Gre Test 11

Front 1

exemplify

Back 1

show by example; furnish an example
Three-time winner of the Super Bowl, Joe Montana exemplifies the ideal quarterback.

Front 2

exertion

Back 2

effort; expenditure of much physical work
The exertion involved in unscrewing the rusty bolt left her exhausted.

Front 3

exhort

Back 3

urge
The evangelist will exhort all sinners in his audience to reform.

Front 4

exhume

Back 4

dig out of the ground; remove from a grave
Because of the rumor that he had been poisoned, his body was exhumed in order that an autopsy might be
performed.

Front 5

exigency

Back 5

urgent situation
In this exigency, we must look for aid from our allies.

Front 6

exiguous

Back 6

small; minute
Grass grew there, an exiguous outcropping among the rocks.

Front 7

existential

Back 7

pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism
To the existential philosopher, human reason is inadequate to explain an irrational, meaningless universe.

Front 8

exodus

Back 8

departure
The exodus from the hot and stuffy city was particularly noticeable on Friday evenings.

Front 9

exonerate

Back 9

acquit; exculpate
I am sure this letter naming the actual culprit will exonerate you.

Front 10

exorbitant

Back 10

excessive
The people grumbled at his exorbitant prices but paid them because he had a monopoly.

Front 11

exorcise

Back 11

drive our evil spirits
By incantation and prayer, the medicine man sought to exorcise the evil spirits that had taken possession of
the young warrior.

Front 12

exotic

Back 12

not native; strange
Because of his exotic headdress, he was followed in the streets by small children who laughed at his strange
appearance.

Front 13

expatiate

Back 13

talk at length
At this time, please give us a brief resume of your work; we shall permit you to expatiate later.

Front 14

expatriate

Back 14

exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land
Henry James was an American expatriate who settled in England.

Front 15

expedient

Back 15

suitable; practical; politic
A pragmatic politician, he was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical.

Front 16

expedite

Back 16

hasten
We hope you will be able to expedite delivery because of our tight schedule.

Front 17

expertise

Back 17

specialized knowledge; expert skill
Although she was knowledgeable in a number of fields, she was hired for her particular expertise in
computer programming.

Front 18

expiate

Back 18

make amends for (a sin)
He tried to expiate his crimes by a full confession to the authorities.

Front 19

expletive

Back 19

interjection; profane oath
The sergeant's remarks were filled with expletives that offended the new recruits.

Front 20

explicate

Back 20

explain; interpret; clarify
Harry Levin explicated James Joyce's novels with such clarity that even Finnegan's Wake seemed
comprehensible to his students.

Front 21

explicit

Back 21

totally clear; definite; outspoken
Don't just hint around that you're dissatisfied: be explicit about what's bugging you.

Front 22

exploit

Back 22

deed or action, particularly a brave deed
Raoul Wallenberg was noted for his exploits in rescuing Jews from Hitler's forces.

Front 23

exploit

Back 23

make use of, sometimes unjustly
Caesar Chavez fought attempts to exploit migrant farmworkers in California.

Front 24

expository

Back 24

explanatory; serving to explain
The mannual that came with my VCR was no masterpiece of expository prose: its explanations were so
garbled that I couldn't even figure out how to rewind a tape.

Front 25

expostulation

Back 25

protest; remonstrance
Despite the teacher's scoldings and expostulations, the class remained unruly.

Front 26

exposure

Back 26

risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying
something open
Exposure to sun and wind had dried out her hair and weathered her face.

Front 27

expunge

Back 27

cancel; remove
If you behave, I will expunge this notation from your record.

Front 28

expurgate

Back 28

clean; remove offensive parts of a book
The editors felt that certain passages in the book had to be expurgated before it could be used in the
classroom.

Front 29

extant

Back 29

still in existence
Although the authorities suppressed the book, many copies are extant and may be purchased at exorbitant prices.

Front 30

extemporaneous

Back 30

not planned; impromtu
Because his extemporaneous remarks were misinterpreted, he decided to write all his speeches in advance.

Front 31

extenuate

Back 31

weaken; mitigate
It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others.

Front 32

extirpate

Back 32

root up
The Salem witch trials were a misguided attempt to extirpate superstition and heresy.

Front 33

extol

Back 33

praise; glorify
The astronauts were extolled as the pioneers of the Space Age.

Front 34

extort

Back 34

wring from; get money by threats, etc.
The blackmailer extorted money from his victim.

Front 35

extradition

Back 35

surrender of prisoner by one state to another
The lawyers opposed the extradition of their client on the grounds that for more than five years he had
been a model citizen.

Front 36

extraneous

Back 36

not essential; external
Do not pad your paper with extraneous matters; stick to essential items only.

Front 37

extrapolation

Back 37

projection; conjecture
Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted
that George Bush would be the Republican candidate for the presidency.

Front 38

extricate

Back 38

free; disentangle
He found that he could not extricate himself from the trap.

Front 39

extrinsic

Back 39

external; not inherent; foreign
Do not be fooled by extrinsic causes. We must look for the intrinsic reason.

Front 40

extrovert

Back 40

person interested mostly in external objects and actions
A good salesperson in usually an extrovert, who likes to mingle with people.

Front 41

extrude

Back 41

force or push out
Much pressure is required to extrude these plastics.

Front 42

exuberant

Back 42

abundant; effusive; lavish
His speeches were famous for his exuberant language and vivid imagery.

Front 43

exude

Back 43

discharge; give forth
The maple syrup is obtained from the sap that the trees exude in early spring.

Front 44

exult

Back 44

rejoice
We exulted when our team won the victory.

Front 45

fabricate

Back 45

build; lie
Because of the child's tendency to fabricate, we had trouble believing her.

Front 46

facade

Back 46

front of the building
The facade of the church had often been photographed by tourists because it was more interesting than
the rear.

Front 47

facetious

Back 47

humorous; jocular
Your facetious remarks are not appropriate at this serious moment.

Front 48

facet

Back 48

small plane surface (of a gem); a side
The stonecutter decided to improve the rough diamond by providing it with several facets.

Front 49

facile

Back 49

easy; expert
Because he was a facile speaker, he never refused a request to address an organization.

Front 50

facilitate

Back 50

make less difficult
He tried to facilitate repayment of the loan by getting a part-time job.

Front 51

facsimilie

Back 51

copy
Many museums sell facsimilies of the works of art on display.

Front 52

faction

Back 52

party; clique; dissension
The quarrels and bickering of the two small factions within the club disturbed the majority of the
members.

Front 53

factious

Back 53

inclined to form factions; causing dissension.
Your statement is factious and will upset the harmony that now exists.

Front 54

factitous

Back 54

artificial; sham
Hollywood actresses often create factitious tears by using glycerine.

Front 55

factotum

Back 55

handyman; person who does all kinds of work
Although we had hired him as a messenger, we soon began to use him as a general factotum around the
office.

Front 56

faculty

Back 56

mental or bodily powers; teaching staff
As he grew old, he feared he might lose his faculties and become useless to his employer.

Front 57

fallacious

Back 57

misleading
Your reasoning must be fallacious because it leads to a ridiculous answer.

Front 58

fallible

Back 58

liable to err
I know I am fallible, but I feel confident that I am right this time.

Front 59

fallow

Back 59

plowed but sowed; uncultivated Farmers have learned that it is advisable to permit land to le fallow every few years.

Front 60

falter

Back 60

hesitate
When told to dive off the high board, she did not falter, but proceeded at once.

Front 61

fanaticism

Back 61

excessive zeal
The leader of the group was held responsible even though he could not control the fanaticism of his
followers.

Front 62

fancied

Back 62

imagined; unreal
You are resenting fancied insults. No one has ever said such things about you.

Front 63

fancier

Back 63

breeder or dealer of animals
The dog fancier exhibited her prize collie at the annual Kennel Club show.

Front 64

fanciful

Back 64

whimsical; visionary
This is a fanciful scheme because it does not consider the facts.

Front 65

fanfare

Back 65

call by bugles or trumpets; showy display
The exposition was opened with fanfare of trumpets and the firing of cannon.

Front 66

fantastic

Back 66

unreal; grotesque; whimsical
Your fears are fantastic because no such animal as you have described exists.

Front 67

farce

Back 67

broad comedy; mockery
Nothing went right; the entire interview degenerated into a farce.

Front 68

fastidious

Back 68

difficult to please; squeamish
The waitresses disliked serving him dinner because of his very fastidious taste.

Front 69

fatalism

Back 69

belief that events are determined by forces beyond one's control
With fatalism, he accepted the hardships that beset him.

Front 70

fathom

Back 70

comprehend; investigate
I find his motives impossible to fathom.

Front 71

fatuous

Back 71

foolish; inane
He is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks.

Front 72

fauna

Back 72

animals of a period or region
The scientist could visualize the fauna of the period by examining the skeletal remains and the fossils.

Front 73

fawning

Back 73

courting favor by cringing and flattering
She was constantly surrounded by a group of fawning admirers who had hoped to win some favor.

Front 74

faze

Back 74

disconcert; dismay
No crisis could faze the resourceful hotel manager.

Front 75

feasible

Back 75

practical This is an entirely feasible proposal. I suggest we adopt it.

Front 76

febrile

Back 76

feverish
In his febrile condition, he was subject to nightmares and hallucinations.

Front 77

feckless

Back 77

feeble, ineffective; unthinking, irresponsible
Einstein was noted for his extraordinary inspirations; on the other hand, he was noted for being feckless in
his daily chores.

Front 78

fecundity

Back 78

fertility; fruitfulness
The fecundity of his mind is illustrated by the many vivid images in his poems.

Front 79

feign

Back 79

pretend
Lady Macbeth feigned illness in the courtyard although she was actually healthy.

Front 80

feint

Back 80

trick; shift; sham blow
The boxer was fooled by his opponent's feint and dropped his guard.

Front 81

felicitous

Back 81

apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many
banquet.

Front 82

felicity

Back 82

happines; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.)
She wrote a note to the newlyweds wishing them great felicity in their wedded life.

Front 83

fell

Back 83

cruel; deadly
The newspapers told of the tragic spread of the fell disease

Front 84

felon

Back 84

person convicted of a grave crime
A convicted felon loses the right to vote

Front 85

ferment

Back 85

agitation; commotion
With the breakup of the Soviet Union, much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment.

Front 86

ferret

Back 86

drive or hunt out of hiding
She was ferreted out their secret.

Front 87

fervent

Back 87

ardent; hot
She felt that the fervent praise was excessive and somewhat undeserved.

Front 88

fervid

Back 88

ardent
Her fervid enthusiasm inspired all of us to undertake the dangerous mission.

Front 89

fervor

Back 89

glowing ardor
Their kiss was full of the fervor of first love.

Front 90

fester

Back 90

generate pus
When her finger began to fester, the doctor lanced it and removed the splinter that had caused the pus to
form.

Front 91

fester

Back 91

rankle, produce irritation or resentment
Joe's insult festered in Anne's mind for days, and made her too angry to speak to him.

Front 92

festive

Back 92

joyous; celebratory
Their wedding in the park was a festive occasion.

Front 93

fete

Back 93

honor at a festival
The returning hero was feted at a community supper and dance.

Front 94

fetid

Back 94

malodorous
The neglected wound became fetid.

Front 95

fetter

Back 95

shackle
The prisoner was fettered to the wall.

Front 96

fiasco

Back 96

total failure
Our ambitious venture ended in a fiasco and we were forced to flee.

Front 97

fiat

Back 97

command
I cannot accept government by fiat; I feel that I must be consulted.

Front 98

fickle

Back 98

changeable; faithless
He discovered his supposedly faithful girlfriend was fickle

Front 99

fictitious

Back 99

imaginary
Although this book purports to be a biography of George Washington, many of the incidents are fictitious.

Front 100

fidelity

Back 100

loyalty
A dog's fidelity to its owner is one of the reasons why that animal is a favorite household pet.

Front 101

figment

Back 101

invention; imaginary thing
That incident never took place; it is a figment of your imagination.

Front 102

figurative

Back 102

not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech
"To lose one's marbles" is a figurative expression; if you're told Jack has lost his marbles, no one expects
you to rush out to buy him a replacement set.

Front 103

figurine

Back 103

small ornamental statuette
In the Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade was hired to trace the missing figurine of a black bird.

Front 104

filch

Back 104

steal
The boys filched apples from the fruit stand.

Front 105

filial

Back 105

pertaining to a son or daughter
Many children forget their filial obligations and disregard the wishes of their parents.

Front 106

filibuster

Back 106

block legislation by making long speeches
Even though we disapproved of Senator Foghorn's political goals, we were impressed by his ability to
filibuster endlessly to keep an issue from coming to a vote.

Front 107

filigree

Back 107

delicate, lacelike metalwork
The pendant with gold filigree that she wore round her neck trembled with each breath she took.

Front 108

finale

Back 108

conclusion
It is not until we reach the finale of this play that we can understand the author's message.

Front 109

finesse

Back 109

delicate skill
The finesse and adroitness of the surgeon impressed the observers in the operating room.

Front 110

finicky

Back 110

too particular; fussy
The old lady was finicky about her food and ate very little.

Front 111

finite

Back 111

limited
It is difficult for humanity with its finite existence to grasp the infinite.

Front 112

firebrand

Back 112

hothead; troublemaker
The police triedto keep track of all the local firebrands when the President came to town.

Front 113

fissure

Back 113

crevice
The mountain climbers secured footholds in tiny fissures in the rock.

Front 114

fitful

Back 114

spasmodic; intermittent
After several fitful attempts, he decided to postpone the start of the project until he felt more energetic.

Front 115

flaccid

Back 115

flabby
His sedentary life had left him with flaccid muscles.

Front 116

flagrant

Back 116

conspicuously wicked
We cannot condone such flagrant violations of the rules.

Front 117

flag

Back 117

droop; grow feeble
When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first period, the home team's
spirits flagged.

Front 118

flail

Back 118

thresh grain by hand; strike or slap; toss about
In medieval times, warriors flailed their foe with a metal ball attached to a handle.

Front 119

flair

Back 119

talent
She has an uncanny flair for discovering new artists before the public has become aware of their existence.

Front 120

flamboyant

Back 120

ornate
Modern architecture has discarded the flamboyant trimming on buildings and emphasizes simplicity of line.