opposing force or factor in a situation or system

antipathy

(n.) a strong feeling of hostility or dislike

apex

(n.) the highest point of something, particularly in the case of a triangle, cone or pyramid

aplomb

(n.) poise (n.) self-confidence

apocalyptic

(adj.) relating to the apocalypse; involving or implying doom and ultimate devastation; (adj.) of a prophetic nature दैवी साहित्य

apostate

(n.) a person who has abandoned his or her political party, religion, or cause

appease

(v.) to bring pacification or peace to someone who is upset or contentious; (v.) to satisfy or relieve
appellation: (n.) a formal name or title; (n.) the act of naming (officially)

apprehend

(v.) to arrest or take an individual into custody; (v.) to mentally grasp a concept or principle

apprehensive

(adj.) anxious or fearful about the future; (adj.) capable of understanding concepts quickly

aptitude

(n.) an aptitude for learning; a talent; (n.) quickness in understanding, intelligence

archives

(n.) a collection of records, particularly related to the history of records of an institution

ardor

(n.) a feeling of strong eagerness or enthusiasm; an intense feeling of love; (n.) feelings of warmth and affection

arraign

(v.) to command a prisoner or free person accused of a crime to appear in court to answer a charge

arrant

(adj.) downright or utter, particularly unqualified आरोप के लिए बुलाना

artifact

(n.) man-made object

artifice

(n.) a clever trick; (n.) skill or cunningness

asceticism

(n.) the principles and practices of an ascetic, particularly in relation to extreme self-denial; (n.) self-restraint practiced in relation to a religious or spiritual doctrine or practice that claims the renunciation of worldly pleasures allows one to achieve a higher spiritual state of being संन्यास

ascribe

(v.) to attribute to; (v.) to assign a quality or characteristic

askance

(v.) to view with an oblique glance; (v.) to regard with suspicion एक परोक्ष नज़र के साथ देखने

askew

(adj.) turned or twisted toward one side

aspiration

(n.) a desire or will to succeed; a cherished desire; (n.) an expulsion of breath during the active process of speech; the act of inhaling or drawing in air

assail

(v.) to violently attack; to criticize; (v.) to cause trouble to

assimilate

(v.) to learn, understand and incorporate information; (v.) to adjust or become adjusted to a different environment; to absorb (food)

assuage

(v.) to make something less intense or severe; (v.) to satisfy or appease, to pacify or calm

astringent

(adj.) causing the contraction of body tissue; severe or harsh; (n.) an drug or lotion that draws pores together and/or causes their contraction

astute

(adj.) rapid to apprehend or understand