142 VOCABULARY FOR TOEFL iBT
garrulous ('ar·u ̆·lu ̆s) adj. talkative. Aunt Midge is as garrulous as they come, so be
prepared to listen for hours.
gauche (ohsh) adj. 1. lacking social graces or polish; without tact. 2. clumsy or
awkward. My little brother is so gauche that it’s embarrassing to be with him in public.
genteel (jen·'teel) adj. elegantly polite, well bred, refined. The genteel host made
sure that each entrée was cooked to each guest’s specifications.
gerrymander ('jer·i·man·de ̆r) n. the act of gerrymandering. v. to divide an area
into voting districts so as to give one party an unfair advantage. The election was
rigged by gerrymandering that gave unfair advantage to the incumbent.
gestalt (e ̆·shta ̆lt) n. a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole
that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts. One of the fundamental
beliefs of gestalt therapy is that we exist in a web of relationships to other things, and
that it is possible to understand ourselves only in the context of these relationships.
gird (urd) v. 1. to encircle or bind with a belt or band. 2. to encompass, sur-
round. 3. to prepare for action, especially military confrontation. 4. to sneer at,
mock, gibe. The negotiations had failed, and the soldiers girded for battle.
gregarious (re ̆·'air·ee·u ̆s) adj. 1. seeking and enjoying the company of others,
sociable. 2. tending to form a group with others of the same kind. Alan used to
be so diffident, but now he’s as gregarious as can be and is usually the life of the party.
grovel ('ruv·e ̆l) v. to lie or creep with one’s face to the ground in a servile, hum-
ble, or fearful manner. Panji, if you want your boss to treat you with respect, you’ve
got to stop groveling and stand up for yourself.
guffaw (u·'faw) n. a noisy, coarse burst of laughter. Michael let out quite a guffaw
when Jamal told him the outlandish joke.
guile ( ̄l) n. treacherous cunning; shrewd, crafty deceit. The most infamous pirates
displayed tremendous guile.H
hallow ('hal·oh) v. to make holy, consecrate. The religious leader hallowed the new
worship hall.
hapless ('hap·lis) adj. unlucky, unfortunate. The hapless circumstances of her journey
resulted in lost luggage, missed connections, and a very late arrival.