Princeton Review -- GRE Vocab Key Terms 1

aberrant

adj. deviating from the norm

abscond

v. to depart in a covert manner

alacrity

n. eager and enthusiastic willingness

anomaly

n. abnormal

approbation

n. an expression of approval or praise

arduous

adj. strenuous; taxing

assuage

v. to appease; to pacify; to ease or lessen

audacious

adj. daring and fearless, generally in a adventurous way

austere

adj. severely simple; without adornment

axiomatic

adj. possessing self evident truth; given

canonical

adj. in agreement with accepted standards

capricious

adj. unpredictable; inclined to change one’s mind

censure

v. to formally disapprove

chicanery

n. trickery or suberfuge

connoisseur

n. expert; informed and astute judge, particularly in matters of taste

convoluted

adj. complex or complicated, in reference to ideas or systems

disabuse

adj. to undeceive; to set right

discordant

adj. dissonant or harsh in sound

disparate

adj. fundamentally distinct and dissimilar

effrontery

n. extreme boldness, often in a shameless manner

eloquent

adj. well spoken; articulate

enervate

v. to weaken; to reduce in vitality

ennui

n. dissatisfaction resulting from boredom or apathy

equivocate

v. to use ambigious language deceptively

erudite

adj. scholarly

exculpate

v. to clear of blame, often in an informal context

exigent

adj. urgent; pressing

extemporaneous

adj. improvised

filibuster

n. intentional obstruction, especially to delay legislative action

fulminate

v. to loudly attack or denounce

ingenuous

adj. candid; lacking in sophistication

inured

adj. accustomed to accepting something undesirable

irascible

adj. easily angered; prone to tempermental outbursts

laud

v. to praise highly

lucid

adj. clear; vivid

magnanimity

n. the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving

martial

adj. associated with war

mundane

adj. typical of the ordinary

nascent

adj. coming into being

nebulous

adj. vague; cloudy, in reference to abstract ideas

neologism

n. a new word, expression, or usage; the creation of new words or senses

noxious

adj. harmful and toxic, often in reference to physical health

obtuse

adj. not clear in thought or expression; inherent dullness

obviate

v. to anticipate and make unnecessary

onerous

adj. burdensome, with a degree of undesirability

paean

n. a song of praise and thanksgiving

parody

n. a humorous imitation intended for ridicule

perennial

adj. recurrent through the year or many years

perfidy

n. intentional breach of faith; treachery

perfunctory

adj. cursory; done without care or interest

perspicacious

adj. acutely perceptive; having keen discernment

prattle

v. to babble meaninglessly

precipitate (adj)

adj. acting with excessive haste or impulse

precipitate (v)

v. to cause or happen before expected

predilection

n. a preference, often personal or emotional

prescience

n. foreknowledge of events

prevaricate

v. to deliberately avoid the truth

qualms

n. misgivings; causes for hesitancy

recant

v. to retract, especially in regards to a belief

refute

v. to disprove

relegate

v. to forcibly assign, generally to a lower position

reticent

adj. quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

solicitous

adj. eager; concerned and attentive

sordid

adj. foul; characterized by filth and grime

sporadic

adj. occurring only occasionally

squander

v. to waste by spending or using irresponsibly

static

adj. not moving

stupefy

v. to stun, baffle, or amaze

stymie

v. to block

synthesis

n. the combination of parts to make a whole

torque

n. a force that causes rotation

tortuous

adj. winding, twisting, and indirect, often in reference to a physical or figurative path

truculent

adj. fierce and cruel; eager to fight

veracity

n. honesty; truthfulness

virulent

adj. aggressively harmful; bitterly hostile or antagonistic

voracious

adj. ravenous; insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit

waver

v. to be unsettled in opinion