Study GREvocab Flash Cards

 
Pile Management Card
GREvocab

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tangential
slightly connected
voluble
fluent, verbal, easy use of language.
vitiate
to corrupt, debase or spoil
timorous
timid or fearful
tendentious
biased, showing marked tendencies
stygian
gloomy, dark
stentorian
loud and powerful
sententious
aphoristic or moralistic
salutary
remedial, wholesome
salacious
lustful
remonstrate
to protest or object
puissance
power or strength
puerile
childish or immature
prolix
long-winded, verbose
plangent
pounding, thundering, resounding.
peroration
the concluding part of a speech
pellucid
transparent, easy to understand
parsimonious
cheap, miserly
palliate
to make less severe or serious
obstreperous
stubbornly defiant
nonplussed
baffled, bewildered
minatory
menacing, threatening
meretricious
gaudy, showy
mendicant
a beggar, supplicant
lubricious
wanton, slippery
jejune
uninteresting, immature
insouciant
unconcerned, carefree
inimitable
one of a kind, peerless
ineluctable
certain, inevitable
indefatigable
not easily exhaustible
imbroglio
difficult or embarrassing situation
heterodox
unorthodox, heretical
gainsay
to deny, dispute, contradict
fatuous
silly, foolish
extirpate
to destroy or exterminate
expiate
to atone
exegesis
critical examination
execrate
denounce, feel loathing for
excoriate
yo censure scathingly
eschew
to shun or avoid
dirge
song of grief and lamentation
diaphanous
transparent, gauzy
desultory
random, aimless
desuetude
disuse
denouement
an outcome or solution
debacle
rout, fiasco, failure
contumacious
insubordinate, rebellious
chimera
an illusion
celerity
speed, alacrity, accelerate
cavil
to find fault without good reason
captious
pointing out trivial faults
bellicose
belligerent, warlike
augury
omen, portent
assiduous
diligent, hard-working
asseverate
to aver, allege, assert
acrimony
bitterness of nature
asperity
rigor, toughness
Apotheosis
deification
Apostate
one ho abandons long-held religious convictions
Apogee
highest point
Anodyne
soothing
Anathema
a solemn or ecclesiastical curse, cursed thing
Adumbrate
to foreshadow vaguely, to obscure or overshadow
Abjure
to renounce or reject solemnly
proclivity
inclination, propensity, predisposition
vicissitude
changes in a course or norm.
vituperate
to use harsh, abusive language. Condemnation. Berate.
vigilant
alertly watchful
vexation
annoyance, irritation
variegated
multicolored, characterized by a variety of patches.
vacillate
to waver indecisively between one course or another.
untenable
indefensible, not viable.
unfeigned
genuine, no false or hypocritical
tout
to publicly praise someone
terse
brief and concise
subtle
not obvious, hidden
spendthrift
one who spends money wastefully
sparse
thin, not dense
soporific
sleep-inducing
shard
piece of sharp debris
renege
to fail to honor a commitment, go back on a promise
refulgent
radiant, shiny, brilliant
recondite
hidden, concealed, or difficult to understand
quotidian
occurring or recurring daily
quixotic
foolishly impractical, characterized by excessive romantic ideals
pungent
sharp smell or taste
prosaic
dull, lacking in spirit
propensity
natural inclination or tendency
profligate
excessively wasteful
proclivity
a natural predisposition or inclination
probity
adherence to highest principles, uprightness
pristine
pure, uncorrupted
presumptuous
overstepping due bounds
pervade
to permeate throughout
ostentatious
pretentious display
obstinate
stubborn, hardheaded
obfuscate
to deliberately obscure
neophyte
recent convert, beginner
mollify
to calm or soothe, to reduce in intensity
mercurial
rapid and unpredictable change in mood
maverick
fiercely independent
inimical
damaging or harmful
impetuous
hastily or rashly energetic
immutable
not capable of change
imminent
about to happen
hubris
overbearing presumption or pride
glib
marked by ease or informality
flout
to show contempt for
divulge
to disclose something secret
dilettante
one with amateurish or superficial interest
derision
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
decorum
polite or appropriate conduct
cynicism
belief that all are motivated by selfishness
credulous
tending to believe too readily
convention
generally agreed upon practice or attitude
contiguous
sharing a border
astringent
having a tightening effect on living tissue, harsh, severe
amenable
agreeable
alchemy
science aimed at the transmutation of metals.
acerbic
having sour or bitter taste.
transient
fleeting
reverent
great respect
proliferate
to grow or increase swiftly.
plummet
to plunge or drop.
platitude
a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful
pith
the essential or central part
pirate
to illegally use or reproduce
pine
to yearn intensely, to languish
pervasive
having the tendency to permeate, spread throughout.
penury
poverty, destitution
pedagogy
the profession or principles of teaching
opprobrium
disgrace, contempt, scorn
meticulous
characterized by extreme care and precision
mendacity
the condition of being untruthful
malleable
capable of being shaped or formed
luminous
characterized by the emission of light
infelicitous
unfortunate, inappropriate
impunity
immunity from punishment or penalty
imperturbable
marked by extreme calm, impassivity.
impassive
revealing no emotion
idolatrous
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
hegemony
the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
hedonism
devotion to pleasurable pursuits
halcyon
calm and peaceful
hackneyed
rendered trite commonplace by overusage.
grandiloquence
pompous speech or expression
germane
appropriate in subject matter, relevant to what is at hand
fortuitous
happening by chance
evanescent
tending to disappear like vapor
eccentric
departing from the norms or conventions
bolster
to support
archaic
outdated
adulterate
to reduce in purity
acumen
keen, accurate judgement or insight
vilify
to defame.
urbane
sophisticated, refined.
ubiquitous
existing everywhere.
torpid
lethargic
supplant
supersede, take the place of
stoic
steadfast, unaffected by pleasure and pain
sordid
selfish or base
squalid
wretched or dirty as from neglect
satire
ridiculing literary work
sanction
authoritative permission
redoubtable
awe-inspiring, worthy of honor
quaff
to drink deeply
putrefy
to rot or decay
prolific
producing large volumes, productive
prodigious
abundant in size, force, or extent.
preen
to dress up or groom oneself
pious
reverent or devout
peruse
to examine with great care
penurious
penny pinching, thirfty
oscillation
state of swinging back and forth
odious
evoking intense aversion or dislike
inveigle
to obtain by deception or flattery
inert
unmoving, lethargic, potential
incipient
beginning to come into being, to become apparent
hyperbole
an exaggerated statement
heretical
violating accepted dogma
harangue
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade
gregarious
sociable, outgoing
fallacy
an invalid or incorrect notion
facetious
playful, humorous
exonerate
to remove blame
enigmatic
mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand
empirical
based on observation or experiment
ebullience
lively and enthusiastic expression
disinterested
impartial
discretion
cautious reserve
didactic
intended to teach or instruct
demur
to question or oppose
contrite
regretful, seeking forgiveness
contentious
quarrelsome
cogent
appealing forcibly to the mind
chary
weary or cautious
castigation
severe criticism
canon
established set of principles
cacophony
harsh, jarring, discordant sounds
bucolic
rustic, characteristic or rural areas
axiom
universally recognized principle
ascetic
one who practices rigid self-denial
ameliorate
to make more tolerable
aesthetic
dealing with art and beauty
adulation
excessive praise
accolade
expression of praise
abate
to lessen in intensity
virulent
extremely harmful
veracity
truthfulness, honesty
torque
a force that causes rotation
synthesis
combination of parts to a whole
stymie
to block or thwart
stupefy
to stun or baffle
static
not moving
squander
to waste by using irresponsibly
sporadic
occurring only occaisionally
sordid
characterized by filth or squalor
solicitous
concerned about and attentive
reticent
quiet, reserved
relegate
to forcibly assign
recant
to retract
qualms
misgivings
prescience
foreknowledge of events
precipitate
acting with excessive haste, causing something to occur before anticipated
prattle
to battle meaninglessly
perspicacious
acutely perceptive
cursory
going rapidly over something with no attention to details.
perfunctory
done without care
perfidy
intentional breach of faith
perennial
recurrent through the years
parody
humorous imitation
onerous
troubling
noxious
harmful
neologism
new word, expression
nebulous
vague
nascent
coming into being
mundane
ordinary
martial
associated with war
inured
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
fulminate
to loudly attack
filibuster
intentional obstruction
extemporaneous
improvised
exigent
urgent, pressing.
equivocate
to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent.
ennui
restlessness due to boredom
eloquent
well-spoken, expressive
effrontery
presumptuousness, extreme boldness
disparate
fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
discordant
conflicting
convoluted
complex
connoisseur
an informed judge in matters of taste
censure
to criticize severely
capricious
change one's mind easily
canonical
agreement with accepted standards
axiomatic
self-evident truth
austere
severely simple
arduous
strenuous
approbation
an expression of approval or raise
zeal
enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal
wretched
extremely pitiful or unfortunate (n: wretch)
waver
to hesitate or to tremble
voracious
craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things. She is a voracious reader.
volatile
explosive; fickle
viscous
slow moving; highly resistant to flow:
verbose
wordy:
venerate
great respect or reverence:
vacuous
empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence:
tyro
beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor:
turpitude
depravity; baseness:
tractable
ability to be easily managed or controlled:
tortuous
twisted; excessively complicated:
tirade (diatribe)
an angry speech:
temperate
exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild
taciturn
habitually untalkative or silent
tacit
unspoken:
superficial
only covering the surface:
specious
seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive:
sedulous
iligent; persevering; persistent:
savant
a very knowledgable person; a genious
saturnine
having a gloomy or morose temperament
sate
to satisfy fully or to excess
sagacious
having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment.
rescind
to repeal or annul
reproof
the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking.
rarefy
to make or become thin; to purify or refine
quiescence
inactivity; stillness; dormancy
pusillanimous
cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty:
Pulchritudinous
beautiful
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease:
prodigal
rashly wasteful:
prevaricate
to stray away from or evade the truth:
precursor
something (or someone) that precedes another:
precipitate
to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring about or hasten the occurrence of something:
precipice
cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance
pragmatic
concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional:
ponderous
heavy; massive; awkward; dull:
plethora
excessively large quantity; overabundance:
plastic
related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded.
placate
to calm or reduce anger by making concessions:
phlegmatic
not easily excited; cool; sluggish
philanthropy
tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization
petulant
easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable
perfidious
deliberately treacherous; dishonest
pedantic
showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning:
peccadillo
a small sin or fault
panegyric
a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing
ossified
turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible:
opaque
not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning
occlude
to close or shut off; to obstruct
obviate
to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary:
obdurate
hardened against influence or feeling; intractable.
noisome
armful, offensive, destructive:
nefarious
wicked, evil:
mitigate
to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable
misogynist
misogynist
misnomer
incorrect name or word for something
misanthrope
one who hates people:
malevolent
malicious; evil; having or showing ill will:
magnanimity
generosity and nobility.
lugubrious
weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree:
lucid
clear; translucent:
loquacious
talkative
leviathan
giant whale, therefore, something very large
laudable
praiseworthy; commendable
latent
present or potential but not evident or active
laconic
using few words; terse:
irascible
prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered
intransigent
stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change:
insular
of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive:
insipid
lacking zest or excitement; dull
insensible
numb; unconscious: "Wayne was rendered insensible by a blow to the head." unfeeling; insensitive:
innocuous
harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion
inhibit
to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain
ingenuous
unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid:
ingenious
clever
infer
to deduce:
ineffable
undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable
indelible
permanent; unerasable; strong:
incorrigible
not capable of being corrected:
inchoate
in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized:
improvidence
an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events:
imply
to suggest indirectly; to entail:
implication
insinuation or connotation
imperious
commanding
impecunious
penniless; poor
iconoclast
one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images
homogenous
imilar in nature or kind; uniform:
headlong
headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought:
hapless
unfortunate
guileless
honest; straightforward
guile
skillful deceit:
gossamer
fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine:
garrulous
verbose; talkative; rambling:
floundering
struggling:
florid
flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery:
fledgling
a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced.
fervid, fervent
highly emotional; hot:
fawn
to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly
fathom
a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it:
extant
in existence, still existing:
explicit
fully and clearly expressed
exorbitant
exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price:
exculpate
to demonstrate or prove to be blameless:
exacerbate
to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate:
eulogy
a spoken or written tribute to the deceased
esoteric
intended for or understood by only a few:
erudite
scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning.
equivocal
ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so:
ephemeral
lasting for only a brief time, fleeting
enigma
puzzle; mystery:
engender
to give rise to, to propagate, to cause:
enervate
to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of:
endemic
prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people:
encomium
a formal eulogy or speech of praise
emulate
to strive to equal or excel
emollient
softening; something that softens
effluent
the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river
eclectic
selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources:
dogmatic
relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence
dogged
stubborn or determined:
dissemble
to conceal one's real motive, to feign
dispassionate
calm; objective; unbiased
disparaging
belittling
disabuse
to free a person from falsehood or error:
diffident
lacking self-confidence, modest
diatribe
a bitter abusive denunciation.
desiccate
to dry out thoroughly
descry
to make clear, to say
depredation
the act of preying upon or plundering: "The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population."
deprecation
belittlement.
depict
to show, create a picture of.
deference
submission or courteous yielding: "He held his tongue in deference to his father."
dearth
lack, scarcity: "The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect."
culpable
deserving of blame
corroborate
o strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his story."
corporal
of the body: "corporal punishment." a non-commissioned officer ranked between a sergeant and a private.
corporeal
of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible.
conflagration
a great fire
complaisant
willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo
chicanery
deception by trickery
caustic
capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical:
catalyst
an agent of change
castigate
to chastise or criticize severely
caprice
impulse
cadge
to get something by taking advantage of someone
buttress
to support. a support
burgeon
to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth
breach
a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through.ex: Unfortunately, the club members never forgot his breach of ettiquette.
bombast
pompous speech
blandishment
speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something
barefaced
unconcealed, shameless, or brazen
banal
commonplace or trite
aver
to declare
audacious
extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior
attenuate
weaken
assuage
to make less severe; to appease or satisfy
arbitrate
to settle a dispute by impulse
antipathy
hostility toward, objection, or aversion to
antediluvian
ancient; outmoded; (literally,before the flood)
anomalous
peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly)
anachronism
a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic)
ambrosial
extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia)
ambiguous
vague; subject to more than one interpretation
amalgamate
to unite or mix. (n) -- amalgamation.
aggrandize
to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate.
advocate
to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf. (n) -- one who advocates.
abscond
to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law.
aberrant
deviating from normal or correct.
polemical
controversial; argumentative
prodigal
recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
profuse
given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
queries
questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
querulous
prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish, irritable, difficult
rancorous
characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment ( n rancor), unforgiving, revengeful
recalcitrant
obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage, stubborn
repudiate
to refuse to have anything to do with; disown, renounce, reject, disclaim, deny
rescind
to invalidate; to repeal; to retract, withdraw, annul, overturn
rhetoric
the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion, oratory, public speaking
salubrious
promoting health or well-being, healthy, whole
solvent
able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance, in the black, in the chips, in the money
specious
seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false
subpoena
court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
spurious
lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
succinct
brief; concise
superfluous
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary, extra, surplus, not required, unnecessary
surfeit
an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess, glutt
tenacity
the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination (adj tenacious), stubbornness, resolve, firmness, persistence
tenuous
adj weak and unconvincing, extremely delicate and fine, dilute
trenchant
vigorous or effective.
refractory
hard or impossible to manage.
reproach
to find fault with. To blame.
disparagingly
to belittle or bring reproach upon.
cupidity
excessive desire.
effigy
a crude representation or image used for ridicule.
prognostication
forecast or prediction.
auspices
patronage and support.
anecdote
a short account of an interesting nature.
wanton
done or used unjustifiably, without regard to morality, deliberate or without motive. Sexually lawless or unrestrained.
vociferous
crying out noisily. Clamorous.
vex
to irritate, annoy, or provoke.
umbrage
offense or annoyance; Shade or shadows cast by trees; the slightest feeling of suspicion; leaves that make shade, shadowy appearance of something.
truculent
Aggressively hostile. Belligerent.
taciturn
inclined to silence. Reluctant to join in the conversation.
sycophant
a self-seeking servile flatterer. A parasite.
superfluous
more than enough. Overabundant.
staid
of settled or sedate character. Fixed.
sanguine
cheerfully optimistic or hopeful.
salient
prominent or conspicuous; Projecting outward.
repudiate
the reject as having no authority. To cast off or disown.
quaint
nostalgic charm. Pleasing or amusing.
predilection
Predisposition. Preferential liking.
perusal
a reading of a text. Survey. Critique.
panacea
a remedy for all disease. Cureall. Answer to all problems.
obtuse
not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect. Dull.
obsequious
Showing complacence. Compliant. Deference.
nominal
being such in name only. Minimal.
nadir
lowest point of despair. Low point. Opposite of Zenith.
myriad
great number of things. Great variations.
morose
gloomy or ill-humored.
modicum
small amount.
maxim
an expression of general truth or principle. Rule of conduct.
lurid
gruesome. Horrible.
lithe
bending readily. Flexible.
knell
ominous sound. Toll of a bell.
inveterate
chronic. Firmly established. Settled or resolved to a habit.
intrepid
fearless, doubtless.
insular
detached, standing alone. Isolated.
indolent
slothful. Lazy.
incisive
penetrating. Direct. Sharp. Keen. Acute.
impudent
shameless or immodest.
implacable
unable to be appeased.
impertinent
presumptuous, intrusive. Uncivil; Irrelevant.
gratuitous
free or voluntary. Done without reason. Done without payment.
furtive
secret, sly, or shifty Done by stealth.
fractious
unruly. readily angered.
extol
to praise highly
erudite
characterized by great knowledge.
enmity
a feeling of hostility. Animosity.
deride
to scorn or scoff. To mock.
demure
shy or modest.
decry
to condemn or depreciate by proclamation.
connive
to conspire and cooperate secretly.
complacency
security, self satisfaction.
circumspect
watchful and discrete. Cautious.
candor
sincere, unbiased.
brusque
abrupt in manner, to the point.
avarice
greed.
alacrity
cheerful readiness. Willingness.
aberration
act of departing from the norm. Deviation.
simulacrum
a likeness or superficial representation.
harridan
viscous woman. Hag.
rapacious
inordinately greedy
dross
waste matter
aegis
sponsorship, protection.
paroxysm
a sudden, violent, outburst attributed to disease.
coterie
a group of people closely associated
paean
song of praise, joy, or triumph
craven
cowardly
agitprop
agitation through propaganda
pithy
brief and meaningful in expression.
raconteur
person skilled in anecdotes
verisimilitude
the appearance of truth
Zeitgeist
the spirit of an epoch
hoi polloi
the common people
efficacy
capacity for producing a desired effect.
calumniate
slander
louche
decadent. Questionable orality
maudlin
foolishly sentimental
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