GRE Princeton Review 2026 Group 4

acerbic

(adj) having a sour or bitter taste/character; sharp; biting

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

alchemy

medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation

amenable

agreeable

anachronism

something out of place in time/historical context

astringent

a substance used on skin to make the skin tight/having a tightening effect on tissue

contiguous

sharing an edge or boundary; touching

convention

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

credulous

too trusting; gullible

cynicism

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

decorum

(n.) proper behavior

derision

Contemptuous ridicule or mockery

desiccate

to dry out or dehydrate. to make dry or dull

dilettante

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

disparage

to belittle

divulge

to disclose something secret

fawn

to flatter or praise excessively

flout

to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

garrulous

pointlessly talkative; talking too much

glib

marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; superficial

Hubris

excessive pride

imminent

about to happen

impetuous

hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

indifferent

having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned

inimical

hostile; injurious

intractable

hard to control or deal with

intrepid

steadfast and courageous

laconic

using few words; concise

maverick

one who is independent and resists adherence to a group

mercurial

characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

mollify

to calm or make less severe

neophyte

a beginner or novice

obfuscate

to deliberately obscure or make confusing

obstinate

stubborn; unyielding

ostentatious

(adj.) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy

pervade

to permeate throughout

phlegmatic

slow-moving, sluggish; unemotional

plethora

an overabundance; excess

pragmatic

practical, as opposed to idealistic

presumptuous

too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds

pristine

pure; uncorrupted; clean

probity

adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

proclivity

a natural or habitual inclination or tendency

profligate

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources

propensity

a natural inclination or tendency

prosaic

dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

pungent

strong sharp smell or taste

quixotic

foolishly impractical, marked by romantic ideals

quotidian

commonplace

rarefy

to make thinner or sparser

recondite

hidden; concealed; difficult to understand

refulgent

radiant; shiny; brilliant

renege

to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

sedulous

hard working; diligent

shard

a piece of broken glass or pottery

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy

sparse

thinly dispersed or scattered

spendthrift

one who spends money wastefully

subtle

delicate, elusive, not obvious

tacit

implied; not explicitly stated

terse

brief and to the point; concise

tout

to publicly praise or promote

trenchant

sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

unfeigned

genuine; not false or hypocritical

untenable

indefensible; not viable

vacillate

to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another

variegated

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

vexation

annoyance; irritation

vigilant

on the alert; watchful

vituperate

to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate

volatile

(adj.) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state