GRE General Set 22
Terms
undefined, object
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- poseur
- person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others; person who poses; CF. pose
- encomiastic
- praising; eulogistic; N. encomium: very high praise; eulogy
- desiccate
- dry up
- penology
- study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation
- bauble
- trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
- soporific
- sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness; drowsy
- hyperbole
- exaggeration; overstatement; ADJ. ~ic: of ~; of a ~a
- travesty
- copy or example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous; Ex. ~ of justice; OP. paragon; [from French travesti 'disguised,' past participle of travestir, from Italian travestire, from trans- 'across' + vestire 'clothe.']
- protrude
- stick out; jut; project; Ex. ~ing teeth
- chaplain
- clergyman attached to a chapel; a member of the clergy attached to a private chapel, institution, ship, branch of the armed forces, etc.
- wilt
- loose freshness; droop
- impecunious
- without money [Latin pecūniōsus, from pecūnia, money, wealth).]
- lassitude
- languor; weariness; listlessness
- smother
- kill from lack of air; suppress; cover thickly; Ex. ~ed in little stickers
- scad
- a great quantity; Ex. ~s of clothes
- earthy
- unrefined; coarse; of ~; Ex. ~ remarks; OP. ethereal
- nip
- s~ off; stop something's growth or development; bite; make numb with cold; Ex. ~ the plan; Ex. A guard dog ~ped the postman; Ex. fingers ~ped by the extreme chill
- elysian
- relating to paradise; blissful
- oblique
- indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. ~ reference
- abhor
- detest; hate
- turgid
- swollen; distended (as from liquid)
- assumption
- something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her ~ of power; V. assume
- graduate
- arrange into categories or grades; divide into marked intervals (for use in measurement); Ex. ~ed ruler
- extirpate
- root up; uproot; destroy completely [from Latin exstirpare, from ex- 'out' + stirps 'a stem.']
- sheathe
- place into a case; insert into or provide with a ~; Ex. He ~d his dagger; N. ~: case for a blade
- denouement
- [note pronounciation] final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained; • the climax of a chain of events, usually when something is decided or made clear : I waited by the eighteenth green to see the ~.
- suavity
- urbanity; polish; ADJ. suave: smooth and courteous
- braggadocio
- boasting
- concoct
- prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; Ex. ~ an elaborate excuse for being late; N. ~ion [Latin concoquere, concoct-, to boil together : com-, com- + coquere, to cook.]
- internecine
- mutually destructive
- diadem
- crown; a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignt
- malapropos
- inappropriate; ADV.
- cozen
- cheat; hoodwink; swindle
- rostrum
- raised platform for speech-making; pulpit
- vacuous
- empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. ~ expression; N. vacuity
- epic
- long heroic poem, novel, or similar work of art (celebrating the feats of a hero); ADJ: (of stories or events) resembling an ~; grand
- mottled
- blotched in coloring; spotted; Ex. ~ face; V. mottle: mark with blotches of different colors
- bevy
- large group; Ex. a ~ of starlets
- refulgent
- effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; Ex. ~ moon
- behemoth
- huge creature; something of monstrous size or power
- affirmation
- positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
- rousing
- lively; inducing excitement; stirring; V. rouse: waken; arouse from sleep or depression; excite; stir up
- conjugal
- pertaining to marriage; [ from conjux, conjug- 'spouse,' from con- 'together' + jugum 'a yoke.']
- swipe
- hit with a sweeping motion; N.
- scrap
- small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight; Ex. a ~ of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal; discard as worthless; fight; quarrel
- obelisk
- tall column tapering(becoming gradually narrower toward the end) and ending in a pyramid
- saturnine
- morose; gloomy; Ex. Do not be misled by his ~ countenance.
- aloft
- upward; high up in the air
- discompose
- disturb the composure of; confuse
- scabbard
- case for a sword blade; sheath
- mystic
- of hidden meaning and spiritual power; Ex. ~ ceremonies; N. CF. ~ism
- larceny
- theft; Ex. petit ~ [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman larcin, theft, from Latin latrōcinium, robbery, from latrō, robber, mercenary, utimately from Greek latron, pay, hire.]
- theocracy
- government run by religious leaders
- scurry
- move hastily; hurry; move briskly
- reverie
- a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream : a knock on the door broke her ~ | I slipped into ~.; • Music an instrumental piece suggesting a dreamy or musing state.; • archaic a fanciful or impractical idea or theory.; [from Old French reverie 'rejoicing, revelry,' from rever 'be delirious,' of unknown ultimate origin.]
- simile
- comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as
- cerebral
- pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; CF. cerebrum
- withdrawn
- introverted; retiring; remote
- diva
- operatic singer; prima donna
- prologue
- introduction (to a poem or play)
- sundry
- miscellaneous; various; several; N. ~ies: small miscellaneous items [relates to sunder]
- polemical
- (polemic) aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than simply expressing opinions)
- mote
- small speck (esp. of dust)
- brittle
- hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. ~ situation
- interpolate
- insert between
- dulcet
- (esp. of sound) sweet and soothing (often used ironically) : record the ~ tones of your family and friends. [from Latin dulcis 'sweet.' The Latin form influenced the modern spelling.]
- parochial
- narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes
- whittle
- pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim [From Middle English whyttel, knife, variant of thwitel, from thwiten, to whittle, from Old English thwītan, to strike, whittle down.]
- contiguous
- adjacent to; touching upon
- climactic
- relating to the highest point; N. climax; CF. climatic
- pastoral
- rural; of rural life; idyllic; of a pastor; (esp. of land or a farm) used for or related to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle : scattered ~ farms.
- tantalize
- tease; excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach; torture with disappointment; CF. Tantalus: Greek mythological figure
- egress
- exit; opening for going out; act of going out; OP. ingress
- coagulate
- congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant
- imponderable
- weightless; that cannot undergo precise evaluation; CF. pound
- tessellated
- mosaic; inlaid; Ex. ~ pattern [From Latin tessellātus, of small square stones, from tessella, small cube, diminutive of tessera, a square. See tessera.]
- impregnate
- make pregnant; fill thoroughly; saturate
- skulk
- move furtively and secretly; Ex. He ~ed through the less fashionable sections of the city.
- granulate
- form into grains or granules; N. granule: grain or particle
- bicker
- quarrel
- Epicurean
- believing that pleasure is good and suffering is bad and should be avoided; N.; • ( epicurean) a person devoted to sensual enjoyment, esp. that derived from fine food and drink.
- monumental
- massive; impressively large; built as a monument
- diminution
- lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish
- peripatetic
- walking about from place to place (to work); moving; Ex. ~ school of philosophy; 1 traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods : the ~ nature of military life. {I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant, migratory, unsettled.} [from Latin peripatēticus, from Greek peripatētikos, from peripatein, to walk about, or from peripatos, covered walk (where Aristotle allegedly lectured) : peri-, peri- + patein, to walk.]
- reprisal
- retaliation
- excoriate
- scold with biting harshness; censure strongly; strip the skin off
- frock
- long loose garment (worn by monks)
- paraphrase
- restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author; N: restatement of a text in other words
- frond
- fern leaf; palm or banana leaf
- tantrum
- fit of bad temper; fit of petulance; caprice; Ex. The child went into ~s.
- hypnosis
- induced sleeping state; ADJ. hypnotic; V. hypnotize
- equable
- tranquil; of even calm temper; (of temperature) steady; uniform
- malaise
- uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health (without any particular pain or appearance of disease)
- quash
- crush; suppress; s~; subdue; annul; Ex. ~ a rebellion/the decision of the low court
- bucolic
- rustic; pastoral; of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life : the church is lovely for its bucolic setting.; [via Latin from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos 'herdsman,' from bous 'ox.']
- nimble
- quick in movement; agile; quick in understanding; Ex. ~ climber/mind
- scoff
- laugh (at); mock; ridicule; Ex. ~ at their threats
- vassal
- in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent
- thresh
- beat (cereal plants) with a machine or flail to separate the grains from the straw
- inception
- start; beginning
- plebeian
- common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N: common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician
- resonant
- (of a sound) echoing; resounding(sounding loudly); deep and full in sound; producing -ce; Ex. ~ voice; N. -ce
- carnage
- destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
- venturesome
- (of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action) risky
- downcast
- disheartened; dejected; sad; directed downward
- drip
- fall or let fall in drops; shed drops; N: action or sound of falling in drops; liquid that falls in drops
- squabble
- minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel; Ex. ~ing children
- consolidation
- unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger; V. consolidate: merge; strengthen
- predetermine
- determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly
- umbrage
- resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take ~ at his rudeness [from Latin umbra 'shadow.' An early sense was [shadowy outline,] giving rise to [ground for suspicion,] whence the current notion of [offense.]]
- spasmodic
- fitful; periodic; of or like a spasm; N. spasm: sudden involuntary muscular contraction; sudden burst of energy or emotion
- brand
- trademark; mark burned on the hide of an animal; mark burned into the flesh of criminals; mark of disgrace; V: mark with a ~; give a lasting bad name; stigmatize; Ex. The press ~ed him a liar.
- genus
- division of animals or plants, below a family and above a species
- deprecate
- express disapproval of; deplore; protest against; belittle; ADJ. ~ory
- enrapture
- please intensely; fill with rapture and delight
- unmitigated
- (of something bad) not moderated; unrelieved or immoderate; without qualification; absolute; Ex. ~ disaster
- metaphysical
- pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
- relish
- enjoy; savor; N: enjoyment; zest
- empathy
- ability to identify with another's feelings, ideas, etc.; identification with and understanding of another's feelings; V. ~ize; CF. sympathy
- scavenge
- hunt through discarded materials for usable items or food; search, especially for food; N. ~r: one who ~s; animal that feeds on refuse and carrion
- inveterate
- deep-rooted; habitual; CF. grow old
- feline
- of a member of the cat family; N.
- pliable
- flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable
- indefatigable
- tireless; untiring; showing no sign of getting tired
- limber
- flexible; supple; pliable; V.
- pell-mell
- in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash ~; in a confused, rushed, or disorderly manner : the contents of the sacks were thrown ~ to the ground.; recklessly hasty or disorganized; headlong : steering the ~ development of Europe onto a new and more gradual course.
- graphite
- black form of carbon used in lead pencils [from Greek graphein 'write' (because of its use as pencil "lead").]
- argot
- slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people: teenage ~
- remunerative
- (of work) compensating; rewarding; profitable; well-paid; V. remunerate: reward; pay (someone) for work or trouble
- unobtrusive
- inconspicuous; not blatant
- prodigy
- highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents; marvel; wonder
- olfactory
- concerning the sense of smell
- hovel
- shack; small wretched house
- rebuttal
- refutation; response with contrary evidence; V. rebut: refute; disprove
- accede
- agree; assume an office or position : he ~ed to the post of director in September.
- perdition
- (in Christian theology) a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unpenitent person passes after death.
- nectar
- drink of the gods; sweet liquid collected by bees
- pallet
- small poor bed; Ex. straw ~
- barrage
- barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a ~ of criticism
- aegis
- the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization : negotiations were conducted under the ~ of the UN.; • (in classical art and mythology) an attribute of Zeus and Athena (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield.
- affidavit
- written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)
- compulsive
- resulting from compulsion
- slough
- (of a snake) shed or cast off (dead outer skin); N: outer layer that is shed
- artisan
- a manually skilled worker
- dogged
- determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert's ~ pursuit of Jean Valjean
- wanderlust
- strong longing to travel
- woeful
- sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; Ex. ~ housing conditions
- retrograde
- go backwards; recede; degenerate; deteriorate; ADJ.
- deign
- condescend; stoop; do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity : she did not ~ to answer the maid's question.
- decrepit
- weak and in bad condition from old age or hard use; Ex. ~ old chair/man
- pedagogue
- teacher; CF. child leader
- sententious
- pithy; terse; concise; aphoristic
- galvanic
- relating to or involving electric currents produced by chemical action.; 2 sudden and dramatic : hurry with awkward ~ strides.of the production of electricity by the action of an acid on a metal; having the effect of an electric shock; Ex. ~ cell; ~ effect; CF. Luigi Galvani
- dwindle
- shrink; reduce gradually
- demeanor
- behavior; bearing
- desultory
- aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
- residue
- remainder; Law the part of an estate that is left after the payment of charges, debts, and bequests.
- iota
- very small quantity; an extremely small amount : nothing she said seemed to make an ~ of difference.
- febrile
- feverish; having or showing the symptoms of a fever : a ~ illness.; • having or showing a great deal of nervous excitement or energy : a ~ imagination.
- unravel
- disentangle; solve
- collate
- examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
- evoke
- call forth (memory or feeling); Ex. That old film ~d memories of my childhood; N. -cation
- amok
- (amuck); in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
- piebald
- of different colors; mottled; spotted in different colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. ~ horse; CF. pie+bald
- primp
- groom oneself with care; adorn oneself
- ineffectual
- not effective; not having a desired effect; weak
- deputize
- work or appoint as a deputy; N. deputy: person who has the power to take charge when the leading person is away
- unfeigned
- genuine; real
- sybarite
- lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
- offhand
- casual; done without prior thought or preparation
- impolitic
- not wise; not expedient; not politic
- maelstrom
- violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; CF. stream [from early modern Dutch (denoting a mythical whirlpool supposed to exist in the Arctic Ocean, west of Norway), from maalen 'grind, whirl' + stroom 'stream.']
- pander
- cater to (the low desires of others); gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.) : newspapers are ~ing to people's baser instincts.
- edict
- decree (especially one issued by a sovereign); official command
- anneal
- reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)
- pterodactyl
- extinct flying reptile; CF. wing+finger; a pterosaur of the late Jurassic period, with a long slender head and neck and a very short tail. • Family Pterodactylidae, order Pterosauria: several genera, including -rus.
- ambulatory
- able to walk
- timorous
- fearful; timid; demonstrating fear [from Latin timor, timōr-, fear, from timēre, to fear.]
- emollient
- soothing or softening remedy (for the skin); ADJ.
- insensible
- unconscious; unresponsive; insensitive; unaware; imperceptible; Ex. ~ of his danger/to pain; Ex. ~ change; CF. not the opposite of sensible
- impious
- irreverent
- imperious
- domineering; too commanding; haughty; CF. imperial/emperor
- wretch
- miserable person; bad or despicable person; ADJ. ~ed: miserable; bad; contemptible; vile
- dispel
- scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
- aver
- state confidently; declare as true
- ogle
- look at amorously; make eyes at; Ex. old men ~ing young girls; stare at in a lecherous manner : he was ogling her breasts | [ intrans. ] men who had turned up to ~.
- induct
- place formally in office; install; admit as a member; initiate; N. ~ion: ~ing; process of deriving general principles from particular facts
- besiege
- surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually
- staccato
- played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt sharp sound; Ex. ~ applause; with each sound or note sharply detached or separated from the others : [as adj. ] a staccato rhythm. Compare with legato , marcato .
- clap
- strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound; come together suddenly with a sharp sound; put or send promptly; Ex. ~ the thief in jail; N: ~ping; loud or explosive sound; CF. applause
- wean
- accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling; give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave (an interest or habit); Ex. ~ oneself from cigarettes
- predilection
- preference; partiality
- maroon
- leave helpless on a deserted island or coast: a novel about schoolboys ~ed on a desert island.; ADJ. red brown; of a brownish-crimson color.
- fleece
- wool coat of a sheep; V: shear the ~ from; rob by a trick; swindle; plunder
- felon
- person convicted of a grave crime; CF. ~y: serious crime
- euphemism
- mild expression in place of an unpleasant one; ADJ. euphemistic
- license
- official or legal permission; latitude of action or speech; excessive freedom that causes harm or damage; • freedom to behave as one wishes, esp. in a way that results in excessive or unacceptable behavior : the government was criticized for giving the army too much ~.V.
- parvenu
- upstart; newly rich person
- decoy
- lure or bait; V.
- ewe
- female sheep
- precipice
- cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the ~
- spoilsport
- one who spoils the pleasure of others; a person who behaves in a way that spoils others' pleasure, esp. by not joining in an activity.
- parry
- ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He ~ied the unwelcome question very skillfully; N. CF.
- solicitous
- anxious; worried; concerned; eager; Ex. ~ to do something; N. solicitude
- diaphanous
- sheer; transparent [from dia 'through' + phainein 'to show.']
- clasp
- hold firmly within arms
- bandy
- discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. ~ words with
- token
- outward sign; Ex. a ~ of our gratitude
- dissolution
- disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; ADJ. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life
- frieze
- ornamental horizontal band on a wall
- fastidious
- difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky
- ebb
- (of the tide) recede; lessen; diminish: the tide began to ~.; noun the movement of the tide out to sea : I knew the tide would be on the ~ | [as adj. ] the ~ tide.
- anchor
- secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. ~age
- knoll
- little round hill; hillock
- chivalrous
- courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
- bullion
- gold and silver in the form of bars
- clamber
- climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
- spectral
- ghostly; N. specter: spectre; ghost; phantom
- preempt
- prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. ~ any attempts; ADJ. ~ive
- whelp
- young animal (esp. of the dog or cat family); young wolf, dog, tiger, etc.
- reimburse
- repay; pay back
- weather
- pass safely through (a storm or difficult period); endure the effects of ~ or other forces
- verve
- enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor
- testator
- maker of a will; CF. testatrix; LAW a person who has made a will or given a legacy.
- vernal
- pertaining to spring; the ~ freshness of the land.
- apiarist
- person who keeps bees
- inroad
- hostile invasion; advance that lessens the quantity or difficulty of something; Ex. The long illness made serious ~s on his savings; CF. raid
- doldrums
- blues; listlessness(lack of spirit or energy); slack(inactive) period; period of stagnation; ocean area near the equator where ships cannot move because there is no wind; Ex. in the ~
- opus
- work (esp. musical composition); Ex. magnum ~: masterpiece; CF. opera
- blowhard
- talkative boaster; braggart
- centrifuge
- machine that separates substances by whirling them; verb • separate by centrifuge : the black liquid is ~ed into oil and water.
- caucus
- private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the C- club of Boston
- exiguous
- small in amount; minute; Extremely scanty; meager. [From Latin exiguus, from exigere, to measure out, demand. See exact.]
- illimitable
- infinite; limitless
- tangential
- only slightly connected; not central; peripheral; digressing; showing divergence; CF. tangent
- raze
- destroy completely; Ex. ~ the city to the ground
- harry
- harass, annoy, torment (by repeated attacks); raid
- conclave
- private secret meeting; • (in the Roman Catholic Church) the assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope.; • the meeting place for such an assembly.
- affront
- insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
- canter
- slow gallop; V. CF. trot
- stricture
- severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction
- mogul
- powerful person; Ex. oil ~s; CF. Mogol, Moghul; CF. Mongolian
- talon
- claw of bird
- sham
- pretend; feign; ADJ: not genuine; fake; Ex. ~ jewelry; N: something that is not what it appears; impostor; pretense; Ex. The agreement was a ~.
- accost
- approach and speak first to a person
- hermetic
- concerning alchemy or magic; obscure and mysterious; occult
- veer
- change in direction; swerve
- totem
- animal, plant, or natural object serving as a symbol of a clan or family; representation of this; Ex. ~ pole
- pore
- study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. ~ over the book; N.