Vocabulary and Synonyms

A bludgeon is a short, heavy stick or club, often used as a weapon. It can also be used as a verb meaning to strike with a heavy object. The word comes from the Middle French word 'bougon' meaning a heavy stick.

Hortatory is an adjective that means serving to encourage or urge; giving strong advice. It comes from the Latin 'hortari' meaning to encourage. The word is often used in contexts like 'hortatory speech' or 'hortatory writing' that seeks to motivate action.

'Verbal handcuffs' describes being trapped in a conversation with someone who won't stop talking about a subject you have no interest in. The other options (verbally belittling someone, being cornered in debate, encountering unknown GRE word) don't match this usage.

'Abhor' is a verb meaning to regard with disgust and hatred, to loathe or detest something intensely. 'Detest' (C) is a synonym meaning to hate or dislike intensely. 'Like' (B) is an antonym, while 'leave' (A) and 'sympathy' (D) are unrelated in meaning.

'Abject' means something that is hopeless, wretched, or completely miserable and degraded. 'Defeated' (D) is the closest match among the options - abject circumstances are those of utter defeat and hopelessness. 'Enjoy' (A), 'happy' (B), and 'win' (C) are all antonyms of abject.

'Abstruse' means something that is difficult to understand, obscure, or hard to penetrate mentally. 'Hard to understand' (B) directly captures this definition. 'Unclear' (D) is close but less precise - something can be unclear for various reasons, but abstruse specifically refers to mental difficulty in comprehension. 'Impersonal' (A) and 'honor' (C) are unrelated.

'ACERBIC' (note the spelling, not 'accerbic') means sharp or biting in tone or manner, sour or severe. 'Severe' (B) captures this meaning. 'Sweet' (A) is an antonym. 'Old saying' (C) would be 'adage' and 'ugly' (D) is unrelated. The word appears misspelled in the question, but the intended meaning and answer are clear.

'Affectation' refers to artificial behavior, speech, or writing intended to impress others - it's pretense or insincerity. 'Artificial behaviour' (D) is the correct definition. 'Sympathy' (A), 'dislike' (B), and 'happiness' (C) are unrelated to affectation's meaning.

'Altruism' is the quality of selflessness - concern for the well-being of others without regard for oneself. 'Selflessness' (B) is the correct synonym. 'Selfishness' (A) is an antonym. 'Penny picking' (C) means being stingy - different from altruism which involves generosity. 'Alter' (D) means to change - unrelated.

AMOROUS means showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire or love. It comes from the Latin word 'amor' meaning love. The options 'hate' and 'dislike' are antonyms. 'Amoral' is unrelated - it means lacking moral principles.

Benevolent means being well-meaning, kind, and charitable. The word is derived from Latin 'bene' (good) and 'volens' (wishing). Generous is the closest synonym among the options. Selfish is an antonym. Involved means connected or concerned. Gentle can be related but is not the primary meaning.

This is an exact duplicate of question 75476 with the same word 'BENEVOLENT' and same options. See explanation for 75478.

Brevity means the quality of being brief or concise. Briefness is the direct synonym. Explain contradicts brevity. Rustic means rural. To open up suggests expansion, not brevity.

Blatant means completely open, unashamed, and usually offensive in some way. Offensive is the closest meaning among the options. Sacrifice is unrelated. Pleasant is the opposite of blatant's connotation. Glare can be related (as in 'blatant glare') but is not the primary meaning.