GRE vocab !

Austere

(adj.) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain

steep

to saturate or completely soak

Plastic

able to be molded, altered, or bent; not rigid

Flag

(Verb) to sag or droop; to become spiritless; to decline;

(Example sentences- The fan's sprits ________ when the opposing team intercepted the ball in the last few minutes of the game.

contentious

(Adj) quarrelsome, inclined to argue; causing controversy or disagreement

Rail

to scold with bitter or abusive language; complain bitterly;

(Ex: He ____ against the injustice of having not won the lottery).

(After ______ at the bank teller, she demanded to speak to his manager and then expressed her displeasure to him as well).

beatify

to sanctify; to bless; to make happy, to ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly

Nice

exacting, extremely or even excessively precise; done with delicacy or skill; fastidious;

(Ex: The distinction he drew between the two findings was so _____ that most of his listeners weren't even sure it was there).

Brook

to tolerate; to endure; to countenance; To countenance- means to admit as acceptable or possible

pedagogy

the art or profession of teaching, training and instructing

(Ex: All his training in ___________ in school hadn't completely prepared Carlos for dealing with 30 manic third graders). (Ex: The Princeton Review trains teachers in a __________ style based on the Socratic method).

pedantic

(Adj) Ostentatious display of learning, excessive attention to minute and formal rules; unimaginative

Pedestrian (adj)

commonplace, trite, unremarkable, quotidian

hackneyed

Overused ; used so often as to lack freshness or originality

Penchant

a strong inclination or liking; a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.

Jalen has a ______ for petting dogs.

Nebulous

vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form

Abate

To lessen in intensity or degree (We realized with great relief that the storm wall had _____ before breaking through the sea well).

Aberrant

(adj.) deviating from the norm; atypical or unusual.

Abjure

To renounce upon oath; to reject solemnly, to recant; to abstain from/ avoid

(He ______ his allegiance to his former country).

(Steve had to _____ all indulgence when he entered the training camp).

Abrogate

(V.) to abolish or to annul by authority; put down; to treat as nonexistent: to fail to do what is required by; (Ex: the court ruling _____ the defendant’s rights to any profit from the sale of the house). (Ex: Darren _____ his responsibility to the paper when he went on vacation without submitting his article before the deadline).

Abscission

n. The act of cutting or removing (Ex: Dr. Carter recommended an immediate _______ to avoid further infection).

Abscise

(V). To cut off or remove (Ex: The congresswoman called for the resignation of the key legislators because this was the only to _____ the corruption that had occurred).

Abscond

(V). To depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide (Ex: Doug was left penniless when the two con men ______ with his life savings)

(Also, clandestine means done secret or done secretively, especially because illicit)

Abstruse

(Adj) Hard to understand (While the book received great praise in academic circles, it was too _______ for the average person to understand).

Accolade

(N.) an expression of praise, such as an applause; an award (Ex: The diva received her _______ graciously, blowing kisses to her adoring fans).

Accretion

(N.) growth, increase by successive addition, build up (Ex: Limestone is formed from the ________ of tiny particles from objects such as shells and corals over very long time).

Acerbic

Adj. having a sour or bitter taste or character; used to describe something that is spoken or written in a way that is direct witty, and cruel (Ex: Dorothy Park was famous for her wit, which could be quite ______ ; she could be devastating when she wanted to be). (Ex: I like my lemonade with very sugar in it; the ________ tang is perfect for the warm weather).

Acumen

(N.) a quick, keen or accurate knowledge or insight; the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain

(Ex: The media often comments on the CEO’s business ______, remarking on the company’s success). (Ex: Her _______ in anticipating her opponents strategy is legendary; it’s what makes her so hard to defeat).

Admonish

To reprove ; to express warning or disapproval;

(To reprove means to scold or to correct usually gently or with kind intent, like a teacher for example. It also means to censure/express disapproval).

Adroit

Adj. adept; dexterous

(Adept= thoroughly proficient; dexterous- readiness and grace in physical activity).

Adulation

N. Excessive praise, intense adoration (Ex: Taylor Swift is the object of much adolescent ________).

Adulterate

V. To reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients (Ex: In an effort to determine why the house’s foundation was crumbling, the inspectors tested the concrete to see if it had been improperly __________ when it was mixed)

Unadulterated

Adj. pure; complete: unqualified (I could tell what her used car salesman was saying was one hundred percent pure, _______ hogwash).

Adumbrate

V. To foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest, our outline sketchily

(Ex: The possibilities for further cooperation between the two parties were __________ at the first, private meeting, but nothing was finalized until much later).

(Intimate- v. To communicate delicately and indirectly)

Aesthetic

Adj. dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to the art or to the beautiful

(Ex: Many people say they see no ________ value in modern artwork, claiming the pieces look like a kindergartner’s finger painting).

Aggrandize

V. To increase in intensity, power or prestige; to make appear greater

(Ex: The multi-million dollar advertising campaign was part of a public plan to aggrandize the company’s stock before it went public).

(Ex: you can also put self____ in front of this word).

Alacrity

N. Eager and enthusiastic willingness

(Ex: The ______ with which Calvin offered to do the dishes made his mother suspicious; usually he would only do chores kicking and screaming).

Alchemy

N. A magical or wonderful transformation; it was originally a medieval science aimed at changing metals, particularly into gold and silver

(Ex: The remarkable __________ among the cast members made watching the familiar and sometimes boring play into a completely new experience).

Alloy

V. To commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior

(_____ the punch with prune juice turned out not to be such a good idea itself).

The noun of this word means the mixture itself.

Unalloyed

Adj. pure (Ex: The reviewer described the movie as an _______ pleasure, saying it was the first film in years in which every single minute was worth watching).

Euphony

N. Quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words. (Ex: The poet put _____ before mere factuality). (Ex: Could describe a lullaby using this word).

Supplant

V. Supersede and replace

Stringent

strict, precise, and exacting

predilection

Preference or special looking for something; a bias in favor of something. (Ex: my _____ for Asian food).

Canonize

V. To declare ( a dead person) a saint; to love or too adore too much; (ex: A singing star so ________ by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him).

Amalgamate

V. To combine several elements into a whole

A griffin, theoretically at least, is an ______ of an eagle and a lion into a mean- looking mythical creature.

(There’s a noun of this verb with less letters)

Ambiguity

N. Uncertainty in meaning (ex: The ________ of the poem’s title allows scholars to interpret it many different ways)

Ambivalence

N. The quality of having opposing/ contradictory ideas or feelings

“Nikki’s ______ about the job offer was apparent; one on hand, the money and benefits would be better than at her current job, but on the other, she didn’t want to risk losing the wonderful work environment she already had

Ameliorate

V. To make better or more tolerable (Ex: Jonas was sure that nothing could _____ the taste of beets; brussel sprouts, on the other hand, could be made quite palatable with the introduction of plenty of butter).

(Ex: All attempts to ______ the relationship between the long standing adversaries seemed futile; they were as hostile toward one another as ever).

Amenable

Adj. agreeable; responsive to suggestion (Ex: If you’re ______ let’s go for a walk). (Ex: The actress was well known for being ______ to direction, which made her a favorite of directors).

Anachronism

N. Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

(Ex: The wristwatch worn by one of the characters in the period movie set in Rome in 25 B.C. was just one of the many ______ that spoiled the movie’s credibility).

(Ex: Mr. Jones’ students felt his insistence on strict classroom discipline was an __________ and that he should “get with the times.”

Anathema

N. A solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed (under a curse; extremely disliked) or thoroughly loathed person or thing; someone or something intensely disliked

(Ex: He was an _____ to his entire town once it was revealed that he had been a secret police informant).

(Ex: Hearing the _____ pronounced against her filled her with foreboding).

(Ex: The precepts of eugenics became almost universally ________ around the world following the horrors of the Holocaust being revealed).

Anodyne (Adj) (AN Uh dyn)

Adj. soothing (Ex: Don’t you agree that nothing is quite so ______ as a long soak in the bubble bath?)

Anodyne (noun)

N. Something that assuages (make an unpleasant feeling less intense) or allays (diminish or put at rest: fear, suspicion, worry) pains, or comforts

(Ex: After such a hectic week, Casey very much looked forward to the _________ of a relaxing weekend of camping at the lake).

Antipathy (an ti puh thee)

N. Aversion, dislike

(Ex: Sam very clearly expresses his ______ toward certain breakfast foods in the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham.

Apocryphal

Adj. Dubious (doubtful) authenticity or origin, spurious (not being what it purports to be; false or fake)

(Ex: Most people believe that stories of alien abduction are _______, but what if there is a big government conspiracy and they all are really true).

Apogee

N. Farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith (Ex: No one could have foreseen that receiving the Pulitzer Prize at the age of eighteen would be the apogee of his career, and that nothing he produced afterward would achieve any kind of critical success).

Perigee

N. The lowest or closest point, or the nadir

The moon is at the _____ when it is at its farthest point away from the earth in its orbit ; it is at its ________ when its closest to earth

Apostate

N. One who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of a cause (Ex: His fellow party members were shocked when Fred became an ______, running for office on his former’s opponent’s tickets.)”

Apotheosis

N. Deification, glorification to godliness, the perfect example

(Ex: The ____ of technology in modern society seems to be reaching new highs; computers and gadgets are practically worshipped by customers)

(Ex: She is the ______ of nurturing motherhood; she makes soup for sick friends, nurses wounded birds, ands listens to everyone’s problems ).

Apposite

Adj. appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apropos (with reference to, concerning)

(Ex: His choice of songs for the opening ceremony was entirely ______; everyone agreed that it was perfectly suited to the event)

Apprise

V. give notice to, inform

(Ex: The officer ____ him of his rights before questioning him).

Approbation

N. An expression of approval or praise;

(Ex: Providing ____ for good behavior is the best way to train puppies; the praise is particularly effective when accompanied by treats).

Approbate

V. To approve something officially

(Ex: Congress must _______ the President's nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Appropriate

V. To take for one’s own use, confiscate

Arabesque

N. Complex, ornate design; also a position in ballet that’s used metaphorically

(A beautiful _____ of fruits and flowers surrounded the central pattern of the print).

Spurious

Adj. not being what it purports to be; false or fake

Arcane

Adj. mysterious, secret, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates

(Ex: Elizabeth was a font of ____ knowledge; she could tell you not only the names of the pets of every cabinet member of every administration, but also know many gumballs are produced annually).

Arduous (* pronounced ar joo us)

Adj. strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort

(Learning all these vocabulary words may seem like an ___ task, but if you learn just a few a day, it will be a piece of cake, I promise).

Arrant (Pronounced: AR unt)

Adj. impudent; in every way, being completely such, utter

Hint: The example sentence showcases both meanings

(Don Juan’s ____ philandering made him a legend. He seemed to have had the ability to turn many of his admirers into ____ fools).

Arrest

V. To suspend; to stop or interrupt the development of something; to engage; to attract or catch someone’s attention

(Ex: Sometime I think my brother’s emotional development was _____ at a young age; he often acts like a five year old).

(Ex: My attention was immediately _______ by the view, a breathtaking panorama of mountains and lakes that had me completely mesmerized).

Adj. Arresting

Adj. holding one’s attention

(Ex: It was a most ___ portrait; there was a crowd of people starting at it for hours).

Artless

Adj. completely without guile; naive, natural, without artificiality; can also mean without skill

Artful

Adj. (Of a person or action) clever or skillful, typically in a cunning or crafty way; can also mean showing art or skill

Assuage

V. To ease or to lessen, to appease or to pacify

(Ken was able to ______ the pain of his headache by lying in a dark room with a cloth over his eyes).

Ascetic

n. One who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion.

(Ex: A true _____ would be able to resist eating those chocolate eclairs, which is why I know I’m not an _____).

Asperity

N. Severity (in the way that you speak or behave) , rigor; roughness, harshness of tone or manner; acrimony (bitterness or ill feeling); irritability;

(Ex: The _______ of her response to his pleas for leniency suggested that there was no chance she would be ending his detention any time in the next three months).

Aspersion

N. An act of defamation or maligning

(Ex: Pete resented the ______ cast by his opponent, who called Pete a low-down, no good snake who didn’t eat his vegetables).

Assiduous

Adj. diligent, hardworking

(Carla was an ______ note taker. She wrote down almost every word of each of her professor’s lectures).

Astringent

Adj. having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe

Conscientious

Adj. meticulous, careful; putting a lot of effort into your work; feeling a moral responsibility to do your work carefully and to be fair to others

Chaos

N. A condition of confusion or unpredictability

Chary

Adj. wary, cautious, sparing

(Ex: Claudette was _______ with her praise, lest it go to Frederick’s head).

Intrepid

Adj. steadfast, courageous

(Ex: The _____ explorers continued on despite the harsh conditions).

Banal

Adj. so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring; lacking freshness; trite

(Ex: “His speech was filled with _____ clichés like ‘follow your dreams’ and ‘never give up,’ making it feel uninspiring and forgettable” ) .

Insipid

Adj. without taste or flavor ; lacking in spirit; dull ; uninteresting; lacking for qualities that interest stimulate or challenge

(Ex: Liamani’s seafood pasta was ______, as it was in desperate need of some garlic, red pepper, and salt).

(Ex: Henry’s sense of humor was so _______ that he thought all knock-knock jokes were funny).

(Ex: The lecture was so _____ , I almost fell asleep).

Impudent

Adj. not showing due respect for another person

Eminence

N. A position of prominence or superiority

Dr. Fauci’s ______ in the field of human immunoregulation made him the keynote speaker at the international conference.

Derivative

Adj. imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason; unoriginal;

noun: something that is based on another source

(The artist’s work was dissaproved of because it was derivative in quality).

audacious

adj. dearing and fearless; recklessly bold

(Ex: The wizard liz is an _____ mountain climber who goes where few of her competitors dare to follow)

(Ex: No matter how _____ a cartoon villian’s plan for world domination may be, there walways seems to be a hero waiting to foil it).

This noun is the quality of being this word.

augury (Pronouned: aw GYUH ree)

n. omen, portent, the reading of omens, a sign of what will happen in the future

(Ex: ______ in ancient Rome was performed largely by interpretting the flight of birds)

(Ex: His first attempts at dancing gave little ______ of the skill he would later develop with practice).

portent

n. something that foreshadows an upcoming event;

An omen is a ________ that something good or bad will happen.

attenuate

v. to reduce the force, effect, or value of; to rarefy; weaken or make thinner, lessen

(Ex: Copper is incredibly ductile, so it is able to be _______ to a thin filament without breaking, which makes it great for wiring).

(Ex: The atmospher at the top of Mt. Everest is so _______ that climbers must carry oxygen with them in order to breathe)

(Ex: The endless discussion ____ the point until everyone lost interest in it).

rarefy (verb)

v. to make or become thin, less dense, refine;

( Ex: Gases condense when they are cooled and _____ when they are heated).

(Ex: The air at high elevation is so ______ that it can be difficult for people with respiration issues to breathe).

rarefied

adj: (concering air, especially at high altitudes ) made less dense, of lower pressure than usual; of or relating to or interesting to a select group, esoteric

(Ex: His sole goal in life was the gain admission to the _____ air of the literary society).

august

adj. majestic, venerable; respected, impressive

(Ex: The ____ presence of the pharaohs endures through the millenia, embodied in their massive tombs).

(Ex: Despite his simple dress and advanced years, the ____ politican managed to convey a sense of dignity and subtle power.

auspice

n. protection or support, patronage; can also mean a portent or sign (especially a favorable one)

( Ex: Under the _____ (s) of the United Nations, the summit brought together leaders from around the world to address climate change).

(Ex: Since the _____(s) seemed good, we decided to go ahead and buy thirty lottery tickets)>

Austerity (can also mean)

N. Difficult economic conditions, rigid economy.

(The prime minister imposed ______ measures in an attempt to stop the country’s downward economic spiral).

avarice

n. greed, especially for wealth

(Scamanda’s _____ for power was matched only by her lust for money, even when she was wealthy, she still schemed to get more).

aver (uh VUR)

v. to state as a fact; to state or assert to be the case; to confirm or support (also relating to the law)

(Although Scamanda ______ (ed) that she would never lie again, her friends remained understandably skeptical).

(He ____(ed) that he was innocent).

axiom

n. a universally recognized principle; generally accepted or common saying

(Ex: It is an ____ of the American legal system that one is innocent until proven guilty).