GMAT Vocabulary (A-C words)

Elaina L.
310 words 19 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abaft
    at or near the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
  2. abandon
    forsake; leave behind
  3. abase
    cause to feel shame
  4. abbreviate
    shorten
  5. abdicate
    give up power, duties, or obligations
  6. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  7. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  8. abhor
    feel hatred or disgust toward
  9. abject
    of the most contemptible kind
  10. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  11. abnegation
    the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief
  12. abominate
    find repugnant
  13. abridge
    lessen, diminish, or curtail
  14. abrogate
    revoke formally
  15. abrupt
    exceedingly sudden and unexpected
  16. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  17. absolve
    grant remission of a sin to
  18. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  19. abstinence
    the trait of refraining from something, especially alcohol
  20. abstruse
    difficult to understand
  21. abysmal
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
  22. accede
    yield to another's wish or opinion
  23. acclaim
    enthusiastic approval
  24. accolade
    a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
  25. accomplice
    a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan
  26. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  27. accrue
    grow by addition
  28. acerbic
    sour or bitter in taste
  29. acquiesce
    agree or express agreement
  30. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
  31. acrimony
    a rough and bitter manner
  32. adage
    a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact
  33. adamant
    very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
  34. addled
    confused and vague; used especially of thinking
  35. adept
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
  36. adjure
    command solemnly
  37. adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
  38. adulation
    exaggerated flattery or praise
  39. adulterate
    make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance
  40. adversary
    someone who offers opposition
  41. adverse
    in an opposing direction
  42. advocate
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
  43. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  44. affable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
  45. affiliate
    join in a social or business relationship
  46. affinity
    a natural attraction or feeling of kinship
  47. aggrandize
    embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of
  48. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
  49. agrarian
    relating to rural matters
  50. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  51. alchemist
    one who tried to change ordinary metals into gold
  52. alchemy
    a pseudoscientific forerunner of chemistry in medieval times
  53. allegory
    a short moral story
  54. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  55. allocate
    distribute according to a plan or set apart for a purpose
  56. allude
    make an indirect reference to
  57. allure
    the power to entice or attract
  58. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
  59. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
  60. altercation
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
  61. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  62. altruistic
    showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  63. amalgam
    a combination or blend of diverse things
  64. amalgamate
    bring or combine together or with something else
  65. amass
    collect or gather
  66. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  67. ambivalent
    uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
  68. ameliorate
    make better
  69. amendment
    a statement that is added to a proposal or document
  70. amiable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
  71. amiss
    in an improper or mistaken manner
  72. amity
    a state of friendship and cordiality
  73. amorphous
    having no definite form or distinct shape
  74. amortize
    pay off a debt by making periodic payments
  75. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  76. analogy
    drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity
  77. anaphylaxis
    hypersensitivity reaction to the ingestion or injection of a substance (a protein or drug) resulting from prior contact with a substance
  78. anarchist
    an advocate of the abolition of governments
  79. anchorage
    a place for ships or boats to be secured
  80. anecdote
    short account of an incident
  81. animosity
    a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
  82. anoint
    administer an oil or ointment to, often ceremonially
  83. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule
  84. anonymous
    having no known name or identity or known source
  85. antagonism
    an actively expressed feeling of dislike and hostility
  86. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  87. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
  88. apocalyptic
    of or relating to a catastrophe
  89. apocryphal
    being of questionable authenticity
  90. appease
    make peace with
  91. apposite
    being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
  92. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
  93. approbatory
    expressing or manifesting praise or approval
  94. arable
    capable of being farmed productively
  95. arbiter
    someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue
  96. arbitrary
    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference
  97. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  98. archetype
    something that serves as a model
  99. ardent
    characterized by intense emotion
  100. arduous
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
  101. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
  102. aromatic
    having a strong pleasant odor
  103. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
  104. arrogate
    seize and take control without authority
  105. articulate
    express or state clearly
  106. artifice
    the use of deception or trickery
  107. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  108. aseptic
    free of pathological microorganisms
  109. askance
    with suspicion or disapproval
  110. asperity
    harshness of manner
  111. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
  112. aspirant
    an ambitious young person
  113. assay
    a test of a substance to determine its components
  114. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
  115. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  116. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  117. astringent
    tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue
  118. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
  119. atrophy
    a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
  120. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  121. atypical
    not representative of a group, class, or type
  122. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  123. augment
    enlarge or increase
  124. august
    profoundly honored
  125. auspicious
    indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
  126. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  127. authentic
    not counterfeit or copied
  128. authoritarian
    characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
  129. autocracy
    a theory favoring unlimited authority by an individual
  130. autocrat
    a cruel and oppressive dictator
  131. avarice
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
  132. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  133. awry
    turned or twisted to one side
  134. azure
    bright blue in color, like a clear sky
  135. baleful
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  136. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  137. baneful
    evil or sinister
  138. baroque
    relating to an elaborately ornamented style of art and music
  139. bastion
    projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
  140. batten
    a strip fixed to something to hold it firm
  141. bauble
    cheap showy jewelry or ornament
  142. beget
    have children
  143. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
  144. behoove
    be appropriate or necessary
  145. belittle
    cause to seem lesser or inferior
  146. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  147. bemuse
    cause to be confused emotionally
  148. benefactor
    a person who helps people or institutions
  149. beneficent
    doing or producing good
  150. benevolent
    showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding
  151. benign
    kind in disposition or manner
  152. berate
    censure severely or angrily
  153. bereft
    lacking or deprived of something
  154. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
  155. besmirch
    smear so as to make dirty or stained
  156. bestial
    resembling an animal, especially by being vicious or cruel
  157. betroth
    give to in marriage
  158. biased
    favoring one person or side over another
  159. biennial
    occurring every second year
  160. bilateral
    having two sides or parts
  161. blasphemous
    grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
  162. blatant
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
  163. blighted
    affected by something that prevents growth or prosperity
  164. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  165. bode
    indicate by signs
  166. bombast
    pompous or pretentious talk or writing
  167. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  168. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking refinement
  169. breadth
    the extent of something from side to side
  170. brevity
    the attribute of being short or fleeting
  171. brindled
    having a gray or brown streak or a patchy coloring
  172. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
  173. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
  174. bucolic
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  175. bumptious
    offensively self-assertive
  176. bungler
    someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence
  177. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  178. burlesque
    a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor
  179. burly
    muscular and heavily built
  180. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  181. cabal
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
  182. cache
    a hidden storage space
  183. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
  184. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
  185. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  186. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
  187. caliber
    diameter of a tube or gun barrel
  188. callow
    young and inexperienced
  189. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  190. canard
    a deliberately misleading fabrication
  191. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
  192. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track
  193. caprice
    a sudden desire
  194. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  195. captious
    tending to find and call attention to faults
  196. carte blanche
    complete freedom or authority to act
  197. cascade
    a small waterfall or series of small waterfalls
  198. castigate
    inflict severe punishment on
  199. cataclysm
    a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
  200. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  201. catharsis
    purging the body to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
  202. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  203. cavil
    raise trivial objections
  204. censor
    a person authorized to suppress unacceptable material
  205. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
  206. ceremonious
    characterized by pomp and stately display
  207. cessation
    a stopping
  208. chafe
    become or make sore by or as if by rubbing
  209. chafing
    soreness or irritation of the skin caused by friction
  210. chagrin
    strong feelings of embarrassment
  211. charisma
    personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others
  212. charlatan
    a flamboyant deceiver
  213. chary
    characterized by great caution
  214. chaste
    abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse
  215. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
  216. cherish
    be fond of
  217. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  218. chimera
    a grotesque product of the imagination
  219. choleric
    characterized by anger
  220. chortle
    a soft partly suppressed laugh
  221. churlish
    having a bad disposition; surly
  222. circumlocution
    an indirect way of expressing something
  223. circumlocutory
    roundabout and unnecessarily wordy
  224. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
  225. citadel
    a stronghold for shelter during a battle
  226. clandestine
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
  227. clemency
    leniency and compassion shown toward offenders
  228. cloture
    a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body
  229. cloying
    overly sweet
  230. coagulate
    change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
  231. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
  232. coda
    the closing section of a musical composition
  233. coddle
    cook in nearly boiling water
  234. codify
    organize into a system, such as a body of law
  235. coffer
    the funds of a government, institution, or individual
  236. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  237. cogitate
    consider carefully and deeply
  238. cognate
    related by blood
  239. cognitive
    relating to or involving the mental process of knowing
  240. cognizant
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
  241. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
  242. cohesion
    the state of sticking together
  243. cohort
    a band of warriors
  244. collaborate
    work together on a common enterprise or project
  245. colloquial
    characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
  246. collusion
    secret agreement
  247. comeliness
    the quality of being good looking and attractive
  248. commiserate
    feel or express sympathy or compassion
  249. commodious
    large and roomy
  250. communal
    for or by a group rather than individuals
  251. compatible
    able to exist and perform in harmonious combination
  252. complacent
    contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
  253. complaisance
    a tendency to try to please or yield to the will of others
  254. compliant
    disposed to act in accordance with someone's wishes
  255. comport
    behave in a certain manner
  256. comprehensive
    including all or everything
  257. compromise
    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
  258. concede
    give over
  259. conceit
    the trait of being unduly vain
  260. conciliation
    the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity
  261. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
  262. concise
    expressing much in few words
  263. conclave
    a confidential or secret meeting
  264. condescend
    behave in a patronizing manner
  265. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
  266. confluence
    a place where things merge or flow together
  267. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
  268. conglomeration
    a sum total of many varied things taken together
  269. conjoin
    make contact or come together
  270. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
  271. connivance
    agreement on a secret plot
  272. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  273. connotative
    implying or suggesting something extra
  274. consecrate
    give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
  275. consequential
    having important effects or results
  276. consort
    keep company with
  277. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
  278. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
  279. constrain
    hold back
  280. consummation
    the act of bringing to completion or fruition
  281. contemporary
    occurring in the same period of time
  282. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  283. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  284. contest
    a struggle between rivals
  285. contiguous
    having a common boundary or edge
  286. contravene
    go against, as of rules and laws
  287. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  288. contumacious
    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  289. contusion
    an injury in which the skin is not broken
  290. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  291. conventional
    following accepted customs and proprieties
  292. converge
    be adjacent or come together
  293. conviviality
    a jovial nature
  294. convoke
    call together
  295. copious
    large in number or quantity
  296. corpulence
    the property of excessive fatness
  297. correlate
    bear a reciprocal or mutual relation
  298. corroborate
    give evidence for
  299. coterie
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
  300. covenant
    an agreement between a god and the people
  301. covetous
    immoderately desirous of acquiring something
  302. cower
    crouch or curl up
  303. coy
    affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way
  304. crass
    so unrefined as to be offensive or insensitive
  305. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  306. culpable
    deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious
  307. curb
    the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess
  308. curmudgeon
    an irascible, cantankerous person full of stubborn ideas
  309. cursory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  310. cynic
    someone who is critical of the motives of others
Created on Sat Dec 22 19:01:00 EST 2012 (updated Sat Dec 22 19:18:08 EST 2012)

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