GRE Vocab (Groups 1-5)

aloof

not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.

clangor

a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.

conventional

1. based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed.

2. (of a bid) intended to convey a particular meaning according to an agreed convention.

debunk

expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief).

diminutive

1. extremely or unusually small.

2. (of a word, name, or suffix) implying smallness, either actual or imputed to convey affection,scorn etc.

discernible

able to be discerned; perceptible.

enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

estranged

(of a person) no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienated.

extravagant

lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.

fanciful

1. over-imaginative and unrealistic.

2. highly ornamental or imaginative in design.

frivolous

not having any serious purpose or value.

heterogeneous

diverse in character or content.

imperious

arrogant and domineering.

impertinent

1. not showing proper respect; rude.

2. not pertinent to a particular matter; irrelevant.

invasive

tending to spread very quickly and undesirably or harmfully.

irresolute

showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.

laudable

(of an action, idea, or aim) deserving praise and commendation.

lax

1. not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.

2. (of the limbs or muscles) relaxed.

marginalize

treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral.

panache

flamboyant confidence of style or manner.

plodding

slow-moving and unexciting.

prosaic

having or using the style or diction of prose as opposed to poetry; lacking imaginativeness or originality.

remedial

giving or intended as a remedy or cure.

restive

(of a person) unable to remain still, silent, or submissive, especially because of boredom or dissatisfaction.

sporadic

occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.

stigmatize

describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.

undermine

1. lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously.

2. erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation).

utterly

completely and without qualification; absolutely.

weary

feeling or showing extreme tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion.

zealous

having or showing zeal.

abstain

1. restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.

2. formally decline to vote either for or against a proposal or motion.

approbation

approval or praise.

cherish

1. protect and care for (someone) lovingly.

2. keep (a hope or ambition) in one's mind.

corroborate

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

disparate

essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.

emulate

match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

enervate

make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality.

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time.

fervid

intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree.

garrulous

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.

incendiary

1. tending to stir up conflict.

2. (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.

inimical

tending to obstruct or harm.

intimate

1. closely acquainted; familiar.

2. state or make known.

invigorate

give strength or energy to.

mitigate

make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

obsolete

no longer produced or used; out of date.

opaque

1. not able to be seen through; not transparent. 2. (especially of language) hard or impossible to understand.

paradigmatic

1. serving as a typical example of something.

2. of or denoting the relationship between a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles.

pedantic

excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous.

placid

1. not easily upset or excited.

2. calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity.

polemical

of or involving strongly critical or disputatious writing or speech.

precipitate

cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.

profundity

great depth of insight or knowledge.

prophetic

accurately predicting what will happen in the future.

prudent

acting with or showing care and thought for the future.

punctilious

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.

recondite

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.

scrupulous

(of a person or process) careful, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.

tranquil

free from disturbance; calm.

vacillate

waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.

abate

(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.

abjure

solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).

anomalous

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

antipathy

a deep-seated feeling of aversion.

arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret.

arduous

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

artless

without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple.

ascetic

characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

assuage

make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.

betray

1. unintentionally reveal; be evidence of.

2. expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy.

bucolic

relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

burgeon

begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.

cacophonous

involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

canonize

1. place in or regard as belonging to a canon of literary or artistic works.

2. (in the Roman Catholic Church) officially declare (a dead person) to be a saint.

censure

express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement.

chicanery

the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose.

coalesce

come together to form one mass or whole.

cogent

(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.

compelling

evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

contend

1. compete with others in a struggle to achieve (something).

2. assert something as a position in an argument.

copious

abundant in supply or quantity.

cosmopolitan

1. including people from many different countries.

2. (of a plant or animal) found all over the world.

deference

polite submission and respect.

desultory

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

diffident

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

dilatory

1. slow to act.

2. intended to cause delay.

equivocate

use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

polarize

divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.

prodigal

1. spending money or using resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

2. having or giving something on a lavish scale.

verbose

using or expressed in more words than are needed.

adulterate

render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance.

advocate

a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.

aggrandize

increase the power, status, or wealth of.

alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness.

ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

ameliorate

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

amenable

open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.

anachronistic

belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.

audacious

1. showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

2. showing an impudent lack of respect.

avaricious

having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.