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271 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Pusillanimous |
Lacking in courage
courage (pusill(us) very small, petty + -anim(is) -spirited, -minded (anim(us) spirit + -is adj. suffix) |
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Cloying
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Sickeningly sweet
(in- + Latin clāvāre, to nail) |
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Doctrinaire
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Rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality, dogmatic
(doctrīna teaching, equiv. to doct(o)r DOCTOR + -īna -INE2 ] ) |
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Meretricious
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Falsely attractive, OR related to a prostitute
(meretrix prostitute, from merēre to earn) |
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Invective
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Abusive language
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Sardonic
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Cynical, mocking scornfully. Disdainfully humourous
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Peregrinate
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To travel, esp. on foot
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Decorous
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Socially correct
(think decorum) |
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Lugubrious
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Mournful, dismal
(lygros mournful) |
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Diffident
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Lacking self-confidence
(dis- + fidere to trust) |
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Inchoate
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Being only partially formed or in existence OR incoherent
(in- + cohum part of a yoke to which the beam of a plow is fitted) |
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Exigent
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Urgent
[exigere to demand] |
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Die
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A tool used for shaping
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Mercenary
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A greedy person, or one who is only motivated by money in doing a job
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Strut
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A structural piece that resists pressure in the direction of its length. OR a pompous step or walk
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Literati
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A member of an educated class
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Signatory
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One who signes, or people who are bound by an agreement
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Beam
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The part of a plow to which handles, standard, and coulter are attached
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Covetous
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Very greedy
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Rapacious
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Excessively covetous, extremely greedy
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Pundit
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An authority. A learned person
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Divestiture
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To get rid of property, to take away
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Burnish
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To make shiny or brown by rubbing, to polish or rub
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Dampen
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To become depressed
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Ardor
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Zeal, or warmth of feeling
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Lustrous
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Radiant, but in an even, efficient way (no glitter)
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Sinuous
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Having a serpentine form
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Centrifuge
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A machine that uses centrifugal forces to separate densities
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Intransigent
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Uncompromising
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Refractory
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Resisting control OR unresponsive to stimulus
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Laconinc
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Sparse with words, to the point of being rude
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Sordid
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Muddy or nasty, vile, muddy, greedy
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Odious
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Deserving hatred
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Volubility
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Rapid speech, OR quickly turning
[volvere to roll] |
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Abrogate
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To abolish
[ab- + rogare to ask, propose a law] |
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Sedulous
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Diligent and hard working
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Incursion
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A hostile entrance to a territory
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Propitate
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To appease
[propicius < L propitius favorably inclined, propitious, prob. equiv. to pro- pro-1 + -pit-, comb. form of petere to head for, resort to, solicit + -ius] |
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Edify
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To instruct in moral/ religious knowledge, or to uplift
(think 'educate') |
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Cavalier
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Debonair, nonchalant.Or disdainfully dismissive
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Indelicate
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Improper
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Amortize
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To gradually write off a debt or to write off an expenditure
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Minatory
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Threatening
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Emaciate
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To make feeble
[e- + macies leanness, from macer lean] |
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Innundate
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To cover with a flood of
[in- + unda wave] |
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Bombast
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Pretentious, inflated speech
[bombac-, bombax cotton, alteration of Latin bombyc-, bombyx silkworm, silk, from Greek bombyk-, bombyx] |
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Excoriation
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To wear off skin
[ex- + corium skin, hide] |
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Haughty
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Blatantly and disdainfully proud
[high, from Latin altus] |
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Chary
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Discreetly cautious, slow to accept. Or hesitant
[caru sorrow — more at care] |
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Usury
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Interest, like charging a high interest
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Circumspect
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Investigating all possibilities, prudent, cautious
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Cavern
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To hollow out. Or, one of indefinie extent
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Epithet
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A disparaging comment (think "racial epithet"}
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Turpitude
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Inherent baseness
think: Moral turpitude [turpis- Vile or base] |
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Viscid
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Covered with a sticky layer, or having an adhesive quality
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Philistine
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An artless, materialistic person. Or a person uninformed about a certain subject.
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Miser
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1. A person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money
2. A mean grasping person; especially (esp. one who is extremely stingy with money) |
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Functionary
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1. A person who functions in a specific capacity (esp. in government).
2. An office-holder |
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Raconteur
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A person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.
[re- + aconter, acompter to tell, count] |
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Calipers
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1. Any of various calibrated instruments for measuring thicknesses or distance
2.Thickness or depth, as of paper or a tree |
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Sextant
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An astronomical instrument used to determine latitude and longitude at sea by measuring angular distances, esp. the altitudes of sun, moon, and stars.
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Feint
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1.Mock blow or attack on or toward one part in order to distract attention from the point one really intends to attack
2.A feigned or assumed appearance [feint pretended, ptp. of feindre to feign] |
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Dodge
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1. To elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy
2. To evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit (like, to dodge the draft) 3. To move aside or change position suddenly, as to avoid a blow or get behind something. |
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Cordon
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1. A line of police, sentinels, military posts, warships, etc., enclosing or guarding an area.
2. A cord or braid worn for ornament or as a fastening. [MF, dim. of corde] |
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Moat
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A deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, as a town or a castle.
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Conviviality
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1. Friendly; agreeable (like, a convivial atmosphere)
2. Fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company; jovial [feast (convīv(ere) to live together, dine together (con- con- + vīvere to live] |
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Martial
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1. Inclined or disposed to war; warlike
[Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars] |
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Limn
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1. To represent in drawing or painting.
2. To portray in words; describe in sharp detail [luminen to illuminate] |
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Parse
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1. To describe (a word in a sentence) grammatically, identifying the part of speech, inflectional form, syntactic function, etc.
[pars ōrātiōnis part of speech] |
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Stint
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1. To be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance (like, to stint on food)
2. a period of time spent doing something 3. Imitation or restriction, esp. as to amount: to give without stint. [styntan to make blunt, dull] |
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Curator
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one who has the care and superintendence of something
[cūrā(re) to care for, attend to ] |
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Prevaricate
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To speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
[praevaricari to act in collusion, literally, to straddle] |
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Perjury
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Intentionally giving a false testimony. False swearing.
[per- through, i.e., beyond the limits (see per-) + jūrāre to swear, lit., to be at law] |
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Dormancy
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State of being dormant: Temporarily in abeyance yet capable of being activated
[dormir to sleep] |
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Burgeon
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1. To grow or develop quickly; flourish
2. To send forth new growth (as buds or branches) [burion; shoot, bud] |
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Occult
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1. Beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious
2. Secret or hidden from view 3. Verb: To hide [occultus (ptp. of occulere to hide from view, cover up), equiv. to oc- oc- + -cul-, akin to célāre] |
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Nascent
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Beginning to exist or develop
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Disburse
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1. To pay out (money), esp. for expenses; expend
2. To distribute, scatter [borser, deriv. of borse purse ] |
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Abridge
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1. To shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents
2. To reduce or lessen in duration [ad- + brevis shor] |
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Extenuating
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1. To represent as less serious, severe (extenuating circumstances)
2. To underestimate, underrate, or make light of [ex- ex-1 + tenuāre to make thin or small] |
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Intractable
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Not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate
[in + tractā(re) to handle, deal with] |
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Pastoral
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Having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas
[pāstor shepherd] |
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Padding
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1. Something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or a false charge on an expense account.
2. To go on foot [pad path] |
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Cloudburst
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1. A sudden and very heavy rainfall
2. A sudden outpouring : deluge |
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Fracas
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A noisy brawl
[fracassare to shatter] |
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Harrow
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1. To disturb keenly or painfully; distress the mind, feelings, etc., of.
2. A cultivating implement set with spikes, spring teeth, or disks and used primarily for pulverizing and smoothing the soil |
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Boor
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1. A churlish, rude, or unmannerly person
[bū- to dwell, build, cultivate] Synonyms (good for the GRE's): lout, oaf, boob, churl, philistine, vulgarian. |
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Sodden
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1. Dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages
2. Soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated Synonym: Torpid [oden, sothen, ptp. of sethen to seethe] |
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Gainsay
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1. To deny, contradict, speak against
[again, say] |
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Nice
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1. Having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes
2. Characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy 3. Minute, fine, or subtle [foolish, stupid < OF: silly, simple < L nescius ignorant, incapable, equiv. to ne- negative prefix + sci- (s. of scīre to know; see science)] |
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Punctilious
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Marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions
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Obviate
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1. to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures
2. Render unnecessary. (like, to obviate the risk of drowning) [obviare to meet, withstand] |
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Sanction
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1. To authorize, approve, or allow
2. To impose a sanction on; penalize, esp. by way of discipline. 3. Something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc. [sancire to make holy] |
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Approbation
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An act of approving formally or officially
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Unencumbered
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1. Not burdened with care or responsibility.
2. Property that is not subject to any creditor claims or lien |
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Territoriality
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1. Attachment to or protection of a territory or domain
2. Behavior associated with defense of a territory |
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Ledger
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1. A book containing accounts to which debits and credits are posted from books of original entry
2. Horizontal board used for vertical support [leger large breviary, beam, probably from leyen, leggen to lay] |
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Rumination
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1. To meditate or muse; ponder.
2. To chew over and over again |
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Castigate
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To subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism
[driven to be faultless (ptp. of castigāre to chasten), equiv. to cast(us) pure, chaste + -īg-, comb. form of agere to drive, incite + -ātus -ate] |
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Reagent
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A substance used (as in detecting or measuring a component, in preparing a product, or in developing photographs) because of its chemical or biological activity
[re(act) + agent; cf. act]] |
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Summarily
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1. Comprehensive
2. Done without delay or formality [summa sum] |
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Stolid
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Not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive
[stolidus dull, stupid] |
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Asperity
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1. Rigor, severity
2. Roughness of surface : unevenness 3. Harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity; acrimony [asperitās, equiv. to asper rough] |
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Desultory
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1. Marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose. Jumping around and unconnected.
2. Disappointing in progress, performance, or quality [de- + salire to leap] |
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Adroit
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1. Expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body
2. Having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations [droit, dreit straight, just, correct] |
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Procure
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1. Get possession of
2. Bring about, achieve [pro- for + cura care] |
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Innundate
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1. Cover with a flood
2. Overwhelm [in- + unda] |
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Flourish
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1. To grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant
2. To achieve success 3. To make bold and sweeping gestures 4. An act or instance of brandishing (to shake or wave) 5. An ostentatious display. 6. A florid bit of speech or writing 7. A sudden burst [flōrére to bloom] |
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Idyll
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1. A simple poem or prose about rustic life or pastoral scenes suggesting a mood of peace and contentment
2. A romantic interlude 3. A composition, usually instrumental, of a pastoral or sentimental character. [Greek idein to see] |
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Inimical
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Being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence
[inimicus enemy ] |
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Hack
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1. To cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blow
2. Loaf 3. Annoy or vex 4. To damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; mutilate; mangle 5. Working for hire especially with mediocre professional standard |
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Mar
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1. To detract from the perfection or wholeness of
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Mettle
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Strength of spirit
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Erudition
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Extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books : profound, recondite, or bookish learning
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Esoterica
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1. Designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone (private, confidential)
2. Of special, rare, or unusual interest [esō within] |
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Hew
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1. To strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack
2. To fell by blows of an ax 3. Conform, adhere [Latin cudere to beat] To fell with an ax |
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Mince
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1. To cut into small pieces
2. To soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), esp. for the sake of decorum or courtesy. 3. To walk with short steps in a prim affected manner |
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Whet
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1. To sharpen by grinding or friction
2. To make something more acute |
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Superimpose
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1. To place or lay over or above something
2. To put or join as an addition |
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Fell
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1. Skin, hide, pelt
2. To cut (saw) down 3. To knock, strike, shoot, or cut down; cause to fall [fel skin, Latin pellis] |
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Gouge
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Improper extraction
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Splice
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1. To unite by overlapping and securing together two ends
2. Marriage, wedding |
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Denunciation
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1. An act or instance of denouncing (esp. publicly)
2. An accusation of crime before a public prosecutor or tribunal. |
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Heavy- handed
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1. Clumsy
2. Oppressive, harsh |
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Sap
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1. A foolish gullible person
2. To drain or deprive 3. Undermine 4. A vital body fluid |
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Convoluted
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1. Involved, intricate
2. Twist, coil |
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Mitigate
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1. To make less severe or intense
[mītigātus (ptp. of mītigāre to calm, soften, soothe), equiv. to mīt(is) mild, soft, gentle + -ig- (comb. form of agere to do, cause to do, make)] |
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Preponderate
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1. To exceed something else in weight; be the heavier
2. To be superior in power, force, influence, number, amount [prae- + ponder-, pondus weight] |
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Extrapolate
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1. To infer from values already obtained, conjecture.
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Torpor
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Sluggish, dormant
[torp(ére) to be stiff or numb] |
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Zenith
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The highest point, culmination
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Nadir
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The lowest point. Point of greatest adversity
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Venal
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1. Able to be purchased, as by a bribe
2. Having to do with corrupt bribery (vasna price, I think vendor) |
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Unstinting
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Bestowed liberally
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Peripatetic
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1. Walking or traveling about, itinerant
[peri- + patein to tread; akin to Sanskrit patha path] |
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Dwindle
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1. To become smaller and smaller.
2. To degenerate 3. To cause to shrink |
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Elegy
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A mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, esp. a funeral song or a lament for the dead.
[éleg(os) a lament] |
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Paean
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Any song of praise, joy, or triumph.
[Paean appellation of Apollo < Gk Pain physician of the gods]] |
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Encomium
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1. Glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise;
2. An expression of this Synonyms: encomium, eulogy, panegyric, tribute, citation [en in + kōmos revel, celebration] |
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Tangential
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1. Divergent, digressive
2. Slightly connected 3. Incidental, peripheral |
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Spurious
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1. Counterfeit, not genuine
2. Bastard (illegitimate) [spurius, noun, bastard] |
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Abated
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1. To moderate
2. To deprive 3. To deduct or omit [abatre to strike down] |
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Engendered
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To bring into existence
[in- + generare to generate] |
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Recondite
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1. Dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter
2. Little known; obscure [econditus recondite, hidden (orig. ptp. of recondere to hide), equiv. to re- re- + cond(ere) to bring together] |
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Subsume
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1. To include or place within something larger or more comprehensive.
2. To encompass as a subordinate or component element <red, green, and yellow are subsumed under the term “color”> [sub- + sumere to take up] |
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Sume (this is a Latin root word)
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To take
(ex. Subsume, assume, resume) |
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Elegy
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A mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, esp. a funeral song or a lament for the dead.
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Despotic
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Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a despot or despotism; autocratic; tyrannical
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Interpolate
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1. To estimate values of (data or a function) between two known values
2. To alter or corrupt (as a text) by inserting new or foreign matter [interpolare to refurbish, alter, interpolate, from inter- + -polare] |
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Dwindle
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To become smaller and smaller
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Paean
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Any song of praise, joy, or triumph
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Encomium
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A formal expression of high praise; eulogy
[en in + kōmos revel, celebration] |
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Slack
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1. Negligent; careless; remiss
2. Not tight, taut, firm, or tense |
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Jocular
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Joking or jesting; waggish; facetious
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Inimitable
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Incapable of being imitated or copied; surpassing imitation; matchless
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Disinter
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1. To take out of the place of interment; exhume; unearth
2. To bring back into awareness or prominence |
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Diatribe
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A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
[dia- + tribein to rub] |
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Hoodwink
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To dupe
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Magnanimous
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1. Showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
2. High-minded, noble [magn(us) magn- + anim(us) spirit, soul, mind] |
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Plaintive
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Expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful
[plaintif grieving, from Anglo-French pleintif, plaintif, from plaint] |
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Decimation
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1. To reduce drastically especially in number
2. To select by lot and kill every tenth person of |
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Platitudinous
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Full of platitudes (platitudes are: flat, dull, or trite remarks, esp. uttered as if they were fresh or profound.)
[plat flat (see plate1) + -itude, as in F latitude, altitude, magnitude, etc.]] |
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Spendthrift
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Wastefully extravagant; prodigal
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Foil
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1. Metal in the form of very thin sheets
2. To thwart or defeat |
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Abscond
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To depart in a sudden and secret manner
[abs- + condere to store up, conceal] |
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Quaff
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To drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment
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Trudge
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To walk, esp. laboriously or wearily
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Dolt
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A dull, stupid person; blockhead
[dullen to dull] |
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Slab
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1. A broad, flat, somewhat thick piece of stone, wood, or other solid material
2. To put on thickly |
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Nave
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1. The principal longitudinal area of a church
2. The hub of a wheel |
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Frieze
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1. Sculptured or richly ornamented band
2. The part of a classical entablature between the architrave and the cornice, usually decorated with sculpture in low relief. |
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Rarefy
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1. To make rare, thin, porous, or less dense
2. To make more spiritual, refined, or abstruse |
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Impetuous
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1. Of sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive
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Foment
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To promote the growth or development of : rouse, incite
Synonyms: Incite, provoke, arouse, inflame, excite, stir up; encourage, stimulate |
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Squelch
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1. To fall or stamp on so as to crush
2. To put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument. 3. To make a splashing sound |
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Inchoate
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1. Rudimentary. Just begun.
2. Lacking order. |
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Tyro
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A novice
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Nib
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1. A point of anything (like of a pen)
2. Bill or beak |
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Husk
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1. The enveloping or outer part of anything, esp. when dry or worthless
2. The outer layer (like, of a fruit or seed) |
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Miser
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1. A stingy, greedy person
2. A person who lives in bad conditions to hoard money |
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Lien
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The legal claim of one party upon the property of another party (to secure the payment of a debt obligation). Repo!
[ligare to bind ] |
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Corpuscle
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1. An unattached cell, esp. of a kind that floats freely, as a blood or lymph cell.
2. A minute particle |
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Floridness
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1. Flowery; excessively ornate; showy
2. Reddish; ruddy; rosy [flōr(ére) to bloom] |
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Superintend
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To oversee and direct (work, processes, etc.).
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Churlish
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Mean, rude, boorish
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Flatter
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1. To praise or compliment insincerely, effusively, or excessively
2. To try to please by complimentary remarks or attention |
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Sidereal
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Relating to the stars
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Subpoena
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A writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure
[sub poena under penalty] |
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Preside
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To occupy the place of authority or control, as in an assembly or meeting; act as president or chairperson.
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Toy
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1. to act or deal with something lightly or without vigor or purpose
2. Something of little importance; a trifle |
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Rent
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1. A split in a party or organized group
2. to take and hold (property, machinery, etc.) in return for the payment of rent to the landlord or owner. |
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Tenuous
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1. Thin or slender in form, as a thread
2. Having little substance or strength : flimsy, weak 3. Long (I think GRE uses it this way). [tenuis thin] |
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Opprobrium
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A cause of shame
[ob in the way of + probrum reproach] |
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Derision
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To laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock
[dé- de- + rīdére to laugh] |
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Ostracism
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Exclusion from social acceptance, privileges, friendship, etc.
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Demagogue
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1. A person who gains power by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people
2. To obscure or distort with emotionalism, prejudice, etc. |
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Prone
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1. Lying flat; prostrate.
2. Having a downward direction or slope. [prōnus turned or leaning forward, inclined downward,] |
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Waft
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1. To float or be carried, esp. through the air
2. A sound, odor, etc., faintly perceived |
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Skim
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1. To move or glide lightly over or along (a surface, as of water)
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Fatuous
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1. Foolish or inane
2. Unreal, illusory |
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Idolatry
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Excessive or blind adoration
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Idiosyncrasy
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Eccentricity. Something peculiar to a person.
[idio- + synkerannynai to blend, from syn- + kerannynai to mingle, mix] |
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Commensurate
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1. Corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree.
2. Proportionate; adequate. [com- com- + ménsūrātus] |
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Garrulous
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Excessively talkative
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Schematic
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Pertaining to or of the nature of a schema, diagram, or scheme; diagrammatic
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Finicky
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Excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy
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Obstinate
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Firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding.
[ob- in the way + -stinare (akin to stare to stand)] |
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Positivistic
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Theory that theology and metaphysics are earlier imperfect modes of knowledge and that positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their properties and relations as verified by the empirical sciences.
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Regale
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1. To entertain lavishly or agreeably; delight
2. To entertain with a feast [gale festivity, like gala] |
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Rogue
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1. A dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
2. To cheat. 3. No longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable |
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Veracious
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Truthful
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Precipitate
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To hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly
[steep, headlong (prae- pre- + -cipit-, comb.form of caput head] |
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Prolixity
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Extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
[prō- pro-1 + -lixus, akin to līquī to flow] |
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Mettlesome
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Spirited; courageous
[mettle: Courage and fortitude] |
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Feckless
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1. Ineffective; incompetent; futile
2. worthless, irresponsible [effeck (Scots form of effect) + -less] ] |
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Touting
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1. Promote, talk up
2. To watch or spy on 3. To solicit patronage [tuten to protrude, peer; probably akin to Old English tōtian to stick out,] |
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Foolhardy
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Foolishly adventurous and bold : rash
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Cumbersome
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1. Burdensome; troublesome.
2. Slow-moving, ponderous |
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Culpability
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Guilty, blameworthy
[culpā(re) to hold liable (deriv. of culpa blame] |
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Probity
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Adherence to the highest principles and ideals. Uprightness.
[probus honest] |
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Guile
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Insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity
[akin to wile] |
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Reproof
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1. the act of reproving, censuring, or rebuking.
2. An expression of censure or rebuke. (rebuke means to reprimand) |
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Gristle
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Cartilage, esp. in meats
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Colander
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A metal or plastic container with a perforated bottom, for draining and straining foods.
[cōlā(re) to strain] |
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Intemperate
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1. Characterized by excessive or indulgence in alcoholic beverages.
2. not temperate <intemperate criticism> |
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Precept
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1. A command intended as a general rule of action
2. Maxim. [praecipere to direct, foresee, lit., to take beforehand, equiv. to prae- pre- + -cep-, comb. form of capere to take] |
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Peremptory
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1.Leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative
2. Positive or assertive in speech, tone, manner [per- thoroughly + emere to take] |
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Accretion
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1. The process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup
2. An added part; addition [ac- ac- + cré- grow] |
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Gilb
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1. Marked by ease and informality. Nonchalant.
2. Superficial 3. Readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so [glibbery slippery] |
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Cadge
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To beg
[cadger carrier, huckster] |
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Abjure
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1. To avoid or shun
2. To renounce, repudiate, or retract [ab, away,- + jurare to swear] |
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Specious
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1. Having deceptive attraction or allure
2. Having a false look of truth or genuineness [peciōsus fair, good-looking] |
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Quotidian
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Occurring every day
[quotidie every day, from quot (as) many as + dies day] |
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Commingle
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To blend thoroughly into a harmonious whole.To mix or mingle together; combine
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Dilate
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1. to enlarge or expand in bulk or extent. To distend
[dis- + latus wide] |
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Coalescing
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1. To unite
2. To grow together [co- + alescere to grow] |
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Dissipating
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1. To break up and drive off (as a crowd)
2. To be extravagant or dissolute in the pursuit of pleasure 3. To waste foolishly [dis- + supare to throw] |
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Momentous
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Important
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Univocal
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Unambiguous. Having only one meaning.
[uni- + voc-, vox voice] |
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Intractable
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Not easily governed, managed, or directed. Stubborn, obstinate.
[in- + tractabilis tractable] |
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Extol
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To praise highly, glorify
[ex- + tollere to lift up] |
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Transmute
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To change or alter in form, appearance, or nature and especially to a higher form
[trans- + mutare to change] |
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Impassivity
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Apathetic or expressionless
Synonyms: impassive, stoic, phlegmatic, apathetic, stolid |
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Throwback
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1. Reversion to an earlier type or phase. Atavism (means the same thing as throwback). [atta familiar name for a grandfather + avus grandfather, forefather]
2. A setback or check |
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Magistrate
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An official entrusted with administration of the laws.
[magister master, political superior] |
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Shuck
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1. Shell or husk (of an oyster or veggie, nut)
2. Something of little value |
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Damp
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1. Discouragement or check
2. To check or retard the energy, action, etc. of something 3. Music. to check or retard the action of (a vibrating string); dull; deaden. |
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Abraded
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1.To rub or wear away especially by friction
2. To wear down in spirit [ab- + radere to scrape] |
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Quarry
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1. An open excavation usually for obtaining building stone, slate, or limestone
2. One that is pursued, prey |
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Fell
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1. Skin, hide, pelt
2. To cut, knock, or bring down 3. Fierce, cruel, terrible. sinister, malevolent. Sharp, pungent |
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Dredge
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1. To dig, gather, or pull out with or as if with a dredge
2. A machine for removing earth usually by buckets on an endless chain or a suction tube |
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Assay
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1. Analysis
2. Try, attempt, test |
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Credulous
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Ready to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence
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Industrialist
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One owning or engaged in the management of an industry
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Elegy
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1. A poem in elegiac couplets
2. A song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead |
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Distillate
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The process of purifying a liquid by successive evaporation and condensation
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Anodized
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To subject (a metal) to electrolytic action as the anode of a cell in order to coat with a protective or decorative film
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Stanch
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To check or stop the flowing of
[stāns, prp. of stāre to stand] |
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Effrontery
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Insolence, shameless boldness
[ex- + front-, frons forehead] |
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Scurvy
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1. Arousing disgust or scorn. Contemptible, despicable
2. A disease caused by a lack of vitamin C |
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Complaisant
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Marked by an inclination to please or oblige
[complaire to gratify, acquiesce] |
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Aver
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1. To verify or prove to be true in pleading a cause
2. To allege or assert in pleading [ad- + verus true] |
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Pith
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1. The essential part. Core
2. Importance [pit pith, pit] |
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Supine
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1. Exhibiting indolent or apathetic inertia or passivity. Especially, mentally or morally slack
2. Lying on the back or with the face upward [sub under, up to] |
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Transitory
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Temporary.
[transitorius, from Latin, of or allowing passage, from transire] The pain of the GRE's is only transitory. At least I hope so. |
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Gossamer
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1. Something light, delicate, or insubstantial
2. A fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, esp. in autumn. [goose + somer summer. Go to dictionary.com for more info!] (antonym= Ponderous) |
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Tortuous
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1. Marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding
2. Not direct or straight- forward,as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous [Latin tortuosus, from tortus twist, from torquēre to twist] (antonym= Straightforward) |
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Dispatch
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1. Archaic. to hasten; be quick (this is the def. that ETS uses)
2. To send off or away with promptness or speed 3. To defeat [des- dis- + -pechier (as in enpechier to ensnare)] (antonym= Liesurliness) |
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Ferment
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1. A state of unrest or agitation
2. Foment (to work up) [ermentāre to cause to rise] antonym: Uphold |
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Plethora
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1. Excess, superfluity
2. Profusion, abundance antonym: dearth [plēthōra, literally, fullness, from plēthein to be full] |
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Abrogate
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1. To abolish by authoritative action (to annul)
[ab- + rogare to ask, propose a law] antonym: uphold |
