GRE VOCABULARY
aberration anomaly, deviation from standard, irregularity, atypical
abrogate do away with
abstemious sparing, moderate (in eating, drinking)
abstruse (recondite) concealed, deep, difficult to comprehend
accolade award, honor, high praise
accretion accumulation, enlargement, growth
adroitly skillfully
adulate admire excessively/slavishly, flatter
alacrity eagerness, readiness
alias assumed
allocate distribute, designate
allusion indirect reference to something else, hint (in literature)
ameliorate improve
amenable agreeable
arbiter one who arbitrates/decides, judge
ardor fervor, enthusiasm
assuage lessen the intensity of something
audacious bold, fearless
audacity (impertinence) boldness, reckless daring
auspicious (propitious) prosperous, favorable
aver prove truth of, state it is true
badger harass/annoy continuously, bait
baleful hurtful, malignant, sorrowful
beget bringsintosbeing, cause to exist
bereave deprive, leave desolate (through death)
brazenly boldly
brook tolerate
burnish polish
cacophony harsh sounding mixture of sounds
cajole deceptively persuade someone to do something he/she
declines to
candid (candor) free from prejudice/bias/malice, honest, fair
capricious unpredictable, momentarily changeable
chary cautious
circumlocution indirect expression, use of wordy/evasive language
coda distinct passage concluding a composition
cogent powerful
cognizant perceptive, observant
compliant yielding, submissive
composure ease
conciliatory peace making
conjoin join together
conjure summon, bringsintosbeing as if by magic
connoisseur expert (in art, taste)
consensus unanimity, near unanimity, complete accord in opinion
contentious argumentative
conundrum puzzle, riddle
corroborate confirm, back up with evidence
cower shrink
debacle violent, sudden breakdown/overthrow
debauchery intemperance, wild living
decorous in good taste, proper
deleterious (baleful) harmful, menacing
despondent desperate, hopeless
dire disastrous, horrible, ill-omened, extreme
dirge chant/song of sorrow/mourning, rites for the dead
disavow deny
disparage detract
disparaging depreciatory, derogatory, detraction
dispassionate passionless, impartial, neutral
divergent differing, deviating
doggerel loose, unskillful verse
dogma (doctrine) authoritative tenet, established opinion
dubious doubtful, questionable
eclectic drawn from many sources
edict decree, mandate, law, writ, command
effluvium escaping gas, noxious vapors
emaciation waste away, become thin/weak
emollient balm, salve, softening, soothing
enigma problem, puzzle, mystery
enmity (animosity) antagonism, hatred, antipathy
epicure one interested in fine foods
epithet descriptive
equivocal ambiguous, intentionally confusing
erratic (eccentric, fitful) inconsistent, unpredictable,
aimless, spasmodic, unusual, capricious
erudite scholarly, deeply learned
escrow legal agreement handled by 3rd party until conditions
fulfilled
euphemism use of nice words in place of distasteful ones
evanescent vanishing, fading, scarcely perceptible
exigent urgent
exonerate completely free from blame
exorbitant extravagant, immoderate
exploit milk, drain, exhaust
exposition (explication) setting forth meaning, explanation
extol celebrate, glorify [antonym - lambaste]
extricate loosen, release [antonym - intricate]
exuberant extremely joyful, vigorous, profuse in growth
faddish (fad) passing (fashion, craze)
feckless careless
fester blister, inflame, cancer
fickle deceitful, inconstant
fission splittingsintosparts
fissure narrow slit, crack, cleft
flippant shallow, disrespectful
flout disregard because of disrespect
flux substance aiding fusion
forbear refrain from, abstain
frivolous flimsy, trivial, lacking seriousness
fulminate strike, send forth invectives, akin to lightning
fulsome disgusting, morally offensive
fumble handle clumsily, fail to catch
garish (gaudy) flashy, excessively colorful
garrulous (loquacious) extremely talkative, wordy
gavel (mallet) wooden hammer
genial helpful, cheerful, pleasant
genre distinctive category/class (especially in literature)
goad urge forcefully, to prod
gouge chisel with curved blade
gouging force out
hapless unlucky
hold placeswherescargo is kept
hone sharpen
imperturbable calm
implement carry out
improvident (lavish) wasteful, careless
impudent bold, impertinent, discourteous
impugn attack, especially the truth/integrity of something
impute ascribe to, refer to, attribution
inchoate unformed, just beginning
indifference detachment, lack of interest/concern
indignant angry (as result of unfairness)
indulgent lenient, yielding to desire
ineluctable inevitable, unavoidable
infatuation love [antonym - odium]
ingenuous free from deceit/disguise
insolvent unable to pay one's bills
intrinsic inherent
invective insulting/abusive speech
laconic using few words (to the point of rudeness)
lambaste scold, beat [antonym - extol]
laudatory (approbative) applausive, approving
lax slack, careless, negligent, not strict
levee embankment to prevent overflowing of river
lode a vein, ore imbedded in a rock fissure
loquacious (garrulous) extremely talkative/wordy
maverick (rebel) nonconformist
mellifluous sweetly flowing
minatory threatening
misanthrope one who hates people
mitigated softened
mitis soft
munificent (lavish) very generous
neophyte beginner
noisome bad-smelling
obdurate (intractable) stubborn, inflexible
odium hate, disgust [antonym - infatuation]
offense wrongdoing
oscillate (fluctuate) swing back and forth
ossify harden, turn to bone, become rigid
ostentatious conspicuous, showing off
palliate excuse, cause to seem less serious
palpable touchable, obvious
panegyric lofty praise
partisan who supports a particular idea ...
peccadillo slight fault
pedagogue pedantic/dogmatic person, teacher
penchant inclination
penchant strong liking/leaning
petulant ill-tempered, rude, cranky
piquant spicy, pleasantly pungent
placate (propitiate) conciliate, pacify, appease, calm, soothe
placid calm, peaceful
plumb measure the depth of
polemic powerful argument in refutation of something
pragmatic practical
precarious uncertain, dangerous
precipice very steep, overhanging place, hazardous situation
precipitate cause to happen abruptly
presumptuous arrogant
prevarication lie
pristine pure, uncorrupted, unspoiled
probity integrity, honesty
prodigy extraordinary
promulgate (proclaim) declare, put in force/law
propinquity kinship, nearness
propitiate (placate) conciliate, pacify, appease, calm, soothe
proscription restriction/ban/restraint imposed
proselytize convert, recruit converts
pundit expert
pungent sharp/biting to taste/smell
qualify modify, restrict
rampart fortification, defense
ravenous very eager/greedy for food/gratification/satisfaction
reciprocal mutual, shared, interchangeable (but not in math!)
recondite (abstruse) obscure, concealed, deep, difficult to
comprehend
rectitude righteousness, moral integrity
reprobate depraved, wicked, corrupt, degenerate, vicious
repugnant offensive, distasteful
resolute (intransigent) determined, unyielding
reticent (tacit) quiet, dumb, reserved, silent, reluctant
ribald in decent, coarse
rivet attract and hold attention
sagacious wise (from experience)
salubrious promoting good health
sanction ratify, confirm, authorize, approve
saturnine gloomy/sullen/dismal in temperament
savor relish, enjoy
sedulous zealous, persevering [antonym - careless]
serene tranquil, clear, untroubled, calm
sinuous winding, intricate
spendthrift wasteful, extravagant
spurious bogus, false
squalid filthy, repulsive, wretched, degraded
subjugate enslave, subdue, dominate
substantive solid, substantial
succinct concise, precisely expressed
sullen gloomy, dismal
superficial shallow, unimportant, external, without profundity
superfluous extra, unnecessary
surreptitious secret, sneaky
tacit implicit, understood
taunt insult, ridicule
temerity (audacity) recklessness, foolish boldness
tiff argument
timbre quality of sound independent of pitch/loudness
tout give a tip
transitory temporary
trepidation fear, nervousness
truculent savage, fierce
turbid muddy, foul with sediments
turpitude (depravity) shameful wickedness
untoward (awkward) unfavorable, unruly
usurer money lender charging high interest
vacuous stupid
veracity truthfulness
vex annoy, pester, confuse
vindicate clear from blame/suspicion
viscid sticky, viscous
viscous thick and sticky
visionary dreamer (with impractical goals/ideas about future)
vituperation (malediction) abusive language
welter (turmoil) confused mass
xenophobe one who hates strangers
Compiled by Monika Bender
STUDENT LEARNING ASSISTANCE CENTER (SLAC)
Southwest Texas State University WWW.SWT.EDU
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