Gre Test

Front 1

dupe

Back 1

To deceive; A person who is easily deceived

Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.

Front 2

ecletic

Back 2

Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

Budapest's architecture is an ECLETIC mix of eastern and western sytles.

Front 3

efficacy

Back 3

Effectiveness

The EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered.

Front 4

elegy

Back 4

A sorrowful poem or speech

Although Thomas Gray's "ELEGY Written in a Country Chuchyard" is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life, and to trust in spirituality.

Front 5

eloquent

Back 5

Persuasive and moving, especially in speech

The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of it ELOQUENT words.

Front 6

emulate

Back 6

To copy; to try to equal or excel

The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught, but also how she conducted herself outside of class.

Front 7

enervate

Back 7

To reduce in strength

The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army.

Front 8

enigma

Back 8

A puzzle; a mystery

Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA

Front 9

enumerate

Back 9

To count, list, or itemize

Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED

Front 10

equivocate

Back 10

To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead.

When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.

Front 11

erratic

Back 11

Wandering and unpredictable

The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience.

Front 12

esoteric

Back 12

Known or understood by only a few

Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics.

Front 13

estimable

Back 13

Admirable

Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.

Front 14

euphenism

Back 14

Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one.

The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHENISM "sleeping" instead of the word "dead".

Front 15

exacerbate

Back 15

To make worse

It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only EXACERBATE the problem.

Front 16

exculpate

Back 16

To clear from blame; prove innocent

The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to EXCULPATE those who are innocent.

Front 17

exigent

Back 17

Urgent; Requiring Immediate Action

The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding.

Front 18

exonerate

Back 18

To clear of blame

The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.

Front 19

explicit

Back 19

Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

The owners of the house left a list of EXPLICIT instructions detailing their house-sitters' duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants.

Front 20

fanatical

Back 20

Acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

The stormtroopers were FANATICAL in their devotions to the Emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.

Front 21

Fawn

Back 21

To grovel

The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.

Front 22

Florid

Back 22

Excessively decorated or embellished

The palace had been decorated in an excessively FLORID style; every surface had been carved and gilded.

Front 23

Foment

Back 23

To arouse or incite

The protesters tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations.

Front 24

Frugality

Back 24

A tendency to be thrifty or cheap

Scrooge McDuck's FRUGALITY was so great that he acculmulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money.

Front 25

Gregarious

Back 25

Outgoing, Sociable

She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad.

Front 26

Guile

Back 26

Deceit or trickery

Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort to trap his enemy.

Front 27

Gullible

Back 27

Easily deceived

The con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information.

Front 28

Homogenous

Back 28

Of a similar kind

The class was fairly HOMOGENOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors.

Front 29

Iconoclast

Back 29

One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST

Front 30

Imperturbable

Back 30

Not capable of being disturbed

The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURB
ABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.

Front 31

Impervious

Back 31

Impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

A good raincoat will be IMPERVIOUS to moisture.

Front 32

Impetuous

Back 32

Quick to act without thinking

It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS, since much thought should be give to all the possible options.

Front 33

Implacable

Back 33

Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful

His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks.

Front 34

Inchoate

Back 34

Not fully formed; disorganized

The ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing.

Front 35

Inimical

Back 35

Hostile; unfriendly

Even though the children had grown up together they were INIMICAL to each other at school.

Front 36

Innocuous

Back 36

Harmless

Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS and pose no danger to humans.

Front 37

Insipid

Back 37

Lacking interest or flavor

The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all.

Front 38

Inundate

Back 38

To overwhelm; to cover with water

The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis, which was lost beneath the water.

Front 39

Irascible

Back 39

Easily made angry

Attila the Hun's IRASCIBLE and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives.

Front 40

Lament

Back 40

To express sorrow; to grieve

The children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise.

Front 41

Lavish

Back 41

To give unsparingly (Verb);Extremely generous or extravagant (Adjective)

She LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became overweight and spoiled.

Front 42

Lethargic

Back 42

Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

The clerk was so LETHARGIC that, even when the store was slow, he always had a long line in front of him.

Front 43

Luminous

Back 43

Bright, brilliant, glowing

The park was bathed in LUMINOUS sunshine which warmed the bodies and the souls of the visitors.

Front 44

Malinger

Back 44

To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

A common way to avoid the draft was by MALINGERING- pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army.

Front 45

Malleable

Back 45

Capable of being shaped

Gold is the most MALLEABLE of precious metals; it can easily be formed into almost any shape.

Front 46

Metaphor

Back 46

A figure of speech comparing two different things; A symbol

The METAPHOR "a sea of troubles" suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.

Front 47

Meticulous

Back 47

Extremely careful about details

To find all the clues at the crime scene, the investigators METICULOUSLY exmained every inch of the area.

Front 48

Mitigate

Back 48

To soften; to lessen

A judge may MITIGATE a sentence is she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.

Front 49

Mollify

Back 49

To calm or make less severe

Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them.

Front 50

Monotony

Back 50

Lack of variation

The MONOTONY of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy.

Front 51

Naive

Back 51

Lacking sophistication or experience

Having never traveled before, the hillbillies were more NAIVE than the people they met in Beverly Hills.

Front 52

Obsequious

Back 52

Overly submissive and eager to please

The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor's tie and agree with him on every issue

Front 53

Obstinate

Back 53

Stubborn, unyielding

The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked.

Front 54

Obviate

Back 54

To prevent; to make unnecessary

The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge.

Front 55

Occlude

Back 55

To stop up; to prevent the passage of

A shadow is thrown across the Earth's surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is OCCLUDED by the moon.

Front 56

Onerous

Back 56

Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome

The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it.

Front 57

Opprobium

Back 57

Public disgrace

After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBIUM.

Front 58

Paradox

Back 58

A contradiction or dilemma

It is a PARADOX that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.

Front 59

Perfidious

Back 59

Willing to betray one's trust

The actress's PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist.

Front 60

Perfunctory

Back 60

Done in a routine way; indifferent

The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a PERFUNCTORY smile.

Front 61

Permeate

Back 61

To Penetrate

This miraculous new cleaning fluid is able to PERMEATE stains and dissolve them in minutes!

Front 62

Plastic

Back 62

Able to be molded, altered, or bent

The new material was very PLASTIC and could be formed into products of vastly different shape.

Front 63

Plethora

Back 63

Excess

Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a PLETHORA of excuses.

Front 64

Pragmatic

Back 64

Practical as opposed to idealistic

While daydreaming gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, PRAGMATIC gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them.

Front 65

Pristine

Back 65

Fresh and clean; uncorrupted

Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still PRISTINE when researchers arrived.

Front 66

Proliferate

Back 66

To increase in number quickly

Although he only kept two guinea pigs initially, they PROLIFERATED to such an extent that he soon had dozens.

Front 67

Propitiate

Back 67

To conciliate; to appease

The management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its member.

Front 68

Propriety

Back 68

Correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

The aristocracy maintained a high level of PROPRIETY, adhering to even the most minor social rules.

Front 69

Prudence

Back 69

Wisdom, caution, or restraint

The college sutdent exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.

Front 70

Pungent

Back 70

Sharp and irritating to the senses

The smoke from the burning tires was extremely PUNGENT.

Front 71

Quiescent

Back 71

Motionless

Many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy.

Front 72

Rarefy

Back 72

To make thinner or sparser

Since the atmosphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe.

Front 73

Repudiate

Back 73

To reject the validily of

The old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED when DNA test showed she was of no relation to them.

Front 74

Reticent

Back 74

Silent, reserved

Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting.

Front 75

Rhetoric

Back 75

Effective writing or speaking

Lincoln's talent for RHETORIC was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address.

Front 76

Satiate

Back 76

To satisfy fully or overindulge

His desire for power was so great that nothing less than complete control of the country could SATIATE it.

Front 77

Soporific

Back 77

Causing sleep or lethargy

The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater.

Front 78

Specious

Back 78

Deceptively attractive;seemingly plausible but fallacious

The student's SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise when his teacher called his home.

Front 79

Stigma

Back 79

A mark of shame or discredit

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter "A" on her clothes as a public STIGMA for her adultery.

Front 80

Stolid

Back 80

Unemotional, lacking sensitivity

The prisoner appeared STOLID and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence.

Front 81

Sublime

Back 81

Lofty or grand

The music was so SUBLIME that it transformed the erude surroundings into a special place.

Front 82

Tacit

Back 82

Done without using words

Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a TACIT agreement had been made about which course of action to take.

Front 83

Taciturn

Back 83

Silent, not talkative

The clerk's TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "Silent BOb".

Front 84

Tirade

Back 84

Long, harsh speech or verbal attack

Observers were shocked at the manager's TIRADE over such a minor mistake

Front 85

Torpor

Back 85

Extreme mental and physical sluggishness

After surgery, the patient experienced TORPOR until the anesthesia wore off.

Front 86

Transitory

Back 86

Temporary, lasting a brief time

The reporter lived a TRANSITORY life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story.

Front 87

Vacillate

Back 87

To sway physically;to be indecisive

The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream.

Front 88

Veracity

Back 88

Filled with truth and accuracy

She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events.

Front 89

Verbose

Back 89

Wordy

The professor's answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the original question had been

Front 90

Vex

Back 90

To annoy

The old man who loved his peace and quiet was VEXED by his neighbor's loud music.

Front 91

Volatile

Back 91

Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

His VOLATILE personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything.

Front 92

Whimsical

Back 92

Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

The ballet was WHIMSICAL< delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets.