A complete list of Barron's GRE Wordlist, with meanings and sentences.
Help!
|
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cabal | small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
The cabal was defeated when its scheme was discovered.
🗑
|
||||
| cache | hiding place
The detectives followed the suspects until he led them to the cache where he had stored his loot.
🗑
|
||||
| cacophony | discord
Some people seem to enjoy the cacophony of an orchestra that is tuning up.
🗑
|
||||
| cadaver | corpse
In some states, it is illegal to dissect cadavers.
🗑
|
||||
| cadaverous | like a corpse; pale
From his cadaverous appearance, we could see how the disease had ravaged him.
🗑
|
||||
| cadence | rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat
Marching down the road, the troops sang out, following the cadence set by the sergeant.
🗑
|
||||
| cajole | coax; wheedle
I will not be cajoled into granting your wish.
🗑
|
||||
| calamity | disaster; misery
As news of the calamity spread, offers of relief poured in to the stricken community.
🗑
|
||||
| caliber | ability; capacity
A man of such caliber should not be assigned such menial tasks.
🗑
|
||||
| calligraphy | beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
As we examine ancient manuscripts, we became impressed with the calligraphy of the scribes.
🗑
|
||||
| callous | hardened; unfeeling
He had worked in the hospital for so many years that he was callous to the suffering in the wards.
🗑
|
||||
| callow | youthful; immature
In that youthful movement, the leaders were only a little less callow than their immature followers.
🗑
|
||||
| calorific | heat-producing
Coal is much more calorific than green wood.
🗑
|
||||
| calumny | malicious misrepresentation
He could endure his financial failure, but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him.
🗑
|
||||
| camaraderie | good-fellowship
What he loved best about his job was the sense of camaraderie he and his co-workers shared.
🗑
|
||||
| cameo | shell or jewel carved in relief
Tourists are advised not to purchase cameos from the street peddlers of Rome who sell poor specimens of
the carver's art.
🗑
|
||||
| canard | unfounded rumor
It is almost impossible to protect oneself from such a base canard.
🗑
|
||||
| candor | frankness
The candor and simplicity of his speech impressed all, it was all clear he held nothing back.
🗑
|
||||
| canine | related to dogs; doglike
Some days the canine population of Berkeley seems almost to outnumber the human population.
🗑
|
||||
| canker | any ulcerous sore; any evil
Poverty is a canker in the body politic; it must be cured.
🗑
|
||||
| canny | shrewd; thrifty
The canny Scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers.
🗑
|
||||
| cant | pious phraseology; jargon of criminals
Angry that the president had slashed the education budget, we dismissed his speech on the importance of
education as mere cant.
🗑
|
||||
| cantankerous | ill-humored; irritable
Constantly complaining about his treatment and refusing to cooperate with the hospital staff, he was a
cantankerous patient.
🗑
|
||||
| cantata | story set to music, to be sung by a chorus
The choral society sang the new cantata composed by its leader.
🗑
|
||||
| canter | slow gallop
Because the racehorse had outdistanced its competition so easily, the reporter wrote that the race was won
in a canter.
🗑
|
||||
| canto | division of a long poem
Dante's poetic masterpiece The Divine Comedy is divided into cantos.
🗑
|
||||
| canvass | determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.
After canvassing the sentiments of his constituents, the congressman was confident that he represented the
majority opinion of his district.
🗑
|
||||
| capacious | spacious
In the capacious areas of the railroad terminal, thousands of travelers lingered while waiting for their train.
🗑
|
||||
| capillary | having a very fine bore
The changes in surface tension of liquids in capillary vessels is of special interest to physicists.
🗑
|
||||
| capitulate | surrender
The enemy was warned to capitulate or face annihilation.
🗑
|
||||
| caprice | whim
She was an unpredictable creature, acting on caprice, never taking thought of the consequences.
🗑
|
||||
| capricious | fickle; incalculable
The storm was capricious and changed course constantly.
🗑
|
||||
| caption | title; chapter heading; text under illustration
I find the captions that accompany these cartoons very clever and humorous.
🗑
|
||||
| captious | faultfinding
His criticisms were always captious and frivolous, never offering constructive suggestions.
🗑
|
||||
| carafe | glass water bottle
With each dinner, the patron receives a carafe of red or white wine.
🗑
|
||||
| carapace | shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab, etc)
At the children's zoo, Richard perched on top of the giant turtle's hard carapace as it slowly made its way
around the enclosure.
🗑
|
||||
| carat | unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineness of gold
He gave her a diamond that weighed three carats and was mounted in an eighteen-carat gold band.
🗑
|
||||
| carcinogenic | causing cancer
Many supposedly harmless substances have been revealed to be carcinogenic.
🗑
|
||||
| cardinal | chief
If you want to increase your word power, the cardinal rule of vocabulary-building is to read.
🗑
|
||||
| careen | lurch; sway from side to side
The taxicab careened wildly as it rounded the corner.
🗑
|
||||
| caricature | distortion; burlesque
The caricatures he drew always emphasized personal weaknesses of the people he burlesqued.
🗑
|
||||
| carillon | set of bells capable of being played
The carillon in the bell tower of the Coca-Cola pavilion at the New York World's Fair provided musical
entertainment every hour.
🗑
|
||||
| carnage | destruction of life
The carnage that can be caused by atomic warfare adds to the responsibilities of our statesmen.
🗑
|
||||
| carnal | fleshly
The public was more interested in carnal pleasures than in spiritual matters.
🗑
|
||||
| carnivorous | meat-eating
The lion is a carnivorous animal.
🗑
|
||||
| carousal | drunken revel
The party degenerated into an ugly carousal.
🗑
|
||||
| carping | petty criticism; fault-finding
Welcoming constructive criticism, Lexy appreciated her editor's comments, finding them free of carping.
🗑
|
||||
| carrion | rotting flesh of a dead body
Buzzards are nature's scavengers; they eat the carrion left behind by other predators.
🗑
|
||||
| cartographer | map-maker
Though not a professional cartographer, Tolkien was able to construct a map of the fictional world.
🗑
|
||||
| cascade | small waterfall We could not appreciate the beauty of the many cascades as we made detours around each of them to
avoid getting wet.
🗑
|
||||
| caste | one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society, social stratification; prestige
The differences created by caste in India must be wiped out if true democracy is to prevail in that country.
🗑
|
||||
| castigation | punishment; severe criticism
Sensitive even to mild criticism, Woolf could not bear castigation that she found in certain reviews.
🗑
|
||||
| casualty | serious or fatal accident
The number of automotive casualties on this holiday weekend was high.
🗑
|
||||
| cataclysm | deluge; upheaval
A cataclysm such as the French Revolution affects all countries.
🗑
|
||||
| catalyst | agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged
Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst.
🗑
|
||||
| catapult | slingshot; hurling machine
Airplanes are sometimes launched from battleships by catapults.
🗑
|
||||
| cataract | great waterfall; eye abnormality
She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls.
🗑
|
||||
| catastrophe | calamity
The Johnstown flood was a catastrophe.
🗑
|
||||
| catechism | book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
He taught by engaging his pupils in a catechism until they gave him the correct answer.
🗑
|
||||
| categorical | without exceptions; unqualified; absolute
Though the captain claimed he was never, never sick at sea, he finally qualified his categorical denial; he
was hardly ever sick at sea.
🗑
|
||||
| catharsis | purging or cleansing of any passage of the body
Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts.
🗑
|
||||
| cathartic | purgative
Some drugs act as laxatives when taken in small doses but act as cathartics when taken in much larger
doses.
🗑
|
||||
| catholic | universal; wide-ranging liberal
He was extremely catholic in his taste and read everything he could find in the library.
🗑
|
||||
| caucus | private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy
At the opening of Congress the members of the Democratic Party held a caucus to elect the majority
leader of the House and the party whip.
🗑
|
||||
| caulk | to make watertight (by plugging seams) When water from the shower leaked into the basement, we knew it was time to caulk the tiles at the edges
of the shower stall.
🗑
|
||||
| causal | implying a cause-and-effect relationship
The psychologist maintained there was a causal relationship between the nature of one's early childhood
experiences and one's adult personality.
🗑
|
||||
| caustic | burning; sarcastically biting
The critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm.
🗑
|
||||
| cauterize | burn with hot iron or caustic
In order to prevent infection, the doctor cauterized the wound.
🗑
|
||||
| cavalcade | procession; parade
As described by Chaucer, the cavalcade of Canterbury pilgrims was motley group.
🗑
|
||||
| cavalier | casual and offhand; arrogant
Sensitive about having her ideas taken lightly, Marcia felt insulted by Mark's cavalier dismissal of her
suggestion.
🗑
|
||||
| cavil | make frivolous objections
I respect your sensible criticisms, but I dislike the way you cavil about unimportant details.
🗑
|
||||
| cede | transfer; yield title to
I intend to cede this property to the city.
🗑
|
||||
| celerity | speed; rapidity
Hamlet resented his mother's celerity in remarrying within a month after his father's death.
🗑
|
||||
| celestial | heavenly
She spoke of the celestial joys that awaited virtuous souls in the hereafter.
🗑
|
||||
| celibate | abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried
Though the late Havelock Ellis wrote extensively about sexual customs and was considered an expert in
such matters, recent studies maintain he was celibate throughout his life.
🗑
|
||||
| censor | overseer of morals; person who eliminates inappropriate matter
Soldiers dislike having their mail read by a censor but understand the need for this precaution.
🗑
|
||||
| censorious | critical
censorious people delight in casting blame.
🗑
|
||||
| censure | blame; criticize
He was censured for his inappropriate behavior.
🗑
|
||||
| centaur | mythical figure, half man and half horse
I was particularly impressed by the statue of the centaur in the Roman Hall of the museum.
🗑
|
||||
| centigrade | denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius) On the centigrade thermometer, the freezing point of water is zero degrees.
🗑
|
||||
| centrifugal | radiating; departing from the center
Many automatic drying machines remove excess moisture from clothing by centrifugal force.
🗑
|
||||
| centrifuge | machine that separates substances by whirling them
At the dairy, we employ a centrifuge to separate cream from milk.
🗑
|
||||
| centripetal | tending toward the center
Does centripetal force or the force of gravity bring orbiting bodies to the earth's surface?
🗑
|
||||
| centurion | Roman army officer
Because he was in command of a company of one hundred soldiers, he was called a centurion.
🗑
|
||||
| cerebral | pertaining to the brain or intellect
The content of philosophical works is cerebral in nature and requires much thought.
🗑
|
||||
| cerebration | thought
Mathematics problems sometimes require much cerebration.
🗑
|
||||
| ceremonious | marked by formality
Ordinary dress would be in appropriate at so ceremonious an affair.
🗑
|
||||
| cessation | stopping
The workers threatened a cessation of all activities if their demands were not met.
🗑
|
||||
| cession | yielding to another; ceding
The cession of Alaska to the United States is discussed in this chapter.
🗑
|
||||
| chafe | warm by rubbing
The collar chafed his neck.
🗑
|
||||
| chaff | worthless products of an endeavor
When you separate the wheat from the chaff, be sure you throw out the chaff.
🗑
|
||||
| chaffing | bantering; joking
Sometimes his flippant and chaffing remarks annoy us.
🗑
|
||||
| chagrin | vexation; disappointment
Her refusal to go with us filled us with chagrin.
🗑
|
||||
| chalice | goblet; consecrated cup
In a small room adjoining the cathedral, many ornately decorated chalices made by the most famous
European goldsmiths were on display.
🗑
|
||||
| chameleon | lizard that changes color in different situations
Like the chameleon, he assumed the political coloration of every group he met.
🗑
|
||||
| champion | support militantly Martin Luther King, Jr., won the Nobel Peace Prize because he championed the oppressed in their struggle
for equality.
🗑
|
||||
| chaotic | in utter disorder
He tried to bring order into the chaotic state of affairs.
🗑
|
||||
| charisma | divine gift; great popular charm or appeal
Political commentators have deplored the importance of a candidate's charisma in these days of television
campaigning.
🗑
|
||||
| charlatan | quack; pretender to knowledge
When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas, Dorothy and her friends
were sure they'd been duped by a charlatan.
🗑
|
||||
| chary | cautious; sparing or restrained about giving
A prudent, thrifty New Englander, DeWitt was as chary of investing money in junk bonds as he was chary
of paying people unnecessary compliments.
🗑
|
||||
| chase | ornament a metal surface by indenting
With his hammer, he carefully chased an intricate design onto the surface of the chalice.
🗑
|
||||
| chasm | abyss
They could not see the bottom of the chasm.
🗑
|
||||
| chassis | framework and working parts of an automobile
Examining the car after the accident, the owner discovered that the body had been ruined but that the
chassis was unharmed.
🗑
|
||||
| chaste | pure
Her chaste and decorous garb was appropriately selected for the solemnity of the occasion.
🗑
|
||||
| chasten | discipline; punish in order to correct
Whom God loves, God chastens.
🗑
|
||||
| chastise | punish
I must chastise you for this offense.
🗑
|
||||
| chauvinist | blindly devoted patriot
A chauvinist cannot recognize any faults in his country, no matter how flagrant they may be.
🗑
|
||||
| check | stop motion; curb or restrain
Thrusting out her arm, Grandma checked Bobby's lunge at his sister. "Young man," she said, "you'd better
check your temper."
🗑
|
||||
| checkered | marked by changes in fortune
During his checkered career he had lived in palatial mansions and in dreary boardinghouses.
🗑
|
||||
| cherubic | angelic; innocent-looking
With her cheerful smile and rosy cheeks, she was a particularly cherubic child.
🗑
|
||||
| chicanery | trickery
Your deceitful tactics in this case are indications of chicanery.
🗑
|
||||
| chide | scold
Grandma began to chide Steven for his lying.
🗑
|
||||
| chimerical | fantastic; highly imaginative
Poe's chimerical stories are sometimes too morbid for reading in bed.
🗑
|
||||
| chivalrous | courteous; faithful; brave
chivalrous behavior involves noble words and good deeds.
🗑
|
||||
| choleric | hot-tempered
His flushed, angry face indicated a choleric nature.
🗑
|
||||
| choreography | art of dancing
Martha Graham introduced a form of choreography that seemed awkward and alien to those who had
been brought up on classic ballet.
🗑
|
||||
| chronic | long established, as a disease
The doctors were finally able to attribute his chronic headaches and nausea to traces of formaldehyde gas
in his apartment.
🗑
|
||||
| chronicle | report; record (in chronological order)
The gossip columnist was paid to chronicle the latest escapades of the socially prominent celebrities.
🗑
|
||||
| churlish | boorish; rude
Dismayed by his churlish manners at the party, the girls vowed never to invite him again.
🗑
|
||||
| ciliated | having minute hairs
The paramecium is a ciliated, one-celled animal.
🗑
|
||||
| cipher | nonentity; worthless person or thing
She claimed her ex-husband was a total cipher and wondered why she had ever married him.
🗑
|
||||
| cipher | secret code
Lacking his code book, the spy was unable to decode the message sent to him in cipher.
🗑
|
||||
| circlet | small ring; band
This tiny circlet is very costly because it is set with precious stones.
🗑
|
||||
| circuitous | roundabout
Because of the traffic congestion on the main highways, she took a circuitous route.
🗑
|
||||
| circumlocution | indirect or roundabout expression
He was afraid to call spade a spade and resorted to circumlocutions to avoid direct reference to his subject.
🗑
|
||||
| circumscribe | limit; confine Although I do not wish to circumscribe your activities, I must insist that you complete this assignment
before you start anything else.
🗑
|
||||
| circumspect | prudent; cautious
Investigating before acting, she tried always to be circumspect.
🗑
|
||||
| circumvent | outwit; baffle
In order to circumvent the enemy, we will make two preliminary attacks in other sections before starting
our major campaign.
🗑
|
||||
| citadel | fortress
The citadel overlooked the city like a protecting angel.
🗑
|
||||
| cite | quote; commend
She could cite passages in the Bible from memory.
🗑
|
||||
| civil | having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite
Although internal Revenue Service agents are civil servants, they are not always civil to suspected tax
evaders.
🗑
|
||||
| clairvoyant | having foresight; fortuneteller
Cassandra's clairvoyant warning was not heeded by the Trojans.
🗑
|
||||
| clamber | climb by crawling
She clambered over the wall.
🗑
|
||||
| clamor | noise
The clamor of the children at play outside made it impossible for her to take a nap.
🗑
|
||||
| clandestine | secret
After avoiding their chaperon, the lovers had a clandestine meeting.
🗑
|
||||
| clangor | loud, resounding noise
The blacksmith was accustomed to the clangor of hammers on steel.
🗑
|
||||
| clapper | striker (tongue) of a bell
Wishing to be undisturbed by the bell, Dale wound his scarf around the clapper to muffle its striking.
🗑
|
||||
| clarion | shrill, trumpetlike sound
We woke to the clarion to muffle its striking.
🗑
|
||||
| claustrophobia | fear of being locked in
His fellow classmates laughed at his claustrophobia and often threatened to lock him in his room.
🗑
|
||||
| clavicle | collarbone
Even though he wore shoulder pads, the football player broke his clavicle during a practice scrimmage.
🗑
|
||||
| cleave | split asunder
The lightening cleaves the tree in two.
🗑
|
||||
| cleft | split
Erosion caused a cleft in the huge boulder.
🗑
|
||||
| clemency | disposition ot be lenient; mildness, as of the weather
The lawyer was pleased when the case was sent to Judge Smith's chambers because Smith was noted for
her clemency toward first offenders.
🗑
|
||||
| cliche | phrase culled in meaning by repetition
High school compositions are often marred by such cliches as "strong as an ox."
🗑
|
||||
| clientele | body of customers
The rock club attracted a young, stylish clientele.
🗑
|
||||
| climactic | relating to the highest point
When he reached the climactic portions of the book, he could not stop reading.
🗑
|
||||
| clime | region; climate
His doctors advised him to move to a milder clime.
🗑
|
||||
| clique | small, exclusive group
She charged that a clique had assumed control of school affairs.
🗑
|
||||
| cloister | monastery or convent
The nuns lived in the cloister.
🗑
|
||||
| clout | great influence (especially political or social)
Gatsby wondered whether he had enough clout to be admitted to the exclusive club.
🗑
|
||||
| cloying | distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental
Disliking the cloying sweetness of standard wedding cakes, Jody and Tom chose a homemade carrot cake
for their reception.
🗑
|
||||
| coagulate | thicken; congeal; clot
Even after you remove the pudding from the burner, it will continue to coagulate as it stands.
🗑
|
||||
| coalesce | combine; fuse
The brooks coalesce into one large river.
🗑
|
||||
| coda | concluding section of a musical or literary composition
The piece concluded with a distinctive coda that strikingly brought together various motifs.
🗑
|
||||
| coddle | treat gently; pamper
Don't coddle the children to much; they need a taste of discipline.
🗑
|
||||
| codicil | supplement to the body of a will
This codicil was drawn up five years after the writing of the original will.
🗑
|
||||
| codify | arrange (laws, rules) as a code; classify We need to take the varying rules and regulations of the different health agencies and codify them into a
national health code.
🗑
|
||||
| coercion | use of force
They forced him to obey, but only by great coercion.
🗑
|
||||
| coeval | living at the same time as; contemporary
coeval with the dinosaur, the pterodactyl flourished during the Mesozoic era.
🗑
|
||||
| cog | tooth projecting from a wheel
A bicycle chain moves through a series of cogs in order to propel the bike.
🗑
|
||||
| cogent | convincing
She presented cogent arguments to the jury.
🗑
|
||||
| cogitate | think over
cogitate on this problem; the solution will come.
🗑
|
||||
| cognate | related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature
The English word "mother" cognate to the Latin word "mater," whose influence is visible in the words
"maternal" and "maternity."
🗑
|
||||
| cognitive | having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental precesses
Though Jack was emotionally immature, his cognitive development was admirable; he was very advanced
intellectually.
🗑
|
||||
| cognizance | knowledge
During the election campaign, the two candidates were kept in full cognizance of the international
situation.
🗑
|
||||
| cohere | stick together
Solids have a greater tendency to cohere than liquids.
🗑
|
||||
| cohesion | tendency to keep together
A firm believer in the maxim "Divide and conquer," the emperor, by lies and trickery, sought to disrupt the
cohesion ofthe free nations.
🗑
|
||||
| cohorts | armed band
Caesar and his Roman cohorts conquered almost all of the known world.
🗑
|
||||
| coiffure | hairstyle
You can make a statement with your choice of coiffure: in the 60's many African-Americans affirmed their
racial heritage by wearing their hair in Afros.
🗑
|
||||
| coincident | occurring at the same time
Some people find the coincident events in Hardy's novels annoyingly improbable.
🗑
|
||||
| colander | utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
Before serving the spaghetti, place it in a colander to drain it.
🗑
|
||||
| collaborate | work together
Two writers collaborated in preparing this book.
🗑
|
||||
| collage | work of art put together from fragments
Scraps of cloth, paper doilies, and old photographs all went into her collage.
🗑
|
||||
| collate | examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order
They collated the newly found manuscripts to determine their age.
🗑
|
||||
| collateral | security given for loan
The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral.
🗑
|
||||
| collation | a light meal
Tea sandwiches and cookies were offered at the collation.
🗑
|
||||
| colloquial | pertaining to conversational or common speech
Your use of colloquial expressions in a formal essay such as the one you have presented spoils the effect
you hope to achieve.
🗑
|
||||
| colloquy | informal discussion
I enjoy our colloquies but I sometimes wish that they could be made more formal and more searching.
🗑
|
||||
| collusion | conspiring in a fraudulent scheme
The swindlers were found guilty of collusion.
🗑
|
||||
| colossal | huge
Radio City Music Hall has a colossal stage.
🗑
|
||||
| colossus | gigantic statue
The legendary Colossus of Rhodes, bronze statue of the sun god that dominated the harbor of the Greek
seaport, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
🗑
|
||||
| comatose | in a coma; extremely sleepy
The long-winded orator soon had his audience in a comatose state.
🗑
|
||||
| combustible | easily burned
After the recent outbreak of fires in private homes, the fire commissioner ordered that all combustible
materials be kept in safe containers.
🗑
|
||||
| comely | attractive; agreeable
I would rather have a poor and comely wife than a rich and homely one.
🗑
|
||||
| comestible | something fit to be eaten
The roast turkey and other comestibles, the wines, and the excellent service made this Thanksgiving dinner
particularly memorable.
🗑
|
||||
| comeuppance | rebuke; deserts
After his earlier rudeness, we were delighted to see him get his comeuppance.
🗑
|
||||
| comity | courtesy; civility
A spirit of comity should exist among nations.
🗑
|
||||
| commandeer | to draft for military purposes; to take for public use
The policeman commandeered the first car that approached and ordered the driver to go to the nearest
hospital.
🗑
|
||||
| commemorative | remembering; honoring
The new commemorative stamp honors the late Martin Luther King, Jr.
🗑
|
||||
| commensurate | equal in extent
Your reward will be commensurate with your effort.
🗑
|
||||
| commiserate | feel or express pity or sympathy for
Her friends commiserated with the widow.
🗑
|
||||
| commodious | spacious and comfortable
After sleeping in a small roadside cabins, they found their hotel suite commodious.
🗑
|
||||
| communal | held in common; of a group of people
When they were divorced, they had trouble dividing their communal property.
🗑
|
||||
| compact | agreement; contract
The signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government.
🗑
|
||||
| compact | tightly packed; firm; brief
His short, compact body was better suited to wrestling than to basketball.
🗑
|
||||
| compatible | harmonious; in harmony with
They were compatible neighbors, never quarreling over unimportant matters.
🗑
|
||||
| compelling | overpowering; irresistible in effect
The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case, but the defense attorney's compelling arguments for
leniency won over the jury.
🗑
|
||||
| compendium | brief, comprehensive summary
This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this
field.
🗑
|
||||
| compensatory | making up for; repaying
Can a compensatory education program make up for the inadequate schooling he received in earlier years?
🗑
|
||||
| compilation | listing of statistical information in tabular or book form
The compilation of available scholarships serves a very valuable purpose.
🗑
|
||||
| complacent | self-satisfied
There was a complacent look on his face as he examined his paintings.
🗑
|
||||
| complaisant | trying to please; obliging
The courtier obeyed the king's orders in a complaisant manner.
🗑
|
||||
| complement | complete; consummate; make perfect
The waiter recommended a glass of port to complement the cheese.
🗑
|
||||
| compliance | conformity in fulfilling requirements; readiness to yield
The design for the new school had to be in compliance with the local building code.
🗑
|
||||
| compliant | yielding
He was compliant and ready to go along with his friends' desires.
🗑
|
||||
| complicity | participation; involvement
You cannot keep your complicity in this affair secret very long; you would be wise to admit your
involvement immediately.
🗑
|
||||
| component | element; ingredient
I wish all the components of my stereo system were working at the same time.
🗑
|
||||
| comport | bear one's self; behave
He comported himself with great dignity.
🗑
|
||||
| composure | mental calmness
Even the latest work crisis failed to shake her composure.
🗑
|
||||
| compound | combine; constitute; pay interest; increase
The makers of the popular cold remedy compounded a nasal decongestant with an antihistamine.
🗑
|
||||
| comprehensive | thorough; inclusive
This book provides a comprehensive review of verbal and math skills for the SAT.
🗑
|
||||
| compress | close; squeeze; contract
She compressed the package under her arm.
🗑
|
||||
| comprise | include; consist of
If the District of Columbia were to be granted a statehood, the United States of America would comprise
fifty-onestates, not just fifty.
🗑
|
||||
| compromise | adjust; endanger the interests or reputation of
Your presence at the scene of the dispute compromises our claim to neutrality in this matter.
🗑
|
||||
| compunction | remorse
The judge was especially severe in this sentencing because he felt that the criminal had shown no
compunction for his heinous crime.
🗑
|
||||
| compute | reckon; calculate
He failed to compute the interest, so his bank balance was not accurate.
🗑
|
||||
| concatenate | link as in a chain It is difficult to understand how these events could concatenate as they did without outside assistance.
🗑
|
||||
| concave | hollow
The back-packers found partial shelter from the storm by huddling against the concave wall of the cliff.
🗑
|
||||
| concede | admit; hield
Despite all the evidence Monica had assembled, Mark refused to concede that she was right.
🗑
|
||||
| conceit | whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor
He was an entertaining companion, always expressing himself in amusing conceits and witty turns of
phrase.
🗑
|
||||
| concentric | having a common center
The target was made of concentric circles.
🗑
|
||||
| conception | beginning; forming of a idea
At the first conception of the work, he was consulted.
🗑
|
||||
| concerted | mutually agreed on; done together
The girl scouts in the troop made a concerted effort to raise funds for their annual outing, and emitted a
concerted sigh when their leader announced that they had reached their goal.
🗑
|
||||
| concession | an act of yielding
Before they could reach an agreement, both sides had to make certain concessions.
🗑
|
||||
| conciliatory | reconciling; soothing
She was still angry despite his conciliatory words.
🗑
|
||||
| concise | brief and compact
When you define a new word, be concise; the shorter the definition, the easier it is to remember.
🗑
|
||||
| conclave | private meeting
He was present at all their conclaves as an unofficial observer.
🗑
|
||||
| conclusive | decisive; ending all debate
When the stolen books turned up in John's locker, we finally had conclusive evidence of the identity of the
mysterious thief.
🗑
|
||||
| concoct | prepare by combining; make up in concert
How did the inventive chef ever concoct such strange dish?
🗑
|
||||
| concomitant | that which accompanies
Culture is not always a concomitant of wealth.
🗑
|
||||
| concord | harmony
Watching Tweediedum and Tweedledee battle, Alice wondered why the two brothers could not manage to
life in concord.
🗑
|
||||
| concur | agree Did you concur with the decision of the court or did you find it unfair?
🗑
|
||||
| concurrent | happening at the same time
In America, the colonists were resisting the demands of the mother contry; at the concurrent moment in
France, the middle class was sowing the seeds of rebellion.
🗑
|
||||
| condescend | bestow courtesies with a superior air
The king condescended to grant an audience to the friends of the condemned man.
🗑
|
||||
| condign | adequate; deservedly severe
The public approved the condign punishment for the crime.
🗑
|
||||
| condiments | seasonings; spices
Spanish food is full of condiments.
🗑
|
||||
| condole | express sympathetic sorrow
His friends gathered to condole with him over his loss.
🗑
|
||||
| condone | overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
Unlike Widow Douglass, who condoned Huck's minor offenses, Miss Watson did nothing but scold.
🗑
|
||||
| conducive | helpful; contributive
Rest and proper diet are conducive to good health.
🗑
|
||||
| conduit | aqueduct; passageway for fluids
Water was brought to the army in the desert by an improvised conduit from the adjoining mountain.
🗑
|
||||
| confidant | trusted friend
He had no confidants with whom he could discuss his problems at home.
🗑
|
||||
| confiscate | seize; commandeer
The army confiscated all available supplies of uranium.
🗑
|
||||
| conflagration | great fire
In the conflagration that followed the 1906 earthquake, much of San Francisco was destroyed.
🗑
|
||||
| confluence | flowing together; crowd
They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.
🗑
|
||||
| conformity | harmony; agreement
In conformity with our rules and regulations, I am calling a meeting of our organization.
🗑
|
||||
| confound | confuse; puzzle
No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long.
🗑
|
||||
| congeal | freeze; coagulate
His blood congealed in his veins as he saw the dread monster rush toward him.
🗑
|
||||
| congenial | pleasant; friendly My father loved to go out for a meal with congenial companions.
🗑
|
||||
| congenital | existing at birth
His congenital deformity disturbed his parents.
🗑
|
||||
| conglomeration | mass of material sticking together
In such a conglomeration of miscellaneous statistics, it was impossible to find a single area of analysis.
🗑
|
||||
| congruence | correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship
The student demonstrated the congruence of the two triangles by using the hypotenuse-arm theorem.
🗑
|
||||
| conifer | pine tree; cone-bearing tree
According to geologists, the conifers were the first plants to bear flowers.
🗑
|
||||
| conjecture | surmise; guess
I will end all your conjectures; I admit I am guilty as charged.
🗑
|
||||
| conjugal | pertaining to marriage
Their dreams of conjugal bliss were shattered as soon as their temperaments clashed.
🗑
|
||||
| conjure | summon a devil; proactive magic; imagine; invent
He conjured up an image of a reformed city and had the voters completely under his spell.
🗑
|
||||
| connivance | pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend
With the connivance of his friends, he plotted to embarrass the teacher.
🗑
|
||||
| connoisseur | person competent to act as judge of art, ect.; a lover of an art
She had developed into a connoisseur of fine china.
🗑
|
||||
| connotation | suggested or implied meaning of an expression
Foreigners frequently are unaware of the connotations of the words they use.
🗑
|
||||
| connubial | pertaining to maffige or the matrimonial state
In his telegram, he wished the newlyweds a lifetime of connubial bliss.
🗑
|
||||
| consanguinity | kinship
The lawsuit developed into a test of the consanguinity of the claimant to the estate.
🗑
|
||||
| conscientious | scrupulous; careful
A conscientious editor checked every definition for its accuracy.
🗑
|
||||
| conscript | draftee; person forced into military service
Did Rambo volunteer to fight in Vietnam, or was he a conscript, drafted against his will?
🗑
|
||||
| consecrate | dedicate; sanctify
We shall consecrate our lives to this noble purpose.
🗑
|
||||
| consensus | general agreement
The consensus indicates that we are opposed to entering into this pact.
🗑
|
||||
| consequential | pompous; self-important
Convinced of his own importance, the actor strutted about the dressing room with a consequential air.
🗑
|
||||
| conservatory | school of the fine arts (especiallymusic or drama)
A gifted violinist, Marya was selected to study at the conservatory.
🗑
|
||||
| consign | deliver officially; entrust; set apart
The court consigned the child to her paternal grandmother's care.
🗑
|
||||
| consistency | absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness
Holmes judged puddings and explanations on their consistency; he liked his puddings without lumps and
his explanations without improbabilities.
🗑
|
||||
| console | lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort
When her father died, Marius did his best to console Cosette.
🗑
|
||||
| consonance | harmony; agreement
Her agitation seemed out of consonance with her usual calm.
🗑
|
||||
| consort | associate with
We frequently judge people by the company with whom they consort.
🗑
|
||||
| consort | husband or wife
The search for a consort for the young Queen Victoria ended happily.
🗑
|
||||
| conspiracy | treacherous plot
Brutus and Cassius joined in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar.
🗑
|
||||
| constituent | supporter
The congressman received hundreds of letters from angry constituents after the Equal Rights Amendment
failed to pass.
🗑
|
||||
| constraint | compulsion; repression of feelings
There was a feeling of constraint in the room because no one dared to criticize the speaker.
🗑
|
||||
| construe | explain; interpret
If I construe your remarks correctly, you disagree with the theory already advanced.
🗑
|
||||
| consummate | complete
I have never seem anyone who makes as many stupid errors as you do; you must be a consummate idiot.
🗑
|
||||
| contagion | infection
Fearing contagion, they took drastic steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
🗑
|
||||
| contaminate | pollute
The sewage system of the city so contaminated the water that swimming was forbidden.
🗑
|
||||
| contempt | scorn; disdain Even if you feel superior to others, it is unwise to show your contempt for them.
🗑
|
||||
| contend | struggle; compete; assert earnestly
In Revolt of the Black Athlete, sociologist Harry Edwards contends that young black athletes have been
exploited by some college recruiters.
🗑
|
||||
| contentious | quarrelsome
We heard loud and contentious noises in the next room.
🗑
|
||||
| contest | dispute
The defeated candidate attempted to contest the election results.
🗑
|
||||
| context | writings preceding and following the passage quoted
Because these lines are taken out of context, they do not convey the message the author intended.
🗑
|
||||
| contiguous | adjacent to; touching upon
The two countries are contiguous for a few miles; then they are separated by the gulf.
🗑
|
||||
| continence | self-restraint; sexual chastity
She vowed to lead a life of continence.
🗑
|
||||
| contingent | conditional
The continuation of this contract is contingent on the quality of your first output.
🗑
|
||||
| contortions | twistings; distortions
As the effects of the opiate wore away, the contortions of the patient became more violent and
demonstrated how much pain she was enduring.
🗑
|
||||
| contraband | illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods
The coast guard tries to prevent contraband in U.S. waters.
🗑
|
||||
| contravene | contradict; oppose: infringe on or transgress
Mr. Barrett did not expect his frail daughter Elizabeth to contravene his will by eloping with Robert
Browning.
🗑
|
||||
| contrite | penitent
Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence.
🗑
|
||||
| contrived | forced; artificial; not spontaneous
Feeling ill at ease with his new in-laws; James made a few contrived attempts at conversation and then
retreated into silence.
🗑
|
||||
| controvert | oppose with arguments; contradict
To controvert your theory will require much time but it is essential that we disprove it.
🗑
|
||||
| contumacious | disobedient; resisting authority
The contumacious mob shouted defiantly at the police.
🗑
|
||||
| contusion | bruise She was treated for contusions and abrasions.
🗑
|
||||
| conundrum | riddle; difficult problem
During the long car ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children.
🗑
|
||||
| convene | assemble
Because much is needed legislation had to be enacted, the governor ordered the legislature to convene in
special session by January 15.
🗑
|
||||
| convention | social or moral custom; established practice
Flying in the face of convention, George Sand (Amandine Dudevant) shocked her contemporaries by
taking lovers and wearing men's clothes.
🗑
|
||||
| conventional | ordinary; typical
His conventional upbringing left him wholly unprepared for his wife's eccentric family.
🗑
|
||||
| converge | come together
Marchers converged on Washington for the great Save Our Cities-Save Our Children March.
🗑
|
||||
| conversant | familiar with
The lawyer is conversant with all the evidence.
🗑
|
||||
| converse | opposite
The inevitable converse of peace is not war but annihilation.
🗑
|
||||
| convert | one who has adopted a different religion or opinion
On his trip to Japan, though the President spoke at length about the merits of American automobiles, he
made few converts to his beliefs.
🗑
|
||||
| convex | curving outward
He polished the convex lens of his telescope.
🗑
|
||||
| conveyance | vehicle; transfer
During the transit strike, commuters used various kinds of conveyances.
🗑
|
||||
| conviction | strongly held belief
Nothing could shake his conviction that she was innocent.
🗑
|
Review the information in the table. When you are ready to quiz yourself you can hide individual columns or the entire table. Then you can click on the empty cells to reveal the answer. Try to recall what will be displayed before clicking the empty cell.
To hide a column, click on the column name.
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.
To hide a column, click on the column name.
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Created by:
503746070
Popular GRE sets