GRE words starting with P

to calm or soothe someone who is angry or agitated

a song or expression of joyful praise or triumph

done with careful and thorough effort

agreeable to the taste or acceptable to the mind

resembling a palace in size or grandeur

rebirth, regeneration, or renewal into a new existence

to ease the severity of something without curing it

pale or lacking vitality and color

so intense as to be almost touchable or readily perceived

to act or talk evasively, especially by using misleading half-truths to mislead someone

petty or insignificant in amount or worth

to criticize something harshly and unfavorably

a supposed remedy for all problems or diseases

a confident, stylish manner of doing something that attracts admiration

a formal speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something

a complete or impressive collection of things; a splendid array

a typical model or pattern that serves as an example

a statement that seems self-contradictory yet may be true

a model of excellence or perfection

more important than anything else; supreme

an organism that lives on or in a host and benefits at the host's expense, or a person who habitually exploits others

to make something extremely dry, especially by intense heat

to reduce or trim something gradually by removing outer parts or excess

a person rejected and despised by society

a discussion or conference, especially between opposing sides

an imitation that mocks an original work or style

inlaid work of variously shaped pieces of wood arranged in a geometric pattern, used especially for floors

to ward off or deflect a blow or question

extremely unwilling to spend money or use resources

strongly biased in support of a party, cause, or person

a person who has newly risen in wealth or status but lacks the accompanying refinement; a social upstart

a satire or lampoon, often posted or published, mocking someone

a work made up of borrowed elements from various sources

clearly evident or obvious

capable of causing disease

relating to or caused by disease, or compulsive and unreasonable to a degree that resembles illness

the scientific study of the nature and causes of disease, or the typical behavior of a disease or disorder

a quality that evokes pity or sorrow

to treat someone with apparent kindness that betrays condescension

treating others as if they are inferior or less intelligent in a condescending way

the presence of something in unusually small amounts

a small, relatively trivial fault or sin

a characteristic that is unusual or distinctive, especially one that is odd or strange

relating to or consisting of money

a person who is overly concerned with minor details or rules

excessively concerned with formal rules and trivial detail

to sell goods by traveling from place to place, or to promote an idea or view persistently

lacking originality or interest; commonplace

expressing disapproval or a negative connotation

money or riches regarded with contempt or as ill-gotten

transparently clear in meaning or appearance

a strong habitual liking or tendency

feeling or showing sorrow and regret for wrongdoing

deeply or seriously thoughtful, often tinged with sadness

a partial shadow at the edge of a fully shaded area, or a less clear or definite part of something

partially shaded or obscure, lying in a zone of uncertainty

extremely stingy, or marked by extreme poverty

extreme poverty or destitution

having or showing keen insight and awareness

perceiving quickly and showing keen awareness

a state of utter ruin or eternal damnation

enduring permanently, lasting through time

to continue to exist permanently, to last enduringly

to travel or wander from place to place

insisting on immediate obedience and allowing no refusal

lasting or recurring through many years; enduring

excessively ardent, impassioned, or zealous

deliberately treacherous or disloyal

a deliberate betrayal of trust or faith; treachery

done carelessly or with minimal effort, merely as a routine

full of danger or risk

traveling from place to place rather than staying in one location

of secondary importance; relating to the outer edge

the use of indirect, roundabout phrasing in place of plain expression

expressed in a roundabout, indirect way using more words than necessary

to spread throughout or pass into every part of something

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

the concluding, often impassioned, part of a speech

to cause something to continue indefinitely

to continue steadily in a course of action despite difficulty or discouragement

light, frivolous, or gently mocking talk about a subject

having keen insight and sharp understanding

keenness of mental perception and discernment

clearness and lucidity of statement or style

clearly expressed and easy to understand; lucid

boldly forward or saucy in speech or manner

stubbornly persistent in holding to a purpose or opinion

relevant and applicable to the matter at hand

to make someone anxious or unsettled

to read or examine carefully and in detail

to spread through and be present in every part of something

spreading widely and present throughout something

the use of petty, dishonest, or quibbling tactics, especially in argument or legal matters

childishly irritable or sulky over small matters

a group of people or things forming a compact body or presenting a unified front

seeking to promote the welfare of others, especially through giving

the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed through generous donations of money or time

a bitter, impassioned verbal attack or denunciation

a person hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts

calm, unemotional steadiness of temperament

having an unemotional and calm disposition

not genuine or real; fraudulent or insincere

devout reverence for religion or dutiful respect

to expose someone to public ridicule or scorn

to bind or hold down so as to prevent movement

the highest point of achievement or development

to be the first to develop or apply a new idea or method

deeply religious or devout in observance

pleasantly sharp, stimulating, or provocative

to stimulate interest or to cause resentment

the essential or central part of something; the most meaningful core

concise and full of meaning

a very small or inadequate amount of money

to calm someone's anger or hostility by appeasing them

calm and peaceful, with little disturbance

frank and direct in speech, without evasion or ornament

expressing sorrow or melancholy

a trite or overused statement presented as if it were original

an enthusiastic expression of approval or praise

seeming reasonable or probable

relating to or characteristic of common people; unrefined

of or belonging to the common people, or lacking in refinement and culture

an abundance or full, complete supply of something

the use of more words than are needed to express an idea, sometimes for emphasis

an excessive or overabundant amount of something

easily bent or easily influenced

showing determined courage in the face of difficulty

to explore or examine something deeply and thoroughly

to fall or drop straight down rapidly

a society or system governed by the wealthy class

a person whose power derives from great wealth

indifferent and nonchalant, caring little about anything

evoking a keen sense of sadness or emotional impact

to divide into sharply opposing groups or opinions

divided into two sharply opposing groups or sets of opinions

a strong verbal or written attack on a position or belief

sagaciously tactful and shrewd in dealing with people to gain advantage

an utter coward; a spiritless craven

a person who knows and uses several languages

dull and labored, or heavy and unwieldy

to be a sign or warning that something is about to happen

a sign or warning that something significant is about to occur

to put forward an idea or assumption as a basis for argument

occurring or published after someone's death

to assume or assert the truth of something as a basis for reasoning

a ruler who wields great power, especially an autocrat

dealing with matters in a practical rather than idealistic way

to talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way

an introductory statement that explains what follows

dangerously uncertain, unstable, or insecure

a general rule that guides behavior or thought

to cause something to happen suddenly or prematurely

dangerously steep, or done with excessive haste

to prevent something from happening or to make it impossible

showing mature qualities or abilities at an unusually early age

a person or thing that comes before and leads to the development of something else

a preference or special liking for something

having a tendency or inclination toward something before exposure to it

surpassing all others; outstanding

thought out or planned in advance

a feeling that something, often unpleasant, is about to happen

an exclusive right or privilege belonging to a person or group

to foreshadow or give a warning of a future event

having knowledge or foresight of events before they occur

skillful sleight of hand; by extension, deft manual deception or trickery

overstepping proper bounds; excessively forward or bold

attempting to impress by claiming greater importance, talent, or culture than one actually possesses

beyond what is normal or natural; extraordinary or supernatural

widespread or common in a particular place or time

to speak or act evasively to avoid telling the truth

the act of departing from the truth through evasive or intentionally misleading speech

one who habitually dodges the truth or speaks in deliberately misleading ways

the state of being first in importance, order, or rank

existing from the very beginning; original and fundamental

in its original, unspoiled, and pure condition

the lack of basic necessities or comforts

complete honesty and uprightness of character

presenting difficulty or doubt

a natural tendency or inclination toward something

wastefully extravagant with money or resources

reckless or wasteful extravagance with money

remarkably large in size, amount, or degree

showing disrespect for sacred things; secular or irreverent

recklessly extravagant or shamelessly immoral

having great depth of meaning, insight, or intensity

produced or given in great abundance

the state of being abundant, a lavish outpouring

to foretell or predict a future event from present signs

so high or severe as to prevent purchase, use, or action

to increase or spread rapidly in number

producing many works or much output

tediously long and wordy

the quality of being tediously wordy and long-winded

an introductory section of a literary work or speech that leads into the main part

to make known or put into effect a law or doctrine publicly

to spread or promote an idea, belief, or practice widely among people

a natural inclination to behave in a particular way

accurately predicting future events or serving as a warning about what is to come

to win or regain the favor of someone by appeasing them

giving a good indication of success; favorable

a person who advocates for a theory, proposal, or cause

to put forward an idea or theory for consideration

conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morality

lacking imagination or excitement; commonplace

to forbid something officially or condemn it

to try to convert others to one's own belief or cause

likely to happen or become in the future; expected or potential

readily able to change form or character; versatile

to prolong or extend something in duration

prudent management and provision for the future

making careful provision for the future; prudent

happening at a fortunate time as if arranged by divine providence

narrow or unsophisticated in outlook; limited to local concerns

arranged or existing for the present, subject to change

a person or thing authorized to act on behalf of another

a person who is excessively proper or easily shocked, especially about sex

acting with care and good judgment about the future

having an excessive interest in sexual matters

childishly silly and immature

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight

great power, strength, or influence

great physical beauty

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior

an expert who offers opinions publicly, especially in the media

having a sharply strong taste or smell

lacking in insight or understanding; obtuse

to steal, especially something not of great value

to claim or appear to be something, often falsely

reputed or claimed to be, but not proven

showing a lack of courage; timid and cowardly

generally assumed or supposed to be the case

to decay and rot, producing a foul odor

in the process of rotting and giving off a foul smell

decaying and giving off a foul odor