GRE Root Words

A, AN

A, AN

Not, Without atrophy: the wasting away of body tissue atypical: not typical

AB

From, Away, Apart abhor: to hate, detest abdicate: to renounce or relinquish a throne abstruse: hard to understand; secret, hidden

ABLE, IBLE

Capable Of, Worth Of amenable: willing to respond to persuasion or suggestion

AC, ACR

Sharp, Sour, Bitter acute: sharp at the end; ending in a point acerbic: sour or astringent in taste, harsh in temper exacerbate: to increase bitterness or violence acrid: sharp or biting to the taste or smell acrimonious: caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature

ACOU

Hearing acoustic: of or relating to sound

AD, A

To adept: good at, skillful

AMBI, AMPHI

Both, On Both Sides, Around ambiguous: open to various interpretations

AMBL, AMBUL

Walk ambient: moving freely, circulating

ANIM

Mind, Spirit unanimous: in complete accord

ANT, ANTE

Before antedate: precede in time

ANTI, ANT

Against, Opposite antipathy: aversion

AQUA, AQUE

Water aquatic: relating to water

ARD

Burn ardor: fiery intensity of feeling

AUTO, AUT

Self automatic: self-moving or self-activ

BEL

Beautiful embellish: to make beautiful by ornamentation

BELL, BELLI

War Belligerent: given to waging war

BEN

Well, Good Benign: kindly disposition

BI, BIN

Two bilateral: pertaining to or affecting both sides

BON, BOUN

Good, Generous bonanza: source of great wealth or prosperity bountiful: given freely and abundantly

BREV, BRID

Short, Small abbreviate: to make shorter abridge: to reduce the length of a text

BURS

Purse, Money reimburse: return money

CARN

Flesh carnival: travelling amusement show incarnation: a being invested with a bodily form

CAUST

Burn, heat caustic: capable of burning, corroding

CED, CESS

Yield, Go antecedent: existing, being, or going before incessant: without stop

CELER

Speed accelerate: to increase speed

CENT

Hundred, Hundreth centurion: commander of a century in the roman army

CHROM

Color chromosome: threadlike linear strand of DNA

CIRCUM

Around circuitous: roundabout, indirect

CO, COM, CON

With, Together collide: to strike one another with a forceful impact compatible: capable of existing together in harmony conciliate: to placate, win over

CONTRA, CONTRO, COUNTER

Against contrast: to set in opposition to emphasize differences

CORD, CARD

Heart concord: agreement, peace cardiac: pertaining to the heart

CORP, CORS

Body corpulent: excessively fat

COSM

Order, Universe, World microcosm: small representative system having analogies to a larger system

CRED

Trust, Believe incredible: unbelievable

CRYPT

Hide apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity

CULP

Fault, Blame culpable: deserving blame or censure

CUMB, CUB

Lie Down succumb: to give away to superior force, yield recumbent: lying down, reclining

CYN, CAN

Dog cynicism: attitude of scornful or jaded negativity

DE

Down, Out, Away From, Apart delineate: sketch or trace in outline

DEL

Erase deleterious: harmful, injurious

DEXT

Right Hand, Right Side dexterity: skill or adroitness

DI

Day diurnal: daily

DIA

Through, Across dilatory: inclined to delay or procrastinate

DIC, DICT, DIT

Speak interdict: to forbid, prohibit

DI, DIS

Away, Apart diffuse: to pour out and spread, as a fluid disperse: to send off in various directions

DOL

Grieve, Suffer Pain doleful: sorrowful, mournful

DORM

Sleep dormitory: room providing sleeping quarters for a number of persons

DORS

Back endorse: to give support especially by public statement

DUC, DUCT

Lead conducive: personal behaviour, a way of acting abduct: to carry off

DULC

Sweet dulcet: pleasing to the ear, melodious

DUR

Hard, Lasting endure: to hold out against

E, EF, EX

Out, Former, Completely evade: to escape from efface: to rub or wipe out exonerate: to declare free from blame

EGO

Self egotist: self-centered person, selfish

EQU

Equal iniquity: gross injustice

ERR

Wander erratic: deviating from the proper course, or usual conduct

EU

Well, Good euphemism: pleasant-sounding term for something unpleasant

FAL

Liable To Err To Deceive fallacy: false notion

FATU

Foolish fatuous: foolish or silly, in a smug, self-satisfied way

FERV

Boil fervor: passion, zeal

FID, FI

Faith confide: to entrust with a secret fiduciary: given or held in trust

FLAGR, FULG, FULM

Burn, Shine conflagration: large destructive fire

FLECT, FLEX

Bend, Turn deflect: bend or turn aside from a purpose genuflect: to bend knee

FUG

Flee subterfuge: deceptive stratagem or device

FUM

Smoke fumigation: applying smoke or vapor for disinfection

GEN

Birth, Class, Kin congenital: existing or as such from birth

GNO, GNI, COGN, CONN

Know ignore: refuse to take notice recognize: to identify as already known reconnaissance: act of scouting or exploring an area to gain information

GRAM, GRAPH

Write, Draw epigram: short witty poem expressing a single thought or observation demography: study of characteristics of human populations

GREG

Flock gregarious: sociable

HAP

By Chance haphazard: characterized by mere chance

HEMI

Half hemisphere: half of a sphere

HETERO

Other, Different heterodox: different from acknowledged standard

HOL

Whole catholic: of broad or liberal scope, comprehensive

HOMO

Same homogenous: uniform structure of composition throughout

HUM

Earth humble: marked by meekness or modesty in behavior

ICON

Image, Idol iconoclast: one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions

IM, IN

Not impartial: not partial or biased indolence: avoid exertion, slothful

IN, IM, I

In, On intrinsic: belonging to a thing by its very nature implicit: not expressly stated, implied

INTER

Between, Among interloper: one who intrudes in the domain of others

INTRA

Inside, Within intravenous: within or administered into a vein

IT, ITER

Go, Repeat sedition: inciting rebellion iterate: to say or perform again, repeat

JOC

Joke jocular: given to joking

JOUR

Day sojourn: a temporary stay

JUD

Judge judgment: the act or process of judging

JUNCT, JUG

Join junction: the act of combining conjugal: relating to the relationship of spouses

JUR

To Swear abjure: to renounce on oath

JUV

Young rejuvenate: to restore youthful appearance or vigor

LAUD

Praise plaudit: enthusiastic expression of praise or approval

LAV, LAU, LU

Wash lavatory: room with equipment for washing ablution: act of cleasing

LAX, LAK, LEASE, LES

Loose laxative: stimulating evacuation of the bowels release: to set free from confinement

LEG, LEC, LEX

Read, Speak lecture: An earnest admonition or reproof lexicon: dictionary

LEV

Lift, Light, Rise alleviate: to make easier to endure, lessen

LIBER

Free deliberate: Done with or marked by full consciousness of the nature and effects

LIG, LI

Tie, Bind oblige: constrain by physical, legal, social, or moral means liable: legally obligated or responsible

LING, LANG

Tongue language: communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals

LITH

Stone monolith: large block of stone used in architecture or sculpture

LOG, LOQU

Speech, Thought dialogue: conversation eulogy: speech or writing in praise of someone

LUC, LUS

Light lucid: easily understood illustrious: highly distinguished

MACRO

Great, Long macroscopic: large enough to be perceived or examined by the unaided eye

MAG, MAX, MAJ, MAS

Great, Big magnify: to increase the apparent size of maxim: expression of general truth or principal

MAL

Bad malign: to slander