Essential Vocabulary for the GRE【Part 6】501. demarcate ～ 600. diverge

a medical condition that affects especially old people, causing the memory and other mental abilities to gradually become worse, and leading to confused behavior:

She is suffering from senile dementia.

505. demise [noun]

the end of the operation or existence of something:

The demise of the company was sudden and unexpected.

506. demographics [noun]

the statistical characteristics of human populations such as age or income used especially to identify markets:

The demographics of the country have changed dramatically in recent years.

507. demonize [verb]

to try to make someone or a group of people seem completely evil:

In divorce court, the bitter wife tried to demonize her ex and pain him in a bad light to the judge.

508. demotic [adjective]

used by ordinary people:

Demotic scripts were different from traditional Egyptian communication in that they were scribed with business and not traditional wording.

509. demur [verb]

to express disagreement or refuse to do something:

He raised his hand to demur but wasn’t allowed to protest.

510. denigrate [verb]

to say that someone or something is not good or important:

On the talk show, the mean host usually tries to denigrate her guests by reminding them of their misdeeds.

511. denizen [noun]

an animal, plant, or person that lives in or is often in a particular place:

My husband is a denizen of the sand who practically lives at the beach.

512. denouement [noun]

the final part of a work of literature, after the climax:

The film ended with a denouement that left the audience speechless.

513. denounce [verb]

to criticize something or someone strongly and publicly:

We must denounce injustice and oppression.

514. deplete [verb]

to reduce something in size or amount, especially supplies of energy, money, etc.:

When we continually cut down forests, we are choosing to deplete one of our greatest resources.

515. deplorable [adjective]

very bad:

Many of the refugees are forced to live under deplorable conditions.

516. deportation [noun]

the action of forcing someone to leave a country, especially someone who has no legal right to be there or who has broken the law:

Due to the father’s criminal behavior, his whole family faced deportation to their country.

517. depose [verb]

to remove someone important from a powerful position:

A coalition of countries is trying to depose the island dictator.

518. deposition [noun]

a formal written statement made or used in a law court:

After the deposition of the president, the vice-president was asked to lead the country.

519. deprecate [verb]

to say that you think something is of little value or importance:

He is a good coach because he does not deprecate the players even when they make mistakes.

520. depreciate [verb]

to cause something to lose value, especially over time:

The new car starts to depreciate in value as soon as it is driven off the lot.

521. deride [verb]

to laugh at someone or something in a way that shows you think they are stupid or of no value:

If the police do not intervene, the fans of the winning team will deride those of the losing team as they leave the arena.

522. derivative [adjective]

having parts that originate from another source:

His painting is very derivative.

523. descent [noun]

a way down, such as a path, or an act of coming down:

The plane began its final descent into the airport.

524. descry [verb]

to see or notice something or someone:

After conducting experiments for several years, the scientist was able to descry the cause of the disease.

525. desecrate [verb]

to damage or show no respect towards something holy or very much respected:

Do not desecrate the temple by speaking loudly during your visit.

526. desiccate [verb]

to remove the moisture from something so it becomes completely dry; to lose all moisture and become completely dry:

The bricks were totally desiccated by the sun.

527. desolate [adjective]

having no living things:

Since the anchor stores closed, the shopping center has become a desolate wasteland.

528. desuetude [noun]

the principle that laws can stop having any legal force when they have not been used for a long time:

The dusty typewriter has been in desuetude for over four decades.

529. desultory [adjective]

without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest:

Because he was not happy with his pay increase, James made only a desultory effort to complete his duties at work.

530. deterrent [noun]

something that deters people from doing something:

When I saw the security guard in the store, I knew he was there as a theft deterrent.

531. detest [verb]

to hate someone or something very much:

The animal activists detest people who purchase fur coats.

532. detract [verb]

to make something seem less valuable or less deserving of admiration:

The publicity could detract from our election campaign.

533. detraction [noun]

a lessening of reputation or esteem especially by envious, malicious, or petty criticism:

Weak men are crushed by detraction, but the brave hold on and succeed.

534. detrimental [adjective]

causing harm or damage:

My grandmother still does not own a microwave because she believes the radiation could be detrimental to her health.

535. devalue [verb]

to cause someone or something to be considered less valuable or important:

Last year, Mexico was forced to devalue the peso.

536. devoid [adjective]

to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual:

We need rainfall or the lake will be devoid of water.

537. devolve [verb]

to give power or a responsibility to a person or group that is at a lower level or has less authority:

A law was passed to devolve some powers of the central government to regional councils.

538. dialectical [adjective]

discovering what is true by considering opposite theories:

Hegel detected this dialectical progression in the progress of human consciousness and intellectual-emotional growth.

539. diaphanous [adjective]

characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through:

Mary found it quite easy to see through the diaphanous drapes.

540. diatribe [noun]

an angry speech or piece of writing that severely criticizes something or someone:

Because Sheila was unhappy with the administration, she launched a lengthy diatribe against the board during lunch.

541. dichotomy [noun]

the division of two things that are completely different:

His dichotomy of heaven and hell became an excellent essay on the contrast between paradise and eternal suffering.

542. dictum [noun]

a short statement, especially one expressing advice or a general truth:

Because Jason didn't follow the safety dictum, he was suspended from the football team.

543. didactic [adjective]

intended to teach, or to improve morals by teaching:

While the professor’s lectures were designed to be didactic, they only served to confuse the students.

544. differentiate [verb]

to show or find the difference between things that are compared:

The cashier told me a sticker would differentiate the regular cheeseburger from the cheeseburger without pickles.

545. diffident [adjective]

shy and not confident of your abilities:

Because she felt unattractive, Mary was diffident and kept to herself at parties.

546. diffuse [verb]

to cause something to spread in many directions:

They used the essential oils to diffuse fragrance throughout the entire room.

547. digression [noun]

the action of moving away from the main subject you are writing or talking about and writing or talking about something else:

The elderly professor would sometimes make a digression and talk about his lake house instead of physics.

548. dilate [verb]

to cause a part of the body to become wider or further open:

The doctor will repair the narrowed blood vessels by inserting a tube to dilate them.

549. dilatory [adjective]

slow and likely to cause delay:

The government has been dilatory in dealing with the problem of unemployment.

550. dilettante [noun]

a person who is or seems to be interested in a subject, but whose understanding of it is not very deep or serious:

When it comes to learning how to play the guitar, my daughter is a dilettante who will practice one day but not the next day.

551. din [noun]

a loud, unpleasant confused noise that lasts for a long time:

The din from my neighbor’s party will probably keep me up all night.

552. diplomat [noun]

an official whose job is to represent one country in another, and who usually works in an embassy:

He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.

553. dire [adjective]

very serious or extreme:

Despite dire threats of violence from extremist groups, the protest passed off peacefully.

554. dirge [noun]

a slow sad song or piece of music, sometimes played because someone has died:

My teenage daughter was bored by the music at the opera and referred to it as one long funeral dirge.

555. disabuse [verb]

to cause someone no longer to have a wrong idea:

Because my cousin is an environmental activist, she tries to disabuse people of the idea that wasting water does not matter.

556. disaffection [noun]

the quality of no longer supporting or being satisfied with a system, organization, or idea:

There are signs of growing disaffection among voters.

557. discerning [adjective]

able to make or usually making careful judgments about the quality of similar things:

The discerning customer will recognize this as a high quality product.

558. disciplinary [adjective]

connected with the punishment of people who break the rules:

Disciplinary action was taken by the principal after the student refused to listen to the teacher.

559. discomfit [verb]

to make someone feel uncomfortable, especially mentally:

The news about the prison escape will discomfit many people who were planning on attending the parade.

560. discordant [adjective]

used to describe something that is not in agreement with something else:

The two experiments gave us discordant results.

561. discredit [noun]

loss of respect for or belief in someone or something:

The way Leonard responded to the customer was a discredit to the company’s service policy.

562. discreet [adjective]

careful not to cause embarrassment or attract a lot of attention:

He is very discreet in giving his opinions at meetings.

563. discrepancy [noun]

a difference between two things that should be the same:

The police were confused by the discrepancy between the testimonies of the two witnesses who saw the same event.

564. discrete [adjective]

clearly separate or different in shape or form:

Though they are both citrus, lemons and limes are two discrete fruits.

565. discretion [noun]

the ability to behave without causing embarrassment or attracting too much attention, especially by keeping information secret:

Parents should have the discretion to determine which television programs their children may watch.

566. discretionary [adjective]

available to someone by choice, without having to get permission or authority:

The company used to give discretionary bonus payments.

567. discrimination [noun]

the practice of treating particular people, companies, or products differently from others, especially in an unfair way:

Carol is an attorney who works to help fight gender discrimination in the workplace.

568. discursive [adjective]

talking about or dealing with subjects that are only slightly connected with the main subject for longer than necessary:

When the writer was drunk, he often talked for hours in a discursive manner.

569. disdain [verb]

to look on with scorn:

The older musicians disdain the new, rock-influenced music.

570. disinclination [noun]

a feeling of not wanting to do something:

He felt a disinclination to take music lessons.

571. disingenuous [adjective]

slightly dishonest, or not speaking the complete truth:

Although the politician promised to be open and honest during the election, he later became disingenuous and hid important facts from the voters.

572. disinterested [adjective]

having no personal involvement or receiving no personal advantage, and therefore free to act fairly:

A lawyer should provide disinterested advice.

573. disjointed [adjective]

not well connected or well ordered:

The script was disjointed and hard to follow.

574. dismay [noun]

a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment:

To the children’s dismay, there was not enough snow in the yard to build a snowman.

575. dismiss [verb]

to formally ask or order someone to leave:

Because of a decline in sales, the company owner has no choice but to dismiss a few workers.

576. disparage [verb]

to criticize someone or something in a way that shows a lack of respect:

I cannot believe that you belittle and disparage people who have little in common with you.

577. disparate [adjective]

different in every way:

Scientists are trying to pull together disparate ideas in astronomy.

578. disparity [noun]

a lack of equality or similarity, especially in a way that is not fair:

There is great disparity between the amount of work that I do and what I get paid for it.

579. disperse [verb]

to spread across or move away over a large area, or to make something do this:

As soon as the last bell rings, students disperse out of the building and head to their buses.

580. dispose [verb]

to make someone feel a particular, and often bad, way toward someone else, or to influence someone in a particular way:

His criminal record does not dispose me to trust him.

581. dispossess [verb]

to take property, especially buildings or land, away from someone or a group of people:

Once the real estate investor neglected to pay his property taxes, the government took action to dispossess his land.

582. disquiet [verb]

to take away the peace or tranquility of:

The novel is a tense thriller that will disquiet the reader.

583. dissemble [verb]

to hide your real intentions and feelings or the facts:

While it may be easier to dissemble your true feelings from others, it is always best to be honest with those you love.

584. disseminate [verb]

to spread or give out news, information, ideas, etc. to many people:

After the presidential election, it would not take long for the media to disseminate the results to living rooms across the United States.

585. dissent [verb]

to disagree with other people about something:

The farmers are sure to dissent on the proposed land tax increase.

586. disservice [noun]

an action that harms something or someone:

She has done a great disservice to her cause by suggesting that violence is justifiable.

587. dissident [adjective]

publicly disagreeing with and criticizing your government or political party:

He was a dissident candidate of the Liberal Party.

588. dissipate [verb]

to gradually disappear or waste:

According to meteorologists, the storm will dissipate after a few hours and make way for the sunshine.

589. dissolute [adjective]

showing a lack of good character and morals:

When I was young, I was rather dissolute and only hung out with people who got into troubles for behaving improperly.

590. dissolution [noun]

the act or process of ending an official organization or legal agreement:

The president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly.

591. dissonance [noun]

a combination of sounds or musical notes that are not pleasant when heard together:

If Congress can explain the dissonance between their promises and their actual results, the public would be happy to hear the explanation.

592. dissuade [verb]

to persuade someone not to do something:

Jealous people will always try to dissuade you from trying to be successful.

593. distaff [adjective]

female:

He is my uncle on the distaff side.

594. distaste [noun]

a dislike of something that you find unpleasant or unacceptable:

I have a mild distaste for anything bitter, but I would certainly eat those foods if I were hungry enough.

595. distend [verb]

to swell and become large, especially because of pressure from inside:

The balloon was distended because of filling of hydrogen.

596. distill [verb]

to make a liquid stronger or purer by heating it until it changes to a gas and then cooling it so that it changes back into a liquid:

The writers were asked to distill the most important points of their articles and put them into one sentence.

597. distrait [adjective]

apprehensively divided or withdrawn in attention:

When she goes to work tired, Hannah is both distrait and easily distracted.

598. dither [verb]

to be unable to make a decision about doing something:

The politician began to dither and stutter when asked his stance on the issue.

599. diurnal [adjective]

being active or happening during the day rather than at night:

In the desert, there are few diurnal animals because of the high daytime temperatures.

600. diverge [verb]

to go in different directions from the same point, or to become different:

The interstate began to diverge into two exit ramps.

REFERENCE

: Essential Vocabulary for the GRE

: Cambridge Dictionary

: WORDS IN A SENTENCE

: Sentence dictionary online

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