GRE words

abate

To reduce in amount, degree, severity, or intensity

abscond

to leave secretly

abstain

To choose not to do something

abyss

An extremely deep hole

adulterate

To make impure

advocate

To speak in favor of

aesthetic

Concerns the appreciation of beauty

Aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, reputation or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

alleviate

to relieve, make more bearable

amalgamate

To combine; to mix together

ambiguous

Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways

ameliorate

To make better; to improve

anachronism

something out of place in time
EX. The aged hippie still used "far out" in 2019

analogous

Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

anomaly

deviation from what is normal

antagonize

to annoy or provoke to anger

antipathy

(N) Extreme dislike

apathy

Lack of interest or emotion

Arbitrate

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

archaic

Ancient; old fashioned

ardor

Intense and passionate feeling

articulate

able to speak clearly and expressively

assuage

To make something unpleasant less severe

attentuate

To reduce in force or degree; to weaken

Audacious

Fearless and daring

austere

Undecorated

banal

predictable; cliched; boring

bolster

To support; to prop up

bombtastic

Pompous in speech and manner

cacophony

Harsh noise

candid

Impartial and honest in speech

capricious

Changing ones mind quickly and often

castigate

(v.) to punish severely; to criticize harshly

catalyst

Something that brings about a change in something else

caustic

(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastically clever

chauvinist

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

Chicanery

Deception by means of craft or guile
EX. Dishonest salesmen use chicanery to sell bad cars

cogent

(N) something convincing and well-reasoned

condone

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

convoluted

Intricate and complicated

corroborate

To provide supporting evidence

credulous

Too trusting; gullible

crescendo

Steadily increasing volume or force

decorum

proper behavior or conduct

deference

respect; consideration

deride

to ridicule, laugh at with contempt

desiccate

to dry out

desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

diatribe

abusive speech; verbal attack

diffident

lacking self-confidence

dilate

to make larger; expand

dilatory

Something that is Intended to delay

dilettante

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

dirge

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

disabuse

(V) to set right; to free from error

discern

to see clearly, recognize

disparate

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression/appearance

dissonance

Disagreeable sounds or ideas

Dogma

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

dogmatic

Ones opinions rule over the rest; dictatorial

dupe

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

eclectic

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

efficacy

effectiveness

elegy

A sorrowful poem or speech

eloquent

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

enervate

To reduce in strength

engender

cause

enigma

a puzzle; a mystery

enumerate

to count, list, or itemize

ephemeral

lasting a very short time

equivocal

Misleading

equivocate

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

erratic

unpredictable

erudite

learned; scholarly

esoteric

known or understood only by a few

estimable

admirable

eulogy

speech in praise of someone

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

exacerbate

To make worse

exculpate

to clear from blame; prove innocent

exigent

urgent; requiring immediate action

exonerate

to free from blame

explicit

clearly stated

fawn

to grovel

fervid

Intensely emotional

florid

excessively decorated or embellished

foment

To incite feeling

garrulous

Tending to take a lot

gregarious

outgoing; sociable

guile

deceit; trickery

iconoclast

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

imperturbable

(adj.) not easily disturbed; emotionally steady

impervious

incapable of being affected

impetuous

Quick to act without thinking

implacable

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

inchoate

not fully formed; disorganized

ingenuous

innocent and naive

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

innocuous

harmless

insipid

lacking interest or flavor

intransigent

uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

inundate

To overwhelm; to cover with water

irascible

easily angered

laconic

using few words

lament

to express sorrow; to grieve

laud

praise; to glorify

lavish

extremely generous or extravagant; to give unsparingly

lethargic

acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

loquacious

Talkative

lucid

clear and easily understood

luminous

bright; brilliant; glowing

Malinger

to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

malleable

capable of being shaped

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as; a symbol for something

meticulous

extremely careful/particular about details

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

mitigate

to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

mollify

To calm or make less severe

monotony

Lack of variation

naive

lacking sophistication or experience

obdurate

hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

obsequious

overly submissive and eager to please

obstinate

stubborn

obviate

to prevent; to make unnecessary

occlude

To stop up; to prevent the passage of

onerous

troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

opaque

impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light

opprobrium

public disgrace

ostentatious

Excessive showiness

Paradox

a contradiction or dilemma

paragon

a model of excellence or perfection

pedant

someone who shows off learning

perfidious

willing to betray one's trust

perfunctory

done in a routine way; indifferently done

permeate

to penetrate

philanthropy

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

placate

to soothe or pacify

plastic

able to be molded, altered, or bent

plethora

excess

pragmatic

practical, as opposed to idealistic

precipitate

To bring about abruptly; not deliberate

prevaricate

To lie or deviate from the truth

pristine

fresh and clean; uncorrupted

prodigal

lavish; wasteful

proliferate

to reproduce, increase in number, or spread rapidly

propitiate

to conciliate; to appease

propriety

correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

prudence

wisdom, caution, or restraint

pungent

sharp and irritating to the senses

quiescent

motionless; inactive; still

rarefy

to make thinner or sparser

repudiate

to reject the validity of

reticent

silent; reserved

Rhetoric

effective writing or speaking

satiate

(v.) to satisfy completely; to fill to excess; (adj.) full, satisfied

soporific

causing sleep or lethargy

specious

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

stigma

a mark of shame or discredit

stolid

unemotional; lacking sensitivity

sublime

lofty or grand

tacit

Done without using words

taciturn

silent; not talkative

tirade

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

torpor

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

transitory

temporary; lasting a brief time

vacillate

To sway physically; to be indecisive

venerate

To respect deeply

veracity

truthfulness, accuracy

verbose

wordy

vex

to annoy

volatile

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

waver

to fluctuate between choices

whimsical

acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

zeal

passion; excitement