357 Essential GRE Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering all 357 high-frequency GRE words, formatted as term–definition pairs for efficient study.

abate

to diminish in intensity; to cause to diminish

aberrant

diverging from the standard type

abjure

to reject or renounce

abscond

to leave secretly, evading detection

abstain

to voluntarily refrain from doing something

acumen

keen judgment and perception

admonish

to scold or advise firmly

adulterate

to contaminate or make impure by introducing inferior elements

advocate

to recommend or support; one who supports

aesthetic

concerned with the nature of beauty and art

affectation

fake or artificial behavior meant to impress

aggrandize

to enlarge or increase wealth, power, or reputation

alacrity

promptness and eagerness

alleviate

to relieve a problem or ease a burden

amalgamate

to combine or mix together

ambiguous

unclear; open to multiple interpretations

ambivalent

having mixed or contradictory feelings

ameliorate

to improve or mitigate a situation

amenable

easily convinced or persuaded

anachronism

something old-fashioned or out of its proper time

analogous

comparable; appropriate for analogy

anoint

to choose for a position; to apply oil in a ceremony

anomaly

an exception or unusual case

antipathy

strong dislike or hatred

antithetical

contrary to the very nature of

apathy

state of total disinterest or unenthusiasm

appease

to placate; to satisfy a need

arbitrary

seemingly chosen without reason or purpose

arcane

secret or known only to a select group

archaic

old-fashioned; no longer in common usage

arduous

difficult, taxing, requiring effort

articulate

well-spoken; exhibiting clear communication skills

artless

without artifice; natural, untrained

ascetic

austere or self-denying

assuage

to provide relief; to satisfy a need

astonishment

total surprise or shock

audacious

very bold or presumptuous

austere

severe or unadorned

avarice

greed

aver

to assert or allege

banal

boring, cliché

belie

to give a false impression

benign

gentle, harmless

biased

prejudiced, displaying partiality

bolster

to shore up or support

bombastic

overblown, theatrical

brazen

bold to the point of shocking; shameless

bucolic

pastoral, rustic, countrified

burgeon

to flourish, bloom, or increase quickly

cacophony

loud and chaotic noise

calumny

a lie or slander

candid

honest and open

canon

accepted rules of a discipline; a body of sacred or notable works

capacity

ability to perform; total amount a container holds; a particular role

capricious

unpredictable, whimsical

castigate

to scold or berate strongly

catalyst

something that speeds up a process or causes action

caustic

corrosive; bitterly sarcastic

censure

to express intense condemnation

chauvinist

one who prejudicially believes their group is superior

chicanery

trickery or deception

chronological

ordered by time

coalesce

to come together from disparate parts

cogent

clearly laid out and persuasive

commensurate

in accordance with; proportional

compelling

captivating; very persuasive

comprehensive

complete and thorough

condone

to approve or allow

confound

to confuse or astonish

connoisseur

an expert, especially in fine arts or culture

consequential

as a result of; significant or memorable

construe

to interpret

consumption

utilization, especially of a resource

contend

to assert or claim; to grapple with

contentious

controversial; involving conflict

contrite

remorseful

convoluted

roundabout, not straightforward

copious

plentiful or abundant

cosmopolitan

urban and sophisticated

covet

to desire something that is not yours

craft

cunning; skill

craven

cowardly to a shameful extent

credence

belief or trust

credulous

gullible, naïve

decorum

appropriate behavior or good manners

deference

respect or polite submission

deflect

to divert or cause to ricochet

deftness

skill or manual dexterity

delineate

to describe accurately; to outline

demur

to object or raise concerns

denigrate

to speak negatively about; defame

deride

to mock or ridicule

derivative

unoriginal; imitative

desiccate

to dry out completely; to drain vitality

desultory

half-hearted; inconsistent or random

detachment

objectivity or aloofness

determinant

a strong factor in an outcome

diatribe

an angry, denunciatory speech or rant

didactic

educational, often moralizing

diffident

shy or reserved due to lack of confidence