Barrons GRE HF

Description:	Barrons GRE High frequency wordlist
Category:	GRE
Created by:	renju on 2005-02-15
Stack ID:	14216

Word	Meaning
abeyance	suspendend action The deal was held in abeynace until her arrival.
abrogate	abolish,repeal The king intended to abrogate the decree(official legal order) issued by his predecessor.
abstemious	sparing in eating and drinking, temperate (avoiding access). Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him.
abstruse	obscure, profound, difficult to understand Baffled(frustrated) by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
acclivity	sharp upslope of a hill, The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear
adage	wise saying, proverb There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money
aerie	nest of large bird of prey The mother eagle swooped(Make a sudden attack) down on the rabbit and bore it off to her aerie high in the rocky mountains.
alimentary	nourishing, supplying nourishment The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there.
alliteratoin	repition of beginning sound in poetry
anathema	Solemn curse, One that is cursed or damned
ancillary	serving as an aid, accessory
antedilluvian	antiquated, extremely ancient
apogee	highest point
aplomb	poise, assurance
apostate	abandons his religious faith
apologist	apologist writes in defense of a cause or institution
apothegm	pithy compact saying
apprise	inform
aquiline	curved, hooked
arable	fit for growing crops
abash	to embarass
abask	in enjoy warmth and light
abate	subside, moderate
aberrant	abnormal or deviant
abeyance	suspended action
abrasion	rubbing , scraping , wearing off
abscond	to go away suddenly
abscond	to depart secretly
abstemious	self desciplined
abysmal	bottomless,extreme
accolade	praise, approval
acronym	a word made up of the initial letter of the other word
adamant	hard, inflexible, obdurate
adjourn	to suspend untill another time in precise usage
ad-lib	to improvise. Speak or act spontaneousaly
admonitory	containing warning
adulterate	to make impure or corrupt
adulteration	making impure, poorer in quality, corruption
adumbrate	to sketch, to outline,. To give a hint of thing to come
aftermath	consequence , events following some occurance or calamity
alacrity	eager and cheerful readiness
abase	lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect
abash	embarrass
abate	subside or moderate
abbreviate	shorten
abdicate	renounce; give up (position, right, or responsibility)
aberrant	abnormal or deviant
aberration	deviation from the normal; mental disorder
abet	assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage
abeyance	suspended action
abhor	detest; hate
abide	dwell; abide by: comply with; put up with; tolerate; Ex. abide by the rules; Ex. I can't abide rude people.
abject	(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
abjure	renounce upon oath
ablution	washing
abnegation	renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
abode	dwelling place; home
abolish	cancel; put an end to
abominable	detestable; extremely unpleasant
abominate	loathe; hate
aboriginal	being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine
abortive	unsuccessful; fruitless
abrasive	rubbing away; tending to grind down
abridge	condense or shorten
abrogate	abolish
abscission	cutting off; separation
abscond	depart secretly and hide
absolute	complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
absolve	pardon (an offense)
abstain	refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote;
abstemious	sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
abstinence	restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
abstract	theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
abstruse	obscure; profound; difficult to understand
abusive	coarsely insulting; physically harmful
abut	border upon; adjoin
abysmal	bottomless
abyss	enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit
academic	related to a school; not practical or directly useful
accede	agree
accelerate	move faster
accessible	easy to approach; obtainable
accessory	additional object; useful but not essential thing
acclaim	applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
acclimate	adjust to climate or environment; adapt
acclivity	sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity
accolade	award of merit; strong praise and approval
accommodate	oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
accomplice	partner in crime
accord	agreement
accost	approach and speak first to a person
accoutre	equip; N. accoutrement
accretion	growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete
accrue	come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual
acerbity	bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
acetic	vinegary
acidulous	slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
acknowledge	recognize; admit
acme	peak; pinnacle; highest point
acne	skin disease (on the face)
acoustics	science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
acquiesce	assent; agree passively; comply without protest
acquittal	deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner
acrid	bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent
acrimonious	stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
acrophobia	fear of heights
actuarial	calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
actuary	someone who advises insurance companies
actuate	motivate; activate; cause to act
acuity	sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)
acumen	mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
acute	(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
adage	wise saying; proverb
adamant	hard; inflexible
adapt	make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
addendum	addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)
addiction	compulsive habitual need
addle	make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg)
address	direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech
adept	expert at; very skilled
adhere	stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality
adherent	supporter; follower
adjacent	adjoining; neighboring; close by
adjoin	be next to
adjourn	suspend until a later time; move from one place to another
adjunct	something attached to but holding an inferior position
adjuration	solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly
adjutant	staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
admonish	warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
adore	love deeply and respect highly
adorn	decorate
adroit	skillful (in using mind or hand)
adulation	flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved
adulterate	make impure or of poorer quality by adding inferior or tainted(contaminated) substances
Advent	arrival
adventitious	accidental; casual; happening by chance
adversary	opponent; enemy
adverse	going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
adversity	great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event
advert	refer
advocacy	support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something
advocate	speak in favor of; support (an idea or plan); urge; plead for
aegis	shield; protection; defense
aerie(aery,eyrie,eyry)	nest of a large bird of prey
aesthetic	artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics
affable	easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly
affected	artificial; pretended
affidavit	written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)
affiliation	joining; associating with
affinity	feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
affirmation	positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
affliction	state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
affluence	abundance; wealth
affront	insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
afterlife	life after death; later part of one's life
agape	openmouthed
agenda	items of business at a meeting
agglomeration	collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
aggrandize	make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement
aggregate	sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars
aghast	filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
agility	nimbleness; ability to move quickly
agitate	stir up; disturb
agnostic	one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
agog	highly excited; intensely curious
agrarian	pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform
airy	of air; high in the air; lofty; immaterial; unreal
alacrity	cheerful promptness without reluctance
alchemy	medieval chemistry
alcove	nook; recess
alias	an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias
alienate	make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of
alimentary	supplying nourishment
alimony	payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce
allay	calm; pacify
allege	state without proof
allegiance	loyalty
allegory	story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
alleviate	relieve (pain)
alliteration	repetition of beginning sound in poetry
allocate	assign; set apart for a particular purpose
alloy	mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other maetals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness
allude	refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
allure	entice; attract; tempt
alluvial	pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
alms	money or goods given to the poor
aloft	upward; high up in the air
aloof	apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
altercation	noisy quarrel
altruistic	unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
amalgam	combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth
amalgamate	(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
amass	collect (gradually, in a very large amount)
amazon	female warrior
ambidextrous	capable of using either hand with equal ease
ambience	environment; atmosphere; Ex. restraurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature
ambiguous	unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation
ambivalence	the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions
amble	walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly
ambrosia	food of the gods
ambulatory	able to walk
ambush	act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; Ex. lie in ambush; V.
ameliorate	improve
amenable	obedient; compliant; readily managed; responsive; willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally; responsible; able to be tested by; Ex. amenable to sensible suggestions; Ex. He is very amenable; Ex. amenable to the usual tests
amend	correct; change ; generally for the better
amenities	convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
amiable	agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
amicable	peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement
amiss	wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.
amity	friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
amnesia	loss of memory
amnesty	pardon (allowed by government to political criminals)
amok(amuck)	in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
amoral	nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong
amorous	moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances
amorphous	formless; lacking shape or definition
amphibian	able to live both on land and in water; N.
amphitheater	oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
ample	enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
amplify	increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph
amputate	cut off part of body; prune (a limb)
amulet	charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
anachronism	an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
analgesia	condition of being unable to feel pain
analgesic	causing insensitivity to pain; N.
analogous	comparable; similar
analogy	similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things
anarchist	person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
anarchy	absence of governing body; state of disorder
anathema	solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize
ancestry	family descent; ADJ. ancestral
anchor	secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
ancillary	serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.
anecdote	short story of an amusing or interesting event
anemia	condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic
anesthetic	substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
anguish	acute pain; extreme suffering
angular	sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner
animadversion	critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
animated	lively; spirited
animosity	active enmity
animus	hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
annals	records arranged in yearly parts; history
anneal	reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)
annex	attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one
annihilate	destroy
annotate	comment; make explanatory notes
annuity	yearly allowance
annul	make void
anodyne	drug that relieves pain or trouble;opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
anoint	consecrate; put oil on (in a religious ceremony)
anomalous	abnormal; irregular
anomaly	irregularity
anonymity	state of being nameless; anonymousness; ADJ. anonymous
antagonism	hostility; active opposition; V. antagonize: cause to become an enemy; N. antagonist: person who is opposed to another; opponent; adversary; principal character in oppostion to the protagonist
antecede	precede
antecedents	preceding events that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background
antediluvian	antiquated; extremely ancient
anthem	song of praise or patriotism; Ex. national anthem
anthology	book of literary selections by various authors; CF. omnibus
anthropoid	manlike; resembling a human being; N.
anthropologist	student of the history and science of humankind
anthropomorphic	having human form or characteristics
anticlimax	letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
antidote	remedy to counteract a poison or disease; Ex. antidote to the economic troubles
antipathy	aversion; dislike or opposition
antiquated	obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
antique	made in an earlier period and usu. valuable; N: object that was made in an earlier period and that is rare or valuable
antiquity	quality of being very old; ancient times;
antiseptic	substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.
antithesis	contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical
antler	bony growth on the head of a deer
anvil	iron block used in hammering out metals
apathy	lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; ADJ. apathetic
ape	imitate or mimic (a person's behavior or manner)
aperture	opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
apex	tip; summit; climax; highest point
aphasia	loss of speech due to injury or illness
aphorism	pithy maxim or saying; ADJ. aphoristic
apiarist	person who keeps bees
apiary	a place where bees are kept
apiculture	bee-keeping
aplomb	poise; composure in difficult situations; assurance; self-confidence
apocalyptic	prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; N. apocalypse
apocryphal	(of a story) widely believed but untrue
apogee	highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
apolitical	having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs
apologist	one who writes in defense of a cause or institution; N. apologia
apoplexy	stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
apostate	one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; N. apostasy
apothecary	druggist; pharmacist
apothegm(apophthegm)	pithy, compact saying
apotheosis	elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
appall	dismay; shock deeply
apparent	evident; easily seen or understood; appearing as such; Ex. apparent improvement
apparition	ghost; phantom
appease	pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement
appellation	name; title
append	attach
application	diligent attention; diligence; V. apply oneself
apposite	appropriate; fitting
appraise	estimate value of; N. appraisal
appreciate	be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference
apprehend	arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive; N. apprehension
apprehensive	fearful; discerning
apprise	inform
approbation	approval
appropriate	acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate
appurtenances	subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
apropos	with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV.
aptitude	fitness; talent
aquiline	curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose
arable	fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land
arbiter	person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position ot make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware
arbitrary	unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; Ex. arbitrary ruler
arbitrate	act as judge (at the request of both sides)
arboreal	of or living in trees
arboretum	place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited
arcade	a covered passageway usually lined with shops
arcane	esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
arch-	chief; first; Ex. archbishop
archaeology	study of artifacts and relics of early mankind
archaic	antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N.
archetype	prototype; primitive pattern
archipelago	group of closely located islands
archives	public records; place where public records are kept
ardor	heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent
arduous	hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work
argot	slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
aria	operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio
arid	(of land) dry; barren; unproductive
aristocracy	hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat
armada	fleet of warships
aromatic	fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell
arraign	charge in court; indict
array	marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array
arrears	being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done
arrhythmic	lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia
arrogance	pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people)
arroyo	gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater
arsenal	storage place for military equipment