GRE - Vocab from Kaplan Practice Set 1
Order by
44 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Candor | quality of being open and honest; frankness The candor of the speech impressed the audience. |
| Morose | gloomy |
| Abash | embarrass Dina felt completely abashed when she walked into the men's bathroom by accident. |
| Nonplus | to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex Dina was nonplussed when she walked into the apartment and saw my dad using the vacuum. |
| Doleful | sad; sorrowful The girl had a doleful look on her face after finding out that her fish died. |
| Assuage | to make an unpleasant feeling less intense Gale was cooing to Sam and assuaging her fear of the dark. |
| Augment | to make bigger, increase Winning the lottery augmented his fortune. |
| Histrionic | exaggeratedly emotional behavior; theatrical |
| Abstruse | hard to understand You're not the only one who finds Quantum Physics abstruse! SYN: recondite |
| Prosaic | 1. characteristic of prose (prose = everyday writing or speech) 2. everyday, commonplace, ordinary She believes the noises are made by ghosts, but I think there's a more prosaic explanation. |
| Reticent | declined to speak, not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily SYN: reserved, uncommunicative, taciturn |
| Arcane | known or understood by very few;mysterious; secret; obscure SYN: esoteric |
| Laud | to praise SYN: extol (extoll), exalt |
| Pan (verb) | criticize adversely |
| Abjure | to renounce (reject) under oath For nearly 21 years after his resignation as Prime Minister in 1963, he abjured all titles, preferring to remain just plain 'Mr.' |
| Chagrin | Distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated |
| Bemuse | 1. bewilder, puzzle 2. to occupy the attention of; distract, preoccupy |
| Supercilious | Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others SYN: haughty, disdainful |
| Disdain | Consider to be unworthy of one's consideration |
| Sardonic | Grimly mocking or cynical; bitterly sarcastic |
| Imprudent | not showing care for the consequences of an action SYN: rash, indiscreet |
| Indiscreet | Having, showing, or proceeding from too great a readiness to reveal things that should remain secret or private. SYN: imprudent |
| Ingenuous | 1. Innocent and unsuspecting; naive, artless 2. candid, frank |
| Apocryphal | Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true SYN: spurious "a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second" |
| Trenchant | SYN: incisive Refers to keenness and forcefulness of thought, expression, or intellect. Suggest penetration to the heart of a subject and clear, sharp, and vigorous expression |
| Mellifluous | Sounding smooth and sweet; pleasant to hear |
| Laconic | Using very few words SYN: Concise, brief, succinct |
| Strident | loud and harsh SYN: sharp, grating The strident tone in his voice revealed his anger. |
| Recondite | difficult to understand SYN: abstruse |
| Elusive | hard to grasp SYN: mysterious, baffling |
| Detritus | Waste or debris of any kind |
| Bedlam | A scene of uproar and confusion SYN: madhouse, pandemonium |
| Refuse (noun) | trash |
| Punctilious | Marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions Showing great attention to detail or correct behavior. 1. careful in behavior 2. precise She's very punctilious about grammar |
| Vociferous | marked by a vehement, insistent outcry SYN: clamorous, obstreperous |
| Precarious | 1. Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. 2. Dependent on chance; uncertain SYN: risky |
| Mien | A person's look or manner, indicating their character or mood SYN: demeanor |
| Repudiate | 1. to refuse to accept or be associated with; disown 2. to reject as untrue or unjust (repudiate a charge) |
| Eschew | to avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds; shun |
| Deprecate | to express disapproval of; belittle |
| Forwent | go without (past tense of forgo) |
| Dilettante | A person with an amateur interest in the arts; dabbler in the arts |
| Ambrosia | 1. The food of the gods. 2. Something very pleasing to taste or smell. |
| Catholic | Including a wide variety of things; all-embracing SYN: universal, widespread, diverse |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.