Gre Vocab Focus

Front 1

Abscond (v) GRE

Back 1

1. Leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest.
2. (of someone on bail) Fail to surrender oneself for custody at the appointed time.
Syn: flee - escape - run away - elope - get away
Ant: abide, dwell, hang around, linger, remain, stay, stick around, tarry; come back, return

Front 2

Aberant (adj) GRE

Back 2

1) Departing from an accepted standard.
2) Diverging from the normal type.
Syn: abnormal - anomalous.
Ant: common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual

Front 3

Alacrity (n) GRE

Back 3

1) promptness in response : cheerful readiness.
Syn: amenability, gameness, goodwill, obligingness, willingness.
Ant: leisureliness, pokiness, slowness, sluggishness; apathy, disinterestedness, halfheartedness, indifference, lukewarmness, perfunctoriness; delay, dilatoriness, doubt, equivocation, hesitance, hesitancy,

Front 4

Anomaly (n) GRE
Commonly seen

Back 4

Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
Syn: aberration, abnormality, exception, oddity, oddment, rarity.
Ant: average, norm, normal, par, standard

Front 5

Arduous (adj) GRE

Back 5

Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
Syn: hard, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling (or gruelling), heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious.
Ant: cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding

Front 6

Assuage (v) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 6

1) Make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense: "the letter ____ the fears of most members".
2) Satisfy (an appetite or desire): "an opportunity occurred to ____ her desire for knowledge".
Syn: allay, alleviate, help, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe
Ant: aggravate, exacerbate

Front 7

Audacious (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 7

1) Showing a willingness to take bold risks: "an _____ takeover".
2) Showing an impudent lack of respect: "an ______ remark".
Syn: arch, nervy, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise
Ant: meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid.

Front 8

Austere (adj) GRE

Back 8

1
a : stern and cold in appearance or manner
b : somber, grave <an ____ critic>
2: morally strict : ascetic
3: markedly simple or unadorned <an _____ office> <an _____ style of writing> .
Syn: severe, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, stern, strict, tough
Ant: clement, forbearing, gentle, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant.

Front 9

Axiomatic (adj) GRE

Back 9

1: taken for granted : self-evident <an _____ truth>
2: based on or involving an axiom or system of axioms <______ set theory>.
Syn: prima facie, self-evident
Ant: arguable, contestable, debatable, disputable, doubtable, dubious, moot, problematic (also problematical), questionable.

Front 10

Canonical (adj) GRE

Back 10

1: of, relating to, or forming a canon
2: conforming to a general rule or acceptable procedure : orthodox
3: of or relating to a clergyman who is a canon
4: reduced to the canonical form <a _____ matrix> .
Syn, Ant.: ?

Front 11

Censure (n/v) GRE

Back 11

1: a judgment involving condemnation
2: archaic : opinion, judgment
3: the act of blaming or condemning sternly
4: an official reprimand.
Syn: commination, condemnation, denunciation, excoriation, objurgation, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reproof, riot act, stricture.
Ant: citation, commendation, endorsement (also indorsement).

Front 12

Connoisseur (n) GRE

Back 12

1: expert; especially : one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge
2: one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties <a ______ of fine wines> .
Syn: cognoscente, dilettante
Ant: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert.

Hint 12

Aesthetic

Front 13

Convoluted (adj) GRE

Back 13

1) (esp. of an argument, story, or sentence) Extremely complex and difficult to follow.
2)Intricately folded, twisted, or coiled.
Syn: baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled,
Ant: noncomplex, noncomplicated, plain, simple, uncomplicated.

Front 14

Disabuse (v) GRE

Back 14

to free from error, fallacy, or misconception.
Syn: disillusion, disenchant, undeceive
Ant: beguile, bluff, cozen, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, misguide, misinform, mislead, misrepresent, snow, take in, trick.

Hint 14

VINDICATE
Exculpate
Disabuse

Front 15

Discordant (adj) GRE

Back 15

a : being at variance : disagreeing <______ opinions>
b : quarrelsome <a ______ family>
Syn: cacophonous, dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical, unvocal.
Ant: harmonious, harmonizing, melodious, musical.

Front 16

Laud (v/n) GRE
Laudable
Commonly Seen-2

Back 16

to praise/extol especially in a public forum.
;a song hym or praise.
Laudable: worthy of praise, commendable.
Syn: applaudable, commendable, creditable, estimable, admirable, meritorious, praiseworthy.
Ant: censurable, discreditable, illaudable, reprehensible.

Front 17

Lucid (adj) GRE

Back 17

suffused w/ light, having full use of one's faculties, clear to the understanding.
Syn: beaming, bedazzling, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, bright, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid.
Ant: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant.

Front 18

Magnanimity (n) GRE

Back 18

1: the quality of being magnanimous : loftiness of spirit enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble generosity.
2: a magnanimous act.
Syn/Ant?: None

Front 19

Marital (adj) GRE

Back 19

1: of or relating to marriage or the married state <____ vows>.
2: of or relating to a husband and his role in marriage.
Syn: conjugal, connubial, married, matrimonial, nuptial, wedded.
Ant: nonmarital.

Front 20

Mundane (adj) GRE

Back 20

1: of, relating to, or characteristic of the world
2: characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : commonplace <the _____ concerns of day-to-day life> .
Syn: everyday, nitty-gritty, prosaic, terrestrial, workaday.
Ant: heavenly, nontemporal, unearthly, unworldly.

Hint 20

Banal

Front 21

Nascent (adj) GRE

Back 21

coming or having recently come into existence <a _____ middle class> <her ______ singing career> .
Syn: aborning, budding, inceptive, inchoate, incipient.
Ant: adult, full-blown, full-fledged, mature, ripe, ripened.

Front 22

Nebulous (adj) GRE

Back 22

1: of, relating to, or resembling a nebula : nebular, cloud like.
2: indistinct, vague.
Syn: ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous.
Ant: accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal.

Front 23

Neologism (n) GRE

Back 23

1: a new word, usage, or expression.
2: a word coined by a psychotic that is meaningless except to the coiner
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 24

Noxious (adj) GRE

Back 24

1a : physically harmful or destructive to living beings <_____ waste>
b : constituting a harmful influence on mind or behavior; especially : morally corrupting <_____ doctrines>.
Syn: insalubrious, noisome, unhealthy, sickly, unhealthful, unwholesome
Ant: healthful, healthy

Front 25

Abstain (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 25

to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice <_____ from drinking>.
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 26

Abyss

Back 26

1: the bottomless gulf, pit, or chaos of the old cosmogonies
2a : an immeasurably deep gulf or great space
b : intellectual or moral depths
Syn: abysm, chasm, deep, gulf, ocean.

Front 27

Adulterate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 27

: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element; especially : to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients.
Syn: cut, dilute, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down, weaken.
Ant: enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen.

Front 28

Advocate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 28

1: one that pleads the cause of another; specifically : one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court.
2: one that defends or maintains a cause or proposal.
3: one that supports or promotes the interests of another.
Syn: exponent, advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, expounder, espouser, friend, gospeler (or gospeller), herald, hierophant, high priest, paladin.
Ant: adversary, antagonist, opponent.

Hint 28

Proponent
Eulogy
Acclaim
Encomium
Extol
Laud

Front 29

Aesthetic (adj) GRE

Back 29

concerning the appreciation of beauty.
Syn: beautiful (also esthetic or aesthetical or esthetical), attractive, beauteous, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], comely, cute, drop-dead.
Ant: grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome.

Hint 29

Connoisseur

Front 30

Aggrandize

Back 30

1: to make great or greater : increase, enlarge <_____ an estate>
2: to make appear great or greater : praise highly
3: to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of <exploited the situation to _____ himself>.
Syn: exalt, canonize, deify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify.
Ant: abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate.

Front 31

Alleviate (v) GRE

Back 31

a : to make (as suffering) more bearable <her sympathy _____ his distress>
b : to partially remove or correct <measures taken to ______ a labor shortage>.
Syn: allay, help, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe.
Ant: aggravate, exacerbate.

Hint 31

Appease
Alleviate
Amerliorate
Assuage
Assist
Mitigate
Mollify
Slake

Front 32

Amalgamate

Back 32

to combine/mix together.
Syn: combine, comingle, commingle, commix, composite, concrete, conflate, fuse, homogenize.
Ant: break down, break up, separate, unmix.

Front 33

Ambiguous

Back 33

1a : doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness <eyes of an _____ color>
b : inexplicable
2: capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways <an _____ smile> <an _____ term> <a deliberately _____ reply> .
Syn: obscure, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque.
Ant: accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal.

Front 34

Ameliorate (v) GRE

Back 34

1) to make better or more tolerable.
2) To grow better.
Syn: improve, amend, better, enhance, enrich, help, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade.
Ant: worsen.

Hint 34

Appease
Alleviate
Assuage
Assit
Mollify
Slake

Front 35

Anachronism

Back 35

1: an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other
2: a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place; especially : one from a former age that is incongruous in the present
3: the state or condition of being chronologically out of place.
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 36

Analogous

Back 36

similar or alike in some way.
1: showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy
2: being or related to as an analogue
Syn: akin, alike, cognate, comparable, connate, correspondent, corresponding, ditto, like, matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling, similar, such, suchlike.
Ant: different, dissimilar, diverse, unakin, unlike.

Front 37

Antagonize

Back 37

1: to act in opposition to : counteract
2: to incur or provoke the hostility of <his criticism _____ his friends>
Syn: embitter, empoison, envenom.
Ant: endear, ingratiate; appease, assuage, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate; sweeten.

Front 38

Antipathy (n) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 38

1: obsolete : opposition in feeling
2: settled aversion or extreme dislike
3: an object of aversion
Syn: animosity, animus, antagonism, enmity, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor.
Ant: Amity.

Front 39

Apathy (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 39

1: lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness.
2: lack of interest or concern : indifference.
Syn: affectlessness, emotionlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, numbness, phlegm.
Ant: emotion, feeling, sensibility.

Hint 39

LoInterest
Insipid

Front 40

Arbitrate

Back 40

1: archaic : decide, determine
2: to act as arbiter upon
3: to submit or refer for decision to an arbiter <agreed to _____ their differences> .
Syn: adjudge, adjudicate, judge, decide, determine, referee, rule (on), settle, umpire
Ant: equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, skirt.

Front 41

Archaic

Back 41

1: having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses <an _____ word>
2: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated <_____ legal traditions>
3: capitalized : of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development; especially : of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture
4: surviving from an earlier period; specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage.
Syn: antiquated, obsolete, dated, démodé, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten.
Ant: contemporary, current, mod, modern, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, present-day, recent, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute; fresh.

Front 42

Ardor (adj) GRE

Back 42

1a : an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling <the sudden ____ of youth>
b : extreme vigor or energy : intensity
c : zeal
d : loyalty
2: sexual excitement.
Syn: ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat.
Ant: impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity.

Hint 42

Zeal

Front 43

Articulate

Back 43

1a : divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged : intelligible
b : able to speak
c : expressing oneself readily, clearly, or effectively <an ____ teacher>; also : expressed readily, clearly, or effectively <an _____ argument>
2a : consisting of segments united by joints : jointed <_____ animals>
b : distinctly marked off.
Syn: eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken.
Ant: inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal.

Front 44

Attenuate

Back 44

1: to make thin or slender
2: to make thin in consistency : rarefy
3: to lessen the amount, force, magnitude, or value of : weaken
4: to reduce the severity, virulence, or vitality of <an ____ virus>
Syn: depreciate, break, cheapen, depress, devaluate, devalue, downgrade, lower, mark down, reduce, sink, write down, write off.
Ant: appreciate, enhance, mark up, upgrade.

Front 45

Banal

Back 45

lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : trite.
Syn: wishy–washy, flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery.
Ant: fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed.

Front 46

Bolster (v)
Commonly Seen-3

Back 46

1: to support with or as if with a bolster : reinforce
2: to give a boost to <news that ____ his spirits>
1: a long pillow or cushion
2: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing.
Syn: bear, support, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold.
Ant: undercut, undermine, weaken.

Hint 46

Abet
Ancillary
Corroborate
Mainstay

Front 47

Bombastic (adj) GRE

Back 47

marked by or given to bombast : pompous, overblown.
Syn: rhetorical, flatulent, fustian, gaseous, gassy, grandiloquent, oratorical, orotund, windy.
Ant: unrhetorical.

Front 48

Cacophony (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 48

harsh or discordant sound : dissonance 2; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases.
Syn: babel, blare, bluster, bowwow, brawl, bruit [archaic], noise, chatter, clamor, clangor, decibel(s), din, discordance, katzenjammer, racket, rattle, roar.
Ant: quiet, silence, silentness, still, stillness.

Front 49

Candid

Back 49

1: white <_____ flames>
2: free from bias, prejudice, or malice : fair <a _____ observer>
3a : marked by honest sincere expression <a ____ discussion>
b : indicating or suggesting sincere honesty and absence of deception <her ____ face>
c : disposed to criticize severely : blunt <_____ critics>
4: relating to or being photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed.
Syn: frank, direct, forthcoming, forthright, foursquare, freehearted, free-spoken, honest, open, openhearted, out-front, outspoken, plain, plainspoken.
Ant: dissembling, uncandid, unforthcoming.

Front 50

Castigate (v) GRE

Back 50

to subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism.
Syn: baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste.
Ant: approve, endorse (also indorse), sanction; extol (also extoll), laud, praise.

Hint 50

Diatribe
Deride

Front 51

Catalyst

Back 51

1: a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible
2: an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.
Syn/Ant?: None.

Hint 51

Foment
Engender
Precipitate

Front 52

Caustic

Back 52

1: capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive
2: marked by incisive sarcasm
3: relating to or being the surface or curve of a ____.
Syn: acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, sarcastic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric.
Ant: amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish; gentle, mild; bland; good-humored, good-natured.

Front 53

Chaos

Back 53

2a often capitalized : a state of things in which chance is supreme; especially : the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms — compare cosmos
b : the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
3a : a state of utter confusion <the blackout caused ____ throughout the city>
b : a confused mass or mixture <a ____ of television antennas>
Syn: chance-medley, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization.
Ant: order, orderliness.

Front 54

Chauvanist

Back 54

1: excessive or blind patriotism — compare jingoism
2: undue partiality or attachment to a group or place to which one belongs or has belonged
3: an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex; also : behavior expressive of such an attitude.
Syn: jingoism, nationalism, superpatriotism.
Ant: internationalism.

Front 55

Chicanery

Back 55

1: deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery
2: a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trick.
Syn: artifice, chicane, trickery, gamesmanship, hanky-panky, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain.
Ant: artlessness, forthrightness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, sincerity; candidness, candor, directness, openness, plainness, plainspokenness.

Front 56

Cogent

Back 56

1: having power to compel or constrain <_____ forces>
2a : appealing forcibly to the mind or reason : convincing <____ evidence>
b : pertinent, relevant <a ____ analysis>
Syn: compelling, conclusive, convincing, decisive, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong, telling.
Ant: inconclusive, indecisive, ineffective, uncompelling, unconvincing, unpersuasive.

Front 57

Condone

Back 57

to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless <a government accused of _____ racism> <_____ corruption in politics>
Syn: blink (at), brush (aside or off), excuse, discount, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon.
Ant: heed, mark, mind, note, object (to).

Front 58

Convoluted

Back 58

1: having convolutions
2: involved, intricate <a ______ argument>
Syn: baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate,
Ant: noncomplex, noncomplicated, plain, simple, uncomplicated.

Front 59

Corroborate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 59

to support with evidence or authority : make more certain.
Syn: argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, confirm, substantiate, support, validate, verify, vindicate.
Ant: disprove, rebut, refute.

Hint 59

Ancillary
Bolster
Mainstay

Front 60

Credulous

Back 60

1: ready to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence <accused of swindling ______ investors>
2: proceeding from credulity <_____ superstitions>
3: too trusting: gullible
Syn/Ant???: None.

Front 61

Crescendo

Back 61

1a : a gradual increase; specifically : a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage
b : the peak of a gradual increase : climax <complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a ______ — Down Beat>
2: a ______ musical passage.
Syn: acme, apex, apogee, capstone, climax, height, crest, crown, culmination, head, high noon, high tide, high-water mark, meridian, ne plus ultra, noon, noontime.
Ant: bottom, nadir, rock bottom.

Front 62

Decorum

Back 62

1: literary and dramatic propriety : fitness
2: propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance
3: orderliness
4: plural : the conventions of polite behavior.
Syn: decency, form, propriety.
Ant: impropriety, indecency, indecorum.

Front 63

Deference

Back 63

: respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes.
Syn: acquiescence, biddability, compliancy, compliance, docility, obedience, submissiveness.
Ant: defiance, disobedience, intractability, recalcitrance.

Front 64

Deride (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 64

1: to laugh at contemptuously
2: to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule.
Syn: ridicule, gibe (or jibe), jeer, laugh (at), mock, scout, shoot down, skewer.
Ant: applaud, approve, commend, endorse (also indorse), sanction.

Front 65

Desiccate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 65

1: to dry up
2: to preserve (a food) by drying : dehydrate
3: to drain of emotional or intellectual vitality.
Syn: castrate, damp, dampen, deaden, dehydrate, devitalize, enervate, geld, lobotomize, petrify.
Ant: brace, energize, enliven, invigorate, quicken, stimulate, vitalize, vivify.

Front 66

Desultory

Back 66

1: marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose <a dragged-out ordeal of…______ shopping — Herman Wouk>
2: not connected with the main subject
3: disappointing in progress, performance, or quality <a _____ fifth place finish> <a _____ wine> .
Syn: aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, random, erratic, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, scattered, slapdash, stray.
Ant: methodical (also methodic), nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized.

Front 67

Diatribe

Back 67

1: archaic : a prolonged discourse
2: a bitter and abusive speech or piece of writing
3: ironic or satirical criticism
Syn: tirade, harangue, jeremiad, philippic, rant.
Ant: encomium, eulogy, panegyric, rhapsody, tribute; acclaim, acclamation, accolade, citation, homage.

Hint 67

Castigate
Deride

Front 68

Diffident

Back 68

1: hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence
2: archaic : distrustful
3: reserved, unassertive
Syn: backward, bashful, coy, demure, shy.
Ant: extroverted (also extraverted), immodest, outgoing.

Front 69

Dilate

Back 69

1: archaic : to describe or set forth at length or in detail
2: to enlarge or expand in bulk or extent : distend, widen
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 70

Dilatory

Back 70

1: tending or intended to cause delay <_____ tactics>
2: characterized by procrastination : tardy <______ in paying bills>.
Syn: crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling, slow
Ant: barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast.

Hint 70

Filabuster

Front 71

Dilettante

Back 71

1: an admirer or lover of the arts
2: a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : dabbler.
Syn: cognoscente, connoisseur.
Ant: authority, expert, pro, professional, specialist.

Front 72

Dirge

Back 72

1: a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially : one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites
2: a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music
3: something (as a poem) that has the qualities of a dirge.
Syn: lament, elegy, requiem, threnody.
Ant: encomium, eulogy, paean, panegyric.

Hint 72

Elegy

Front 73

Discern

Back 73

to perceive/recognize. To recognize or identify as separate and distinct.
Syn: behold, catch, descry, see, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at).
Ant: confuse, mistake, mix (up).

Front 74

Disparate

Back 74

1: containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements
2: markedly distinct in quality or character.
Syn: different, dissimilar, distant, distinct, distinctive, distinguishable, diverse, nonidentical, other, unalike, unlike.
Ant: alike, identical, indistinguishable, kin, kindred, like, parallel, same, similar.

Front 75

Dissemble

Back 75

to present a false appearance/disguise one's real intentions or character. to put on a false appearance: conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense .
Syn: act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit, feign, fake, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, sham, simulate.
Ant: None.

Front 76

Dissonance (n) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 76

1
a : lack of agreement; especially : inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one's actions and one's beliefs — compare cognitive dissonance
b : an instance of such inconsistency or disagreement
2
: a mingling of discordant sounds; especially : a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord.
Syn: conflict, disaccord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension.
Ant: accord, agreement, concord, concordance, harmony, peace.

Front 77

Dogma

Back 77

1
a : something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet
b : a code of such tenets <pedagogical _____>
c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds
2
: a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.
Syn: canon, doctrine.
Ant: None.

Front 78

Dupe

Back 78

one that is easily deceived or cheated : fool.
Syn: chump, gull, mug [chiefly British], patsy.
Ant: cheat, cheater, confidence man, cozener.

Front 79

Eclectic

Back 79

1
: selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles
2
: composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous
Syn: assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous.
Ant: homogeneous.

Front 80

Efficacy

Back 80

effectiveness, the power to produce an effect.
Syn: edge, effectiveness, effectualness.
Ant: ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficiency.

Front 81

Elegy

Back 81

2
a : a song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead
b : something (as a speech) resembling such a song or poem
3
a : a pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy
Syn: dirge, lament, requiem, threnody.
Ant: encomium, eulogy, paean, panegyric.

Hint 81

Dirge

Front 82

Eloquent

Back 82

persuasive and moving speech.
1
: marked by forceful and fluent expression <an _____ preacher>
2
: vividly or movingly expressive or revealing <an _____ monument>
Syn: articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken.
Ant: inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal.

Front 83

Emulate

Back 83

to copy/try to equal or excel.
Syn: add up (to), come (to), correspond (to), amount (to), equal.
Ant: None.

Front 84

Engender (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 84

to produce cause/bring about: initiate.
1
: beget, procreate
2
: to cause to exist or to develop : produce <policies that have _____ controversy>
Syn: beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on.
Ant: cease, end, stop.

Hint 84

Catalyst
Foment

Front 85

Enigma (n) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 85

1
: an obscure speech or writing
2
: something hard to understand or explain
3
: an inscrutable or mysterious person
Syn: closed book, conundrum, mystery, head-scratcher, mystification, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle, secret.
Ant: None.

Front 86

Enumerate

Back 86

1
: to ascertain the number of : count
2
: to specify one after another : list
Syn: detail, itemize, list, numerate, recite, reel off, rehearse, tick (off).
Ant: generalize.

Front 87

Ephemeral (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 87

1
: lasting one day only <an _____ fever>
2
: lasting a very short time <_____ pleasures>
Syn: brief, deciduous, momentary, evanescent, flash.
Ant: ceaseless, dateless, deathless, endless.

Front 88

Erratic

Back 88

wandering and unpredictable.
1
a : having no fixed course : wandering <an ____ comet>
b archaic : nomadic
c: deviating from what is ordinary or standard : eccentric <an ____ genius>.
Syn: aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory.
Ant: methodical (also methodic), nonrandom, orderly.

Front 89

Esoteric

Back 89

hidden, secret.
1
a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone <a body of ______ legal doctrine — B. N. Cardozo>
b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group <______ terminology>; broadly : difficult to understand <______ subjects>
2
a : limited to a small circle <engaging in _____ pursuits>
b : private, confidential <an _____ purpose>
3
: of special, rare, or unusual interest <_____ building materials>
Syn: abstruse, arcane, deep, profound, hermetic.
Ant: shallow, superficial.

Front 90

Estimable

Back 90

1
: capable of being estimated <an _____ amount>
2
archaic : valuable
3
: worthy of esteem <an _____ adversary>
Syn: applaudable, commendable, creditable, admirable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy.
Ant: censurable, discreditable, illaudable, reprehensible.

Front 91

Eulogy (n) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 91

1
: a commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased <she delivered the ____ at his funeral>
2
: high praise
Syn: accolade, citation, commendation, dithyramb, eulogium, encomium, homage, hymn, paean, panegyric, salutation, tribute.
Ant: censure, condemnation, denunciation.

Hint 91

Advocate
Proponent
Acclaim
Encomium
Extol
Laud

Front 92

Euphemism

Back 92

the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also : the expression so substituted
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 93

Exacerbate

Back 93

to make worse. to make more violent, bitter, or severe <the proposed shutdown … would ____ unemployment problems — Science>.
Syn: aggravate, complicate, worsen.
Ant: allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, relieve.

Front 94

Exculpate

Back 94

to clear from blame/prove innocent.
Syn: absolve, acquit, clear, exonerate, vindicate.
Ant: criminate, incriminate.

Hint 94

VINDICATE
Exonerate
Disabuse

Front 95

Exigent

Back 95

urgent/requiring immediate action.
1
: requiring immediate aid or action <_____ circumstances>
2
: requiring or calling for much : demanding <an _____ client>.
Syn: burning, clamant, compelling, critical, crying, dire, emergent, acute, imperative, imperious, importunate, instant, necessitous, pressing, urgent.
Ant: noncritical, nonurgent.

Front 96

Exonerate

Back 96

1
: to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2
: to clear from accusation or blame.
Syn: absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, vindicate.
Ant: criminate, incriminate.

Hint 96

VINDICATE
Exculpate
Disabuse
RELEIVE
Appease
Alleviate
Ameliorate
Assuage
Assist
Slake
Mollify

Front 97

Explicit

Back 97

1
a : fully revealed or expressed without vagueness, implication, or ambiguity : leaving no question as to meaning or intent <_____ instructions>
b : open in the depiction of nudity or sexuality <_____ books and films>
2
: fully developed or formulated <an ______ plan> <an _____ notion of our objective>.
Syn: clear-cut, definite, definitive, express, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal, univocal.
Ant: implicit, implied, inferred; ambiguous, circuitous; equivocal, indefinite, inexplicit, unspecific, vague.

Front 98

Fanatical

Back 98

acting excessively enthusiastic/filled with extreme/unquestioned devotion. marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion <they're _____ about politics>.
Syn: extremist, extreme (or fanatical), rabid, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra.
Ant: middle-of-the-road, nonrevolutionary, unrevolutionary.

Front 99

Fawn

Back 99

to grovel.
1
: to show affection —used especially of a dog
2
: to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner
Syn: apple-polish, bootlick, fuss, kowtow, suck (up), toady, truckle, curry favor, kiss up to.
Ant: despise, disdain, scorn; gibe (or jibe), jeer, scoff; brave, challenge, defy.

Front 100

Fervid (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 100

intensely emotional/feverish.
1
: very hot : burning
2
: marked by often extreme fervor <a _____ crusader>
Syn: ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, feverish, fiery, flaming.
Ant: cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional.

Front 101

-Florid (adj) GRE

Back 101

1
a obsolete : covered with flowers
b : very flowery in style : ornate <____ prose> <_____ declamations>; also : having a ____ style <a ____ writer>
c : elaborately decorated <a ____ interior>
2
a : tinged with red : ruddy <a ____ complexion>
b : marked by emotional or sexual fervor <a _____ secret life> <a _____ sensibility>
Syn: bedizened, ornate, fussy, gingerbread, gingerbreaded, gingerbready, overdecorated, overwrought.
Ant: austere, plain, severe, stark, unadorned.

Front 102

Foment

Back 102

to arouse or incite.
Syn: abet, brew, ferment, incite, instigate, pick, provoke, raise, stir (up), whip (up)
Ant: bridle, check, constrain, curb, discourage, hold, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, tame; allay, calm, quiet, settle, soothe, still, subdue, tranquilize (also tranquillize).

Hint 102

Catalyst
Engender

Front 103

Frugality

Back 103

a tendency to be thrifty or cheap. characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.
Syn: economical, economizing, provident, scrimping, sparing, thrifty.
Ant: prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, squandering, thriftless, unthrifty, wasteful.

Front 104

Garrulous (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 104

tending to talk a lot, annoyingly so. Wordy.
Syn: blabby, chatty, conversational, gabby, talkative, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talky.
Ant: closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative.

Front 105

Guile

Back 105

deceit or trickery, cunning.
Syn: artfulness, artifice, caginess (also cageyness), canniness, craft, craftiness, cunningness, deviousness, foxiness, cunning, guilefulness, slickness, slyness, sneakiness, subtleness, subtlety, wiliness.
Ant: artlessness, forthrightness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, sincerity.

Front 106

Gullible (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 106

easily deceived, duped, or cheated.
Syn: dewy-eyed, exploitable, easy (also gullable), naive (or naïve), susceptible, trusting, unwary, wide-eyed.
Ant: critical, cynical, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, wary; sophisticated; clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hardheaded; shrewd, street-smart, streetwise.

Front 107

Homogeneous (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 107

1
: of the same or a similar kind or nature
2
: of uniform structure or composition throughout <a culturally _____ neighborhood>
3
: having the property that if each variable is replaced by a constant times that variable the constant can be factored out : having each term of the same degree if all variables are considered <a _____ equation> .
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 108

Iconoclast

Back 108

1
: a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration
2
: a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions .
Syn: bohemian, boho, counterculturist, deviant, enfant terrible, free spirit, heretic, nonconformist, individualist, loner, lone ranger, lone wolf, maverick, nonconformer.
Ant: conformer, conformist.

Front 109

Imperturbable

Back 109

not capable of being disturbed. marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness : serene.
Syn: unflappable, nerveless, unshakable.
Ant: perturbable, shakable (or shakeable).

Front 110

Impervious

Back 110

1
a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable <a coat _____ to rain>
b : not capable of being damaged or harmed <a carpet ______ to rough treatment>
2
: not capable of being affected or disturbed <_____ to criticism>
Syn: impenetrable, impermeable, tight.
Ant: penetrable, permeable, pervious.

Front 111

Impetuous

Back 111

1
: marked by impulsive vehemence or passion <an ______ temperament>
2
: marked by force and violence of movement or action <an ______ wind>.
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 112

Implacable

Back 112

unable to be calmed down or made peaceful. not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated <an _____ enemy>.
Syn: adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, obstinate, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious.
Ant: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding.

Hint 112

Intransigent

Front 113

Inchoate

Back 113

not fully formed:disorganized. being only partly in existence or operation : incipient; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless, incoherent <misty, _____ suspicions that all is not well with the nation — J. M. Perry>.
Syn: aborning, budding, inceptive, nascent, incipient.
Ant: adult, full-blown, full-fledged, mature, ripe, ripened.

Front 114

Inimical

Back 114

hostile, unfriendly. 1
: being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence <forces ____ to democracy>
2
a : having the disposition of an enemy : hostile <______ factions>
b : reflecting or indicating hostility : unfriendly <his father's _____ glare>.
Syn: adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, hostile, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic.
Ant: friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic.

Front 115

Innocuous

Back 115

harmless. 1
: producing no injury : harmless
2
: not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility : inoffensive, insipid.
Syn: anodyne, benign, hurtless, innocent, harmless, inoffensive, safe, white.
Ant: adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked.

Front 116

Insipid

Back 116

1
: lacking taste or savor : tasteless <_____ food>
2
: lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge : dull, flat <_____ prose> .
Syn: dead, flat, flavorless, savorless, tasteless, unsavory.
Ant: flavorful, flavorsome, sapid, savory (also savoury), tasteful, tasty.

Front 117

Intransigent

Back 117

uncompromising/refusing to be reconciled. : characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude : uncompromising <______ in their opposition> <an _____ attitude>.
Syn: adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, obstinate.
Ant: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding.

Hint 117

Implacable

Front 118

Inundate

Back 118

to overwhelm/cover with water. 1
: to cover with a flood : overflow
2
: overwhelm <was _____ with phone calls>.
Syn: deluge, drown, engulf, gulf, flood, overflow, overwhelm, submerge, submerse, swamp.
Ant: drain.

Front 119

Irascible

Back 119

easily made angry. marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger.
Syn: choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irritable, peevish, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered.
Ant: affable, companionable, cordial, extroverted (also extraverted), friendly, genial, gregarious, outgoing, sociable; agreeable, amiable, good-natured.

Front 120

Laconic (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 120

using few words. using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.
Syn: aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic).
Ant: circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy.

Front 121

Lament

Back 121

to express sorrow/greive. to mourn aloud : wail
1
: to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively : mourn
2
: to regret strongly.
Syn: bemoan, bewail, deplore, grieve (for), mourn, wail (for).
Ant: delight, exult (in), glory (in), joy, rejoice (in).

Front 122

Lavish

Back 122

1
: expending or bestowing profusely : prodigal
2
a : expended or produced in abundance
b : marked by profusion or excess.
Syn: baroque, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, excessive, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch.
Ant: middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate.

Front 123

Lethargic (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 123

1
: of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy : feeling or affected by sluggishness : sluggish
2
: indifferent, apathetic.
Syn: dull, inert, inactive, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish, torpid.
Ant: active

Front 124

Loquacious (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 124

1
: full of excessive talk : wordy
2
: given to fluent or excessive talk : garrulous.
Syn: blabby, chatty, conversational, gabby, garrulous, talkative, motormouthed, mouthy, talky.
Ant: closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative.

Front 125

Lucid

Back 125

1
a : suffused with light : luminous
b : translucent <snorkeling in the ____ sea>
2
: having full use of one's faculties : sane
3
: clear to the understanding : intelligible.
Syn: beaming, bedazzling, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, bright, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid.
Ant: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant.

Front 126

Luminous

Back 126

bright, brilliant, glowing. 1
a : emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light
b : of or relating to light or to _____ flux
2
: bathed in or exposed to steady light <_____ with sunlight>
3
: clear, enlightening
4
: shining, illustrious <a ______ film star> <a ______ performance>.
Syn: beaming, bedazzling, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, bright, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid.
Ant: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant.

Front 127

Malinger

Back 127

to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work) .
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 128

Malleable (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 128

capable of being shaped. 1
: capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers
2
a : capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences
b : having a capacity for adaptive change.
Syn: plastic, moldable, shapable (or shapeable), waxy.
Ant: established, fixed, immutable, inelastic, inflexible, invariable, nonmalleable, ramrod, set, unadaptable, unalterable, unbudgeable, unchangeable.

Front 129

Metaphor

Back 129

1
: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money); broadly : figurative language — compare simile
2
: an object, activity, or idea treated as a ______ : symbol.
Syn: conceit.
Ant: None.

Front 130

Meticulous

Back 130

extremely careful about details.
Syn: careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, painstaking, scrupulous.
Ant: careless.

Front 131

Misanthrope (n) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 131

a person who hates or distrusts humankind.
Syn: cynic, naysayer, pessimist.
Ant: optimist, Pollyanna, positivist; idealist, sentimentalist.

Front 132

Mitigate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 132

1
: to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify <aggressiveness may be _____ or … channeled — Ashley Montagu>
2
a : to make less severe or painful : alleviate
b : extenuate.
Syn: allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe.
Ant: aggravate, exacerbate.

Hint 132

Apease
Alleviate
Ameliorate
Assuage
Assist
Slake
Mollify
Exonerate

Front 133

Mollify

Back 133

1
: to soothe in temper or disposition : appease <_____ the staff with a raise>
2
: to reduce the rigidity of : soften
3
: to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper.
Syn: appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, pacify, placate, propitiate.
Ant: anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage.

Front 134

Monotony

Back 134

lack of variation. 1
: tedious sameness
2
: sameness of tone or sound.
Syn: humdrum, monotone, monotonousness, sameness.
Ant: diversity, multiplicity, variety; variability, variation; absorption, engagement, engrossment, enthrallment, fascination, grip, interest, intrigue, involvement; animation, enlivenment, excitement, invigoration, stimulation.

Front 135

Naive

Back 135

1
: marked by unaffected simplicity : artless, ingenuous
2
a : deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially : credulous
b : not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental situation <made the test with _____ rats>; also : not having previously used a particular drug (as marijuana)
c : not having been exposed previously to an antigen <____ T cells>
3
a : self-taught, primitive
b : produced by or as if by a self-taught artist <____ murals>.
Syn: aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, green, ingenuous, innocent, naïf (or naif), primitive, simple, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing, unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unworldly, wide-eyed.
Ant: cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise.

Front 136

Obdurate (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 136

1
a : stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
b : hardened in feelings
2
: resistant to persuasion or softening influences.
Syn: affectless, callous, case-hardened, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard-boiled, hard-hearted, heartless, indurate, inhuman, inhumane, insensate.
Ant: charitable, compassionate, humane, kindhearted, kindly, merciful, sensitive, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warm, warmhearted.

Front 137

Obsequious

Back 137

overly submissive and eager to please. marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness.
Syn/Ant???: None.

Front 138

Obstinate

Back 138

stubborn, unyielding. 1
: perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion <_____ resistance to change>
2
: not easily subdued, remedied, or removed <_____ fever>.
Syn: adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent.
Ant: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding.

Front 139

Obviate

Back 139

to prevent/make unecessary. to anticipate and prevent (as a situation) or make unnecessary (as an action).
Syn: avert, forestall, head off, help, prevent, preclude, stave off.
Ant: abet, aid, assist; ease, facilitate, smooth, unclog; advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster.

Front 140

Occlude

Back 140

1
: to close up or block off : obstruct <a thrombus _____ing a coronary artery>; also : conceal
2
: sorb
intransitive verb
1
: to come into contact with cusps of the opposing teeth fitting together <his teeth do not _____ properly>
2
: to become ______ed.
Syn: block, choke, clot, congest, dam, gum (up), jam, obstruct, clog, plug (up), stop (up), stuff.
Ant: clear, free, open (up), unblock, unclog, unplug, unstop.

Front 141

Onerous

Back 141

1
: involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome <an ______ task>
2
: having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages <an _____ contract>.
Syn: bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy, inhuman, murderous, harsh, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying.
Ant: easy, light, soft.

Front 142

Opaque (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 142

1
: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light : exhibiting opacity (see opacity)
2
a : hard to understand or explain <______ prose>
b : obtuse, thickheaded.
Syn: ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, elliptical (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, obscure.
Ant: accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal.

Front 143

Opprobrium

Back 143

1
: something that brings disgrace
2
a : public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious
b : contempt, reproach.
Syn: dishonor, disgrace, reflection, reproach, scandal.
Ant: credit, honor.

Front 144

Ostentation (adj)
Commonly Seen-3

Back 144

1
: excessive display : pretentiousness
2
archaic : an act of displaying.
Syn: flamboyance, flash, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, ostentatiousness, pretentiousness, showiness, swank.
Ant: austerity, plainness, severity.

Front 145

Paradox (n) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 145

1
: a tenet contrary to received opinion
2
a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true
c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3
: one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases.
Syn: dichotomy, incongruity, contradiction.
Ant: None.

Front 146

Paragon

Back 146

model of excellence or perfection.
Syn: beau ideal, classic, eidolon, exemplar, idea, model, nonesuch, nonpareil, ideal, patron saint.
Ant: None.

Front 147

Pedant (n) GRE
Pedantic
Commonly Seen-2

Back 147

1
obsolete : a male schoolteacher
2
a : one who makes a show of knowledge
b : one who is unimaginative or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge
c : a formalist or precisionist in teaching.
Syn/Ant?: None.

Front 148

Perfidious

Back 148

willing to betray one's trust, distrustful, deceitful.
Syn: disloyal, false, fickle, inconstant, faithless, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue.
Ant: constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true.

Front 149

Perfunctory

Back 149

done in a routine way/indifferent.
1
: characterized by routine or superficiality : mechanical <a _____ smile>
2
: lacking in interest or enthusiasm.
Syn: apathetic, casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, indifferent, pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious, uninterested.
Ant: concerned, interested.

Front 150

Philanthropy (n) GRE
Philanthropic
Commonly Seen-3

Back 150

1
: goodwill to fellow members of the human race; especially : active effort to promote human welfare
2
a : an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes
b : an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes.
Syn: alms, benefaction, beneficence, charity, donation, contribution.
Ant: cheapness, closeness, meanness, miserliness, parsimony, penuriousness, pinching, selfishness, stinginess, tightness, ungenerosity.

Front 151

Placate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 151

to soothe or pacify.
Syn: appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, pacify, propitiate.
Ant: anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage.

Front 152

Plastic

Back 152

able to be molded, altered or bent.
Syn: malleable, moldable, shapable (or shapeable), waxy.
Ant: artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced.

Front 153

Plethora

Back 153

1
: a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion
2
: excess, superfluity; also : profusion, abundance.
Syn: abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, superabundance, wealth.
Ant: deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, undersupply.

Front 154

Pragmatic (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 154

1
archaic
a (1) : busy (2) : officious
b : opinionated
2
: relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters : practical as opposed to idealistic <______ men of power have had no time or inclination to deal with … social morality — K. B. Clark> .
Syn: down-to-earth, earthy, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, practical, realistic (also ______ical).
Ant: blue-sky, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, utopian, visionary.

Front 155

Precipitate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 155

a : to throw violently : hurl <the quandaries into which the release of nuclear energy has _____ mankind — A. B. Arons>
b : to throw down
2
: to bring about especially abruptly <_____ a scandal that would end with his expulsion — John Cheever>
3
a : to cause to separate from solution or suspension
b : to cause (vapor) to condense and fall or deposit.
Syn: pour, rain, storm.
Ant: drizzle, mist, mizzle, spit, sprinkle.

Hint 155

ACT QUICKLY
Capricious
Healdlong
Abrupt
Impetuous
Apace
Whimsical

CHANGE
Catalyst
Foment
Engender

Front 156

Prevaricate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 156

to lie or deviate from the truth.
Syn: fabricate, fib, prevaricate.
Ant: assert, swear, testify; authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, verify.

Hint 156

Chicanery
Dissemble
Equivocate

Front 157

Pristine

Back 157

fresh and clean/uncorrupted.
Syn: brand-new, mint, fresh, span-new, virgin, virginal.
Ant: stale.

Front 158

Prodigal (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 158

1
: characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure : lavish <a ____ feast> <_____ outlays for her clothes>
2
: recklessly spendthrift <the _____ prince>
3
: yielding abundantly : luxuriant —often used with of <nature has been so ____ of her bounty — H. T. Buckle>.
Syn: fritterer, high roller, profligate, spender, spendthrift, squanderer, waster, wastrel.
Ant: economizer, penny-pincher.

Front 159

Proliferate

Back 159

1
: to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring
2
: to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply
transitive verb
1
: to cause to grow by _____ating
2
: to cause to increase in number or extent as if by _____ating.
Syn: accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, increase, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, wax.
Ant: contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane.

Front 160

Propitiate

Back 160

to concilate/appease. to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : appease.
Syn: appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, placate, pacify.
Ant: anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage.

Front 161

Propriety (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 161

correct behavior/obedience to rules and customs.
Syn: decorum, form, decency.
Ant: impropriety, indecency, indecorum.

Front 162

Prudence

Back 162

1
: the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
2
: sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
3
: skill and good judgment in the use of resources
4
: caution or circumspection as to danger or risk.
Syn: alertness, care, carefulness, cautiousness, chariness, circumspection, gingerliness, guardedness, heedfulness, caution, wariness.
Ant: brashness, carelessness, heedlessness, incaution, incautiousness, recklessness, unwariness.

Front 163

Pungent

Back 163

1
: sharply painful
2
: having a stiff and sharp point <____ leaves>
3
a : marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic <a ____ critic> <_____ language>
b : being sharp and to the point
4
a : causing a sharp or irritating sensation; especially : acrid
b : having an intense flavor or odor <a _____ chili>.
Syn: nippy, sharp, strong, tangy.
Ant: bland, mild, smooth.

Front 164

Quiescent

Back 164

1
: marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest
2
: causing no trouble or symptoms <_____ gallstones>.
Syn: dull, inert, lethargic, inactive, sleepy, sluggish, torpid.
Ant: active

Front 165

Rarefy

Back 165

1
: to make rare, thin, porous, or less dense : to expand without the addition of matter
2
: to make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse.

Front 166

Repudiate

Back 166

1
: to divorce or separate formally from (a woman)
2
: to refuse to have anything to do with : disown
3
a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force <_____ a contract>
b : to reject as untrue or unjust <_____ a charge>
4
: to refuse to acknowledge or pay <______ a debt>.
Syn: contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, refute, reject, deny.
Ant: acknowledge, admit, allow, avow, concede, confirm, own.

Front 167

Reticent

Back 167

1
: inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved
2
: restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance <the room has an aspect of ____ dignity — A. N. Whitehead>
3
: reluctant.
Syn: close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tight-mouthed, uncommunicative.
Ant: communicative, open.

Front 168

Rhetoric

Back 168

1
: the art of speaking or writing effectively: as
a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times
b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion
2
a : skill in the effective use of speech
b : a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language
3
: verbal communication : discourse.
Syn: bombast, fustian, gas, grandiloquence, hot air, oratory, verbiage, wind.
Ant: inarticulateness.

Front 169

Satiate

Back 169

to satisfy fully or over indulge.
Syn: replete, sated, full, satiated, stuffed, surfeited.
Ant: empty, famished, hungry, starved, starving.

Front 170

Soporific

Back 170

causing sleep or lethargy. 1
a : causing or tending to cause sleep <_____ drugs>
b : tending to dull awareness or alertness
2
: of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy.
Syn: drowsy, narcotic, opiate, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, hypnotic.
Ant: stimulant.

Front 171

Specious

Back 171

1
obsolete : showy
2
: having deceptive attraction or allure
3
: having a false look of truth or genuineness : sophistic <_____ reasoning>.
Syn: beguiling, deceitful, deceiving, deluding, delusive, delusory, fallacious, false, misleading, deceptive.
Ant: aboveboard, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward.

Front 172

Stigma

Back 172

1
a archaic : a scar left by a hot iron : brand
b : a mark of shame or discredit : stain <bore the ____ of cowardice>
c : an identifying mark or characteristic; specifically : a specific diagnostic sign of a disease.

Front 173

Stolid

Back 173

unemotional/lacking sensitivity.
Syn: catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, impassive, inexpressive, numb, blank, vacant.
Ant: demonstrative, expressive.

Front 174

Sublime

Back 174

lofty or grand. to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form.
Syn: amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, awful, eye-opening, fabulous, miraculous, portentous, prodigious, staggering, stunning, stupendous, marvelous, surprising, wonderful, wondrous.
Ant: base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low.

Front 175

Tacit

Back 175

1
: expressed or carried on without words or speech <the blush was a ____ answer — Bram Stoker>
2
: implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed <______ consent> <tacit admission of guilt>.
Syn: implied, implicit, unexpressed, unspoken, unvoiced, wordless.
Ant: explicit, express, expressed, spoken, stated, voiced.

Front 176

Taciturn

Back 176

silent, not talkative.
Syn: closemouthed, dumb, laconic, reserved, reticent, silent, tight-lipped, uncommunicative.
Ant: blabby, chatty, communicative, conversational, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talkative, talky, unreserved.

Front 177

Tirade (n) GRE

Back 177

long harsh speech or verbal attack. a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language.
Syn: diatribe, harangue, jeremiad, philippic, rant.
Ant: encomium, eulogy, panegyric, rhapsody, tribute; acclaim, acclamation, accolade, citation, homage, honor, praise; approval, blessing, commendation, endorsement (also indorsement), sanction; ovation, plaudit, rave.

Hint 177

Castigate
Deride
Diatribe
Dirge
Disapraging
Elegy
Lambaste

Front 178

Torpor

Back 178

extreme mental and physical slugishness. 1
a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility
b : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals
2
: apathy, dullness.
Syn: apathy, casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, insouciance, nonchalance, indifference, unconcern.
Ant: concern, interest, regard.

Front 179

Transitory

Back 179

temporary lasting a brief time. 1
: tending to pass away : not persistent
2
: of brief duration : temporary <the ______ nature of earthly joy>.
Syn: brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, momentary.
Ant: ceaseless, dateless, deathless, endless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, lasting, long-lived, permanent, perpetual, timeless, undying, unending.

Front 180

Vacillate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 180

to sway:physically indecisive. 1
: an act or instance of _____ing
2
: inability to take a stand : irresolution, indecision.

Front 181

Venerate (v) GRE
Commonly Seen-3

Back 181

1
: to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference
2
: to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion.
Syn: adore, deify, glorify, revere, reverence, worship.
Ant: blaspheme, desecrate, profane, violate; affront, dishonor, disrespect, insult, offend, outrage, pique, ridicule, scorn, slight; displease; defame, disparage, libel, malign, slander, slur, smear.

Front 182

Veracity

Back 182

1
: devotion to the truth : truthfulness
2
: power of conveying or perceiving truth
3
: conformity with truth or fact : accuracy
4
: something true <makes lies sound like ______>.
Syn: integrity, probity, truthfulness, honesty, verity.
Ant: deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, lying, mendaciousness, mendacity, untruthfulness.

Front 183

Verbose

Back 183

1
: containing more words than necessary : wordy <a _____ reply>; also : impaired by wordiness <a ____ style>
2
: given to wordiness <a ____ orator>.
Syn: circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous, logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, prolix, rambling, wordy, windy.
Ant: compact, concise, crisp, pithy, succinct, terse.

Front 184

Vex

Back 184

1
a : to bring trouble, distress, or agitation to <the restaurant is ___ by slow service>
b : to bring physical distress to <a headache ___ed him all morning>
c : to irritate or annoy by petty provocations : harass <___ed by the children>
d : puzzle, baffle <a problem to ___ the keenest wit>
2
: to shake or toss about.
Syn: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, irritate.
Ant: appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate; delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy; assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe.

Front 185

Volatile (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen-2

Back 185

1
: readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature
2
: flying or having the power to fly
3
a : lighthearted, lively
b : easily aroused <____ suspicions>
c : tending to erupt into violence : explosive <a ____ temper>
4
a : unable to hold the attention fixed because of an inherent lightness or fickleness of disposition
b : characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change <a _____ market>
5
: difficult to capture or hold permanently : evanescent, transitory.
Syn: capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, fickle.
Ant: certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying.

Front 186

Waver (v)
Commonly Seen-3

Back 186

1
: to vacillate irresolutely between choices : fluctuate in opinion, allegiance, or direction
2
a : to weave or sway unsteadily to and fro : reel, totter
b : quiver, flicker <____ing flames>
c : to hesitate as if about to give way : falter
3
: to give an unsteady sound : quaver.
Syn: balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, hesitate, wobble (also wabble).
Ant: dive (in), plunge (in).

Front 187

Whimsical

Back 187

1
: full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims (see whim))
2
a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially : lightly fanciful <_____ decorations>
b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change.
Syn: capricious, freakish, impulsive.
Ant: equable; down-to-earth, earthy, hard-boiled, hardheaded, levelheaded, matter-of-fact, practical, pragmatic (also pragmatical), reasonable, sensible, tough-minded; commonsensical, grounded, logical, no-nonsense, rational, sane, sober, sobersided, sound; fast, fixed, hard-and-fast, immutable, inflexible, invariable.

Hint 187

Capricious-
Healdlong
Abrupt
Imetpuous
Percipitate
Apace

Front 188

Zeal (adj) GRE
Commonly Seen

Back 188

passion and excitement. eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something : fervor <her ___ to succeed strained her relationships>.
Syn/Ant??: None.

Hint 188

Ardor

Front 189

Abet (v) GRE

Back 189

To support. 1
: to actively second and encourage (as an activity or plan)
2
: to assist or support in the achievement of a purpose.
Syn: incite, brew, ferment, foment, instigate, pick, provoke, raise, stir (up), whip (up).
Ant: hinder.

Front 190

Appease (v) GRE

Back 190

1
: to bring to a state of peace or quiet : calm
2
: to cause to subside : allay <_____ed my hunger>
3
: pacify, conciliate; especially : to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles.
Syn: pacify, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, placate, propitiate.
Ant: anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage.

Front 191

Slake (v) GRE

Back 191

1
archaic : subside, abate
2
: to become slaked : crumble <lime may _____ spontaneously in moist air>
transitive verb
1
archaic : to lessen the force of : moderate
2
: satisfy, quench <____ your thirst> <will ____ your curiosity>
3
: to cause (as lime) to heat and crumble by treatment with water : hydrate.
Syn: assuage, quench, sate, satiate, satisfy.
Ant: arouse, excite, pique, stimulate; tantalize, tease.

Front 192

Ancillary (n) GRE

Back 192

1
: subordinate, subsidiary <the main factory and its _____ plants>
2
: auxiliary, supplementary <the need for _____ evidence>.
Syn/Ant???: None.

Hint 192

SUPPORT
Abet
Bolster
Corroborate
Mainstay

Front 193

Defer (v) GRE

Back 193

1
: put off, delay
2
: to postpone induction of (a person) into military service.
Syn: defer, delay, hold off (on), hold over, hold up, lay over, put off, put over, remit, shelve.
Ant: act, deal (with), decide (upon), do, work (on).

Front 194

Disparaging (adj) GRE

Back 194

1
: to lower in rank or reputation : degrade
2
: to depreciate by indirect means (as invidious comparison) : speak slightingly about.
Syn: bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, decry, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write off.
Ant: acclaim, applaud, exalt, extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, magnify, praise.

Hint 194

Diatribe
Castigate
Deride
Reproach

Front 195

Reproach (v) GRE

Back 195

1
: an expression of rebuke or disapproval
2
: the act or action of _____ing or disapproving <was beyond ____>
3
a : a cause or occasion of blame, discredit, or disgrace
b : discredit, disgrace
4
obsolete : one subjected to censure or scorn.
Syn: dishonor, opprobrium, reflection, disgrace, scandal.
Ant: credit, honor.

Hint 195

Diatribe
Castigate
Deride
Disparaging

Front 196

Fervor (adj) GRE

Back 196

1
: intensity of feeling or expression <booing and cheering with almost equal _____ — Alan Rich>
2
: intense heat.
Syn: ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, ardor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat.
Ant: impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity.

Front 197

Quixotic (adj) GRE

Back 197

1
: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action
2
: capricious, unpredictable.
Syn: idealist, idealistic, quixotical, romantic, starry, starry-eyed, utopian, visionary.
Ant: clear-eyed, clear-sighted.

Hint 197

ACT QUICKLY
Capricious
Headlong
Abrupt
Impetuous
Precipitate
Apace
Whimsical