GRE VOCABULARY

to lessen in intensity or degree

an expression of praise

excessive praise; intense adoration

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

to make better or more tolerable

one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

greed, esp. for wealth

a universally recognized principle

to grow rapidly or flourish

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

severe criticism or punishment

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

wary; cautious; sparing

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

argumentative;quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

deserving blame

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

to question or oppose

intended to teach or instruct

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

free of bias or self-interest; impartial

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

composed of elements drawn from various sources

a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin

based on observation or experiment

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

brief; fleeting

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

a speech honoring the dead

to remove blame

playful;humorous

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech

violating accepted dogma or convention

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

lacking funds; without money

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

harmless; causing no damage

refusing to compromise

to obtain by deception or flattery

sad; sullen; melancholy

evoking intense aversion or dislike

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

extremely harmful; potentially causing death

to examine with great care

extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

to rot; to decay and give off a foul order

to drink deeply

stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

to take the place of; to supersede

lethargic; sluggish; dormant

existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread

sophisticated; refined; elegant

to defame; to characterize harshly

thick; sticky