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Hit Parade 2010 # 4
Princeton Review GRE Vocab Set #4
Question | Answer |
---|---|
acerbic | (adjective) having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting |
aggrandize | (verb) to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige |
alchemy | (noun) a medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy) |
amenable | (adjective) agreeable; responsive to suggestion |
anachronism | (noun) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context |
astringent | (adjective/noun) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue |
contiguous | (adjective) sharing a border; touching; adjacent |
convention | (noun) a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude |
credulous | (adjective) tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun form: credulity) |
cynicism | (noun) an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness (adj. form: cynical) |
decorum | (noun) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior (adj. form: decorous) |
derision | (noun) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment (adj. form: derisive; verb form: deride) |
desiccate | (verb) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull |
dilettante | (noun) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge |
disparage | (verb) to slight or belittle |
divulge | (verb) to disclose something secret |
fawn | (verb) to flatter or praise excessively |
flout | (verb) to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention |
garrulous | (adjective) pointlessly talkative, talking too much |
glib | (adjective) marked by ease or informality; non-chalant; lacking in depth; superficial |
hubris | (noun) overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance |
imminent | (adjective) about to happen; impending |
immutable | (adjective) not capable of change |
impetuous | (adjective) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement |
indifferent | (adjective) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice |
inimical | (adjective) damaging; harmful; injurious |
intractable | (adjective) not easliy managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate |
intrepid | (adjective) steadfast and courageous |
laconic | (adjective) using few words; terse |
maverick | (noun) an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party |
mercurial | (adjective) characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood |
mollify | (verb) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity |
neophyte | (noun) a recent convert; a beginner; novice |
obfuscate | (verb) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing |
obstinate | (adjective) stubborn; hardhearted; uncompromising |
ostentatious | (adjective) characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy |
pervade | (verb) to permeate throughout (adj. form: pervasive) |
phlegmatic | (adjective) calm;sluggish; unemotional |
plethora | (noun) an overabundance; a surplus |
pragmatic | (adjective) practical rather than idealistic |
presumptuous | (adjective) overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties |
pristine | (adjective) pure; uncorrupted; clean |
probity | (noun) adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness |
proclivity | (noun) a natural predisposition or inclination |
profligate | (adjective) excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant (noun form: profligacy) |
propensity | (noun) a natural inclination or tendency, penchant |
prosaic | (adjective) dull; lacking in spirit or imagination |
pungent | (adjective) characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste |
quixotic | (adjective) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals |
quotidian | (adjective) occurring or recurring daily; commonplace |
rarefy | (verb) to make or become thin, less dense; to refine |
recondite | (adjective) hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure |
refulgent | (adjective) radiant; shiny; brilliant |
renege | (verb) to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise |
sedulous | (adjective) diligent; persistent; hard-working |
shard | (noun) a piece of broken pottery or glass |
soporific | (adjective) causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep |
sparse | (adjective) thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals |
spendthrift | (noun) one who spends money wastefully |
subtle | (adjective) not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern |
tacit | (adjective) implied; not explicitly stated |
terse | (adjective) brief and concise in wording |
tout | (verb) to publicly praise or promote |
trenchant | (adjective) sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating |
unfeigned | (adjective) genuine; not false or hypocritical |
untenable | (adjective) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable |
vacillate |