gre vocab a & b
Terms
undefined, object
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- abase
- v; lower; degrade; humiliate
- abash
- v; embarrass
- abate
- v; subside or moderate
- aberrant
- adj; abnormal or deviant
- abeyance
- n; suspended action
- abject
- adj; wretched; lacking pride
- abjure
- v; renounce oath upon; disavow
- ablution
- n; washing
- abnegation
- n; renunciation; self-sacrifice
- abrogate
- v; abolish
- abscond
- v; depart secretly and hide
- abstemious
- adj; sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
- abut
- v; border upon; adjoin
- accede
- v; agree
- acclivity
- n; sharp upslope of a hill
- accoutre
- v; equip
- accretion
- n; growth; increase
- accrue
- v; come about by addition
- acerbic
- adj; bitter or sour in nature; sharp and cutting
- acerbity
- n; bitterness of speech and temper
- acetic
- adj; vinegary
- acidulous
- adj; slightly sour; sharp; caustic
- acrid
- adj; sharp; bitterly pungent
- acrimonious
- adj; bitter in words or manner
- actuarial
- adj; calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
- actuate
- v; motivate
- acuity
- n; sharpness
- acumen
- n; mental keenness
- adjunct
- n; something nonessential added on
- adjutant
- n; staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
- adventitious
- adj; accidental; casual
- advert
- v; refer (to)
- aegis
- n; shield; defense
- aeire
- n; nest of a large bird of prey
- aggrandize
- v; increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank, or honor
- agog
- adj; highly excited; intensely curious
- alacrity
- n; cheerful promptness; eagerness
- alimentary
- adj; supplying nourishment
- alloy
- v; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate;
- alluvial
- adj; pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
- ambulatory
- adj; able to walk; not bedridden
- ameliorate
- v; improve
- amenable
- adj; readily managed or willing to be led
- analgesic
- adj; causing insensitivity to pain
- anathema
- n; solemn curse; someone or something regared as a curse
- ancillary
- adj/n; serving as an aid; auxiliary
- animadversion
- n; critical remark
- animus
- n; hostile feeling or intent
- anneal
- v; reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling
- antipathy
- n; aversion; dislike
- apathy
- n/adj; lack of caring; indifference
- aplomb
- n; poise; assurance
- apostate
- n; one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
- apothegm
- n; pithy, compact saying
- apotheosis
- n; ideal example of something; raise to level of godhood
- application
- n; diligent attention
- approbation
- n; approval
- appurtenances
- n; subordinate/secondary possessions
- apropos
- prep; with reference to; regarding
- arboretum
- n; place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited
- argot
- n; slang
- arrears
- n; being in debt
- ascendancy
- n; controlling influence
- ascetic
- adj; practicing self-denial; austere (severe)
- asperity
- n; sharpness (of temper)
- aspersion
- n; slanderous remark
- assay
- v; analyze; evaluate
- assiduous
- adj; diligent
- assuage
- v; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); sooth (anger);
- astringent
- adj/n; binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe
- atavism
- n; resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback
- attenuate
- v; make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force degree)
- attrition
- n; gradual decrease in numbers; wearing away opposition by harassment
- augury
- n; omen; prophecy
- august
- adj; impressive; majestic
- austere
- adj; forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
- aver
- v; assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact
- avocation
- n; secondary or minor occupation
- axiom
- n; self-evident truth requiring no proof
- bacchanalian
- adj; drunken
- badinage
- n; teasing conversation
- baleful
- adj; threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
- balk
- v; foil
- ballast
- n;v; heavy substance used to add stability or weight
- banal
- adj; hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
- bandy
- v; discuss lightly or glibly; exchange words heatedly
- bane
- n; curse; cause of ruin
- barrister
- n; counselor-at-law
- bauble
- n; trinket; trifle
- beatific
- adj; showing or producing joy; blissful
- bedizen
- v; dress with vulgar finery
- bedraggle
- v/adj; wet thoroughly
- beholden
- adj; obligated; indebted
- behoove
- v ;be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon
- belie
- v; contradict; give a false impression
- bellicose
- adj; warlike; pugnacious; naturally inclined to fight
- bemoan
- v; lament; express disapproval of
- bemused
- adj; confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
- benison
- n; blessing
- beset
- v; harass or trouble
- besmirch
- v; soil; defile
- betoken
- v; signify; indicate
- bifurcated
- adj; divided into two branched; forked
- bilious
- adj; suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humored
- bilk
- v; swindle; cheat
- billowing
- adj; swelling out in waves; surging
- bivouac
- n; temporary encampment
- blandish
- v; cajole; coax with flattery
- blandishment
- n; flattery
- blasé
- adj; bored with pleasure or dissipation
- blithe
- adj; carefree and unconcerned (perhaps foolishly so); cheerful and gay
- bluff
- adj; rough but good-natured
- bombastic
- adj; pompous; using inflated language
- boorish
- adj; rude; insensitive
- bowdlerize
- v; expurgate
- brackish
- adj; somewhat saline
- braggadocio
- n; boasting
- brook
- v; tolerate; endure
- browbeat
- v; bully; intimidate
- brusque
- adj; blunt; abrupt
- bucolic
- adj; rustic; pastoral
- bugaboo
- n; bugbear; object of baseless terror
- bullion
- n; gold and silver in the form of bars
- bulwark
- n; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
- burgeon
- v; grow forth; send out buds
- burnish
- v; make shiny by rubbing polish