Gre Verbal Review Book

Front 1

aberrant

Back 1

abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path

sentences: a year of aberrant weather record rainfall in the summer, record heat in the autumn.

aberrant behavior can be a sign of rabies in a wild animal

Front 2

abstemious

Back 2

sparing in use of food or drinks

sentences:

She is known as an abstemious eater and drinker.

<being abstemious diners, they avoid restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets>

Front 3

acerbic

Back 3

sour bitter in taste or manner

sentences

<whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on>

Front 4

alacrity

Back 4

cheerful promptness or speed

sentences

She accepted the invitation with an alacrity that surprised me.

<having just acquired his driver's license that morning, the teen agreed with alacrity to drive his cousin to the airport>

Front 5

allude

Back 5

to refer indirectly to something

Front 6

allusion

Back 6

an indirect reference (often literary); a hint

Front 7

altruism

Back 7

unselfish devotion to the welfare of other rather than self

sentences:

Mary may have ample resources and prefer that her share pass to her children who have greater need and are in lower income tax brackets. (The progressive nature of our tax laws often fosters such altruism among family members.) —William M. McGovern, Jr. et al., Wills, Trusts and Estates, 1988

Front 8

amalgam

Back 8

mixture or combination(often of metals)

sentence:

<a church that is an amalgam of traditional and modern architectural styles>

Front 9

amalgamate

Back 9

to mix, merge, combine

sentences:

amalgamating different styles of music
They amalgamated the hospital and the university.

Front 10

ameliorate

Back 10

to improve or make better

Front 11

anachronism

Back 11

something out of place in time

sentence:

The novel is full of anachronisms.

He's an old-fashioned politician who is seen by many of his colleagues as an anachronism.

Front 12

anomaly

Back 12

an oddity, inconsistency, a deviation from the norm

Front 13

antipathy

Back 13

a natural dislike or repugnance

sentences:

There has always been strong antipathy between the two groups.

The author's antipathies and prejudices are obvious.

Front 14

apposite

Back 14

suitable apt; relevant

sentences:

<enriched his essay on patriotism with some very apposite quotations from famous people on the subject>

Front 15

arcane

Back 15

obscure; secret; mysterious

sentence:

a theory filled with arcane details

<grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place>

Front 16

archetype

Back 16

first model from which others are copied; prototype

sentences:

He is the archetype of a successful businessman.

an archetype of the modern family

Front 17

arduous

Back 17

laborious, difficult; stenuous

sentence: after a long and arduous day of work jim was ready for a break

Front 18

arid

Back 18

extremely dry, parched; barren, unimaginitive

sentence :

a dull and arid textbook

<an arid speech about duty and responsibility>

Front 19

articulate

Back 19

to utter clearly and distinctly

sentence: jim was able to articulate his statment veryy elequantly

Front 20

ascetic

Back 20

one who leads a siple life of self denial

rigorously abstinent

sentences:

an ascetic diet of rice and beans

Front 21

aseptic

Back 21

germ free

setnences:

patients with compromised immune systems must be treated in aseptic environments

Front 22

aspersion

Back 22

slanderous statement; a damaging or derogatory criticism

sentences:

A news anchor in the Casey Anthony trial suggested that some testimony may have cast aspersions on the conduct of the court proceedings.

Front 23

assiduous

Back 23

carefully attentive; industrious

sentence:

they were assiduous in their search for the latest facts and figures

Front 24

assuage

Back 24

to relieve; ease make less severe

sentence: He couldn't assuage his guilt over the divorce

Front 25

astringent

Back 25

a substance that contracts bodily tissues

[more astringent; most astringent] 1 medical : causing body tissues (such as skin) to tighten — used to describe a liquid or lotion that makes the skin less oily or that helps to stop a cut from bleeding ▪ astringent lotions
2 : having a sharp or bitter quality
▪ an astringent taste
3 : very critical in a sharp and often clever way

Front 26

atrophy

Back 26

to waste away as from lack of use; to wither

the muscles experienced atrophy

Front 27

attenuate

Back 27

to make thin or slender; to weaken or dilute

Front 28

autocracy

Back 28

an absolute monarchy; government where one person holds power

Front 29

autocrat

Back 29

an absolute ruler

Front 30

baleful

Back 30

harmful, malign, detrimental

sentence:
the baleful effects of water pollution

Front 31

banal

Back 31

trite; without freshness or originality

sentence:

He made some banal remarks about the weather
.
The writing was banal but the story was good

Front 32

beneficent

Back 32

doing or producing good; especially : performing acts of kindness and charity

sentences:
a humane and beneficent policy

<a beneficent couple who are regular volunteers at a homeless shelter>

Front 33

bilateral

Back 33

pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides

Front 34

bombast

Back 34

pompous speech; pretentious words

[noncount] formal : speech or writing that is meant to sound important or impressive but is not sincere or meaningful

sentences:

<the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast>

<you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights>

Front 35

burgeon

Back 35

to grow or develop quickly

sentences:

The market for collectibles has burgeoned in recent years.

<the trout population in the stream is burgeoning now that the water is clean>

Front 36

cacophony

Back 36

a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance

unleasant loud sounds

sentence:

The sounds of barking dogs and sirens added to the cacophony on the streets

Front 37

cant

Back 37

insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; jargon of a particular group or ocupation

[noncount] : words that are supposed to sound like serious statements about important issues (such as religion or morality) but that are not honest or sincere
sentence▪ I think the people are sick of hypocrisy and cant from their leaders.

Front 38

caprice

Back 38

a : a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action
b : a sudden usually unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes <the caprices of the weather>
2
: a disposition to do things impulsively


sentences:

the caprices of the weather

Employees have complained of being at the mercy of the manager's every whim and caprice.

policy changes that seem to be motivated by nothing more than caprice

Front 39

catharsis

Back 39

a purging or relieving of the body or soul (often emotions)

sentences:

Acting is a means of catharsis for her.

Painting is a catharsis for me.

Front 40

chicanery

Back 40

[noncount] formal : actions or statements that trick people into believing something that is not true : deception or trickery

sentence:
▪ He wasn't above using chicanery to win votes.

Front 41

churlishness

Back 41

crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant

sentence:

It would be churlish not to congratulate him.

<it would be churlish for any dinner guest to express anything but gratitude for his host's generous hospitality>

Front 42

circumlocution

Back 42

formal : the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly by using fewer words [noncount]

sentence
▪ He was criticized for his use of circumlocution. [count] ▪ I'm trying to avoid circumlocutions in my writing.

Front 43

cloture

Back 43

a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote

Front 44

cloying

Back 44

[more cloying; most cloying] disapproving : too sweet, pleasant, or emotional
▪
sentence

a cloying romantic comedy ▪

After a while, the softness of his voice becomes cloying.

Front 45

coda

Back 45

[count] formal 1 : an ending part of a piece of music or a work of literature or drama that is separate from the earlier parts

2 : something that ends and completes something else — often + to

sentences:

▪ The movie's coda shows the main character as an adult 25 years later.


▪ In a fitting coda to his career, he served as ambassador to China.

Front 46

codify

Back 46

[+ obj] 1 : to put (laws or rules) together as a code or system

2 : to put (things) in an orderly form
▪
sentences:

The author tries to codify important ideas about language.

▪ The convention codified the rules of war.

Front 47

cogent

Back 47

very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe

sentences:

She offers some cogent [=convincing, persuasive] reasons for building new schools.

I was impressed by the cogency of his arguments.

Front 48

cogitate

Back 48

to think hard; ponder, mediate

sentence:

I was cogitating about/on my chances of failing

Front 49

cognitive

Back 49

possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative capable of perception

Front 50

cognizant

Back 50

aware of ; perceptive

sentence:

He is cognizant of his duties as a father.

Front 51

coherent

Back 51

sticking tgether; connected; logical; consistent

sentence:

his thoughts were very coherent and well thought out

Front 52

cohesion

Back 52

the act of sticking together

sentence:
There was a lack of cohesion in the rebel army

Front 53

comeliness

Back 53

beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior

sentence:

a brood of comely children that any parent would be proud to claim

Front 54

commodious

Back 54

spacious and convenient; roomy

sentence:

he moved into a very commodious apartment

Front 55

complaisance

Back 55

the quality of being agreeable or eager to please.

sentence:

He was too complaisant [=compliant] to say no to his brother's demands.

Front 56

compliant

Back 56

complying; obeying; yielding

sentence: the man was very compliant and did whatever was asked.

Front 57

connotative

Back 57

containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one

sentence:

the odd jesture the man made had neggative connotation associated with it.

Front 58

constrain

Back 58

to force, compel; to restrain

sentence:

She believes that too much instruction constrains [=limits] an artist's creativity

She felt constrained [=(more commonly) felt compelled] to apologize for the harm she'd done.

Front 59

contentious

Back 59

likely to cause people to argue or disagree

ikely or willing to argue

sentence:

I think it's wise to avoid such a highly contentious [=controversial] topic/issue at a dinner party.

The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders.

Front 60

contiguous

Back 60

touching; or adjoining and close, but not touching

sentence:

She's visited each of the 48 contiguous states in the U.S., but she hasn't been to Alaska or Hawaii yet. ▪

Front 61

contravene

Back 61

to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict


The overcrowded dance club contravened safety regulations.

Front 62

conundrum

Back 62

a puzzle or riddle

sentence:

He is faced with the conundrum [=dilemma] of trying to find a job without experience.

Front 63

converge

Back 63

to move toward one point


sentence:
the two roads converged into one

Front 64

coterie

Back 64

a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially

sentence:

her coterie of fellow musicians ▪ His films are admired by a small coterie of critics.

Front 65

crass

Back 65

stupid, unrefined; gross

sentence:

A few people seemed shocked by her crass comments

Front 66

debacle

Back 66

disaster; collapse; a rout

sentence:

After the debacle of his first novel, he had trouble getting a publisher for his next book.

Front 67

debilitate

Back 67

to enfeeble; to wear out

sentences:

The virus debilitates the body's immune system.


the economy was debilitated by the war

Front 68

decorous

Back 68

suitable; proper; seemly

sentence:

We expect decorous [=proper] behavior/conduct from our students. ▪

Front 69

deleterious

Back 69

harmful; hurtful; noxious

sentence:

The chemical is deleterious to the environment.

Front 70

denigrate

Back 70

to defame, to blacken or sully; to belittle
to say very critical and often unfair things about (someone)

sentence:

it is often easy to denigrate the poor

Front 71

deprecate

Back 71

to express disapproval of; to protest against

sentence:

I don't mean to deprecate [=belittle, minimize] his accomplishments.

Front 72

deride

Back 72

to laugh at with contempt ; to mock

[+ obj] formal : to talk or write about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way : to say that (someone or something) is ridiculous or has no value


sentence:

▪ politicians attempting to win votes by deriding [=belittling] their opponents —

Front 73

derision

Back 73

the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery

sentence:

▪ The governor's plan was greeted with derision [=ridicule] by most journalists and pundits.

Front 74

diatribe

Back 74

a bitter or abusive speech
an angry and usually long speech or piece of writing that strongly criticizes someone or something

sentence:

▪ The article is a diatribe against mainstream media.

Front 75

dichotomy

Back 75

division into two parts

sentence:

Her essay discusses the dichotomy between good and evil in the author's novels.

Front 76

diffident

Back 76

timid; lacking self - confidence

sentence:

He becomes diffident around girls.

Front 77

diffuse

Back 77

spread out; verbose; not focused

sentence:

the pain spread diffusely through his legs

the forest was filled with a soft, diffuse light

Front 78

discourse

Back 78

to converse to communicate in orderly fashion

sentence:

It's a word that doesn't have much use in ordinary discourse. [=conversation]

She delivered an entertaining discourse on the current state of the film industry.

Front 79

discrete

Back 79

separate; individually distinct; composed of distinct parts

sentence:

The process can be broken down into a number of discrete [=separate, individual] steps

Front 80

disingenuous

Back 80

not frank or candid; deceivingly simple (opposite; ingenuous)

sentence:

Her recent expressions of concern are self-serving and disingenuous.

Front 81

disinterested

Back 81

neutral; unbiased (alternate meaning: uninterested)

sentence:

A disinterested [=unbiased, impartial] third party mediated the dispute

they are obviously disinterested in politics.

Front 82

disparate

Back 82

unequal, dissimilar; different

sentence:

The conversation covered topics as disparate [=diverse] as fashion and biology.

Front 83

disputatious

Back 83

argumentative; inclined to disputes

sentence:

years of debate and disputation

Front 84

dissemble

Back 84

to pretend; to feign; to conceal by pretense

to hide your true feelings, opinions, etc.

sentences:

It's now clear that he dissembled about the risks involved. [=he did not tell the truth about the risks involved]

Front 85

dissonance

Back 85

musical discord; a mingling of inharmonious sounds; nonmusically, disagreement, lack of harmony


sentence:

The dissonance [=conflict] between the truth and what people want to believe. ▪ When played together, the chords create dissonance. [count] ▪ The composer uses dissonances freely.

Front 86

dissonant

Back 86

not in harmony; in disagreement

sentence:

The dissonance [=conflict] between the truth and what people want to believe. ▪ When played together, the chords create dissonance. [count] ▪ The composer uses dissonances freely.

Front 87

ebullience

Back 87

an overflowing of high spirits; effervescence

sentence:
her delightful ebullience

Front 88

ellipsis

Back 88

omission of words that would make the meaning clear

sentence:

Begin when ready” for “Begin when you are ready” is an example of ellipsis.

Front 89

elucidate

Back 89

to make clear; to explain

sentence:

The spokesman was asked to elucidate [=clarify, explain] the government's policies (to/for us).

Front 90

emollient

Back 90

softening or soothing to the skin; having power to soften or relax living tissue

Front 91

encomium

Back 91

high praise

sentence:

the encomiums bestowed on a teacher at her retirement ceremonies

Front 92

endemic

Back 92

native to particular area or people

sentence:

A wide variety of animal and plant species are endemic to this area.

Front 93

enervate

Back 93

to weaken; to deprive of nerve or strength

sentence:

The government was enervated by corruption.

Front 94

engender

Back 94

to bring about; beget; to bring forth

sentence:

The issue has engendered a considerable amount of debate.

Front 95

ephemeral

Back 95

very short lived; lasting only a short time

sentence:

his fame turned out to be ephemeral

Front 96

eulogy

Back 96

words of praise, especially for the dead

sentence:

He delivered a moving eulogy at his father's funeral.

Front 97

evanescent

Back 97

vanishing quickly; dissipating like a vapor

sentence:

evanescent fame

Front 98

exigent

Back 98

requiring immediate action; urgent pressing

sentence :

exigent circumstances

Front 99

extemporize

Back 99

to improvise; to make it up as you go along

sentence:

a good talk show host has to be able to extemporize the interviews when things don't go as planned

Front 100

extrapolate

Back 100

to estimate the value of something beyond the sale; to infer what is unknown from something known

sentence:

We can extrapolate the number of new students entering next year by looking at how many entered in previous years.

Front 101

facetious

Back 101

joking in an awkward or improper manner

sentence:

I was just being facetious

Front 102

feign

Back 102

pretend

sentence:

He would often feign [=fake] illness to get out of class.

Front 103

gainsay

Back 103

to speak against; to contradict to deny

sentence:

There is no gainsaying such evidence. [=the truth of such evidence cannot be denied]

Front 104

garrulous

Back 104

extremely talkative or wordy

sentence

He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers.

Front 105

iconoclast

Back 105

one who smashes revered images; an attacker of cherished beliefs

sentence:

The iconoclasm of his views made him unpopular.

Front 106

impassive

Back 106

showing no emotion

sentence:

an impassive observer ▪

Her face/expression remained impassive throughout the trial.

Front 107

imperturbable

Back 107

calm; not easily excited

sentence


[more imperturbable; most imperturbable] formal : very calm : very hard to disturb or upset
▪ Although he seems outwardly imperturbable, he can get very angry at times

Front 108

impervious

Back 108

impenetrable; not allowing anything to pass through unaffected:

sentence:

the fortress was impenetrable

Front 109

implacable

Back 109

unwilling to be pacified or appeased

sentence:

He has an implacable hatred for his political opponents.

Front 110

impugn

Back 110

to attack with words; to question the truth fulness or integrity

sentence:

He impugned his rival's character. ▪ Her motives have been scrutinized and impugned.

Front 111

inchoate

Back 111

not yet fully formed; rudimentary

sentence:

inchoate yearnings ▪ inchoate ideas

Front 112

incisive

Back 112

getting to the heart of things; to the point

sentence:

She's known for her incisive mind and quick wit.

Front 113

incredulous

Back 113

skeptical

sentence:

She listened to his explanation with an incredulous smile.

Front 114

indigenous

Back 114

native to a region; inborn or innate

sentence:


the indigenous species

Front 115

inherent

Back 115

part of the essentia character; intrinsic


sentence:

she had an inherent good about her

Front 116

insipid

Back 116

uniteresting, boring , flat, dull

sentence:

▪ The soup was rather insipid.

Front 117

intractable

Back 117

stubborn obstinate; not easily taught or disciplined

sentence:

an intractable problem ▪

Front 118

intransigent

Back 118

uncompromising

sentence:


intransigent enemies/opponents ▪ He has remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal.

Front 119

intrepid

Back 119

fearless bold

sentence:


▪ an intrepid explorer