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Barron GRE word list - A |
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abase |
lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect |
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abash |
embarrass |
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abate |
subside or moderate |
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abbreviate |
shorten |
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abdicate |
renounce; give up (position, right, or responsibility) |
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aberrant |
abnormal or deviant |
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aberration |
deviation from the normal; mental disorder |
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abet |
assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage |
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abeyance |
suspended action |
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abhor |
detest; hate |
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abide |
dwell; abide by: comply with; put up with; tolerate; Ex. abide by the rules; Ex. I can't abide rude people. |
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abject |
(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology |
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abjure |
renounce upon oath |
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ablution |
washing |
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abnegation |
renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation |
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abode |
dwelling place; home |
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abolish |
cancel; put an end to |
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abominable |
detestable; extremely unpleasant |
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abominate |
loathe; hate |
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aboriginal |
being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine |
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abortive |
unsuccessful; fruitless |
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abrasive |
rubbing away; tending to grind down |
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abridge |
condense or shorten |
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abrogate |
abolish |
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abscission |
cutting off; separation |
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abscond |
depart secretly and hide |
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absolute |
complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism |
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absolve |
pardon (an offense) |
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abstain |
refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote; |
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abstemious |
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
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abstinence |
restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote |
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abstract |
theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational |
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abstruse |
obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
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abusive |
coarsely insulting; physically harmful |
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abut |
border upon; adjoin |
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abysmal |
bottomless |
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abyss |
enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit |
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academic |
related to a school; not practical or directly useful |
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accede |
agree |
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accelerate |
move faster |
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accessible |
easy to approach; obtainable |
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accessory |
additional object; useful but not essential thing |
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acclaim |
applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise |
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acclimate |
adjust to climate or environment; adapt |
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acclivity |
sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity |
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accolade |
award of merit; strong praise and approval |
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accommodate |
oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging |
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accomplice |
partner in crime |
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accord |
agreement |
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accost |
approach and speak first to a person |
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accoutre |
equip; N. accoutrement |
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accretion |
growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete |
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accrue |
come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual |
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acerbity |
bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone) |
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acetic |
vinegary |
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acidulous |
slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic |
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acknowledge |
recognize; admit |
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acme |
peak; pinnacle; highest point |
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acne |
skin disease (on the face) |
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acoustics |
science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in |
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acquiesce |
assent; agree passively; comply without protest |
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acquittal |
deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner |
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acrid |
bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent |
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acrimonious |
stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior |
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acrophobia |
fear of heights |
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actuarial |
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics |
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actuary |
someone who advises insurance companies |
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actuate |
motivate; activate; cause to act |
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acuity |
sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing) |
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acumen |
mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen |
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acute |
(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain |
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adage |
wise saying; proverb |
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adamant |
hard; inflexible |
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adapt |
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel. |
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addendum |
addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book) |
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addiction |
compulsive habitual need |
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addle |
make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg) |
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address |
direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech |
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adept |
expert at; very skilled |
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adhere |
stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality |
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adherent |
supporter; follower |
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adjacent |
adjoining; neighboring; close by |
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adjoin |
be next to |
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adjourn |
suspend until a later time; move from one place to another |
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adjunct |
something attached to but holding an inferior position |
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adjuration |
solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly |
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adjutant |
staff officer assisting the commander; assistant |
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admonish |
warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove |
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adore |
love deeply and respect highly |
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adorn |
decorate |
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adroit |
skillful (in using mind or hand) |