Cracking The Gre Hit Parade Group 4

Front 1

Astringent

Back 1

adjective: causing body tissues, such as skin, to tighten

: having a sharp or bitter quality

: very critical in a sharp and often clever way

example: an astringent critic of modern movies

Front 2

Cynicism

Back 2

noun: beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest

example: Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.

Front 3

Derision

Back 3

noun: the feeling that people express when they criticize and laugh at someone or something in an insulting way

example: One of the students laughed in derision at my error.

:The team's awful record has made it an object of derision in the league

Front 4

Desiccate

Back 4

verb: to dry up:

: to preserve a food by drying

: to drain of emotional or intellectual vitality

example: ...that historian's dry as dust prose desiccates what is actually an exciting period in European history

Front 5

Fawn

Back 5

verb: to try to get the approval of an important or powerful person by giving that person praise, special attention, etc.

example: a sports star surrounded by fawning fans

: a student who could not wait to fawn over the new teacher

Front 6

Flout

Back 6

verb: to break or ignore a law, rule, etc. without hiding what you are doing or showing fear or shame

example: ...an able-bodied motorist openly flouting the law and parking in a space reserved for the disabled

Front 7

Garrulous

Back 7

adjective: tending to talk a lot: very talkative

example: he became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers

Front 8

Inimical

Back 8

adjective: likely to cause damage or have a bad effect

: not friendly

example: ...received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support

Front 9

Laconic

Back 9

adjective: using few words in speech or writing

example: He had a reputation for being laconic.

Front 10

Mercurial

Back 10

adjective: changing moods quickly and often

: changing often

: very lively and quick

example: ...the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything

Front 11

Phlegmatic

Back 11

adjective: not easily upset, excited, or angered

example: ...a strangely phlegmatic response to what should have been happy news

Front 12

Probity

Back 12

noun: the quality of a person who is completely honest

example: ...a person of indisputable probity must head the disciplinary panel

: ...the defense attorney questioned the probity of the witness

Front 13

Profligate

Back 13

adjective: carelessly and foolishly wasting money, materials, etc.

: very wasteful

example: She was very profligate in her spending

: ...profligate movie producers hoping to create the next blockbuster

Front 14

Prosaic

Back 14

adjective: dull or ordinary

example: He has a prosaic writing style

: the prosaic life of a hardworking farmer

Front 15

Quixotic

Back 15

adjective: hopeful or romantic in a way that is not practical

example:...in this age of giant chain stores, any attempt at operating an independent bookstore must be regarded as quixotic

Front 16

Quotidian

Back 16

adjective: ordinary or very common

: done each day

example: ...plagued by a quotidian coughing fit, the result of years of smoking

Front 17

Recondite

Back 17

adjective: not understood or known by many people

: obscure

example: ...geochemistry is a recondite subject

Front 18

Refulgent

Back 18

adjective: a radiant or resplendent quality or state: brilliance

example: ...the refulgence of a full moon on a clear autumn night

Front 19

Sedulous

Back 19

adjective: diligent in application or pursuit

example: ...an impressively sedulous suitor, he was constantly sending her flowers and other tokens of his affection

Front 20

Soporific

Back 20

adjective: causing a person to become tired and ready to fall asleep

example: ...this medication is soporific, so do not drive after taking it

Front 21

Trenchant

Back 21

adjective: very strong, clear and effective

example: a writer with a trenchant wit

: ...even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them

Front 22

Variegated

Back 22

adjective: having patches, stripes, or marks of different colors

: full of variety

example: ...the variegated costumes of the dancers in the nightclub

Front 23

Vexation

Back 23

noun: something that worries or annoys you

example: the problems and vexations of everyday life

: ...the repeated vexations guaranteed that she wouldn't get any work done

Front 24

Vituperate

Back 24

verb: to abuse or censure severely or abusively

: berate

example: ...every week the minister would ascend the pulpit and vituperate the parishioners for a litany of vices