i'm taking the GRE in november (more on that later) and i'm studying some vocabulary in an attempt to get as good a score as possible.  the vocabulary is ridiculous, though - i consider myself to have a pretty large vocabulary and i've never even heard of some of these words.  ugh.  but i'll play the game - i'll learn some words - if it helps me get a higher score.

as i learn definitions i take the index cards out of my stack, but these four words have been in my pile for a couple weeks and i can't seem to get them.  can anyone think of some tips and tricks to help me remember them?

irascible: easily made angry

assiduous: showing great care and perseverance

sycophantic: attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

pertinacious: holding firm to an opinion

thankyouverymuch.