Crack-the-GRE.doc

(Cracking the GRE 2006 Edition - Princeton Review)

HIT PARADE GROUP 1
 abscond    verb    to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide

alacrity    noun     eager and enthusiastic willingness

approbation    noun    an _expression of approval or praise

arduous    adjective    strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort

audacious    adjective    daring and fearless; recklessly bold (noun form: audacity)

austere    adjective    without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic (noun form: austerity)

canonical    adjective    following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards (noun form: canon)

chicanery    noun    trickery or subterfuge

connoisseur    noun    an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert

convoluted    adjective    complex or complicated

disabuse    verb    to undeceive; to set right

discordant    adjective    conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound

disparate    adjective    fundamentally distinct or dissimilar

effrontery    noun    extreme boldness; presumptuousness

eloquent    adjective    well-spoken, expressive, articulate (noun form: eloquence)

enervate    verb    to weaken; to reduce in vitality

ennui    noun    dissatisfaction and restlessness result from boredom or apathy

equivocate    verb    to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adject form: equivocal)

erudite    adjective    very learned; scholarly (noun form: erudition)

exculpate    verb    exonerate; to clear of blame

exigent    adjective    urgent, pressing; requiring, immediate action or attention

extemporaneous    adjective improvised; done without preparation

filibuster    noun    intentional obstruction, esp. using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action

fulminate    verb    to loudly attack or denounce

ingenuous    adjective    artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication

inured    adjective    accustomed to accepting something undesirable

irascible    adjective    easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

magnanimity    noun    the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving (adjective form: magnanimous)

martial    adjective    associated with war and the armed forces
 mundane    adjective    of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary

nascent    adjective    coming into being; in early developmental stages

nebulous    adjective    vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form

neologism    noun    a new word, _expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses

obtuse    adjective    lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or _expression

onerous    adjective    troubling; burdensome

paean    noun    a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving

parody    noun    a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, esp. in literature and art

perfidy    noun    intentional breach of faith; treachery (adjective form: perfidious)

perfunctory    adjective    cursory; done without care or interest

perspicacious    adjective    acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (noun form: perspicacity)

prattle    verb    to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner

predilection    noun    a disposition in favor of something; preference

prescience    noun    foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring (adjective form: prescient)

prevaricate    verb    to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
 qualms    noun    misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy

reticent    adjective    quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

solicitous    adjective    concerned and attentive; eager

sordid    adjective    characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul

squander    verb    to waste by spending or using irresponsibly

static    adjective    not moving, active, or in motion; at rest

stupefy    verb    to stun, baffle, or amaze

stymie    verb    to block; thwart

torque    noun    a force that causes rotation

tortuous    adjective    winding, twisting; excessively complicated

truculent    adjective    fierce and cruel; eager to fight

veracity    noun    truthfulness, honesty

virulent    adjective    extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic

voracious    adjective    having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous

waver    verb    to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion

END OF LIST 1

HIT PARADE GROUP 2  
accolade    noun    an _expression of praise

adulation    noun    excessive praise; intense adoration

ascetic    noun    one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

avarice    noun    greed, esp. for wealth (adjective form: avaricious)

burgeon    verb    to grow rapidly or flourish

bucolic    adjective    rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

cacophony    noun    harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adjective form: cacophonous)

castigation    noun    severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate)

catalyst    noun    a substance that accelerates the rate of chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

caustic    adjective    burning or stinging; causing corrosion

chary    adjective    wary; cautious; sparing

 contrite    adjective    regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun form: contrition)

culpable    adjective    deserving blame (noun form: culpability)

dearth    noun    smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

demur    verb    to question or oppose

didactic    adjective    intended to teach or instruct

discretion    noun    cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decions (adjective form: discrete)

dogmatic    adjective    expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles. (noun form: dogma)

ebullience    adjective    the quality of lively or enthusiastic _expression of thoughts and feelings (adjective form: ebullient)

eclectic    adjective    composed of elements drawn from various sources

elegy    noun    a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead (adjective form: elegiac)

emollient    adjective/noun    soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin

empirical    adjective    based on observation or experiment

enigmatic    adjective    mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (noun form: enigma)

ephemeral    adjective    brief; fleeting

esoteric    adjective    intended for or understood by a small, specific group

furtive    adjective    marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

gregarious    adjective    sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

harangue    verb/noun    to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech

heretical    adjective    violating accepted dogma or convention (noun form: heresy)

hyperbole    noun    an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adjective form: hyperbolic)

impecunious    adjective lacking funds; without money

incipient    adjective    beginning to come into being or to become apparent

insert    adjective    unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

innocuous    adjective    harmless; causing no damage

intransigent    adjective    refusing to compromise (noun form: intransigence)

inveigle    verb    to obtain by deception or flattery

morose    adjective    sad; sullen; melancholy

odious    adjective    evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque    adjective    impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

oscillation    noun    the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb form: oscillate)

penurious    adjective    penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

pernicious    adjective    extremely harmful; potentially causing death

peruse    verb    to examine with great care (noun form: perusal)

pious    adjective    extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun form: piety)

precursor    noun    one that precedes and indicates or announces another

preen    verb    to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
 prodigious    adjective    abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

prolific    adjective    producing large volumes or amounts; productive

putrefy    verb    to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adjective form: putrid)

quaff    verb    to drink deeply

redoubtable    adjective    awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

sanction    noun/verb    authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to

satire    noun    a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adjective form; satirical)

squalid    adjective    sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (noun form: squalor)

stoic    adjective    indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun form; stoicism)

supplant    verb    to take the place of; supersede

torpid    adjective lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun form: torpor)

ubiquitous adjective    existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; wide-spread

urbane    adjective    sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun form: urbanity)

vilify    verb    to defame; to characterize harshly

viscous    adjective thick; sticky (noun form: viscosity)

HIT PARADE GROUP 3

adulterate    verb    to reduce purity by coming with inferior ingredients

archaic    adjective outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time

aver    verb    to state as a fact; to declare or assert 

bombastic    adjective    pompous; grandiloquent (noun form: bombast)

diatribe    noun    to disguise or conceal; to mislead

endemic    adjective    characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people

evanescent    adjective    tending to disappear like vapor, vanishing

fervent    adjective    greatly emotional or zealous (noun form: fervor)

fortuitous    adjective    happening by accident or chance

germane    adjective    relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter

grandiloquence    noun    pompous speech or _expression (adjective form: grandiloquent) 
halcyon    adjective    calm and peaceful

hedonism    noun    devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses (a hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure)

hegemony    noun    the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

idolatrous    adjective    given to intense or excessive devotion to something (noun form: idolatry)

impunity    noun    immunity from punishment or penalty

inchoate    adjective    in an initial stage; not fully formed

infelicitous    adjective    unfortunate; inappropriate

insipid    adjective    without taste or flavor, lacking, in spirit; bland

luminous    adjective    characterized by brightness and the emission of light

malevolent    adjective    having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred (noun form: malevolence)

malleable    adjective    capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable

mendacity    noun    the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty (adjective form: mendacious)

misanthrope    noun    one who hates all other humans (adjective form: misanthropic)

mitigate    verb    to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate

obdurate    adjective    unyielding; hardhearted; intractable

obsequious    adjective exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

occlude    verb    to obstruct or block

opprobrium    noun    disgrace; contempt; scorn
 pedagogy    noun    the profession or principles of teaching, or instructing

pedantic    adjective    overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's knowledge

penury    noun    poverty; destitution 
pine    verb    to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

pirate    verb    to illegally use or reproduce

platitude    noun    a superficial remark, esp. one offered as meaningful

polemical    adjective controversial; argumentative

prodigal    adjective    recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish

profuse    adjective    given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant

proliferate    verb    to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

queries    noun    questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations

querulous    adjective    prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish

rancorous    adjective    characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment (noun form: rancor)

recalcitrant    adjective    obstinately defiant of authority; difficult ot manage

repudiate    verb    to refuse to have anything to do with; disown

rescind    verb    to invalidate; repeal; to retract

solvent    adjective    able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance

specious    adjective    seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false

spurious    adjective    lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit

subpoena    noun    a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

succinct    adjective    brief; concise

surfeit    noun/verb    an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess

tenacity    noun    the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination (adjective form: tenacious)

tenuous    adjective    having, little substance or strength; flimsy; weak

tirade    noun    a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation

zealous    adjective    fervent; ardent; impassioned, devoted to a cause (a zealot is a zealous person)

HIT PARADE GROUP 4  

alchemy    noun    a medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy)

amenable    adjective    agreeable; responsive to suggestion

astringent    adjective/noun    having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue

contiguous    adjective    sharing a border; touching; adjacent

convention    noun    a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

credulous    adjective    tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun form: credulity)

derision    noun    scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment (adjective form: derisive; verb form: deride)

divulge    verb    to disclose something secret

fawn    verb    to flatter