GRE & SAT Vocabulary: Part 4 of 56 (61 – 80)

61) arrogance /ˈærəɡəns/ (noun) [uncountable]: the behaviour of a person when they feel that they are more important than other people, so that they are rude to them or do not consider them

Example: He has a reputation for rudeness and intellectual arrogance.

S: conceit, pride, swagger /ˈswæɡ.ə(r)/, pretension, presumption, bluster, hubris /ˈhjuː.brɪs/, pomposity, insolence, hauteur /əʊˈtɜː(r)/, haughtiness /ˈhɔː.ti.nəs/, superciliousness

A: modesty, humility, shyness, politeness, diffidence, meekness, bashfulness

62) articulate /ɑː(r)ˈtɪkjuleɪt/ (verb / adjective) (verb)

i. [transitive] ~ something (to sb) (formal) to express or explain your thoughts or feelings clearly in words

Examples: a) She struggled to articulate her thoughts. b) It is the school’s duty to articulate its practices to parents.

ii. [intransitive, transitive] to speak, pronounce or play something in a clear way

Examples: a) He was too drunk to articulate properly. b) Every note was carefully articulated.

S: express /ɪkˈspres/, say, tell, state, speak, declare, communicate, assert, pronounce, utter, put across, enunciate, verbalize

Adjective

/ɑː(r)ˈtɪkjələt/

i. (of a person) good at expressing ideas or feelings clearly in words

Examples: a) He was unusually articulate for a ten-year-old. b) She is the most articulate critic of government policy.

ii. (of speech) clearly expressed or pronounced

ES: All we could hear were loud sobs, but no articulate words.

S: expressive /ɪkˈspresɪv/, clear, effective, vocal, meaningful, understandable, eloquent /ˈeləkwənt/, lucid, comprehensible, intelligible

A: halting, silent, unclear, faltering, mumbled, stammering, hesitant, incomprehensible, stuttering, unintelligible, indistinct

63) ascend /əˈsend/ (verb) [intransitive, transitive] (formal): to rise; to go up; to climb up

Examples: a) The path started to ascend more steeply. b) The air became colder as we ascended. c) The results have been ranked in ascending order (= from the lowest to the highest).

S: climb, scale, mount, go up, come up, rise, go up

A: go down, descend, dip, fall, plunge, plummet /ˈplʌmɪt/, move down, subside

64) ascertain /ˌæsə(r)ˈteɪn/ (verb) (formal ): to find out the true or correct information about something

Examples: It can be difficult to ascertain the facts. b) I ascertained that the driver was not badly hurt. c) It should be ascertained that the plans comply with the law. d) The police are trying to ascertain what really happened. e) It must be ascertained if the land is still owned by the government.

S: find out, learn, discover, determine, confirm, settle, identify, establish, fix, verify, make certain, ferret /ˈferɪt/ out

A: disprove, invalidate, confuse, ignore, look away, neglect, misunderstand, overlook

65) ascetic /əˈsetɪk/ (adjective)  [usually before noun]: not allowing yourself physical pleasures, especially for religious reasons; related to a simple and strict way of living

Examples: a) The monks lived a very ascetic life. b) Living hidden away in the mountains suited his ascetic character.

S: self-denying, severe, plain, harsh, stern, rigorous, austere /ɒˈstɪə(r), spartan /ˈspɑː(r)tən/, abstemious, puritanical /ˌpjʊərɪˈtænɪkəl/

A: comfortable, luxurious  /lʌɡˈʒʊəriəs/, sensuous  /ˈsensjuəs/, self-indulgent, voluptuous /vəˈlʌptʃuəs/, sensual /ˈsensjuəl/

66) ascribe /əˈskraɪb/ (verb): i. to consider or state that a book, etc. was written by a particular person

Example: This play is usually ascribed to Shakespeare.

ii. to consider that something is caused by a particular thing or person

Example: He ascribed his failure to bad luck.

iii. to consider that somebody/something has or should have a particular quality

ES: We ascribe great importance to these policies.

S: attribute, credit, refer, assign /əˈsaɪn/

67) aseptic /ˌeɪˈseptɪk/ (adjective) (medical): free from harmful bacteria

S: clean, purified

68) aspersions /əˈspɜː(r)ʒnz/ (noun)  [plural] (formal): critical or unpleasant remarks or judgements

Example: I wouldn’t want to cast aspersions on your honesty.

S: slander, abuse, smear, censure, reproach, defamation, vilification, denigration, calumny, disparagement, vituperation /vaɪˌtʃuːpərˈeɪʃən/, obloquy /ˈɒbləkwi/

A: adulation /ˌædʒəˈleɪʃən/, approval, commendation, compliment, praise

69) assail /əˈseɪl/ (verb) (formal): i. (~ somebody/something) to attack somebody/something violently, either physically or with words

Examples: a) He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. b) The proposal was assailed by the opposition party.

(figurative) A vile smell assailed my nostrils.

S: attack, charge, assault, invade, maltreat, berate, impugn, lambaste, revile

A: compliment, praise, uphold, exonerate /ɪɡˈzɑːnəreɪt/

70) assiduous /əˈsɪdjuəs / (adjective) (formal): working very hard and taking great care that everything is done as well as it can be

Example: She was assiduous in her duties.

S: diligent, hard-working, persistent, attentive, persevering, laborious, industrious, indefatigable, tireless, untiring, sedulous

A: lazy, slack, idle, careless, lax, negligent, indolent, inattentive

Learn GRE & SAT Vocabulary: Part 3 of 56 (41 – 60) here.

Learn GRE & SAT Vocabulary: Part 5 of 56 (81 – 100) here.

71) assuage /əˈsweɪdʒ/: (verb) (formal) to make an unpleasant feeling less severe

Example: His reply did little to assuage my suspicions.

S: relieve, ease, calm, moderate, temper, soothe, lessen, alleviate, lighten, allay /əˈleɪ/, mitigate, quench, palliate  /ˈpælieɪt/

A: increase, intensify, worsen, heighten, exacerbate /ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/, aggravate

72) asterisk /ˈæstərɪsk/ (noun): the symbol (*) placed next to a particular word or phrase to make people notice it or to show that more information is given in another place

ES: a) I’ve placed an asterisk next to the tasks I want you to do first. b) If you have an asterisk key on your telephone, please press it now.

73) astringent / əˈstrɪndʒənt / (adjective): i. (technical) (of a liquid or cream) able to make the skin feel less oily or to stop the loss of blood from a cut

Examples: a) an astringent lotion b) to have an astringent effect

S: contractive, contractile /kənˈtræktaɪl/, styptic /ˈstɪptɪk/

ii: (formal) critical in a severe or clever way

Example: astringent writers/comments

S: severe, strict, exacting /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/, harsh, grim, stern, hard, rigid, rigorous, stringent, austere, caustic, acerbic /əˈsɜː(r)bɪk/

A: bland, kind, mild, nice, pleasant

iii: (formal ) ( of a taste or smell ) slightly bitter but fresh

Example: the astringent taste of lemon juice

74) astute /əˈstjuːt/ (adjective): very clever and quick at seeing what to do in a particular situation, especially how to get an advantage

Examples: a) an astute businessman / politician / observer b) It was an astute move to sell the shares then. b) She was astute enough to realize that what Jack wanted was her money.

S: intelligent, sharp, keen, calculating, clever, subtle, penetrating, knowing, shrewd  /ʃruːd/, cunning, discerning, sly, canny, perceptive, crafty, artful, insightful, foxy, adroit /əˈdrɔɪt/, sagacious /səˈɡeɪʃəs/ (formal)

A: slow, stupid, dull, straightforward, naïve /naɪˈiːv/, unknowing, ingenuous, unintelligent

75) attenuate /əˈtenjueɪt/ (verb): to make something weaker or less effective

Example: The drug attenuates the effects of the virus.

S: weaken, reduce, lower, diminish, decrease, dilute  /daɪˈluːt/, lessen, adulterate, enfeeble, enervate

A: aid, assist, amplify, enable, enlarge, expand /ɪkˈspænd/, extend /ɪkˈstend/, increase, intensify, strengthen

76) audacious  /ɔːˈdeɪʃəs/ (adjective)  (formal): willing to take risks or to do something shocking

Example: an audacious decision

S: daring, enterprising, brave, bold, risky, rash, adventurous, reckless, courageous, fearless, intrepid, valiant, daredevil  /ˈdeə(r)ˌdevəl/, dauntless /ˈdɔːnt.ləs/, venturesome

A: guarded, frightened, careful, cautious, cowardly, prudent, timid, unadventurous

77) augury /ˈɔːɡjʊri/ (noun) (plural auguries) (literary): a sign of what will happen in the future

S: omen /ˈəʊmən/, sign, warning, token, herald (literary), prophecy /ˈprɑːfəsi/, precursor, forerunner, portent, harbinger (literary), presage /ˈpres.ɪdʒ/, forewarning

78) august /ɔːˈɡʌst/ (adjective) [usually before noun] (formal): impressive, making you feel respect

Example: an august group of statesmen

S: noble, great, kingly, grand, excellent, imposing, impressive, superb, distinguished, magnificent, glorious, splendid, elevated, eminent, majestic, dignified, regal, stately, monumental, solemn, lofty, exalted /ɪɡˈzɔːltɪd/

A: undignified, base, common, mean, contemptible, ignoble, despicable /dɪˈspɪkəbl/ /ˈdespɪkəbl/, scruffy

79) auspicious /ɔːˈspɪʃəs/ (adjective) (formal): suggesting a positive and successful future

Examples: a) They won their first match of the season 5-1 which was an auspicious start/beginning. b) Our first meeting was not auspicious – we had a huge argument.

S: favourable (US favorable), timely, happy, promising, encouraging, bright, lucky, fortunate, opportune /ˈɒpərtʃuːn/ (formal), propitious, felicitous /fəˈlɪsɪtəs/

A: bad, unfortunate, discouraging, unlucky, ominous, unfavourable (US unfavorable), unpromising, inauspicious, ill-omened

80) austere /ɒˈstɪə(r)/ (adjective): i. simple and plain; without any decorations

Example: a) her austere bedroom with its simple narrow bed b) Their clothes were always austere.

S: plain, simple, stark, spartan

A: comfortable, luxurious /lʌɡˈʒʊriəs/, indulgent

 

ii: (of a person) strict and serious in appearance and behaviour

Example: My father was a distant, austere man.

S: stern, hard, serious, cold, severe, grave, strict, harsh, stiff, grim, inflexible, unrelenting

A: kind, sweet, flexible, cheerful, indulgent, genial, affable, jovial

 

iii:  allowing nothing that gives pleasure; not comfortable

Example: the monks’ austere way of life

S: ascetic, strict, rigid, sober, spartan, self-disciplined, abstemious /æbˈstiːmiəs/, self-denying, abstinent

A: abandoned, immoral  /ɪˈmɒrəl/, indulgent

 

 

 

Prepared by

Mohammad Fardous Rahman

MA in English Language Teaching (ELT)

TEPT (online), Oregon University, USA

 

Dictionaries consulted:

• https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
• https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
• https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
• https://www.thesaurus.com/
• https://www.powerthesaurus.org/
• https://www.macmillandictionary.com/
• https://www.thefreedictionary.com/
• https://www.ldoceonline.com/ (Longman Dictionary)
• https://www.freecollocation.com/