Barron gre word list A

Barron GRE word list - P 
pachyderm
thick-skinned animal 
pacifist
one opposed to force; antimilitarist; ADJ. N. pacifism: opposition to 
war as a means of resolving disputes 
pacify
soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to 
padre
chaplain (in the armed forces) 
paean
song of praise or joy; Ex. paeans celebrating the victory 
painstaking
taking pains; showing hard work; taking great care; very careful and 

---

through 
palatable
agreeable; pleasing to the taste 
palate
roof of the mouth; sense of the taste 
palatial
of or suitable for a palace; magnificent 
paleontology
study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; 
Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents 
palette
board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters) 
palimpsest
parchment or piece of writing material used for second time after 
original writing has been erased 
pall
become boring; grow tiresome 
pallet
small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet 
palliate
ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or 
illness) 
pallid
pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion 
palm
conceal in the palm of the hand; palm off: pass off; Ex. palm off some 
bad oranges onto the lady/the painting as a real Renoir 
palpable
tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable 
blunder 
palpitate
throb; beat rapidly; flutter; tremble; Ex. Her heart began to palpitate. 
paltry
insignificant; petty; trifling; contemptible; Ex. paltry sum; CF. trash 
pan
criticize harshly 
panacea
cure-all; remedy for all diseases 
panache
flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing 
admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with 
great panache; 
pandemic
widespread; affecting the majority of people; N: pandemic disease; 
CF. all people 
Pandemonium
wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost 
pander
cater to (the low desires of others) 
panegyric
formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. 
pang
sudden sharp feeling of pain 
panoramic
denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N. panorama: 
unbroken view of a wide area 
pantomime
acting without dialogue; V. 
papyrus
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant 

---

parable
short simple story teaching a moral 
paradigm
model; example that serves as a model; pattern; list of all the 
inflectional forms of a word 
paradox
something apparently contradictory in nature (that may nonetheless 
be true); statement that looks false but is actually correct 
paragon
model of perfection; Ex. paragon of virtue 
parallel
similar; analogous; corresponding; N: parallel line; person or thing 
that is parallel (to another); similarity; Ex. know of no parallel to the 
case; Ex. without parallel; V: be similar to; make parallel; Ex. Your 
experience parallels mine; CF. unp 
parallelism
state of being parallel; similarity; analogy 
parameter
limit; independent variable; Ex. parameters of the problem; Ex. 
within the parameters of the budget 
paramount
foremost in importance; supreme; CF. para-: beyond; above; Ex. 
paranormal 
paramour
illicit lover 
paranoia
psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution; N: ADJ: 
paranoid, paranoiac 
paraphernalia
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal 
belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's 
property exclusive of her dowry 
paraphrase
restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of 
author; N: restatement of a text in other words 
parasite
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside 
parched
extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry 
(by exposure to heat) 
parchment
writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat 
pare
cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare 
apples/expenses 
pariah
social outcast; Ex. Mariah the pariah 
parish
area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church 
parity
equality; close resemblance; CF. disparate 
parlance
language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance 
parley
conference (between opponents); CF. speak 
parochial
narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes 
parody
humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty; V. 

---

paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst 
parquet
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; CF. strip: 
long narrow piece 
parry
ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very 
skillfully; N. 
parsimony
stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious