Flashcards

GRE VOCAB

Jamie Ro English English 200 cards

match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation. "lesser men trying to emulate his greatness" imitate…

Cards in this deck (200)

1Sardonicrefers to a person/ how that person behaves. Scornful mocking/ sarcastic/ cynical.
2permutationa way in which a set or number of things can be ordered or arranged.
3incumbentnecessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.
"it is incumbent on all decent people to concentrate on destroying evil."
(of an official or regime) currently holding office.
"the incumbent president had been defeated"
synonyms:current, present,
4quibblea slight objection or criticism.
"the only quibble about this book is the price"
synonyms:criticism, objection, complaint,protest, argument, exception,grumble, grouse, cavil;
5parleya conference between opposing sides in a dispute, especially a discussion of terms for an armistice.
synonyms:negotiation, talk(s), conference,summit, discussion, powwow
6quiescentinnactive, still, quiet, motionless, dormancy
"during hibernation, the bears are quiescent."
7decorumbehavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.
"you exhibit remarkable modesty and decorum"
synonyms:propriety, seemliness, decency, good taste, correctness;
8Demurto disagree, to hesitate, to object based on morality.
"My school friends and I were involved in a food fight. The principle asked me to tell on my friends, but I demurred based on my sense of honor."
9gougemake (a groove, hole, or indentation) with or as if with a gouge.
"the channel had been gouged out by the ebbing water"
10solicitouscharacterized by or showing interest or concern.
"she was always solicitous about the welfare of her students"
synonyms:concerned, caring, considerate,attentive, mindful, thoughtful, interested
11multifarioushaving various parts
"Leonardo Davinci set his hands to multifarious pursuits; writing, painting, and inventing."
12hubanduse (resources) economically; conserve.
"the need to husband his remaining strength"
13monotonylack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine.
"you can become resigned to the monotony ofcaptivity"
syns:tedium, tediousness, lack of variety,dullness, boredom, repetitiveness,uniformity, routineness, wearisomeness,tiresomeness;
14Floutto scorn at someone, to show contact. openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).
"these same companies still flout basic ethical practices"
15placatemake (someone) less angry or hostile.
"they attempted to placate the students with promises"
synonyms:pacify, calm, appease, mollify, soothe,win over, conciliate, propitiate,
16confoundcause surprise or confusion in (someone), especially by acting against their expectations.
"the inflation figure confounded economic analysts"
17sullyto make impure, soil, stain, dirty.
"my innocent reputation was sullied when i was caught smoking in the bathroom."
18peripatetictraveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
"the peripatetic nature of military life"
19turgidswollen and distended or congested.
"a turgid and fast-moving river"
synonyms:swollen, distended, tumescent,engorged, bloated, tumid
"the tissues become turgid"
(of language or style) tediously pompous or bombastic.
"some turgid verses on the death of Prince Albert"
20inerthaving no action. no reaction to things.
"an example of a common inert drug is the placebo."
21obstinatestubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.
22diaphanous(especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent.
"a diaphanous dress of pale gold"
synonyms:sheer, fine, delicate, light, thin,insubstantial, floaty, flimsy,
23puerilechildishly silly and trivial.
"you're making puerile excuses"
synonyms:childish, immature, infantile, juvenile,
24precísa summary or abstract of a text or speech.
synonyms:summary, synopsis, résumé,
25IntrepidIndiana Jones - Fearless, someoe who gets through the difficult situations.
Trepidation = to feel fear
26Paradoxa statement that in some way is self-contradictory. Seems wrong at first but in reality sheds some truth.
"I always lie."
27castigationto punish or criticize severely.
28Abstemiousto be sparing or moderate in eating or drinking.
"Monks are known for their abstemious lives."
29Aggregateto bring together. To collect lots of things and combine to a single mass.
"I aggregated all the flies in my backyard, to start a fly circus."
30Attenuateto weaken. To make less strong. To make thing, to make slender.
"Ten to eight."
31solecismsomething of grammatical mistake.
Ralph Wiggins from Simpsons "Me fail English? that's unpossible!"
32PotentateSomeone who has great power.
Po-pe .....Po-wer
33Ossifyturn into bone. To cease developing. to become stringent, or rigid.
Similar to fossil or bossified (rigid, strict)
34moltto cast away. to shed feather. to lose outer skin.
Molten Lava....always moving and changing.
35kindleto start a fire, to cause something to start burning.
"Jamie kindled energy in her class"
36Vimenergy or enthusiasm. Vigorous. Vital (life energy)
"when you are young, you are often filled with vim."
37Dessiccateto dry completely. Rid from moisture. Dehydrate.
"Abuela enjoys desiccating the mangoes in the summer."
38idiosyncrasya unique characteristic on someone.
"Yannis has an idiosyncrasy to make others laugh easily."
39Endemic(en) inside (dem) the poeple. Pertaining to certain people.
"Malaria is endemic to the pop. of the Caribbean islands."
40Euphemism/ Disphemisma well mannered statement for a more vulgar expression.
a vulgar expression for a more well mannered statement.
"they slept together" vs "they had sex"
41cogent(of an argument or case) clear, logical and convincing.
syn. convincing, compelling, forceful, potent, powerful.
42Lucidexpressed clearly; easily to understand
syn. intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, cogent.
43Pellucidtranslucently clear
"mountains reflected in the pellucid waters"
"he writes as always in pellucid prose"
44effusiveexpressive feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.
"an effusive welcome."
syn. gushing, unrestrained, fulsome, lavish
45LoquaciousTending to talk a great deal: talkative
46Incessant(of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruptions.
"the incessant beat of the music"
47Unassumingnot pretentious or arrogant; modest
"he is an unassuming and kindly man"
48Volublespeaking or spoken incessantly and fluently.
syn. talkative, loquacious, garrulous, verbose, effusive, gushing
"she was as voluble as her husband was silent."
49Taciturnitytemperamentally disinclined to talk. the trait of reticence, or seeming aloof and uncommunicative.
syn. diffidence, reluctance, demureness, coyness, reservation
"we are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to something that will amaze the whole room."
50reticentnot revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily
syn. introverted, inhibited, diffident, reserved, shy
"At work, Jamie is reticent about her personal affairs because she does not yet know everyone's values."
51diffidentmodest or shy because of a lack of confidence
syn. bashful, self-effacing, unassuming, meek, unassertive, timorous, reticent
"Jamie feels diffident when teaching her class because she is the youngest and least experienced in the room. "
52obsequiousobedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
"they were served by obsequious waiters"
synonyms: servile, ingratiating, sycophantic, fawning, unctuous, oily, oleaginous, groveling,
53garrulousexcessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
"Polonius is portrayed as a foolish, garrulous old man"
54anachronistic>belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.
> belonging or appropriate to an earlier period, especially so as to seem conspicuously old-fashioned.
"she is rebelling against the anachronistic morality of her parents"
55—match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.
"lesser men trying to emulate his greatness"
imitate.
"hers is not a hairstyle I wish to emulate"
56Dogmatismthe tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others.
"a culture of dogmatism and fanaticism"
57incontrovertibleit is undeniably, absolutely, 100 percent, completely true. That rain is wet is an incontrovertible fact.
58—to treat a person as a celebrity.
"To lionize the visiting poet."
59marginalizetreat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral.
"attempting to marginalize those who disagree"
60capricea sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.
"her caprices had made his life impossible"
61schisma split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
62didacticintended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
"a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice"
i n the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way.
"slow-paced, didactic lecturing"
63Frivolousnot having any serious purpose or value.
"frivolous remarks"
antonyms: serious, important
(of a person) carefree and not serious.
64sartorialrelating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.
65Panacheflamboyant confidence of style or manner.
66Gawkinessnervously awkward and ungainly.
"a gawky teenager"
67quixoticexceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
"a vast and perhaps quixotic project"
synonyms: idealistic, romantic, visionary, utopian,
68Brandishwave or flourish (something, especially a weapon) as a threat or in anger or excitement.
69—dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
70antedateprecede in time; come before (something) in date.
71Trite(of a remark, opinion, or idea) overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.
"this point may now seem obvious and trite"
72Disparateessentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
"they inhabit disparate worlds of thought"
73arbitrarybased on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
"his mealtimes were entirely arbitrary"
synonyms: capricious, whimsical, random,
74Meticulousshowing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
"he had always been so meticulous about his appearance"
75Luridvery vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
(of a description) presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms, especially giving explicit details of crimes or sexual matters.
"the more lurid details of the massacre were too frightening for the children"
76—to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents:
77synopticof or forming a general summary or synopsis.
78copiousabundant in supply or quantity.
"she took copious notes"
profuse in speech or ideas.
"I had been a little too copious in talking of my country"
79Enigmaticdifficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.
"he took the money with an enigmatic smile"
80—tending to obstruct or harm.
"actions inimical to our interests"
synonyms: harmful, injurious, detrimental,
unfriendly; hostile.
"an inimical alien power"
81Paradigma typical example or pattern of something; a model.
"there is a new paradigm for public art in this country"
"why should your sets of values be the paradigm for the rest of us?"
82Misnomera wrong or inaccurate name or designation.
"“king crab” is a misnomer—these creatures are not crustaceans at all"
"scientists say “killer whale” is a misnomer for what is one of the gentlest marine creatures known to man"
a wrong or inaccurate use of a name or term.
83Anomalysomething that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
"the growth on the duck's bill is a harmless anomaly"
84Laxnot sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.
"lax security arrangements at the airport"
85intransigentunwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.
synonyms: uncompromising, inflexible, unbending, unyielding,
86Resoluteadmirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.
"she was resolute and unswerving"
synonyms: determined, purposeful, resolved, adamant, single-minded, firm, unswerving,
87obsequiousobedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
"they were served by obsequious waiters"
synonyms: servile, ingratiating, sycophantic, fawning, unctuous,
88profligaterecklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
"profligate consumers of energy"
licentious; dissolute.
"he succumbed to drink and a profligate lifestyle"
89licentiouspromiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters.
synonyms: dissolute, dissipated, debauched, degenerate, immoral,
90dissolutelax in morals; licentious.
"a dissolute, drunken, disreputable rogue"
91probitythe quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
"financial probity"
"the committee feels that he has demonstrated little probity in this matter"
92disapprobationstrong disapproval, typically on moral grounds.
"she braved her mother's disapprobation and slipped out to enjoy herself"
93acquisitiveexcessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
synonyms: greedy, covetous, avaricious, possessive, grasping,
"his acquisitive wife has left him for a Denver architect"
94tendentiousexpressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.
"a tendentious reading of history"
95complacencya feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
"the figures are better, but there are no grounds for complacency"
96smugnessexcessive pride in oneself or one's achievements.
"the smugness of a man basking too long in critical ardor"
97ardorenthusiasm or passion.
"they felt the stirrings of revolutionary ardor"
synonyms: passion, fervor, zeal, vehemence, intensity,
98fractious(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.
"they fight and squabble like fractious children"
(of a group or organization) difficult to control; unruly.
"the fractious coalition of Social Democrats"
synonyms: wayward, unruly, uncontrollable,
99antitheticaldirectly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.
"people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine"
100immutableunchanging over time or unable to be changed.
"an immutable fact"
101covetoushaving or showing a great desire to possess something, typically something belonging to someone else.
"she fingered the linen with covetous hands"
102avaricioushaving or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
"a corrupt and avaricious government"
103avidhaving or showing a keen interest in or enthusiasm for something.
"an avid reader of science fiction"
104rapaciousaggressively greedy or grasping.
"rapacious landlords"
105zealgreat energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.
"his zeal for privatization"
106fervorintense and passionate feeling.
"he talked with all the fervor of a new convert"
107vehemencethe display of strong feeling; passion.
"they speak with starry vehemence about their project"
108vervevigor and spirit or enthusiasm
109waywarddifficult to control or predict because of unusual or perverse behavior.
110perverse(of a person or their actions) showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.
"Kate's perverse decision not to cooperate"
111Notorietythe state of being famous or well known for some bad quality or deed.
"the song has gained some notoriety in the press"
aka. infamy, disrepute, discredit
112eminencefame or recognized superiority, especially w/in a particular sphere/profession.
"her eminence in cinematography"
113precariouslyin a way that is not securely in position and likely to fall/collapse
"the home hung precariously over the edge of a huge crevice."
114triflingunimportant or trivial
115amelioratedmake (something bad/unsatisfactory) better.
"the reform did much to ameliorate living conditions."
116ascertainedfind something out for certain; make sure of.
"an attempt to ascertain the cause of the accident."
117exacerbatemake a problem/bad situation/ negative feeling worse.
118espouseto support
119conjureto summon; to bring in being as if by magic
120rebuffto snub, drive away, reject
121occludeto stop; to cut off the flow
122imminentabout to happen
123perfunctorydone hastily and without attention to detail; indifferent
124prodigalextravagantly wasteful
125perfidiousintending to betray
126sinuousfull of curves, twisting and turning
127inculcateto teach by frequent repetition
128heedto pay close attention to
129floutto treat with contemptuous disregard
130contemptthe feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.
"he showed his contempt for his job by doing it very badly"
131neologisma newly invented word or phrase
132aperturean opening, gap, hole
133quandarya state of perplexity; a difficult situation
134obviateto do away with or make unnecessary; to prevent
135impugnto criticize or cast doubt on
136begetto make children; to cause
137deprecateto express disapproval of
138abdicateto give up a duty or a position
139disseminateto distribute or spread something, especially information
140dissembleto pretend; to hide under a false appearance
141expediteto speed up the progress of
142polarizeto cause a division of opinion between groups
143confoundto lump together, causing confusion; to damn
144abscondto leave secretly
145burnishto polish by rubbing
146consummateto bring a state of completion or perfection; complete or perfect
147recantto withdraw a previously held statement of belief
148promiscuitythe practice of indulging in casual sexual relations
149iconoclastsomebody who challenges established beliefs, customs, and values
150penchanta strong liking
151sycophanta person who serves and flatters someone powerful for personal gain
152paucity(n) scarcity
153consanguinity(n) a relationship by blood
154heresy(n) a belief that rejects the accepted tenets of a religion
opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.
"cutting capital gains taxes is heresy"
155martinet(n) somebody who demands exact conformity to rules
156gamin(n) a child who roams the streets
157synthesize(v) to combine various components into a new whole
158expostulate(v) to attempt to dissuade somebody from doing something
159cavort(v) to frolic; play and move about cheerfully, excitedly.
"spider monkeys leap and cavort in the branches"
160dissudepersuade (someone) not to take a particular course of action.
"his friends tried to dissuade him from flying"
161gaminchild roaming the streets
162derision(v) to mock/ridicule. The next direct ancestor.
163witty(adj) clever and humorous
164epigram(n) a witty statement
165elegy(n) a sorrowful poem
166irascibleto be easily tempered.
167inveteratea well established habit
168estimabledeserving respect/ high regard.
169cholericeasily tempered, irascible
170stolidnot easily excited, non-emotional.
171peculateto steal from others.
172venerateto respect someone
173descantwritten or talked at length.
"i have descanted this subject before."
174caustic(adj) harsh, harmful
175pertinaciousto maintain a strong belief in a behavior, or idea.
176inchoatestill in process of developing/ not yet fully established.
177deferenceto respect someone above, to act submission to another's opinions to due high regard.
178sycophantsomeone who flatters others to earn a personal gain.
179abberationa deviation from a norm/usual behavior or thought.
180mainstaysomething or something that plays an important role.
181legerdemainuse of cleverness to deceive others.
"some men judge a woman's value by her legs.....that can be a deceiving observation!"
182cynicsomeone who does not believe in the greater good.
183acrimonyhostility or anger in one's overall demeanor.
"a-crime-on-me"
184coteriea group of people with similar interest
185quandary(n) a difficult situation
186corroborateto provide supporting evidence
187vindicateto show to be right
188entreat(v) to ask earnestly
189obviateto prevent. to make unnecessary.
"when you ovulate, and get your period...you prevent a pregnancy"
190duressviolence, under threat, to be forced to do something you normally wld not do.
191carpingpetty nagging/criticism.
192platitudetrite statement.
193apocryphalHe claims to have A POCKET FULL of money, but we all know better.
with questionable authenticity.
194sylvanhaving forest/woodland like characteristics
195mercurialGeminis are from planet mercury.
changing and unpredictable behavior.
196diminutivesmaller than average
197insipidhaving a dull flavor
"mugs of insipid coffee"
198overweeningexcessive arrogance
"over winning"
199tediousrepetitive and boring
200accomplicepartner/ partner in crime