Barrons GRE Wordlist - P

Sree Harsha T. (India)
454 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pachyderm
    a large mammal with thick skin, such as an elephant or hippo
  2. pacifist
    someone opposed to violence as a means of settling disputes
  3. pacify
    ease the anger, agitation, or strong emotion of
  4. padre
    a chaplain in one of the military services
  5. paean
    a hymn of praise
  6. painstaking
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  7. palatable
    acceptable to the taste or mind
  8. palate
    the surface of the mouth separating oral and nasal cavities
  9. palatial
    relating to or being a large and stately residence
  10. paleontology
    the earth science that studies fossil organisms
  11. palette
    a board on which an artist mixes paints
  12. palimpsest
    a manuscript on which more than one text has been written
  13. pall
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
  14. pallet
    a hand tool with a flat blade for mixing and shaping clay
  15. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  16. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  17. palm
    the inner surface of the hand
  18. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  19. palpitate
    beat rapidly
  20. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
  21. pan
    shallow container made of metal
  22. panacea
    hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
  23. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  24. pandemic
    existing everywhere
  25. pandemonium
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
  26. pander
    yield to; give satisfaction to
  27. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  28. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
  29. panoramic
    as from an altitude or distance
  30. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  31. papyrus
    tall sedge of the Nile valley yielding fiber
  32. parable
    a short moral story
  33. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  34. paradox
    a statement that contradicts itself
  35. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  36. parallel
    being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting
  37. parallelism
    similarity by virtue of corresponding
  38. parameter
    a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied
  39. paramount
    most important or impactful
  40. paramour
    a lover, especially a secret or illicit one
  41. paranoia
    a mental disorder characterized by delusions of persecution
  42. paraphernalia
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  43. paraphrase
    express the same message in different words
  44. parasite
    an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
  45. parched
    extremely thirsty
  46. parchment
    a superior paper resembling sheepskin
  47. pare
    strip the skin off
  48. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  49. parish
    a local church community
  50. parity
    functional equality
  51. parlance
    a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers
  52. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  53. parochial
    relating to or supported by or located in a parish
  54. parody
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  55. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  56. parquet
    a floor made of a patterned wood inlay
  57. parry
    impede the movement of
  58. parsimony
    extreme stinginess
  59. partial
    being or affecting only a segment
  60. partiality
    an inclination to favor one group or view over alternatives
  61. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  62. partition
    separation by the creation of a boundary that divides
  63. parvenu
    a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status
  64. passe
    out of fashion
  65. pass off
    cause to be circulated and accepted in a false character or identity
  66. passive
    lacking in energy or will
  67. paste
    an adhesive made from water and flour or starch
  68. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  69. pastoral
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  70. pastry
    any of various baked foods made of dough or batter
  71. patent
    a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
  72. pathetic
    deserving or inciting pity
  73. pathological
    relating to the study of diseases
  74. pathos
    a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow
  75. patina
    a fine coating of oxide on the surface of a metal
  76. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  77. patriarch
    the male head of family or tribe
  78. patrician
    a person of refined upbringing and manners
  79. patrimony
    an inheritance coming by right of birth
  80. patronize
    provide support for
  81. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  82. pauper
    a person who is very poor
  83. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  84. pecuniary
    relating to or involving money
  85. pedagogue
    someone who educates young people
  86. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  87. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  88. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  89. peddle
    sell or offer for sale from place to place
  90. pedestal
    an architectural support or base
  91. pedestrian
    a person who travels by foot
  92. pediatrician
    a medical specialist in the care of children
  93. pedigree
    the ancestry or lineage of an individual
  94. peer
    look searchingly
  95. peerless
    eminent beyond or above comparison
  96. peevish
    easily irritated or annoyed
  97. pejorative
    expressing disapproval
  98. pell-mell
    in a wild or reckless manner
  99. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  100. pen
    a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
  101. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
  102. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  103. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
  104. pending
    awaiting conclusion or confirmation
  105. pendulous
    hanging loosely or bending downward
  106. penetrate
    pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
  107. penitent
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
  108. penology
    the branch of criminology concerned with prison management
  109. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
  110. penumbra
    a region of light shadow around the darkest part of a shadow
  111. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  112. peon
    a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
  113. perceptive
    of or relating to awareness via the senses
  114. percussion
    the act of exploding a detonator that explodes when struck
  115. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
  116. peregrination
    traveling or wandering around
  117. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  118. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  119. perfidious
    tending to betray
  120. perforate
    make a hole into or between, as for ease of separation
  121. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  122. perigee
    the nearest point in an orbit around the Earth
  123. perimeter
    a line enclosing a plane area
  124. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  125. peripheral
    on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary
  126. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
  127. perjury
    criminal offense of making false statements under oath
  128. permeable
    allowing fluids or gases to pass or diffuse through
  129. permissive
    not strict in discipline
  130. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  131. peroration
    the concluding section of a rhetorical address
  132. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
  133. perpetual
    continuing forever or indefinitely
  134. perpetuate
    cause to continue or prevail
  135. perquisite
    an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
  136. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
  137. persist
    refuse to stop
  138. personable
    pleasant in manner and appearance
  139. personify
    attribute human qualities to something
  140. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  141. perspicuity
    clarity as a consequence of being easily understandable
  142. perspicuous
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  143. pert
    characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality
  144. pertinacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  145. pertinent
    being of striking appropriateness
  146. perturb
    disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried
  147. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
  148. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
  149. perverse
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
  150. perversion
    the action of corrupting something
  151. pervert
    corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
  152. pessimism
    a general disposition to expect the worst in all things
  153. pestilential
    likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
  154. pestle
    a hand tool for grinding and mixing substances in a mortar
  155. petrify
    change into stone
  156. petty
    small and of little importance
  157. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  158. phalanx
    any closely ranked crowd of people
  159. pharisaical
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  160. pharisee
    a self-righteous or sanctimonious person
  161. phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses
  162. philanderer
    a man who likes many women
  163. philanthropist
    someone who makes charitable donations
  164. philatelist
    a collector and student of postage stamps
  165. Philistine
    of or relating to ancient Philistia or its culture or its people
  166. philology
    the humanistic study of language and literature
  167. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  168. phobia
    an anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear
  169. Phoenix
    the state capital and largest city located in south central Arizona; situated in a former desert that has become a prosperous agricultural area thanks to irrigation
  170. phylum
    the major taxonomic group of animals and plants
  171. physiognomy
    the human face
  172. physiological
    relating to the study of the functioning of organisms
  173. piebald
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  174. piecemeal
    one thing at a time
  175. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  176. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
  177. pigment
    dry coloring material
  178. pilfer
    make off with belongings of others
  179. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
  180. pillory
    a wooden instrument of punishment on a post
  181. pinch
    squeeze tightly between the fingers
  182. pine
    a coniferous tree
  183. pinion
    wing of a bird
  184. pinnace
    a boat for communication between ship and shore
  185. pinnacle
    a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress or a tower
  186. pious
    having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
  187. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  188. pique
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  189. piscatorial
    relating to or characteristic of the activity of fishing
  190. pitfall
    an unforeseen or unexpected or surprising difficulty
  191. pith
    spongelike central cylinder of the stems of flowering plants
  192. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  193. pittance
    an inadequate payment
  194. pivotal
    being of crucial importance
  195. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  196. placebo
    an innocuous or inert medication
  197. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
  198. plagiarize
    take without referencing from someone's writing or speech
  199. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  200. plait
    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
  201. plane
    an unbounded two-dimensional shape
  202. plaster
    a mixture of lime or gypsum with sand and water
  203. plasticity
    the property of being physically malleable
  204. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  205. platonic
    free from physical desire
  206. plaudit
    enthusiastic approval
  207. plausible
    apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful
  208. plebeian
    of or associated with the great masses of people
  209. plebiscite
    a vote determining public opinion on a question
  210. plenary
    full in all respects
  211. plenitude
    a full supply
  212. plethora
    extreme excess
  213. pliable
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  214. pliant
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  215. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
  216. ploy
    a maneuver in a game, conversation, or situation
  217. pluck
    pull lightly but sharply
  218. plumage
    the covering of feathers on a bird
  219. plumb
    exactly vertical
  220. plumber
    a specialist who installs and repairs pipes
  221. plume
    the feather of a bird
  222. plummet
    drop sharply
  223. plump
    sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
  224. plutocracy
    a political system governed by the wealthy people
  225. podiatrist
    a specialist in care for the feet
  226. podium
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
  227. poignancy
    a quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow
  228. poise
    hold or carry in equilibrium
  229. polar
    of or existing within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles
  230. polarity
    a relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies
  231. polarize
    cause to divide into conflicting positions
  232. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  233. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  234. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
  235. polity
    the form of government of a social organization
  236. polygamist
    someone married to two or more people at the same time
  237. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
  238. pomposity
    lack of elegance from being puffed up with vanity
  239. ponderous
    having great mass and weight and unwieldiness
  240. pontifical
    proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope
  241. pore
    any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid
  242. porous
    full of holes
  243. porridge
    soft food made by boiling meal or legumes in water or milk
  244. portend
    indicate by signs
  245. portly
    fairly large
  246. pose
    assume a bearing as for artistic purposes
  247. poseur
    a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  248. posterity
    all future generations
  249. posthumous
    occurring or coming into existence after a person's death
  250. postmortem
    occurring or done after death
  251. postulate
    maintain or assert
  252. posture
    the arrangement of the body and its limbs
  253. potable
    suitable for drinking
  254. potent
    having or wielding force or authority
  255. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  256. potential
    existing in possibility
  257. potion
    a medicinal or magical or poisonous beverage
  258. potpourri
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  259. poultice
    a medical dressing spread on a cloth and applied to the skin
  260. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  261. practicable
    capable of being done with means at hand
  262. practical
    guided by experience and observation rather than theory
  263. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  264. pragmatist
    an adherent of a theory of observable practical consequences
  265. prance
    move or step in a lively, spirited, or showy way
  266. prank
    a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
  267. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  268. prattle
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  269. preamble
    a preliminary introduction, as to a statute or constitution
  270. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  271. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences
  272. precept
    a rule of personal conduct
  273. precinct
    an administrative district of a city or town
  274. precipice
    a very steep cliff
  275. precipitant
    done with very great haste and without due deliberation
  276. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  277. precipitous
    extremely steep
  278. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
  279. preclude
    make impossible, especially beforehand
  280. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  281. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  282. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
  283. predecessor
    one who goes before you in time
  284. predetermine
    establish beforehand
  285. predicament
    an unpleasant or difficult situation
  286. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  287. predispose
    make susceptible
  288. preeminent
    greatest in importance, degree, or significance
  289. preempt
    acquire for oneself before others can do so
  290. preen
    clean with one's bill
  291. prefatory
    serving as an introduction or preface
  292. prefigure
    indicate by signs; be an early indication of
  293. prehensile
    adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
  294. prelate
    a senior clergyman and dignitary
  295. prelude
    something that introduces what follows
  296. premeditate
    consider, ponder, or plan beforehand
  297. premise
    a statement that is held to be true
  298. premonition
    an early warning about a future event
  299. premonitory
    warning of future misfortune
  300. preponderance
    exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
  301. prepossessing
    creating a favorable impression
  302. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
  303. prerogative
    a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
  304. presage
    a foreboding about what is about to happen
  305. prescience
    the power to foresee the future
  306. presentiment
    a feeling of evil to come
  307. prestige
    a high standing achieved through success or influence
  308. presume
    take to be the case or to be true
  309. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
  310. pretend
    make believe with the intent to deceive
  311. pretension
    the advancing of a claim
  312. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
  313. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  314. pretext
    a fictitious reason that conceals the real reason
  315. prevail
    be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
  316. prevalent
    most frequent or common
  317. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  318. prey
    animal hunted or caught for food
  319. prim
    affectedly dainty or refined
  320. primal
    having existed from the beginning
  321. primary
    of first rank or importance or value
  322. primate
    any mammal of the group including monkeys, apes, and humans
  323. prime
    of or relating to the first or originating agent
  324. primogeniture
    right of inheritance belonging exclusively to the eldest son
  325. primordial
    having existed from the beginning
  326. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
  327. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  328. privation
    the act of stripping someone of food, money, or rights
  329. privy
    informed about something secret or not generally known
  330. prize
    something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
  331. probe
    an exploratory action or expedition
  332. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  333. problematic
    making great mental demands
  334. proclivity
    a natural inclination
  335. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
  336. procurement
    the act of getting possession of something
  337. prod
    push against gently
  338. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  339. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  340. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
  341. profane
    grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
  342. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  343. profound
    situated at or extending to great depth
  344. profusion
    the property of being extremely abundant
  345. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  346. progeny
    the immediate descendants of a person
  347. prognosis
    a prediction of the course of a disease
  348. prognosticate
    make a prediction about; tell in advance
  349. prohibitive
    tending to discourage, especially of prices
  350. projectile
    a weapon that is forcibly propelled toward a target
  351. proletarian
    belonging to or characteristic of the working class
  352. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  353. prolific
    intellectually productive
  354. prolixity
    boring verbosity
  355. prologue
    an introductory section of a novel or other literary work
  356. prolong
    lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
  357. prominent
    conspicuous in position or importance
  358. promiscuous
    casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
  359. promontory
    a natural elevation
  360. promote
    assign to a higher position
  361. prompt
    according to schedule or without delay
  362. promulgate
    state or announce
  363. prone
    having a tendency
  364. prong
    a pointed projection
  365. pronounced
    strongly marked; easily noticeable
  366. prop
    a support placed beneath or against something to hold it up
  367. propagate
    multiply through reproduction
  368. propellant
    any substance that moves forward with force
  369. propensity
    a natural inclination
  370. prophetic
    foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
  371. prophylactic
    preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
  372. propinquity
    the property of being close together
  373. propitiate
    make peace with
  374. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
  375. proponent
    a person who argues for a cause or puts forward an idea
  376. propound
    put forward, as of an idea
  377. propriety
    correct behavior
  378. propulsive
    having the power to move forward with force
  379. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  380. proscenium
    the part of a stage between the curtain and the orchestra
  381. proscribe
    command against
  382. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
  383. prosody
    the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
  384. prosper
    make steady progress
  385. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
  386. prosperous
    in fortunate circumstances financially
  387. prostrate
    stretched out and lying at full length along the ground
  388. protege
    a person who receives support from an influential patron
  389. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  390. protean
    taking on different forms
  391. protocol
    forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by officials
  392. prototype
    a standard or typical example
  393. protract
    lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
  394. protrude
    extend out or project in space
  395. protuberance
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  396. provenance
    where something originated or started
  397. provender
    food for domestic livestock
  398. proverb
    a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact
  399. providence
    prudence and care exercised in the management of resources
  400. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  401. provincial
    associated with an administrative district of a nation
  402. provision
    the activity of supplying something
  403. provisional
    under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon
  404. proviso
    a stipulated condition
  405. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
  406. prowess
    a superior skill learned by study and practice
  407. proximity
    the property of being close together
  408. proxy
    a person authorized to act for another
  409. prude
    a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
  410. prudent
    marked by sound judgment
  411. prune
    cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of
  412. prurient
    characterized by lust
  413. pry
    be nosey
  414. pseudonym
    a fake name used to engage in some activity
  415. psyche
    that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings
  416. psychiatrist
    a specialist in the treatment of mental disorders
  417. psychic
    a person sensitive to things beyond natural perception
  418. psychopathic
    suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder
  419. psychosis
    severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost
  420. psychosomatic
    used of illness or symptoms resulting from neurosis
  421. pterodactyl
    extinct flying reptile
  422. pucker
    gather something into small wrinkles or folds
  423. pudding
    any of various soft sweet desserts thickened usually with flour and baked or boiled or steamed
  424. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  425. pugilist
    someone who fights with fists for sport
  426. pugnacity
    a natural disposition to be hostile
  427. puissant
    powerful
  428. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  429. pulmonary
    relating to or affecting the lungs
  430. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
  431. pulsate
    expand and contract rhythmically
  432. pulse
    the steady movement of the body's blood-pumping organ
  433. pulverize
    make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
  434. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
  435. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  436. pundit
    an expert who publicly gives opinions via mass media
  437. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
  438. punitive
    inflicting punishment
  439. puny
    of inferior size
  440. purchase
    acquire by means of a financial transaction
  441. purgatory
    a temporary state of the dead in Roman Catholic theology
  442. purge
    rid of impurities
  443. purport
    have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
  444. purport
    have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
  445. purse
    a container used for carrying money and small personal items
  446. purveyor
    someone who supplies provisions, especially food
  447. pushy
    marked by aggressive ambition and energy and initiative
  448. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  449. putative
    purported
  450. putrefy
    decay with an offensive smell
  451. putrescent
    in a state of decay or decomposition
  452. putrid
    of or relating to the process of decay
  453. puzzle
    be uncertain about
  454. pyromaniac
    a person with a mania for setting things on fire
Created on Mon Jul 27 02:44:12 EDT 2009

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