GRE words mixed with slang and etymology 2

Pregunta	Respuesta
skirmish	Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies. 2. any brisk conflict or encounter: She had a skirmish with her landlord about the rent. Old High German skirmen "to protect, defend"), with a diminutive or depreciatory suffix, from Proto-Germanic skerm-, from PIE (s)ker- (1) "to cut" (see shear (v.)).
beleaguer	verb (used with object) to surround with military forces. to surround or beset, as with troubles. Dutch or Low German belegeren "to besiege," from be- "around" (see be-) + legeren "to camp," from leger "bed, camp, army, lair," from PIE *legh-to- "lie"
respite	a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief temporary suspension of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve. from Latin respectus "consideration, recourse, regard" (see respect (n.)).
ameliorate	verb – to make better verb – get better Old French ameillorer, from a "to" (see ad-) + meillior "to better," from Latin melior "better," perhaps originally "stronger," from PIE *mel- "strong, great" (see multi-).
ebb	noun – the outward flow of the tide verb – flow back or recede noun – a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) verb – fall away or decline Old English ebba "falling of the tide, low tide," perhaps from Proto-Germanic af- , from PIE root apo- "off, away" (see apo-). Figurative sense of "decline, decay, gradual diminution". Ebb-tide is from 1776.
hobble	noun – the uneven manner of walking that results from an injured leg verb – hamper the action or progress c. 1300, hoblen "to rock back and forth, toss up and down" Meaning "to walk lamely" is from c. 1400. Transitive sense of "tie the legs (of an animal)" to impede or prevent free motion first recorded 1831. Sense of "hamper, hinder" is c. 1870
hamstring	verb – cripple by cutting the hamstring noun – one of the tendons at the back of the knee verb – make ineffective or powerless (in humans and other primates) any of the tendons that bound the ham of the knee.
ham	a cut of meat from the heavy-muscled part of a hog's rear quarter Often, hams. the back of the thigh, or the thigh and the buttock together.
scrap	verb – have a disagreement noun – a small piece of something that is left over after the rest has been used verb – dispose of (something useless ) "fight," 1846, possibly a variant of scrape (n.1) on the notion of "an abrasive encounter."
obsequious	adjective – attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner adjective – attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery from Latin obsequi "to accommodate oneself to the will of another," from ob "after" (see ob-) + sequi "to follow" (see sequel)
glib	readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so. easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners adjective – having only superficial plausibility adjective – marked by lack of intellectual depth Low German glibberig "smooth, slippery," from Middle Low German glibberich, from or related to glibber "jelly," all part of the Germanic group of gl- words for "smooth, shining, joyful" (see glad (adj.))
obliging	adjective – showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Latin obligare "to bind, bind up, bandage," figuratively "put under obligation," from ob "to" (see ob-) + ligare "to bind," from PIE root *leig- "to bind" (see ligament). Main modern meaning "to make (someone) indebted by conferring a benefit or kindness"
deference	respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another. respectful or courteous regard.
defer	to put off (action, consideration, etc.) to a future time. to exempt temporarily from induction into military service from Latin deferre "carry away, transfer, grant," from de- "down, away" (see de-) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Main modern sense is from meaning "refer (a matter) to someone," which also was in Latin
pejorative	having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: Latin peior "worse," related to pessimus "worst," pessum "downward, to the ground," from PIE ped-yos-, comparative of root ped- "to walk, stumble, impair" (see peccadillo)
preempt	to occupy (land) in order to establish a prior right to buy to acquire or appropriate before someone else; take for oneself; arrogate supplant also preemption, c. 1600, literally "the right of purchasing before others," from pre- "before" + emption. emption - stem of emere "to buy" (see exempt )
measly	contemptibly small, meager, or slight wretchedly bad or unsatisfactory infected with measles, as an animal or its flesh
canard	noun – a deliberately misleading fabrication before 1850, from French canard "a hoax," literally "a duck" (from Old French quanart, probably echoic of a duck's quack)
enmity	noun – a state of deep-seated ill-will noun – the feeling of a hostile person Latin inimicitia "enmity, hostility," usually plural, from inimicus "enemy"
punctilious	strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions from Latin punctum "prick - to pierce with a sharp point; puncture" (see point (n.))
rebuttal	noun – the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument
rebut	to refute by evidence or argument Old French rebuter "to thrust back," from re- "back" (see re-) + boter "to thrust, hit" (see butt (v.)). Legalese sense of "try to disprove, refute by evidence or argument" is from 1817.
proscription	noun – rejection by means of an act of banishing or proscribing someone
proscribe	to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful; prohibit Latin proscribere "publish in writing" (literally "write in front of"), from pro- "before" (see pro-) + scribere "to write" (see script 0 Meaning "prohibit as wrong or dangerous" first recorded 1620s.
dénouement	noun – the outcome of a complex sequence of events noun – the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work Old French desnouer from des- "un-, out" (see dis-) + nouer "to tie, knot," from Latin nodus "a knot," from PIE *ned- "to bind, tie" (see net )
diffidence	noun – lack of self-confidence from diffidere "to mistrust, lack confidence," from dis- "away" (see dis-) + fidere "to trust" (see faith). Modern sense is of "distrusting oneself" (1650s)
complacence	noun – the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself from Latin complacere "to be very pleasing," from com-, intensive prefix + placere "to please". Sense of "pleased with oneself" is 18c.
timidity	noun – fearfulness in venturing into new and unknown places or activities noun – fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions
exonerate	to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate Latin exonerare "remove a burden" from ex- "off" + onerare "to overload, oppress," from onus (genitive oneris) "burden" (see onus)
unscrupulous	adjective – without scruples or principles
scruple	a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions a very small portion or amount Latin scrupulus "uneasiness, anxiety, pricking of conscience," literally "small sharp stone," diminutive of scrupus "sharp stone or pebble," used figuratively by Cicero for a cause of uneasiness or anxiety, probably from the notion of having a pebble in one's shoe
tarnish	noun – discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation verb – make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
perennial	adjective – lasting an indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal noun – (botany) a plant lasting for three seasons or more Latin perennis "lasting through the year (or years)," from per- "through" (see per) + annus "year" (see annual)
protracted	adjective – relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
tedious	marked by monotony or tedium; long and tiresome
tedium	the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness.
penurious	adjective – not having enough money to pay for necessities adjective – excessively unwilling to spend
penury	extreme poverty; destitution. scarcity; dearth; inadequacy; insufficiency. c. 1400, from Latin penuria "want, need; scarcity," related to paene "scarcely."
umbrage	noun – a feeling of anger caused by being offended Latin umbra "shade, shadow" check umbrella from PIE root *andho- "blind, dark" . The meaning "suspicion that one has been slighted," phrase to take umbrage at
dander	noun – small scales from animal skins or hair or bird feathers that can cause allergic reactions in some people noun – a feeling of anger and animosity
repast	noun – the food served and eaten at one time Latin repascere "to feed again," re- "repeatedly" + pascere "to graze" (see pastor)
unseemly	adjective – not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
seemly	fitting or becoming with respect to propriety or good taste; decent; decorous
seem	to appear to be, feel, do, etc to appear to be true, probable, or evident som-i-, from root *sem- "one, as one" (see same)
sordid	adjective – morally degraded adjective – unethical or dishonest related to sordes "dirt, filth," from PIE swrd-e-, from root swordo- "black, dirty"
conceited	having an excessively favorable opinion of one's abilities, appearance
conceit	an excessively favorable opinion of one's own ability, importance, wit, etc. something that is conceived in the mind; a thought; idea: from conceiven (see conceive) based on analogy of deceit and receipt. Sense evolved from "something formed in the mind," to "fanciful or witty notion" (1510s), to "vanity" (c. 1600) through shortening of self-conceit (1580s).
duress	noun – compulsory force or threat from Latin duritia "hardness," from durus "hard" (see endure)
vocation	noun – the particular occupation for which you are trained noun – a body of people doing the same kind of work literally "a calling, a being called" from vocare "to call" (see voice (n.)) Sense of "one's occupation or profession" is first attested 1550s.
harried	adjective – troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances PIE root *koro- "war" also "war-band, host, army" (source also of Lithuanian karas "war, quarrel," karias "host, army;" Old Church Slavonic kara "strife" Weakened sense of "worry, goad, harass"
disbar	verb – remove from the bar; expel from the practice of law by official action
fete	noun – an elaborate party (often outdoors) noun – an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place) Old French feste "feast, celebration" (see feast )
sartorial	adjective – of or relating to the sartorius muscle adjective – of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring Latin sartor "tailor" , sart "to patch, mend," from PIE root *serk- "to make whole."
inchoate	adjective – only partly in existence; imperfectly formed probably originally "to hitch up," from in- + cohum "strap (fastened to the oxen's yoke)" meaning can easily have derived from 'to yoke a plough to a team of oxen' ..., in other words, 'to start work.'
trounce	verb – beat severely with a whip or rod verb – censure severely or angrily verb – come out better in a competition, race, or conflict Middle French troncer "to cut, cut off a piece from," from tronce "piece of timber," from Old French tronc (see trunk )
tax	verb – set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine) verb – use to the limit verb – make a charge against or accuse
falter	to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way perhaps Middle English falden "to fold," influenced by fault
calamity	a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury perhaps from a lost root preserved in incolumis "uninjured," from PIE kle-mo-, from base kel- (1) "to strike, cut" (see holt)
zealot	an excessively zealous person; fanatic.
pernicious	causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful pernicies "destruction, death, ruin," from per- "completely" (see per) + necis "violent death, murder," related to necare "to kill," nocere "to hurt, injure, harm," noxa "harm, injury" (see noxious)
transient	lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary from transire "go over, pass over" from trans- "across" (see trans-) + ire "to go" (see ion). Meaning "passing through a place without staying" is from 1680s
defiance	a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force
defy	Latin *disfidare "renounce one's faith," dis- "away" + fidus "faithful," from the same root as fides "faith"
mendacity	noun: the tendency to be untruthful Latin mendax "lying; a liar"
mendacious	telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest from mendax "lying, deceitful," from PIE root *mend- "physical defect, fault" (see amend )
posit	verb: assume as fact Latin positus "placed, situated, standing, planted" (see position)
specious	adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing adjective: plausible but false Latin speciosus "good-looking, beautiful, fair," also "showy, pretended, plausible" from species "appearance, form, figure, beauty" (see species)
dilatory	adjective: wasting time Latin dilator "procrastinator," from dilatus, serving as past participle of differe "delay" (see defer)
nonplussed	adjective: unsure how to act or respond
nonplus	to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely Latin non plus "no more, no further" (see plus)
duress	noun: compulsory force or threat from durus "hard" (see endure)
contrition	the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad
contrite	caused by or showing sincere remorse filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement Latin conterere "to grind," from com- "together" (see com-) + terere "to rub" (see throw) Used in English in figurative sense of "crushed in spirit by a sense of sin."
stringent	adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures from stringere "to compress, contract, bind or draw tight" (see strain )
imprudent	adjective: not wise form of in- "not, opposite of" + prudens, present participle of providere "to provide," literally "to see before (one)" (see providence)
arduous	adjective: demanding considerable mental effort and skill Latin arduus "high, steep," also figuratively, "difficult," from PIE root *eredh- "to grow, high" (see ortho-). Literal sense of "high, steep, difficult to climb," attested in English from 1709
flux	noun: a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event)
ignominious	adjective: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame ignominia "disgrace, infamy, loss of a (good) name," from in- "not, opposite of" + nomen (genitive nominis) "name"
askance	adverb: with a look of suspicion or disapproval Italian a scancio "obliquely, slantingly;" or that it is a cognate of askew
askew	to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully perhaps literally "on skew"
forlorn	desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance forleosan "to lose, abandon, let go; destroy, ruin," from for- "completely" + leosan "to lose" (see lose)
macabre	adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome
reprobate	noun: a person without morals who is disapproved of
acme	noun: the highest point of achievement Greek akme "(highest) point, edge; peak of anything," from PIE root *ak- "sharp" (see acrid)
indignant	adjective: feeling anger over a perceived injustice
incendiary	tending to inflame the senses tending to arouse strife, sedition; inflammatory incendere "light up with fire, brighten," figuratively, "incite, rouse, excite, enrage," from in + candere "to shine, glow, be on fire" (see candle).
sedition	incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government Latin seditio "civil disorder, rebellion, mutiny," literally "a going apart, separation," from se- "apart" (see secret) + itio "a going" from past participle of ire "to go" (see ion)
indignant	adjective: feeling anger over a perceived injustice indignus "unworthy," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + dignus "worthy" (see dignity)
peruse	verb: to read very carefully "use up, wear out, go through," from Middle English per- "completely" (see per) + use. Meaning "read carefully" is first recorded 1530s
screed	noun: an abusive rant (often tedious) "fragment," also "strip of cloth," from Old English screade (see shred). Meaning "lengthy speech" is first recorded 1789, from notion of reading from a long list.
tedious	marked by monotony or tedium; long and tiresome
tedium	the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness. He advised diners to flee “right back out the door … you will be spared an infinitely larger measure of tedium.”
affable	adjective: likeable; easy to talk to rom affari "to speak to," from ad- "to" + fari "to speak," from PIE root *bha- "to speak, tell, say"
dupe	verb: to trick or swindle
remiss	adjective: to be negligent in one’s duty Latin remissus "relaxed, languid; negligent," past participle of remittere "slacken, abate, let go" (see remit)
spendthrift	noun: one who spends money extravagantly
demean	verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect "lower in dignity," c. 1600, perhaps from de- "down" + mean (adj.) and modeled on debase
underwrite	verb: to support financially
voracious	adjective: very hungry; approaching an activity with gusto Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day
voracity	from voracis "greedy, ravenous, consuming," from PIE root *gwere "to swallow, devour" Old Church Slavonic žiro "to swallow," grŭlo "gullet"
devour	to swallow or eat up hungrily, voraciously, or ravenously. to take in greedily with the senses or intellect: to devour the works of Freud
pine	verb: to yearn for, suffer with longing; long painfully (often followed by for): to pine for one's home and family.
indict	verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing Vulgar Latin *indictare "to declare, accuse, proclaim in writing," from in + Latin dictare "to say, compose in words" (see dictate)
thrifty	adjective: spending money wisely
thrift	economical management; economy; frugality. vigorous growth, as of a plant. "fact or condition of thriving," also "prosperity, savings," from Middle English thriven "to thrive" (see thrive)
amiable	adjective: friendly from amicus "friend," related to amare "to love" , amigos
inundate	verb: to flood or overwhelm "to overflow," from in- "onto" + undare "to flow," from unda "a wave," from PIE unda-, nasalized form of root wed- (1) "water, wet"
affable	adjective: likeable; easy to talk to "who can be (easily) spoken to," from affari "to speak to," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + fari "to speak," from PIE root *bha- "to speak, tell, say"
entice	to lead on by exciting hope or desire; allure; inveigle from Vulgar Latin *intitiare "set on fire," from Latin in + titio (genitive titionis) "firebrand," which is of uncertain origin. Meaning "to allure, attract" is from c. 1300
lascivious	inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd arousing sexual desire lascivus "lewd, playful, undesigned, frolicsome, wanton." This is from PIE las-ko-, from the root las- "to be eager, wanton, or unruly" Slovak laska "love"
forfeit	noun - a fine; penalty verb (used with object) - to lose or become liable to lose, as in consequence of crime, fault, or breach of engagement From forfaire "transgress" from for- "outside, beyond" (from Latin foris; see foreign) + faire "to do" (from Latin facere; see factitious)
factitious	not spontaneous or natural; artificial; contrived made; manufactured from facere "to make, do; bring about" from PIE root *dhe- "to put, to set, to do" (source also of Russian delat' )
transgress	verb (used without an object) - to violate a law, command, moral code, etc.; offend verb (used with object) - to pass over or go beyond (a limit, boundary, etc.) of transgredi "step across, go beyond" from trans- "across" (see trans-) + gradi (past participle gressus) "to walk, go" (see grade )
desecrate	verb: to willfully violate or destroy a sacred place from de- "do the opposite of" (see de-) + stem of consecrate
consecrate	to make or declare sacred; to make (something) an object of honor or veneration; hallow consecrare "to make holy, devote," from com- "together" (see com-) + sacrare (see sacred)
checkered	adjective: marked by disreputable or unfortunate happenings marked by numerous and various shifts or changes; variegated
bellicose	adjective: warlike; inclined to quarrel from bellicus "of war," from bellum "war,"
wax	verb: to gradually increase in size or intensity
pugnacious	adjective: eager to fight or argue; verbally combative from pugnare "to fight," especially with the fists, "contend against," from pugnus "a fist," from PIE pung-, nasalized form of root peuk-, *peug- "to stick, stab, to prick"
corroborate	verb: to confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim) from com- "together" or "thoroughly" (see com-) + roborare "to make strong," from robur, robus "strength," (see robust)
amok	adverb: in a frenzied or uncontrolled state from Malay amuk "attacking furiously." Earlier the word was used as a noun or adjective meaning "a frenzied Malay," originally in the Portuguese form amouco or amuco
unconscionable	adjective: unreasonable; unscrupulous; excessive
conscience	the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual from com- "with," or "thoroughly" (see com-) + scire "to know" (see science).
flush	adjective: to be in abundance Old French flux, flus "a flowing, rolling" (see flux)
melee	noun: a wild, confusing fight or struggle h meslee "brawl, confused fight; mixture, blend" (12c.), noun use of fem. past participle of mesler "to mix, mingle" (see meddle)
cardinal	adjective: of primary importance; fundamental
cogent	adjective: clear and persuasive of cogere "to curdle; to compel; to collect," literally "to drive together," from com- "together" (see co-) + agere "to drive" (see act )
virago	noun: an ill-tempered or violent woman from Latin virago "female warrior, heroine, amazon," from vir "man" (see virile)
errant	adjective: to be wandering; not sticking to a circumscribed path deviating from the regular or proper course
check	verb: to limit (usually modifying the growth of something) noun: the condition of being held back or limited
sanctimonious	adjective: making a show of being pious; holier-than-thou
exhort	verb: to strongly urge on; encourage to give urgent advice, recommendations, or warnings.
exhortation	the act or process of exhorting. an utterance, discourse, or address conveying urgent advice or recommendations stem of exhortari "to exhort, encourage," from ex- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + hortari "encourage, urge" (see hortatory)
becoming	adjective: appropriate, and matches nicely
heyday	noun: the pinnacle or top of a time period or career
pittance	noun: a small amount (of money)
preemptive	adjective: done before someone else can do it
emption	late 15c., "purchase," from Latin emptionem (nominative emptio) "a buying, purchasing; thing bought," noun of action from past participle stem of emere "to buy" (see exempt )
exonerate	to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate to relieve, as from an obligation, duty, or task exonerare "remove a burden, discharge, unload," from ex- "off" (see ex-) + onerare "to unload; overload, oppress," from onus (genitive oneris) "burden" (see onus)
junta	noun: an aggressive takeover by a group (usually military); the group that executes such a takeover; a small group ruling a country Spanish and Portuguese junta "council, meeting, convention"
paucity	noun: a lack of something from paucus "few, little," from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little"
cadaverous	adjective: emaciated; gaunt "looking like a corpse," early 15c., from Latin cadaverosus "corpse-like," from cadaver (see cadaver)
cadaver	a dead body, especially a human body to be dissected; corpse participle of cadere "to fall, sink, settle down, decline, perish" (see case )
ferret	verb: to search for something persistently a domesticated, usually red-eyed variety of the polecat Latin fur (genitive furis) "thief," probably from PIE bhor- (which likely also is the source of furtive), from root bher- (1) "to bear, carry" (see infer)
extenuating	adjective: making less guilty or more forgivable extenuare "lessen, make small, reduce, diminish, detract from," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin" (see tenet)
stem	the stalk that supports a leaf, flower, or fruit verb: to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something from PIE root *stem- "to strike against something"
raft	noun: a large number of something
moment	noun: significant and important value
fleece	verb: to deceive to remove the fleece of (a sheep) a fabric with a soft, silky pile, used for warmth, as for lining garments probably from PIE *pleus- "to pluck," also "a feather, fleece"
chauvinist	noun: a person who believes in the superiority of their group
contrite	adjective: to be remorseful literally "worn out, ground to pieces," past participle of conterere "to grind," from com- "together" (see com-) + terere "to rub" (see throw )
badger	any of various burrowing, carnivorous mammals verb: to pester to harass or urge persistently; pester; nag: I had to badger him into coming with us 1520s, perhaps from bage "badge" (see badge) + -ard "one who carries some action or possesses some quality," If so, the central notion is the badge-like white blaze on the animal's forehead
cogent	adjective: clear and persuasive cogere "to curdle; to compel; to collect," literally "to drive together," from com- "together" (see co-) + agere "to drive" (see act )
avarice	greed adjectival form of avere "crave, long for."
proponent	noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
propound	to put forward or offer for consideration, acceptance, or adoption; set forth; propose Latin proponere "put forth, set forth, lay out, display, expose to view," from pro- "before" (see pro-) + ponere "to put"
fete	verb: to celebrate a person Old French feste "feast, celebration" (see feast )
ascendancy	noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another
ascend	to move, climb, or go upward; mount; rise from ascendere - ad- "to" (see ad-) + scandere "to climb"
malady	noun: a disease or sickness malade "ill" (12c.), from Latin male habitus, literally "ill-conditioned," from male "badly" (see mal-) + habitus, past participle of habere "have, hold"
deter	verb: turn away from by persuasion verb: try to prevent; show opposition to Latin deterrere "to frighten from, discourage from," from de- "away" (see de-) + terrere "frighten" (see terrible)
stolid	adjective: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited from PIE root *stel- "to put, stand" (see stall )
inclement	adjective: (of weather) unpleasant, stormy adjective: used of persons or behavior; showing no mercy Latin inclementem "harsh, unmerciful," from in- "not, without" + clementem "mild, placid."
quandary	noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options related to qui "who" (see who)
respite	noun: a pause from doing something (as work) Old French respit "delay, respect", from Latin respectus "consideration, recourse, regard"
consummate	adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill verb: to make perfect and complete in every respect
dearth	noun: a lack or shortage derthe "scarcity", Old English deore "precious, costly" (see dear) + abstract noun suffix -th
flounder	verb: behave awkwardly; have difficulties noun: marine flatfish flatfish - origin nasalized form of PIE *plat- "to spread"
entice	verb: get someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises
guffaw	verb: laugh boisterously Compare gawf (early 16c.) "loud, noisy laugh."
renege	verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation Latin renegare, from re-, here probably an intensive prefix, + negare "deny" (see deny)
enfranchise	to grant a franchise to; admit to citizenship, especially to the right of voting from en- "make, put in" (see en- (1)) + franc "free" (see franchise )
raffish	adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness mildly or sometimes engagingly disreputable or nonconformist; rakish "disreputable, vulgar," 1795, from raff "people," usually of a lower sort (1670s)
plodding	adjective: (of movement) slow and laborious "diligent and dull," 1580s, present participle adjective from plod (v.).
plod	to walk heavily or move laboriously; trudge perhaps imitative of the sound of walking heavily or slowly
boon	noun: a desirable state adjective: very close and convivial Middle English boon "good" (early 14c.), from Old French bon (see bon) - from Latin bonus "good" (see bene-). ex - bon apétit
patronize	verb: treat condescendingly
endemic	adjective: native; originating where it is found endemos "native, dwelling in (a place), of or belonging to a people" from en "in" + demos "people, district" (see demotic)
moot	adjective: open to argument or debate; undecidable in a meaningless way to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion "to debate," Old English motian "to meet, talk, discuss," from mot
pithy	adjective: concise and full of meaning
pith	the important or essential part; essence; core; heart
thwart	verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of from PIE *terkw- "to twist"
snide	adjective: expressive of contempt; derogatory or mocking in an indirect way
incessant	adjective: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
blunt	having an obtuse, thick, or dull edge or point; rounded; not sharp abrupt in address or manner "dull, obtuse," perhaps from or related to Old Norse blundra (see blunder )
despondent	feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom Latin despondere "to give up" (especially in phrase animam despondere, literally "give up one's soul"), from the sense of a promise to give something away, from de- "away" (see de-) + spondere "to promise" (see spondee)
devout	devoted to divine worship or service; pious; religious Latin devotus "given by vow, devoted" from de- "down, away" + vovere "to vow,"
coerce	to bring about through the use of force or other forms of compulsion; exact Latin coercere "to control, restrain, shut up together," from com- "together" (see co-) + arcere "to enclose, confine, contain, ward off," from PIE *ark- "to hold, contain, guard" (see arcane)
fledgling	adjective: young and inexperienced noun: any new participant in some activity
fledge	to bring up (a young bird) until it is able to fly. to furnish with or as if with feathers from PIE *pleuk- "to fly"
quandary	noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options based on Latin quando "when? at what time?; at the time that, inasmuch," pronominal adverb of time, related to qui "who"
avid	adjective: marked by active interest and enthusiasm Latin avidus "longing eagerly, desirous, greedy," from avere "to desire eagerly"
deference	respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another. defer: from de- "down, away" (see de-) + ferre "carry"
droll	amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish ultimately from Old Norse troll "giant, troll"
Ostensibly	outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended ostendere "to show, expose to view; to stretch out, spread before; exhibit, display," from ob "in front of" (see ob-) + tendere "to stretch" (see tenet)
covert	concealed; secret; disguised covrir "to cover" (see cover)
docile	easily managed or handled; tractable Latin docilis "easily taught," from docere "teach" (see doctor)
immaculate	free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean free from fault or flaw; free from errors: (see in- (1)) + maculatus "spotted, defiled," past participle of maculare "to spot," from macula "spot, blemish,"
wistful	characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning
dupe	a person who is easily deceived or fooled; gull Middle French duppe (early 15c.), perhaps from phrase de huppe "of the hoopoe," an extravagantly crested and reputedly stupid bird.

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GRE words mixed with slang and etymology 2

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