Quizlet GRE General Set 28

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  1. abnegation: renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
  2. acclimate: adjust to climate or environment; adapt
  3. acrophobia: fear of heights
  4. aesthetic: artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics
  5. aloof: apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
  6. amenities: convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
  7. animadversion: critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
  8. annotate: comment; make explanatory notes
  9. antediluvian: antiquated; extremely ancient
  10. antler: bony growth on the head of a deer
  11. appurtenances: subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
  12. arraign: charge in court; indict
  13. arrears: being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
  14. auxiliary: offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary; N: helper; assistant
  15. averse: reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; Ex. averse to cats/doing the house work
  16. backslide: revert (to bad habits); N. reverter
  17. beatific: giving or showing bliss; blissful
  18. blight: plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy
  19. bookish: fond of books and reading
  20. brandish: wave around (a weapon); flourish
  21. brawl: noisy quarrel
  22. breadth: width; extent
  23. bridle: harness fitted about a horse's head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
  24. brim: uppermost edge of a cup; projecting rim (as on a hat); Ex. The glass was full to the brim; V: be full to the brim
  25. caricature: distortion; burlesque
  26. circumlocution: indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
  27. circumvent: outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
  28. coddle: treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
  29. coercion: use of force to get someone to object; compelling; V. coerce
  30. cohabit: live together
  31. colander: utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
  32. commemorative: remembering; honoring the memory of; Ex. commemorative stamp
  33. conduit: aqueduct; passageway for fluids
  34. contraband: illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods; ADJ.
  35. contrite: penitent; repentant; N. contrition
  36. contrived: unnatural and forced; artificial; not spontaneous; Ex. The ending was rather contrived.
  37. converge: approach; tend to meet; come together
  38. corroborate: confirm; support; strengthen
  39. cremate: incinerate (a corpse); N. crematory, crematorium
  40. crinkle: wrinkle
  41. cuisine: style of cooking; Ex. French cuisine
  42. culprit: one guilty of a crime
  43. dainty: delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
  44. daub: smear (as with paint); cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one's clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint
  45. depose: dethrone; remove from office; give a deposition; testify
  46. derogate: 1 [ trans. ] disparage (someone or something) : it is typical of Pirandello to ~ the powers of reason.; 2 [ intrans. ] ( ~ from) detract from : this does not ~ from his duty to act honestly and faithfully.; 3 [ intrans. ] ( ~ from) deviate from (a set of rules or agreed form of behavior) : one country has ~ed from the Rome Convention. [from Latin derogat- 'abrogated,' from the verb derogare, from de- 'aside, away' + rogare 'ask.']
  47. deterrent: something that discourages or deters
  48. disclose: reveal; N. disclosure
  49. discount: disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost
  50. disjointed: disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin
  51. divine: perceive intuitively (by or as if by magic); foresee the future; foretell; dowse; ADJ. N. divination
  52. drastic: strong; violent and severe; Ex. drastic changes/measures
  53. drudge: do drudgery; N: person who drudges
  54. ecologist: person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; CF. ecology
  55. encroachment: gradual intrusion; Ex. I resent all these encroachments on my valuable time; V. encroach: take another's possessions or right gradually or stealthily; intrude; Ex. encroach on/upon
  56. encumber: burden; N. encumbrance
  57. engulf: surround and swallow up
  58. entice: lure; persuade to do (something wrong); attract; tempt
  59. eon(aeon): long period of time; an age; longest division of geologic time containing two or more eras
  60. ethos: underlying character of a culture, group, etc.; character or ideas peculiar to a specific person, group, or culture; Ex. the company ethos
  61. exasperate: vex; annoy or make angry (by testing the patience)
  62. far-fetched: too improbable to be believed; implausible; Ex. far-fetched story
  63. feud: bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); V. CF. Romeo and Ju
  64. filigree: delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork
  65. flighty: (esp. of a woman's behavior) capricious; often changing, esp. from one lover to another; impulsive
  66. ford: place where a river can be crossed on foot; V.
  67. forerunner: predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another
  68. foreshadow: give an indication beforehand; be a sign of (what is coming); portend; prefigure
  69. frigid: intensely cold; cold in manner; Ex. frigid zone
  70. fritter: waste (time or money on unimportant things)
  71. functionary: official (who performs a particular function)
  72. generality: vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; Ex. generality of peopleen
  73. germane: pertinent; bearing upon(having connection with) the case at hand; appropriate
  74. germinate: cause to sprout; sprout
  75. giddy: light-hearted; not serious; frivolous; dizzy; causing dizziness; Ex. giddy youth; Ex. giddy climb/height
  76. grunt: utter a deep guttural sound (as a pig does); N.
  77. h: 43
  78. hallowed: blessed; consecrated; Ex. hallowed ground; V. hallow: set apart as holy
  79. hereafter: life after death
  80. hieroglyphic: picture writing; ADJ.
  81. hone: sharpen (a tool); N: whetstone for sharpening a tool
  82. impinge: infringe; encroach; influence; touch; collide with; Ex. The effects are impinging on every aspect of our lives.
  83. implacable: incapable of being pacified; impossible to appease; Ex. implacable enemy
  84. implausible: unlikely (to be true); unbelievable; Ex. implausible alibi
  85. incapacitate: disable; N. incapacity: lack of capacity
  86. inchoate: (of desire, wish, plan) recently begun; not explicit; at the beginning of development; rudimentary; elementary; Ex. inchoate mass
  87. inconsistency: state of being self-contradictory; lack of uniformity or steadiness; ADJ. inconsistent: displaying a lack of consistency; erratic; contradictory; incompatible
  88. incorporate: introduce something into a larger whole; include; embody; give material form to; ADJ.
  89. ingenious: marked by inventive skill; clever; resourceful; N. ingenuity
  90. insensate: without feeling; lacking sense; foolish
  91. institute: organization for a special purpose; V: establish
  92. interminable: endless
  93. intimidate: frighten; N. intimidation
  94. jovial: good-natured; merry; cheerful
  95. kinetic: producing motion; of motion
  96. kudos: honor; glory; acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
  97. lag: move or develop more slowly; straggle; Ex. lag behind the rest; N.
  98. languor: lack of physical or mental energy; lassitude; depression
  99. leery: (of someone) suspicious; wary; cautious
  100. lineage: descent; ancestry
  101. litany: supplicatory prayer; prayer in which the priest calls out and the people replies in the same words
  102. livid: lead-colored; black and blue (as from a bruise); ashen; enraged; extremely angry
  103. lounge: stand, sit, or lie in a lazy, relaxed way
  104. lumber: move heavily or clumsily; Ex. The bear lumbered through the woods; N: timber
  105. malediction: curse
  106. manacle: restrain; handcuff; N.
  107. matriarch: woman who rules a family or larger social group
  108. memento: token; reminder of the past; keepsake; Ex. memento of your visit
  109. metamorphosis: change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis
  110. misconstrue: interpret incorrectly; misinterpret; misjudge
  111. misgivings: doubts
  112. modish: fashionable; conforming to the current fashion
  113. moribund: dying; at the point of death; CF. death
  114. musky: having the odor of musk; N. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer
  115. muster: gather; assemble (troops); Ex. ~ up one
  116. noxious: harmful; CF. obnoxious
  117. oath: solemn promise; blasphemous use of sacred words to express strong feelings; swear-word; Ex. ``For Christ's sake''
  118. offensive: attacking; insulting; distasteful; V. offend: violate; hurt the feelings of; N. offense: offending; violating of a moral or social code; crime; attack; Ex. first offense
  119. opiate: medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction; sleep-producing drug containing opium
  120. outfit: clothing or equipment for a special purpose; Ex. cowboy outfit
  121. outgoing: sociable; eager to mix socially with others
  122. palatable: agreeable; pleasing to the taste
  123. paleontology: study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents
  124. palpable: tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder
  125. pantomime: acting without dialogue; V.express or represent (something) by extravagant and exaggerated mime : the clown candidates ~ed different emotions.
  126. paramour: illicit lover
  127. parlance: language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance
  128. parody: humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V.
  129. patrician: noble; aristocratic; N: person of high rank; aristocrat; CF. member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; CF. plebian
  130. pendant(pendent): hanging down from something; pending; N: ornament (hanging from a necklace etc.)
  131. personify: represent (an inanimate object) as a person; be the embodiment or perfect example of; Ex. She is evil/patience personified; N. -ication
  132. piecemeal: one part at a time; gradually; in stages; Ex. read a novel piecemeal
  133. plebiscite: direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue)
  134. pliant: flexible; easily influenced
  135. polity: (particular form of) political organization; form of government of nation or state; Ex. student polity
  136. pragmatic: practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with practical worth or impact of something; Ex. pragmatic test of the skill
  137. prepossessing: attractive; CF. preoccupying ?
  138. proverb: adage; someone or something well known for notoriety; ADJ. proverbial: of a proverb; widely known; ADV. proverbially
  139. providence: quality of being provident; divine care; god's care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate
  140. psychiatrist: doctor who treats mental diseases
  141. pudding: hot sweet dish
  142. puerile: childish; immature; CF. puer: boy
  143. pugnacity: combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature
  144. putrescent: becoming putrid; putrefying
  145. puzzle: baffle or confuse by a difficult problem; ponder over a problem in an effort to solve; clarify or solve by reasoning; Ex. puzzle out the answer; N.
  146. quell: suppress; put an end to; put down forcibly; extinguish; quiet; Ex. ``Army Quells Rebellion'' in newspaper; CF. kill
  147. rapacious: voracious; ravenous; taking everything one can; excessively grasping; plundering; subsisting on live prey; Ex. rapacious birds
  148. rebus: representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols; puzzle in which pictures or letters stand for words; Ex. ``R U 18'' is a rebus for ``Are you 18''.
  149. reconnaissance: survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering; V. reconnoiter: make a preliminary inspection of (esp. to gather military information)
  150. regimen: prescribed course of diet or exercise; prescribed diet and habits; Ex. daily regimen of a dancer
  151. relegate: put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division
  152. reminiscent: suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence
  153. reprehensible: deserving blame; blameworthy; V. reprehend: blame
  154. reprieve: postponement or cancelation of a punishment; temporary stay; V: postpone or cancel the punishment of
  155. reprove: censure; rebuke; N. reproof
  156. respite: time for rest; interval of relief; delay in punishment; reprieve
  157. rip: tear or be torn quickly and violently; Ex. The sail ripped under the force of the wind; N.
  158. schism: division into factions (esp. within a religious body); split
  159. scraps: leftover food
  160. seasonal: of a particular season; Ex. seasonal rise in employment
  161. significant: expressing a meaning; important; Ex. significant smile; N. significance: importance; meaning; V. signify: denote; mean; signal; make known; matter; be significant
  162. simulate: feign; imitate
  163. siren: apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature
  164. sledge: large sled drawn by work animals
  165. slovenly: untidy; careless in work habits; slipshod; N. sloven: one who is habitually untidy or careless
  166. speechless: unable for the moment to speak (because of strong feeling); Ex. speechless with anger
  167. spoof: parody
  168. stately: formal; ceremonious; grand in style or size; majestic
  169. stench: strong foul odor; reek; stink
  170. stout: rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined; strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter
  171. stratum: layer of earth's surface; layer of society; PL. strata
  172. studious: given to diligent study
  173. subordinate: occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive; N. V: put in a lower rank or class
  174. suitor: man who is courting a woman
  175. supine: lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision
  176. susceptible: impressionable; easily influenced; sensitive; having little resistance as to a disease; likely to suffer; receptive to; capable of accepting; Ex. susceptible to persuasion/colds; Ex. The agreement is not susceptible of alteration; N. susceptibility
  177. swarm: large group of insects moving in a mass; crowd of people or animals; V: move in a crowd or mass
  178. tablet: small round piece of medicine; flat piece of stone or metal bearing an inscription; Ex. stone tablet on the wall
  179. tactful: careful no to cause offence; OP. tactless
  180. temporal: of time; not lasting forever; limited by time; temporary; secular; worldly
  181. thwart: block or hinder; baffle; frustrate
  182. titular: of a title; in name only; nominal; having the title of an office without the obligations; Ex. titular head of the company
  183. tramp: walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking
  184. treasure: keep as precious; cherish
  185. unprecedented: having no previous example; novel; unparalleled
  186. upbraid: reprimand; severely scold
  187. utopia: ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian
  188. vehement: forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong; N. vehemence
  189. ventral: abdominal
  190. venue: location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.); CF. come
  191. veracious: (of a person) truthful
  192. vertigo: severe dizziness; giddiness
  193. vigil: keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. all-night vigil
  194. waylay: ambush; lie in wait for and attack
  195. weary: tired after long work; V.
  196. welter: wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood); Ex. The victims weltered in their blood.
  197. whiff: puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); short-lasting smell; hint; Ex. ~ of perfume/scandal
  198. witticism: witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark)
  199. worldly: engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual; of the material world
  200. wrench: twist; pull; strain; Ex. He wrenched the gun out of her hands.
  201. zephyr: gentle breeze; west wind
  202. [dele]distinction: honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction
  203. [dele]hazardous: dangerous
  204. [dele]referendum: direct vote by all the people