Vocabulary Words  /  GRE SAT MAT ACT
  Word List  /  5-part Quiz 
 
Words for Smart Test Takers
GRE  ·  SAT  ·  ACT  ·  MAT
 I N T E R N E T   E D I T I O N
     About  |  GRE Home
<< Words for Smart Test Takers

Vocabulary Quiz No. 3

  Related GRE Sites 
 24-Hour GRE Prep
 GRE Writing Skills
 Model GRE Essays
 
 
GRE Vocab Builders 
  Ultimate GRE Vocab
  Kaplan GRE Vocab
  GRE Word Smart
 
 
Here you'll find a quick 33-question vocabulary quiz (#3 of 5) to test your knowledge of high-frequency GRE, SAT, and MAT words. Everything you need for the quiz, including answers and definitions, are on this page. Keep in mind that you won't see this particular question format on any of these exams.

related pages See this word list to learn all 165 words from the five quizzes.
 
Quiz 1   Quiz 2   Quiz 3   Quiz 4   Quiz 5

Number of Questions: 33 multiple-choice
 
Directions: For each numbered word, select the closest 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 for the correct answer.

 
1.  abeyance

(A) recession
(B) dormancy
(C) compliance

2.  affable

(A) trivial
(B) tasty
(C) friendly

3.  asperity

(A) conviction
(B) harshness
(C) poverty

4.  blithe

(A) listless
(B) merry
(C) excessive

5.  chary

(A) hesitant
(B) brazen
(C) fresh

6.  conscript

(A) compel
(B) summarize
(C) erase

7.  contrite

(A) brief
(B) oppressive
(C) sorry

8.  dally

(A) frolic
(B) tighten
(C) err

9.  diatribe

(A) conspiracy
(B) reflection
(C) denunciation

10.  dote

(A) delay
(B) spoil
(C) blemish

11.  equable

(A) uniform
(B) just
(C) durable

12.  expostulate

(A) retrace
(B) theorize
(C) dissuade

13.  feckless

(A) useless
(B) consistent
(C) excellent

14.  furtive

(A) secret
(B) newborn
(C) vain

15.  goad

(A) guess
(B) prompt
(C) speculate

16.  imperious

(A) curious
(B) arrogant
(C) miserly

17.  inimical

(A) devilish
(B) unfavorable
(C) ultimate

18.  insolent

(A) puzzling
(B) rude
(C) private

19.  ire

(A) envy
(B) anxiety
(C) rage

20.  macerate

(A) dissolve
(B) scheme
(C) ponder

21.  obsequious

(A) attentive
(B) contorted
(C) flirtatious

22.  panegyric

(A) anecdote
(B) praise
(C) tyrant

23.  peruse

(A) inspect
(B) recycle
(C) experiment

24.  poignant

(A) focused
(B) practical
(C) moving

25.  proclivity

(A) outgrowth
(B) bias
(C) passage

26.  propriety

(A) selfishness
(B) decency
(C) support

27.  regale

(A) entertain
(B) bombard
(C) worship

28.  resplendent

(A) generous
(B) radiant
(C) pleased

29.  spurn

(A) confine
(B) label
(C) reject

30.  temporize

(A) tame
(B) overlook
(C) stall

31.  untenable

(A) exceptional
(B) impregnable
(C) fallacious

32.  vanquish

(A) defeat
(B) heal
(C) escape

33.  wield

(A) search
(B) utilize
(C) intersect

 
Answers and Definitions

  1. (B)
    abeyance

    (n) a condition of suspended activity

    (A) recession
    (B) dormancy
    (C) compliance


  2.  
  3. (C)
    affable
    (adj) agreeable and good-natured

    (A) trivial
    (B) tasty
    (C) friendly


     
  4. (B)
    asperity
    (n) roughness or bitterness, esp. regarding temper

    (A) conviction
    (B) harshness
    (C) poverty


     
  5. (B)
    blithe
    (adj) lightheartedly joyful or cheerful

    (A) listless
    (B) merry
    (C) excessive


     
  6. (A)
    chary
    (adj) cautious; circumspect

    (A) hesitant
    (B) brazen
    (C) fresh


     
  7. (A)
    conscript
    (v) to select or enroll by compulsion, esp. for military service

    (A) compel
    (B) summarize
    (C) erase


     
  8. (C)
    contrite
    (adj) repentant; regretful

    (A) brief
    (B) oppressive
    (C) sorry


     
  9. (A)
    dally
    (v) to act playfully; to waste time

    (A) frolic
    (B) tighten
    (C) err


     
  10. (C)
    diatribe
    (n) an angry or bitter attack in speech or writing

    (A) conspiracy
    (B) reflection
    (C) denunciation


     
  11. (B)
    dote
    (v) to pamper adoringly and attentively; coddle

    (A) delay
    (B) spoil
    (C) blemish


     
  12. (A)
    equable
    (adj) even-tempered; characterized by a lack of unpleasant extremes

    (A) uniform
    (B) just
    (C) durable


     
  13. (C)
    expostulate
    (v) to reason with a person, esp. in order to dissuade (persuade against); remonstrate

    (A) retrace
    (B) theorize
    (C) dissuade


     
  14. (A)
    feckless
    (adj) worthless or meaningless; ineffectual or weak

    (A) useless
    (B) consistent
    (C) excellent


     
  15. (A)
    furtive
    (adj) sneaky or sly; stealthy; surreptitious

    (A) secret
    (B) newborn
    (C) vain


     
  16. (B)
    goad
    (v) to urge; spur; prod

    (A) guess
    (B) prompt
    (C) speculate


     
  17. (B)
    imperious
    (adj) domineering or overbearing; commanding or lordly

    (A) curious
    (B) arrogant
    (C) miserly


     
  18. (B)
    inimical
    (adj) adverse or unfavorable; hostile or unfriendly

    (A) devilish
    (B) unfavorable
    (C) ultimate


     
  19. (B)
    insolent
    (adj) showing disrespect or contempt through behavior or language

    (A) puzzling
    (B) rude
    (C) private


     
  20. (C)
    ire
    (n) anger; wrath

    (A) envy
    (B) anxiety
    (C) rage


     
  21. (A)
    macerate
    (v) to cause to waste away; to soften and break apart by moistening

    (A) dissolve
    (B) scheme
    (C) ponder


     
  22. (A)
    obsequious
    (adj) humbly or overly attentive, as to a person in authority; fawning; sycophantic

    (A) attentive
    (B) contorted
    (C) flirtatious


     
  23. (B)
    panegyric
    (n) an oration or writing of praise for a person (esp. a eulogy) or thing

    (A) anecdote
    (B) praise
    (C) tyrant


     
  24. (A)
    peruse
    (v) to examine or study; scrutinize

    (A) inspect
    (B) recycle
    (C) experiment


     
  25. (C)
    poignant
    (adj) deeply affecting (moving) the emotions; keenly distressing

    (A) focused
    (B) practical
    (C) moving


     
  26. (B)
    proclivity
    (n) natural inclination of tendency; bent; disposition

    (A) outgrowth
    (B) bias
    (C) passage


     
  27. (B)
    propriety
    (n) conformity to established standards of proper behavior or manners

    (A) selfishness
    (B) decency
    (C) support


     
  28. (A)
    regale
    (v) to give lavish pleasure to; delight; amuse

    (A) entertain
    (B) bombard
    (C) worship


     
  29. (B)
    resplendent
    (adj) shining brilliantly or brightly

    (A) generous
    (B) radiant
    (C) pleased


     
  30. (C)
    spurn
    (v) to reject with disdain; shun

    (A) confine
    (B) label
    (C) reject


     
  31. (C)
    temporize
    (v) to gain time by delaying with evasiveness or indecisiveness

    (A) tame
    (B) overlook
    (C) stall


     
  32. (C)
    untenable
    (adj) indefensible, esp. an argument; unreasonable; unsupportable

    (A) exceptional
    (B) impregnable
    (C) fallacious


     
  33. (A)
    vanquish
    (v) to conquer or subdue by superior force

    (A) defeat
    (B) heal
    (C) escape


     
  34. (B)
    wield
    (v) to exercise or use, esp. a weapon or instrument; to gain control over

    (A) search
    (B) utilize

 

 

 

Words for Smart Test Takers | Top of Page 
 
 
 
Words for Smart Test Takers   |   Top of Page   |   About this Site   |    Legal Notices

24-Hour GRE Prep   |   GRE Writing Skills   |   Model GRE Essays

 Copyright © 1997-2009 by Mark Alan Stewart. 
All rights reserved.