Kaplan 900 + Magoosh ebook + Barron's 333
Finesse
delicacy of workmanship, subtlety, skillful maneuvering
Mien
demeanor, the air bearing of a person
Ascetic
denial, austere
gainsay
deny.Yet must he not gainsay the gods ' behest
abscond
depart secretly and hide
Reprehensible
deserving of blame
resolution
determination
Conviction
determination, a state of being convinced
resolve
determination; firmness of purpose
Arduous
difficult to do, laborious
Opaque
difficult to see through, unclear, dark
By the Letter - "X" words
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Themed Lists - Compound Words
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Vocab from Within
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appropriate
acquire; take possession of for one's own use
Vicarious
acting for another, sharing in an experience of another through the Imagination
recondite
abstruse; profound; secret
embellish
adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story.Designer embellished the supermodel's dress
propitiate
appease."the pagans thought it was important to propitiate the gods with sacrifices"
converge
approach; tend to meet; come together
aesthetic
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
Dormant
as though asleep, not actively growing
aver
assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact
Bumptious
assertive
amalgamate
combine; unite in one body
disparate
basically different; unrelated.In business it is important that the client and vendor do not have disparate views on requirements to be met.
stint
be thrifty; set limits
Senescence
beginning of old age
Liaison
connection between different groups, a close bond
supersede
cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
Surcease
cessation
alacrity
cheerful promptness; eagerness
Rubric
heading, title, category
salubrious
healthful.odours of far less salubrious origi
facilitate
help bring about; make less difficult
recluse
hermit; loner
secrete
hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism
Bibulous
highly absorbent, given to or fond of alcoholic beverages
Pregnant
highly significant, overflowing, rich in significance
impede
hinder, block
Probity
honesty, uprightness
Animus
hostile feeling
Truculent
hostile, aggressive, savage
Facetious
humorous, joking in a somewhat inappropriate or clumsy manner
Raffish
jaunty, sporty, disreputable, vulgar, characterized by a careless Unconventionality
facetious
joking (often inappropriately); humorous.She was a facetious person, intending to be amusing
Atrabilious
inclined to melancholy
prohibitive
inclined to prevent or forbid
disjointed
lacking coherence
erudite
learned; scholarly
Clout
influence, a forceful blow
apprise
inform
Provincial
limited in outlook, narrow in ideas
Steadfast
loyal, faithful
Tepid
lukewarm, unenthusiastic, halfhearted
burnish
make shiny by rubbing; polish
attenuate
make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree)
obviate
make unnecessary; get rid of. the presence of roller blinds obviated the need for curtains
Coherent
making sense, organize and logical
Sycophant
man
Prolific
marked by abundant production or offspring
striated
marked with parallel bands; grooved
Striated
marked with thin lines or grooves
discerning
mentally quick and observant; having insight
Mirthful
merry, gleeful
Punctilious
meticulously attentive to detail, exacting
euphemism
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one.Being treated "like a girl" is a common euphemism for not being taken seriously.
Scanty
minimal, hardly sufficient
quibble
minor objection or complaint
insularity
narrow-mindedness; isolation.One should imbibe the culture of the place they live in and not practise insularity.
Endemic
native, belonging to a specific region
Indigenous
native, produced or living in a particular area
propensity
natural inclination."his propensity for violence
Propinquity
nearness in place or time, kinship
Myopia
nearsightedness, lacking foresight
Novel
new, original
Penultimate
next to last
Magnanimous
noble in spirit, generous, giving
Tumult
noisy commotion, uproar
Eccentric
non-conventional, a little kooky
Insouciant
nonchalant, lighthearted, unconcerned
refute
disprove
levee
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding.Levee sounds like lever it is used to prevent flooding
assuage
ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
Gullible
easily deceived
gullible
easily deceived
Rarefied
esoteric, interesting to only a few
Implacable
not capable of being appeased or mollified
Incontrovertible-
not disputable, not open to question
hyperbole
exaggeration; overstatement.This isn't mere hyperbole, this isn't myth, this is a fact.
Prowess
exceptional skill or strength, military valor
plethora
excess; overabundance
meticulous
excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous
Hidebound
excessively rigid, dry and stiff, inflexible
Saccharine
excessively sweet
Effete
exhausted, lost vitality, over refined
Volatile
explosive, tend to burn quickly
Jeopardy
exposure to danger, peril
reproach
express disapproval or disappointment
eulogy
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
tirade
extended scolding; denunciation; harangue
Egregious
extremely bad, flagrant
default
failure to act
Quaint
fashioned, picturesque
Timorous
fearful, easily frightened
Zaftig
figured, plump
Quixotic
foolishly impractical and idealistic
austere
forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
Redoubtable
formidable, fearsome, deserving of respect
Gratuitous
freely given, unnecessary, uncalled for, unwarranted
Agnate
from the father's side of the family
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
aggregate
gather; accumulate
burgeon
grow forth; send out buds
proliferate
grow rapidly; spread; multiply.the science fiction magazines which proliferated in the 1920s
Temperance
habitual moderation, the avoidance of excess
Inveterate
habitual, deeply rooted or established
banal
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
Fortuitous
happening by chance, lucky fortunate
Abstruse
hard to understand or grasp
Recondite
hard to understand, abstruse, over one's head
buttress
support; prop up
Patina
surface discoloration caused by age and oxidation,
Vapid
tasteless, dull
Saporous
tasty, flavorsome
Toothsome
tasty, sexually attractive, luscious
Lachrymose
tearful, mournful
Irascible
tempered, cranky
tangential
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
sage
person celebrated for wisdom
Accouterments
personal clothing, accessories, or equipment
Pulchritude
physical beauty
itinerary
plan of a trip
elegy
poem or song expressing lamentation
Indigent
poverty stricken, needy
indigence
poverty."he did valuable work towards the relief of indigence"
efficacy
power to produce desired effect.The efficacy of a leader depends on how they understand and guide their team.
Puissance
power, strength
pragmatic
practical (as opposed to idealistic)
viable
practical or workable; capable of maintaining life
ascetic
practicing self-denial; austere
laud
praise
Sententious
preachy, pompous, using wise sayings excessively
Latent
present but not visible or apparent, dormant, potential
document
provide written evidence
Lambent
radiant, flickering, marked by lightness
Pluvial
rainy
maverick
rebel; nonconformist
reticent
reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence
Deference
respect, courtesy
reverent
respectful; worshipful
satiate
satisfy fully
eclectic
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
Quiescence
state of rest or inactivity
Robust
strong and healthy, vigorous
penchant
strong inclination; liking
Urbane
suave, sophisticated, polished
Servile
submissive, behaving like a slave
abate
subside or moderate
Ancillary
subsidiary, subordinate
Arable
suitable for the growing of crops
Saturnine
sullen, gloomy, depressed
morose
sullen; melancholy.she was morose and silent when she got home
Sciolism
superficial knowledge
perfunctory
superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm.he gave a perfunctory nod
Lissome
supple
compliant
yielding; conforming to requirements
Synergy
the combined force of two distinct elements that is more powerful then each alone
frugality
thrift; economy
Grovel
to beg persistently, to degrade oneself
Comport
to behave
Nonplus
to bewilder, to puzzle
Obliterate
to blot out leaving no traces, to destroy
Winnow
to blow of, or away, to separate the good from the bad
Tout
to brag publicly, to praise highly
Dissipate
to break up, to squander, to indulge excessively in sensual pleasure
Botch
to bungle, to foul up
Rescind
to cancel, to repeal
Prepossess
to cause to be preoccupied, to influence, positively, in advance
Transfix
to cause to stand motionless with awe or other intense emotion
Bowdlerize
to censor prudishly
Abnegate
to deny to oneself, renounce, surrender
Gainsay
to deny, to speak or act against
Delineate
to describe or picture in words, to detail
Gesticulate
to gesture, especially when speaking
Stymie
to get in the way of, to hinder, to block
Herald
to give notice of, to hail or greet
Secrete
to give off, to conceal
Forfeit
to give up something as a penalty for some error or crime
Espy
to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of
Flourish
to grow strong, to grow abundantly, to thrive or prosper
Palliate
to hide the seriousness of something with excuses or apologies,
Venerate
to honor, to worship, to respect
Pique
to hurt or rile the feelings of someone, irritate
Cogitate
to ponder over, to mediate, to think
Extol
to praise highly
Laud
to praise, to applaud, to extol
Feign
to pretend, give a false impression, to invent falsely
Thwart
to prevent from being accomplished, to frustrate, to hinder
Depredate
to prey upon, to plunder with violence if necessary
Castigate
to punish, chastise, criticize severely
Scotch
to put an end to
Quell
to put an end to, to squelch, to calm
Usurp
to size wrongfully
Adumbrate
to suggest partly, to give a hint of things to come
Corroborate
to support with evidence
Advocate
to support, or be in favor of
Enervate
to weaken, to sap the strength
Flagellate
to whip, or to punish as if by whipping
Covet
to wish for with envy
perfidious
treacherous; disloyal.He was a a perfidious lover
veracious
truthful
intractable
unruly; stubborn; unyielding
Altruistic
unselfish concern with the welfare of others
Stalwart
unwavering, robust, sturdily built
Indeterminate
vague, not known in advance
transgression
violation of a law; sin
Abstinence
voluntarily refraining from eating certain foods or drink
Ribald
vulgar or indecent language
digression
wandering away from the subject
admonish
warn; reprove
prodigal
wasteful; reckless with money
vacillate
waver; fluctuate
Verbose
wordy
Viable
workable, capable of living and growing, able to succeed
Themed Lists - Money Matters: Can't Spend it Fast Enough
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antipathy
aversion; dislike
Accolade
award or honor, high praise
Omnivorous
eating or absorbing everything, feeding on both animal and vegetable Substances
Esculent
edible, suitable for eating
Poignant
emotionally moving
Mercurial
emotionally unpredictable, give to rapid changes in mood
Vacuous
empty, lacking intelligence
savor
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality
Milieu
environment, surroundings
substantiate
establish by evidence; verify; support
Rapprochement
establishment of good relations
Perdition
eternal damnation
Iniquitous
evil, unjust
distend
expand; swell out
Osmosis
gradual or subtle absorption, an unconscious process of absorption
Hoary
gray or white with age, ancient, stale
Exacting
greatly demanding, requiring close attention
Dulcet
having a nice, agreeable, melodious sound
Vehement
intense, forceful marked by strong feeling
deterrent
something that discourages; hindrance
Behemoth
something that is enormous, or monstrous in size and power
Garrulous
talkative
loquacious
talkative.Being loquacious, Sarah was now totally lost for words
Bilious
tempered, cranky, angry
Censure
the act of blaming or condemning
Recidivism
the act of repeating an offense
Broach
to open up a subject for discussion
Juxtapose
to place side by side
Rout
to put to flight, to scatter, to cause a huge defeat
Cavil
to quibble, to raise trivial objections
Exalt
to raise high, to glorify
Trite
unoriginal, overused, clichéd, commonplace
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
Imminent
about to occur, hanging threatening over one's head
anarchy
absence of governing body; state of disorder
Surfeit
abundance, excessive amount
Surmise
abundance, excessive amount
Copious
abundant, lavish
invective
abusive.CHildren should be not be inured to invective treatment.
vituperative
abusive; scolding
Adventitious
accidental
Concomitant
accompanying, attending, going along with
inured
accustomed; hardened.these children have been inured to violence
Interesting and International Word Origins - French Words
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Interesting and International Word Origins - Words with Strange Origins
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Most Common GRE Words - Common Words that Students Always Get Wrong
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Most Common GRE Words - Commonly Confused Sets
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Most Common GRE Words - Tricky "Easy" GRE Words with Multiple Meanings
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Themed Lists - "Occupy" Vocabulary
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Themed Lists - Animal Mnemonics
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Themed Lists - Halloween Vocabulary
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Themed Lists - Money Matters: A Helping or Thieving! Hand
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Themed Lists - Money Matters: How Much Can You Spend?
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Themed Lists - Preposterous Prepositions
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Themed Lists - Talkative Words
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Themed Lists - Them's Fighting Words
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Themed Lists - Vocabulary from up on High
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Themed Lists - Webster's Favorites
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Themed Lists: People You Wouldn't Want To Meet
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Themed Lists: Religious Words
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Themed Lists: Words from Political Scandals
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Equivocal (adj.) Equivocal does not mean equal. It means vague, undecided.
Equivocal, especially in its more common form equivocate, has a negative connotation. If a politician is equivocating, he/she is not answering a question directly, but is beating around the bush. In the academic GRE sense, if a phenomenon is open to multiple interpretations it is equivocal. Whether we can glean an artist's unconscious urges through his or her art remains equivocal - that we can ever even really tap into another person's hidden motives remains in doubt.
Inundate (v.)
To inundate is a synonym for to deluge, which means to flood. Figuratively, to be inundated means to be overwhelmed by too many people or things. The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.
Zealot
a person with great enthusiasm for and commitment to a cause
Karma
a good or bad emanation of force from someone or something
Oligarchy
a government in which the power is in the hand of only a few
Retinue
a group of attendants to an elevated person
Gemeinschaft
a group with similar tastes, a group bound by similar interests and kinship
Faction
a group, or part of large group, united on an issue
Shantung
a heavy nubby fabric, made of wild silk
Cache
a hiding place, something hidden in a secret place
Tor
a high rock, a high rocky hill, or pile of rocks
Apostasy
a judge, one who decides
Listless
a lack of energy, spiritless
Patois
a language used by a particular population that differs from standard Speech
Conflagration
a large, disastrous fire
Roué
a lecherous man, a rake, a person devoted to sensual pleasures
Grig
a lively person
Tirade
a long and angry speech
Odyssey
a long difficult journey marked by changes in fortune
Galoot
a loutish oaf, a clumsy but somewhat likable person
Cachet
a mark of distinction, a quality that "says" prestige
Juggernaut
a massive, unstoppable object
Emissary
a messenger or representative, an agent
Mélange
a mixture of incongruous elements
Paradigm
a model or example
Reprobate
a morally unprincipled person, a scoundrel
Travesty
a parody, an imitation that makes crude fun of something
Bailiwick
a particular area of expertise
Votary
a person bound by vows to live a life of religious service
Luminary
a person of great intellectual, creative or spiritual stature
Mugwump
a person or politician who can't make up his mind, an independent
Bellwether
a person who assumes a leadership role or takes initiative
Pastiche
a piece that imitates or is made up from pieces of other works,
Junction
a place of meeting or joining, a linkup
Miasma
a poisonous swamp vapor, a harmful influence or atmosphere
Libation
a pouring of a liquid for a religious ceremony, a drink
Moue
a pout, usually playful, a little grimace
Polemic
a powerful argument to defend a thesis
Nemesis
a powerful river, a usually unconquerable opponent
Harbinger
a precursor, an indication, one that foreshadows what is coming
Tenet
a principle, doctrine or belief held as so by a group
Perquisite
a privilege or perk that goes along with a job
Trilemma
a problem for which there are three possible courses of action, and none perfect
Alchemy
a process of transformation that is seemingly magical
Cortege
a procession, a group of attendants
Enigma
a puzzle, a baffling situation, something obscure
Repartee
a quick, witty reply, spirited conversation
Tatterdemalion
a ragged person, always in tatters
Fusillade
a rapid outburst, spray of gunfire
Tonic
a refreshing drink, something that invigorates
Panacea
a remedy that cures everything
Maverick
a person who breaks away from the crowd, a non-conformist
Mercenary
a person who serves only for money, motivated by greed
Opportunist
a person who takes advantage of opportunity with no regard for principle
propriety
fitness; correct conduct.he always behaved with the utmost propriety
Evanescent
fleeting, vanishing, transient
Tenuous
flimsy,
precursor
forerunner; harbinger
Sylvan
forest like, wooded
Bifurcated
forked, divided into two branches
fervor
glowing ardor; intensity of feeling.Growing fervour
Luminous
glowing, bright, emitting light
Philanthropy
good will towards all people, love of mankind, and act of generosity
insinuate
hint; imply; creep in. He insinuated that they were lying.To give insight subtly
supposition
hypothesis; surmise
Animosity
ill will, active dislike
Paralogism
illogical reasoning of which the reason is not aware
emulate
imitate; rival.Smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.
Wanton
immoral, lewd, deliberate maliciousness, having no regards for others
impervious
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed
impermeable
impervious; not permitting passage through its substance
Pretentious
important, make unjustifiable claims to excellence
ameliorate
improve
effrontery
impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness.Police were effront when it came to questioning the victim.
Qua
in the capacity of
Titular
in title only
inert
inactive; lacking power to move
impair
injure; hurt
Nominal
insignificant, trifling
Immaterial
insignificant, unimportant
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
Anomie
instability caused by an erosion of value or lack of purpose
Didactic
instructive, intended to educate
incorporate
introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite
preamble
introductory statement
Bracing
invigorating, to prepare
Egocentric
involved, selfish
Anomalous
irregular, abnormal, unusual
irascible
irritable; easily angered
spectrum
colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
Doggerel
comic, sometimes crude, informal verse
Nascent
coming into existence, being born
Imperious
commanding, lordly, arrogant
Plebeian
common, vulgar, low class
Banal
commonplace, trite, unoriginal
analogous
comparable
Plenary
complete, fully attended, not deficient in any way
Aesthetic
concerned with or appreciative of beauty
Terse
concise, brief, free of extra word
Succinct
concise, clearly expressed with a few words
coda
concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that summarizes
Hubris
confidence
confound
confuse; puzzle
Chronic
constant, lasting a long time
belie
contradict; give a false impression
Forward
contrary, consistently disobedient
Colloquial
conversational, used in informal speech
cogent
convincing like He has cogent reasons not to join Harvard
disabuse
correct a false impression; undeceive.The country needs to be disabused of the impression that in rape the victim is wrong.
commensurate
corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.; proportionate
Vitriolic
corrosive, biting, bitterly scathing
Profligate
corrupt, degenerate, wildly extravagant
deference
courteous regard for another's wish.In deference to ministers request please do not take photographs at the wedding ceremony.
Verdant
covered with green plants, leafy
Craven
cowardly
craven
cowardly
Chicanery
deception or trickery
profound
deep; not superficial; complete
discredit
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
assiduous
diligent
Umbrage
displeasure or resentment, shade
Clemency
disposition towards mercy, mildness
Irreverent
disrespectful, gently or humorously mocking
Percipience
keen perception
Discerning
keenly perceptive, shrewd
skeptic
doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view
truculence
aggressiveness; ferocity
Infamy
an evil reputation borne of a criminal act, a reputation for evil deeds
Exemplar
an excellent model, a typical example
Clique
an exclusive group
Peregrination
an expedition, wandering
Guise
an external appearance
Malfeasance
an illegal act especially by a public official
Myriad
an immense indefinite number, multitude
Allusion
an indirect reference
Ersatz
an inferior substitute
Foray
an initial venture, to raid in search of plunder
Respite
an interval of rest, a temporary delay
Coterie
an intimate group of people with a common interest
Trice
an moment, a short period of time
Relic
an object associated with a saint, something that remains from the past
Amnesty
an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law
Portent
an omen, a sign of something coming, a foreshadowing
Overture
an opening move, a preliminary offer
Diva
an opera singer, prima donna, a temperamental, conceited person
Pariah
an outcast
Parvenu
an upstart who has acquired wealth and class but hasn'
Omniscient
all knowing, infinite awareness
Fauna
animals
Supercilious
arrogant, overbearing, condescending
presumptuous
arrogant; taking liberties
Dogmatic
arrogantly assertive, positive about unproven ideas
Plausible
believable
disparage
belittle.Parents should not disparage their children's early attempts at drawing.
fatuous
brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug.This is going to sound completely fatuous, but it's my honest answer.
laconic
brief and to the point
Laconic
brief in speech, using very few words
compendium
brief, comprehensive summary
Cursory
brief, without much attention to detail
Resplendent
brilliant, gloriously bright
Onus
burden, blame, obligation
Onerous
burdensome, oppressive, troublesome
onerous
burdensome.he found his duties increasingly onerous
caustic
burning; sarcastically biting
implode
burst inward
Negligent
careless, remiss
Lax
careless, too relaxed
Perfunctory
careless, unenthusiastic, done merely as duty
engender
cause; produce
Sangfroid
extraordinary composure in the face of danger
Hyperbole
extravagant exaggeration used as a figure of speech
Exorbitant
extravagant, exceeding what is usual
Baroque
extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation
Byzantine
extremely intricate or complicated in structure
Antediluvian
extremely old, antiquated
Virulent
extremely poisonous, malignant, full of hate
Abysmal
extremely wretched, bottomless
Perfidious
faithless, untrustworthy
plummet
fall sharply
Fallacy
false idea, mistaken belief, an implausible argument
Spurious
false, fake, not genuine
Apocryphal
false, spurious, of doubtful origin
fallacious
false; misleading.Fallacious belief that one can separate moral issues from economic ones.
zealot
fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
Tony
fashionable, trendy, aristocratic
Salubrious
favorable to health
Arrant
notoriously without moderation, downright
Diurnal
occurring during the day, happens everyday
Quotidian
occurring every day, commonplace
Vernal
occurring in spring, spring like youthful
sporadic
occurring irregularly
Moot
of no matter or consequence, not important
homogenous
of the same kind
Unilateral
on one side alone
Minion
on, a follower, an underling
Martinet
one who adheres strictly to rules
malingerer
one who feigns illness to escape duty.AN indonent person is a malingerer mostly.
misanthrope
one who hates mankind.Hitler was kinf of a misanthrope.
Scofflaw
one who is continually breaking the law
Martyr
one who suffers for a cause, a person who sacrifices for a principle
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
Denunciation
open condemnation
dogmatic
opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
Provenance
origin, source, proof of posting ownership
proscribe
ostracize; banish; outlaw.Adultery is proscribed in most countries.
Fey
otherworldly, magical, "touched"
Elliptical
oval, obscure in expression
gouge
overcharge.Gouge the mark of Zorro into it during a night exercise on my final phase one TA training weekend
condone
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
Histrionic
overly dramatic, theatrical, deliberately affected
Maudlin
overly sentimental
inundate
overwhelm; flood; submerge
appease
pacify or soothe; relieve
placate
pacify; conciliate
Etiolate
pale and drawn, to make weak by stunting growth
Remuneration
payment, recompense
permeable
penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through
contrite
penitent.Her contrite tears did not move the jury.Contrite is to feel remorse for past sins
connoisseur
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
reprobate
person hardened by sin, devoid of a sense of decency
pathological
pertaining to disease
strut
pompous walk
grandiloquent
pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language
bombastic
pompous; using inflated language
delineate
portray; depict; sketch
latent
potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden
endemic
prevailing among a specific group of people or an area
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
contentious
quarrelsome
precipitate
rash; premature; hasty; sudden
Fodder
raw material for a given end
Protean
readily assuming different shapes or characters
neophyte
recent convert; beginner
inchoate
recently begun; rudimentary; elementary.This business is its inchoate stages.
Temerarious
recklessly daring, rash
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing
log
record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities
Genteel
refined, polite, aristocratic
intransigence
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness.No agreement can ever be reached when both parties are intransignent
flout
reject; mock; show contempt for
Filial
relating to a son
Sartorial
relating to dress or fashion
alleviate
relieve
Compunction
remorse, feeling uneasy after having done something
Reticent
restrained, reluctant, uncommunicative
Forswear
retract, renounce or recant
venerate
revere
Homage
reverence, respect, an expression of high regard
Pious
reverent, devout, dutiful, may at times be marked by hypocrisy
conundrum
riddle; difficult problem
deride
ridicule; make fun of
Fustian
ridiculously pompous, bombastic, grandiose in delivery
Banausic
routine, mechanical, boring
boorish
rude; insensitive
specious
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentional)
Deciduous
shedding or losing leaves on a particular season, not evergreen
luminous
shining; issuing light
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
ebullient
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
Nepotism
showing favoritism to friends or family, as in granting positions in jobs or politics
Stoic
showing indifference to pain, apathetic
pedantic
showing off learning; bookish.his analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic
ostentatious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention;vulgar
Perspicacious
shrewd, astute, showing strong powers of discernment
Wizened
shriveled, withered
occlude
shut; close.thick make-up can occlude the pores
diffidence
shyness.In today's world,to be successful ,a person needs to cast away their diffidence.
Homogeneous
similar, of the same kind, uniform in nature
Sloth
sluggish, laziness, indolence
Insidious
sly, treacherous, having a gradual effect
Anathema
something or someone loathed or intensely dislike
anachronism
something or someone misplaced in time
Sine qua non
something that is an essential condition of
Immutable
something that is unchangeable, permanent
Bulwark
something used as a defense, a strong protection
mollify
soothe
Dolorous
sorrowful
Acidulous
sour, ill tempered
abstemious
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
dichotomy
split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones).I was in dichotomy on what option would help.
pervasive
spread throughout.ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society
Slatternly
squalid, a slovenly woman
Criterion
standard for judging
Static
stationary, not changing or moving
Austere
stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals
viscous
sticky, gluey
pungent
stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic
Parsimonious
stingy
Niggardly
stingy, small in a mean way
foment
stir up; instigate
offal
the waste parts of a product (often as in a butchered animal), refuse, rubbish
coagulate
thicken; congeal; clot
tenuous
thin; rare; slim
Homologate
to confirm officially
Discomfit
to confuse, deceive
Enshroud
to cover, to enclose with a dark cover
Rebuke
to criticize or reprimand sharply
Chastise
to criticize severely
Delude
to deceive, to have false illusion
Dupe
to deceive, to trick
Ebb
to decline, to recede
Discount
to deduct, to disregard
Vilify
to defame, to slander, to blacken the character of
Prevaricate
to deviate from the truth
Descry
to discern, to see something, to teach sight of
Relegate
to dismiss to a less prominent position, to banish
Aggrieve
to distress, to mistreat
Gerrymander
to divide into election districts to gain political advantage
Desiccate
to dry out
Oust
to eject, to banish, to expel
Defalcate
to embezzle
Matriculate
to enroll, most particularly in college
Begrudge
to envy another's possessions, to concede reluctantly
Efface
to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure
Expunge
to erase, to strike out
Muckrake
to expose political misconduct
Opine
to express an opinion
Acquit
to find not guilty, to conduct oneself
Supervene
to follow immediately after, to ensue
Absolve
to forgive or free from blame
Garner
to gather and store away, to acquire by effort
Marshal
to gather together something for a purpose, to arrange in order
Reprove
to gently criticize
Emulate
to imitate, to strive to equal
Vitiate
to impair the quality of, to corrupt morally
Fetter
to impede, restrain, hamper
Augment
to increase or enlarge
Gird
to invest with authority, to brace
Inhibit
to keep from free activity or expression, to restrain or even forbid
Decimate
to kill or destroy a large part of
Abscond
to leave quickly and secretively
Depreciate
to lessen in value, to belittle
Stagnate
to lie inactive, to stay in one place
Perorate
to make a long, formal speech, to sum up a speech
Grimace
to make an ugly disapproving facial expression
Ameliorate
to make better, to ease or improve
Elucidate
to make clear
Manifest
to make evident by showing
Expedite
to make faster or easier, to carry out promptly
Aggrandize
to make great
Preclude
to make impossible, to shut out, to bar
Disquiet
to make uneasy
Obviate
to make unnecessary, to avert, to preclude
Exacerbate
to make worse or more severe
Lament
to mourn, to express regret
Undulate
to move smoothly in a wavelike manner
Emigrate
to move to a new country, to move to a new place
Ruminate
to muse upon
Replenish
to refill, to supply once more
Manumit
to release from slavery
Table
to remove from consideration
Nullify
to repeal, cancel, render void
Abrogate
to repeal, to set aside, to nullify
Extirpate
to rip up by the roots, to abolish, to annihilate
Putrefy
to rot
Lope
to run at steady, easy pace
Belie
to run counter to, to show something as false
Proselytize
to seek to convert someone to a religion, cause or political position
Ensconce
to settle in snugly, to hide in a secure place
Fawning
to show excessive affection, to be overly flattering in return for favor
Evince
to show, reveal
Simper
to smile foolishly
Rebuff
to snub, to refuse in a blunt or rude way
Macerate
to soften by soaking, to cause to waste away
Placate
to soothe, to appease with concessions
Scintillate
to sparkle, to gleam, to be animated or brilliant
Eulogize
to speak in praise of someone, to pay written or spoken tribute
Permeate
to spread or seep through, to penetrate, to pervade
Besmirch
to stain or soil( commonly as to reputation )
Ogle
to stare at in a disrespectful way
Foment
to stir up, to incite
Digress
to stray from the main subject
Peruse
to study, to read over leisurely
Capitulate
to surrender, to stop resisting
Teem
to swarm, to be inundated, to become full to overflowing
Oscillate
to swing back and forth
Doff
to take off (usually clothing) as a sign of greeting
Brook
to tolerate, to put up with something
Bandy
to toss and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib way
Convey
to transport, to conduct, to communicate
Desecrate
to treat with disrespect
Blanch
to turn pale
Meander
to wander aimlessly
Undermine
to weaken the support of, to injure in a slow or sneaky way
Welter
to write, toss, wallow
stigma
token of disgrace; brand
chicanery
trickery; deception
platitude
trite remark; commonplace statement
Veracious
truthful, honest
Candor
truthfulness, great honesty, frankness
fawning
trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering or cringing.DOnt fawn over him,its not worth it.
complaisant
trying to please; overly polite; obliging.His complaisant behaviour did not go down too well with the mayor.
Sturm and drang
turmoil
welter
turmoil; bewildering jumble/the streams foam and welter
Incessant
unceasing, never ending, flowing without interruption
irresolute
uncertain how to act; weak
Tentative
uncertain, temporary not fully worked out
indeterminate
uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
precarious
uncertain; risky
immutable
unchangeable
ambiguous
unclear or doubtful in meaning
Obscure
unclear, vague partially hidden, hard to understand
Intransigent
uncompromising, stubborn
insensible
unconscious; unresponsive
implicit
understood but not stated
Esoteric
understood by only a few
tacit
understood; not put into words
Inquietude
uneasiness, restlessness
Callous
unfeeling and insensitive
Trivial
unimportant, insignificant
inadvertently
unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly.The compass stays out nonetheless, to avoid inadvertent straying onto the ridge connecting with Ben More Assynt.
Sui generis
unique, of its own kind, in a class by itself
Officious
unnecessarily helpful, meddlesome, interfering
derivative
unoriginal; obtained from another source
Evanescent
vanishing, happening for the briefest moment
diverge
vary; go in different directions from the same point
Vagary
whim, an unpredictable action
Capricious
whimsical, fanciful, impulsive
Rife
widespread, abounding, occurring frequently
Feral
wild, like a wild animal, savage
Chimerical
wildly fanciful, absurd
Sinuous
winding, having many curves
Tortuous
winding, twisting, full of curves
tortuous
winding; full of curves
Sagacious
wise shrewd
Judicious
wise, showing judgment, cautious
Pace
with deference to
Nomadic
without a permanent home, constantly wandering
guileless
without deceit
impassive
without feeling; imperturbable; stoical.Brutus was impassive by nature. Lacking passion or any kind of emotion.
artless
without guile; open and honest
Impecunious
without money, penniless
Bosky
wooded, covered with trees and shrubs
verbose
wordy
Circumlocution
wordy language, an indirect, roundabout expression
Diffuse
wordy, not concentrated, to spread widely
diffuse
wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas).Writers being paid by the word tend to turn in diffuse scripts.
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
solicious
worried, concerned
exacerbate
worsen; embitter
idolatry
worship of idols; excessive admiration
subpoena
writ summoning a witness to appear
indolent
lazy.COntestants of biggest loser were indolent and let themselves get obese.
officious
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services.the security people were very officious.
Reciprocal
mutual, shared, interchangeable
Egregious (adj.)
'Greg' is the Latin root for flock. At one point, egregious meant standing out of the flock in a positive way. This definition went out of vogue sometime in the 16th century, after which time egregious was used ironically. Thus for the last five hundred years, 'egregious' meant standing out in a bad way. In sports, an egregious foul would be called on a player who slugged another player (not including hockey, of course). The dictator's abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders asked that he be tried in an international court for genocide.
Buffoon
clown or fool
denigrate
blacken
dissonance
discord; opposite of harmony
dismiss
eliminate from consideration; reject
daunt
intimidate; frighten
Most Common GRE Words - Top 5 Basic GRE Words
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Termagant
a quarrelsome woman, a shrew
wary
very cautious
Braggadocio
arrogant pretension, empty conceit
Aphorism
a wise saying
Phantasm
an apparition, phantom
Explicit
clearly stated, precisely shown
Penury
extreme poverty
prevaricate
lie
By the Letter - A-Words
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By the Letter - C-Words
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By the Letter - Easily Confusable F-Words
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By the Letter - Vicious Pairs of V's
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Largess
a generous giving of gifts, philanthropy
Zephyr
a gentle breeze
High-Difficulty Words - Difficult Words that the GRE Loves to Use
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High-Difficulty Words - Negation Words: Misleading Roots
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High-Difficulty Words - Re- Doesn't Always Mean Again
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Interesting and International Word Origins - Around the World
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Homeopathy
a system of natural healing
Serviette
a table napkin
Bivouac
a temporary encampment
Abeyance
a temporary suspension of activity
Circumspect
careful, thought through
Beatific (adj.) vs. Beautiful (adj.)
A beatific person is one who radiates bliss. This person is so happy, they almost seem blessed and holy (think of a saint, or the Buddha). As for beautiful, well you may be beatific if you are beautiful, or you may be totally unhappy. The two words are totally unrelated. Marred by the ravages of time, the idols were hardly beautiful, yet each seemed to emanate a beatific aura that not even 500 years could diminish.
Aberration (n.)
A deviation from what is normal or expected: this word is tinged with a negative connotation. For instance, in psychology there is a subset of behavior known as aberrant behavior. So, basically, if you're narcissistic, psychotic, or just plain old cuckoo, you are demonstrating aberrant behavior. Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon makes headlines.
Diatribe (n.)
A diatribe is a strong verbal attack against someone or something. The victim of a diatribe is typically some organization, whether it be the FDA, the government, or, in this case, Wall Street. It is understood that the person unleashing the diatribe is angry. Steve's mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.
Ferret (v.)
A ferret is a tiny weasel, one that moves so quickly that it is used to catch rabbits. Apparently it has a knack for digging our long-eared friend out of their burrows. Unlike some of the verbs above, the verb form of ferret aptly fits the animal—to ferret means to search for something persistently. Usually the verb is coupled with a preposition as in, "ferret something out" or "ferret around". Ever the resourceful lexicographer, Fenton was able to ferret out the word origin of highly obscure GRE words.
Anathema (n.)
A few hundred years ago, many ran afoul of the church, and excommunications (and worse) were typical reprisals. If such was the case, the Pope actually uttered a formal curse against a person. This curse was called the anathema. Today this word, in addition to a broader scope, has taken a twist. If something is anathema, he, she, or it is the source of somebody's hate. The verb form of the word, anathematize, still carries the old meaning of to curse. Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.
Hound (v.)
A hound usually rears its head in movies in which the bad guy is on the lam. Or I take that back—the hound usually drops its head to the ground, sniffing out the bad guy as he crosses treacherous terrain. Unsurprisingly, the verb form of hound is to pursue relentlessly. An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone.
Palimpsest (n.)
A long time ago, even before the days when email was popular, people wrote on scrolls. Apparently papyrus wasn't affordable so scribes reused the same scroll over again, writing on top of what had gone before. By extension, any writing material that has been written on numerous times, so that the vague traces of previous writing can be seen, is a palimpsest. A poorly erased chalkboard, the manically edited essays of my high school days. More broadly speaking, a palimpsest can refer to anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen. The downtown was a palimpsest of the city's checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a house pet.
Moment (n.)
A moment is a point in time. We all know that definition. If something is of moment, it is significant and important (think of the word momentous). Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and, within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts.
Truculent (adj.)
A person who is truculent has a fierce, savage nature. As I drive a smaller car, I often find trucks—from the 18-wheeler to the 4×4—to be quite truck-ulent when they drive. A silly mnemonic, but next time you are cut off by a truck, instead of giving the proverbial middle-finger, you can just mutter, what a truculent fellow. Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.
Raft (n.)
A raft is an inflatable boat. It can also mean a large number of something. I know—it doesn't really make much sense. But here's a good mnemonic: imagine a large number of rafts and you have a raft of rafts. Despite a raft of city ordinances passed by an overzealous council, noise pollution continued unabated in the megalopolis.
Opprobrious
damning, extremely critical, disgraceful
Pittance (n.)
A small amount of money, pittance carries with it a negative connotation: a pittance is inadequate and will do little to take care of one's costs. Vinny's uncle beamed smugly about how he'd offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere pittance.
Candid (adj.)
A straightforward and honest look at something is a candid one. Many great photographers have created enduring work because they turned their respective lens on what is real. Whether these photos are from the Dust Bowl, the Vietnam War, or the Arab Winter, they move us because they reveal how people felt at a certain moment. A person can also be candid if they are being honest and straightforward with you. Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.
Parsimonious (adj.)
A synonym with miserly and stingy. Parsimonious is GRE-speak for extremely frugal. Like miserly, this word has a negative connotation. Even with millions in his bank account, Fred was so parsimonious that he followed a diet consisting of nothing more than bread and canned soup.
Tirade (n.)
A tirade is an angry speech, one that suggests the person giving the tirade has become a little too angry, and should probably dismount the soapbox. In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.
Factitious (adj.)
A tricky word, to say the least. When I preface a word by saying it's tricky, you can bet that the word's definition is not what you would expect. Factitious is no exception, in that it does not relate to fact. Indeed, factitious is almost the opposite of fact. Factitious means artificial, not natural. A laugh can be factitious. A gesture. Your alacrity on the first day of a new job. Factitious can also be used literally to refer to something artificial. The houseplant that never needs watering, for instance. A good synonym for factitious—and a word people use frequently—is phony. The defendant's story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies.
audacious
daring; bold
Heyday (n.)
About two of the most ordinary words I can think of, and how someone who is generally apathetic might greet the morning. Put them together, and you get something far more exciting. Heyday is the pinnacle, or top, of a person, time period or career. During the heyday of Prohibition, bootlegging had become such a lucrative business that many who had been opposed to the 18th Amendment began to fear it would be repealed.
Acrimony (n.)
Acrimony means bitterness and ill will. Don't forget the adjective form, acrimonious, which describes relationships filled with bitterness and ill will. The acrimonious dispute between the president and vice-president sent an unequivocal signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.
Ambiguous (adj.)
Ambiguous means open to more than one interpretation. Let's say I have two friends, Bob and Paul. If I tell you that he is coming to my house today, then that is ambiguous. Who do I mean? Paul or Bob? The coach told his team, "Move towards that side of the field"; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.
Amenable (adj.)
Amenable means easily persuaded. If someone is cooperative and goes along with the program, so to speak, that person is amenable. Amenable can also be used in the medical sense: if a disease is amenable to treatment, that disease can be treated. Even though she did not like bad weather, Shirley was generally amenable and decided to accompany her brother to the picinc.
Amiable (adj.)
Amiable means friendly. It is very similar to amicable, another common GRE word. Amicable, however, does not refer to a person the way that amiable does, but rather refers to relationships between people. You'll notice that amicable is, therefore, the opposite of acrimonious (see below). Amy's name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.
Amorphous (adj.)
Amorphous means shapeless. Morph- comes from the Latin for shape. The root a-, as in atypical, means not or without. Therefore, if something is amorphous, it lacks shape. His study plan for the GRE was at best amorphous; he would do questions from random pages in any one of seven test prep books.
Amalgam (n.)
An amalgam, in the chemistry sense, is an alloy made of mercury and some other metal (formerly used, before the health scare, as part of our dental fillings). Generally speaking, an amalgam is a mixture of two or more things. The band's music was an amalgam of hip-hop and jazz.
Fleece (v.)
Don't feel sheepish if you thought this word only pertained to the coat of an ovine. As a verb fleece means to swindle or dupe. The Internet is filled with get-rich-quick schemes that intend only to fleece the Pollyannaish and unsuspecting.
Interesting and International Word Origins - Eponyms
An eponym is any word that is derived from a person's name. English is one of the most promiscuous languages, absorbing languages as unrelated as Sanskrit and Finnish into its bulging lexicon. By extension, I'd also warn against relying on Latin/Greek roots to figure out what unfamiliar words mean. Thwarting a root-based approach even more is the fact that English not only takes from any language it stumbles across, but that it blithely appropriates a person's name, trimming a few letters here and there (adding the Latin -ian, or -esque for true mongrel effect), and then begets a Franken-word that would confound the most seasoned etymologist. Adapting a name in such a fashion results in an eponym. What makes eponyms fascinating—and even more random—is that just about anyone can bequeath the world his or her name: a fictional anti-hero who thought windmills were dragons; a jingoistic veteran of Napoleon's army; an author with a penchant for absurdity, and an aversion to bureaucracy. Of course, for GRE purposes we do not need to know that a jeroboam is a massive wine bottle named for an ancient Israeli king (who apparently was quite the wino). So I have culled from a list of eponyms those that may actually show up test day.
Anomalous (adj.)
Anomalous means not normal, out of the ordinary, and is simply the adjective—and scarier looking—form of anomaly, which is a noun. Anomalous can be used in cases to describe something that is not typical, like an unusually cold California spring. According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply anomalous—average temps should return to average, they believe.
Becoming (adj.)
Another secondary meaning that changes parts of speech, becoming an adjective. If something is becoming, it is appropriate, and matches nicely. Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful.
Laconic (adj.)
Another word that sounds different from what it means. A person is described as laconic when he/she says very few words. I'm usually reminded of John Wayne, the quintessential cowboy, who, with a gravely intonation, muttered few words at a time. As this allusion betrays my age more than anything else, think of Christian Bale in Batman—the laconic caped crusader. While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative—and not very hunky.
Attenuate (v.)
Attenuate means to weaken (in terms of intensity), to taper off/become thinner. Attenuate can refer to both abstract and tangible things. Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party. The stick is attenuated at one end to allow the villagers to forage for ants.
Sanguine (adj.)
But not all is bad in the world of bodily humors. Meet sanguine, from the Latin sanguineus, which comes from blood. Not that most of us would consider blood a humor, but according to Galen, blood, along with bile/choler, was one of the four bodily humors. And while this bloody association doesn't bode well for the definition of sanguine, surprisingly, sanguine means to be cheerful, optimistic. How did this ever come to be? Well, when we are happy the blood rushes to our cheeks turning them red (yes, this seems to me about as valid as yellow meaning prejudice—not that green with envy makes any sense). While sanguine has a positive definition, the word sanguinary—note the sang- root—means a carnage or bloodbath. Yes, I know English can be a confusing language. But, if you learn these high-frequency GRE words, you will have something to be sanguine about! With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine.
Kafkaesque (adj.)
By day, Franz Kafka filed papers at an insurance office, and by night churned out dark novels, which suggested that the quotidian world of the office was actually far more sinister. Mainly, his novels were known for the absurd predicaments of their main characters (who often went by nothing more than a single initial). Today, we have the word Kafkaesque, that refers to the absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies. So next time you are put on hold for three hours and then volleyed back in forth between a dozen monotone-voice employees, think to yourself, hey this is Kafkaesque. The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation.
Calumny (n.)
Calumny is the making of a false statement meant to injure a person's reputation. With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny, and the mud already waist-high.
Chary (adj.)
Chary rhymes with wary, and it also means to be cautious. They are also synonyms. Jack was wary of GRE words that looked similar, because they usually had different definitions; not so with chary, a word that he began to use interchangeably with wary.
Supercilious (adj.)
Cilia are small, thick hairs. One area on our bodies that contains cilia is our eyebrows. Supercilious is derived from the rising of these brows. Of course a word that means raising one's eyebrows would probably have limited use. It's what the raising of eyebrows connotes. Apparently, to be supercilious is to be haughty and disdainful. That is, when we look down at someone in a demeaning way, we might be tempted to lift our brows. Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.
Beg (v.)
Commonly, when we think of begging, we think of money, or a favor. But, one can also beg a question, and that's where things start to get complicated. To beg a question can mean to evade a question, invite an obvious question, or, and this is where it starts to get really tricky, to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions. For instance, let's say you are not really sure if you are going to take the GRE. If somebody asks you when you are going to take the GRE, then that person is assuming you are going to take the GRE. That is, they are begging the question. If you avoid giving a direct answer, then you are also begging the question (albeit in a different sense). Which finally begs the question, how did this whole question begging business get so complicated in the first place? By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall.
Contentious (adj.)
Contentious has two meanings: controversial (in terms of an issue); inclined to arguing (in terms of a person). This word does not mean content. It comes from contend, which means to argue. Be chary (see below) of this word. As soon as the discussion turns to politics, Uncle Hank becomes highly contentious, vehemently disagreeing with those who endorse the same positions.
Demur (v.)
Demur means to object or express reluctance to do something. Demur should not be confused with demure, which as an adjective that means coy. They both come from around the time of the Norman Conquest (though the Anglophiles may have demurred to use either). When asked if she wanted to visit the war torn region without a translator by his side, the journalist demurred.
Inflammable (adj.)
Depending on the circumstances, this can be a very important word. That is, if you read that something is inflammable, that means it can easily light on fire. The opposite would be nonflammable. Strangely enough, inflammable is the same as flammable in the sense that it describes anything that can light on fire. Inflammable—but not flammable—can mean extremely controversial, incendiary. It only takes one person to leave an inflammable comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.
Quixotic (adj.)
Don Quixote is perhaps one of the most well-known characters in all of literature. I suppose there is something heartbreaking yet comical at a man past his prime who believes he is on some great mission to save the world. In fact, Don Quixote was so far off his rocker that he thought windmills were dragons. As a word that means somebody who mistakes windmills for dragons would have a severely limited application, quixotic has taken the broader meaning of someone who is wildly idealistic. It is one thing to want to help end world hunger; it is another to think you can do so on your own. The latter would be deemed quixotic. For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.
Ziggurat
a terrace
Perfunctory (adj.) vs. Preemptive (adj.) vs. Peremptory (adj.)
Ever done dishes before? As far as daily experiences go, this one represents the nadir for most. As a result, when we do dishes, we do them in a routine way. We are hardly inspired. To do something in such a manner is to be perfunctory. The word also carries with it the connotation of carelessness. That is, if you do something in which you are merely going through the motions, you are probably not doing your best (as far as my perfunctory dish-cleaning goes, my wife can attest to this). To act before someone else does is to act preemptively. Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it. Preemptive is often times heard in a political context. A country that strikes before another country can do so is launching a preemptive strike. If you are peremptory you are bossy and domineering. My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.
Extenuating (adj.)
Extenuating means making less guilty or more forgivable. The phrase "extenuating circumstances" is common courtroom lingo. Say somebody broke into a drugstore to steal some expensive medication. Later we learn that medication was for that person's wife, who was dying of some disease that only the medication could cure. Most of us, presumably, would be more likely to forgive the man. Why? Because of the extenuating factor of his wife's disease. The jury was hardly moved by the man's plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch.
Factious (adj.)
Factions result when a large group splinters into smaller ones. Anything that causes factions is factious. Factious is typically not used to describe people. The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted.
Feckless (adj.)
Feck, probably for its phonetic similarity to another word, has been dropped from the language. That or the lexicographers have become feckless, which means that they lacked the drive or initiative to include feck in the dictionary. Feckless means lazy and irresponsible. So, don't get feckless and drop the -less, lest somebody totally misinterprets you. In which case, you'll have to do a fair amount of propitiating. By the way, I'm feckless—I won't include an example sentence (oops, I just walked into a contradiction).
Badger (v.)
For those who have not lived in the U.S., this animal may be as exotic as the lemur is for the rest of us. A badger is basically a weasel on steroids—you wouldn't want to upset one. Curiously, the verb badger doesn't carry any menacing connotation. To badger simply means to pester repeatedly. Perhaps a buzzing fly comes to mind, however the verb 'fly' was already taken. Badgered by his parents to find a job, the 30-year-old loafer instead joined a gang of itinerant musicians.
Mercurial (adj.)
For those who have since forgotten this slippery word, to be mercurial means to change constantly in terms of personality or mood. Typically, we say a mercurial person is moody and unpredictable. When you think of actual mercury—you know, that strange liquid inside thermometers, not the planet—it too is slippery and constantly changing (do not put this to the test—mercury is highly toxic). This poisonous quality, though, did not make it into the definition of mercurial. Someone who is mercurial is just moody. The fact that Ella's moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn't help that she lived in Chicago.
Mesmerize (v.)
Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person's eyes (I'm curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients). Today, we have the word mesmerize, which doesn't necessarily mean to hypnotize (though it could), but is used figuratively and means to hold spellbound. The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.
Viscosity
a thick or sticky consistency of a liquid
Bellicose (adj.)
From the Latin root bell-, which means war, we get bellicose. Someone who is bellicose is warlike, and inclined to quarrel. The word is similar to belligerent, which also employs the bell- root. Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia.
Mercurial (adj.)
From the element mercury, which has no fixed form and constantly changes, we have the word mercurial. Mercurial refers to personality; anyone who unpredictably changes his or her mood is mercurial. This is a very common GRE word, so make sure you learn it. Martha Argerich's mercurial nature is perfectly matched with playing Chopin: she'll toss off, with aplomb, effervescent passages, before moments later plumbing the depths of her soul to give voice to bars of music steeped in the utmost melancholy. Themed Lists
Harangue (n./v.)
Harangue can be either a noun or a verb. It is a synonym of tirade and diatribe. Lest someone harangue you for botched phonetics, the pronunciation of this word can be a bit tricky. Harangue rhymes with twang, rang, and, for the dessert inclined, meringue. Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.
Choleric (adj.)
Hippocrates, along with the Roman physician Galen, believed that the body was filled with humors, or fluids. The balance of these humors led to certain moods. If a person had too much black bile he (usually not she) would be said to be choleric, or highly irascible (choleric was more Galen's nomenclature, as Hippocrates stuck to bilious, a synonym for choleric). While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable—very rarely did students come to his office hours.
Histrionic (adj.) vs. History (n.)
Histrionic is totally unrelated to history. It comes from the Latin for actor. To be histrionic is not to have a penchant for bad Pacino or Brando imitations, but to be overly theatrical. Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she'd been handed a death sentence.
Sedulous (adj.)
I am not quite sure why students can never seem to remember the definition of this word. Perhaps the sed- reminds them of sitting and being idle (like in sedentary). To be sedulous, however, is to be anything but idle. If you are sedulously studying for the GRE, you are studying diligently and carefully—making flashcards, writing down important words and formulas, and, of course, checking out the Magoosh blog every day. An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.
Aboveboard (adj.)
I guess whatever is below the board is deceptive, because aboveboard means open an honest. It usually refers to government officials who are honest. The mayor, despite his avuncular visage plastered about the city, was hardly aboveboard - some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it.
Melee (n.)
I learned melee early in my life, because I had the peculiar misfortune of having a surname that rhymes with it. While none of this schoolyard teasing resulted in any melees, melee is an important word and means a wild, confusing fight or struggle. Oh, and it comes from French (rhyming similarities aside, my last name is not derived from French). Let's see if I can weave all the French-related words into one coherent sentence: Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so fond of baiting arrivistes into. Oui!
Catalyst (n.)
In chemistry, when one substance speeds up a chemical reaction, that substance is said to be a catalyst. Broadly speaking, anything that speeds up (or precipitates) an event is a catalyst. Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat acted as a catalyst for the Civil Right's Movement, setting into motion historic changes for African-Americans.
Goosebumps (n.)
I would never have considered this a vocabulary word (let alone a GRE word), until, that is, the New GRE PowerPrep test included a Text Completion in which goosebumps was the answer. Goosebumps describe that sensation on our skin when we become frightened. You know, those sudden pimple-like bumps that suddenly appear when you are watching the first half of a horror movie (the last part of horror movies are typically cheesy, once they show the monster). Well, this is now a good word to remember for the GRE, lest you want to get goosebumps test day. Some people believe that goosebumps result when a ghost brushes up against you.
Telltale (adj.)
If I tell a tale, I am telling a story, one that is usually a fib. Telltale, however, simply means revealing. The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.
Apotheosis (n.)
If a person (or a thing) has reached such a point as to be god-like, then that person has reached an apotheosis. As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg's career, many believe, is yet to come.
Desecrate (v.)
If a person willfully violates or destroys any sacred place, he (or she) is said to desecrate it. Tombs, graves, churches, shrines and the like can all be victims of desecrations. One, however, cannot desecrate a person, regardless of how holy that person may be. The felon had desecrated the holy site, and was on the church's Top 10 Anathema list.
Macabre (adj.)
If a story, film, or, for that matter, any description is filled with gruesome details about death and horror, we say that it is macabre. Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to—and often those moments after—a grisly death.
Bleak (adj.)
If one has a very depressing take on life, we say that person has a bleak outlook. Landscapes can be bleak (Siberia in April, the Texas of No Country for Old Men), and writers, too (Dostoevsky, Orwell). Unremitting overcast skies tend to lead people to create bleak literature and lugubrious music—compare England's band Radiohead to any band from Southern California.
Fractious (adj.)
If someone is fractious, he/she is irritable and is likely to cause disruption. We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.
Cadaverous (adj.)
If someone is so skinny or emaciated that they look like a dead person, then that person is cadaverous. This word comes from cadaver, which is a corpse. Besides emaciated, a good synonym for cadaverous is gaunt. Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear cadaverous.
Tenebrous
dark and gloomy
Scintillating (adj.)
If something gives off sparks, such as when photons collide, it is said to scintillate. Figuratively, scintillating describes someone who is brilliant and lively (imagine Einstein's brain giving off sparks). Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.
Telling (adj.)
If something is telling, it is significant and revealing of another factor. If a person's alibi has a telling detail, often that one little detail can support—or unravel!—the person's alibi. Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.
Thoroughgoing (adj.)
If something is thorough it is complete. Therefore, thorough isn't too far from the meaning of thoroughgoing, which means absolute. As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.
Profuse (adj.)
If something literally pours out in abundance we say it is profuse. This pouring out is usually figurative. A person who apologies ceaselessly does so profusely. Perhaps a little more vividly, certain men who fail to button up their shirts completely let the world - perhaps not unwittingly - know of their profuse chest hairs (which, on their part, should necessitate a profuse apology). During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles clad in nothing more than skimpy shorts.
Mellifluous (adj.)
If something sounds as sweet as honey, it is mellifluous. The voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, and even that of Bill Clinton are mellifluous (listen to the way our former President was able to, through turns of locution and his southern drawl, to imbue the mundane with a sense of pleading urgency). Of course, what sounds mellifluous is a matter of opinion. As long as it's not Justin Bieber. Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother's chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.
Benighted (adj.)
If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, benighted. However, if a people are benighted (this word is usually reserved for the collective), that group falls in a state of ignorance. This latter definition is more common. Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.
Disparate (adj.)
If two things are fundamentally different, they are disparate. For instance, verbal skills and math skills are disparate, and as such are usually tested separately—the GRE being no exception. With the advent of machines capable of looking inside the brain, fields as disparate as religion and biology have been brought together, as scientists try to understand what happens in the brain when people have a religious experience.
Contentious (adj.)
If you are contentious, you like to fight with words. If you know somebody who is always trying to pick an argument about something, no matter how trivial, that person is contentious. She became increasingly contentious, misconstruing even an innocuous statement as a hostile one.
Insolvent (adj.)
If you are insolvent you can't pay your bills. Oftentimes people use the term bankrupt. If you are solvent, on the other hand, you have paid off all your debts. With credit card bills skyrocketing, surprisingly few are truly solvent.
Tendentious (adj.)
If you are likely to espouse a controversial view, you are being tendentious. A good synonym for tendentious is biased, though if you are biased you aren't necessarily leaning towards a view that is controversial. Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite proclamations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today's pressing issues.
Hedge (n./v.)
If you are really into horticulture—which is a fancy word for gardening—you'll know hedges are shrubs, or small bushes that have been neatly trimmed. If you know your finance, then you've probably heard of hedge funds (where brokers make their money betting against the market). Hedge can also be used in a verb sense. If you hedge your bets, you play safely. If you hedge a statement, you limit or qualify that statement. Finally, hedge can also mean to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating. When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.
Gregarious (adj.)
If you are sociable, you are talkative, right? Well, not exactly. To be gregarious is to be likely to socialize with others. A good synonym is flocking, like what birds do. But, just as birds do not talk to one another outside of a Pixar flick, people can hang out with each other and not necessarily have to chat. Therefore, do not confuse gregarious with garrulous, which means talkative. Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can often be introverted.
Fleece (v.)
If you are thinking Mary Had a Little Lamb (...fleece as white as snow), you have been fleeced by a secondary meaning. To fleece is to deceive. Many have been fleeced by Internet scams and have never received their money back.
Unconscionable (adj.)
If you are thinking of being knocked over the head and lying in a pool of blood on the sidewalk, you have the wrong word (not to mention a vivid imagination). In this case, the correct word is unconscious. If an act is so horrible and deplorable that it makes everyone around aghast, then that action is unconscionable. Unconscionable can also mean something that is in excess of what is deemed tolerable. This second definition doesn't have the unethical smear of the first definition. The lawyer's demands were unconscionable, and rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the man decided to find a new lawyer.
Thrifty (adj.)
If you are thrifty you spend money wisely. Be careful not to confuse thrifty with spendthrift, which is below. He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.
Underwrite (v.)
If you are writing below the margins of a paper you are not underwriting—you are simply writing below the margins of a piece of paper. Underwrite means to support financially. The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with the underwriting from various Arts & Humanities associations.
Blinkered (adj.)
If you blink a lot you are likely to miss something. Indeed, your view would be very limited. Extending this meaning, we get the definition of blinkered: means to have a limited outlook or understanding. The true etymology of the word actually comes from the blinkers that are put on racing horses to prevent them from becoming distracted. In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.
Hector (v.)
If you remember reading Homer's Iliad, you may remember Hector, a muscular, daunting force (some of you may more vividly recall Eric Bana from the movie Troy). As people were intimidated around Hector, it makes sense that the word hector means to bully or intimidate. The boss's hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.
Venality (n.)
If you've ever heard of a government taking bribes, well, that is an example of venality. To be venal is to be corrupt. Of late, charges of venality tend to be few, though such charges simply don't make the same headlines as scandals of the lecherous kind. If our legal system becomes plagued with venality, then the very notion of justice is imperiled.
Prevaricate (v.)
If you've ever seen a politician caught in a lie (never!), and that person is trying to wiggle their way out of a pointed question, he (or she) is prevaricating. Not that a U.S. president would ever prevaricate by talking about the household pet when confronted with charges of venality (I'm alluding to Richard Nixon and his dog Checkers). Bobby learned not to prevaricate when his teacher asked him where his homework was; by giving a straightforward answer, he would avoid invoking the teacher's wrath.
Fell (adj.)
Imagine an evil person who cuts down trees, and then falls himself. Well, that image is capturing three different definitions of fell—to cut down a tree, the past tense of fall (we all know that) and evil. Yes, I know, fell can't possibly mean evil...but the English language is a wacky one. Fell indeed means terribly evil. Now watch out for that tree! For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement.
Impertinent (adj.)
Impertinent can actually be the opposite of pertinent, but this definition is seldom used. Most of the time, impertinent means not showing the proper respect. You can think of it this way - if somebody's behavior is not pertinent to the given social context, e.g. an occasion calling for formality, then you can think of that person as being impertinent. The definition usually only applies if a person is being rude where respect is expected, and not staid where frivolity is apt. Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer's questions impertinent—after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline's favorite snack was?
(In)solvent (adj.))
In chemistry, a solvent is any substance able to breakdown or dissolve another substance. Outside the lab, to be solvent is to be able to pay off one's debts. To be insolvent, on the other hand, is not to be able to pay off one's debts. Many once-great athletes have become insolvent, as they are unable to pay off their debts or hold down jobs that would potentially free them from debt.
Ambulatory
able to walk or move about
Indigent (adj.) vs. Indigenous (adj.) vs. Indignant (adj.)
Indigent word means poor, having very little means. In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the wherewithal to enjoy material luxuries. Indigenous means relating to a certain area. Plants and animals are often indigenous, as are people. The flora and fauna indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you're not dealing with an opossum. Imagine you are waiting in line to order your morning coffee. Right as you are about to ask for a nice steaming cup, someone cuts in front of you and places an order for six people. How would you feel? Indignant. Indignant means to feel anger over a perceived injustice. And you don't want to be indignant the day of the test, when ETS just happens to pick that one word you always end up confusing with another word.
Panglossian (adj.)
Interestingly, there is another eponym for literature that has a very similar meaning: Panglossian. Derived from Dr. Pangloss from Voltaire's Candide, Panglossian carries a negative connotation, implying blind optimism. Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age.
Stipend (n.)
Is a regular allowance, usually for a student (yes, it seems that many of these money matters are related to students!). Of course stipends aren't just limited to students; governments provide stipends to a number of different people. He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of defraying his college tuition.
Defray (v.)
Is to help pay the cost of, either in part of full. Often times when students go off to college, they hope that tuition (which is always becoming steeper these days) will be defrayed by any of a number of means: scholarships, parents, burgeoning stock portfolio, or even generous relatives. In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college his magnanimous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly infusion of cash.
Vicarious (adj.) vs. Vicissitude (n.)
Isn't travel great? You get to experience other cultures, and see the world. Well, actually, sometimes traveling can be more stressful than a rush-hour commute—lost luggage, stolen items, and inclement weather are just a few of the many woes that can beset the traveler. So, why not stay at home and watch the travel channel? With just one flick of the wrist, you can journey to the distant lands of Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat. Such travel, in which you enjoy something through another person's experiences—in this case the host of the travel show—is to live vicariously. The contexts, of course, can vary widely. Maybe your best friend has told you all about his or her graduate school experiences via weekly blog posts. Now you, too, feel that you've gone through grad school. That's living vicariously. A vicissitude is any change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse. That is, life is full of ups and down that are beyond our control. Those are vicissitudes. Speaking of, traveling—especially any of those quit-your-job six-week jaunts through Europe—is full of vicissitudes, so again, sometimes it's better to stay at home and tune into the travel station (as long as the remote control doesn't go traveling off somewhere).
Imbroglio (n.)
It may sound like an exotic vegetable or a pungent pasta dish, but it's neither. Imbroglio comes to us via mid-18th century Italian and has nothing to do with the kitchen. Instead it is related to the verb embroil and describes a confusing, and potentially embarrassing, situation. The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.
Jaundice (adj./n.)
Jaundice is a condition of the liver that has the side effect of turning the skin yellow. The second definition—and the one you have to know for the GRE—may seem completely unrelated: to be biased against as a result of envy or prejudice. In the 17th Century, being yellow, apparently, was associated with having prejudice. Hence, we have the second definition of the word jaundice. It is important to note that yellow now, at least colloquially, means to be cowardly. This definition does not relate to jaundice. Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.
Jingoist (adj.)
Jingoism is what happens when bellicosity meets patriotism, and both drink too much whiskey. A person who thinks their country should always be at war is a jingoist. The word is similar to hawkish, a word that means favoring conflict over compromise. In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.
Junta (n.)
Junta means to join and comes via Portugal and Spain. But this joining was in no way peaceful. Whenever military groups joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta. Today, junta can refer to the aggressive takeover by a group. As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership.
Intimate (adj./v.)
Just as tender doesn't relate to two people in love, neither does intimate, at least in the GRE sense. The secondary meaning for intimate is to suggest something subtly. At first Manfred's teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy's precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade.
Pyrrhic (adj.)
King Pyrrhus had the unfortunate luck of going up against the Romans. Some would say that he was actually lucky in that he actually defeated the Romans in the Battle of Asculum. Pyrrhic was perhaps more ambivalent, quipping, "One more such victory will undo me." So any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it is a pyrrhic victory. George W. Bush's win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.
Lascivious (adj.)
Lascivious, like lecherous, prurient, and libidinous, all refer to perversion. In terms of linking these words to the world of politics...well, given the sordid events that surface every few months, I don't think I need to elaborate. Jerry's coworkers were confused as to why Jerry thought that the word mango carried lascivious connotations; when he tried to explain, they only became more perplexed.
Pollyannaish (adj.)
Like Hector, Pollyannaish comes from fiction. However, in this case we are dealing with a relatively recent work, that of Eleanor Porter who came up with a character named Pollyanna. Pollyanna was extremely optimistic and so it is no surprise that Pollyannaish means extremely optimistic. Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.
Galvanize (v.)
Like many late 18th Century scientists, Luigi Galvani was fascinated with electricity (you may recall a certain Ben Franklin who had a similar penchant). Galvani's breakthrough came a little more serendipitously than playing with metal in lightning storms—he noticed that an electric current passing through a dead frog's legs made those legs twitch. This observation sparked—pardon the pun—a series of connections: could it be that electric shock could cause muscles to twitch? Today, galvanize can mean to shock but in a different sense than through raw electricity. To galvanize is to shock or urge somebody/something into action. The colonel's speech galvanized the troops, who had all but given up.
Affable (adj.)
Likeable, easy to talk to: affable is similar to amiable. The differences are subtle, and as far as the GRE is concerned, you can treat them as the same word. Like amiable, this word is great to use to describe people we know. After all, everyone knows an affable person. For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn't around other people.
Imbibe (v.)
Literally, to imbibe is to drink, usually copiously. Figuratively, imbibe can refer to an intake of knowledge or information. Plato imbibed Socrates' teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.
Malfeasance (n.)
Malfeasance is wrongdoing, usually by a public official. Oftentimes, you hear the term corporate malfeasance—this type of wrongdoing occurs when somebody in the business world is up to no good. Typically, though, malfeasance is used in the context of politics. And, not to sound too cynical, but one usually doesn't have to look much further than one's local news to find example of malfeasance—political or corporate. Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.
Dog (v.)
Man's best friend, right? Well, as long as it's not in verb form. To dog means to pursue relentlessly, and is thus a synonym of hound. Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.
Chauvinist (n.)
Many have heard this word, and some may even have a visceral reaction to it. However, this word is actually misused. A chauvinist is not a male who chugs beers, watches too much football, and demeans women. That would be a male chauvinist. So what is a chauvinist, unadorned by any adjective? Well, Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon's army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was. In its modern day incantation, chauvinism can also mean anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else's group. You can have male chauvinists, political party chauvinists, and even female chauvinists. The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.
Jejune (adj.)
Many people like this word for the simple reason that it's fun to say. After all, how often do we get to see the summery month of June in a word? All this niftiness aside, the definition of jejune (sadly) is a letdown. To be jejune is to be dull, insipid and lacking flavor. No, it can't be, you think. But yes, jejune, our delightful word, means something that literally means lackluster. But it gets even worse for poor jejune: it is derived from the first part of the large intestine, the jejunum, where food is digested. Now jejune does not only mean boring, it also conjures up images we'd rather leave in the dark. Finally, jejune has a second definition. Jejune, though, is yet again a victim of bad PR. To be jejune (secondary definition) means to be childish and immature. Now that I'm done lamenting jejune's debased status, I'm going to have a jejune fit.
Extant (adj.)
Many think this word means extinct. Extant is actually the opposite of extinct. A great mnemonic is to put the word 'is' between the 'x' and the 't' in extant. This gives you existant (don't mind the misspelling). Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.
Maudlin (adj.)
Mary Magdalene was the most important female disciple of Jesus. After Jesus had been crucified, she wept at his tomb. From this outward outpouring of emotion, we today have the word maudlin. Whereas Mary's weeping was noble, maudlin has taken on a negative connotation. A person who is maudlin cries in public for no good reason, and is oftentimes times used to describe one who's tried to finish a jeroboam alone, and now must share with the stranger sitting next to them all of his deepest feelings. Just as those who were alive during the 70's are mortified that they once cavorted about in bell-bottoms, many who lived during the 80's are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy—really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?
Animosity (n.)
Meaning Intense hostility, animosity should be reserved for extreme cases. That is, if you really loathe someone, and that person feels the same way, then you can say animosity exists between the two of you. A related word, and a synonym, is animus (though animus can also mean motivation, as in impetus). The governor's animosity toward his rival was only inflamed when the latter spread false lies regarding the governor's first term.
Wax (n./v.)
Melting wax will only lead you astray. The secondary meaning for wax is to increase. The opposite of wax is to wane. Both words are used to describe the moon: a waxing moon becomes larger and larger each night until it becomes a full moon, at which point it becomes small and smaller each night and becomes a waning moon. Her enthusiasm for the diva's new album only waxed with each song; by the end of the album, it was her favorite CD yet.
Enervate (v.)
Most people think enervate means to energize. It actually means to sap the energy from. John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he'd spent the day sightseeing.
Disinterested (adj.)
Much as the addition of belie is a difficult vocabulary word that tends to make a question harder, the addition of disinterested into a text completion can make it a difficult question. Why? Everybody assumes that disinterested means not interested. While this is acceptable colloquially, the GRE, as you've probably come to learn by now, is anything but colloquial. The definition of disinterested is unbiased, neutral. The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.
Pugnacious (adj.)
Much like a pug dog, which aggressively yaps at anything near it, a person who is pugnacious likes to aggressively argue about everything. Verbally combative is another good way to describe pugnacious. The comedian told one flat joke after another, and when the audience started booing, he pugnaciously spat back at them, "Hey, you think this is easy - why don't you buffoons give it a shot?"
Galvanize (v.)
Need to strengthen steel by giving it a final coat? Or, perhaps you need to motivate somebody? Well, in both cases, you would literally be galvanizing. Figuratively, to galvanize is to excite to action or spur on. At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, "Go Kyle"; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.
Powwow (n./v.)
No, it's not kowtow's cousin. This word sprung from American soil, namely the Algonquin tribe of North America. A powwow was quite a hootenanny of a time and involved a big party of dancing and dining between tribes. Strangely, today's meaning is a lot more subdued, and far less fun. Any informal discussion or colloquy is regarded as a powwow. You and your co-worker can have a mid-afternoon powwow over coffee. A political leader can have a powwow with his cronies (I'm presuming they'd favor cigars over coffee). Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.
Gerrymander (v.)
No, this word does not pertain to a large salamander named Gerry - though I suppose it could. Gerrymander is actually far more interesting than that. Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district. The end result was a city that was split up into the oddest arrangement of districts. And can you guess what a map of the city, gerrymandered, looked like? Yep, a salamander. Today the use of gerrymander hasn't changed too much, and refers to the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group. Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.
Protean (adj.)
Nope, I have not spelled protein incorrectly (don't worry—carbohydrates will not show up next on the list!). Protean is an eponym derived from the Greek god Proteus, who could change into shape or forms at will. To be protean, however, does not mean you wow party guests by shifting into various kinds of lawn furniture. The consummate adaptability implied by the word is used to describe a person's ability. So an actor, musician, or writer who is very versatile is protean. Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.
Kowtow (v.)
Nope, kowtow is not a giant truck for pulling bovines, but rather a word that comes from the imperial courts of China. When a person kowtowed to the emperor, or any eminent mandarin for that matter, he or she knelt and touched the ground with his or her forehead. Such a gesture was intended to show respect and submission. Today, kowtow has a negative connotation and implies that a person is acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner. Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.
Martinet (n.)
Not to be confused with a doll dangled on strings (that's a marionette), a martinet is a person who is a strict disciplinarian. Think of a drill sergeant who barks an order and a platoon of cadets jump to attention—the slightest misstep and its toilet duty. If anything, the martinet is the one holding the strings This military example is no coincidence; martinet is an eponym, meaning a word derived from a person's name. The guilty party in this case is the 17th Century French drillmaster Jean Martinet. The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize—and inevitably criticize—every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.
Zeitgeist (n.)
Okay, German is by no means a distant tongue, or for that matter, an exotic one. Zeitgeist, however, doesn't look anything like your typical English word. Translated literally from German, zeitgeist means "time-ghost". In terms of an actual definition, zeitgeist means spirit of the times. Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990's was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000's was a curious admixture of fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on YouTube.
Byzantine (adj.)
Okay, I cheated a little on this one. Byzant was not a medieval philosopher (nor an industrious ant). The word byzantine is not derived from a person's name, but from Byzantium, an ancient city that was part of the Byzantine Empire (the word can also refer to the empire itself). Specifically, Byzantium was known for the intricate patterns adorning its architecture. Bulbous domed turrets were emblazoned with ornate latticing (think of the towers on a Russia church). The modern usage of byzantine refers not to architecture per se, but to anything that is extremely intricate and complex. It actually carries a negative connotation. Getting a driver's license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV.
Hodgepodge (n.)
Okay, I'm not really sure what a hodge is, or for that matter, a podge. But if you put them together, you get hodgepodge, a word that means a confusing mixture or jumble. Long after his heyday as Germany's pre-eminent visionary philosopher, Nietzsche began to populate his writing with a hodgepodge of aphorisms.
Venerate (v.) vs. Enervate (v.)
Okay, fine, this one is deviating from the agenda a little. Still, despite not starting with a 'v', enervate actually contains all the letters found in venerate, only scrambled. As for their meanings, these two words are anything but similar. To venerate someone is to respect that person deeply. To enervate, on the other hand, is to sap that person of energy. Dave found the professor's lecture so enervating that not even a potent cup of joe could keep his eyes from drooping. The professor, despite his soporific lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.
Defenestrate (v.)
Okay, fine...there is slim chance that this word will pop up on the GRE, but it is one of my favorite words. It's a comical way of saying to throw someone out of a window, which in a sense is comical, as there is nothing comical about getting thrown out of a window. These days defenestrate is really nothing more than a linguistic curiosity, yet there was a time, long ago, when windows had neither panes nor glass. Think of a medieval castle. Apparently, defenestration happened enough that someone thought up a word for it. (To see a defenestration, check out the movie Braveheart, which shows the tyrannical King Edward I defenestrating a hapless lad). Defenestration is rare in these days of sealed windows.
Avarice (n.)
One of the seven deadly sins, avarice means greed. Of note, this word doesn't necessarily mean greed for food but usually pertains to possessions or wealth. The Spanish conquistadors were known for their avarice, plundering Incan land and stealing Incan gold.
aberrant
abnormal or deviant
Slapdash (adj.)
One word conjures up a relatively violent action, the other what one typically does if they want to escape a dangerous situation. Put them together and you get, voila, a word meaning careless. That's right—slapdash means hastily put together. The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.
Paucity (n.)
Paucity is a lack of something. In honor of paucity, this entry will have a paucity of words. There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most jobs have either been automated or outsourced.
Equivocate (v.)
People tend to think that equivocate has to do with equal. It actually means to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive. More generally, equivocal can mean ambiguous. The related word unequivocal can also be confusing. To state something unequivocally is to state it in such a way that there is no room for doubt. The findings of the study were equivocal—the two researchers had divergent opinions on what the results signified.
Peruse (v.)
Peruse means to read very carefully. Unfortunately, the colloquial usage not only ignores this definition, but goes so far as to flip this definition on its head. In light conversatoin, peruse means to read over quickly. The GRE constitutes anything but light conversation, so make sure to remember that peruse means to read over carefully (perusing the first part of this paragraph helps!). Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signature at the bottom.
Picayune (adj.)
Picayune would make for a good 2,000-dollar jeopardy clue, one which would probably read something like this: "Don't trifle with us—this word comes from Cajun country via France and refers to a 19th century coin of little value." "What is picayune?" would be the correct answer (thanks, Alex!). Derived from Cajun via Provencal France, picayune refers not only to a coin but also to an amount that is trifling or meager. It can also refer to a person who is petty. Therefore, if I'm being picayune, I'm fussing over some trivial point. English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.
Ponderous (adj.) vs. Imponderable (adj./n.)
Ponder means to think over. So, ponderous must mean thinking. However, this is not the case. Ponderous is derived from 'pondus', which means weight (think of a pound). So, to be ponderous means to be weighed-down, and to move slowly and in a labored fashion. Imponderable is not the opposite of ponderous. It actually relates to thinking. An imponderable is something that is impossible to estimate, fathom or figure out. Say a child was to ask, "How long would it take driving in a car to go from one end of the universe to the other?" Unless you have a really big calculator—and a very fast car—the answer to this question would be imponderable.
Curmudgeon (n.)
Probably one of my favorite GRE words—it's great for describing certain folk and it's fun to say. A curmudgeon is a grouchy, surly person, one who is always sulking as they grumble about something or another. Uncle Mike was the family curmudgeon so on Thanksgiving he was plied with copious amounts of wine so that he would finely lose the grouchy demeanor and break into a faint smile.
Agenda
Program, things to be done
Prosaic (adj.)
Prosaic conjures up a beautiful mosaic for some. So if somebody or something is prosaic, it must surely be good. Once again the GRE confounds expectations. Prosaic means dull and lacking imagination. It can be used to describe plans, life, language, or just about anything inanimate that has become dull (it is not used to describe people). A good mnemonic: prose is the opposite of poetry. And where poetry, ideally, bursts force with imagination, prose (think of text-book writing), lacks imagination. Hence, prose-aic. Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.
Pugnacious (adj.)
Pugnacious means having an inclination to fight and be combative. A useful mnemonic is a pug dog—you know, those really small dogs that always try to attack you while releasing a fusillade of yaps. Nobody wanted to work with Dexter lest he or she become embroiled in some spat; even those who did their best to avoid Dexter eventually had to deal with his pugnacity.
Remiss (adj.)
Remiss does not mean to miss again. It means to be negligent in one's duty. For some reason, students of mine have always had difficulty remembering this word. Sometimes I chide them, "Don't be remiss as vocabulary scholars by forgetting the word remiss." While arguably clever, this admonishment isn't usually as efficacious as I'd hope it would be. (So don't be remiss!). Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principle was relieved of his position after only three months.
Restive (adj.)
Restive sounds like rest. It's actually the opposite, and means restless. Though most of the 're-' words are common, restive is definitely the re- word you are most likely to see test day. It can be used to describe both people and groups of people. The crowd grew restive as the comedian's opening jokes fell flat.
Sangfroid (n.)
Sangfroid literally means cold-blooded. It is defined as calmness and poise, especially in trying situations. The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head.
Schadenfreude (n.)
Schadenfreude is one of those words that at first glance may seem gratuitous. After all, do we really need a word that literally translates from the German as harm-joy? Unfortunately, a twisted quirk of human nature is that we can sometimes take joy in the suffering of others. Luckily, German has provided us a word to use if we ever see someone cackling sardonically at the suffering of others. From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.
Screed (n.)
Screed takes on a more negative connotation, and suggests an abusive rant that has since become tedious and hackneyed. Currently, the Occupy movements have hardly devolved into screeds, and may even intensify, if protestors feel their various demands have not been met. However, if the protest fizzles out months from now, except for the lone dude in the park, gesticulating at a passel of pigeons ...well, he is very likely launching into a screed. Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, would enumerate all of the government's deficiencies, only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business.
Apostasy (n.)
Some believers turn against their faith and renounce it. We call this act apostasy, and those who commit it, apostates. Today the word carries a slightly broader connotation in that it can apply to politics as well. An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party but dubs himself a "literal independent."
Churlish (adj.)
Someone who is churlish lacks manners or refinement. A churlish person lacks tact and civility is often outright rude. The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly unbecoming.
Innocuous (adj.)
Something innocuous is harmless and doesn't produce any ill effects. Many germs are innocuous. As are most bug bites. Even television, in small doses, is typically innocuous. Innocuous can also mean inoffensive. An innocuous question is unlikely to upset anyone. Everyone found Nancy's banter innocuous—except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.
Cogent (adj.)
Something that's cogent is clear and persuasive. His essay writing, while full of clever turns of phrases, lacks cogency: the examples he uses to support his points are at times irrelevant and, in one instance, downright ludicrous.
Turpitude (n.)
Sometimes lechery and its synonymous friends are just too soft when describing certain acts of malfeasance. At the far ends of the political spectrum, where outrage is felt most keenly, people feel the need to invoke far harsher vocabulary when condemning naughty behavior. One such word is turpitude, which gained prominence in the late 90's (Google will fill in the blanks). A synonym for depravity, turpitude is only reserved for those acts deemed to be downright wicked and immoral. During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.
Censure (v.) vs. Censor (v.)
Speaking of beeping out the F-word, we have a synonym for expurgate: censor. Censure, the much more common GRE word, has nothing to do with removing objectionable words and/or material. However, if you decide to start dropping the F-bomb in public—and I don't mean facetious—then you can easily expect someone to censure you. To censure someone is to express strong disapproval of that person.
Bilious (adj.)
Speaking of nasty stuff in the body, bilious comes from bile—you know, that yellow stuff in your liver that every once in a while makes a very unwelcome gustatory appearance. To be filled with bile, however, doesn't mean to have a bad taste in your mouth. According to Hippocrates, he of the bodily humors, if we are filled with too much bile, we are angry. Therefore, to be bilious is to be constantly irritable and ready to bite somebody's head off. Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he'd had his morning cup of coffee.
Zenith (n.), Summit (n.), Acme (n.), Pinnacle (n.) and Apex (n.)
Strangely, English has five words that mean the top of a mountain (perhaps our first lexicographers were avid alpinists). Spirited hiking, however, is only the half of it. Typically, you will encounter these words in a figurative sense: At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts. The Ivy League is considered the apex of the education system. At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.
Ambivalent (adj.)
Students often believe that to be ambivalent towards something is to be indifferent. The truth is almost the opposite. See, when you are ambivalent you have mixed or conflicting emotions about something. Imagine somebody asked you what it was like studying for the GRE. Sam was ambivalent about studying for the GRE because it ate up a lot of her time, yet he learned many words and improved at reading comprehension.
Retiring (adj.)
Sure, many dream of the day when they can retire (preferably to some palatial estate with a beachfront view). The second definition does not necessarily apply to most. To be retiring is to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company. Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with "fashionable" folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
Tender (v.)
Tender is a verb, and it does not mean to behave tenderly. When you tender something, you offer it up. For instance, when you tender your resignation, you hand in a piece of paper saying that you are resigning. The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation.
Alacrity (n.)
The GRE has a predilection for words that don't really sound like what they mean. Alacrity is no exception. Many think the word has a negative connotation. Alacrity, however, means an eager willingness to do something. So imagine the first day at a job that you've worked really hard to get. How are you going to complete the tasks assigned to you? With alacrity, of course. An interesting correlation: the more alacritous (adjective form) you are when you're learning GRE vocabulary, the better you will do. The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew they would be giving him a promotion.
Expansive (adj.)
The common definition of expansive is extensive, wide-ranging. The lesser known definition is communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner. After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the "good old days".
Saturnine (adj.)
The etymology of this curious word can be traced to two sources: alchemy and astrology. For alchemists, Saturn was related to the chemical lead. When a person has severe lead poisoning, he or she takes on a very gloomy and morose disposition. Astrologists, on the other hand, believed that the planet Saturn was gloomy and morose. Usually, we would be loath to attribute human characteristics to large floating rocks, but remember—these were astrologists. Either way you look at it, to be saturnine is to be morose. Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that's why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.
Checkered (adj.)
The meaning of checkered is completely unrelated to the meaning of check, so be sure to know the difference between the two. A checkered past is one that is marked by disreputable happenings. One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts—from embezzlement to infidelity—sabotaging their campaigns.
Apogee (n.)
The point at which the moon is farthest from the earth is known as the apogee. In terms of accomplishment or achievement, this word can refer to the highest point or culmination of something. The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart's music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.
Prodigal (adj.)
The provenance of this word—like many GRE words—is the Bible. One of Jesus' most famous parables, the story is of a young man who squanders his father's wealth and returns home destitute. His father forgives him, but to posterity he will forever be remembered as the prodigal son. To be prodigal is to squander or waste wealth (it doesn't necessarily have to be familial wealth). This word should not be confused with prodigious, which means vast or immense. Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception—most live decadent lives.
Sartorial (adj.)
The sartorius muscle is found on your legs and crosses from the back, near the hamstring, all the way to the base of the quadriceps, at the front of the leg. The name sartorius was derived from the Latin for tailor. You may ask what a leg muscle has to do with a person who stitches clothes? Well, whenever a tailor was at work, he/she would cross his or her legs. In order to do so, a tailor must employ a special leg muscle, the sartorius. Today, sartorial does not relate directly to the muscle or tailor, but rather to the way we dress (makes sense considering tailors work with clothes). Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complemented his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.
Sanctimonious (adj.)
This is a tricky word, and thus you can bet it's one of GRE's favorites. Sanctimonious does not mean filled with sanctity or holiness. Instead it refers to that quality that can overcome someone who feels that they are holier (read: morally superior) to everybody else. Colloquially, we hear the term holier-than-thou. That is a very apt way to describe the attitude of a sanctimonious person. Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time.
Maintain (v.)
The second definition of this word—and one the new GRE favors—is to assert. One can maintain their innocence. A scientist can maintain that a recent finding supports her theory. The latter context is the one you'll encounter on the GRE. The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate.
Start (v.)
The secondary meaning for start is somewhat similar to the common meaning. To start is to suddenly move or dart in a particular direction. Just think of the word startle. All alone in the mansion, Henrietta started when she heard a sound.
Cow (v.)
The verb form of cow always tickles me, as I imagine the cow to be one of the more placid creatures. Despite such bovine equanimity, to cow means to use intimidation to make someone give in. In the 'cheesy' mnemonic department, imagine a cow on steroids (as most tend to be these days) telling you to 'moo'-ve out of the way. Pretty intimidating, huh? Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards!
Invective (n.)
The verb form of invective, at least in a loose sense, is inveigh. This word popped up a lot on the old GRE, because it was easily confused with inveigle, which means to coax. Both words are still good to know for the New GRE. Invective is used to describe harsh, critical language. The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.
Repine (v.)
The verb pine means to yearn for. Like remiss, however, the addition of the prefix re- does not signify again. To repine means to complain or fret over something. Note: the verb pine can also mean to waste away. Standing forlornly by the window, she repined for her lost love.
Impecunious (adj.)
The word pecuniary means relating to money. Impecunious, on the other hand, means not having any money. Pecunious, now mainly obsolete, means—as you can probably guess—wealthy. In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.
Corroborate (v.)
To corroborate something is to confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim). Her claim that frog populations were falling precipitously in Central America was corroborated by locals, who reported that many species of frogs had seemingly vanished overnight.
Precipitate (adj./n./v.)
There aren't too many words in the English language that, without any change in spelling, can be a noun, verb, or an adjective. Precipitate, one such word, conjures up the image of technicians in lab coats, mixing test tubes. The precipitate is part of the solution left inside a test tube (or any other container used in labs these days). This definition, though, is not important for the GRE. The verb and adjective definitions, however, are. To be precipitate is to be hasty or rash. To precipitate something, such as a government precipitating a crisis, means to make something happen suddenly. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals.
Vindictive (adj.) vs. Vindicate (v.)
These words look very similar, so their definitions must be somewhat related. Right? Actually, the two words are very different. To be vindictive means to have a very strong desire for revenge. As for vindicate, it means to prove oneself right. What, exactly, does this mean? Say you claim to your friends that you will score at the 95th percentile on the verbal. They doubt your claim, and lightly tease you on your lofty and seemingly unattainable goal. Now, it's up to you to prove that you can do it. If you score at the 95th percentile on test day, then you've vindicated yourself: you've proven that your original claim was correct. If you score way below that...well, then you may want to avoid your friends for some time.
Veracious (adj.) vs. Voracious (adj.)
These words not only deviate by only one letter, but they also sound very similar. As for their definitions, you definitely do not want to confuse them. Veracious means truthful; voracious means hungry, either literally or figuratively. Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.
Expurgate (v.) vs. Expunge (v.)
They both mean to remove, but in different ways. To expurgate means to remove objectionable material. If you've ever watched a rated-R film that has been adapted for prime time, you'll probably note that all those F-words—factitious, facetious, and fatuous—have been removed. That's expurgation (think of the "beep"). To expunge simply means to wipe out or remove any trace off. Many people who commit petty crimes have those crimes expunged from their records, given that person doesn't decide to start running every other red light. So, if you've been a good driver over the last 10 years, then that one incident when 85 became the new 65...well, that's probably been expunged from your record.
Insufferable (adj.)
Think of somebody, or something, that you simply can't tolerate. That thing is insufferable. A person bleating into their cell phones on a crowded bus is insufferable. So is a person who only talks about him or herself, and usually in the most flattering vein possible. Depending on the person, certain television shows or genres can be insufferable. This word is derived from the second definition of suffer, which means to put up with, or tolerate. Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; unsurprisingly, his co-workers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons out.
Contentious (adj.)
This GRE word does not mean content, as in feeling happy. It comes from the word contend, which means to argue. If you are contentious, you like to argue. Contentious is a very common GRE word, so unless you want me to become contentious, memorize it now! Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.
Belie (v.)
This is ETS's number one favorite word for harder questions. Period. If ETS needs to make a Text Completion or Sentence Equivalence questions difficult, all it needs to do is throw in belie. The key to answering a text completion question that uses belie is to know how the word functions in context. Let's take a look below: Her surface calm belied her roiling emotions. The effortless fluidity with which the pianist's fingers moved belied the countless hours he had practiced. Her upbeat attitude during the group project belied her inherent pessimism towards any collective endeavor. In each case, note how the outward appearance does not match up with the reality. That contradiction is the essence of belie.
Syncretic (adj.)
This is a difficult word, and not one that would go on any top 1000 words you have to know for the GRE. But for those with a robust vocabulary, pay heed: if a I concoct a new religion and decide to take bits and pieces from other religions—I don a cardinal's robe, shave my head a la Buddha, and disseminate glossy pamphlets about the coming apocalypse—I have created a syncretic religion, one that combines elements of different religions. You can probably see where this is going with the GRE definition—which tends to offer a little more latitude. Syncretic—more generally speaking—can refer to any amalgam of different schools of thought. Jerry the shrink takes a syncretic approach to psychotherapy: he mixes the Gestalt school with some Jung and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your view) dose of Freud.
Parvenu (n.)
This is a person who has recently acquired wealth, and has therefore risen in class. Parvenu has a derogatory connotation, meaning that if you win the lottery and someone calls you a parvenu they are not trying to be flattering. The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats.
Sybarite (n.)
This is a person who indulges in luxury. And though the word doesn't directly relate to wealth, most of the times a sybarite has to be wealthy (though even the relatively penurious amongst us can live the life of a sybarite, if he or she isn't loath to run up several credit cards.) Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the feds found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial.
Penurious (adj.)
This is a synonym for impecunious. Penurious also can be a synonym for miserly, so this word can be a little tricky. Whenever you have a word with two meanings, even if those meanings are closely related, make sure to come up with example sentences for both, so you don't forget one of the definitions. (I've done so below). Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. Sarah chose to be penurious and drive a beat-up VW, though with her wealth she could have easily afforded an Italian sports car.
Phantasmagorical (adj.)
This is a terrifying word, just from the standpoint of pronunciation: [fan-taz-muh-gawr-ik-al]. The definition is equally frightening: a series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream, whether those images are real or in one's head. Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.
Iconoclast (n.)
This is an interesting word. The definition that relates to the church is clearly negative, i.e. an iconoclast is one who destroys religious images. Basically, this definition applies to the deranged drunk who goes around desecrating icons of the Virgin Mary. The applicability of this definition to GRE is clearly suspect. The second definition, however, happens to be one of the GRE's top 100 words. An iconoclast—more broadly speaking—is somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. This use of the word is not necessarily negative: According to some scholars, art during the 19th century had stagnated into works aimed to please fusty art academies; it took the iconoclasm of Vincent Van Gogh to inject fresh life into the effete world of painting.
Malapropism (n.)
This is definitely one of my favorite eponyms. While the provenance is nowhere nearly as interesting as those of other eponyms, the word perfectly describes a lapse that any of us is capable of making, especially those studying for the GRE. Ms. Malaprop was a character in a play The Rivals by the largely forgotten George Sheridan. She was known for mixing up similar sounding words, usually to comic effect. Indeed, she would utter the words with complete aplomb that those listening were unsure if she'd even mixed up words in the first place. Her favorite Spanish dance was the flamingo (note: the dance in question is the flamenco; a flamingo is a salmon-colored bird known both for its elegance and tackiness). GRE malapropisms aren't quite so silly as Ms. Malaprop mixing up a bird and a Spanish dance, but I'll do my best. See if you can spot the GRE malapropisms below. The graffiti artist was indicated for defecating the church with gang signs. Picasso was a protein artist, able to mix elements of African art with the oven guard.
Miserly (adj.) vs. Frugal (adj.)
This is one of the most commonly confused pairs. These words, despite popular opinion, are not the same. Frugal has a positive connotation, i.e. you spend money wisely, and miserly has a negative connotation, i.e. you pinch every penny. Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.
Qualify (v.)
This is perhaps the most commonly confused secondary meaning, and one that is very important to know for the GRE. To qualify is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion. I love San Francisco. I love San Francisco, but it is always windy. The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or limit, my love for San Francisco. In the context of the GRE, the concept of qualification is usually found in the Reading Comprehension passage. For example, an author usually expresses qualified approval or some qualified opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they qualify, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval.
Serendipity (n.)
This morning I wasn't looking for this article, but there it was—a pleasant find. That's an example of serendipity: finding something pleasant that you weren't even looking for. The Internet is full of serendipity, since something you weren't looking for in the first place often falls into your lap. Though if such compulsive buying becomes a habit, it may cease to be serendipitous. The invention of the 3M Post It Note was serendipitous, because the scientist who had come up with the idea was looking for a strong adhesive; the weak adhesive he came up with was perfect for holding a piece of paper in place but making it very easy for someone to pull the paper free.
Mulct (v.)
This strange looking word also means to swindle or defraud someone. (Though the swindling doesn't always have to relate to money.) Mulct can also mean to fine someone. The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but not hundreds of pounds.
Parochial (adj.)
This word comes from parish, a small ecclesiastical district, usually located in the country. Parochial still has this meaning, i.e. relating to a church parish, but we are far more concerned with the negative connotation that has emerged from the rather sedate original version. To be parochial is to be narrow-minded in one's view. The idea is if you are hanging out in the country, you tend to be a little cut off from things. The pejorative form—at least to my knowledge—is not a knock at religion. Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; "After all," she quipped on her blog, "he considered Chef Boyrdee ethnic food."
Reprobate (n.)
This word comes from reprove, a popular GRE word, which means (nope, not to prove again) to express disapproval of. A reprobate is a noun and is the recipient of the disapproval. Reprobate is a mildly humorous word, meaning that you would use it to describe some no good soul, but one you have a fondness for. Those old reprobates drinking all day down by the river -they are not going to amount to much.
Diabolical (adj.)
This word comes from the Latin and Greek for devil (for those speak Spanish, you may notice that the word is very similar to diablo). To be diabolical is to be extremely wicked like the devil. The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city.
Unnerve (v.)
This word does not mean to make less nervous, but its opposite. If you unnerve a person, you disconcert him or her to the point he or she is likely to fail. At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing", and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.
Limpid (adj.)
This word does not relate to limp, it relates to clarity in terms of expression. Limpid is typically used to describe writing or music. Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.
catalyst
agent that stimulates or precipitates a reaction, development, or change
Virago (n.)
This word has a real cool origin - the vir- comes from the Latin man. Virago, however, was coined during the medieval period to describe heroic female warriors. Today virago does not have such a noble connotation - it describes an ill-tempered and sometimes violent woman. If you've ever had an old lady scream at you for no good reason, then you've had an encounter with a virago. Poor Billy was the victim of the virago's invective—she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public.
Nabob (n.)
This word is fun to say. It definitely wouldn't be fun to see on the GRE, if you didn't know what it meant. So let's make sure that doesn't happen. A nabob is a wealthy, influential person. This word also comes from Hindi, and was originally used by Indians to describe a wealthy British person living in India. While it is not as common as pundit and pariah, nabob applies to many living here in the U.S., though I don't think it a good idea to call Donald Trump a nabob to his face. The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno.
Vituperation (n.)
This word is fun to say. Vituperating someone is neither fun for the 'vituperater' nor the 'vituperatee.' When you vituperate somebody, or something, you violently launch into an invective or tirade. Spit shoots from your mouth, froth forming at your lips. Understandably, vituperate is only used in extreme cases. Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants would vituperate him for forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots. Vocab from the Lab
Cupidity (n.)
This word is similar to avarice in that it means greedy. But the word is even more relevant to this post in that it means greed for money. Surprising, right? We think of Cupid the flying cherub, firing his arrow away and making Romeos and Juliets out of us. To avoid any confusion, imagine Cupid flying around shooting arrows into people's wallets/purses and then swooping in and taking the loot. Oh what cupidity! Some people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.
Arriviste (n.)
This word is similar to parvenu (though arriviste connotes more ruthless ambition). It came into the language much more recently, circa 1900. The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.
Spendthrift (n.)
This word is the opposite of thrifty. If you are a spendthrift, you buy as though consumerism were going out of style. This one is perhaps easy to remember; it does, after all, have the word 'spend' in it. Weekly trips to Vegas and five-star restaurants on Tuesday evenings, Megan was a spendthrift whose prodigality would inevitably catch up with her.
Execrate (v.)
This word just sounds awful. The good news is the meaning of execrate is consistent with the way it sounds. To execrate somebody is to curse and hiss at them. For instance a certain American basketball player left his team of many years so he could make more money with another team. Fans of the original team execrated the player for his perfidy and, what they claim, were his mercenary motives. Interestingly, the adjective form of execrate is the relatively common GRE word execrable. If something is execrable, it is so awful that it is worthy of our hissing. Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than execrable pastiche of tired cliché's and canned laughter.
Lagniappe (n.)
This word looks like it got jumbled up while I was typing. Believe it or not, lagniappe is not the result of errant fingers on my part, but comes to us from Louisiana. In Cajun country, in the 19th Century, a lagniappe was any unexpected gift. By no means a common GRE word—indeed, I doubt you'll ever see it on the test—but if lagniappe happens to show up on the test, then consider it an unexpected gift. The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered.
Sententious (adj.)
This word looks like it would relate to a sentence. If you know the GRE, you will know this is probably not the case, as the GRE is likely to subvert people's gut reactions. Sententious means to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense. The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, "Youth is wasted on the young."
Pariah (n.)
This word means an outcast. It comes from Hindi, one of the most prominent languages spoken in India. While India is on the other side of the world (at least from where I'm sitting), it should come as no surprise that we have acquired words from Hindi. After all, the British (remember, the people who "invented" English) colonized India and greatly influenced her for more than a century. The influence went both ways, as we now have words like pundit, meaning an expert in a particular area. And any pundit on geography and linguistics can tell you that another common language spoken in India is English. The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the research community.
Profligate (adj./n.)
This word means spending recklessly almost to the point of immorality. This word often pops up in politics, when some charge that government is spending wastefully. Profligate is also a person known for his or her profligacy. Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.
Dupe (n./v.)
This word means to trick or swindle. This word can function as a verb or as a noun. A dupe is a person who is easily swindled. The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of dupes, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them.
Exegesis (n.)
This word refers to a critical interpretation of a scholarly work. If you think that definition is intimidating, the adjective form is exegetical. The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in a Gideon.
Auspicious (adj.)
This word sounds very sinister, but actually means the opposite of sinister. If an occasion is auspicious, it is favorable. The opposite, inauspicious, is also common on the GRE. It means unfavorable. Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike's road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.
Affluent (adj.)
To be affluent is to be wealthy. This word usually describes countries, neighborhoods, or groups of people. The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.
Commensurate (adj.)
To be commensurate to is to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount The definition of this word tends to be a little unwieldy, regardless of the source. Therefore, it is a word that screams to be understood in context (for this very reason, the GRE loves commensurate, because they know that those who just devour flashcards will not understand how the word works in a sentences). Speaking of a sentence... The convicted felon's life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.
Errant (adj.) vs. Arrant (adj.) vs. Errand (n.) vs. Err (v.)
To be errant is to be wandering, not sticking to a circumscribed path. It can also connote deviating from accepted behavior or standards. Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus to help his brain function. Arrant means complete and utter. It usually modifies a noun with a negative connotation, e.g. liar, fool, etc. An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt. An errand is a small chore. Maria carried out her errands with dispatch, completing most before noon. To err is (surprise!) to make an error. He erred in thinking that errant and arrant were synonyms.
Embroiled (adj.)
To become caught up in a scandal is to become embroiled in it. In the last couple of months, a few well-known politicians (again, not naming any names) have become embroiled in scandals. From the verb embroiled, we get the noun imbroglio, which is an embarrassing, confusing situation. These days we are never short of a D.C. imbroglio—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one scandal, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.
Betray (v.)
To betray means to go against one's country or friends. Right? Well, yes, but not always. Especially on the GRE. To betray means to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally. Let's try a Text Completion question: As we age, our political leanings tend to become less _______; the once dyed-in-wool conservative can betray liberal leanings, and the staunch progressive may suddenly embrace conservative policies. (A) pronounced (B) obscured (C) contrived (D) earnest (E) diplomatic In this case betray means reveal. As we age our political biases become less obvious/extreme (my own words). Which word is the closest? (A) pronounced.
Castigate (v.)
To castigate someone is to reprimand harshly. This word is very similar to chastise. They even have the same etymology (word history). Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.
Check (n./v.)
To check is to limit, and it is a word usually used to modify the growth of something. When government abuses are not kept in check, that government is likely to become autocratic.
Check (n./v.)
To check something is to stop its growth (similar to stem but with more of a focus on growth than flow). If something is left unchecked, then it grows freely. Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence—weeds grew unchecked in the front yard.
Conciliate (v.)
To conciliate is to make peace with. His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.
Demur (v.) vs. Demure (adj.)
To demur is a verb meaning to object or show reluctance. Wallace dislike the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps. To be demure is to be modest and shy. This word is typically used to describe a woman, so don't call a man demure, as they will surely demur.
Disabuse (v.)
To disabuse is not the opposite of abuse (which would be a strange word to have an opposite for in the first place). To disabuse is to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid. Often, disabuse goes together with the word notion: As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess—one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.
Exhort (v.)
To exhort means to strongly urge on, encourage. The encouragement is for a positive action. So a mentor figure will exhort you to make the most of your life, whereas the miscreant will cajole you into doing something you'll regret. Nelson's parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist.
Juggernaut (n.)
To many, this word was forever immortalized in X-Men 2, when one of the main characters, Juggernaut, ran through walls, pulverizing them. This power to knock over and destroy anything in one's path can also be traced to the original juggernaut, a word that comes to us via Hindi. A juggernaut was a large temple vehicle—and when I mean large, I mean humongous—under which followers of Krishna would supposedly throw themselves. Today, the word juggernaut doesn't necessarily include any grisly sacrifices, but refers to any large force that cannot be stopped. Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.
Prevaricate (v.) vs. Variance (n.)
To prevaricate is to speak in an evasive way. Prevaricate does not mean to vary before; indeed, it is totally unrelated to variance, which simply means the quality of varying. A good synonym for prevaricate is equivocate. And that's no lie. The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate".
Amuck (adv.)
To run amuck (also spelled amok) is to run about frenzied. While this word comes to us via Malay, you don't have to live on the Malaysian peninsula to witness people running amuck. Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance of his boyish face.
Abridge
To shorten, condense or lessen in length
Stem (v.)
To stem means to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something. You can stem bleeding, and you can stem the tide—or at least attempt to do so. However, do not stem the flow of vocabulary coursing through your brains. Make sure to use GRE words whenever you can. To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.
Abdicate
To step down from a position of Power
Excoriate (v.)
To yell at someone is one thing; to excoriate them is a whole other. A martinet of a boss whom you've once again upset; a drill sergeant berating a feckless, smirking recruit; now we are closer. So to criticize really, really harshly is to excoriate. Interestingly, the second definition of the word is to tear one's skin from his/her body. To verbally excoriate, figuratively speaking, is to rip off a person's skin. Entrusted with the prototype to his company's latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company—the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.
Dossier
a file of documents, letters and records
Paroxysm
a fit
Undermine (v.)
Undermine is common in all sections of the GRE, not just difficult sections. It can pop up in reading comprehension answer choices just as commonly as text completion questions. Undermine means to weaken and is usually paired with an abstract term, such as authority. It can also have the connotation of slowly or insidiously eroding (insidious mean subtly harmful). The student undermined the teacher's authority by questioning the teacher's judgment on numerous occasions.
Erratic (adj.)
Unpredictable, often wildly so, erratic is reserved for pretty extreme cases. An athlete who scores the winning point one game, and then botches numerous opportunities is known for his or her erratic play. The stock market is notoriously erratic, as is sleep, especially if your stocks aren't doing well. Erratic can also mean strange and unconventional. Someone may be known for their erratic behavior. Regardless of which meaning you are employing, you should not be erratic in your GRE prep. It came as no surprise to pundits that the President's attempt at re-election floundered; even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.
Upbraid (v.)
Upon seeing this word, you may imagine a hair stylist busily braiding patrons' hair. Upbraid, however, relates neither to up nor braiding. It means to scold or berate, a meaning it shares with many other words: reprimand, reproach, chide, and castigate. Bob took a risk walking into the "Students Barbershop"—in the end he had to upbraid the apparently hung over barber for giving him and uneven bowl cut.
Artless (adj.) vs. Artful (adj.) vs. Artifice (n.)
Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet...surely they relate to the second word, and definitely not the first, which would be reserved for people like me who reached their artistic apotheosis with the drawing of stick-figures. Well, as far as the GRE is concerned, neither word relates to art (both in the lower case and upper case sense). To be artful means to be cunning and wily. To have artifice is to be artful. Perhaps you've read Dickens, and remember The Artful Dodger. The titular artful dodger did not have a penchant for watercolors, but was instead a devious, wily lad. This trait, presumably, allowed him to dodge tricky situations. If somebody is artless, on the other hand, that person is innocent, guileless. It should come as little surprise, then, that the literary canon is absent an artless dodger, as he would be too innocent and naive to dodge much of anything. Finally, artful and artless can refer back to the original usage of art. Therefore, Picasso is artful and I am artless. However, the GRE rarely, if ever, tests these definitions.
Veracity (n.)
Veracity sounds a lot like voracity. Whereas many know voracity means full of hunger, whether for food or knowledge (the adjective form voracious is more common), few know veracity. Unfortunately, many confuse the two on the test. Veracity means truthful. Veracious, the adjective form of veracity, sounds a lot like voracious. So be careful. After years of political scandals, the congressman was hardly known for his veracity; yet despite this distrust, he was voted into yet another term.
Chastise (v.)
Very similar to castigate, it also means to reprimand harshly. Though chastised for his wanton abuse of the pantry, Lawrence shrugged off his mother's harsh words, and continued to plow through jars of cookies and boxes of donuts.
Propitiate (v.)
Want to make an angry person less angry? Well, then you attempt to placate or appease. Or, if you like really big GRE words, you propitiate them. The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him - the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.
Wanting (adj.)
Wanting means lacking. So, if your knowledge of secondary meanings is wanting, this eBook is a perfect place to start learning. She did not find her vocabulary wanting, yet there were so many GRE vocabulary words that inevitably she did not know a few.
Involved (adj.)
We are involved in many things, from studying to socializing. For something to be involved, as far as the GRE is concerned, means it is complicated, and difficult to comprehend. The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate's eyes glazed over.
Catholic (adj.)
We have many associations with Catholicism: cardinals at mass, nuns wielding crucifixes at frothing demons. Thus, it is somewhat surprising that a second definition of catholic—and the one that will be tested on the GRE—means universal. Or perhaps not too surprising, considering that Catholicism has a universal reach and, more importantly, the Catholic Church conducts mass in Latin. Catholic comes from the Late Latin catholicus, which means, as you can probably guess, universal. Catholic also implies wide-ranging or all-embracing. Jonah's friends said that Jonah's taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.
Quisling (n.)
We've all heard of the Nazis. Some of you may have even heard of the Vichy government, which was a puppet regime set up by the Nazis in France during WWII. Few of us, however, know that Germany also tried to turn Norway into a puppet regime. In order for Germany to take over Norway, it needed an inside man, a Norwegian who would sell his country out for the Nazis. This man was Viktor Quisling. For arrant perfidy, he has been awarded the eponym quisling, which means traitor. History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—he who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.
Overweening (adj.)
What exactly does it mean to 'ween'? To go out on Halloween, perhaps? Making an overweening person one who takes a little bit too zealously to candy collecting and wakes up the next morning with a sugar hangover? The answer of course is none of the above. To be overweening is to be presumptuously arrogant. What exactly does that mean? Say the aforementioned trick-o-treater grabs three times as much candy as everyone else, because he assumes he is entitled to as much candy as he wants. He would be overweening. Which would make him overweening while Halloweening (okay, I'll stop before my humor becomes overweening!*). *Overweening can also refer to ideas/opinions/appetites that are excessive or immoderate. Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.
Flush (adj.)
What word means to turn red (especially in the face), to send down the toilet, to be in abundance, and to drive out of hiding? Yep, it's flush, which has all four of these totally unrelated definitions. The GRE Reading Comprehension passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have learned only yesterday.
Cardinal (adj.)
When it comes time to elect the pope who gets together? The cardinals, of course. And when you're watching baseball in St. Louis, and the players all have red birds on their uniforms, which team are you seeing? The Cardinals, of course. And when you are on the GRE and you see the word cardinal? Well it has nothing to do with birds, baseball or popes. Cardinal means of primary importance, fundamental. That makes sense when you think of the cardinals in the church—after all they do elect the pope. The bird happens to be the same color as the cardinals' robes. As for what St. Louis has to do with cardinals, I have no clue. As if you needed any more associations - the expression, "cardinal sin", retains the GRE definition of the word, and means primary. It does not refer to naughty churchmen. Most cultures consider gambling a cardinal sin and thus have outlawed its practice.
Base (adj.)
When the definition of this word came into existence, there were some obvious biases against the lower classes (assuming that lexicographers were not lower class). It was assumed that those from the base, or the lowest, class were without any moral principles. They were contemptible and ignoble. Hence, we have this second definition of base (the word has since dropped any connotations of lower class). She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.
Mettlesome (adj.)
When you poke your nose in somebody else's business, you are being meddlesome. If you are mettlesome, on the other hand, you are filled with mettle (no, not the hard stuff). Mettle means courage or valor. A soldier on the battlefield is mettlesome when he runs into enemy fire to save a comrade. For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.
Syllogism
a form of logic in which major and minor premises are made and a conclusion drawn,
Immaterial (adj.)
While immaterial can describe a ghost, phantom, or run-of-the mill ectoplasm, immaterial primarily means not relevant. The judge found the defendant's comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.
Nadir (n.)
With all these people reaching the top of the career, isn't there a word that refers to the bottom or lowest point of a person's career? The answer is, well, of course. Meet nadir. Nadir doesn't have to refer to just a career, but can be the lowest point. Mike had walked in cold to the new GRE and was not surprised afterwards that he'd hit a standardized test nadir. After he dedicated himself to GRE prep with the same vigor that Sir Edmund Hillary first scaled the summit of Mt. Everest, Mike scored near perfect—the apogee of his academic career.
Contrite (adj.)
Word roots are often misleading. This word does not mean with triteness (con- meaning with). To be contrite is to be remorseful. Though he stole his little sister's licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn't stop crying.
Venal (adj.) vs. Venial (adj.)
You definitely do not want to confuse these two. To call someone venal is to say they are corrupt, and likely to accept bribes. To be venial actually doesn't refer to a person but rather a sin or an offense. A venial offense is one that is minor and pardonable. His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious—on one occasion he simply did not come to a complete stop; another time he tried to escape across state lines at speeds in excess of 140 mph.
Arch (adj.)
You have arches in architecture, or at a well-known fast-food restaurant. You can arch your back, or a bow. Arches are even a part of your foot. But, did you know that to be arch is to be deliberately teasing, as in, "he shrugged off her insults because he knew she was only being arch"? Finally, arch- as a root means chief or principal, as in archbishop. The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn't pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious.
Untoward (adj.)
You may think that untoward has something to do with a direction. But untoward does not mean disinclined to walk eastwards. Untoward is an adjective meaning not favorable, inconvenient. A popular GRE synonym for untoward is inauspicious. Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on attaining tenure.
Ingenuous (adj.)
You may think you've heard someone exclaim, what an ingenuous plan! But, it's actually an ingenious plan. To be ingenuous is to be naïve and innocent. So, if you are likely to go along with a devious plan, whether or not it is ingenious, you are ingenuous. Two-years in college in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.
Misanthrope (n.)
You thought a curmudgeon was bad? A misanthrope—or hater of mankind—walks down the street spewing vitriol at all those who walk by. College campuses are famous for misanthropes, those disheveled types who haunt coffee shops, muttering balefully as students pass by. Some say they are homeless; others that they didn't get tenure. Regardless, steer clear of the misanthrope. Hamilton had been deceived so many times in his life that he hid behind the gruff exterior of a misanthrope, lambasting perfect strangers for no apparent reason.
Remonstrate (v.)
You've probably guessed already that this does not mean to demonstrate again. To remonstrate means to make objections while pleading. The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.
Neophyte
a beginner, a novice
Benediction
a blessing, a good wish
Nirvana
a blissful, painless state,
Hiatus
a break or interruption from work or any other established routine
Spelunker
a cave explorer
Fluke
a chance event, a coincidence, a stroke of luck
Demimonde
a class of kept women or women of lower social standing,
Ana
a collection of materials that reflect a person or place
Compendium
a comprehensive summary
Hugger-mugger
a confusion, jumble, muddle
Antinomy
a contradiction between two seemingly true statements
Poltroon
a coward
Afflatus
a creative impulse, divine inspiration
Opus
a creative work, musical composition
Diadem
a crown that indicates royalty
Dilettante
a dabbler, someone with a superficial knowledge (usually of the arts)
Éclat
a dazzling success, acclaim
Diatribe
a denunciation, a biting speech
Imbroglio
a difficult and confused situation, a complicated disagreement
Debacle
a disaster or violent breakdown
Shibboleth
a distinctive word or behavior that typifies a group, a slogan
Partition
a dividing wall, a division
Leitmotif
a dominant or recurring theme or emotion
Bacchanal
a drunken reveler or orgy
Encomium
a eulogy or expression of high praise
Canard
a fabricated story, or sensational report, a hoax
Manqué
a failure to realize one's aspirations
Placebo
a fake medication
Malaise
a feeling of depression, uneasiness, of being unwell
Precept
a rule or principle to guide conduct
Sally
a rushing attack, witty repartee, a brief excursion
Savant
a scholar, a very knowledgeable person
Cabal
a secret group of conspirators, a clique
Tryst
a secret meeting of lovers
Assignation
a secret meeting, a tryst, or something assigned
Culvert
a sewer or drain
Jaunt
a short pleasure trip
Dearth
a shortage
Junta
a small group that rules a country after a coup d'état
Arriviste
a social climber, an upstart
Pluralism
a society in which distinct group function together, but retain their identities
Jargon
a specialized vocabulary of a group, an obscure language
Wraith
a specter, ghost of a dead person
Fidelity
a state of being faithful, loyal
Gamin
a street urchin, a slim girl with an impish charm
Apoplexy
a stroke resulting from loss of blood of the brain,
Penchant
a strong like for something, a predilection
Gestalt
a structure, whose parts cannot stand alone
Satrap
a subordinate ruler
Nuance
a subtle distinction, a slight difference in definition
Spate
a sudden outburst
Paltry
a tiny or insignificant amount, meager, scant
Quisling
a traitor who helps an enemy who occupies his country
Bathos
a transition from the illustrious to the commonplace, overdone pathos,
Stratagem
a trick or deceptive scheme
Boondoggle
a useless or valueless project or activity
Cataclysm
a violent upheaval, an earthquake, a flood
Nabob
a wealthy, influential person
Lassitude
a weariness, listlessness, a state of lethargy
Oeuvre
a work of art, the sum of an artist's work
Fledgling
a young bird learning to fly, a beginner, a novice
plasticity
ability to be molded
Compatible
able to get along well
Contentious
argumentative over a point, quarrelsome
Tendentious
advancing a point of view, biased
desultory
aimless; haphazard; digressing at random.Example to lead a desultory life
Resilient
an ability to recover from, or adjust easily
Imago
an adult stage of an insect,
Nimbus
an atmosphere that surrounds a person or thing, a rain cloud,
Claque
an audience paid to clap, an obsequious audience
Ukase
an authoritative decree, official edict
Levee
an embankment designed to prevent a river from flooding
Catharsis
an emotional purification, an emotional release
Hegira
an escape to avoid danger or to get away from an unpleasant location
Heresy
any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs, or practice
approbation
approval
sanction
approve; ratify
felicitous
apt; suitably expressed; well chosen.The timing of the 1000th milestone is particularly felicitous, it being the Institute's 40th anniversary year.
quiescent
at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive/like quie...t
iconoclast
attacking cherished traditions
empirical
base on experience.Knowledge we develop of a technology over time is empirical.
Aleatory
based on chance
Halitosis
bad breath
relegate
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
Incipient
beginning to be, in an early stage
Moribund
being in a dying or decaying condition
Caustic
biting in humor
Mordant
bitingly sarcastic, incisive, caustic in manner
diatribe
bitter scolding; invective.We all should maintain calm when our closest ones deliver lengthy diatribes due to frustration.
Benison
blessing, benediction
Vainglorious
boastful, pompous
Brummagem
bogus, fraudulent, cheap, showy
Raucous
boisterous, harsh sounding, noisy and disorderly
Temerity
boldness, rashness, audacity
Ennui
boredom, listlessness, lack of interest
Tedious
boring, tiresome
Pedantic
boringly, scholarly, academic in mode
Phlegmatic
calm, indifferent, not easily aroused
phlegmatic
calm; not easily disturbed
imperturbable
calm; placid.Imperturbable calm, this is cinema worth seeking out. like equinamity.Inmpert sounds like inert..inactive or calm.
equanimity
calmness of temperament; composure.One must maintain their equanimity in hard times
rescind
cancel
negate
cancel out; nullify; deny
malleable
capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
whimsical
capricious; fanciful
Prudent
careful, cautious
Chary
careful, cautious, wary
metamorphosis
change of form
volatile
changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
pristine
characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled
Engaging
charming, interesting
Winsome
charming, sweetly engaging
Alacrity
cheerful readiness, liveliness or eagerness
contention
claim; thesis
exculpate
clear from blame
Lucid
clear, easily understood
Escarpment
cliff, a steep slope resulting from erosion
Inept
clumsy, awkward, incompetent
convoluted
coiled around; involved; intricate
Petulant
cranky, ill tempered, irritable, peevish
Serried
crowded together
Pivotal
crucial, something around which things turn
Guile
cunning duplicity, purposeful deceit
Wont
custom, habit
divest
deprive.He was divested off his post.
piety
devoutness; reverence for God
recant
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error
cacophonous
discordant; inharmonious
Sardonic
disdainful, scornfully mocking
Ignominious
disgraceful and dishonorable
dissemble
disguise; pretend.People tend to dissemble about now being aware of criminal events to avoid being questioned by authority.
Mendacious
dishonest, deceitful
dissolution
disintegration; looseness in morals
repudiate
disown; disavow
disseminate
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds).Nehru asked for his ashes to be disseminated in the Ganges.
Dichotomy
division into two often contradictory parts
tractable
docile; easily managed
Impervious
does not allow something to pass through, impenetrable
problematic
doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing
elicit
draw out by discussion.The detctives tried to elicit where theives had hidden the loot.
Eclectic
drawn from many sources
flag
droop; grow feeble
Somnolent
drowsy, sleepy
lethargic
drowsy; dull
desiccate
dry up. Eg One should desiccate after a swim to avoid catching a cold.
Jejune
dull, lacking interest, empty of food
Prosaic
dull, unimaginative, lacking excitement
stolid
dull; impassive,Like stoic like impassive
Docile
easily tought, submissive
lucid
easily understood; clear; intelligible
Obsequious
fawning, subservient, servile
Veneer
façade, coating, outward appearance
Intrepid
fearless, having fortitude and endurance
Fecund
fertile, productive, fruitful
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit
Odious
hateful, evil, vile
shard
fragment; generally of pottery
magnanimity
generosity
Munificent
generous
Benign
gentle, not harmful, kind
Hortative
giving advice or exhortation
Morose
gloomy, bad tempered, a sullen disposition
Blithe
happily, lighthearted, joyful
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few.The purpose of these transformations will sound a bit esoteric at the moment.
arduous
hard; strenuous
Assiduous
hardworking, busy, diligent
Deleterious
harmful
Noisome
harmful, unwholesome, stinking, putrid
innocuous
harmless
Vituperative
harshly scolding, acrimonious
Celerity
haste, swiftness of movement
Edacious
having an instable appetite, great voracity
Epicene
having characteristics of both male and female neuter
Prescient
having foresight
Akimbo
having one's hands in a bent position on the hips,
Lupine
having the characteristics of a wolf
implacable
incapable of being pacified
enhance
increase; improve
Ineluctable
inescapable, not to be avoided
fledgling
inexperienced.These early designs established the credibility of the then fledgling design cente
opprobium
infamy; vilification.the opprobrium of being closely associated with gangster
Daedal
ingenious or complex in design
Inchoate
just beginning, not organized or orderly, incomplete
warranted
justified; authorized
beneficent
kindly; doing good
apathy
lack of caring; indifference
Privation
lack of comforts, poverty, a state of being deprived
discrepancy
lack of consistency; difference
incongruity
lack of harmony; absurdity
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity.He loves t live a life of levity
Levity
lack of seriousness, frivolity
Pallid
lacking color, wan
disingenuous
lacking genuine candor; insincere
insipid
lacking in flavor; dull.many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow works
Impotent
lacking power, helpless, unable to perform sexual intercourse
Feckless
lacking responsibility, ineffective
Insipid
lacking taste, dull, bland
dirge
lament with music- The funeral dirge moved everyone to tears.
lassitude
languor; weariness."she was overcome by lassitude and retired to bed
Prurient
lascivious, have lustful thoughts or desires
Usury
lending money at a high interest rate
mitigate
lessen in intensity; moderate; appease
torpor
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy
equivocate
lie, mislead; attempt to conceal the truth.A democracy does not equivocate on freedom of the press.
qualified
limited; restricted
Ephemeral
lived, transitory
Vivacious
lively, spirited
Panegyric
lofty praise, eulogistic writing
harangue
long, passionate, and vehement speech
garrulous
loquacious; wordy; talkative.Wrietrs write garrulous manuscripts when being paid by the word.
Aphasia
loss of speech
Strident
loud, harsh, grating
Libidinous
lustful, lascivious
mendacious
lying; habitually dishonest.mendacious propaganda
rarefied
made less dense (of a gas)
stipulate
make express conditions, specify
adulterate
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
paragon
model of perfection
Depravity
moral corruption
Itinerant
moving from place to place
ingenuous
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated
discordant
not harmonious; conflicting
obsequious
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree. "they were served by obsequious waiters sycophantic
recalcitrant
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
Palatable
pleasant to the taste, agreeable in feeling
Rustic
primitive, rural, lacking city comforts
Centrifugal
proceeding in action away from the center or axle
extrapolation
projection; superfluous
decorum
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
Aegis
protection, patronage
Piquant
pungent, charmingly provocative
castigation
punishment; severe criticism
distill
purify; refine; concentrate
Paucity
scarcity, smallness in number or amount
paucity
scarcity.Paucity of water in certain areas of India is a serious issue.
Machination
scheming activity foe an evil purpose
Erudite
scholarly, deeply learned, well read
Furtive
secret, done by stealth, sly
discrete
separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts
Gravity
seriousness
subside
settle down; descend; grow quiet
penury
severe poverty; stinginess.like indigenious
Draconian
severe, exceedingly harsh
Turpitude
shameful wickedness, evil, depravity
Antipodal
situated on opposite side of the earth or being exactly opposite
Deft
skillful
Pachyderm
skinned animal
Calumny
slander, deliberate false statements
Sequacious
slavish, obsequious, following in logical sequence
soporific
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
dormant
sleeping; lethargic; latent
Surreptitious
sneaky, secret
saturate
soak thoroughly
gregarious
sociable
dupe
someone easily fooled
Bon Vivant
someone who enjoys luxurious living
Wastrel
someone who wastes, a spendthrift
Matrix
something from which something else originates or takes from
Legacy
something handed down from the past , a bequest
perennial
something long-lasting
Obloquy
strong language of condemnation
Aversion
strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance
Obdurate
stubborn
obdurate
stubborn.I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate
refractory
stubborn; unmanageable
Recalcitrant
stubbornly defiant and resistant of authority
Obstreperous
stubbornly defiant, angry and clamorous
bolster
support; reinforce
strut
supporting bar
Aseptic
surgically clean, free of germs
abeyance
suspended action
Mellifluous
sweetly flowing
Tumid
swollen, distended, a bulging shape, overblown, bombastic
Affinity
sympathy, attraction, kinship
Theology
the study of God or religion
Teleology
the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena
Defenestration
the act of throwing someone or something out a window
Ablution
the act of washing one's body
Ethnocentric
the belief in the superiority of one's race or ethnic group
Deism
the belief that god created the world and then left it to its own devices
Nihilism
the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe,
Agathism
the belief that things ultimately lead to good
Caducity
the frailty of old age, the quality of being perishable transitoriness
Gamut
the full range of something
Zenith
the highest point
Malapropism
the humorous misuse of a word that sound very much like the word intended
Clerisy
the intellectual elite
Husbandry
the judicious use of resources, livestock farming
Zeitgeist
the mood or spirit of the times
Quintessential
the most perfect example of
Denouement
the outcome
Proscenium
the part of the stage in front of the curtain, the wall frame for the stage
Interregnum
the period between two successive governments,
Facade
the principal front of a building, a false appearance
Quiddity
the real nature of a thing, the essence , a hairsplitting distinction
Vestige
the remains of something that no longer exists
Usufruct
the right to use someone else's property as long as it's not damaged in the process
Euthenics
the science of improving the condition of humans by improving their environment
ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
Embellish
to add to, to exaggerate, garnish, ornament
Galvanize
to arouse suddenly, to stimulate, spur to action
Impugn
to attack the integrity of something
Waver
to be indecisive or inconstant, to fluctuate in opinion
Inured
to become accustomed to something undesirable
Ossify
to become rigid, to become set in one's ways
Coalesce
to come together as one, to fuse or unite
Adjure
to command or urge solemnly and earnestly
VIE
to complete, to contest
Acquiesce
to comply passively, to give in
Temporize
to compromise, to draw something out in order to gain time
capricious
unpredictable; fickle like an unpredictable or capricious storm
disinterested
unprejudiced
Indubitable
unquestionable
Nefandous
unspeakable, unutterable
Labile
unstable, adaptable, liable to change
Ineffable
unutterable, unspeakable
probity
uprightness; incorruptibility.the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency. "financial probity"
goad
urge on.Goaded into action by Owen's taunts
exigency
urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention.The trench maps used in the Great War resulted from the exigencies of war.
Exigent
urgent, demands prompt action
Futile
useless, hopeless, without effect
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
Destitute
very poor, totally lacking
oscillate
vibrate pendulumlike; waver
Élan
vigor, distinctive, elegant style
enervate
weaken
Wistful
yearning, sad longing, a gentle desire
Sallow
yellow tone