GRE Vocab (D-F)

young woman making debut in high society

The debutante spent hours dressing for her very first ball, hoping to catch the eye of an eligible bachelor.

Synonyms: lady; maiden

downward slope

Because the village was situated on the declivity of a hill, it never flooded.

Synonyms: decline; descent; grade; slant; tilt

proper; tasteful; socially correct

The countess trained her daughters in the finer points of decorous behavior, hoping they would make a good impression when she presented them at Court.

Synonyms: appropriate; comme il faut; courteous; polite

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the place.

Synonyms: correctness; decency; etiquette; manners; mores; propriety; seemliness

to mar the appearance of; vandalize

After the wall was torn down, the students, began to deface the statues of Communist leaders of the former Eastern Bloc.

Synonyms: disfigure; impair; spoil

respect; courtesy

the respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost deference.

Synonyms: courtesy; homage; honor; obeisance; respect; reverence; veneration

subtly or unexpectedly harmful

If only we had known the clocks were defective before putting them on the market, it wouldn't have been quite so deleterious to our reputation.

Synonyms: adverse; inimical; injurious; hurtful

a leader or rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice

He began his career as a demagogue, giving fiery speeches at political rallies.

Synonyms: agitator; inciter; instigator

to express doubts or objections

• When scientific authorities claimed that all the planets revolved around the Earth, Galileo, with his superior understanding of the situation, was forced to demur.
• Synonyms: dissent; expostulate; kick; protest; remonstrate

to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

The awkward child was often derided by his "cooler" peers .

Synonyms: gibe; jeer; mock; ridicule; scoff; sneer; taunt

to dry out thoroughly

After a few weeks lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely desiccated.

Synonyms: dehydrate; dry; parch

jumping from one thing to another

Athena had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in 3 years.

Synonyms: aimless; disconnected; erratic; haphazard; indiscriminate; objectless; purposeless; random; stray; unconsidered; unplanned

allowing light to show through; delicate

These diaphanous curtains do nothing to block out the sunlight.

Synonyms: gauzy; sheer; tenuous; translucent; transparent

an abusive, condemnatory speech

The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off.

Synonyms: fulmination; harangue; invective; jeremiad; malediction; obloquy; tirade

authoritative statement

"You have time to lean, you have time to clean," was the dictum our boss made us live by.

Synonyms: adage; apothegm; aphorism; decree; edict

lacking self-confidence

Steve's diffidence during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.

Synonyms: backward; bashful; coy; demure; modest; retiring; self-effacing; shy; timid

to make larger; expand

When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of you eyes dilate so as to let more light in.

Synonyms: amplify; develop; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

Jerry's friends were such dilettantes they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.

Synonyms: amateur; dabbler; superficial; tyro

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

Melville wrote the poem "A Dirge for James McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864.

Synonyms: elegy; lament

intended to delay

The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill.

Synonyms: dragging; flagging; laggard; lagging; slow; slow-footed; slow-going; slow-paced; tardy

to set right; free from error

Galileo's observations disabused scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth

Synonyms: correct; undeceive

to perceive or recognize

It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.

Synonyms: catch; descry; detect; differentiate; discriminate; distinguish; espy; glimpse; know;separate; spot; spy; tell

fundamentally different; entirely unalike

Although the twins are physically identical, their personalities are disparate.

Synonyms: different; dissimilar; divergent;diverse; variant; various

to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character

The villain could dissemble to the police no longer-he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the stash of stolen money.

Synonyms: act; affect; assume; camouflage; cloak; counterfeit; cover-up; disguise; dissimulate; fake; feign; mask; masquerade; pose pretend; put on; sham

a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds

Cognitive dissonance is the inner-conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.

Synonyms: clash; contention; discord; dissension; dissent; dissidence; friction; strife; variance

the female branch of the family

The lazy husband refused to cook dinner for his wife, joking that the duty belongs to the distaff's side.

Synonyms: maternal

to swell, inflate, or bloat

Her stomach was distended after she gorged on the six-course meal.

Synonyms: broaden; bulge

to act confusedly or without clear purpose

Ellen dithered around her apartment, uncertain how to tackle th family crisis.

Synonyms: falter; hesitate; vacillate; waffle; waver

existing during the day

Diurnal creatures tend to become inactive during the night.

Synonyms: daylight; daytime

to foretell or know by inspiration

The fortune-teller divined from the pattern of the tea leaved that her customer would marry five times.

Synonyms: auger; foresee; intuit; predict; presage

rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic

The professor's manner of teaching was considered doctrinaire for such a liberal school.

Synonyms: dictatorial; inflexible

a firmly held opinion, especially a religious belief

Linus's central dogma was that children who believe in the great pumpkin will be rewarded.

Synonyms: creed; doctrines; teaching; tenet

dictatorial in one's opinions

The dictator was dogmatic, claiming he, and only he, was right.

Synonyms: authoritarian; bossy; dictatorial; doctrinaire; domineering; imperious; magestrial; masterful; overbearing; peremptory

amusing in a wry, subtle way

Although the play couldn't be described as hilarious, it was certainly droll.

Synonyms: comic; entertaining; funny; risible; witty

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

Bugs Bunny was able to dupe Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.

Synonyms: beguile; betray; bluff; cozen; deceive; delude; fool; hoodwink; humbug; mislead; take in trick

suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable

The dyspeptic young man cast a gloom over the party the minute he walked in.

Synonyms: acerbic; melancholy; morose; solemn; sour

exhilarated; full of enthusiasm and high spirits

The ebullient child exhausted the babysitter, who lacked the energy to keep up with her.

Synonyms: ardent; avid; bubbly; zestful

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

Budapest's architecture is an eclectic mix of eastern and western styles

Synonyms: broad; catholic; selective

to instruct morally and spiritually

The guru was paid to edify the actress in the ways of Buddhism.

Synonyms: educate; enlighten; guide; teach

effectiveness

The efficacy of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was introduced, completely eliminating almost all bacterial infections.

Synonyms: dynamism; effectiveness; efficiency; force; power; productiveness; proficiency; strength; vigor

stuffed doll; likeness of a person

In England, effigies of the historic rebel Guy Fawkes are burned in commemoration of his life.

Synonyms: dummy; figure; image

impudent boldness; audacity

The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when the CEO tripped over a computer wire and fell flat on his face.

Synonyms: brashness; gall; nerve; presumption; temerity

a sorrowful poem or speech

Though Thomas Gray's Elegy is about his death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life, and to trust in spirituality.

Synonyms: dirge; lament

persuasive and moving; especially in speech

The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments buts because its eloquent words.

Synonyms: articulate; expressive; fluent; meaningful; significant; smooth-spoken

to add ornamental or fictitious details

Britt embellished her résumé, hoping to make the lowly positions she had held sound more important.

Synonyms: adorn; bedeck; elaborate; embroiderer; enhance; exaggerate

to copy; to try to equal or excel

The graduate student sought to emulate his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but how she conducted herself outside of class.

Synonyms: ape; imitate; simulate

warm praise

Georgias's "Encomium to Helen" was written as a tribute to Helen of Troy.

Synonyms: citation; eulogy; panegyric; salutation; tribute

belonging to a particular area; inherent

The health department determined that the outbreak was endemic to the small village, so they quarantined the inhabitants before the virus could spread.

Synonyms: indigenous; local; native

to reduce in strength

The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would enervate the regular army.

Synonyms: debilitate; enfeeble; sap; weaken

to produce, cause, or bring about

His fear and hatred of clowns was engendered when he witnessed a bank robbery carried out by five men wearing clown costumes and make-up.

Synonyms: beget; generate; procreate; proliferate; reproduce; spawn

a puzzle; a mystery

Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation of something of an enigma.

Synonyms: conundrum perplexity

to count, list, or itemize

Before making his decision, Jacob asked the waiter to enumerate the different varieties of ice cream that the restaurant carried.

Synonyms: catalog; index; tabulate

lasting a short time

The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies average lifespan is a matter of hours.

Synonyms: evanescent; fleeting; momentary; transient

person with a refined taste in food and wine

Niren is an epicure who always throws the most splendid dinner parties.

Synonyms: bon vivant; connoisseur; gastronome; gastronomist; gourmand; gourmet

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.

Synonyms: ambiguous; evasive; waffling

wandering and unpredictable

The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of erratic turns that surprised the audience.

Synonyms: capricious; inconstant; irresolute; whimsical

fake

Edda, a fashion maven, knew instantly that her friend's new Kate Spade bag was really an ersatz version purchased on the street.

Synonyms: artificial; dummy; false; imitation; mock; sham; simulated; spurious; substitute

learned, scholarly; bookish

The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of erudite, well-published individuals in the field.

Synonyms: learned; scholastic; wise

to shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)

The filmmaker eschewed artificial light for her actors, resulting in a stark movie style.

Synonyms: avoid; bilk; elude; escape; evade; shun; shy

known or understood only by a few

Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric world of particle physics.

Synonyms: abstruse; arcane; obscure

admirable

Most people consider it estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.

Synonyms: admirable; commendable; creditable; honorable; laudable; meritorious; praiseworthy; respectable; venerable; worthy

beliefs or character of a group

It is the Boy Scouts' ethos that one should always be prepared.

Synonyms: culture; ethic; philosophy

speech in praise of someone

His best friend gave the eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents.

Synonyms: commend; extol; laud

use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism "sleeping" instead of the word 'dead'.

Synonyms: nice-nellyism

pleasant, harmonious sound

To their loving parents, the children's orchestra sounded like euphony, although an outside observer probably would have called it a cacophony of hideous sounds.

Synonyms: harmony; melody; music; sweetness

to make worse

It is unwise to try to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn since instead of providing relief it will only exacerbate the problem.

Synonyms: aggravate; annoy; intensify; irritate; provoke

to clear from blame; prove innocent

The legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and exculpate those who are innocent.

Synonyms: absolve; acquit; clear; exonerate; vindicate

urgent; requiring immediate action

The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was exigent to stop the source of the bleeding.

Synonyms: critical; imperative; needed; urgent

to clear of blame

The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.

Synonyms: absolve; acquit; clear; exculpate; vindicate

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

In Reading Comprehension, questions that ask directly about a detail in the passage are sometimes called Explicit Text questions.

Synonyms: candid; clear-cut; definite; definitive; express; frank; specific; straightforward; unambiguous; unequivocal

one who champions or advocates

The vice president was an enthusiastic exponent of computer technology.

Synonyms: representative; supporter

to censor

Government propagandists expurgated all the negative references to the dictator from the film.

Synonyms: bowdlerize; cut; sanitize

dormant; unused

This field should lie fallow for a year so the soil does not become completely depleted.

Synonyms: idle; inactive; unseeded

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

The storm troopers were fanatical in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.

Synonyms: extremist; fiery; frenzied; zealous

stupid; foolishly self-satisfied

Ted's fatuous comments always embarrassed his keen-witted wife at parties.

Synonyms: absurd; ludicrous; preposterous; ridiculous; silly

to grovel

The understudy fawned over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis.

Synonyms: bootlick; grovel; pander; toady

fertile; fruitful; productive

The fecund couple yielded a total of 20 children.

Synonyms: flourishing; prolific

intensely emotional; feverish

The fans of Maria Callas were particularly fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.

Synonyms: burning; impassioned; passionate; vehement; zealous

foul-smelling; putrid

The fetid stench from the outhouse caused Francesca to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

Synonyms: funk; malodorous; noisome; rank; stinky

to decline in vigor, strength , or interest

The marathon runner slowed down as his strength flagged.

Synonyms: dwindle; ebb; slacken; subside; wane

excessively decorated or embellished

The palace had been decorated in an excessively florid style; every surface had been carved and gilded.

Synonyms: baroque; elaborate; flamboyant; ornate; ostentatious; rococo

to arouse or incite

• The rebels tried to foment revolutions through their attacks on the government.
• Synonyms: agitate; impassion; inflame; instigate; kindle

to cross a body of water by wading

Because of the recent torrential rains, the cowboys were unable to ford the swollen river.

Synonyms: traverse; wade

to prevent or delay; anticipate

The landlord forestalled T.J.'s attempt to avoid paying the rent by waiting for him outside his door.

Synonyms: avert; deter; hinder; obviate; preclude

happening by chance; fortunate

It was fortuitous that he won the lotto just before he had to pay back his loans.

Synonyms: chance; fortunate; haphazard; lucky; propitious; prosperous

unruly; rebellious

The general had a hard time maintaining discipline among his fractious troops.

Synonyms: contentious; cranky; peevish; quarrelsome

frantic; frenzied

The employee's frenetic schedule lefty her little time to socialize.

Synonyms: corybantic; delirious; feverish; mad; rabid; wild

tending to be thrifty or cheap

Scrooge McDuck's frugality was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money.

Synonyms: economical; parsimony; prudence; sparing

secret; stealthy

Glenn was furtive when he peered out of the corner of his eye at the stunningly beautiful model.

Synonyms: clandestine; covert; shifty; surreptitious; underhand