Common GRE Level Words in Context

Abate

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

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As the hurricane’s force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.

Abscond

to leave secretly

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The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bills by sneaking out the back door.

Abstain

to choose not to do something

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She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray.

Abyss

an extremely deep hole

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The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart the previously unseen depths.

Adulterate

to make impure

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The chef made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water.

Advocate

to speak in favor of

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The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat.

Aesthetic

concerning the appreciation of beauty

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Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art.

Aggrandize

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

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The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own.

Alleviate

to make more bearable

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Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache.

Amalgamate

to combine; to mix together

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Giant Industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant- Mega Products Incorporated.

Ambiguous

doubtful or uncertain; able to be interrupted several ways

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The directions she gave were so AMBIGUOUS that we disagreed on which way to turn.

Ameliorate

to make better; to improve

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The doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient’s suffering using painkillers.

Anachronism

something out of place in time

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The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases, like “groovy” and “far out”, that had not been popular for years.

Analogous

similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

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In the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker”.

Anomaly

deviation from what is normal

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The near- boiling river in Peru called Shanay-Timpishka is a geological ANOMALY: it is the only naturally heated body of water that is not heated by its proximity to a volcano.

Antagonize

to annoy or provoke to anger

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The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail.

Antipathy

extreme dislike

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The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.

Apathy

lack of interest or emotion

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The APATHY of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.

Arbitrate

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

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Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.

Archaic

ancient, old-fashioned

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Her ARCHAIC Commodore computer could not run the latest software.

Ardor

intense and passionate feeling

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Bishop’s ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.

Articulate

able to speak clearly and expressively

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She is such an ARTICULATE defender of labor that unions are among her strongest supporters.

Assuage

to make something unpleasant less severe

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Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache.

Attenuate

to reduce in force or degree; to weaken

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The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will.

Audacious

fearless and daring

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Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving.

Austere

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

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The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civilian eye.

Banal

predictable, cliched, boring

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He used BANAL phrases like “have a nice day” and “another day, another dollar”.

Bolster

to support; to prop up

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The presence of given footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.

Bombastic

pompous in speech and manner

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The rantings of the radio talk- show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.

Cacophony

harsh, jarring noise

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The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments.

Candid

impartial and honest in speech

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The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.

Capricious

changing one’s mind quickly and often

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Queen Elizabeth I was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy.

Castigate

to punish or criticize harshly

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Many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States.

Catalyst

something that brings about a change in something else

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The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution.

Caustic

biting in wit

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Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults.

Chaos

great disorder or confusion

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In many religious traditions, God created an ordered universe from CHAOS.

Chauvinist

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs

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The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male CHAUVINISTS.

Chicanery

deception by means of craft or guile

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Dishonest used car salespeople often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars.

Cogent

convincing and well-reasoned

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Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.

Condone

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

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Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness.

Convoluted

intricate and complicated

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Although many people bought ‘A Brief History of Time’, few could follow its CONVOLUTED ideas and theories.

Corroborate

to provide supporting evidence

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Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness’s testimony that he saw the defendant in the victim’s apartment.

Credulous

too trusting; gullible

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Although some four year old’s believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most CREDULOUS nine year old’s still believe in him.

Crescendo

steadily increasing volume or force

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The CRESENDO of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses

Decorum

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

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The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM appropriate for a visit to the palace.

Deference

respect, courtesy

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The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE.

Deride

to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock

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The awkward child was DERIDED by his “cooler” peers.

Desiccate

to dry out thoroughly

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After a few weeks of lying on the desert’s baking sands, the cow’s carcass became completely desiccated.

Desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

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Diane has a DESOLUTORY academic record; she had changed majors twelve times in three years.

Diatribe

an abusive, condemnatory speech

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The trucker bellowed a DIATRIBE at the driver who had cut him off.

Diffident

lacking self-confidence

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Steve’s DIFFIDENT manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.

Dilate

to make larger; to expand

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When you enter a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes DILATE to let in more light.

Dilatory

intended to delay

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The congressman used Dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill.

Dilettante

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

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Jerry’s friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.

Dirge

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

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Melville wrote the poem “A DIRGE for James McPherson” for the funeral of the Union general who was killed in 1864.

Disabuse

to set right; to free from error

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Galileo’s observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth.

Discern

to perceive; to recognize

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It is easy to DISCERN the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.

Disparate

fundamentally different; entirely unlike

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Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are DISPARATE.

Dissemble

to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

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The villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer- he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.

Dissonance

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds

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Cognitive DISSONANCE is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.

Dogma

a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

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Linus’s central DOGMA was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.

Dogmatic

dictatorial in one’s opinion

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The dictator was DOGMATIC- he, and only he, was right.

Dupe

to deceive; a person who is easily deceived

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Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.

Eclectic

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

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Budapest’s architecture is an ECLECTIC mix of Eastern and Western styles.

Efficacy

effectiveness

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The EFFICACY of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced; the drug completely eliminated almost all bacterial infections for which it was administered.

Elegy

a sorrowful poem or speech

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Although Thomas Gray’s “ELEGY Written in a Country Churchyard” is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life and to trust in spirituality.

Eloquent

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

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The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also of its ELOQUENT words.

Emulate

to copy; to try to equal or excel

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The graduate student sought to EMULATE his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.

Enervate

to reduce in strength

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The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army.

Engender

to produce, cause, or bring about

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His fear and hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown.

Enigma

a puzzle; a mystery

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By speaking in riddles and dressing in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an ENIGMA.

Enumerate

to count, to list, or itemize

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Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED.

Ephemeral

lasting a short time

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The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours.

Equivocal

open to more than one interpretation; misleading

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Asked a pointed question, the politician nevertheless gave an EQUIVOCAL answer.

Equivocate

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

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When faces with criticism of her policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED and left all parties thinking she agreed with them.

Erratic

wandering and unpredictable

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The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ERRATIC turns that surprised the audience.

Erudite

learned, scholarly, bookish

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The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUDITE, well-published individuals in the field.

Esoteric

known or understood by only a few

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Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC would of particle physics.

Estimable

admirable

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Most people consider it ESTIMABLE, that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.

Eulogy

speech in praise of someone

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His best friend gave the EULOGY, outlining his many achievements and talents.

Euphemism

use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one

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The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHEMISM “sleeping” instead of the word “dead”.

Exacerbate

to make worse

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It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn; instead of providing relief, the drug will only EXACERBATE the problem.

Exculpate

to clear from blame; prove innocent

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The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to EXCUPLATE those who are innocent.

Exigent

urgent; requiring immediate action

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The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding.

Exonerate

to clear of blame

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The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to committing the crime.

Explicit

clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression

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the owners of the house left a list of EXPLICIT instructions detailing their house sitter’s duties, including a schedule for watering the house plants.

Fanatical

acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion

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The stormtroopers were FANATICAL in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.

Fawn

to grovel

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The understudy FAWNED over the director in hopes of being cast inn the part on a permanent basis.

Fervid

intensely emotional; feverish

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The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.

Florid

excessively decorated or embellished

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The palace had been decorated in a FLORID style; every surface had been carved and gilded.

Foment

to arouse or incite

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The protestors tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations.

Frugality

a tendency to be thrifty or cheap

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Scrooge McDuck’s FRIGALITY was so great that he accumulated enough wealth to fill a giant storehouse with money.

Garrulous

tending to talk a lot

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The GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking.

Gregarious

outgoing, sociable

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She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone, she felt quite sad.

Guile

deceit or trickery

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Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE in an effort to trap his enemy.

Gullible

easily deceived

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The con man pretended to be a bank officer so as to fool GULLIBLE bank customers into giving him their account information.

Homogenous (Homogeneous)

of a similar kind

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The class was fairly HOMOGENEOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors.

Iconoclast

one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions

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His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST.

Imperturbable

not capable of being disturbed

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The counselor has so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE, even when faced with the wildest tantrums.

Impervious

impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

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A good raincoat will be IMPERVIOUS to moisture.