GRE WORDS 1B
Group 6
1.
Abstain: Restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something; choose not to consume
alcohol.
a.
Refrain forbear desist avoid teetotal
2.
Blighted: Spoil, harm, or destroy; anything that mars or prevents growth or
prosperity; affected by blight= cause to suffer a blight
a.
The scandal blighted the careers of
several politicians; "his father's blighted ambitions".
b.
Plagued spoilt
afflicted smote
3.
Credulous:
Disposed (make fit or prepared) to believe on little evidence; showing lack of
judgement or experience.
i.
The gimmick would
convince none but the most credulous.
ii.
Credible naïf
naïve trustful unquestioning
4.
Enshroud:
cover as if with a shroud (Burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped)
a.
The origins of
this civilization are enshrouded in mystery.
b.
Cover hide shroud
enclose enfold envelop wrap
5.
Haughtiness:
overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner towards inferiors
a.
Arrogance hauteur
high-handedness lordliness pride superbia disdainfulness overbearingness
snobbism superiority superciliousness bossiness
b.
But though he was
rather haughty, we were fond of him.
6.
Lachrymose:
Showing sorrow, tearful
a.
Dolorous tearful
weeping
b.
Lachrymose pictures of the children affected were used to further
illustrate the terrible effect of eu law.
7.
Obfuscate: make
obscure (make less visible or unclear) or unclear, unintelligible; bewilder
(confuse) someone
a.
Alter change
modify darken confuse dim becloud
b.
Obfuscate to keep
scrutiny at bay is no longer an option.
8.
Plethora:
extreme excess; the property of being extremely abundant
a.
The plethora of
detail.
b.
Cornucopia
overplus profuseness profusion richness superfluity
9.
Repudiate:
cast off; refuse to acknowledge, ratify or recognize as valid; reject as untrue
a.
The parents
repudiated their son; repudiate as debt
b.
Disown renounce
decline deny
10. Tedium: the feeling of being bored by something tedious;
dullness owing to length or slowness
a.
Boredom ennui
tedious tiresome wearisome
b.
To relieve with
the tedium they messed about with the tennis ball.
Group 7
1.
Abstemious:
Sparing in consumption of especially food and drink; marked by temperance (the
trait of avoiding excesses) in indulgence.
a.
The pleasures of
the table, never of much consequence to the one naturally abstemious
b.
Light abstentious
abstinent ascetic austere temperate
c.
Ant: gluttonous
2.
Blithe:
Lacking or showing a lack of due concern; carefree and happy and light-hearted
a.
Spoke with blithe
ignorance of the true situation.
b.
Light-hearted
playful cheerful unconcerned
3.
Crepuscular:
Like twilight (The soft glowing light from the sky during
evening when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the reflection of the
sun's rays from the atmosphere.); dim
a.
The evening’s
crepuscular charm.
b.
Dark
c.
Crepuscular rays may be spotted downward, upward or both; these are
upward.
4.
Enunciation:
The articulation (formation) of speech regarded from the point of view of its
intelligibility to the audience (such that the audience would understand).
a.
The broken syntax
and casual enunciation of the conversational English.
b.
Diction
articulation mumbling
c.
He actually has a very strong and unique delivery, fragile
and emotional at the same time, with all words carefully enunciated.
5.
Headstrong:
Habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
a.
The relationship
between the intellect and the emotions is like the relationship between parents
and their headstrong five-year-old.
b.
Forward
self-willed wilful disobedient obstinate
6.
Lacklustre:
Lacking brilliance or vitality, lacking shine
a.
Lustreless dull
hebetudinous
b.
A dull lacklustre
life, staring with lacklustre eyes.
7.
Objective:
The goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable).
i.
The sole
objective of her trip was to see her children
ii.
Accusative aim
object target goal end
iii.
Ant: subjective
8.
Pliable:
Susceptible to being led or directed, capable of being shaped; able to adjust
readily
a.
Pliable masses of
people ripe for propaganda (Information that is spread for the purpose of
promoting some cause).
b.
Bendable ductile
fictile flexible malleable tractile waxy adaptable susceptible.
9.
Rescind:
cancel officially
a.
He rescinded the
ban on smoking.
b.
Annul countermand
lift overturn repeal reverse revoke vacate cancel renege
10. Temper: a sudden outburst of anger; exhibiting
uncontrollable anger.
a.
Harden by
reheating; bring to desired consistency or hardness by a process of gradual
heating.
b.
His temper was
well known to all his employees.
c.
Anneal
biliousness chasten harden mollify peevishness pique snappiness
Group 8
1.
Abstruse: Difficult
to understand; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
a.
The professor’s
lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them.
b.
Deep recondite
esoteric obscure profound
2.
Blunderbuss:
A short musket (an infantryman’s light gun with long barrel) of wide bore with
a flared muzzle used at a short range; an action or way of doing something
regarded as lacking in subtlety and precision.
a.
Musket
b.
He fired two blunderbusses in the air from the top of the house, and they
went off.
3.
Cringe: Draw back,
as with fear or pain; show submission of fear
a.
Blench cower
crawl fawn flinch funk quail recoil squinch wince retract
b.
Another lot will listen but still cringe from
political risks.
4.
Envenom:
cause to be bitter or resentful; add poison to
a.
These injustices
envenomed her even more
b.
Acerbate embitter
poison
5.
Hedonism: The
pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle; and ethical system that
evaluates he pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.
a.
Ethics ethical-motive
morality morals
6.
Laconic: Brief
and to the point; effectively cut short; using very few words
a.
The laconic
reply; yes.
b.
Crisp short curt
terse concise
7.
Oblique: Slanting
or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular
nor right-angled; the oblique rays of the winter sun.
a.
Indirect in
departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading; gave oblique answers.
b.
Devious
c.
Ant: nominative
parallel perpendicular
8.
Plumage: the
feathers on a bird’s body.
a.
Feathering feather
plume
9.
Resignation:
Acceptance of despair; an act of giving up; a formal document giving notice of
your intention to resign
a.
He submitted his
resignation as of next month.
b.
Surrender
10. Tenacious: good at remembering; tenacious memory
a.
Stubbornly
unyielding; men tenacious of opinion
b.
Sticking together;
Tenacious burrs
c.
Coherent dogged
dour persistent pertinacious recollective retentive unyielding
Group 9
1.
Accolade: An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment
of merit.
a.
An accolade for
bravery
b.
Award honour
laurels
2.
Bolster:
support and strengthen; bolster morale
a.
Add padding to;
bolster the seat of the chair
b.
The fall in interest rates is starting to bolster confidence".
c.
Support uphold
back
3.
Cryptic: of
an obscure nature; having a secret or hidden meaning
i.
The new insurance
policy is written without any cryptic or mysterious terms.
ii.
Cabalistic cryptical
deep inscrutable kabbalistic mysterious mystifying sibyline
4.
Ephemeral:
lasting a very short time; the ephemeral joys of childhood
a.
Ephemeron fugacious
passing transient
b.
There is a risk that partnerships will prove ephemeral if
they are devised in response to a particular funding regime.
5.
Hedonist:
someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
a.
Pleasure-seeker sensualist
6.
Lamentation:
a cry of sorrow and grief;
a.
Their pitiful
lamentations could be heard throughout the ward
b.
Lament mourn
plaint wail
7.
Obliterate: Mark
for deletion, rub off, or erase; make undecipherable; remove or do away
with completely
a.
Obliterate these
lines from the President’s speech.
b.
Blot-out efface
hide kill obscure veil wipe out
8.
Plummet:
drop sharply;
a.
The stock market
plummeted sharply
b.
Plumb plump drop
9.
Resolution: A
formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote
a.
The trait of
being resolute; Finding a solution to a problem
b.
Something settled
or resolved; the outcome of decision making
c.
A decision to do
something or to behave in a certain manner
d.
Answer closure
declaration definition firmness settlement result resolve solution solvent
10. Tentative: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed
upon; unsettled in mind or opinion
a.
Just a tentative
schedule
b.
Doubtful probationary
provisional
Group 10
1.
Acquiesce:
to agree or express agreement
a.
The Maestro
acquiesced to the request for an encore (extra or repeat performance).
b.
Accede assent
2.
Bombast:
pompous or pretentious talk or writing; High-sounding
language with little meaning.
a.
Grandiloquence
b.
Blah claptrap fustian rant
3.
Curtail:
place restrictions on; curtail drinking in school
a.
Terminate or
abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent; personal
freedom is curtailed in many countries.
b.
Clip curb cut
back cut short restrict
4.
Epicure: a
person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)
a.
Bon vivant
epicurean foodie gastronome gourmet
b.
Epicure's delight!
5.
Heed: pay
close attention to; heed the advice of old men.
a.
Attentiveness listen
mind regard obey advertence
6.
Lampoon:
ridicule with satire; the writer lampooned the politician’s proposal
a.
A composition
that imitates or misrepresents somebody’s lifestyle usually in a humorous way.
b.
Burlesque charade
mockery parody sendup spoof travesty
7.
Oblivious: lacking
conscious awareness of; failing to keep in mind
a.
Oblivious of the
mounting pressures for political reform.
b.
Forgetful unmindful
inattentive incognizant unaware
8.
Podium: A
platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person
on it
a.
Ambo dais pulpit
rostrum stump
9.
Resonant:
characterized by resonance (The ability to evoke or suggest images,
memories, and emotions.); serving
to bring to mind;
a.
having the
character of a loud deep sound; the quality of being resonant
b.
They would have been filled with acoustic jars, to make the
singing more resonant.
10. Tenuous: having thin consistency; very thin in diameter;
lacking substance or significance
a.
A tenuous fluid;
a tenuous thread; a tenuous argument
b.
Flimsy fragile
slight thin
