GRE

variegated

varied; marked with different colors The variegated foliage of the jungle allows it to support thousands of different animal species. Synonym: diversified

rococo

very highly ornamented; relating to an 18th century artistic style of elaborate ornamentation The ornate furniture in the house reminded Tatiana of the rococo style. Synonyms: intricate; ornate

ephemeral

lasting a short time The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies' average life span is a matter of hours. Synonyms: evanescent; fleeting; momentary; transient

seraphic

angelic; sweet Selena's seraphic appearance belied her nasty, bitter personality. Synonyms: cherubic; heavenly

mannered

artificial or stilted in character The portrait is an example of the mannered style that was favored in that era. Synonyms: affected; unnatural

sentient

aware; conscious; able to perceive The anesthetic didn't work, and I was still sentient when the dentist started drilling! Synonyms: feeling; intelligent; thinking

tyro

beginner; novice An obvious tyro at salsa, Millicent received no invitations to dance. Synonyms: apprentice; fledgling; greenhorn; neophyte; tenderfoot

sedition

behavior that promotes rebellion or civil disorder against the state Li was arrested for sedition after he gave a fiery speech in the main square. Synonyms: conspiracy; insurrection

soporific

causing sleep or lethargy The movie proved to be so soporific that soon loud snores were heard throughout the cinema. Synonyms: hypnotic; narcotic; slumberous; somnolent

sublime

lofty or grand The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place. Synonyms: august; exalted; glorious; grand; magnificent; majestic; noble; resplendent; superb

sobriquet

nickname One of Ronald Reagan's sobriquets was "The Gipper." Synonyms: alias; pseudonym

solecism

grammatical mistake "I ain't going with you," she said, obviously unaware of her solecism. Synonyms: blooper; faux pas; vulgarism

salubrious

healthful Run-down and sickly, Gertrude hoped that the fresh mountain air would have a salubrious effect on her health. Synonyms: bracing; curative; medicinal; therapeutic; tonic

spartan

highly self-disciplined; frugal; austere When he was in training, the athlete preferred to live in a spartan room, so he could shut out all distractions. Synonyms: restrained; simple

ribald

humorous in a vulgar way The court jester's ribald brand of humor delighted the rather uncouth king. Synonyms: coarse; gross; indelicate; lewd; obscene

restive

impatient; uneasy, or restless The passengers became restive after ha in yo wait in line for hours and began to shout complaints at the airline staff. Synonyms: agitated; anxious; fretful

effrontery

impudent boldness; audacity The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when the CEO tripped over a computer wire and fell flat on his face. Synonyms: brashness; gall; nerve; presumption; temerity

blithe

joyful, cheerful, or without appropriate thought Summer finally came, and the blithe students spent their days at the beach. Synonyms: carefree; lighthearted; merry

desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected Athena had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in 3 years. Synonyms: aimless; disconnected; erratic; haphazard; indiscriminate; object less; purposeless; random; stray; unconsidered; unplanned

diffident

lacking self-confidence Steve was diffident during the job interview because of his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field. Synonyms: backward; bashful; coy; demure; modest; retiring; self-effacing; shy; timid

repudiate

TO REJECT THE VALIDITY OF The old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was repudiated by other known relatives. Synonyms: deny; disavow; disclaim; disown; renounce

malinger

To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering - pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the army. Synonyms: shirk; slack

trenchant

acute, sharp, or incisive; forceful; effective Tyrone's trenchant observations in class made him the professor's favorite student Synonyms: biting; caustic; cutting; keen

belfry

a bell tower; the room in which a bell is hung The town was shocked when a bag of money was found stashed in the old belfry of the church. Synonyms: spire; steeple

tome

a book, usually a large and academic one The teacher was forced to refer to various times to find the answer to the advanced student's question. Synonyms: codex; volume

vicissitude

a change or variation Investors must be prepared or vicissitudes of the stock market. Synonyms: inconstancy; mutability

boor

a crude person; one lacking manners or taste "That utter boor ruined my recital with his constant guffawing!" wailed the pianist. Synonyms: clod; lout; oaf; vulgarian; yahoo

calumny

a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent in the senatorial race. Synonyms: defamation; libel; slander

zephyr

a gentle breeze; something airy or unsubstantial The zephyr from the ocean made the intense heat on the beach bearable for the sunbathers. Synonyms: breath; draft

bevy

a group As predicted, a bevy of teenagers surrounded the rock star's limousine. Synonyms: band; bunch; gang; pack; troop

stigma

a mark of shame or discredit In "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A on her clothes as a public stigma for her adultery. Synonyms: blemish; blot; opprobrium; stain; taint

sybarite

a person devoted to pleasure and luxury A confirmed sybarite, the nobleman fainted at the thought of having to leave his palace and live in a small cottage. Synonyms: hedonist; sensualist

sycophant

a self-serving flatterer; a yes-man Dreading criticism, the actor surrounded himself with admirers and sycophants. Synonyms: boot licked; fawner; lickspittle; toady

stasis

a state of static balance or equilibrium The rusty, ivy-colored World War II tank had obviously been in stasis for years. Synonyms: inertia; standstill

vestige

a trace; a remnant Vestiges of the former tenant still remained in the apartment, though he hadn't lived there for years. Synonyms: relic; remains; sign

sinecure

a well-paying job or office that requires little or no work The corrupt mayor made sure to set up all his relatives in sinecures within the administration.

unequivocal

absolute; certain The jury's verdict was unequivocal: the organized crime boss would be locked up for life. Synonyms: categorical; clear; explicit; express; unambiguous

talon

claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey A vulture holds its prey in its talons while it dismembers it with its beak. Synonyms: claw; nail

symbiosis

cooperation; mutual helpfulness The rhino and the tick-eating bird live in symbiosis; the rhino gives the bird food in he form of ticks, and the bird rids the rhino of parasites. Synonyms: association; interdependence

sardonic

cynical; scornfully mocking Isabella was offended by the sardonic way in which her date made fun of her ideas and opinions. Synonyms: acerbic; caustic; sarcastic; satirical; snide

specious

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious The student's specious excuse for being late sounded legitimate but was proved otherwise when his teacher called his home. Synonyms: illusory; ostensible; plausible; sophistic; spurious

tangential

digressing; diverting Your argument is interesting, but it's tangential to the matter at hand, so I suggest we get back to the point. Synonyms: digression; extraneous; inconsequential; irrelevant; peripheral

tacit

done without using words Although not a word was said, everyone in the room knew that a tacit agreement had been made about what course of action to take. Synonyms: implicit; implied; undeclared; unsaid; unuttered

rhetoric

effective writing or speaking Lincoln's talent for rhetoric was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address. Synonyms: eloquence; oratory

surfeit

excessive amount Because of the surfeit of pigs, pork prices have never been lower. Synonyms: glut; plethora; repletion; superfluity; surplus

florid

excessively decorated or embellished The palace had been decorated in an excessively florid style; every surface had been carved and gilded Synonyms: baroque; elaborate; flamboyant; ornate; ostentatious; rococo

torpor

extreme mental and physical sluggishness After the surgery, the patient's torpor lasted several hours until the anesthesia wore off. Synonyms: apathy; languor

stentorian

extremely loud Cullen couldn't hear her speaking over the stentorian din of the game on TV. Synonyms: clamorous; noisy

sacrosanct

extremely sacred; beyond criticism Many people considered Mother Teresa to be sacrosanct and would not tolerate any criticism of her. Synonyms: holy; inviolable; off-limits

audacious

fearless and daring The audacious peasant dared to insult the king's mother. Synonyms: adventuresome; aggressive; assertive; bold; brave; courageous; daring; dauntless; doughty; fearless; gallant; game; heroic; intrepid; mettlesome; plucky; stout; stouthearted; up afraid; undaunted; valiant; valorous; venturesome; venturous

veracity

filled with truth and accuracy She had a reputation for veracity, so everyone trusted her description of the events. Synonyms: candor; exactitude; fidelity; probity

glib

fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual The slimy politician managed to continue gaining supporters because he was a glib speaker. Synonyms: easy; superficial

sportive

frolicsome; playful The lakeside vacation meant more sportive opportunities for the kids than the wine tour through France. Synonyms: frisky; merry

umbrage

offense; resentment The businessman took umbrage at the security guard's accusation that he had shoplifted a packet of gum. Synonyms: asperity; dudgeon; ire; pique; rancor

toady

one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors The king was surrounded by toadies who rushed to agree with whatever outrageous thing he said. Synonyms: parasite; sycophant

affected

phony; artificial The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France. Synonyms: insincere; pretentious, put-on

banal

predictable; clichéd; boring His conversations consisted of banal phrases like "Have a nice day" or "Another day, another dollar." Synonyms: bland; bromidic; clichéd; commonplace; fatuous; hackneyed; innocuous; insipid; jejune; musty; platitudinous; prosaic; quotidian; shopworn; stale; stereotypic; threadbare; timeworn; tired; trite; vapid; worn-out

pithy

profound or substantial yet concise, succinct, and to the point Martha's pithy comments during the interview must have been impressive because she got the job. Synonyms: brief; compact; laconic; terse

salient

prominent; of notable significance His most salient characteristic is his tendency to dominate every conversation. Synonyms: marked; noticeable; outstanding

opprobrium

public disgrace After the scheme to defraud the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter opprobrium. Synonyms: discredit; disgrace; dishonor; disrepute; ignominy; infamy; obloquy; shame

contumacious

rebellious The contumacious teenager ran away from home when her parents told her she was grounded. Synonyms: factious; insubordinate; insurgent; mutinous; rebellious; seditious

vernal

related to spring; fresh Bea basked in the balmy vernal breezes, happy that winter was coming to an end. Synonyms: springlike; youthful

sanguine

ruddy; cheerfully optimistic A sanguine person thinks the glass is half full, whereas a depressed person thinks it's half empty. Synonyms: confident; hopeful; positive; rosy; rubicund

surly

rude and bad-tempered When asked to clean the windshield, the surly gas station attendant tossed the dirty rag at the customer and walked away. Synonyms: gruff; grumpy; testy

rustic

rural The rustic cabin was an ideal setting for a vacation in the country. Synonyms: bucolic; pastoral

sagacious

shrewd; wise Owls have a reputation for being sagacious, perhaps because of their big eyes, which resemble glasses. Synonyms: astute; judicious; perspicacious; sage; wise

wizened

shriveled; withered; wrinkled The wizened old man was told that the plastic surgery necessary to make him look young again would cost more money than he could imagine. Synonyms: atrophied; desiccated; gnarled; wasted

wan

sickly pale The sick child had a wan face, in on trash to her rosy-cheeked sister. Synonyms: ashen; sickly

taciturn

silent; not talkative The clerk's taciturn nature earned him the nickname Silent Bob. Synonyms: laconic; reticent

reticent

silent; reserved Physically small and verbally reticent, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those she was reporting upon. Synonyms: cool; introverted; laconic; standoffish; taciturn; undemonstrative

anachronism

something out of place in time The play was set in the nineteenth century, but was ruined by anachronisms, like the lead actor's digital watch. Synonyms: archaism; incongruity

lugubrious

sorrowful; mournful; dismal Irish wakes are a rousing departure from the lugubrious funeral services to which most people are accustomed. Synonyms: funereal; gloomy; melancholy; somber; woeful

leery

suspicious After being swindled once, Ruth became leery of strangers trying to sell things to her. Synonyms: distrustful; guarded; wary

turgid

swollen as from a fluid; bloated In the process of osmosis, water passes through the walls of turgid cells, ensuring that they never contain too much water. Synonym: distended

voluble

talkative; speaking easily; glib The voluble man and his reserved wife proved the old saying that opposites attract. Synonyms: loquacious; verbose

syncopation

temporary irregularity in musical rhythm A jazz enthusiast will appreciate the use of syncopation in that musical genre.

garrulous

tending to talk a lot The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking. Synonyms: effusive; loquacious

zenith

the point or culmination; peak The diva considered her appearance at the Metropolitan Opera to be the zenith of her career. Synonyms: acme; pinnacle

usury

the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates The moneylender was convicted of usury when it was discovered that he charged 50 percent interest on all his loans. Synonym: loan-sharking

viscous

thick and adhesive, like a slow-flowing liquid Most viscous liquids, like oil or homey, become even thicker as they are cooled down. Synonyms: gelatinous; glutinous; thick

foment

to arouse or incite The rebels tried to foment revolution through their attacks on the government. Synonyms: agitate; impassion; inflame; instigate; kindle

slake

to calm down or moderate In order to slake his curiosity, Bryan finally took a tour backstage at the theater. Synonyms: moderate; quench; satisfy

expurgate

to censor Government propagandists expurgated all negative references to the dictator from the film. Synonyms: bowdlerize; cut; sanitize

yoke

to join together As soon as the farmer had yoked his oxen together, he began to plow the fields. Synonyms: bind; harness; pair

ameliorate

to make better; to improve The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers. Synonyms: amend; better; improve; pacify; upgrade

adulterate

to make impure The restauranteur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water. Synonyms: debase; doctor; load

vacillate

to physically sway; to be indecisive The customer held up the line as he vacillated de tween ordering chocolate chip or rocky-road ice cream. Synonyms: dither; falter; fluctuate; oscillate; waver

dissemble

to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character The villain could dissemble to the police no longer - he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the stash of stolen money. Synonyms: act; affect; assume; camouflage; cloak; counterfeit; cover up; disguise; dis simulate; fake; feign; mask; masquerade; pose; pretend; put on; sham

supplant

to replace (another) by force; to take the place of The overthrow of the government meant a new leader to supplant the tyrannical former one. Synonyms: displace; supersede

requite

to return or repay Thanks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I know I'll never be able to requite your generosity. Synonyms: compensate; reciprocate

satiate

to satisfy fully or overindulge His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could satiate it. Synonyms: cloy; glut; gorge; surfeit

upbraid

to scold sharply The teacher upbraided the student for scrawling graffiti all over the walls of the school. Synonyms: berate; chide; rebuke; reproach; tax

sully

to tarnish; to taint With the help of a public relations firm, he was able to restore his sullied reputation. Synonym: besmirch; defile

officious

too helpful; meddlesome While planning her wedding, Maya discovered just how officious her future mother-in-law could be. Synonyms: eager; intrusive; unwanted

scintilla

trace amount This poison is so powerful that no more than a scintilla of it is needed to kill a horse. Synonyms: atom; iota; mote; spark; speck

stratagem

trick designed to deceive an enemy The Trojan Horse must be one of the most successful military stratagems used in all of history. Synonyms: artifice; feint; maneuver; ruse; wile

stolid

unemotional; lacking sensitivity The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence. Synonyms: apathetic; impassive; indifferent; phlegmatic; stoic; unconcerned

unconscionable

unscrupulous; shockingly unfair or unjust After she promised me the project, the fact that she gave it to someone else is unconscionable. Synonyms: dishonorable; indefensible

vim

vitality and energy The vim with which she worked so early in the day explained why she was so productive. Synonyms: force power

verbose

wordy The professor's answer was so verbose that his student forgot what the original question had been. Synonyms: long-winded; loquacious; prolix; superfluous