Important GRE Vocabulary Guide

8/20/2019 Important GRE Vocabulary Guide

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Important GRE Vocabulary List

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1.

Abscond – (v) To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest.

2.

Adversity - (n) Hardship, difficulty; opposition

3.

Aggravate – (v) to make worse/intensify something

4.

Arduous – (adj) hard to do, requiring much effort

5.

Belie – (v) to contradict, to give a false impression

6.

Bombast - (n) speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning

7.

Castigation – (n) Severe criticism or punishment

8.

Censure – (v) to criticize harshly

9.

Chicanery – (n) trickery, fraud, deception

10.

Coercive – (adj) Forcing someone to do something against their will; intimidate

11.

Condemn – (v) to express strong disapproval of

12.

Conspire – (v) to plan together secretly to do something wrong or illegal

13.

Covert –

(adj) secret or hidden

14.

Cower – (v) To crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame

15.

Craven – (adj) lacking courage-coward

16.

Denigrate – (v)to attack the reputation of; to speak ill of

17.

Denounce – (v) to criticize publicly

18.

Discomfit –

(v) to embarrass, unsettle

19.

Disingenuous – (adj) not candid; insincere; not honest

20.

Exacerbate –(v) to make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

21.

Fraud –(n) a deliberate deception intended to produce unlawful gain


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22.

Garrulous – (adj) talkative, rambling

23.

Impudent – (adj) disrespectful, characterized by improper bold behavior

24.

Inopportune – (adj) coming at a bad time; not appropriate

25.

Irascible – (adj) easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

26.

Martial – (n) associated with war and the armed forces

27.

Misanthrope – (n) a person who hates or despises people

28.

Obdurate - (adj) stubborn; hardhearted

29.

Onerous – (adj) troubling; burdensome

30.

Perjury –(n) lying under oath

31.

Provoke – (v) anger, arouse, bring to action

32.

Recalcitrant – (adj/n) marked by stubborn resistance to and defiant of authority or guidance

33.

Secrete – (v) to ensconce, conceal, or stow

34.

Squander –

(v) to spend foolishly, waste

35.

Abate - (v) to lessen in intensity or degree

36.

Accolade - (n) an expression of praise

37.

Adulation - (n) excessive praise; intense adoration

38.

Aesthetic - (adj.) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

39.

Ameliorate - (v) to make better or make more tolerable

40.

Ascetic - (n) one who practice rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

41.

Avarice - (n) greed, esp. for wealth

42.

Axiom - (n) a universally recognized principle


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43.

Burgeon - (v) to grow rapidly or flourish

44.

Bucolic - (adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

45.

Cacophony - (n) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

46.

Canon - (n) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

47.

Catalyst - (n) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing

that cause change

48.

Caustic - (adj) burning or stinging; causing corrosion

49.

Chary - (adj.) wary, cautious, sparing

50.

Cogent - (adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

51.

Complaisance - (n) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

52.

Contentious - (adj.) argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

53.

Contrite - (adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

54.

Culpable - (adj.) deserving blame

55.

Dearth - (n) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

56.

Demur - (v) to question or oppose

57.

Didactic - (adj.) intended to teach or instruct

58.

Discretion - (n) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

59.

Dogmatic - (adj.) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles

60.

Ebullience - (n) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

61.

Eclectic - (adj.) composed of elements drawn from various sources

62.

Elegy - (n) a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead


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63.

Emollient - (adj./n.) soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the

skin

64.

Empirical - (adj.) based on observation or experiment

65.

Enigmatic - (adj.) mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

66.

Ephemeral - (adj.) brief; fleeting

67.

Esoteric - (adj.) intended for or understood by a small, specific group

68.

Eulogy - (n) a speech honoring the dead; expression of approval or commendation

69.

Exonerate - (v) to remove blame

70.

Facetious - (adj.) playful; humorous

71.

Fallacy - (n) an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

72.

Furtive - (adj.) marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

73.

Gregarious - (adj.) sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

74.

Harangue - (v./n.) to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech

75.

Heretical - (adj.) violating accepted dogma or convention

76.

Hyperbole - (n) an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

77.

Impecunious - (adj.) lacking funds; without money

78.

Incipient - (adj.) beginning to come into being or to become apparent

79.

Inert - (adj.) unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

80.

Innocuous - (adj.) harmless; causing no damage

81.

Intransigent - (adj.) refusing to compromise

82.

Inveigle - (v) to obtain by deception or flattery

83.

Morose - (adj.) sad; sullen; melancholy


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84.

Odious - (adj.) evoking intense aversion or dislike

85.

Opaque - (adj.) impenetrable by light; not reflecting light; unintelligible

86.

Oscillation - (n) the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

87.

Penurious - (adj.) penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

88.

Pernicious - (adj.) extremely harmful; potentially causing death

89.

Peruse - (v) to examine with great care

90.

Pious - (adj.) extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

91.

Precursor - (n) one that precedes and indicates or announces another

92.

Preen - (v) to dress; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

93.

Prodigious - (adj.) abundant in size, force or extent; extraordinary

94.

Prolific - (adj.) producing large volumes or amounts; productive

95.

Putrefy - (v) to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

96.

Quaff - (v) to drink deeply

97.

Quiescence - (n) stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

98.

Redoubtable - (adj.) awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

99.

Sanction - (n/v) authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give

permission or authority to

100.

Satire - (n) a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

101.

Squalid - (adj.) sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

102.

Stoic - (adj.) indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

103.

Supplant - (v) to take the place of; supersede

104.

Torpid - (adj.) lethargic; sluggish; dormant


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105.

Ubiquitous - (adj.) existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; wide-spread

106.

Urbane - (adj.) sophisticated, refined, elegant

107.

Vilify - (v) to defame; to characterize harshly

108.

Viscous - (adj.) thick; sticky

109.

Acumen - (n) keen, accurate judgement or insight; shrewdness

110.

Adulterate - (v) to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

111.

Amalgamate - (v) to combine several elements into a whole

112.

Archaic - (adj.) outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time

113.

Aver - (v) to state as a fact; to declare or assert

114.

Bolster - (v) to provide support or reinforcement

115.

Bombastic - (adj.) pompous; grandiloquent

116.

Diatribe - (n) a harsh denunciation

117.

Dissemble - (v) to disguise or conceal; to mislead

118.

Eccentric - (adj.) departing from norms or conventions

119.

Endemic - (adj.) characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, of people

120.

Evanescent - (adj.) tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

121.

Fervent - (adj.) greatly emotional or zealous

122.

Fortuitous - (adj.) happening by accident or chance

123.

Germane - (adj.) relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter

124.

Grandiloquence - (n) pompous speech or expression

125.

Hackneyed - (adj.) rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage


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126.

Halcyon - (adj.) calm and peaceful

127.

Hedonism - (n) devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasure of the senses (a hedonist is someone who

pursue pleasure)

128.

Hegemony - (n) the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

129.

Iconoclast - (n) one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institution

130.

Idolatrous - (adj.) given to intense or excessive devotion to something

131.

Impassive - (adj.) revealing no emotion

132.

Imperturbable - (adj.) marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness

133.

Implacable - (adj.) not capable of being appeased or significantly changed

134.

Impunity - (n) immunity from punishment or penalty

135.

Inchoate - (adj.) in an initial stage; not fully formed

136.

Infelicitous - (adj.) unfortunate; inappropriate

137.

Insipid - (adj.) without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland

138.

Loquacious - (adj.) extremely talkative (like Michelle!)

139.

Luminous - (adj.) characterized by brightness and the emission of light Malevolent - (adj.) having or showing often

vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

140.

Malleable - (adj.) capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable

141.

Mendacity - (n) the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty

142.

Meticulous - (adj.) characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail

143.

Mitigate - (v) to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate

144.

Obsequious - (adj.) exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

145.

Occlude - (v) to obstruct or block


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146.

Opprobrium - (n) disgrace; contempt; scorn

147.

Pedagogy - (n) the profession or principles of teaching, or instructing

148.

Pedantic - (adj,) overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's

knowledge

149.

Penury - (n) poverty; destitution

150.

Pervasive - (adj.) having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout

151.

Pine - (v) to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

152.

Pirate - (v) to illegally use or produce

153.

Pith - (n) the essential or central part

154.

Pithy - (adj.) precise and brief

155.

Placate - (v) to appease; to calm by making concessions; to pacify

156.

Platitude - (n) a superficial remark, esp. one offered as meaningful

157.

Plummet - (v) to plunge or drop straight down

158.

Prodigal - (adj.) recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish

159.

Profuse - (adj.) given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant

160.

Proliferate - (v) to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

161.

Queries - (n) questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations

162.

Querulous - (adj.) prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish

163.

Rancorous - (adj.) characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment

164.

Recalcitrant - (adj.) obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage

165.

Repudiate - (v) to refuse to have anything to do with; disown

166.

Rescind - (v) to invalidate; to repeal; to retract


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167.

Reverent - (adj.) marked by, feeling or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect

168.

Rhetoric - (n) the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion

169.

Salubrious - (adj.) promoting health or well-being

170.

Solvent - (adj.) able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance

171.

Specious - (adj.) seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false

172.

Spurious - (adj.) lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit

173.

Subpoena - (n) a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

174.

Succinct - (adj.) brief; concise

175.

Superfluous - (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or necessary

176.

Surfeit - (n/v) an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess

177.

Tenacity - (n) the quality of adherence to something valued; persistent determination

178.

Tenuous - (adj.) having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak

179.

Tirade - (n) a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation

180.

Transient - (adj.) fleeting; passing quickly; brief

181.

Zealous - (adj.) fervent; ardent; impassioned; devoted to a cause (a zealot is a zealous person)

182.

Acerbic - (adj.) having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting; vitriolic

183.

Aggrandize - (v) to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige

184.

Alchemy - (n) a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist isone who practices alchemy)

185.

Amenable - (adj.) agreeable; responsive to suggestion

186.

Anachronism - (n) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

187.

Astringent - (adj./n) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on

tissue


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188.

Contiguous - (adj.) sharing a border; touching; adjacent

189.

Convention - (n) a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

190.

Credulous - (adj.) tending to believe too readily; gullible

191.

Cynicism - (n) an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

192.

Decorum - (n) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior

193.

Derision - (n) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment

194.

Desiccate - (v) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

195.

Dilettante - (n) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

196.

Disparage - (v) to slight or belittle

197.

Divulge - (v) to disclose a secret; unwrap

198.

Fawn - (v) to flatter or praise excessively

199.

Flout - (v) to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

200.

Glib - (adj.) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

201.

Hubris - (n) overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance

202.

Imminent - (adj.) about to happen; impending

203.

Immutable - (adj.) not capable of change

204.

Impetuous - (adj.) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

205.

Indifferent - (adj.) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

206.

Inimical - (adj.) damaging; harmful; injurious

207.

Intractable - (adj.) not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

208.

Intrepid - (adj.) steadfast and courageous


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209.

Laconic - (adj.) using few words; terse

210.

Maverick - (n) an independent or unorthodox individual ;dissenter; refuse to be branded

211.

Mercurial - (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

212.

Mollify - (v) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

213.

Neophyte - (n) a recent convert; a beginner; novice

214.

Obfuscate - (v) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing

215.

Obstinate - (adj.) stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising

216.

Ostentatious - (adj.) characterized by or given to pretentious play; showy

217.

Pervade - (v) to permeate throughout

218.

Phlegmatic - (adj.) calm; sluggish; unemotional

219.

Pragmatic - (adj.) practical rather than idealistic

220.

Presumptuous - (adj.) over stepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

221.

Pristine - (adj.) pure; uncorrupted; clean

222.

Probity - (n) adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

223.

Proclivity - (n) a natural predisposition or inclination

224.

Profligate - (adj.) excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

225.

Propensity - (n) a natural inclination or tendency; penchant

226.

Prosaic - (adj.) dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

227.

Pungent - (adj.) characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

228.

Quixotic - (adj.) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

229.

Quotidian - (adj.) occurring or recurring daily; commonplace


13/19

230.

Rarefy - (v) to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

231.

Recondite - (adj.) hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

232.

Refulgent - (adj.) radiant; shiny; brilliant

233.

Renege - (v) to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

234.

Sedulous - (adj.) diligent; persistent; hardworking

235.

Shard - (n) a piece of broken pottery or glass

236.

Soporific - (adj.) causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

237.

Sparse - (adj.) thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

238.

Spendthrift - (n) one who spends money wastefully

239.

Subtle - (adj.) not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

240.

Terse - (adj.) brief and concise in wording

241.

Tout - (v) to publicly praise or promote

242.

Trenchant - (adj.) sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

243.

Unfeigned - (adj.) genuine; not false or hypocritical

244.

Untenable - (adj.) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

245.

Vacillate - (v) to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver

246.

Variegated - (adj.) multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different colors

247.

Vexation - (n) annoyance; irritation

248.

Vigilant - (adj.) alertly watchful

249.

Vituperate - (v) to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate

250.

Volatile - (adj.) readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive


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251.

Plethora - (n) an overabundance; a surplus

252.

Abyss – (n) an immeasurably deep chasm or void; a bottomless pit

253.

Alleviate – (v) to make more bearable

254.

Arbitrate – (v) to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

255.

Ardor – (n) intense and passionate feeling

256.

Articulate – (v) able to speak clearly and expressively

257.

Assuage – (v) to make something unpleasant less severe

258.

Attenuate – (v) to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

259.

Audacious – (adj) fearless and daring

260.

Austere – (adj) severe or stern in appearance, undecorated

261.

Banal – (adj) predictable, clichéd, boring

262.

Bolster – (v) to support; to prop up

263.

Candid –

(adj) impartial and honest in speech

264.

Capricious – (adj) changing one's mind quickly and often; whimsical

265.

Crescendo – (n) steadily increasing volume or force

266.

Deference – (n) respect, courtesy

267.

Desultory – (adj) jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

268.

Diffident –

(adj) lacking self-confidence

269.

Dilate – (v) to make larger; to expand

270.

Dilatory – (adj) intended to delay

271.

Dirge – (n) a funeral hymn; a mournful poem; a funeral service in its solemn or sung forms


15/19

272.

Disabuse – (v) to set right; to free from error

273.

Discern – (v) to perceive; to recognize

274.

Disparate – (adj) fundamentally different; entirely unlike

275.

Dissonance – (n) a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

276.

Dupe – (v) to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

277.

Efficacy – (n) effectiveness

278.

Eloquent – (adj) persuasive and moving, especially in speech

279.

Emulate – (v) to copy; to try to equal or excel

280.

Enervate – (v) to reduce in strength

281.

Engender – (v) to produce, cause, or bring about

282.

Enumerate – (v) to count, list, or itemize

283.

Equivocate – (v)to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

284.

Erratic –

(adj) wandering and unpredictable; lacking regularity

285.

Erudite – (adj) learned, scholarly, bookish

286.

Estimable – (adj) admirable

287.

Euphemism – (n) use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

288.

Exculpate - (v) to clear from blame; prove innocent

289.

Exigent - (adj) urgent; requiring immediate action

290.

Explicit - (adj) clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

291.

Fanatical - (adj) acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

292.

Fervid - (adj) intensely emotional; feverish


16/19

293.

Florid - (adj) excessively decorated or embellished

294.

Foment - (v) to arouse or incite

295.

Frugality - (adj) a tendency to be thrifty or cheap

296.

Gregarious - (adj) outgoing, sociable

297.

Guile - (n) deceit or trickery

298.

Gullible - (adj) easily deceived; naive

299.

Homogenous - (adj) of a similar kind

300.

Impervious - (adj) impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

301.

Ingenuous - (adj) showing innocence or childlike simplicity

302.

Inundate - (v) to overwhelm; to cover with water

303.

Lament -(v) to express sorrow; to grieve

304.

Laud - (v) to give praise; to glorify

305.

Lavish - (adj) to give unsparingly; or extremely generous or extravagant

306.

Lethargic - (adj) acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner

307.

Lucid - (adj) clear and easily understood

308.

Malinger – (v) to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

309.

Monotony - (n) lack of variation

310.

Naïve - (adj) lacking sophistication or experience

311.

Obviate - (v) to prevent; to make unnecessary

312.

Ostentation - (n) excessive showiness; flashiness

313.

Paradox - (n) a contradiction or dilemma


17/19

314.

Paragon - (n) a model of excellence or perfection

315.

Perfidious - (adj) willing to betray one's trust

316.

Perfunctory - (adj) done in a routine way; indifferent

317.

Permeate - (v) to penetrate

318.

Philanthropy - (n)charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

319.

Plastic – (adj) able to be molded, altered, or bent; impressionable

320.

Precipitate – (v) to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

321.

Prevaricate – (v) to lie or deviate from the truth

322.

Propitiate – (v) to conciliate; to appease

323.

Propriety – (n) correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs

324.

Prudence – (n) wisdom, caution, or restraint

325.

Quiescent – (adj) motionless; inactive; dormant

326.

Reticent - (adj) silent, reserved

327.

Satiate – (v) to satisfy fully or overindulge

328.

Stigma – (n)a mark of shame or discredit

329.

Stolid - (adj) unemotional; lacking sensitivity; impassive

330.

Sublime - (adj) lofty or grand

331.

Taciturn - (adj) silent, not talkative ; tacit –

done without using words

332.

Torpor – (n) extreme mental and physical sluggishness

333.

Transitory - (adj) temporary, lasting a brief time

334.

Venerate – (v)to respect deeply


18/19

335.

Veracity – (noun) filled with truth and accuracy

336.

Verbose – (adj) wordy

337.

Waver – (v) to fluctuate between choices

338.

Whimsical – (adj) acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable

339.

Tumult (n) - violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar; great mental or emotional

agitation

340.

Trifling (adj) - of very little importance; trivial; insignificant

341.

Schism (n) - division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.

342.

Heresy (n) - any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc.


19/19

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Important GRE Vocabulary Guide

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