GREGMAT's Words List Groups 25-30, Kaplan's Common GRE Words (G-Z)

bereft

deprived or lacking something, sad and lonely

delineate

describe or portray precisely

harangue

lengthy and aggressive speech

auspicious

conductive to success, favorable

exhort

strongly encourage or urge

captious

tending to find fault or raise petty objections

lugubrious

looking sad or dismal

axiomatic

self-evident or unquestionable

macabre

disturbing, concerned with causing a fear of death

exorbitant

unreasonably high

treatise

a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject

corporeal

relating to a person's body and not spirit, material objects

morose

sullen and bad-tempered

fickle

changing mood frequently, capricious

idiosyncratic

peculiar or individual

insolent

showing rude and arrogant lack of respect

ardent

enthusiastic, passionate

doctrinaire

dogmatic, rigid

officious

intrusively offering help or advice, interfering

equanimity

calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation

supplant

take the place of someone or something, replace

lampoon

publicly criticize someone using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm

lambaste

criticize harshly

turpitude

wicked behavior

peccadillo

minor fault or sin

philistine

hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts

relegate

assign an inferior rank or position

excoriate

criticize severely

curmudgeon

bad-tempered person

wheedle

use flattery or coaxing to persuade someone to do something

miscreant

person who has done something wrong or unlawful

haughty

arrogantly superior

chary

wary, cautious or suspiciously reluctant

repungant

unacceptable, in conflict, incompatible

squander

waste in reckless manner

cajole

persuade to do something by flattery

unalloyed

pure

heady

intoxicating, exhilarating

quibble

nitpicking, slight criticism about trivial matter

gauche

lacking ease or grace, unsophisticated

willy

skilled at gaining an advantage through deceit, cleverness

sophistry

using false arguments with the intention of deceiving

coy

seeming shy and modest to be alluring

recant

say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, change mind, retract

quandry

a state of perplexity or uncertainty, dilemma

affront

action or remark that causes outrage

burnish

polish up, buff up, enhance

enmity

actively opposing or being hostile, animosity

impudent

not showing respect for another person

redoubtable

formidable, causing fear

quash

reject or void

penchant

liking, fondness

abeyance

state of suspension, dormancy, inaction

august

respected and impressive, distinguished

propitious

favorable, good chance of success

detente

hostility or strained relations, usually between countries

imbroglio

confused, complicated, embarrasing situation

languish

weaken, deteriorate, waste away

prurient

having excessive interest in sexual matters

bawdy

dealing with sexual matters in a comical way

croon

hum or sing quietly

aspersion

attack on integrity of someone

nadir

lowest point in fortune

echelon

level, ranking, position

depose

remove from office suddenly

apogee

highest point of development, culmination

chargin

distress or embarrassment from failing

contretemps

minor dispute or disagreement, unexpected and unfortunate occurrence

zenith

time at which something is most powerful

fulcrum

plays a central or essential role in an activity

expatiate

speak or write in great length

jocund

cheerful and lighthearted

factious

divided, argumentative

spurn

reject with disdain or contempt

callow

inexperienced and immature

flagrant

offensive

remuneration

payment, earnings

bravado

bold manner of boldness intended to impress

obstreperous

noisy and difficult to control

temerity

confidence and boldness

deportment

person's behaviors or manners

verve

vigor

aberrant

deviant, transgressing

fallow

uncultivated, dormant

tenuous

slight, slender, fine, insubstantial

gratuitous

freely given, not called for

indecorous

improper

soliloquy

interior monologue

capitulate

surrender, give in, yield

extemporize

improvised

nominal

token, tiny

plucky

brave, intrepid

grovel

act submissive, crawl

feint

bluff, deception, partciularly in a fight

garrulous

tending to talk a lot

gregarious

outgoing, sociable

guile

deceit or trickery (since hew as not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to ___ to trap his enemy)

iconoclast

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, institutions

imperturbable

not capable of being disturbed

impervious

impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected