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
