GRE Vocabulary — Group 16

A statement or situation that seems to contradict itself yet may still hold some truth.

A person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.

Childishly irritable and impatient, quick to sulk over small annoyances.

A sign or warning that something significant, often disastrous, is about to happen.

Sounding sad or mournful, expressing sorrow.

Producing a sharp, deeply felt emotion, usually sadness or tenderness.

To speak evasively or misleadingly in order to avoid telling the truth.

Perfectly clean or untouched, appearing exactly as new or original as possible.

Plain and unimaginative, lacking any spark of excitement or beauty.

Careful and sensible when making decisions, especially about money or risk.

To forcibly put an end to unrest, fear, or resistance.

To make a fitting return for something received, especially to reciprocate a feeling or favor.

More than what is needed, so that something becomes an unnecessary repetition.

Involving immoral or dishonorable actions and motives, morally degraded.

To take the place of another, especially through force, scheming, or superior position.

A neophyte is someone who has just begun learning or practicing something and therefore still lacks experience.

To nettle someone is to irritate them persistently, the way a prickly plant stings the skin.

Nihilism is the philosophical position that rejects the idea that existence has any objective meaning or moral truth.

Something noisome is so offensive to the senses, especially smell, that it repels anyone nearby.

To be nonplussed is to be caught so off guard by something unexpected that you are momentarily unable to respond.

Something nugatory is so trivial or ineffective that it might as well not exist.

Something numinous evokes a powerful feeling of the sacred or supernatural, as though a greater power were near.

Obloquy is harsh, widespread condemnation directed at a person, often ruining their standing in the eyes of others.

To obviate a problem is to eliminate it beforehand so that it never has to be dealt with.

Something odious provokes strong feelings of disgust or hatred because it is morally offensive or repulsive.