Gre Vocab 1-50

abase

to humiliate or degrade



abeyance

temporary inactivity; suspensionn



abnegate

to give up something; to deny oneself something



abrogate

to get rid of; to abolish



abscission

the shedding of leaves, flowers, or fruits



abstemious

sparing; moderate



acerbic

harsh; biting



acidulous

sharp tasting; sour



acme

the highest point of something



acrimonious

bitter



adroit

skillful



adulation

excessive admiration



aegis

protection



affectation

an artificial way of behaving



affront

an insult or offense



alacrity

cheerful promptness



ambivalence

contradictory feelings toward something



ameliorated

made better



amortize

to gradually pay off or reduce



anachronism

something belonging to a different time period



anathema

something hated; a curse



anile

senile



anodyne

a pain-reliever



antedate

to come before



antediluvian

ancient; primitive



aplomb

confidence



apoplectic

enraged



apothegm

a short, wise remark



apotheosis

a perfect example



apropos

relevant



ascetic

practicing self-denial



asperity

bad temper



assiduous

hardworking; dedicated



attenuate

to reduce



austere

plain; strict; serious; cold



avaricious

greedy



aver

to state confidently; to declare



avuncular

like an uncle



baleful

threatening harm



beatific

extremely happy



bedlam

a state of uproar and confusion



beleaguered

weary, tired, bothered



belied

contradicted



bereft

deprived or robbed of something



bifurcated

split in two



blase

apathetic; unconcerned



bloviated

was wordy/windy when speaking



bonhomie

a pleasant and friendly mood



bowdlerize

to cut out all the offensive parts of a book



bumptious

assertive in a loud, arrogant way