know all this to answer the question? No-all you need to know is that omething like criticize.

And in the- time it took you to learn the meaning of the dictionary, you could have memorized a whol list of other words that also mething like criticize (aspersion, belittle, berate, calumny, castigate, decry, defamation, _1IIICe, deride/detisiye~diatTibe, rebuke, etcetera).,

. .

the answer to the above question! Well, that would be drawn from the list of words that mean praise (acclaim, accolade, aggrandize, encomium, eulogize, extol, fawn, laud/laudatory, -merate/veneration, etcetera.)

This is why learning words in groups is a better general strategy for beefing up your GRE vocabulary than working slowly through the dictionary.

Just remember, the categories in which these words are listed are GENERAL and not to be taken for the exact defmitions of the words.

:BOLD

audacious

courageous

dauntless

CHANGING QUICKLY

HESITATE

volatile

. .

oscillate t:ttt...lT.{?l teeter - ~ ~~

waver ~~~ ·U

dither

vacillate ~

abrupt

=te~

. .

headlong ~

INNOCENT/INEXPERIENCED credulous ~.r =-nu~

• J Jif(.l1'P1

. ,.

DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND abstruse ~ bemusing~~ esoteric ~

opaque ~ recondite~

EASY TO UNDERSTAND articulate ~ evident

pellucid s.plz_

SMART/LEARNED

astute

perspicacious

~~~~

CAROUSAL

/

~ ~ :i!!-cSl-~bacchanalian

iniquity~ licentious ~ salacious <!'~

TRUTH

ambiguous arcane - 6~

cryptic ~/:J$iTJI enigmatic

inscrutable ~ c:\ obscure. G. __ paradoxical ~ perplexing ~

tU!9id ~~

cogent limpid

CRITICIZE/CRITICISM

-tmm. ~ ~-<> aspersion belittle ~ ~ berate &t3 <S~ ~

calumny ~ (liaau castigate ~ ~ dec~ ~ ~ <r.r.tl J ~~

defamation denounce~ ~ deride/derisive ~ .

diatribe ~ ~ disparage ~ ~ excoriate ~ ~

~~. !rlt:. q- gainsay ~ ~ harangue~ ~ impugn .<r.lWl ~ tJ IS 1f"1U ~ ~

~tb~\,). ' '6- ~ 4 inveigh.. _ lambaste -lo Jiavtb~ obloquy ~ rct_Dr.P CJ1:l11

objurgate ~r~ opprobrium ~ pillory t;'.,...~ ~ ~

remonstrate ~ ~ rebuke s te u-1J;r~~ reprehend ~ ~

reprove ~ ~ revile .nTri'~ ~ tirade ~ ~

vituperate ~ $f1 ~tf~ ... ~

canny ~

5~~

depraved~~ libertine ~ reprobate~ sordid i?tt / Gr::>·-n

candor/candid ~ f~<W:y ~

indisputable indubitable f.JQ.'1;9

probity ~ sincere

verity ~

eloquent lucid

erudite

dissipated ~ libidinou~_~ ribald ~\.;o

turpitude r;;:m..Utt;)

frankness legitimate r. veracious ~3'tlr1

., iii' 't, 239

Yn czhulary Builder

. ''f§l51/~.~. ~

acclaim accolade aggrandIze - hi hi

encomium m ~)'nt.euldglZe ~;),'Y>tt ~ extol - fll frd~'tJ t1

~ ZIi'Ita~n labd/iaudatory venerate ~'T ~

frl)le8~t1~ -~,~ ~,

FALSEHOOD

. ,

apocryphal ~c.15~ dissemble Otlv:r.l ~ erroneous

feigned 'tITrl. ~ rnendaci tytll5l\!)JG'1 specious

.'

BITING (as in wit or temperament) .

CJ..tld r" Je,..-.PV/1?'IO oJ.~ J!H'o!'~ acefbic ~ '(l1 w.~ ~~ asperity b1J.r118 fJ! ~k.. en- ~ntl" mordacious

PRAISE

baieful~ inimical minatory

/

HARMFUL

TIMID/TIMIDITY .

craven 8S1~ recreant $t~

-'

BORING

1·-

, .

WEAKEN

-adulterate s.'b ~ inhibit

undermine

.r%kn.uo..k. ~.¥

~anard~ ~ duplicity~Jt

ersatz - r~~h-rnk guile J!l~ 011 perfiqy~ spurious ~ .

acidulous ~ caustic ~ trenchant v(jOtaul(j

baneful ~~. injurious ~ perfidious ~

diffident ~ ~ timorous ~

fatuous ~;};. mu~dai1e PTTf'"~ prosaic ~

enervat' ~ ~ obviate~ ~

vitiate ~

~

chicanery r;;r ~ equivocate.bI g:,~~jH-,.,aJ fallacious -lfJadiCJta<> mendacious ~ ~ I prevaricate b ~~

lhwz ~

acrimonious cSJ

mordan! ~ I _

~ «-riJ anJiuJ«)'-(.

deleterious iJl~ insid~~us ~ . pernicious ~

•

pus.ma:qimous ~ trepidation -h ~J" le..

hackneyed ~ ~ p~estrian

quotidian ~

exacerbat~~ ~ stultify ~.an

ASSIST

abet ~.~ ~ Zl. bol~ter srtt;_

espouse

proponent IIdvo~

.. _

.

HOSTILE

advocate ancillary ~ ~

corroborate ~ ~ countena=~'J ~ mainstay- ~ ~.rwr munificent ~ _

stalwart~..sI sustenance ~

churlish ~ curmudgeon ~ e- ~~ malevolentiil~..r misanthropic ~

vindictive~'fn ~d . .

STUBBORN

sr~ '2l1 ~ ~ ~~mplacable inexorable ~

~ ~ intransigent obdurate ~~

" recalcitrant t'Qto.o~;e,J-refractory ~

untoward ~ vexing ~ ~

BEGINNING/YOUNG

-10 ~ ~ l1eJ.<1 30Jtl ~ burgeoning inchoate~

f'ektf.~

callow

incipient

GENEROUS/KIND

altruistic beneficent f;,.,,~

~ ~Llargess ~ ::.magnanimous .

philanthropic unstinting ~!t

GREEDY

avaricious- ~ miserly ~.",{ rapacious -lMl18 III'(l

TERSE

compendious ~ pithy ~N3

covetous G~ penurious per'" @'t'~

curt ~ Sb-1i.!r succinct » fh~

e intractable ~

obstinate ~. k renitent to ~

1)O.Me.d~~

engender.i~ ~ nascent J~.r J..d ~ h6l'n

clement ~ munificent ~

,

'._r( W 4.iiJ $& ~ ~ mercenary' (pW1 ~ ~ _L:L

venal ~ ~ , 'Cj.!~

laconic - ~,~ taciturn ~~

t:hd,jIJ 241

OVDlBWWNIWORDY

DICTATORIAL

~ ..

circumlecution

loquacious ~.,.r rhetoric

:

dogmatic authoritarian

hegemonic hegemony~q

~ peremptory .!l~j<H~ tyrannical ~riol:1

HATRED

abhorrence ~A antipathy

loathing ~, ~.n rancor ~ S!A

BEGINNER/AMATEUR

. . .

~ r.m.n.. cv.rt.diletlante novitiate

LAZY/SLUGGISH

~

indolent ~ languid p

p hlegmatic<i..-a.., torpid \Jt:f

PACIFY ISATlSFY

to ~ ~ ~ ameIi;rate

defer ~ .a'Jll. placate ana ~ slake 2S"" ~

FORGIVE

absolve ~~ P.t

~,W~· ~exonerate .

redress ~ ~~

al1tagonism~ detestation

malice ~

fledgling~ ~ prosel ~ .

'"

i ~'rt ~~

lassitude ;ei3 quiescent ~ I~

'garrulous zm;r.::r

- periphrastic ~ turgid ~~o(""

despotic imperious

anathema~,aJ sn~mt:Mlil enmity~

odium S2"nI~L.

.',

neophyte tyTO~

" ~

Jacka'daisical:i.7J~' ...

lethargic sr.,.,m-

slothful <JQ5r

appease 'IS aqJ mitigate ~.r.ra.a.r ~ propitiate ~ $l.

acquit, ~,.a ~1i(l9 ~ expiate ~,,_ 2:?}.

vindicate ~ 'ZT<!'

exculpat~ c;t$i-~ ;~ palliate,~ ~

• "A"

abstain ~

stoic %'f;y~

POOR

destitute -~ esurient.JI~~a~ indigent rl":~

impecunious ~ &-

FAVORINGINOT IMPARTIAL

ardor/ardent -f(lJjljo,Jc._ doctrinaire~ partisan tendentious-tjjr~

DENYING OF SELF abnegate~~ Spartan

..

WALKING ABOUT

I, ambulatory I VJalkf~ /'If'fNIIJJ,

'-

INSINCERE

fervid ~ , L

zealot - 5om.€~ 'PoJ1~!J

ascetic ~ Sb~ ~ temperate .s;)<>~

peripatetic .,..('~

disingenuous ¥ dissemble onllfol ~ fulsome ~ .s ~ EP'irt,

~ ostensible cfi;;I ~ ~ &;P#

PREVENT/OBSTRUCT

discomfit ~ ~ forfend~~ inhibit

ECCENTRIC/DISSIMILAR aberrant .Q~ eclectic

iconoclast

FUNNY

chortle --k e.kJ1e. flippant ~

levity tn'll!"l>l3 ,

riposte -t\- r;Jm.b

encumber ~ <!S?1 fetter upt-~

hinder impede ~ ~

"I. occlude I t n()

tu tl~St. or Sttli. .,H-

anomalous esoteric

anachronism

discrete ~ ~

_ (l:¥I1lMi"a ill sv&?Ie . ~ _..LL

droll ~ "() ~ facetious . . - ~I~

gibe (JCrl. jocular .

ludicrous ~ rilillery -q;r _ ~

simper~~~

~~

.:I.,UII 243

Yocabu(ary Builder

SORROW

S:Oipt6?OJ .::;:. disconsolate~ elegiac .."",.n/{f I" ... lugUbriOllh~!Q

plaintive •

T\ doleful 1aSi"1 LJiJ'S)

forlorn • un!ute/ melancholy . threnody. a. Jad

DISGUSTING/OFFENSIVE

defile ~ ~ fetid. ta-J Sm<J I tR:j

noisome ~ ,- odious. J.lJiJ2u,f rebarbative,.'Ltrj ~~ _

~.

WITHDRAWAL/RETREAT ~~j 5~t0l1~abeyance -swretti1!~· .¥iure -.v:. ~'eJabortive· r~ aJ M>rogate~ '1Sl1

'" .cQ.. '.

~~.~ demur (~I ~ recant. Of to ron.

remission ~irt8 renege _ to 8 D .l.ark

d tlftt fi1 on oru.'s wll '.:1-

retrogra e fda r

DEATH/MOORNING

bereave ~ :a'lf.aJ cadaver

demise -w:s 0 ,L,..JPJ dolorous 5P~ knell. "1'/I.erI ,(Y ~ lament

moribund ~* obsequies • ~

wraith - 8'ho.st . ~

COPY'- I

counterpart ~rr factitious

quintess~nfe -'Dt8SJ. Ie

t1l'iM ~~

emulate ~~ <1f?l paradigm ~..r simulated <f'I'il ~

EQUAL

equitable

equity

UNUSUAL

.

aberration ,. anomalr

idiosyncrasy + ~ ~

244 (tgt.Iit

dolor S.£~.r

lament V~ <na:l morose· a lflom~ "ScI/ler;

fc1eM or S"'!}.

~ .

.?> ~ It! ~t1I-aAll

invidiouS' putrid !i4

abnegation - to b't:J decamp r;0 IF.:3n recidivism_-~ rescind ""21~ ~

F.

defunctru fP€.lTL

elegy - ~f- M:B

macabre ~) F _A s~pulchral ~"JG' .~

. I.

facsimile • !t.'"

~, ..

'''-- ..

.. - .. -

precursor

vicarious ~_-.

/

p I 0 tn vk or tantamount - ~1ht(ett1,'"lo~ ~..-D

~18 rM 11 0""'''''''''-

iconoclast

\ .

. ,

WANDERING

~ discursive rlF.l ~. expatiate - 1:0 ~ forage _ ~ ~ rn

it~erant p~egQ:g_aJio.ll ~ peripatetic ~

sOJ?urn ~~l>U1 •

~V'Cr'~~~ ~

GAPS/OPENINGS

abatement.am- ~ '. hiatus ~

lull svG ~

. D-...<"

respite "\4~11>I

HEALTHY

beneficial ~

aperture 4U interregnum ~ orifice ,<1.n o~enfiJ!J

rift ~)~

fi _,,- I iJrb~

ssure ,,~

interstice ~ 1 rent - tvi'il artU"6

, salubrious J.j~iuf salutary ~

ABBREVIATED COMMUNICATION

, 50'~

abndge 5=b~ ~ compendium

curtail ~ ij,mJut, syllabus

terse C,mef,se.} Ior1'<k

WISDOM

adage~ axiom~~ ~ -5O-jr"" ~ epigram poem. truism - So~~

FAMILY

conjugal-'YY1.1J1,.-n-2

wrtRfl1 a.. - endogamous

s~ih 8rp{'ogenitor ~~

NOT A StRAIGHT LINE

aphorism~ bromide

platitude fit:rsr r:r<:Bf} -IR,J- is obvi'w-Ilj hu.L

() I~ bmY1~ J_ Cl e.a.~h

consanguine ~ distaff ~ ~

filial. G-ff"oJ'ffa.k t&fratricide _~ 11rllf"!3 di2-" ~",. scion W~

lI',.~

askance ~~ awry ~

carom circuitous ~o

gyrate - +:. r>'1<5i.-t. /n1'1 ,*~fabyrinth ~

oblique -:_.n) .. ire';f- / serrated ~

sinuous ~ undulating,.. nt.6vr'(UJ

ttl wave{'-'

careen -..~~ ~ ~ circumvent.C1R':l ~ meander ~ '41<f

sidle ~ . 'b7t

vortex ~ ~~

-dahl. 245

Vocabulary Builder

INVESTIGATE

~~ ~appraise ascertain~ ~ assay - ~ a~ Qr4lJhi1ak_

~ descry -4a ~« t.1<PUyperuse ~ ~ ~

TIME/ORDER/DURATION

"

anachronism antecede ~ antedate ~ ~v

anterior archaic diurnal ~ - ,J-

f'em-.1~~ eon ephemeral epoch IA! rj '!!, ij'rl'l-A'~

fortnight -!l wte.irA millennium penultimate ~ ~

synchronous "3Iil(JjQ;;?1;T temporal - v, . ..-"o /oj' ltJ a..a<A-" ~

BAD MOOD

~~bilious ', ...

, petulant ~~ querulous

EMBARRASS

abash~ contrition ~&!f"" ~ _ foible ~ l"1in ~

FkIu .-woo.rneK

HARDHEARTED

~ '3\ ~ ~ asperity

fell- ulote..1

sardonic •

""

vitriolic ~

NAG

dlldgeon~ pettish i'VL10 umbrage - ~rl-t..

chagrin Q~~14~ diffidence .: hzt netA gaucherie ~ ~ w.,rJ.

Ckkrrc.. ~

Irascible - . ~

pique -~,' ~ r~l.!>rd

waspish - l' uJe.

compunction ~ expiate - 'to tJcm42- f20 r rue ~,t.r ~

- . ~

baleful ~ dour ~ 7 &1l~ I

malevolent ~.,..- mordant ~

scathing ~ ~ truculent -cI.4..}plqjll:' {4y-o-etJ

vituperation ~ t-o abuse V'e.l'b "k!

~ ~ admonish ~ ~ cavil 'iJI'q_ ~

enjoin ~ t-o c-omfYla~ exhort - Co ut-fL

hector - -"\Lib' ~ma,Q:inet 0..'- -0...

reproof ~ ,,"(,. .... f' msr- r..;tllO "''>1SJ

~

PREDICT

rr~ augur

harbinger ~

.,/~pr=~~

246 ':'UUI •

belabor~~ ~ harangue ~~ ~ remonstrate~,..fJ ~

auspice <:I16dl-.lJ fey _~"ma1

portentous ~ presage \iJ~"l~ prognosticate ~~~

. -

,~:::- ,

-"!'--

LUCK·

.adventitious ~ fortuitous - }OyJ.u ne

optimum

propitious ~~

amulet_I'4J~ kismet

portentous ~ providential ~~

auspicious

nemesis ~ ~n 1/i~

propitiate - ..!l5J""'!il ~ talisman _ ~~ -prod-vei

~J~~

NASTY

f,JTIJ. - fet id - find ~dJr:!:1

HARSH-SOUNDJNG

~ ~~_d3l ~~sonal1ce / '.

~ ~. ~ssonant ~

cacophony~ ~ din ~ .ll£ ~

raucous ~ strident ~

PLEASANT-SOUNDING

euphonious -f1€IU4.J harmonious sonorous ~

melodious

-