Barren GRE Word List Letter "S" Page 2

• shard fragment generally of broken pottery (glass, clay bowl, or cup)

• shaving very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade)
          ~ plane carpenter’s tool for smoothing and leveling wood; V. CF. flat

• sheaf bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together

• sheathe place into a case; insert into or provide with a sheath; Ex. He sheathed his dagger; N. sheath: case for a blade

• sherbet flavored dessert ice

• shimmer shine with a flickering light; glimmer intermittently; Ex. The moonlight shimmered on the water; N.

• shirk avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger

• shoddy made of inferior material; sham; not genuine; inferior; dishonest; Ex. shoddy goods/trick

• shrew scolding woman; very small mouselike animal

• shrewd clever; astute

• shun keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors.

• shunt move (a railway train) from one track to another; turn aside; divert; sidetrack; Ex. shunt traffic around an accident; N.
          ~ sidetrack switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track

• shyster lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner

• sibling brother or sister

• sibylline prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world)

• sidereal relating to stars; Ex. sidereal day

• silt sediment deposited by running water (at the entrance to a harbor or by a bend in a river)

• simian monkeylike; N: ape or monkey

• simile comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as

• simper smirk; smile in a silly way; smile affectedly

• simplistic oversimplified

• simulate feign; imitate

• sinecure well-paid position with little responsibility; CF. sine cure: without care; CF. San Serif

• sinewy (of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew: tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone

• singular being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; Ex. singular beauty/behavior

• sinister evil; ominous

• sinuous twisting; winding; bending in and out; not morally honest

• skeptic sceptic; doubter; person who suspends judgment until he has examined the evidence supporting a point of view; ADJ. skeptical; N. skepticism; scepticism

• skiff small light sailboat or rowboat

• skimp provide or use scantily; live very economically; Ex. skimp on necessities; ADJ. skimpy: inadequate in amount; scanty; stingy; niggardly

• skinflint miser; stingy person

• skirmish minor fight; minor battle in war; V.

• skittish inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit
          ~ frisk move about playfully; froric; ADJ. frisky: playful

• skulduggery (skullduggery) dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election

• skulk move furtively and secretly; Ex. He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city.

• slacken slow up; loosen; make or become slack
          ~ slack moving slowly; sluggish; inactive; (of a rope) loose; negligent; lax; Ex. slack season; Ex. slack in one’s work; N. V.

• slag glassy residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter

• slake satisfy (thirst); quench; sate

• slander defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements; V. ADJ. slanderous

• slapdash hasty and careless; haphazard; sloppy(carelessly done)

• sleazy shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; Ex. sleazy back-street hotel/fabric

• sleeper one that achieves unexpected success; something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable

• sleight dexterity; CF. sleight of hand: legerdemain; quickness of the hands in doing tricks

• slew large quantity or number; Ex. slew of errands left

• slight insult to one’s dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small importance; insult; snub; ADJ. small in size; of small importance

• slipshod slovenly; careless; sloppy; untidy; shabby; Ex. slipshod work

• slither slip or slide

• sloth slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; ADJ. slothful: lazy; indolent

• slough (of a snake) shed or cast off (dead outer skin); N: outer layer that is shed

• slovenly untidy; careless in work habits; slipshod; N. sloven: one who is habitually untidy or careless
          ~ sledge large sled drawn by work animals
          ~ sleigh large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice

• sluggard lazy person

• sluggish lazy; slow; inactive; lethargic; CF. slug: nail with no shell

• sluice artificial channel for directing or controlling the flow of water (with a gate to regulate the flow)

• slur slander; insult to one’s character or reputation; V.

• slur pronounce indistinctly; speak indistinctly; mumble

• smattering slight knowledge; small scattered number or amount; Ex. smattering of German

• smelt melt (ore) for separating and removing the metal; melt or blend ores changing their chemical composition

• smirk conceited smile; offensively self-satisfied smile (often at someone else’s misfortune); V.

• smolder smoulder; burn slowly without flame; be liable to break out at any moment; exist in a suppressed state; Ex. smoldering anger

• snicker half-stifled(suppressed) laugh; V.

• snivel complain or whine tearfully; run at the nose; snuffle; Ex. Don’t come back sniveling to me.
          ~ snuffle sniffle; sniff repeatedly (in order to keep liquid from running out of the nose)

• sobriety moderation (especially regarding indulgence in alcohol); seriousness
          ~ sober serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate; V: make or become sober

• sodden thoroughly soaked; dull or stupid as if from drink

• sojourn temporary stay; V: stay for a time

• solace comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble

• solder repair or make whole by using a metal alloy; N: metal alloy (usually tin and lead) used in the molten state to join metallic parts

• solecism nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette

• solemnity seriousness; gravity

• solicit entreat; request earnestly; seek to obtain; Ex. solicit votes; CF. solicitor: one who solicits; chief law officer

• solicitous anxious; worried; concerned; eager; Ex. solicitous to do something; N. solicitude

• soliloquy talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue: soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing a conversation)

• solitude state of being alone; seclusion; ADJ. solitary: existing or living alone (esp. by choice); remote or secluded; single; sole; Ex. solitary life/inn; Ex. no solitary piece of proof

• solstice point or time at which the sun is farthest from the equator

• soluble able to be dissolved in a liquid; able to be worked out or solved

• solvent able to pay all depths; N. solvency

• solvent substance that dissolves another; ADJ: capable of dissolving another substance

• somatic pertaining to the body; bodily; physical

• somber dark; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; CF. shadow

• somnambulist sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism

• somnolent half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence

• sonorous resonant; producing a full deep sound; producing sound
          ~ sonic of sound or its speed in air; CF. subsonic, supersonic
          ~ sonnet 14-line poetic verse form with a fixed rhyme pattern

• sophist teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning; N. sophism: plausible but fallacious argument

• sophisticated worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; N. sophistication; V. sophisticate

• sophistry seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism

• sophomoric immature; half-baked; like a sophomore

• soporific sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness; drowsy

• sordid filthy; foul; base; vile; Ex. sordid bed/story

• spangle small shiny metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation

• sparse not thick; thinly scattered; scanty

• spartan without attention to comfort; lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined; Ex. spartan living condition/ life

• spasmodic fitful; periodic; of or like a spasm; N. spasm: sudden involuntary muscular contraction; sudden burst of energy or emotion

• spat squabble; minor dispute; minor quarrel

• spate sudden flood or rush; Ex. spate of accidents

• spatial relating to space

• spatula broad-bladed instrument used for spreading or mixing

• spawn lay eggs (in large numbers); produce offspring (in large numbers); N: eggs of aquatic animals

• specious seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)

• spectral ghostly; N. specter: spectre; ghost; phantom

• spectrum colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism; broad and continuous range; Ex. whole spectrum of modern thoughts

• spendthrift someone who wastes money; CF. thrift: accumulated wealth

• sphinx-like enigmatic; mysterious

• splice join together end to end to make one continuous length; fasten together; unite; Ex. splice two strips of tape; N.

• spontaneity lack of premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint; ADJ. spontaneous: self-generated; unpremeditated; happening without being planned

• spoonerism accidental transposition of sounds in successive words; Ex. “Let me sew you to your sheet” for “Let me show you to your seat”; CF. William Spooner
          ~ transpose reverse the order or position of

• sporadic occurring irregularly; intermittent

• sportive playful; frolicsome; merry; CF. sport: play or frolic; CF. sportsmanlike

• spruce neat and trim in appearance; smart; Ex. Be spruce for your job interview; V.

• spry (esp. of older people) vigorously active; nimble
          ~ nimble quick in movement; agile; quick in understanding; Ex. nimble climber/mind

• spurious false; counterfeit; forged; illogical; Ex. spurious arguments

• spurn reject disdainfully; scorn; Ex. She spurned all offers of help.

• squabble minor quarrel; bickering; V: engage in a minor quarrel; Ex. squabbling children

• squalor condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally repulsive; Ex. squalid story

• squander waste; spend foolishly

• squat short and thick; stocky; Ex. ugly squat tower; V. N.

• staccato played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt sharp sound; Ex. staccato applause
          ~ legato (of music) played smoothly

• stagnant (of water) not flowing (often bad-smelling); motionless; stale; not developing; inactive; dull; Ex. stagnant industrial output

• staid serious and sedate; sober; Ex. staid during the funeral ceremony

• stalemate deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked

• stalwart physically strong; brawny; steadfast; strong in mind or determination; Ex. stalwart supporter; N: stalwart follower

• stamina power of endurance; strength; staying power

• stanch stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing wound

• stanza division of a poem (composed of two or more lines)

• static having no motion; unchanging; lacking development; N. stasis: stable state

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