Gmat Vocabulary Rated A+

abaft (adv.) on or toward the rear of a shipbrThe passengers moved abaft of the ship so as to escape the fire in the front of the ship. abandon (v.; n) to leave behind; to give something up; freedom; enthusiasm; impetuosity;brAfter failing for several years, he abandoned his dream of starting a grocery business.brLucy embarked on her new adventure with abandon. abase (v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace;brThe mother's public reprimand abased the girl.brThe insecure father, after failing to achieve his own life-long goals,abased his children whenever they failed. abbreviate (v.) to shorten; compress; diminish;brHis vacation to Japan was abbreviated when he acquired an illness treatable only in the United States. abdicate (v.) to reject, renounce, or abandon;brDue to his poor payment record, it may be necessary to abdicate our relationship with the client. aberrant (adj.) abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path;brThe aberrant flight pattern of the airplane alarmed the air traffic controllers.brHis aberrant behavior led his friends to worry the divorce had taken its toll. abeyance (n.) a state of temporary suspension or inactivity;brSince the power failure, the town has been in abeyance. abhor (v.) to hate;brBy the way her jaw tensed when he walked in, it is easy to see that she abhors him.brThe dog abhorred cats, chasing and growling at them whenever he had the opportunity. abject (adj.) of the worst or lowest degree;brThe Haldemans lived in abject poverty, with barely a roof over their heads. abjure (v.) to give up;brThe losing team may abjure to the team that is winning. abnegation (n.) a denial;brThe woman's abnegation of her loss was apparent when she began to laugh. abominate (v.) to loathe; to hate;brRandall abominated all the traffic he encountered on every morning commute.brPlease do not abominate the guilty person until you hear the complete explanation. abridge (v.) to shorten; to limit;brThe editor abridged the story to make the book easier to digest. abrogate (v.) to cancel by authority;brThe judge would not abrogate the law. abrupt (adj.) happening or ending unexpectedly;brThe abrupt end to their marriage was a shock to everyone. abscond (v.) to go away hastily or secretly; to hide;brThe newly wed couple will abscond from the reception to leave on the honeymoon. absolve (v.) to forgive; to acquit;brThe judge will absolve the person of all charges.brAfter feuding for many years, the brothers absolved each other for the many arguments they had. abstemious (adj.) sparing in use of food or drinks;brIf we become stranded in the snow storm, we will have to be abstemious with our food supply.brIn many abstemious cultures the people are so thin due to the belief that too much taken into the body leads to contamination of the soul. abstinence (n.) the act or process of voluntarily refraining from any action or practice; self-control; chastity;brIn preparation for the Olympic games, the athletes practiced abstinence from red meat and junk food, adhering instead to a menu of pasta and produce. abstruse (adj.) hard to understand; deep; recondite;brThe topic was so abstruse the student was forced to stop reading.brThe concept was too abstruse for the average student to grasp. abysmal (adj.) very deep;brThe abysmal waters contained little plant life. accede (v.) to comply with; to consent to;brWith defeat imminent, the rebel army acceded to hash out a peace treaty. acclaim (n.) loud approval; applause;brEdward Albee's brilliantly written Broadway revival of A Delicate Balance received wide acclaim.