Tài liệu Master the Gre 2010 - Part 62 pptx

homogeneous (adjective) Uniform, made entirely of one thing. It’s hard to think of a
more homogenous group than the eerie children in Village of the Damned, who all
had perfect features, white-blond hair, and silver, penetrating eyes.
hone (verb) To improve; to make more acute or affective. While she was a receptionist,
Norma honed her skills as a stand-up comic by trying out jokes on the tense crowd
in the waiting room.
hoodwink (verb) To deceive by trickery or false appearances; to dupe. That was my
cousin Ravi calling to say that he’s been hoodwinked again, this time by some
outfit offering timeshares in a desolate tract of land in central Florida.
I
iconoclast (noun) Someone who attacks traditional beliefs or institutions. Comedian
George Carlin relished his reputation as an iconoclast, though people in power often
resented his satirical jabs. iconoclasm (noun), iconoclastic (adjective).
idolatry (noun) Worship of a person, thing, or institution as a god. In communist
China, admiration for Mao resembled idolatry; his picture was displayed every-
where, and millions of Chinese memorized his sayings and repeated them end-
lessly. idolatrous (adjective).
idyll (noun) A rustic, romantic interlude; poetry or prose that celebrates simple
pastoral life. Her picnic with Max at Fahnstock Lake was not the serene idyll she
had envisioned; instead, they were surrounded by hundreds of other picnickers
blaring music from their boom boxes and cracking open soda cans. idyllic
(adjective).
illicit (adjective) Illegal, wrongful. When Janet caught her 13-year-old son and his
friend downloading illicit pornographic photos from the Web, she promptly pulled
the plug on his computer.
illuminate (verb) To brighten with light; to enlighten or elucidate; to decorate (a
manuscript). The frosted glass sconces in the dressing rooms at Le Cirque not
only illuminate the rooms but also make everyone look like a movie star. Alice
Munro is a writer who can illuminate an entire character with a few deft
sentences.
immaculate (adjective) Totally unblemished, spotlessly clean. The cream-colored

upholstery in my new Porsche was immaculate—that is, until a raccoon came in
through the window and tracked mud across the seats.
immaterial (adjective) Of no consequence, unimportant. “The fact that your travel
agent is your best friend’s son should be immaterial,” I told Rosa.“So if he keeps
putting you on hold and acting nasty, just take your business elsewhere.”
immutable (adjective) Not subject or susceptible to change. The teacher’s rule about
cheating was immutable; anyone who was caught doing so received an F on the
exam.
impartial (adjective) Fair, equal, unbiased. If a judge is not impartial, then all of her
rulings are questionable. impartiality (noun).
impassivity (noun) Apathy, unresponsiveness. Dot truly thinks that Mr. Right will
magically show up on her doorstep, and her utter impassivity about her social life
makes me want to shake her! impassive (adjective).
Appendix B: Vocabulary List 593
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WORD ORIGIN
Greek homos 5 same. Also
found in English homologous,
homonym, and homosexual.
WORD ORIGIN
Latin mutare 5 to change.
Also found in English
immutable, mutant, and
mutation.
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imperceptible (adjective) Impossible to perceive, inaudible or incomprehensible. The
sound of footsteps was almost imperceptible, but Donald’s paranoia had reached
such a pitch that he immediately assumed he was being followed.
imperturbable (adjective) Not easily disconcerted, disturbed, or excited. The proper

English butler in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Remains of the Day appears imper-
turbable, even when his father dies or his own heart is breaking.
impetuous (adjective) Acting hastily or impulsively. Ben’s resignation was an
impetuous act; he did it without thinking, and he immediately regretted it.
impetuosity (noun).
implacable (adjective) Unbending, resolute. The state of Israel is implacable in its
policy never to negotiate with criminals.
implosion (noun) To collapse inward from outside pressure. Although it is difficult to
know what is going on in North Korea, no one can rule out a violent implosion of
the North Korean regime and a subsequent flood of refugees across its borders.
implode (verb).
incessant (adjective) Unceasing. The incessant blaring of the neighbor’s car alarm
made it impossible for me to concentrate on my upcoming bar exam.
inchoate (adjective) Only partly formed or formulated. At editorial meetings, Nancy
had a habit of presenting her inchoate book ideas before she had a chance to fully
determine their feasibility.
incise (verb) To carve into, to engrave. My wife felt nostalgic about the old elm tree
since we had incised our initials in it when we were both in high school.
incisive (adjective) Admirably direct and decisive. Ted Koppel’s incisive questions had
made many politicians squirm and stammer.
incongruous (adjective) Unlikely. Art makes incongruous alliances, as when punk-
rockers, Tibetan folk musicians, gospel singers, and beat poets shared the stage at
the Tibet House benefit concert. incongruity (noun).
incorrigible (adjective) Impossible to manage or reform. Lou is an incorrigible
trickster, constantly playing practical jokes no matter how much his friends
complain.
incursion (noun) A hostile entrance into a territory; a foray into an activity or
venture. It is a little-known fact that the Central Intelligence Agency organized
military incursions into China during the 1950s. The Comic-Con convention was
Barbara’s first incursion into the world of comic strip artists.

indefatigable (adjective) Tireless. Eleanor Roosevelt’s indefatigable dedication to the
cause of human welfare won her affection and honor throughout the world.
indefatigability (noun).
indelicate (adjective) Blunt, undisguised. No sooner had we sat down to eat than
Mark made an indelicate remark about my high salary.
inevitable (adjective) Unavoidable. Once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, U.S.
involvement in World War II was inevitable. inevitability (noun).
infer (verb) To conclude, to deduce. Can I infer from your hostile tone of voice that you
are still angry about yesterday’s incident? inference (noun).
inimical (adjective) Unfriendly, hostile; adverse or difficult. Relations between Greece
and Turkey have been inimical for centuries.
APPENDIXES594
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WORD ORIGIN
Latin placare 5 to please. Also
found in English complacent,
placate, and placid.
WORD ORIGIN
Latin caedere 5 to cut. Also
found in English concise,
decide, excise, incision, and
precise.
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inimitable (adjective) Incapable of being imitated, matchless. John F. Kennedy’s
administration dazzled the public, partly because of the inimitable style and
elegance of his wife, Jacqueline.
inopportune (adjective) Awkward, untimely. When Gus heard raised voices and the
crash of breaking china behind the kitchen door, he realized that he’d picked an
inopportune moment to visit the Fairlights.

inscrutability (noun) Quality of being extremely difficult to interpret or understand,
mysteriousness. I am still puzzling over the inscrutability of the package I
received yesterday, which contained twenty pomegranates and a note that said
simply “Yours.” inscrutable (adjective).
insensible (adjective) Unaware, incognizant; unconscious, out cold. It’s a good thing
that Marty was insensible to the titters and laughter that greeted his arrival in
the ballroom. In the latest episode of gang brutality, an innocent young man was
beaten insensible after two gang members stormed his apartment.
insinuate (verb) Hint or intimate; to creep in. During an extremely unusual
broadcast, the newscaster insinuated that the Washington bureau chief was
having a nervous breakdown. Marla managed to insinuate herself into the
Duchess’ conversation during the charity event. insinuation (noun).
insipid (adjective) Flavorless, uninteresting. Most TV shows are so insipid that you
can watch them while reading or chatting without missing a thing. insipidity
(noun).
insolence (noun) Bold and disrespectful attitude or behavior. Some feel that news
reporters who shout accusatory questions at the president are behaving with
insolence toward his high office. insolent (adjective).
insoluble (adjective) Unable to be solved, irresolvable; indissoluble. Fermat’s last
theorum remained insoluble for more than 300 years, until a young mathema-
tician from Princeton solved it in 1995. If you are a gum chewer, you probably
wouldn’t be pleased to know that insoluble plastics are a common ingredient of
most popular gums.
insular (adjective) Narrow or isolated in attitude or viewpoint. New Yorkers are
famous for their insular attitudes; they think that nothing important has ever
happened outside of their city. insularity (noun).
intercede (verb) To step in, to moderate; to mediate or negotiate on behalf of someone
else. After their rejection by the co-op board, Kevin and Sol asked Rachel, another
tenant, to intercede for them at the next board meeting. intercession (noun).
interim (noun) A break or interlude. In the interim between figure skating programs,

the exhausted skaters retreat to the “kiss and cry” room to wait for their scores.
interpolate (verb) To interject. The director’s decision to interpolate topical political
jokes into his production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was not viewed kindly
by the critics. interpolation (noun).
intransigent (adjective) Unwilling to compromise. Despite the mediator’s attempts to
suggest a fair solution to the disagreement, the two parties were intransigent,
forcing a showdown. intransigence (noun).
intrinsically (adverb) Essentially, inherently. Nothing is intrinsically difficult about
upgrading a computer’s microprocessor, yet Al was afraid even to open the com-
puter’s case. intrinsic (adjective).
Appendix B: Vocabulary List 595
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inundate (verb) To overwhelm; to flood. When the Internet provider first announced
its flat-rate pricing, the company was inundated with new customers; thus began
the annoying service delays. inundation (noun).
invective (noun) Insulting, abusive language. I remained unscathed by his blistering
invective because in my heart I knew I had done the right thing.
invigorate (verb) To give energy to, to stimulate. As her car climbed the mountain
road, Lucinda felt invigorated by the clear air and the cool breezes. invigoration
(noun).
irascible (adjective) Easily provoked into anger, hot-headed. Soup chef Al Yeganah,
the model for Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi,” is an irascible man who flies into a temper
tantrum if his customers don’t follow his rigid procedure for purchasing soup.
irascibility (noun).
J
jeopardize (verb) To put in danger. Terrorist attacks on civilians jeopardize the fragile
peace in the Middle East. jeopardy (noun).
jocular (adjective) Humorous, amusing. Listening to the CEO launch into yet another

uproarious anecdote, Ted was frankly surprised by the jocular nature of the
“emergency” board meeting. jocularity (noun).
L
labyrinthine (adjective) Extremely intricate or involved; circuitous. Was I the only one
who couldn’t follow the labyrinthine plot of the movie L.A. Confidential? I was so
confused I had to watch it twice to see “who did it.”
laconic (adjective) Concise to the point of terseness; taciturn. Tall, handsome, and
laconic, actor Gary Cooper personified the strong, silent American, a man of
action and few words.
lambaste (verb) To give someone a dressing-down; to attack someone verbally; to
whip. Once inside the locker room, the coach thoroughly lambasted the team
members for their incompetent performance on the football field.
laudable (adjective) Commendable, praiseworthy. The Hunt’s Point nonprofit organi-
zation has embarked on a series of laudable ventures pairing businesses with
disadvantaged youth.
lethargic (adjective) Lacking energy; sluggish. Visitors to the zoo are surprised that
the lions appear so lethargic, but in the wild, lions sleep up to 18 hours a day.
lethargy (noun).
levy (verb) To demand payment or collection of a tax or fee. The environmental
activists pushed Congress to levy higher taxes on gasoline, but the auto makers’
lobbyists quashed their plans.
lien (noun) A claim against a property for the satisfaction of a debt. Nat was in such
financial straits when he died that his Fishkill property had several liens against
it and all of his furniture was being repossessed.
limn (verb) To outline in distinct detail; to delineate. Like many of her novels, Edith
Wharton’s The Age of Innocence expertly limns the tyranny of New York’s upper-
class society in the 1800s.
APPENDIXES596
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WORD ORIGIN
Latin unda 5 wave. Also found
in English undulate.
WORD ORIGIN
Latin laus 5 praise. Also found
in English applaud, laud,
laudatory, and plaudit.
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loquacity (noun) Talkativeness, wordiness. Although some people deride his
loquacity and tendency to use outrageous rhymes, no one can doubt that Jesse
Jackson is a powerful orator. loquacious (adjective).
lucid (adjective) Clear and understandable. Hawking’s A Brief History of Time is a
lucid explanation of a difficult topic: modern scientific theories of the origin of the
universe. lucidity (noun).
M
magnanimous (adjective) Noble, generous. When media titan Ted Turner pledged a gift
of $1 billion to the United Nations, he challenged other wealthy people to be equally
magnanimous. magnanimity (noun).
maladroit (adjective) Inept, awkward. It was painful to watch the young congress-
man’s maladroit delivery of the nominating speech.
malinger (verb) To pretend illness to avoid work. During the labor dispute, hundreds
of employees malingered, forcing the company to slow production and costing it
millions in profits.
malleable (adjective) Able to be changed, shaped, or formed by outside pressures.
Gold is a very useful metal because it is malleable. A child’s personality is
malleable and is often deeply influenced by what his or her parents say and do.
malleability (noun).
mandate (noun) Order, command. The new policy on gays serving in the military went
into effect as soon as the president issued his mandate. mandate (verb), man-
datory (adjective).

marginal (adjective) At the outer edge or fringe; of minimal quality or acceptability.
In spite of the trend toward greater paternal involvement in child rearing, most
fathers still have a marginal role in their children’s lives. Jerry’s GRE scores were
so marginal that he didn’t get accepted into the graduate school of his choice.
marginalize (verb) To push toward the fringes; to make less consequential. Hannah
argued that the designation of a certain month as “Black History Month” or “Gay
and Lesbian Book Month” actually does a disservice to minorities by marginal-
izing them.
martial (adjective) Of, relating to, or suited to military life. My old teacher, Miss
Woody, had such a martial demeanor that you’d think she was running a boot
camp instead of teaching fifth grade. The military seized control of Myanmar in
1988, and the embattled country has been ruled by martial law since then.
mediate (verb) To reconcile differences between two parties. During the baseball
strike, both the players and the club owners expressed willingness to have the
president mediate the dispute. mediation (noun).
mercenary (adjective) Doing something only for pay or for personal advantage.
People had criticized U.S. motives in the Persian Gulf War as mercenary, pointing
out that the United States would not have come to Kuwait’s defense had it grown
carrots rather than produced oil. mercenary (noun).
mercurial (adjective) Changing quickly and unpredictably. The mercurial personality
of Robin Williams, with his many voices and acting styles, made him a natural
choice to play the part of the ever-changing genie in Aladdin.
metamorphose (verb) To undergo a striking transformation. In just a century, book
publishers have metamorphosed from independent, exclusively literary businesses
Appendix B: Vocabulary List 597
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WORD ORIGIN
Latin lux 5 light. Also found in
English elucidate, pellucid, and

translucent.
WORD ORIGIN
Latin mandare 5 entrust,
order. Also found in English
command, demand, and
remand.
WORD ORIGIN
Latin medius 5 middle. Also
found in English intermediate,
media, and medium.
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