GRE VOCAB

Abase

Degrade or humble; to lower in rank, status, or esteem

Abate

To reduce in amount, degree, or severity

Abdicate

Formally give up the throne (or some other power or responsibility)

Aberrant

abnormal, deviant

Abeyance

Temporary suspension, inactivity

Abhor

Detest, regard with disgust

Abjure

Give up, renounce; repudiate, recant, or shun (especially formally or under oath)

Abrasive

Rough, suitable for grinding or polishing (such as sandpaper); causing irritation or annoyance

Abreast

side-by-side; keeping up with, staying aware of

Abscond

To leave secretly

Abridge

Reduce or lessen; shorten by omitting parts throughout while retaining the main idea

Abscission

Cutting off; sudden termination; the separation of leaves, petals, or other parts from a plant or animal

Abstain

To choose not to do something

Abyss

An extremely deep hole

Accede

agree, give consent; assume power

Accretion

Gradual increase; an added part or addition

Acerbic

Sour; harsh or severe

Acidulous

Slight acid or sour; sharp or caustic

Acme

Summit, peak, highest point

Activism

The practice of pursuing political or other goals through vigorous action, often including protests and demonstrations

Acumen

Keen, quick, accurate insight or judgement

Adhere

Stick (to)

Admonish

Mildly scold; caution, advise, or remind to do something

Adulterate

To make impure

Adumbrate

Give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure

Adverse

opposing, harmful

Advocate

To speak in favor of

Aerie

Dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey built on a mountain or cliff

Aesthetic

Concerning the appreciation of beauty

Affable

Warm and friendly, pleasant, approachable

Affectation

Fake behavior (such as in speech or dress) adopted to give a certain impression

Aggrandize

To increase in power, influence, and reputation

Aggregate

Gather together, to amount to, constituting a whole made up of consistent parts

Alacrity

Cheerful or speedy willingness

Albeit

Although, even though

Alienate

Cause to become unfriendly, hostile, or distant

Alleviate

To make more bearable

Aloof

Distant physically or emotionally; reserved; indifferent

Amalgamate

To combine or mix together

Ambiguous

Not clear; Doubtful or uncertain. Able to be interpreted in several ways

Ambivalent

Uncertain; unable to decide, or wanting to do two contradictory things at once

Ameliorate

To make better; to improve

Amort

Gradually pay off a debt, or gradually write off an asset

Anachronism

Something out of place in time

Analgesia

Pain relief; inability to feel pain

Analogous

Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

Anarchy

Absence of law or government, chaos, disorder

Annul

Make void or null, cancel, abolish

Anondyne

Medicine that relieves pain, soothing, relieving pain

Anoint

Rub or sprinkle oil on, make sacred

Anomaly

Deviation from what is normal

Antagonize

To annoy or provoke to anger

Antedate

Be older than, precede in time, assign to an earlier date

Antithetical

Directly opposed, opposite

Antipathy

Extreme dislike

Apathy

Lack of interest or emotion

Apocryphal

Of questionable authenticity, false

Apostate

Person who deserts a party, cause, religion

Apostle

Pioneer of a reform movement

Apposite

Highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant

Apprise

Inform, give notice to

Approbation

Praise or approval

Appropriate

Set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one’s own use

Arbiter

Judge

Arbitrate

To judge a dispute between two opposing parties

Arcane

Known or understood by only a few; obscure, secret

Archaic

Ancient or old fashioned

Ardent

Very passionate, devoted, or enthusiastic

Ardor

Intense and passionate feeling

Arduous

Very difficult, strenuous; severe, hard to endure

Arrogate

Claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so

Articulate

Able to speak clearly and expressively

Artifact

Any object made by humans, especially those in earlier times

Artless

Free of deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; lacking skill or knowledge, crude, uncultured

Ascertain

Find out with certainty

Ascetic

abstinent or austere in lifestyle; someone who lives a simple life

Ascribe

Assign or credit to a certain cause or source

Aseptic

Free from germs

Asperity

Rigor, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface

Aspersions

Damaging remarks, defamation, or slander

Assail

Attack violently, assault

Assiduous

Persevering, diligent, constant

Assuage

To make something unpleasant less severe

Attenuate

To reduce in force or degree; to weaken

Attuned

In harmony; in sympathetic relationship

Audacious

Fearless and daring

Augment

Make larger

Augury

Telling the future, such as through supernatural means

August

Venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration

Austere

Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

Autonomous

Self-governing, independent

Avarice

Insatiable greed

Aver

Declare or affirm with confidence

Avid

Enthusiastic, dedicated, passionate

Axiom

Self-evident truth requiring no proof; universally or generally accepted principle

Balk

Refuse to proceed or do something

Balloon

Swell or puff out; increase rapidly

Banal

Predictable, cliche, boring

Bane

Something that ruins or spoils

Base

Morally low, mean, dishonorable; of little or no value