GRE VOCAB 2024-2025

Anomaly (n.)

something that is unusual or unexpected

The student's poor performance on the latest test was an anomaly since she had precious earned excellent grades.

Equivocal (adj.)

not easily understood or explained

Politicians have been known to provide equivocal answers to reporters' questions.

Lucid (adj.)

very clear and easy to understand

The lecture was lucid and straightforward, allowing the students to fully grasp the concepts presented.

Precipitate (vb.)

to cause (something) to happen quickly or suddenly

Unforeseen costs can precipitate a budget crisis.

Assuage (vb.)

to make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense

A massage can assuage the soreness in your muscles.

Erudite (adj.)

having or showing great knowledge or learning

High school students can often struggle with novels that are more erudite than they are entertaining.

Opaque (adj.)

not able to be seen through; not easily understood

Medical jargon includes many opaque terms.

Prodigal (adj.)

wastefully extravagant

The prodigal prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events.

Enigma (n.)

a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

Scientists continue to research cancer to solve the enigma of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure.

Fervid (adj.)

intensely enthusiastic or passionate

The child showed a fervid fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours.

Placate (vb.)

to make (someone) less angry or hostile

A parent may decide to placate a baby with a pacifier.

Zeal (n.)

a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something

The great emperor's crusading zeal led him to conquer many lands.

Abstain (vb.)

to restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something

Before the medical procedure, you must abstain from eating.

Similar: forbear; refrain; withhold

Audacious (adj.)

a willingness to take bold risks;

The new CEO pursued audacious initiatives to save the company from bankruptcy.

showing a lack of respect

The student's audacious remark earned her a seat in afternoon detention.

Desiccate (vb.)

Remove the moisture from (something)

The heat and energy from the sun can desiccate even the most hearty plants.

Gullible (adj.)

easily persuaded to believe something

The gullible little boy gave his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him.

Laudable (adj.)

deserving praise and commendation

Providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is a laudable goal.

Pedant (n.)

a person who makes an excessive display of learning

Professor Blackwell, a well-known pedant, required his pre-med students to speak in Latin throughout the entire semester.

Vacillate (vb.)

to waver between different opinions or actions

Undergraduate students often vacillate among various majors before deciding which degree to pursue.

Adulterate (vb.)

to make (something) impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality

Many chefs use fresh produce and refuse to adulterate their dishes with canned ingredients.

Capricious (adj.)

given to sudden changes of mood or behavior

The capricious supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next.

Engender (vb.)

to produce, cause, or give rise to (something)

Political debates can engender controversy regarding the subjects discussed.

Homogenous (adj.)

of the same or similar kind

There are very few truly homogenous cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread.

Loquacious (adj.)

tending to talk a great deal

The loquacious professor was known for his five-hour lectures.

Pragmatic (adj.)

dealing with the problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on ideas and theories

A pragmatic approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics.

Volatile (adj.)

likely to change rapidly and unpredictably

It is possible for a country's political climate to remain volatile for decades.

Apathy (n.)

lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

Political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to apathy than older citizens.

Corroborate (vb.)

to confirm or make more certain

The scientist was able to corroborate his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources.

Ephemeral (adj.)

lasting for a very short time

An ephemeral moment of victory may last mere seconds, but it can remain as a triumphant memory for decades.

Similar: transient; fleeting; passing

Laconic (adj.)

using few words

The student's laconic response suggested that they did not know very much about the topic the professor was discussing.

Similar: brief; concise; succinct; short

Mitigate (vb.)

make less severe, serious, or painful

We want to mitigate students' GRE stress by offering helpful study tools.

Propriety (n.)

the state or quality of being correct or proper

The students were instructed to behave with the utmost propriety while on their class field trip.

Advocate (vb.)

publicly recommend or support

The governor chose to advocate for a higher minimum wage rather than a tax incentive.

Cacophony (n.)

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

The cacophony of the middle school band warming up was nearly unbearable for the audience.

Similar: noise; dissonance; racket

Enervate (vb.)

cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken

The boxer used a swift left uppercut to the jaw to enervate his opponent.

Similar: exhaust; tire; drain

Ingenuous (adj.)

innocent and unsuspecting

The scam artist preyed on ingenuous nursing home residents.

Similar: naive; childlike; over-trusting

Misanthrope (n.)

a person who dislikes others (humankind)

The neighborhood misanthrope surrounded his yard with barbed wire to keep people away.

Similar: cynic; recluse; antisocial

Paradox (n.)

a statement that contradicts itself but might be true

The fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted seven cats is an intriguing paradox.

Similar: inconsistency; contradiction

Venerate (vb.)

regard with great respect

To venerate the fire chief's forty years of service, the department held a special banquet.

Similar: revere; honor

Antipathy (n.)

a strong dislike, hostile feeling

The students voiced their antipathy for homework very loudly.

Similar: hostility; animosity; aversion

Deride (vb.)

to express contempt for; ridicule

The unreasonable supervisor was known to deride his employees on a daily basis.

Similar: ridicule; mock; jeer at

Eulogy (n.)

a formal statement of commendation; high praise, typically someone who has recently died

His good friend delivered a brief eulogy that was both heartfelt and inspiring.

Lethargic (adj.)

lacking energy

It's not uncommon to feel lethargic for weeks or even months after major surgery.

Similar: sluggish; inactive; inert

Obdurate (adj.)

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action

The obdurate three-year-old refused to eat any vegetables, no matter how they were prepared.

Similar: stubborn; unyielding; inflexible

Philanthropic (adj.)

seeking to promote the welfare of others

The students were grateful to receive financial support from philanthropic organizations that promote education.

Similar: charitable; generous

Waver (vb.)

to go back and forth between choices or opinions

Some citizens vote solely along party lines and never waver in their political decisions.

Similar: undecided; indecisive; hesistate

Bolster (vb.)

to support or strengthen

The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would bolster her case against the defendant.

Similar: reinforce; fortify

Dissonance (n.)

a lack of agreement or harmony

The school board's meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by dissonance among opinions.

Similar: inconsistency; disagreement

Garrulous (adj.)

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters

The garrulous hair stylist talked to each customer for hours at a time.

Similar: loquacious; chatty; outspoken

Malleable (adj.)

easily influenced; pliable

Children's moods are often malleable since children are greatly affected by their surroundings.

Similar: suggestible; impressionable

Ostentation (n.)

excessive display of wealth

Owning a mansion doesn't imply ostentation, but traveling exclusively by private jet certainly can.

Gregarious (adj.)

to be likely to socialize with others

Great leaders are often popular and gregarious individuals, always in the middle of a large group of people.

Similar: sociable

Prevarication (v.i.)

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

It was the politician's prevarication that caused him to lose his election.

Similar: fabricating; lying

Prosaic (adj.)

having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty

In addition to the prosaic essentials of life - wheat, rice and salt - the Portuguese found exotic stores of pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and other spices.

Similar: dull; unimaginative; uninspired

Alacrity (n.)

brisk and cheerful readiness; promptness in response

She earned her promotion from upper management by approaching her work with such alacrity, that it couldn't be overlooked.

Similar: lively; eagerness; willingness

Paucity (n.)

smallness of number or quantity; fewness

There is a paucity of information on the ingredients of many modern cosmetics.

Similar: littleness; deficiency; dearth

Veracity (n.)

conformity with truth or fact; honesty

Doubts were cast on the veracity of his alibi during the trial.

Similar: truthfulness; reality

Contrite (adj.)

feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing; extremely apologetic.

Though he stole his little sister's candy with glee, Samuel soon became contrite when his sister wouldn't stop crying.

Similar: remorseful; regretful

Maintain (vb.)

cause or enable (a condition or state of affairs) to continue.

The scientist maintains that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate.

Similar: keep up; support

Pugnacious (adj.)

quarrelsome, fond of fighting; having a combative nature

Squirrels are restless, courageous and pugnacious little animals.

Similar: argumentative; aggressive

Egregious (adj.)

outstandingly bad

The dictator's abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders asked that he be tried in an international court.

Similar: shocking; appalling

Disparate (adj.)

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

Although the twins are physically identical, their personalities are disparate.

Similar: different; dissimilar; divergent; diverse; variant

Abase (vb.)

to humble; to disgrace

My intention was not to abase the comedian.

Similar: demean; humiliate

Abate (vb.)

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

As the hurricane's force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.

Similar: let up; moderate; relent; subside

Abdicate (vb.)

to give up a position, right or power

With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.

Similar: cede; quit; relinquish; resign; yield

Aberrant (adj.)

deviating from what is normal or expected

Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers did not expect his aberrant burst of rage.

Similar: abnormal; deviant; divergent; irregular

Abeyance (n.)

temporary suppression or suspension

The baseball game was held in abeyance while it continued to rain.

Similar: deferral; delay; postponement; remission

Abjure (vb.)

to reject; to abandon formally

The spy abjured his allegiance to the United States when he defeated Russia.

Similar: forswear; recall; recant; retract; take back

Abscond (vb.)

to leave secretly and hide oneself

The diner absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.

Similar: decamp; escape; flee

Abstemious (adj.)

moderate in appetite; practicing moderation or abstinence

Because Alice is a vegetarian, she was able to eat only an abstemious meal at the Texas Roadhouse.

Similar: abstinent; temperate; self-restraining

Abyss (n.)

an extremely deep hole

The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previous unseen depths.

Similar: chasm; void

Delineate (vb.)

describe or portray (something) with accuracy or in detail.

The law should delineate and prohibit behavior that is socially abhorrent.

Similar: graphic; pictorial; outline

Belie (vb.)

(of an appearance) fail

to give true notion or impression of (something)

The man's calm exterior belied the militant fervor with which he threw himself into the campaign.

Similar: disguise; contradict

Revile (vb.)

criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner

He was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead.

Similar: criticize; censure; attack