GRE vocab (gregmat)

dearth

lack of something in a particular area

there is a ____ of affordable housing in most major cities

synonyms: scarcity, shortfall, want

indolent

habitually lazy; averse to activity

he was ____ and rarely helped with household chores

synonyms: idle, slothful

intransigent

refusing to compromise; stubborn

the _____ attitude of both parties led to the stalemate in negotiations

synonyms: unyielding, unwavering, obstinate

intrepid

resolutely fearless; brave

the _____ firefighters rushed into the burning building

synonyms: dauntless, mettlesome, plucky

irreverent

lacking proper respect of seriousness

his ____ humor often offended more conservative people

synonyms: derisive, insolent, impertinent

neophyte

an amateur or novice in a field

as a ____ in gardening, she had a lot to learn about plants and soil

synonyms: initiate, fledgling, amateru

platitude

a trite or banal remark or statement

politicians often use _____ to appeal to common sentiments

synonyms: banality, truism, bromide

prescient

possessing foresight of upcoming events

her _____ predictions about the market saved her a lot of money

synonyms: prophetic, clairvoyant

reproach

express criticism towards; reprimand

she was ____ for not trying hard enough during the match

synonyms: rebuke, admonish, censure

salubrious

promoting health or well-being

the doctor recommended a _____ diet and regular exercise

synonyms: salutary, beneficial, healthful

sedulous

paying attention to details; diligent

with ____ attention to detail, she proofread the entire manuscript

synonyms: meticulous, assiduous, punctilious

soporific

causing sleep or lethargy

his voice was a gentle, ______ murmur as he read the bedtime story

synonyms: somnolent, sedative, tranquilizing

tendentious

biased toward a particular view, often a provocative one

the news article was criticized for its ________ depiction of the event

synonyms: prejudiced, dogmatic, partial

austere

(of a person) strict and stern in character

with his _____ manner, Mr. Thompson rarely cracked a smile

synonyms: harsh, dour, grim

capricious

having varying moods; fickle

the _____ nature of the weather has made planning outdoor events difficult

synonyms: mercurial, volatile, impulsive

congenial

(of a person) likable and friendly, often due to shared interests

____ as she was, Nancy was always invited to parties

synonyms: convivial, genial, kindred

avaricious

greedy; always wanting more

free market economies not only tolerate but reward _____ behavior

synonyms: acquisitive, rapacious, grasping

banal

unoriginal and dull; lacking creativity

the reviewer grew weary of ____, by-the-book action movies

synonyms: trite, platitudinous, vapid

cursory

lacking effort; without care

he gave a ____ glance at the document before signing it

synonyms: desultory, perfunctory, token

didactic

meant for teaching; educational, sometimes in a condescending manner

the play was not only entertaining but also _____ offering lessons on morality

synonyms: instructive, doctrinal, condescending, pedagogic

flout

break a rule without guilt

students _____ the classroom’s ‘no chewing gum’ rule

synonyms: defy, scorn, contravene

humdrum

boring; unlikely to excite

more often than note, Netflix movies are ____, cookie-cutter affairs

synonyms: mundane, banal, prosaic

insipid

without flavor; lacking energy

the professor was tiring of the students’ _____ remarks

synonyms: bland, dull, vapid

loquacious

likely to talk a lot; wordy

_____ to a fault, Bill never took the hint to, on occasion, shut up

misnomer

a misleading or inaccurate name

the authoritarian regime likes to call itself a ‘democracy’ an obvious ______

obsequious

excessively submissive to authority

dictators tend to surround themselves with ______ apologists

synonyms: servile, sycophantic, unctuous

placate

decrease someone’s anger or other negative emotion

he tried to ____ the angry customer by offering a full refund

synonyms: pacify, mollify, conciliate

proclivity

a fondness or liking for something

her ____ for expensive pastries is wreaking havoc on her finances

synonyms: inclination, propensity, tendency

puerile

immature and childish

the mature audience was unimpressed by the comedian’s ____ humor

synonyms: infantile, juvenile, inane

quixotic

excessively visionary; unfeasible

his ____ dream of creating a world without conflict seemed impossible

synonyms: idealistic, utopian, nonviable

taciturn

of few words; speaking little

he’s generally _____, so when he speaks you know it’s important

synonyms: unforthcoming, reserved, retiring

alacrity

eagerness to do something

the children completed their chores with surprising ____

synonyms: zeal, haste, ardor

castigate

scold someone harshly

the entire country ______ the governor for his ill-timed statement

synonyms: rebuke, lambast, berate

caustic

(of speech) hostile and bitter

reality TV thrives on conflict and _____ discourse between characters

synonyms: derisive, scathing, mordant

contrite

feeling regretful or guilty

genuinely ____, the man accepted his sentence without protest

synonyms: repentant, rueful, chastened

covet

strongly desire; yearn for

to improve our mental health, let’s try to not ____ the possessions of others

synonyms: long for, hanker for, ache for

craven

lacking bravery; weak-kneed

the army surrendered but not because the soldiers were ____

synonyms: quaking, timid, lily-livered

demur

hesitate or object; express doubt

most employees _____ when asked to undergo daily Covid testing

synonyms: take issue with, cavil, dissent

diatribe

an angry rant; verbal abuse

her ___ on the ills of society was too hostile to persuade anyone

synonyms: tirade, harangue, denunciation

ingenuous

naive and lacking expereince

we long for the ____ days of our youth

synonyms: unguarded, green, unwordly

abate

decrease in intensity; lessen

he relied on TV to ____ his loneliness

synonyms: subside, dwindle, ebb

abjure

strongly reject (an idea); forgo

under enough pressure, many will ____ their principles

synonyms: renounce, relinquish, forgo

artless

naive; inexperienced

his ____ comments about politics revealed how naive he was

synonyms: ingenuous, guileless, callow

ascetic

(of a lifestyle) very strict and lacking luxury

despite her vast wealth, she has adopted ____ tendencies

synonyms: austere, self-denying, abstemious

assuage

decrease a negative feeling

the prime minister’s speech _______ the fears of the population

synonyms: mitigate, allay, palliate

bucolic

associated with tranquil rural life

hoping to escape the city, the couple opted for a ____ airbnb

synonyms: rustic, pastoral, idyllic

burgeon

quickly increase or grow; skyrockets

because of technological advancements, crop yields have ______

synonyms: swell, proliferate, mushroom

cacophonous

extremely noisy; grating

the parents hated the drumkit because of its _____ racket

synonyms: defeaning, raucous, discordant

censure

strongly criticize or disapprove

the senator was publicly ____ for her vile remarks

synonyms: condemn, chastise, castigate

coalesce

bring elements together; unite

in times of conflict, citizens must ____ and rally around a common cause

synonyms: merge, amalgamate, converge r

cogent

persuasive and clear; compelling

known for his ____ essays, the author has considerable influence

synonyms: sound, reasoned, lucid

deference

high regard and respect; esteem

in certain cultures, it’s important to treat the elderly with marked _____

synonyms: courtesy, veneration, civility

desultory

unplanned; without enthusiasm

the teacher’s _____ instruction did little to inspire the students

synonyms: halfhearted, lukewarm, perfunctory

diffident

reserved or shy; without confidence

University forced John to come out of his _____ shell

synonyms: bashful, unassuming, meek

dilatory

slow and unhurried; meant to stall

the filibuster is a _____ measure designed to impede Congressional operations

synonyms: sluggish, indolent, deferring

prodigal

carelessly wasteful; extravagant

_____ resource extraction does not benefit an economy long-term

synonyms: improvident, imprudent, profligate r

approbation

appreciation toward someone

Roman leaders thrived on _____ from the masses

synonyms: recognition, commendation, laudation

corroborate

lend support to; bolster

We’ve yet to find evidence that ______ our hypothesis

synonyms: validate, substantiate, reinforce

enervate

sap the energy out of someone; fatigue

the coach took pride in _____ the players

synonyms: exhaust, weary, enfeeble

ephemeral

extremely shortlasting

it was an _____ thought that quickly melted away

synonyms: transient, fleeting, momentary

garrulous

tending to talk too much; wordy

Because she’s ______, this meeting will take forever

synonyms: voluble, long-winded, verbose

incendiary

provocative; causing conflict

His _____ words did little to appease their anger

synonyms: inflammatory, subversive, agitational

inimical

damaging; hostile in manner or tone

the entire affair has been _____ to our interests

synonyms: detrimental, pernicious, antagonistic

paradigmatic

representing the standard example

Coconuts, palm trees and beaches are _____ tropical things

synonyms: quintessential, archetypal, prototypical

pedantic

overly concerned with (minor) details

the _____ instruction annoys and frustrates the students

synonyms: nitpicky, fastidious, fussy

placic

calm; free from activity or irritation

Most of us seek ____ settings on our vacations

synonyms: tranquil, pacific, still

polemical

giving a strong, controversial opinion

His work is usually _____, but this latest is surprisingly neutral

synonyms: virulent, corrosive, scathing

prudent

wise in decision-making

Not saving for retirement is simply not _____

synonyms: judicious, sagacious, shrewd

punctilious

highly concerned with details or manners

The chef is very _____ in selecting ingredients

synonyms: meticulous, scrupulous, painstaking

recondite

obscure and difficult to understand

the book is far too ______ to be enjoyed by most

synonyms: arcane, obscure, esoteric

frivolous

lacking in seriousness or importance; silly

She dismissed his comments as _____.

Synonyms: flippant, facetious, fatuous

imperious

having an arrogant or domineering manner

His _____ demeanor was off-putting to his colleagues

Synonyms: peremptory, overbearing, officious

laudable

worthy of admiration or praise

his efforts to protect the environment were _____

synonyms: meritorious, commendable, estimable

panache

a stylish and confident manner

the actor performed the role with _____

synonyms: flamboyance, self-assurance, flair

prosaic

straightforward; unoriginal; unimaginative

His speech was _____, devoid of any rhetorical flourish

synonyms: mundane, humdrum, pedestrian

affectation

a pretense of show meant to impress others

his french accent was an _______ as he had never been to france

synonyms: artificiality, posturing, airs

chauvinistic

excessively patriotic or biased in favor of a group or cause

his ______ pride in his country blinded him to its flaws

synonyms: nationalistic, jingoistic, prejudiced

engender

produce or stimulate the development of something

the politician’s controversial statement ______ a wave of criticism

synonyms: give rise to, induce, provoke

pertinacious

stubbornly holding onto a belief or course of action

her ______ efforts to get the law changed eventually paid off

synonyms: resolute, dogged, assiduous

probity

the characteristic of having strong ethical standards

his reputation for ______ in all aspects of his life is well known

synonyms: integrity, rectitude, virtue

specious

seemingly reasonable but actually wrong

her argument, though ____, convinced many people due to her charisma

synonyms: misleading, deceptive, fallacious

spurious

not genuine; bogus

The art dealer could tell immediately that the painting was ______

synonyms: specious, sham, contrived

timorous

displaying nervousness; lacking confidence

the _____ rabbit hid in its burrow at the sound of a human voice

synonyms: quaking, self-effacing, unassuming

venal

open to bribery or corruption

the ____ politician was found guilty of taking bribes

synonyms: grafting, unscrupulous, mercenary

conjectural

pertaining to a guess or inference made with limited data

without more information, his explanation remained _____

synonyms: speculative, putative, suppositional

convivial

demonstrating a jovial nature or fondness for festivities and companionship

the family reunion was a _____ event with laughter and storytelling

synonyms: amiable, cordial, genial

evanescent

vanishing or fading away quickly, like mist or a phantom

her _____ smile hinted at her fleeting thoughts

synonyms: ephemeral, fleeting, transitory

gainsay

deny or refute an assertion or argument

it was difficult to ____ her argument because her facts were well-researched

synonyms: controvert, repudiate, refute

galvanize

inspire or stir up to action or heightened activity

the stirring speech _____ the crowd into action

synonyms: prod, rouse, invigorate

obviate

sidestep or bypass a potential problem or difficulty

his meticulous preparation ______ any risk of failure

synonyms: preclude, avert, rule out

perfidy

act of betrayal or unfaithfulness

the king never forgave the ____ of his trusted advisor

synonyms: treachery, duplicity, infidelity

pugnacious

quick to engage in conflict or argument; combative

his ______ demeanor often got him into heated debates

synonyms: belligerent, bellicose, truculent

sagacious

demonstrating wisdom or sound judgement

the ______ investor rarely made a bad business decision

synonyms: astute, penetrating, perspicacious

vapid

uninteresting, lacking flavor or spark

the conversation was ____ and unstimulating, making him wish for an early exit

synonyms: insipid, anemic, dull

boorish

rude or unrefined in manners or behavior

his ____ behavior at the dinner party embarrassed his wife

synonyms: coarse, uncouth, discourteous

brook

to tolerate or endure something, especially an annoyance

she would not ____ any interruptions during her presentation

synonyms: abide, stand, stomach

comity

a courteous harmony or mutual respect towards others

the neighboring countries maintained ____ through years of potential conflicts

synonyms: amicability, civility, goodwill

commensurate

comparable in size, extend, or degree; proportionate

his salary increase was ____ with his additional responsibilities

synonyms: equivalent, corresponding, proportional to

edify

enlighten or uplift through knowledge; teach

the seminar aimed to ___ attendees about environmental conservation

synonyms: educate, cultivate, indoctrinate

fecund

fertile or highly productive

the ______ soil of the valley yielded bountiful harvests

synonyms: fruitful, prolific, thriving