GRE vocabulary p4
Terms
undefined, object
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- pecuniary
- pertaining to money. Seldom earning enough to cover their expenses, folk-dance teachers work because they love dancing, not because they expect any pecuniary reward.
- paucity
- scarcity. They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate
- pauper
- very poor person. Though WIdow Brown was living on a reduced income, she was byno means a pauper.
- peccadillo
- slight offense. Whenever HUck wiped a cookie from the jar, Miss Watson reacted as if he were guilty of armed robbery, not of some mere peccadillo.
- patronise
- support, act superior toward; be a customer of penniless artists hope to find some wealthy art lover who will patronise them
- patrician
- noble; aristocratic. We greatly admired h well-bred, patrician elegance
- patriarch
- father and ruler of a family or tribe. In many primitive tribes, the leader and lawmaker was the patriarch.
- patois
- local or provincial dialect. His years of study of the language at the university did not enable him to understand the patois of the natives
- patina
- green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting. Judging by the patina on this bronze statue, we can conclude that this is the work of a medieval artist.
- pathos
- tender sorrow; pity; quality in art of literature that produces these feelings. The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degnerated into the maudin or the overly sentimental
- pathological
- pertaining to disease. As we study the pathological aspects of this disease, we must not overlook the psychological elements.
- pathetic
- causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching. Everyone int he auditorium was weepingby the time she finished her pathetic tale about the orphaned boy
- patent
- open for the public to read; obvious. It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth.
- pastoral
- rural. In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk.
- pastiche
- imitation of another's style in musical composition or inwriting. We cannot even say that her music is a pastiche of this or that compser; it is, rather, reminiscent of many musician
- passive
- not active; act upon.
- passe
- old-fashioned; past the prime. Her style is passe and reminiscnet of the Victoria era
- partition
- divide into parts. Before their second daughter was born, Jason and LIzzie decided each child needed a room of her own, and so they partitioned a large bedroom into two small but separate rooms.
- partiality
- inclination; bis. As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidenfe of partiality when I award the prize.
- partial
- incomplete; having a liking for osmething. In this issue we have published only a partial list of contirbutors because we lack space to acknowledge everyone I am extremely partial to chocolate eclairs.
- parsimony
- stinginess; excessive frugality. Silas Marner's parsimony did not allow him to indulge in any luxuries.
- parry
- ward off a blow; deflect. Unwilling to injure his opponent in such a pointless clas, Dartagnan simply tried to parry his rival's thrusts. What fun it was to watch Katherine Hepburn and SPencer Trcy parry each other's verbal thrusts in their classic screwball comedies
- parquet
- floor made of wood strips inlaid in a msiaic like pattern. In laying the floor, the carpenters combined redwood and oak in an elegant parquet.
- paroxysm
- fit or attackof pain, laughter, rage. When he heard of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage
- parody
- humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty, comedy. The show Forbidden Broadway presents parodies spoofing the year's new productions playing on Broadway.
- parochial
- narrow in outlook; provnicial; related to parishes. Although Jane Austen writes novels set in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not parochial.
- parley
- conference. The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce
- parlance
- language; idiom. All this legal parlance confuses me; I need an interpreter
- parity
- equality; close resemblance. I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations
- pariah
- social outcast. If everyone ostracized singer Mariah carey, would she then be Mariah the pariah?
- parched
- extremely dry; very thirsty. The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life.
- parasite
- animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant. The tapeworm is an example of the kind of parasite that may infest the human body.
- paraphrase
- restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author. In 250 words or less, paraphrase this article
- paraphernalia
- equipment; odds and ends. Her desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft.
- paranoia
- psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution. Suffering from paranoia, he claimed everyone was out to get him. Ironically, his claim was accurate; even paranoids have enmies, paranoid, paranoiac.
- paramour
- illicit lover. She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town.
- paramount
- foremost in importance; supreme. Proper nutrition and hygiene are of paramount importance in adolescent development and growth
- parameter
- limit; independent variable. We need to define the parameters of the problem.
- parallelism
- state of being parallel; similarity. Although the twins were separated at birth and grew up in different adoptive familites, a striking parallelism exists between their lives.
- paragon
- model of perfecion. Her fellow students disliked Lavinia because Miss Minchin always pointed her out as a paragon of virtue
- paradox
- something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct. Richard presents a bit of a paradox, for he is a card-carrying ember of both the National Rifle Association and the relatively pacifist American Civil Liberties Union.
- paradigm
- model; example; pattern. Pavlov's experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradign of the conditioned-response experiment in behavioral psychology
- parable
- short, simple story teaching a moal. let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teachers.
- papyrus
- ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant. The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus
- pantomime
- acting without dialogue, improvise, impromptu. Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared.
- panoramic
- denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view. On a clear day, from the top of the Empire State Building you can get a panoramic view of New York City and neighboring stretches of New Jersey and Long Island.
- panegyric
- formal praise. Blushing at all the praise heaped uponn him by the speakers, the modest hero said, "I don't deserve such panegyrics."
- pander
- cater to the low desires of others. The reviewer accused the makers of Lehal Weapon of pandering to the masses' taste for violence
- pandemonium
- wild tumult, rage. When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers
- pandemic
- widespread; affecting the majority of people. They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions
- panache
- flair; flamboyance, elegant. Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style
- panacea
- cure-all; remedy for all diseases. There is no easy panacea that will solve our complicated international situation.
- pan
- criticize harshly. Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously.
- paitry
- insignificant; petty; trifling. 'One hundred dollars for a genuine imitation Rolex watch! Lady, this is a paltry sum to pay for such a high-class piece of jewelry.'
- palpitate
- throb; flutter. As she became excited, her heart began to palpitate more and more erratically.
- palpable
- tangible; easily perceptible. I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder
- pallid
- pale; wan. Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally allid complexion.
- palliate
- ease pain; make less severe or offensive. If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least, try to palliate the symptoms
- pallet
- small, poor bed. The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw pallet.
- pall
- grow tiresome. The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep
- palimpsest
- parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased. Using chemical reagents, scientists have been able to restore the original writings on many palimpsests.
- palette
- board on which a painter mixes pigments. At the present time, art supply sotres are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use.
- paleontology
- study of prehistoric life. The professor of paleontology had a superb collection of fossils.
- Palatial
- magnificent. He proudly showed us through his palatial home.
- palate
- roof of the mouth; sense of taset. When you sound out the letter 'd', your tongue curves up to touch the edge of your palate. When Alice was sick, her mother made special meals to tempt her palate.
- palatable
- agreeable; pleasing to the taste. Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me.
- painstaking
- showing hard work; taking great care. The new high-frequency word list is the result of painstaking efforts on the part of our research staff.
- paean
- song of praise or joy. Peaans celebrating the victory filled the air.
- pacify
- soothe; ake calm or quiet; subdue. Dentits critcize the practice of guing fussy chidren sweets ot pacify them
- pacifist
- one opposed to force; antimillitarist. During the war, pacifists, though they refused to bear arms, served in the front lines as ambulance drivers and medical corpsmen
- pachyderm
- thick-skinned animal. The elphant is probably the best-known pachyderm
- ovoid
- egg-shaped. At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes.
- overwrought
- extremely agtated; hysterical. When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy, she became too overwroght to work and had to leave the office early.
- overweening
- presumptuous; arrogant. His over-weeningpride in his accomplishments was not justified.
- overt
- open to view. According to the United States Consitution, a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for treason
- overbearing
- bossy; arrogant; decisvely important. Certain of her own importance and of the unimportance of everyone else, Lady Bracknell was intolerably over-bearing in maner. "In choosing a husband,' she said. 'good birth is of overbearing importance; compared to that, neither wealth nor talent signifies.'
- ovation
- enthusiastic applause. When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Boheme, he was greeted by a tremendous ovation
- outwit
- outsmart; trick. By disguising himself as an old woman. Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture.
- outstrip
- surpass; outdo. Jess Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games
- outspoken
- candid; blunt. The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words carefully.
- outskirts
- fringes; outer borders. Living on the outskirts of Boston, Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city
- outmoded
- no longer stylist; old-fashioned. Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoed clothes as long as they were clean and unfrayed
- outlandish
- bizarre; peculiar; unconventional. The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an academic setting.
- oust
- expel; drive out. The world wondered if Aquinowould be able to oust Marcos from office.
- ostracize
- exclude from public favor; ban. As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals his friends began to ostracise him
- ostentatious
- showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention. Trump's latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling palace in the East; it easily out glitters its competitors
- ostensible
- apparent; professed; pretended. Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products
- ossify
- change or harden into bone. When he called his opponent a 'bonehead' he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified and that he was not capable of clear thinking
- osseous
- made of bone; bony. The hollow 'soft spot' found at the top of the infant's skull gradually closes as new osseous tissue fills in the gap
- oscillate
- vibrate pendulumlike; waver. It is interesting to note how public opinino oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism
- orthography
- correct spelling. Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are not written phoneticall
- orthodox
- traditional; conservative in belief. Faced with a problem, she preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone.
- ornithologist
- scientific student of birds. Audubon's drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to ornithoogists but also to the general public.
- ornate
- excessively or elaborately decorated. With its elaborately carved, convoluted lines, furniture of the Baroque period was highly ornate
- orifice
- mouthlike opening, small opening. The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice in the hillside
- orientation
- act of finding oneself in society. Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new environment and their place in it.
- orient
- get one's bearings; adjust. Philip spend his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city.
- orgy
- wild, drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence. The Roman emperor's orgies were far wilder than the toga party in the movie Animal House. When her income tax refund check finally arrived. Sally indulged in an orgy of shopping.
- ordinance
- decree, rule. Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance.
- ordeal
- severe trial or affliction, challenge. June was so painfully shy that it was an ordeal for her to speak up when the teacher called on her in class.
- ordain
- decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine. The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to nter the city. The Bishop of Michigan ordained David a deacon in the Episcopal church. The young lovers felt that fate had ordained their meeting
- oratorio
- dramatic poem set to music. The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital
- orator
- public speaker. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass was a brilliant orator whose speeches brought home to his audience the evils of slavery
- oracular
- prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous. Like many others who sought divine guidance from the oracle at Delphi, Oedipus could not understand the enigmatic the enigmatic oracular warning he received.
- opus
- work. Although many critics hailed his Fifth Sympohny, he did not regard it as his major opus
- opulence
- extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance. The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella's brath away
- optometrist
- one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects. Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders, she may not use medicines or surgery in her examinations.
- optional
- not compulsory; left to one's choice. I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were avilable
- optimum
- most favorable. If you wait for the optimum moemnt to act, you may never begin your project.
- optimist
- person who looks on the bright side. The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optmist says it is half-full
- optician
- maker and seller of eyeglasses. The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician
- opprobrium
- insult,deframe, infamy; vilification. He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspaper; he preferred to reply on his record.
- opportunist
- individual who sacrificies principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances. Forget about ethic! he's such an opportunist that he'll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break
- opportune
- timely; well-chosen. Cher looked at her father struggling to balance his checkbook; clearly this would not be an opportune mment to ask him for an increase in her allowance.
- opiate
- medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction. To say that religion is the opiate of the peopl is to condemn religion as a drug that keeps the people quiet and submissive to those in power
- opaque
- dark; not transparent. The opaque window shade kept the sunlight out of the room.
- opalescent
- iridescnet; lustrous. The oil slick on the water had an opalescent, rainbowlike sheen.
- onus
- burden; responsibility. The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to his generals
- onslaught
- vicious assault. We suffered many casualities during the unexpected onslaugh of the enemy troops
- onomatopoeia
- words formed an imitation of natura sounds. Words like 'rustle' and 'gargle' are illustrations of onomatopoeia.
- onerous
- burdensome. She asked for an assistant because her work load was too onerous.
- omnivorous
- eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything. Some animals, including humans, are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either carnivorous or herbivorous.
- omiscient
- all-knowing. I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact.
- omnipresent
- universally present; ubiquitous. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is omnipresent.
- omnipotent
- all-powerful. The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts
- ominous
- threatening. Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way.
- oligarchy
- government by a priviledge few. One small clique ran the student council: what had been intended as a democratic governing body had turned into an oligarchy.
- olfactory
- concering the sense of smell. A wine tastr must have a discriminating palate and a keen olfactory sense, for a good wine appeals both to the taste buds and to the nose.
- ogle
- look at amorously; make eyes at. At the coffee house, Walter was too shy to ogle the pretty girls openly; instead, he peeked out at them from behind a rubber plant
- officious
- meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services. After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the special features of the deluxe suite.
- offhand
- casual; done without prior thought. Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her hosts. Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand manner.
- offensive
- attacking; insulting; distasteful. Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers, who are required by law to restrict their offensive impulses ot the rings.
- odyssey
- long, eventful journey. The refugee's hourney from Cambdia was a terrifying odyssey.
- odorous
- having an odor. This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden.
- odoriferous
- giving off an odor. The odoriferous spices stimulated her jaded appetite.
- odium
- detestation; hatefulness; disrepute. Prince Charming could not express the odium he felt toward Cinderella's stepsisters because of their mistreatment of poor Cinderella
- odious
- hateful; vile. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public
- oculist
- physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes. In many states, an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the pirpose of examining them.
- occult
- mysterious; secret; supernatural. The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members
- occlude
- shut; close. A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart
- occident
- the west. It will take time for the Occident to understand the ways and customs of the Orient
- Obviate
- make unnecessary; get rid of. I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds
- obtuse
- blunt; stupid. What can you do with somebody who's so obtuse that he can't even tell that you're insulting him?
- obtrude
- push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude.Because Fanny was reluctant to obtrude her opinions about child-raising upon her daughter in law, she kept a close watch on her tongue.
- obstreperous
- boisterous; oisy. What do you do when an obstreperous horde of drunken policemen carouses through your hotel, crashing into potted plants and singing vulgar songs?
- obstinate
- stubborn; hard to control or treat. We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change
- obstetrician
- physician specializing in delivery of babies. Unlike midwives, who care for women giving birth at home, obstetricians generally work in a hospital setting
- obsolete
- outmoded, outdated. 'Hip' is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts
- obsidian
- black volcanic rock. The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indication that the volcano had erupted in ancient times
- obsessive
- related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying. Ballet, which had been a hobby, began to dominate his life; his love of dancing became obsesive
- obsequy
- funeral ceemony. Hundred paid their last respects at his obsequies
- obsequious
- slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic. Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk.
- obscure
- dark; vague; unclear. Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure
- obnoxious
- offensive. I find your behavior obnoxious please mend your ways
- obloquy
- slander; disgrace; infamy. I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation
- oblivious
- inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed Deep in her book, Nancy was oblivious to the noisy squabbles of her brother and his friends.
- oblivion
- obscurity; forgetfulness. After a decade of popularity, Hurston's works had fallen into oblivion; no one bothered to read them any more
- obliterate
- destroy completely. The tidal wave obliterated several island villages
- oblique
- indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line). Casting a quick, oblique glance at the reviewing stand, the sergeant ordered the company to march, 'Oblique Right'.
- obligatory
- binding; required. It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks
- objective
- not influenced by emotions; fair. Even though he was her son, she tried to be objective about his behavior
- obituary
- death notice. I firt learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper
- obfuscate
- confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex. Was the president's spokesman trying to clarify the whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?
- obese
- excessively fat
- obelisk
- tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid. Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk in New York City's CEntral Park
- obeisance
- bow. She made an obesiance as the ing and queen entered the room
- obdurate
- stubborn. He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints
- oaf
- stupid, awkward person, 'watch what you're doing, you clumsy oaf'
- nutrient
- nourishing substance. As a budding nutritionist, Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic nutrients
- nurture
- nourish; educate; foster. The Head Start program attempts to nurture prekindgergarten chilren so that they will do well when they enter public school
- nuptial
- related to marriage. Reluctant to be married ina t raditional setting, theyd ecided to hold their uptial ceremony at the carousel in Golden Gate Park
- numismatist
- person who collects coins. The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins
- nullify
- to make invalid. Once the contract was nullified, it no longer had any legal force.
- nugatory
- futile; worthless. This agreemen is nugatory for no court will enforce it
- nubile
- marriageable. Mrs. Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, was worrid about finding suitable husbands for her five nubile daughters
- nuance
- shade of difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction. Jody gazed at the Monet landscape for an hour, appreciating every subtle nuance of color in the painting
- noxious
- harmful. We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us
- novice
- beginner. Even a novice at working with computers can install Barron's Computer study Program for the GRE by following the asy steps outlined in the user's manual
- novelty
- something new; newness. The computer is no longer a novelty around the office
- notoriety
- disrepute; ill fame. To the starlet, any publicity was good publicity; if she couldn't have a good reputation, she'd selttle for notoriety.
- notable
- conspicuous; important; distinguished. Normally notable for his calm in the kitchen, today the head cook was shaking, for the notable chef Julia Child was coming to dinner
- nostrum
- questionable medicine. No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me.
- nostalgia
- homesickness; longing for the past. My grandfather seldom spoke of life in the old country; he had little patience with nostalgia
- nonplus
- bring to a halt by confusion; perplex. Jack's uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill, leaving her uncertain how to react
- nonentity
- person of no importance; nonexistence. Because the two older princes dismissed their youngest brother as a nonentiy, they did not realize that he was quietly plotting to seize the throne
- nonedescript
- undistinctive; ordinary. The private detective was a short, nondescipt fellow with no outstanding features, the sort of person one would never notice in a crowd.
- noncommittal
- neutral; unpledge; undecided. We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his approval
- nonchalance
- indifference; lack of concern; composure. Cool, calm and collected underfire. James Bond shows remarkable nonchalance in the face of danger
- nominal
- in name only; trifling. He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee
- nomenclature
- terminology; system of names. Sharon found Latin word parts useful in translating medical nonmenclature; when her son had to have a bilateral myringotomy, she figured out that he needed a hole in each of his eardrums to end his earaches.
- nomadic
- wandering. Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year.
- noisome
- foul-smelling; unwholesome. The noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank but also damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area
- nocturnal
- done at night. Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops
- nirvana
- in BUddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonl beatitude. Despite his desire to achieve nirvana, the young Buddhist found that even the buzzing of a fly could distract him from his meditation
- nip
- stop something's growth or development; snip off; bite; make numb with cold. The twins were plotting mishief, but Mother intervened and nipped their plan in the bud. Last week a guard dog nipped the postman in the leg; this week the extreme chill nipped his fingers till he could barely hold the mail
- nihilist
- one who considers traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revoluntionary terrorist. In his final ays, Hitler revealed himself a power-mad nihilist, ready to annihilate all of Western Europe, even to destroy Germany itself, in order that his will might prevail
- niggle
- spend too much time on minor points; carp. Let's not niggle over details
- niggardly
- meanly stingy; parsimonious. The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty.
- nicety
- precision; minute distcintion. I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning
- nib
- beak; pen point. THe nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded
- nexus
- connection. I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events
- nettle
- annoy; vex. Do not let her nettle you with her sarcastic remarks
- nether
- lower. Tradition locates hell in the nether regions
- nepotism
- favoritism (to a relative). John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather than ability
- neophyte
- recent convert; beginner. This mountain slope contains slides that will challenge experts as well as neophytes
- neologism
- new or newly coined word or phrase. As we invent new techniques and professions, we must also invent neologisms such as 'microcomputer' and 'astronaut' to describe them
- nemesis
- someone seeking revenge. Abandoned at sea in a small oat, the vengeful Captain Bligh vowed to be the nemesis of Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers
- negligible
- so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded. Because the damage to his car had been negligible, Michael decided he wouldn't bother to report the matter to his insurance company
- negligence
- neglect; failure to take reasonable care. Tommy failed to put back the cover on the well after he fetched his pail of water; because of his negligence, Kitty fell in.
- negate
- cancel out; nullify; deny. A sudden surge of adrenalin can negate the effects of fatigue. There's nothing like a good shock to wake you up
- nefarious
- very wicked. The villan's crimes, though various, were one and all nefarious.
- necromancy
- black magic; dealings with the dead. THe evil sorcerer performed feats of necromancy, callingon the spirits of the dead to tell the future. necromancer n.
- nebulous
- vague; hazy; cloudy. Phil and Dave tried to come up with a clear, intelligible business plan, not some hazy, bebulous proposal.
- navigable
- wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered. So much sand had built up at the bottom of the canal that the waterway was barely navigable
- nautical
- pertaining to ships or navigation. The Maritime Museum contains models of clipper ships, lobooks, anchors, and many other items of a nautical nature.
- nauseate
- cause to become sick; fill with disgust. The foul smells began to nauseate her.
- natty
- neatly or smartly dressed. Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the ganster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suit and ties.
- natation
- swimming. The Red Cross emphsizes the need for courses in natation
- nascent
- incipient; at the beginning, coming into being. If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state, we would be able to eliminate serious trouble in later years.
- narrative
- related to telling a story. A born teller of rales. Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story, 'I stand herer ironing'
- narcissist
- conceited person. A narcissist is his own best friend.
- naivete
- quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility. Touched by the naivete of sweet, convent-trained Cosette, Marius pledges himself to protect her innocence
- nadir
- lowest point. Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge
- myriad
- very large number. Myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twillight
- myopic
- nearsighted; lacking foresight. Stumbling into doors despite the coke-bottle lenses on his glasses, the nearsighted Mr. Magoo is markedly myopic. IN playing all summer long and failing to store up food for winter, the grasshopper in Aesop's fable was myopic as well. myopia. N
- mutinous
- unruly; rebellious. The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew
- mutilate
- maim. The tortuerer threatened to mutilate his victim
- musty
- stale; spoiled by age. The attic was dark and musty
- muster
- gather; assemble. Washington mustered his forces at Trenton
- musky
- having the odor of musk. She left a trace of musky perfume behind her.
- muse
- ponder. For a moment he mused about the beauty of the scene, but his thoughts soon changed as he reaclled his own personal problems.
- murky
- dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague. The murky depths of the swamp were so dark that you couldnt tell the vines and branches from the snakes.
- mural
- wall painint. The walls of the Chicano community center are covered with mural painted in the style of Diego Rivera, the great Mexican artist
- munificent
- very generous. Shamelessly fawning over a particularly generous donr, the dean kept referring to her as 'our munificent benfactor' munificence N
- mundane
- worldly as opposed to spiritual;everyday. Uninterested in philosophical or spiritual discussions. Tom talked only of mundane matters such as the daily weather forecast or the latest basketball results
- multiplicity
- state of being numerous. She was appalled by the multiplicity of details she had to complete before setting out on her mission
- multilingual
- having many languages. Because they are bordered by so many countries, the Swiss people are multilingual.
- multiform
- having many forms, Snowflakes are multiform but always hexagonal
- multifarious
- varied; greatly diversified. A career woman and mother, she was constanly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life
- mulct
- defraud a person of something. The lawyer was accused of trying to mulct the boy of his legacy
- muggy
- warm and damp. August in New York City is often muggy
- muddle
- confuse; mix up. Her thougths were uddled and chaotic
- mountebank
- charlatan; boastful pretender. The patent medicine man was a mountebank
- mottled
- blotched in coloring; spotted. When old Falstaff blushed, his face became mottled, all pink and purple and red
- motley
- multicolored, mixed, The jester wore a motley tunic, red and green and blue nd gold all patched together haphazardly
- motility
- ability to move spontaneously Certain organisms exhibit remarkable motility; motile spores, eg, may travel for miles before coming to rest.
- motif
- theme. This simple motif runs throughout the score
- mote
- small speck. The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful