S. Joshi
http://www.freegregmatclass.com
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Read the whole sentence many times to
understand the word
Reading the sentence will help that word to
get inside your brain
Using as many links as possible for these
words
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timid: showing fear or hesitancy
nervous, fearful, timid, frightened, scared,
afraid, shy, apprehensive, bashful, diffident,
coy, retiring, reticent, cowardly, fainthearted, hesitant
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nerve, audacity, gall, cheek (informal),
boldness, impudence, impertinence,
chutzpah (informal)
boldness: reckless confidence that might be
offensive
[15th century. < Latin temeritas "rashness" <
temere "rashly, blindly"]
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Imprecation
Blasphemy
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[Mid-16th century. < Latin execrari "undo
consecration" < sacrare (see sacred)]
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Careen
heave, motion, roll, listing, stagger, wobble
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1. insignificant: insignificant or unimportant
a paltry sum of money 2. despicable: low and
contemptible
[Mid-16th century. Probably < Scots, N
English dialect pelt "coarse cloth, rubbish"]
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1. transitive and intransitive verb become or
make worn: to become sore or worn by
rubbing, or make something sore or worn in
this way 2. intransitive verb cause friction: to
rub something, causing friction
rub, scrape, irritate, scratch, abrade, wear
down
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annoy, bother, provoke, vex, irritate,
aggravate (informal)
[13th century. Via Old French chaufer < Latin
calefacere "make warm" < calere "be warm"]
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[Late 16th century. Thought to suggest a light
puff of wind that carries a smell]
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fashion-conscious man: a man who is so
obsessed by fashion and vain about his own
appearance that he becomes ridiculous
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Scad, myriad
[Mid-16th century. Directly or via French <
late Latin myriad- < Greek muriad- < murios
"countless"]
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Copy/ imitate arts
[Late 19th century. Via French < Italian
pasticcio (see pasticcio)]
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Roil (Disturb)
anger, enrage, annoy, irritate, bug (informal),
irk, peeve (informal), aggravate (informal),
vex
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trick, subterfuge, wile, con, scam (slang),
deception, ploy, stunt, plot, dodge, hoax
five-line humorous poem: a five-line humorous
poem with a characteristic rhythm, often dealing
with a risqué subject and typically opening with
a line such as "There was a young lady called
Jenny." Lines one, two, and five rhyme with each
other and have three metrical feet, and lines
three and four rhyme with each other and have
two metrical feet.
 [Late 19th century. After Limerick, probably
from nonsense songs with this rhyme scheme
and the refrain "will you come up to Limerick"]
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spiral, coil, curl, twist, swirl, vortex
something spiral-shaped: something in the
shape of a spiral, coil, or curl
[15th century. Alteration of whirl]
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Commit
offense
commit, carry out, pull off (informal), do
(slang), be responsible for, be behind, enact,
execute, perform, effect (formal)
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marriage with strict conditions: a form of
marriage contract whose statute imposes
stricter than usual conditions for couples
wishing to marry or get divorced, e.g.
premarital counseling and a two-year
separation prior to divorce
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Parody, satire,
Spoof, Burlesque
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1. short comic
sketch: a short
comic sketch
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Stagger, Lurch, Totter, wobble, stumble,
tether, stumble
1. revolving storage device: a usually
revolving wheel-shaped device around which
something such as thread, film, or wire can
be wound for storage
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Mauve (Blue/ Purple)
Lavender (Pink)
Sallow (yellow)
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Heading
[13th century. Directly or via French < Latin
rubrica "red ocher" < ruber "red"]
title or heading: a printed title or heading,
usually distinguished from the body of the
text in some way, especially the heading of a
section of a legal statute, originally
underlined in red
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fight, quarrel, argument, row, tiff, squabble,
barney (UK, informal)
1. petty quarrel: a brief quarrel usually
concerning petty matters
2. U.S. sound of raindrops falling: the sound
of raindrops falling
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flood, rash, epidemic, wave, sequence,
series, outbreak, welter, flurry, run
1. large quantity: a large quantity of
something a spate of rumors
2. outburst: a sudden strong outburst a spate
of jealousy
3. flood: a flood, or the state of overflowing
After the heavy rain the river was in spate.
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irritable, bad-tempered, cranky (informal),
cantankerous, sullen, ill-tempered, grouchy
(informal), complaining, cross, petulant,
crabby, sulky, testy (informal), snappy
in bad mood: bad-tempered or sullen
[Early 18th century. An imitation of
somebody expressing displeasure]
Tomb
[12th century. Via French < Latin sepulc(h)rum <
sepult-, past participle of sepelire "bury"]
 vault, tomb, grave, crypt, burial chamber,
mausoleum, resting place
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hopeless, low, dejected, despairing,
downhearted, downcast, unhappy, sad,
pessimistic, miserable, glum, discouraged
discouraged: extremely unhappy and
discouraged
[Mid-17th century. < Latin despondere "give
up (your vitality)" < spondere "to promise"]
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dither, hesitate, falter, struggle, have
difficulty, get into difficulties, waver, dawdle,
delay, get nowhere
1. make uncontrolled movements: to make
clumsy uncontrolled movements while trying
to regain balance or move forwards
2. hesitate in confusion: to act in a way that
shows confusion or a lack of purpose
3. be in serious difficulty: to have serious
problems and be close to failing
1. driving out of evil spirits: the use of prayers or
religious rituals to drive out evil spirits believed to be
possessing a person or place
 2. ceremony to drive out evil spirits: a religious
ceremony in which somebody attempts to drive out
an evil spirit believed to be possessing a person or
place
 3. thing done to expel evil: a special ritual or spoken
formula used with the intention of driving out evil
spirits
 4. clearing mind of oppressive feelings: the act of
ridding the mind of oppressive feelings or memories
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[14th century Via ecclesiastical Latin < ecclesiastical
Greek exorkismos < exorkizein (see exorcise)]
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relating to sheep: relating to or
resembling a sheep
[Early 19th century. < late Latin
ovinus < Latin ovis "sheep"]
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perceptive: penetratingly discerning or
perceptive
[Early 17th century. < Latin perspicac- <
perspicere (see perspective)]
insightful, wise, astute, sagacious (formal),
discerning, perceptive, clear-sighted, smart,
sharp
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1. study of existence: the most general branch
of metaphysics, concerned with the nature of
being 2. theory of existence: a particular theory
of being
[Early 18th century. < modern Latin, "study of
being" < Greek ont- "being" (see onto-)]
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[Late 18th century. < Latin frond-, stem of
frons "leaf“]
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petty quarrel vs Flood
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reveal something: to reveal information,
especially information that was previously
secret
[15th century. < Latin divulgare "make widely
known to the masses" < vulgus "masses"]
reveal, tell, make known, disclose, let drop,
give away, let slip
various: assorted, but considered as a single
category or group, usually for the sake of
convenience and other sundry items See also
sundries
 [ Old English syndrig "separate, distinct" < W
Germanic]
 all and sundry everyone without exception
(takes a plural verb)
 various, miscellaneous, assorted, varied,
different, diverse, heterogeneous, divers
(formal), several, manifold, motley, multifarious
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drench, soak, souse, wet, cover, saturate,
sop, drown, immerse
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1. grammatical mistake: a mistake in grammar or
syntax
2. error: something incorrect, inappropriate, or
inconsistent
3. breach of good manners: an action that breaks the
rules of etiquette or good manners
[Mid-16th century. Directly or via French < Latin
soloecismus < Greek soloikismos < soloikos "speaking
incorrectly," literally "of Soloi" (in ancient Cilicia, E
Turkey), whose colonial Attic dialect was considered
barbarous]
error, mistake, blunder, faux pas (literary), gaffe,
blooper (US, informal humorous), slip, bloomer (UK,
informal humorous)
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carve, shape, fashion, shave, sculpt, cut
carve with small cuts: to carve something
out of wood, usually something small enough
to hold in the hand, by cutting away small
pieces of wood
[Mid-16th century. < whyttel "knife," variant
of thwitel, "tool for paring" < Old English
þwītan "pare, cut"]
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Spring vs capable of bribed
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[Mid-16th century. < Latin vernalis < vernus
"of the spring" < ver "spring"]
[Mid-17th century. < Latin venalis < venum
"something for sale"]
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[14th century. < Old French esquatir "crush" <
Latin coactus, past participle of cogere "force
together“]
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1. superior skill: exceptional ability or skill
2. valor in combat: extraordinary valor and
ability in combat
[13th century. < Old French proesce "bravery"
< prou "brave," variant of prud (see proud)]
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[Early 19th century. < French, literally "small
enclosed space" < parc (see park)]
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[13th century. < Old Norse raptr "log, beam"]
The Raft of the Medusa, a painting (1819) by French artist
THÉODORE GÉRICAULT. This monumental work is a harrowing
depiction of the suffering of the survivors of an infamous 1816
shipwreck. Géricault's treatment of a contemporary subject in an
epic style more traditionally associated with classical or historical
themes was seen as a significant development in European art.
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[Late 17th century. Alteration of French
filigrane < Italian filigrana < Latin filum
"thread" + granum "grain"]
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small mark: any one of a number of very
small marks, streaks, or pieces scattered on a
surface or throughout a block of something
flecks of mica in granite
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opera song: a melody sung solo or as a duet
in an opera, oratorio, or cantata
[Early 18th century. Via Italian < Latin aer "air"
(see air)]
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1. thin and curved: thin, curved, and pointed
like an eagle's beak an aquiline nose
2. of eagles: resembling or connected with
eagles
[Mid-17th century. < Latin aquilinus < aquila
"eagle"]
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[14th century. Via Old French festre "pipe-like
ulcer" < Latin fistula]
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Free
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free with difficulty: to release somebody or
something with difficulty from a physical
constraint or an unpleasant or complicated
situation was unable to extricate himself from the
contract
[Early 17th century. < Latin extricat-, past
participle of extricare "remove from perplexities"
< tricae "perplexities"]
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[13th century. < Old French barge or medieval
Latin bargia]
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1. freight boat: a long narrow flat-bottomed
boat used for transporting freight on rivers or
canals
2. open boat used ceremonially: a large
open boat used in ceremonies
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large sailing ship: a large three-masted sailing ship
used especially by the Spanish between the 15th and
18th centuries
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[Early 16th century. Either via Middle Dutch galjoen <
Old French galion "large galley," or < Spanish galeón]
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small boat: a small boat, e.g. a sailboat,
carried by a larger vessel and used as a gig or
a tender
[Mid-16th century. < French pinace < Latin
pinus "pine (tree)"]
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1. loading crane: a simple crane that is
typically used for moving cargo onto or from
a ship
2. oil structure: a structure placed over an oil
well that is used to raise and lower piping,
drills, and other boring equipment
[Early 17th century. After a London hangman
called Derrick; originally "hangman, gallows"]
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1. loading crane: a simple crane
that is typically used for moving
cargo onto or from a ship
2. oil structure: a structure placed
over an oil well that is used to raise
and lower piping, drills, and other
boring equipment
[Early 17th century. After a London
hangman called Derrick; originally
"hangman, gallows"]
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[Early 17th century. Via French <
Italian arabesco "in the Arabian
style“]
1. BALLET formal pose of ballet
dancer: a ballet position in which
the dancer stands on one leg with
the other extended back and both
arms stretched out, usually one
forward and the other backward 2.
ornate design: an intricate and
often symmetrical design
incorporating curves, geometric
patterns, leaves, flowers, and
animal shapes
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[15th century. < Latin fulminat-, past
participle of fulminare "lighten, strike with
lightning" < fulmen "lightning"]Microsoft®
Encarta® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
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[14th century. < Latin desolatus, past
participle of desolare "leave alone" < solus
"alone"]
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hold in vise: to hold something tightly in a
vise
[13th century. Via Old French vis "screw" <
Latin vitis "vine"]
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Barrons Word List