GRE Flashcards — Set 2

ameliorate

[əˈmiljəˌret]

改善；減輕 (v)

improve, better

Efforts were made to ameliorate the living conditions in the impoverished area.

belligerent

[bəˈlɪdʒərənt]

好戰的；敵對的 (adj)

hostile, aggressive, combative

His belligerent attitude made it difficult to negotiate a peaceful solution.

capricious

[kəˈprɪʃəs]

反覆無常的；任性的 (adj)

unpredictable, fickle, whimsical

The weather this spring has been unusually capricious, changing from sunny to stormy in minutes.

disparate

[ˈdɪspərɪt]

不同的；懸殊的 (adj)

different, distinct, varied

The two cultures had disparate traditions, making integration a challenge.

ephemeral

[ɪˈfɛmərəl]

短暫的；轉瞬即逝的 (adj)

brief, short-lived, fleeting

The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, fading quickly into the night.

furtive

[ˈfɝtɪv]

偷偷摸摸的；隱秘的 (adj)

secret, sneaky, sly

She cast a furtive glance at the answers on her neighbor's paper.

garrulous

[ˈɡærələs]

多話的；喋喋不休的 (adj)

talkative, chatty, wordy

The garrulous old man entertained us with endless stories of his youth.

hackneyed

[ˈhæknɪd]

陳腐的；老套的 (adj)

cliché, stale, overused

The movie relied on hackneyed plot twists that failed to surprise anyone.

incongruous

[ɪnˈkɑŋɡruəs]

不協調的；不一致的 (adj)

mismatched, out of place

His formal attire seemed incongruous at the casual beach party.

laconic

[ləˈkɑnɪk]

簡潔的；沉默寡言的 (adj)

brief, terse, concise

His laconic reply left us wondering about his true feelings.

malign

[məˈlaɪn]

誹謗；中傷 (v)

slander, smear, defame

She tried to malign her rival by spreading false rumors.

nonchalant

[ˌnɑnʃəˈlɑnt]

冷漠的；漠不關心的 (adj)

casual, calm, indifferent

He appeared nonchalant despite the chaos unfolding around him.

obdurate

[ˈɑbdjərɪt]

頑固的；執拗的 (adj)

stubborn, unyielding, rigid

Despite the evidence, he remained obdurate in his beliefs.

placate

[ˈpleket]

安撫；平息 (v)

calm, soothe, appease

She offered an apology to placate her angry friend.

querulous

[ˈkwɛrələs]

愛抱怨的；易怒的 (adj)

complaining, whiny, fussy

The querulous customer demanded to speak to the manager over a minor issue.

recalcitrant

[rɪˈkælsɪtrənt]

頑抗的；不服從的 (adj)

defiant, stubborn, disobedient

The recalcitrant child refused to follow the teacher's instructions.

sporadic

[spəˈrædɪk]

零星的；偶發的 (adj)

occasional, irregular

Sporadic rain showers interrupted the outdoor event throughout the day.

taciturn

[ˈtæsəˌtɝn]

沉默寡言的；不愛說話的 (adj)

silent, quiet, reserved

Unlike his talkative brother, he was taciturn and preferred listening.

ubiquitous

[juˈbɪkwətəs]

無處不在的；普遍的 (adj)

widespread, everywhere, common

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern society.

zealous

[ˈzɛləs]

熱情的；狂熱的 (adj)

eager, enthusiastic, passionate

The zealous volunteers worked tirelessly to support the cause.