The Best 4 GRE Prep Books:
・The Official Guide to the GRE General Test
・Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2021
・500 Essential Words: GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
・500 Essential Vocabulary Words to Help Boost Your GRE Score
Essential Vocabulary for the GRE【Part 19】1801. sentry ～ 1900. stupefy
1801. sentry [noun]
a soldier who guards a place, usually by standing at its entrance:
The squad were on sentry duty last night.
1802. seraphic [adjective]
beautiful in a way that suggests that someone is morally good and pure:
When the children put on their angel costumes, they looked seraphic.
1803. serendipity [noun]
the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance:
There is a real element of serendipity in archaeology.
1804. serenity [noun]
the quality of being peaceful and calm:
Many individuals find that yoga is a great way to experience serenity.
1805. servile [adjective]
too eager to serve and please someone else in a way that shows you do not have much respect for yourself:
Some individuals are so servile that other people take advantage of their submissiveness.
1806. shady [adjective]
sheltered from direct light from the sun:
He was involved in shady deals in the past.
1807. shard [noun]
a piece of a broken glass, cup, container, or similar object:
Shards of glass have been cemented into the top of the wall to stop people climbing over.
1808. sheath [noun]
a close-fitting covering to protect something:
A thin sheath covered the scalpel and other sharp instruments while not in use.
1809. shirk [verb]
to avoid work, duties, or responsibilities, especially if they are difficult or unpleasant:
A lazy manager often attempts to shirk his responsibilities by passing his tasks on to his workers.
1810. shore [verb]
to give support to:
He called for action to shore up the ailing university.
1811. shrewd [adjective]
able to judge a situation accurately and turn it to your own advantage:
He is a very shrewd businessman.
1812. sidereal [adjective]
of or calculated by the stars:
The scientist’s calculations were based on sidereal time, which was related to the earth’s rotation around fixed planets.
1813. sidestep [verb]
to avoid talking about a subject, especially by starting to talk about something else:
The speaker sidestepped the question by saying that it would take him too long to answer it.
1814. simian [adjective]
of or like a monkey:
The actor mimicked simian movements for his role in Planet of the Apes.
1815. simile [noun]
an expression including the words "like" or "as" to compare one thing with another:
The simile, tough as nails, best applies to a person who is not easily frightened and has a strong, determined mindset.
1816. simpatico [adjective]
having shared qualities, interests, etc.:
Finding a simpatico partner in life has become easier for many single people since there are so many dating sites to find people with similarities.
1817. simulacrum [noun]
something that looks like or represents something else:
Crowds marched through the streets carrying burning simulacrums of the president.
1818. sincere [adjective]
honest:
The judge agreed to lighten his sentence as he made a sincere effort to improve his behavior.
1819. sinecure [noun]
a position which involves little work, but for which the person is paid:
Even though we all thought of the job as a sinecure, Jane took her position very seriously and always worked late into the evening.
1820. singular [adjective]
of an unusual quality or standard:
Although it isn’t widely known, the book is regarded as a singular and powerful piece of 19th century writing.
1821. sinister [adjective]
making you feel that something bad or evil might happen:
She has dark, sinister eyes that make you nervous when she looks at you.
1822. sinuous [adjective]
moving in a twisting, curving, or indirect way, or having many curves:
According to the treasure map, the cave is located at the end of the sinuous path that winds up the mountain.
1823. skeletal [adjective]
used to describe something that exists in its most basic form:
The newspaper report gave only a skeletal account of the debate.
1824. skeptic [noun]
a person who doubts the truth or value of an idea or belief:
The scientist was a religious skeptic and had trouble believing God exists.
1825. skittish [adjective]
nervous or easily frightened:
My horse is very skittish, so I have to keep him away from traffic.
1826. skulk [verb]
to hide or move around as if trying not to be seen, usually with bad intentions:
When the criminal surveyed the jewelry store, he tried to skulk around the neighborhood without being noticed.
1827. slack [adjective]
not busy or happening in a positive way:
Discipline in Mr. Brown's class has become very slack recently.
1828. slake [verb]
to satisfy a feeling of being thirsty or of wanting something:
This electrolyte water should help slake the runners’ thirst during the marathon.
1829. slanderous [adjective]
false, and damaging to someone's reputation:
He makes slanderous statement about the president on television.
1830. sloth [noun]
unwillingness to work or make any effort:
The report criticizes the government's sloth in tackling environmental problems.
1831. slouch [verb]
to stand, sit, or walk with the shoulders hanging forward and the head bent slightly over so that you look tired and bored:
A couple of boys were slouched over the table reading magazines.
1832. smite [verb]
to hit someone forcefully or to have a sudden powerful or damaging effect on someone:
He tried to smite his political rival by hitting her with negative ads and publicity.
1833. snub [verb]
to insult someone by not giving them any attention or treating them as if they are not important:
They are likely to snub people who aren’t just like them.
1834. sober [adjective]
serious and calm:
The woman’s expression was sober and sensible because she was generally a calm person.
1835. sobriety [noun]
the state of being sober:
Sobriety tests showed that the driver was inebriated and not able to operate a vehicle.
1836. sobriquet [noun]
a name given to someone or something that is not their or its real or official name:
The boxer’s sobriquet was “The Greatest.”
1837. sodden [adjective]
extremely wet:
My shoes were sodden after I walked a mile in the rain.
1838. soggy [adjective]
unpleasantly wet and soft:
The toddler spilled juice on her bread and refused to eat it because it was soggy.
1839. solace [noun]
help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried:
Music was a great solace to me.
1840. solecism [noun]
a grammatical mistake:
She commits a lot of solecisms.
1841. solemnity [noun]
the quality of being serious:
The solemnity of the event dictates that guests wear formal clothing.
1842. solicitous [adjective]
showing care and helpful attention to someone:
She becomes angry at her overly solicitous mother.
1843. solidarity [noun]
agreement between and support for the members of a group:
The situation raises important questions about solidarity among member states.
1844. soliloquy [noun]
a speech in a play that the character speaks to himself or herself or to the people watching rather than to the other characters:
The actress’s soliloquy let the audience hear the character’s inner thoughts.
1845. solitary [adjective]
being the only one, or not being with other similar things, often by choice:
He enjoys solitary walks in the wilderness.
1846. solvent [adjective]
having enough money to pay all the money that is owed to other people:
Because the restaurant is not solvent, it will be closing in two weeks.
1847. somatic [adjective]
relating to the body as opposed to the mind:
It is difficult to link generic somatic symptoms, like an irregular heartbeat, to specific illness.
1848. somber [adjective]
serious, sad, and without humor or entertainment:
Sometimes the news is so somber that I turn off the television.
1849. sophistry [noun]
the clever use of arguments that seem true but are really false, in order to deceive people:
Surprisingly, many debates are won by individuals who make use of sophistry to convince others they know something they do not.
1850. soporific [adjective]
causing sleep or making a person want to sleep:
The professor’s boring speech was soporific and had everyone in the audience yawning.
1851. sordid [adjective]
dirty and unpleasant:
If people learn of the politician’s sordid past, they will not vote for him.
1852. sovereign [noun]
a king or queen:
King George was the sovereign of England.
1853. sparse [adjective]
small in numbers or amount, often spread over a large area:
The information available on the subject is sparse.
1854. spartan [adjective]
simple and severe with no comfort:
The monks have chosen to live a spartan life devoid of all luxuries.
1855. specious [adjective]
seeming to be right or true, but really wrong or false:
His whole argument is specious.
1856. specter [noun]
something that causes fear or worry:
The specter of inflation concerns many voters.
1857. spectroscope [noun]
a piece of equipment that separates light into its colors:
The spectroscope was used to analyze the light of the planetary nebula.
1858. spectrum [noun]
a range of objects, ideas, or opinions:
The survey provided the company with a wide spectrum of feedback on its products.
1859. speculative [adjective]
based on a guess and not on information:
After conducting the experiment, the researcher realized his speculative assumption was indeed a fact.
1860. spendthrift [noun]
spending a lot of money in a way that wastes it:
Because the lottery winner was a spendthrift, he spent his winnings in less than a year.
1861. sphere [noun]
a subject or area of knowledge, work, etc.:
Although she was not in his sphere of command, she still respected him as a leader.
1862. sporadic [adjective]
happening sometimes:
After the tornado, there were sporadic power outages in our town.
1863. spur [verb]
to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster:
The chance to win a scholarship should spur my daughter into studying hard for the college admissions test.
1864. spurious [adjective]
based on false reasoning or information that is not true, and therefore not to be trusted:
After receiving a low appraisal on my diamond ring, I realized the suspicious-looking jeweler had sold me a spurious jewel.
1865. squalid [adjective]
extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money:
Many prisons are overcrowded and squalid places even today.
1866. squalor [noun]
the condition of being extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money:
These people are forced to live in squalor.
1867. squarely [adverb]
directly and with no doubt:
We have to face these issues squarely and honestly.
1868. squelch [verb]
to quickly end something that is causing you problems:
The senator thoroughly squelched the journalist who tried to interrupt him during his speech.
1869. staccato [adjective]
used to describe musical notes that are short and separate when played, or this way of playing music:
The song needs to be played in a staccato manner and not as a continuous melody.
1870. stalemate [verb]
to bring to a standstill:
Airport managers feared that a flood of private vehicles with few places to park could stalemate the loop road.
1871. stanch [verb]
to stop something happening, or to stop liquid, especially blood, from flowing out:
A tourniquet is designed to stanch bleeding from wounded limbs by cutting off the flow of blood from the heart to that limb.
1872. stanchion [noun]
a fixed vertical bar or pole used as a support for something:
If this stanchion is removed, the stairs will collapse.
1873. staple [noun]
a main product or part of something:
Phosphate has been a staple of this area for many years.
1874. stark [adjective]
empty, simple, or obvious, especially without decoration or anything that is not necessary:
The house’s living room was stark and held only one couch.
1875. stasis [noun]
a state that does not change:
The settlement meeting reached a stasis when both sides stopped talking to each other.
1876. staunch [adjective]
always loyal in supporting a person, organization, or set of beliefs or opinions:
He gained a reputation as being a staunch defender of civil rights.
1877. steadfast [adjective]
staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly:
The group remained steadfast in its support for the new system, even when it was criticized in the newspapers.
1878. stentorian [adjective]
using a very loud voice, or very loud:
The stentorian music was so loud that it made my head hurt.
1879. stern [adjective]
severe, or showing disapproval:
Journalists received a stern warning not to go anywhere near the battleship.
1880. steward [noun]
a person whose job it is to organize a particular event, or to provide services to particular people, or to take care of a particular place:
If you need help at any time during the conference, one of the stewards will be pleased to help you.
1881. stigmatize [verb]
to treat someone or something unfairly by disapproving of him, her, or it:
People should not be stigmatized on the basis of race.
1882. stint [verb]
to provide, take, or use only a small amount of something:
She doesn’t stint when it comes to buying new clothes.
1883. stipulate [verb]
to state exactly what must be done:
The software company’s policies stipulate employees must take two fifteen-minute breaks a day.
1884. stir [verb]
to wake up or begin to move or take action:
The speech stirred the crowd to take action.
1885. stolid [adjective]
calm and not showing emotion or excitement:
He was a stolid man who did not even show his emotions at the funeral.
1886. stopgap [noun]
something intended for temporary use until something better or more suitable can be found:
Hostels are used as a stopgap until the families can find permanent accommodation.
1887. stout [adjective]
strongly made from thick:
I bought myself a pair of good stout hiking boots.
1888. stratagem [noun]
a carefully planned way of achieving or dealing with something, often involving a trick:
Her business stratagem allowed her to quickly rise to the top as a great success.
1889. stratification [noun]
the fact that the different parts of something exist in or have been arranged into separate groups:
The prime minister wants to reduce social stratification and make the country a classless society.
1890. stratum [noun]
one of the parts or layers into which something is separated:
Earth Scientists study stratum comprised of different types of rock.
1891. striate [verb]
to mark with striations or striae:
The canyon walls were striated with various colors of stratums.
1892. stricture [noun]
a severe moral or physical limit:
In college, the students must obey the stricture forbidding alcohol on campus.
1893. strident [adjective]
loud, unpleasant, and rough:
He often hears the strident argument between his neighbors.
1894. stringent [adjective]
having a very severe effect, or being extremely limiting:
Stringent safety regulations were introduced after the accident.
1895. strong suit
a particular skill or ability that a person has:
I'm afraid patience isn't exactly my strong suit.
1896. strut [noun]
a support for a structure such as an aircraft wing, roof, or bridge:
This strut braces the beam.
1897. studious [adjective]
liking to study:
The studious girl dreams of being the valedictorian of her class.
1898. stultify [verb]
to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective:
The regulations stultify the freedom of workers.
1899. stumble [verb]
to step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall:
The runner started to stumble as he approached the finish line.
1900. stupefy [verb]
to make someone unable to think clearly, usually because they are extremely tired or have taken drugs:
Casinos offer free alcoholic drinks to stupefy patrons to the point that they are unaware of time and money spent.
REFERENCE
: Essential Vocabulary for the GRE
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