Essential GRE Vocabulary (from the high frequency list from Barron's Pass Key to the GRE)
Section 1
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abeyance
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Date created
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Cards (320)
Section 1
(50 cards)
abeyance
suspended action
ascetic
practicing self-denial; austere
attenuate
make thin; weaken
admonish
warn; reprove
anachronism
something or someone misplace in time
catalyst
agent that brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged
bolster
support; reinforce
austere
forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
burnish
make shiny by rubbing; polish
antipathy
aversion; dislike
buttress
support; prop up
apprise
inform
chicanery
trickery; deception
alleviate
relieve
appropriate
acquire; take possession of for one's own use
anarchy
absence of governing body; state of disorder
ambiguous
unclear or doubtful in meaning
cacophonous
dicordant; inharmonious
analogous
comparable
adulterate
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
alacrity
cheerful promptness; eagerness
bombastic
pompous; using inflated language
appease
pacify or soothe; relieve
banal
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacing originality
caustic
burning; sarcastically biting
boorish
rude; insensitive
apathy
lack of caring; indifference
abscond
depart secretly and hide
abstemious
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
aver
state confidently
ameliorate
improve
approbation
approval
assiduous
diligent
arduous
hard; streunous
audacious
daring; bold
aggregate
gather; accumulate
burgeoning
flourishing; growing quickly; putting out buds
ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
belie
contradict; give a false impression
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
aberrant
abnormal or deviant
artless
without guile; open and honest
abate
subside or moderate
castigation
punishment; severe criticism
aesthetic
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
beneficent
kindly; doing good
capricious
unpredictable; fickle
amalgamate
combine; unite in one body
assuage
ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
autonomous
self-governing
Section 2
(50 cards)
dichotomy
split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
disparage
belittle
condone
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
contentious
quarrelsome
disseminate
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing
discerning
mentally quick and observant; having insight
disjointed
disconnected
distend
expand; swell out
disparate
basically different; unrelated
daunt
intimidate; frighten
discrepancy
lack of consistency; difference
deference
courteous regard for another's wish
denigrate
belittle or defame; blacken
conundrum
riddle; difficult problem
complaisant
trying to please; obliging
derivative
unoriginal, obtained from another source
converge
approach; tend to meet; come together
diffidence
shyness
discordany
not harmonious; conflicting
dissemble
disguise; pretend
compliant
yielding; conforming to requirements
craven
cowardly
contention
claim; thesis
connoisseur
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
dissolution
breaking of a union; decay; termination
distill
purify; refine; concentrate
convoluted
coiled around; involved; intricate
disabuse
correct a false impression; undeceive
delineate
portray; depict; sketch
cogent
convincing
diffuse
wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas)
commensurate
equal in extent
disinterested
unprejudiced
discrete
separate; unconnected
desultory
aimless; haphazard ; digressing at random
confound
confuse; puzzle
disingenuous
lacking genuine candor' insincere
diatribe
bitter scloding; invective
discredit
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve
compendium
brief, comprehensive summary
decorum
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
deterrent
something that discourages; hinderance
deride
ridicule; make fun of
dissonance
discord; opposite of harmony
default
failure to act
dessicate
dry up
contrite
penitent
digression
wandering away from the subject
dismiss
eliminate from consideration; reject
Section 3
(50 cards)
guileless
without deceit
garrulous
loquacious; wordy; talkative
exculpate
clear from blame
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
ebullient
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
facetous
joking (often inapproproately); humorous
equivocate
intentionally mislead; attempt to conceal the truth
exacerbate
worsen; embitter
divest
strip; deprive
equanimity
calmness of temperament; composure
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
eclectic
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
grandiloquent
pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language
erudite
learned; scholarly
facilitate
help bring about; make less difficult
goad
urge on; prod; incite
document
provide written evidence
enhance
increaqse; improve
flag
droop; grow feeble
extrapolation
projection; conjecture
gainsay
deny
elegy
poem or song expressing lamentation
euphemism
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
fawning
courting favor by cringing and flattering
exigency
urgent state; demand or requirement
gregarious
sociable
enervate
weaken
engender
cause; produce
dupe
someone easily fooled
frugality
thrift; economy
embellish
adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story
diverge
vary; go in different directions from the same point
flout
reject; mock
fallacious
false; misleading
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
fervor
glowing ardor; intensity of feeling
endemic
prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country
empirical
based on experience
fatuous
foolish; inane
elicit
draw out by discussion
efficacy
power to produce desired effect
felicitous
apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
dogmatic
opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
emulate
imitate; rival
foment
stir up; instigate
eulogy
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
effrontery
insolent boldness; temerity
dormant
sleeping; lethargic; latent
fledgling
inexperienced
Section 4
(50 cards)
gullible
easily deceived
indigence
poverty
intractable
unruly; stubborn; unyielding
log
record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities
insularity
narrow-mindedness; isolation
implode
burst inward
impermeable
impervious; not permitting passage through its substance
incorporate
introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite
luminous
shining; issuing light
hyperbole
exaggeration; overstatement
inadvertently
unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly
insinuate
hint; imply; creep in
iconoclastic
attacking cherished traditions
lassitude
languor; weariness
lethargic
drowsy; dull
impervious
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed
inert
inactive; lacking power to more
impassive
without feeling; imperturbable; stoical
lucid
easily understood; clear; intelligible
implicit
understood but not stated
irresolute
uncertain of how to act; weak
inured
accustomed; hardened
impede
hinder; block
inchoate
recently begun; rudimentary; elementary
harangue
long, passionate, and vehement speech
insipid
lacking in flavor; dull
imperturbable
calm; placid
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity
loquacious
talkative
indeterminate
uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite
incongruity
lack of harmony; absurdity
irascible
irritable; easily angered
innocuous
harmless
laconic
brief and to the point
insensible
unconscious; unresponsive
implacable
incapable of being pacified
immutable
unchangable
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
impair
injure; hurt
latent
potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden
magnanimity
generosity
homogeneous
of the same kind
itinerary
plan of a trip
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit
laud
praise
idolatry
worhsip of idols; excessive admiration
inundate
overwhelm; flood; submerge
ingenuous
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated
indolent
lazy
intransigence
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness
Section 5
(50 cards)
opprobrium
infamy; vilification
penchant
strong inclination; liking
phlegmatic
calm; not easily disturbed
probity
uprightness; incorruptibility
obsequious
slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
precipitate
rash; premature; hasty; sudden
perfunctory
superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm
penury
severe poverty; stinginess
perfidious
treacherous; disloyal
negate
cancel out; nullify; deny
pathological
related to the study of disease; diseased or markedly abnormal
onerous
burdensome
misanthrope
one who hate mankind
prevaricate
lie
pedantic
showing off learning; bookish
pristine
characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled
ostentatious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
oscillate
vibrate pendulumlike; waver
malleable
capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable
obviate
make unnecessary; prevent problems
pervasive
spread throughout
meticulous
excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous
precursor
forerunner
paragon
model of perfection
platitude
trite remark; commomplace statement
officious
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
perennial
something long-lasting
malingerer
one who feigns illness to escape duty
prodigal
wasteful; reckless with money
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
plasticity
ability to be molded
mendacious
lying; habitually dishonest
pragmatic
practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
metamorphosis
change of form
plethora
excess; overabundance
mitigate
appease; moderate
neophyte
recent convert; beginner
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
presumptuous
overconfident; impertinently bold; taking liberties
placate
pacify; concillate
morose
ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
precarious
uncertain; risky
mollify
soothe
paucity
scarcity
obdurate
stubborn
piety
devoutness; reverence for God
problematic
doubtful; unsettled; questionable' perplexing
maverick
rebel; nonconformist
permeable
penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through
Section 6
(50 cards)
propensity
natural inclination
salubrious
healthful
repudiate
disown; disavow
propriety
fitness; correct conduct
substantiate
establish by evidence; verify; support
satiate
satisfy fully
relegate
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
stolid
dull; impassive
prohibitive
tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid
recant
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error
rescind
cancel
resolution
determination
resolve
determination; firmness of purpose
proscribe
ostracize; banish; outlaw
sanction
approve; ratify
subside
settle down; descend; grow quiet
saturate
soak thoroughly
skeptic
doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view
solicitous
worried, concerned
propitiate
appease
secrete
hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism
recondite
difficult to understand; profound; secret
specious
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
stipulate
make express conditions, specify
proliferate
grow rapidly; spread; multiply
reticent
reserved; uncommunicative
quiescent
at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
refractory
stubborn; unmanageable
savor
enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality
refute
disprove
tacit
understood; not put into words
shard
fragment, generally of pottery
sporadic
occurring irregularly
reverent
respectful; worshipful
spectrum
colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
stigma
token of disgrace; brand
subpeona
writ of summoning a witness to appear
recalcitrant
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
supersede
cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
tangential
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
profound
deep; not superficial; complete
reprobate
person hardened by sin, devoid of a sense of decency
qualified
limited; restricted
supposition
hypothesis; surmise
soporific
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
sage
person celebrated for wisdom
stint
be thrifty; set limits
reproach
express disapproval or disappointment
rarefied
made less dense [of a gas]
quibble
minor objection or complaint
Section 7
(20 cards)