GRE High Frequency Words

GRE List Title
Vocabulary Wizard 6.7 (Vocabulary Wizard) 1995-2005 Prosigner 08/09/24 PM03:30 page 1/50
abase
v. a<ad(=to)+bas(=lower) make someone lower in rank, position, character, etc.; lower; humiliate It is written in the Bible that "whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted, and he that shall exalt himself shall be abased ."; His refusal to abase himself in the eyes of his followers irritated the king, who wanted to humiliate him. [+] debase, degrade, demean, humble v. ab(=off)+dic(=say, proclaim) formally give up an office or a duty; give up the throne; renounce; give up We will not allow you to abdicate your responsibilities as a leading citizen of this community.; Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. [+] bate, dwindle, lull, relent, slacken, subside, wane a. abnormal or deviant Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. [+] anomalous, atypical, untypical; [-] normal n. bey(=gape) condition of not being in force or in use for a time; suspended action The case is being held in abeyance until further evidence can be found.; The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. [+] dormancy, intermission, interruption, latency, pause, quiescence, suspension v. ab(=away, from , intensive)+hor(=shudder) hate something very much; detest I wouldn't say that I abhor housework, but I must admit that I avoid it whenever I can.; She abhorred all forms of bigotry. [+] abominate, execrate, loathe; [-] greatly admire v. renounce upon oath He abjured his allegiance to the king. [+] recall, recant, retract, withdraw; [-] espouse n. repudiation; self-sacrifice No act of abnegation was more pronounced than his refusal of any rewards for his discovery. [+] denial, renouncement v. loathe; hate Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom. [+] abhor, detest, execrate, hate v. ab(=away)+rog(=ask) abolish laws, customs, etc. No one, however powerful of intellectually dominant, can abrogate the basic moral laws on which civilization rests.; He intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. [+] annihilate, annul, invalidate, nullify, vitiate; [-] uphold v. abs<ab(=from , away)+cond(=hide) go away suddenly and hide; depart secretly and hide How can you accuse me of absconding with all your brilliant ideas when you have never had an original idea in your life!; The teller absconded with the bonds and was not found. [+] flee v. ab(=from)+solv/solu(=loosen) declare someone free from guilt or punishment; pardon an offense The jury may have found him not guilty, but the "court of public opinion" will never absolve him of responsibility for the crime.; The father confessor absolved him of his sins. [+] discharge, forgive
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abstemious
a. abs<ab(=away, from)+tem<tom(=cut) not eating and drinking too much; frugal; temperate; sparing in dringk, etc. He was so abstemious that he extended his self-control even to his beloved music, and listened to records no more than an hour each day.; The drunkards mocked him because of his abstemious habits. [+] abstinent, continent, temperate n. restraint from eating or drinking The doctor recommended total abstinence from salted foods. [+] continence, sobriety, temperance a. abs<ab(=intensive, away)+trus(=thrust) deep in meaning; difficult to understand; obscure; profound; difficult to understand He tried to conceal his lack of true scholarship and intellectual depth by making use of unnecessarily abstruse language.; She read abstruse works in philosophy. [+] esoteric profound, recondite, enigmatic a. bottomless His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance. [+] fathomless n. ac<ad(=to, near)+col(=neck) bestowed of a knighthood by a tap on the shoulder with the flat of a sword; praise; approval; award of merit Critics who bestow their accolades too easily may gain some quick popularity, but they will soon lose credibility and influence over their readers.; In Hollywood, an "Oscar" is the highest accolade. [+] award, laurels; [-] criticism n. ac<ad(=near)+com(=together)+plic(=fold) a person who helps another in a wrong act; partner in crime I am sorry to have to tell you that I was an accomplice in the practical joke that caused you so much pain.; Because he had provided the criminal with the lethal weapon, he was arrested as an accomplice in the murder. [+] conspirator n. growth; increase The accretion of wealth marked the family's rise in power. [+] augmentation, increment; [-] reduction in substance caused by erosion v. ac<ad(=to, add)+cru<cre(=grow, increase) come as a natural growth or development; come as a natural increase especially of money; come about by addition I am convinced that some substantial advantages will accrue to me if I complete my college education.; You must pay the interest which has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum. [+] augment a. sour or bitter in taste; harsh or corrosive in tone n. bitterness of speech and temper The meeting of the United Nations Assembly was marked with such acerbity that little hope of reaching any useful settlement of the problem could be held. [+] acrimony, asperity, mordancy
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abstinence
abdicate
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abstruse
aberrant
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abysmal
abeyance
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accolade
abhor
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accomplice
abjure
abnegation
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accretion
abominate
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accrue
abrogate
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abscond
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acerbic acerbity
21
11
absolve
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acquiesce
v. ac<ad(=to, intensive)+qui(=quiet)+esc(=becoming) give consent silently; assent; agree passively Although we really don't agree with mother's musical tastes, we decided to acquiesce to her appeal.; Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer's suggestions, I could tell she had reservations about the changes he wanted made. [+] accede, assent, consent a. sharp; bitterly pungent The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired. [+] piquant, poignant n. sharpness or bitterness of speeech or temper a. hard; inflexible He was adamant in his determination to punish the wrongdoer. [+] inexorable, obdurate, rigid, uncompromising, unyielding a. rotten; muddled; crazy This addle-headed plan is so preposterous that it does not deserve any consideration. [+] decayed, putrid; bewildered, distracted, flustered; insane, lunatic, maniac v. request solemnly I must abjure you to consider this matter carefully as it is of utmost importance to all of us. v. flatter in an obsequious manner n. flattery; admiration He thrived on the adulation of his henchmen. [+] blandishment v. ad(=to, add)+ulter<alter(=other) make something poorer in quality by adding something improper; make impure by mixing with baser substances Do you really believe that the academic curriculum will be adulterated if courses like driver education and consumer science are introduced?; It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer. [+] degrade, impurify, pollute n. opponent; enemy Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the machinations of his wicked adversary the Jaker. [+] antagonist, oppugnant n.v. ad(=to)+voc(=call) a person who advocates; barrister; speak in favor of something; urge; plead for The Fund for Animals was a strong advocate of the campaign to save dolphins from death in the nets of the tuna fleet.; The abolitionists advocated freedom for the slaves. [+] justify, support; [-] denounce a. artistic; dealing with or capable off appreciation of the beautiful Because of his aesthetic nature, he was emotionally disturbed by ugly things. a. sum; total The aggregate wealth of this country is staggering to the imagination. [+] gross, inclusive, overall, whole; [-] isolated units
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aghast
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agrarian
a. filled with fear and surprise; horrified She was aghast at the sudden attack.; He was aghast at the nerve of the speaker who had insulted his host. [+] agape, dismayed, overwhelmed a. pertaining to land or its cultivation The country is gradually losing its agrarian occupation and turning more and more to an industrial point of view. n. cheerful promptness He demonstrated his eagerness to serve by his alacrity in executing the orders of his master. [+] promptness, agility; [-] hesitance and reluctance n. medieval chemistry The changing of baser metals into gold was the goal of the students of alchemy. n. story in which characters are used as symbols; fable "Pilgrim's Progress" is an allegory of the temptations and victories of man's soul. [+] apologue, parable v. al<ad(=to, add)+lev(=light, lift) make pain or suffering less or easier to bear; relieve The only truly effective way to alleviate the poverty of underdeveloped third-world nations is to help increase their capacity to produce wealth.; This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs. [+] allay, appease, assuage, calm, pacify, soothe; [-] exacerbate v. assign Even though the Red Cross had allocated a large sum for the relief of the sufferers o the disaster, many people perished. [+] allot, apportion, mete n. a mixture as of metals Alloys of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal. n. indirect reference The allusions to mythological characters in Milton's poems bewilder the reader who has not studied Latin. [+] connotation, implication, inkling, innuendo, insinuation, intimation a.e. remote in manner; apart; reserved He remained aloof from their quarrel.; apathetic, impassive, indifferent; reserved, reticent, taciturn n. alter(=other)+ca(=s.e.)+tion(=that which) quarrel or noisy argument; wordy quarrel What began as a "minor quarrel" grew into an altercation and then into an ugly fight.; Throughout the entire altercation, not one sensible word was uttered. [+] argument, controversy, dispute, fracas
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acrid
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alacrity
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acrimony adamant
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alchemy
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allegory
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addle
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alleviate
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adjure
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adulate adulation
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allocate
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adulterate
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alloy
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allusion
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adversary
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aloof
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advocate
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altercation
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aesthetic
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aggregate
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altruistic
a. altru<alter(=other)+ist(=person who)+ic(=nature of) considering the well-being and happines of others first,unselfish; unselfishly generous; concerned for others What good are altruistic principles if no real attempt is made to help people by putting them into practice?; In providing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundres of economically disadvantage youths, Engene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed. [+] charitable, humane, humanitarian, magnanimous, philanthropic, unselfish v. combine; unite in one body The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body. [+] compound, consolidate; [-] separate; [-] isolate v. collect, pile or heap up He would later amass a fortune from the small investment.; The miser's aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible. [+] accumulate, cumulate, garner, stockpile a. amb<ambi(=around, both)+ig(=drive)+u(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) having more than one meaning; of uncertain meaning or intention; doubtful in meaning The word presently may mean "right now"or "at a future time".Therefor, to say "I will do that presently" must be considered an ambiguous statement.; His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take. [+] equivocal, unexplicit, vague n. val(=worth,strength) the state of having either or both of two contrary or similar values, meanings, etc.; the state of having contradictory or conflicitng emotional attitudes The atrocity shook him out of his ambivalence .; Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings. v. improve Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums. [+] amend, improve a. am(=love, friendly)+i(=s.e.)+able(=capable of) good-tempered; kind-hearted; easy and pleasant to talk to; agreeable; lovable He is so skillful in dealing with people that he can seem amiable even when he is refusing to give them what they want.; His amiable disposition pleased all who had dealings with him. [+] complaisant, courteous, lenient a. a<an(=not, without)+morph(=form) having no definite shape or form; shapeless The musical composition, with no melodic pattern and no well-defined structure of development, seemed amorphous to my ear.; She was frightened by the amorphous mass which had floated in from the sea. [+] formless n. chron(=time,age) mistake in dating something; something out of date now or in a description of past events; an error involving time in a story Slavery is a sheer anachronism in the modern age.; The reference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism. [+] misdate, parachronism
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anagram
n. gram(=write) word made by changing the order of the letters in another word "Ulatf" is an anagram for "fault" a. log(=speech) similar or parallel; comparable A bird's wing is analogous to a plane's wing.; She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same. [+] corresponding, parallel, similar; [-] lacking similarity n. an(=not, without)+arch(=govern, government) absence of government or control; disorder; confusion; absence of governing body; state of disorder There is a vast difference between democracy, under which everyone has duties as well as privileges, and anarchy under which no one has any fixed obligations.; The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy. [+] chaos, disorder; [-] order n. them(=put,place) formal declaration of the church, excommunicating somebody or condemning something as evil; solemn curse The church pronounced anathema against the wilful heretic.; He heaped anathema upon his foe. [+] curse, imprecation, malediction, malison a. withered v. an<ad(=to, near)+nihil(=nothing) destroy completely; put an end to With their bigger, faster, more experienced players, they simply annihilated our team by 56 to 7.; The enemy in its revenge tried to annihilate the entire population. [+] demolish, raze a. abnormal; irregular He was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures which he despised. [+] aberrant, abnormal, atypical, deviant, untypical; [-] conforming to an established rule; [-] normal a. an(=not, without)+onym(=name, word) without a name, or with a name that is not made known; having no name Although we cannot mention her name, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous donor who gave this generous gift to our Building Fund.; He tried to ascertain the identity of the writer of the anonymous letter. n. active resistance Despite his lawyers' best efforts to stop him, the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to the judge. [+] animus, enmity, hostility n. anti(=against, opposite)+path(=feel)+y(=that which) strong and decided dislike; aversion; dislike You are in deep trouble if you combine a strong taste for high living with an equally strong antipathy for hard work.; His extreme antipathy to dispute caused him to avoid argumentative discussions with his friends. [+] abhorrence, abomination, aversion, loathing, repugnance; [-] settled fondness
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analogous
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amalgamate
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anarchy
48
amass
49
ambiguous
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anathema
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anhydrous annihilate
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ambivalence
60
61
anomalous
51
ameliorate
62
anonymous
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amiable
63
antagonism
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amorphous
64
antipathy
54
anachronism
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antiseptic
n.a. sept(=rotten) chemical substance preventing infection; preventing infection; substance that prevents infection He bathed the wound with an antiseptic.; It is advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound, no matter how alight or insignificant. n. a<an(=not, without)+path(=feel, suffer) absence of sympathy or interest; indifference; lack of caring; indifference Her moods seem to go from one extreme to the other-from deepest apathy to unlimited enthusiasm.; A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote. [+] impassiveness, indifference a. prophetic; pertaining to revelations His apocalyptic remarks were dismissed by his audience as wild surmises. [+] sibylline a. cryph<crypt relating to the apocryphal; not genuine; not genuine; sham Many tales of the old West are apocryphal .; Her apocryphal tears misled no one. [+] bogus, counterfeit, forged, phony, spurious, ungenuine; [-] authenticated n. st<a>(=stand) one who abandons his faith; one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs He became an apostate when he left the church.; Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate. [+] betrayer, defector, recreant, renegade n. theo(=God) deification; release from earthly life; deification; glorification Some tyrants believed that they had apotheosis during medieval age.; The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to insure his eternal greatness. [+] dignification, exaltation, lionization v. ap<ad(=to)+peas<pac(=peace) quiet an angry person, etc.; satisfy in appetite; yield to the demands of someone; pacify; soothe In ancient times, people sacrified animals , and even human beings, to appease the gods.; We have discovered that, when we try to appease our enemies, we encourage them to make additional demands. [+] assuage, conciliate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, propitiate a. ap<ad(=to, near)+prehens(=take) fearful about something that might happen; quick to understand; perceptive; fearful; discerning Those students who have been doing their work all term need not feel apprehensive about the final examination.; His apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness. cf. comprehensive n. ap<ad(=to)+prob(=try, test, good) approval; sanction Popularity polls seem to be based on the mistaken idea that the basic task of a political leader is to win immediate approbation from the people.; She looked for some sign of approbation from her parents. [+] sanction; [-] condemnation
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appropriate
75 66
arbiter
apathy
76
arbitrary
67
apocalyptic
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apocryphal
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arduous
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arid
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apostate
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armada
a.v. acquire; take possession of for one`s own use The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the lndians` use. [+] arrogate, commandeer, confiscate, seize; [-] surrender n. a person with power to decide a dispute; judge As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers. [+] referee, umpire a. ar(=to)+bit<bat(=go)+r(=s.e.)+ary(=relating to) based on opinion or impulse only, not on reason; dictatorial; using despotic power; fixed or decided; despotic Mr. Ruggles claimed that the policewoman had been arbitrary in giving him a parking ticket while ignoring other cars on the street.; Any arbitrary action on your part will be resented by the members of the board whom you do not consult. [+] autocratic, despotic, monocratic a. hard; strenuous Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy. [+] laborious, toilsome a. dry; barren The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment. [+] droughty; sterile, unfruitful n. fleet of warships Queen Elizabeth's navy was able to defeat the mighty armada that threatened the English coast. a. unduly or excessively proud, as of wealth, station, learning, etc v. ar<ad(=to, add)+rog(=ask) claim or seize without right; attribute unjustly; claim without reasonable grounds The United States Constitution is uniquely designed to provide protection against individuals and bodies which might seek to arrogate undue power to themselves.; I am afraid that the manner in which he arrogates power to himself indicates that he is willing to ignore Constitutional limitations. [+] commandeer, usurp n. deception; trickery The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might. [+] chicanery, deceit, device, feint, maneuver, ruse, skullduggery, stratagem, trickery a. practicing self-denial; austere The wealthy young man could not understand the ascetic life led by the monks. [+] abstemious, abstinent, astringent, austere, stern a.e. with suspicion; with a sideway or indirect look The old woman looked askance at their short shirts.; Looking askance at her questioner, she displayed her scorn. [+] awry, askew, crookedly v. analyze; evaluate When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. [+] appraise, assess, estimate
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arrogant
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apotheosis
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arrogate
71
appease
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artifice
72
apprehensive
83
ascetic
84
askance
73
approbation
85
assay
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assiduous
a. as<ad(=to, intensive)+sid(=sit) working steadily, diligent; eagerly attentive What he lacks in skill, he makes up in assiduous attention to every last detail and requirement of the job.; He worked assiduously at this task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his results. [+] industrious, sedulous v. ease; lessen pain Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering. [+] allay, appease, mitigate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, relieve, soothe; [-] intensify a. wise; shrewd That was a very astute observation. I shall heed it. [+] acute n.v. a<an(=not, without)+troph(=nourishment) wasting away of the body or of a moral quality; cause atrophy in or waste away Medical experts state that almost every case of muscle and tissue atrophy is the result of changes in cell nutrition, disease, or prolonged disuse.; Polio victims need physiotherapy to prevent the atrophy of affected limbs. [+] decadence, declination, degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration v. at<ad(=to, intensive)+tenu(=thin) make thin or slender; weaken; make thin; weaken We must not allow passion for justice to be attenuated to mere halfhearted good will.; By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines. [+] debilitate, disable, enfeeble, extenuate, unstrengthen; [-] strengthen a. daring; bold Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death-defying leap to freedom and escaped Darth vader`s troops. [+] courageous, dauntless, intrepid; [-] timid v. aug(=increase) make or become greater, increase He will augment his income by tending bar at night.; How can we hope to augment our forces when our allies are deserting us? [+] aggrandize, boost, expand, extend, magnify a. au<avi(=bird)+spic(=look)+i(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) showing signs or promising good fortune, favorable; favoring success Since everything had gone so smoothly, we felt that the campaign to elect Ellen captain was off to an auspicious deginning.; With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail. [+] favorable, fortunate, propitious a. strict; stern His austere demeanor prevented us from engaging in our usual frivolous activities. [+] ascetic, rigorous, severe, stern, strict a. hen(=perpare,achieve) genuine, not fictitious; reliable, trustworthy You cannot contest the authentic will. [-] bogus a. nom(=law) self-governing; free A federal system makes provision for local government with considerable autonomous authority.; This island is a colony; however, in most matters, it is autonomous and receives no orders from the mother country. [+] independent
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avarice
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aver
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assuage
n. greediness for wealth King Midas's avarice has been famous for centuries. [+] avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, rapacity v. a<ad(=to)+ver(=true) declare as true; assert; affirm; state confidently Whwn they offered to help him, he proudly averred that he could handle the situation entirely on his own.; I wish to aver that I am certain of success. [+] affirm, assert, avouch, avow; [-] deny n. enclosure for birds The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300birds. a. distorted; crooked He held his head awry, giving the impression that he had caught cold in his neck during the night. [+] askance, askew n. self-evident truth requiring no proof Before a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry, he must accept certain principles or axioms. a. sky blue Azure skies are indicative of good weather. a. deadly; destructive The drought was a baleful omen. [+] baneful, malign, pernicious, sinister; [-] beneficent n. heavy substance used to add stability or weight The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an even keel. a. ban(=prohibition, control)+al(=nature of) commonplace; trite; hackneyed; commonplace; trite In this moment of grief, the conventional expressions of sympathy which I had considered so banal were surprisingly comforting.; His frequent use of cliches made his essay seem banal. [+] platitudinous; [-] arresting n. cause of ruin Lack of public transportation is the bane of urban life. [+] poison, venom a. highly ornate They found the baroque architecture amusing. [+] embellished, flamboyant, rococo, ornamented n. trinket; trifle The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag. [+] bagatelle, triviality a. giving bliss; blissful The beatific smile on the child's face made us very happy. v. to make supremely happy v. dress with vulgar finery The witch doctors were bedizened in all their gaudiest costumes.
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aviary
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astute
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awry
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atrophy
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axiom
102 90
azure
attenuate
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baleful
104
ballast
91
audacious
105
banal
92
augment
93
auspicious
106
bane
107
baroque
108
bauble
94
austere
109
beatific
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authentic
110 96
beatify bedizen
autonomous
111
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beget
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beholden
v. father; produce; give rise to One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another. [+] breed, generate, progenerate, propagate a. obligated; indebted Since I do not wish to be beholden to anyone, I cannot accept this favor. v. suited to; incumbent upon In this time of crisis, it behooves all of us to remain calm and await the instructions of our superiors. v. give a wrong or untrue idea of; fail to justify or be equal to what is hoped for or promised; contradict; give a false impression Her behavior belied her story.; His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity. [+] contradict, contravene, controvert; [-] aver a. warlike His bellicose disposition alienated his friends. [+] belligerent, combative, contentious, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, warlike. n. fact(=do,make) person who has given financial help to a school, hospital, or charitable institution; gift gver; patron The benefactor was generous to the school.; Scrooge later became Tiny Tim's benefactor and gave him gifts. [+] patron a. bene(=good)+fic(=do, make)+i(=s.e.) +ent(=having the quality of) doing good; kind; kindly; doning good She is known and loved throughout the community for her many beneficent acts in behalf of all types of unfortunates.; The overly generous philanthropist had to curb his beneficent impulses before he gabe away all his money and left himself with nothing. [+] maleficent a. bene(=good)+vol(=will)+ent(=having the quality of) doing or inclined to do good; kindly; charitable; generous; charitable No one doubts the benevolent intentions of the program for community improvement, but it was ruined by mismanagement.; His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. [+] charitable, altruistic, humane, humanitarian, magnanimous, philanthropic a. gn<gen(=birth) kind, gentle; mild; not dangerous; kindly; favorable; not malignant The red evening sky was a benign omen.; The old man was well liked because of his benign attitude toward friend and stranger alike. [+] clement, humane, merciful v. scold sharply; scold strongly He began to berate tyrants.; He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness. [+] revile, upbraid, vituperate v. rob; leave sad by taking away Illness bereaved the family of their father. n. state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved His friends gathered to console him upon his sudden bereavement.
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bereft
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beseech
a. deprived; deprived of; lacking Divorce left him bereft of family or home.; The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds. [+] bereaved v. ask earnestly or urgently He beseeched forgiveness for his folly. v. soil; defile The scandalous remarks in the newspaper besmirch the reputations of every member of the society. [+] stain, sully, taint, tarnish a. beastlike; brutal We must suppress our bestial desires and work for peaceful and civilized ends. [+] brutish; cruel, savage, truculent v. engage a waman in contract of marriage; become engaged to marry The couple was betrothed and planned to marry during the summer.; The announcement that had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any romance. [+] engage n.a. enni(=year) plant that lives two years; occuring every two years The biennial pansy flowered in the second year.; The group held biennial meeting instead of annual ones. n.v. where the sides of the vessel curve in to form the bottom; cause to leak (as of vessels); take in water at the bilge n. flattery Despite the salesperson's blandishments, the customer did not buy the outfit. [+] adulation, flattery a. profane; impious The people in the room were shocked by his blasphemous language. [+] irreverent, sacrilegious a. loudly offensive I regard your remarks as blatant and ill-mannered. [+] boisterous, clamorous, obstreperous, vociferous a. suffering from a disease; destroyed The extent of the blighted areas could be seen only when viewed from the air. a. gay; joyous Shelley called the skylark a "blithe spirit" because of its happy song. [-] grave v. foreshadow; portend The gloomy skies and the sulphurous odors from the mineral spring seemed to bode evil to those who settled in the area. [+] augur, forebode, foreshadow, foreshow, omen, portend, presage v. support; prop up I do not intend to bolster your hopes with false reports of outside assistance; the truth is that we must face the enemy alone. [+] buttress, prop, sustain; [-] decrease support of; [-] undermine
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behoove
126
besmirch
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belie
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bestial
128
betroth
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bellicose
117
benefactor
129
biennial
118
beneficent
130
bilge
131
blandishment
132 119
blasphemous
benevolent
133
blatant
134
blighted
120
benign
135
blithe
121
berate
136
bode
122
bereave
137
bolster
123
bereavement
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bombastic
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boorish
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breach
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brevity
a. pompous; using inflated language The orator's bombastic manner left the audience unimpressed. [+] grandiloquent, magniloquent; [-] understated a. of or like a boor; rude; clownish Because of his boorish behavior, which people find offensive, he is seldom invited to parties.; Your boorish remarks to the driver of the other car were not warranted by the situation and served merely to enrage him. [+] churlish, loutish n. breaking of contract or duty; fissure; gap They found a breach in the enemy's fortifications and penetrated their lines. [+] contravention, infraction, infringement, transgression, trespass, violation; break, hiatus, interim, interruption, interval, fracture, rift, rupture, schism; [-] solder n. brev(=short)+ity(=that which) shortness of statements, human life and other nonmaterial things; conciseness Shakespeare expressed the tragic brevity of life by comparing it to a candle that must soon go out.; Brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram; you are charged for every word. [+] conciseness, succinctness a. tawny or grayish with streaks or spots He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled; he had hoped for animals of a uniform color. [+] piebald, pied v. open up He did not even try to broach the subject of poetry. [-] close off v. tolerate; endure The dean would brook no interference with his disciplinary actions.(secondary meaning) [+] endure v. tell or spread rumors a. blunt; abrupt She was offended by his brusque replay. [+] gruff a. rustic; pastoral The meadow was the scene of bucolic gaiety. [+] rural, pastoral, rustic a. self-assertive His classmates called him a show-off because of his bumptious airs. [+] impertinent, obtrusive v. grow forth; send out buds In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come. [+] blossom, bloom, effloresce; augment, expand, multiply; [-] subside; [-] wither v. give an imitation that ridicules In his caricature, he burlesqued the mannerisms of his adversary. [+] parody, travesty v. make shiny by rubbing; polish They burnished the metal until it reflected the lamplight. [+] furbish, glance, glaze, gloss, polish n. support or prop The huge cathedral walls were supported by flying buttresses. [+] prop
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cabal
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cache
n. small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests The cabal was defeated when their scheme was discovered. [+] junto, plot n. hiding place The detectives followed the suspect until he led them to the cache where he had stored his loot. n. discord Some people seem to enjoy the cacophony of an orchestra that is turning up. [+] discordance, dissonance n. corpse In some states, it is illegal to dissect cadavers. [+] corpse v. coax; wheedle I will not be cajoled into granting you your wish. [+] beguile, deceive, delude v. become impregnated with calcium salts; turn into lime; become calcified; convert into lime n. ability; capacity A man of such caliber should not be assigned such menial tasks. [+] ability, capability, capacity n.v. a metal cleat on the bottom front of a horseshoe to prevent slipping; provide with calks; seal with caulking; injure with a calk a. unfledged; youthful In that youthful movement, the leaders were only a little less callow than their immature followers. [+] immature, juvenile, unfledged v. slander Shakespeare wrote that love and friendship were subject to envious and calumniating time. [+] asperse, defame, denigrate, libel, maligne, slander, traduce, vilify n. malicious misrepresentation; slander He could endure his financial failure, but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him. [+] belittlement, defamation, depreciation, detraction, disparagement, slander n. unfounded rumor; exaggerated report It is almost impossible to protect oneself from such a base canard. a. straightforward I want your candid opinion. v. cap(=head)+itul(=s.e.)+ate(=make) surrender on stated condition Completely surrounded at Yorktown by American and French forces, Cornwallis had no choice but to capitulate .; The enemy was warned to capitulate or face annihilation. [+] submit, succumb, yield a. flickle; incalculable The storm was capricious and changed course constantly. [+] fickle, mercurial, unstable; [-] steadfast
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cacophony
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cadaver
157
cajole
158
calcify
159
caliber
142
brindled
160
calk
143
broach
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callow
144
brook
162
calumniate
145
bruit brusque
146
163
calumny
147
bucolic
164
canard
148
bumptious
165
candid
149
burgeon
166
capitulate
150
burlesque
151
burnish
167
capricious
152
buttress
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168
captious
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carnage
a. capt(=take)+i(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) finding fault or making protests especially about unimportant points; faultfinding He dismissed all of my carefully formulated criticisms with the casual rejoinder that I was being "unreasonably captious ".; His criticisms were always captious and frivolous, never offering constructive suggestions. [+] carping, faultfinding n. carn(=flesh)+age(=collective) killing of many people; destruction of life The carnage caused on our streets and highways each year by careless driving has become a major national scandal.; The carnage that can be caused by atomic warfare adds to the responsibilities of our statesmen. [+] butchery, slaughter n. unlimited authority or freedom Use your own discretion in this matter; I give you carte blanche.
178
cavil
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celibate
v. make frivolous objections I respect your sensible criticisms, but I dislike the way you cavil about unimportant details. [+] carp, dissent a. unmarried; abstaining from sexual intercourse The perennial bachelor vowed to remain celibate. n. overseer of marals; person who reads to eliminate inappropriate remar Soldiers dislike having their mail read by a censor but understand the need for this precaution. n.v. blame; criticize He was censured for his inappropriate behavior. [+] condemn, denounce, denunciate, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove; [-] commend n. stopping The workers threatened a cessation of all activities if their demands were not met. [+] cease, termination; [-] commencement v. warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing The collar chafed his neck. [+] abrade, excoriate; irritate, scratch n. worthless products of an endeavor When you separate the wheat from the chaff, be sure you throw out the chaff. n. vexation; disappointment Her refusal to go with us filled us with chagrin. [+] mortification n. divine gift; great popular charm or appeal of a political leader Political commentators have deplored the importance of a candidate's charisma in these days of television campaigning. [+] charm, fascination n. quack; pretender to knowledge Because he was unable to substantiate his claim that he had found a cure for the dread disease, he was called a charlatan by his colleagues. [+] mountebank, quack a. pure Her chaste and decorous garb was appropriately selected for the solemnity of the occasion. [+] decent, immaculate, stainless, unblemished, undefiled, unsullied v. discipline; punish in order to correct Whom God loves, God chastens. [+] castigate, chastise, punish n. blindly devoted patriot A chauvinist cannot recognize any faults in his country, no matter how flagrant they may be. a. hot-tempered His flushed, angry face indicated a choleric nature. [+] irascible, testy, touchy v. report; record (in chronological order) The gossip columnist was paid to chronicle the latest escapades of the socially prominent celebrities.
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censor
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censure
170
carte blanche
182 171
cessation
cascade
172
castigate
n. small waterfall We could not appreciate the beauty of the many cascades as we made detours around each of them to avoid getting wet. [+] cataract v. cast(=pure)+ig(=drive)+ate(=make) punish severely with blows or by criticizing In Gulliver's Travels and other books, Jonathan Swift castigated the human race for its follies and wickedness.; Sensitive seven to mild criticism, Woolf could not bear the castigation which she found in certain reviews. [+] chastise n. punishment; severe criticism Sensitive even to mild criticism, Woolf could not bear the castigation which she found in certain reviews. [+] chastisement; [-] affection n. clysm(=wash) sudden and violent change; deluge; upheaval A cataclysm such as the French Revolution affects all countries. [+] deluge, inundation, overflow, spate; calamity, catastrophe, misadventure, tragedy n. lys(=to loose) a combination which starts a reaction; agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unchanged Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst .; Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst. n. hars(=pure) outlet for strong emotion; emptying of the bowels; purging or cleansing of any passage of the body Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts. [+] purification, purgation a. caust(=burn)+ic(=nature of) able to burn or destroy by chemical action; acrid; sarcastic; burning; sarcastically biting If any of the caustic material gets on your clothing, wash it off immediately with lukewarm water to prevent it from eating away the fabric.; The critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm. [+] incisive, mordacious, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, scathing, stinging, trenchant; [-] innocuous
183
chafe
184
chaff
185
chagrin
173
castigation
186
charisma
174
cataclysm
187
charlatan
175
catalyst
188
chaste
176
catharsis
189
chasten
190
chauvinist
177
caustic
191
choleric
192
chronicle
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193
chronology
n. the science that treats of computation of time,or of investigation and arrangement of events n. locut(=say) roundabout way of speaking; roundabout expression; indirect or roundabout expression The circumlocution "the game ended with a score that was not in our favor" should be replaced by "we lost the game".; He was afraid to call a spade a spade and resorted to circumlocutions to avoid direct reference to his subject. [+] euphimism, roundabout v. vent(=come) prevent a plan from being carried out, frustrate; outwit; baffle They tried to circumvent the official red tape.; In order to circumvent the enemy, we will make two preliminary attacks in other sections before starting our major campaign. [+] baffle, balk, foil, frustrate, thwart a. secret After avoiding their chaperon, the lovers had a clandestine meeting. [+] covert, furtive, stealthy, surreptitious v. thicken; congeal; clot Enen after you remove the pudding from the burner, it will continue to coagulate as it stands. [+] clot, coalesce, congeal, consolidate v. combine; fuse The brooks coalesce into one large river. [+] adhere, associate, cling, combine, conjoin, fuse, mingle, stick n. concluding section of a musical or literary composition The piece concluded with a distinctive coda that strikingly brought together various motifs. [-] prelude n. supplement to the body of a will This codicil was drawn up five years after the writing of the original will. [+] appendix, supplement a. co(=together)+g<ag(=drive, do) having a powerful appeal to the mind; convincing We found her criticism of our conduct unpleasant, but we had to admit that her remarks were cogent and to the point.; She presented cogent arguments to the jury. [+] convincing, persuasive, solid, valid n. knowledge During the election campaign, the two candidates were kept in full cognizance of the international situation. [+] perception a. co<con(=thoroughly)+gn<gno(=know)+iz(=s.e.) +ant(=having the quality of) having knowledge or being fully aware of Like many people who are completely wrapped up in themselves, he seems not to be cognizant that he is hurting the feelings of his own friends. n. force which keeps parts together In order to preserve our cohesion, we must not let minor differences interfere with our major purposes. [+] adherence, adhesion, cling, coherence, stickage
205
cohort
n. a company of companions or supporters; a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion) v. col<con(=with)+labor(=work) work in partnership, especially in literature and art; work treasonably especially with enemy forces occupying one's country; work together All those who collaborated with the enemy in the hope of gaining special favors will be punished severely.; Two writer collaborated in preparing this book. a. pertaining to conversational or common speech You use of colloquial expressions in a formal essay such as the one you have presented spoils the effect you hope to achieve. n. col<con(=together)+lus/lud(=laugh, play) secret agreement for an unlawful or evil purpose; conspiring in a fraudulent scheme The gambler's prediction of the scores of the games proved so incredibly accurate that we begin to suspect some form of collusion .; The swindlers were found guilty of collusion. [+] complicity, connivance a. given to merry frolicking a. com<con(=together)+pat(=feel, suffer) in accord with; able to live together in harmony; suited to; harmonious; in harmony with Do you think that your unwillingness to study foreign language is compatible with your ambition to get a job in the Foreign Service?; They were compatible neighbors, never quarreling over unimportant matters. [+] agreeable, congenial, congruous, consistent, consonant, sympathetic n. com<con(=with)+pend(=hang, weigh) concise and comprehensive account; summary; brief comprehensive summary On the basis of his many years of experience as a school administrator, he had prepared an invaluable compendium of all the mistakes likely to be made by a young teacher.; This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field. [+] abridgement, digest, epitome, syllabus a. self-satisfied There was a complacent look on his face as he examined his paintings. [+] self-contented a. com<con(=thoroughly)+pli(=fill) ready or disposed to comply; yielding Because she is usually so compliant , we were all surprised when she said firmly that she didn't like our plans and wouldn't accept them.; He was compliant and ready to conform to the pattern set by his friends. [+] acquiescent, submissive v. bear one's self; behave He comported himself with great dignity. [+] bear, conduct, demean, deport a. thorough; inclusive This book provides a comprehensive review of verbal and math skills for the SAT. [+] inclusive, overall a. reconciling; soothing She was still angry despite his conciliatory words. [+] propitiatory
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circumlocution
206
collaborate
195
circumvent
207
colloquial
208
collusion
196
clandestine
197
coagulate
209
coltish compatible
210
198
coalesce
199
coda
211
compendium
200
codicil
201
cogent
212
complacent
202
cognizance
213
compliant
203
cognizant
214
comport
204
cohesion
215
comprehensive
216
conciliatory
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concise
a. con(=intensive)+cis(=cut) brief; giving much information in few words; brief and compact In spite of the vast number of details in the United States Constitution, the document is remarkably concise .; The essay was concise and explicit. [+] compendiary, compendious, laconic, pithy, succinct, terse n. private meeting He was present at all their conclaves as an unofficial observer. v. con(=together)+de(=down)+scend(=climb) do something that one's rank, merits, abilities, etc. do not require one to do; lower oneself; behave graciously, but in a way that shows one's feeling of superiority; bestow courtesies with a superior air If, as they say, they find those people so vulgar and unpleasant, why do they condescend to associate with them?; The king condescended to grant an audience to the friends of the condemned man. [+] deign, vouchsafe v. con(=intensive, completely)+don(=give) overlook or forgive an offence; overlook; forgive I do not entirely condone his misconduct, but I can understand, to a degree, why he behaved as he did.; We cannot condone your recent criminal cooperation with the gamblers. [+] excuse, forgive, pardon n. mass of material sticking together In such a conglomeration of miscellaneous statistics, it was impossible to find a single area of analysis. [+] accumulation, agglomeration, aggregation, amassment, cumulation v. to unite v. summon a devil; practice magic; inagine; invent He conjured up an image of a reformed city and had the cotters completely under his spell. [+] invoke n. pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance With the connivance of his friends, he plotted to embarrass the teacher. [+] collusion, complicity n. con(=thoroughly)+n<gn<gno(=know) person with good judgement on matters in which taste is needed; expert; person competent to act as a judge of art, etc; a lover of an art After spending the summer behind the soda fountain at the Sweet Shop, I think I can fairly describe myself as a connoisseur of banana splits and milk shakes.; She had developed into a connoisseur of fine china. v. con(=together)+secr<sacr(=holy) make sacred; devote something to a special purpose; dedicate; sanctify As we move into the third century of our nation's life, we should consecrate ourselves anew to the ideals of human freedom.; We shall consecrate our lives to this noble purpose. [+] devote; hallow, sanctify
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consensus
n. con(=with)+sens(=feel) general agreement of opinion, feeling, etc.; collective opinion As we learned to understand each other's needs and aspirations, a sort of unspoken consensus developed that enabled us to work together harmoniously.; The consensus indicates that we are opposed to entering into this pact. a. pompous; self-important Convinced of his own importance, the actor stutted about the dressing room with a consequential air. [+] considerable, important, momentous, significant, substantial v. associate with We frequently judge people by the company with whom they consort. n. the act of bringing to completion or fruition v. regard with contempt; disregard I will not tolerate those who contemn the sincere efforts of this group. a. quarrelsome We heard loud and contentious noises in the next room. [+] bellicous, belligerent, combative, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, warlike; argumentative, controversial, disputatious, polemical v. ven(=come) go against a law, a custom, etc.; attack a statement, a principle, etc.; contradict; infringe on By invading the neutral nation, the doctator contravened his earlier pledge to guarantee its independence.; I will not attempt to contravene your argument for it does not affect the situation. [+] contradict, gainsay, impugn, negate; encroach, fringe, intrude, offend, transgress, trespass a. con(=intensive, together)+trit(=rub) filled with deep sorrow for wrongdoing; penitent If you had paid some attention to my warning in the first place, ther would be no need for you to be contrite now.; Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence. [+] compunctious, penitent, remorseful, repentant a. con(=intensive)+tum(=swell) resisting authority; obstinate and disobedient; disobedient; resisting authority The situation was rapidly becoming intolerable because the new supervisor found the employees to be not merely uncooperative but positively contumacious .; The contumacious mob shouted defiantly at the police. [+] factious, insubordinate, insurgent, mutinous, rebellious n. bruise She was treated for contusions and abrasions. [+] bruise n. riddle; difficult problem During the long car ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children. [+] enigma, mystery, puzzle, riddle
218
conclave
228
consequential
219
condescend
229
consort
230
consummation contemn
231
220
condone
232
contentious
221
conglomeration
233
contravene
222
conjoin conjure
223
224
connivance
234
contrite
225
connoisseur
235
contumacious
226
consecrate
236
contusion
237
conundrum
GRE List Title

238
conventional
239
converge
a. ordinary; typical His conventional upbringing left him wholly unprepared for his wife's eccentric family. [+] customary, orthodox v. con(=together)+verg(=turn, bend) come towards each other and meet at a point; come together At first, the two candidates were in disagreement on every issue, but as the campaign went on, their opinions seemed to converge .; Marchers converged on Washington for the great Peace March. [+] concentrate, focus a. coiled around; involved; intricate His argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow it intelligently. [+] meandering, sinuous, tortuous, winding; [-] straightforward a. plentiful She had copious reasons for rejecting the proposal. [+] abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, plenteous n. mutual relationship He sought to determine the correlation that existed between ability in algebra and ability to interpret reading exercises. [+] interrelation v. cor<con(=intensive)+robor(=strength) give support or certainty to a statement, belief, theory, etc.; confirm All the available evidence corroborates my theory that the theft was planned by someone familiar with the layout of the house.; Unless we find a witness to corroborate your evidence, it will not stand up in court. [+] authenticate, confirm, justify, substantiate, validate, verify; [-] antagonize; [-] controvert n.v. coun<con(=together)+ten(=hold) face, including its appearance and expression; support; give support, approval, or encouragement to; approve; tolerate One of the sure signs of a government that is not free and democratic is that the people on power will not countenance any criticism of their acts.; He refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part. [+] approbate n.v. co<con(=together)+ven(=come) formed agreement that is legally binding Twice in the 20th century, the nations of the world have entered into a covenant to cooperate in safegurading international peace and in seeking a better life for all peoples.; We must comply with the terms of the covenant. [+] agreement, compact, contract, convention, transaction v. shrink quivering, as from fear The frightened child cowered in the corner of the room. [+] cringe, quail, wince; [-] brazenly confront a. shy; modest; coquettish She was coy in her answers to his offer. [+] diffident a. very unrefined; grossly insensible The philosophers deplored the crass commercialism. [+] coarse, gross, raw, uncouth, unrefined; [-] refined
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craven
250
credulity
251
criteria
240
convoluted
a. cowardly Her craven behavior in running away from the enemy at this critical period was criticized by her comrades. [+] cowardly, poltroonish, pusillanimous; [-] valorous n. belief on slight evidence The witch doctor took advantage of the credulity of the superstitious natives. [+] gullibility n. standards used in judging What criteria did you use when you selected this essay as the prizewinner? a. culp(=blame, fault)+able(=capable of) blameworthy,deserving punishment; deserving blame What do you think of the concept that when a crime is committed, society is often as culpable as the criminal?; Corrupt politicians who condone the activities of the gamblers are equally culpable. [+] blamable, blameworthy, censurable, impeachable, indictable, reprehensible n. greed The defeated people could not satisfy the cupidity of the conquerors, who demanded excessive tribute. [+] avarice, avidity, greed, rapacity, voracity a. curs(=run)+ory(=relating to) quick; hurried; done without attention to details; casual; hastily done "I was so pressed for time that I couldn't give the lengthy report more than a cursory reading", the busy executive confessed.; A cursory examination of the ruins indicates the possibility of arson; a more extensive study should be undertaken. [+] shallow, superficial n. one who is skeptical or distrustful of human motives Cynical at all times, he was suspicious of all altruistic actions of others. [+] sardonic a. exhibiting moral skepticism n. raised platform for guests of honor When he approached the dais, he was greeted by cheers from the people who had come to honor him. v. triffle with; procrastinate Laertes told Ophelia that Hamlet could only dally with her affections. [+] dawdle, drag, loiter, procrastinate a. damp The walls of the dungeon were dank and slimy. [+] damp, moist v. intimidate Your threats cannot daunt me. [+] appall, dismay, horrify, intimidate a. bold Despite the dangerous nature of the undertaking, the dauntless soldier volunteered for the assignment. [+] brave, courageous n. scarcity The dearth of skilled labor compelled the employers to open trade schools. [+] insufficiency, paucity, scarcity
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culpable
241
copious
242
correlation
253
cupidity
243
corroborate
254
cursory
244
countenance
255
cynic
256
cynical dais
257 245
covenant
258
dally
246
cower
259
dank
260
daunt
247
coy
261
dauntless
248
crass
262
dearth
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263
debacle
264
debase
n. breaking up; downfall This debacle in the government can only result in anarchy. [+] breakdown, collapse, crash; [-] complete success v. de(=down, intensive)+bas(=bottom, lower) make lower or poorer in value, quality, character, etc.; reduce to lower state By concentrating on persoanl gain, he has debased both himself and the high office to which he was elected.; Do not debase yourself by becoming maudlin. [+] abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate, lower v. corrupt; make intemperate A vicious newspaper con debauch public ideals. [+] corrupt, deprave n. a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity v. de(=reverse)+bilit(=strong)+ate(=make) make weak; weaken; enfeeble The historian explained that luxury and self-indulgence debilitated the Roman people and led to the fall of the empire.; Overindulgence debilitates character as well as physical stamina. [+] attenuate, enfeeble, extenuate, weaken a. friendly; aiming to please The debonair youth was liked by all who met him, because of his cheerful and obliging manner. [+] civil, courteous, polite, urbane n. de(=down)+cad(=fall) falling to a lower level in morals, art, literature, etc. especially after a period at a high level; decay His definition of decadence is simply anything that differs from the standards and customs that he is accustomed to.; The moral decadence of the people was reflected in the lewd literature of the period. [+] declination, degeneracy, deterioration, downgrade a. falling of as of leaves The oak is a deciduous tree, a. proper Shocked by the unruly behavior, the teacher criticized the class for its lack of decorum. [+] decency, dignity, propriety, seemliness; [-] unseemly n. decorous Shocked by the unruly behavior, the teacher criticized the class for its lack of decorum. [+] decency, dignity, propriety, seemliness v. disparage Do not attempt to increase your stature by decrying the efforts of your opponents. [+] belittle, depreciate, derogate, detract, devaluate, disparage, lower opprobriate n. de(=down)+fam<fa(=say) harm that is given to one's reputation; slander; harming a person's reputation Lacking a positive program of his own, he hoped to gain the support of the voters by defamation of the other candidates.; Such defamation of character may result in a slander suit. [+] belittlement, calumny, depreciation, detraction, disparagement, slander
275
deference
n. de(=down)+fer(=carry) the act of obeying the judgement or opinion of another; great respect; courteous regard for another's wish Although I felt that he was wrong in his sweeping criticism, I accepted it silently in deference to his age and prefessional standing.; In deference to his desires the employers granted him a holiday. [+] obeisance, recerence; [-] contempt a. de(=off, from)+funct(=perform) dead; extinct; dead; no longer in use or existence Although many of the formalities of etiquette of earlier days are now generally disregarded, the basic principles of courtesy are never defunct .; The lawyers sought to examine the books of the defunct corporation.; The lawyers sought ot examine the books of the defunct corporation. [+] deceased, extinct, vanished v. condescend He felt that he would debase himself if he deigned to answer his critics. [+] vouchsafe a. harmful Workers in nuclear research must avoid the deleterious effects of radioactive substances. [+] detrimental, harmful, injurious, nocuous v. de(=intensive)+lin(=line) show by drawing or by describing; portray delineation I can't provide all the details at this time, but I will try to delineate the mainfeatures of my plan for reorganizing the student government.; He is a powerful storyteller, but he is weakest when he attempts to delineate characer. [+] depict, describe, limn, portay n. false belief; hallucination This scheme is a snare and a delusion. [+] deceit, deception, fraud, guile; hallucination, illusion v. delay; object Do not demur at my request. v. blacken All attempts to denigrate the character of our late President have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory. [+] asperse, calumniate, defame, libel, malign, slander, traduce, vilify n. outcome; final development of the plot of a play The play was childishly written; the denouement was obvious to sophisticated theatergoers as early as the middle of the first act. v. de(=intensive)+pict(=paint) show something with a picture; describe something in words; portray She has gained success as a writer who knows how to depict in a lifelike way the hopes, fears, and problems of young people today.; In this book, the author depicts the slave owners as kind and benevolent masters. [+] delineate, describe, limn, portray n. testimony under oath He made his deposition in the judge's chamber. [+] testimony; [-] process of eroding
276
defunct
265
debauch
266
debauchery
277
deign
267
debilitate
278
deleterious
279
delineate
268
debonair
269
decadence
280
delusion
281
demur
282 270
denigrate
deciduous
271
decorous
283
denouement
272
decorum
284
depict
273
decry
274
defamation
285
deposition
GRE List Title

286
deprecate
v. de(=off, from)+prec(=pray) feel and express disapproval of; disapprove regretfully The whole history of social reform demonstrates how much easier it is to deprecate evils than to take effective action against them.; I must deprecate your attitude and hope that you will change your mind. [+] disapprove, discountenance n. de(=intensive)+pred(=plunder) destruction or pillaging of property; plundering The depredations of the terrible disease could be seen only too clearly in her extreme emaciation and feebleness.; After the depredations of the invaders, the people were penniless. [+] pillage, plunder, spoliation n.a. de(=intensive)+re(=back)+lict(=leave) ship abandoned at sea; worthless person; person who neglects his duty; abandoned; deserted and left to fall into ruin; failing in one's duty In every large city, there is a neighborhood that serves as a refuge for derelicts who have failed to come to terms with society.; The corporal who fell asleep while on watch was thrown into the guard house for being derelict in his duty. [+] delinquent, disregardful, neglectful, negligent, remiss n. ridicule They greeted his proposal with derision and refused to consider it seriously. [+] mockery a. unoriginal; derived from another source Although her early poetry was clearly derivative in nature, the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice. [+] by-product, descendant, outgrowth a. de(=down)+rog(=ask) tending to damage or take away from one's credit, etc.; insulting; expressing a low opinion The public will not readily accept an intensive investigation designed to turn up derogatory information about so popular a figure.; I resent your derogatory remarks. [+] depreciative, depreciatory, detracting, disparaging, pejorative v. discuss fully He was willing to descant upon any topic of conversation, even when he knew very little about the subject under discussion. [+] expatiate v. de(=down)+secr<sacr(=holy) treat a holy thing without respect; profane; violate the sanctity of They desecrated the memory of Lincoln by involving his name in defense of such a racist policy.; The soldiers desecrated the temple. [+] defile, pollute v. dry up A tour of this smokehouse will give you an of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it. [+] dehydrate; [-] hydrate; [-] add water to v. plunder If you do not yield, I am afraid the enemy will despoil the countryside. [+] depredate, pillage, spoliate n. tyranny The people rebelled against the despotism of the king. [+] autocracy, dictatorship, totalitarianism, tyranny
297
desuetude
298
desultory
287
depredation
299
detached
300 288
deterrent
derelict
301
detraction
302
devoid
289
derision
n. disused condition The machinery in the idle factory was in a state of desuetude. [+] cease, cessation, closure, disusage a. aimless; jumping around The animal's desultory behavior indicated that they had no awareness of their predicament. [+] haphazard, random; [-] strictly methodical a. emotionally removed; calm and objective; indifferent A psychoanalyst must maintain a detached point of view and stay uninvolved with her patient's personal lives. (secondary meaning) [+] aloof, disinterested, indifferent, uninterested, dispassionate, neutral, remote n. something that discourages; hindrance Does the threat of capital punishment serve as a deterrent to potential killers? [+] obstacle, prevention n. slandering; aspersion He is offended by your frequent detractions of his ability as a leader. [+] aspersion, belittlement, calumny, defamation, depreciation, disparagement, libel, slander, traducing, vilification a. de(=intensive)+void(=empty) completely without; lacking He delivered a simple, low-key speech, completely devoid of fancy language or emotional appeals.; He was devoid of any personal desire for gain in his endeavor to secure improvement in the community. [+] destitute, empty a. skillful The magician was so dexterous that we could not follow him as he performed his tricks. [+] adept, adroit, deft, expert a. phan(=show,appear); dia(=through)+phan(=show, appear)+ous(=having the quality of) transparent, translucent; sheer; transparent Her diaphanous grown seemed part of the moonlight.; Corot painted poetic and diaphanous landscapes, in which even solid objects seemed to be suffused with light and movement.; They saw the burglar clearly through the diaphanous curtain. [+] flimsy, gossamer, sheer, transparent n. bitter scolding; invective During the lengthy diatribe delivered by his opponent he remained calm and self-controlled. [+] harangue, tirade; [-] encomium; [-] laudatory piece of writing; [-] eulogy n. di(=two)+cho(=into)+tom(=cut)+y(=that which) division into two parts, groups. or classes, especially when there are sharply distinguished or opposed; branching into two parts There are very few world problems that can be understood in terms of a simple dichotomyomy of right and wrong.; The dichotomy of our legislative system provides us with many safeguards. [+] divergence n. shyness You must overcome your diffidence of you intend to become a salesperson. n. wordiness; spreading in all directions like a gas Your composition suffers from a diffusion of ideas; try to be more compact. [+] dispersion, dissemination, distribution, propagation
290
derivative
303
dexterous
291
derogatory
304
diaphanous
292
descant
305
diatribe
293
desecrate
306
dichotomy
294
desiccate
307
diffidence
295
despoil
308
diffusion
296
despotism
GRE List Title

309
digress
v. di<dis(=apart)+gres (=go, step) turn or wander away from the main point My criticism is not that you digressed from your main theme, but rather that you abandoned it altogether. a. di<dis(=apart)+lapid(=stone) falling to pieces; ruined; shabby; ruined because of neglect Beneath the dilapidated body of the getaway car,there was a powerful finely tuned motor,capable of reaching high speeds.; We felt that the dilapidated building needed several coats of paint. [+] impaired, injured, marred a. delaying Your dilatory tactics may compel me to cancel the contract. [+] laggard, neglectful, negligent, remiss n. aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler He was not serious in his painting; he was rather a dilettante. [+] amateur, tyro n. means; effort By dint of much hard work, the volunteers were able to place the raging forest fire under control. v. dis(=not)+ab(=away)+us(=use) free someone from false ideas and mistakes; correct a false impression; undeceive Although she is well into middle age, my Aunt Sally seems unable to disabuse herself of the idea that she is still a teenager.; I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client's guilt; I know he is innocent. [+] disillude, enlighten, illuminate; [-] lead into error n. a disorderly or untidy state After the New Year's party, the once orderly house was in total disarray. [+] chaos, confsion, disorder, muddle v. dis(=not)+a<ad(=to)+vow<voc(=call) deny belief, approval or knowledge; refuse The prisoner attempted to disavow his confession on the grounds that he had not been informed of his legal rights by the district attorney. n. denial; disclaiming His disavowal of his part in the conspiracy was not believed by the jury. [+] negation, refusal, repudiation a. mentally quick and observant; having insight Because he was considered the most discerning member of the firm, he was assigned the most difficult cases. [+] insightful, perceptive, sagacious a. having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion v. dis(=not)+com<con(=thoroughly)+fit(=make, do) frustrate the plans or expectations of; make someone uneasy or confused; put to rout; defeat; disconcert If you go to the interview well-prepared and in the right frame of mind, there will be no need for you to feel discomfited by even the most probing questions.; This ruse will discomfit the enemy. [+] abash, confound, confuse, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass
321
discordant
310
dilapidated
a. dis(=apart)+cord(=heart) not in agreement; not harmonious; harsh; inharmonious; conflicting The two leaders are trying to form an alliance, but their respective programs are so discordant that it will be hard for them to work together.; She tried to unite the discordant factions. [+] conflicting, disconsonant, crepant, dissonant, incompatible, incongruent, incongruous, inconisistent, inconsonant n. formal discussion; conversation The young Plato was drawn to the Agora to hear the philosophicla discourse of Scorates and his followers. n. dis(=apart)+crep(=rattle) difference; absence of agreement; lack of consistency; difference With all the deductions,there is a discrepancy of 40 dollars between my official salary and my weekly paycheck.; The police noticed som discrepancies in his description of the crime and did not believe him. [+] alterity, dissemblance, dissimilarity, dissimilitued, distinction, divergence a. separate; unconnected The universe is composed of discrete bodies. [+] distinct, diverse; [-] continuous n.v. dis(=not)+dain<dign(=worthy) contempt; scorn; look on with contempt; think it dishonorable to do something; be too proud; treat with scorn or contempt Only a foolish snob would show such disdain for anyone who doesn't belong to a country club.; You make enemies of all you disdain. [+] contemn, despise, scorn a. dis(=not)+in(=in)+gen(=birth) insincere; not straightforward; not naive; sophisticated What disappointed me waas not so much your failure to complete the job but your disingenuous efforts to avoid all responsibility for the failure.; Although he was young, his remarks indicated that he was disingenuous. [+] feigned, insincere, uncandid, unfrank a. dis(=not)+inter(=between)+est(=to be) not influenced by personal feelings or interests; fair; indifferent; unprejudiced Since Tom is both smart and disinterested , I think he is the perfect person to decide which of us is right in this long and bitter quarrel.; The only disinterested person in the room was the judge. [+] dispassionate, impartial, neutral, unbiased a. disconnected His remarks were so disjointed that we could not follow his reasoning. [+] discontinuous, disordered, incoherent, incohesive, unorganized v. dis(=not)+par(=equal) say that someone or something is of small value or importance; speak ill of; belittle There must be a serious flaw in the character of a girl who makes it habit to disparage the abilities of her best friends.; Do not disparage anyone's contribution; these little gifts add up to large sums. [+] abuse, belittle, decry, depreciate, derogate, detract a. basically different; unrelated It is difficult, if not impossible, to organize these disparate elements into a coherent whole. [+] dissimilar, distinct, diverse; [-] homogeneous
322
discourse
311
dilatory
323
discrepancy
312
dilettante
313
dint
324
discrete
314
disabuse
325
disdain
326
disingenuous
315
disarray
316
disavow
327
disinterested
317
disavowal
318
discerning
328
disjointed
319
discombobulated
329
disparage
320
discomfit
330
disparate
GRE List Title

331
disparity
n. dis(=not)+par(=equal) inequality; difference; difference; condition of inequality I never cease to wonder at the disparity between what men aspire to do and what they are equipped to do by natural endowment and training.; The disparity in their ages made no difference at all. [+] dissimilarity, dissimilitude, distinction v. di<dis(=away, apart)+spers(=strew) scatter <something> in all directioms; rout Her bright, optimistic manner did much to disperse the atmosphere of gloom that had settled over the meeting.; The police fired tear gas into the crowd to disperse the protesters. [+] dispel, dissipate v. dis(=not)+sembl(=same) hide one's feeling, intentions, etc.; disguise; disguise; pretend When she went into her all too familiar act of the uncomplaining martyr, I could not dissemble my annoyance.; Even though you are trying to dissemble your motive in joining this group, we can see through your pretense. [+] camouflage, dissimulate; [-] behave honestly v. dis(=apart)+semin(=seed) distribute or spread widely ideas, doctrines, etc.; scatter like seeds Perhaps he did not originate that vicious rumor, but he certainly shares the responsibility for having disseminated it.; The invention of the radio has helped propagandists to disseminate their favorite doctrines very easily. [+] diffuse, disperse, propagate, radiate, spread n. disintegration; looseness in morals The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's Rome appall some historians. [+] rupture n. discord Some contemporary musician deliberately use dissonance to achieve certain effects. [+] conflict, discord, disharmony, dissension; [-] concord v. purify; refine; concentrate A moonshiner distills mash into whiskey; an epigrammatist distills thoughts into quips. v. verg(=lean) get farther apart from a point or from each other as they progress; turn off; deviate; vary; go in different directions from the same point The spoken of the wheel diverge from the hub.; The spokes of the wheel diverge from the hub. [+] deviate, digress, swerve; [-] come together a. differing in some characteristics; various There are diverse ways of approaching this problem. [+] disparate n. act of turning aside; pastime After studying for several hours, he needed a diversion from work. [+] amusrment, entertainment n.v. di(=apart)+vers(=turn) remarkable difference; variety; variety; dissimilitude She is never bored,because she has great diversity of interests,ranging from folk dancing to mathematics.; The diversity of colleges in this country indicates that many levels of ability are being cared for. [+] multifariousness, multiformity, multiplicity
342
divestiture
343
divulge
332
disperse
n. an order to an offending party to rid itself of property; it has the purpose of depriving the defendant of the gains of wrongful behavior [-] acquisition v. di<dis(=apart, away)+vulg(=people) make known something secret; reveal A person accused of a crime is not obliged to divulge anything that might tend to incriminate him.; I will not tell you this news because I am sure you will divulge it prematurely. [+] disclose; [-] keep secret a. doc(=teach)+ile(=capable of) easily trained or controlled; obedient; easily managed The young man who seemed so quiet and docile turned out to be very well-informed and to have strong opinions of his own.; As docile as he seems today, that old lion was once a ferocious, snarling beast. [+] amenable, tractable, pliant n. poor verse Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel. a. positive; arbitrary Do not be so dogmatic about that statement; it can be easily refuted. [+] authoritarian, authoritative, dictative, dictatorial, doctrinaire a. dorm(=sleep)+ant(=having the quality of) in a state of inactivity but awaiting development or activity; sleeping; lethargic; torpid So long as the local government lacks the necessary funds, this worthwhile project will have to remain dormant .; Sometimes dormant talents in our friends surprise those of us who never realized how gifted our acquaintances really are. [+] latent, potential, quiescent a. extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent a. courageous Many folk tales have sprung up a bout this doughty pioneer who opened up the New World for his followers. [+] courageous, dauntless, intrepid a. slovenly; untidy She tried to change her dowdy image by buying a new fashionable wardrobe. [+] unkempt n. sediment; worthless residue The dregs of society may be observed in this slum area of the city. [+] deposit, precipitate, sediment a. queer and amusing He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining. [+] comic, ludicrous n. waste matter; worthless impurities Many methods have been devised to separate the valuable metal from the dross. [+] slag a. doubtful He has the dubious distinction of being the lowest man in his class. [+] equivocal, suspect, skeptical n. malleability; flexibility; ability to be drawn out Copper wire has many industrial uses because of its extreme ductility. [+] softness
344
docile
333
dissemble
345
doggerel
334
disseminate
346
dogmatic
347
dormant
335
dissolution
336
dissonance
348
doting doughty
337
distill
349
338
diverge
350
dowdy
351
dregs
339
diverse
352
droll
340
diversion
353
dross
341
diversity
354
dubious
355
ductility
GRE List Title

356
dulcet
a. sweet sounding The dulcet sounds of the birds at dawn were soon drowned out by the roar of traffic passing our motel. n. forcible restraint, especially unlawfully The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met. [+] coercion, compulsion, constraint a. unrefined; coarse His earthy remarks often embarrassed the women in his audience. [+] crude, gross, uncouth a. e<ex(=out, up)+bul (=bubble, seal) bubbling, boiling; overflowing with enthusiaism,high spirits, etc.; exuberant; showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm Even before they said a word, I could tell from their ebullient mood that our team had won.; His ebullient nature could not be repressed; he was always exuberant. [+] effervescent, exuberant, vivacious n.a. odd; whimsical; irregular The comet passed close by the earth in its eccentric orbit. [+] curious, erratic, idiosyncratic, odd, peculiar a. pertaining to the church The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit. [+] clerical, sacerdotal a. ec<ex(=out)+lect(=choose) selecting from various systems, doctrines, or sources; composed of material gathered from various sources, systems, etc.; a person who uses eclectic methods in philosophy, science, or art; selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources Eclectic school of art are typical of period when there is little original inspiration or bold experimenting.; His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor. [+] elective a. using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness; of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth n. the system of production and distribution and consumption; the efficient use of resources; frugality in the expenditure of money or resources v. instruct; correct morally Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused and not enlightened. [+] enlighten, illuminate, improve v. draw forth; elicit She could not educe a principle that would encompass all the data. [+] evince, evoke, extract v. ef<ex(=out)+fac(=face) ; rub or wipe out; obliterate; make indistinct; rub out If only I could efface the memory of the look of shock and disappointment on my mother's face!; The coin had been handled so many times that its date had been effaced. [+] delete, erase, expunge, obliterate
368
effeminate
369
effervescence
357
duress
370
efficacy
358
earthy
371
effigy
359
ebullient
a. having womanly traits His voice was high-pitched and effeminate. [+] female, feminine n. inner excitement; exuberance Nothing depressed her for long; her natural effervescence soon reasserted itself. [+] ebullience, exuberance n. power to produce desired effect The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage. [+] capability, effectiveness, efficiency, potency n. ef<ex(=out)+fig(=form) representation of a person in wood, stone, etc.; dummy Determined to discredit the fallen leader, the opposition speakers presented a picture od him that was no more than a grotesque effigy for the mob to deride.; The mob showed its irritation by hanging the judge in effigy. n. noxious smell Air pollution has become a serious problem in our major cities; the effluvium and the poisons in the air are hazards to life n. ef<ex(=out)+front(=forehead) impudence; shameless boldness For her to accuse me being selfish after I have sacrificed so much to further her career is sheer effrontery .; She had the effrontery to insult the guest. [+] brazenness, impertience, impudence, insolence, presumption; [-] deference; [-] timidity; [-] decorum a. ef<ex(=out)+fus(=pour) expressing excessive emotion in an unrestrained manner; pouring out; overflowing; pouring forth; gushing Not until later did I realize that their effusive expressions of interest in our welfare were insincere and self-serving.; Her effusive manner of greeting her friends finally began to irritate them. a. e<ex(=out)+greg(=flock, mob) remarkably bad; outstanding, used for someone or something bad; flagrant; gross; shocking When the results of her mistakes became obvious, she gained a well-deserved reputation for being an egregious blunder.; She was an egregious liar and we could never believe her. [+] flagrant n. exit Barnum's sing "To the Egress" fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and instead found themselves in the street. [+] departure, exodus; [-] entrance n. poem or song expressing lamentation On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy "Lycidas." [+] dirge,requiem, threnody v. e<ex(=out)+lic(=entice, permit) draw out; evoke; draw out by discussion Ms. Mizote is so accomplished a teacher that she can elicit some degree of interest and attention from even the most withdrawn children.; The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot. [+] educe, evince, extract
372
effluvium
360
eccentric
373
effrontery
361
ecclesiastic
362
eclectic
374
effusive
375 363
egregious
economical
364
economy
376
egress
365
edify
377
elegy
366
educe
378
elicit
367
efface
GRE List Title

379
elucidate
v. e<ex(=out)+luc(=light) explain; make clear; throw light on a problem, or difficulty; explain; enlighten I am waiting for you to elucidate those strage remarks about the background of my family tree!; He was called upon to elucidate the disputed points in his article. [+] clarify, illuminate, illustrate a. evasive; baffling; hard to grasp His elusive dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially. [+] elusory; incomprehensible, intangible v. e<ex(=out)+man(=flow, stay) come out; issue; issue forth You may be sure that any directive that emanates from her office will be clear, precise, and wokable.; A strong odor of sulphur emanated from the spring. [+] emit, exude, issue v. em<en(=make)+bel (=beautiful) make beautiful; decorate; make a story, etc. more interesting; adorn As the news traveled from person to person, it became embellished with so many fanciful details that we found it impossible to tell what had actually happened.; His handwriting was embellished with flourishes. [+] beautify, decorate, garnish n. an elevated position with respect to rank, place, character, condition, etc n. em<en(=in)+path(=feel, suffer) projecting oneself into and so fully understanding, and losing one's identity in a work of art or other object of contemplation; sharing another person's feelings So strong is my empathy with the poems of Robert Frost and I often feel as though I could have written them myself. a. em<en(=in)+pir<per(=try out) relying on observation and experiment, not on theory; relying or based on practical experience; based on experience He has no confidence in magical formulas that will solve all our social problems overnight; the whole bent of his thinking is practical and empirical .; He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data. [+] experiential v. rival; imitate As long as our political leaders emulate the virtues of the great leaders of this country, we shall flourish. [+] compete, contend, vie a. in love Narcissus became enamored of his own beauty. v. en(=in)+croach<croch(=hook, bend) go beyond what is right or natural or desirable The rights guranteed us by the Constitution do not permit you to encroach on the rights of others.
389
encumber
v. en(=in)+cumb(=lean, lie) get in the way of; be a burden to; choke up You will never be able to complete this hike if you encumber yourself with so much "essntial equipment".; Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage when they take short trips. [+] charge, load a. prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it. [+] aboriginal, indigenous, native; [-] exotic v. provide with some quality; endow He was endued with a lion's courage. [+] bestow, confer a.v. e<ex(=out)+nerv(=nerve) deprive of strength, force, vigor, etc.; weaken physically, mentally, or morally ;; weakened The vigor of his opponent's attack enervated the young politician.; She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window left her enervated. [+] debilitate, devitalize, disable; [-] strengthen, fortify v. restrain with fetters; constrain; make a slave; v. to admit to the rights of citizenship(especially the right to vote) Although Blacks were enfranchised shortly after the Civil War, women did not receive the right to vote until 1920. [+] franchise v. en(=make)+gen(=birth, creation) bring about; cause; produce John F. Kennedy warned us that governments which make no effort at peaceable reform may engender social unrest that will make violent revolution inevitable.; To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child. [+] arouse, generate, induce, provoke; [-] eradicate v. advance; improve Your chances for promotion in this department will be enhanced if you take some more courses in evening school. [+] augment, intensify, magnify n. puzzle Despite all attempts to decipher the code, it remained an enigma. [+] conundrum, mystery, riddle n. boredom The monotonous routine of hospital life induced a feeling of ennui which made him moody and irritable. [+] boredom, doldrums, languor, listlessness, tedium, weariness v. please intensely The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration. [+] captivate, delight, entrance v. settle comfortably The parents thought that their children were ensconced safely in the private school and decided to leave for Europe.
380
elusive
390
endemic
381
emanate
391
endue
392
enervate
382
embellish
393
enfetter enfranchise
383
eminence
394
384
empathy
395
engender
385
empirical
396
enhance
397
enigma
386
emulate
398
ennui
387
enamored
399 388
enrapture
encroach
400
ensconce
GRE List Title

401
ephemeral
a. ep<epi(=upon)+hemer(=day)+al(=nature of) living for a very short time; trasitory; short-lived; fleeting Looking at a lovely young girl, I feel a certain sense of sadness because I realize how ephemeral physical beauty is.; The mayfly is an ephemeral creature. [+] evanescent, momentary, temporary, transient n. log(=speech) peroration, <opp.> prologue; last part of a literary work; short speech at conclusion of dramatic work No epilogue for your play needs no excuse.; The audience was so disappointed in the play that many did not remain to hear the epilogue. [+] apologue n. any appearance or bodily manifestation of a deity a. loosely connected Though he tried to follow the plot of "Gravity's Rainbow," John found the novel too episodic. n. taph(=tomb) an inscription on a gravestone; inscription in memory of a dead person The professor wrote his own epitaph before he died.; In his will, he dictated the epitaph he wanted placed on his tombstone. n. tom(=cut) summary, digest; something which shows, on a small scale, the characteristics of something much larger; summary; concise abstract His sonnet was the epitome of all love poems.; This final book is the epitome of all his previous books. [+] abstract, synopsis; recapitulation n. equ(=equal, same)+anim(=mind, life, breath) +ity(=state) calmness of mind or temper; calmness of temperament To bear evils with equanimity doesn't mean that you should make no effort to correct them.; In his later years, he could look upon the foolishness of the world with equanimity and humor. [+] aplomb, composure, imperturbability, phlegm, placidity, poise, sangfroid, serenity, tranquility; [-] agitation n. period of equal days and nights; the beginning of Spring and Autumn The vernal equinox is usually marked by heavy rainstorms. n. balance; balancing force; equilivrium The high wire acrobat used his pole as an equipoise to overcome the swaying caused by the wind. [+] poise, stasis a. doubtful; ambiguous Macbeth was misled by the equivocal statements of the witches. [+] obscure, unexplicit, unintelligible, vague
411
equivocate
402
epilogue
v. equ(=equal, same)+i(=s.e.)+voc(=call, voice)+ate(=make) use vague expressions; lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth Although she tried to equivocate , we insisted on a simple "yes" or "no" answer.; The audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and ridiculed his remarks. [+] prevaricate; elude, eschew, evade, tergiversate a. odd; unpredictable Investors become anxious when the stock market appears erratic. [+] devious, errant, stray a. e<ex(=out)+rud(=crude) having or showing a wide knowledge gained from reading; learned; learned; scholarly Lucy finally completed her erudite term paper, in which she quoted from more than a hundred sources, including ones in several foreign languages.; His erudite writing was difficult to read because of the many allusions which were unfamiliar to most readers. [+] scholarly; [-] unlettered v. avoid He tried to eschew all display of temper. [-] seek a. known only to the chosen few Those students who had access to his esoteric discussions were impressed by the breadth of his knowledge. [+] abstruse, hermetic, profound, recondite; [-] generally known a. separated The estranged wife sought a divorce. [+] alienated a. light; heavenly; fine Visitors were impressed by her ethereal beauty, her delicate charm. [+] vaporous, celestial, empyreal a. relating to races Intolerance between ethnic groups is deplorable and usually is based on lack of information. [+] racial n. log(=speech) tribute; high praise His brother delivered the eulogy at the funeral.; All the eulogies of his friends could not remove the sting of the calumny heaped upon him by his enemies. [+] Compliment, encomium, panegyric; [-] defamation n. phe(=say) use of other mild, vague and indirect words or phrases in place of what is required by truth or accuracy; mild expression in place of an unpleasant one "John" is a euphemism for the toilet.; The expression "he passed away" is a euphemism for "he died." [+] circumlocution, roundabout n. phon(=sound) a pleasant sound; sweet sound The psalm is enjoyed for its euphony as much as its content.; Noted for its euphony even when it is spoken, the Italian language is particularly pleasing to the ear when sung.
412
erratic
413
erudite
403
epiphany
404
episodic
405
epitaph
414
eschew
415
esoteric
406
epitome
416
estranged
417
ethereal
407
equanimity
418
ethnic
419
eulogy
408
equinox
420
euphemism
409
equipoise
410
equivocal
421
euphony
GRE List Title

422
euphoria
n. phor(=carry) sense of well-being; elation; feeling of exaggerated (or unfounded) well-being He was full of euphoria after the birth.; "Jill`s been on cloud nine ever since Jack asked her out, " said Betty, dismissing her friend's euphoria. [+] elation, exaltation a. e<ex(=out, intensive)+van(=empty)+esc(=becoming) tending to fade from sight; soon going from the memory; ephemeral; fleeting; vanishing Sure, it's great to be a big-league ballplayer but bear in mind that the years of stardom are brief and evanescent .; For a brief moment, the entire skyline was bathed in an orange-red hue in the evanescent rays of the sunset. [+] ephemeral, momentary, temporary, transient, transitory v. e<ex(=out, up)+vok/voc(=call) call forth or summon a spirit, etc.; draw forth or elicit a particular mental image, reaction, etc. That old song never fails to evoke memories of our wonderful summer vacations at the lake.; He evoked much criticism by his hostile manner. [+] educe, elicit, evince, extract v. flay; abrade These shoes are so ill-fitting that they will excoriate the feet and create blisters. [+] chafe v. clear from blame He was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed. [+] absolve, acquit, exonerate, vindicate; [-] attribute guilt a. ex(=out)+em<empt(=take) serving as an example or a warning; serving as a model; outstanding Although most of us cannnot hope to match her idealism, we may regard her noble life as inspiring and exemplary .; Her exemplary behavior was praised at Commencement. [+] guiltless, inculpable, innocent, irreprehensible v. dig out of the ground; remove from a grave Because of the rumor that he had been poisoned, his body was exhumed in order that an autopsy might be performed. [+] disinter, unearth n. ex(=out)+ig(=drive) a situation demanding urgent action or attention; urgent situation Only my family's situation of extreme exigency could have led me to humble myself by asking him for help.; In this exigency, we must look for aid from our allies. [+] crisis, emergency v. ex(=out)+oner(=burden)+ate(=make) relieve of a burden, obligation, etc.; free from a charge or the imputation of guilt, exculpate; acquit; exculpate The story of his unhappy childhood aroused our sympathy but did not exonerate him from the charge of criminal assault on aged ladies.; I am sure this letter naming the actual culprit will exonerate you. [+] absolve, acquit, vindicate
431
exorbitant
423
evanescent
a. ex(=out)+orb(=track, circle) going beyond what is reasonable, just, proper, usual,etc.; excessive Yes, it's pretty dress, and I know that you're eager to have it for the Junior Prom, but don't you think the price is little exorbitant ?; The people grumbled at his exorbitant prices but paid them because he had a monopoly. [+] extravagant, immoderate, inordinate, unconscionable a. exo(=outside)+t(=s.e.)+ic(=nature of) introduced from another country; foreign or unusual style; striking or pleasing because colorful or unusual; not native; strange Has it occured to you that the exotic foods that we eat only on special occasions are part of the everyday diet in other parts of the world?; Because of his exotic headdress, he was followed in the streets by small children who laughed at his strange appearance. [+] alien, extrinsic n.a. ex(=out)+ped(=foot) an expedient thing; likely to be useful or helpful for a purpose; advantageous though contrary to principle; auitable; practical; politic Cut off from all supplies, the soldiers had to use various expedients to keep their equipment in working order.; A prgmatic politician, he was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical. [+] advatageous, beneficial, convenient, profitable, utilitarian v. ex(=out)+ped(=foot) help the progress of; speed up business, etc. The new computerized referral system will greatly expedite the processing of complaints by customers. n. ex(=out)+pos(=put) an exhibition of art, industrial products,etc; explaining something in detail An essay on Good Driving Habits calls not for "witty" or "colorful" writing but for clear, orderly exposition of specific facts and ideas. a. pertaining to a formal presentation v. cancel; remove If you behave, I will expunge this notation from your record. [+] delete, efface, erase, obliterate v. ex(=out, up)+tol(=raise, support) praise highly; praise; glorify Extolling the people who have done so much to help humanity is fine, but it is no substitute for trying to make contribution of your own.; The astronauts were extolled as the pioneers of the Space Age. [+] eulogize, laud, panegyrize n. projection; conjecture Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the net works predicted that George Bush would be the Republican candidate for the presidency. a. capable of being extricated a. abundant; effusive; lavish His speeches were famous for his exuberant language and vivid imagery. [+] lavish, luxuriant, opulent, profuse, prodigal
432
exotic
424
evoke
433
expedient
425
excoriate
426
exculpate
434
expedite
427
exemplary
435
exposition
436 428
expository expunge
exhume
437
429
exigency
438
extol
430
exonerate
439
extrapolation
440
extricable exuberant
441
GRE List Title

442
exude
443
facade
v. discharge; give forth The maple syrup is obtained from the sap that exudes from the trees in early spring. [+] emanate, emit n. front of the building The facade of the church had often been photographed by tourists because it was more interesting than the rear. a. humorous; jocular Your facetious remarks are not appropriate at this serious moment. [+] droll, jocose, ludicrous, witty; [-] lugubrious v. make less difficult He tried to facilitate matters at home by getting a part-time job. [-] hamper; [-] thwart n. party; clique; dissension The quarrels and bickering of the two factions within the club disturbed the majority of the members. a. inclined to form factions; causing dissension Your statement is factious and will upset the harmony that now exists. [+] cooperative a. misleading Your reasoning must be fallacious because it leads to a ridiculous answer. [+] illogical, invalid, invalid, irrational, unreasonable; [-] valid a. fal (=err)+ible(=capable of) liable to error There is an old saying that pencils are made with erasers because everyone is fallible .; I know I am fallible, but I feel confident that I am right this time. [+] errable, errant n.a. a religious zealot a. difficult to please; squeamish The waitresses disliked serving him dinner because of his very fastidious taste. [+] dainty, finicky, fussy v. comprehend; investigate I find his motives impossible to fathom. [+] apprehend, perceive, recognize a. foolish; inane He is far to intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks. [+] asinine, idiotic, silly, witless a. courting favor by cringing and flattering She was constantly surrounded by a group of fawning admirers who hoped to win some favor. [+] adulatory, flattering, sycophantic, toadying, trucking n. loyalty; faithfulness The feudal lord demanded fealty of his vassals. [+] allegiance, devotion, fidelity a. practical This is an entirely feasible proposal. I suggest we adopt it. [+] practicable a. capable of producing offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive
458
fecundity
459
feign
460 444
felicitous
facetious
445
facilitate
461
ferment
462
ferret
446
faction
463
fervid
447
factious
464
fervor
448
fallacious
465
fester
449
fallible
466
fetish
n. fertility; fruitfulness The fecundity of his mind is illustrated by the many vivid images in his poems. [+] prolificacy v. pretend Lady Macbeth feigned illness in the courtyard although she was actually healthy. [+] sham, simulate a. apt; suitably expressed; well chosen He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet. [+] applicable, proper, suitable n. agitation; commotion The entire country was in a state of ferment. [+] clamor, tumult, turmoil, uproar; [-] tranquility v. drive or hunt out of hiding She ferreted out their secret. [+] search a. ardent Her fervid enthusiasm inspired all of us to undertake the dangerous mission. [+] fervent, passionate n. glowing ardor Their kiss was full of the fervor of first love. [+] enthusiasm, passion, zeal; [-] apathy v. generate pus When her finger began to fester, the doctor lanced it and removed the splinter which had caused the pus to form. [+] suppurate n. object supposed to possess magical powers; an object of special devot The native wore a fetish around his neck to ward off evil spirits. v. shackle The prisoner was fettered to the wall. [+] manacle n. command I cannot accept government by fiat; I feel that I must be consulted. [+] decree, mandate a. often changing; not constant; changeable; faithless The taste of the public is so fickle that a TV performer who is a big hit one season may be out of a job the next.; He discovered she was fickle and went out with many men. [+] capricious, inconstant, mercurial, unstable n. fid(=trust)+el(=s.e.)+ity(=act) faithful devotion to duty or to one's obligations or vows, loyalty, faithfulness; accuracy, exactness Although I don't agree with all her ideas, I must admire her unshakable fidelity to them.; A dog's fidelity to its owner is one of the reasons why that animal is a favorite household pet. [+] allegiance, devotion, faithfulness n. invention; imaginary thing That incident never took place; it is a figment of your imagination. [+] fabrication, fiction n. delicate skill The finesse and adroitness of the surgeon impressed the observers in the operating room. [+] delicacy, nicety, subtlety; [-] heavy-handedness
467 450
fetter
fanatic fastidious
451
468
fiat
452
fathom
469
fickle
453
fatuous
470
fidelity
454
fawning
455
fealty
471
figment
456
feasible
472
finesse
457
fecund
GRE List Title

473
finite
474
fissure
475
flaccid
a. limited It is difficult for humanity with its finite existence to grasp the infinite. [+] bounded n. crevice The mountain climbers secured footholds in tiny fissures in the rock. [+] breach, cleft, crack, rift a. flabby His sedentary life had left him with flaccid muscles. v. drop; grow feeble When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first quarter, the home team's spirits flagged. [+] decline, deteriorate, languish; [-] wax a. ornate Modern architecture has discarded the flamboyant trimming on buildings and emphasizes simplicity of line. [+] baroque, rococo; [-] subdued n.a. young bird just able to fly; young inexperienced person Like a fledgling about to leave the nest for the first time, our youngest son is preparing to spend his first summer away from home.; While it is necessary to provide these fledgling poets with an opportunity to present their work, it is not essential that we admire everything they write. [+] inexpert, untrained, callow; [-] experienced practitioner n. trifling gaiety Your flippancy at this serious moment is offensive. [+] frivolity, levity, lightness a. having a light, pert, trifling disposition [-] earnest v. reject; mock The headstrong youth flouted all authority; he refused to be curbed. [+] jeer, scoff, sneer n. smoothness of speech He spoke French with fluency and ease. [+] glibness, volubility n. flowing; series of changes While conditions are in such a state of flux, I do not wish to commit myself too deeply in this affair. [+] current n. weakness; slight fault We can overlook the foibles of our friends; no one is perfect. [+] frailty v. stir up; instigate This report will foment dissension in the club. [+] abet, foster, goad, incite, provoke, stir, spur; [-] squelch n. raid The company staged a midnight foray against the enemy outpost. [+] incursion, invasion n. patience, self-control Her forbearance during the depression was inspiring.; We must use forbearance in dealing with him because he is still weak from his illness. [+] endurance, temperance
488
forensic
489
forestall
476
flag
a. suitable to debate or courts of law In her best forensic manner, the lawyer addressed the jury. [+] controversial; juridical v. stall(=to put) upset somebody or his plans by doing something unexpectedly early; buy up; do something first and so prevent another from doing it; prevent by taking action in advance We trid to forestall the threatened foreclosure.; By setting up a prenuptial agreement, tne prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential arguments about money in tne event of a divorce. [+] deter, preclude; [-] precipitate n. fort(=strong) calm courage in the face of pain, danger, or difficulty; bravery; courage The nurses displayed unwavering fortitude during the epidemic.; He was awarded the medal for his fortitude in the battle. [+] dauntlessness, intrepidity a. accidental; by chance There is no connection between these two events; their timing is entirely fortuitous. [+] casual, incidental v. rear; encourage According to the legend, Romulus and Remus were fostered by a she-wolf. [+] cultivate, nourich, nurse, nurture a. fract(=break)+i(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) irritable, peevish, bad-tempered; unruly We had many talented players, but the fractious behavior of a few individuls impaired our team spirit and led to a losing season.; The fractious horse unseated its rider. [+] indocile, intractable, recalcitrant a. filled Since this enterprise is fraught with danger, I will ask for volunteers who are willing to assume the risks. [+] plenished a. frenzied; frantic His frenetic activities convinced us that he had no organized plan of operation. [+] furious, rabid n. thrift In these difficult days, we must live with frugality or our money will be gone. [+] economy, husbandry, providence, thrift v. thunder; explode The people against whom she fulminated were innocent of any wrongdoing. [+] detonate a. disgustingly excessive His fulsome praise of the dictator annoyed his listeners. [+] extravagant, exuberant, lavish, profuse a. stealthy The boy gave a furtive look at his classmate's test paper. [+] covert a. pompous; bombastic Several in the audience were deceived by his fustian style; they mistook pomposity for erudition.
490
fortitude
477
flamboyant
491
fortuitous
478
fledgling
492
foster
493
fractious
479
flippancy
480
flippant flout
494
fraught
481
495
frenetic
482
fluency
496
frugality
483
flux
497
fulminate
484
foible
498
fulsome
485
foment
499
furtive
486
foray
500
fustian
487
forbearance
GRE List Title

501
gaffe
502
gainsay
503
galvanize
504
gamut
505
garbled
506
garish
507
garner
508
garrulity
509
garrulous
510
gauche
511
gauntlet
n. social blunder According to Miss Manners, to call your husband by your lover's name is worse than a mere gaffe; it is a tactical mistake [+] faux pas v. deny She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report. [+] contradict, contravence, impugn; [-] speak in support of; [-] concur v. stimulate by shock; stir up The entire nation was galvanized into strong military activity by the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. [+] activate, energize, motivate, provoke, vitalize n. entire range In this performance, the leading lady was able to demonstrate the complete gamut of her acting ability. [+] spectrum a. mixed up; based on false or unfair selection The garbled report confused many readers who were not familiar with the facts. [+] distorted, misreported a. gaudy She wore a garish rhinestone necklace. [+] brazen, meretricious, tawdry v. gather; store up She hoped to garner the world's literature in one library. [+] accumulate, amass, cumulate, glean, reap, stockpile n. talkativeness The man who married a dumb wife asked the doctor to make him deaf because of his wife's garrulity after her cure. [+] loquacity, prolixity, verbosity; [-] taciturnity a. loquacious; wordy Many members avoided the company of the garrulous old gentleman because his constant chatter on trivial matters bored them. [+] prolix, talkative, verbose a. clumsy; boorish Such remarks are gauche and out of place; you should apologize for making them. [+] maladroit, unskillful n. leather glove Now that we have been challenged, we must take up the gauntlet and meet our adversary fearlessly. a. gen(=birth)+i(=s.e.)+al(=nature of) favorable to growth; mild; warm; kindly,sympathetic; sociable Jerry is not the most genial person in the world, but in his own way he is at least trying to be friendly. n. cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy This restaurant is famous and popular because of the geniality of the proprietor who tries to make everyone happy. [+] agreeability, amenity, amiability, cordiality n. style of art illustrating scenes of common life His painting of fisher folk at their daily tasks is an excellent illustration of genre art. [+] category
515
germane
516
germinate
517
gerrymander
a. pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand The lawyer objected that the testimony being offered was not germane to the case at hand. [+] apposite, apropos, relevant; [-] inappropriate v. cause to sprout; sprout After the seeds germinate and develop their permanent leaves, the plants may be removed from the cold frames and transplanted to the garden. [+] generate, induce v. change voting district lines in order to favor a political party The illogical pattern of the map of this congressional district is proof that the State Legislature gerrymandered this area in order to favor the majority party. v. speak foolishly The demented man gibbered incoherently. [+] babble, prate, prattle n. essence She was asked to give the gist of the essay in two sentences. [+] core, crux; [-] trivial point; [-] tangential point a. fluent He is glib and articulate speaker. [+] voluble; [-] labored v. express evil satisfaction; view malevolently As you gloat over your ill-gotten wealth, do you thing o the many victims your have defrauded? v. overstock; fill to excess The many manufacturers glutted the market and could not find purchasers for the many articles they had produced. [+] gorge, jade, sate, satiate, surfeit n. a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess; wolverine of northern Eurasia a. twisted The gnarled oak tree had been a landmark for years and was mentioned in several deeds. v. urge on He was goaded by his friends until he yielded to their wishes. [+] exhort, instigate, prick, prompt, propel, spur a. sheer; like cobwebs Nylon can be woven into gossamer or thick fabrics. [-] Ponderous n. epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink The gourmand liked the French cuisine. [+] gastronomist, gourmet a. arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.) Margaret loved her graduated set of Russian hollow wooden dolls; she spent hours happily putting the smaller dolls into their larger counterparts. [+] classified, sorted a. imposing; impressive His grandiose manner impressed those who met him for the first time. [+] majestic, stately
518
gibber
519
gist
520
glib
521
gloat
522
glut
523
glutton
524
gnarled
525
goad
526
gossamer
512
genial
527
gourmand
528 513
graduated
geniality
529
grandiose
514
genre
GRE List Title

530
gratuitous
a. grat(=thank, pleasing)+uit(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) given, obtained, or done without payment; done, or given without good reason; uncalled; given freely; unwarranted Since you've never seen me play tennis, your assumption that you can beat me is quite gratuitous .; I resent your gratuitous remarks because no one asked for them. [+] changeless, gratis; [-] warranted a. greg(=flock, mob)+ari(=s.e.)+ous(=full, many) living in groups or societies; liking the company of others; sociable If, as sociologists tell us, human beings are naturally gregarious , why am I sitting here all by myself on this beautiful spring evening?; She was not gregarious and preferred to be alone most of the time. [+] social a. causing horror or terror, ghastly The mangled bodies of the victims told their own grisly story of what had happened.; She shuddered at the frisly sight. [+] gruesome, lurid, macabre, terrible v. complain; fuss Students traditionally grouse about the abysmal quality of "mystery meat" and similar dormitory food. [+] tolerate; [-] rejoice v. crawl or creep on gound; remain prostrate Even though we have been defeated, we do not have to grovel before our conquerors. [+] creep n. boisterous laughter The loud guffaw that came from the closed room indicated that the members of the committee had not yet settled down to serious business. n. deceit; duplicity She achieved her high position by guile and treachery. [+] craftiness, cunning, trickery a. without deceit He is naive, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud. [+] artless, ingenouos, naive, unaffected, unsophisticated n. appearance; costume In the guise of a blumber, the detective investigated the murder case. [+] semblance a. easily deeived He preyed upon gullible people, who believed his stories of easy wealth. [+] credulous a. commonplace; trite The English teacher criticized her story because of its hackneyed and unoriginal plot. [+] banal, commonplace, stale; [-] fresh; [-] original a. wasted away; gaunt After his long illness, he was pale and haggard. [+] cadavorous, emaciated a. calm; peaceful In those halcyon days, people were not worried about sneak attacks and bombings. [+] placid, tranquil; [-] miserable a. blessed; consecrated She was laid to rest in hallowed ground. [+] sacred, sanctified, unprofane
544
hamper
545
haphazard
546 531
hapless
gregarious
547
harangue
548
harass
532
grisly
549
haughty
533
grouse
v. obstruct The minority party agreed not to hamper the efforts of the leaders to secure a lasting peace. [+] hinder, impede a. random; by chance His haphazard reading left him unacquainted with the authors of the books. [+] aimless,desultory a. unfortunate This hapless creature had never known a moment's pleasure. [+] miserable; [-] fortunate n. noisy speech Inher lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders. [+] diatribe, tirade v. to annoy by repeated attacks When he could not pay his bills as quickly as he had promised, he was harassed by his creditors. [+] badger, harry, heckle,tease a. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy n. hedon(=pleasure) belief that pleasure is the chief good; belief that pleasure is the sole aim in life A culture devoted to hedonism is in danger of becoming soft.; hedonism and asceticism are opposing philosophies of human behavior. a. devoted to pleasure n. person who maintains opinions contrary to the doctrines of the church She was punished by the Spanish Inquisition because she was a heretic. [+] dissentert a. obcure and mysterious; occult It is strange to consider that modern chemistry originated in the hermetic teachings of the ancient alchemists. [+] abstruse, esoteric, occult, profound, recondite n. gap; pause Except for a brief two-year hiatus, during which she enrolled in the peace Corps, Ms. Clements has devoted herself to her medical career. [+] breach, interim, interruption, interval n. hier(=holy)+arch(=govern, rule)+y(=that which) organization with grades of authority from lowest to highest; group of persons in authority; group of bishops of a country; body divided into ranks A superintendent is at the head of the hierarchy of educators responsible for the schooling of our children and young people.; It was difficult to step out of one's place in this hierarchy. [+] order a. hairy He was a hirsute individual with a heavy black beard. a. white with age The man was hoary and wrinkled when he was 70.; The man was hoary and wrinked when he was 70. [+] gray
550
hedonism
534
grovel
535
guffaw
551
hedonistic heretic
552
536
guile
553
hermetic
537
guileless
554
hiatus
538
guise
555
hierarchy
539
gullible
540
hackneyed
541
haggard
556
hirsute
542
halcyon
557
hoary
543
hallowed
GRE List Title

558
homeostasis
n. tendency of a system to maintain relative stability A breakdown of the body's immune system severely undermines the body's ability to maintain homeostasis. n. sermon; serious warning His speeches were always homilies, advising his listeners to repent and reform. [+] discourse a. gen(=birth,kind) of the same kind The immigrants added diversity to the homogeneous neighborhood.; Educators try to put pupils of similar abilities into classes because they believe that this homogeneous grouping is advisable. v. sharpen To make shaving easier, he honed his razor with great care. [+] edge, whet n. humbleness of spirit He spoke with a humility and lack of pride that impressed his listeners. [+] courtesy, modesty n. mongrel; mixed breed Mendel's formula explains the appearance of hybrids and pure species in breeding. [+] crossbreed n. bol(=throw) exaggerated statement made for effect and not intended to be taken literally; exaggeration; overstatement It was hyperbole to say felt heavy as a moose.; This salesman is guilty of hyperbole in describing his product; it is wise to discount his claims. [+] modification; [-] skepticism a. pretending to be virtuous; deceiving I resent his hypocritical posing as a friend for I know he is interested only in his own advancement. [+] affected, pharisaic, sanctimonious a. hypo(=under)+thet(=put)+ical(=nature of) having the nature of a hypothesis or a based on hypothesis; based on assumptions or hypotheses By reference to hypothetical cases, you may be able to clarify the difference between "murder" and "manslaughter" for the law students.; Why do we have to consider hypothetical cases when we have actual case histories which we may examine? [+] conjectural, putative, suppositious, supposititious n. an image-breaker; someone who tries to destroy traditional ideas or institutions a. attacking cherished traditions George Bernard Shaw's iconoclastic plays often startled more conventional people. n. ideas of a group people That ideology is dangerous to this country because it embraces undemocratic philosophies. [+] credo, creed
570
idiosyncrasy
571 559
idyllic
homily
n. peculiarity; eccentricity One of his personal idiosyncrasies was his habit of rinsing all cutlery given him in a restaurant. [+] oddity, singularity a. excellent and delightful in all respects; suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple and serene a. produced by fire; volcanic Lavam pumice, and other igneous rocks are found in great abundance around Mount Vesuvius near Naples. [+] plutonic a. i<in(=not)+gno(=know) of low character; mean; of low birth; of lowly origin; unworthy Far from being ignoble , his failure after making a valiant effort may serve as an inspiration to young people.; this plan is inspired by ignoble motives and I must, therefore, oppose it. [+] humble a. i<in(=not)+gno(=know) bringing contempt, disgrace, shame; dishonorable; disgraceful Can you imagine anything more ignominious than standing there on the stage, before hundreds of people, utterly unable to remember the next line!; The country smarted under the ignominious defeat and dreamed of the day when it would be victorious. [+] dishonorable, disreputable n. a complicated situation; perplexity; entanglement He was called in to untangle the imbroglio but failed to bring harmony to the situation. v. saturate; fill His visits to the famous Gothic cathedrals imbued him with feelings of awe and reverence. a. im<in(=not)+macul(=stain, spot) pure; faultless; without a spot or stain; perfectly clean; right in every detail; pure; spotless George Washington's immaculate reputation as a dedicated patriot has been an inspiration to many generations of Americans.; The West Point cadets were immaculate as they line d up for inspection. [+] stainless, unblemished, undefiled, unsullied a. im<in(=on)+min(=hang, project) impending; likely to happen without delay; impending; near at hand When the outbreak of the war seemed imminent , hte tourists rushed home.; The imminent battle will soon determine our success or failure in this conflict. [+] proximate, upcoming v. im<in(=on)+mol(=grain, heap, grind) kill as an offering; sacrifice one thing to another; offer as a sacrifice What a shock it was for her to discover the unworthiness of the cause for which she had immolated her youth, her talents, and her hopes of happiness.; The tribal king offered to immolate his daughter to quiet the angry gods. [+] sacrifice, victimize a. exempt He was fortunately immune from the disease and could take care of the sick. [+] exempt; [-] having no resistance
572
igneous
560
homogeneous
573
ignoble
561
hone
562
humility
574
ignominious
563
hybrid
564
hyperbole
575
imbroglio
576
imbue
565
hypocritical
577
immaculate
566
hypothetical
578
imminent
567
iconoclast
579
immolate
568
iconoclastic
569
ideology
580
immune
GRE List Title

581
immutable
a. im<in(=not)+mut(=change) that cannot be changed; unchangeable The institution of our society, far from being immutable , are in the process of change at this very moment.; Scientists are constantly seeking to discover the immutable laws of nature. [+] constant, immovable, inalterable, inflexible, unmodifiable v. im<in(=not)+pair<par(=equal) damage; make worse or less, weaker; worsen; diminish in value Are you suggesting that the mere fact that he is below averge height wuold impair his ability to serve as class president.; This arrest will impair her reputation in the community. [+] blemish, injure, mar, spoil, tarnish, vitiate v. pierce He was impaled by the spear hurled by his adversary. [+] perforate, prick, puncture n. im<in(=not)+pas (=stride, step) blind alley; place or position from which there is no way out; deadlock; predicament from which there is no escape For a long time we lived in the illusion that "everything would come out all right", but inevitably we arrived at the impasse where we had to face realities and make painful decisions.; In this impasse, all turned to prayer as their last hope. [+] cul-de-sac, dilemma a. im<in(=not)+pas (=feel, suffer) showing no sign of feeling; unmoved; without feeling; not affected by pain Psychologists tell us that people who seem to be unusually impassive are often the ones most likely to lose emotional control of themselves in times of stress.; The American Indian has been incorrectly depicted as an impassive individual, undemonstrative and stoical. [+] apathetic; [-] overwrought v. hinder; block The special prosecutor determined that the Attorney General, though inept, had not intentionally set out to impede the progress of the investigation. [+] hamper, obstruct; [-] assist a. not repentant We could see by his brazen attitude that he was impenitent. [+] remorseless, uncontrite, unrepentant a. im<in(=in, intensive)+per<par(=arrange) commanding; haughty; arrogant; urgent; domineering His tone of voice was so imperious that I wasn't sure if he was asking me for a loan or demanding payment of tribute.; His imperiousness indicated that he had long been accustomed to assuming command. [+] haughtiness, hauteur, hubris, loftiness, superciliousness a. im<in(=not)+per(=through)+vi<via(=road, way) not allowing water, etc. to pass through; not moved or influenced by; not penetrable; not permitting passage through His parents tried to encourage an interest in literature, music and art, but he seemed to impervious to such influences.; You cannot change their habits for their minds are impervious to reasoning. [+] impassable, impenetrable, impermeable, imperviable, unpierceable
590
impetuous
591
impiety
582
impair
592
implacable
583
impale
a. violent; hasty; rash We tried to curb his impetuous behavior because we felt that in his haste he might offend some people. [+] abrupt, headlong, precipitate; [-] deliberate n. irreverence; wickedness We must regard your blasphemy as an act of impiety. [+] irreverence, profanity a. im<in(=not)+plac(=soothe, peace, please) that cannot be appeased; relentless; incapable of being pacified As he watched his house go up in flames, he felt that he was the victim of an implacable fate.; Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evermonde family. [+] unappeasable n.v. im<in(=in)+ple(=fill) tool or instrument for working with; carry an undertaking, agreement, promise into effect; suppy what is needed; furnish with tools In your training course for dental assistant, you will become familiar with many of the implements that dentists use.; I am unwilling to implement this plan until I have assurances that it has the full approval of your officials. [+] complete, fulfill n. that which is hinted at or suggested If I understand the implications of your remark, you do not trust our captain. [+] allusion, connotation, inking, innuendo, insinuation, intimation a. understood but not stated It is implicit that you will come to our aid if we are attacked. [+] implied, tacit a. not wise I think it is impolitic to raise this issue at the present time because the public is too angry. [+] imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious v. curse; pray that evil will befall To imprecate Hitler's atrocities is not enough; we must insure against any future practice of genocide. [+] damn, execrate n. a curse n.a. im<in(=not)+pro(=before)+mpt<empt(=take) improvisation; an promptu speech,performance,etc.; without preparation or advance thought; without previous preparation Far from being impromptu , all those jokes and wisecracks you hear on TV talk shows are usually prepared by professional gag writers and are carefully rehearshed.; Her listeners were amazed that such a thorough presentation could be made in an impromptu speech. [+] extemporaneous, improvised, offhand; [-] carefully rehearsed a. im<in(=not)+pro(=before, forth)+vid(=look) not looking to future needs; wasteful; thriftless It is a commonplace of human experience that most improvident young people do not become aware of their folly until they are no longer young.; He was constantly being warned to mend his improvident ways and begin to "save for a rainy day." [+] extravagant, lavish, prodigal, profligate, unthrifty
593
implement
584
impasse
594
implication
585
impassive
595
implicit
596
impolitic
586
impede
597
imprecate
598
imprecation impromptu
587
impenitent
599
588
imperious
600 589
improvident
impervious
GRE List Title

601
imprudent
602
impugn
a. lacking caution; injudicious It is imprudent to exercise vigorously and become overheated when you are unwell. [+] extravagent, lavish, prodigal, profligate, unthrifty v. im<in(=on, against)+pugn(=fight) attack by argument or criticism,express doubt about a statement,act,quality,etc.; doubt; challenge; gainsay It is not for me to impugn his motives, but how could anyone except an overambitious scoundrel have misted his friends in that way?; I cannot impugn your honesty without evidence. [+] contradict, contravene, gainsay, negate; [-] champion n. charge; repraoch You cannot ignore the imputations in his speech that you are the guilty party. [+] reproof a. speechless; producing indistinct speech He became inarticulate with rage and uttered sounds without meaning. [+] indistinct v. imprison The warden will incarcerate the felon after conviction. [+] confine, constrain, immure a. in(=not)+ces (=go) continuous; not stopping; often repeated; uninterrupted HIs feverish and incessant activity cannot hide the fact that he dosen't know what he is doing.; The crickets kept up an incessant chirping which disturbed our attempts to fall asleep. [+] ceaseless, continuous, everlasting, interminable, perpetual, unceasing a. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary Before the Creation, the world was an inchoate mass. [+] embryonic, undeveloped; [-] fully formed; [-] explicit; [-] completely formed; [-] fully realized a. in(=in, into)+cis(=cut) sharp and cutting; acute; clear-cut; cutting; sharp In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln asked a few incisive question that showed up the fatal weaknesses in his opponent's position.; His incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans. [+] biting, penetrating, trenchant a.e. in(=not)+co<con(=thoroughly)+gn<gno(=know) concealed under a disguised identity; with an assumed name; with one's name, identity, etc. concealed; with identity concealed; using an assumed name Since her face is well known to movie fans all over the world, there would be no point in her traveling incognito .; The monarch enjoyed traveling through the town incognito and mingling with the populace. a. not logically coordinated, as to parts, elements, or details a. not spacious In their incommodious quarters, they had to improvise for closet space.
612
incompatible
613
incongruity
a. inharmonious The married couple argued incessantly and finally decided to separate because they were incompatible. [+] conflicting, disconsonant, discordant, discrepant, dissonant, incongruous, incongruent, inconsonant n. lack of harmony; absurdity The incongruity of his wearing sneakers with formal attire amused the observers. a. immaterial; without a material body We must devote time to the needs of our incorporeal mind as well as our corporeal body. a. in(=not)+cor<con(=together)+rig<rect(=straight) that cannt be corrected, improved, or reformed beacause firmly established as a bad habit; uncorrectable He has deceived me so many times that I am forced to the conclusion that he is simply an incorrigible liar.; Because he was an incorrigible criminal, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. v. hatch; scheme Inasmuch as our supply of electricity is cut off, we shall have to rely on the hens to incubate these eggs. v. in(=in, on)+culc<calc(=tread) impress upon the mind by frequent repetition or persistent urging; teach Before we start out to inculcate certain principles in young people, let's be very sure that these principles are truly desirable for them and their society.; In an effort to inculcate religious devotion, the officials ordered that the school day begin with the singing of a hymn. [+] instruct n. temporary invasion The nightly incursions and hit-and-run raids of our neighbors across the border tried the patience of the country to the point where we decided to retaliate in force. [+] foray, raid; [-] retreat n. tireless determination a. tireless He was indefatigable in his constant efforts to raise funds for the Red Cross. [+] inexhaustible v. make secure against loss; compensate for loss The city will indemnify all home owners whose property is spoiled by this project. [+] reimburse, remunerate v. charge If the grand jury indicts the suspect, he will go to trial. [+] arraign, criminate, incriminate, impeach n. poverty, indigent Neither the economists nor the political scientisis have found a way to wipe out the inequities of wealth and eliminate indigence from our society. [+] destitution, impecunious, impoverishness, penury; [-] wealth
614
incorporeal
603
imputation
615
incorrigible
604
inarticulate
605
incarcerate
616
incubate
606
incessant
617
inculcate
607
inchoate
618
incursion
608
incisive
619
indefatigability indefatigable
620
609
incognito
621
indemnify
622
indict
610
incoherent
623
indigence
611
incommodious
GRE List Title

624
indigenous
a. indi(=within)+gen(=birth)+ous(=having the quality of) native or beloning naturally For many years, there was a tendnecy in the part of American and Europeans to ignore the highly developed indigenous cultures of the peoples of Africa.; Tobacco is one of the indigenous plants which the early explorers found in this country. [+] aboriginal, endemic; [-] acquired a. having such anger and scorn as is aroused by meanness or wickedness a. in(=not)+dis(=apart)+crimin(=separate, guilty, crime) acting without care or taste; choosing at random; confused The furnishings in his apartment are supposed to be "original" and "colorful", but I think they are an indiscriminate collection of junk.; She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing and decided to restrict him to educational programs. [+] random n. laziness He outgrew his youthful indolence to become a model of industry and alertness on the job. [+] sloth, sluggishness a. habitually inactive or idle a. in(=not)+domit(=tame)+able(=capable of) unyielding; that cannot be subdued or conquered; unconquerable By 1781, George Washington's green recruits of a few years earlier had beed forged into an indomitable army.; The founders of our country had indomitable willpower. [+] inconquerable, insuperable, insurmountable, invincible a. beyond a doubt Because her argument was indubitably valid, the judge accepted it. a. in(=to)+dulg(=yield)+ent(=having the quality of) inclined to indulge; lenient or kind, often to excess; humoring; yielding; lenient Judge Burnham has a reputation for being indulgent but not when confronting a teenager charged with reckless driving.; An indulgent parent may spoil a child by creating an artificial atmosphere of leniency. [+] charitable, clement, lenient, merciful a. in(=not)+e<ex(=out)+luct(=struggle) that cannot be escaped from; irresistible; not to be escaped Letting the grim facts speak for themselves, the speaker explained quietly the ineluctable tragedy that results from drug abuse.; He felt that his fate was ineluctable and refused to make any attempt to improve his lot. [+] inescapable, inevasible, unavoidable, unescapable a. in(=not)+ept<apt(=fit) not suitable to the purpose; wrong in a foolish and awkward way; unsuited; absurd; incompetent You may criticize the roads and the lights, but the fact is that most automobile accidents are caused simply by inept drives.; The constant turmoil in the office proved that she was an inept administrator. [+] inappropriate
634
inequity
635
inert
n. unfairness In demanding equal pay for equal work, women protest the basic inequity of a system that allots grater financial rewards to men. [+] injustice, patiality a. lacking independent power to move; not active This experiment can be repeated with any inert object, for example, a rock or a piece of wood. n. state of being inert or indisposed to move Our inertia in this matter may prove disastrous; we must move to aid our allies immediately. [+] inactivity, stillness; [-] tendency to change motion a. in(=not)+fam<fa(=say) disgraceful; having a bad reputation; wicked; notoriously bad For some years Benedict Arnold served heroically in the American Revolution, but then he disgraced his name for all time by an infamous act of treason.; Jesse James was an infamous outlaw. [+] notorious, opprobrious v. in(=in)+fer(=carry) reach an opinion from facts or reasoning; deduce; conclude Am I to infer from your statement that there would be no point in further negotiation?; We must be particularly cautious when we infer that a person is guilty on the basis of circumstantial evidence. [+] reason a. in(=in)+gen(=birth, creation) frank; open; innocent; natural; naive; young; unsophisticated Can you be so ingenuous that you don't realize she is paying us all those phony compliments to get something out of us?; These remarks indicate that you are ingenuous and unaware of life's harsher realities. [+] artless, unaffected, unsophisticated v. in(=in)+grat(=thank, pleasing, favor) bring oneself into favor,especially in order to gain an adventage; flatter; become popular with How can we have any respect for people who try to ingratiate themselves by offering flattery and favors?; He tried to ingratiate himself into her parents' good graces. a. firmly established by nature or habit His inherent love of justice compelled him to come to their aid. [+] congenital, inborn, innate, intrinsic a. in(=not)+im<am(=love) hostile; harmful; unfriendly; hostile We shall oppose any changes in the labor code that appear inimical to the health and safety of workers.; She felt that they were inimical and were hoping for her downfall. [+] antagonistic a. unjust; wicked I cannot approve of the iniquitous methods you used to gain your present position. [+] immoral, reprobate, sinful, vicious a. in(=in)+nat(=to be born) existing naturally rather than acquired; existing as an inherent attribute; inborn Only when we tried to carry out the plan did its innate defects become evident to us.; His innate talent for music was soon recognized by his parents. [+] congenital, congenital, inherent, intrinsic
625
indignant
636
inertia
626
indiscriminate
637
infamous
627
indolence
638
infer
628
indolent indomitable
629
639
ingenuous
630
indubitably
640
ingratiate
631
indulgent
641
inherent
632
ineluctable
642
inimical
643
iniquitous
633
inept
644
innate
GRE List Title

645
innocuous
a. in(=not)+noc(=harm) causing no harm; harmless The tough leadership we need in these troubled times will not come from uncertain and innocuous personalities.; Let him drink it; it is innocuous and will have no ill effect. [+] innoxious v. to introduce or strive to introduce new things n. hint; insinuation I resent the innuendos in your statement more than the statement itself. [+] allusion, implication, insinuation, intimation a. in(=not)+ordin(=order) not properly restrained or controlled; excessive; immoderate; unrestrained; excessive Since the townspeople felt that the fee asked by the Pied Piper was inordinate they decided to pay him nothing at all.; She had an inordinate fondness for candy. [+] exorbitant, immoderate, intemperate, unconscionable, unrestrained a. detrimental to health n. the quality of being insalubrious and debilitating a. in(=not)+scrut(=examine) mysterious; that cannot be understood or known; incomprehensible; not to be discovered I tried to make some sense out of the strange orders he had given us, but his plan and purpose remained utterly inscrutable .; I fail to understand the reasons for your outlandish behavior; your motives are inscrutable. [+] arcane, mysterious, mystic a. unconscious; unresponsive Sherry and I are very different; at iomes when I would be covered with embarrassment, she seems insensible to shame. [+] callous, impassive, insensitive, inured a. tasteless; dull I am bored by your insipid talk. [+] flavorless, savorless, tasteless, unpalatable a. backrupt; lacking money to pay When rumors that he was insolvent reached his creditors, they began to press him rer payment of the money due them. [+] solvent a. indifferent; without concern or care Your insouciant attitude at such a critical moment indicates that you do not understand the gravity of the situation. [+] listless n. narrow-mindedness; isolation The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. [-] cosmopolitanism n. immoderate action or indulgence, as of the appetites v. prohibit; forbid Civilized nations must interdict the use of nuclear weapons of we expect our society to live. [+] ban, enjoin, inhibit
659
intermittent
a. inter(=between)+mit(=send) stopping and starting again at intervals; periodic; on and off You cannot hope to make good at this job by exerting intermittent efforts; you must do your best every day and every hour of the day.; Our picnic was marred by intermittent rains. [+] fitful, recurrent a. in(=not)+tract(=draw) unruly or stubborn; not easily controlled or dealt with; unruly; refractory After repeated efforts to appeal to his "better" nature had proved completely fruitless, I decided that he was utterly intractable .; The horse was intractable and refused to enter the starting gate. [+] fractious, headstrong, obstinate, pertinacious, perverse, recalcitrant, stubborn, unmanageable n. state of stubborn unwillingness to compromise The intransigence of both parties in the dispute makes an early settlement almost impossible to obtain. n.a. in(=not)+trans(=across)+ig(=drive) a person who is intransigent; uncompromising, especially in politics; refusing any compromise I am proud to have it said of me that I am stubborn and intransigent when genuine moral issues are involved.; The strike settlement has collapsed because both sides are intransigent. a. in(=not)+trep<trem(=fear) fearless; bold Despite the threats made against his life, the intrepid prosecutor was able to obtain a conviction of the corrupt officials.; For his intrepid conduct in battle, he was promoted. [+] audacious, brave, courageous, dauntless, valorous; [-] apprehensive e. essentially; inherently; naturally; intrinsic Although my grandmother's china has intrinsically little value, I shall always cherish it for the memories it evokes. [+] inherently, innately, naturally a. accustomed; hardened She became inured to the Alaskan cold. [+] familiarized n. in(=in, into, to, against)+vect<veh(=carry) abuse language; curses; violent expressions Instead of facts and logic, he uaed rhetoricaltricks and slashing invective to attack his opponent.; He had expected criticism but not the invective which greeted his proposal. [+] billingsgate, contumely, obloquy, scurrility, vituperation v. denounce; utter censure or invective He inveighed against the demagoguery of the previous speaker and urged that the audience reject his philosophy as dangerous. [+] abuse v. lead astray; wheedle She was inveigled into joining the club after an initial reluctance. [+] allure, bait, decoy, entice, lure, seduce, tempt; [-] request directly a. irritable; easily angered Her irascible temper frightened me. [+] choleric, fractious, peevish, petulant, touchy a. resulting in an unexpected and contray manner It is ironic that his success came when he least wanted it.
646
innovate innuendo
660
intractable
647
648
inordinate
661
intransigence
649
insalubrious insalubrity inscrutable
662
intransigent
650
651
663
intrepid
652
insensible
664
intrinsically
653
insipid
665
inured
654
insolvent
666
invective
655
insouciant
656
insularity
667
inveigh
657
intemperance
668
inveigle
658
interdict
669
irascible
670
ironic
GRE List Title

671
irreparable
a. ir<in(=not)+re(=again)+par(=arrange) that cannot be repaired, mended, remedied, restored, etc.; not able to be corrected or repaired A practical diplomat must proceed on the assumption that no conflict of ideas or interests between nations, no matter how serious, is actually irreparable .; Your apology cannot atone for the irreparable damage you have done to her reputation. [+] irrecoverable, irredeemable, irremediable n. plan of a trip Before leaving for his first visit to France and England, he discussed his itinerary with people who had been there and with his travel agent. a. fatigued; surfeited He looked for exotic foods to stimulate his jaded appetite. n. exposure to death or danger She cannot be placed in double jeopardy. [+] hazard, peril v. throw overboard In order to enable the ship to ride safely through the storm, the captain had to jettison much of his cargo. [+] abdicate, discard a. giving to joking The salesman was so jocose that many of his customers suggested that he become a "stand-up" comic. [+] droll, facetious, humorous, jocular, ludicrous, witty a. merry Santa Claus is always vivacious and jocund. [+] blithe a. jud(=judge)+ici(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) showing or having good sense; wise; determined by sound judgment By careful planning and judicious investsments,he increased greatly the fortune his parents had left him.; At a key moment in his life, he made a judicious investment that was the foundation of his later wealth. [+] prudent, sapient n. range of knowledge I cannot answer your question since this matter is beyond my ken. cf. gamut; purview, scope n. a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character; state of relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption n. familiar friends He always helped both his kith and kin n. rascality We cannot condone such knavery in public officials. cf. rascal; [-] probity, uprightness n. maze Tom and betty were lost in the labyrinth of secret caves. v. mangle; tear Her body was lacerated in the automobile crash. [+] rend
685
lachrymose
686
laconic
672
itinerary
687
laggard
673
jaded
688
lambent
674
jeopardy
689
lament
675
jettison
a. producing tears His voice has a lachrymose quality which is more appropriate at a funeral than a class reunion. [+] lugubrious, mournful a. brief and to the point Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types; strong men of few words. [+] compendious, concise, succinct, terse; [-] verbose; [-] garrulous a. slow; sluggish The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders. [+] dawdling, delaying, dilatory, loitering, procrastinating a. flickering; softly radiant They sat quietly before the lambent glow of the fireplace. [+] brilliant, effulgent, lucent, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent v. to express sorrow Across the nation and around the world, people lamented the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a. weary; sluggish; listless Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid. [+] lackadaisical a. lustful The lascivious books were banned by the clergy. [+] incontinent, lecherous, lewd, libertine, libidinous, licentious n. lass(=weary) tiredness; state of being uninterested in things; languor; weariness Sometimes we feel lassitude on a hot summer day.; The hot, tropical weather created a feeling of lassitude and encouraged drowsiness. [+] ennui, listlessness, tedium, weariness; [-] a feeling of vigor n. the state of being dormant a. lat(=carry, bear)+ent(=having the quality of) present but not yet active, developed or visible; dormant; hidden It is up to us to get rid of any latent prejudices that we may still hold against members of other races and nationalities.; Her latent talent was discovered by accident. [+] abeyant, potential, quiescent a. expressing praise The critics' laudatory comments helped to make her a star. [+] encomiastic, eulogistic, laudative, panegyrical a. careless We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive. [+] loose, remiss a. impure in thought and act; lustful; unchaste He is a lecherous and wicked old man. a. deadly It is unwise to leave lethal weapons where children may find them. [+] fatal, mortal, pestilential
690
languid
676
jocose
691
lascivious
677
jocund
692
lassitude
678
judicious
693
latency latent
694
679
ken
680
kinship
695
laudatory
681
kith
696
lax
682
knavery
697
lecherous
683
labyrinth
698
lethal
684
lacerate
GRE List Title

699
lethargic
700
levee
701
levity
a. drowsy; dull The stuffy room made her lethargic. [+] comatose, torpid, dormant n. earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding As the river rose and theratened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls with sandbags. [+] bank n. lev(=light, lift)+ity(=act) tendnecy to treat serious matters without respect; lack of seriousness; lightness Although the students made jokes about the coming exams, we knew that beneath the levity they were quite worried.; Such levity is improper on this serious occasion. [+] flippancy; [-] gravity a. lustful They found his lewd stories objectionable. [+] incontinent, lascivious, lecherous, libertine, libidnous, licentious n. li<lig(=bind)+ai(=s.e.)+son<sion(=act) connection, linkage between two separate groups; illicit sexual relationship; officer who acts as go-between for two armies Because the Pacific theater in World War II involved amphibious warfare, one of the great problems was to maintain effective liaisions among the land, sea, and air forces.; As the liaison, he had to avoid offending the leaders of the two armies. n. debauched person; roue Although she was aware of his reputation as a libertine, she felt she could reform him and help him break his dissolute way of life. [+] profligate, voluptuary, wanton; [-] ascetic a. wanton; lewd; dissolute The licentious monarch helped bring about his country's downfall. [+] incontinent, lascivious, lecherous, libertine, libidinous, lustful a. like wood Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stone-like in composition. v. treat as a celebrity She enjoyed being lionized and adored by the public. [+] glorify, honor a. flexible; supple Her figure was lithe and willowy. [+] lissom(e), lithesome v. to cause to become the subject-matter of a suitat law n. lawsuit Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation. [+] suit a. lead-colored; black and blue; enraged His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy. [+] ashen, pallid, wan
712
loquacious
a. loqu(=say)+aci(=s.e.)+ous(=many, full) talkative,fond of talking There is an old folk tradition that women are more loquacious than men, but all the men I know do their full share of talking.; She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours. [+] garrulous, verbose; [-] taciturn n. clumsy person The delivery boy is an awkward lout. cf. flout a. ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance a. shining; bright The moon's lucent rays silvered the river. a. luc(=light) clear; lucent; bright; easily understood And the scientific method of fearless thought, exhaustively lucid statement, and exhaustively criticized planning, which has given him these as yet uncontrollable powers, gives him also the hope of controlling these powers.; His explanation was lucid and to the point. [+] brilliant, effulgent, lambent, luminous, radiant, refulgent; pellucid, translucent, transparent, unambiguous; [-] murky; [-] vague a. profitable He turned his hobby into a lucrative profession. [+] remunerative a. mournful The lugubrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness. [+] doleful, dolorous, lamentable, plaintive, woeful a. lumin(=light)+ous(=full, many) giving out light; bright; clear; easily understood; shining; issuing light His luminous intelligence has helped to guide the nation during a time of confusion and darkness.; The sun is a luminous body. [+] brilliant, effulgent, fulgent, lambent, lucent, radiant, refulgent a. wild; sensational The lurid stories he told shocked his listeners. [+] eerie, ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre a. shining Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to a otherwise drab face. [+] brilliant, effulgent, fulgent, lambent, lucent, luminous, radiant, refulgent v. waste away Cancer macerated his body. [+] emaciate; cf. lacerate; [-] harden by drying n. extremely liberal generosity of spirit a. magn(=great)+anim(=mind)+ous(=having the quality of) having generosity; generous Churchill told his countrymen to be resolute in war,defiant in defeat,and magnanimous in victory.; The philanthropist was most magnanimous. [+] benevolent, chivalrous, considerate, lofty n. person of prominence or influence The steel magnate decided to devote more time to city politics. [+] tycoon
713
lout
714
loutish
715
lucent
702
lewd
716
lucid
703
liaison
717
lucrative
704
libertine
718
lugubrious
705
licentious
719
luminous
706
ligneous
720
lurid
707
lionize
721
lustrous
708
lithe
722
macerate
709
litigate
723 710
magnanimity magnanimous
litigation
724
711
livid
725
magnate
GRE List Title

726
maladroit
a. mal(=bad)+a(=to)+droit<rect(=straight, right) not adroit; clumsy; tactless; clumsy; bungling Steiner's effort to settle the differences between the two factions were so maladroit that what had begun as a rift became a yawning chasm.; In his usual maladroit way, he managed to upset the cart and spill the food. [+] gauche, unskillful n. male<mal(=bad)+dict(=say) curse; prayer to God that someone or somthing may be destroyed, hurt, etc Blows with cudgels and missiles may fracture my skeletal structure, but maledictions will leave me unscathed.; The witch uttered maledictions against her captors. [+] anathema, imprecation, malison n. male<mal(=bad)+fact(=do, make) wrongdoer or criminal Shortly after the crime, the malefactor was apprehended and turned over to the police.; We must try to bring these malefactors to justice. [+] offender a. dictated by hatred or spite The malicious neighbor spread the gossip. [+] malevolent, malignant v. speak evil of; defame Because of her hatred of the family, she maligns all who are friendly to them. [+] asperse, calumniate, denigrate, libel, slander, traduce, vilify, decry a. capable of being shaped by pounding Gold is a malleable metal. [+] adaptable, plastic supple n.a. mand(=order)+at(=s.e.)+ory(=relating to) person or state to whom a mandate has been given; of a command; compulsory, obligatory In this state, attendance at school is mandatory for children between the ages of six and seventeen.; These instructions are mandatory; any violation will be severly punished. [+] compulsory, required a.v. understandable; clear His evil intentions were manifest and yet we could not stop him. [+] distinct, obvious, unambiguous n. raider; intruder The sounding of the alarm frightened the marauders. cf. maraud; depredator, despoiler, freebooter, pillager, plunderer, raider, ravager a. effusively sentimental I do not like such maudlin pictures. I call them tearjerkers. [+] romantic n. rebel; nonconformist To the masculine literary establishment, George sand with her insistence on wearing trousers and smoking cigars was clearly a maverick who fought her proper womanly role. [+] dissenter v. to wind or turn in its course It is difficult to sail up this stream because of the way it meanders through the countryside. [-] move purposively
738
mellifluous
727
malediction
739
mendacious
740
mendicant
728
malefactor
a. mel (=honey)+i(=s.e.)+flu(=flow)+ous(=having the quality of) sweet-sounding, smooth-flowing; flowing smoothly; smooth Said Churchill to the British people after the Munich agreement:We must reject these mellifluous assurances of 'peace in our time' and realize that we have sustained a crushing defeat.; Italian is a mellifluous language. [+] dulcet, euphonious, harmonious, mellifluent a. lying; false He was a pathological liar, and his friends learned to discount his mendacious stories. [+] deceitful, dishonest, fraudulent, unveracious n. beggar From the moment we left the ship, we were surrounded by mendicants and peddlers. n. teacher During this very trying period, she could not have had a better mentor, for the teacher was sympathetic and understanding. [+] instructor, tutor n.a. merc(=trade)+en(=s.e.)+ary(=relating to) soldier hired for pay to serve in a foreign army; working only for money or other reward; inspired by love of money; interested in money or gain Of course she wants to make money from her books! That doesn't mean that she's mercenary and indifferent to doing good work.; I am certain that your action was prompted by mercenary motives. a. fickle; changing He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable. [+] capricious, fickle, inconstant, unstable; [-] constant a. flashy; tawdry Her jewels were inexpensive but not meretricious. [+] garish, gaudy v. change completely the nature of something [-] remain unaltered n. morph(=form) change of form or character, eg. by natural growth or development The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life.; The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life. [-] continuation without change a. excessively careful He was meticulous in checking his accounts and never made mistakes. [+] fastidious, fussy, heedful, punctilious, scrupulous n. courage; spirit When challenged by the other horses in the race, the thoroughbred proved its mettle by its determination to hold the lead. [+] dauntlessness n. demeanor; bearing She had the gracious mien of a queen. [+] comportment n. a servile dependent He was always accompanied by several of his minions because he enjoyed their subservience and flattery. [+] sycophant
741
mentor
729
malicious
742
mercenary
730
malign
731
malleable
732
mandatory
743
mercurial
744
meretricious
733
manifest
745
metamorphose metamorphosis
734
marauder
746
735
maudlin
747
meticulous
736
maverick
748
mettle
737
meander
749
mien
750
minion
GRE List Title

751
misanthrope
n. anthrop(=man) hater of mankind; person who avoids society; one who hates mankind The misanthrope chose to live alone.; We thought the hermit was a misanthrope because he shunned our society. [+] philanthropist n. anthrop(=man) hatred of mankind He forgot his misanthropy when he fell in love.
765
mundane
752
misanthropy
a. mund(=world) worldly; dull, ordinary; worldly as opposed to spiritual He devoted himself to the spiritual needs of his followers, and left to his aides such mundane tasks as providing food and shelter.; He was concerned only with mundane matters, especially the daily stock market quotations. [+] earthly, secular, uncelestial, worldly; [-] exotic; [-] unearthly a. mun(=gift, service)+i(=s.e.)+fic(=make, do) +ent(=having the quality of) extremely generous; large in amount or splendid in quality; very generous My sad story is that after working for three hours in the hot sun cleaning up the yard, I received the munificent sum of 1 dollar 75 cents.; The munificent gift was presented to the bride by her rich uncle. [+] bountiful a. unruly; rebellious The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew. [+] contumacious, insubordinate, insurgent n. very large number Myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twilight. a. very wicked he was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds. [+] flagrant, infamous, vicious n. revenging agent Captain Bligh vowed to be Christian's nemesis. n. phyt(=to plant) person who has newly been converted to some belief or religion; beginner; recent convert; beginner After her novel's success she was no longer considered a neophyte .; This mountain slope contains slides that will challenge experts as well as neophytes. [+] apprentice, novice, tyro v. sting oneself with nettles; make rather angry; annoy; annoy; vex I regret that Nancy was nettled by my unfavorable review of her short story, but I had to express my opinion honestly.; Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks. [+] exasperate, irritate, peeve, provoke n. connection I fail to see the nexus which binds these two widely separated events. [+] junction, link; [-] disconnected components a. unhappy at being away and longing for familiar things or persons n. questionable medicine No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. [+] cure-all, elixir, panacea a. not(=know)+ori(=s.e.)+ous(=many, full) widly known for something bad; outstandingly bad; unfavorably known He is notorious for his habit of taking small loans from friends and then conveniently forgetting about them.; Captain Kidd was notorious pirate. [+] flagrant, infamous
766 753
munificent
mite
754
mitigate
755
mnemonic
n. very small object or creature; small coin Gnats are annoying mites that sting. [+] particle v. appease Nothing he did could mitigate her wrath; she was unforgiving. [+] allay, alleviate, assuage, mollify, palliate, relieve; [-] exacerbate a. pertaining to memory He used mnemonic tricks to master new words. v. mod(=fit)+ul(=s.e.)+ate(=make) regulate; change the voice; vary the frequency, amplitude or phase of a waves In spite of my extreme terror, I made every effort to modulate my voice and speak calmly. v. soothe We tried to mollify the hysterical child by promising her many gifts. [+] allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, mitigate, pacify, placate, propitiate, relieve; [-] ire a. in a melted and therefore very hot state; made of metal that has been melted and cast The workers carefully ladled the molten iron into the bell-shaped mold.; The city of Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash rather than by molten lava flowing from Mount Vesuvius. [+] liguefied a. debatable Our tariff policy is a moot subject. [+] disputable, dubious a. mord<mors(=bite)+ant(=having the quality of) biting; sarcastic; biting; sarcastic; stinging I noticed with approval that his mordant remarks were intended to deflate the pompous and unmask the hypocritical.; Actors feared the critic's mordant pen. [+] caustic, mordacious, scathing, trenchant a. ill-humored; sullen When we first meet Hamlet, we find him morose and depressed. [+] dour, gloomy, saturnine, sullen, morbid; [-] cheerful; [-] charming n. theme This simple motif runs throughout the entire score. n. ability to move spontaneously Certain organisms exhibit remarkable motility; motile spores, for example, may travel for miles before coming to rest. [+] locomotion a. fa<fac(=make) varied, diversified; varied; greatly diversified The actor has appeared in multifarious roles.; A career woman and mother, she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life. [+] diverse, manifold, multiform
767
mutinous
756
modulate
768
myriad
769 757
nefarious
mollify
770
nemesis
758
molten
771
neophyte
759
moot
772
nettle
760
mordant
773
nexus
761
morose
774
nostalgic
762
motif
775
nostrum
763
motility
776
notorious
764
multifarious
GRE List Title

777
noxious
778
nugatory
779
nullify
780
oaf
a. harmful We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us. [+] baneful, deadly, pernicious, pestilential, deleterious a. futile; worthless This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. [+] paltry, ineffectual, useless; [-] consequential v. to make invalid Once the contract was nullified, it no longer had any legal force. [+] abolish, abrogate, annihilate, annul, invalidate, vitiate n. stupid, awkward person He called the unfortunate waiter a clumsy oaf. a. ob(=intensive)+dur(=last) stubborn, obstinate, inflexible In spite of all our efforts to appeal to whatever human sympathics the kidnappers might have, they remainded obdurate .; He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.; He was obdurate in his refusal to our complaints. [+] obstinate, perverse, unyielding; [-] complaisant; [-] complaisant; [-] flexible
787
obsequious
a. ob(=in the way)+sequ(=follow) too eager to obey or advantage; showing excessive respect from hope of reward or advantage; slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic During imperial times, the Roman Senate was little more than a collection of obsequious yes men, intent on preserving their own lives by gratifying the Emperor's every whim.; Nothing is more disgusting to me than the obsequious demeanor of the people who wait upon you. [+] fawning, toadying, truckling a. outmoded That word is obsolete; do not use it. [+] outdate, outmode v. ob(=in the way, intensive)+trud/trus(=thrust) push oneself, one's opinions, etc. forward when unwanted; force oneself upon others; push into prominence We were eager to be favorably impressed, but as he continued to speak, the one fact that obtruded itself on all of us was his utter incapacity for the office.; The other members of the group object to the manner in which you obtrude your opinions into matters of no concern to you. [+] impose, intrude v. ob(=away)+vi<via(=carry, way) get rid of; clear away; prevent by effective measures; make unnecessary; get rid of A compromise agreement reached in the judge's chambers would obviate the need for a long, costly lawsuit.; I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. [+] eliminate, remove a. oc<ob(=intensive)+cul<cel(=hide) hidden; secret; mysterious; supernatural; magical; mysterious; secret; supernatural There is evidence which proves that many persons supposed to have occult powers have either been clever frauds or the victims of self-deception.; The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. [+] mystic, uncanny; [-] readily fathomable; [-] bare a. hateful I find the task of punishing you most odious. [+] abhorrent, abominable, detestable, loath, repulsive a. of<ob(=in the way)+fic(=do, make) very fond of giving unwelcome services or advice; meddlesome; excessively trying to please And there was good old Dan, shouting orders, handing out papers, and generally making an officious nuisance of himself!; Browning informs us that the Duke resented the bough of cherries some officious fool brought to please the Duchess. [+] intrusive, meddlesome, obtrusive n. government by a few The feudal oligarchy was supplanted by an autocracy. a. threatening These clouds are ominous; they portend a severe storm. [+] (n.) omen
788
obsolete
789
obtrude
781
obdurate
790 782
obviate
obeisance
n. ob(=intensive)+eis<aud(=hear) deep bow of respect or homage; homage; obedience, submission The Bible tells us that visitors to the court of Solomon, the great Hebrew king, willingly did obeisance unto him.; She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room. [+] deference, reverence v. ob(=upon, over)+fusc(=dark) +ate(=make) darken or obscure the mind; bewilder; confuse; muddle Please do not try to obfuscate your responsibility in this matter by irrelevent criticisms of other people.; Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments. [+] bewilder, confound, confuse, disconcert, embarrass, fluster, perplex, nonplus, abash v. scold; rebuke severely I am afraid he will objurgate us publicly for this offense. v. ob(=against)+liter(=letter) rub, or blot out; remove all signs of; destroy; destroy completely I am willing to forgive you, but I can never obliterate from my mind the memory of your dishonesty.; The tidal wave obliterated several island villages. [+] delete, erase, efface, expunge n. ob(=against)+loqu(=say) bad words spoken of a person or thing; ill repute; disgrade; slander; disgrace; infamy I knew that if I ran for public office, I would be exposed to severe criticism, but I never expected such a flood of obloquy .; I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation.
791
783
obfuscate
occult
784
objurgate
792
odious
785
obliterate
793
officious
786
obloquy
794
oligarchy
795
ominous
GRE List Title

796
omniscient
a. sci(=know); omni(=all)+sci(=know)+ent(=having the quality of) all knowing, having unlimited authority; knowing all; having complete or infinite knowledge; all-knowing When her prediction came true, we referred to her as the omniscient Sarah.; I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact. a. iridescent The Ancient Mariner admired the opalescent sheen on the water.
806
ostracize
v. ostrac(=shell) shut out from society; refuse to meet, talk to, etc.; exclude from public favor; ban The ancient Greeks ostracized a dangerous citizen by public vote.; As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to ostracize him. [+] banish, exile, expatriate, expel, relegate, oust a. magnificent He proudly showed us through his palatial home. [+] impressive, regal, splendid n. a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward v. ease pain; make less guilty of offensive Doctors must palliate that which they cannot cure. [+] alleviate, mitigate, moderate, soften a. pale; wan Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion. [+] ashen a. palp(=touch)+able(=capable of) that can be felt or touched; clear to the mind; tangible; easily perceptible Nutritionists emphasize that there is a palpable difference between "eating to live" and "living to eat".; I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder. [+] detectable, discernible a. insignificant; petty This is a paltry sum to pay for such a masterpiece. [+] puny, trivial, unconsequential n. demon(=demon) wild and noisy disorder; wild tumult The station was pandemonium at rush hour.; When feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions. [+] clamor, hubbub, uproar n. pan(=all)+egyr(=bring together)+ic(=nature of) a formal speech or writing praising a person or event; high or hyperbolic praise,laudation; formal praise Instead of mouthing empty panegyrics to the Bill of Rights, let's strive to make it a reality in everyday life.; The modest hero blushed as he listened to the panegyrics uttered by the speakers about his valorous act. [+] compliment, encomium, eulogy n. model; example; pattern Pavlov`s experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditioned-response experiment in behavioral psychology. [+] archetype, paragon, standard n. para(=beside, apart from)+dox(=opinion) statement that seems to say something opposite to common sense or the truth, but which may contain a truth; statement that looks false but is actually correct At sometime in our lives, all of us discover the truth of the ancient paradox that by giving freely to others, we gain more for ourselves.; Wordsworth's "The child is father to the man" is an example of paradox.
807 797
palatial
opalescent
808 798
palindrome
opaque
799
opprobrious
800
opulence
a. dark; not transparent The opaque window kept the sunlight out of the room. [+] nontransparent, obscure, vague a. disgraceful I find your conduct so opprobrious that I must exclude you from classes. [+] dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious; [-] irreproachable n. opul(=wealth) wealth, abundance Vistors from Europe are amazed at the opulence of this country.; Visitors from Europe are amazed and impressed by the opulence of this country. [+] affluence a. orn(=decorate)+ate(=having the quality of) richly ornamented; full of flowery language; not simple in style or vocabulary; excessively decorated; highly decorated He has a very ornate writing style, using many unusual words, figures of speech, and involved constructions.; Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings. [+] baroque, flamboyant, rococo v. vibrate pendulumlike; waver It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism. [+] pendulate, sway, swing v. change or harden into bone When he called his opponent a "bonehead," he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified and that he was not capable of clear thinking. a. os<ob(=over, against)+tens(=stretch) put forward in an attempt to hide the real reason; apparent; pretended; apparent; professed; pretended Experience revealed, somewhat to our surprise, that the candidate's ostensible reason for office were also his real reasons.; Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested finding new markets for our products. [+] alleged, pretended a. os<ob(=against, over)+tent(=stretch) done for unnecessary display; liking to attract notice; showy; pretentious Isn't it rather ostentatious to wear a Phi Beta kappa key on a chain around your neck?; The real hero is modest, never ostentatious.
809
palliate
810
pallid
811
palpable
801
ornate
812
paltry
813 802
pandemonium
oscillate
803
ossify
814
panegyric
804
ostensible
815
paradigm
805
ostentatious
816
paradox
GRE List Title

817
paragon
n. para(=beside)+gon(=compare, test, angle) a model or pattern of perfection or excellence; model of perfection My parents set up my older brother as such a paragon that I despaired of ever being able to follow in his footstep.; The class disliked him because the teacher was always pointing to him as a paragon of virtue. [+] archetype, paradigm a. to cause to correspond or lie in the same direction and equidistant in all parts Nobody can parallel him in ability. n. par<para(=beside, side by side)+al (=other) the state of never meeting because always at the same distance from each other; similarity; state of being parallel; similarity It may be doubted whether there is any exact parallelism between muscular strength and hairiness.; There is a striking parallelism between the twins. [+] analogy, comparison n. low wall at edge of roof or balcony The best way to attack the soldiers fighting behind the parapets on the roof is by bombardment from the air. [+] rampart n. equipment; odds and ends His desk was cluttered with paper, pen , ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft. n. social outcast I am not a pariah to be shunned and ostracized. [+] derelict n. equality; close resemblance I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations. [+] analogy, equality, equivalence, parallelism n. conference The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce. [+] conversation, discussion, palaver v. ward off a blow He was content to wage a defensive battle and tried to parry his opponent's thrusts. [+] deflect a. stingy; excessively frugal His parsimonious nature did not permit him to enjoy any luxuries. [+] miserly, niggardly, penurious a. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party On certain issues of conscience, she refused to take a partisan stand. [+] biased, jaundiced, prepossessed a. not active; acted upon Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more effective than violence and acts of terrorism. [+] acquiescent, submissive a. pertaining to disease As we study the pathological aspects of this disease, we must not overlook the psychological elements. n. path(=disease) science of diseases Plant pathology studies the disease of plants.
831
paucity
832
peculate
818
parallel
833
pecuniary
819
parallelism
834
pedagogue
835
pedagogy
820
parapet
n. scarcity They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate. [+] insufficiency, poverty v. steal; embezzle Her peculations were not discovered until the auditors found discrepancies in the financial statements. [+] defalcate a. pertaining to money I never expected a pecuniary reward for my work in this activity. [+] financial, monetary n. teacher; dull and formal teacher He could never be a stuffy pedagogue; his classes were always lively and filled with humor. [+] instructor, tutor n. teaching; art of education Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before her teaching techniques were common practice in American schools. a. showing off learning; bookish What you say is pedantic and reveals an unfamiliarity with the realities of life. [+] scholastic a. transparent; limpid; easy to understand After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find his pellucid style very enjoyable. [+] lucent, lucid, translucent n. strong inclination; liking He had a strong penchant for sculpture and owned many statues. [+] predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency; [-] dislike a. dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness The pensive youth gazed at the painting for a long time and then sighed. [+] cogitative, meditative , musing, pondering, reflecting. n. extreme poverty We find much penury and suffering in this slum area. [+] destitution, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence a. having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernmenta word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward n. striking one object against another sharply The drum is a percussion instrument. [+] collision, crash, impact n. damnation; complete ruin He was damned to eternal perdition. [+] downfall a. per(=intensive)+empt(=take) not to be disobeyed or questioned; dogmatic; insisting upon obedience; imperious; demanding and leaving no choice Although I had no objection to proposal as such, I so resented the perremptory tone in which he spoke to me that I refused to cooperate.; I resent your peremptory attitude. [+] unfaltering, absolute, uncompromising
836
pedantic
821
paraphernalia
837
pellucid
822
pariah
838
penchant
823
parity
839
pensive
824
parley
825
parry
840
penury
826
parsimonious
841
perceptive
827
partisan
842
percussion
828
passive
843
perdition
844
peremptory
829
pathological
830
pathology
GRE List Title

845
perennial
n.a. per(=through, throughout)+enn<an (=year) perennial plant; continuing throughout the whole year; lasting for a very long time; living for more than two years Since we do not want to replace our plantings every year, we favor perennials over annuals.; These plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years. [-] fleeting a. per(=through, falsely)+fid(=trust) faithless; treacherous; basely false His intense greed and lack of confidence in our good faith turned him into a perfidious associate who sold our formulas to the competitors.; Your perfidious gossip is malicious and dangerous. [+] disloyal, recreant, treacherous a. per(=falsely)+funct(=perform) done as a duty or routine but without care or interest; doing things without concern or solicitude; superficial; listless; not thorough Perhaps we were so overjoyed that the great man actually condescended to give us a perfunctory nod as we passed by.; He overlooked many weaknesses when he inspected the factory in his perfunctory manner. [+] cursory a. pher(=carry) of external boundary or surface; marginal; outer The disease impaired her peripheral vision.; We lived, not in central London, but in one of those peripheral suburbs that spring up on the outskirts of a great city. [+] exterior, neighboring n. per(=falsely)+jur(=swear, law) the act of making a false statement after taking an oath to tell the truth; wilful false statement; false testimony while under oath She may have given wrong information in court, but this was an honest mistake and certainly does not make her guilty of perjury .; When several witnesses appeared to challenge his story, he was indicted for perjury. [+] forswearing; [-] truthful deposition a. porous; allowing passage through Glass is permeable to light. [+] penetrable, pervious a. per(=through, thoroughly)+nic<noc(=harm, kill) injurious; harmful; fatal; very destructive The more we studied the drug problem, the more we became aware of its pernicious influence on the American people today.; He argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds. [+] baneful, miasmatic, noxious, pestilential, poisonous, toxic, virulent a. per(=through, throughout)+pet(=seek, strive) never-ending; going on for a long time or without stopping; continual; often repeated; everlasting Presidents, congressmen, and other officials come and go, but the principles of democracy and freedom on which our government rests are perpetual .; Ponce de Leon hoped to find perpetual youth. [+] ceaseless, constant, continuous, interminable, unceasing; [-] intermittent n. any gain above stipulated salary The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than the salary indicates. [+] bonus
854
pertinent
855
peruse
846
perfidious
a. suitable; to the point The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details. [+] applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, relevant v. per(=intensive)+us(=use) read carefully If you want to learn to play backgammon, I suggest that you begin by perusing a summary of the rules. [-] glance at a. thoroughly penetrating or permeating a. touchy; peevish The feverish patient was petulant and restless. [+] fractious, fretful, irritable, peevish, testy, touchy n. voluntary promotion of human welfare; active humanitarianism a. calm; not easily disturbed The nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person. [+] imperturbable, inexcitable; [-] vivacious a. variegated; multicolored The Pied Piper of Hamelin got his name from the multicolored clothing he wore. [+] bridle, piebald; [-] solid-colored n. devoutness; reverence for God Living her life in prayer and good works, Mother Teresa exemplifies the true spirit of piety. [+] devotion, veneration, worship a. (of birds) especially having the flight feathers; bound fast especially having the arms restrained n. pin(=dom) tall, pointed ornament built on to a roof or buttress; high, slender mountain peak; highest point It is a sobering thought that when one has reached the pinnacle of a mountain, there is nowhere to go but down.; We could see the morning sunlight illuminate the pinnacle while the rest of the mountain lay in shadow. [+] acme, apex, climax, culmination, summit, zenith a. devout The pious parents gave their children a religious upbringing. [+] religious a. pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating The piquant sauce added to our enjoyment of the meal. [+] poignant, pungent n. a small allowance or wage He could not live on the pittance he received as a pension and had to look for an additional source of revenue. v. plac(=peace)+ate(=make) soothe; pacify; pacify; conciliate Some historians believe that if the British government had made a sincere effort to placate the colonists, the American Revolution might never have occurred.; The teacher tried to placate the angry mother. [+] appease, assuage, mollify, propitiate; [-] antagonize
856
pervasive petulant
857
847
perfunctory
858
philanthropy
859
phlegmatic
848
peripheral
860
pied
861
piety
849
perjury
862
pinioned
863
pinnacle
850
permeable
851
pernicious
864
pious
865
piquant
852
perpetual
866
pittance
867
placate
853
perquisite
GRE List Title

868
placid
869
platitude
870
platonic
a. peaceful; calm After his vacation in this placid section, he felt soothed and rested. [+] composed, halcyon, poised, serene, tranquil n. trite remark; commonplace statement The platitudes in his speech were applauded by the vast majority in his audience; only a few people perceived how trite his remarks were. [+] banality, cliche, prosaism; [-] original observation a. purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire Accused of impropriety in his dealings with female students, the professor maintained he had only a platonic interest in the women involved. a. plen(=fill)+ary(=relating to) unlimited; absolute; attended by all who have a right to attend; complete; full Sitting before the fire, puffing his pipe, after an excellent meal, he was in a state of plenary contentment.; The union leader was given plenary power to negotiate a new contract with the employers. [+] absolute, thorough n. excess; overabundance She offered a plethora of reasons for her shortcomings. [+] superfluity, surplus; [-] dearth; [-] scarcity a. checking perpendicularity; vertical Before hanging wallpaper it is advisable to drop a plumb line from the ceiling as a guide. [-] examine superficially n. controversy; argument in support of point of view Her essays were, for the main part, polemics for the party's policy. [+] debate, disputation v. beat The severity with which he was pommeled was indicated by the bruises he displayed on his head and face. v. foretell; presage The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them. [+] adumbrate, augur, bode, forebode, forecast, foreshadow, foreshow, omen, predict, prognosticate, prophesy a. suitable for drinking The recent drought in the Middle Atlantic States has emphasized the need for extensive research in ways of making sea water potable. [+] drinkable a. prag<pract(=do, business)+mat(=s.e.)+ic(=nature of) treating things in a matter-of-fact or pratical way; practical; concerned with practical values What point is there in dwelling on far-ranging theories when we are faced with a pragmatic problem of actual survival?; This test should provide us with a pragmatic analysis of the value of this course. [+] practicable, practical v. speak foolishly; boast idly Let us not prate about our qualities; rather, let our virtues speak for themselves. [+] chatter, brag, gasconade, vaunt
880
prattle
v. babble The little girl prattled endlessly about her dolls. a. uncertain; risky I think this stock is a precarious investment and advise against its purchase. [+] doubtable, unstable; dangerous, hazardous; [-] firmly grounded; [-] safe n. pre(=before)+cept(=take) moral instruction; practical rule guiding conduct I intend to be guided by the simple precepts that have proved their value over long periods of human experience.; "Love they neighbor as thyself" is a worthwhile precept. [+] decree, ordinance, prescript, regulation, statute a.v. throw headlong; hasten; headlong; rash Do not be precipitate in this matter; investigate further.; The removal of American political support appears to have precipitated the downfall of the Marcos regime. [+] hasty, impetuous, expedite; [-] deliberate v. pre(=before)+clud(=shut) prevent; make impossible in advance; make impossible; eliminate The fact that he was found guilty of a felony many years ago doesn't preclude his running for mayor.; This contract does not preclude my being employed by others at the same time that I am working for you. [+] deter, forestall, obviate, prevent a. pre(=before)+coc(=to mature, cook) having developed certain faculties earlier than is normal; developed ahead of time Far from being precocious as a small child, the great Albert Einstein was actually somewhat slow in learning to talk.; By her rather adult manner of discussing serious topics, the child demonstrated that she was precocious. [+] premature n. pre(=before)+curs(=run) harbringer; forerunner; sign; a predecessor as in office Experience has shown that an increse in housing construction is the precursor of a general economic upturn.; Gray and burns were precursors of the Romantic Movement in English literature. [+] harbinger, herald v. clean with one's bill, of birds; pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement [-] rumple a. pre(=before)+fa(=say) of a preface, introductory We knew that we were in for a stormy session when her prefatory remarks referred to "some surprising fact that have come to my attention."; The chairman made a few prefatory remarks before he called on the first speaker. [+] preliminary v. be superior in power; outweigh I feel confident that the forces of justice will preponderate eventually in this dispute. n. pre(=before)+rog(=ask) a right or previlege that belongs to a person, class, etc. according to rank or position; privilege; unquestionable right Anyone who thinks that is still a gentleman's prerogative to ask a lady to dance didn't attend our Senior Prom.; The president cannot levy taxes; that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government.
881
precarious
882
precept
883 871
precipitate
plenary
884
preclude
872
plethora
873
plumb
885
precocious
874
polemic
875
pommel
886
precursor
876
portend
887
preen
877
potable
888
prefatory
878
pragmatic
889
preponderate
890
prerogative
879
prate
GRE List Title

891
presumptuous
892
pretentious
a. arrogant; taking liberties It seems presumptuous for one so relatively new to the field to challenge the conclusions of its leading experts. [+] overwddning, supercilious; [-] humble a. pre(=before)+tent(=stretch) claiming great merit or importance; ostentatious; ambitious Since he is well known to be a multy-millionaire, it seems almost pretentious of him, in an inverted sense, to drive around in a small, battered, inexpensive car.; I do not feel that your limited resources will permit you to carry out such a pretentious program. [+] affected, ostentatious, vain v. pre(=before)+varic(=straddle)+ate(=make) make untrue or partly untrue statements, try to evade telling the whole truth; lie The more he tried to protect himself by prevaricating , the more he became entrapped in his own web of deception and dishonesty.; Some people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable and regard the statement as a "white lie." [+] equivocate a. characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled This area has been preserved in all its pristine wildness. [+] primordial; virginal; [-] contaminated a. secret; hidden; not public We do not care for privy chamber government. [+] private n. prob(=test, good, proper)+ity(=nature) uprightness of character, integrity, sincerity; uprightness; incorruptibility Even the most relentless and searching investigations by or political opponents could uncover no evidence that challenged our reputation for complete probity .; Everyone took his probity for granted; his defalcations, therefore, shocked us all. [+] morality, rectitude, righteousness a. perplexing; unsettled; questionable Given the many areas of conflict still awaiting resolution, the outcome of the peace talks remains problematic. [+] arguale, debatable, disputable, moot a. prod<pro(=forth)+ig(=drive) wasteful; too free in giving or spending; abundant; wasteful; reckless with money It will take us months of strict economizing to make up for that one prodigal shopping spree.; The prodigal son squandered his inheritance. [+] extravagant, lavish, profuse a. prod<pro(=before)+ig<ag(=saying) enormous; surprisingly great; beyond what is ordinary; wonderful; marvelous; enormous Can you imagine what a prodigious amount of research was needed for a book such as Sandburg's biography of Lincoln?; He marveled at her prodigious appetite when he saw all the food she ate. [+] colossal, gigantic, huge, mammoth, titanic; [-] slight n. highly gifted child; marvel Menuhin was a prodigy, performing wonders on his violin when he was barely eight years old. [+] miracle
901
profligate
n.a. pro(=forward)+flig(=drive)+ate(=make) profligate person; shamelessly immoral; reckless, extravagant; dissipated; wasteful; licentious He was so profligate with his inheritance that he consumed in a few years the fortune it had taken his parents a lifetime to accumulate.; In this profligate company, she lost all sense of decency. [+] extravagant, wasteful; dissolute, wanton n. lavish expenditure; overabundant condition Seldom have I seen food and drink served in such profusion as at the wedding feast. [+] extravagance; plethora, superfluity, surplus n. children; offspring He was proud of his progeny but regarded George as the most promising of all his children. [+] descendants, posterity, scions n. forecasted course of a disease; prediction If the doctor's prognosis is correct, the patient will be in a coma for at least twenty-four hours. [+] forecast, prophecy a. pro(=forth)+l<al(=nourish) producing many young or much fruit; turning out many products of the mind; fruitfl; abounding; abundantly fruitful In spite of his long and prolific career, his reputation today rests entirely on one great play.; She was a prolific writer and wrote as many as three books a year. [+] fecund, fertile, productive v. multiply; spread I am sure disease must propagate in such unsanitary and crowded areas. [+] generate, multiply, reproduce; circulate, diffuse, disperse, disseminate, distribute; [-] fail to multiply n. pro(=forth)+pens(=hang, weigh) a natural inclination or tendency Your propensity for spending more than you can affird will lead to only one result-bankruptcy!; I dislike your propensity to belittle every contribution she makes to our organization. [+] disposition, inclination, penchant, predisposition, proclivity, tendency n. nearness; kinship Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity; they were more than relatives; they were true friends. [+] proximity v. pro(=before)+pit<pet(=seek)+i(=s.e.) +ate(=make) do something to take away the anger of; appease Those religious ceremonies are intended to protect the tribe against disasters by propitiating the gods who control natural phenomena.; The natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods. [+] assuage, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate; [-] incense; [-] antagonize a. pro(=before, forward)+pit<pet(=seek) favorable; well-disposed; kindly When I entered his office and observed that he seemed to be in a good mood, I felt that this might be a propitious time to ask for a rise.; I think it is advisable that we wait for a more propitious occasion to announce our plans; this is not a goodtime. [+] auspicious, opportune
902
profusion
903 893
progeny
prevaricate
904
prognosis
905 894
prolific
pristine
895
privy
906
propagate
896
probity
907
propensity
897
problematic
908
propinquity
898
prodigal
909
propitiate
899
prodigious
910
propitious
900
prodigy
GRE List Title

911
prosaic
912
proscribe
a. commonplace; dull I do not like this author because he is so unimaginative and prosaic. [+] tiresome, unimaginative v. pro(=before)+scrib(=write) forbid someone to do something; put outside the protection of the law; force someone to go away; ostracize; banish; outlaw Laws against slander and libel have their place, but they must never be used to proscribe criticism of public officials.; Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar. [+] exile, expatriate; ban, forbid, interdict, prohibit; [-] sanction v. convert to a religion or belief In these interfaith meetings, there must be no attempt to proselytize; we must respect all points of view. [+] change n. col(=glue) first ro original draft of an agreement, signed by these making it; code of behavior, etiquette as practiced on diplomatic occasions; diplomatic etiquette Foreign service officers and their spouse must learn the rules of protocol .; We must run this state dinner according to protocol if we are to avoid offending any of our guests. a. displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies In his usual provident manner, he had insured himself against this type of loss. [+] canny, chary, economical, frugal n. stipulation I am ready to accept your proposal with the proviso that you meet your obligations within the next two weeks. [+] condition, provision a. serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy; exciting sexual desire n. onym(=name) name taken, especially by author, instead of his real name; pen name He used a woman's psudonym for the Gothic romance.; Samuel Clemen's pseudonym was Mark Twain. [+] alias a. childish His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends. [+] immature n. learned Hindu; any learned man; authority on a subject Even though he discourses on the matter like a pundit, he is actually rather ignorant about this topic. n. sharpness; stinging quality the pungency of the cigarette smoke mademe cough. [+] piquancy, poignancy, sourness; [-] blandness a. stinging; caustic The pungency of the cigarette smoke made me cough. [+] piquant, poignancy, sour
923
purloin
924
purview
v. steal In the story, "The Purloined Letter," Poe points out that the best hiding place is often the most obvious place. [+] filch n. pur<pro(=forth)+view(=look) range of operation or activity; range of sight or understanding; the body and scope of an act or bill Under the American system of personal liberty, there are many aspects of everyday living that do not come under the purview of any governmental authority.; The sociological implications of these inventions are beyond the purview of this book. [+] compass, extent, range v. drink with relish As we quaffed our ale, we listened to the gay songs of the students in the tavern. cf. sip n. bog; marsh Our soldiers who served in Vietnam will never forget the drudgery of marching through the quagmires of the delta country. [+] marshland a. limited; restricted Unble to give the candidate full support, the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement. [+] circumscribed, definite, determined; competent, opposite v. to endow or furnish with requisite ability, character, knowledge, skill, or possessions She is well qualified for teaching music. n. a fit of nausea n. dilemma When the two colleges to which he had applied accepted him, he was in a quandary as to which one he should attend. [+] bewilderment, perplexity; [-] state of complete certainty a. at rest; dormant After this geyser erupts, it will remain quiescent for twenty-four hours. [+] latent, abeyant, potential n. purest and highest embodiment Noel Coward displayed the quintessence of wit. [+] essence, substance n. startling twist; caprice By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before. [+] eccentricity, peculiarity a. idealistic but impractical His head is in the clouds; he is constantly presenting these quixotic schemes. [+] ant. practical a. bantering; comical; humorously serious Will Rogers' quizzical remarks endeared him to his audiences. [+] droll, ludicrous a. like a fanatic; furious He was a rabid follower of the Dodgers and watched them play whenever he could go to the ball park. [+] frantic, frenetic, frenzied; a rabid dog a rabid rabbit
913
proselytize
925
quaff
914
protocol
926
quagmire
927
qualified
915
provident
928
qualify
916
proviso
929
qualm quandary
930
917
provocative
931 918
quiescent
pseudonym
932
quintessence
919
puerile
933
quirk
920
pundit
934
quixotic
935
quizzical
921
pungency
936
rabid
922
pungent
GRE List Title

937
ramification
938
rampant
939
rampart
940
rancid
941
rancor
942
rant
943
rationalize
944
raucous
945
raze
n. branching out; subdivision We must examine all the ramifications of this problem. [+] divergence a. rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained The rampant weeds in the garden killed all the flowers which had been planted in the spring. [+] pandemic, prevailing, prevalent, widespread n. defensive mound of earth "From the ramparts we watched" as the fighting continued. [+] parapet a. having the odor of stale fat A rancid odor filled the ship's galley. [+] malodorous, fetid, putrid, noisome n. bitterness; hatred Let us forget our rancor and cooperate in this new endeavor. [+] enmity, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, hostility v. rave; speak bombastically As we heard him rant on the platform, we could not understand his strange popularity with many people. [+] rave v. reason; justify an improper act Do not try to rationalize your behavior by blaming your companions. [+] justify a. harsh and shrill His raucous laughter irritated me and grated on my ears. [+] strident v. destroy completely The owners intended to raze the hotel and erect an office building on the site. n. kingdom; sphere The realm of possibilities for the new invention was endless. [+] empire; compass, extent, purview, scope v. snub; beat back She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed. [-] welcome a. obstinately stubborn Donkeys are reputed to be the most recalcitrant of animals. [+] unruly, fractious, intractable, untoward; [-] amenable v. re(=back, away)+cant(=sing) withdraw or renounce beliefs, statement, etc. in a formal or public manner; repudiate; withdraw previous statement What a mockery it is for intellectuals, terrorized by a dictatorship, to recant publicly the ideas and ideals on which they have based their lives!; Unless you recant your confession, you will be punished severely. [-] affirm n. withdrawl; retreat The recession of the troops from the combat area was completed in an orderly manner. [+] retreat, setback; cf. cession
951
recidivism
n. habitual return to crime Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism; the number of men serving second and third terms in prison indicates the failure of the prisons to rehabilitate the inmates. a. mutual; exchangeable; interacting The two nations signed a reciprocal trade agreement. v. re(=back)+ci(=s.e.)+pro(=forward)+c(=s.e.) +ate(=make) give and recieve, each to and from each; cause to move backwards and forwards in a straight line; repay in kind Can you blame me for being bitter when a supposed friend reciprocated my confidence with betrayal and slander?; If they attack us, we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory. [+] recompense, requite, retaliate n.a. re(=back)+clus(=shut) person who lives alone and avoids other people; shut away from the world; hermit Do you understand how someone can live as a recluse even in the midst of a great city?; The recluse lived in a hut in the forest. [+] solitary a. abstruse; profound; secret He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for his scholarly thesis. [+] esoteric; [-] widely understood a. re(=back)+cumb(=lie) lying down; idle; reclining; lying down completely or in part Comfortably recumbent in the shade of the elm tree, I watched the eager candidates for the football team in their hard, sweaty workout.; The command "AT EASE" does not permit you to take a recumbent position. cf. incumbent; [-] standing up n. person who refuses to comply In that religious community, the recusant was shunned as a pariah. a. red<re(=intensive)+ol(=smell) having a strong smell; reminiscent; fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor Even today after so many years, I find that an ordinary chocolate bar is redolent of long Saturday afternoons spent watching double features at the Bijou Theater.; Even though it is February, the air is redolent of spring. [+] aromatic, odoriferous, perfumed a. re(=intensive)+doub<dob(=uncertain) to be feared; formidable; formidable; causing fear She is such a redoubtable foe of the trite phrase that her students tremble lest her wrath descend on them for using an overworked expression.; The neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be redoubtable foes. [+] appalling, awful, dreadful, terrible; [-] unimpressive
952
reciprocal
953
reciprocate
954
recluse
955
recondite
956
recumbent
946
realm
957
recusant
947
rebuff
958
redolent
948
recalcitrant
949
recant
959
redoubtable
950
recession
GRE List Title

960
redundant
a. red<re(=back, again)+und(=wave) superfluous; superfluous; excessively wordy; repetitious When he demanded that I immediately "return back" the money I owed him, I found him not merely unpleasant but redundant .; Your composition is redundant; you can easily reduce its length. [+] superfluous, supernumerary; prolix, verbose; [-] economical a. re(=again)+fract(=break) resisting control, discipline, etc. wilful; not yielding to treatment; hard to melt, fuse or work; stubborn; unmanageable Since they had always been reasonably well-behaved, I was taken completely unawares by their refractory behavior.; The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey. [+] obstinate, perverse v. disprove The defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the prosecution's only witness. [+] controvert, disprove, rebut; [-] prove a. reg(=rule)+al(=nature of) of a king,royal; characteristic of a king,splendid,stately,magnificent,etc. The "big shot" behaving with almost regal dignity turned out to be Johnny Novak, my classmate from the 5th grade.; Prince Albert had a regal manner. [+] majestic, splendid, stately v. re(=again)+it(=go) say or do again several times; repeat What a bore to hear the same silly advertising slogans reiterated endlessly on TV programs!; I shall reiterate this message until all have understood it. [+] iterate v. re(=back)+leg(=send) send someone to a lower position or grade; hand over a matter for decision or carrying out; banish; consign to inferior position When Mr. Kummer saw my pathetically inept efforts to prepare a banana split, I was relegated to the ranks of the unemployed.; If we relegate these experienced people to positions of unimportance because of their political persuasions, we shall lose the services of valuably trained personnel. [+] exile, expatriate, expel, ostracize a. re(=again)+lev(=lift, light) closely connected with what is happening, being discussed, done, etc.; to the point The defense attorney has told you about the defendant's unhappy childhood, but how is this relevant to the question of innocence or guilt? [-] immaterial v. abandon I will relinquish my claims to this property if you promise to retain my employees. [+] cede, waive, resign n. recollection Her reminiscences of her experiences are so fascination that she ought to write a book. [+] retrospection, remembrance
969
remonstrate
v. re(=again, against)+monstr(=show) say or plead in protest, objection, complaints, etc. Since he seems to have no moral standards whatsoever, it would probably be futile to remonstrate with him about his outrageous behavior.; I must remonstrate about the lack of police protection in this area. [+] resist, withstand n. the revival of learning and culture n. the revival of letters, and then of art, which marks the transition from medieval to modern time v. ren<re(=back)+der<dit(=give) cause someone or something to be or become; give in return or exchange; present, send in; give a performance of; express in another languge; deliver; provide; represent That monologue about the pretty young teacher on her first day in shcool rendered me helpless with laughter.; He rendered aid to the needy and indigent. [+] furnish, supply; delineate, depict, describe, limn, portray n. translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc. The audience cheered enthusiastically as she completed her rendition of the aria. [+] interpretation, version n. list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to prese The opera company decided to include "Madame Butterfly" in its repertoire for the following season. n. re(=again)+plic(=fold) a reproduction or copy of a work of art, especially a copy by the maker of the original; facsimile Instead of working so hard to prepare replicas of famous works of art, why don't you try to creat something original?; Are you going to hang this replica of the Declaration of independence in the classroom or in the auditorium? [+] duplicate, facsimile, replication v. express strong disapproval of a. re(=back, against)+prehens(=take) deserving to be blamed; deserving blame I don't know which was more reprehensible -making improper use of the money or lying about it later.; Your vicious conduct in this situation is reprehensible. [+] blameworthy, blamable, censurable, culpable; v. reprehend n.v. re(=back)+priev<prehend(=take) postponement or remission of punishment, especially by death; delay or respite; postpone or delay punishment; give relief for a short time from danger, trouble, etc.; temporary stay Only by admitting your fault and trying to make up for the damage you have done can you obtain a reprieve from the pangs of conscience.; During the twenty-four-hour reprieve, the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent. [+] respite n. person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is. [+] profligate, libertine; cf. elect
970 961
renascence renaissance
refractory
971
972
render
962
refute
963
regal
973
rendition
974
repertoire
964
reiterate
975
replica
965
relegate
976
reprehend reprehensible
977 966
relevant
967
relinquish
978
reprieve
968
reminiscence
979
reprobate
GRE List Title

980
repudiate
v. re(=back, away)+pud(=ashamed) disown; say that one will have nothing more to do with; refuse to accept or acknowledge; refuse to pay an obligation or dept; disown; disavow To limit the free expression of unpopular ideas is to repudiate the basic siprit of the Bill of Rights.; He announced that he would repudiate all debts incurred by his wife. [+] disclaim a. re(=back, against)+pugn(=fight) distasteful; causing a feeling of dislike or opposition The expression of satisfaction that come over his face when he talks of the failure of other people is highly repugnant to me. v. re(=back, away)+scind(=cut) repeal, annul, or cancel a law, contract, etc. Because of the incidents that occurred during hazing week, the school may rescind the rules that allow fraternity initiations.; Because of public resentment, the king had to rescind his order. a. unresisting; patiently submissive Bob Cratchit was too resigned to his downtrodden existence to protest when Scrooge bullied him. [+] acquiescent, yielding n. re(=intensive)+solu<solv(=loosen) fixed determination; formal expression of opinion by a legislative body or a public meeting; solution of a doubt, question, discord, etc.; process of separating into constituents In our campaign to solve the energy problem, we must depend on the understanding, patriotism, and resolution of the American people.; Nothing could shake his resolution to succed despite all difficuties. [+] decision, firmness, resolve n.v. determination Nothing coold shake his resolve that his children would get the best education that money could buy. [+] decision, determination, firmness,resolution a. echoing; resounding; possessing resonance His resonant voice was particularly pleasing. [+] orotund, rotund, sonorous n. re(=back, away)+spi(=look) time of relief or rest from toil, suffering, anything unpleasant; postponement or delay permitted in the suffering of or the discharge of an obligation; reprieve; delay in punishment; interval of relief; rest After we had been playing our best rock records for several hours, mother entered the room and begged for some respite .; The judge granted the condemned man a respite to enable his attorneys to file an appeal. [+] intermission, pause, reprieve a. re(=intensive)+splend(=shine) very bright; splendid; brilliant; lustrous The talents which had seemed so resplendent in their youth now struk us as unimpressive and even pathetic.; The toreador wore a resplendent costume. [+] splendid a. rising again after defeat, etc. The resurgent nation surprised everyone by its quick recovery after total defeat. [+] resurrectional
990
reticent
a. re(=intensive)+tic<tac(=silent) not saying all that is known or felt; in the habit of saving little; reserved; uncommunicative, inclined to silence Why should he be so talkative about most things but so reticent about his own personal background.; Hughes preferred reticent employees to loquacious ones, noting that the formers' dislike of idle chatter might ensure discretion about his affairs. [+] tacitum n. a. respectful His reverent attitude was appropriate in a house of worship. [+] deferential n. daydream; musing He was awakened from his reverie by the teacher's question. cf. revelry v. re(=back)+vil(=cheap) swear at, abuse; slander; vilify Instead of recognizing that he caused his own failure, he continues to revile all the people who were "unfair" to him.; He was avoided by all who feared that he would revile and abuse them if they displeased him. [+] calumniate, defame, libel, malign, traduce; cf. vile a. pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language To win his audience, the speaker used every rhetorical trick in the book. [+] bombastic, euphuistic, grandiloquent, magniloquent, pompous a. wanton; profane He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners. [+] blasphemous, dissolute; n. severity Many settlers could not stand the rigors of the New England winters. [+] asperity, austerity, sternness a. inclined to laugh; ludicrous His remarks were so risible that the audience howled with laughter. [+] comical, droll n.v. circular rounded protuberance (as on a vault or shield or belt); focus one's attention on something; fasten with a rivet or rivets a. capable of arousing and holding the attention a. rosy; optimistic I am afraid you will have to alter your roseate views in the light of the distressing news that has just arrived. [+] promising n. repetition He recited the passage by rote and gave no indication he understood what he was saying. cf. mote;by rote n. roundness; sonorousness of speech Washington Irving emphasized the rotundity of the governor by describing his height and circumference. [+] orotund
981
repugnant
991 992
retroaction reverent
982
rescind
993
reverie
994
revile
983
resigned
984
resolution
995
rhetorical
996
ribald
985
resolve
997
rigor
998
risible
986
resonant
987
respite
999
rivet
1000
riveting roseate
1001
988
resplendent
1002
rote
1003
rotundity
989
resurgent
GRE List Title

1004
rudimentary
1005
ruminate
1006
rummage
a. not developed; elementary His dancing was limited to a few rudimentary steps. [+] basal, embryonic v. chew the cud; ponder We cannot afford to wait while you ruminate upon these plans. [+] reflect, meditate, cogitate, deliberate, muse, ponder v. ransack; thoroughly search When we rummaged through the trunks in the attic, we found many souvenirs of our childhood days. n. scandinavian myth; any legend This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it. [+] edda a. keen; shrewd; having insight He is much too sagacious to be fooled by a trick like that. [+] sage, discerning, insightful, judicious, perceptive n.a. sal(=leap, salt)+i(=s.e.)+ent(=having the quality of) salient angle; forward wedge driven into the enemy's battle front; outstanding, prominent, easily noticed; pointing outwards The long Allied struggle to push back the salient that the Nazis had created in Belgium in 1944 is popularly known as "The Battle of the Bulge."; One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page. [+] conspicuous, noticeable, outstanding, remarkable a. healthful Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September. [+] wholesome; [-] unhealthy n. the opening oration at the commemcement in American colleges n.v. salv(=safe)+age(=act) the rescue of a ship and cargo at sea from peril such as fire, shipwreck, etc.; cargo, property, or ship saved; payment given to those who save property; <saving of> waste material that can be used again after being processed; save from loss, fire, wreck, etc.; rescue from loss Is it too much to expect that I will be able to salvage a few shreds of self-respect from my humiliating failure?; All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed. [+] rescue, retrieve v. approve; ratify Nothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man. [+] authorize, certify a. sangu(=blood) hopeful; optimistic; having a red complexion; cheerful; hopeful The nurse changed his sanguine bandage.; Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome; something could go wrong. [+] optimistic a. savory; tasty; relishable This chef has the knack of making most foods more sapid and appealing.
1016
sardonic
1017
satiric
a. disdainful; sarcastic; cynical The sardonic humor of nightclub comedians who satirize or ridicule patrons in the audience strikes some people as amusing and others as rude. [+] mocking, derisive, scornful, sneering a. resembling poetry, in which vice, incapacity,or corruption is held up to ridicule v. soak Their clothes were saturated by the rain. [+] drench, imbue a. gloomy Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks. v. stroll slowly as we sauntered through the park, we stopped frequently to admire the spring flowers. n. scholar Our faculty includes many world-famous savants. [-] unlearned person v. have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality I think your choice of a successor savor of favoritism. [+] relish n. someone who bears the blame for others After the Challenger disaster, NASA searched for scapegoats on whom they could cast te blame. [+] victim n. division; split Let us not widen the schism by further bickering. [+] rupture, disintegration; cf. chasm n. lash; whip; severe punishment They feared the plague and regarded it as a deadly scourge. [+] plague a. conscientious; extremely thorough I can recommend him for a position of responsibility for I have found him a very scrupulous young man. [+] fussy, heedful, meticulous, punctilious a. obscene; indecent Your scurrilous remarks are especially offensive because they are untrue. [+] abusive, vituperative a. worldly; not pertaining to church matters; temporal The church leaders decided not o interfere in secular matters. [+] earthly, secular, temporal a. sed(=sit)+ent(=quality)+ary(=relating to) done sitting down at a desk, etc.; spending much of thier time seated; requiring sitting During the war, soldiers assigned to desk jobs were sometimes called sarcastically the "chairbound infantry" or "the sedentary commandos".; Because he had a sedentary occupation, he decided to visit a gymnasium weekly. a. diligent The young woman was so sedulous that she received a commendation for her hard work. [+] assiduous, industrious; [-] careless
1018
saturate
1019
saturnine
1007
saga
1020
saunter
1008
sagacious
1021
savant
1009
salient
1022
savor
1023
scapegoat
1010
salubrious
1024
schism
1025
scourge
1011
salutatory
1012
salvage
1026
scrupulous
1027
scurrilous
1028
secular
1013
sanction
1029
sedentary
1014
sanguine
1015
sapid
1030
sedulous
GRE List Title

1031
seethe
1032
serendipity
v. be disturbed; boil The nation was seething with discontent as the noblemen continued their arrogant ways. [+] ferment, stir n. gift for finding valuable things not searched for Many scientific discoveries are a matter of serendipity. a. having a sawtoothed edge The beech tree is one of many plants that have serrated leaves. [+] saw-edged; [-] smooth; [-] without notches a. serv(=serve)+ile(=capable of) of or like a slave; lacking in the spirit of independence; obsequious; slavish; cringing A President needs people who will tell him frankly when they think he is wrong, rather than just offer servile approval of everything he says.; Uriah Heep was a very servile individual. [+] menial, obsequious, subservient n. fragment, generally of pottery The archaeologist assigned several students the task of reassembling earthenware vessels from the shards he had brought back from the expedition. n. shallow place The ship was stranded on a shoal and had to be pulled off by tugs. [+] shallow a. of poor quality; made to seem better than it is; sham; not genuine; inferior The record player looked impressive, but its construction was so shoddy that within a few months it seemed to be falling apart.; You will never get the public to buy such shoddy material. [+] shabby a. winding; bending in and out; not morally honest The snake moved in a sinuous manner. [+] convoluted, meandering, tortuous n. doubter In this matter, I am a skeptic; I want proof. [+] unbeliever v. move furtively and secretly He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city in order to avoid meeting any of his former friends. [+] sneak n. laziness; slow-moving tree dwelling mammal Note how well the somewhat greenish coat of the sloth enables it to blend in with its arboreal surrounding.(secondary meaning); Such sloth in a young person is deplorable; go to work! [+] indolence, sluggishness a. of or like a sloven; untidy; careless in work habits Isn't it strange that a young woman who will spend hours making sure that she looks "just right" for a date is often so slovenly at other times?; Such slovenly work habits will never produce good products. [+] disheveled, unkempt n. temporary stay After his sojourn in Florida, he began to long for her colder climate of his native New England home.
1044
solicit
v. make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently; make amorous advances towards; offer one's body for sex in return for money n. talking to oneself The soliloquy is a device by the dramatist to reveal a character's innermost thoughts and emotions. [+] monologue n. seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning Instead of advancing valid arguments, he tried to overwhelm his audience with a flood of sophistries. [+] casuistry, speciousness n. sleep producer I do not need a sedative when I listen to one of his soporific speeches. [+] somnolent, somnorific; [-] stimulant a. filthy; base; vile The social worker was angered by the sordid housing provided for the homeless. [+] squalid; despicable, servile a. spec(=look)+i(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) seeming right or true, but not really so; seemingly reasonable but incorrect We are mostly likely to fall victim to specious reasoning when we have an emotional desire to believe what we are being told.; Let us not be misled by such specious arguments. [+] casuistic; [-] valid n. someone who spends money prodigallyRecklessly wasteful a. spiteful; irritable; peevish People shunned him because of his splenetic temper. [+] fretful, petulant, testy, touchy a. occurring irregularly Although there are sporadic outbursts of shooting, we may report that the major rebellion has been defeated. a. false; counterfeit She tried to pay the check with a spurious ten-dollar bill. cf. spur a. dirty; neglected; poor It is easy to see how crime can breed in such a squalid neighborhood. [+] filthy; despicable, ignoble, vile; [-] pristine a. motionless; stale; dull The stagnant water was a breeding ground for disease. [+] v. stagnate a. sober; sedate Her conduct during the funeral ceremony was staid and solemn. [+] grave, sedate, solemn n. strength; staying power I doubt that she has the stamina to run the full distance of the marathon race. [+] vigor, vitality v. check flow of blood It is imperative that we stanch the gushing wound before we attend to the other injuries. [+] check, stem a. having no reproductive power
1045
soliloquy
1033
serrated
1046
sophistry
1034
servile
1047
soporific
1048 1035
sordid
shard
1049
specious
1036
shoal
1037
shoddy
1050
spendthrift
1051
splenetic
1038
sinuous
1052
sporadic
1039
skeptic
1053
spurious
1040
skulk
1054
squalid
1041
sloth
1055
stagnant
1042
slovenly
1056
staid
1057
stamina
1043
sojourn
1058
stanch
1059
sterile
GRE List Title

1060
stigma
1061
stigmatize
n. token of disgrace; brand I do not attach any stigma to the fact that you were accused of this crime; the fact that you were acquitted clears you completely. [+] besmirchment, disfigurement, disgrace, dishonor, taint v. stig(=to prick, to mark) describe somebody scornfully; brand; mark as wicked Have we reached the stage where anyone who refuses to go along with the majority opinion is to be stigmatized as a malcontent and a radical?; I do not want to stigmatize this young offender for life by sending her to prison. [+] denounce, vilify n. supply; allotted amount; assigned portion of work He performed his daily stint cheerfully and willingly. n. pay for services There is a nominal stipend for this position. [+] emolument v. stip(=press together)+ul(=s.e.)+ate(=make) state or put forward as a necessary condition; insist upon as part of an agreement; make express conditions; specify If the contract was framed by a good lawyer, it will stipulate exactly when, where, and how payment is to be made.; Before agreeing to reduce American military forces in Europe, the president stipulated that NATO teams be allowed to inspect Soviet bases. [+] designate, detail, specificate n. person who is indifferent to pleasure or pain The doctor called her patient a stoic because he had borne the pain of the examination without whimpering. [+] epicurean a. dull; impassive The earthquake shattered his usual stolidity; trembling, he crouched on the no longer stable ground. [-] excitable a. marked with parallel bands The glacier left many striated rocks. a. loud and harsh She scolded him in a strident voice. [+] raucous n. pompous walk; supporting bar His strut as he marched about the parade ground revealed him for what he was : a pompous buffoon.; The engineer calculated that the strut supporting the rafter needed to be reinforced. [+] prop n. stup(=dumb-struck) almost unconscious condition caused by shock, drugs, alcohol, etc.; state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness The pain-killer kept him in a dreamlike stupor .; In his stupor, the addict was unaware of the events taking place around him. [+] coma, lethargy, torpor v. present an obstacle; stump The detective was stymied by the contradictory evidence in the robbery investigation. [+] hinder, impede, obstruct; [-] foster
1072
suave
1073
subjugate
a. smooth; bland He is particularly good in roles that require suavity and sophistication. [+] refinement v. conquer; bring under control It is not our aim to subjugate our foe; we are interested only in establishing peaceful relations. v. settle down; descend; grow quiet The doctor assured us that the fever would eventually subside. [+] abate, slacken, wane n.a. sub(=under)+sid(=sit) subsidiary company; serving as a help or support but not of first importance; subordinate; secondary The responsibility to the general public on the part of these corporations and their subsidiaries is not lessened by the fact that they pay heavy taxes.; This information may be used as subsidiary evidence but is not sufficient by itself to prove your argument. [+] accessory, ancillary, appurtenant, auxiliary v. verify; support I intend to substantiate my statement by producing witness. [+] authenticate, confirm, corroborate, validate a. essential; pertaining to the substance Although the delegates were aware of the importance of the problem, they could not agree on the substantive issues. [+] cardinal, substantial; [-] trival n. nicety; cunning; guile; delicacy The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience. [+] finess, nicety; duplicity a. suc<sub(=under, precisely)+cinct(=gird, bind) terse; expressed briefly and clearly; brief; terse; compact The reporter gave the rewrite man a succinct account of what had happened, and the city editor had it expanded into a feature story.; His remarks are always succinct and pointed. [+] concise, laconic, pithy n. aid; assistance; relief We shall be ever grateful for the succor you country gave us when we were in need. v. spread over A blush suffused her cheeks when we teased her about her love affair. [+] overspread, pervade a. showing a brooding ill humor; darkened by clouds a. sumpt(=take, use, waste)+u(=s.e.)+ous(=full, many) costly, luxurious; magnificent, splendid; lavish; rich What a chang-from a college dormitory to the sumptuous accommodations of a big-city luxury hotel!; I cannot recall when I have had such a sumptuous thanksgiving feast. [+] luxurious; cf. sumptuary v. separate; part Northern and southern Ireland are politically and religiously sundered. [+] cleave, dichotomize, dismember, sever
1074
subside
1075 1062
subsidiary
stint
1063
stipend
1064
stipulate
1076
substantiate
1077
substantive
1065
stoic
1078
subtlety
1079
succinct
1066
stolid
1067
striated
1080
succor
1068
strident
1081
suffuse
1069
strut
1082
sullen
1070
stupor
1083
sumptuous
1071
stymie
1084
sunder
GRE List Title

1085
sundry
1086
superfluous
1087
supplant
a. various; several My suspicions were aroused when I read sundry items in the newspapers about your behavior. [+] multifarious, multitudinal, numerous a. excessive; overabundant; unnecessary Please try not to include so many superfluous details in your report; just give me the bare facts. [+] supernumerary v. sup<sub(=under, in place of)+plant(=plant) take the place of ; take the place of someone, especially after getting him out of office; replace; usurp I know that love is fickle, but I never expected to be supplnted in her affections by a crumb like Danny Orr.; Ferdinand Marcos was supplanted by Corazon Aquino as president of the Philippines. [+] displace, supersede a. entreating; beseeching He could not resist the dog's suppliant whimpering, and he gave it some food. [+] supplicatory; cf. supplant n. sup<sub(=under)+pos(=put) supposing; guess; hypothesis; hypothesis; surmise You may be right in your belief that Jan won't let us use her car, but remember that this is still only a supposition .; I based my decision to confide in him on the supposition that he would be discreet. [+] assumption, conjecture, postulation, presumption, speculation, theory; [-] certainty n.v. sur(=over, excessive)+feit<fect(=do, make) too much of anything, especially food and drink; [cause to]take too much of anything; cloy; overfeed I have had my surfeit of excuses and evasions; now I want action!; I am surfeited with the sentimentality of the average motion picture film. [+] glut, gorge, sate satiate; [-] famish n.v. sur(=over)+mis(=send) guess; conjecture I offered that explanation as a mere surmise , but to my surprise, it was generally accepted as an established truth.; I surmise that he will be late for this meeting. [+] conjecture, suppose a. sur<sub(=under)+rep<rap(=take) done,got made, etc.in a secret,stealthy way,clandestine If, as they claim, they were not aware of the illegal character of their undertaking, why did they plan it in a surreptitious way.; News of their surreptitious meeting gradually leaked out. [+] clandestine, covert, furtive, stealthy, sub-rosa v. wrap around; bandage When I visited him in the hospital, I found him swathed in bandages. [+] enwrap, wrap n. a servile flatterer, especially of those in authority or influence
1095
syllogism
n. log(=speech) a formal argument with a major and minor premise and a conclusion; logical formula utilizing a major premise, a minor premise and a conc "All Romans are Italians, all Italians are Europeans; therefore, all Romans are Europeans" is an example of a syllogism .; There must be a fallacy in this syllogism; I cannot accept the conclusion. n. thes(=to place) a combination of parts to form a whole; combining parts into a whole This bill is a synthesis of the work of several senators.; Now that we have succeeded in isolating this drug, our next problem is to plan its synthesis in the laboratory. a. understood; not put into words We have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake. [+] alluded, implicit, intimated; silent, unexpressed, unuttered; [-] explicit a. habitually silent; talking little New Englanders are reputedly taciturn people [+] reserved, reticent v. tantal(=<King> Tantalus) keep just out of reach something that somebody desires; raise hopes that cannot be realized; tease; torture with disappointment How can you be so cruel as to tantalize the poor dog by offering him tidbits that you will never let him have?; Tom loved to tantalize his younger brother. a. tight; ready The captain maintained that he ran a taut ship. [+] tense a. cheap and gaudy He won a few tawdry trinkets in Coney Island. [+] meretricious v. to be full to overflowing n. boldness; rashness Do you have the temerity to argue with me? [+] audacity, foolhardiness, heedlessness, recklessness, precipitateness n. temper(=stretch) person's disposition or nature We do not, indeed, know the exact relationship of our physical to our mental being, the extent to which our bodily condition causes our temperament or the exact process by which the brain makes the intangible thing called thought. a. holding fast I had to struggle to break his tenacious hold on my arm. [+] adhesive, cohesive n. firmness; persistency; adhesiveness It is extremely difficult to overcome the tenacity of a habit such as smoking [+] obstinacy, pertinacity n. doctrine; dogma The agnostic did not accept the tenets of their faith. [+] credo, creed
1096
synthesis
1097
tacit
1088
suppliant
1098
taciturn
1089
supposition
1099
tantalize
1090
surfeit
1100
taut
1101
tawdry
1091
surmise
1102
teem temerity
1103
1092
surreptitious
1104
temperament
1105 1093
tenacious
swathe
1106
tenacity
1094
sycophant
1107
tenet
GRE List Title

1108
tepid
1109
termagant
1110
terrestrial
1111
terse
1112
tether
1113
thrall
1114
throe thwart
a. lukewarm During the summer, I like to take a tepid bath, not a hot one. cf. sapid, insipid, vapid, torpid n. shrew; scolding, brawling woman "The Taming of the Shrew" is one of many stories of the methods used in changing a termagant into a demure lady. [+] virago a. on the earth We have been able to explore the terrestrial regions much more thoroughly than the aquatic or celestial regions. [+] earthy a. concise; abrupt; pithy I admire his terse style of writing; he comes directly to the point. [+] laconic, succinct v. tie with a rope Before we went to sleep, we tethered the horses to prevents their wandering off during the night. [+] bridle, pinion n. slave; bondage The captured soldier was held in thrall by the conquering army. [+] enslavement n. extreme struggling anguish v. baffle; frustrate He felt that everyone was trying to thwart his plans and prevent his success. [+] balk, circumvent, foil n. quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument We identify the instrument producing a musical sound by its timbre. [+] tone a. fearful; demonstrating fear His timorous manner betrayed the fear he felt at the moment. [+] cowardly, timid; [-] intrepid a. dormant; dull; lethargic The torpid bear had just come out of his cave after his long hibernation. [+] n. torpor (= coma, languor, lassitude, stolidity, stupor, torpidity) n. lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy Nothing seemed to arouse him from his torpor; he had wholly surrendered himself to lethargy. [+] coma, languor, lassitude, stolidity, stupor, torpidity; [-] vigor n. twisiting force; force producing rotation With her wrench she applied sufficient torque to the nut to loosen it. a. marked by extreme suffering
1124
traduce
v. tra<trans(=over, across)+duc(=lead) say untrue or malicious things about; slander; expose to slander It is one thing to oppose him vigorously in the election; it is quite another to traduce his character and his record.; His opponents tried to traduce the candidate's reputation by spreading rumors about his past. [+] asperse, calumniate, defame, denigrate, libel, malign n. violation of a law; sin Forgive us our transgressions; we know not what we do. [+] contravention, infraction, infringement, trespass a. existing for a short time only v. trans(=intensive)+mut(=change) change the shape, nature or substance of; change; convert to something different The task of education, said the speaker, is to transmute the primitive selfishness of the child into socially useful modes of behavior.; He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities. [+] convert, transform v. tran<trans(=through)+spir(=breathe) give off moisture or pass off vapor; become public or come to be known; exhale; become known; happen In spite of all our efforts to keep the meeting secret, news of our conclusions transpired .; In spite of all our efforts to keep the meeting a secret, news of our conclusions transpired. [+] leak; occur n. painful labor How long do you think a man can endure such travail and degradation without rebelling? [+] drudgery n.v. tra<trans(=over, across)+vest(=dress) any treatment that makes a serious work seem ridiculous; imitation or description of something; comical parody; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous Since she knew in advance whom she would choose for each role, the so-called "try-outs" for the play were no more than a travesty .; The ridiculous decision the jury has arrived at is a travesty of justice. [+] burlesque, caricature, mimicry; [-] paragon v. travel; migrate The tribe made their trek further north that summer in search of game. [+] peregrinate a. trench(=cut)+ant(=having the quality of) sharp; keen, penetrating, incisive; clear-cut, distinct; cutting; keen After the Senator's trenchant analysis, each of us should have a clear idea of what is involved and where we stand on the issue.; I am afraid of his trenchant wit for it is so often sarcastic. [+] biting, incisive, penetrating, piercing, poignant, pungent n. fear; trembling agitation We must face the enemy without trepidation if we are to win this battle. [+] dismay, dread, horror, terror n. place of judgment; court of justice The prisoner appeared before the tribunal for sentencing.; The decision of the tribunal was final and the prisoner was sentenced to death. [+] court, lawcourt
1125
transgression
1126
transitory transmute
1127
1128
transpire
1115
1129
travail
1116
timbre
1130
travesty
1117
timorous
1118
torpid
1131
trek
1119
torpor
1132
trenchant
1120
torque
1121
torturous toxic
1133 1122
trepidation
1123
tractable
a. poisonous We must seek an antidote for whatever toxic substance he has eaten. [+] virulent; n. toxicity a. docile You will find the children in this school very tractable and willing to learn. [+] amenable, obedient; [-] headstrong
1134
tribunal
GRE List Title

1135
tribute
1136
trite
1137
troth
1138
truculence
1139
tumid
1140
tumult
1141
turbid
n. tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot. [-] denunciation a. hackneyed; commonplace The trite and predictable situations in many television programs alienate many viewers. [+] banal, stereotyped n. pledge of good faith especially in betrothal He gave her his troth and vowed he would cherish her always. [+] betrothal n. aggressiveness; ferocity Tynan's reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of truculence. [+] barbarity, brutality, cruelty, savagery a. swollen; pompous; bombastic I especially dislike his tumid style; I prefer writing which is less swollen and bombastic. [+] inflated, turgid; grandiloquent, magniloquent, rhetorical n. commotion; riot; noise She could not make herself heard over the tumult of the mob. [+] clamor, hubbub, pandemonium, turbulence, uproar a. muddy; having the sediment disturbed The water was turbid after the children had waded through it. n. state of violent agitation We were frightened by the turbulence of the ocean during the storm. [+] agitation, commotion, tumult, turmoil; [-] tranquility n. turp(=vile) wickedness, depravity She was charged with moral turpitude .; A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude. [+] wickedness; [-] saintly behavior n. guardianship; training Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso. [+] aegis, protection, safeguard a. being everywhere; omnipresent You must be ubiquitous for I meet you wherever I go. [+] universal; [-] unique a. beyond what is first seen or said; situated beyond; situated beyond; unstated His ulterior motive was not clear even to himself.; You must have an ulterior motive for your behavior, since there is no obvious reason for it. n. resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff. [+] exasperation, irritation, pique, rage, wrath a. unnatural, mysterious, weird; strange; mysterious We listened to an uncanny sense of direction.; You have the uncanny knack of reading my innermost thoughts. [+] occult, supernatural
1149
uncouth
1150
unequivocal
a. rough, awkward, not cultured; outlandish; clumsy; boorish The handsome young man was surprisingly uncouth at dinner.; Most biographers portray Lincoln as an uncouth and ungainly young man. [+] bizarre, eccentric, odd; coarse, crude, unrefined; discourteous, impertinent, impolite a. equ(=same,voc(=call,voice) clear, having one only possible meaning; plain; obvious She won his unequivocal support.; My answer to your proposal is an unequivocal and absolute "No." [+] distinct, evident, manifest, patent a. genuine; real She turned so pale that I am sure her surprise was unfeigned. a. not easily controlled; disorderly; disobedient; lawless The unruly child was expelled from school.; The only way to curb this unruly mob is to use tear gas. [+] fractious, indocile, intractable, recalcitrant, untoward a. unfortunate; annoying Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion. [+] hapless, misfortunate; fractious, intractable, recalcitrant, unruly; [-] favorable and anticipated a. unaccustomed He hesitated assume the unwonted role of master of ceremonies at the dinner. [+] extraordinary, singular, uncommon, unusual a. suave; refined; elegant the courtier was urbane and sophisticated. [+] cultivated, polished n. lending money at illegal rates of interest The loan shark was found guilty of usury. n. n. fluctuation; wavering His vacillation when confronted with a problem annoyed all of us who had to wait until he made his decision. [+] vacillation; [-] motionless balance a. empty; inane The vacuous remarks of the politician annoyed the audience, who had hoped to hear more than empty platitudes. [+] vacant, void n. caprice; whim She followed every vagary of fashion. n. position giving an advantage They fired upon the enemy from behind trees, walls and any other point of vantage they could find. n.v. extravagant self-praise; extravagant self-praise a. boasted; bragged; highly publicized This much vaunted project proved a disappointment when it collapsed. [+] vanity; cf. flaunt
1151
unfeigned
1152
unruly
1153
untoward
1154
unwonted
1142
turbulence
1155
urbane
1143
turpitude
1156
usury
1157 1158
uxoricide vacillation
1144
tutelage
1145
ubiquitous
1159
vacuous
1146
ulterior
1160
vagary
1161
vantage
1147
umbrage
1162
vaunt vaunted
1148
uncanny
1163
GRE List Title

1164
vehement
1165
venal
1166
veneer
a. impetuous; with marked vigor He objected vehemently to a vote taking place in the absence of a quorum. [+] ad. vehemently; ardent, fervent, fervid, passionate a. capable of being bribed The venal policeman accepted the bribe offered him by the speeding motorist whom he had stopped. [+] bribable, corruptible; [-] incorruptible n. thin layer; cover Casual acquaintances were deceived by his veneer of sophistication and failed to recognize his fundamental shallowness. v. revere In China, the people venerate their ancestors. [+] adore, worship a. truthful I can recommend him for this position because I have always found him veracious and reliable. [+] candid, frank, honest, ingenuous, sincere; n. veracity n. verb(=word)+i(=s.e.)+age(=collective) unnecessary words for the expression of an idea, etc.; pompous array of words That book has an interesting plot, but the author has practically smothered it in endless pages of unnecessary verbiage .; After we had waded through all the verbiage, we discovered that the writer had said very little. [+] garrulity, loquacity, prolixity, talkativeness, verbosity a. wordy This article is too verbose; we must edit it. [+] garrulous, loquacious, prolix, talkative n. truth; reality The four verities were revealed to Buddha during his long meditation. [+] truism, veracity; in verity n. the language of one's country a. vers(=turn)+at(=s.e.)+ile(=capable of) interested in and clever at many different things; having various uses; having many talents; capable of working in many fields Leonardo da Vinci was a versatile genius who excelled in many different fields of art and science.; He was a versatile athlete; at college he had earned varsity letters in baseball, football, and track. [+] talented n. dizziness We test potential plane pilots for susceptibility to spells of vertigo. n. trace; remains We discovered vestiges of early Indian life in the cave. v. annoy; distress Please try not to vex your mother; she is doing the best she can. [+] harrass, toment, fret, irritate, provoke a. capable of maintaining life The infant, though prematurely born, is viable and has a good chance to survive. [+] living
1178
vicarious
a. acting as a substitute; done by a deputy Many people get a vicarious thrill at he movies by imagining they are the characters on the screen. n. vicis(=change) change, especially in somebody's fortunes; change of fortune The vicissitude of life may suddenly make a millionaire poor.; I am accustomed to life's vicissitudes, having experienced poverty and wealth, sickness and health, and failure and success. v. contend; compete When we vie with each other for his approval, we are merely weakening ourselves and strengthening him. [+] a. vying n. vigil/lively watchfulness, keeping watch Constant vigilance is necessary in order to avoid accidents in driving.; Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. [+] vigil v. slander She is a liar and is always trying to vilify my reputation. [+] revile v. vin(=force)+dic(=say)+ate(=make) prove the justice, truth, validity, etc. of; clear of charges My faith in that seemingly "ordinary" young girl was vindicated many years later when she won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.; I hope to vindicate my client and return him to society as a free man. [+] exculpate a. manly I do not accept the premise that a man is virile only when he is belligerent. n. highly skilled artist Heifetz is a violin virtuoso. [+] expert, master a. extremely poisonous The virus is highly virulent and has made many of us ill for days. n. face; appearance The stern visage of the judge indicated that she had decided to impose a severe penalty. [+] countenance a. sticky; gluey Melted tar is a viscous substance. [+] glutinous, viscid n.a. vis(=look)+ion(=state)+ary(=relating to) visionary person; existing only in a vision or the imagination; unpractical; fanciful; produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical To the enthusiasm and dedication of the typical visionary he added the cool, realistic judgment of the practical business executive.; She was given to visionary schemes which never materialized. [+] delusory; quixotic, unpractical a. corrosive; sarcastic Such vitriolic criticism is uncalled for. cf. vitriolic acid
1179
vicissitude
1180
vie
1167
venerate
1168
veracious
1181
vigilance
1169
verbiage
1182
vilify
1183
vindicate
1170
verbose
1171
verity
1184
virile
1172
vernacular versatile
1185
virtuoso
1173
1186
virulent
1187
visage
1174
vertigo
1188
viscous
1175
vestige
1189
visionary
1176
vex
1177
viable
1190
vitriolic
GRE List Title

1191
vivacious
a. viv(=live, life)+aci(=s.e.)+ous(=having the quality of) lively,high-spirited,gay; animated; gay Her manner of speaking is so vivacious that even commonplace remarks semm to suggest charm and excitement.; She had always been vivacious and sparkling. [+] cheerful, frolicsome, gay a. voc(=call, voice)+i(=s.e.)+fer(=carry)+ous(=having the quality of) noisy,yelling; clamorous At lunchtime,the room rang with the vociferous debates between the Cincinnati and Cleveland fans.; The crowd grew vociferous in its anger and threatened to take the law into its own hands. [+] blatant, boisterous, obstreperous n. popular fashion Jeans became the vogue on many college campuses. [+] mode a. evaporating rapidly; lighthearted; mercurial Ethly chloride is a very volatile liquid. [+] vaporizable; capricious, fickle, inconstant, unstable n. vol(=will)+i(=s.e.)+tion(=that which) the act of exercising one's will, the power of willing; act of making a conscious choice Although she emphasizes that she was the helpless victim of bad luck, one can recognize the effects of her own volition in bringing about her own downfall.; She selected this dress of her own volition [+] will a. volu(=roll)+ble<able(=capable of) loquacious; able to talk very quickly and easily; fluent; rotating; fluent; glib His answer at the press conference was rambling and voluble while giving practically no information.; She was a voluble speaker, always ready to talk. a. vor(=eat)+aci(=s.e.)+ous(=many, full) devouring or eager to devour large puantities of food; very greedy or eager in some desire or persuit; insatiable; ravenous Has antone ever measured how many hours of TV time are needed to satisfy a small boy's voracious appetite for Westerns?; the wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied. [+] covetous, gluttonous, greedy, rapacious, ravening v. grant condescendingly; guarantee Vouchsafe me a visit. Mr. Johnson vouchsafed to attend our party. a. susceptible to wounds Achilles was vulnerable only in his heel. [+] sensitive v. give up temporarily; yield I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision. [+] cede, relinquish a. having a pale or sickly color; pallid Suckling asked, "Why so pale and wan, fond lover?" [+] ashen v. grow gradually smaller From now until December 21, the winter solstice, the hours of daylight will wane. [+] abate, subside; cf. wax
1203
wanton
1204
welter
1192
vociferous
1205
wheedle
a. unruly; unchaste; excessive His wanton, drunken ways cost him many friends. [+] perverse, wayward; dissolute, lewd, licentious, lustful; bestial, brutal, cruel n.v. wallow; turmoil; bewildering jumble At the height of the battle, the casualties were so numerous that the victims weltered in their blood while waiting for medical attention.; The existing welter of overlapping federal and state programs cries out for immediate reform. [+] confusion, tumble; [-] orderly arrangement v. cajole; coax; deceive by flattery She know she can wheedle almost anything she wants from her father. v. sharpen; stimulate The odors from the kitchen are whetting my appetite; I will be ravenous by the time the meal is served. a. capricious; fanciful; quaint "Peter Pan" is a whimsical play. [+] vagarious; odd, peculiar a. cunning; artful She is as wily as a fox in avoiding trouble. [+] astute, crafty, Machiavelian, sly, guileful a. attractive; pleasing, bright; agreeable; gracious; engaging Marie is not particularly pretty, but her sparkling personality and high spirits make her extremely winsome .; By her winsome manner, she made herself liked by everyone who met her. [+] gay, sportive; attractive, captivating, charming a. withered; shriveled The wizened old man in the home for the aged was still active and energetic. v. inflict I am afraid he will wreak his wrath on the innocent as well as the guilty. cf. reek v. pull away; take by violence With only ten seconds left to play, our team wrested victory from their grasp. [+] wrench, wry n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal It is good to have a few zealots in our group for their enthusiasm is contagious. [+] Enthusiast, maniac n. point directly overhead in the sky; summit When the sun was at its zenith, the glare was not as strong as at sunrise and sunset. [+] acme, apex, apogee, culmination, pinnacle; [-] lowest point; [-] nadir n. gentle breeze; west wind When these zephyrs blow; it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.
1206 1193
whet
vogue
1194
volatile
1207
whimsical
1208
wily
1195
volition
1209
winsome
1196
voluble
1210
wizened
1211 1197
wreak
voracious
1212
wrest
1213
zealot
1198
vouchsafe
1214
zenith
1199
vulnerable
1215
zephyr
1200
waive
1201
wan
1202
wane

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insalubrious insalubrity inscrutable

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