Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Stack #209941
test4
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| confide | tell in confidence (to a person one trusts); be confident about |
| steep | soak; saturate; Ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath; ADJ: precipitous |
| fugitive | fleeting or transitory; lasting only a short time; roving(wandering); running away or fleeing as from the law; N: one who flees; Ex. fugitives at large |
| importune | beg persistently; make repeated requests (in an annoying way) |
| august | impressive; majestic |
| oligarchy | government by a privileged few |
| ruffian | violent scoundrel; bully |
| obligatory | binding; required; compulsory; V. oblige: constrain; make grateful; do a favor; accommodate |
| disquietude | uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious |
| adversary | opponent; enemy |
| grueling | exhausting; Ex. grueling marathon race |
| dissection | analysis; cutting apart in order to examine |
| vivisection | act of dissecting living animals |
| equestrian | rider on horseback; ADJ. |
| wax | increase gradually (as the moon); grow |
| adventitious | accidental; casual; happening by chance |
| sarcasm | cutting ironic remark; scornful remarks; stinging rebuke; ADJ. sarcastic |
| martyr | one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer; Ex. martyr to his rheumatism |
| repast | meal; feast; banquet |
| ferret | drive or hunt out of hiding; hunt with ferrets; drive out (as from a hiding place); expel; uncover or discover by searching; Ex. ferret out the secret; N. small fierce animal which catches rats and rabbits by going into their holes |
| rue | regret; lament; mourn; Ex. He will rue the day; N. ADJ. rueful |
| abide | dwell; abide by: comply with; put up with; tolerate; Ex. abide by the rules; Ex. I can't abide rude people. |
| precarious | unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex. precarious living |
| stun | make unconscious or numb as by a blow; amaze; astound |
| expedient | suitable (for a particular purpose although not necessarily morally correct); practical; politic(prudent); N: something expedient |
| gyroscope | apparatus used to maintain balance, ascertain direction, etc. |
| irremediable | incurable; uncorrectable; impossible to remedy |
| shaving | very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade) |
| unbridled | violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed |
| cogitate | think over; ponder |
| proselytize | (induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief; N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion |
| amalgam | combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth |
| expansive | (of a person) outgoing and sociable; broad and extensive; able to increase in size |
| gait | manner of walking or running; speed |
| connoisseur | person competent to act as a judge of art, etc. (whose judgments are respected); a lover of an art |
| alloy | mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other maetals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness |
| wizardry | sorcery; magic |
| abrasive | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
| swill | drink greedily |
| liability | drawback; handicap; debts; obligation; responsibility; condition of being liable; ADJ. liable: likely; responsible (for paying) |
| precipitant | something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; ħÀüÁŠ; OP. solvent |
| chastise | punish as by beating; criticize severely |
| effulgent | shining brightly; brilliant |
| lode | metal-bearing vein(long deposit of an ore) |
| impair | injure; hurt; damage |
| Elysium | place or condition of bliss |
| adamant | hard; inflexible |
| vicar | parish priest; representative |
| ken | range of knowledge; Ex. beyond one's ken |
| upshot | outcome; final result |
| corpuscle | red or white cell in the blood |
| plasticity | ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay |
| espouse | adopt; support (an idea or aim); marry; N. espousal |
| insubstantial | lacking substance; insignificant; frail; immaterial |
| allocate | assign; set apart for a particular purpose |
| sylvan | pertaining to the woods or the country |
| sluice | artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow) |
| wince | move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced as she touched the cold body. |
| parish | area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church |
| itinerary | plan of a trip; record of a trip |
| modulate | tone down in intensity; change the intensity or tone of; regulate; change from one musical key to another; Ex. modulate from E to G |
| regiment | military unit; V: subject to strict order; Ex. regimented society |
| mayhem | injury to body; crime of willfully maiming or crippling a person; violent disorder; Ex. mayhem in the zoo; CF. maim |
| wrangle | quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle; N. |
| declivity | downward slope |
| proclivity | inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something bad) |
| proscribe | prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| recumbent | reclining; lying down completely or in part |
| draconian | extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; CF. Draco: Athenian politician |
| dispassionate | calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings |
| withstand | stand up against; resist successfully |
| garner | gather; store up; amass |
| mediate | settle a dispute through the services of an outsider; act as an intermediary; produce by mediating; Ex. mediate a cease-fire |
| gibberish | nonsense; nonsensical or unintelligible talk or writing; babbling |
| resurge | rise again; flow to and fro; N. resurgence; ADJ. resurgent: (of ideas or beliefs) experiencing revival; surging again |
| refuse | anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash |
| dogmatic | opinionated; holding stubbornly to one's opinion; arbitrary; doctrinal |
| dispense | distribute; prepare and give out (medicines); N. dispensation: dispensing; religious system; official exemption from an obligation or a rule |
| germinal | pertaining to a germ; creative; Ex. germinal idea |
| connotation | suggested or implied meaning of an expression; V. connote |
| equivocate | use equivocal language to deceive people; lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth; N. equivocation |
| d\'eb\^acle | sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster |
| beneficiary | person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
| grudging | unwilling; reluctant; stingy(giving reluctantly) |
| bromide | platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement |
| jug | pitcher; container for holding liquids |
| apocalyptic | prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse |
| scourge | lash; whip (formerly used for punishment); source of severe punishment; V: whip; afflict |
| fulsome | disgustingly excessive; offensively flattering; Ex. fulsome praise/expressions of admire |
| guy | cable or chain attached to something that needs to be braced or steadied; CF. guide |
| jollity | gaiety; cheerfulness; ADJ. jolly: merry; gay |
| subsistence | existence; means of subsisting; means of support; livelihood; V. subsist: exist; maintain life (at a meager level) |
| shunt | move (a railway train) from one track to another; turn aside; divert; sidetrack; Ex. shunt traffic around an accident; N. |
| grapple | wrestle; come to grips with; take hold of and struggle with; Ex. grapple with the burglar |
| simplistic | oversimplified |
| tenacity | firmness; persistence |
| extrovert | person interested mostly in external objects and actions |
| pert | (esp. of a girl or young woman) impertinent; forward; trim; jaunty; Ex. pert young miss/hat |
| steadfast | steadily loyal; unswerving; steady |
| wispy | thin; slight; barely discernible |
| cartographer | map-maker |
| perpetrate | commit an offense; do (something wrong) |
| divulge | reveal |
| disingenuous | not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; OP. ingenuous |
| recess | pause; temporary cessation; alcove; secret inner place; Ex. parliament in recess; V. CF. recessive |
| cosmic | pertaining to the universe; vast |
| gratify | please; satisfy; Ex. gratify a desire |
| slack | moving slowly; sluggish; inactive; (of a rope) loose; negligent; lax; Ex. slack season; Ex. slack in one's work; N. V. |
| truculence | aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce |
| healthy | possessing good health; healthful |
| mash | crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl |
| humanitarian | one devoted to the promotion of human welfare; CF. humanism |
| idyllic | charmingly carefree; simple and happy; Ex. idyllic scene |
| chase | ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch |
| recline | lie down |
| militate | work against; Ex. militate against the chances of promotion; CF. serve as a soldier |
| astute | wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something that is to one's advantage |
| cantankerous | ill-humored; irritable |
| berate | scold strongly |
| artery | blood-vessel; CF. vein |
| mantle | loose sleeveless outer garment; cloak; something that covers or envelops; the layer of the earth between the crust and the core |
| unassailable | not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question |
| gnome | dwarf; underground spirit who guards treasure hoards |
| limpid | crystal clear |
| embed(imbed) | enclose; place in something; fix firmly in a surrounding mass |
| lachrymose | producing tears; tearful |
| creep | move with body close to the ground; move stealthily or slowly; N. |
| confidant(confidante) | trusted friend (to whom one tells one's secret) |
| fissure | crevice; crack |
| draw | choosing of a lot or card |
| sanction | approve; ratify; N: permission; penalty intended to enforce compliance |
| amend | correct; change ; generally for the better |
| irony | hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words that seem to mean the opposite of what they actually mean; use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning |
| galvanize | stimulate or shock by an electric current; stimulate by shock; shock into action; stir up; coat with rust-resistant zinc by using electricity |
| efface | rub out; remove the surface of |
| meander | wind or turn in its course; follow a winding or turning course; move aimlessly and idly |
| virtual | in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space |
| shimmer | shine with a flickering light; glimmer intermittently; Ex. The moonlight shimmered on the water; N. |
| visionary | produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas |
| prosper | become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care |
| plait | braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N: braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail |
| mercurial | capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood |
| historic | important in history; Ex. historic battle |
| imminent | impending; near at hand |
| wiggle | wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting motions |
| curtail | shorten; reduce |
| narcissist | conceited person; N. narcissism; CF. narcissus |
| pejorative | (of a word or phrase) suggesting that someone is of little value; negative in connotation; having a belittling effect; Ex. Many women now considers ``housewife'' a pejorative expression, because it patronized them. |
| ration | fixed portion; V: distribute as rations |
| levity | lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner |
| quagmire | bog; marsh; soft, wet, boggy land; predicament; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself |
| aplomb | poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence |
| adhere | stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality |
| doff | take off; OP. don |
| corrugated | wrinkled; ridged |
| esteem | respect; value; judge; N. |
| ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation |
| wrest | obtain by pulling violently; pull away; take by violence; Ex. wrest victory from their grasp |
| spate | sudden flood or rush; Ex. spate of accidents |
| inanimate | lifeless; not animate |
| armada | fleet of warships |
| polarize | split into opposite extremes or camps |
| rolling | (of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments |
| practicable | feasible |
| amiable | agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly |
| roster | list (of names) |
| delta | flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river |
| bereavement | state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft |
| loll | lounge about |
| posthumous | after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death); coming or occurring after one's death; Ex. posthumous fame/novel |
| rapt | engrossed; absorbed; enchanted; Ex. rapt listener |
| gentry | people of standing(rank or position); people of good family or high social position; class of people just below nobility |
| idiom | expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style (of expression); Ex. idiom of the modern popular music; ADJ. idiomatic |
| recant | disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one's faith/a statement |
| asylum | place of refuge or shelter; protection (religious or political) |
| virus | disease communicator |
| aberrant | abnormal or deviant |
| hubris | arrogance; excessive self-conceit |
| leniency | mildness; permissiveness; ADJ. lenient: not severe in judgment or punishment |
| imply | suggest a meaning not expressed; signify |
| syllogism | logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| opaque | dark; not transparent; N. opacity |
| fetish(fetich) | object believed to have spiritual powers; object of excessive attention or reverence; CF. fetishism |
| hummock | small hill; hillock |
| venial | (of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial |
| effrontery | rudeness without any sense of shame; shameless boldness; presumptousness; nerve; cheek |
| subtlety | perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy; ADJ. subtle: delicate; so slight as to be difficult to detect; able to make fine distinctions; clever; Ex. subtle mind/differences in meaning |
| strew | spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter; Ex. flower girl strewing rose petals |
| canine | related to dogs; doglike |
| boisterous | violent; rough; noisy |
| vituperative | abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively |
| compress | force into less space; squeeze; contract; put into fewer words; N: thick mass of cloth pressed to part of the body to stop bleeding or swelling, reduce fever, etc. |
| paste | smooth viscous mixture as of flour(powder made by crushing grain) and water (used as an adhesive); V: cause to adhere by applying paste |
| spendthrift | someone who wastes money; CF. thrift: accumulated wealth |
| mannered | affected; not natural; Ex. mannered way of speech |
| marginal | of a margin; barely within a limit; Ex. marginal effect/writing ability |
| ultimatum | last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum. |
| lascivious | lustful |
| suspend | cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance; defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position; Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended from the team; N. suspension |
| turncoat | traitor |
| pique | irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity |
| discrepancy | lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions |
| comprehensive | broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive |
| dilemma | situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives |
| initiate | begin; originate; receive into a group; introduce to a new field or activity; Ex. initiate someone into the mysteries of a secret religion; N: one who has been initiated |
| osseous | made of bone; bony |
| distrait | absentminded; distracted |
| calligraphy | beautiful writing; excellent penmanship |
| halting | hesitant; faltering; not fluent; Ex. halting steps/voice; V. halt: proceed or act with uncertainty; falter; hesitate; waver; stop |
| overt | open to view; public; not secret; CF. covert |
| upright | (sitting or standing) straight up; honest; moral |
| pathos | tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel |
| probity | uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility |
| stratified | divided into classes; arranged into strata; V. stratify |
| embroil | throw into confusion; involve in strife, dispute, or quarrel; entangle; CF. imbroglio |
| exalt | raise in rank or dignity; praise highly; inspire; Ex. exalt the imagination; ADJ. exalted; N. exaltation |
| scruple | hesitate for ethical reasons; fret about; Ex. She did not scruple to read his diary; N: uneasy feeling arising from conscience; conscience |
| willful | wilful; intentional; headstrong |
| sepulcher | tomb; V: place in a sepulcher; ADJ. sepulchral |
| carping | petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble |
| boor | rude, insensitive person |
| lucre | money; profit; Ex. filthy lucre |
| eerie | weird; causing fear because strange |
| archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
| gamut | entire range |
| plumber | one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes) |
| address | direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech |
| stamp | step on heavily (so as to crush or extinguish); put an end to; imprint or impress with a mark, design, or seal; shape with a die; characterize; Ex. machine stamping out car bodies; Ex. newspaper stamping him as a liar; N. stamping; |
| inhibit | restrain; prohibit; retard or prevent; N. inhibition |
| celerity | speed; rapidity |
| detraction | slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor |
| gruesome | grisly; horrible |
| beneficent | kindly; doing good |
| knotty | intricate; difficult; tangled; CF. knot |
| prescience | ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions before they occur; ADJ. prescient |
| vicissitude | change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China |
| debauch | corrupt morally; seduce from virtue; N. debauchery: wild behavior (with sex and alcohol) |
| renege | break a promise; deny; go back on; Ex. renege on the contract/paying off the debt |
| trivia | trifles; unimportant matters |
| inert | inactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or act; Ex. chemically inert; N. inertia: state of being inert; force which keeps a thing in the position or state |
| arduous | hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work |
| browse | graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually |
| pertinacious | holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent |
| patrimony | property inherited from a father |
| flail | beat with or as if with a flail; move wildly; thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about; N: threshing tool consisting of a stick swinging from the end of a long handle |
| environ | enclose; surround; N. environs: surrounding area (as of a city) |
| annihilate | destroy |
| provision | act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure; provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation; condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions of the agreement |
| balmy | soft and mild (of air); fragrant |
| remorse | deep regret for wrongdoing; guilt; self-reproach |
| fiend | evil spirit; devil |
| incoherent | unintelligible; muddled; unable to express one's thoughts in an orderly manner; illogical; lacking cohesion; not coherent |
| tyro | beginner; novice |
| roil | make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb |
| idyll(idyl) | short poem idealizing rural life; simple happy period of life (in the country); scene from such a time; Ex. idyll of two young lovers |
| repository | storehouse |
| churlish | boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo |
| discriminate | distinguish; make distinctions on the basis of preference |
| repeal | revoke; annul |
| sallow | (of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; Ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice |
| havoc | widespread damage; disorder; chaos |
| chary | cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold |
| turbulence | state of violent agitation; ADJ. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed |
| lithe | flexible; supple; CF. limber |
| pushy | disagreeably aggressive |
| luxuriant | abundant; growing healthily and in large amounts; excessively ornate; rich and splendid; fertile; Ex. luxuriant forests/prose; CF. luxurious, luxuriate |
| trample | step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet |
| contrive | invent or fabricate in a clever way (by improvisation); manage; Ex. contrive to attract his attention |
| instigate | start; urge; provoke; incite; Ex. instigate a search/quarrel |
| braggart | boaster; bragger |
| confine | shut in an enclosed space; restrict; keep within limits; N. confinement |
| motif | theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure |
| willowy | flexible; pliant; slender; CF. willow |
| apologist | one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia |
| cloying | distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess |
| seep | pass slowly through small openings; ooze; trickle; N. seepage |
| vicarious | experienced as if one were taking part in the experience of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex. the vicarious sufferings of Christ |
| finicky | too particular; fussy; difficult to please; too concerned with unimportant details or quality; Ex. finicky about her food |
| antithesis | contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical |
| culpable | deserving blame; blameworthy |
| quiver | tremble; shake; N. |
| brawn | human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness |
| chasten | discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate |
| infer | deduce; conclude; N. inference |
| disburse | pay out (as from a fund); N. disbursement; CF. purse |
| untenable | (of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible; not able to be maintained |
| demotic | of or pertaining to the people |
| spat | squabble; minor dispute; minor quarrel |
| persist | continue in existence; last; continue in a course of action in spite of opposition; Ex. persist in/with something; ADJ. persistent |
| cacophonous | discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds |
| filial | pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; Ex. filial respect |
| arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia |
| plaster | paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls; V. |
| nebula | diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas; galaxy |
| doddering | shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder |
| depict | portray |
| juxtapose | place side by side; CF. next |
| filth | dirty matter; ADJ. filthy |
| devise | think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest |
| brackish | somewhat saline |
| pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious; CF. pontiff: pope; bishop |
| reverent | respectful; worshipful; V. revere: regard with reverence; N. reverence: profound respect |
| shuffle | mix together; jumble; move (something) from one place to another; slide (the feet) along the ground while walking; Ex. shuffle papers from one pile to another; N. |
| dirge | funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person) |
| Machiavellian | crafty; double-dealing; of the political doctrine of Machiavelli, which holds that craft and deceit are justified in pursuing political power |
| belittle | disparage; depreciate |
| patina | green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| mischance | ill luck |
| effigy | dummy; likeness of a person made of wood, paper, or stone; Ex. burn an effigy of the President |
| nutrient | nourishing substance; ADJ: providing nourishment |
| bacchanal | noisy party with a lot of drinking |
| virtuoso | highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso |
| eccentricity | oddity; idiosyncrasy |
| benign | kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor |
| wheedle | deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax; Ex. wheedle a promise out of her |
| intrinsic | essential; inherent; built-in |
| placate | pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease |
| menagerie | collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo |
| pulsate | throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly |
| sere | sear; parched; dry |
| throb | (of a heart or machine) beat rapidly or violently; N. Ex. hearthrob: heartbeat; sweetheart |
| halfhearted | exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm |
| patriarch | father and ruler of a family or tribe |
| usage | act or manner of using; accepted practice; way in which words are actually used |
| subaltern | subordinate |
| hut | crude dwelling; shack |
| infest | inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; Ex. Mice infested the house; Ex. shark-infested waters |
| inevitable | unavoidable |
| parity | equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate |
| incontrovertible | indisputable; impossible to dispute; not open to question; unquestionable |
| tether | tie (an animal) with a rope or tether; N: rope or chain to which an animal is tied; limit of one's endurance; Ex. the end of one's tether |
| ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm; boiling; N. ebullience; N. ebullition: state of boiling |
| insidious | treacherous; stealthy; sly; working or spreading harmfully in a stealthy manner; Ex. insidious spreading of dry rot |
| nausea | feeling of sickness and desire to vomit; disgust; CF. seasickness |
| alienate | make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of |
| esoteric | hard to understand; known only to the chosen few, esp. initiates; N. esoterica |
| contortions | twistings; distortions; V. contort: twist violently out of shape; CF. contortionist |
| corpulent | very fat; N. corpulence |
| clamor | loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous |
| amity | friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations |
| sensuous | giving pleasure to the senses; pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses; sensuous feeling of soft velvet on the skin |
| continence | self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; ADJ. continent |
| anoint | consecrate; put oil on (in a religious ceremony) |
| dermatologist | one who studies the skin and its diseases |
| rational | (of a person) having reason; (of ideas) based on reason; logical |
| fete(f\^ete) | honor at a festival; celebrate or honor with a feast; N. (outdoor) festival or feast; CF. feast |
| vortex | whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged |
| mason | one who builds or works with stone or brick; N. masonry: work of a mason; stonework or brickwork |
| cadaver | corpse; dead human body |
| exotic | not native; from another part of the world; strange; intriguingly unusual; Ex. exotic flower/dress |
| exhale | breathe out; OP. inhale |
| reverberate | echo repeatedly; resound; Ex. The thunder reverberated across the valley. |
| rationale | fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action |
| humus | substance or rich soil formed by decaying vegetable matter; CF. soil |
| defer | give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; N. deferment; CF. show respect, comply with, courteous |
| carnivorous | meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore |
| venerate | revere; treat with great respect |
| carefree | free from worries; having no problems |
| subsidiary | serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; N. |
| disaffected | disloyal; lacking loyality; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty |
| errant | wandering (esp. in search of adventure); straying from proper moral standards; Ex. knight-errant |
| rake | angle of a slope; V: slant from the perpendicular |
| assay | analyze (to discover what materials are present); evaluate (soil or ore) |
| prompt | cause; urge; provoke; provide a cue (for an actor); ADJ: done without delay; done at the right time; punctual; on time; N: reminder or cue |
| enclave | territory enclosed within an alien land |
| bedraggle | wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled |
| holocaust | destruction by fire; CF. burnt whole; CF. Holocaust |
| mawkish | mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental |
| liaison | contact that keeps parties in communication; communication between groups; one that maintains communication; go-between; secret love affair; V. liaise: keep a connection |
| matriculate | enroll (in college or graduate school); CF. matrix |
| tutelage | guardianship; training; function of a tutor; instruction |
| adjutant | staff officer assisting the commander; assistant |
| callow | youthful; immature; inexperienced |
| libido | psychic and emotional energy or urges behind human activity; sexual desire |
| persevere | continue steadily in spite of difficulties |
| galaxy | large isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; collection of brilliant personalities |
| wholesome | conducive to mental or physical health; healthful |
| heckler | person who verbally harasses others; V. heckle: verbally harass as with gibes (by interrupting a speaker or speech) |
| substantive | substantial; essential; pertaining to the substance; substantial; considerable; Ex. substantive issues |
| frenzied | madly excited; N. frenzy: violent wild excitement |
| septic | of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus) |
| mime | pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime |
| misogamy | hatred of marriage |
| blunder | error; stupid mistake |
| dais | raised platform for speakers or other important people |
| privy | secret; hidden; not public; made a participant in something secret; Ex. privy chamber government; Ex. be privy to a discussion; CF. private |
| docket | program as for trial; book where such entries are made; list of things to be done; agenda; label fixed to a package listing contents or directions; V: describe in a docket |
| stifle | suppress; extinguish; inhibit; smother or suffocate |
| patronize | support; act superior toward; treat in a condescending manner; be a customer of; N. patron: one that supports; regular customer; N. patronage; CF. boycott |
| colloquial | pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression |
| fester | rankle; produce irritation or resentment; (of a cut or wound) generate pus or rot; Ex. His insult festered in my mind for days. |
| skirmish | minor fight; minor battle in war; V. |
| avow | declare openly; N. avowal |
| emboss | produce a design in raised relief; decorate with a raised design |
| latch | fastening or lock consisting of a movable bar that fits into a notch; V: close with a latch |
| interim | meantime; Ex. in the interim; ADJ. taking place during an interim; Ex. interim paper |
| fanfare | call by bugles or trumpets; showy display; spectacular public display |
| craven | cowardly |
| runic | mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet; N. rune: one of the letters of an alphabet used by ancient Germanic peoples (cut on stone or wood); magic charm |
| arid | (of land) dry; barren; unproductive |
| pose | assume a particular posture; put forward; present; affect a particular attitude (to impress others); Ex. pose a threat; N. |
| listless | lacking in spirit or energy; languid |
| tautological | needlessly repetitious; Ex. ``It was visible to the eye''; N. tautology: needless repetition of the same sense; statement that is always true |
| plumb | exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V: examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of |
| prune | cut away; trim |
| amphitheater | oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena |
| fulcrum | support on which a lever rests or pivots |
| befuddle | confuse thoroughly |
| heterodox | (of beliefs) against accepted opinion; unorthodox; unconventional |
| germ | earliest form of an organism; seed or bud; something that may develop into something larger or more important; microbe |
| flamboyant | ornate; highly elaborate; richly colored; ostentatious; showy; CF. flame |
| magnanimity | generosity; ADJ. magnanimous: generous |
| atypical | not normal; not typical |
| enterprise | willingness to take new ventures; initiative; business organization; plan (that is difficult or daring); Ex. their latest enterprise to sail round the world in a small boat |
| incidence | rate of occurrence; particular occurrence; Ex. high incidence of infant mortality |
| accord | agreement |
| crestfallen | dejected; dispirited |
| imbue | saturate(soak thoroughly); fill; Ex. imbue someone with feelings |
| fleet | fast; rapid; N. ADJ. fleeting: passing quickly; ephemeral |
| pertinent | suitable; to the point; relevant |
| surpass | exceed |
| demographic | related to population balance; N. demography: statistical study of human population |
| ragamuffin | dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes |
| afterlife | life after death; later part of one's life |
| parameter | limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. within the parameters of the budget |
| confidential | spoken or written in secret; trusted with private matters; Ex. confidential secretary |
| quarantine | isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection; V: isolate in quarantine |
| passive | not active; acted upon; receiving an action without acting in return; accepting without resistance |
| mammoth | gigantic; enormous |
| somnolent | half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence |
| sage | person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; ADJ: wise |
| sidetrack | switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track |
| limbo | region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; prison (slang); Ex. Purgatory and Limbo |
| gregarious | sociable; (of an animal) tending to form a group |
| slick | make smooth or glossy; N: smooth surface; Ex. oil slick; ADJ: smooth; glossy; deftly executed; adroit; glib |
| prerogative | privilege; unquestionable right; CF. ask before |
| paragon | model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue |
| gadfly | animal-biting fly; irritating person |
| illusion | misleading vision or visual image; false idea or belief; CF. delusion |
| artifacts | object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced |
| mirth | merriment; laughter |
| nomadic | wandering; N. nomad: tribe who migrates from place to place |
| summation | act of finding the total; summing-up; summary (esp. one given by the judge at the end of a trial) |
| knit | contract into wrinkles; grow together; join together closely; make (a fabric or garment) by interwining yarn or thread; Ex. knit the brow; Ex. The bones should knit together in a few weeks. |
| gruel | thin liquid porridge |
| alias | an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias |
| forge | counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated |
| crux | essential or main point; Ex. the crux of the problem; ADJ. crucial: of deciding importance |
| pied | piebald; variegated(many-colored); multicolored |
| hysteria | excessive or uncontrollable excitement; N. hysteric: person suffering from hysteria; CF. hysterics: attack of hysteria |
| condescend | (derog.) bestow courtesies with a superior air; descend to the level of one considered inferior |
| surveillance | close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion); watching; guarding |
| balk | stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate |
| complement | complete; consummate; make perfect; N. |
| indenture | bind as servant or apprentice to master; bind by indenture; N: contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified time (as between an apprentice and his master) |
| swagger | walk or behave with an over-confident manner |
| ornate | excessively or elaborately decorated |
| exertion | effort; expenditure of much physical work; V. exert oneself: make a great effort |
| ethnology | study of humankind; study of the different races of human beings; CF. anthropology |
| circumspect | prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought |
| debut | d\'ebut; first public appearance; formal presentation of a young woman to society |
| taxonomist | specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy: science of classification |
| insipid | lacking in flavor; lacking interest; dull; Ex. insipid food/character |
| contentious | quarrelsome; controversial; likely to cause arguments |
| pensive | dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over |
| d\'ebris | rubble; wreckage; scattered remains of something broken or destroyed |
| presume | take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's kindness or connection); N. presumption |
| pivotal | of a pivot; central; critical; crucial |
| decant | pour off gently (wine or liquid) |
| marked | noticeable; targeted for vengeance or attack; Ex. marked improvement/man |
| renounce | abandon; give up (by formal announcement); disown; repudiate; Ex. renounce one's claim to the property/one's religion; N. renunciation |
| boon | blessing; benefit; something very helpful |
| embargo | ban on commerce or other activity |
| purported | alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists |
| prot\'eg\'e | person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| jibe | agree; be in harmony with; gibe |
| fatalism | belief that events are determined by forces or fates beyond one's control; ADJ. fatalistic; CF. fatal: causing death |
| peroration | conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; speak at great length |
| explicate | explain in detail; interpret; clarify; CF. explicable |
| opulence | extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance; ADJ. opulent: possessing great wealth; abundant |
| commiserate | feel or express pity or sympathy for |
| denotation | meaning; distinguishing by name; V. denote: indicate; refer to directly; mean; CF. connotation |
| scowl | frown angrily; N: angry frown |
| seclusion | isolation; solitude; V. seclude: set apart from others; isolate |
Created by:
akhalidi
Popular GRE sets