GRE Vocab Notes 8-9
GRE Resources - Vocabulary Notes
Page 3
Key Vocabulary
Deference: Respect, courtesy
Example: The young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with utmost deference.
Disparate: Fundamentally different; entirely unlike
Example: Although the twins appear identical physically, their personalities are disparate.
Deride: To speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
Example: The awkward child was often derided by his cooler peers.
Dissemble: To present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
Example: The villain could dissemble to the police no longer.
Desiccate: To dry out thoroughly
Example: After weeks on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely desiccated.
Dissonance: A harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
Example: Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.
Desultory: Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
Example: Diane had a desultory academic record, changing majors 12 times in three years.
Dogma: A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
Example: Linus's central dogma was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.
Diatribe: An abusive, condemnatory speech
Example: The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off.
Dogmatic: Dictatorial in one's opinions
Example: The dictator was dogmatic—he and only he was right.
Diffident: Lacking self-confidence
Example: Steve's diffident manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature.
Dupe: To deceive; a person who is easily deceived
Example: Bugs Bunny was able to dupe Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.
Dilate: To make larger; to expand
Example: The pupils of your eyes dilate to let in more light in a darkened room.
Eclectic: Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Example: Budapest's architecture is an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western styles.
Dilatory: Intended to delay
Example: The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill.
Efficacy: Effectiveness
Example: The efficacy of penicillin was unsurpassed when it was first introduced.
Dilettante: Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
Example: Jerry's friends were such dilettantes that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week.
Dirge: A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Example: Melville wrote "A Dirge for James McPherson" for a Union general's funeral.
Elegy: A sorrowful poem or speech
Example: Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" urges readers to endure life.
Disabuse: To set right; to free from error
Example: Galileo's observations disabused scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth.
Eloquent: Persuasive and moving, especially in speech
Example: The Gettysburg Address is moving due to its eloquent words.
Discern: To perceive; to recognize
Example: It is easy to discern the difference between butter and butter-flavored topping.
Page 8
Key Vocabulary
Prudence: Wisdom, caution, or restraint
Example: The college student exhibited prudence by obtaining practical experience along with her studies.
Stigma: A mark of shame or discredit
Example: Hester Prynne was required to wear the letter A as a public stigma for her adultery.
Pungent: Sharp and irritating to the senses
Example: The smoke from burning tires was extremely pungent.
Stolid: Unemotional; lacking sensitivity
Example: The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence.
Sublime: Lofty or grand
Example: The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings.
Quiescent: Motionless
Example: Many animals are quiescent over the winter months.
Tacit: Done without using words
Example: A tacit agreement was made about which course of action to take.
Taciturn: Silent, not talkative
Example: The clerk's taciturn nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob."
Repudiate: To reject the validity of
Example: The old woman's claim was repudiated when DNA tests showed otherwise.
Tirade: Long, harsh speech or verbal attack
Example: Observers were shocked at the manager's tirade over a minor mistake.
Reticent: Silent, reserved
Example: Joan Didion was often unnoticed due to her reticent nature.
Torpor: Extreme mental and physical sluggishness
Example: The patient experienced torpor until the anesthesia wore off.
Rhetoric: Effective writing or speaking
Example: Lincoln's talent for rhetoric was evident in his Gettysburg Address.
Transitory: Temporary, lasting a brief time
Example: The reporter lived a transitory life, staying in one place only long enough to cover a story.
Satiate: To satisfy fully or overindulge
Example: His desire for power could only be satiated by complete control.
Soporific: Causing sleep or lethargy
Example: The movie proved to be so soporific that loud snores were heard throughout the theater.
Venerate: To respect deeply
Example: In Confucian society, the young venerate their elders.
Specious: Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
Example: The student's specious excuse for being late was proved otherwise.
Page 9
Key Vocabulary
Veracity: Truthfulness; accuracy
Example: She had a reputation for veracity, so everyone trusted her description of events.
Waver: To fluctuate between choices
Example: If you waver too long before making a decision, you may not get your first choice.
Verbose: Wordy
Example: The professor's answer was so verbose that the student forgot the original question.
Whimsical: Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
Example: The ballet was whimsical, delighting children with its imaginative characters.
Vex: To annoy
Example: The old man was vexed by his neighbor's loud music.
Volatile: Easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
Example: His volatile personality made it difficult to predict his reaction to anything.
Wavier: To fluctuate between choices
Example: If you wavier too long before making a decision about which testing site to register for, you may not get your first choice.
Whimsical: Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
Example: The ballet was whimsical, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable sets.
Zeal: Passion, excitement
Example: She brought her typical zeal to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.