GRE Prep

verbal reasoning vocab

hom-

same

a-

opposite of

gram-/graph-

to write/draw

-phon-

sound

affable

friendly

apprehend

to learn

salutary

healthful

capricious

unpredictable, unaccounted for change in behavior

engender

cause or give rise to a feeling or situation

(synonym: garnered)

equivocal

ambiguous

laudable

deserving of praise

placate

appease, stop someone from feeling angry

prodigal

spending or using large amounts of resources (time, money, etc.)

(extravagant)

adulterate

to dilute with another substance

assuage

to make unpleasant feelings less strong

corroborate

to further support a statement/account with further evidence

erudite

very specific, thorough set of knowledge

loquacious

chatty

opaque

prevents light from getting through

pragmatic

solving problems in a modern way, rather than trying to force old theories to fit

propriety

proper moral behavior/actions

zeal

great enthusiasm or eagerness

audacious

showing a willingness to offend people

desiccate

to completely remove all moisture from something

ephemeral

lasting for only a short time

fervid

intensely (excessively) passionate

laconic

expressing a point very concisely

using only a few words

lucid

clearly expressed and easy to understand

pedant

a person too concerned with the small details and formal rules that really aren’t important

(the type of person who would cry over spilled milk)

vacillate

to be unable to decide something

to oscillate between two opinions/options

sojourn

short stay/stint in a particular place

apprehension

worry about the future

congruent

things similar to each other than can be combined or coexist without issue

consummate

perfect, or complete in every way

tenet

one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based

dogma

a fixed set of beliefs that people are expected to follow without question

spurious

false, based on faulty reasoning, smoke and mirrors

terse

brevity to the point of abruptness

fallacious

not correct, wrong

bellicose

wishing to fight or start a war

blithe

happy and without worry

extol

to praise someone/something very much

deprecate

to think something is of little value and importance

spurn

to refuse to accept something

discountenance

to refuse to approve of

eulogize

to praise someone or something in a speech or in writingpe

petulant

easily annoyed or angered, especially in a rude manner

placid

having a calm appearance or characteristics

mercurial

changing suddenly or often

pliant

able to bend easily without breaking

easily convinced

frenetic

frantic

arrogates

to take something without having the right to do so

eschew

to avoid something intentionally

to give up

inter

to bury a corpse

imbue

to fill someone or something with a particular feeling

apogee

the most successful, popular, powerful point

impugn

to cause people to doubt someone else’s abilities or characteristics by speaking poorly of them

leshon hara

acrimony

anger, argument, bad feeling si

sinecure

a paid position that involves very little work

paltry

very small amount of money, measly

desultory

without a clear plan or purpose and showing very little interest

parsimonious

frugal, not willing to spend a lot of money or use a lot of something

truculent

unpleasant and likely to argue a lot