GRE Vocabulary #1
affinity
natural attraction a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection
effete
(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date.
supine
(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
hidebound
(adj.) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative.
ineffable
(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
systemic
(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems
noisome
(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
indigenous
(adj.) originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent
risible
(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
quizzical
(adj.) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
mnemonic
(adj.) relating to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory
quasi
(adj.) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
ancillary
(adj.) subordinate or supplementary
symptomatic
(adj.) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease
sacrosanct
(adj.) very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack
minuscule
(adj.) very small, tiny; (n.) a lowercase letter
volte-face
(n) an about-face; a complete reversal
poltroon
(n.) a base coward
virtuoso
(n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant
vicissitude
(n.) a change, variation, or alteration; (pl.) successive or changing phases or conditions
persona
(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes
melee
(n.) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling
proselyte
(n.) a convert; a disciple
lexicon
(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
schism
(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
claque
(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
pundit
(n.) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions
microcosm
(n.) a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system
matrix
(n.) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment
morass
(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
vassal
(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.) subservient
forte
(n.) a person's strong point; what a person does best
elixir
(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines
corollary
(n.) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; (adj.) resultant or consequent
foray
(n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid
liturgy
(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
icon
(n.) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
vignette
(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
interstice
(n.) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
paean
(n.) a song of praise, joy, or triumph
solecism
(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
mountebank
(n.) a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
genre
(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted
fait accompli
(n.) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action.
enclave
(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
hierarchy
(n.) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.
folderol
(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle
obsequies
(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies
raillery
(n.) good-humored ridicule; teasing
rapacity
(n.) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
lucubration
(n.) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work
persiflage
(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
plethora
(n.) overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
aegis
(n.) protection; patronage; sponsorship
adjunct
(n.) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj.) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity.
mirage
(n.) something illusory, without substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion
bellwether
(n.) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends.
paternalism
(n.) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
verisimilitude
(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
purview
(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
macrocosm
(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
derring-do
(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)
polarize
(v.) to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern
condescend
(v.) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner
obfuscate
(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
immure
(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate
caterwaul
(v.) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n.) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket.
apprise
(v.) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
deracinate
(v.) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of
bowdlerize
(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
cozen
(v.) to trick; to cheat or swindle
chimerical
(adj.) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible.
eleemosynary
(adj.) charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity
cognate
(adj.) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; (n.) such a person or thing
pragmatic
(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions
bibulous
(adj.) fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
oblivious
(adj.) forgetful; unaware
gratis
(adj.) free; (adv.) without charge
lachrymose
(adj.) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
sanguine
(adj.) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
therapeutic
(adj.) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
ribald
(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
diaphanous
Very sheer and light; almost completely transparent
philippic
a bitter verbal attack
cul-de-sac
a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse
panache
a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display
parameter
a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary
homily
a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse
aficionado
an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan
gamut
an entire range or series
insouciant
blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky
commensurate
equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards
prurient
having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires
tendentious
intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan
bilious
peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant
emolument
profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary
obloquy
public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment
divination
the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge
hoi polloi
the common people; the masses
browbeat
to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully