Common GRE Words: A

abate

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

• As the hurricane’s force ____, the winds dropped

abscond

to leave secretly

• The patron _____ from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door

abstain

to choose not to do something

• She ______ from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray

abyss

an extremely deep hole

• the submarine dove into the ____ to chart the previously unseen depths

adulterate

to make impure

• the chef made his ketchup last longer by ____ it with water

advocate

to speak in favor of

• the vegetarian ____ a diet containing no meat

aesthetic

concerning the appreciation of beauty

• followers of the _____ movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art

aggrandize

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

• the supervisor sought to _____ herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own

alleviate

to make more bearable

• Taking aspirin helps to ____ a headache

amalgamate

to combine; to mix together

• Giant Industries ____ with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated

ambiguous

doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways

• The directions she gave were so ____ that we disagreed on which way to turn

ameliorate

to make better; to improve

• The doctor was able to _____ the patient’s suffering using painkillers

anachronism

something out of place in time

• The aged hippie used ____ phrases, like “groovy” and “far our",” that had not been popular for years

analogous

similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

• In the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is ____ to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker”

anomaly

deviation from what is normal

• the near-boiling river in Peru called Shanay-Timpishka is a geological _____; it is the only naturally heated body of water that is not heated by its proximity to a volcano

antagonize

to annoy or provoke to anger

• The child discovered that he could _____ the cat by pulling its tail

antipathy

extreme dislike

• The ____ between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare

apathy

lack of interest or emotion

• The _____ of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.

arbitrate

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

• Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ____ their divorce proceedings.

archaic

ancient, old-fashioned

• Tier _____ Commodore computer could not run their latest software

ardor

intense and passionate feeling

• Bishop’s ____ for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.

articulate

able to speak clearly and expressively

• She is such an _____ defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters

assuage

to make something unpleasant less severe

• Serena used aspirin to ____ her pounding headache

attenuate

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

• The Bill of Rights ____ the traditional power of governments to change laws at will

audacious

fearless and daring

• Her ____ nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving

austere

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

• The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem _____ to the civilian eye