GRE words from the ETS Practice Test Book

Pusillanimous

Lacking in courage

courage (pusill(us) very small, petty + -anim(is) -spirited, -minded (anim(us) spirit + -is adj. suffix)

Cloying

Sickeningly sweet

(in- + Latin clāvāre, to nail)

Doctrinaire

Rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality, dogmatic

(doctrīna teaching, equiv. to doct(o)r DOCTOR + -īna -INE2 ] )

Meretricious

Falsely attractive, OR related to a prostitute

(meretrix prostitute, from merēre to earn)

Invective

Abusive language

Sardonic

Cynical, mocking scornfully. Disdainfully humourous

Peregrinate

To travel, esp. on foot

Decorous

Socially correct

(think decorum)

Lugubrious

Mournful, dismal

(lygros mournful)

Diffident

Lacking self-confidence

(dis- + fidere to trust)

Inchoate

Being only partially formed or in existence OR incoherent

(in- + cohum part of a yoke to which the beam of a plow is fitted)

Exigent

Urgent

[exigere to demand]

Die

A tool used for shaping

Mercenary

A greedy person, or one who is only motivated by money in doing a job

Strut

A structural piece that resists pressure in the direction of its length. OR a pompous step or walk

Literati

A member of an educated class

Signatory

One who signes, or people who are bound by an agreement

Beam

The part of a plow to which handles, standard, and coulter are attached

Covetous

Very greedy

Rapacious

Excessively covetous, extremely greedy

Pundit

An authority. A learned person

Divestiture

To get rid of property, to take away

Burnish

To make shiny or brown by rubbing, to polish or rub

Dampen

To become depressed

Ardor

Zeal, or warmth of feeling

Lustrous

Radiant, but in an even, efficient way (no glitter)

Sinuous

Having a serpentine form

Centrifuge

A machine that uses centrifugal forces to separate densities

Intransigent

Uncompromising

Refractory

Resisting control OR unresponsive to stimulus

Laconinc

Sparse with words, to the point of being rude

Sordid

Muddy or nasty, vile, muddy, greedy

Odious

Deserving hatred

Volubility

Rapid speech, OR quickly turning


[volvere to roll]

Abrogate

To abolish

[ab- + rogare to ask, propose a law]

Sedulous

Diligent and hard working

Incursion

A hostile entrance to a territory

Propitate

To appease

[propicius < L propitius favorably inclined, propitious, prob. equiv. to pro- pro-1 + -pit-, comb. form of petere to head for, resort to, solicit + -ius]

Edify

To instruct in moral/ religious knowledge, or to uplift

(think 'educate')

Cavalier

Debonair, nonchalant.Or disdainfully dismissive

Indelicate

Improper

Amortize

To gradually write off a debt or to write off an expenditure

Minatory

Threatening

Emaciate

To make feeble

[e- + macies leanness, from macer lean]

Innundate

To cover with a flood of

[in- + unda wave]

Bombast

Pretentious, inflated speech

[bombac-, bombax cotton, alteration of Latin bombyc-, bombyx silkworm, silk, from Greek bombyk-, bombyx]

Excoriation

To wear off skin

[ex- + corium skin, hide]

Haughty

Blatantly and disdainfully proud

[high, from Latin altus]

Chary

Discreetly cautious, slow to accept. Or hesitant

[caru sorrow — more at care]

Usury

Interest, like charging a high interest

Circumspect

Investigating all possibilities, prudent, cautious

Cavern

To hollow out. Or, one of indefinie extent

Epithet

A disparaging comment (think "racial epithet"}

Turpitude

Inherent baseness

think: Moral turpitude

[turpis- Vile or base]

Viscid

Covered with a sticky layer, or having an adhesive quality

Philistine

An artless, materialistic person. Or a person uninformed about a certain subject.

Miser

1. A person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money

2. A mean grasping person; especially (esp. one who is extremely stingy with money)

Functionary

1. A person who functions in a specific capacity (esp. in government).
2. An office-holder

Raconteur

A person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

[re- + aconter, acompter to tell, count]

Calipers

1. Any of various calibrated instruments for measuring thicknesses or distance

2.Thickness or depth, as of paper or a tree

Sextant

An astronomical instrument used to determine latitude and longitude at sea by measuring angular distances, esp. the altitudes of sun, moon, and stars.

Feint

1.Mock blow or attack on or toward one part in order to distract attention from the point one really intends to attack

2.A feigned or assumed appearance

[feint pretended, ptp. of feindre to feign]

Dodge

1. To elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy

2. To evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit (like, to dodge the draft)

3. To move aside or change position suddenly, as to avoid a blow or get behind something.

Cordon

1. A line of police, sentinels, military posts, warships, etc., enclosing or guarding an area.

2. A cord or braid worn for ornament or as a fastening.

[MF, dim. of corde]

Moat

A deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, as a town or a castle.

Conviviality

1. Friendly; agreeable (like, a convivial atmosphere)

2. Fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company; jovial

[feast (convīv(ere) to live together, dine together (con- con- + vīvere to live]

Martial

1. Inclined or disposed to war; warlike

[Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars]

Limn

1. To represent in drawing or painting.

2. To portray in words; describe in sharp detail

[luminen to illuminate]

Parse

1. To describe (a word in a sentence) grammatically, identifying the part of speech, inflectional form, syntactic function, etc.

[pars ōrātiōnis part of speech]

Stint

1. To be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance (like, to stint on food)

2. a period of time spent doing something

3. Imitation or restriction, esp. as to amount: to give without stint.

[styntan to make blunt, dull]

Curator

one who has the care and superintendence of something

[cūrā(re) to care for, attend to ]

Prevaricate

To speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

[praevaricari to act in collusion, literally, to straddle]

Perjury

Intentionally giving a false testimony. False swearing.

[per- through, i.e., beyond the limits (see per-) + jūrāre to swear, lit., to be at law]

Dormancy

State of being dormant: Temporarily in abeyance yet capable of being activated

[dormir to sleep]

Burgeon

1. To grow or develop quickly; flourish
2. To send forth new growth (as buds or branches)

[burion; shoot, bud]

Occult

1. Beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious

2. Secret or hidden from view

3. Verb: To hide

[occultus (ptp. of occulere to hide from view, cover up), equiv. to oc- oc- + -cul-, akin to célāre]

Nascent

Beginning to exist or develop

Disburse

1. To pay out (money), esp. for expenses; expend

2. To distribute, scatter

[borser, deriv. of borse purse ]

Abridge

1. To shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents

2. To reduce or lessen in duration

[ad- + brevis shor]

Extenuating

1. To represent as less serious, severe (extenuating circumstances)

2. To underestimate, underrate, or make light of

[ex- ex-1 + tenuāre to make thin or small]

Intractable

Not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate

[in + tractā(re) to handle, deal with]

Pastoral

Having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas

[pāstor shepherd]

Padding

1. Something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or a false charge on an expense account.
2. To go on foot

[pad path]

Cloudburst

1. A sudden and very heavy rainfall

2. A sudden outpouring : deluge

Fracas

A noisy brawl

[fracassare to shatter]

Harrow

1. To disturb keenly or painfully; distress the mind, feelings, etc., of.

2. A cultivating implement set with spikes, spring teeth, or disks and used primarily for pulverizing and smoothing the soil

Boor

1. A churlish, rude, or unmannerly person

[bū- to dwell, build, cultivate]

Synonyms (good for the GRE's): lout, oaf, boob, churl, philistine, vulgarian.

Sodden

1. Dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages

2. Soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated

Synonym: Torpid

[oden, sothen, ptp. of sethen to seethe]

Gainsay

1. To deny, contradict, speak against

[again, say]

Nice

1. Having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes

2. Characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy

3. Minute, fine, or subtle

[foolish, stupid < OF: silly, simple < L nescius ignorant, incapable, equiv. to ne- negative prefix + sci- (s. of scīre to know; see science)]

Punctilious

Marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions

Obviate

1. to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures

2. Render unnecessary.

(like, to obviate the risk of drowning)

[obviare to meet, withstand]

Sanction

1. To authorize, approve, or allow

2. To impose a sanction on; penalize, esp. by way of discipline.

3. Something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.

[sancire to make holy]

Approbation

An act of approving formally or officially

Unencumbered

1. Not burdened with care or responsibility.

2. Property that is not subject to any creditor claims or lien

Territoriality

1. Attachment to or protection of a territory or domain

2. Behavior associated with defense of a territory

Ledger

1. A book containing accounts to which debits and credits are posted from books of original entry

2. Horizontal board used for vertical support

[leger large breviary, beam, probably from leyen, leggen to lay]

Rumination

1. To meditate or muse; ponder.

2. To chew over and over again

Castigate

To subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism

[driven to be faultless (ptp. of castigāre to chasten), equiv. to cast(us) pure, chaste + -īg-, comb. form of agere to drive, incite + -ātus -ate]

Reagent

A substance used (as in detecting or measuring a component, in preparing a product, or in developing photographs) because of its chemical or biological activity

[re(act) + agent; cf. act]]