GRE Vocabulary — Set 164

Set 164 of GRE Vocabulary covers 5 words: deluge, denunciation, dilettante, din, drawl. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. deluge · noun/ˈdɛluʤ/

   a severe flood or a great quantity of something

   After the heavy rain, the deluge caused several homes to be flooded in the area.

   Synonyms: flood, inundation, torrent

   Origin: from the Latin 'diluvium', meaning 'a flood', derived from 'diluere', meaning 'to wash away'.

2. denunciation · noun/dɪˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/

   the act of publicly declaring something or someone to be wrong or evil

   The politician's public denunciation of the corruption scandal shocked many of his supporters.

   Synonyms: condemnation, accusation, reproach

   Origin: from Latin 'denuntiatio', meaning 'announcement' or 'proclamation'

3. dilettante · noun/ˌdɪləˈtɑnt/

   a person who takes up an art or subject in a superficial or casual way

   Despite his claims of being a painter, most people regarded him as a dilettante in the art world, dabbling in styles without truly understanding them.

   Synonyms: amateur, novice, dabbler

   Origin: The word 'dilettante' is borrowed from Italian, originally from the verb 'dilettare' meaning 'to delight'. It was first used in English in the late 18th century.

4. din · noun/dɪn/

   a loud, unpleasant noise

   The din of traffic outside my apartment kept me awake all night.

   Synonyms: noise, uproar, racket

   Origin: Middle English dinn, of imitative origin

5. drawl · noun/drɔl/

   a slow, lazy way of speaking that elongates vowels

   She spoke in a slow drawl that made her stories even more captivating to listen to.

   Synonyms: slur, lilt, draw

   Origin: The word 'drawl' originated in the early 19th century, likely from the word 'draw' combined with a dialectal extension to describe a prolonged or drawn-out way of speaking.