Kaplan 900 + Magoosh ebook + Barron's 333

Finesse

delicacy of workmanship, subtlety, skillful maneuvering

Mien

demeanor, the air bearing of a person

Ascetic

denial, austere

gainsay

deny.Yet must he not gainsay the gods ' behest

abscond

depart secretly and hide

Reprehensible

deserving of blame

resolution

determination

Conviction

determination, a state of being convinced

resolve

determination; firmness of purpose

Arduous

difficult to do, laborious

Opaque

difficult to see through, unclear, dark

By the Letter - "X" words

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Themed Lists - Compound Words

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Vocab from Within

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appropriate

acquire; take possession of for one's own use

Vicarious

acting for another, sharing in an experience of another through the Imagination

recondite

abstruse; profound; secret

embellish

adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story.Designer embellished the supermodel's dress

propitiate

appease."the pagans thought it was important to propitiate the gods with sacrifices"

converge

approach; tend to meet; come together

aesthetic

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful

Dormant

as though asleep, not actively growing

aver

assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact

Bumptious

assertive

amalgamate

combine; unite in one body

disparate

basically different; unrelated.In business it is important that the client and vendor do not have disparate views on requirements to be met.

stint

be thrifty; set limits

Senescence

beginning of old age

Liaison

connection between different groups, a close bond

supersede

cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete

Surcease

cessation

alacrity

cheerful promptness; eagerness

Rubric

heading, title, category

salubrious

healthful.odours of far less salubrious origi

facilitate

help bring about; make less difficult

recluse

hermit; loner

secrete

hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism

Bibulous

highly absorbent, given to or fond of alcoholic beverages

Pregnant

highly significant, overflowing, rich in significance

impede

hinder, block

Probity

honesty, uprightness

Animus

hostile feeling

Truculent

hostile, aggressive, savage

Facetious

humorous, joking in a somewhat inappropriate or clumsy manner

Raffish

jaunty, sporty, disreputable, vulgar, characterized by a careless Unconventionality

facetious

joking (often inappropriately); humorous.She was a facetious person, intending to be amusing

Atrabilious

inclined to melancholy

prohibitive

inclined to prevent or forbid

disjointed

lacking coherence

erudite

learned; scholarly

Clout

influence, a forceful blow

apprise

inform

Provincial

limited in outlook, narrow in ideas

Steadfast

loyal, faithful

Tepid

lukewarm, unenthusiastic, halfhearted

burnish

make shiny by rubbing; polish

attenuate

make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree)

obviate

make unnecessary; get rid of. the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains

Coherent

making sense, organize and logical

Sycophant

man

Prolific

marked by abundant production or offspring

striated

marked with parallel bands; grooved

Striated

marked with thin lines or grooves

discerning

mentally quick and observant; having insight

Mirthful

merry, gleeful

Punctilious

meticulously attentive to detail, exacting

euphemism

mild expression in place of an unpleasant one.Being treated "like a girl" is a common euphemism for not being taken seriously.

Scanty

minimal, hardly sufficient

quibble

minor objection or complaint

insularity

narrow-mindedness; isolation.One should imbibe the culture of the place they live in and not practise insularity.

Endemic

native, belonging to a specific region

Indigenous

native, produced or living in a particular area

propensity

natural inclination."his propensity for violence

Propinquity

nearness in place or time, kinship

Myopia

nearsightedness, lacking foresight

Novel

new, original

Penultimate

next to last

Magnanimous

noble in spirit, generous, giving

Tumult

noisy commotion, uproar

Eccentric

non-conventional, a little kooky

Insouciant

nonchalant, lighthearted, unconcerned

refute

disprove

levee

earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding.Levee sounds like lever it is used to prevent flooding

assuage

ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)

Gullible

easily deceived

gullible

easily deceived

Rarefied

esoteric, interesting to only a few

Implacable

not capable of being appeased or mollified

Incontrovertible-

not disputable, not open to question

hyperbole

exaggeration; overstatement.This isn't mere hyperbole, this isn't myth, this is a fact.

Prowess

exceptional skill or strength, military valor

plethora

excess; overabundance

meticulous

excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous

Hidebound

excessively rigid, dry and stiff, inflexible

Saccharine

excessively sweet

Effete

exhausted, lost vitality, over refined

Volatile

explosive, tend to burn quickly

Jeopardy

exposure to danger, peril

reproach

express disapproval or disappointment

eulogy

expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death

tirade

extended scolding; denunciation; harangue

Egregious

extremely bad, flagrant

default

failure to act

Quaint

fashioned, picturesque

Timorous

fearful, easily frightened

Zaftig

figured, plump

Quixotic

foolishly impractical and idealistic

austere

forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented

Redoubtable

formidable, fearsome, deserving of respect

Gratuitous

freely given, unnecessary, uncalled for, unwarranted

Agnate

from the father's side of the family

porous

full of pores; like a sieve

aggregate

gather; accumulate

burgeon

grow forth; send out buds

proliferate

grow rapidly; spread; multiply.the science fiction magazines which proliferated in the 1920s

Temperance

habitual moderation, the avoidance of excess

Inveterate

habitual, deeply rooted or established

banal

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality

Fortuitous

happening by chance, lucky fortunate

Abstruse

hard to understand or grasp

Recondite

hard to understand, abstruse, over one's head

buttress

support; prop up

Patina

surface discoloration caused by age and oxidation,

Vapid

tasteless, dull

Saporous

tasty, flavorsome

Toothsome

tasty, sexually attractive, luscious

Lachrymose

tearful, mournful

Irascible

tempered, cranky

tangential

peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing

sage

person celebrated for wisdom

Accouterments

personal clothing, accessories, or equipment

Pulchritude

physical beauty

itinerary

plan of a trip

elegy

poem or song expressing lamentation

Indigent

poverty stricken, needy

indigence

poverty."he did valuable work towards the relief of indigence"

efficacy

power to produce desired effect.The efficacy of a leader depends on how they understand and guide their team.

Puissance

power, strength

pragmatic

practical (as opposed to idealistic)

viable

practical or workable; capable of maintaining life

ascetic

practicing self-denial; austere

laud

praise

Sententious

preachy, pompous, using wise sayings excessively

Latent

present but not visible or apparent, dormant, potential

document

provide written evidence

Lambent

radiant, flickering, marked by lightness

Pluvial

rainy

maverick

rebel; nonconformist

reticent

reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence

Deference

respect, courtesy

reverent

respectful; worshipful

satiate

satisfy fully

eclectic

selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources

Quiescence

state of rest or inactivity

Robust

strong and healthy, vigorous

penchant

strong inclination; liking

Urbane

suave, sophisticated, polished

Servile

submissive, behaving like a slave

abate

subside or moderate

Ancillary

subsidiary, subordinate

Arable

suitable for the growing of crops

Saturnine

sullen, gloomy, depressed

morose

sullen; melancholy.she was morose and silent when she got home

Sciolism

superficial knowledge

perfunctory

superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm.he gave a perfunctory nod

Lissome

supple

compliant

yielding; conforming to requirements

Synergy

the combined force of two distinct elements that is more powerful then each alone

frugality

thrift; economy

Grovel

to beg persistently, to degrade oneself

Comport

to behave

Nonplus

to bewilder, to puzzle

Obliterate

to blot out leaving no traces, to destroy

Winnow

to blow of, or away, to separate the good from the bad

Tout

to brag publicly, to praise highly

Dissipate

to break up, to squander, to indulge excessively in sensual pleasure

Botch

to bungle, to foul up

Rescind

to cancel, to repeal

Prepossess

to cause to be preoccupied, to influence, positively, in advance

Transfix

to cause to stand motionless with awe or other intense emotion

Bowdlerize

to censor prudishly

Abnegate

to deny to oneself, renounce, surrender

Gainsay

to deny, to speak or act against

Delineate

to describe or picture in words, to detail

Gesticulate

to gesture, especially when speaking

Stymie

to get in the way of, to hinder, to block

Herald

to give notice of, to hail or greet

Secrete

to give off, to conceal

Forfeit

to give up something as a penalty for some error or crime

Espy

to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of

Flourish

to grow strong, to grow abundantly, to thrive or prosper

Palliate

to hide the seriousness of something with excuses or apologies,

Venerate

to honor, to worship, to respect

Pique

to hurt or rile the feelings of someone, irritate

Cogitate

to ponder over, to mediate, to think

Extol

to praise highly

Laud

to praise, to applaud, to extol

Feign

to pretend, give a false impression, to invent falsely

Thwart

to prevent from being accomplished, to frustrate, to hinder

Depredate

to prey upon, to plunder with violence if necessary

Castigate

to punish, chastise, criticize severely

Scotch

to put an end to

Quell

to put an end to, to squelch, to calm

Usurp

to size wrongfully

Adumbrate

to suggest partly, to give a hint of things to come

Corroborate

to support with evidence

Advocate

to support, or be in favor of

Enervate

to weaken, to sap the strength

Flagellate

to whip, or to punish as if by whipping

Covet

to wish for with envy

perfidious

treacherous; disloyal.He was a a perfidious lover

veracious

truthful

intractable

unruly; stubborn; unyielding

Altruistic

unselfish concern with the welfare of others

Stalwart

unwavering, robust, sturdily built

Indeterminate

vague, not known in advance

transgression

violation of a law; sin

Abstinence

voluntarily refraining from eating certain foods or drink

Ribald

vulgar or indecent language

digression

wandering away from the subject

admonish

warn; reprove

prodigal

wasteful; reckless with money

vacillate

waver; fluctuate

Verbose

wordy

Viable

workable, capable of living and growing, able to succeed

Themed Lists - Money Matters: Can't Spend it Fast Enough

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antipathy

aversion; dislike

Accolade

award or honor, high praise

Omnivorous

eating or absorbing everything, feeding on both animal and vegetable Substances

Esculent

edible, suitable for eating

Poignant

emotionally moving

Mercurial

emotionally unpredictable, give to rapid changes in mood

Vacuous

empty, lacking intelligence

savor

enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality

Milieu

environment, surroundings

substantiate

establish by evidence; verify; support

Rapprochement

establishment of good relations

Perdition

eternal damnation

Iniquitous

evil, unjust

distend

expand; swell out

Osmosis

gradual or subtle absorption, an unconscious process of absorption

Hoary

gray or white with age, ancient, stale

Exacting

greatly demanding, requiring close attention

Dulcet

having a nice, agreeable, melodious sound

Vehement

intense, forceful marked by strong feeling

deterrent

something that discourages; hindrance

Behemoth

something that is enormous, or monstrous in size and power

Garrulous

talkative

loquacious

talkative.Being loquacious, Sarah was now totally lost for words

Bilious

tempered, cranky, angry

Censure

the act of blaming or condemning

Recidivism

the act of repeating an offense

Broach

to open up a subject for discussion

Juxtapose

to place side by side

Rout

to put to flight, to scatter, to cause a huge defeat

Cavil

to quibble, to raise trivial objections

Exalt

to raise high, to glorify

Trite

unoriginal, overused, clichéd, commonplace

anomalous

abnormal; irregular

Imminent

about to occur, hanging threatening over one's head

anarchy

absence of governing body; state of disorder

Surfeit

abundance, excessive amount

Surmise

abundance, excessive amount

Copious

abundant, lavish

invective

abusive.CHildren should be not be inured to invective treatment.

vituperative

abusive; scolding

Adventitious

accidental

Concomitant

accompanying, attending, going along with

inured

accustomed; hardened.these children have been inured to violence

Interesting and International Word Origins - French Words

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Interesting and International Word Origins - Words with Strange Origins

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Most Common GRE Words - Common Words that Students Always Get Wrong

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Most Common GRE Words - Commonly Confused Sets

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Most Common GRE Words - Tricky "Easy" GRE Words with Multiple Meanings

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Themed Lists - "Occupy" Vocabulary

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Themed Lists - Animal Mnemonics

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Themed Lists - Halloween Vocabulary

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Themed Lists - Money Matters: A Helping or Thieving! Hand

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Themed Lists - Money Matters: How Much Can You Spend?

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Themed Lists - Preposterous Prepositions

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Themed Lists - Talkative Words

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Themed Lists - Them's Fighting Words

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Themed Lists - Vocabulary from up on High

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Themed Lists - Webster's Favorites

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Themed Lists: People You Wouldn't Want To Meet

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Themed Lists: Religious Words

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Themed Lists: Words from Political Scandals

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Equivocal (adj.) Equivocal does not mean equal. It means vague, undecided.

Equivocal, especially in its more common form equivocate, has a negative connotation. If a politician is equivocating, he/she is not answering a question directly, but is beating around the bush. In the academic GRE sense, if a phenomenon is open to multiple interpretations it is equivocal. Whether we can glean an artist's unconscious urges through his or her art remains equivocal - that we can ever even really tap into another person's hidden motives remains in doubt.

Inundate (v.)

To inundate is a synonym for to deluge, which means to flood. Figuratively, to be inundated means to be overwhelmed by too many people or things. The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

Zealot

a person with great enthusiasm for and commitment to a cause

Karma

a good or bad emanation of force from someone or something

Oligarchy

a government in which the power is in the hand of only a few

Retinue

a group of attendants to an elevated person

Gemeinschaft

a group with similar tastes, a group bound by similar interests and kinship

Faction

a group, or part of large group, united on an issue

Shantung

a heavy nubby fabric, made of wild silk

Cache

a hiding place, something hidden in a secret place

Tor

a high rock, a high rocky hill, or pile of rocks

Apostasy

a judge, one who decides

Listless

a lack of energy, spiritless

Patois

a language used by a particular population that differs from standard Speech

Conflagration

a large, disastrous fire

Roué

a lecherous man, a rake, a person devoted to sensual pleasures

Grig

a lively person

Tirade

a long and angry speech

Odyssey

a long difficult journey marked by changes in fortune

Galoot

a loutish oaf, a clumsy but somewhat likable person

Cachet

a mark of distinction, a quality that "says" prestige

Juggernaut

a massive, unstoppable object

Emissary

a messenger or representative, an agent

Mélange

a mixture of incongruous elements

Paradigm

a model or example

Reprobate

a morally unprincipled person, a scoundrel

Travesty

a parody, an imitation that makes crude fun of something

Bailiwick

a particular area of expertise

Votary

a person bound by vows to live a life of religious service

Luminary

a person of great intellectual, creative or spiritual stature

Mugwump

a person or politician who can't make up his mind, an independent

Bellwether

a person who assumes a leadership role or takes initiative

Pastiche

a piece that imitates or is made up from pieces of other works,

Junction

a place of meeting or joining, a linkup

Miasma

a poisonous swamp vapor, a harmful influence or atmosphere

Libation

a pouring of a liquid for a religious ceremony, a drink

Moue

a pout, usually playful, a little grimace

Polemic

a powerful argument to defend a thesis

Nemesis

a powerful river, a usually unconquerable opponent

Harbinger

a precursor, an indication, one that foreshadows what is coming

Tenet

a principle, doctrine or belief held as so by a group

Perquisite

a privilege or perk that goes along with a job

Trilemma

a problem for which there are three possible courses of action, and none perfect

Alchemy

a process of transformation that is seemingly magical

Cortege

a procession, a group of attendants

Enigma

a puzzle, a baffling situation, something obscure

Repartee

a quick, witty reply, spirited conversation

Tatterdemalion

a ragged person, always in tatters

Fusillade

a rapid outburst, spray of gunfire

Tonic

a refreshing drink, something that invigorates

Panacea

a remedy that cures everything

Maverick

a person who breaks away from the crowd, a non-conformist

Mercenary

a person who serves only for money, motivated by greed

Opportunist

a person who takes advantage of opportunity with no regard for principle

propriety

fitness; correct conduct.he always behaved with the utmost propriety

Evanescent

fleeting, vanishing, transient

Tenuous

flimsy,

precursor

forerunner; harbinger

Sylvan

forest like, wooded

Bifurcated

forked, divided into two branches

fervor

glowing ardor; intensity of feeling.Growing fervour

Luminous

glowing, bright, emitting light

Philanthropy

good will towards all people, love of mankind, and act of generosity

insinuate

hint; imply; creep in. He insinuated that they were lying.To give insight subtly

supposition

hypothesis; surmise

Animosity

ill will, active dislike

Paralogism

illogical reasoning of which the reason is not aware

emulate

imitate; rival.Smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.

Wanton

immoral, lewd, deliberate maliciousness, having no regards for others

impervious

impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed

impermeable

impervious; not permitting passage through its substance

Pretentious

important, make unjustifiable claims to excellence

ameliorate

improve

effrontery

impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness.Police were effront when it came to questioning the victim.

Qua

in the capacity of

Titular

in title only

inert

inactive; lacking power to move

impair

injure; hurt

Nominal

insignificant, trifling

Immaterial

insignificant, unimportant

inconsequential

insignificant; unimportant

Anomie

instability caused by an erosion of value or lack of purpose

Didactic

instructive, intended to educate

incorporate

introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite

preamble

introductory statement

Bracing

invigorating, to prepare

Egocentric

involved, selfish

Anomalous

irregular, abnormal, unusual

irascible

irritable; easily angered

spectrum

colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism

Doggerel

comic, sometimes crude, informal verse

Nascent

coming into existence, being born

Imperious

commanding, lordly, arrogant

Plebeian

common, vulgar, low class

Banal

commonplace, trite, unoriginal

analogous

comparable

Plenary

complete, fully attended, not deficient in any way

Aesthetic

concerned with or appreciative of beauty

Terse

concise, brief, free of extra word

Succinct

concise, clearly expressed with a few words

coda

concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that summarizes

Hubris

confidence

confound

confuse; puzzle

Chronic

constant, lasting a long time

belie

contradict; give a false impression

Forward

contrary, consistently disobedient

Colloquial

conversational, used in informal speech

cogent

convincing like He has cogent reasons not to join Harvard

disabuse

correct a false impression; undeceive.The country needs to be disabused of the impression that in rape the victim is wrong.

commensurate

corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.; proportionate

Vitriolic

corrosive, biting, bitterly scathing

Profligate

corrupt, degenerate, wildly extravagant

deference

courteous regard for another's wish.In deference to ministers request please do not take photographs at the wedding ceremony.

Verdant

covered with green plants, leafy

Craven

cowardly

craven

cowardly

Chicanery

deception or trickery

profound

deep; not superficial; complete

discredit

defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve

assiduous

diligent

Umbrage

displeasure or resentment, shade

Clemency

disposition towards mercy, mildness

Irreverent

disrespectful, gently or humorously mocking

Percipience

keen perception

Discerning

keenly perceptive, shrewd

skeptic

doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view

truculence

aggressiveness; ferocity

Infamy

an evil reputation borne of a criminal act, a reputation for evil deeds

Exemplar

an excellent model, a typical example

Clique

an exclusive group

Peregrination

an expedition, wandering

Guise

an external appearance

Malfeasance

an illegal act especially by a public official

Myriad

an immense indefinite number, multitude

Allusion

an indirect reference

Ersatz

an inferior substitute

Foray

an initial venture, to raid in search of plunder

Respite

an interval of rest, a temporary delay

Coterie

an intimate group of people with a common interest

Trice

an moment, a short period of time

Relic

an object associated with a saint, something that remains from the past

Amnesty

an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law

Portent

an omen, a sign of something coming, a foreshadowing

Overture

an opening move, a preliminary offer

Diva

an opera singer, prima donna, a temperamental, conceited person

Pariah

an outcast

Parvenu

an upstart who has acquired wealth and class but hasn'

Omniscient

all knowing, infinite awareness

Fauna

animals

Supercilious

arrogant, overbearing, condescending

presumptuous

arrogant; taking liberties

Dogmatic

arrogantly assertive, positive about unproven ideas

Plausible

believable

disparage

belittle.Parents should not disparage their children's early attempts at drawing.

fatuous

brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug.This is going to sound completely fatuous, but it's my honest answer.

laconic

brief and to the point

Laconic

brief in speech, using very few words

compendium

brief, comprehensive summary

Cursory

brief, without much attention to detail

Resplendent

brilliant, gloriously bright

Onus

burden, blame, obligation

Onerous

burdensome, oppressive, troublesome

onerous

burdensome.he found his duties increasingly onerous

caustic

burning; sarcastically biting

implode

burst inward

Negligent

careless, remiss

Lax

careless, too relaxed

Perfunctory

careless, unenthusiastic, done merely as duty

engender

cause; produce

Sangfroid

extraordinary composure in the face of danger

Hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration used as a figure of speech

Exorbitant

extravagant, exceeding what is usual

Baroque

extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation

Byzantine

extremely intricate or complicated in structure

Antediluvian

extremely old, antiquated

Virulent

extremely poisonous, malignant, full of hate

Abysmal

extremely wretched, bottomless

Perfidious

faithless, untrustworthy

plummet

fall sharply

Fallacy

false idea, mistaken belief, an implausible argument

Spurious

false, fake, not genuine

Apocryphal

false, spurious, of doubtful origin

fallacious

false; misleading.Fallacious belief that one can separate moral issues from economic ones.

zealot

fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal

Tony

fashionable, trendy, aristocratic

Salubrious

favorable to health

Arrant

notoriously without moderation, downright

Diurnal

occurring during the day, happens everyday

Quotidian

occurring every day, commonplace

Vernal

occurring in spring, spring like youthful

sporadic

occurring irregularly

Moot

of no matter or consequence, not important

homogenous

of the same kind

Unilateral

on one side alone

Minion

on, a follower, an underling

Martinet

one who adheres strictly to rules

malingerer

one who feigns illness to escape duty.AN indonent person is a malingerer mostly.

misanthrope

one who hates mankind.Hitler was kinf of a misanthrope.

Scofflaw

one who is continually breaking the law

Martyr

one who suffers for a cause, a person who sacrifices for a principle

partisan

one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party

Denunciation

open condemnation

dogmatic

opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal

Provenance

origin, source, proof of posting ownership

proscribe

ostracize; banish; outlaw.Adultery is proscribed in most countries.

Fey

otherworldly, magical, "touched"

Elliptical

oval, obscure in expression

gouge

overcharge.Gouge the mark of Zorro into it during a night exercise on my final phase one TA training weekend

condone

overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

Histrionic

overly dramatic, theatrical, deliberately affected

Maudlin

overly sentimental

inundate

overwhelm; flood; submerge

appease

pacify or soothe; relieve

placate

pacify; conciliate

Etiolate

pale and drawn, to make weak by stunting growth

Remuneration

payment, recompense

permeable

penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through

contrite

penitent.Her contrite tears did not move the jury.Contrite is to feel remorse for past sins

connoisseur

person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art

reprobate

person hardened by sin, devoid of a sense of decency

pathological

pertaining to disease

strut

pompous walk

grandiloquent

pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language

bombastic

pompous; using inflated language

delineate

portray; depict; sketch

latent

potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden

endemic

prevailing among a specific group of people or an area

forestall

prevent by taking action in advance

contentious

quarrelsome

precipitate

rash; premature; hasty; sudden

Fodder

raw material for a given end

Protean

readily assuming different shapes or characters

neophyte

recent convert; beginner

inchoate

recently begun; rudimentary; elementary.This business is its inchoate stages.

Temerarious

recklessly daring, rash

conciliatory

reconciling; soothing

log

record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities

Genteel

refined, polite, aristocratic

intransigence

refusal of any compromise; stubbornness.No agreement can ever be reached when both parties are intransignent

flout

reject; mock; show contempt for

Filial

relating to a son

Sartorial

relating to dress or fashion

alleviate

relieve

Compunction

remorse, feeling uneasy after having done something

Reticent

restrained, reluctant, uncommunicative

Forswear

retract, renounce or recant

venerate

revere

Homage

reverence, respect, an expression of high regard

Pious

reverent, devout, dutiful, may at times be marked by hypocrisy

conundrum

riddle; difficult problem

deride

ridicule; make fun of

Fustian

ridiculously pompous, bombastic, grandiose in delivery

Banausic

routine, mechanical, boring

boorish

rude; insensitive

specious

seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentional)

Deciduous

shedding or losing leaves on a particular season, not evergreen

luminous

shining; issuing light

ephemeral

short-lived; fleeting

ebullient

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm

Nepotism

showing favoritism to friends or family, as in granting positions in jobs or politics

Stoic

showing indifference to pain, apathetic

pedantic

showing off learning; bookish.his analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic

ostentatious

showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention;vulgar

Perspicacious

shrewd, astute, showing strong powers of discernment

Wizened

shriveled, withered

occlude

shut; close.thick make-up can occlude the pores

diffidence

shyness.In today's world,to be successful ,a person needs to cast away their diffidence.

Homogeneous

similar, of the same kind, uniform in nature

Sloth

sluggish, laziness, indolence

Insidious

sly, treacherous, having a gradual effect

Anathema

something or someone loathed or intensely dislike

anachronism

something or someone misplaced in time

Sine qua non

something that is an essential condition of

Immutable

something that is unchangeable, permanent

Bulwark

something used as a defense, a strong protection

mollify

soothe

Dolorous

sorrowful

Acidulous

sour, ill tempered

abstemious

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

dichotomy

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones).I was in dichotomy on what option would help.

pervasive

spread throughout.ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society

Slatternly

squalid, a slovenly woman

Criterion

standard for judging

Static

stationary, not changing or moving

Austere

stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals

viscous

sticky, gluey

pungent

stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic

Parsimonious

stingy

Niggardly

stingy, small in a mean way

foment

stir up; instigate

offal

the waste parts of a product (often as in a butchered animal), refuse, rubbish

coagulate

thicken; congeal; clot

tenuous

thin; rare; slim

Homologate

to confirm officially

Discomfit

to confuse, deceive

Enshroud

to cover, to enclose with a dark cover

Rebuke

to criticize or reprimand sharply

Chastise

to criticize severely

Delude

to deceive, to have false illusion

Dupe

to deceive, to trick

Ebb

to decline, to recede

Discount

to deduct, to disregard

Vilify

to defame, to slander, to blacken the character of

Prevaricate

to deviate from the truth

Descry

to discern, to see something, to teach sight of

Relegate

to dismiss to a less prominent position, to banish

Aggrieve

to distress, to mistreat

Gerrymander

to divide into election districts to gain political advantage

Desiccate

to dry out

Oust

to eject, to banish, to expel

Defalcate

to embezzle

Matriculate

to enroll, most particularly in college

Begrudge

to envy another's possessions, to concede reluctantly

Efface

to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure

Expunge

to erase, to strike out

Muckrake

to expose political misconduct

Opine

to express an opinion

Acquit

to find not guilty, to conduct oneself

Supervene

to follow immediately after, to ensue

Absolve

to forgive or free from blame

Garner

to gather and store away, to acquire by effort

Marshal

to gather together something for a purpose, to arrange in order

Reprove

to gently criticize

Emulate

to imitate, to strive to equal

Vitiate

to impair the quality of, to corrupt morally

Fetter

to impede, restrain, hamper

Augment

to increase or enlarge

Gird

to invest with authority, to brace

Inhibit

to keep from free activity or expression, to restrain or even forbid

Decimate

to kill or destroy a large part of

Abscond

to leave quickly and secretively

Depreciate

to lessen in value, to belittle

Stagnate

to lie inactive, to stay in one place

Perorate

to make a long, formal speech, to sum up a speech

Grimace

to make an ugly disapproving facial expression

Ameliorate

to make better, to ease or improve

Elucidate

to make clear

Manifest

to make evident by showing

Expedite

to make faster or easier, to carry out promptly

Aggrandize

to make great

Preclude

to make impossible, to shut out, to bar

Disquiet

to make uneasy

Obviate

to make unnecessary, to avert, to preclude

Exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

Lament

to mourn, to express regret

Undulate

to move smoothly in a wavelike manner

Emigrate

to move to a new country, to move to a new place

Ruminate

to muse upon

Replenish

to refill, to supply once more

Manumit

to release from slavery

Table

to remove from consideration

Nullify

to repeal, cancel, render void

Abrogate

to repeal, to set aside, to nullify

Extirpate

to rip up by the roots, to abolish, to annihilate

Putrefy

to rot

Lope

to run at steady, easy pace

Belie

to run counter to, to show something as false

Proselytize

to seek to convert someone to a religion, cause or political position

Ensconce

to settle in snugly, to hide in a secure place

Fawning

to show excessive affection, to be overly flattering in return for favor

Evince

to show, reveal

Simper

to smile foolishly

Rebuff

to snub, to refuse in a blunt or rude way

Macerate

to soften by soaking, to cause to waste away

Placate

to soothe, to appease with concessions

Scintillate

to sparkle, to gleam, to be animated or brilliant

Eulogize

to speak in praise of someone, to pay written or spoken tribute

Permeate

to spread or seep through, to penetrate, to pervade

Besmirch

to stain or soil( commonly as to reputation )

Ogle

to stare at in a disrespectful way

Foment

to stir up, to incite

Digress

to stray from the main subject

Peruse

to study, to read over leisurely

Capitulate

to surrender, to stop resisting

Teem

to swarm, to be inundated, to become full to overflowing

Oscillate

to swing back and forth

Doff

to take off (usually clothing) as a sign of greeting

Brook

to tolerate, to put up with something

Bandy

to toss and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib way

Convey

to transport, to conduct, to communicate

Desecrate

to treat with disrespect

Blanch

to turn pale

Meander

to wander aimlessly

Undermine

to weaken the support of, to injure in a slow or sneaky way

Welter

to write, toss, wallow

stigma

token of disgrace; brand

chicanery

trickery; deception

platitude

trite remark; commonplace statement

Veracious

truthful, honest

Candor

truthfulness, great honesty, frankness

fawning

trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering or cringing.DOnt fawn over him,its not worth it.

complaisant

trying to please; overly polite; obliging.His complaisant behaviour did not go down too well with the mayor.

Sturm and drang

turmoil

welter

turmoil; bewildering jumble/the streams foam and welter

Incessant

unceasing, never ending, flowing without interruption

irresolute

uncertain how to act; weak

Tentative

uncertain, temporary not fully worked out

indeterminate

uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite

precarious

uncertain; risky

immutable

unchangeable

ambiguous

unclear or doubtful in meaning

Obscure

unclear, vague partially hidden, hard to understand

Intransigent

uncompromising, stubborn

insensible

unconscious; unresponsive

implicit

understood but not stated

Esoteric

understood by only a few

tacit

understood; not put into words

Inquietude

uneasiness, restlessness

Callous

unfeeling and insensitive

Trivial

unimportant, insignificant

inadvertently

unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly.The compass stays out nonetheless, to avoid inadvertent straying onto the ridge connecting with Ben More Assynt.

Sui generis

unique, of its own kind, in a class by itself

Officious

unnecessarily helpful, meddlesome, interfering

derivative

unoriginal; obtained from another source

Evanescent

vanishing, happening for the briefest moment

diverge

vary; go in different directions from the same point

Vagary

whim, an unpredictable action

Capricious

whimsical, fanciful, impulsive

Rife

widespread, abounding, occurring frequently

Feral

wild, like a wild animal, savage

Chimerical

wildly fanciful, absurd

Sinuous

winding, having many curves

Tortuous

winding, twisting, full of curves

tortuous

winding; full of curves

Sagacious

wise shrewd

Judicious

wise, showing judgment, cautious

Pace

with deference to

Nomadic

without a permanent home, constantly wandering

guileless

without deceit

impassive

without feeling; imperturbable; stoical.Brutus was impassive by nature. Lacking passion or any kind of emotion.

artless

without guile; open and honest

Impecunious

without money, penniless

Bosky

wooded, covered with trees and shrubs

verbose

wordy

Circumlocution

wordy language, an indirect, roundabout expression

Diffuse

wordy, not concentrated, to spread widely

diffuse

wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas).Writers being paid by the word tend to turn in diffuse scripts.

mundane

worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday

solicious

worried, concerned

exacerbate

worsen; embitter

idolatry

worship of idols; excessive admiration

subpoena

writ summoning a witness to appear

indolent

lazy.COntestants of biggest loser were indolent and let themselves get obese.

officious

meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services.the security people were very officious.

Reciprocal

mutual, shared, interchangeable

Egregious (adj.)

'Greg' is the Latin root for flock. At one point, egregious meant standing out of the flock in a positive way. This definition went out of vogue sometime in the 16th century, after which time egregious was used ironically. Thus for the last five hundred years, 'egregious' meant standing out in a bad way. In sports, an egregious foul would be called on a player who slugged another player (not including hockey, of course). The dictator's abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders asked that he be tried in an international court for genocide.

Buffoon

clown or fool

denigrate

blacken

dissonance

discord; opposite of harmony

dismiss

eliminate from consideration; reject

daunt

intimidate; frighten

Most Common GRE Words - Top 5 Basic GRE Words

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Termagant

a quarrelsome woman, a shrew

wary

very cautious

Braggadocio

arrogant pretension, empty conceit

Aphorism

a wise saying

Phantasm

an apparition, phantom

Explicit

clearly stated, precisely shown

Penury

extreme poverty

prevaricate

lie

By the Letter - A-Words

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By the Letter - C-Words

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By the Letter - Easily Confusable F-Words

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By the Letter - Vicious Pairs of V's

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Largess

a generous giving of gifts, philanthropy

Zephyr

a gentle breeze

High-Difficulty Words - Difficult Words that the GRE Loves to Use

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High-Difficulty Words - Negation Words: Misleading Roots

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High-Difficulty Words - Re- Doesn't Always Mean Again

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Interesting and International Word Origins - Around the World

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Homeopathy

a system of natural healing

Serviette

a table napkin

Bivouac

a temporary encampment

Abeyance

a temporary suspension of activity

Circumspect

careful, thought through

Beatific (adj.) vs. Beautiful (adj.)

A beatific person is one who radiates bliss. This person is so happy, they almost seem blessed and holy (think of a saint, or the Buddha). As for beautiful, well you may be beatific if you are beautiful, or you may be totally unhappy. The two words are totally unrelated. Marred by the ravages of time, the idols were hardly beautiful, yet each seemed to emanate a beatific aura that not even 500 years could diminish.

Aberration (n.)

A deviation from what is normal or expected: this word is tinged with a negative connotation. For instance, in psychology there is a subset of behavior known as aberrant behavior. So, basically, if you're narcissistic, psychotic, or just plain old cuckoo, you are demonstrating aberrant behavior. Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon makes headlines.

Diatribe (n.)

A diatribe is a strong verbal attack against someone or something. The victim of a diatribe is typically some organization, whether it be the FDA, the government, or, in this case, Wall Street. It is understood that the person unleashing the diatribe is angry. Steve's mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.

Ferret (v.)

A ferret is a tiny weasel, one that moves so quickly that it is used to catch rabbits. Apparently it has a knack for digging our long-eared friend out of their burrows. Unlike some of the verbs above, the verb form of ferret aptly fits the animal—to ferret means to search for something persistently. Usually the verb is coupled with a preposition as in, "ferret something out" or "ferret around". Ever the resourceful lexicographer, Fenton was able to ferret out the word origin of highly obscure GRE words.

Anathema (n.)

A few hundred years ago, many ran afoul of the church, and excommunications (and worse) were typical reprisals. If such was the case, the Pope actually uttered a formal curse against a person. This curse was called the anathema. Today this word, in addition to a broader scope, has taken a twist. If something is anathema, he, she, or it is the source of somebody's hate. The verb form of the word, anathematize, still carries the old meaning of to curse. Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.

Hound (v.)

A hound usually rears its head in movies in which the bad guy is on the lam. Or I take that back—the hound usually drops its head to the ground, sniffing out the bad guy as he crosses treacherous terrain. Unsurprisingly, the verb form of hound is to pursue relentlessly. An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone.

Palimpsest (n.)

A long time ago, even before the days when email was popular, people wrote on scrolls. Apparently papyrus wasn't affordable so scribes reused the same scroll over again, writing on top of what had gone before. By extension, any writing material that has been written on numerous times, so that the vague traces of previous writing can be seen, is a palimpsest. A poorly erased chalkboard, the manically edited essays of my high school days. More broadly speaking, a palimpsest can refer to anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen. The downtown was a palimpsest of the city's checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a house pet.

Moment (n.)

A moment is a point in time. We all know that definition. If something is of moment, it is significant and important (think of the word momentous). Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and, within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts.

Truculent (adj.)

A person who is truculent has a fierce, savage nature. As I drive a smaller car, I often find trucks—from the 18-wheeler to the 4×4—to be quite truck-ulent when they drive. A silly mnemonic, but next time you are cut off by a truck, instead of giving the proverbial middle-finger, you can just mutter, what a truculent fellow. Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.

Raft (n.)

A raft is an inflatable boat. It can also mean a large number of something. I know—it doesn't really make much sense. But here's a good mnemonic: imagine a large number of rafts and you have a raft of rafts. Despite a raft of city ordinances passed by an overzealous council, noise pollution continued unabated in the megalopolis.

Opprobrious

damning, extremely critical, disgraceful

Pittance (n.)

A small amount of money, pittance carries with it a negative connotation: a pittance is inadequate and will do little to take care of one's costs. Vinny's uncle beamed smugly about how he'd offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere pittance.

Candid (adj.)

A straightforward and honest look at something is a candid one. Many great photographers have created enduring work because they turned their respective lens on what is real. Whether these photos are from the Dust Bowl, the Vietnam War, or the Arab Winter, they move us because they reveal how people felt at a certain moment. A person can also be candid if they are being honest and straightforward with you. Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.

Parsimonious (adj.)

A synonym with miserly and stingy. Parsimonious is GRE-speak for extremely frugal. Like miserly, this word has a negative connotation. Even with millions in his bank account, Fred was so parsimonious that he followed a diet consisting of nothing more than bread and canned soup.

Tirade (n.)

A tirade is an angry speech, one that suggests the person giving the tirade has become a little too angry, and should probably dismount the soapbox. In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.

Factitious (adj.)

A tricky word, to say the least. When I preface a word by saying it's tricky, you can bet that the word's definition is not what you would expect. Factitious is no exception, in that it does not relate to fact. Indeed, factitious is almost the opposite of fact. Factitious means artificial, not natural. A laugh can be factitious. A gesture. Your alacrity on the first day of a new job. Factitious can also be used literally to refer to something artificial. The houseplant that never needs watering, for instance. A good synonym for factitious—and a word people use frequently—is phony. The defendant's story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies.

audacious

daring; bold

Heyday (n.)

About two of the most ordinary words I can think of, and how someone who is generally apathetic might greet the morning. Put them together, and you get something far more exciting. Heyday is the pinnacle, or top, of a person, time period or career. During the heyday of Prohibition, bootlegging had become such a lucrative business that many who had been opposed to the 18th Amendment began to fear it would be repealed.

Acrimony (n.)

Acrimony means bitterness and ill will. Don't forget the adjective form, acrimonious, which describes relationships filled with bitterness and ill will. The acrimonious dispute between the president and vice-president sent an unequivocal signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.

Ambiguous (adj.)

Ambiguous means open to more than one interpretation. Let's say I have two friends, Bob and Paul. If I tell you that he is coming to my house today, then that is ambiguous. Who do I mean? Paul or Bob? The coach told his team, "Move towards that side of the field"; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.

Amenable (adj.)

Amenable means easily persuaded. If someone is cooperative and goes along with the program, so to speak, that person is amenable. Amenable can also be used in the medical sense: if a disease is amenable to treatment, that disease can be treated. Even though she did not like bad weather, Shirley was generally amenable and decided to accompany her brother to the picinc.

Amiable (adj.)

Amiable means friendly. It is very similar to amicable, another common GRE word. Amicable, however, does not refer to a person the way that amiable does, but rather refers to relationships between people. You'll notice that amicable is, therefore, the opposite of acrimonious (see below). Amy's name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.

Amorphous (adj.)

Amorphous means shapeless. Morph- comes from the Latin for shape. The root a-, as in atypical, means not or without. Therefore, if something is amorphous, it lacks shape. His study plan for the GRE was at best amorphous; he would do questions from random pages in any one of seven test prep books.

Amalgam (n.)

An amalgam, in the chemistry sense, is an alloy made of mercury and some other metal (formerly used, before the health scare, as part of our dental fillings). Generally speaking, an amalgam is a mixture of two or more things. The band's music was an amalgam of hip-hop and jazz.

Fleece (v.)

Don't feel sheepish if you thought this word only pertained to the coat of an ovine. As a verb fleece means to swindle or dupe. The Internet is filled with get-rich-quick schemes that intend only to fleece the Pollyannaish and unsuspecting.

Interesting and International Word Origins - Eponyms

An eponym is any word that is derived from a person's name. English is one of the most promiscuous languages, absorbing languages as unrelated as Sanskrit and Finnish into its bulging lexicon. By extension, I'd also warn against relying on Latin/Greek roots to figure out what unfamiliar words mean. Thwarting a root-based approach even more is the fact that English not only takes from any language it stumbles across, but that it blithely appropriates a person's name, trimming a few letters here and there (adding the Latin -ian, or -esque for true mongrel effect), and then begets a Franken-word that would confound the most seasoned etymologist. Adapting a name in such a fashion results in an eponym. What makes eponyms fascinating—and even more random—is that just about anyone can bequeath the world his or her name: a fictional anti-hero who thought windmills were dragons; a jingoistic veteran of Napoleon's army; an author with a penchant for absurdity, and an aversion to bureaucracy. Of course, for GRE purposes we do not need to know that a jeroboam is a massive wine bottle named for an ancient Israeli king (who apparently was quite the wino). So I have culled from a list of eponyms those that may actually show up test day.

Anomalous (adj.)

Anomalous means not normal, out of the ordinary, and is simply the adjective—and scarier looking—form of anomaly, which is a noun. Anomalous can be used in cases to describe something that is not typical, like an unusually cold California spring. According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply anomalous—average temps should return to average, they believe.

Becoming (adj.)

Another secondary meaning that changes parts of speech, becoming an adjective. If something is becoming, it is appropriate, and matches nicely. Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful.

Laconic (adj.)

Another word that sounds different from what it means. A person is described as laconic when he/she says very few words. I'm usually reminded of John Wayne, the quintessential cowboy, who, with a gravely intonation, muttered few words at a time. As this allusion betrays my age more than anything else, think of Christian Bale in Batman—the laconic caped crusader. While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative—and not very hunky.

Attenuate (v.)

Attenuate means to weaken (in terms of intensity), to taper off/become thinner. Attenuate can refer to both abstract and tangible things. Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party. The stick is attenuated at one end to allow the villagers to forage for ants.

Sanguine (adj.)

But not all is bad in the world of bodily humors. Meet sanguine, from the Latin sanguineus, which comes from blood. Not that most of us would consider blood a humor, but according to Galen, blood, along with bile/choler, was one of the four bodily humors. And while this bloody association doesn't bode well for the definition of sanguine, surprisingly, sanguine means to be cheerful, optimistic. How did this ever come to be? Well, when we are happy the blood rushes to our cheeks turning them red (yes, this seems to me about as valid as yellow meaning prejudice—not that green with envy makes any sense). While sanguine has a positive definition, the word sanguinary—note the sang- root—means a carnage or bloodbath. Yes, I know English can be a confusing language. But, if you learn these high-frequency GRE words, you will have something to be sanguine about! With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine.

Kafkaesque (adj.)

By day, Franz Kafka filed papers at an insurance office, and by night churned out dark novels, which suggested that the quotidian world of the office was actually far more sinister. Mainly, his novels were known for the absurd predicaments of their main characters (who often went by nothing more than a single initial). Today, we have the word Kafkaesque, that refers to the absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies. So next time you are put on hold for three hours and then volleyed back in forth between a dozen monotone-voice employees, think to yourself, hey this is Kafkaesque. The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation.

Calumny (n.)

Calumny is the making of a false statement meant to injure a person's reputation. With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny, and the mud already waist-high.

Chary (adj.)

Chary rhymes with wary, and it also means to be cautious. They are also synonyms. Jack was wary of GRE words that looked similar, because they usually had different definitions; not so with chary, a word that he began to use interchangeably with wary.

Supercilious (adj.)

Cilia are small, thick hairs. One area on our bodies that contains cilia is our eyebrows. Supercilious is derived from the rising of these brows. Of course a word that means raising one's eyebrows would probably have limited use. It's what the raising of eyebrows connotes. Apparently, to be supercilious is to be haughty and disdainful. That is, when we look down at someone in a demeaning way, we might be tempted to lift our brows. Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.

Beg (v.)

Commonly, when we think of begging, we think of money, or a favor. But, one can also beg a question, and that's where things start to get complicated. To beg a question can mean to evade a question, invite an obvious question, or, and this is where it starts to get really tricky, to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions. For instance, let's say you are not really sure if you are going to take the GRE. If somebody asks you when you are going to take the GRE, then that person is assuming you are going to take the GRE. That is, they are begging the question. If you avoid giving a direct answer, then you are also begging the question (albeit in a different sense). Which finally begs the question, how did this whole question begging business get so complicated in the first place? By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall.

Contentious (adj.)

Contentious has two meanings: controversial (in terms of an issue); inclined to arguing (in terms of a person). This word does not mean content. It comes from contend, which means to argue. Be chary (see below) of this word. As soon as the discussion turns to politics, Uncle Hank becomes highly contentious, vehemently disagreeing with those who endorse the same positions.

Demur (v.)

Demur means to object or express reluctance to do something. Demur should not be confused with demure, which as an adjective that means coy. They both come from around the time of the Norman Conquest (though the Anglophiles may have demurred to use either). When asked if she wanted to visit the war torn region without a translator by his side, the journalist demurred.

Inflammable (adj.)

Depending on the circumstances, this can be a very important word. That is, if you read that something is inflammable, that means it can easily light on fire. The opposite would be nonflammable. Strangely enough, inflammable is the same as flammable in the sense that it describes anything that can light on fire. Inflammable—but not flammable—can mean extremely controversial, incendiary. It only takes one person to leave an inflammable comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.

Quixotic (adj.)

Don Quixote is perhaps one of the most well-known characters in all of literature. I suppose there is something heartbreaking yet comical at a man past his prime who believes he is on some great mission to save the world. In fact, Don Quixote was so far off his rocker that he thought windmills were dragons. As a word that means somebody who mistakes windmills for dragons would have a severely limited application, quixotic has taken the broader meaning of someone who is wildly idealistic. It is one thing to want to help end world hunger; it is another to think you can do so on your own. The latter would be deemed quixotic. For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.

Ziggurat

a terrace

Perfunctory (adj.) vs. Preemptive (adj.) vs. Peremptory (adj.)

Ever done dishes before? As far as daily experiences go, this one represents the nadir for most. As a result, when we do dishes, we do them in a routine way. We are hardly inspired. To do something in such a manner is to be perfunctory. The word also carries with it the connotation of carelessness. That is, if you do something in which you are merely going through the motions, you are probably not doing your best (as far as my perfunctory dish-cleaning goes, my wife can attest to this). To act before someone else does is to act preemptively. Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it. Preemptive is often times heard in a political context. A country that strikes before another country can do so is launching a preemptive strike. If you are peremptory you are bossy and domineering. My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.

Extenuating (adj.)

Extenuating means making less guilty or more forgivable. The phrase "extenuating circumstances" is common courtroom lingo. Say somebody broke into a drugstore to steal some expensive medication. Later we learn that medication was for that person's wife, who was dying of some disease that only the medication could cure. Most of us, presumably, would be more likely to forgive the man. Why? Because of the extenuating factor of his wife's disease. The jury was hardly moved by the man's plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch.

Factious (adj.)

Factions result when a large group splinters into smaller ones. Anything that causes factions is factious. Factious is typically not used to describe people. The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted.

Feckless (adj.)

Feck, probably for its phonetic similarity to another word, has been dropped from the language. That or the lexicographers have become feckless, which means that they lacked the drive or initiative to include feck in the dictionary. Feckless means lazy and irresponsible. So, don't get feckless and drop the -less, lest somebody totally misinterprets you. In which case, you'll have to do a fair amount of propitiating. By the way, I'm feckless—I won't include an example sentence (oops, I just walked into a contradiction).

Badger (v.)

For those who have not lived in the U.S., this animal may be as exotic as the lemur is for the rest of us. A badger is basically a weasel on steroids—you wouldn't want to upset one. Curiously, the verb badger doesn't carry any menacing connotation. To badger simply means to pester repeatedly. Perhaps a buzzing fly comes to mind, however the verb 'fly' was already taken. Badgered by his parents to find a job, the 30-year-old loafer instead joined a gang of itinerant musicians.

Mercurial (adj.)

For those who have since forgotten this slippery word, to be mercurial means to change constantly in terms of personality or mood. Typically, we say a mercurial person is moody and unpredictable. When you think of actual mercury—you know, that strange liquid inside thermometers, not the planet—it too is slippery and constantly changing (do not put this to the test—mercury is highly toxic). This poisonous quality, though, did not make it into the definition of mercurial. Someone who is mercurial is just moody. The fact that Ella's moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn't help that she lived in Chicago.

Mesmerize (v.)

Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person's eyes (I'm curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients). Today, we have the word mesmerize, which doesn't necessarily mean to hypnotize (though it could), but is used figuratively and means to hold spellbound. The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.

Viscosity

a thick or sticky consistency of a liquid

Bellicose (adj.)

From the Latin root bell-, which means war, we get bellicose. Someone who is bellicose is warlike, and inclined to quarrel. The word is similar to belligerent, which also employs the bell- root. Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia.

Mercurial (adj.)

From the element mercury, which has no fixed form and constantly changes, we have the word mercurial. Mercurial refers to personality; anyone who unpredictably changes his or her mood is mercurial. This is a very common GRE word, so make sure you learn it. Martha Argerich's mercurial nature is perfectly matched with playing Chopin: she'll toss off, with aplomb, effervescent passages, before moments later plumbing the depths of her soul to give voice to bars of music steeped in the utmost melancholy. Themed Lists

Harangue (n./v.)

Harangue can be either a noun or a verb. It is a synonym of tirade and diatribe. Lest someone harangue you for botched phonetics, the pronunciation of this word can be a bit tricky. Harangue rhymes with twang, rang, and, for the dessert inclined, meringue. Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.

Choleric (adj.)

Hippocrates, along with the Roman physician Galen, believed that the body was filled with humors, or fluids. The balance of these humors led to certain moods. If a person had too much black bile he (usually not she) would be said to be choleric, or highly irascible (choleric was more Galen's nomenclature, as Hippocrates stuck to bilious, a synonym for choleric). While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.

Histrionic (adj.) vs. History (n.)

Histrionic is totally unrelated to history. It comes from the Latin for actor. To be histrionic is not to have a penchant for bad Pacino or Brando imitations, but to be overly theatrical. Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she'd been handed a death sentence.

Sedulous (adj.)

I am not quite sure why students can never seem to remember the definition of this word. Perhaps the sed- reminds them of sitting and being idle (like in sedentary). To be sedulous, however, is to be anything but idle. If you are sedulously studying for the GRE, you are studying diligently and carefully—making flashcards, writing down important words and formulas, and, of course, checking out the Magoosh blog every day. An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.

Aboveboard (adj.)

I guess whatever is below the board is deceptive, because aboveboard means open an honest. It usually refers to government officials who are honest. The mayor, despite his avuncular visage plastered about the city, was hardly aboveboard - some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it.

Melee (n.)

I learned melee early in my life, because I had the peculiar misfortune of having a surname that rhymes with it. While none of this schoolyard teasing resulted in any melees, melee is an important word and means a wild, confusing fight or struggle. Oh, and it comes from French (rhyming similarities aside, my last name is not derived from French). Let's see if I can weave all the French-related words into one coherent sentence: Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so fond of baiting arrivistes into. Oui!

Catalyst (n.)

In chemistry, when one substance speeds up a chemical reaction, that substance is said to be a catalyst. Broadly speaking, anything that speeds up (or precipitates) an event is a catalyst. Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat acted as a catalyst for the Civil Right's Movement, setting into motion historic changes for African-Americans.

Goosebumps (n.)

I would never have considered this a vocabulary word (let alone a GRE word), until, that is, the New GRE PowerPrep test included a Text Completion in which goosebumps was the answer. Goosebumps describe that sensation on our skin when we become frightened. You know, those sudden pimple-like bumps that suddenly appear when you are watching the first half of a horror movie (the last part of horror movies are typically cheesy, once they show the monster). Well, this is now a good word to remember for the GRE, lest you want to get goosebumps test day. Some people believe that goosebumps result when a ghost brushes up against you.

Telltale (adj.)

If I tell a tale, I am telling a story, one that is usually a fib. Telltale, however, simply means revealing. The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.

Apotheosis (n.)

If a person (or a thing) has reached such a point as to be god-like, then that person has reached an apotheosis. As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg's career, many believe, is yet to come.

Desecrate (v.)

If a person willfully violates or destroys any sacred place, he (or she) is said to desecrate it. Tombs, graves, churches, shrines and the like can all be victims of desecrations. One, however, cannot desecrate a person, regardless of how holy that person may be. The felon had desecrated the holy site, and was on the church's Top 10 Anathema list.

Macabre (adj.)

If a story, film, or, for that matter, any description is filled with gruesome details about death and horror, we say that it is macabre. Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to—and often those moments after—a grisly death.

Bleak (adj.)

If one has a very depressing take on life, we say that person has a bleak outlook. Landscapes can be bleak (Siberia in April, the Texas of No Country for Old Men), and writers, too (Dostoevsky, Orwell). Unremitting overcast skies tend to lead people to create bleak literature and lugubrious music—compare England's band Radiohead to any band from Southern California.

Fractious (adj.)

If someone is fractious, he/she is irritable and is likely to cause disruption. We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.

Cadaverous (adj.)

If someone is so skinny or emaciated that they look like a dead person, then that person is cadaverous. This word comes from cadaver, which is a corpse. Besides emaciated, a good synonym for cadaverous is gaunt. Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear cadaverous.

Tenebrous

dark and gloomy

Scintillating (adj.)

If something gives off sparks, such as when photons collide, it is said to scintillate. Figuratively, scintillating describes someone who is brilliant and lively (imagine Einstein's brain giving off sparks). Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.

Telling (adj.)

If something is telling, it is significant and revealing of another factor. If a person's alibi has a telling detail, often that one little detail can support—or unravel!—the person's alibi. Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.

Thoroughgoing (adj.)

If something is thorough it is complete. Therefore, thorough isn't too far from the meaning of thoroughgoing, which means absolute. As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.

Profuse (adj.)

If something literally pours out in abundance we say it is profuse. This pouring out is usually figurative. A person who apologies ceaselessly does so profusely. Perhaps a little more vividly, certain men who fail to button up their shirts completely let the world - perhaps not unwittingly - know of their profuse chest hairs (which, on their part, should necessitate a profuse apology). During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles clad in nothing more than skimpy shorts.

Mellifluous (adj.)

If something sounds as sweet as honey, it is mellifluous. The voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, and even that of Bill Clinton are mellifluous (listen to the way our former President was able to, through turns of locution and his southern drawl, to imbue the mundane with a sense of pleading urgency). Of course, what sounds mellifluous is a matter of opinion. As long as it's not Justin Bieber. Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother's chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.

Benighted (adj.)

If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, benighted. However, if a people are benighted (this word is usually reserved for the collective), that group falls in a state of ignorance. This latter definition is more common. Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.

Disparate (adj.)

If two things are fundamentally different, they are disparate. For instance, verbal skills and math skills are disparate, and as such are usually tested separately—the GRE being no exception. With the advent of machines capable of looking inside the brain, fields as disparate as religion and biology have been brought together, as scientists try to understand what happens in the brain when people have a religious experience.

Contentious (adj.)

If you are contentious, you like to fight with words. If you know somebody who is always trying to pick an argument about something, no matter how trivial, that person is contentious. She became increasingly contentious, misconstruing even an innocuous statement as a hostile one.

Insolvent (adj.)

If you are insolvent you can't pay your bills. Oftentimes people use the term bankrupt. If you are solvent, on the other hand, you have paid off all your debts. With credit card bills skyrocketing, surprisingly few are truly solvent.

Tendentious (adj.)

If you are likely to espouse a controversial view, you are being tendentious. A good synonym for tendentious is biased, though if you are biased you aren't necessarily leaning towards a view that is controversial. Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite proclamations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today's pressing issues.

Hedge (n./v.)

If you are really into horticulture—which is a fancy word for gardening—you'll know hedges are shrubs, or small bushes that have been neatly trimmed. If you know your finance, then you've probably heard of hedge funds (where brokers make their money betting against the market). Hedge can also be used in a verb sense. If you hedge your bets, you play safely. If you hedge a statement, you limit or qualify that statement. Finally, hedge can also mean to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating. When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.

Gregarious (adj.)

If you are sociable, you are talkative, right? Well, not exactly. To be gregarious is to be likely to socialize with others. A good synonym is flocking, like what birds do. But, just as birds do not talk to one another outside of a Pixar flick, people can hang out with each other and not necessarily have to chat. Therefore, do not confuse gregarious with garrulous, which means talkative. Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can often be introverted.

Fleece (v.)

If you are thinking Mary Had a Little Lamb (...fleece as white as snow), you have been fleeced by a secondary meaning. To fleece is to deceive. Many have been fleeced by Internet scams and have never received their money back.

Unconscionable (adj.)

If you are thinking of being knocked over the head and lying in a pool of blood on the sidewalk, you have the wrong word (not to mention a vivid imagination). In this case, the correct word is unconscious. If an act is so horrible and deplorable that it makes everyone around aghast, then that action is unconscionable. Unconscionable can also mean something that is in excess of what is deemed tolerable. This second definition doesn't have the unethical smear of the first definition. The lawyer's demands were unconscionable, and rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the man decided to find a new lawyer.

Thrifty (adj.)

If you are thrifty you spend money wisely. Be careful not to confuse thrifty with spendthrift, which is below. He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

Underwrite (v.)

If you are writing below the margins of a paper you are not underwriting—you are simply writing below the margins of a piece of paper. Underwrite means to support financially. The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with the underwriting from various Arts & Humanities associations.

Blinkered (adj.)

If you blink a lot you are likely to miss something. Indeed, your view would be very limited. Extending this meaning, we get the definition of blinkered: means to have a limited outlook or understanding. The true etymology of the word actually comes from the blinkers that are put on racing horses to prevent them from becoming distracted. In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.

Hector (v.)

If you remember reading Homer's Iliad, you may remember Hector, a muscular, daunting force (some of you may more vividly recall Eric Bana from the movie Troy). As people were intimidated around Hector, it makes sense that the word hector means to bully or intimidate. The boss's hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

Venality (n.)

If you've ever heard of a government taking bribes, well, that is an example of venality. To be venal is to be corrupt. Of late, charges of venality tend to be few, though such charges simply don't make the same headlines as scandals of the lecherous kind. If our legal system becomes plagued with venality, then the very notion of justice is imperiled.

Prevaricate (v.)

If you've ever seen a politician caught in a lie (never!), and that person is trying to wiggle their way out of a pointed question, he (or she) is prevaricating. Not that a U.S. president would ever prevaricate by talking about the household pet when confronted with charges of venality (I'm alluding to Richard Nixon and his dog Checkers). Bobby learned not to prevaricate when his teacher asked him where his homework was; by giving a straightforward answer, he would avoid invoking the teacher's wrath.

Fell (adj.)

Imagine an evil person who cuts down trees, and then falls himself. Well, that image is capturing three different definitions of fell—to cut down a tree, the past tense of fall (we all know that) and evil. Yes, I know, fell can't possibly mean evil...but the English language is a wacky one. Fell indeed means terribly evil. Now watch out for that tree! For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement.

Impertinent (adj.)

Impertinent can actually be the opposite of pertinent, but this definition is seldom used. Most of the time, impertinent means not showing the proper respect. You can think of it this way - if somebody's behavior is not pertinent to the given social context, e.g. an occasion calling for formality, then you can think of that person as being impertinent. The definition usually only applies if a person is being rude where respect is expected, and not staid where frivolity is apt. Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer's questions impertinent—after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline's favorite snack was?

(In)solvent (adj.))

In chemistry, a solvent is any substance able to breakdown or dissolve another substance. Outside the lab, to be solvent is to be able to pay off one's debts. To be insolvent, on the other hand, is not to be able to pay off one's debts. Many once-great athletes have become insolvent, as they are unable to pay off their debts or hold down jobs that would potentially free them from debt.

Ambulatory

able to walk or move about

Indigent (adj.) vs. Indigenous (adj.) vs. Indignant (adj.)

Indigent word means poor, having very little means. In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the wherewithal to enjoy material luxuries. Indigenous means relating to a certain area. Plants and animals are often indigenous, as are people. The flora and fauna indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you're not dealing with an opossum. Imagine you are waiting in line to order your morning coffee. Right as you are about to ask for a nice steaming cup, someone cuts in front of you and places an order for six people. How would you feel? Indignant. Indignant means to feel anger over a perceived injustice. And you don't want to be indignant the day of the test, when ETS just happens to pick that one word you always end up confusing with another word.

Panglossian (adj.)

Interestingly, there is another eponym for literature that has a very similar meaning: Panglossian. Derived from Dr. Pangloss from Voltaire's Candide, Panglossian carries a negative connotation, implying blind optimism. Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age.

Stipend (n.)

Is a regular allowance, usually for a student (yes, it seems that many of these money matters are related to students!). Of course stipends aren't just limited to students; governments provide stipends to a number of different people. He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of defraying his college tuition.

Defray (v.)

Is to help pay the cost of, either in part of full. Often times when students go off to college, they hope that tuition (which is always becoming steeper these days) will be defrayed by any of a number of means: scholarships, parents, burgeoning stock portfolio, or even generous relatives. In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college his magnanimous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly infusion of cash.

Vicarious (adj.) vs. Vicissitude (n.)

Isn't travel great? You get to experience other cultures, and see the world. Well, actually, sometimes traveling can be more stressful than a rush-hour commute—lost luggage, stolen items, and inclement weather are just a few of the many woes that can beset the traveler. So, why not stay at home and watch the travel channel? With just one flick of the wrist, you can journey to the distant lands of Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat. Such travel, in which you enjoy something through another person's experiences—in this case the host of the travel show—is to live vicariously. The contexts, of course, can vary widely. Maybe your best friend has told you all about his or her graduate school experiences via weekly blog posts. Now you, too, feel that you've gone through grad school. That's living vicariously. A vicissitude is any change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse. That is, life is full of ups and down that are beyond our control. Those are vicissitudes. Speaking of, traveling—especially any of those quit-your-job six-week jaunts through Europe—is full of vicissitudes, so again, sometimes it's better to stay at home and tune into the travel station (as long as the remote control doesn't go traveling off somewhere).

Imbroglio (n.)

It may sound like an exotic vegetable or a pungent pasta dish, but it's neither. Imbroglio comes to us via mid-18th century Italian and has nothing to do with the kitchen. Instead it is related to the verb embroil and describes a confusing, and potentially embarrassing, situation. The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.

Jaundice (adj./n.)

Jaundice is a condition of the liver that has the side effect of turning the skin yellow. The second definition—and the one you have to know for the GRE—may seem completely unrelated: to be biased against as a result of envy or prejudice. In the 17th Century, being yellow, apparently, was associated with having prejudice. Hence, we have the second definition of the word jaundice. It is important to note that yellow now, at least colloquially, means to be cowardly. This definition does not relate to jaundice. Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.

Jingoist (adj.)

Jingoism is what happens when bellicosity meets patriotism, and both drink too much whiskey. A person who thinks their country should always be at war is a jingoist. The word is similar to hawkish, a word that means favoring conflict over compromise. In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.

Junta (n.)

Junta means to join and comes via Portugal and Spain. But this joining was in no way peaceful. Whenever military groups joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta. Today, junta can refer to the aggressive takeover by a group. As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership.

Intimate (adj./v.)

Just as tender doesn't relate to two people in love, neither does intimate, at least in the GRE sense. The secondary meaning for intimate is to suggest something subtly. At first Manfred's teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy's precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.

Pyrrhic (adj.)

King Pyrrhus had the unfortunate luck of going up against the Romans. Some would say that he was actually lucky in that he actually defeated the Romans in the Battle of Asculum. Pyrrhic was perhaps more ambivalent, quipping, "One more such victory will undo me." So any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it is a pyrrhic victory. George W. Bush's win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.

Lascivious (adj.)

Lascivious, like lecherous, prurient, and libidinous, all refer to perversion. In terms of linking these words to the world of politics...well, given the sordid events that surface every few months, I don't think I need to elaborate. Jerry's coworkers were confused as to why Jerry thought that the word mango carried lascivious connotations; when he tried to explain, they only became more perplexed.

Pollyannaish (adj.)

Like Hector, Pollyannaish comes from fiction. However, in this case we are dealing with a relatively recent work, that of Eleanor Porter who came up with a character named Pollyanna. Pollyanna was extremely optimistic and so it is no surprise that Pollyannaish means extremely optimistic. Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.

Galvanize (v.)

Like many late 18th Century scientists, Luigi Galvani was fascinated with electricity (you may recall a certain Ben Franklin who had a similar penchant). Galvani's breakthrough came a little more serendipitously than playing with metal in lightning storms—he noticed that an electric current passing through a dead frog's legs made those legs twitch. This observation sparked—pardon the pun—a series of connections: could it be that electric shock could cause muscles to twitch? Today, galvanize can mean to shock but in a different sense than through raw electricity. To galvanize is to shock or urge somebody/something into action. The colonel's speech galvanized the troops, who had all but given up.

Affable (adj.)

Likeable, easy to talk to: affable is similar to amiable. The differences are subtle, and as far as the GRE is concerned, you can treat them as the same word. Like amiable, this word is great to use to describe people we know. After all, everyone knows an affable person. For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn't around other people.

Imbibe (v.)

Literally, to imbibe is to drink, usually copiously. Figuratively, imbibe can refer to an intake of knowledge or information. Plato imbibed Socrates' teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.

Malfeasance (n.)

Malfeasance is wrongdoing, usually by a public official. Oftentimes, you hear the term corporate malfeasance—this type of wrongdoing occurs when somebody in the business world is up to no good. Typically, though, malfeasance is used in the context of politics. And, not to sound too cynical, but one usually doesn't have to look much further than one's local news to find example of malfeasance—political or corporate. Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.

Dog (v.)

Man's best friend, right? Well, as long as it's not in verb form. To dog means to pursue relentlessly, and is thus a synonym of hound. Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.

Chauvinist (n.)

Many have heard this word, and some may even have a visceral reaction to it. However, this word is actually misused. A chauvinist is not a male who chugs beers, watches too much football, and demeans women. That would be a male chauvinist. So what is a chauvinist, unadorned by any adjective? Well, Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon's army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was. In its modern day incantation, chauvinism can also mean anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else's group. You can have male chauvinists, political party chauvinists, and even female chauvinists. The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.

Jejune (adj.)

Many people like this word for the simple reason that it's fun to say. After all, how often do we get to see the summery month of June in a word? All this niftiness aside, the definition of jejune (sadly) is a letdown. To be jejune is to be dull, insipid and lacking flavor. No, it can't be, you think. But yes, jejune, our delightful word, means something that literally means lackluster. But it gets even worse for poor jejune: it is derived from the first part of the large intestine, the jejunum, where food is digested. Now jejune does not only mean boring, it also conjures up images we'd rather leave in the dark. Finally, jejune has a second definition. Jejune, though, is yet again a victim of bad PR. To be jejune (secondary definition) means to be childish and immature. Now that I'm done lamenting jejune's debased status, I'm going to have a jejune fit.

Extant (adj.)

Many think this word means extinct. Extant is actually the opposite of extinct. A great mnemonic is to put the word 'is' between the 'x' and the 't' in extant. This gives you existant (don't mind the misspelling). Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.

Maudlin (adj.)

Mary Magdalene was the most important female disciple of Jesus. After Jesus had been crucified, she wept at his tomb. From this outward outpouring of emotion, we today have the word maudlin. Whereas Mary's weeping was noble, maudlin has taken on a negative connotation. A person who is maudlin cries in public for no good reason, and is oftentimes times used to describe one who's tried to finish a jeroboam alone, and now must share with the stranger sitting next to them all of his deepest feelings. Just as those who were alive during the 70's are mortified that they once cavorted about in bell-bottoms, many who lived during the 80's are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy—really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?

Animosity (n.)

Meaning Intense hostility, animosity should be reserved for extreme cases. That is, if you really loathe someone, and that person feels the same way, then you can say animosity exists between the two of you. A related word, and a synonym, is animus (though animus can also mean motivation, as in impetus). The governor's animosity toward his rival was only inflamed when the latter spread false lies regarding the governor's first term.

Wax (n./v.)

Melting wax will only lead you astray. The secondary meaning for wax is to increase. The opposite of wax is to wane. Both words are used to describe the moon: a waxing moon becomes larger and larger each night until it becomes a full moon, at which point it becomes small and smaller each night and becomes a waning moon. Her enthusiasm for the diva's new album only waxed with each song; by the end of the album, it was her favorite CD yet.

Enervate (v.)

Most people think enervate means to energize. It actually means to sap the energy from. John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he'd spent the day sightseeing.

Disinterested (adj.)

Much as the addition of belie is a difficult vocabulary word that tends to make a question harder, the addition of disinterested into a text completion can make it a difficult question. Why? Everybody assumes that disinterested means not interested. While this is acceptable colloquially, the GRE, as you've probably come to learn by now, is anything but colloquial. The definition of disinterested is unbiased, neutral. The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.

Pugnacious (adj.)

Much like a pug dog, which aggressively yaps at anything near it, a person who is pugnacious likes to aggressively argue about everything. Verbally combative is another good way to describe pugnacious. The comedian told one flat joke after another, and when the audience started booing, he pugnaciously spat back at them, "Hey, you think this is easy - why don't you buffoons give it a shot?"

Galvanize (v.)

Need to strengthen steel by giving it a final coat? Or, perhaps you need to motivate somebody? Well, in both cases, you would literally be galvanizing. Figuratively, to galvanize is to excite to action or spur on. At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, "Go Kyle"; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.

Powwow (n./v.)

No, it's not kowtow's cousin. This word sprung from American soil, namely the Algonquin tribe of North America. A powwow was quite a hootenanny of a time and involved a big party of dancing and dining between tribes. Strangely, today's meaning is a lot more subdued, and far less fun. Any informal discussion or colloquy is regarded as a powwow. You and your co-worker can have a mid-afternoon powwow over coffee. A political leader can have a powwow with his cronies (I'm presuming they'd favor cigars over coffee). Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.

Gerrymander (v.)

No, this word does not pertain to a large salamander named Gerry - though I suppose it could. Gerrymander is actually far more interesting than that. Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district. The end result was a city that was split up into the oddest arrangement of districts. And can you guess what a map of the city, gerrymandered, looked like? Yep, a salamander. Today the use of gerrymander hasn't changed too much, and refers to the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group. Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.

Protean (adj.)

Nope, I have not spelled protein incorrectly (don't worry—carbohydrates will not show up next on the list!). Protean is an eponym derived from the Greek god Proteus, who could change into shape or forms at will. To be protean, however, does not mean you wow party guests by shifting into various kinds of lawn furniture. The consummate adaptability implied by the word is used to describe a person's ability. So an actor, musician, or writer who is very versatile is protean. Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.

Kowtow (v.)

Nope, kowtow is not a giant truck for pulling bovines, but rather a word that comes from the imperial courts of China. When a person kowtowed to the emperor, or any eminent mandarin for that matter, he or she knelt and touched the ground with his or her forehead. Such a gesture was intended to show respect and submission. Today, kowtow has a negative connotation and implies that a person is acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner. Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.

Martinet (n.)

Not to be confused with a doll dangled on strings (that's a marionette), a martinet is a person who is a strict disciplinarian. Think of a drill sergeant who barks an order and a platoon of cadets jump to attention—the slightest misstep and its toilet duty. If anything, the martinet is the one holding the strings This military example is no coincidence; martinet is an eponym, meaning a word derived from a person's name. The guilty party in this case is the 17th Century French drillmaster Jean Martinet. The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize—and inevitably criticize—every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.

Zeitgeist (n.)

Okay, German is by no means a distant tongue, or for that matter, an exotic one. Zeitgeist, however, doesn't look anything like your typical English word. Translated literally from German, zeitgeist means "time-ghost". In terms of an actual definition, zeitgeist means spirit of the times. Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990's was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000's was a curious admixture of fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on YouTube.

Byzantine (adj.)

Okay, I cheated a little on this one. Byzant was not a medieval philosopher (nor an industrious ant). The word byzantine is not derived from a person's name, but from Byzantium, an ancient city that was part of the Byzantine Empire (the word can also refer to the empire itself). Specifically, Byzantium was known for the intricate patterns adorning its architecture. Bulbous domed turrets were emblazoned with ornate latticing (think of the towers on a Russia church). The modern usage of byzantine refers not to architecture per se, but to anything that is extremely intricate and complex. It actually carries a negative connotation. Getting a driver's license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV.

Hodgepodge (n.)

Okay, I'm not really sure what a hodge is, or for that matter, a podge. But if you put them together, you get hodgepodge, a word that means a confusing mixture or jumble. Long after his heyday as Germany's pre-eminent visionary philosopher, Nietzsche began to populate his writing with a hodgepodge of aphorisms.

Venerate (v.) vs. Enervate (v.)

Okay, fine, this one is deviating from the agenda a little. Still, despite not starting with a 'v', enervate actually contains all the letters found in venerate, only scrambled. As for their meanings, these two words are anything but similar. To venerate someone is to respect that person deeply. To enervate, on the other hand, is to sap that person of energy. Dave found the professor's lecture so enervating that not even a potent cup of joe could keep his eyes from drooping. The professor, despite his soporific lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.

Defenestrate (v.)

Okay, fine...there is slim chance that this word will pop up on the GRE, but it is one of my favorite words. It's a comical way of saying to throw someone out of a window, which in a sense is comical, as there is nothing comical about getting thrown out of a window. These days defenestrate is really nothing more than a linguistic curiosity, yet there was a time, long ago, when windows had neither panes nor glass. Think of a medieval castle. Apparently, defenestration happened enough that someone thought up a word for it. (To see a defenestration, check out the movie Braveheart, which shows the tyrannical King Edward I defenestrating a hapless lad). Defenestration is rare in these days of sealed windows.

Avarice (n.)

One of the seven deadly sins, avarice means greed. Of note, this word doesn't necessarily mean greed for food but usually pertains to possessions or wealth. The Spanish conquistadors were known for their avarice, plundering Incan land and stealing Incan gold.

aberrant

abnormal or deviant

Slapdash (adj.)

One word conjures up a relatively violent action, the other what one typically does if they want to escape a dangerous situation. Put them together and you get, voila, a word meaning careless. That's right—slapdash means hastily put together. The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.

Paucity (n.)

Paucity is a lack of something. In honor of paucity, this entry will have a paucity of words. There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most jobs have either been automated or outsourced.

Equivocate (v.)

People tend to think that equivocate has to do with equal. It actually means to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive. More generally, equivocal can mean ambiguous. The related word unequivocal can also be confusing. To state something unequivocally is to state it in such a way that there is no room for doubt. The findings of the study were equivocal—the two researchers had divergent opinions on what the results signified.

Peruse (v.)

Peruse means to read very carefully. Unfortunately, the colloquial usage not only ignores this definition, but goes so far as to flip this definition on its head. In light conversatoin, peruse means to read over quickly. The GRE constitutes anything but light conversation, so make sure to remember that peruse means to read over carefully (perusing the first part of this paragraph helps!). Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signature at the bottom.

Picayune (adj.)

Picayune would make for a good 2,000-dollar jeopardy clue, one which would probably read something like this: "Don't trifle with us—this word comes from Cajun country via France and refers to a 19th century coin of little value." "What is picayune?" would be the correct answer (thanks, Alex!). Derived from Cajun via Provencal France, picayune refers not only to a coin but also to an amount that is trifling or meager. It can also refer to a person who is petty. Therefore, if I'm being picayune, I'm fussing over some trivial point. English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.

Ponderous (adj.) vs. Imponderable (adj./n.)

Ponder means to think over. So, ponderous must mean thinking. However, this is not the case. Ponderous is derived from 'pondus', which means weight (think of a pound). So, to be ponderous means to be weighed-down, and to move slowly and in a labored fashion. Imponderable is not the opposite of ponderous. It actually relates to thinking. An imponderable is something that is impossible to estimate, fathom or figure out. Say a child was to ask, "How long would it take driving in a car to go from one end of the universe to the other?" Unless you have a really big calculator—and a very fast car—the answer to this question would be imponderable.

Curmudgeon (n.)

Probably one of my favorite GRE words—it's great for describing certain folk and it's fun to say. A curmudgeon is a grouchy, surly person, one who is always sulking as they grumble about something or another. Uncle Mike was the family curmudgeon so on Thanksgiving he was plied with copious amounts of wine so that he would finely lose the grouchy demeanor and break into a faint smile.

Agenda

Program, things to be done

Prosaic (adj.)

Prosaic conjures up a beautiful mosaic for some. So if somebody or something is prosaic, it must surely be good. Once again the GRE confounds expectations. Prosaic means dull and lacking imagination. It can be used to describe plans, life, language, or just about anything inanimate that has become dull (it is not used to describe people). A good mnemonic: prose is the opposite of poetry. And where poetry, ideally, bursts force with imagination, prose (think of text-book writing), lacks imagination. Hence, prose-aic. Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.

Pugnacious (adj.)

Pugnacious means having an inclination to fight and be combative. A useful mnemonic is a pug dog—you know, those really small dogs that always try to attack you while releasing a fusillade of yaps. Nobody wanted to work with Dexter lest he or she become embroiled in some spat; even those who did their best to avoid Dexter eventually had to deal with his pugnacity.

Remiss (adj.)

Remiss does not mean to miss again. It means to be negligent in one's duty. For some reason, students of mine have always had difficulty remembering this word. Sometimes I chide them, "Don't be remiss as vocabulary scholars by forgetting the word remiss." While arguably clever, this admonishment isn't usually as efficacious as I'd hope it would be. (So don't be remiss!). Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principle was relieved of his position after only three months.

Restive (adj.)

Restive sounds like rest. It's actually the opposite, and means restless. Though most of the 're-' words are common, restive is definitely the re- word you are most likely to see test day. It can be used to describe both people and groups of people. The crowd grew restive as the comedian's opening jokes fell flat.

Sangfroid (n.)

Sangfroid literally means cold-blooded. It is defined as calmness and poise, especially in trying situations. The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head.

Schadenfreude (n.)

Schadenfreude is one of those words that at first glance may seem gratuitous. After all, do we really need a word that literally translates from the German as harm-joy? Unfortunately, a twisted quirk of human nature is that we can sometimes take joy in the suffering of others. Luckily, German has provided us a word to use if we ever see someone cackling sardonically at the suffering of others. From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.

Screed (n.)

Screed takes on a more negative connotation, and suggests an abusive rant that has since become tedious and hackneyed. Currently, the Occupy movements have hardly devolved into screeds, and may even intensify, if protestors feel their various demands have not been met. However, if the protest fizzles out months from now, except for the lone dude in the park, gesticulating at a passel of pigeons ...well, he is very likely launching into a screed. Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, would enumerate all of the government's deficiencies, only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.

Apostasy (n.)

Some believers turn against their faith and renounce it. We call this act apostasy, and those who commit it, apostates. Today the word carries a slightly broader connotation in that it can apply to politics as well. An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party but dubs himself a "literal independent."

Churlish (adj.)

Someone who is churlish lacks manners or refinement. A churlish person lacks tact and civility is often outright rude. The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly unbecoming.

Innocuous (adj.)

Something innocuous is harmless and doesn't produce any ill effects. Many germs are innocuous. As are most bug bites. Even television, in small doses, is typically innocuous. Innocuous can also mean inoffensive. An innocuous question is unlikely to upset anyone. Everyone found Nancy's banter innocuous—except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.

Cogent (adj.)

Something that's cogent is clear and persuasive. His essay writing, while full of clever turns of phrases, lacks cogency: the examples he uses to support his points are at times irrelevant and, in one instance, downright ludicrous.

Turpitude (n.)

Sometimes lechery and its synonymous friends are just too soft when describing certain acts of malfeasance. At the far ends of the political spectrum, where outrage is felt most keenly, people feel the need to invoke far harsher vocabulary when condemning naughty behavior. One such word is turpitude, which gained prominence in the late 90's (Google will fill in the blanks). A synonym for depravity, turpitude is only reserved for those acts deemed to be downright wicked and immoral. During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.

Censure (v.) vs. Censor (v.)

Speaking of beeping out the F-word, we have a synonym for expurgate: censor. Censure, the much more common GRE word, has nothing to do with removing objectionable words and/or material. However, if you decide to start dropping the F-bomb in public—and I don't mean facetious—then you can easily expect someone to censure you. To censure someone is to express strong disapproval of that person.

Bilious (adj.)

Speaking of nasty stuff in the body, bilious comes from bile—you know, that yellow stuff in your liver that every once in a while makes a very unwelcome gustatory appearance. To be filled with bile, however, doesn't mean to have a bad taste in your mouth. According to Hippocrates, he of the bodily humors, if we are filled with too much bile, we are angry. Therefore, to be bilious is to be constantly irritable and ready to bite somebody's head off. Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he'd had his morning cup of coffee.

Zenith (n.), Summit (n.), Acme (n.), Pinnacle (n.) and Apex (n.)

Strangely, English has five words that mean the top of a mountain (perhaps our first lexicographers were avid alpinists). Spirited hiking, however, is only the half of it. Typically, you will encounter these words in a figurative sense: At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts. The Ivy League is considered the apex of the education system. At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.

Ambivalent (adj.)

Students often believe that to be ambivalent towards something is to be indifferent. The truth is almost the opposite. See, when you are ambivalent you have mixed or conflicting emotions about something. Imagine somebody asked you what it was like studying for the GRE. Sam was ambivalent about studying for the GRE because it ate up a lot of her time, yet he learned many words and improved at reading comprehension.

Retiring (adj.)

Sure, many dream of the day when they can retire (preferably to some palatial estate with a beachfront view). The second definition does not necessarily apply to most. To be retiring is to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company. Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with "fashionable" folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.

Tender (v.)

Tender is a verb, and it does not mean to behave tenderly. When you tender something, you offer it up. For instance, when you tender your resignation, you hand in a piece of paper saying that you are resigning. The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation.

Alacrity (n.)

The GRE has a predilection for words that don't really sound like what they mean. Alacrity is no exception. Many think the word has a negative connotation. Alacrity, however, means an eager willingness to do something. So imagine the first day at a job that you've worked really hard to get. How are you going to complete the tasks assigned to you? With alacrity, of course. An interesting correlation: the more alacritous (adjective form) you are when you're learning GRE vocabulary, the better you will do. The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew they would be giving him a promotion.

Expansive (adj.)

The common definition of expansive is extensive, wide-ranging. The lesser known definition is communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner. After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the "good old days".

Saturnine (adj.)

The etymology of this curious word can be traced to two sources: alchemy and astrology. For alchemists, Saturn was related to the chemical lead. When a person has severe lead poisoning, he or she takes on a very gloomy and morose disposition. Astrologists, on the other hand, believed that the planet Saturn was gloomy and morose. Usually, we would be loath to attribute human characteristics to large floating rocks, but remember—these were astrologists. Either way you look at it, to be saturnine is to be morose. Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that's why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.

Checkered (adj.)

The meaning of checkered is completely unrelated to the meaning of check, so be sure to know the difference between the two. A checkered past is one that is marked by disreputable happenings. One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts—from embezzlement to infidelity—sabotaging their campaigns.

Apogee (n.)

The point at which the moon is farthest from the earth is known as the apogee. In terms of accomplishment or achievement, this word can refer to the highest point or culmination of something. The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart's music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.

Prodigal (adj.)

The provenance of this word—like many GRE words—is the Bible. One of Jesus' most famous parables, the story is of a young man who squanders his father's wealth and returns home destitute. His father forgives him, but to posterity he will forever be remembered as the prodigal son. To be prodigal is to squander or waste wealth (it doesn't necessarily have to be familial wealth). This word should not be confused with prodigious, which means vast or immense. Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception—most live decadent lives.

Sartorial (adj.)

The sartorius muscle is found on your legs and crosses from the back, near the hamstring, all the way to the base of the quadriceps, at the front of the leg. The name sartorius was derived from the Latin for tailor. You may ask what a leg muscle has to do with a person who stitches clothes? Well, whenever a tailor was at work, he/she would cross his or her legs. In order to do so, a tailor must employ a special leg muscle, the sartorius. Today, sartorial does not relate directly to the muscle or tailor, but rather to the way we dress (makes sense considering tailors work with clothes). Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complemented his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.

Sanctimonious (adj.)

This is a tricky word, and thus you can bet it's one of GRE's favorites. Sanctimonious does not mean filled with sanctity or holiness. Instead it refers to that quality that can overcome someone who feels that they are holier (read: morally superior) to everybody else. Colloquially, we hear the term holier-than-thou. That is a very apt way to describe the attitude of a sanctimonious person. Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time.

Maintain (v.)

The second definition of this word—and one the new GRE favors—is to assert. One can maintain their innocence. A scientist can maintain that a recent finding supports her theory. The latter context is the one you'll encounter on the GRE. The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate.

Start (v.)

The secondary meaning for start is somewhat similar to the common meaning. To start is to suddenly move or dart in a particular direction. Just think of the word startle. All alone in the mansion, Henrietta started when she heard a sound.

Cow (v.)

The verb form of cow always tickles me, as I imagine the cow to be one of the more placid creatures. Despite such bovine equanimity, to cow means to use intimidation to make someone give in. In the 'cheesy' mnemonic department, imagine a cow on steroids (as most tend to be these days) telling you to 'moo'-ve out of the way. Pretty intimidating, huh? Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards!

Invective (n.)

The verb form of invective, at least in a loose sense, is inveigh. This word popped up a lot on the old GRE, because it was easily confused with inveigle, which means to coax. Both words are still good to know for the New GRE. Invective is used to describe harsh, critical language. The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.

Repine (v.)

The verb pine means to yearn for. Like remiss, however, the addition of the prefix re- does not signify again. To repine means to complain or fret over something. Note: the verb pine can also mean to waste away. Standing forlornly by the window, she repined for her lost love.

Impecunious (adj.)

The word pecuniary means relating to money. Impecunious, on the other hand, means not having any money. Pecunious, now mainly obsolete, means—as you can probably guess—wealthy. In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.

Corroborate (v.)

To corroborate something is to confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim). Her claim that frog populations were falling precipitously in Central America was corroborated by locals, who reported that many species of frogs had seemingly vanished overnight.

Precipitate (adj./n./v.)

There aren't too many words in the English language that, without any change in spelling, can be a noun, verb, or an adjective. Precipitate, one such word, conjures up the image of technicians in lab coats, mixing test tubes. The precipitate is part of the solution left inside a test tube (or any other container used in labs these days). This definition, though, is not important for the GRE. The verb and adjective definitions, however, are. To be precipitate is to be hasty or rash. To precipitate something, such as a government precipitating a crisis, means to make something happen suddenly. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals.

Vindictive (adj.) vs. Vindicate (v.)

These words look very similar, so their definitions must be somewhat related. Right? Actually, the two words are very different. To be vindictive means to have a very strong desire for revenge. As for vindicate, it means to prove oneself right. What, exactly, does this mean? Say you claim to your friends that you will score at the 95th percentile on the verbal. They doubt your claim, and lightly tease you on your lofty and seemingly unattainable goal. Now, it's up to you to prove that you can do it. If you score at the 95th percentile on test day, then you've vindicated yourself: you've proven that your original claim was correct. If you score way below that...well, then you may want to avoid your friends for some time.

Veracious (adj.) vs. Voracious (adj.)

These words not only deviate by only one letter, but they also sound very similar. As for their definitions, you definitely do not want to confuse them. Veracious means truthful; voracious means hungry, either literally or figuratively. Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.

Expurgate (v.) vs. Expunge (v.)

They both mean to remove, but in different ways. To expurgate means to remove objectionable material. If you've ever watched a rated-R film that has been adapted for prime time, you'll probably note that all those F-words—factitious, facetious, and fatuous—have been removed. That's expurgation (think of the "beep"). To expunge simply means to wipe out or remove any trace off. Many people who commit petty crimes have those crimes expunged from their records, given that person doesn't decide to start running every other red light. So, if you've been a good driver over the last 10 years, then that one incident when 85 became the new 65...well, that's probably been expunged from your record.

Insufferable (adj.)

Think of somebody, or something, that you simply can't tolerate. That thing is insufferable. A person bleating into their cell phones on a crowded bus is insufferable. So is a person who only talks about him or herself, and usually in the most flattering vein possible. Depending on the person, certain television shows or genres can be insufferable. This word is derived from the second definition of suffer, which means to put up with, or tolerate. Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; unsurprisingly, his co-workers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons out.

Contentious (adj.)

This GRE word does not mean content, as in feeling happy. It comes from the word contend, which means to argue. If you are contentious, you like to argue. Contentious is a very common GRE word, so unless you want me to become contentious, memorize it now! Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.

Belie (v.)

This is ETS's number one favorite word for harder questions. Period. If ETS needs to make a Text Completion or Sentence Equivalence questions difficult, all it needs to do is throw in belie. The key to answering a text completion question that uses belie is to know how the word functions in context. Let's take a look below: Her surface calm belied her roiling emotions. The effortless fluidity with which the pianist's fingers moved belied the countless hours he had practiced. Her upbeat attitude during the group project belied her inherent pessimism towards any collective endeavor. In each case, note how the outward appearance does not match up with the reality. That contradiction is the essence of belie.

Syncretic (adj.)

This is a difficult word, and not one that would go on any top 1000 words you have to know for the GRE. But for those with a robust vocabulary, pay heed: if a I concoct a new religion and decide to take bits and pieces from other religions—I don a cardinal's robe, shave my head a la Buddha, and disseminate glossy pamphlets about the coming apocalypse—I have created a syncretic religion, one that combines elements of different religions. You can probably see where this is going with the GRE definition—which tends to offer a little more latitude. Syncretic—more generally speaking—can refer to any amalgam of different schools of thought. Jerry the shrink takes a syncretic approach to psychotherapy: he mixes the Gestalt school with some Jung and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your view) dose of Freud.

Parvenu (n.)

This is a person who has recently acquired wealth, and has therefore risen in class. Parvenu has a derogatory connotation, meaning that if you win the lottery and someone calls you a parvenu they are not trying to be flattering. The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats.

Sybarite (n.)

This is a person who indulges in luxury. And though the word doesn't directly relate to wealth, most of the times a sybarite has to be wealthy (though even the relatively penurious amongst us can live the life of a sybarite, if he or she isn't loath to run up several credit cards.) Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the feds found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial.

Penurious (adj.)

This is a synonym for impecunious. Penurious also can be a synonym for miserly, so this word can be a little tricky. Whenever you have a word with two meanings, even if those meanings are closely related, make sure to come up with example sentences for both, so you don't forget one of the definitions. (I've done so below). Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. Sarah chose to be penurious and drive a beat-up VW, though with her wealth she could have easily afforded an Italian sports car.

Phantasmagorical (adj.)

This is a terrifying word, just from the standpoint of pronunciation: [fan-taz-muh-gawr-ik-al]. The definition is equally frightening: a series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream, whether those images are real or in one's head. Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.

Iconoclast (n.)

This is an interesting word. The definition that relates to the church is clearly negative, i.e. an iconoclast is one who destroys religious images. Basically, this definition applies to the deranged drunk who goes around desecrating icons of the Virgin Mary. The applicability of this definition to GRE is clearly suspect. The second definition, however, happens to be one of the GRE's top 100 words. An iconoclast—more broadly speaking—is somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. This use of the word is not necessarily negative: According to some scholars, art during the 19th century had stagnated into works aimed to please fusty art academies; it took the iconoclasm of Vincent Van Gogh to inject fresh life into the effete world of painting.

Malapropism (n.)

This is definitely one of my favorite eponyms. While the provenance is nowhere nearly as interesting as those of other eponyms, the word perfectly describes a lapse that any of us is capable of making, especially those studying for the GRE. Ms. Malaprop was a character in a play The Rivals by the largely forgotten George Sheridan. She was known for mixing up similar sounding words, usually to comic effect. Indeed, she would utter the words with complete aplomb that those listening were unsure if she'd even mixed up words in the first place. Her favorite Spanish dance was the flamingo (note: the dance in question is the flamenco; a flamingo is a salmon-colored bird known both for its elegance and tackiness). GRE malapropisms aren't quite so silly as Ms. Malaprop mixing up a bird and a Spanish dance, but I'll do my best. See if you can spot the GRE malapropisms below. The graffiti artist was indicated for defecating the church with gang signs. Picasso was a protein artist, able to mix elements of African art with the oven guard.

Miserly (adj.) vs. Frugal (adj.)

This is one of the most commonly confused pairs. These words, despite popular opinion, are not the same. Frugal has a positive connotation, i.e. you spend money wisely, and miserly has a negative connotation, i.e. you pinch every penny. Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

Qualify (v.)

This is perhaps the most commonly confused secondary meaning, and one that is very important to know for the GRE. To qualify is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion. I love San Francisco. I love San Francisco, but it is always windy. The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or limit, my love for San Francisco. In the context of the GRE, the concept of qualification is usually found in the Reading Comprehension passage. For example, an author usually expresses qualified approval or some qualified opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they qualify, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval.

Serendipity (n.)

This morning I wasn't looking for this article, but there it was—a pleasant find. That's an example of serendipity: finding something pleasant that you weren't even looking for. The Internet is full of serendipity, since something you weren't looking for in the first place often falls into your lap. Though if such compulsive buying becomes a habit, it may cease to be serendipitous. The invention of the 3M Post It Note was serendipitous, because the scientist who had come up with the idea was looking for a strong adhesive; the weak adhesive he came up with was perfect for holding a piece of paper in place but making it very easy for someone to pull the paper free.

Mulct (v.)

This strange looking word also means to swindle or defraud someone. (Though the swindling doesn't always have to relate to money.) Mulct can also mean to fine someone. The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but not hundreds of pounds.

Parochial (adj.)

This word comes from parish, a small ecclesiastical district, usually located in the country. Parochial still has this meaning, i.e. relating to a church parish, but we are far more concerned with the negative connotation that has emerged from the rather sedate original version. To be parochial is to be narrow-minded in one's view. The idea is if you are hanging out in the country, you tend to be a little cut off from things. The pejorative form—at least to my knowledge—is not a knock at religion. Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; "After all," she quipped on her blog, "he considered Chef Boyrdee ethnic food."

Reprobate (n.)

This word comes from reprove, a popular GRE word, which means (nope, not to prove again) to express disapproval of. A reprobate is a noun and is the recipient of the disapproval. Reprobate is a mildly humorous word, meaning that you would use it to describe some no good soul, but one you have a fondness for. Those old reprobates drinking all day down by the river -they are not going to amount to much.

Diabolical (adj.)

This word comes from the Latin and Greek for devil (for those speak Spanish, you may notice that the word is very similar to diablo). To be diabolical is to be extremely wicked like the devil. The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city.

Unnerve (v.)

This word does not mean to make less nervous, but its opposite. If you unnerve a person, you disconcert him or her to the point he or she is likely to fail. At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing", and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.

Limpid (adj.)

This word does not relate to limp, it relates to clarity in terms of expression. Limpid is typically used to describe writing or music. Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.

catalyst

agent that stimulates or precipitates a reaction, development, or change

Virago (n.)

This word has a real cool origin - the vir- comes from the Latin man. Virago, however, was coined during the medieval period to describe heroic female warriors. Today virago does not have such a noble connotation - it describes an ill-tempered and sometimes violent woman. If you've ever had an old lady scream at you for no good reason, then you've had an encounter with a virago. Poor Billy was the victim of the virago's invective—she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public.

Nabob (n.)

This word is fun to say. It definitely wouldn't be fun to see on the GRE, if you didn't know what it meant. So let's make sure that doesn't happen. A nabob is a wealthy, influential person. This word also comes from Hindi, and was originally used by Indians to describe a wealthy British person living in India. While it is not as common as pundit and pariah, nabob applies to many living here in the U.S., though I don't think it a good idea to call Donald Trump a nabob to his face. The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno.

Vituperation (n.)

This word is fun to say. Vituperating someone is neither fun for the 'vituperater' nor the 'vituperatee.' When you vituperate somebody, or something, you violently launch into an invective or tirade. Spit shoots from your mouth, froth forming at your lips. Understandably, vituperate is only used in extreme cases. Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants would vituperate him for forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots. Vocab from the Lab

Cupidity (n.)

This word is similar to avarice in that it means greedy. But the word is even more relevant to this post in that it means greed for money. Surprising, right? We think of Cupid the flying cherub, firing his arrow away and making Romeos and Juliets out of us. To avoid any confusion, imagine Cupid flying around shooting arrows into people's wallets/purses and then swooping in and taking the loot. Oh what cupidity! Some people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.

Arriviste (n.)

This word is similar to parvenu (though arriviste connotes more ruthless ambition). It came into the language much more recently, circa 1900. The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.

Spendthrift (n.)

This word is the opposite of thrifty. If you are a spendthrift, you buy as though consumerism were going out of style. This one is perhaps easy to remember; it does, after all, have the word 'spend' in it. Weekly trips to Vegas and five-star restaurants on Tuesday evenings, Megan was a spendthrift whose prodigality would inevitably catch up with her.

Execrate (v.)

This word just sounds awful. The good news is the meaning of execrate is consistent with the way it sounds. To execrate somebody is to curse and hiss at them. For instance a certain American basketball player left his team of many years so he could make more money with another team. Fans of the original team execrated the player for his perfidy and, what they claim, were his mercenary motives. Interestingly, the adjective form of execrate is the relatively common GRE word execrable. If something is execrable, it is so awful that it is worthy of our hissing. Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than execrable pastiche of tired cliché's and canned laughter.

Lagniappe (n.)

This word looks like it got jumbled up while I was typing. Believe it or not, lagniappe is not the result of errant fingers on my part, but comes to us from Louisiana. In Cajun country, in the 19th Century, a lagniappe was any unexpected gift. By no means a common GRE word—indeed, I doubt you'll ever see it on the test—but if lagniappe happens to show up on the test, then consider it an unexpected gift. The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered.

Sententious (adj.)

This word looks like it would relate to a sentence. If you know the GRE, you will know this is probably not the case, as the GRE is likely to subvert people's gut reactions. Sententious means to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense. The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, "Youth is wasted on the young."

Pariah (n.)

This word means an outcast. It comes from Hindi, one of the most prominent languages spoken in India. While India is on the other side of the world (at least from where I'm sitting), it should come as no surprise that we have acquired words from Hindi. After all, the British (remember, the people who "invented" English) colonized India and greatly influenced her for more than a century. The influence went both ways, as we now have words like pundit, meaning an expert in a particular area. And any pundit on geography and linguistics can tell you that another common language spoken in India is English. The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

Profligate (adj./n.)

This word means spending recklessly almost to the point of immorality. This word often pops up in politics, when some charge that government is spending wastefully. Profligate is also a person known for his or her profligacy. Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.

Dupe (n./v.)

This word means to trick or swindle. This word can function as a verb or as a noun. A dupe is a person who is easily swindled. The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of dupes, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them.

Exegesis (n.)

This word refers to a critical interpretation of a scholarly work. If you think that definition is intimidating, the adjective form is exegetical. The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in a Gideon.

Auspicious (adj.)

This word sounds very sinister, but actually means the opposite of sinister. If an occasion is auspicious, it is favorable. The opposite, inauspicious, is also common on the GRE. It means unfavorable. Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike's road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.

Affluent (adj.)

To be affluent is to be wealthy. This word usually describes countries, neighborhoods, or groups of people. The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.

Commensurate (adj.)

To be commensurate to is to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount The definition of this word tends to be a little unwieldy, regardless of the source. Therefore, it is a word that screams to be understood in context (for this very reason, the GRE loves commensurate, because they know that those who just devour flashcards will not understand how the word works in a sentences). Speaking of a sentence... The convicted felon's life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.

Errant (adj.) vs. Arrant (adj.) vs. Errand (n.) vs. Err (v.)

To be errant is to be wandering, not sticking to a circumscribed path. It can also connote deviating from accepted behavior or standards. Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus to help his brain function. Arrant means complete and utter. It usually modifies a noun with a negative connotation, e.g. liar, fool, etc. An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt. An errand is a small chore. Maria carried out her errands with dispatch, completing most before noon. To err is (surprise!) to make an error. He erred in thinking that errant and arrant were synonyms.

Embroiled (adj.)

To become caught up in a scandal is to become embroiled in it. In the last couple of months, a few well-known politicians (again, not naming any names) have become embroiled in scandals. From the verb embroiled, we get the noun imbroglio, which is an embarrassing, confusing situation. These days we are never short of a D.C. imbroglio—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one scandal, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.

Betray (v.)

To betray means to go against one's country or friends. Right? Well, yes, but not always. Especially on the GRE. To betray means to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally. Let's try a Text Completion question: As we age, our political leanings tend to become less _______; the once dyed-in-wool conservative can betray liberal leanings, and the staunch progressive may suddenly embrace conservative policies. (A) pronounced (B) obscured (C) contrived (D) earnest (E) diplomatic In this case betray means reveal. As we age our political biases become less obvious/extreme (my own words). Which word is the closest? (A) pronounced.

Castigate (v.)

To castigate someone is to reprimand harshly. This word is very similar to chastise. They even have the same etymology (word history). Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.

Check (n./v.)

To check is to limit, and it is a word usually used to modify the growth of something. When government abuses are not kept in check, that government is likely to become autocratic.

Check (n./v.)

To check something is to stop its growth (similar to stem but with more of a focus on growth than flow). If something is left unchecked, then it grows freely. Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence—weeds grew unchecked in the front yard.

Conciliate (v.)

To conciliate is to make peace with. His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.

Demur (v.) vs. Demure (adj.)

To demur is a verb meaning to object or show reluctance. Wallace dislike the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps. To be demure is to be modest and shy. This word is typically used to describe a woman, so don't call a man demure, as they will surely demur.

Disabuse (v.)

To disabuse is not the opposite of abuse (which would be a strange word to have an opposite for in the first place). To disabuse is to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid. Often, disabuse goes together with the word notion: As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess—one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.

Exhort (v.)

To exhort means to strongly urge on, encourage. The encouragement is for a positive action. So a mentor figure will exhort you to make the most of your life, whereas the miscreant will cajole you into doing something you'll regret. Nelson's parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.

Juggernaut (n.)

To many, this word was forever immortalized in X-Men 2, when one of the main characters, Juggernaut, ran through walls, pulverizing them. This power to knock over and destroy anything in one's path can also be traced to the original juggernaut, a word that comes to us via Hindi. A juggernaut was a large temple vehicle—and when I mean large, I mean humongous—under which followers of Krishna would supposedly throw themselves. Today, the word juggernaut doesn't necessarily include any grisly sacrifices, but refers to any large force that cannot be stopped. Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.

Prevaricate (v.) vs. Variance (n.)

To prevaricate is to speak in an evasive way. Prevaricate does not mean to vary before; indeed, it is totally unrelated to variance, which simply means the quality of varying. A good synonym for prevaricate is equivocate. And that's no lie. The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate".

Amuck (adv.)

To run amuck (also spelled amok) is to run about frenzied. While this word comes to us via Malay, you don't have to live on the Malaysian peninsula to witness people running amuck. Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance of his boyish face.

Abridge

To shorten, condense or lessen in length

Stem (v.)

To stem means to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something. You can stem bleeding, and you can stem the tide—or at least attempt to do so. However, do not stem the flow of vocabulary coursing through your brains. Make sure to use GRE words whenever you can. To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.

Abdicate

To step down from a position of Power

Excoriate (v.)

To yell at someone is one thing; to excoriate them is a whole other. A martinet of a boss whom you've once again upset; a drill sergeant berating a feckless, smirking recruit; now we are closer. So to criticize really, really harshly is to excoriate. Interestingly, the second definition of the word is to tear one's skin from his/her body. To verbally excoriate, figuratively speaking, is to rip off a person's skin. Entrusted with the prototype to his company's latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company—the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.

Dossier

a file of documents, letters and records

Paroxysm

a fit

Undermine (v.)

Undermine is common in all sections of the GRE, not just difficult sections. It can pop up in reading comprehension answer choices just as commonly as text completion questions. Undermine means to weaken and is usually paired with an abstract term, such as authority. It can also have the connotation of slowly or insidiously eroding (insidious mean subtly harmful). The student undermined the teacher's authority by questioning the teacher's judgment on numerous occasions.

Erratic (adj.)

Unpredictable, often wildly so, erratic is reserved for pretty extreme cases. An athlete who scores the winning point one game, and then botches numerous opportunities is known for his or her erratic play. The stock market is notoriously erratic, as is sleep, especially if your stocks aren't doing well. Erratic can also mean strange and unconventional. Someone may be known for their erratic behavior. Regardless of which meaning you are employing, you should not be erratic in your GRE prep. It came as no surprise to pundits that the President's attempt at re-election floundered; even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.

Upbraid (v.)

Upon seeing this word, you may imagine a hair stylist busily braiding patrons' hair. Upbraid, however, relates neither to up nor braiding. It means to scold or berate, a meaning it shares with many other words: reprimand, reproach, chide, and castigate. Bob took a risk walking into the "Students Barbershop"—in the end he had to upbraid the apparently hung over barber for giving him and uneven bowl cut.

Artless (adj.) vs. Artful (adj.) vs. Artifice (n.)

Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet...surely they relate to the second word, and definitely not the first, which would be reserved for people like me who reached their artistic apotheosis with the drawing of stick-figures. Well, as far as the GRE is concerned, neither word relates to art (both in the lower case and upper case sense). To be artful means to be cunning and wily. To have artifice is to be artful. Perhaps you've read Dickens, and remember The Artful Dodger. The titular artful dodger did not have a penchant for watercolors, but was instead a devious, wily lad. This trait, presumably, allowed him to dodge tricky situations. If somebody is artless, on the other hand, that person is innocent, guileless. It should come as little surprise, then, that the literary canon is absent an artless dodger, as he would be too innocent and naive to dodge much of anything. Finally, artful and artless can refer back to the original usage of art. Therefore, Picasso is artful and I am artless. However, the GRE rarely, if ever, tests these definitions.

Veracity (n.)

Veracity sounds a lot like voracity. Whereas many know voracity means full of hunger, whether for food or knowledge (the adjective form voracious is more common), few know veracity. Unfortunately, many confuse the two on the test. Veracity means truthful. Veracious, the adjective form of veracity, sounds a lot like voracious. So be careful. After years of political scandals, the congressman was hardly known for his veracity; yet despite this distrust, he was voted into yet another term.

Chastise (v.)

Very similar to castigate, it also means to reprimand harshly. Though chastised for his wanton abuse of the pantry, Lawrence shrugged off his mother's harsh words, and continued to plow through jars of cookies and boxes of donuts.

Propitiate (v.)

Want to make an angry person less angry? Well, then you attempt to placate or appease. Or, if you like really big GRE words, you propitiate them. The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him - the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.

Wanting (adj.)

Wanting means lacking. So, if your knowledge of secondary meanings is wanting, this eBook is a perfect place to start learning. She did not find her vocabulary wanting, yet there were so many GRE vocabulary words that inevitably she did not know a few.

Involved (adj.)

We are involved in many things, from studying to socializing. For something to be involved, as far as the GRE is concerned, means it is complicated, and difficult to comprehend. The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate's eyes glazed over.

Catholic (adj.)

We have many associations with Catholicism: cardinals at mass, nuns wielding crucifixes at frothing demons. Thus, it is somewhat surprising that a second definition of catholic—and the one that will be tested on the GRE—means universal. Or perhaps not too surprising, considering that Catholicism has a universal reach and, more importantly, the Catholic Church conducts mass in Latin. Catholic comes from the Late Latin catholicus, which means, as you can probably guess, universal. Catholic also implies wide-ranging or all-embracing. Jonah's friends said that Jonah's taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.

Quisling (n.)

We've all heard of the Nazis. Some of you may have even heard of the Vichy government, which was a puppet regime set up by the Nazis in France during WWII. Few of us, however, know that Germany also tried to turn Norway into a puppet regime. In order for Germany to take over Norway, it needed an inside man, a Norwegian who would sell his country out for the Nazis. This man was Viktor Quisling. For arrant perfidy, he has been awarded the eponym quisling, which means traitor. History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—he who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.

Overweening (adj.)

What exactly does it mean to 'ween'? To go out on Halloween, perhaps? Making an overweening person one who takes a little bit too zealously to candy collecting and wakes up the next morning with a sugar hangover? The answer of course is none of the above. To be overweening is to be presumptuously arrogant. What exactly does that mean? Say the aforementioned trick-o-treater grabs three times as much candy as everyone else, because he assumes he is entitled to as much candy as he wants. He would be overweening. Which would make him overweening while Halloweening (okay, I'll stop before my humor becomes overweening!*). *Overweening can also refer to ideas/opinions/appetites that are excessive or immoderate. Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.

Flush (adj.)

What word means to turn red (especially in the face), to send down the toilet, to be in abundance, and to drive out of hiding? Yep, it's flush, which has all four of these totally unrelated definitions. The GRE Reading Comprehension passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have learned only yesterday.

Cardinal (adj.)

When it comes time to elect the pope who gets together? The cardinals, of course. And when you're watching baseball in St. Louis, and the players all have red birds on their uniforms, which team are you seeing? The Cardinals, of course. And when you are on the GRE and you see the word cardinal? Well it has nothing to do with birds, baseball or popes. Cardinal means of primary importance, fundamental. That makes sense when you think of the cardinals in the church—after all they do elect the pope. The bird happens to be the same color as the cardinals' robes. As for what St. Louis has to do with cardinals, I have no clue. As if you needed any more associations - the expression, "cardinal sin", retains the GRE definition of the word, and means primary. It does not refer to naughty churchmen. Most cultures consider gambling a cardinal sin and thus have outlawed its practice.

Base (adj.)

When the definition of this word came into existence, there were some obvious biases against the lower classes (assuming that lexicographers were not lower class). It was assumed that those from the base, or the lowest, class were without any moral principles. They were contemptible and ignoble. Hence, we have this second definition of base (the word has since dropped any connotations of lower class). She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.

Mettlesome (adj.)

When you poke your nose in somebody else's business, you are being meddlesome. If you are mettlesome, on the other hand, you are filled with mettle (no, not the hard stuff). Mettle means courage or valor. A soldier on the battlefield is mettlesome when he runs into enemy fire to save a comrade. For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.

Syllogism

a form of logic in which major and minor premises are made and a conclusion drawn,

Immaterial (adj.)

While immaterial can describe a ghost, phantom, or run-of-the mill ectoplasm, immaterial primarily means not relevant. The judge found the defendant's comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.

Nadir (n.)

With all these people reaching the top of the career, isn't there a word that refers to the bottom or lowest point of a person's career? The answer is, well, of course. Meet nadir. Nadir doesn't have to refer to just a career, but can be the lowest point. Mike had walked in cold to the new GRE and was not surprised afterwards that he'd hit a standardized test nadir. After he dedicated himself to GRE prep with the same vigor that Sir Edmund Hillary first scaled the summit of Mt. Everest, Mike scored near perfect—the apogee of his academic career.

Contrite (adj.)

Word roots are often misleading. This word does not mean with triteness (con- meaning with). To be contrite is to be remorseful. Though he stole his little sister's licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn't stop crying.

Venal (adj.) vs. Venial (adj.)

You definitely do not want to confuse these two. To call someone venal is to say they are corrupt, and likely to accept bribes. To be venial actually doesn't refer to a person but rather a sin or an offense. A venial offense is one that is minor and pardonable. His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious—on one occasion he simply did not come to a complete stop; another time he tried to escape across state lines at speeds in excess of 140 mph.

Arch (adj.)

You have arches in architecture, or at a well-known fast-food restaurant. You can arch your back, or a bow. Arches are even a part of your foot. But, did you know that to be arch is to be deliberately teasing, as in, "he shrugged off her insults because he knew she was only being arch"? Finally, arch- as a root means chief or principal, as in archbishop. The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn't pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious.

Untoward (adj.)

You may think that untoward has something to do with a direction. But untoward does not mean disinclined to walk eastwards. Untoward is an adjective meaning not favorable, inconvenient. A popular GRE synonym for untoward is inauspicious. Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on attaining tenure.

Ingenuous (adj.)

You may think you've heard someone exclaim, what an ingenuous plan! But, it's actually an ingenious plan. To be ingenuous is to be naïve and innocent. So, if you are likely to go along with a devious plan, whether or not it is ingenious, you are ingenuous. Two-years in college in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.

Misanthrope (n.)

You thought a curmudgeon was bad? A misanthrope—or hater of mankind—walks down the street spewing vitriol at all those who walk by. College campuses are famous for misanthropes, those disheveled types who haunt coffee shops, muttering balefully as students pass by. Some say they are homeless; others that they didn't get tenure. Regardless, steer clear of the misanthrope. Hamilton had been deceived so many times in his life that he hid behind the gruff exterior of a misanthrope, lambasting perfect strangers for no apparent reason.

Remonstrate (v.)

You've probably guessed already that this does not mean to demonstrate again. To remonstrate means to make objections while pleading. The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.

Neophyte

a beginner, a novice

Benediction

a blessing, a good wish

Nirvana

a blissful, painless state,

Hiatus

a break or interruption from work or any other established routine

Spelunker

a cave explorer

Fluke

a chance event, a coincidence, a stroke of luck

Demimonde

a class of kept women or women of lower social standing,

Ana

a collection of materials that reflect a person or place

Compendium

a comprehensive summary

Hugger-mugger

a confusion, jumble, muddle

Antinomy

a contradiction between two seemingly true statements

Poltroon

a coward

Afflatus

a creative impulse, divine inspiration

Opus

a creative work, musical composition

Diadem

a crown that indicates royalty

Dilettante

a dabbler, someone with a superficial knowledge (usually of the arts)

Éclat

a dazzling success, acclaim

Diatribe

a denunciation, a biting speech

Imbroglio

a difficult and confused situation, a complicated disagreement

Debacle

a disaster or violent breakdown

Shibboleth

a distinctive word or behavior that typifies a group, a slogan

Partition

a dividing wall, a division

Leitmotif

a dominant or recurring theme or emotion

Bacchanal

a drunken reveler or orgy

Encomium

a eulogy or expression of high praise

Canard

a fabricated story, or sensational report, a hoax

Manqué

a failure to realize one's aspirations

Placebo

a fake medication

Malaise

a feeling of depression, uneasiness, of being unwell

Precept

a rule or principle to guide conduct

Sally

a rushing attack, witty repartee, a brief excursion

Savant

a scholar, a very knowledgeable person

Cabal

a secret group of conspirators, a clique

Tryst

a secret meeting of lovers

Assignation

a secret meeting, a tryst, or something assigned

Culvert

a sewer or drain

Jaunt

a short pleasure trip

Dearth

a shortage

Junta

a small group that rules a country after a coup d'état

Arriviste

a social climber, an upstart

Pluralism

a society in which distinct group function together, but retain their identities

Jargon

a specialized vocabulary of a group, an obscure language

Wraith

a specter, ghost of a dead person

Fidelity

a state of being faithful, loyal

Gamin

a street urchin, a slim girl with an impish charm

Apoplexy

a stroke resulting from loss of blood of the brain,

Penchant

a strong like for something, a predilection

Gestalt

a structure, whose parts cannot stand alone

Satrap

a subordinate ruler

Nuance

a subtle distinction, a slight difference in definition

Spate

a sudden outburst

Paltry

a tiny or insignificant amount, meager, scant

Quisling

a traitor who helps an enemy who occupies his country

Bathos

a transition from the illustrious to the commonplace, overdone pathos,

Stratagem

a trick or deceptive scheme

Boondoggle

a useless or valueless project or activity

Cataclysm

a violent upheaval, an earthquake, a flood

Nabob

a wealthy, influential person

Lassitude

a weariness, listlessness, a state of lethargy

Oeuvre

a work of art, the sum of an artist's work

Fledgling

a young bird learning to fly, a beginner, a novice

plasticity

ability to be molded

Compatible

able to get along well

Contentious

argumentative over a point, quarrelsome

Tendentious

advancing a point of view, biased

desultory

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random.Example to lead a desultory life

Resilient

an ability to recover from, or adjust easily

Imago

an adult stage of an insect,

Nimbus

an atmosphere that surrounds a person or thing, a rain cloud,

Claque

an audience paid to clap, an obsequious audience

Ukase

an authoritative decree, official edict

Levee

an embankment designed to prevent a river from flooding

Catharsis

an emotional purification, an emotional release

Hegira

an escape to avoid danger or to get away from an unpleasant location

Heresy

any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs, or practice

approbation

approval

sanction

approve; ratify

felicitous

apt; suitably expressed; well chosen.The timing of the 1000th milestone is particularly felicitous, it being the Institute's 40th anniversary year.

quiescent

at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive/like quie...t

iconoclast

attacking cherished traditions

empirical

base on experience.Knowledge we develop of a technology over time is empirical.

Aleatory

based on chance

Halitosis

bad breath

relegate

banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign

Incipient

beginning to be, in an early stage

Moribund

being in a dying or decaying condition

Caustic

biting in humor

Mordant

bitingly sarcastic, incisive, caustic in manner

diatribe

bitter scolding; invective.We all should maintain calm when our closest ones deliver lengthy diatribes due to frustration.

Benison

blessing, benediction

Vainglorious

boastful, pompous

Brummagem

bogus, fraudulent, cheap, showy

Raucous

boisterous, harsh sounding, noisy and disorderly

Temerity

boldness, rashness, audacity

Ennui

boredom, listlessness, lack of interest

Tedious

boring, tiresome

Pedantic

boringly, scholarly, academic in mode

Phlegmatic

calm, indifferent, not easily aroused

phlegmatic

calm; not easily disturbed

imperturbable

calm; placid.Imperturbable calm, this is cinema worth seeking out. like equinamity.Inmpert sounds like inert..inactive or calm.

equanimity

calmness of temperament; composure.One must maintain their equanimity in hard times

rescind

cancel

negate

cancel out; nullify; deny

malleable

capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable

whimsical

capricious; fanciful

Prudent

careful, cautious

Chary

careful, cautious, wary

metamorphosis

change of form

volatile

changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly

pristine

characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled

Engaging

charming, interesting

Winsome

charming, sweetly engaging

Alacrity

cheerful readiness, liveliness or eagerness

contention

claim; thesis

exculpate

clear from blame

Lucid

clear, easily understood

Escarpment

cliff, a steep slope resulting from erosion

Inept

clumsy, awkward, incompetent

convoluted

coiled around; involved; intricate

Petulant

cranky, ill tempered, irritable, peevish

Serried

crowded together

Pivotal

crucial, something around which things turn

Guile

cunning duplicity, purposeful deceit

Wont

custom, habit

divest

deprive.He was divested off his post.

piety

devoutness; reverence for God

recant

disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error

cacophonous

discordant; inharmonious

Sardonic

disdainful, scornfully mocking

Ignominious

disgraceful and dishonorable

dissemble

disguise; pretend.People tend to dissemble about now being aware of criminal events to avoid being questioned by authority.

Mendacious

dishonest, deceitful

dissolution

disintegration; looseness in morals

repudiate

disown; disavow

disseminate

distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds).Nehru asked for his ashes to be disseminated in the Ganges.

Dichotomy

division into two often contradictory parts

tractable

docile; easily managed

Impervious

does not allow something to pass through, impenetrable

problematic

doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing

elicit

draw out by discussion.The detctives tried to elicit where theives had hidden the loot.

Eclectic

drawn from many sources

flag

droop; grow feeble

Somnolent

drowsy, sleepy

lethargic

drowsy; dull

desiccate

dry up. Eg One should desiccate after a swim to avoid catching a cold.

Jejune

dull, lacking interest, empty of food

Prosaic

dull, unimaginative, lacking excitement

stolid

dull; impassive,Like stoic like impassive

Docile

easily tought, submissive

lucid

easily understood; clear; intelligible

Obsequious

fawning, subservient, servile

Veneer

façade, coating, outward appearance

Intrepid

fearless, having fortitude and endurance

Fecund

fertile, productive, fruitful

inherent

firmly established by nature or habit

Odious

hateful, evil, vile

shard

fragment; generally of pottery

magnanimity

generosity

Munificent

generous

Benign

gentle, not harmful, kind

Hortative

giving advice or exhortation

Morose

gloomy, bad tempered, a sullen disposition

Blithe

happily, lighthearted, joyful

esoteric

hard to understand; known only to the chosen few.The purpose of these transformations will sound a bit esoteric at the moment.

arduous

hard; strenuous

Assiduous

hardworking, busy, diligent

Deleterious

harmful

Noisome

harmful, unwholesome, stinking, putrid

innocuous

harmless

Vituperative

harshly scolding, acrimonious

Celerity

haste, swiftness of movement

Edacious

having an instable appetite, great voracity

Epicene

having characteristics of both male and female neuter

Prescient

having foresight

Akimbo

having one's hands in a bent position on the hips,

Lupine

having the characteristics of a wolf

implacable

incapable of being pacified

enhance

increase; improve

Ineluctable

inescapable, not to be avoided

fledgling

inexperienced.These early designs established the credibility of the then fledgling design cente

opprobium

infamy; vilification.the opprobrium of being closely associated with gangster

Daedal

ingenious or complex in design

Inchoate

just beginning, not organized or orderly, incomplete

warranted

justified; authorized

beneficent

kindly; doing good

apathy

lack of caring; indifference

Privation

lack of comforts, poverty, a state of being deprived

discrepancy

lack of consistency; difference

incongruity

lack of harmony; absurdity

levity

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity.He loves t live a life of levity

Levity

lack of seriousness, frivolity

Pallid

lacking color, wan

disingenuous

lacking genuine candor; insincere

insipid

lacking in flavor; dull.many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works

Impotent

lacking power, helpless, unable to perform sexual intercourse

Feckless

lacking responsibility, ineffective

Insipid

lacking taste, dull, bland

dirge

lament with music- The funeral dirge moved everyone to tears.

lassitude

languor; weariness."she was overcome by lassitude and retired to bed

Prurient

lascivious, have lustful thoughts or desires

Usury

lending money at a high interest rate

mitigate

lessen in intensity; moderate; appease

torpor

lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy

equivocate

lie, mislead; attempt to conceal the truth.A democracy does not equivocate on freedom of the press.

qualified

limited; restricted

Ephemeral

lived, transitory

Vivacious

lively, spirited

Panegyric

lofty praise, eulogistic writing

harangue

long, passionate, and vehement speech

garrulous

loquacious; wordy; talkative.Wrietrs write garrulous manuscripts when being paid by the word.

Aphasia

loss of speech

Strident

loud, harsh, grating

Libidinous

lustful, lascivious

mendacious

lying; habitually dishonest.mendacious propaganda

rarefied

made less dense (of a gas)

stipulate

make express conditions, specify

adulterate

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

paragon

model of perfection

Depravity

moral corruption

Itinerant

moving from place to place

ingenuous

naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated

discordant

not harmonious; conflicting

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree. "they were served by obsequious waiters sycophantic

recalcitrant

obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly

Palatable

pleasant to the taste, agreeable in feeling

Rustic

primitive, rural, lacking city comforts

Centrifugal

proceeding in action away from the center or axle

extrapolation

projection; superfluous

decorum

propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners

Aegis

protection, patronage

Piquant

pungent, charmingly provocative

castigation

punishment; severe criticism

distill

purify; refine; concentrate

Paucity

scarcity, smallness in number or amount

paucity

scarcity.Paucity of water in certain areas of India is a serious issue.

Machination

scheming activity foe an evil purpose

Erudite

scholarly, deeply learned, well read

Furtive

secret, done by stealth, sly

discrete

separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts

Gravity

seriousness

subside

settle down; descend; grow quiet

penury

severe poverty; stinginess.like indigenious

Draconian

severe, exceedingly harsh

Turpitude

shameful wickedness, evil, depravity

Antipodal

situated on opposite side of the earth or being exactly opposite

Deft

skillful

Pachyderm

skinned animal

Calumny

slander, deliberate false statements

Sequacious

slavish, obsequious, following in logical sequence

soporific

sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness

dormant

sleeping; lethargic; latent

Surreptitious

sneaky, secret

saturate

soak thoroughly

gregarious

sociable

dupe

someone easily fooled

Bon Vivant

someone who enjoys luxurious living

Wastrel

someone who wastes, a spendthrift

Matrix

something from which something else originates or takes from

Legacy

something handed down from the past , a bequest

perennial

something long-lasting

Obloquy

strong language of condemnation

Aversion

strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance

Obdurate

stubborn

obdurate

stubborn.I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate

refractory

stubborn; unmanageable

Recalcitrant

stubbornly defiant and resistant of authority

Obstreperous

stubbornly defiant, angry and clamorous

bolster

support; reinforce

strut

supporting bar

Aseptic

surgically clean, free of germs

abeyance

suspended action

Mellifluous

sweetly flowing

Tumid

swollen, distended, a bulging shape, overblown, bombastic

Affinity

sympathy, attraction, kinship

Theology

the study of God or religion

Teleology

the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena

Defenestration

the act of throwing someone or something out a window

Ablution

the act of washing one's body

Ethnocentric

the belief in the superiority of one's race or ethnic group

Deism

the belief that god created the world and then left it to its own devices

Nihilism

the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe,

Agathism

the belief that things ultimately lead to good

Caducity

the frailty of old age, the quality of being perishable transitoriness

Gamut

the full range of something

Zenith

the highest point

Malapropism

the humorous misuse of a word that sound very much like the word intended

Clerisy

the intellectual elite

Husbandry

the judicious use of resources, livestock farming

Zeitgeist

the mood or spirit of the times

Quintessential

the most perfect example of

Denouement

the outcome

Proscenium

the part of the stage in front of the curtain, the wall frame for the stage

Interregnum

the period between two successive governments,

Facade

the principal front of a building, a false appearance

Quiddity

the real nature of a thing, the essence , a hairsplitting distinction

Vestige

the remains of something that no longer exists

Usufruct

the right to use someone else's property as long as it's not damaged in the process

Euthenics

the science of improving the condition of humans by improving their environment

ambivalence

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

Embellish

to add to, to exaggerate, garnish, ornament

Galvanize

to arouse suddenly, to stimulate, spur to action

Impugn

to attack the integrity of something

Waver

to be indecisive or inconstant, to fluctuate in opinion

Inured

to become accustomed to something undesirable

Ossify

to become rigid, to become set in one's ways

Coalesce

to come together as one, to fuse or unite

Adjure

to command or urge solemnly and earnestly

VIE

to complete, to contest

Acquiesce

to comply passively, to give in

Temporize

to compromise, to draw something out in order to gain time

capricious

unpredictable; fickle like an unpredictable or capricious storm

disinterested

unprejudiced

Indubitable

unquestionable

Nefandous

unspeakable, unutterable

Labile

unstable, adaptable, liable to change

Ineffable

unutterable, unspeakable

probity

uprightness; incorruptibility.the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency. "financial probity"

goad

urge on.Goaded into action by Owen's taunts

exigency

urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention.The trench maps used in the Great War resulted from the exigencies of war.

Exigent

urgent, demands prompt action

Futile

useless, hopeless, without effect

futile

useless; hopeless; ineffectual

Destitute

very poor, totally lacking

oscillate

vibrate pendulumlike; waver

Élan

vigor, distinctive, elegant style

enervate

weaken

Wistful

yearning, sad longing, a gentle desire

Sallow

yellow tone