GRE word clusters: 01 Praise, criticism, and judgment

commend

Praise, positive (+). Same cluster: laud, acclaim, tout, extol.

laud

Praise, positive (+). Same cluster: commend, acclaim, tout, extol.

acclaim

Praise, positive (+). Same cluster: commend, laud, tout, extol.

tout

Praise, positive (+). Tout = promote, often pushily. Same cluster: commend, laud, acclaim, extol.

extol

Praise, positive (+). Same cluster: commend, laud, acclaim, tout.

lionize

Praise, positive (+). Lionize = treat as a celebrity. Same cluster: commend, laud, acclaim, tout.

venerate

Praise, positive (+). Venerate = deep respect. Same cluster: commend, laud, acclaim, tout.

Cluster: Praise (positive)

commend, laud, acclaim, tout, extol, lionize, venerate (mild → strong).

approbation

Approval or respect (nouns), positive (+). Approbation = official approval. Same cluster: esteem.

esteem

Approval or respect (nouns), positive (+). Same cluster: approbation.

Cluster: Approval or respect (nouns) (positive)

approbation, esteem.

laudable

Deserving praise, positive (+). Same cluster: estimable, meritorious, exemplary.

estimable

Deserving praise, positive (+). Same cluster: laudable, meritorious, exemplary.

meritorious

Deserving praise, positive (+). Same cluster: laudable, estimable, exemplary.

exemplary

Deserving praise, positive (+). Same cluster: laudable, estimable, meritorious.

Cluster: Deserving praise (positive)

laudable, estimable, meritorious, exemplary.

chide

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: admonish, reproach, reprimand, rebuke.

admonish

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, reproach, reprimand, rebuke.

reproach

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reprimand, rebuke.

reprimand

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, rebuke.

rebuke

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

chastise

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Chastise can also mean punish. Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

upbraid

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

berate

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

castigate

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

lambaste

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

excoriate

Criticize or scold, negative (−). Same cluster: chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand.

censure

Related to: Criticize or scold. Censure = formal, official criticism.

Cluster: Criticize or scold (negative)

chide, admonish, reproach, reprimand, rebuke, chastise, upbraid, berate, castigate, lambaste, excoriate (mild → strong).

decry

Condemn publicly, negative (−). Same cluster: denounce.

denounce

Condemn publicly, negative (−). Same cluster: decry.

Cluster: Condemn publicly (negative)

decry, denounce.

deride

Mock or look down on, negative (−). Same cluster: scorn, disdain.

scorn

Mock or look down on, negative (−). Same cluster: deride, disdain.

disdain

Mock or look down on, negative (−). Disdain also means arrogant contempt. Same cluster: deride, scorn.

Cluster: Mock or look down on (negative)

deride, scorn, disdain.

vilify

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Same cluster: malign, defame, slander, calumny.

malign

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Same cluster: vilify, defame, slander, calumny.

defame

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Same cluster: vilify, malign, slander, calumny.

slander

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Same cluster: vilify, malign, defame, calumny.

calumny

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Calumny and aspersion are nouns: a false, damaging claim (“cast aspersions”). Same cluster: vilify, malign, defame, slander.

aspersion

Damage a reputation, negative (−). Calumny and aspersion are nouns: a false, damaging claim (“cast aspersions”). Same cluster: vilify, malign, defame, slander.

Cluster: Damage a reputation (negative)

vilify, malign, defame, slander, calumny, aspersion.

disparage

Belittle, negative (−). Same cluster: denigrate, deprecate, derogate.

denigrate

Belittle, negative (−). Same cluster: disparage, deprecate, derogate.

deprecate

Belittle, negative (−). Same cluster: disparage, denigrate, derogate.

derogate

Belittle, negative (−). Same cluster: disparage, denigrate, deprecate.

pejorative

Related to: Belittle. Pejorative = a word or remark that expresses contempt.

Cluster: Belittle (negative)

disparage, denigrate, deprecate, derogate.

scathing

Biting or harsh (describing words), negative (−). Same cluster: caustic, mordant.

caustic

Biting or harsh (describing words), negative (−). Caustic literally means burns through, like acid. Same cluster: scathing, mordant.

mordant

Biting or harsh (describing words), negative (−). Same cluster: scathing, caustic.

Cluster: Biting or harsh (describing words) (negative)

scathing, caustic, mordant.

tirade

Angry speeches (nouns), negative (−). Same cluster: harangue, objurgation.

harangue

Angry speeches (nouns), negative (−). Harangue = a long, aggressive lecture. Same cluster: tirade, objurgation.

objurgation

Angry speeches (nouns), negative (−). Same cluster: tirade, harangue.

Cluster: Angry speeches (nouns) (negative)

tirade, harangue, objurgation.

heed

Other words from GregMat’s praise group, mixed tone. Heed = pay attention to. Same cluster: relish, gratify, felicitous.

relish

Other words from GregMat’s praise group, mixed tone. Relish = enjoy greatly. Same cluster: heed, gratify, felicitous.

gratify

Other words from GregMat’s praise group, mixed tone. Gratify = please. Same cluster: heed, relish, felicitous.

felicitous

Other words from GregMat’s praise group, mixed tone. Felicitous = well chosen, apt. Same cluster: heed, relish, gratify.

Cluster: Other words from GregMat’s praise group (mixed)

heed, relish, gratify, felicitous.