Level Two GRE Vocabulary: Medium Difficulty
Abasement: noun, the action or fact of abasing or being abased; humiliation or degradation
Synonyms: belittlement, disgrace
“But of course, Europe needs more than humility or self-abasement if it is to absorb the migrants who are now sailing or trudging towards its heart.”
Source: “A non-European pope is hailed as the greatest European” published in The Economist
Abate: verb, become less intense or widespread
Synonyms: subside, die away, die down
“A broad cash crunch and broken supply chains threaten a sharp economic slowdown—albeit one that will abate…”
Source: “The dire consequences of India’s demonetization initiative” published in The Economist
Accession: verb, the action or process of formally joining an association or institution
Synonyms: joining, signing up, enrollment
“China had expected to win the status of a market economy in December, 15 years after its accession to the World Trade Organization…”
Source: “An obsession with stable growth leads to vulnerabilities in China” published in The Economist
Acerbic: adjective, (Especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright
Synonyms: sardonic, biting, caustic
“Mr. Zhang presented a friendly face in Hong Kong, prompting the Big Lychee, an acerbic local blog, to note: ‘Few sights are more painful to behold than a senior Chinese Communist Party official attempting to be nice…’”
Source: “Rocking boats, shaking mountains” published in The Economist
Acolyte: noun, a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession
Synonyms: assistant, helper, follower
“Critics refer to a ‘cult’ of ‘acolytes’ around a ‘Great Leader’, unwilling to challenge him or engage seriously with the work of non-Chomskyan scholars.”
Source: “Noam Chomsky” published in The Economist
Acumen: noun, the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain
Synonyms: astuteness, awareness, acuity
“Literary critics admire his summer reading selections, musicians his playlists, scientists and tech entrepreneurs his acumen and curiosity.”
Source: “A reflection on Barack Obama’s presidency” published in The Economist
Apostle: noun, a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular cause
Synonyms: proponent, promoter, propagandist
“On the website of this apostle of anti-Americanism, there is an article rejoicing in the fact that the United States need no longer be treated as an enemy… “
Source: “Russian anti-liberals love Donald Trump but it may not be entirely mutual” published in The Economist
Apprise: verb, Inform or tell (someone)
Synonyms: notify, let know, advise
“If not exactly legitimate, secret information is often useful in apprising countries of the intentions of others.”
Source: “What are the spies for?” published in The Economist
Armada: noun, a fleet of warships
Synonyms: flotilla, squadron, navy
“This month he also unveiled plans to send an armada of tiny spaceships, powered by laser beams and equipped with all sorts of sensors…”
Source: “Crazy diamonds” published in The Economist
Arson: noun, the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property
Synonyms: incendiarism, pyromania
“The political landscape already feels as ready to burn as any… drought-stricken forest, so that throwing inflammatory statements around would be as wicked as any act of arson.”
Source: “A bloody week for America” published in The Economist
Ascribe: verb, Attribute something to (a cause)
Synonyms: attribute to, assign to, blame on
“He had spent years training to be a neurosurgeon; his doctor first ascribed his sharp pains and dwindling frame to the demands of residency.”
Source: “As he lay dying” published in The Economist
Barrage: noun, A concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows
Synonyms: abundance, mass, profusion
“Whatever the outcome of individual claims, the barrage of litigation will probably prompt firms to adjust their online terms.”
Source: “Ticking all the boxes” published in The Economist
Bevy: noun, a large group of people or things of a particular kind
Synonyms: group, crowd, cluster
“Of the bevy of bullet points in Mr. Obama’s new package of executive actions, the most consequential is his decision to require significantly expanded background checks.”
Source: “Obama’s new push for tougher gun controls” published in The Economist
Boor: noun, an unrefined, ill-mannered person
Synonyms: lout, oaf, ruffian
“End a sentence in a preposition, and there are still people who will think you a boor.”
Source: “Do you make Scandinavian mistakes?” published in The Economist
Bucolic: adjective, Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life
Synonyms: rustic, rural, pastoral
“General Electric… is now swapping its bucolic site for a collection of warehouses on the Boston waterfront.”
Source: “Leaving for the city” published in The Economist
Canonical: adjective, (Of an artist or work) belonging to the literary or artistic canon
Synonyms: established, authoritative
“The medium now mostly consists of recycling the same canonical works by European men from centuries past.”
Source: “Can classical music be cool?” published in The Economist
Capricious: adjective, given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
Synonyms: fickle, inconstant, changeable
“But there is a body of academic work that supports the idea that elections often misfire. For one thing, voters can be capricious.”
Source: “X marks the knot” published in The Economist
Chauvinism: noun, Excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for one’s own cause, group, or gender
Synonyms: jingoism, excessive patriotism, sectarianism
“As recently as 2014, a biannual survey of right-wing attitudes in Germany found that xenophobia, chauvinism, anti-Semitism and authoritarian longings were declining.”
Source: “Radikale Rechte” published in The Economist
Circumspect: adjective, Wary and unwilling to take risks
Synonyms: cautious, wary, careful
“‘This is an area where we need to be extraordinarily careful and circumspect’, he said. ‘We’re literally talking about life and death.’”
Source: “How assisted suicide is gradually becoming lawful in America” published in The Economist
Coalesce: verb, Come together and form one mass or whole
Synonyms: merge, unite, fuse
“As they radiate away, the waves tend to coalesce to form two main shock waves.”
Source: “How supersonic jets may become less noisy” published in The Economist
Coffer: noun, the funds or financial reserves of a group or institution
Synonyms: resources, money, finances
“This scheme drains public coffers and is horribly corrupt.”
Source: “State of denial” published in The Economist
Condone: verb, Accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive)
Synonyms: disregard, let pass, excuse
“Rashad Ali… argues that deradicalisation can be worse than useless if practitioners, while condemning IS, condone other violence.”
Source: “A disarming approach” published in The Economist
Contrite: adjective, Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence
Synonyms: regretful, sorry, apologetic
“As the election results were coming in, a contrite Mr. Turnbull took ‘full responsibility’ for the government’s poor performance.”
Source: “The churn down under” published in The Economist
Credulous: adjective, having or showing too great a readiness to believe things
Synonyms: gullible, naive
“Supplements boast a unique trifecta: lax regulation, potent marketing and millions of credulousconsumers keen to pin their hopes of a healthier life on a pill.”
Source: “Miracle healers” published in The Economist
Demur: verb, Raise doubts or objections or show reluctance
Synonyms: object, take exception, take issue
“Mr. Sasse demurs. He does not want less fighting between the left and right. He wants more “meaningful fighting” about issues of substance.”
Source: “Ben Heard” published in The Economist
Depravity: noun, Moral corruption; wickedness
Synonyms: vice, perversion, deviance
“He condemned the ‘anarchical plutocracy’ he lived in, scorning the depravity of modern society and its politics.”
Source: “The discomfort of words” published in The Economist
Deride: verb, Express contempt for; ridicule
Synonyms: mock, jeer at, scoff at
“Mr. Trudeau’s domestic critics—so far a minority—deride him as ‘Prime Minister Selfie’ for posing incessantly with fans and celebrities…”
Source: “The last liberals” published in The Economist
Diatribe: noun, a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
Synonyms: tirade, harangue, onslaught
“CNN and other outlets were wrong to turn one disgruntled passenger’s Facebook diatribe into headline news. “
Source: “One can of worms, please. Unopened” published in The Economist
Dictum: noun, a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle
Synonyms: saying, maxim, axiom
“Sometimes the old army dictum ‘Don’t volunteer for anything’ must be broken.”
Source: “Lights, camera, action men” published in The Economist
Diffuse: verb, Spread out over a large area
Synonyms: scattered, dispersed, not concentrated
“The political economy of trade is treacherous: its benefits, though substantial, are diffuse…”
Source: “The consensus crumbles” published in The Economist
Dilate: verb, Make or become wider, larger, or more open
Synonyms: enlarge, expand
“By being able to increase heartbeat, while dilating blood vessels, theobromine can help reduce high blood pressure.”
Source: “Confection of the gods” published in The Economist
Discordant: adjective, Disagreeing or incongruous
Synonyms: divergent, opposing, clashing
“It represents an opening of musical trade routes between two often discordant sides of the world.”
Source: “Omar Souleyman, not a debaser but an Arab conduit to the West” published in The Economist
Divest: verb, Rid oneself of something that one no longer wants or requires, such as a business interest or investment
“So far the protesters have managed to persuade 220 cities and institutions to divest some of their holdings…”
Source: “Fight the power” published in The Economist
Droll: adjective, Curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement
Synonyms: funny, humorous, amusing
“Karo Akpokiere, from Nigeria, will present a series of droll paintings inspired by the fast-moving pop culture that has emerged in Lagos…”
Source: “New on the Rialto” published in The Economist
Echelon: noun, a level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society
Synonyms: level, rank, grade
“The social shock of the arrival of online education will be substantially greater if it devours the top echelon of public universities.”
Source: “The disruption to come” published in The Economist
Eddy: verb, (of water, air, or smoke) move in a circular way
Synonyms: swirl, whirl, spiral
“Above all, Hokusai was a master of line and pattern, inscribing his forms within contours that eddy and spill like the currents of a mountain stream.”
Source: “Riding the crest” published in The Economist
Effigy: noun, a sculpture or model of a person
Synonyms: statue, statuette, figure
“The tradition of lighting bonfires and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes began shortly after the foiled plot, and schoolchildren still learn the ghoulish rhyme ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November.’”
Source: “In Cuba, app stores pay rent” published in The Economist
Elucidate: verb, Make (something) clear
Synonyms: explain, make plain, illuminate
“One was from almost 600 people who had completed… a questionnaire intended to elucidatethe different tendencies of people to engage in sexual relationships without a deep emotional commitment.”
Source: “Cads and dads” published in The Economist
Endemic: adjective, (Of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
Synonyms: local, regional
“One of the mysteries of epidemiology is why Asia does not suffer from yellow fever. The disease is endemic in Africa, the continent where it evolved.”
Source: “A preventable tragedy” published in The Economist
Epistemology: noun, the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope
“The only way to know for sure is to run the experiment (Mr. Lind’s exotic epistemologynotwithstanding).”
Source: “Michael Lind’s bad argument against anything” published in The Economist
Epithet: noun, an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing; a term of abuse
Synonyms: name, label, smear
“Preposterous’ and ‘absurd’ were among the milder epithets that could be overheard in the multilingual din.”
Source: “Snafus and successes at the Olympics” published in The Economist
Errant: adjective, Erring or straying from the proper course or standards
Synonyms: offending, guilty, culpable
“He could admit the error and fire the errant speechwriter.”
Source: “Melania Trump’s excruciating blunder” published in The Economist
Esoteric: adjective, Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest
Synonyms: abstruse, obscure, arcane
“The subjects at hand often sound esoteric, if not silly, but the questions may prove more than merely academic.”
Source: “Sneaking with the fishes” published in The Economist
Exemplar: noun, a person or thing serving as a typical example or excellent model
Synonyms: epitome, perfect example
‘At times ‘Utopia’ seems less an exemplar of idealism, and more of a satire on it.”
Source: “500 years on, are we living in Thomas More’s Utopia?” published in The Economist
Extol: verb, Praise enthusiastically
Synonyms: go wild about, wax lyrical about
“This is likely to become a media circus, with patient advocates likely to attend and extol the benefits of the treatments they received.”
Source: “A dish called hope” published in The Economist
Façade: noun, the face of a building
Synonyms: front, frontage, exterior
“Its grey stone façade and arched doorways convey a feeling of prosperity, a splash of high finance in this small county town in eastern China…”
Source: “Big but brittle” published in The Economist
Fetid: adjective, smelling extremely unpleasant
Synonyms: stinking, smelly, foul-smelling
“The fetid smog that settled on Beijing in January 2013 could join the ranks of these game-changing environmental disruptions.”
Source: “The East is grey” published in The Economist
Florid: adjective, using unusual words or complicated rhetorical constructions
Synonyms: extravagant, grandiloquent
“A victorious Governor Jerry Brown, his voice gruffer, his pate sparer and his metaphors more florid than during his first stint in office…”
Source: “Brownian motion” published in The Economist
Flout: verb, Openly disregard
Synonyms: defy, refuse to obey, go against
“It relies on its members, and on institutions… to shame and discourage people who flout important political norms.”
Source: “How strong are the institutions of liberal societies?” published in The Economist
Foible: noun, a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character
Synonyms: idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, peculiarity
“The elder Bongo had a gift for politics as outsized as his personality (among other foibles, he liked to show off his pet tiger to guests).”
Source: “Trying to get past oil” published in The Economist
Forestall: verb, Prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking action ahead of time
Synonyms: pre-empt, get in before, get ahead of
“To forestall a social crisis, he mused, governments should consider a tax on robots; if automation slows as a result, so much the better.”
Source: “Why taxing robots is not a good idea” published in The Economist
Frenetic: adjective, Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
Synonyms: frantic, wild, frenzied
“Frenetic multi-tasking—surfing the web while watching TV while listening to music—is a formula for distraction, rather than good management.”
Source: “Here comes SuperBoss” published in The Economist
Gall: noun, Bold, impudent behavior
Synonyms: insolence, nerve, audacity
With enough gall and entrepreneurial spirit, it suggests, anyone can end up driving a Porsche and living in a marble-floored luxury apartment.
Source: “War games” published in The Economist
Galvanize: verb, Shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action
Synonyms: jolt, impel
“‘The decay of American politics,’ Mr. Fukuyama writes, ‘will probably continue until some external shock comes along to catalyze a true reform coalition and galvanize it into action.’”
Source: “Pandering and other sins” published in The Economist
Gambit: noun, a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage
Synonyms: plan, scheme, strategy
“What began as a gambit to hold together his divided Tory party is turning into an alarmingly close contest.”
Source: “The real danger of Brexit” published in The Economist
Goad: verb, Provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction
Synonyms: spur, prod, egg on
“Her words were meant to goad officials into action, not (presumably) to describe how she saw the coming four years of her term.”
Source: “A series of unfortunate events” published in The Economist
Gossamer: adjective, Used to refer to something very light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate
Synonyms: gauzy, gossamery, fine
“Like a saintly relic, the gossamer threads that tie the two halves offer the promise of miraculous healing by evoking the vulnerability of the suffering body.”
Source: “Die and do” published in The Economist
Gouge: verb, Overcharge; swindle
“They do not want monopolists to gouge consumers and stifle innovation, yet they often struggle to determine the extent to which such things are happening.”
Source: “It’s complicated” published in The Economist
Grandiloquent: adjective, Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner
Synonyms: pompous, bombastic, magniloquent
“The authors give it a rather grandiloquent name: the desire ‘to force destiny, to create serendipity.’”
Source: “In praise of misfits” published in The Economist
Grouse: verb, complain pettily; grumble
Synonyms: moan, groan, protest
“Some economists grouse about such rules, which can interfere with the smooth functioning of competitive labour markets…”
Source: “Apps and downsides” published in The Economist
Hapless: adjective, (Especially of a person) unfortunate
Synonyms: unlucky, luckless, out of luck
“By the 1970s, many fans argued that the spectacle of hapless pitchers feebly trying to fend off blazing fastballs was turning their at-bats into a mockery of the game.”
Source: “Is it ever a good idea to let a hurler hit?” published in The Economist
Homage: noun, Special honour or respect shown publicly
Synonyms: tribute, acknowledgement, admiration
“Over the past year, numerous young directors have been paying gushing homage to the movies which enchanted them in their youth.”
Source: “The dangerous chill of Chilcot” published in The Economist
Imbue: verb, Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality
Synonyms: saturate, fill, suffuse
“Some feminists argue, moreover, that the very framework of economics is imbued with subtler forms of sexism.”
Source: “A proper reckoning” published in The Economist