GRE Vocab Updated

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 a person exhibits narcissism or psychosis, as examples, they 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. 1. strong verbal attack against someone or something

opprobrium

(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach

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.

evanescent

short-lived, as an image

aggrandize

to increase or make greater

eke

verb: To live off meager resources, to scrape by Stranded in a cabin over the winter, Terry was able to eke out an existence on canned food.

morph

verb: To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion. The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar: today guests actually stand up and threaten to take swings at one another.

finagle

verb: achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods Steven was able to finagle one of the last seats on the train by convincing the conductor that his torn stub was actually a valid ticket.

concede

verb: acknowledge defeat I concede. You win! verb: admit (to a wrongdoing) After a long, stern lecture from her father, Olivia conceded to having broken the window. verb: give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another The Spanish were forced to concede much of the territory they had previously conquered.

expound

verb: add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth The CEO refused to expound on the decision to merge our department with another one, and so I quit.

tout

verb: advertise in strongly positive terms; show off At the conference, the CEO touted the extraordinary success of his company's Research & Development division.

lionize

verb: assign great social importance to Students in the U.S. learn to lionize Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington because they are the founding fathers of the nation.

relegate

verb: assign to a lower position When Dexter was unable to fulfill his basic duties, instead of firing him, the boss relegated him to kitchen cleanup.

posit

verb: assume as fact Initially, Einstein posited a repulsive force to balance Gravity, but then rejected that idea as a blunder.

assail

verb: attack in speech or writing In the weekly paper, the editor assailed the governor for wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in public projects that quickly failed.

impute

verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.

ascribe

verb: attribute or credit to History ascribes The Odyssey and The Iliad to Homer, but scholars now debate whether he was a historical figure or a fictitious name.

eschew

verb: avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of Politicians are the masters of eschewing morals; academics are the masters of eschewing clarity.

differentiate

verb: be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait (sometimes in positive sense) Mozart's long melodic lines differentiate his compositions from other works of late 18th century music. verb: evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment Animals on Madagascar differentiated from other similar animal species due to many years of isolation on the island.

denote

verb: be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes "stop" to all motorists in America.

exemplify

verb: be characteristic of Mozart exemplified the poor, starving artist who dies young. verb: clarify by giving an example of Please present some case studies that exemplify the results that you claim in your paper.

vacillate

verb: be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action Some students vacillate between schools when deciding which to attend, while others focus only on one school. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prevail

verb: be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current: During the labor negotiations, an air of hostility prevailed in the office. verb: prove superior Before the cricket match, Australia was heavily favored, but India prevailed.

importune

verb: beg persistently and urgently After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.

flounder

verb: behave awkwardly; have difficulties Sylvia has excelled at advanced calculus, but ironically, when she has to deal with taxes, she flounders.

elicit

verb: call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses) Just smiling--even if you are depressed--can elicit feelings of pleasure and happiness.

rescind

verb: cancel officially The man's driver's license was rescinded after his tenth car accident, which meant he would never be allowed to legally drive again.

rile

verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him.

placate

verb: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of I was able to placate the angry mob of students by promising to bring cookies on Monday.

disseminate

verb: cause to become widely known Before the effects of anesthesia were disseminated, patients had to experience the full pain of a surgery.

perpetuate

verb: cause to continue If you do not let him do things for himself, you are merely perpetuating bad habits that will be even harder to break in the future.

crystallize

verb: cause to take on a definite and clear shape Only after fifteen minutes of brainstorming did Samantha's ideas for the essay crystallize. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

denigrate

verb: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone Count Rumford denigrated the new theory of heat, demonstrating that it was wholly inadequate to explain the observations.

abstain

verb: choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable) Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar--even chocolate.

circumvent

verb: cleverly find a way out of one's duties or obligations One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores.

glean

verb: collect information bit by bit Herb has given us no formal statement about his background, but from various hints, I have gleaned that he grew up in difficult circumstances.

derive

verb: come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example Many words in the English language are derived from Latin, including the word "derive." verb: reason by deduction; establish by deduction From the multiple set of footprints in the living room, the investigator derived an important clue: Sheila was not alone in the room at the time of the murder.

vanquish

verb: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict For years, Argentina would dominate in World Cup qualifying matches, only to be vanquished by one of the European countries during the late stages of the tournament.

vie

verb: compete for something While the other teams in the division actively vie for the championship, this team seems content simply to go through the motions of playing.

subsume

verb: contain or include The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path. verb: consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative.

implicate

verb: convey a meaning; imply By saying that some of the guests were uncomfortable, the manager implicated to the hotel staff that it needed to be more diligent. verb: to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime The crime boss was implicated for a long list of crimes, ranging from murder to disturbing the peace.

lambast

verb: criticize severely or angrily Showing no patience, the manager utterly lambasted the sales team that lost the big account.

rebuke

verb: criticize severely or angrily; censure The police chief rebuked the two officers whose irresponsible decisions almost led to the deaths of seven innocent by-standers.

besmirch

verb: damage the good name and reputation of someone The prince's distasteful choice of words besmirched not only his own name but also the reputation of the entire royal family.

lacerate

verb: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress The teacher was fired for lacerating a student who wrote a poor essay. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

gainsay

verb: deny or contradict; speak against or oppose I can't gainsay a single piece of evidence James has presented, but I still don't trust his conclusion.

disenfranchise

verb: deprive of voting rights The U.S. Constitution disenfranchised women until 1920 when they were given the right to vote.

delineate

verb: describe in detail After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

enumerate

verb: determine the number or amount of The survey enumerates the number of happy workers and the number of unhappy workers. verb: specify individually, one by one I sat and listened as she enumerated all of the things she did not like about the past three months.

perturb

verb: disturb in mind or cause to be worried or alarmed Now that Henry is recovering from a major illness, he no longer lets the little trivialities, such as late mail, perturb him.

quail

verb: draw back, as with fear or pain Craig always claimed to be a fearless outdoorsman, but when the thunderstorm engulfed the valley, he quailed at the thought of leaving the safety of his cabin. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

bowdlerize

verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate To receive an R rating, the entire movie was bowdlerized because it contained so much violence and grotesque subject matter.

hail

verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

elude

verb: escape understanding While some physics concepts might elude newbies, with a little grit and a good teacher, almost anyone can develop a deep understanding of the subject.

ostracize

verb: exclude from a community or group Later in his life, Leo Tolstoy was ostracized from the Russian Orthodox Church for his writings that contradicted church doctrine.

banish

verb: expel from a community, residence, or location; drive away The most difficult part of the fast was banishing thoughts of food. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

debunk

verb: expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule tends to push people away from his points rather than convince them.

renege

verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation We will no longer work with that vendor since it has reneged on nearly every agreement.

coalesce

verb: fuse or cause to grow together Over time, the various tribes coalesced into a single common culture with one universal language.

ingratiate

verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.

delegate

verb: give an assignment to (a person) Since the senior manager had to go on many international business trips, she was forced to delegate many of her responsibilities to two lower-level managers. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

sanction

verb: give authority or permission to The authorities have sanctioned the use of the wilderness reserve for public use; many expect to see hikers and campers enjoying the park in the coming months. noun: a legal penalty for a forbidden action International sanctions have been placed on certain shipping lanes that were thought to be involved in human trafficking.

enjoin

verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.

engender

verb: give rise to The restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles were so severe that they engendered deep hatred and resentment in the German people.

rankle

verb: gnaw into; make resentful or angry His constant whistling would rankle her, sometimes causing her to leave in a huff.

burgeon

verb: grow and flourish China's housing market is burgeoning, but some predict that the growth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the U.S. real estate bubble of 2008.

besiege

verb: harass, as with questions or requests; cause to feel distressed or worried After discovering a priceless artifact in her backyard, Jane was besieged by phone calls, emails, and reporters all trying to buy, hold or see the rare piece of history.

frustrate

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of I thought I would finish writing the paper by lunchtime, but a number of urgent interruptions served to frustrate my plan. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

stymie

verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

enthrall

verb: hold spellbound She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, "Fire! Fire!" in the neighboring theater.

misconstrue

verb: interpret in the wrong way The politician never trusted journalists because he thought that they would misconstrue his words and misrepresent his positions.

construe

verb: interpreted in a particular way The author's inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.

irk

verb: irritate or vex My little sister has a way of irking and annoying me like no other person.

preclude

verb: keep from happening or arising; make impossible The manager specified that all other gates be locked, to preclude the possibility of persons without tickets entering the arena undetected.

guffaw

verb: laugh boisterously Whenever the jester fell to the ground in mock pain, the king guffawed, exposing his yellow, fang-like teeth.

belittle

verb: lessen the importance, dignity, or reputation of A good teacher will never belittle his students, but will instead empower them.

hamstrung

verb: made ineffective or powerless The FBI has made so many restrictions on the local police that they are absolutely hamstrung, unable to accomplish anything.

reconcile

verb: make (one thing) compatible with (another) Peggy was unable to reconcile her kind friend Jane with the cruel and merciless character Jane played on television.

elucidate

verb: make clearer and easier to understand Youtube is great place to learn just about anything--an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

tarnish

verb: make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically Pete Rose was one of the best baseball players of his generation, but his involvement with gambling on baseball games has tarnished his image in the eyes of many.

incense

verb: make furious When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

embellish

verb: make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; make more beautiful McCartney would write relatively straightforward lyrics, and Lennon would embellish them with puns and poetic images.

compound

verb: make more intense, stronger, or more marked Her headache was compounded by the construction crew outside, which had six jackhammers going at the same time. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

ameliorate

verb: make something bad better "Three Cups of Tea" tells the story of western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

assuage

verb: make something intense less severe Her fear that the new college would be filled with unknown faces was assuaged when she recognized her childhood friend standing in line.

buttress

verb: make stronger or defensible China's economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures.

obscure

verb: make unclear On the Smith's drive through the Grand Canyon, Mr. Smith's big head obscured much of Mrs. Robinson's view, so that she only saw momentary patches of red rock. adjective: known by only a few Many of the biggest movie stars were once obscure actors who got only bit roles in long forgotten films. This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

exacerbate

verb: make worse Her sleeplessness exacerbated her cold--when she woke up the next day, her sinuses were completely blocked.

appease

verb: pacify by acceding to the demands of Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister during WWII, tried to appease Hitler and in doing so sent a clear message: you can walk all over us.

devolve

verb: pass on or delegate to another The company was full of managers known for devolving tasks to lower management, but never doing much work themselves. verb: grow worse (usually "devolve into") The dialogue between the two academics devolved into a downright bitter argument.

juxtapose

verb: place side by side for contrast The appeal of her paintings comes from a classical style which is juxtaposed with modern themes.

exalt

verb: praise or glorify The teenagers exalted the rock star, covering their bedrooms with posters of him.

antedate

verb: precede in time Harry was so unknowledgeable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution.

hamper

verb: prevent the progress or free movement of As the rain water began to collect in pools on the highway, it began to hamper the flow of traffic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

discriminate

verb: recognize or perceive the difference Sarah couldn't discriminate between a good wine and a bad wine, so she avoided wine tastings. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

degrade

verb: reduce in worth or character, usually verbally Jesse had mockingly pointed out all of Nancy's faults in front of their friends, publicly degrading the poor girl.

truncate

verb: reduce the length of something The soccer game was truncated when the monsoon rain began to fall.

cede

verb: relinquish possession or control over Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens' educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.

circumscribe

verb: restrict or confine Their tour of South America was circumscribed so that they saw only popular destinations and avoided the dangerous parts of cities. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

lampoon

verb: ridicule with satire Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.

grovel

verb: show submission or fear Every time Susan comes to the office, Frank grovels as if she were about to fire him.

advocate

verb: speak, plead, or argue in favor of While the senator privately approved of gay marriage, he was unwilling to advocate for the cause in a public venue. noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea Martin Luther King Jr. was a tireless advocate for the rights of African-Americans in the United States. This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

squander

verb: spend thoughtlessly; waste time, money, or an opportunity Fearing his money would be squandered by his family, he gave all of it to charity when he died.

emulate

verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns of people who speak the language.

bolster

verb: support and strengthen The case for the suspect's innocence was bolstered considerably by the fact that neither fingerprints nor DNA were found at the scene. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

preempt

verb: take the place of or have precedence over A governmental warning about an imminent terrorist attack would preempt ordinary network programming on television.

supplant

verb: take the place or move into the position of For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone; in fact, most 20-somethings don't even have a traditional phone anymore.

connive

verb: taking part in immoral and unethical plots With the help of the prince, the queen connived to overthrow the king.

deliberate

verb: think about carefully; weigh the pros and cons of an issue Emergency situations such as this call for immediate action and leave no room to deliberate over options. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

espouse

verb: to adopt or support an idea or cause As a college student, Charlie espoused Marxism, growing his beard out and railing against the evils of the free-market.

behoove

verb: to be one's duty or obligation The teacher looked down at the student and said, "It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don't repeat freshman English for a third straight year."

kowtow

verb: to bow or act in a subservient manner Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself became nauseated by his sycophancy.

chortle

verb: to chuckle, laugh merrily, often in a breathy, muffled way Walking into the cafe, I could hear happy, chortling people and smell the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans.

eradicate

verb: to completely destroy I tried eradicating the mosquitos in my apartment with a rolled up newspaper, but there were too many of them.

censor

verb: to examine and remove objectionable material Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists. noun: an official who censors material The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.

champion

verb: to fight for a cause Martin Luther King Jr. championed civil rights fiercely throughout his short life. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

indict

verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm.

defray

verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part or full In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.

unnerve

verb: to make nervous or upset At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing", and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.

contrive

verb: to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

equivocate

verb: to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive After Sharon brought the car home an hour after her curfew, she equivocated when her parents pointedly asked her where she had been.

underwrite

verb: to support financially The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment.

dupe

verb: to trick or swindle Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation. noun: a person who is easily tricked or 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.

meander

verb: to wander aimlessly A casual observer might have thought that Peter was meandering through the city, but that day he was actually seeking out those places where he and his long lost love had once visited.

admonish

verb: to warn strongly, even to the point of reprimanding Before the concert began, security personnel admonished the crowd not to come up on stage during the performance.

attenuate

verb: to weaken (in terms of intensity); to taper off/become thinner. Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party.

patronize

verb: treat condescendingly She says she genuinely wanted to help me, but instead she patronized me, constantly pointing out how I was inferior to her. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

deride

verb: treat or speak of with contempt The nun derided the students for trying to sneak insects and worms into the classroom.

fawn

verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

foment

verb: try to stir up public opinion After having his pay cut, Phil spread vicious rumors about his boss, hoping to foment a general feeling of discontent.

avert

verb: turn away Afraid to see the aftermath of the car crash, I averted my eyes as we drove by. verb: ward off or prevent The struggling video game company put all of its finances into one final, desperate project to avert bankruptcy.

deter

verb: turn away from by persuasion His mother tried to deter him from joining the army, but he was too intoxicated with the idea of war to listen. verb: try to prevent; show opposition to The government's primary job should involve deterring paths to war, not finding ways to start them.

goad

verb: urge on with unpleasant comments Doug did not want to enter the race, but Jim, through a steady stream of taunts, goaded him into signing up for it.

maunder

verb: wander aimlessly Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon. verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.

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. 1. something/someone that one vehemently dislikes 2. formal curse

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. 1. pursue relentlessly

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. 1. anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen

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 (famous, well-known) 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. 1. eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant

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. Trick --> pit <--> tip to waiter is usually a small amount of $

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. Trick --> "PURSE-imonious," not willing to spend money from purse

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. 1. an angry speech, one that suggests the person giving the tirade has become a little too angry

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.

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. 1. Heyday is the pinnacle, or top, of a person, time period or career

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.

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 picnic. 1. easily persuaded, cooperative and goes along with things 2. Amenable can also be used in the medical sense: if a disease is amenable to treatment, that disease can be treated

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.

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. Trick --> "becoming" sounds like "bee + coming," and bees come to flowers because they are attracted to them and "match"/work together well with them

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 (optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad situation). 1. a blood-red color 2. confidently optimistic and cheerful 3. inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life

beg

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.

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. 1. cautiously or reluctantly reluctant to do something

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.

Unchecked (adj.)

Describing something undesirable that has grown out of control. 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.

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

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 (small, organized dissenting groups within a larger one) 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).

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.

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.

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 1. lengthy and aggressive speech, lecture, rant

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 (having or showing a tendency to be easily angered). While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours. Trick --> cholera is a disease, and when one gets sick, he/she gets irritated and easily angered

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 (intended to gain approval or favor) smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it. 1. open and honest (usually refers to government officials who are honest)

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. 1. reached such a point as to be god-like, highest point in the development of something, culmination or climax

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.

Unconscionable (adj.)

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. 1. If an act is so horrible and deplorable that it makes everyone around aghast, then that action is unconscionable. 2. something that is in excess of what is deemed tolerable.

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. 1. adj --> irritable and is likely to cause disruption.

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. 1. If someone is so skinny or emaciated that they look like a dead person, then that person is cadaverous

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 (used as an intensifier to qualify a metaphor) library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.

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. 1. If something sounds as sweet as honey, it is mellifluous

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. Trick --> in + solvent, one who can't solve his/her debts

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.

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. 1. gregarious --> fond of company, sociable 2. garrulous --> talkative

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. Trick --> underwrite, write out a check to someone to support financially

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. Trick --> sounds like vain, and vain people tend to be corrupt and take bribes

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.

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? 1. not showing the proper respect

(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.

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.

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. Trick --> defray reminds you of diffusing the situation, so you are defraying the cost of something by helping pay

Imbroglio (n.)

It may sound like an exotic vegetable or a pungent pasta dish, but it's neither. Imbroglio comes to us via mid18th 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.

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. 1. extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive/warlike foreign policy Trick --> "jin," like the one in Aladdin, had strong loyalty to his master, and strong loyalty can lead to willingness to go to war for country

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. 1. showing or feeling an often overt or offensive sexual desire

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 (in large quantities). 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. Trick --> Imbibe has "bib", which reminds of baby, and babies take in large amounts of information about the world when they are young

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.

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.

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.

Galvanize (v.) 2

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.

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.

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

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. 1. a comical way of saying to throw someone out of a window

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. Trick --> Avarice = "a + very + rich," desire to be rich, so greed

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. 1. verb, hastily put together

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 conversation, 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.

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.

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 principal was relieved of his position after only three months.

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. 1. abusive rant that has since become tedious and hackneyed (lacking significance through having being overused, unoriginal and trite)

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." 1. believers who turn against their faith (or an organization they are associated with) and renounce it

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. 1. someone who lacks manners or refinement. A churlish person lacks tact and civility is often outright rude.

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 (so out of place as to be amusing).

Turpitude (n.)

Sometimes lechery and its synonymous friends are just too soft when describing certain acts of malfeasance (wrongdoing, especially by a public official). 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 (acts of moral turpitude). During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude. 1. depravity (moral corruption, wickedness), acts deemed to be downright wicked and immoral

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. Trick --> people who are too "cen + SURE" of themselves tend to disapprove of or express criticism of others

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. Trick --> "ambi" means "both", and so ambivalent means having "both" feelings because of which you are undecided, neutral, or uncertain

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. Marked by periods of varied fortune or discreditable incidents. 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. 1. pinnacle or culmination of something

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 (without the basic necessities of life). 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 complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.

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. 1. invective --> harsh, critical language 2. inveigle --> persuade someone to do something by means of deception or flattery

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.

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. 1. adjective --> hasty or rash 2. verb --> to make something happen suddenly

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.

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 (mixture or blend) 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.

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 (characterized by poverty or need) 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. Trick --> someone who likes to "see bright" things in life, i.e. luxury

Penurious (adj.)

This is a synonym for impecunious (having little or no money). 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. 1. having little money 2. miserly Trick --> penurious or "penny + urious," having little money + being miserly about the money one does have

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.

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. 1. quality that can overcome someone who feels that they are holier (read: morally superior) to everybody else Trick --> saint + money, acting like a saint for money (feeling you are holier for unjustified reasons)

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. 1. somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions (doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation) 2. one who destroys religious images

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. 1. finding something pleasant that you weren't even looking for

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. Trick --> mulct someone, similar to "mug" someone 1. swindle or defraud someone 2. fine someone

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 (calm, dignified, unhurried) 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 (expressing contempt or disapproval) 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." 1. narrow-minded in one's view Trick --> sounds like patriarchal, and people who are patriarchal are usually narrow-minded

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

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. 1. an ill-tempered and sometimes violent woman

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. 1. blame or insult someone in strong or violent language

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. 1. greed for money

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 (spending money/resources freely and recklessly) 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.

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 Tamil, a language spoken in South India and Northeast Sri Lanka. 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. 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. Trick --> spend profusely like Bill Gates

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.

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. 1. to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount

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.

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 (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.

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

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. 1. confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim).

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. 1. to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid. Often, disabuse goes together with the word notion

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

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.

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

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. 1. to scold or berate, reprimand, reproach, chide, castigate

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.

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 (deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad range of sources); 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. 1. universal

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. 1. showing excessive confidence or pride 2. ideas/opinions/appetites that are excessive or immoderate

Flush (adj.) 4

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. 1. be in abundance 2. drive out of hiding

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.

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. 1. Mettle means courage or valor

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 Trick to remember --> contrite sounds like "can write" as in you "can write" an apology for something you did

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

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. 1. Untoward is an adjective meaning not favorable, inconvenient., inauspicious 2. unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient Trick --> conditions which are not towards someone (unfavorable) = untoward

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. ingenuous --> To be ingenuous is to be naïve and innocent

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. Trick --> "misan" means to hate, and "anthrope" means mankind, so to hate mankind and avoid interaction with society

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.

braggart

a person who boasts about achievements or possessions. "braggart men"

hypochondriac

a person who is abnormally anxious about their health

zealot

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

zealots

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

layperson

a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject.

laypersons

a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject.

derelict

adjective: (of a person) not doing one's duties The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn't graded a single student paper in three weeks. noun: (of a building) abandoned At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now that the economy has collapsed and the factories are all closed, these derelicts will be torn down.

glib

adjective: (of a person) speaking with ease but without sincerity I have found that the more glib the salesman, the worse the product.

lucid

adjective: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable Though Walters writes about physics and time travel, his writing is always lucid, so readers with little scientific training can understand difficult concepts.

plodding

adjective: (of movement) slow and laborious Charlie may seem to run at a plodding pace, but he is an ultramarathoner, meaning he runs distances of up to 100 miles, and can run for ten hours at a stretch.

unruly

adjective: (of persons) noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; unwilling to submit to authority Walk in to any preschool and I am sure that you will find an unruly and chaotic scene—unless it's nap time.

untenable

adjective: (of theories etc) incapable of being defended or justified With the combination of Kepler's brilliant theories and Galileo's telescopic observations, the old geocentric theory became untenable to most of the educated people in Europe.

inclement

adjective: (of weather) unpleasant, stormy After a week of inclement weather, we finally are able to go outside and enjoy the sun. adjective: used of persons or behavior; showing no mercy Marcus Aurelius, though a fair man, was inclement to Christians during his reign, persecuting them violently.

detrimental

adjective: (sometimes followed by "to") causing harm or injury Many know that smoking is detrimental to your health, but processed sugar in large quantities is equally bad.

ignominious

adjective: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame Since the politician preached ethics and morality, his texting of revealing photographs was ignominious, bringing shame on both himself and his party.

pristine

adjective: Unspoiled, untouched (usu. of nature) The glacial lake was pristine and we filled our canteens to drink deeply. adjective: Immaculately clean and unused Drill sergeants are known for demanding pristine cabinets, uniforms, and beds, and often make new recruits clean and clean and clean until they meet the expected high standards.

derisive

adjective: abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule I was surprised by her derisive tone; usually, she is sweet, soft spoken, and congenial.

perspicacious

adjective: acutely insightful and wise Many modern observers regard Eisenhower as perspicacious, particularly in his accurate prediction of the growth of the military.

unequivocal

adjective: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion The President's first statement on the subject was vague and open to competing interpretations, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was careful to make his position completely unequivocal.

genial

adjective: agreeable, conducive to comfort Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her elegance and grace.

overweening

adjective: arrogant; presumptuous 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.

obsequious

adjective: attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery The obsequious waiter did not give the couple a moment's peace all through the meal, constantly returning to their table to refill their water glasses and to tell them what a handsome pair they made.

forthcoming

adjective: available when required or as promised The President announced that the senators were about to reach a compromise, and that he was eager to read the forthcoming details of the bill. adjective: at ease in talking to others As a husband, Larry was not forthcoming: if Jill didn't demand to know details, Larry would never share them with her.

evasive

adjective: avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger or commitment His responses were clearly evasive; he obviously did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work. adjective: deliberately vague or ambiguous Every time I call the bank, I receive the same evasive answers about our mortgage and never get a clear response.

economical

adjective: avoiding waste, efficient Journalists favor an economical style of writing, in which no unnecessary words are used and every sentence is as short as possible.

arbitrary

adjective: based on a random, groundless decision One of the arbitrary decrees in place during the emperor's rule is that all citizens pay him weekly homage at his palace. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

specious

adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing Almost every image on TV is specious and not to be trusted. adjective: plausible but false He made a career out of specious arguments and fictional lab results, but lost his job and reputation when his lies were exposed by an article in The New York Times.

chivalrous

adjective: being attentive to women like an ideal knight Medieval tales are full of stories of chivalry, in which a young knight must commit deeds of heroism to win the hand of a fair maiden.

tantamount

adjective: being essentially equal to something In many situations, remaining silent is tantamount to admitting guilt, so speak to prove your innocence.

rudimentary

adjective: being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles I would love to be able to present a fully polished proposal to the board, but right now, our plans for the product are still in the most rudimentary stages.

apocryphal

adjective: being of questionable authenticity The web is notorious for sandwiching apocryphal stories between actual news.

moribund

adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.

mordant

adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular. Trick --> "more + daant", so biting remarks

serene

adjective: calm and peaceful I'd never seen him so serene; usually, he was a knot of stress and anxiety from hours of trading on the stock exchange.

malleable

adjective: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out The clay became malleable and easy to work with after a little water was added. adjective: easily influenced My little brother is so malleable that I can convince him to sneak cookies from the cupboard for me.

provident

adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the future In a move that hardly could be described as provident, Bert spent his entire savings on a luxurious cruise, knowing that other bills would come due a couple months later.

discreet

adjective: careful to protect one's speech or actions in order to avoid offense or draw attention The professor thought that he was discreet, subtly wiping the stain off of his shirt, but as soon as he stepped off the podium a heckler in the audience burst out, "You missed a spot".

chary

adjective: cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was chary of driving at all above the speed limit, even on a straight stretch of highway that looked empty for miles ahead.

provincial

adjective: characteristic of a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated Maggie's enthusiasm about her high school teams seemed provincial to her college classmates, all of whom were following a nationally ranked college team.

belligerent

adjective: characteristic of one eager to fight Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.

rustic

adjective: characteristic of rural life; awkwardly simple and provincial The vacation cabin had no electricity and no indoor plumbing, but despite these inconveniences, Nigel adored its rustic charm.

diligent

adjective: characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks Michael was a diligent gardener, never leaving a leaf on the ground and regularly watering each plant.

staid

adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

forthright

adjective: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how forthright he was.

laborious

adjective: characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort The most laborious job I've had was working 20 hours a day as a fisherman in King Salmon, Alaska.

scrupulous

adjective: characterized by extreme care and great effort Because of his scrupulous nature, Mary put him in charge of numbering and cataloging the entire collection of rare stamps. adjective: having a sense of right and wrong; principled Everyone trusted what he said and followed his example because he was scrupulous and honest.

decorous

adjective: characterized by good taste in manners and conduct Sally's parties are decorous affairs, and instead of the usual beer and music, there is tea and intellectual conversation.

industrious

adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time.

jocular

adjective: characterized by jokes and good humor My uncle was always in a jocular mood at family gatherings, messing up people's hair and telling knock-knock jokes to anyone who would listen.

precocious

adjective: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude) Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat players twice her age.

gossamer

adjective: characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy The gossamer wings of a butterfly, which allow it to fly, are also a curse, so delicate that they are often damaged.

winsome

adjective: charming in a childlike or naive way She was winsome by nature, and many people were drawn to this free and playful spirit.

facetious

adjective: cleverly amusing in tone Facetious behavior will not be tolerated during sex education class; it's time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

impending

adjective: close in time; about to occur The impending doom of our world has been discussed and debated for 2000 years—maybe even longer.

maladroit

adjective: clumsy As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

expansive

adjective: 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". This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

arrant

adjective: complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative connotation) 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.

replete

adjective: completely stocked or furnished with something Only weeks after the hurricane made landfall, the local supermarket shelves were replete with goods, so quick was the disaster relief response.

eclectic

adjective: comprised of a variety of styles Malala was known for her eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco the next "air conducting" along to Beethoven's 9th symphony.

cosmopolitan

adjective: comprising many cultures; global in reach and outlook There are few cities in the world as diverse and cosmopolitan as New York.

pithy

adjective: concise and full of meaning I enjoy reading the Daodejing for its pithy and insightful prose; it always gives me something to think about.

esoteric

adjective: confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle Map collecting is an esoteric hobby to most, but to geography geeks it is a highly enjoyable pastime.

vociferous

adjective: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry In giving Marcia a particular vociferous response, Paul caused people at every other table in the restaurant to turn around and look at them angrily.

discrete

adjective: constituting a separate entity or part What was once known as Czechoslovakia has since split into two discrete, independent nations.

inimitable

adjective: defying imitation; matchless Mozart's music follows a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is inimitable.

iconoclastic

adjective: defying tradition or convention Jackson Pollock was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.

arduous

adjective: demanding considerable mental effort and skill; testing powers of endurance In order to deal with the arduous cross-country journey, truck drivers often survive on a string of caffeinated drinks, staying awake for up to 30 hours at a time.

stringent

adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures Most of the students disliked the teacher because of his stringent homework policy, but many students would later thank him for demanding so much from them.

convivial

adjective: describing a lively atmosphere The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn't seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

implausible

adjective: describing a statement that is not believable The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.

creditable

adjective: deserving of praise but not that amazing Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

capricious

adjective: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Nearly every month our capricious CEO had a new plan to turn the company around, and none of them worked because we never gave them the time they needed to succeed.

whimsical

adjective: determined by impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Adults look to kids and envy their whimsical nature at times, wishing that they could act without reason and play without limitation.

vacuous

adjective: devoid of intelligence, matter, or significance To the journalist's pointed question, the senator gave a vacuous response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question.

elusive

adjective: difficult to capture or difficult to remember Many first time skydivers say that describing the act of falling from the sky is elusive.

cumbersome

adjective: difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight Only ten years ago, being an avid reader and a traveler meant carrying a cumbersome backpack stuffed with books--these days we need only an e-reader.

recondite

adjective: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge I found Ulysses recondite and never finished the book, waiting instead to read it with someone else so we could penetrate its meaning together. Trick --> read as "re + conduct," the professor had to re-conduct the lecture because the class found it difficult to understand the topic

abstruse

adjective: difficult to understand; incomprehensible Physics textbooks can seem so abstruse to the uninitiated that readers feel as though they are looking at hieroglyphics.

disaffected

adjective: discontented as toward authority After watching his superior take rations from the soldiers, he quickly became disaffected and rebelled.

ignoble

adjective: dishonorable In 1919, the World Series was rigged--an ignoble act which baseball took decades to recover from.

reticent

adjective: disinclined to talk, not revealing one's thoughts When asked about her father, Helen lost her outward enthusiasm and became rather reticent.

impermeable

adjective: does not allow fluids to pass through The sand bags placed on the river formed an impermeable barrier, protecting the town from flooding.

sedulous

adjective: done diligently and carefully An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years across five continents.

perfunctory

adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.

precipitous

adjective: done with very great haste and without due deliberation Instead of calling his financial advisor, Harold acted precipitously, buying 4,000 shares of the latest "hot" stock, only to find out that the company had a history of inflating its year end numbers.

humdrum

adjective: dull and lacking excitement Having grown up in a humdrum suburb, Jacob relished life in New York City after moving.

prosaic

adjective: dull and lacking imagination 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.

insipid

adjective: dull and uninteresting The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use.

jejune

adjective: dull; lacking flavor Although many top chefs have secured culinary foam's popularity in haute cuisine, Waters criticizes it for being jejune and unfilling. adjective: immature; childish Her boss further cemented his reputation for being jejune after throwing a fit when the water cooler wasn't refilled.

docile

adjective: easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed Barnyard animals are considerably more docile than the wild animals.

petulant

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Although the three year old was often described as mature for his age, he was petulant and whiny whenever his father forgot to remove the crust from his sandwiches.

peevish

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Our office manager is peevish, so the rest of us tip-toe around him, hoping not to set off another one of his fits.

sentimental

adjective: effusively or insincerely emotional, especially in art, music, and literature I don't like romanticism for the same reason I don't like melodramatic acting and soap operas—overly sentimental.

poignant

adjective: emotionally touching After the Montagues and Capulets discover the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet, in the play's most poignant moment, the two griefstricken families agree to end their feud once and for all.

complementary

adjective: enhancing each other's qualities (for two things or more). The head waiter was careful to tell the amateur diners that red wine was complementary with beef, each bringing out subtle taste notes in the other.

edifying

adjective: enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement I recently read an article in the Times about whether good literature is edifying or not; specifically, does reading more make a person more moral.

pernicious

adjective: exceedingly harmful; working or spreading in a hidden and injurious way The most successful viruses are pernicious: an infected person may feel perfectly healthy for several months while incubating and spreading the virus.

hagiographic

adjective: excessively flattering toward someone's life or work Most accounts of Tiger Woods's life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.

presumptuous

adjective: excessively forward Many felt that Barney was presumptuous in moving into the large office before the management even made any official announcement of his promotion.

avaricious

adjective: excessively greedy Since avaricious desire is similar to gluttony or lust--sins of excess--it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the Catholic church.

dictatorial

adjective: expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler The coach was dictatorial in his approach: no players could ever argue or question his approach.

derogative

adjective: expressed as worthless or in negative terms Never before have we seen a debate between two political candidates that was so derogative and filthy.

pejorative

adjective: expressing disapproval (usu. refers to a term) Most psychologists object to the pejorative term "shrink", believing that they expand the human mind, not limit it. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

approbatory

adjective: expressing praise or approval Although it might not be her best work, Hunter's new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.

snide

adjective: expressive of contempt; derogatory or mocking in an indirect way The chairman interpreted Taylor's question about promotions as a snide remark, but in all innocence Taylor was trying to figure out the company's process.

inflammatory

adjective: extremely controversial, incendiary It only takes one person to leave an inflammatory comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.

ravenous

adjective: extremely hungry; devouring or craving food in great quantities John didn't eat much at all during the week he had the flu, so now that he is regaining his health, it's not surprising that he has a ravenous appetite.

Pollyannaish

adjective: 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.

excruciating

adjective: extremely painful After the boulder rolled a couple of feet, pinning my friend's arm, he experienced excruciating pain.

equitable

adjective: fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience The equitable distribution of ice cream to a group of 5 year olds will ensure little to no fighting—at least until the ice cream is gone.

intrepid

adjective: fearless Captain Ahab was an intrepid captain whose reckless and fearless style ultimately led to his downfall. Trick --> " IN + TRAP " you are fearless and confident that you will get out of it

indignant

adjective: feeling anger over a perceived injustice When the cyclist swerved into traffic, it forced the driver to brake and elicited an indignant shout of "Hey, punk, watch where you're going!"

reverent

adjective: feeling or showing profound respect or veneration The professor could speak objectively about the other composers, but he always lectured about Brahms with a particularly reverent air, unable to offer a single criticism of his compositions.

mettlesome

adjective: filled with courage or valor For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.

staunch

adjective: firm and dependable especially in loyalty No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.

entrenched

adjective: fixed firmly or securely By the time we reach 60-years old, most of our habits are so entrenched that it is difficult for us to change.

quotidian

adjective: found in the ordinary course of events Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle's arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.

precarious

adjective: fraught with danger People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks, smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving.

impartial

adjective: free from undue bias or preconceived opinions The judge was not impartial since he had been bribed by the witness's family.

guileless

adjective: free of deceit At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

jubilant

adjective: full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.

jovial

adjective: full of or showing high-spirited merriment The presidential candidate and her supporters were jovial once it was clear that she had won.

garrulous

adjective: full of trivial conversation Lynne was garrulous: once, she had a fifteen minute conversation with a stranger before she realized the woman didn't speak English.

cavalier

adjective: given to haughty disregard of others Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand.

pragmatic

adjective: guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory Rather than make a philosophical appeal to the Congressmen, the Speaker decided to take a far more pragmatic approach, making small side-deals that would add votes to his bill.

inveterate

adjective: habitual He is an inveterate smoker and has told his family and friends that there is no way he will ever quit.

querulous

adjective: habitually complaining The querulous old woman was beginning to wear down even the happier members of the staff with her ceaseless complaining.

taciturn

adjective: habitually reserved and uncommunicative While the CEO enthusiastically shares his plans and agenda with all who will listen, the CFO is far more taciturn, rarely revealing his perspective.

inadvertent

adjective: happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally Although Prohibition was rooted in noble ideals, the inadvertent and costly consequences of making alcohol illegal in the U.S. led to its repeal.

deleterious

adjective: harmful to living things The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was deleterious to the fishing industry in the southern states.

acerbic

adjective: harsh in tone Most movie critics are acerbic towards summer blockbusters, often referring to them as garbage.

vitriolic

adjective: harsh or corrosive in tone While the teacher was more moderate in her criticism of the other student's papers, she was vitriolic toward Peter's paper, casting every flaw in the harshest light.

precipitate

adjective: hasty or rash 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. verb: to cause to happen The government's mishandling of the hurricane's aftermath precipitated a widespread outbreak of looting and other criminal activity. This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

bleak

adjective: having a depressing or gloomy outlook 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.

truculent

adjective: having a fierce, savage nature Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.

piquant

adjective: having an agreeably pungent taste The chef, with a mere flick of the salt shaker, turned the bland tomato soup into a piquant meal.

malodorous

adjective: having an unpleasant smell Some thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes--the air around them is sometimes so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

consummate

adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill Tyler was the consummate musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time. verb: to make perfect and complete in every respect The restoration of the ancient church was only consummated after a twenty years of labor. This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

pertinent

adjective: having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand While the salaries of the players might draw attention in the media, such monetary figures are not pertinent to the question of who plays the best on the field.

convoluted

adjective: highly complex or intricate Instead of solving the math problem in three simple steps, Kumar used a convoluted solution requiring fifteen steps.

dogmatic

adjective: highly opinionated, not accepting that one's own beliefs may not be correct Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat, claiming that all pictures of a spherical earth are computer generated.

eccentric

adjective: highly unconventional or unusual (usually describes a person) Mozart was well-known for his eccentricities, often speaking words backward to confuse those around him.

inimical

adjective: hostile (usually describes conditions or environments) Venus, with a surface temperature that would turn rubber to liquid, is inimical to any form of life.

boorish

adjective: ill-mannered and coarse or contemptible in behavior or appearance Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

morose

adjective: ill-tempered and not inclined to talk; gloomy After Stanley found out he was no longer able to go on vacation with his friends, he sat in his room morosely.

impregnable

adjective: immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with As a child, Amy would build pillow castles and pretend they were impregnable fortresses.

incorrigible

adjective: impervious to correction by punishment Tom Sawyer seems like an incorrigible youth until Huck Finn enters the novel; even Sawyer can't match his fierce individual spirit.

inexorable

adjective: impossible to stop or prevent The rise of the computer was an inexorable shift in technology and culture.

impudent

adjective: improperly forward or bold In an impudent move, the defendant spoke out of order to say terribly insulting things to the judge.

copious

adjective: in abundant supply In midsummer, there are copious popsicle stands at the beach; in the winter, there are none.

subversive

adjective: in opposition to an established system or institution. The ruling political party has begun a campaign to shut down subversive websites that it deems as a threat to "national safety."

dilapidated

adjective: in terrible condition The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unusable.

irrevocable

adjective: incapable of being retracted or revoked Once you enter your plea to the court, it is irrevocable so think carefully about what you will say.

implacable

adjective: incapable of making less angry or hostile Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.

soporific

adjective: inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing Although the professor is brilliant, his bland monotone gives his lectures a soporific effect.

redoubtable

adjective: inspiring fear or awe On television basketball players don't look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.

prolific

adjective: intellectually productive Schubert was the most prolific composer, producing hundreds of hours of music before he died at the age of 31.

ostentatious

adjective: intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.

insufferable

adjective: intolerable, difficult to endure 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.

byzantine

adjective: intricate and complex 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 Department of Motor Vehicles.

sordid

adjective: involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt; foul and run-down and repulsive The nightly news simply announced that the senator had had an affair, but the tabloid published all the sordid details of the interaction. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

cerebral

adjective: involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct A cerebral analysis of most pop music finds it to be simple and childish, but that ignores the point--the music's effect on the listener. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

fractious

adjective: 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.

benign

adjective: kind I remember my grandfather's face was wrinkled, benign, and calm. adjective: (medicine) not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive The tumor located in your ear lobe seems to be benign and should not cause you any trouble.

lethargic

adjective: lacking energy Nothing can make a person more lethargic than a big turkey dinner.

anemic

adjective: lacking energy and vigor After three straight shows, the lead actress gave an anemic performance the fourth night, barely speaking loudly enough for those in the back rows to hear.

myopic

adjective: lacking foresight or imagination The company ultimately went out of business because the myopic managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

pedestrian

adjective: lacking imagination While Nan was always engaged in philosophical speculation, her brother was occupied with far more pedestrian concerns: how to earn a salary and run a household. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

incongruous

adjective: lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America's ideals.

churlish

adjective: lacking manners or refinement 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 mismatching.

impecunious

adjective: lacking money; poor In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.

penurious

adjective: lacking money; poor Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. adjective: miserly Warren Buffett, famous multi-billionaire, still drives a cheap sedan, not because he is penurious, but because luxury cars are gaudy and impractical.

bumbling

adjective: lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

hackneyed

adjective: lacking significance through having been overused Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer's hackneyed advice to "be true to yourself."

gauche

adjective: lacking social polish Sylvester says the most gauche things, such as telling a girl he liked that she was much prettier when she wore makeup.

appreciable

adjective: large enough to be noticed (usu. refers to an amount) There is an appreciable difference between those who say they can get the job done and those who actually get the job done.

transitory

adjective: lasting a very short time If we lived forever and life was not transitory, do you think we would appreciate life less or more?

ephemeral

adjective: lasting a very short time The lifespan of a mayfly is ephemeral, lasting from a few hours to a couple of days.

transient

adjective: lasting a very short time The unpredictable and transient nature of deja vu makes it a very difficult phenomenon to study properly.

perennial

adjective: lasting an indefinitely long time; eternal; everlasting Even at the old-timers games, Stan Musial would get the loudest cheer: he was a perennial favorite of the fans there. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

feckless

adjective: lazy and irresponsible Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents and had no job, becoming more feckless with each passing day.

lascivious

adjective: lecherous; sexually perverted Lolita is a challenging novel for many, not necessarily because of the elevated prose style but because of the depravity of the main character, Humbert Humbert, who, as an old, lascivious man, lusts after a girl.

fickle

adjective: liable to sudden unpredictable change, esp. in affections or attachments She was so fickle in her politics, it was hard to pinpoint her beliefs; one week she would embrace a side, and the next week she would denounce it.

contentious

adjective: likely to argue 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.

tendentious

adjective: likely to lean towards a controversial view Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite protestations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today's pressing issues.

disheartened

adjective: made less hopeful or enthusiastic After the visiting team scored nine times, the home team's fans were disheartened, some leaving the game early.

rarefied

adjective: made more subtle or refined Jack's vulgar jokes were not so successful in the rarefied environment of college professors.

conducive

adjective: making a situation or outcome more likely to happen Studying in a quiet room is conducive to learning; studying in a noisy environment makes learning more difficult.

rakish

adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness As soon as he arrived in the city, the rakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

avid

adjective: marked by active interest and enthusiasm Martin is an avid birdwatcher, often taking long hikes into remote mountains to see some rare eagle.

elaborate

adjective: marked by complexity and richness of detail Thomas, on returning from Morocco, replaced his dirty gray carpet with an elaborate one he'd brought back with him. verb: explain in more detail Most high school physics teachers find themselves elaborating the same point over and over again, since many concepts confuse students.

plucky

adjective: marked by courage and determination Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.

foolhardy

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences The police regularly face dangerous situations, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is foolhardy.

rash

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; imprudently incurring risk Although Bruce was able to make the delivery in time with a nighttime motorcycle ride in the rain, Susan criticized his actions as rash.

ornate

adjective: marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details The ornate Victorian and Edwardian homes spread throughout San Francisco are my favorite part of the city.

furtive

adjective: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed While at work, George and his boss Regina felt the need to be as furtive as possible about their romantic relationship.

genteel

adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manners A live string quartet would provide a more genteel air to the wedding than would a folk singer.

tortuous

adjective: marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward Because the logic behind McMahon's side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they'd been tricked.

aberrant

adjective: markedly different from an accepted norm When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behavior.

tempered

adjective: moderated in effect The wide-eyed optimism of her youth was now tempered after she had worked many years in the criminal justice system.

saturnine

adjective: morose or gloomy 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.

cryptic

adjective: mysterious or vague, usually intentionally Since Sarah did not want her husband to guess the Christmas present she had bought him, she only answered cryptically when he would ask her questions about it.

endemic

adjective: native; originating where it is found Irish cuisine makes great use of potatoes, but ironically, the potato is not endemic to Ireland.

incumbent

adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

magnanimous

adjective: noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complimentary and in victory he was magnanimous.

obstreperous

adjective: noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to bus his tray, the student threw the entire tray on the floor, shouted an epithet, and walked out.

immutable

adjective: not able to be changed Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.

opaque

adjective: not clearly understood or expressed The meaning of the professor's new research was opaque to most people, so no one asked any questions. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

placid

adjective: not easily irritated Doug is normally placid, so we were all shocked to see him yelling at the television when the Mets lost the game.

inscrutable

adjective: not easily understood; unfathomable His speech was so dense and confusing that many in the audience found it inscrutable.

improvident

adjective: not given careful consideration Marty was improvident, never putting money aside for the future but spending it on decorating the interior of his home.

indecorous

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Eating with elbows on the table is considered indecorous in refined circles.

unseemly

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society He acted in an unseemly manner, insulting the hostess and then speaking ill of her deceased husband.

languid

adjective: not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

uncompromising

adjective: not making concessions The relationship between Bart and Hilda ultimately failed because they were both so uncompromising, never wanting to change their opinions.

derivative

adjective: not original but drawing strongly on something already in existence, especially in reference to a creative product (e.g. music, writing, poetry etc.). Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular movies, they did well at the box office.

frivolous

adjective: not serious in content or attitude or behavior Compared to Juliet's passionate concern for human rights, Jake's non-stop concern about football seems somewhat frivolous.

imprudent

adjective: not wise Hitler, like Napoleon, made the imprudent move of invading Russia in winter, suffering even more casualties than Napoleon had.

fortuitous

adjective: occurring by happy chance; having no cause or apparent cause Missing my train turned out to be quite fortuitous since I ran into a childhood friend on the next train and we were able to reconnect after so many years.

fallacious

adjective: of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning The widespread belief that Inuit have forty different words for "snow" has been considered fallacious, based on a single report by Anthropologist Franz Boas.

catholic

adjective: of broad scope; universal 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.

puerile

adjective: of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as puerile, totally unworthy of a woman with a Ph.D.

antiquated

adjective: old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period in time Aunt Betty had antiquated notions about marriage, believing that a man should court a woman for at least a year before receiving a kiss.

portentous

adjective: ominously prophetic When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.

moot

adjective: open to argument or debate; undecidable in a meaningless or irrelevant way Since the Board just terminated Steve as the CEO, what the finance committee might have thought of his proposed marketing plan for next year is now a moot point.

leery

adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide Without checking his references and talking to previous employers, I am leery of hiring the candidate.

fastidious

adjective: overly concerned with details; fussy Whitney is fastidious about her shoes, arranging them on a shelf in a specific order, each pair evenly spaced.

mawkish

adjective: overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting The film was incredibly mawkish, introducing highly likable characters only to have them succumb to a devastating illness by the end of the movie.

craven

adjective: pathetically cowardly Though the man could have at least alerted the police, he crouched cravenly in the corner as the old woman was mugged.

spurious

adjective: plausible but false When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

destitute

adjective: poor enough to need help from others Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life. adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually "destitute of") Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

indigent

adjective: poor; having very little In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the resources to enjoy material luxuries. noun: a poor or needy person The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.

ascetic

adjective: practicing self-denial His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty. noun: one who practices great self-denial Historically, ascetics like Gandhi are often considered wise men partially because of their restraint.

austere

adjective: practicing self-denial His lifestyle of revelry and luxurious excess could hardly be called austere. adjective: unadorned in style or appearance Late Soviet architecture, although remaining largely austere, moved into experimental territory that employed previously unused shapes and structures. adjective: harsh in manner of temperament The principal of my elementary school was a cold, austere woman; I could never understand why she chose to work with children.

propitious

adjective: presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success The child's heartbeat is still weak, but I am seeing many propitious signs and I think that she may be healing.

factious

adjective: produced by, or characterized by internal dissension The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted

futile

adjective: producing no result or effect; unproductive of success I thought I could repair the car myself, but after two days of work with no success, I have to admit that my efforts were futile.

efficacious

adjective: producing the intended result Since Maggie's cough syrup, which had expired five years back, was no longer efficacious, she coughed through the night.

choleric

adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.

grandiloquent

adjective: puffed up with vanity The dictator was known for his grandiloquent speeches, puffing his chest out and using big, important-sounding words.

irascible

adjective: quickly aroused to anger If Arthur's dog is not fed adequately, he becomes highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow.

tractable

adjective: readily reacting to suggestions and influences; easily managed (controlled or taught or molded) Compared to middle school students, who have an untamed wildness about them, high school students are somewhat more tractable. Trick --> val speech was tractable, easily teachable

protean

adjective: readily taking on different roles; versatile 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.

sporadic

adjective: recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances The signals were at first sporadic, but now we detect a clear, consistent pattern of electromagnetic radiation emanating from deep space.

adamant

adjective: refusing to change one's mind Civil rights icon Rosa Parks will forever be remembered for adamantly refusing to give up her seat on a public bus--even after the bus driver insisted, she remained rooted in place.

sartorial

adjective: related to fashion or clothes Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.

pecuniary

adjective: relating to or involving money The defendant was found guilty and had to serve a period of community service as well as pay pecuniary damages to the client.

pastoral

adjective: relating to the countryside in a pleasant sense Those who imagine America's countryside as a pastoral region are often disappointed to learn that much of rural U.S. is filled with cornfields extending as far as the eye can see.

bucolic

adjective: relating to the pleasant aspects of the country The noble families of England once owned vast expanses of beautiful, bucolic land.

germane

adjective: relevant and appropriate The professor wanted to tell the jury in detail about his new book, but the lawyer said it wasn't germane to the charges in the cases.

trite

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Many style guides recommend not using idioms in writing because these trite expressions are uninteresting and show a lack of imagination on the part of the writer.

banal

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse The professor used such banal expression that many students in the class either fell asleep from boredom or stayed awake to complete his sentences and humor friends.

mundane

adjective: repetitive and boring; not spiritual Nancy found doing dishes a thorougly mundane task, although Peter found a kind of Zen pleasure in the chore. adjective: relating to the ordinary world Though we think of the pope as someone always dealing in holy matters, he is also concerned with mundane events, such as deciding when to set his alarm each morning.

exacting

adjective: requiring and demanding accuracy Though his childhood piano teacher was so exacting, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist.

arcane

adjective: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge Most college fraternities are known for arcane rituals that those hoping to join the fraternity must learn.

obstinate

adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

resurgent

adjective: rising again as to new life and vigor The team sank to fourth place in June, but is now resurgent and about to win the division.

insolent

adjective: rude and arrogant Lilian could not help herself from being insolent, commenting that the Queen's shoes were showing too much toe.

contemptuous

adjective: scornful, looking down at others with a sneering attitude Always on the forefront of fashion, Vanessa looked contemptuously at anyone wearing dated clothing.

paradoxical

adjective: seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true That light could be both a particle and a wave seems paradoxical, but nonetheless, it is true.

superfluous

adjective: serving no useful purpose How can we hope to stay open if we don't eliminate all superfluous spending, like catered meetings and free acupuncture Tuesday? adjective: more than is needed, desired, or required The third paragraph in your essay is superfluous and can be deleted.

admonitory

adjective: serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective At the assembly, the high school vice-principal gave the students an admonitory speech, warning them of the many risks and dangers of prom night.

antithetical

adjective: sharply contrasted in character or purpose His deep emotional involvement with these ideas is, in fact, antithetical to the detachment Buddhism preaches.

sullen

adjective: showing a brooding ill humor Herbert took board games too seriously, often appearing sullen after losing.

obliging

adjective: showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Even after all his success, I found him to be accommodating and obliging, sharing with me his "secret tips" on how to gain wealth and make friends.

urbane

adjective: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, W. Somerset Maugham became the inspiration for the urbane and sophisticate spy James Bond.

flippant

adjective: showing inappropriate levity Although Sam was trying to honor Mark's sense of humor, many found it quite flippant that he wore a comic nose and glasses mask to Mark's funeral.

diffident

adjective: showing modest reserve; lacking self-confidence As a young girl she was diffident and reserved, but now as an adult, she is confident and assertive.

deferential

adjective: showing respect If you ever have the chance to meet the president, stand up straight and be deferential.

empathetic

adjective: showing understanding and ready comprehension of other peoples' states and emotions Most discrimination and hatred is based on a lack of empathetic awareness of people that have the same aspirations and fears.

analogous

adjective: similar in some respects but otherwise different In many ways, the Internet's transformative effect on society has been analogous to that of the printing press.

prodigious

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe After the relatively small homerun totals in the "dead ball" era, Babe Ruth's homerun totals were truly prodigious: every year, he set a new all-time record.

colossal

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Few appreciate the colossal scale of the sun: if hollow, it could contain a million Earths.

archaic

adjective: so old as to appear to belong to a different period Hoping to sound intelligent, Mary spoke in archaic English that was right out of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--needless to say, she didn't have many friends.

negligible

adjective: so small as to be meaningless; insignificant The GRE tests cumulative knowledge, so if you cram the night before it is, at best, likely to only have a negligible impact on your score.

muted

adjective: softened, subdued Helen preferred muted earth colors, such as green and brown, to the bright pinks and red her sister liked. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

aphoristic

adjective: something that is concise and instructive of a general truth or principle Sometimes I can't stand Nathan because he tries to impress everyone by being aphoristic, but he just states the obvious.

thrifty

adjective: spending money wisely He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

eminent

adjective: standing above others in quality or position Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic.

surreptitious

adjective: stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected Since his mom was a light sleeper, Timmy had to tiptoe surreptitiously through the entire house, careful to not make the floors creak, until he at last was able to enjoy his plunder: a box of chocolate chip cookies.

intermittent

adjective: stopping and starting at irregular intervals The intermittent thunder continued and the night was punctuated by cracks of lightning—a surreal sleepless night.

refractory

adjective: stubbornly resistant to authority or control Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindergarteners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said.

tenacious

adjective: stubbornly unyielding Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

robust

adjective: sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction Chris preferred bland and mild beers, but Bhavin preferred a beer with more robust flavor.

uncanny

adjective: suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or normal Reggie has an uncanny ability to connect with animals: feral cats will readily approach him, and sometimes even wild birds will land on his finger.

martial

adjective: suggesting war or military life Americans tend to remember Abraham Lincoln as kindly and wise, not at all martial, despite the fact that he was involved in the fiercest war America has even fought.

tawdry

adjective: tastelessly showy; cheap and shoddy Carol expected to find New York City magical, the way so many movies had portrayed it, but she was surprised how often tawdry displays took the place of genuine elegance.

treacherous

adjective: tending to betray Even though Jesse James was an outlaw, his killer, Robert Ford, is remembered more for his treacherous actions than for eliminating a criminal and murderer. adjective: dangerously unstable and unpredictable The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

base

adjective: the lowest, without any moral principles She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.

timorous

adjective: timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness Since this was her first time debating on stage and before an audience, Di's voice was timorous and quiet for the first 10 minutes.

histrionic

adjective: 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.

vindictive

adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa's choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge.

picayune

adjective: trifling or petty (a person) 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.

harried

adjective: troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances With a team of new hires to train, Martha was constantly harried with little questions and could not focus on her projects.

obdurate

adjective: unable to be persuaded or moved emotionally; stubborn; unyielding. No number of pleas and bribes would get him to change his obdurate attitude.

dispassionate

adjective: unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice A good scientist should be dispassionate, focusing purely on what the evidence says, without personal attachment.

irresolute

adjective: uncertain how to act or proceed He stood irresolute at the split in the trail, not sure which route would lead back to the camp.

unforthcoming

adjective: uncooperative, not willing to give up information The teacher demanded to know who broke the window while he was out of the room, but the students understandably were unforthcoming.

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

untoward

adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.

incessant

adjective: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing I don't mind small children in brief doses, but I think the incessant exposure that their parents have to them would quickly wear me down.

brazen

adjective: unrestrained by convention or propriety Their large "donations" to the local police department gave the drug cartel the brazen confidence to do their business out in the open.

nonplussed

adjective: unsure how to act or respond Shirley was totally nonplussed when the angry motorist cut her off and then stuck his finger out the window.

intransigent

adjective: unwilling to change one's beliefs or course of action Despite many calls for mercy, the judge remained intransigent, citing strict legal precedence.

taxing

adjective: use to the limit; exhaust The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney was so taxing that I could barely speak or stand up. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

munificent

adjective: very generous Uncle Charley was known for his munificence, giving all seven of his nephews lavish Christmas presents each year.

dilatory

adjective: wasting time Lawyers use dilatory tactics so that it takes years before the case is actually decided.

affluent

adjective: wealthy The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.

ponderous

adjective: weighed-down; moving slowly Laden with 20 kilograms of college text books, the freshman moved ponderously across the campus.

cohesive

adjective: well integrated, forming a united whole A well-written, cohesive essay will keep on topic at all times, never losing sight of the main argument.

illustrious

adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.

audacious

adjective: willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks As all of the other campers cowered in their tents, Bill, armed only with a flashlight, audaciously tracked down the bear that had raided their food.

inarticulate

adjective: without or deprived of the use of speech or words Although a brilliant economist, Professor Wilson was completely inarticulate, a terrible lecturer.

unscrupulous

adjective: without scruples or principles In the courtroom, the lawyer was unscrupulous, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself.

insidious

adjective: working in a subtle but destructive way Plaque is insidious: we cannot see it, but each day it eats away at our enamel, causing cavities and other dental problems.

commendable

adjective: worthy of high praise The efforts of the firefighters running into the burning building were commendable.

laudable

adjective: worthy of high praise To say that Gandhi's actions were laudable is the greatest understatement; he overthrew an empire without violence.

fledgling

adjective: young and inexperienced noun: any new participant in some activity Murray has years of experience in family practice, but he is just a fledgling in surgery.

autonomously

adverb: Acting independently; self-governing (of a country) Many of the factory workers are worried about being replaced by machines and computers that will work completely autonomously.

brusquely

adverb: in a blunt, direct manner Not one for social pleasantries, the Chief of Staff would brusquely ask his subordinates for anything he wanted, even coffee.

amply

adverb: more than is adequate The boat was amply supplied for its year at sea—no man would go hungry or thirsty.

askance

adverb: with a look of suspicion or disapproval The old couple looked askance on the teenagers seated next to them, whispering to each other, "They've got rings through their noses and purple hair!"

flip

not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever

idiosyncrasy

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Peggy's numerous idiosyncrasies include wearing mismatched shoes, laughing loudly to herself, and owning a pet aardvark.

foible

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual When their new roommate sat staring at an oak tree for an hour, Marcia thought it indicated a mental problem, but Jeff assured her it was a harmless foible.

jargon

noun: a characteristic language of a particular group To those with little training in medicine, the jargon of doctors can be very difficult to understand.

constituent

noun: a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes The mayor's constituents are no longer happy with her performance and plan to vote for another candidate in the upcoming election. noun: an abstract part of something The constituents of the metal alloy are nickel, copper, and tin.

ploy

noun: a clever plan to turn a situation to one's advantage Dennis arranged an elaborate ploy, involving 14 different people lying for him in different situations, so that it could appear that he was meeting Mary completely by chance at the wedding reception.

egotist

noun: a conceited and self-centered person An egotist, Natasha had few friends because of her inability to talk about anything except her dream of becoming the next American Idol.

melancholy

noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn't have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play.

boon

noun: a desirable state; something helpful or beneficial Modern technology has been a boon to the travel industry. adjective: very close and convivial He was a boon companion to many, and will be sadly missed.

anathema

noun: a detested person; the source of somebody's hate 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.

conundrum

noun: a difficult problem Computers have helped solve some of the mathematical conundrums which have puzzled man for many centuries.

malady

noun: a disease or sickness The town was struck by a malady throughout the winter that left most people sick in bed for two weeks.

umbrage

noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him. Trick --> sounds kinda like angreez, so feeling of resentment from being offended

presentiment

noun: a feeling of evil to come On the night that Lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a presentiment about going to Ford's Theater, but Lincoln persuaded her that everything would be fine.

euphoria

noun: a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation The euphoria of winning her first gold medal in the 100 meter dash overwhelmed Shelly-Ann Fraser and she wept tears of immense joy.

charlatan

noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes You may call him a "motivational speaker," but I call him a charlatan--he doesn't have any idea what he's really talking about.

contingent

noun: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it. adjective: dependent on (usually used with upon) Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.

dearth

noun: a lack or shortage I am surprised by the dearth of fast food chains; this is America and I assumed they were on every street.

myriad

noun: a large indefinite number There are a myriad of internet sites hawking pills that claim to boost energy for hours on end.

respite

noun: a pause from doing something (as work) Every afternoon, the small company has a respite in which workers play foosball or board games.

savvy

noun: a perceptive understanding Although a great CEO, he did not have the political savvy to win the election. verb: get the meaning of something The student savvies the meaning of astrophysics with little effort. adjective: well-informed or perceptive With his savvy business partner, the company was able to turn a profit within a year.

raconteur

noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes Jude is entertaining, but he is no raconteur: beyond the handful of amusing stories he has memorized, he has absolutely no spontaneous story-telling ability.

miscreant

noun: a person who breaks the law "Come back you miscreant!" yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.

misogynist

noun: a person who dislikes women in particular Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

apostate

noun: a person who has abandoned a religious faith or cause An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party and dubs himself an independent.

heretic

noun: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion) Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.

sybarite

noun: a person who indulges in luxury Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the police found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial treatment.

proponent

noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea Ironically, the leading proponent of Flat-Earth Theory flies all over the world in an effort to win more adherents.

jingoist

noun: a person who thinks their country is always right and who is in favor of aggressive acts against other countries 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.

sycophant

noun: a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage The CEO was unaware of the damaging consequences of his choices, largely because he surrounded himself with sycophants who would never dare criticize him.

reprobate

noun: a person without morals who is disapproved of Mr. Smith's two boys couldn't be more different; one was a hard-working and principled, the other was the town reprobate, always having run-ins with the law.

perquisite

noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right) Even as the dishwasher at the French restaurant, Josh quickly learned that he had the perquisite of being able to eat terrific food for half the price diners would pay.

aphorism

noun: a short instructive saying about a general truth Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

maxim

noun: a short saying expressing a general truth Johnson initially suggests that the secret to business can be summarized in a single maxim but then requires a 300-page book to explain exactly what he means.

smattering

noun: a slight or superficial understanding of a subject; a small amount of something I know only a smattering of German, but Helen is able to read German newspapers and converse with natives.

inkling

noun: a slight suggestion or vague understanding Lynne speaks four Romance languages, but she doesn't have an inkling about how East Asian languages are structured.

gaffe

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act In a famous gaffe, Vice President Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.

solecism

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of them talked out of place in public. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

tumult

noun: a state of chaos, noise and confusion Riots broke out just in front of our apartment building, and the tumult continued late into the night.

enmity

noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will The rude remark Charles made toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

culpability

noun: a state of guilt Since John had left his banana peel at the top of the stairwell, he accepted culpability for Martha's broken leg.

flux

noun: a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) Ever since Elvira resigned as the head of marketing, everything about our sales strategy has been in a state of flux. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prognostication

noun: a statement made about the future When the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable prognostication.

predilection

noun: a strong liking Monte had a predilection for the fine things in life: Cuban cigars, 200 dollar bottles of wine, and trips to the French Riviera.

diatribe

noun: a strong verbal attack against a person or institution 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.

polemic

noun: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something. The professor launched into a polemic, claiming that Freudian theory was a pack of lies that absolutely destroyed European literary theory. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

nuance

noun: a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude Because of the nuances involved in this case, I hired an outside consultant to advise us and help.

epiphany

noun: a sudden revelation or moment of insight Gary one day had an epiphany that he was a people person; he promptly quit his factory job and began working as a salesman.

recapitulation

noun: a summary (think of recap) Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.

quisling

noun: a traitor History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.

banality

noun: a trite or obvious remark Herbert regarded the minister's remark as a mere banality until Sharon pointed out profound implications to the seemingly obvious words.

platitude

noun: a trite or obvious remark The professor argued that many statements regarded as wise in previous times, such as the Golden Rule, are now regarded as mere platitudes.

quip

noun: a witty saying or remark In one of the most famous quips about classical music, Mark Twain said: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." verb: to make a witty remark, to say in jest When an old English teacher criticized Churchill for ending a sentence with a preposition, he quipped, "This is the kind of criticism up with which we will not put!"

audacity

noun: aggressive boldness in social situations Mike was upset at the man who not only cut in front of him at the ticket counter but also had the audacity to cut in front of him at the bathroom line.

collusion

noun: agreement on a secret plot Many have argued that Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin, was in collusion with other criminals; others maintain that Oswald was a lone gunman.

apathy

noun: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

travesty

noun: an absurd presentation of something; a mockery What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

cornucopia

noun: an abundant supply of something good The International Food Expo was a cornucopia of culinary delights: gourmet foods from every continent were under one roof.

screed

noun: an abusive rant (often tedious) Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, enumerated all of the government's deficiencies--only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.

perfidy

noun: an act of deliberate betrayal; a breach of a trust Sure, he was the best salesman in the company; but Michael had abused the trust of the firm, sharing product secrets with a competitor, and for such perfidy he was terminated.

redress

noun: an act of making something right Barry's redress for forgetting his wife's birthday two years in a row was surprising her with a trip to Tahiti.

dilettante

noun: an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge Fred has no formal medical training; while he likes to claim authority on medical issues, he is little more than a dilettante.

presumption

noun: an assumption that is taken for granted When Mr. Baker found out the family car was gone, he acted under the presumption that his rebellious son had taken the car, calling his son's phone and yelling at him; only later did Mr. Baker realize that Mrs. Baker had simply gone out to get her nails done. noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to The new neighbor quickly gained a reputation for her presumption; she had invited herself to several neighbors' homes, often stopping over at inopportune times and asking for a drink.

accolade

noun: an award or praise granted as a special honor Jean Paul-Sartre was not a fan of accolades, and as such, he refused to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964.

alacrity

noun: an eager willingness to do something The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew it would be giving him a promotion.

precedent

noun: an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time The principal explained that even though one student had done modelling work outside of school, the outfits that student wore in those photographs in no way established a precedent for what could be worn at school dances.

glut

noun: an excessive supply The Internet offers such a glut of news related stories that many find it difficult to know which story to read first. verb: supply with an excess of In the middle of economic crises, hiring managers find their inboxes glutted with resumes.

dispensation

noun: an exemption from a rule or obligation Since her father is a billionaire, she is given dispensation from many of the school's policies. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

antipathy

noun: an intense feeling of dislike or aversion Maria had an antipathy for tour groups, often bolting to the other side of the museum as soon as she saw a chaperone leading a group of wide-eyed tourists.

sinecure

noun: an office that involves minimal duties The position of Research Director is a sinecure: the job entails almost no responsibilities, nor does the person in that position have to answer to anyone. Trick --> all you have to do is "sign" papers, and your job will be secure

pariah

noun: an outcast The once eminent scientist, upon being found guilty of faking his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

semblance

noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading While the banker maintained a semblance of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.

reservation

noun: an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly I was initially excited by the idea of a trip to Washington, D.C. but now that I have read about the high crime statistics there, I have some reservations. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

litany

noun: any long and tedious account of something Mr. Rogers spoke to a Senate committee and did not give a litany of reasons to keep funding the program, but instead, appealed to the basic human decency of all present.

effrontery

noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to The skateboarders acted with effrontery, skating through the church grounds and spray-painting signs warning trespassers.

credence

noun: belief in something He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability to make people part with their money.

prolixity

noun: boring verbosity I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.

sangfroid

noun: calmness or poise in difficult situations The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat, or the gun at his head.

vicissitude

noun: change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse Even great rulers have their vicissitudes—massive kingdoms have diminished overnight, and once beloved kings have faced the scorn of angry masses.

duress

noun: compulsory force or threat The witness said he signed the contract under duress and argued that the court should cancel the agreement.

tact

noun: consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense In a tremendous display of tact, Shelly was able to maintain a strong friendship with Marcia, even though Marcia's husband, Frank, confessed to finding Shelly more attractive than Marcia.

veneer

noun: covering consisting of a thin superficial layer that hides the underlying substance Mark Twain referred to the Victorian Period in America as the "Gilded Age", implying the ample moral corruption that lay beneath a mere veneer of respectability.

exegesis

noun: critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in the Old Testament.

duplicity

noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else A life of espionage is one of duplicity: an agent must pretend to be a totally different person than who she or he actually is.

turpitude

noun: depravity; a depraved act During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it is not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.

decimation

noun: destroying or killing a large part of the population The decimation after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is incomprehensible.

panache

noun: distinctive and showy elegance Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat and cane.

hegemony

noun: dominance over a certain area Until the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1587, Spain had hegemony over the seas, controlling waters stretching as far as the Americas.

largess

noun: extreme generosity and giving Uncle Frank was known for his largess, so his nephew was sad when he did not receive a present for his birthday.

lassitude

noun: extreme tiredness, either mental or physical Upon finishing a 6-hour standardized exam, Dahlia emerged from the testing center overcome by lassitude.

jingoism

noun: fanatical patriotism North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

apprehension

noun: fearful expectation Test day can be one of pure apprehension, as many students worry about their test scores.

temerity

noun: fearless daring No child has the temerity to go in the rundown house at the end of the street and see if it is haunted.

torpor

noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy After work, I was expecting my colleagues to be enthusiastic about the outing, but I found them in a state of complete torpor.

schadenfreude

noun: joy from watching 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.

discord

noun: lack of agreement or harmony Despite all their talented players, the team was filled with discord--some players refused to talk to others--and lost most of their games.

insouciance

noun: lack of concern Surprisingly, Hank had become a high-powered CEO; his high school friends remembered him as "Hanky Panky", who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance.

clemency

noun: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, Phillips was nearly begging the judge for clemency.

malfeasance

noun: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official) 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.

aesthete

noun: one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature A true aesthete, Marty would spend hours at the Guggenheim Museum, staring at the same Picasso.

spendthrift

noun: one who spends money extravagantly Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her.

hubris

noun: overbearing pride or presumption Bill Clinton was criticized for his hubris, since he believed he could get away with anything once in the White House.

carping

noun: persistently petty and unjustified criticism What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

decorum

noun: propriety in manners and conduct "You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell," said the judge to the prosecutor.

maverick

noun: someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action Officer Kelly was a maverick, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.

pundit

noun: someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field Steven Pinker's credentials are unquestioned as a pundit; he has taught at MIT and Stanford, teaches at Harvard, and has published a number of influential books on cognition, language, and psychology.

anomaly

noun: something that is not normal, standard, or expected After finding an anomaly in the data, she knew that she would have to conduct her experiment again.

constraint

noun: something that limits or restricts We don't have many resources, so we'll have to work with some very tight constraints.

anodyne

noun: something that soothes or relieves pain Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne, but is often so cheesy and over-the-top that customers become irritated. adjective: inoffensive Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the mornings.

tribulation

noun: something, especially an event, that causes difficulty and suffering As of 2013, nearly 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country hoping to escape the tribulations of a civil war tearing their country to pieces.

zeitgeist

noun: 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.

quandary

noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options Steve certainly is in a quandary: if he doesn't call Elaine, she will blame him for everything, but if he does call her, the evidence of where he currently is could cost him his job.

credulity

noun: tendency to believe readily Virginia's wide-eyed credulity as a five-year old was replaced by suspicion after she learned that Santa Claus didn't really exist.

resignation

noun: the acceptance of something unpleasant that can't be avoided Since Jack could not think of a convincing reason why he had to miss the seminar, he attended it with a sense of resignation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

apogee

noun: the highest point The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart's music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.

summit

noun: the peak or highest point After hiking for seven days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. noun: a meeting of high-level leaders Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president's next term.

ingenuity

noun: the power of creative imagination Daedalus was famous for his ingenuity; he was able to fashion his son Icarus with a pair of wings, using wax to hold them together.

prescience

noun: the power to foresee the future Baxter's warnings about investing in technology stocks seemed like an act of prescience after the whole market declined significantly.

profusion

noun: the property of being extremely abundant When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

dispatch

noun: the property of being prompt and efficient She finished her thesis with dispatch, amazing her advisors who couldn't believe she had written 60 scholarly pages so quickly. verb: dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently As soon as the angry peasants stormed the castle, they caught the king and swiftly dispatched him. This word has other definitions, but these are the most important ones to study

candidness

noun: the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech Although I was unhappy that the relationship ended, I appreciated her candidness about why she was ready to move on from the relationship.

artlessness

noun: the quality of innocence I, personally, found the artlessness of her speech charming.

volubility

noun: the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously The professor's volubility knows no bounds; he could talk through a hurricane and elaborate a point from one St. Patrick's Day to the next.

altruism

noun: the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others Albert Schweitzer spent most of his life doing missionary work as a doctor in Africa, seeking no reward, apparently motivated only by altruism.

primacy

noun: the state of being first in importance The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.

ascendancy

noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another The ascendancy of the Carlsbad water polo team is clear—they have a decade of championships behind them.

mendacity

noun: the tendency to be untruthful I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what she can get away with.

temperance

noun: the trait of avoiding excesses Welles wasn't known for his temperance--he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.

gall

noun: the trait of being rude and impertinent The speeding car had the gall to switch five lanes at once, run through a red light, and then cut off a police car before finally coming to a stop in front of a sea of flashing red lights. noun: feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will In an act of gall, Leah sent compromising photos of her ex-boyfriend to all his co-workers and professional contacts.

indifference

noun: the trait of seeming not to care In an effort to fight indifference, the president of the college introduced a new, stricter grading system.

qualm

noun: uneasiness about the fitness of an action While he could articulate no clear reason why Harkner's plan would fail, he nevertheless felt qualms about committing any resources to it.

travail

noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

opulence

noun: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living Russian oligarchs are famous for their opulence, living in fancy homes and dining on expensive caviar.

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere

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.

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. Trick --> "beat + ific," beati sounds like beats, and good beats can make someone feel happy and blissful

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.

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.

Kowtow (v.)

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

Alacrity (n.)

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.

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. Trick --> laconic has the syllable "lac" that sounds like "lack," so lack of words

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.

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.) 4

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. 1. evade a question 2. invite an obvious question 3. to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions 4. avoid giving a direct answer

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.

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.

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). Trick for perfunctory --> sounds like "perform hurry," if you do something in a perfunctory manner, you do it casually and quickly since it feels so routine to you 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.

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. Trick --> To seduce a woman, a man needs to be sedulous, or diligent and persistent

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. 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.

Auspicious (adj.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Benighted (adj.)

If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, benighted. However, if 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.

Hedge (n./v.) 2

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. 1. shrubs or hedge funds 2. play safely 3. limit or qualify a statement 4. avoid making a direct statement, equivocate

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. Trick --> a robber "fleed" the crime scene after fleecing the bank into giving him money.

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.

Fell (adj.) 3

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. 1. cut down a tree (v) 2. evil (adj)

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

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. 1. to be biased against as a result of envy or prejudice

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 (premature development of physical or mental functions and characteristics), he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade. Trick to remember --> if you are close with someone, then you can intimate something, and they will quickly understand what you are trying to say

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.

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

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 second part of the small intestine, the jejunum, where the inside walls absorb the food's nutrients. 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. 1. dull, insipid, lacking flavor, lackluster 2. childish and immature

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?

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.

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?"

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.

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. Trick --> "equi (equal)" + "vate (vocal)", if you make similar vocal sounds, then it would be hard to distinguish and ambiguous

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. 1. 19th century coin of little value. 2. a person who is petty, fussing over some trivial point

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. Trick --> ponderous sounds like "pound," so ponderous means to move 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

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.

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. Trick --> "innocuous" sounds like "in (not)" and "nocuous (noxious)," or "not noxious," which means not harmful

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. Trick --> when sportsmen retire, they lose attention from media; also, imagine a person being "shy" to retire at a young age

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. Trick --> if you are tender, you are offering up your kindness and empathy to someone OR tender resignation

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". Trick --> He tried to expand his repertoire of friends to practice talking in an expansive manner.

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 (sullen and ill-tempered). 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.

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

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.

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. Trick --> (contender + serious), so one who takes competition too seriously will always fight and will be quarrelsome

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.

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 called The Rivals by the largely forgotten Richard Brinsley 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.

Juggernaut (n.)

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.

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.

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.

Powwow (n./v.)

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.

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.

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. Trick --> sounds like "damn, ur wrong," so to object or show reluctance to something, opposite of concur

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" Trick --? "pre (before) + var (truth) + icate (sounds like gate)," i.e. sounds like put a gate before the truth or beat around the bush to avoid giving a direct answer

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.

Enervate (v.)

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. Trick --> "ENERV_was_TE", when you waste energy, you sap the energy from

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 To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Arch (adj.) 3

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 (behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others). 1. deliberately teasing 2. chief or principal

Zeitgeist (n.)

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time 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.

abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

unenviable

difficult, undesirable, or unpleasant

bemused

confused; bewildered

cupidity

juggernaut

racuous

making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise

apathetic

marked by a lack of interest in

obsolete

no longer produced or used; out of date. "the disposal of old and obsolete machinery"

supercilious

djective: haughty and disdainful; looking down on others 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.

squalid

filthy, wretched, debased

ab initio

from the start

ovation

praise

query

question

debase

verb: reduce the quality or value of something The third-rate script so debased the film that not even the flawless acting could save it from being a flop.

snub

verb: refuse to acknowledge; reject outright and bluntly Wheeler was completely qualified for the committee, but the board snubbed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

balk

verb: refuse to comply The students were willing to clean up the broken glass, but when the teacher asked them to mop the entire floor, they balked, citing reasons why they needed to leave.

repudiate

verb: reject as untrue or unfounded Many in the public believed the rumors of a UFO crash outside town, so the chief of police did everything he could to repudiate the rumors.

spurn

verb: reject with contempt She spurned all his flattery and proposals, and so he walked off embarrassed and sad.

buck

verb: resist The profits at our firm bucked the general downturn that affected the real estate industry.

imbibe

verb: to drink or absorb as if drinking 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.

immure

verb: to enclose, usually in walls The modern supermarket experience makes many feel claustrophobic, as they are immured in walls upon walls of products.

begrudge

verb: to envy someone for possessing or enjoying something Sitting all alone in his room, Harvey begrudged the happiness of the other children playing outside his window. verb: to give reluctantly We never begrudge money spent on ourselves.

hobble

verb: to hold back the progress of something Bad weather has hobbled rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage.

demean

verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other's mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.

cow

verb: to intimidate Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

exasperate

verb: to irritate intensely As a child, I exasperated my mother with strings of never-ending questions.

err

verb: to make an error He erred in thinking that "indigent" and "indignant" were synonyms.

consecrate

verb: to make holy or set apart for a high purpose At the church of Notre Dame in France, the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182.

conciliate

verb: 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.

disabuse

verb: to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid 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.

pique

to cause resentment; to provoke

conflate

to combine into one

divulge

to reveal

inconsequential

unimportant

hidebound

unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention. "you are hidebound by your petty laws"

exigent

urgent, critical

exonerate

verb: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges The document clearly indicated that Nick was out of the state at the time of the crime, and so served to exonerate him of any charges.

refute

verb: prove to be false or incorrect No one could refute his theories or propositions, and that is why he was esteemed by all his colleagues in the philosophy department.

retract

verb: pull inward or towards a center; formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Email is wonderfully efficient, but once something awkward or damaging has been sent, there is no way to retract it.

resolve

verb: reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation After much thought, Ted resolved not to travel abroad this summer because he didn't have much money in his bank account. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

vilify

verb: spread negative information about Todd was noble after the divorce, choosing to say only complimentary things about Barbara, but Barbara did not hesitate to vilify Todd.

hector

verb: to bully or intimidate The boss's hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

confound

verb: to cause confusion Though Harry loved numbers, calculus confounded him. verb: mistake one thing for another Americans often confound sweet potatoes with yams, and refer to both vegetables by the same name.

fete

verb: to celebrate a person After World War II, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten.

mollify

verb: to make someone who is angry less angry; placate In the morning, Janine was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he'd had his cup of coffee.

raffish

adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness The men found him raffish, but the women adored his smart clothes and casual attitude.

apathetic

adjective: marked by a lack of interest Mr. Thompson was so talented at teaching math that even normally apathetic students took interest.

pedantic

adjective: marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.

cognizance

awareness

interminable

endless

cloying

excessively sweet, rich, or sentimental, especially to a disgusting or sickening degree. "a romantic, rather cloying story"

dolorous

exhibiting sorrow or pain

discernment

the ability to judge well

condone

to pardon or overlook

contiguous

(adj.) side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time

propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward

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. Trick --> I+NUN+DATE --> He asked the nun on a date and was immediately FLOODED with letters from Christian societies for violating societal norms.

adulator

a person who uses flattery

statutory

fixed by law

naivet

innocence

dissemble

conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs. "an honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble"

pusillanimous

contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

limpid

adjective: having clarity in terms of expression Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.

sagacious

adjective: having good judgement and acute insight Steve Jobs is surely one of the most sagacious CEOs, making Apple one of the most recognizable and valuable companies in the world

unprecedented

adjective: having never been done or known before; novel When America first created its national parks, the idea of setting aside the most beautiful land in a country was unprecedented in the history of mankind.

incisive

adjective: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions The lawyer had an incisive mind, able in a flash to dissect a hopelessly tangled issue and isolate the essential laws at play.

stolid

adjective: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited Elephants may appear stolid to casual observers, but they actually have passionate emotional lives.

haughty

adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy The haughty manager didn't believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant as his own.

erudite

adjective: having or showing profound knowledge Before the Internet, the library was typically where you would find erudite readers.

smug

adjective: marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction When Phil was dating the model, he had a smug attitude that annoyed his buddies.

vehement

adjective: marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

steadfast

adjective: marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable A good captain needs to be steadfast, continuing to hold the wheel and stay the course even during the most violent storm.

haphazard

adjective: marked by great carelessness; dependent upon or characterized by chance Many golf courses are designed with great care, but the greens on the county golf course seem entirely haphazard.

forlorn

adjective: marked by or showing hopelessness After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn: this time even the possibility of buying a new dog no longer held any joy.

punctilious

adjective: marked by precise accordance with details The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that men feel compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes.

lugubrious

adjective: excessively mournful At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.

abysmal

adjective: extremely bad Coach Ramsey took his newest player off the field after watching a few painful minutes of her abysmal performance.

denizen

an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place. "denizens of field and forest"

succinct

briefly and clearly expressed

evocative

bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind

subjugated

brought under control

asinine

extremely stupid or foolish

consanguineous

of the same origin; related by blood

outmoded

old-fashioned. "an outmoded Victorian building"

pedant

one possessing abundant knowledge of minor, often uninteresting, things

anachronistic

out of date

contumacious

rebellious

complacent

showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements adjective: contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions After the water polo team won their sixth championship, they became complacent and didn't even make it to the playoffs the next year.

worldliness

sophistication

preeminent

standing out above others; superior

discomfit

to embarrass and confuse

capitulate

to surrender

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

travel, in which you enjoy something through another person's experiences, 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).

tempestuous

turbulent, stormy

tacit

understood or implied without being stated

trifling

unimportant or trivial. "a trifling sum"

entice

verb: get someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises Harold enticed his wife, Maude, to go on a vacation to Hawaii, with promises of luaus on the beach and all-you-can-eat seafood buffets.

haphazardly

without care; characterized by chance

misnomer

wrong name

ungainly

clumsy

miffed

annoyed

uncouth

Lacking good manners

convergent

(adj.) tending to come together from different directions

grotesque

(adj.) unnatural, distorted; bizarre

insalubrious

(especially of a climate or locality) not salubrious; unhealthy. "a poor area full of insalubrious hotels"

stentorian

(of a person's voice) loud and powerful. "he introduced me to the staff with a stentorian announcement"

prolix

(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy. "he found the narrative too prolix and discursive"

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.

jettisoned

The act of discarding or casting overboard

transmogrified

To change into a different shape or form, especially one that is fantastic or bizarre

panacea

a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases. "the panacea for all corporate ills"

penchant

a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something. "he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs"

debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco. "the economic debacle that became known as the Great Depression"

malevolent

adjective: wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred Villains are known for their malevolent nature, oftentimes inflicting cruelty on others just for enjoyment.

blatant

adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.

conspicuous

adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Among the tall trees and flower fields, the building seemed out of place with its conspicuous, cold concrete and angular steel exterior.

wanton

adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, or appetites Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

artless

adjective: without cunning or deceit Despite the president's seemingly artless speeches, he was a skilled and ruthless negotiator.

impeccable

adjective: without fault or error He was impeccably dressed in the latest fashion without a single crease or stain.

evenhanded

adjective: without partiality Teachers often have trouble being evenhanded to all of their varied students.

transgression

an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offense. "I'll be keeping an eye out for further transgressions"

belabored

argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail

abutting

bordering upon; next to

sedated

calm down

disparaged

criticized

fetid

foul-smelling; putrid

mercenary

greedy

cursory

hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed. "a cursory glance at the figures"

canny

having or showing shrewdness and good judgment, especially in money or business matters. "canny shoppers came early for a bargain"

insuperable

incapable of being overcome

sublime

lofty or grand

injudicious

not sensible or wise; not appropriate in a particular situation

contrition

noun: the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad Those who show contrition during their prison terms--especially when under review by a parole board--often get shortened sentences.

nadir

noun: the lowest point For many pop music fans, the rap- and alternative-rock-dominated 90s were the nadir of musical expression.

hedonistic

pleasure-seeking; indulgent

froward

stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient

tumid

swollen, distended

deracinating

uproot (someone) from their natural geographical, social, or cultural environment. "a predatory mining company that threatens to devour the land and deracinate the locals"

hortatory

urging to some course of conduct or action; exhorting; encouraging: a hortatory speech.

impede

verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to Since the police sergeant had to train the pair of new hires, progress in his own case was impeded.

flummox

verb: be a mystery or bewildering to Mary's behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.verb: be a mystery or bewildering to Mary's behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.

vituperate

verb: to criticize harshly; to berate Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants vituperated him for petty oversights such as forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots.

reproach

verb: to express criticism towards At first, Sarah was going to yell at the boy, but she didn't want to reproach him for telling the truth about the situation.