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GMAT Word List # GMAT/M116

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Explanation of banal (adjective)
trite; without freshness or originality; commonplace; stale; usual

Sample of banal
It was a banal suggestion to have the annual picnic in the park, since that was where it had been for the past five years.



   
Explanation of wretched (adjective)
miserable; unhappy; causing distress; pitiable; vile

Sample of wretched
Brought up in an orphanage, Annie led a wretched existence.
The continual rain made for a wretched vacation.



   
Explanation of problematic (adjective)
being hard to deal with; unsolved situation; troublesome

Sample of problematic
The constant squeak of the door was problematic.
The tense political struggle remains problematic.



   
Explanation of ignoble (adjective)
ordinary; dishonorable; not noble

Sample of ignoble
The king was adamant about keeping his son from wedding an ignoble serf.
Consciously lying to someone is ignoble.
It was ignoble to disgrace the family in front of all of the townspeople.



   
Explanation of sedentary (adjective)
characterized by sitting; remaining in one locality; inactive

Sample of sedentary
The sedentary child had not moved after two hours.
The old woman who never left her home town has led a sedentary life.



   
Explanation of pedantic (adjective)
emphasizing minutiae or form in scholarship or teaching; strict; meticulous

Sample of pedantic
Professor Jones's lectures were so pedantic that his students sometimes had a tough time understanding the big picture.
It is important to understand pedantic terminology before beginning a lecture.



   
Explanation of painstaking (adjective)
thorough; careful; precise; meticulous; diligent

Sample of painstaking
Helga's painstaking research paid off with a top grade on her essay.



   
Explanation of culpable (adjective)
deserving blame; guilty

Sample of culpable
The convicted criminal still denies that he is culpable for the robbery.



   
Explanation of nautical (adjective)
of the sea; having to do with sailors, ships or navigation

Sample of nautical
The coastal New England town had a charming nautical influence.



   
Explanation of phlegmatic (adjective)
without emotion or interest; sluggish and dull; indifferent; slow

Sample of phlegmatic
The playwright had hoped his story would take theatergoers on an emotional roller coaster, but on opening night they just sat there, stonefaced and phlegmatic.
The phlegmatic child rarely went outside to play.



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