GRE2

Ali A.
As the description states, these are plain and simply , words that I come across while reading , that I don't know the meaning of. This approach to studying vocab was suggested on a youtube video by Christopher Lele of Magoosh.com . Though it was a bit late for me to take up on his suggestion , and I didn't do too well in the GRE , thought this could be a good way to develop my vocabulary for the future. I read The Economist pretty regularly and on occasions read a non-fiction or two
468 words 3 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abettor
    one who helps, encourages, incites another
  2. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  3. abrogate
    revoke formally
  4. abstruse
    difficult to understand
  5. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  6. acme
    the highest point of something
  7. acquiesce
    agree or express agreement
  8. acquiescence
    agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
  9. acrimonious
    marked by strong resentment or cynicism
  10. adept
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
  11. adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
  12. aloofness
    a disposition to be distant and unsympathetic in manner
  13. ambivalence
    mixed feelings or emotions
  14. amenable
    disposed or willing to comply
  15. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  16. ancillary
    furnishing added support
  17. anodyne
    capable of relieving pain
  18. apologist
    a person who argues to defend some policy or institution
  19. arboreal
    of or relating to or formed by trees
  20. ascribe
    attribute or credit to
  21. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
  22. auspices
    kindly endorsement and guidance
  23. avarice
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
  24. avaricious
    immoderately desirous of acquiring something
  25. bagatelle
    something of little value or significance
  26. balk
    refuse to proceed or comply
  27. bane
    something causing misery or death
  28. bastion
    projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
  29. beleaguer
    annoy persistently
  30. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  31. belligerence
    hostile or warlike attitude or nature
  32. bemusement
    confusion resulting from failure to understand
  33. berate
    censure severely or angrily
  34. bestride
    get up on the back of
  35. bewail
    express sorrow or regret about something
  36. bigotry
    intolerance and prejudice
  37. boon
    something that is desirable, favorable, or beneficial
  38. bucolic
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  39. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick
  40. callous
    emotionally hardened
  41. capacious
    large in the amount that can be contained
  42. caper
    a playful leap or hop
  43. capitulate
    surrender under agreed conditions
  44. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  45. capstone
    a stone that forms the top of wall or building
  46. catechism
    an elementary book summarizing the principles of a religion
  47. caveat
    a warning against certain acts
  48. cerebral
    of or relating to the brain
  49. certitude
    complete assurance or confidence
  50. chasm
    a deep opening in the earth's surface
  51. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  52. clamorous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  53. clement
    (of weather or climate) mild
  54. coda
    the closing section of a musical composition
  55. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  56. commensurate
    corresponding in size or degree or extent
  57. conceit
    the trait of being unduly vain
  58. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
  59. conflagration
    a very intense and uncontrolled fire
  60. conflate
    mix together different elements
  61. conjecture
    believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
  62. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
  63. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
  64. contemporaneous
    occurring in the same period of time
  65. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  66. contemptible
    deserving of scorn or disrespect
  67. contrarian
    an investor who deliberately decides to go against the prevailing wisdom of other investors
  68. contrived
    showing effects of planning or manipulation
  69. corollary
    an inference following from the proof of another proposition
  70. credulity
    tendency to believe readily
  71. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
  72. cringing
    totally submissive
  73. curmudgeon
    an irascible, cantankerous person full of stubborn ideas
  74. cursorily
    without taking pains
  75. dabble
    bob under so as to feed off the bottom of a body of water
  76. daft
    foolish or mentally irregular
  77. decry
    express strong disapproval of
  78. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  79. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  80. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
  81. derision
    the act of treating with contempt
  82. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  83. detritus
    loose material that is worn away from rocks
  84. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  85. diminutive
    very small
  86. disconcerting
    causing an emotional disturbance
  87. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  88. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  89. drone
    make a monotonous low dull sound
  90. duplicitous
    marked by deliberate deceptiveness
  91. duress
    compulsory force or threat
  92. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
  93. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  94. efficacious
    giving the power to produce an intended result
  95. efficacy
    capacity or power to produce a desired result
  96. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  97. egregious
    conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
  98. elegiac
    resembling or characteristic of a lament for the dead
  99. empyrean
    of or relating to the sky or heavens
  100. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  101. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
  102. epitaph
    an inscription in memory of a buried person
  103. epithet
    descriptive word or phrase
  104. errant
    straying from the right course or from accepted standards
  105. ersatz
    an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
  106. erstwhile
    belonging to some prior time
  107. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  108. exculpatory
    clearing of guilt or blame
  109. expediency
    the quality of being suited to the end in view
  110. expletive
    profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
  111. exposition
    a collection of things for public display
  112. facile
    arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
  113. fastidious
    giving careful attention to detail
  114. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  115. fawning
    attempting to win favor by flattery
  116. feckless
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  117. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
  118. foible
    a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character
  119. forbearance
    a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges
  120. fortitude
    strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity
  121. fumble
    feel about uncertainly or blindly
  122. gamut
    a complete extent or range
  123. gawk
    look with amazement
  124. gibe
    laugh at with contempt and derision
  125. goad
    stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick
  126. gratuitous
    unnecessary and unwarranted
  127. gripe
    complain
  128. harrowing
    causing extreme distress
  129. hawkish
    disposed to warfare or hard-line policies
  130. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group over others
  131. hew
    make or shape as with an axe
  132. hubris
    overbearing pride or presumption
  133. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  134. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
  135. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  136. impunity
    exemption from punishment or loss
  137. incendiary
    capable of causing fires or catching fire spontaneously
  138. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  139. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  140. incorporeal
    without material form or substance
  141. incorrigible
    impervious to correction by punishment
  142. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
  143. indefatigable
    showing sustained enthusiasm with unflagging vitality
  144. indigent
    poor enough to need help from others
  145. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
  146. inebriated
    stupefied or excited by a chemical substance
  147. inept
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  148. inexorable
    impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
  149. infraction
    a violation of a law or rule
  150. inherent
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
  151. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  152. internecine
    within a group or organization
  153. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
  154. intrigue
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  155. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  156. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  157. irreverence
    a mental attitude showing lack of due respect
  158. jejune
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  159. laconic
    brief and to the point
  160. largesse
    liberality in bestowing gifts
  161. leaven
    a substance used to produce fermentation in dough
  162. litany
    a prayer consisting of a series of invocations by the priest with responses from the congregation
  163. livid
    furiously angry
  164. magnanimous
    noble and generous in spirit
  165. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  166. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  167. mendacity
    the tendency to be untruthful
  168. minion
    a servile or fawning dependent
  169. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  170. mongrel
    derogatory term for a variation that is not genuine
  171. moniker
    a familiar name for a person
  172. moot
    of no legal significance, as having been previously decided
  173. moroseness
    a gloomy ill-tempered feeling
  174. murmur
    a low continuous indistinct sound
  175. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
  176. narcissistic
    having an inflated idea of one's own importance
  177. newfangled
    needlessly modern, different, or innovative
  178. obsequiousness
    abject or cringing submissiveness
  179. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  180. ossified
    set in a rigid pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs
  181. ostensible
    appearing as such but not necessarily so
  182. ostensibly
    from appearances alone
  183. pall
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
  184. palliative
    moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
  185. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  186. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  187. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  188. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  189. pare
    strip the skin off
  190. parlous
    fraught with danger
  191. parochial
    relating to or supported by or located in a parish
  192. parse
    analyze the sentence structure of
  193. pedagogical
    relating to the study of teaching
  194. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  195. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  196. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  197. perfidious
    tending to betray
  198. perfidious
    tending to betray
  199. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  200. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  201. persecutor
    someone who torments
  202. philistine
    a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
  203. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  204. pilfer
    make off with belongings of others
  205. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
  206. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  207. pliant
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  208. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  209. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  210. potent
    having or wielding force or authority
  211. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  212. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  213. preponderance
    exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight
  214. prescient
    perceiving the significance of events before they occur
  215. prima facie
    as it seems at first sight
  216. profligacy
    the trait of spending extravagantly
  217. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  218. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  219. prognosis
    a prediction of the course of a disease
  220. proscribe
    command against
  221. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
  222. provenance
    where something originated or started
  223. provincial
    associated with an administrative district of a nation
  224. prudish
    exaggeratedly proper
  225. pugnacious
    ready and able to resort to force or violence
  226. pushover
    someone who is easily taken advantage of
  227. putative
    purported
  228. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
  229. quid pro quo
    something given in exchange for something else
  230. quip
    a witty saying
  231. quotidian
    found in the ordinary course of events
  232. ragamuffin
    a dirty shabbily clothed urchin
  233. rankle
    make resentful or angry
  234. rapacious
    living by preying on other animals
  235. ravenous
    extremely hungry
  236. rebuke
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
  237. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  238. recourse
    act of turning to for assistance
  239. resplendent
    having great beauty
  240. retrograde
    moving or directed or tending in a backward direction
  241. rumbustious
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
  242. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
  243. scintilla
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  244. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
  245. sheath
    a protective covering, as for a knife or sword
  246. sheathe
    enclose with a protective covering
  247. shove
    come into rough contact with while moving
  248. simulacrum
    a representation of a person
  249. slovenly
    negligent of neatness especially in dress and person
  250. slovenly
    negligent of neatness especially in dress and person
  251. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
  252. snide
    expressive of contempt
  253. sophistry
    a deliberately invalid argument in the hope of deceiving
  254. sot
    a chronic drinker
  255. specter
    a ghostly appearing figure
  256. spurious
    plausible but false
  257. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
  258. stodgy
    excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull
  259. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
  260. stymie
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
  261. subterfuge
    something intended to misrepresent the nature of an activity
  262. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  263. surmise
    infer from incomplete evidence
  264. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
  265. swingeing
    severe; punishingly bad
  266. sybaritic
    displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
  267. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  268. tactile
    of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch
  269. tantamount
    being essentially equal to something
  270. thrift
    extreme care in spending money
  271. titular
    existing in name only
  272. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
  273. tractable
    easily managed
  274. transient
    lasting a very short time
  275. travail
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
  276. truancy
    failure to attend, especially school
  277. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
  278. urbane
    showing a high degree of refinement
  279. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  280. valour
    the qualities of a hero or heroine
  281. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  282. verbatim
    using exactly the same words
  283. veritable
    not counterfeit or copied
  284. vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
  285. vicarious
    experienced at secondhand
  286. vicariously
    indirectly, as, by, or through a substitute
  287. vice
    a specific form of evildoing
  288. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  289. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  290. vignette
    a brief literary description
  291. vilification
    slanderous defamation
  292. vilify
    spread negative information about
  293. virago
    a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
  294. visage
    the human face
  295. vitriol
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
  296. vitriol
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
  297. vituperation
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
  298. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  299. volition
    the act of making a choice
  300. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
  301. voracious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
  302. wallow
    roll around
  303. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
  304. wean
    gradually deprive of mother's milk
  305. wheedle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  306. wherewithal
    the necessary means (especially financial means)
  307. whiff
    a short light gust of air
  308. wily
    marked by skill in deception
  309. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
  310. wonk
    a student who is ridiculed as being boringly studious
  311. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  312. Zeitgeist
    the spirit of the time
  313. sclerotic
    relating to or having sclerosis; hardened
  314. bunk
    a set of beds built one above the other
  315. specious
    plausible but false
  316. humdrum
    tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
  317. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
  318. rescind
    cancel officially
  319. priming
    the act of making something ready
  320. fracas
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
  321. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
  322. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
  323. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  324. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
  325. scourge
    something causing misery or death
  326. crimp
    make ridges into by pinching together
  327. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  328. sempiternal
    having no known beginning and presumably no end
  329. fret
    be agitated or irritated
  330. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
  331. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
  332. seething
    in constant agitation
  333. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
  334. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  335. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  336. fillip
    an additional benefit, reward, or extra added to something else
  337. straddle
    sit or stand astride of
  338. parvenu
    a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status
  339. brash
    offensively bold
  340. lament
    a cry of sorrow and grief
  341. impunity
    exemption from punishment or loss
  342. pantheon
    a temple to all the gods of antiquity
  343. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
  344. perturbed
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
  345. bear out
    support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm
  346. clandestine
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
  347. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  348. discomfort
    the state of being tense and feeling pain
  349. fan
    a device for creating a current of air by movement
  350. prickly
    very irritable
  351. extricate
    release from entanglement or difficulty
  352. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  353. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
  354. aegis
    armor plate that protects the chest
  355. nous
    that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings
  356. quash
    declare invalid
  357. advent
    arrival that has been awaited
  358. incongruity
    the quality of disagreeing
  359. incongruity
    the quality of disagreeing
  360. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  361. bane
    something causing misery or death
  362. scant
    less than the correct or legal or full amount
  363. dowdy
    lacking in stylishness or taste
  364. pizzazz
    the activeness of an energetic personality
  365. infatuated
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
  366. pale
    very light in color or highly diluted with white
  367. sycophancy
    fawning obsequiousness
  368. obsequiousness
    abject or cringing submissiveness
  369. wag
    a movement from side to side
  370. nettlesome
    causing irritation or annoyance
  371. finesse
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
  372. baleful
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  373. fitful
    occurring in spells and often abruptly
  374. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
  375. clamor
    utter or proclaim insistently and noisily
  376. allay
    lessen the intensity of or calm
  377. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  378. beguile
    attract; cause to be enamored
  379. precocity
    intelligence achieved far ahead of normal development
  380. pedagogical
    relating to the study of teaching
  381. vile
    morally reprehensible
  382. hubris
    overbearing pride or presumption
  383. seethe
    foam as if boiling
  384. hawkishness
    any political orientation favoring aggressive policies
  385. despondency
    feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless
  386. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  387. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
  388. staggering
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
  389. consign
    give over to another for care or safekeeping
  390. clout
    (boxing) a blow with the fist
  391. snub
    refuse to acknowledge
  392. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
  393. saddled
    having a saddle on or being mounted on a saddled animal
  394. preamble
    a preliminary introduction, as to a statute or constitution
  395. gumption
    fortitude and determination
  396. furtively
    in a secretive manner
  397. crammer
    a student who crams
  398. swot
    study intensively, as before an exam
  399. ditty
    a short simple song
  400. triumvirate
    a group of three people responsible for civil authority
  401. venal
    capable of being corrupted
  402. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  403. dither
    be undecided or uncertain
  404. rapprochement
    the reestablishing of cordial relations
  405. ire
    anger; irritability
  406. trounce
    beat severely with a whip or rod
  407. assiduously
    with care and persistence
  408. reticence
    the trait of being uncommunicative
  409. castigate
    inflict severe punishment on
  410. excoriate
    express strong disapproval of
  411. sinuous
    curved or curving in and out
  412. connive
    form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
  413. pigeonhole
    a small compartment
  414. decry
    express strong disapproval of
  415. discombobulate
    cause to be confused emotionally
  416. nimbleness
    the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble
  417. trumpet
    a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone
  418. guise
    an artful or simulated semblance
  419. guise
    an artful or simulated semblance
  420. disown
    cast off
  421. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  422. riposte
    a counterattack made immediately after successfully parrying
  423. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
  424. feckless
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  425. boffin
    a scientist or technician engaged in military research
  426. eponymous
    relating to a name derived from a person
  427. tome
    a large and scholarly book
  428. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  429. pare
    strip the skin off
  430. leaden
    (of movement) slow and laborious
  431. absolve
    grant remission of a sin to
  432. morsel
    a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
  433. irk
    irritate or vex
  434. retort
    a quick reply to a question or remark
  435. grubby
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
  436. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
  437. scant
    less than the correct or legal or full amount
  438. stupendous
    so great in size, force, or extent as to elicit awe
  439. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  440. swoon
    pass out from weakness or physical or emotional distress
  441. foist
    force onto another
  442. surreptitiously
    in a secretive manner
  443. quell
    suppress or crush completely
  444. vain
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
  445. deign
    do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
  446. temerity
    fearless daring
  447. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  448. pomp
    cheap or pretentious or vain display
  449. espouse
    choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.
  450. redress
    make reparations or amends for
  451. purview
    the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated
  452. resplendent
    having great beauty
  453. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
  454. loth
    (usually followed by `to') strongly opposed
  455. fete
    an elaborate party, often outdoors
  456. egg on
    urge on; cause to act
  457. skirt
    a garment hanging from the waist
  458. tinderbox
    a box for holding tinder
  459. epithet
    descriptive word or phrase
  460. contemptible
    deserving of scorn or disrespect
  461. recidivism
    habitual relapse into crime
  462. quagmire
    a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
  463. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  464. laurels
    a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
  465. canard
    a deliberately misleading fabrication
  466. indemnify
    secure against future loss, damage, or liability
  467. cul de sac
    a street with only one way in or out
  468. quagmire
    a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
Created on Sat Dec 17 06:38:06 EST 2011 (updated Sun Dec 22 18:51:51 EST 2013)

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