GRE Vocabulary: Advanced
English · 45 cards
Hard GRE words with definitions, examples, and synonyms.
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perfidious
(adj.) deceitful and untrustworthy Syn: treacherous
The perfidious advisor betrayed the king's trust.
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obfuscate
(v.) to make obscure or unclear, often deliberately Syn: confuse
The report seemed designed to obfuscate the real losses.
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toady
(n.) a person who flatters others to win favor Syn: flatterer
The minister kept a circle of toadies around him.
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obstreperous
(adj.) noisy and difficult to control Syn: unruly
The obstreperous crowd ignored every plea for quiet.
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pulchritude
(n.) physical beauty Syn: beauty
Poets have long praised the pulchritude of the rose.
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truculent
(adj.) eager to argue or fight; aggressively defiant Syn: belligerent
His truculent tone turned the meeting into a quarrel.
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abstruse
(adj.) difficult to understand; obscure Syn: arcane
The lecture on quantum fields was hopelessly abstruse.
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calumny
(n.) a false statement made to damage a reputation Syn: slander
The campaign sank into calumny and personal attacks.
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gossamer
(adj.) extremely light, thin, and delicate Syn: filmy
The spider's web hung like a gossamer thread.
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ennui
(n.) a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction Syn: boredom
A deep ennui settled over the idle summer afternoons.
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fatuous
(adj.) silly and pointless; foolish Syn: inane
His fatuous remarks added nothing to the debate.
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garrulity
(n.) the quality of being excessively talkative Syn: talkativeness
The witness's garrulity tried the judge's patience.
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hegemony
(n.) leadership or dominance, especially by one state Syn: dominance
The empire maintained hegemony over the region for centuries.
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inchoate
(adj.) just begun and so not fully formed Syn: undeveloped
She had only an inchoate plan for the new venture.
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jejune
(adj.) naive, simplistic, or dull Syn: insipid
The critic dismissed the essay as jejune and shallow.
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kowtow
(v.) to act in an excessively subservient manner Syn: grovel
He refused to kowtow to the demands of the board.
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lugubrious
(adj.) looking or sounding sad and dismal Syn: mournful
The lugubrious music suited the rainy funeral.
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mendacious
(adj.) not telling the truth; lying Syn: dishonest
The mendacious witness contradicted himself repeatedly.
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nadir
(n.) the lowest point Syn: low point
The defeat marked the nadir of the team's season.
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obdurate
(adj.) stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion Syn: unyielding
The obdurate landlord would not lower the rent.
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parsimonious
(adj.) unwilling to spend money or resources; stingy Syn: miserly
The parsimonious manager rejected every budget request.
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quagmire
(n.) a difficult, complicated situation Syn: predicament
The merger became a legal quagmire that lasted years.
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recondite
(adj.) dealing with very obscure or specialized subjects Syn: esoteric
The professor's recondite research interested few outsiders.
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sanguine
(adj.) optimistic, especially in a difficult situation Syn: hopeful
Despite the losses, she stayed sanguine about the future.
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tractable
(adj.) easy to control or influence Syn: manageable
The new puppy proved surprisingly tractable.
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untenable
(adj.) not able to be defended or maintained Syn: indefensible
The theory became untenable once the data appeared.
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vituperate
(v.) to blame or insult in strong language Syn: berate
The columnist vituperated the council for its inaction.
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winnow
(v.) to remove unwanted parts; to narrow down Syn: sift
The judges winnowed the entries to ten finalists.
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xenophobia
(n.) fear or dislike of people from other countries Syn: prejudice
The new law was condemned as a product of xenophobia.
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approbation
(n.) approval or praise Syn: approval
The design won the unanimous approbation of the panel.
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bellicose
(adj.) eager to fight; warlike Syn: aggressive
The bellicose speech alarmed neighboring nations.
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cupidity
(n.) greed for money or possessions Syn: greed
The scandal exposed the executive's cupidity.
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denouement
(n.) the final resolution of a plot Syn: resolution
The novel's denouement tied every thread together.
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esoteric
(adj.) understood by only a small, specialized group Syn: obscure
The journal published esoteric papers on ancient grammar.
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fecund
(adj.) highly productive or fertile Syn: prolific
The artist enjoyed a fecund period of new work.
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grandiloquent
(adj.) pompous or extravagant in language Syn: bombastic
His grandiloquent toast went on far too long.
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iconoclastic
(adj.) attacking cherished beliefs or institutions Syn: rebellious
Her iconoclastic theories upended the entire field.
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succinct
(adj.) expressed clearly in few words; concise Syn: terse
Her succinct reply settled the matter at once.
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maudlin
(adj.) self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental Syn: mawkish
After a few drinks he grew maudlin about the past.
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nascent
(adj.) just coming into existence; beginning to develop Syn: emerging
The nascent industry attracted bold investors.
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obsequious
(adj.) obedient or attentive to an excessive degree Syn: fawning
The obsequious waiter hovered over every table.
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pellucid
(adj.) transparently clear in style or meaning Syn: lucid
Her pellucid prose made complex ideas accessible.
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quotidian
(adj.) ordinary or everyday; commonplace Syn: mundane
The diary recorded the quotidian details of farm life.
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intransigent
(adj.) unwilling to change one's views or agree Syn: uncompromising
The intransigent delegate blocked every compromise.
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propitiate
(v.) to win or regain the favor of by doing something pleasing Syn: appease
He sent gifts to propitiate his offended partners.
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