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GRE '08 Hit Parade 4
GRE '08 Hit Parade Group 4 Vocab.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
1. ACERBIC | (adj) having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting |
2. AGGRANDIZE | (v) to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige |
3. ALCHEMY | (n) a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals into gold |
4. AMENABLE | (adj) agreeable; responsive to suggestion |
5. ANACHRONISM | (n) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context |
6. ASTRINGENT | (adj) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe |
7. CONTIGUOUS | (adj) sharing a border; touching; adjacent |
8. CONVENTION | (n) generally agreed-upon practice or attitude |
9. CREDULOUS | (adj) tending to believe too readily; gullible (nou form |
10. CYNICISM | (n) an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness |
11. DECORUM | (n) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior |
12. DERISION | (n) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment |
13. DESICCATE | (v) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull |
14. DILETTANTE | (n) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge |
15. DISPARAGE | (v) to slight or belittle |
16. DIVULGE | (v) to disclose something secret |
17. FAWN | (v) to flatter or praise excessively |
18. FLOUT | (v) to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention |
19. GARRULOUS | (adj) pointlessly talkative, talking too much |
20. GLIB | (adj) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial |
21. HUBRIS | (n) overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance |
22. IMMINENT | (adj) about to happen; impending |
23. IMMUTABLE | (adj) not capable of change |
24. IMPETUTOUS | (adj) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement |
25. INDIFFERENT | (adj) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice |
26. INIMICAL | (adj) damaging; harmful; impending |
27. INTRACTABLE | (adj) not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate |
28. INTREPID | (adj) steadfast and courageous |
29. LACONIC | (adj) using few words; terse |
30. MAVERICK | (n) an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party |
31. MERCURIAL | (adj) characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood |
32. MOLLIFY | (v) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity |
33. NEOPHYTE | (n) a recent convert; a beginner; novice |
34. OBFUSCATE | (v) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing |
35. OBSTINATE | (adj) stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising |
36. OSTENTATIOUS | (adj) characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy |
37. PERVADE | (v) to permeate thoughout |
38. PHLEGMATIC | (adj) calm; sluggish; unemotional |
39. PLETHORA | (n) an overabundance; a surplus |
40. PRAGMATIC | (adj) practical rather than idealistic |
41. PRESUMPTUOUS | (adj) overstepping due bounds; taking liberties |
42. PRISTINE | (adj) pure; uncorrupted; clean |
43. PROBITY | (n) adherence to highest principles; complete ad confirmed integrity; uprightness |
44. PROCLIVITY | (n) a natural predisposition or inclination |
45. PROFLIGATE | (adj) excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant |
46. PROPENSITY | (n) a natural inclination or tendency; penchant |
47. PROSAIC | (adj) dull; lacking in spirit or imagination |
48. PUNGENT | (adj) characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste |
49. QUIXOTIC | (adj) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romatic ideals |
50. QUOTIDIAN | (adj) occuring or recurring daily; commonplace |
51. RAREFY | (v) to make or become thin, less dense; to refine |
52. RECONDITE | (adj) hidden, concealed; difficult to understand; obscure |
53. REFULGENT | (adj) radiant; shiny; brilliant |
54. RENEGE | (v) to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise |
55. SEDULOUS | (adj) diligent; persistent; hardworking |
56. SHARD | (n) a piece of broken pottery or glass |
57. SOPORIFIC | (adj) causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep |
58. SPARSE | (adj) thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals |
59. SPENDTHRIFT | (n) one who spends money wastefully |
60. SUBTLE | (adj) not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern |
61. TACIT | (adj) implied; not explicitly stated |
62. TERSE | (adj) brief and concise in wording |
63. TOUT | (v) to publicly praise or promote |
64. TRENCHANT | (adj) sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating |
65. UNFEIGNED | (adj) genuine; not false of hypocritical |
66. UNTENABLE | (adj) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable |
67. VACILLATE | (v) to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another |
68. VARIEGATED | (adj) multicolored |
69. VEXATION | (n) annoyance; irritation |
70. VIGILANT | (adj) alertly watchful |
71. VITUPERATE | (v) to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely; to berate |
72. VOLATILE | (adj) readily changing to vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive |