GRE WORDS 2A

GRE WORDS 2A

Group 1

Acrid: strong and sharp; harsh or corrosive in tone

                The acrid smell of burning rubber

                Acerb bitter blistering caustic pungent sulphurous virulent vitriolic

Boorish: Ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behaviour or appearance

                         Was boorish and insensitive

                         Loutish Neanderthal oafish swinish

Cynical: Believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others

                Abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

                We live in a cynical age

                Derisive gibelike misanthropic mocking taunting

Epistle: An especially long, formal letter; A poem or other literary work in the form of a letter or series of letters

                Letter missive book

                I've only just started reading the black sea letters, the verse epistles published in the same penguin volume.

Heresy: Any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position; a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets (A religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof) of a religion.

                Heterodoxy unorthodoxy

                Combat heresies, the church set up councils which relied on reason.

Lance: A long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon; A surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade; used for punctures and small incisions

                (N): move quickly as if by cutting ones way

                Planes lanced towards the shore

                Gig lancet shaft spear

Obscure: Make less visible or unclear; Make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

                The stars are obscured by the clouds

                Apart becloud befog blur confuse dark isolated mist

Poignant: Arousing keen sense of sadness or regret; keenly distressing to the mind or feelings

                Poignant grief cannot endure forever

                Affecting touching keen sharp pungent acrid trenchant biting

Respite: A (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort; a pause from doing something (as work).

                Postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution.

                We took a ten minute respite.

                Abatement break hiatus recess relief reprieve

Terse: Brief and to the point; effectively cut short

                Short and terse and easy to understand

                Crisp curt laconic

Group 2

Acrophobia

Bourgeois

Debility

Hiatus

Languid

Obscured

Poised

Resplendent

Therapeutic

Group 3

Acuity

Braggart

Debunking

Epitomized

Hidebound

Languish

Obsequious

Polemical

Restorative

Thwart

Group 4

Adamant

Brawny

Decathlon

Equivocate

Hieroglyphics

Larceny

Obsession

Ponderous

Retention

Timorous

Group 5

Adroit

Brevity

Decorum

Err

Hinder

Largess

Obsolete

Pontificate

Reticent

Tirade