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Essential GRE
Question | Answer |
---|---|
abate | v. to decrease; reduce |
abdicate | v. to give up a position, right, or power |
abberant | adj. deviating from what is normal |
abeyance | n. temporary suppression or suspension |
abject | adj. miserable; pitiful |
abjure | v. to reject abandon formally |
abscission | n. the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or the other part of a plant |
abscond | v. to depart secretly |
abstemious | adj. moderate in appetite |
abstinence | n. the giving up of certain pleasures |
abysmal | adj. very bad |
accretion | n. the growth in size or increase in amount |
accrue | v. to accumulate; grow by additions |
adamant | adj. uncompromising; unyielding |
adjunct | n. something added. attached. or joined |
admonish | v. to caution or reprimand |
adulterate | v. to corrupt or make impure |
aesthetic | adj. relating to beauty or art |
affected | adj. pretentious. phony |
affinity | n. fondness; liking; similarity |
aggrandize | v. to make larger or greater |
aggregate | adj. amounting to a whole; total |
alacrity | n. cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed |
alchemy | n. medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation |
allay | v. to lessen, ease, soothe |
alleviate | v. to relive; improve partially |
alloy | n. a combination; a mixture of two or more metals |
allure | n. the power to entice by charm |
amalgamate | v. to combine into a unified whole |
ambiguous | adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | n. the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes |
ambrosia | n. something delicious; the food of the gods |
ameliorate | v. to improve |
amenable | adj. agreeable; cooperative; suited |
amenity | n. something that increases comfort |
amulet | n. ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits |
anachronism | n. something out of proper time |
analgesic | n. medication that reduces or eliminates pain |
analogous | adj. comparable |
anarchy | n. the absence of government; state of disorder |
anodyne | n. something that calms or soothes pain |
anomalous | adj. irregular; deviating from the norm |
antecedent | n. something that comes before |
antediluvian | adj. prehistoric |
antipathy | n. dislike; hostility |
apathy | n. indifference |
apex | n. the highest point |
apogee | n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point |
apothegm | n. a terse. witty saying (pronounced AP-uh-them and also spelled apophthegm) |
appease | v. to calm; pacify; placate |
appellation | n. name |
apposite | adj. strikingly appropriate and relevant |
apprise | v. to inform |
approbation | n. praise; approval |
appropriate | v. to take possession for one's own use; confiscate |
apropos | adj. relevant |
arabesque | n. ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the supports the weight of the body |
archeology | n. the study of material evidence of past human life |
ardor | n. great emotion or passion |
arduous | adj. extremely difficult; laborious |
argot | n. a specialized vocabulary used by a group |
arrest | v. to stop; to seize |
artifact | n. item made by human craft |
artless | adj. guileless; natural |
ascetic | n. one who practices self-denial |
asperity | n. severity; harshness; irritability |
aspersion | n. slander; false rumor |
assiduous | adj. diligent; hardworking |
assuage | v. to make less severe |
astringent | adj. harsh; severe |
asylum | n. place of refuge or shelter |
atavism | n. in biology; the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence |
attenuate | v. to weaken |
audacious | adj. bold; daring |
austere | adj. stern; unadorned |
autonomous | adj. self-governing; independent |
avarice | n. greed |
aver | v. to affirm; declare the truth |
avocation | n. secondary occupation |
avancular | adj. like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant |
axiomatic | adj. taken for granted |
bacchanalian | adj. pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry |
banal | adj. commonplace; trite |
banter | n. playful conversation |
bard | n. poet |
bawdy | adj. obscene |
beatify | v. to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to |
bedizen | v. to dress in a vulgar, showy manner |
behemoth | n. huge creature; anything very large and powerful |
belie | v. to contradict; misrepresent; give false impression |
beneficent | adj. kindly; doing good |
bifurcate | v. to divide in parts |
blandishment | n. flattery |
blasé | adj. bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned |
bolster | v. to give a boost to; prop up; support |
bombastic | adj. pompous; using inflated language |
boorish | adj. rude; insensitive |
bovine | adj. cowlike |
brazen | adj. bold; shameless |
broach | v. to mention for the first time |