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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 |