GRE Word List S(part 5)

sully defile; soil; tarnish; Ex. sully one’s hands in menial labor
sultry (of weather) hot; sweltering; sensual; voluptuous
summation act of finding the total; summing-up; summary (esp. one given by the judge at the end of a trial)
sumptuous grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast
sunder separate; part; CF. asunder
sundry miscellaneous; various; several; N. sundries: small miscellaneous items
superannuated retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete
supercilious haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; CF. eyebrow, cilium
supererogatory superfluous; more than needed or demanded
superficial of the surface; not deep; shallow; not thorough; trivial; Ex. superficial analysis/knowledge
superfluous excessive; overabundant; unnecessary; N. superfluity
superimpose place over something else
supernumerary person or thing excess of what is necessary; extra; ADJ: additional to the usual or necessary number
supersede replace; cause to be set aside; make obsolete; N. supersession
supine lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision
supplant take the place of unfairly; usurp; replace
supple flexible; limber; pliant
suppliant entreating; beseeching; N.
supplicant one who supplicates; ADJ.
supplicate petition humbly; pray to grant a favor
supposition assumption; hypothesis; surmise; V. suppose
supposititious assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical
suppress put an end to forcibly; subdue; stifle; overwhelm; inhibit the expression of; check; prevent from being published or made public; Ex. suppress a smile; Ex. suppress the magazine/truth
surfeit satiate; feed or supply to excess; stuff; indulge to excess in anything; N: surfeiting; excessive amount; Ex. surfeit of food
surge powerful movement of or like a wave; V.
surly bad-tempered; rude; cross
surmise guess; N.
surmount overcome
surpass exceed
surreptitious done secretly; secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
surrogate substitute; person or thing used in place of another; Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ.
surveillance close observation of a person (esp. one under suspicion); watching; guarding
susceptible impressionable; easily influenced; sensitive; having little resistance as to a disease; likely to suffer; receptive to; capable of accepting; Ex. susceptible to persuasion/colds; Ex. The agreement is not susceptible of alteration; N. susceptibility
suspend cause to stop for a period; interrupt; hold in abeyance; defer; hang from above; exclude for a period from a position; Ex. suspended state; Ex. suspend judgment; Ex. suspended from the team; N. suspension
suspense state of being undecided; anxiety or apprehension resulting from uncertainty
sustain suffer (harm or loss); experience; support; prop; maintain; keep in existence; nourish (to maintain life); Ex. sustain the family/the trapped miners
sustenance sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food
suture stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing; V: sew together a wound
swagger walk or behave with an over-confident manner
swamp wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid
swarm large group of insects moving in a mass; crowd of people or animals; V: move in a crowd or mass
swarthy (of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy Italian ?
swathe swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one’s head swathed in bandages
sway swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one’s opinion; N.
swear vow; promise; use profane oaths; use offensive words
swear-word word considered offensive; Ex. “bloody'’
swell long wave of water that moves continuously without breaking; V.
swelter (of a person) suffer from oppressive heat; be oppressed by heat
swerve deviate; turn aside sharply from a straight course; Ex. swerve from the principle; Ex. The car swerved to the right.
swill drink greedily
swindler cheater
swipe hit with a sweeping motion; N.
sybarite lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
sycophant servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man; ADJ. sycophantic
syllogism logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument
sylvan pertaining to the woods or the country
symbiosis interdependent relationship (between groups, species) often mutually beneficial; ADJ. symbiotic; CF. together + life
symmetry arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity; ADJ. symmetrical
synchronous similarly timed; simultaneous with; occurring at the same time; V. synchronize
synoptic providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis
synthesis combining parts or separate things into a whole; the whole so formed; PL. syntheses; V. synthesize
synthetic not natural; artificial; resulting from synthesis; Ex. synthetic fiber; N.