2008 Gre Vocab Hit List 4

Front 1

acerbic

Back 1

(adj) having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting

Front 2

aggrandize

Back 2

(v) to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige

Front 3

alchemy

Back 3

(n) a medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy)

Front 4

amenable

Back 4

(adj) agreeable; responsive to suggestion

Front 5

anachronism

Back 5

(n) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

Front 6

astringent

Back 6

(adj/n) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue

Front 7

contiguous

Back 7

(adj) sharing a border; touching; adjacent

Front 8

convention

Back 8

(n) a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

Front 9

credulous

Back 9

(adj) tending to believe too readily; gullible

(noun form: credulity)

Front 10

cynicism

Back 10

(n) an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

(adj. form: cynical)

Front 11

decorum

Back 11

(n) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior

(adj. form: decorous)

Front 12

derision

Back 12

(n) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment

(adj. form: derisive; verb form: deride)

Front 13

desiccate

Back 13

(v) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

Front 14

dilettante

Back 14

(n) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

Front 15

disparage

Back 15

(v) to slight or belittle

Front 16

divulge

Back 16

(v) to disclose something secret

Front 17

fawn

Back 17

(v) to flatter or praise excessively

Front 18

flout

Back 18

(v) to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

Front 19

garrulous

Back 19

(adj) pointlessly talkative, talking too much

Front 20

glib

Back 20

(adj) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

Front 21

hubris

Back 21

(n) overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance

Front 22

imminent

Back 22

(adj) about to happen; impending

Front 23

immutable

Back 23

(adj) not capable of change

Front 24

impetuous

Back 24

(adj) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Front 25

indifferent

Back 25

(adj) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

Front 26

inimical

Back 26

(adj) damaging; harmful; injurious

Front 27

intractable

Back 27

(adj) not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

Front 28

intrepid

Back 28

(adj) steadfast and courageous

Front 29

laconic

Back 29

(adj) using few words; terse

Front 30

maverick

Back 30

(n) an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

Front 31

mercurial

Back 31

(adj) characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Front 32

mollify

Back 32

(v) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

Front 33

neophyte

Back 33

(n) a recent convert; a beginner; novice

Front 34

obfuscate

Back 34

(v) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing

Front 35

obstinate

Back 35

(adj) stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising

Front 36

ostentatious

Back 36

(adj) characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy

Front 37

pervade

Back 37

(v) to permeate throughout

(adj. form: pervasive)

Front 38

phlegmatic

Back 38

(adj) calm; sluggish; unemotional

Front 39

plethora

Back 39

(n) an overabundance; a surplus

Front 40

pragmatic

Back 40

(adj) practical rather than idealistic

Front 41

presumptuous

Back 41

(adj) overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

Front 42

pristine

Back 42

(adj) pure; uncorrupted; clean

Front 43

probity

Back 43

(n) adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

Front 44

proclivity

Back 44

(n) a natural predisposition or inclination

Front 45

profligate

Back 45

(adj) excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

(noun form: profligacy)

Front 46

propensity

Back 46

(n) a natural inclination or tendency, penchant

Front 47

prosaic

Back 47

(adj) dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

Front 48

pungent

Back 48

(adj) characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

Front 49

quixotic

Back 49

(adj) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

Front 50

quotidian

Back 50

(adj) occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

Front 51

rarefy

Back 51

(v) to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

Front 52

recondite

Back 52

(adj) hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

Front 53

refulgent

Back 53

(adj) radiant; shiny; brilliant

Front 54

renege

Back 54

(v) to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

Front 55

sedulous

Back 55

(adj) diligent; persistent; hard-working

Front 56

shard

Back 56

(n) a piece of broken pottery or glass

Front 57

soporific

Back 57

(adj) causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

Front 58

sparse

Back 58

(adj) thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

Front 59

spendthrift

Back 59

(n) one who spends money wastefully

Front 60

subtle

Back 60

(adj) not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

Front 61

tacit

Back 61

(adj) implied; not explicitly stated

Front 62

terse

Back 62

(adj) brief and concise in wording

Front 63

tout

Back 63

(v) to publicly praise or promote

Front 64

trenchant

Back 64

(adj) sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

Front 65

unfeigned

Back 65

(adj) genuine; not false or hypocritical

Front 66

untenable

Back 66

(adj) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

Front 67

vacillate

Back 67

(v) to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver

Front 68

variegated

Back 68

(adj) multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Front 69

vexation

Back 69

(n) annoyance; irritation

(verb form: vex)

Front 70

vigilant

Back 70

(adj) alertly watchful

(noun form: vigilance)

Front 71

vituperate

Back 71

(v) to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate

Front 72

volatile

Back 72

(adj) readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive

(noun form: volatility)