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GRE/MAT Vocabulary Quiz — Part 1

Here you'll find part 1 of a 5-part quiz designed to gauge your general vocabulary and give you an idea as to how prepared you are for "vocabulary-centric" GRE and MAT questions. Also available here is a vocabulary list that includes all of the words from the 5-part quiz.

Quiz 1 | Quiz 2 | Quiz 3 | Quiz 4 | Quiz 5

Number of Questions: 33 multiple-choice

Directions: For each numbered word, select the best synonym (the word that most closely suggests the underlined word's meaning) among the three answer choices. Click on the word to check its definition and the correct answer.

NOTE: You won't find this question format on the GRE or MAT.

1. abate
(A) diminish
(B) mimic
(C) challenge 2. acumen

(A) residue
(B) speech
(C) insight
3. apprise

(A) admire
(B) inform
(C) estimate
4. audacious

(A) loud
(B) bold
(C) obvious

5. bereft

(A) lacking
(B) saddened
(C) hidden
6. capricious

(A) illegal
(B) curved
(C) spontaneous

7. cogitate

(A) mix
(B) consider
(C) appreciate
8. consign

(A) entrust
(B) quit
(C) refuse
9. corroborate

(A) contract
(B) conspire
(C) confirm

10. deride

(A) rub
(B) mock
(C) prevent
11. doctrinaire

(A) theoretical
(B) polite
(C) wealthy

12. encomium

(A) tomb
(B) problem
(C) admiration

13. equanimity

(A) poise
(B) fairness
(C) buoyancy
14. extemporaneous

(A) improvised
(B) permanent
(C) accidental
15. felicitous

(A) tidy
(B) appropriate
(C) false
16. glean

(A) waste
(B) shine
(C) gather

17. impart

(A) fold
(B) disclose
(C) separate

18. incise

(A) learn
(B) heat
(C) penetrate
19. innocuous

(A) foolish
(B) safe
(C) preventative
20. inveigle

(A) lure
(B) waver
(C) shrink
21. loll

(A) relax
(B) sway
(C) pamper

22. nascent

(A) budding
(B) violent
(C) fragrant
23. ostracize

(A) exclaim
(B) exaggerate
(C) exile
24. peripatetic

(A) paralyzed
(B) mobile
(C) unaware

25. placate

(A) coat
(B) calm
(C) carry
26. precept

(A) aversion
(B) barrier
(C) rule

27. prolix

(A) supportive
(B) courageous
(C) wordy
28. recalcitrant

(A) hardened
(B) calculating
(C) unmanageable
29. repine

(A) fret
(B) rest
(C) recall
30. sere

(A) bitter
(B) withered
(C) sharp

31. sinecure

(A) occupation
(B) antidote
(C) enemy
32. tout

(A) trim
(B) promote
(C) reinforce
33. vagary

(A) deception
(B) oddity
(C) impulse

Answers and Definitions

(A)
abate (v) to put an end to; to decrease in amount, number, or degree
(A) diminish
(B) mimic
(C) challenge

(C)
acumen (n) mental keenness and acuteness; discernment
(A) residue
(B) speech
(C) insight

(B)
apprise (v) to acquaint, notify, or instruct
(A) admire
(B) inform
(C) estimate

(B)
audacious (adj) daring or adventurous
(A) loud
(B) bold
(C) obvious

(A)
bereft (adj) deprived of; lacking
(A) lacking
(B) saddened
(C) hidden

(C)
capricious (adj) acting impulsively and whimsically (without care)
(A) illegal
(B) curved
(C) spontaneous

(B)
cogitate (v) to ponder or contemplate
(A) mix
(B) consider
(C) appreciate

(A)
consign (v) to transfer goods to another for subsequent sale
(A) entrust
(B) quit
(C) refuse

(C)
corroborate (v) to support (help prove) with evidence
(A) contract
(B) conspire
(C) confirm

(B)
deride (v) to make fun of or scoff at; ridicule
(A) rub
(B) mock
(C) prevent

(A)
doctrinaire (adj) merely theoretical, without regard to practical considerations; dogmatic or authoritarian
(A) theoretical
(B) polite
(C) wealthy

(C)
encomium (n) high or glowing praise; acclaim
(A) tomb
(B) problem
(C) admiration

(A)
equanimity (n) composure (dignified calmness)
(A) poise
(B) fairness
(C) buoyancy

(A)
extemporaneous (adj) not planned ahead of time; impromptu; spontaneous
(A) improvised
(B) permanent
(C) accidental

(B)
felicitous (adj) aptly expressed; possessing the ability to express in a suitable, fitting manner
(A) tidy
(B) appropriate
(C) false

(C)
glean (v) to collect (pick up) patiently—little by little; garner; cull
(A) waste
(B) shine
(C) gather

(B)
impart (v) to make known; to transmit, esp. information
(A) fold
(B) disclose
(C) separate

(C)
incise (v) to cut into
(A) learn
(B) heat
(C) penetrate

(B)
innocuous (adj) harmless; benign; inoffensive
(A) foolish
(B) safe
(C) preventative

(A)
inveigle (v) to entice or win over by ingenuity or flattery
(A) lure
(B) waver
(C) shrink

(A)
loll (v) to lounge; loaf; laze
(A) relax
(B) sway
(C) pamper

(A)
nascent (adj) coming into existence; beginning to grow
(A) budding
(B) violent
(C) fragrant

(C)
ostracize (v) to exclude from a group by common consent
(A) exclaim
(B) exaggerate
(C) exile

(B)
peripatetic (adj) walking or traveling about; itinerant
(A) paralyzed
(B) mobile
(C) unaware

(B)
placate (v) to quiet or calm; appease; pacify
(A) coat
(B) calm
(C) carry

(C)
precept (n) a direction (instruction) given as a rule or principle of conduct; maxim; axiom
(A) aversion
(B) barrier
(C) rule

(C)
prolix (adj) tediously long and wordy in speech or writing
(A) supportive
(B) courageous
(C) wordy

(C)
recalcitrant (adj) resisting authority or control; rebellious; refractory
(A) hardened
(B) calculating
(C) unmanageable

(A)
repine (v) to be fretfully (agitatedly) discontent
(A) fret
(B) rest
(C) recall

(B)
sere (adj) dry; withered
(A) bitter
(B) withered
(C) sharp

(A)
sinecure (n) comfortable job or position requiring little work
(A) occupation
(B) antidote
(C) enemy

(B)
tout (v) to solicit support for by praising or boasting about
(A) trim
(B) promote
(C) reinforce

(C)
vagary (n) an unpredictable, erratic, or whimsical idea or occurrence; caprice
(A) deception
(B) oddity
(C) impulse