GRE Word List S(part 2)

semblance of order to the city.
seminal related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field
seminary school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women
senility old age; feeblemindedness of old age; ADJ. senile: resulting from old age; showing the weakness of body or mind from old age; Ex. senile dementia
sensitization process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance; V. sensitize: make or become sensitive
sensual devoted to the pleasures of the sense; carnal; voluptuous; Ex. sensual woman/curves/lips
sensuous giving pleasure to the senses; pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses; sensuous feeling of soft velvet on the skin
sententious pithy; terse; concise; aphoristic
sentient capable of sensation and conscious; aware; sensitive; Ex. sentient creature; N. sentience
sentimental swayed by sentiment; appealing to the sentiments
sentinel sentry; lookout
septic of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus)
sepulcher tomb; V: place in a sepulcher; ADJ. sepulchral
sequester isolate; segregate; seclude; retire from public life
sere sear; parched; dry
serendipity gift for finding valuable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck; CF. The Three Princes of Serendip
serenity calmness; placidity; ADJ. serene
serpentine winding; twisting; of or like a serpent; Ex. serpentine course of the river; N. serpent: snake
serrated having a sawtoothed edge; Ex. serrated leaf
servile slavish; cringing; N. servility
servitude slavery; compulsory labor imposed as a punishment
sever separate; cut off (a part) from a whole; break up (a relationship); N. severance; CF. severance pay: extra pay given an employee upon leaving a position
severity harshness; intensity; sternness; austerity; ADJ. severe: harsh; strict; extremely violent or intense
sextant navigation tool used to determine a ship’s latitude and longitude (by measuring the altitudes of stars)
shack crude cabin
shackle chain; fetter; confine with shackles; N.
shade slight difference in degree; nuance; degree of color; Ex. shades of meaning/grey
sham pretend; feign; ADJ: not genuine; fake; Ex. sham jewelry; N: something that is not what it appears; impostor; pretense; Ex. The agreement was a sham.
shambles (place or scene of) complete disorder or ruin; wreck; mess; Ex. After the hurricane, the coast was a shambles.
Shangri-la imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon
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)
sheaf bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together
shear remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; N: shears; pair of scissors
sheathe place into a case; insert into or provide with a sheath; Ex. He sheathed his dagger; N. sheath: case for a blade
shed small roofed structure for storage and shelter; V: pour forth; lose by natural process; repel without allowing penetration; radiate; cast; Ex. shed tears/light/water/skin/leaves
sheer pure; thin and transparent; very steep
sherbet flavored dessert ice
shift change position or place; exchange (one thing) for another; change in direction or position; Ex. shift the stolen goods; N. group of workers which takes turns with other groups; working period of such a group
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
shoot new growth from a plant
shove push forward; push roughly; Ex. pushing and shoving to get on the bus; N.
shrew scolding woman; very small mouselike animal
shrewd clever; astute
shrivel make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying)
shudder shake uncontrollably; tremble; V.
shuffle mix together; jumble; move (something) from one place to another; slide (the feet) along the ground while walking; Ex. shuffle papers from one pile to another; N.
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.
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
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
sift put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles; sort or examine carefully
significant expressing a meaning; important; Ex. significant smile; N. significance: importance; meaning; V. signify: denote; mean; signal; make known; matter; be significant
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
siren apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature
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
skim read or glance through quickly; touch lightly in passing; brush; remove from the surface of a liquid
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
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.
slack moving slowly; sluggish; inactive; (of a rope) loose; negligent; lax; Ex. slack season; Ex. slack in one’s work; N. V.
slacken slow up; loosen; make or become slack
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
slap hit quickly with the flat part of the hand; N. CF. smack
slapdash hasty and careless; haphazard; sloppy(carelessly done)
slaughter killing of animals for food; massacre; V: butcher (animals) for food; kill in large numbers
slavish of or like a slave; servile; showing no originality; copied very closely; Ex. slavish devotion/copy of the original
sleazy shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; Ex. sleazy back-street hotel/fabric
sledge large sled drawn by work animals
sleek smooth and shining (as from good health); V.
sleeper one that achieves unexpected success; something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable
sleigh large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice
sleight dexterity; CF. sleight of hand: legerdemain; quickness of the hands in doing tricks
slew large quantity or number; Ex. slew of errands left
slick make smooth or glossy; N: smooth surface; Ex. oil slick; ADJ: smooth; glossy; deftly executed; adroit; glib
slight insult to one’s dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small importance; insult; snub; ADJ.