Kaemingk's GRE words
GRE Words
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- n rostrum
- raised platform for speech-making; pulpit
- n vagary
- capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander
- n prosody
- art of versification; study of the metrical structure of verse
- aegis
- shield; protection; defense
- n unwonted
- unaccustomed; unusual; Ex. He arrived with unwonted punctuality.
- n repine
- fret; complain; be annoyed; Ex. repine over the undone work
- n inveigle
- deceive; lead astray by deception; wheedle(cajole); Ex. inveigle her into n invidious designed to create ill will or envy; tending to rouse ill will or envy; Ex. invidious comparison
- n patina
- green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished paintings varnish paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish; V.
- n stricture
- severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction
- s Shangri-la
- imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon
- s variegate
- change the appearance of (by marking with different colors)
- anodyne
- drug that relieves pain or trouble; ÁøÅëÁ¦; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
- perspicuous
- (of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments
- s recreant
- disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person
- n truculence
- aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce
- isotope
- varying from of an element
- syllogism
- logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument
- n patrician
- noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian
- n propinquity
- nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship
- n mendacious
- lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
- pique
- irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity
- punctilious
- minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail
- n subterfuge
- stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; Ex. resort to a harmless subterfuge
- obeisance
- bow (to show respect and obedience)
- paucity
- scarcity; dearth
- n taciturn
- habitually silent; talking little
- malodorous
- foul-smelling
- n lancet
- small surgical tool for making incisions
- ravel
- fall apart into tangles; entangle; unravel or untwist
- n incorporeal
- without a material body; insubstantial
- n turpitude
- depravity; baseness; Ex. moral turpitude
- n pellucid
- transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand
- s maleficient
- doing evil; N. maleficience
- n braggadocio
- boasting
- n recalcitrant
- disobedient or resisting authority even after being punished; obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly; Ex. recalcitrant child
- obdurate
- stubborn; refusing to change one's belief
- s pucker
- gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold
- n nettle
- irritate; annoy; vex; ADJ. nettlesome
- perspicuity
- clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
- n husbandry
- frugality; thrift; economy; agriculture; farming; Ex. animal husbandry; CF. husbandman
- n welter
- confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data
- n acetic
- vinegary
- n quixotic
- idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote
- n piebald
- of different colors; mottled; spotted in different colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. piebald horse; CF. pie+bald
- n lode
- metal-bearing vein(long deposit of an ore)
- n staid
- serious and sedate; sober; Ex. staid during the funeral ceremony
- n titular
- of a title; in name only; nominal; having the title of an office without the obligations; Ex. titular head of the company
- n gourmand
- epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink
- n simian
- monkeylike; N: ape or monkey
- n halcyon
- calm; peaceful; Ex. halcyon days
- n ineffable
- unutterable; not to be uttered; taboo; that cannot be expressed in speech; ineffectual not effective; not having a desired effect; weak
- pachyderm
- thick-skinned animal
- n progeny
- children; offspring; descendants
- n rebus
- representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols; puzzle in which pictures or letters stand for words; Ex. ``R U 18'' is a rebus for ``Are you 18''.
- s effulgent
- shining brightly; brilliant
- n ligneous
- like wood
- n ciliated
- having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
- n impolitic
- not wise; not expedient; not politic
- sycophant
- servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic
- n testator
- maker of a will; CF. testatrix
- tactile
- pertaining to the organs or sense of touch
- n niggardly
- meanly stingy; parsimonious; N. *****rd: stingy person
- n somber
- dark; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; CF. shadow
- n sybarite
- lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
- n victuals
- food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food
- n mordant
- biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit
- s horoscope
- diagram of the positions of stars at a given moment (eg. of a person's birth) used by astrologers
- n stipple
- paint or draw with dots or short strokes
- n potentate
- monarch; sovereign
- n sidereal
- relating to stars; Ex. sidereal day
- analgesic
- causing insensitivity to pain; N.
- agog
- highly excited; intensely curious
- n primogeniture
- seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents)
- n quotidian
- daily; commonplace; customary; Ex. quotidian routine
- n macerate
- soften by soaking in liquid; waste away; Ex. macerate powdered wood to make paper
- n seethe
- be violently disturbed; boil; (of a liquid) move about wildly as if boiling; Ex. The nation was seething with discontent.
- s scowl
- frown angrily; N: angry frown
- n rancor
- long-lasting hatred; bitterness; Ex. negotiation without rancor; ADJ. rancorous
- actuary
- someone who advises insurance companies
- obsequious
- slavishly attentive; servile; full of servile compliance; sycophantic
- n mincing
- affectedly dainty(delicate); V. mince: cut (esp. meat) into very small pieces; walk with exaggerated primness; walk in an unnatural way, taking little short steps;
- remonstrate
- protest; objection; V. remonstrate: say in protest
- lascivious
- lustful
- n suavity
- urbanity; polish; ADJ. suave: smooth and courteous
- n tertiary
- third in order or rank
- n supernumerary
- person or thing excess of what is necessary; extra; ADJ: additional to the usual or necessary number
- n putative
- supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child
- n rarefied
- made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction
- aphasia
- loss of speech due to injury or illness
- n verisimilitude
- appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth
- n swathe
- swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one's head swathed in bandages
- nomenclature
- terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things
- partial
- incomplete; favoring one side over another; having a liking for something
- n flotsam
- drifting wreckage
- indefatigable
- tireless; untiring; showing no sign of getting tired
- impetus
- moving force; momentum; force of a moving body; incentive; stimulus; impulse
- n variegated
- (esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored
- n titter
- nervous giggle; nervous laugh; V.
- n ventral
- abdominal
- n olfactory
- concerning the sense of smell
- n mellifluous
- (of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune
- amalgamate
- (of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
- n maelstrom
- violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; CF. stream
- n maudlin
- effusively sentimental
- penury
- extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy
- n glower
- scowl; glare; look or stare angrily
- n uxorious
- excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF. uxor: wife
- sanguine
- optimistic; cheerful; hopeful; of the color of blood; red
- n largess
- generous gift (given to people who do not have enough)
- pungent
- stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech or writing) caustic; N. pungency
- n unguent
- ointment
- uniformity
- sameness; monotony; ADJ. uniform: the same all over
- n parquet
- floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: long narrow piece
- n occlude
- shut; close; obstruct; Ex. A blood clot occluded an artery.
- somatic
- pertaining to the body; bodily; physical
- n dally
- trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time
- n symbiosis
- interdependent relationship (between groups, species) often mutually beneficial; ADJ. symbiotic; CF. together + life
- s malapropos
- inappropriate; ADV.
- n nugatory
- worthless; futile
- pugilist
- boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing
- obloquy
- slander; disgrace; infamy
- pecuniary
- pertaining to money
- viscous
- (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency
- sedentary
- requiring sitting; done while sitting; not moving from one place to another; settled; Ex. sedentary job/population
- alimentary
- supplying nourishment
- n interloper
- intruder; one who interferes
- n garish
- overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy
- n propitiate
- appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory
- n stentorian
- (of the voice) extremely loud; CF. Stentor: a loud herald in the Iliad
- n scintillate
- sparkle; flash; be animated; be full of life; Ex. scintillating conversation
- s jetsam
- things thrown from a ship (to lighten the ship)
- n stodgy
- dull; stuffy; boringly conservative; Ex. stodgy book
- n tessellated
- mosaic; inlaid; Ex. tessellated pattern
- n lumen
- unit of light energy (one candle's worth)
- n panegyric
- formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics.
- s penology
- study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation
- malefactor
- evildoer; criminal
- s phalanx
- formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense)
- n urbane
- suave; refined in manner; elegant
- s poise
- good judgment with composure; balance; V: place in a carefully balanced position
- ambulatory
- able to walk
- n vitriolic
- causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; n vulpine like a fox; crafty
- n necromancy
- black magic; sorcery; dealings with the dead; art that professes to communicate with the spirits of the dead so as to predict the future; CF. necromancer; CF. necro+divination; CF. necro-: death; Ex. necropolis
- n vitreous
- of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify
- n limpid
- crystal clear
- n sartorial
- pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor
- n virulent
- (of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom
- n pulmonary
- pertaining to the lungs
- n sinecure
- well-paid position with little responsibility; CF. sine cure: without n skulduggery(skullduggery) dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election
- somnambulist
- sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism
- n solder
- repair or make whole by using a metal alloy; N: metal alloy (usually tin and lead) used in the molten state to join metallic parts
- animadversion
- critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
- n vegetate
- live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan
- n lugubrious
- mournful; sorrowful
- n tonsure
- shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V.
- alluvial
- pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
- n ichthyology
- study of fish; CF. ichthyo-: fish
- n larder
- pantry; place where food is kept
- n sonorous
- resonant; producing a full deep sound; producing sound
- n hackles
- hairs on back and neck, especially of a dog; Ex. make someone's hackles rises
- increment
- increase
- n piscatorial
- pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces
- n actuate
- motivate; activate; cause to act
- n pulchritude
- beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous
- paramour
- illicit lover
- n imbroglio
- complicated situation (as in a play); painful or complex misunderstanding (as in a play); entanglement; confused mass (as of papers); V. embroil
- n floe
- flat mass of floating ice
- n pugnacity
- combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature
- n malapropism
- comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop
- n supererogatory
- superfluous; more than needed or demanded
- n wastrel
- waster; profligate
- n somnolent
- half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence
- remunerative
- (of work) compensating; rewarding; profitable; well-paid; V. remunerate: n repast meal; feast; banquet
- n nascent
- incipient; coming into being or existence; Ex. nascent ability in music
- progenitor
- ancestor
- agglomeration
- collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
- prey
- target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice.
- n sibylline
- prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world)
- apropos
- with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
- n patois
- local or provincial dialect
- n ribald
- marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke
- n hale
- healthy
- n legerdemain
- sleight(dexterity) of hand; CF. light of hand
- incommodious
- not spacious; inconvenient
- supercilious
- haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; CF. eyebrow, cilium
- n mealymouthed
- indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive
- n raconteur
- story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill
- n ragamuffin
- dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes
- affected
- artificial; pretended
- vertigo
- severe dizziness; giddiness
- n furtive
- stealthy; quiet and secret (trying to escape notice); sneaky; Ex. furtive glance
- affidavit
- written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)
- acuity
- sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)
- n proscenium
- part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a stage
- annotate
- comment; make explanatory notes
- parry
- ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully; s parsimony stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious
- n sylvan
- pertaining to the woods or the country
- n visage
- face; appearance
- nominal
- in name only; of a name; trifling; (of a sum of money) very small; CF. nominate: propose as a candidate; appoint
- n penumbra
- partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow
- perfidious
- treacherous; disloyal; N. perfidy: treachery
- n husband
- use sparingly; conserve; save; Ex. husband one's energy; CF. house holder
- n pundit
- authority on a subject; expert; learned person
- n pusillanimous
- cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted
- n veracious
- (of a person) truthful
- n puissant
- powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power
- n physiognomy
- face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features
- vaunted
- boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag
- n multifarious
- varied; greatly diversified; Ex. multifarious activities
- n martinet
- strict disciplinarian; person who demands total obedience to rules and orders; CF. Jean Martinet
- pertinacious
- holding tenaciously to an action; stubborn; persistent
- n scintilla
- trace; minute amount; shred; least bit; Ex. There is not a scintilla of truth; CF. spark
- n prosaic
- lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose
- soliloquy
- talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue: soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing a conversation)
- askance
- with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at
- n verdigris
- green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather
- jingoist
- extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist; N.
- stratagem
- deceptive scheme; clever trick
- n piquant
- pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help
- n sunder
- separate; part; CF. asunder
- n untoward
- unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter
- aperture
- opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
- n nubile
- marriageable; of marriageable age; CF. connubial
- n pestle
- tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl or mortar
- n mendicant
- beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar
- n raiment
- clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear.
- n prevaricate
- lie; hide the truth (by equivocating)
- n vainglorious
- boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great vanity
- n saturnine
- morose; gloomy; Ex. Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance.
- n roil
- make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb
- n venial
- (of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial
- n scad
- a great quantity; Ex. scads of clothes
- s parvenu
- upstart; newly rich person
- n histrionic
- theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior
- n septic
- of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus)
- n acrid
- bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent
- n umbrage
- resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take umbrage at his rudeness
- n minutiae
- petty or trivial details; CF. minutia
- n upbraid
- reprimand; severely scold
- n ineluctable
- irresistible; not to be escaped; unavoidable
- n lope
- gallop slowly
- n peroration
- conclusion of an oration; perorating; V. perorate: conclude a speech; perspicacious (of someone) having insight; penetrating; astute
- acme
- peak; pinnacle; highest point
- n quisling
- traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling
- n suffuse
- spread through or over (with a color or liquid); charge; Ex. A blush suffused her cheeks.
- n protean
- able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will
- n quiescent
- dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence
- natation
- swimming
- n sundry
- miscellaneous; various; several; N. sundries: small miscellaneous items
- n tensile
- capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber
- n spoonerism
- accidental transposition of sounds in successive words; Ex. ``Let me sew you to your sheet'' for ``Let me show you to your seat''; CF. William Spooner
- n interregnum
- period between two successive reigns or governments
- n prate
- talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly
- n poultice
- soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
- n pastiche
- imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists
- n verisimilar
- having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible
- acumen
- mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
- n stygian
- unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead
- propulsive
- driving forward; N. propulsion
- s swamp
- wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid
- n hortatory
- encouraging; exhortive; marked by exhortation; CF. exhort
- n fructify
- bear fruit; produce fruit
- n sardonic
- scornfully mocking; disdainful; sarcastic; cynical; Ex. sardonic smile
- n acidulous
- slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
- n limn
- draw; outline; describe; CF. line ?
- adjutant
- staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
- n superannuated
- retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete
- libidinous
- lustful
- n mawkish
- mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental
- n osseous
- made of bone; bony
- n pore
- study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. pore over the book; N.
- n roseate
- rosy; optimistic; Ex. roseate views
- n opalescent
- iridescent; lustrous; like an opal; N. opalescence
- n miasma
- swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
- malediction
- curse
- n petulant
- touchy; peevish; ill-tempered
- impenitent
- not repentant
- n lineaments
- features especially of the face; distinctive shape or contour of the face; n lithe flexible; supple; CF. limber
- magniloquent
- boastful; pompous
- n surfeit
- satiate; feed or supply to excess; stuff; indulge to excess in anything; n swarthy (of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy Italian ?
- n supine
- lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision
- apoplexy
- stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
- n solecism
- nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly
- n prolixity
- tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse
- n insalubrious
- unwholesome; not healthful; Ex. insalubrious place
- n querulous
- given to complaining; complaining; fretful; whining
- s slavish
- of or like a slave; servile; showing no originality; copied very closely; Ex. slavish devotion/copy of the original obsequy funeral ceremony
- n nib
- beak(bill); pen point
- n sagacious
- wise; perceptive; shrewd; having insight; N. sagacity
- aplomb
- poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
- n inveigh
- denounce; utter censure or invective; Ex. inveigh against the evils of drink
- n moribund
- dying; at the point of death; CF. death
- n propitious
- favorable; auspicious; advantageous; fortunate; Ex. propitious day/sign
- n mulct
- defraud a person of something; swindle; Ex. mulct the boy of his legacy
- imponderable
- weightless; that cannot undergo precise evaluation; CF. pound
- n ossify
- change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one's ideas
- n guffaw
- boisterous laughter; V.
- n prurient
- having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing immoderate sexual desire
- oblique
- indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference
- n meretricious
- flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute
- actuarial
- calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
- n vicissitude
- change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China
- n knave
- untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel; jack; N. knavery
- invective
- abuse
- n waif
- homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays
- marital
- pertaining to marriage
- n manumit
- emancipate; free from slavery or bondage
- n insouciant
- without concern or care; unconcerned; indifferent
- transmute
- transform; change; convert to something different
- n regale
- entertain
- n jocund
- merry
- alacrity
- cheerful promptness without reluctance
- n imprecation
- curse; swearword
- n vise
- vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device
- ambrosia
- food of the gods
- n harangue
- long, passionate, and vehement speech; V.
- n viscid
- adhesive; gluey
- n flit
- fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower
- pastoral
- rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor
- n sluice
- artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow)
- n seine
- seine net; net for catching fish
- n plaudit
- praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; polyglot speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N.
- n palimpsest
- parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after original writing has been erased