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GRE vocab M to P
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| mace | ceremonial staff |
| macerate | soften by soaking in liquid, waste away' |
| machinations | evil schemes or plots |
| maculated | spotted, stained |
| madrigal | pastoral song |
| maelstorm | whirlpool |
| maganimity | generosity |
| magnate | person of prominence or influence |
| magniloquent | boastful, pompous |
| maladroit | clumsy, bungling |
| malapropism | comic misuse of a word |
| malediction | curse |
| malefactor | evildoer, criminal |
| malfeasance | wrongdoing |
| malingerer | one who feigns illness to escape duty |
| malodorous | foul smelling |
| manacle | handcuff, restrain |
| mannered | affected, not natural |
| manumit | emancipate, free from bondage |
| marshal | put in order |
| martial | warlike |
| martinet | obsessed with rules? |
| masticate | chew |
| matriculate | enroll |
| matrix | point of origin |
| maudlin | effusively sentimental |
| mawkish | mushy and gushy |
| maxim | proverb, a truth pithily stated |
| mealymouthed | indirect in speech, hypocritical, evasive |
| melee | fight |
| mellifluous | sweetly or smoothly flowing, melodious |
| menagerie | collection of wild animals |
| mendacious | lying |
| mendicant | beggar |
| mercantile | concerning trade |
| mercenary | motivated by soely money or gain |
| mercurial | capricious, changing, fickle |
| meretricious | flashy, tawdry |
| merger | combination |
| metallurgical | pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores |
| metaphysical | pertaining to speculoative philosophy |
| mete | measure, distribute |
| meteoric | swift, momentarily brilliant |
| mettle | courage, spirit |
| milieu | environment, means of expression |
| militate | work against |
| minatory | menacing, threatening |
| mincing | affectedly dainty |
| minutiae | petty details |
| mire | entangle, stick in swampy ground |
| misadventure | ill luck, mischance |
| misanthrope | one who hates mankind |
| misapprehension | error, misunderstanding |
| miscreant | wretch, villain |
| misgivings | doubts |
| misogamy | hatred of marriage |
| misogynist | hater of women |
| missive | letter |
| mite | small coin, small object or creature |
| mode | prevailing style |
| modicum | limited quantity |
| modish | fashionable |
| mogul | powerful person |
| mollycoddle | pamper, indulge excessively |
| monolithic | solidly uniform, unyielding |
| moratorium | legal delay of payment |
| mordant | biting, sarcastic, stinging |
| mores | conventions, moral standards, customs |
| moribund | dying |
| mote | small speck |
| motley | mixed |
| mountebank | charlatan, boastful pretender |
| mulct | defraud a person of something |
| multifarious | varied, greatly diversified |
| mundane | worldly as opposed to spiritual |
| munificent | very generous |
| mutability | ability to change in form, fickleness |
| myopic | nearsighted, lacking foresight |
| myraid | very large number |
| nadir | lowest point |
| nascent | incipient, coming into being |
| natation | swimming |
| natty | neatly or smartly dressed |
| nebulous | vague, hazy, cloudy |
| necromancy | black magic, dealings with the dead |
| nefarious | very wicked |
| nemesis | someone seeking revenge |
| neologism | new or newly coined word or phrase |
| neophyte | recent convert, beginner |
| nepotism | favortism |
| nether | lower |
| nettle | annoy, vex |
| nexus | connection |
| nib | beak, pen point |
| nicety | precision, minute distinction |
| niggardly | meanly stingy, parsimonious |
| niggle | spend too much time on minor points, carp |
| nihilist | one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless |
| noisome | foul smelling, unwholesome |
| nominal | in name only, trifling |
| nondescript | undistinctive, ordinary |
| nonplus | bring to a half by confusion, perplex |
| nostrum | questionable medicine |
| nubile | marriageable |
| nugatory | futile, worthless |
| numismatist | person who collects coins |
| nuptial | related to marriage |
| obdurate | stubborn |
| obeisance | bow |
| obfuscate | confuse, muddle |
| oblique | indirect, slanting |
| obloquy | slander, disgrace, infamy |
| obsequious | slavishly attentive, servile |
| obsequy | funeral ceremony |
| obsidian | black volcanic rock |
| obstreperous | boisterous, noisy |
| obtrude | push forward or intrude, butt in, stick out or extrude |
| obviate | make unnecessary, get rid of |
| occident | the west |
| occlude | shut, close |
| occult | mysterious, secret, supernatural |
| odious | hateful, vile |
| odium | detestation, hatefulness, disrepute |
| officious | meddlesome, excessively pushy in offering one's services |
| oligarchy | government by a priviledged few |
| omnipresent | universally present |
| onerous | burdensome |
| onus | burden, responsibility |
| opiate | medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain, something that relieves emotions or causes inaction |
| opportunist | individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances |
| opprobrium | infamy, vilification |
| opus | work |
| oracular | prophetic, mysterious |
| oratorio | dramatic poem set to music |
| ordain | decree |
| ordinance | decree |
| ordination | ceremony conferring holy orders |
| orientation | act of finding oneself in society |
| ornithologist | scientific student of birds |
| orthography | correct spelling |
| osseous | made of bone, bony |
| ossify | change or harden into bone |
| ostensible | apparent, professed, pretended |
| outmoded | no longer stylish, old fashioned |
| outspoken | blunt, candid |
| outstrip | surpass, outdo |
| overweening | presumptuous, arrogant |
| ovoid | eggshaped |
| pachyderm | thich skinned animal |
| paean | song of praise or joy |
| palate | roof of the mouth |
| palatial | magnificent |
| palimpsest | parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased |
| pall | grow tiresome |
| pallet | small poor bed |
| palliate | ease pain, make les severe or offensive |
| pallid | pale, wan |
| palpable | tangible, easily perceptible |
| paltry | trifling, petty, insignificant |
| pan | criticize harshly |
| panacea | cureall, remedy for all diseases |
| panache | flair, flamboyance |
| pander | cater to the low desires of others |
| panegyric | formal praise |
| panoramic | denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view |
| parable | short, simple story teaching a moral |
| paragon | model of perfection |
| paramount | foremost in importance |
| paramour | illicit lover |
| pariah | social outcast |
| parity | equality, close resemblance |
| parlance | language, idiom |
| parley | conference |
| parochial | narrow in outlook, provincial, related to parishes |
| paroxysm | fit or attack of pain or laughter or rage |
| parquet | floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaiclike pattern |
| parry | ward off a blow, deflect |
| parsimony | stinginess, excessive frugality |
| partisam | one sided, prejudiced, committed to a party |
| passe | old fashioned, past the prime |
| pastiche | imitation of another's sthyle in musiocal composition or in writing |
| patent | open for the public to read, obvious |
| pathos | tender sorrow, pity, quality in art or literature that produces these feelings |
| patina | green crust on old bronze works, tone slowly taken by varnished painting |
| patois | local or provinvial dialect |
| patrician | noble, aristocratic |
| paucity | scarcity |
| peccadillo | slight offense |
| pecuniary | pertaining to money |
| pedagogue | teacher |
| pedagogy | teaching, art of education |
| pedant | scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities |
| pedantic | showing off learning, bookish |
| pedestrian | ordinary, unimaginative |
| pejorative | negative in connotation, having a belittling effect |
| pell mell | in confusion, disorderly |
| pellucid | transparent, limpid, easy to understand |
| penchant | strong inclination, liking |
| pendant | hanging down from something |
| pendulous | hanging, suspended |
| penumbra | partial shadow |
| penury | severe poverty, stinginess |
| peon | landless agricultural worker, bond servant |
| perdition | damnation, complete ruin |
| peregination | journey |
| peremptory | demanding and leaving no choice |
| perennial | something long lasting |
| perfidious | treacherous, disloyal |
| perfunctory | superficial, not thorough, lacking interest |
| perigee | point of moon's orbit when it is nearest to earth |
| perpatetic | walking about, moving |
| perjury | false testimony while under oath |
| pernicious | very destructive |
| perpration | conclusion of an oration |
| perquisite | any gain above stipulated salary |
| perspicacious | having insight, penetrating, astute |
| perspicuity | clearness of expression, freedom from ambiguity |
| perspicuous | painly expressed |
| pert | impertinent, forward |
| pertinacious | stubborn, persistant |
| pervasive | spread throughout |
| pestilential | causing plague, baneful |
| petulant | touchy, peevish |
| pharisaical | pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition, selfrighteous, hypocritical |
| philatelist | stamp collector |
| philistine | narrow minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain |
| philology | study of language |
| phlegmatic | calm, not easily disturbed |
| phylum | major classification, second to kindgom, division |
| physiognomy | face |
| piebald | of different colors, ,ottled, spotted |
| piecemeal | one part at a time, gradually |
| pied | variegated, multicolored |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame, subject to criticism and ridicule |
| pinion | restrain |
| piquant | pleasantly tart tasting, stimulating |
| piscatorial | pertaining to fishing |
| pith | core or marrow, essence, substance |
| pithy | concise, meaningful, substantial, meaty |
| pittance | small allowance or wage |
| placid | calm, peaceful |
| plaintive | mountful |
| plait | braid, intertwine |
| plasticity | ability to be molded |
| platitude | trite remark, commonplace statement |
| platonic | purely spiritual, theoetical, without sensual desire |
| plaudit | enthusiastic approval, round of applause |
| plebian | common, common people |
| plenary | complete, full |
| plenitude | abundance, completeness |
| pluck | courage |
| plumb | examine critically in order to understand, measure depth, vertical |
| plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
| polemic | controversy, argument in support of point of view |
| polemical | aggressive in verbal attack, disputatious |
| politic | expedient, prudent, well devised |
| polity | form of government of nation or state |
| polyglot | speaking several languages |
| pontifical | pertaining to a bishop or pope, pompous or pretentious |
| portend | foretell, presage |
| portent | sign, omen, forewarning |
| posterity | descendants, future generations |
| postulate | self evident truth |
| potable | suitable for drinking |
| potentate | monarc h, sovereign |
| poultice | soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body |
| practicable | feasible |
| pragmatic | practical |
| pramatist | practical person |
| prate | speak foolishly, boast idly |
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct |
| precipitate | rash, premature, hasty, sudden, throw headlong, hasten |
| precipitant | something that causes percipitation |
| precipitous | steep, overhasty |
| precis | concise summing up of main points |
| preclude | make impossible, eliminate |
| precocious | advanced in development |
| predilection | partiality, preference |
| predispose | give in inclination toward, make susceptible to |
| preeminent | outstanding, superior |
| preempt | head off, forestall by actinf fist, appropriate for oneself, supplant |
| prefactory | introductory |
| prelate | church dignitary |
| premise | assumption, postulate |
| premonitory | serving to warn |
| preponderance | superiority of power or quantity |
| presage | foretell |
| prescience | ability to foretell the future |
| presentiment | feeling something will happen, anticipatory fear, premonition |
| preternatural | beyond that which is normal in nature |
| pretext | excuse |
| prevaricate | lie |
| primogeniture | seniority by birth |
| pristine | characteristic of earlier times, primitive, unspoiled |
| privation | hardship, want |
| probity | uprightness, incorruptibility |
| proclivity | inclination, natural tendency |
| prodigal | wasteful, reckless with money |
| prodigious | marvelous, enormous |
| profligate | diffipated, wasteful, wildly immoral |
| prognosticate | predict |
| prolixity | tedious wordiness, verbosity |
| promiscusous | mixed indiscriminately, haphazard, irregular |
| promontory | headland |
| promulgate | proclaim a doctrine or law, make known by official publication |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophylactic | used to prevent disease |
| propinquity | nearness, kinship |
| propitiate | appease |
| propitious | favorable, fortunate, advantageous |
| proponent | supporter, backer |
| propound | put forth for analysis |
| propriety | fitness, correct conduct |
| propulsive | driving forward |
| prosaid | dull and unimaginative, matter of fact, factual |
| proscenium | part of stage in front of curtain |
| proscribe | ostracize, branish, outlaw |
| proselytize | induce someone to convert to a religion or belief |
| prosody | the art of versification |
| prostrate | stretch out full on ground |
| protean | versatile, able to take on many forms |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette |
| protract | prolong |
| proturberance | protrusion, bulge |
| provenance | origin or source of something |
| provender | dry food, fodder |
| privident | displaying foresight, thrifty, preparing for emergencies |
| provincial | limited in outlook, unsophisticated |
| provisional | tentative |
| proviso | stipulation |
| proxy | authorized agent |
| prurient | having or causing lustful thoughts and desires |
| puerile | childish |
| pugilist | boxer |
| pugnacity | combativeness, disposition to fight |
| puissant | powerful, strong, potent |
| pulchritude | beauty, comeliness |
| punctilious | stressing niceties of conduct or form, minutely attentive to fine points |
| pundit | authority on a subject, learned personm exoert |
| punitive | punishing |
| purchase | firm grasp or footing |
| purport | intention, meaning |
| purported | alleged, claimed, reputed or rumored |
| purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs, caterer |
| pusillanimous | cowardly, fainthearted |
| putative | supposed, reputed |
| pylon | marking post to guide aviators, steel tower supporting cables or telephone lines |
Created by:
ailin
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