gre vocab g-m.txt

To deny; to oppose

After I easily won the Pac-man tournament, my competitors could no longer gainsay my video-game dominance

S: contradict

To skip about playfully

After months in the winter den, the polar bear cubs finally emerged and gamboled in the snow

S: frolic

To gather and save; to store-up

The talented actor continued to garner accolades despite his brushes with the law. 

S: amass

Pointlessly talkative; talking too much

I just wanted the garrulous waiter to stop rambling and take my order

S: loquacious

Crude, awkward, tasteless

In some cultures it is considered gauche to belch loudly at the end of dinner; in others it is the height of courtesy.

S; tactless

Relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter. 

Greg could have cut out several sentences that were not germane to his thesis statement

S: applicable

Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth

Your glib response to my questions lets me know that you don't take me seriously. 

S: superficial

Delicate; insubstantial or tenuous

Light filtered in through the gossamer curtains

S: diaphanous

• Pompous speech or expression 
• The nominee ended up losing votes because his grandiloquence annoyed his audience at every campaign speech

S: bombast

Artfulness; trickery; duplicity

Pulling off slight-of-hand tricks successfully requires dexterity and guile

S: deceit

Sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people. 

Greg Brown was very gregarious and tended to get along well with everyone. 

S: affable

Unnecessary; uncalled for

Constructive comments will help me improve, but gratuitous criticism just makes me defensive. 

S: unprovoked

To complain or grumble

Ferdinand's constant grousing about my violin playing has finally convinced me I might need lessons

A rope or cord attatched to something as a brace or guide

We were all nervous that the guy for the pulley would give way, but the platform stayed intact, so it must have been fine

Rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage. 

"You win some, you lose some" is an example of a hackneyed saying. 

S: banal

Calm and peaceful

I'm looking forward to a halcyon vacation on a secluded beach. 

S: serene

Holy; consecrated

Strawberry Fields in Central Park is hallowed ground for fans of John Lennon. 

S: revered

To deliver a pompous speech or tirade

Sonny harangued his brother for returning the car with no gas. 

S: hassle 

To distress, create stress or torment

The sadistic professor loved to harrow his students with harrowing tales of the upcoming final exam that no student in the school's history had ever passed 

Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses.

Monks lead a quiet, ascetic life devoid of hedonism

S: debauchery, indulgence

The consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others. 

At its height, the Roman Empire exercised hegemony over the entire Mediterranean area

S: predominance, leadership

Dissenting from established dogma

Some might find it heretical to put celery in a grilled-cheese sandwich, but I recommend trying it before passing judgment. 

S: unorthodox

Sealed; airtight

When you buy a bottle of medicine, check the hermetic seal to make sure it is not broken

S: impervious

Unorthodox; icnoclastic

The heterodox dessert combined bits of bacon and chocolate

S: heretical

Hairy, shaggy

My hirsute dog sheds life-size replicas of himself and still has more hair left over. 

A sermon or morally instructive lecture, a platitude 

The subject of the minister's homilies ranged from the importance of compassion to the virtues of brushing one's teeth three times a day. 

Arrogant presumption or pride

The governor's hubris was in appointing his son to lead the commission. 

S: conceit

Something that signals what is to come

The Grim Reaper, with his cloak and scythe is a harbinger of death

S: forerunner

One who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions

Socrates was put on trial and accused of being an iconoclast on matters of politics and religion'

S: radical, rebel

Attacking cherished beliefs

The controversial artist's iconoclastic work both stunned and impressed critics. 

S: irreverent

Given to intense or excessive devotion to something

Jim's family realized his love of football was truly idolatrous when the discovered the Raiders shrine in his closet

S: committed

A carefree, lighthearted pastoral or romantic episode

Often while riding the subway to her monotonous job, she daydreamed of a tropical idyll

S: carefree scene

Shameful; undignified

The senator's corruption scandal cast an ignominious shadow over his career

S: humiliating

Difficult or embarrassing situation

Clare tried to extricate herself from the imbroglio she started at the party by sneaking out the back door

S: entanglement, disagreement

About to happen

The police have identified a suspect and an arrest is imminent


S: impending

Revealing no emotion

The defendant looked surprisingly impassive after the judge sentenced him to life in prison 

S: apathetic, imperturbable 

Lacking funds; without money

The impecunious author survived on the generosity of her friends until she sold her first manuscript

S: destitute

Commanding; arrogant; haughty

Writers and photographers feared the editor-in-cheif because of her imperious attitude. 

S: domineering

Marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness

After an hour of meditation, Ivan is imperturbable and nothing will faze him. 

S: unflappable 

Hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Teenagers often make impetuous decisions that they later regret. 

S: reckless

Not capable of being appeased or significantly changed 

Sadly, Irina is an implacable pessimist and will never see the brighter side of any situation. 

S: uncompromising

To ask incessantly; to beg; to nag

The actor importuned the director to give him a bigger part in the play

S: exhort

Shamelessly bold; insolent; impertinent

John's impudent personality on stage enthralled his fans; unfortunately, is also alienated his fellow band members

Attack or assail verbally, censure, execrate, deny

The candidate impugned his opponent's flawless record in office

S: discredit, challenge, call into question

Immunity from punishment or penalty

I was granted impunity for my repeated absences from work due to serious medical problems. 

S: exemption

To attribute to a cause or source, ascribe, assign as a characteristic

The mechanic imputed my car's failure to start to the absence of any gasoline in the tank

Not capable of change

Gravity is an immutable law of nature

S; permanent

Cannot be transferred. 

We have certain inalienable rights as americans. 

Beginning to come into being or to become apparent. 

• Fortunately, the doctor detected the patient's incipient tumor during a routine check-up
• S: developing

Dogged; tireless

The shark's indefatigable pursuit of the seal was eventually rewarded. 

S: unflagging

Having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice. 

Some buyers are indifferent to shipping costs and will order items online with no regard for the extra charges. 

S: disinterested

Lazy; listless

The fat, indolent cat didn't even stir when the mouse skittered across the kitchen

S: lethargic. 

Certain; inevitable

George refused to accept the ineluctable reality of death, so he planned to have himself frozen. 

Unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

The overweight dog is inert and refuses to go for a walk. 

S: motionless

Artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication; naive

Her fears about childbirth seemed ingenuous to the women at the baby shower. 

S: guileless, innocent, trusting

Ingrained within one's nature

Even though lumpectomies are common, there are still dangers inherent to any surgery

S: intrinsic

Damaging, harmful, or injurious; hostile, adverse, or unfriendly

It has been proven that asbestos has inimical effects on respiratory health

S: deleterious

One of a kind, peerless

His inimitable fears of daring on the trapeze were so audacious  that no one else even tried to imitate them. 

Gross injustice; wickedness 

The iniquity of the government bailouts angers me; large corporations are being saved, while public schools are struggling for funding

S: sin

To supply with nerves, energize

Innervated by our coach's pep talk, we wer filled with energy for the upcoming game

Harmless; causing no damage

The movie is innocuous entertainment suitable for all ages.

S: inoffensive

Unconscious; unresponsive

She tried to shake the insensible prince back to his senses. 

The boxer dropped his defenses just long enough for his opponent to land a right hook that left him insensible on the canvas for few minutes.

S: indifferent

Without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit

Without any seasoning or sauce, chicken can often be insipid and dry. 


S: bland

Unconcerned; carefree; heedless

The insouciant cyclist sang along with his headphones as he wove in and out of the busy downtown traffic. 

S: nonchalant

Provincial; narrow-minded

The board was so insular in its thinking that its members were shocked to hear criticism of its policies from stockholders. 

S: isolated

Prohibit, forbid, ban, halt

Although Prohibition attempted to interdict the sale of alcohol, it was never entirely successful

To imply, suggest or insinuate

The governor intimated that he might run for Congress, but coyly refused to commit one way or the other 

Not easily managed or directed

The financial crisis has created intractable problems for the new government in power

S: stubborn, obstinate

Refusing to compromise

Otto's intransigent stance made an out-of-court settlement unlikely

S: inflexible

Steadfast and courageous

The intrepid eater will try any regional dish wherever she travels

S: fearless

To cover or overwhelm, to flood

Because the village sits in a basin, it is easily inundated when river levels rise and there is no escape route for the water. 

Accustomed to accepting something undesirable

The explorer was inured to the cold wind she no longer noticed her chapped skin

S: numbed, habituated, hardened

To attack verbally, denounce, deprecate

The students inveighed bitterly against the new dress code, complaining that the orange shirts and red pants not only limited their freedom of expression but were also ugly

To obtain by deception or flattery


The salesperson inveigled the woman to buy the outlandish and expensive hat. 

S: manipulate

Deep rooted, ingrained, habitual.

Tim was such a inveterate liar that he lied even when he thought he was telling the truth

S: inherent

Tending to arouse envy or ill will in others

The promotion was important to Sven's career; however, it meant that for a while, he was in the invidious position of supervising his former coworkers. 

Easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts. 

The hot-headed coach frequently shouted irascible comments at the referees. 

S: touchy, testy, irritable

Traveling from place to place

Long before newspapers, telephones, and the internet, itinerate salesmen were one valuable sources of news. 

S: roving

Unfortunate; inappropriate

An uncomfortable silence fell over the dinner table after one of the guests made an infelicitous comment to the hostess.

S: malapropos, ill-chosen

Incapable of being discovered or understood. 

The secrets of the inscrutable Sphinx are likely to remain undiscovered forever. 

S: unfathomable 

Incompetence 

The ineptitude of the new assistant was maddening; he forgot to take meeting minutes and misplaced the packages he was supposed to send out

S: incapacity

In an initial stage; not fully formed

The more experienced engineers sent his original, inchoate proposal back for revision. 

S: rudimentary, amorphous

Vapid; uninteresting; immature

Critics slammed the author's first novel for being jejune; hopefully her second will be more mature

S: childish

To agree; to be in accord

Despite our very different backgrounds, Richard's political view jibe rather closely with my own

S: conform

To throw overboard

The CEO of the failing company jettisoned the entire product development department and hired a new team

S: discard

Humorous; joking

His jocular attitude and hilarious take on things made him a pleasure to work with

S: jesting

Characterized by motion

The kinetic choreography had audience members gasping during the performance

S: dynamic

Readily open to change, unstable

He was so emotionally labile that he could be crying one minute and laughing the next

Causing tears, tearful, showing sorrow

His lachrymose apology didn't move me; he was going to have to do a lot more than shed a few tears before I was ready to forgive him

Using few words

The exhausted babysitter's laconic response was simply, "no"

S: terse

Listless, languor, weariness

Those two push-ups I attempted filled me with lassitude for the rest of the day

To praise highly

The sea-weary crew lauded the captain's decision to stay in port for an extra day. 

S: acclaim, extol

Extravagant

No expense was spared in giving the astronauts a lavish homecoming, complete with welcome feasts and a parade down fifth avenue, after their arduous mission

Characterized by lethargy or sluggishness

Though Ryan loves to run through 18 holes of disc golf in 100-degree weather, I am left too lethargic to so much as pick up my bag

Someone unrestrained by morality or convention or leading a dissolute life 

We discovered that she was quite the libertine when it was revealed that she was having affairs on three different continents at the same time

To draw; to outline in detail

The artist limned the Parisian market scene to perfectly that I could imagine myself in the painting

S: describe

Transparent, serene, clear and simple in style, untroubled

The once-limpiid pond had become a nasty soup of algae, beer cans, and a random tennis shoe or two. 

To tilt or lean to one side

The ship listed to one side after running aground on a rock and filling partially with water

Extremely talkative

My aunt is annoyingly loquacious; she speaks at great length about minor occurrences in her life

S: garrulous

Intelligible, sound, clear

The lucid water in the tide pool allowed us to see the bottom clearly

To move heavily and clumsily or with a rumbling sound

The truck lumbered about like a drunken dinosaur

Characterized by brightness and the emission of light

Sirius is considered the most luminous star in the northern sky

S; brilliant, radiant

Supple; graceful

The ballerina's lissome form does not come easily; she spends hours practicing every day

S: lithe

To excoriate; to berate

The coach lambasted his players at halftime for their bad attitude, bad decisions, and exceptionally bad performance. 

S: scold

Lewd; wanton; slippery

The lubricious stare from that strange man in the park left me disgusted. 

S: salacious

Marked with spots or blotches; impure 

After he unruly holiday feats, we all laughed over the maculate tablecloth. 

S: stained

Generous and noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving. 

Giving the employees Fridays off during the summer was a magnanimous gesture. 

S: altruistic, beneficent, high-minded

Having or showing often vicious ill will, spite or hatred

Once the intruder revealed his gun, it was clear that he had malevolent intentions

S: evil

Capable of being shaped or formed, easily influenced. 

Mabel kneaded the malleable clay into a work of art. 

S: pliable, tractable

To feign illness to avoid work

She malingered so often that when she actually fell ill, she had used up all of her sick days. 

S; dodge

Associated with war and the armed forces

During the riots, the National Guard was called in to enforce martial laws. 

S: military, soldierly

A rigid disciplinarian

Sister Paul Marie is a sweet and generous person, but she is a martinet when it comes to teaching grammar, and few people passed her class on the first try. 

To talk or move aimlessly, mutter, ramble

After we maundered about for over three hours I started to suspect that our guide didn't have the slightest idea where he was going

An independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

The candidate was once considered a maverick, but now most people agree that he just follows the party line. 

S: nonconformist

Sweetly flowing, often used to describe a voice

The grandmother's mellifluous voice soothed the crying child. 

S: smooth

The condition of being untruthful

When his lies became public, Will lost many friends because of his mendacity

S: dishonesty

Beggar, supplicant

The humble mendicant spent his days collecting money to help others.

S: pauper

Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood. 

Christian Grey is often described as mercurial. 

S: inconsistent

Flashy; gaudy

The meretricious stretch limousine looked out of place in the church parking lot

S: tawdry

Characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail

Maury is a meticulous editor who will find every last typo and mistake

S: conscientious 

Strength of spirit; courage

The weeks of physical competition tested his mettle in unforeseen ways. 

S: fortitude

To have weight or bearing on, to argue (against)

The president's advisors warned him that the volatility of the situation militated against any rash action

To exploit, to squeeze every last ounce of 

I milked my sprained ankle for as much sympathy as I could; pretty soon I had people cooking me dinner and cleaning my house

Menacing; threatening

The territorial dog gave a minatory look at the mail carrier

S: intimidating

Pronounce or speak affectedly or too carefully, euphemize, take tiny steps, tiptoe

Don't mince words with me; just come right out and tell me exactly what you think

One who hates all other humans

The movie is about an adorable young child who wins the heart of a misanthrope

S: cynic

One who hates women

Sometimes I wonder if my boss is a misogynist because none of the female employees get promotions

S: sexist

To make or become less severe or intense; to moderate.

Aspirin can mitigate pain

S: lessen

To calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

Marlena tried to mollify her angry neighbor by offering to pay for the broken window. 

S: pacify

Sad; sullen

Alan's morose attitude made him an unpopular dinner guest. 

S: melancholy

Having many aspects

It seemed at first to be an open-and-shut robbery case, but soon detectives uncovered so many twists and turns that it seems as multifaceted as a dodecahedron

Varied, motley, greatly diversified. 

The objects of his multifarious crushes ranged from Katherine Hepburn to the cashier at the grocery store

Of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary

You might think that an office is too mundane a setting for comedy, but popular TV shows prove otherwise. 

S: commonplace, everyday, banal

Generosity

I respect Bill Gates for his munificence; he has funded much of the research to combat malaria in developing countries. 

S: bounteousness