GRE 2026 Princeton Review Key Terms Group 2

abate

(v.) to make less in intensity, degree

accolade

n. an expression of praise

adulation

n. praise or flattery that is excessive

aesthetic

adj. concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

ameliorate

v. to make better or more tolerable

ascetic

n. one who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury, especially for religious reasons

avarice

n. greed; desire for wealth

burgeon

v. flourish, bloom, expand or increase quickly

bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside, rural and rustic

cacophony

n. a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

canon

n. established set of principles or code of laws

castigation

n. severe criticism or punishment

catalyst

(n.) a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change

caustic

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow

cogent

adj. convincing; appearing to the mind or reason

complasiance

n. the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

contentious

adj. argumentative; causing controversy or disagreement

contrite

adj. extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant

culpable

adj. deserving blame

dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity, smallness of quality or number

demur

v. to question or oppose

didactic

adj. intended to teach or instruct

discretion

n. cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

disinterested

adj. free of bias or self-interest; impartial

dogmatic

adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

ebullience

n. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

eclectic

adj. made up from a variety of sources

elegy

n. a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead

emollient

adj/n. soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; an agent that softens or smooths skin

empirical

based on observation or experiment

enigmatic

adj. mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

ephemeral

adj. breif; fleeting

esoteric

adj. intended for or understood by a small, specific group

eulogy

n. a speech honoring the dead

exonerate

v. to remove or clear from blame

facetious

adj. playful; humorous

fallacy

(n.) a false notion or belief; an error in thinking

furtive

adj. marked by stealth; covert

gregarious

adj. sociable; outgoing

harangue

v/n to deliver a forceful or angry speech

heretical

adj. violating accepted dogma or convention

hyperbole

n. an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

impecunious

adj. lacking funds; without money

incipient

adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent

inert

adk. unmoving; lethargic

innocuous

(adj.) harmless, causing no damage

intransigent

adj. refusing to compromise

inveigle

v. to obtain by deception or flattery

morose

adj. sad; sullen; melancholy

odious

adj. evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque

adj. impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

oscillation

n. the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

penurious

adj. penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

pernicious

adj. extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

peruse

v. to examine with great care

pious

adj. extremely reverent/devout; showing strong religious devotion

precursor

n. one that precedes and indicates another

preen

v. to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

prodigious

(adj.) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree

prolific

(adj.) abundantly productive; abundant, profuse

putrefy

v. to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj. form: putrid)

quaff

v. to drink deeply

quiescence

adj. stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

redoubtable

adj. awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

sanction

n/v authoritative permission or control; a penalty intended to force compliance

satire

n. literary work that ridicules or criticizes human vices through humor or ridicule

squalid

adj. wretched and dirty from neglect (sordid)

stoic

adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

supplant

to take the place of; to supersede

torpid

adj. lethargic; sluggish; dormant

ubiquitous

adj. present or existing everywhere; widespread

urbane

adj. sophisticated or elegant

vilify

v. to defame; to characterize harshly

viscous

adj. thick;sticky, slow moving liquid