GRE Vocabulary Study
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| abate | (v) reduce, diminish | |
| abdicate | (v) formally give up the throne (or some other responsibility) | |
| aberrant | (adj) abnormal, deviant | |
| abhor | (v) detest, regard with disgust | |
| abjure | (v) give up, renounce; repudiate, recant, or shun | |
| abrasive | (adj) rough, suitable for grinding or polishing; causing irritation | |
| abridge | (v) reduce or lessen; shorten by omitting parts throughout | |
| abstain | (v) hold back, refrain (especially from something bad/unhealthy) | |
| acme | (n) summit, peak, highest point | |
| activism | (n) the practice of pursuing political or other goals vigorously | |
| adhere | (v) stick (to), such as with glue, or to a plan or belief | |
| admonish | (v) mildly scold; caution, advise, or remind to do something | |
| adverse | (adj) opposing, harmful | |
| advocate | (v) speak or argue in favor of; (n) a person who advocates | |
| aesthetic | (adj) concerning the appreciation or beauty or good taste | |
| affable | (adj) warm and friendly, pleasant, approachable | |
| affectation | (n) fake behavior adopted to give a certain impression | |
| aggrandize | (v) make greater; exaggerate | |
| aggregate | (v) gather together; (adj) constituting a whole made up of parts | |
| alacrity | (n) cheerful or speedy willingness | |
| alienate | (v) cause to become unfriendly, hostile, or distant | |
| alleviate | (v) lessen, make easier to endure | |
| ambiguous | (adj) not clear, hard to understand, open to several interpretations | |
| ambivalent | (adj) uncertain; unable to decide | |
| analogous | (adj) comparable, corresponding in some particular way | |
| anarchy | (n) absence of law or government; chaos, disorder | |
| anoint | (v) rub or sprinkle oil on; make sacred, such as by a ceremony | |
| anomaly | (n) deviation from what is common; inconsistency | |
| antagonize | (v) make hostile or unfriendly | |
| apathy | (n) not caring; absence of feeling; lack of interest or concern | |
| apocryphal | (adj) of questionable authenticity; false | |
| arcane | (adj) known or understood by only a few; obscure, secret | |
| archaic | (adj) characteristic of an earlier period, ancient, primitive | |
| arduous | (adj) very difficult, strenuous; severe, hard to endure | |
| articulate | (adj) using language in a clear, fluent way; (v) speak distinctly | |
| artifact | n) any object made by humans, esp. those from an earlier time | |
| artless | (adj) free or deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; crude, uncultured | |
| ascertain | (v) find out with certainty | |
| ascetic | (adj) abstinent or austere in lifestyle; (n) an ascetic person | |
| assuage | (v) make milder, relieve; soothe, pacify, or calm | |
| audacious | (adj) very bold or brave, often in a rude or reckless way | |
| augment | (v) make larger | |
| austere | (adj) severe in manner or appearance; very self-disciplined; sober | |
| autonomous | (adj) self-governing, independent | |
| aver | (v) declare or affirm with confidence | |
| avid | (adj) enthusiastic, dedicated, passionate; excessively desirous | |
| balk | (v) refuse to proceed or to do something | |
| base | (adj) morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value; unrefined | |
| belie | (v) contradict or misrepresent | |
| benign | (adj) harmless; favorable; kindly, gentle, or beneficial | |
| bogus | (adj) fake, fraudulent | |
| bolster | (v) strengthen or support | |
| boor | (n) rude, ill-mannered, or insensitive person; a country bumpkin | |
| buffer | (n) something that shields, protects, absorbs shock, or cushions | |
| bureaucracy | (n) government characterized by petty administrators | |
| burgeon | (v) grow or flourish rapidly; put forth buds or shoots (of a plant) | |
| buttress | (v) support or encourage; (n) a prop, esp. projecting from a wall | |
| bygone | (adj) past, former; (n) that which is in the past (usually plural noun) | |
| cacophony | (n) harsh, discordant, or meaningless mixture of sounds | |
| candid | (adj) open, sincere, honest | |
| canonical | (adj) authorized, recognized; pertaining to the canon | |
| capricious | (adj) acting on impulse, erratic | |
| cartography | (n) mapmaking | |
| castigate | (v) criticize severely; punis in order to correct | |
| catalyst | (n) causer of change | |
| caustic | (adj) capable of corroding metal or burning the skin; very critical | |
| censure | (n) strong disapproval or reprimand; (v) to issue such reprimand | |
| chauvinism | (n) fanatical patriotism; biased devotion to any group or cause | |
| chronological | (adj) arranged in or relating to time order | |
| clamor | (v) noisy uproar or protest, as from a crowd; a loud, continuous noise | |
| clinch | (v) make final or settle conclusively; to fasten or hold together | |
| coalesce | (v) come together, unite; fuse together | |
| cogent | (adj) very convincing, logical | |
| commensurate | (adj) the same in size, extent, etc., equivalent; proportional | |
| complacent | (adj) self-satisfied, smug; overly content (therefore lazy) | |
| complementary | (adj) completing; fitting together well; filling mutual needs | |
| compliant | (adj)obeying, submissive; following the requirements | |
| concede | (v) give in, admit, yield; acknowledge reluctantly; grant or give up | |
| conciliatory | (adj) reconciling, appeasing, attempting to make the peace | |
| concur | (v) approve, agree | |
| condone | (v) overlook, tolerate, regard as harmless | |
| confer | (v)consult, compare views; bestow or give | |
| connoisseur | (n)expert, especially in the fine arts; person of refined tastes | |
| console | (v) lessen the suffering of; (n) a control panel; small table or cabinet | |
| consolidate | (v) unite, combine, solidify, make coherent | |
| constrict | (v) squeeze, compress; restrict the freedom of | |
| construe | (v) interpret or translate | |
| contentious | (adj) controversial prone to causing arguments, esp. petty ones | |
| conundrum | (n) riddle-the answer to which involves a play on words; mystery | |
| converge | (v) move towards one another or toward a point; unite | |
| conversant | (adj) knowledgeable about or experienced with | |
| conversely | (adv) in an opposite way; on the other hand | |
| convoluted | (adj) twisted; very complicated | |
| copious | (adj) plentiful, bountiful | |
| corroborate | (v) support, add evidence to | |
| cosmopolitan | (adj) belonging to the entire world, at home globally | |
| countenance | (n) facial expression or face; (v) approve or tolerate | |
| counterintuitive | (adj) against what one would intuitively expect | |
| counterpoint | (n) contrasting item, opposite; a complement | |
| counterproductive | (adj) defeating the purpose; preventing the intended goal | |
| covert | (adj) secret, veiled, undercover | |
| crafty | (adj) cunning, skillful in deception or underhanded schemes | |
| craven | (adj) very cowardly, lacking courage | |
| credibility | (n) believability, trustworthiness | |
| credulous | (adj) gullible, prone to believing or trusting too easily | |
| crescendo | (n) steady increase in force, intensity or the loudness of music | |
| culminate | (v) reach the highest point or final stage | |
| cynical | (adj) thinking the worst of others' motivations; bitterly pessimistic | |
| daunt | (v) discourage, dishearten, lessen the courage of | |
| debase | (v) degrade; lower in quality, value, rank, etc.; lower in moral quality | |
| debunk | (v) expose, ridicule, or disprove false or exaggerated claims | |
| decorous | (adj) behaving with propriety and good taste; polite | |
| deem | (v) judge; consider | |
| deface | (v) vandalize, mar the appearance of | |
| default | (n) failure to act, neglect; (v) fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one | |
| deference | (n) respectful submission; yielding to the authority or opinion of another | |
| deflect | (v) cause to curve; turn aside, esp. from a straight course; avoid | |
| deleterious | (adj) harmful, unhealthful | |
| delineate | (v) mark the outline of; sketch; describe in detail | |
| denigrate | (v) belittle, attack the reputation of | |
| denote | (v) be a name or symbol for | |
| deride | (v) mock, scoff at, laugh at contemptuously | |
| derivative | (adj) derived from something else; not original | |
| desiccate | (v) thoroughly dried up, dehydrated | |
| detached | (adj) impartial, disinterested; unconcerned, distant, aloof | |
| deterrent | (n) something that restrains or discourages | |
| diatribe | (n) bitter, abusive attack or criticism; rant | |
| didactic | (adj) intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson | |
| digress | (v) go off-topic when speaking or writing | |
| din | (n) loud, confused noise, esp. for a long period of time | |
| disabuse | (v) free someone from a mistake in thinking | |
| discerning | (adj) having good judgment or insight; able to distinguish mentally | |
| discredit | (adj) injure the reputation of, destroy credibility of or confidence in | |
| discrepancy | (n) difference or inconsistency | |
| discriminating | (adj) judicious, discerning, having good judgment or insight | |
| disingenuous | (adj) insincere, not genuine | |
| disinterested | (adj) unbiased, impartial; not interested | |
| disjointed | (adj) disconnected, not coherent, jerky; having the joints separated | |
| dismiss | (v) allow to disperse or leave; fire from a job; put side or reject, esp. after only a brief consideration | |
| dispassionate | (adj) unbiased, not having a selfish or personal motivation; calm, lacking emotion | |
| dispatch | (n) speed, promptness; (v) send off or deal with in a speedy way | |
| disperse | (v) scatter, spread widely, cause to vanish | |
| disposition | (n) a person's general or natural mood; tendency | |
| disquieting | (adj) disturbing, causing anxiety | |
| disseminate | (v) scatter, spread about, broadcast | |
| dissent | (v) disagree or take an opposing view, esp. in relation to a formal body such as a government, political party, or church; (n) such a view | |
| dissonance | (n) harsh, inharmonious sound; cacophony; disagreement | |
| distill | (v) purify; extract the essential elements of | |
| diverge | (v) differ, deviate; branch off or turn aside, as from a path | |
| divest | (v) deprive or strip of a rank, title, etc., or of clothing or gear; to sell off holdings (opposite of invest) | |
| divine | (v) discover through divination or supernatural means; perceive by insight | |
| document | (v) support with evidence, cite sources in a detailed way, create documentary evidence of | |
| dogma | (n) a system of principles laid down by an authority; established belief | |
| dormant | (adj) asleep, inactive, on a break | |
| dubious | (adj) doubtful, questionable, suspect | |
| e.g. | (abbreviation) for Latin "exempli gratia," for example, such as | |
| eccentric | (adj) peculiar, odd, deviating from the norm, esp. in a whimsical way | |
| eclectic | (adj) selecting the best of everything or from many diverse sources | |
| eclipse | (n) the obscuring of one thing by another, such as the sun by the moon or a person by a more famous or talented person; (v) to obscure, darken, make less important | |
| efficacy | (n) the quality of being able to produce the intended effect | |
| egalitarian | (adj) related to belief in the equality of all people, esp. in political, economic, or social spheres | |
| egregious | (adj) extraordinarily or conspicuously bad; glaring | |
| elated | (adj) very happy, in high spirits | |
| elevate | (v) raise, lift up; lift the spirits of; move up to a higher rank or status or raise up to a higher spiritual or intellectual plane | |
| elicit | (v) call forth, bring out, evoke | |
| eloquent | (adj) marked by forceful, fluid, apt speech; expressive, emotionally moving | |
| embellish | (v) decorate, add ornamentation; enhance (a story) with fictional or fanciful details | |
| eminent | (adj) prominent, distinguished, of high rank | |
| empirical | (adj) coming from, based on, or able to be verified by experience or experimentation; not purely based on theory | |
| emulate | (v) copy in an attempt to equal or be better than | |
| enervate | (v) weaken, tire | |
| enhance | (v) raise to a higher value, desirability, etc. | |
| enigma | (n) puzzle, mystery, riddle; mysterious or contradictory person | |
| entitlement | (n) having the right to certain privileges; believing, sometimes without cause, that one deserves or has a right to certain privileges | |
| enumerate | (v) count or list; specify one-by-one | |
| ephemeral | (adj) lasting only a short time, fleeting | |
| equitable | (adj) fair, equal, just | |
| erratic | (adj) inconsistent, wandering, having no fixed course | |
| erroneous | (adj) mistaken, in error; improper, morally incorrect | |
| erudite | (adj) scholarly, knowledgeable; possessing deep, often systematic, knowledge | |
| eschew | (v) shun, avoid, abstain from | |
| esoteric | (adj) understood by or intended for only a few; secret | |
| estimable | (adj) worthy of esteem, admirable; able to be estimated | |
| eulogy | (n) speech of praise or written work of praise, esp. a speech given at a funeral | |
| exacerbate | (v) make worse (more violent, severe, etc.), inflame; irritate or embitter (a person) | |
| exacting | (adj) very severe in making demands; requiring precise attention | |
| exculpate | (v) clear from guilt or blame | |
| exhaustive | (adj) comprehensive, thorough, exhausting a topic or subject, accounting for all possibilities; draining, tending to exhaust | |
| explicit | (adj) direct, clear, fully revealed; clearly depicting sex or nudity | |
| exponent | (n) person who expounds or explains; champion, advocate, or representative | |
| extraneous | (adj) irrelevant; foreign, coming from without, not belonging | |
| extrapolate | (v) conjectrue about an unknown by projecting information about something known; predict by projecting past experience | |
| facetious | (adj) joking, humorous, esp. inappropriately; not serious, concerned with frivolous things | |
| facilitate | (v) make easier, help the progress of | |
| fallacious | (adj) containing a fallcy, or mistake in logic; deceptive | |
| fanatical | (adj) excessively devoted, enthusiastic, or zealous in an uncritical way | |
| fanciful | (adj) whimsical, capricious; imaginary; freely imaginative rather than based on reason or reality | |
| fathom | (v) measure the depth of (usu. of water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand | |
| feasible | (adj) possible; logical or likely; suitable | |
| fidelity | (n) faithfulness, loyalty; strict observance of duty; accuracy in reproducing a sound or image | |
| finesse | (n) extreme delicacy, subtlety, or diplomacy in handling a sensitive situation or in a performance or skill; (v) use tact or diplomacy; employ a deceptive strategy | |
| flag | (v) get tired, lose enthusiasm; hang limply or droop | |
| fleeting | (adj) passing quickly, transitory | |
| figurative | (adj) metaphorical, based on figures of speech; related to portraying human or animal figures | |
| foment | (v) incite, instigate, stir up, promote the growth of; apply medicated liquid to a body part | |
| foreshadow | (v) indicate or suggest beforehand | |
| forfeit | (v) surrender or lose as a result of an error, crime, or failure to fulfill an obligation | |
| fortify | (v) strengthen, invigorate, encourage | |
| fringe | (adj) on the margin, periphery; (n) the people in a group who hold the most extreme views | |
| frugal | (adj) economical, thrifty, not wasteful with money; inexpensive | |
| futile | (adj) producing no useful result, ineffective; trivial or unimportant | |
| gainsay | (v) declare false, deny; oppose | |
| garrulous | (adj) talkative, wordy, rambling | |
| gauche | (adj) tactless, lacking social grace, awkward, crude | |
| gawky | (adj) physically awkward (esp. of a tall, skinny person, often used to describe teenagers) | |
| germane | (adj) relevant and appropriate, on topic | |
| gist | (n) main idea, essence | |
| glib | (adj) fluent and easy in a way that suggests superficiality or insincerity | |
| goosebumps | (n) the "bumps" created by hairs standing up on the skin in response to cold, fear, etc. | |
| gradation | (n) a progression, a process talking place gradually, in stages; one of these stages | |
| gregarious | (adj) sociable, pertaining to a flock or crowd | |
| guile | (n) clever deceit, cunning, craftiness | |
| hackneyed | (adj) so commonplace as to be stale; not fresh or original | |
| hardy | (adj) bold, brave, capable of withstanding hardship, fatigue, cold, etc. | |
| haven | (n) harbor or port; refuge, safe place | |
| hearken | (v) listen, pay attention to | |
| hedonist | (n) person devoted to pleasure | |
| heterogeneous | (adj) different in type, incongruous; composed of different types of elements | |
| hierarchy | (n) a ranked series; a classification of people according to rank, ability; a ruling body | |
| hodgepodge | (n) mixture of different kinds of things, jumble | |
| homogeneous | (adj) of the same kind; uniform throughout | |
| hyperbole | (n) deliberate exaggeration for effect | |
| idiosyncrasy | (n) characteristic or habit peculiar to an individual; peculiar quality, quirk | |
| illiberality | (n) narrow-mindedness, bigotry; strictness or lack of generosity | |
| imminent | (adj) ready to occur, impending | |
| impair | (v) make worse, weaken | |
| impartial | (adj) unbiased, fair | |
| impede | (v) hold back, obstruct the progress of | |
| implication | (n) act of implying or that which is implied; close connection, esp. in an incriminating way | |
| implicit | (adj) implied, not stated directly; involved in the very essence of something, unquestionable | |
| implode | (v) burst inward | |
| inadvertent | (adj) unintentional; characterized by a lack of attention, careless | |
| inasmuch | (adv) in like manner, considering that (contraction of "in as much," generally followed by "as") | |
| incendiary | (adj) setting on fire, pertaining to arson; arousing strife, rebellion, etc; "inflaming" the senses | |
| incentive | (n) something that encourages greater action or effort, such as a reward | |
| inchoate | (adj) just begun, undeveloped, unorganized | |
| incipient | (adj) just beginning; in a very early stage | |
| incongruous | (adj) out of place, inappropriate, not harmonious | |
| inconsequential | (adj) insignificant, unimportant; illogical | |
| incorporate | (v) combine, unite; form a legal corporation; embody, give physical form to | |
| indeterminate | (adj) not fixed or determined, indefinite; vague | |
| indifferent | (adj) not caring, having no intrerest; unbiased, impartial | |
| inform | (v) inspire, animate; give substance, essence, or context to; be the characteristic quality of | |
| ingenuous | (adj) genuine, sincere not holding back; naive | |
| ingrained | (adj) deep-rooted, forming part of the very essence; worked into the fiber | |
| inherent | (adj) existing as a permanent, essential quality; intrinsic | |
| innocuous | (adj) harmless, inoffensive | |
| intelligible | (adj) able to be understood, clear | |
| intractable | (adj) difficult to control, manage, or manipulate; hard to cure; stubborn | |
| intrepid | (adj) fearless, brave, enduring in the face of adversity | |
| intrinsic | (adj) belonging to the essential nature of something | |
| jargon | (n) vocabulary specific to a group or occupation; convoluted or unintelliglbe language | |
| jocular | (adj) joking or given to joking all the time; jolly, playful | |
| judicious | (adj) using good judgment; wise, sensible | |
| juncture | (n) critical point in time, such as a crisis or a time when a decision is necessary; a place where two things are joined together | |
| keen | (adj) sharp, piercing; very perceptive or mentally sharp; intense (of a feeling) | |
| kudos | (n) praise, honor, congratulations | |
| lackluster | (adj) not shiny; dull, mediocre; lacking brilliance or vitality | |
| laconic | (adj) using few words, concise | |
| lament | (v) mourn; express grief, sorrow, or regret; (n) an expression of grief, esp. as a song or poem | |
| lampoon | (n) a harsh satire; (v) ridicule or satirize | |
| landmark | (n) object (such as a building) that stands out and can be used to navigate by; a very important place, event, etc. | |
| languid | (adj) drooping from exhaustion, sluggish, slow; lacking in spirit | |
| lassitude | (n) tiredness, weariness; lazy indifference | |
| laudable | (adj) worthy of praise | |
| lavish | (adj) abundant or giving in abundance; marked by excess; (v) give very generously | |
| layperson | (n) a person who is not a member of the clergy or not a member of a particular profession (such as medicine, law, etc.) | |
| levity | (n) lightness (of mind, spirit, or mood) or lack of seriousness, sometimes in an inappropriate way | |
| levy | (v) collect tax from, wage war on, or enlist for military service; (n) act of collecting tax or amount owed, or the drafting of troops into military service (n) | |
| liberal | (adj) favorable to progress or reform; believing in maximum possible individual freedom; tolerant, open-minded; generous | |
| libertine | (n) morally or sexually unrestrained person; freethinker (regarding religion) | |
| likewise | (adv) also, in addition to; similarly, in the same way | |
| log | (v) keep a record of, write down; travel for or at a certain distance or speed; (n) a written record | |
| loquacious | (adj) talkative, wordy | |
| lucid | (adj) clear, easy to understand; rational, sane | |
| lull | (v) soothe or cause to fall asleep (as in a lullaby); quiet down; make to feel secure, sometimes falsely; (n) a period of calm or quiet | |
| makeshift | (n) a temporary, often improvised, substitute; (adj) improvised for temporary use | |
| malleable | (adj) able to be bent, shaped, or adapted | |
| maverick | (n) rebel, individualist, dissenter | |
| mendacious | (adj) lying, habitually dishonest | |
| mercurial | (adj) quickly and unpredictably changing moods fickle, flighty | |
| metamorphosis | a complete change or transformation (in biology, a change such as a caterpillar becoming a pupa and then a butterfly) | |
| meticulous | (adj) taking extreme care in regards to details; precise, fussy | |
| mitigate | (v) make less severe; lessen or moderate (damage, grief, pain, etc.) | |
| modest | (adj) humble; simple rather than showy; decent (esp. "covering up" in terms of dress); small, limited | |
| mollify | (v) calm or soothe (an angry person); lessen or soften | |
| monotony | (n) sameness or repetitiousness to the point of being boring; lack of variation, uniformity, esp. repetition in sound | |
| moreover | (adv) besides; in addition to what was just stated | |
| mores | (n) customs, manners, or morals of a particular gorup | |
| mundane | (adj) common, ordinary, everyday | |
| naive | (adj) simple and unsophisticated, unsuspecting, lacking worldly experience and critical judgment | |
| nascent | (adj) coming into existence, still developing | |
| negate | (v) deny or refute; make void or cause to be ineffective | |
| net | (adj) remaining after expenses or other factors have been deducted; ultimate; (v) to bring in as profit, or to catch as in a net | |
| nevertheless/nonetheless | (adv) however, even so, despite that | |
| notoriety | (n) ill fame; the state of being well-known for a disgraceful reason | |
| novel | (adj) new, fresh, original | |
| nuance | (n) a subtle difference in tone, meaning, expression, etc. | |
| objective | (adj) factual, related to reality or physical objects; not influenced by emotions, unbiased | |
| obsequious | (adj) servile, very compliant, fawning | |
| obsolete | (adj) out of date, no longer in use | |
| obstinate | (adj) stubborn or hard to control | |
| obviate | (v) prevent, eliminate, or make unnecessary | |
| occult | (n) the supernatural; (adj) pertaining to magic, astrology, etc.; mysterious, secret or hidden; (v) to hide, to shut off from view | |
| offhand | (adj) casual, informal; done without preparation or forethought; rude in a short way, brusque | |
| officious | (adj) excessively eager in giving unwanted advice or intruding where one is not wanted; meddlesome, pushy | |
| offset | (v) counteract, compensate for; (n) a counterbalance | |
| onerous | (adj) burdensome, oppressive, hard to endure | |
| opaque | (adj) not translucent; not allowing light, heat, etc. to pass through; dark, dull, unclear or stupid | |
| optimal or optimum | (adj) best, most desirable or favorable | |
| orthodox | (adj) adhering to a traditional, established faith, or to anything customary or commonly accepted | |
| oscillate | (v) swing back and forth; waver, change one's mind | |
| outstrip | (v) surpass, exceed; be larger or better than; leave behind | |
| overshadow | (v) cast a shadow over, darken; dominate, make to seem less important | |
| paradigm | (n) model or pattern; worldview, set of shared assumptions, values, etc. | |
| paradox | (n) contradiction, or seeming contradiction that is actually true | |
| pariah | (n) social outcast, untouchable | |
| partial | (adj) biased, prejudiced, favoring one over others; having a special liking for something or someone (usu. partial to) | |
| partisan | (adj) devoted to a particular group, cause, etc.; (n) fervent supporter of a group, party, idea, etc.; guerilla fighter | |
| patent | (adj) obvious, apparent, plain to see; (n) a letter from a government guaranteeing an inventor the rights to his or her invention | |
| pathological | (adj) relating to or caused by disease; relating to compulsive bad behavior | |
| patronizing | (adj) condescending, having superior manner, treating as an inferior | |
| paucity | (n) scarcity, the state of being small in number | |
| peccadillo | (n) small sin or fault | |
| pedestrian | (adj) ordinary, dull, commonplace | |
| penchant | (n) liking or inclination (usu. penchant for) | |
| perfidious | (adj) disloyal, treacherous, violating one's trust | |
| peripheral | (adj) relating to or making up an outer boundary or region; not of primary importance, fringe | |
| permeate | (v) spread or penetrate throughout | |
| pervasive | (adj) tending to spread throughout | |
| philanthropy | (n) efforts to improve the well-being of humankind, generally through giving money | |
| phony | (adj) fake, counterfeit; insincere, not genuine | |
| pious | (adj) devout; religiously reverent and dutiful | |
| pith | (n) core, essence; significance or weight | |
| placate | (v) satisfy or calm down (an angry or dissatisfied person), esp. by conciliatory gestures | |
| placid | (adj) peaceful, calm, tranquil | |
| plastic | (adj) able to be shaped or formed; easily influenced | |
| plausible | (adj) believable; having the appearance of truth | |
| plummet | (v) plunge, fall straight down | |
| polarized | (adj) divided into sharply opposed groups | |
| ponderous | (adj) heavy; bulky and unwieldy; dull, labored | |
| posthumous | (adj) happening or continuing after death | |
| potentate | (n) ruler, person of great power | |
| pragmatic | (adj) practical; dealing with actual facts and reality | |
| preamble | (n) introductory statement, preface | |
| precarious | (adj) unstable, insecure, dangerous | |
| precursor | (n) something that comes before, esp. something that also announces or suggests something on its way | |
| predisposed | (adj) having an inclination or tendnecy beforehand; susceptible | |
| pre-empt | (v) prevent; take the place of, supplant; take before someone else can | |
| presumptive | (adj) based on inference or assumption; providing reasonable grounds for belief | |
| presumptuous | (adj) too bold or forward; going beyond that which is proper | |
| pretentious | (adj) claiming or demanding a position of importance or dignity, esp. when unjustified; showing off | |
| principled | (adj) having high moral standards | |
| pristine | (adj) in an original, pure state; uncorrupted | |
| probity | (n) honesty, integrity | |
| prodigal | (adj) wasteful, extravagant; giving abundantly, lavish | |
| prodigious | (adj) extraordinarily large, impressive, etc. | |
| profligate | (adj) completely and shamelessly immoral, or extremely wasteful | |
| profound | (adj) very insightful, penetrating deeply into a subject; pervaisve, intense; at the very bottom | |
| profuse | (adj) abundant, extravant, giving or given freely | |
| prohibitive | (adj) tending to forbid something, or serving to prevent something | |
| proliferate | (v) increase or spread rapidly or excessively | |
| prologue | (n) introductory part of a book, play, etc. | |
| pronounced | (adj) distinct, strong, clearly indicated | |
| propriety | (n) conforming to good manners or appropriate behavior; justness | |
| prosaic | (adj) dull, ordinary | |
| proscribe | (v) prohibit, outlaw; denounce; exile or banish | |
| prospective | (adj) potential, in the future | |
| prudent | (adj) wise in practical matters, carefully providing for the future | |
| pugnacious | (adj) inclined to fight, combative | |
| qualified | (adj) modified, limited, conditional on something else | |
| quandary | (n) uncertainty or confusion about what to do, dilemma | |
| quibble | (v) make trivial arguments, find faults in a petty way | |
| quotidian | (adj) daily; everyday, ordinary | |
| ranks | (n) personnel; a group of people considered all together | |
| reap | (v) harvest, such as by cutting; gather; get as a result of one's effort | |
| recluse | (n) person who lives in seclusion | |
| refute | (v) prove to be false | |
| relegate | (v) send or commit to an inferior place, rank, condition, etc.; exile, banish; assign (a task) to someone else | |
| remedial | (adj) providing a remedy, curative; correcting a deficient skill | |
| render | (v) give, submit, surrender; translate; declare formally; cause to become | |
| replete | (adj) supplied in abundance, filled, gorged (used with 'with') | |
| reproach | (n) blame, disgrace; (v) criticize, express disappointment in | |
| repudiate | (v) reject, cast off, deny that something has authority | |
| requite | (v) reciprocate, repay, or revenge | |
| rescind | (v) annul, repeal, make void | |
| resolution | (n) the quality of being firmly determined; resolving to do something; a formal judgment, esp. decided by a vote | |
| resolve | (v) find a solution to; firmly decide to do something; decide by formal vote; (n) firmness of purpose | |
| respectively | (adv) in the order given | |
| restive | (adj) impatient or uneasy under the control of another; resisting being controlled | |
| reticent | (adj) not talking much; private (of a person), restrained, reserved | |
| retrospective | (adj) looking to the past or backward; retroactive; (n) an art exhibit of an artist's work over a long period of time | |
| reverent | (adj) feeling or expressing very deep respect and awe | |
| rhetoric | (n) the art or study of persuasion through speaking or writing; language that is elaborate or pretentious but actually empty, meaning little | |
| rife | (adj) happening frequently, abundant, currently being reported | |
| rudimentary | (adj) elementary, relating to the basics; undeveloped, primitive | |
| rustic | (adj) relating to country life, unsophisticated; primitive; made of rough wood; (n) a rural or uncultured person | |
| sacrosanct | (adj) sacred, inviolable, not to be trespassed on or violated; above any criticism | |
| sagacious | (adj) wise; showing good judgment and foresight | |
| salubrious | (adj) healthful, promoting health | |
| sanction | (n) permission or approval; a legal action by one or more countries against another country to get it to comply; (v) to allow, confirm, ratify | |
| sanguine | (adj) cheerfully optimistic, hopeful; reddish, ruddy (as in rosy-red cheeks indicating health or vitality) | |
| sap | (n) the inner fluid of a plant or any essential body fluid; energy, vitality; a person taken advantage of; (v) undermine, weaken, tire out | |
| satiate or sate | (v) to fully satisfy; to go beyond satisfying to the point of excess | |
| saturate | (v) soak or imbue thoroughly; cause a substance to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance | |
| savor | (v) appreciate fully, taste or smell with pleasure | |
| scant | (adj) not enough or barely enough | |
| scathing | (adj) severe, injurious; bitterly harsh or critical (as a remark) | |
| secular | (adj) not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things | |
| sedulous | (adj) persevering, persistent, diligent in one's efforts | |
| sentient | (adj) conscious; experiencing sensation or perceiving with the senses | |
| simultaneous | (adj) at the same time | |
| skeptic | (adj) inclined to doubting or questioning generally accepted beliefs | |
| skirt | (v) border, lie along the edge of, go around; evade | |
| slack | (adj) loose, negligent, lazy, weak; (v) neglect one's duties; relax | |
| slew | (n) a large number or quantity | |
| slight | (adj) small, not very important, slender; (v) treat as though not very important; snub, ignore; (n) an act of treating in this way, a discourtesy | |
| solicitous | (adj) concerned or anxious (about another person), exprssing care; eager or desirous; very careful | |
| soporific | (adj) causing sleep; sleepy, drowsy; (n) something that causes sleep | |
| sound | (v) measure the depth of (usu. of water) as with a sounding line; penetrate and discover the meaning of, understand (usu. as sound the depths) | |
| spartan | (adj) very disciplined and stern; frugal, living simply, austere; suggestive of the ancient Spartans | |
| spate | (n) sudden outpouring or rush; flood | |
| spearhead | (v) be the leader of | |
| specious | (adj) seemingly true but actally false; deceptively attractive | |
| spectrum | (n) a broad range of nevertheless related qualities or ideas, esp. those that overlap to create a continuous series | |
| speculate | (v) contemplate; make a guess or educated guess about; engage in a risky business transaction, gamble | |
| sporadic | (adj) occasional, happening irregularly or in scattered locations | |
| sportive | (adj) playful, merry, joking around, done "in sport" and not seriously | |
| standing | (n) status, rank reputation; (adj) existing indefinitely, not movable | |
| stark | (adj) complete, total; harsh or grim; extremely simple, severe, blunt | |
| static | (adj) fixed, not moving or changing, lacking vitality | |
| status quo | (n) existing state or condition | |
| stingy | (adj) not generous with money, reluctant to spend or give | |
| stoic or stoical | (adj) indifferent to pleasure or pain, enduring without complaint | |
| stolid | (adj) unemotional, showing little emotion, not easily moved | |
| stymie or stymy | (v) block, hinder, or thwart; (n) an obstacle | |
| subjective | (adj) relating to one's own thoughts, opinions, emotions, etc. | |
| subside | (v) sink, settle down, become less active; return to a normal level | |
| substantiate | (v) support with evidence or proof; give a material existence to | |
| succeeding | (adj) coming after or following | |
| supersede | (v) replace, take the position of, cause to be disregarded as void | |
| supplicate | (v) pray humbly; ask, beg, or seek in a humble way | |
| surfeit | (n) excess, excessive amount, overindulgence | |
| surmise | (v) guess, infer, think, or make an opinion with incomplete information | |
| sycophant | (n) servile flatterer, parasitic person who fawns to get ahead | |
| synchronous | (adj) happening at the same time; occurring at the same rate | |
| table | (v) lay aside to discuss later, oft. as a way to postpone indefinitely | |
| tacit | (adj) understood without being said; implied; silent | |
| taciturn | (adj) not talking much, reserved; silent | |
| tangential | (adj) only slightly relevant, going off-topic | |
| temperance | (n) moderation, self-control, esp. regarding alcohol | |
| tenuous | (adj) long and thin, slender; flimsy, having little substance | |
| timely | (adj) well-timed, happening at a suitable time | |
| timorous | (adj) fearful, timid | |
| tirade | (n) bitter, abusive criticism or verbal attack | |
| torpor | (n) sluggishness, lethargy, or apathy; a period of inactivity | |
| torrid | (adj) very hot, parching, burning; passionate | |
| tractable | (adj) easily controlled or managed, docile; easily shaped | |
| transitory | (adj) temporary, short-lived, not lasting | |
| trifling | (adj) trivial, not very important; so small to be unimportant; frivolous | |
| trite | (adj) lacking freshness and originality; overused | |
| ubiquitous | (adj) existing everywhere at the same time | |
| undermine | weaken, cause to collapse by digging away at the foundation (of a building or an argument); injure or attack in a secretive or underhanded way | |
| underscore | (v) emphasize (or, literally, to underline text) | |
| unearth | (v) dig up, uncover, expose | |
| unequivocal | (adj) unambiguous, clear, absolute; having only one possible meaning | |
| unprecedented | (adj) never before known or sen, without having happened previously | |
| unseemly | (adj) improper, inappropriate, against the rules of taste or politeness | |
| vacillate | (v) waver in one's mind or opinions, be indecisive | |
| venerate | (v) revere, regard with deep respect and awe | |
| veracity | (n) truthfulness, accuracy; habitual adherence to the truth | |
| verbose | (adj) wordy | |
| viable | (adj) capable of living (or growing, developing, etc.); practical, workable | |
| vintage | (adj) related to items of high quality from a previous era, old-fashioned, antique; (n) the wine of a particular year | |
| virtual | (adj) existing only in the mind or by means of a computer network; existing in results or in essence but not officially or in name | |
| vituperate | (v) verbaly abuse, rebuke or criticize harshly | |
| volatile | (adj) varying, inconstant, fleeting; tending to violence, explosive | |
| warranted | (adj) justified, authorized (warrant can mean to justify or a justification, but can also mean to vouch for or guarantee) | |
| wary | (adj) watchful, motivated by caution, on guard against danger | |
| whereas | (conj) while on the contrary, considering that | |
| whimsical | (adj) marked or motiated by whims (odd, fanciful ideas); erratic, unpredictable | |
| wily | (adj) crafty, cunning, characterized by tricks or artifice | |
| zeal | (n) great fervor or enthusiasm for a cause, person, etc.; tireless diligence in furthering that cause; passion, ardor | |
| zenith | (n) high point, culmination |
Quisition is a browser-based flashcard system that repeats old cards and introduces new ones at optimal time intervals. You can create your own card packs or use those developed by others.
