GRE Words Starting With P
89 words found
pacify
verbTo bring peace to; to calm down; to appease
painstaking
adjectiveDone with or employing great care and thoroughness
paltry
adjectiveSmall or meager; of little value or importance
panegyric
nounA public speech or writing in praise of someone or something
paradigm
nounA typical example or pattern of something; a model
paramount
adjectiveMore important than anything else; supreme
parity
nounThe state or condition of being equal, especially in status or pay
parsimonious
adjectiveUnwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy
partial
adjectiveExisting only in part; incomplete; showing favoritism
patent
adjective(adjective) Easily recognizable; obvious; blatant
patronizing
adjectiveTreating with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority
paucity
nounThe presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities
pedant
nounA person who is excessively concerned with minor details, rules, and academic formality
pedestrian
adjectiveLacking inspiration or excitement; dull
pedigree
nounThe recorded ancestry or lineage of an animal or person; distinguished ancestry
pellucid
adjectiveTranslucently clear; easily understood
penurious
adjectiveExtremely poor; poverty-stricken; also stingy
perceptive
adjectiveHaving or showing sensitive insight
perennial
adjectiveLasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring
perfidy
nounDeliberate breach of faith or trust; treachery
perfunctory
adjectiveCarried out with a minimum of effort or reflection
peripatetic
adjectiveTraveling from place to place; itinerant
periphrastic
adjectiveUsing many words where fewer would suffice; roundabout
permanent
adjectiveLasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely
pernicious
adjectiveHaving a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
perpetual
adjectiveNever ending or changing; occurring repeatedly
persevering
adjectiveContinuing in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition
perspicuous
adjectiveClearly expressed and easily understood; lucid
pertinacious
adjectiveHolding firmly to an opinion or course of action; persistent
peruse
verbTo read or examine, typically with great care
pervasive
adjectiveSpreading widely throughout an area or group of people
pessimistic
adjectiveTending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen
petrify
verbTo make someone so frightened that they are unable to move or think; to become hardened or rigid
philanthropic
adjectiveSeeking to promote the welfare of others; generous
pigheaded
adjectiveStupidly obstinate
pioneering
adjectiveInvolving new ideas or methods
pithy
adjectiveConcise and forcefully expressive
placate
verbTo make someone less angry or hostile; to appease
placid
adjectiveNot easily upset or excited; calm and peaceful
platitude
nounA remark or statement that has been used too often and is therefore uninteresting
plaudits
nounPraise; enthusiastic approval
plausible
adjectiveSeeming reasonable or probable; credible and deserving of belief
plentiful
adjectiveExisting in or yielding great quantities; abundant
pleonastic
adjectiveUsing more words than necessary; redundant
plethora
nounA large or excessive amount of something
pliable
adjectiveEasily bent or shaped; flexible and adaptable
pliant
adjectiveEasily bent; flexible; or easily influenced
polarizing
adjectiveDividing into sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs
pompous
adjectiveAffectedly and irritatingly grand or self-important
portend
verbTo be a sign or warning that something is likely to happen
portent
nounA sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen
pragmatic
adjectiveDealing with things sensibly and realistically; practical
prattle
verbTo talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way
precept
nounA general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought
precipitate
verb/adjective(verb/adjective) To cause to happen suddenly; done hastily without thought
precipitous
adjectiveDangerously high or steep; done suddenly without careful consideration
precursor
nounA person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner
predecessor
nounA person who held a job or office before the current holder
preeminent
adjectiveSurpassing all others; very distinguished in some way
premeditated
adjectiveThought out or planned beforehand
premonition
nounA strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant
presage
verb/nounTo be a sign or warning of; an omen or portent
prescient
adjectiveHaving knowledge of events before they take place; prophetic
prescribe
verbTo recommend or authorize; to lay down as a rule
pretentious
adjectiveAttempting to impress by affecting greater importance than actually possessed
prevaricate
verbTo speak or act evasively; to avoid telling the truth
primordial
adjectiveExisting at or from the beginning of time; primeval
principal
adjective/nounFirst in order of importance; main; the head of a school
principle
nounA fundamental truth or proposition; a rule or belief governing behavior
prodigal
adjectiveSpending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant
proficient
adjectiveCompetent or skilled in doing or using something
profligate
adjectiveRecklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources
profound
adjectiveVery great or intense; having or showing great knowledge or insight
profuse
adjectiveProduced or given in large amounts; plentiful
profusion
nounAn abundance or large quantity of something
prognosticate
verbTo foretell or prophesy future events
progress
verbTo move forward or onward in space or time; to develop toward an improved state
proliferate
verbTo increase rapidly in numbers; multiply
prolific
adjectiveProducing much fruit, foliage, or many offspring; producing abundant works or results
prolix
adjectiveUsing or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
prophetic
adjectiveAccurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future
propitious
adjectiveGiving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable
prosaic
adjectiveLacking poetic beauty; commonplace or dull
proscribe
verbTo forbid or prohibit; to condemn or denounce
providential
adjectiveOccurring at a favorable or useful time; lucky or fortunate
provisional
adjectiveArranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later
prudent
adjectiveActing with or showing care and thought for the future
pugnacious
adjectiveEager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
pusillanimous
adjectiveLacking courage or resolution; cowardly
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