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GRE WL 2
Question | Answer |
---|---|
acrid | sharp, pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
boorish | ill-mannered |
epistle | a letter (form of communication) |
heresy | against orthodox opinion |
lance | spear, spike, javelin |
obscure | difficult to understand, partially hidden |
poignant | deeply moving, strongly affecting the emotions |
respite | a break, intermission |
terse | concise, to the point |
acrophobia | fear of heights |
bourgeois | middle class |
debility | weakness, incapacity |
epistolary | concerned with letters, through correspondence |
hiatus | interruption, pause |
languid | tired, slow |
obscured | hidden, covered, buried |
resplendent | shining, glowing |
acuity | sharpness (mental or visual) |
braggart | someone who boasts |
debunking | exposing false claims or myths |
hidebound | rigid in opinions |
languish | decay, fade away, get weaker |
obsequious | servile, submissive |
polemical | causing debate or argument |
restorative | a tonic |
adamant | forceful, inflexible |
brawny | muscular |
decathlon | an athletic competition with ten events |
equivocate | speak ambiguously, avoid telling the truth |
larceny | theft, robbery, stealing |
ponderous | weighty, slow and heavy |
retention | preservation, withholding |
timorous | cowardly, fearful |
adroit | skillful |
decorum | dignified, correct behavior |
hinder | obstruct |
largess | generosity |
obsolete | no longer valid, out of date |
pontificate | speak pompously or dogmatically |
reticent | restrained, holding something back, uncommunicative |
tirade | stream of verbal abuse |
adulation | strong admiration, worship |
bristle | to show irritation |
histrionic | theatrical, exaggerated |
laud | praise |
obstreperous | noisy and boisterous |
portend | foretell, be a sign or warning that something is likely to happen |
retraction | withdrawal, cancellation of a statement |
adversity | hardship |
broach | start to discuss, approach |
deference | respect |
esoteric | obscure and difficult to understand |
hoary | old |
lavish | on a grand scale, wasteful |
obtuse | mentally dull |
portent | a warning sign, omen |
revere | worship |
tome | large book |
advocate | support |
brusque | blunt, abrupt |
defoliate | cause leaves to fall off |
espouse | promote, take up, support |
hone | sharpen, increase, whet |
lax | careless, not strict |
obviate | avoid, make unnecessary |
poseur | someone who puts on an act |
riddled | full of (usually full of holes) |
torpid | inactive, lazy, stagnant |
bulwark | fortification, barricade, wall |
defunct | no longer in existence |
etymology | the study of word origins |
hyperbole | grossly exaggerated speech |
odious | hateful |
posterity | future generations |
rife | common |
torpor | dormancy, sluggishness, inactivity |
affable | friendly, social, easygoing |
bureaucracy | officialdom |
degradation | deprivation, poverty, debasement |
eulogy | praise |
legion | in large numbers |
officious | domineering, intrusive, meddlesome |
posthumous | after death |
rigor | thoroughness |