GRE vocabulary: opposition and conflict.

To formally reject or renounce a belief, cause, or claim

After years of advocating for the policy, the senator publicly abjured his former position.

Bitterness or ill feeling; harsh and angry language or behavior

The acrimony between the two factions made any compromise impossible.

Involving conflict or opposition between parties

The adversarial nature of the two-party system often prevents meaningful legislative compromise.

Relating to the belief that moral law is not binding; opposing established rules or authorities

The antinomian faction within the colony rejected all civil authority, insisting that grace alone governed morality.

A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion

His antipathy toward modern art was well known among his colleagues.

Directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible

The two philosophers held antithetical views on free will, yet their debates advanced the field enormously.

In conflict or disagreement

The committee's recommendations were at odds with the conclusions reached by the independent auditors.

Contradicts; gives a false impression of; misrepresents

The calm surface of the lake belies the powerful currents that have claimed several swimmers over the years.

Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight

The ambassador's bellicose rhetoric alarmed neighboring nations.

Surrounded and harassed; troubled persistently

Besieged by reporters after the verdict, the attorney offered only a brief statement before retreating indoors.

To cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender

After months of negotiation, the company finally capitulated to the union's demands.

Finds a way around; avoids or bypasses

The new regulation circumvents the loophole that corporations had exploited to avoid paying taxes.

To persuade someone to do something by using force or threats

The regime coerced citizens into signing loyalty pledges under threat of imprisonment.

A conflict between opposing ideas, interests, or forces

The collision between traditional farming practices and modern agribusiness reshaped the rural economy.

Intended to placate or pacify; aimed at making peace

After days of heated debate, the leader struck a conciliatory tone in his closing remarks.

General agreement among a group of people

After three days of debate, the committee reached a consensus that the endangered species deserved full legal protection.

Asserted or maintained as a position in an argument

The defense attorney contended that the prosecution's timeline was physically impossible given the distance involved.

Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial

The contentious proposal to rezone the neighborhood divided the community.

To violate or go against (a law, treaty, or principle)

The proposed legislation would contravene several international treaties the country had signed decades earlier.

Working against; opposing and neutralizing an effect

The medication works by counteracting the inflammation that triggers the patient's chronic pain.

Having the opposite of the desired effect; tending to hinder rather than help

Punishing employees for honest mistakes proved counterproductive, as it discouraged them from reporting errors.

Offsetting the effect of something; compensating

Countervailing economic pressures—rising wages on one hand, falling demand on the other—left businesses in a difficult position.

Exposing the falseness or hollowness of a myth, belief, or idea

The scientist devoted her career to debunking pseudoscientific claims about the healing powers of crystals.

To turn aside or cause to change direction; to divert

The spokesperson attempted to deflect attention from the scandal by emphasizing the company's charitable donations.

(noun) An objection; (verb) to raise doubts or objections; to show reluctance

When asked to endorse the proposal without reading it, the senator raised a firm demur.

To make someone feel uneasy or embarrassed; to thwart or defeat

The unexpected question from the audience visibly discomfited the keynote speaker.

Disagreeing or incongruous; characterized by conflict

The discordant views within the committee made it impossible to reach consensus.

Caused to seem false or unreliable; undermined the good reputation of

The theory was thoroughly discredited after multiple laboratories failed to replicate the original results.

Causing harm to the good reputation of; proving unworthy of trust

The leaked emails played a role in discrediting the organization's claims of political neutrality.

To cause to vanish; to drive away (a doubt, feeling, or belief)

The discovery of the fossil record dispelled the long-held belief that the species had originated on a different continent.

Inducing feelings of anxiety or worry; unsettling

The report's disquieting conclusions about rising sea levels prompted calls for immediate policy action.

The expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously held or officially sanctioned

The lone dissent on the court argued that the majority opinion fundamentally misread the constitutional provision.

Not alike; different

Although the two ecosystems appear dissimilar on the surface, they share remarkably similar food web structures.

Lack of harmony or agreement; a tension between conflicting elements

The cognitive dissonance experienced by voters who supported contradictory policies was widely studied.

The process or state of separating or moving apart; difference of opinions

The divergence in economic performance between the two regions widened dramatically after the trade agreement took effect.

Tending to develop in different directions; differing from each other

The committee members held such divergent opinions that reaching a unanimous recommendation proved impossible.

To deliberately avoid using; to abstain from

The author chose to eschew conventional narrative structure in favor of a fragmented approach.

To openly disregard a rule, law, or convention

Corporations that flout environmental regulations risk not only fines but also lasting damage to their public image.

To instigate or stir up an undesirable sentiment or course of action

The propaganda was designed to foment distrust among different ethnic groups.

To abandon or renounce; to give up or turn away from

The scientist refused to forsake her unpopular theory, and vindication came when new evidence proved her right.

Easily irritated; unruly and difficult to control

The fractious coalition threatened to splinter over disagreements about tax policy.

To deny or contradict a fact or statement; to speak against

No one could gainsay the effectiveness of the new treatment, given the overwhelming evidence.

The challenging or overthrowing of established beliefs, customs, or institutions

The movement's iconoclasm extended beyond art to challenge the political and religious establishments of the day.

Attacking or challenging cherished beliefs or established institutions

The filmmaker's iconoclastic approach to the genre earned equal measures of praise and condemnation.

Unable to be placated or appeased; relentless

The implacable opposition of the conservative faction doomed the reform effort.

To dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of a statement or motive

The attorney sought to impugn the credibility of the key witness.

To actively break the terms of a law or agreement; to violate

The patent holder argued that the competitor's product would infringe on intellectual property rights worth millions.

Hindered, restrained, or prevented (an action or process)

Fear of public ridicule inhibited many scientists from pursuing research on topics considered fringe.

Hindering or restraining; preventing or holding back

The regulation had the unintended effect of inhibiting the very innovation it was supposed to promote.

Tending to obstruct or cause harm; hostile; unfriendly

The invasive species proved inimical to the survival of native amphibians, outcompeting them for food and habitat.

Unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own

The regime's intolerance of dissent extended even to the mildest criticism published in obscure academic journals.

Hard to control or deal with; stubbornly resistant

The conflict proved intractable, resisting decades of peace negotiations and international intervention.

Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree; stubborn

The union's intransigent stance on wages left management with no choice but to bring in a federal mediator.

To make ineffective; to nullify; to deny the existence or truth of

One weak link in the chain of evidence was enough to negate the prosecution's entire argument.

Makes legally void; renders ineffective or useless

A single constitutional objection, if sustained, nullifies the entire legislative package.

Relating to a strong verbal or written attack; strongly critical or controversial

The pamphlet was polemical in tone, attacking the opposition with a ferocity that left no room for nuance.

To prevent; to make impossible in advance

A prior conviction does not automatically preclude a defendant from receiving a lenient sentence.

Proved more powerful than; triumphed over

Reason and evidence ultimately prevailed over superstition, though the process took the better part of a century.

To forbid, especially by law; to condemn or denounce

The new regulations proscribe the use of certain chemicals in food production.

Bitterness or resentfulness, especially long-standing

Despite the rancor of the election campaign, the two candidates shook hands and pledged to work together.

Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude; stubbornly resistant to authority or control

The recalcitrant student refused to follow the dress code, viewing it as an infringement on personal expression.

To say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical

Under enormous political pressure, the scientist recanted his controversial findings.

Stated again or repeatedly, for emphasis or clarity

The health official reiterated the importance of vaccination, repeating the message at every press conference for weeks.

To refuse to accept or be associated with; to deny the truth or validity of

The organization repudiated the extremist views expressed by its former member.

A split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties

The schism within the party left it unable to present a unified front in the general election.

To prevent or hinder the progress of; to block or thwart

Bureaucratic obstacles continued to stymie efforts to reform the healthcare system.

The undermining of the power and authority of an established system

The novel's subversion of fairy-tale conventions challenges readers to question the stories they were raised on.

To undermine the power and authority of; to overthrow

The satirist used humor to subvert the official narrative promoted by state media.

Weakens the foundation of; gradually erodes the strength of

Persistent corruption undermines public trust in institutions and discourages civic participation.