GRE Vocabulary #1

affinity

natural attraction a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection

effete

(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date.

supine

(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive

hidebound

(adj.) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative.

ineffable

(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered

systemic

(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems

noisome

(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious

indigenous

(adj.) originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent

risible

(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable

quizzical

(adj.) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal

mnemonic

(adj.) relating to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory

quasi

(adj.) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely

ancillary

(adj.) subordinate or supplementary

symptomatic

(adj.) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease

sacrosanct

(adj.) very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack

minuscule

(adj.) very small, tiny; (n.) a lowercase letter

volte-face

(n) an about-face; a complete reversal

poltroon

(n.) a base coward

virtuoso

(n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant

vicissitude

(n.) a change, variation, or alteration; (pl.) successive or changing phases or conditions

persona

(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes

melee

(n.) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling

proselyte

(n.) a convert; a disciple

lexicon

(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium

schism

(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions

claque

(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat

pundit

(n.) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions

microcosm

(n.) a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system

matrix

(n.) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment

morass

(n.) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand

vassal

(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.) subservient

forte

(n.) a person's strong point; what a person does best

elixir

(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines

corollary

(n.) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; (adj.) resultant or consequent

foray

(n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid

liturgy

(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship

icon

(n.) a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion

vignette

(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter

interstice

(n.) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things

paean

(n.) a song of praise, joy, or triumph

solecism

(n.) a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake

mountebank

(n.) a trickster or swindler; a charlatan

genre

(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted

fait accompli

(n.) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action.

enclave

(n.) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character

hierarchy

(n.) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.

folderol

(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle

obsequies

(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies

raillery

(n.) good-humored ridicule; teasing

rapacity

(n.) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder

lucubration

(n.) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work

persiflage

(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing

plethora

(n.) overfullness; superabundance; superfluity

aegis

(n.) protection; patronage; sponsorship

adjunct

(n.) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj.) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity.

mirage

(n.) something illusory, without substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion

bellwether

(n.) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends.

paternalism

(n.) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children

verisimilitude

(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

purview

(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute

macrocosm

(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something

derring-do

(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)

polarize

(v.) to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern

condescend

(v.) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner

obfuscate

(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder

immure

(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate

caterwaul

(v.) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n.) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket.

apprise

(v.) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice

deracinate

(v.) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of

bowdlerize

(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)

cozen

(v.) to trick; to cheat or swindle

chimerical

(adj.) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible.

eleemosynary

(adj.) charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity

cognate

(adj.) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; (n.) such a person or thing

pragmatic

(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions

bibulous

(adj.) fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent

oblivious

(adj.) forgetful; unaware

gratis

(adj.) free; (adv.) without charge

lachrymose

(adj.) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious

sanguine

(adj.) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook

therapeutic

(adj.) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial

ribald

(adj.) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language

diaphanous

Very sheer and light; almost completely transparent

philippic

a bitter verbal attack

cul-de-sac

a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse

panache

a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display

parameter

a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary

homily

a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse

aficionado

an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan

gamut

an entire range or series

insouciant

blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky

commensurate

equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards

prurient

having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires

tendentious

intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan

bilious

peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant

emolument

profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary

obloquy

public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment

divination

the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge

hoi polloi

the common people; the masses

browbeat

to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully