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GRE Vocabulary 1
GRE Vocabulary Chapter 1
Term | Definition |
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Blighted n. example: policies that lifted the city from economic blight. | 2.a. An agent or action that harms or ruins the value or success of something: b. A condition or result of harmful or ruinous action: |
refuted-refute a testimony. refuted the results of the poll. | to prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove: 1. To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof: 2. To deny the accuracy or truth of 3. Usage Problem To repudiate. |
Confutative | able to be refuted 1. To prove to be wrong or in error; refute decisively. 2. Obsolete To confound. |
Ostentatious | characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice: |
Blissful | extremely happy; full of joy: 1. Extreme happiness; ecstasy. 2. The ecstasy of salvation; spiritual joy. |
Vulgarity | Offensive speech or conduct 1. The quality or condition of being vulgar. 2. Something, such as an act or expression, that offends good taste or propriety. |
verbosity | the quality of using more words than needed; wordiness: adj. Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. See Synonyms at wordy. |
vocalizations | the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract b. To voice. c. Music To sing. 2. Linguistics To be changed into a vowel. |
Garishness | crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration. |
Tonality | the system of tones or tints, or the color scheme, of a picture |
Insentient | incapable of feeling or understanding things; inanimate: lacking perception, consciousness, or animation |
Magisterial- a magisterial account of the history of the English language. | authoritative: |
Magisterial-"She would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty" (Harper Lee). | b. Sedately dignified in appearance or manner |
Magisterial-expounded on official protocol in magisterial tones. | Dogmatic; overbearing |
Reparatory | 1. Tending to repair or restore 2. Relating to or of the nature of repairing |
reparation | the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged: |
Restorative | Of or relating to restoration. 2. Tending or having the power to restore: a restorative tonic. |
restore | bring back (a previous right, practice, custom, or situation); reinstate: |
Restorative | A medicine or other agent that helps to restore health, strength, or consciousness. |
Modest-he was too modest to talk about his success. | Having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own abilities, accomplishments, or value: |
Modest-a quiet, modest demeanor. | 2.a. Having or proceeding from a disinclination to call attention to oneself; retiring or diffident: b. Observing conventional proprieties in speech, behavior, or dress, especially in the avoidance of arousing sexual interest. |
Modest - a house with modest furnishings. | 3.a. Free from showiness or ostentation; unpretentious: See Synonyms at plain. |
Legible- legible handwriting. | adj. 1. Possible to read or decipher: |
Legible- a legible weakness in disposition. | 2. Plainly discernible; apparent: in writing |
Tolerable as in: found the workload tolerable and so kept the job. | adj. 1. Capable of being endurable: |
Tolerable-"This encouraged me to think I might possibly in time come to be a tolerable English writer" (Benjamin Franklin). | 2. Acceptable but not superior; passable: See Synonyms at average. |
Punctual | adj. 1. Acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt. |
Punctual | 2. Paid or accomplished at or by the appointed time. Being on time. |
Punctual | 3. Precise; exact. |
Punctual | 4. Confined to or having the nature of a point in space. |
Punctual | 5. Linguistics Of, related to, or being the verbal aspect that expresses momentary action or action considered as having no temporal duration. |
Literal | adj. 1. Conforming or limited to the simplest, nonfigurative, or most obvious meaning of a word or words. |
Literal- a literal translation. | 2. Word for word; verbatim: |
Literal- a literal description; a literal mind. | 3. Avoiding exaggeration, metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic |
Literal - literal notation. | Consisting of, using, or expressed by letters: |
Literal | n. Computers A letter or symbol that stands for itself as opposed to a feature, function, or entity associated with it in a programming language: $ can be a symbol that refers to the end of a line, but as a literal, it is a dollar sign. |
Belligerent | adj. 1. Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive. |
Belligerent | n. One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war. |
Belligerent | adj.2. Of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare. |
Modest-a modest price; a newspaper with a modest circulation. | b. Moderate or limited in size, quantity, or range; not extreme: |
Advocate-dvocate a vegan diet. | v.tr. To speak, plead, or argue in favor of: a See Synonyms at support. |
Advocate | v.intr. Usage Problem To act as an advocate: advocated for her patients; advocated for more stringent crime laws. |
Advocate-an advocate of civil rights. | n. (-kĭt) 1. One that argues for a cause; a supporter or defender |
Advocate- advocates for abused children and spouses. | 2. One that pleads in another's behalf; an intercessor |
Advocate | 3. A lawyer. |
Provoke-taunts that provoked their rivals. | 1. To incite to anger or resentment: |
Provoke- a remark that provoked me to reconsider. | 2. To stir to action or feeling |
Provoke. As in: : a miscue that provoked laughter; news that provoked an uproar. | 3. To give rise to; bring about |
Provoke-provoke a fight. | 4. To bring about deliberately; induce usually negative meaning |
Perforate | v.tr. 1. To pierce, punch, or bore a hole or holes in; penetrate. |
Perforate | 2. To pierce or stamp with rows of holes, as those between postage stamps, to allow easy separation. |
Perforate | v.intr. To pass into or through something. |
Perforate | adj. (pûr′fər-ĭt, -fə-rāt′) Having been perforated. |
Lament-lament a death. | v.tr. 1. To express grief for or about; mourn: |
Lament-He lamented his thoughtless acts. | 2. To regret deeply; deplore: |
Lament | v.intr. 1. To grieve audibly; wail. |
Lament | 2. To express sorrow or regret. See Synonyms at grieve. |
Lament-a lamentation. | n. 1. A feeling or expression of grief; |
Lament | 2. A song or poem expressing deep grief or mourning. |
Expunge-expunged their names from the list. We must expunge from our society the myths and half-truths that engender such groundless fears as these. | 1. To erase, delete, or strike out: |
Expunge-a government's attempt to expunge dissidents. | 2. To eliminate completely; wipe out: See Synonyms at erase. |
Titillated | v.tr. 1. To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle. |
Titillated | 2. To excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically. |
Titillated-"a steamy story of sex and violence, adultery and murder, designed to titillate as well as to shock" (John Guy). | v.intr. To excite another, especially in a superficial, pleasurable manner: |
Reiterated: | repeat more than once |
Scintillated | 1. To send forth light in flashes; sparkle. See Synonyms at flash. |
Scintillated | 2. To be emit flashes of light; sparkle. |
Enthralled- The magic show enthralled us. | 1. To hold spellbound; captivate |
Enthralled | 2. To enslave. subjugate (not used as much) |
Striated | 1. Marked with striae; striped, grooved, or ridged. |
Striated | 2. Consisting of a stria or striae. |
Striated | n. pl. stri·ae (strī′ē) 1. A thin, narrow groove or channel. |
Striated-a characteristic stria of contractile tissue. | 2. A thin line or band, especially one of several that are parallel or close together: |
Stria | a linear mark, slight ridge, or groove on a surface, often one of a number of similar parallel features. |
Stria | any of a number of longitudinal collections of nerve fibers in the brain. |
Maximize-"the ideal of maximizing opportunity through the equalizing of educational opportunity" (Robert J. Havighurst). | To increase or make as great or large as possible: |
Maximize | Mathematics To find the largest value of (a function). |
Recombinant | n. 1. An organism, cell, or virus in which genetic recombination has taken place. |
Recombinant | 2. Material produced by genetic engineering. |
Recombinant | adj. 1. Formed by or showing recombination: a recombinant chromosome. |
Recombinant | 2. Of or relating to recombinant DNA: recombinant fragments; recombinant technology. |
Recombination | (2) (general) The process or act of bringing together (dissociated materials) |
Recombination | (1) (genetics) The process or act of exchanges of genes between chromosomes, resulting in a different genetic combination and ultimately to the formation of unique gametes with chromosomes that are different from those in parents. |
Reiterate | to say or do again or repeatedly |
Necessitate | 1. To make necessary or unavoidable. |
Necessitate | 2. To require or compel. |
Reciprocate. The friends reciprocated favors. | v.tr. 1. To give or take mutually; interchange: |
Reciprocate-They opened their hearts to her, and she reciprocated their affection. | 2. To show, feel, or give in response or return |
Reciprocate | v.intr. 1. To give and take something mutually. |
Reciprocate | 2. To make a return for something given or done. |
Reciprocate- a power saw that reciprocates. | 3. To move back and forth alternately: |
coerced - "they were coerced into silence" | persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats |
proclaim | to praise or extol verbally or in writing |
proclaim | state it in an emphatic way. |
proclaim | formally make it known to the public(loudly) |
abet | help or encourage someone to do something criminal or wrong. |
abet | make it possible especially something bad or undesirable; to incite, sanction, or help, esp. in wrongdoing |
sanction - "a range of sanctions aimed at deterring insider abuse" | a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule: |
sanction - "he appealed to the bishop for his sanction" synonyms: authorization, consent, leave, permission, authority, ... moreantonyms: prohibition | official permission or approval for an action: |
solicit - "he called a meeting to solicit their views" | ask for or try to obtain (something) from someone: |
solicit - "historians and critics are solicited for opinions by the auction houses" | ask (someone) for something: |
solicit - "although prostitution was not itself an offense, soliciting was" | accost someone and offer one's or someone else's services as a prostitute: |
numeric - "a three-digit numeric code" | relating to or expressed as a number or numbers: |
obstinate | stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so. synonyms: stubborn, unyielding, inflexible, unbending, intransigent, ... more antonyms: compliant |
dutiful - "a dutiful daughter" | conscientiously or obediently fulfilling one's duty: |
dutiful -"dutiful applause" | motivated by duty rather than desire or enthusiasm: |
prolific - "the prolific rivers and lakes of Franklin County" | (of a river, area, or season of the year) characterized by plentiful wildlife or produce: |
prolific - "mahogany was once prolific in the tropical forests" | present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful: synonyms: plentiful, abundant, bountiful, profuse, copious, ... more |
prolific - "a prolific home-run hitter" | ▪(of a sports player) high-scoring: |
prolific - "he was a prolific composer of operas" | (of an artist, author, or composer) producing many works: |
prolific - "in captivity, tigers are prolific breeders" | (of a plant, animal, or person) producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring: synonyms: productive, creative, inventive, fertile |
generic - "chèvre is a generic term for all goat's milk cheese" | characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things; not specific: |
generic - "generic dance-floor filler | lacking imagination or individuality; predictable and unoriginal: |
satisfactory - "the brakes are satisfactory if not particularly powerful" | fulfilling expectations or needs; acceptable, though not outstanding or perfect: synonyms: adequate, all right, acceptable, good enough, sufficient, ... moreantonyms: inadequate, poor |
commendable - "commendable restraint" | deserving praise: synonyms: admirable, praiseworthy, creditable, laudable, estimable, ... moreantonyms: reprehensible |
galling - "the loss was particularly galling" | annoying; humiliating: synonyms: annoying, irritating, vexing, vexatious, infuriating, maddening, irksome, provoking, exasperating, trying, tiresome, troublesome, bothersome, displeasing, disagreeable, aggravating |
acceptable - "has tried to find a solution acceptable to everyone" | able to be agreed on; suitable: |
acceptable - "an acceptable substitute for champagne" | adequate; satisfactory: synonyms: satisfactory, adequate, reasonable, quite good, fair, |
acceptable - "some coffee would be most acceptable" | pleasing; welcome, like, hospitable |
acceptable - "pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable level" | able to be tolerated or allowed: synonyms: bearable, tolerable, allowable, admissible, sustainable, |
acute - "acute hospital services" "an acute housing shortage" | (of a bad, difficult, or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree: synonyms: severe, critical, drastic, dire, dreadful, ... antonyms: negligible |
acute - "acute appendicitis"▪denoting or designed for patients with acute conditions: | ▪(of a disease or its symptoms) of short duration but typically severe: synonyms:sharp, severe, stabbing, piercing, excruciating, ... more antonyms: mild, dull |
acute - "an acute sense of smell" | having or showing a perceptive understanding or insight: shrewd: |
acute | (of an angle) less than 90°. |
acute | a bad, difficult, or unwelcome situation or phenomenon |
reprimand - "officials were dismissed or reprimanded for poor work" | a rebuke, especially an official one. |
upbraid - "he was upbraided for his slovenly appearance" | find fault with (someone); scold |
abdicate - "in 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated as German emperor" | (of a monarch) renounce one's throne: |
abdicate - "the government was accused of abdicating its responsibility" | fail to fulfill or undertake (a responsibility or duty): |
winnow - "women winnow the chaff from piles of unhusked rice" | blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff. |
winnow - "the autumn wind winnowing its way through the grass" | of the wind - blow: |
extol - "he extolled the virtues of the Russian peoples" | praise enthusiastically: |
predilection - "my predilection for Asian food" | a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something: |
coercion - "it wasn't slavery because no coercion was used" | the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats: |
excursion - a pleasure excursion; a scientific excursion. | a short trip or outing to some place, usually for a special purpose and with the intention of a prompt return: |
volition - "without conscious volition she backed into her office" | the faculty or power of using one's will: |
infusion | a drink, remedy, or extract prepared by soaking the leaves of a plant or herb in liquid. ▪ the process of preparing an extract by soaking the leaves of a plant in liquid. |
infusion - "the infusion of $6.3 million for improvements" | the introduction of a new element or quality into something: as in for improvement or decline. |
Malodorous - | adj. having a foul-smelling odor |
Malodorous - | smelling very unpleasant. |
prevalent - "the social ills prevalent in society today" | widespread in a particular area at a particular time: predominant; powerful. |
imposing - "an imposing 17th-century manor house" | grand and impressive in appearance: synonyms: striking, arresting, eye-catching, impactful, majestic, dignified. antonyms: modest |
emphatic - "the children were emphatic that they would like to repeat the experience" | showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly: |
quaint - "quaint country cottages" | attractively unusual or old-fashioned: |
fastidious - "he chooses his words with fastidious care" | very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail: |
fastidious - "the child seemed fastidious about getting her fingers sticky or dirty" | very concerned about matters of cleanliness: |
clandestine - "she deserved better than these clandestine meetings" | kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit: |
laconic - "his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic" | (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words: |
fetid - | adj. having a foul or offensive odor, putrid. |
fetid - "the fetid water of the marsh" | smelling extremely unpleasant: |
hospitable - "two friendly, hospitable brothers run the hotel" | friendly and welcoming to strangers or guests: |
hospitable - "the Sonoran desert is one of the least hospitable places on earth" | (of an environment) pleasant and favorable for living in: |
itinerant - "itinerant traders" | traveling from place to place: |
enterprising - "some enterprising teachers have started their own recycling programs" | having or showing initiative and resourcefulness: |
chivalrous - | (of a man or his behavior) courteous and gallant, especially toward women. |
irreverent - not reverent. | adj. lacking respect or seriousness; |
inferior - "schooling in inner-city areas was inferior to that in the rest of the country" | lower in rank, status, or quality: |
inferior - "ulcers located in the inferior and posterior wall of the duodenum" | low or lower in position anatomically: lower in the brain |
keen - | adj. being extremely sensitive or responsive; having strength of perception |
keen - | sharp or penetrating, in particular: |
keen - "keen believers in the monetary system" | having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm: |
impressionable - "a girl of eighteen is highly impressionable" | easily influenced because of a lack of critical ability; synonym: naive |
ductile - | (of a metal) able to be drawn out into a thin wire. ▪able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable, not brittle. synonyms:pliable, pliant, flexible, supple, plastic |
ductile - | (of a person) docile or gullible. synonyms:docile, obedient, submissive, meek, mild |
conspiratorial - "there are several who think this is some sort of vast conspiratorial plot on the part of the press" | relating to or suggestive of a secret plan made by a group of people to do something unlawful or harmful: |
conspiratorial - "he gave me a sly, conspiratorial wink" | (of a person’s manner or behavior) suggesting that they share secret knowledge with another person: |
jaundiced - | having or affected by jaundice, in particular unnaturally yellow in complexion |
jaundiced - "they looked on politicians with a jaundiced eye" | affected by bitterness, resentment, or envy: |
nefarious - | wicked, vicious, or evil. |
nefarious - "the nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates" | (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal: |
stereotypical - "the stereotype of the woman as the carer" | a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing: |
stereotypical - | a relief printing plate cast in a mold made from composed type or an original plate. |
sentimental - "she felt a sentimental attachment to the place creep over her" | of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia: |
impartial - "independent and impartial advice" | treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just: |
maudlin - | adj excessively and weakly sentimental or tearfully emotional. |
maudlin - "the drink made her maudlin" | self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness: |
meritorious - "a medal for meritorious conduct" | deserving reward or praise: |
precarious - "a precarious ladder" | not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse: |
precarious - "she made a precarious living by writing" | dependent on chance; uncertain: synonyms:uncertain, insecure, unpredictable, risky, parlous |
plausible - "a plausible explanation" | (of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable: |
schematic - | of a diagram or other representation; symbolic and simplified. |
acquitted - "she was acquitted on all counts" | free (someone) from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty: |
acquitted - "all the young women in the contest acquitted themselves well" | conduct oneself or perform in a specified way: |
steadfast - "steadfast loyalty" | resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering: |
tenuous - "the tenuous link between interest rates and investment" | very weak or slight: |
tenuous - "a tenuous cloud" | very slender or fine; insubstantial: synonyms: fine, thin, slender, delicate, wispy |
complicit - | adj. participating in or associated with a questionable act or crime. |
complicit - "all of these people are complicit in some criminal conspiracy" | involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing: |
nullified - "judges were unwilling to nullify government decisions" | . make legally null and void; invalidate: synonyms: annul, render null and void, void, invalidate, repeal |
nullified - "insulin can block the release of the hormone and thereby nullify the effects of training" | make of no use or value; cancel out: synonyms: cancel out, neutralize, negate, negative |
subversion - | n. an overthrow, as from the foundation |
premonition - "he had a premonition of imminent disaster" | a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant: synonyms: foreboding, presentiment, intuition |
inversion - "the inversion of the normal domestic arrangement" | the action of inverting something or the state of being inverted: |
inversion - | the adoption of behavior typical of the opposite sex; homosexuality. |
inversion - | the process of finding a quantity, function, etc., from a given one such that the product of the two under a particular operation is the identity. |
insurgence - | The action or an instance of rebellion; an insurrection. |
insurgence - | rebellion, uprising, or riot |
malevolence - | n. ill will or malice toward others; hate synonyms: malicious, hostile, evil-minded, baleful |
reciprocation - "the favor was reciprocated" | respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one: |
reciprocate - "a reciprocating blade" | (of a part of a machine) move backward and forward in a straight line: |
declamation - "Shakespearean declamation" | the action or art of declaiming: |
declamation - | a rhetorical exercise or set speech. synonyms: speech, address, lecture, sermon, homily |
declamation - "a soprano soloist with wonderfully clear declamation" | forthright or distinct projection of words set to music: |
preference - "a preference for long walks and tennis over jogging" | a greater liking for one alternative over another or others: |
preference - "debts owed to the community should be accorded a preference" | a prior right or precedence, especially in connection with the payment of debts: |
preference - "preference is given to those who make a donation" | favor shown to one person or thing over another or others: synonyms: priority, favor, precedence, preferential treatment |
bankruptcy - | to be in utter ruin, failure, depletion, or the like. Usually financial |
usury - | n. is the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates. |
novice - "he was a complete novice in foreign affairs" | a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation: synonyms: beginner, learner, neophyte, newcomer, initiate |
kleptomania - | a recurrent urge to steal, typically without regard for need or profit. |
flagrancy - a flagrant error. | shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious; glaring: |
flagrancy - a flagrant crime; a flagrant offender. | notorious; scandalous: |
impertinent - "an impertinent question" | not showing proper respect; rude: synonyms: rude, insolent, impolite, ill-mannered |
impertinent - "talk of “rhetoric” and “strategy” is impertinent to this process" | irrelevant. Not relevenant to a particular matter. |
supplicant - | one who asks humbly and earnestly; beseeching. |
preeminent - "the world's preeminent expert on asbestos" | surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way: synonyms: greatest, leading, foremost, best, finest, |
illustrative - "this timetable is provided for illustrative purposes only" | serving as an example or explanation: synonyms: exemplifying, explanatory, elucidative, explicative, expository |
kaleidoscopic - | adj continually changing or quickly shifting |
kaleidoscopic - "a kaleidoscopic range of topics" | made up of a complex mix of elements; multifaceted: |
kaleidoscopic - "kaleidoscopic diamond patterns" | having complex patterns of colors; multicolored: synonyms: multicolored, many-colored, multicolor |
hirsute - "their hirsute chests" | hairy: synonyms: hairy, shaggy, bushy, hair-covered, woolly |
acrimonious - "an acrimonious dispute about wages" | (typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter: synonyms: bitter, angry, rancorous, caustic, acerbic |
plaintive - "a plaintive cry" | sounding sad and mournful: synonyms: mournful, sad, wistful, doleful, pathetic |
deciduous - | (of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually. ▪(of a tree or shrub) broadleaved. informal ▪denoting the milk teeth of a mammal, which are shed after a time. |
votive - | adj dedicated by a vow |
votive - "votive offerings" | offered or consecrated in fulfillment of a vow: |
votive - | an object offered in fulfillment of a vow, such as a candle used as a vigil light. |
indispensable - "he made himself indispensable to the parish priest" | absolutely necessary: synonyms: essential, necessary, all-important, |
indiscriminate - | adj. means not discriminating or choosing randomly; haphazard; without distinction |
indiscriminate - "the indiscriminate killing of civilians" | done at random or without careful judgment: synonyms: nonselective, unselective, undiscriminating, uncritical, aimless |
commensurate - "salary will be commensurate with experience" | corresponding in size or degree; in proportion: synonyms: equivalent, equal, corresponding, correspondent, comparable, |
propulsive - | 1.the act or process of propelling. 2.the state of being propelled. 3.a means of propelling; propelling force, impulse |
indisputable - "a far from indisputable fact" | unable to be challenged or denied: synonyms: incontrovertible, incontestable, undeniable, irrefutable |