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blatant

adjective/ˈbleɪ.tənt/

done openly and unashamedly

His blatant disregard for the rules was shocking to everyone in the meeting.

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word origin — Originates from Latin 'blatans', present participle of 'blatare' meaning to 'speak loudly' or 'to chatter'.

GRE Vocabulary — Set 72

Set 72 of GRE Vocabulary covers 5 words: blatant, bombastic, brazen, callous, candid. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

  1. blatant · adjective/ˈbleɪ.tənt/

    done openly and unashamedly

    His blatant disregard for the rules was shocking to everyone in the meeting.

    Synonyms: obvious, flagrant, overt

    Origin: Originates from Latin 'blatans', present participle of 'blatare' meaning to 'speak loudly' or 'to chatter'.

  2. bombastic · adjective/bɑmˈbæstɪk/

    high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated

    The politician's bombastic rhetoric failed to convince the voters, as it was full of grand promises but lacked any real substance.

    Synonyms: pompous, grandiloquent, inflated

    Origin: The word 'bombastic' originates from the late 17th century, derived from 'bombast', which means 'cotton or padding'. The term was adopted to describe speech that is overly inflated or pompous, much like how padding makes something appear larger.

  3. brazen · adjective/ˈbreɪ.zən/

    bold and shameless in behavior or attitude

    His brazen disregard for the rules left everyone shocked at his audacity.

    Synonyms: audacious, shameless, impudent

    Origin: The word 'brazen' comes from the Old English 'braes' meaning 'copper' or 'brass', referring to something made of bronze or resembling brass. It later evolved to describe boldness or shamelessness in behavior.

  4. callous · adjective/ˈkæləs/

    emotionally insensitive or uncaring

    His callous disregard for the victims of the disaster shocked everyone at the meeting.

    Synonyms: heartless, insensitive, unfeeling

    Origin: from Latin callosus, meaning 'thick-skinned'

  5. candid · adjective/ˈkændɪd/

    honest and straightforward in expression

    During the meeting, she gave a candid assessment of the project's progress, highlighting both successes and areas for improvement.

    Synonyms: frank, open, honest

    Origin: from Latin 'candidus', meaning 'bright, shining, white, or clear'.