GRE Word List 04

Group 1

Ambivalence	lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
Cantankerous	bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Derogatory	uncomplimentary
Exemplify	to serve as a good example
Impecunious	having no money
Lucid	clear
Ornate	highly decorated
Precipice	steep slope
Salubrious	health-giving
Truant	shirker; someone absent without permission

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Group 2

Ambulatory	able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
Capacious	spacious
Desecrate	to damage or pollute a holy place
Exhaustive	complete and thorough
Impious	wicked; profane
Ludicrous	ridiculous; silly
Orthodox	conventional
Precipitous	done in a hurry
Salutary	something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate	cut short

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Group 3

Ameliorate	make better
Capitulate	surrender; give in to
Desecration	spoiling something holy
Exonerates	acquits; absolves; removes blame
Impoverished	destitute; poor
Lukewarm	1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold
Ossify	1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid
Preclude	prevent or make impossible
Sanctimonious	hypocritically holy
Tumult	uproar; noise

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Group 4

Amelioration	improvement
Carping	constant criticism
Desist	stop; discontinue; cease
Exorcism	getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Impromptu	unrehearsed; spontaneous
Lummox	clumsy person
Ostentatious	showy
Precocious	developing early
Sanction	give approval to
Turpitude	depravity

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Group 5

Amiable	friendly
Cartographer	person who makes maps
Despondent	having no hope; miserable
Expatriate	refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent	not intentional
Luscious	juicy; moist; succulent
Oust	push out of a position
Predecessor	one who came before
Sanguinary	bloodthirsty; bloody
Tyro	novice; beginner

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Group 6

Amity	friendship
Castigate	scold strongly
Destitution	hardship; poverty; misery
Expedient	convenient; practical
Incantation	chant; invocation; prayer
Lynch	assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
Overt	obvious; not hidden
Predicament	dilemma; difficult situation
Sanguine	optimistic; cheerful
Ubiquitous	found everywhere; omnipresent

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Group 7

Amorphous	lacking in shape
Catharsis	purging of pent-up emotions
Deter	put off; prevent
Expedite	make faster
Incarceration	putting in prison
Machinations	plots and plans
Overwrought	worked up; in an emotional state
Preeminent	famous; outstanding
Sardonic	mocking
Unalloyed	undiluted; total

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Group 8

Analgesic	medicine to combat pain
Caucus	type of private political meeting
Deteriorate	worsen; decline
Exposition	clear explanation
Incessant	without stopping
Maelstrom	whirlpool; storm in the ocean
Palatable	good to eat; agreeable
Prerogative	right or privilege
Savant	person with knowledge
Unctuous	oily; using excessive flattery

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Group 9

Analogous	comparable
Caustic	burning
Detrimental	harmful
Extol	praise
Incipient	just beginning
Magnanimous	generous; big-hearted
Palisade	fence made of posts
Prescient	having fore-knowledge
Scale	to climb
Undermined	damaged; attacked

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Group 10

Anarchy	chaos; lack of government
Cavalcade	procession of vehicles
Devoured	greedily eaten/consumed
Extradite	deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination	tendency; a leaning toward
Magnate	powerful businessman
Palliative	a remedy that improves but doesn't cure
Presentiment	a feeling that something might happen
Scapegoat	person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore	emphasize

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