GRE Vocabulary

anomaly

* something that is unusual or unexpected
* The student's poor performance on the latest test was an ______ since she had previously earned excellent grades.

equivocal

* not easily understood or explained
* politicians have been know to provide ______ answers to reporter’s questions

lucid

* very clear and easy to understand
* the lecture was ____ and straightforward, allowing the students to fully grasp the concepts presented

precipitate

* to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
* upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other only two months, friends, and family members expected such a ___ marriage to end in divorce.

assuage

* to make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
* a massage can ____ the soreness in your muscles

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erudite

* having or showing great knowledge
* high school students often struggle with novels that are more ____ than they are entertaining

opaque

* not able to see through; not easily understood
* medical jargon included many ____ terms like macrosomic, which describes a newborn who weighs more than 4,000 grams

prodigal

* wastefully extravagant
* the ___ prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events

enigma

* a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand
* scientist continue to research cancer to solve the ____ of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure

fervid

* intensely enthusiastic or passionate
* the chilled showed a ___ fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours

placate

* to make (someone) less angry of hostile
* parent may decide to ___ a baby with a pacifier

zeal

* a strong feel of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something
* the great emperor’s crusading ___ led him to conquer many lands

abstain

* to restrain oneself for doing or enjoying something
* doctors encourage their patients to ___ from smoking cigarettes

audacious

* a willingness to take bold risks


* the new CEO pursued ____ initiatives to save the company from bankruptcy


* showing a lack of respect
* the student’s ____ remark earned her a seat in afternoon detention

desiccate

* remove the moisture from (something)
* the heat and energy from the sun can ___ even the most hearty plants

gullible

* easily persuaded to believe
* the ____ gave his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him

laudable

* deserving praise and commendation
* providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is a ___ goal

pedant

* a person who makes an excessive display of learning
* professor blackwell, a well-known ____, required his pre-med students to speak in latin throughout the entire semester

adulterate

* to make (something) impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality
* many chefs use fresh produce and refuse to ____ their dishes with canned ingredients

capricious

* given to sudden changes of mood or behavior
* the ____ supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next

engender

* to produce, cause, or give rise to (something)
* political debates can ____ controversy regarding the subjects discussed

homogenous

* of the same or similar kind
* there a very few truly ____ cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread

loquacious

* tending to talk a great deal
* the ___ professor was known for his five-hour lectures

pragmatic

* dealing with the problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories
* a ___ approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics

volatile

* likely to change rapidly and i predictably
* it is possible for a country’s political climate to remain ___ for decades

apathy

* lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
* political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to ____ that older citizens

corroborate

* to confirm or make more certain
* the scientist was able to ___ his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources

laconic

* using few words
* the student’s ____ response suggested that she did not know very much about the topic the professor was discussing

mitigate

* make less severe, serious, or painful
* we want to ___ students’ GRE stress by offering helpful study tools

propriety

* the state or quality of being correct or proper
* the students were instructed to behave with the utmost _____ while on their class field trip

advocate

* publicly recommend or support
* the governor chose to ____ for a higher minimum wage rather than a tax incentive

cacophony

* a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds
* the _____ of the middle school band warming up was nearly unbearable for the audience

enervate

* cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken
* the boxer used a swift left uppercut to the jaw to ___ his opponent

ingenious

* innocent and unsuspecting
* the scam artist preyed on ____ nursing home residents

misanthrope

* a person who dislikes humankind
* the neighborhood ___ surrounds his yard with barbed wire to keep people away

paradox

* a statement that contradicts itself but might be true
* the fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted 7 cats is an intriguing ____

venerate

* regard with great respect
* to ___ the fire chiefs forty years of service, the department held a special banquet

antipathy

* a strong feeling of dislike
* the students voiced their ____ for homework very loudly

eulogy

* a speech that praises someone, typically some who has recently died
* The rabbi's ____ was both heartfelt and inspiring.

lethargic

* lacking energy
* It's not uncommon to feel _____ for weeks or even months after major surgery.

philanthropic

* seeking to promote the welfare of others
* The students were grateful to receive financial support from ____ organizations that promote education.

bolster

* to support or strengthen
* The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would ____ her case against the defendant.

dissonance

* a lack of harmony for agreement
* The school board's meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by ____ among opinions.

malleable

* easily influenced; pliable
* Children's moods are often ___ since children are greatly affected by their surroundings.

prevaricate

* avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question


* During the trial, the lead witness was willing to ____ in order to protect his friend.

abate

* to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
* as the hurricane’s force _____, the winds dropped and the sea became calm

abscond

* to leave secretly
* the patron _____ from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door

aesthetic

* concerning the appreciation of beauty
* followers of the ____ movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art

aggrandize

* to increase in power, influence, and reputation
* the supervisor cought to ____ herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own

amalgamate

* to combine; to mix together
* giant industries ____ with mega products to form giant-mega products incorporated

amerliorate

* to make better; to improve
* the doctor was able to _____ the patient’s suffering using painkillers

anachronism

* something out of place in time
* the aged hippie used ____ phrases, like “groovy” and “far out” that had not been popular for years

analogous

* similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
* in the Newtonian construct for explaining the existence of God, the universe is _____ to a mechanical timepiece, the created of a divinely intelligent “clockmaker”.

arbitrate

* to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
* since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to ___ their divorce proceedings.

archiac

* ancient, old-fashioned
* her ____ commodore computer could not run the latest software.

ardor

* intense and passionate feeling
* bishop’s ____ for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson valley

attenuate

* to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
* the bill of rights ____ the traditional power of governments to change laws at will

austere

* severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
* the lack of decoration makes military barracks seem ___ to the civilian eye

banal

* predictable, clichéd, boring
* he used ____ phrases like “have a nice day” and “another day, another dollar”

candid

* impartial and honest in speech
* the observations of a child can be charming since they are ___ and unpretentious

castigate

* to punish or criticize harshly
* many americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in singapore ___ perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the US

caustic

* biting in wit
* Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for ___ wot from her cutting, yet clever, insults

chauvinist

* someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
* the attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male _____.

chicanery

* deception by means of craft or guile
* dishonest used car salespeople often use ____ to sell their beat-up old cars.

cogent

* convincing and well-reasoned
* swayed by the ___ argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.

convoluted

* intricate and complicated
* although many people bought “a brief history of time”, few could follow its ____ ideas and theories

credulous

* too trusting; gullible
* although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny, only the most ____ nine-year-olds still believe in him

crescendo

* steadily increasing volume or force
* the ____ of tension became unbearable as evel knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses

decorum

* appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
* the countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the ___ appropriate for a visit to the palace.

deference

* respect, courtesy
* the respectful young law clerk treated the supreme court justis with the utmost _____

deride

* to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
* the awkward child was often ____ by his “cooler” peers

desultory

* jumping from one thing to another: disconnected
* Diane had a ____ academic record; she had changed majors 12 rimes in 3 years.

diatribe

* an abusive, condemnatory speech
* the trucker bellowed a ___ at the driver who had him cut off

diffident

* lacking self-confidence
* steve’s ____ manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field.

dilatroy

* intended to delay
* the congressman used ____ measures to delay the passage of the bill

dilettante

* someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
* Jerry’s friends were such ____ that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.

dirge

* a funeral hymn or mournful speech
* Melville wrote the poem “A ____ for James McPherson” for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864.

disabuse

* to set right; to free from error
* Galileo’s observations ____ scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth

discern

* to perceive; to recognize
* it is easy to __ the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping

disparate

* fundamentally different; entirely different
* Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are ____

dissemble

* to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character
* The villain could ___ to the police no longer_ he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man

dogma

* a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
* Linus’s central ___ was that children who believed in the great pumpkin would be rewarded.

dogmatic

* dictatorial in one’s opinion
* the dictator was ____- he, and only he, was right.

dupe

* to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
* - Bugs bunny was able to ___ elmer fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.

elegy

* a sorrowful poem or speech
* Although Thomas Gray’s “____ written in a country churchyard” is about death and loss, it urges its readers to endure this life and to trust spirituality.

eloquent

* persuasive and moving, especially in speech
* The gettysburg address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but also because of its ___ words.

enumerate

* to count, list, or itemize
* MOses returned from the mountain with tables on which the commandments were ____.

ephemeral

* lasting a short time
* the lives of mayflies seem ___ to us, since the flies’ average life span is a matter of hours.

equivocate

* to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
* When faced with criticism of her policies, the politician _____ and left all the parties thinking she agreed with them

erratic

* wandering and unpredictable
* the plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of ___ turns that surprised the audience

esoteric

* known or understood by only a few
* only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ____ world of particle physics.

estimable

* admirable
* most people consider it ____ that the Mother teresa spent her life helping the poor of india.

euphemism

* use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
* the funeral director preferred to use the ___ “sleeping” instead of the word “dead”.

exculpate

* to clear from blame; prove innocent
* the adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and to ___ those who are innocent.

Exigent

* urgent; requiring immediate action
* the patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was ___ to stop the source of the bleeding.

fanatical

* acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
* the stormtroopers were ____ in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.

fawn

* to grovel
* the understudy ___ over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis

florid

* excessively decorated or embellished
* the palace had bees decorated in ____ style; every surface has been carved and gilded.

foment

* to arouse or incite
* The protestors tried to ____ feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations

garrulous

* tending to talk a lot
* the _____ parakeet distracted it’s owner with its continuous talking