Top GRE Vocabulary Words

Top GRE Vocabulary Words

The GRE looms large for many aspiring graduate students. Acing the verbal section requires a strong foundation in vocabulary. But fear not, future scholars! This blog post arms you with some of the top GRE vocabulary words you need to know.

List of Top GRE Vocabulary Words

GRE Vocabulary Words with meaning and example

Here is the list of Top GRE vocabulary words with their meanings and examples:

Anomaly (noun)

• Meaning: Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
• Example: The scientist observed an anomaly in the test results that required further investigation.

Equivocal (adjective)

• Meaning: Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
• Example: Her equivocal response made it difficult to understand her true opinion on the matter.

Lucid (adjective)

• Meaning: Expressed clearly; easy to understand.
• Example: The professor’s lucid explanation helped the students grasp the complex concept.

Precipitate (verb)

• Meaning: To cause something to happen suddenly or unexpectedly.
• Example: The government’s decision to cut taxes precipitated an economic crisis.

Assuage (verb)

• Meaning: To make an unpleasant feeling less intense.
• Example: The nurse tried to assuage the patient’s pain with medication.

Erudite (adjective)

• Meaning: Having or showing great knowledge or learning.
• Example: The erudite scholar had an extensive understanding of ancient Greek literature.

Opaque (adjective)

• Meaning: Not able to be seen through; not transparent.
• Example: The windows were opaque with steam, making it impossible to see outside.

Prodigal (adjective)

• Meaning: Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
• Example: His prodigal lifestyle quickly depleted his inheritance.

Enigma (noun)

• Meaning: A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
• Example: The disappearance of the aircraft remains an enigma to this day.

Fervid (adjective)

• Meaning: Intensely enthusiastic or passionate.
• Example: The fervid speech of the politician stirred the crowd.

Placate (verb)

• Meaning: To make someone less angry or hostile.
• Example: He tried to placate his angry girlfriend with a bouquet of flowers.

Zeal (noun)

• Meaning: Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective.
• Example: His zeal for teaching inspired his students to excel.

Abstain (verb)

• Meaning: To restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.
• Example: She decided to abstain from alcohol during her pregnancy.

Audacious (adjective)

• Meaning: Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
• Example: The audacious entrepreneur invested all his savings into his new venture.

Desiccate (verb)

• Meaning: To remove the moisture from something, typically to preserve it.
• Example: The hot desert sun can quickly desiccate the crops.

Gullible (adjective)

• Meaning: Easily persuaded to believe something; credulous.
• Example: The gullible tourist fell for every scam artist’s trick.

Laudable (adjective)

• Meaning: Deserving praise and commendation.
• Example: Her laudable efforts in community service earned her an award.

Pedant (noun)

• Meaning: A person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.
• Example: The pedant often bored others with his minute details on grammar.

Vacillate (verb)

• Meaning: To alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.
• Example: She vacillated for so long that the opportunity was lost.

Adulterate (verb)

• Meaning: To make something poorer in quality by adding another substance.
• Example: The company was fined for adulterating its products with cheap fillers.

Capricious (adjective)

• Meaning: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
• Example: His capricious nature made him unreliable.

Engender (verb)

• Meaning: To cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition.
• Example: The new policy engendered considerable debate among the students.

Homogenous (adjective)

• Meaning: Of the same kind; alike.
• Example: The population in the small town was quite homogenous.

Loquacious (adjective)

• Meaning: Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
• Example: The loquacious host kept the party lively with her constant chatter.

Pragmatic (adjective)

• Meaning: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
• Example: His pragmatic approach to problem-solving was highly effective.

Volatile (adjective)

• Meaning: Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.
• Example: The stock market can be extremely volatile.

Apathy (noun)

• Meaning: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
• Example: Voter apathy was high, resulting in low turnout.

Corroborate (verb)

• Meaning: To confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding.
• Example: The witness corroborated the defendant’s alibi.

Ephemeral (adjective)

• Meaning: Lasting for a very short time.
• Example: The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only a few days.

Laconic (adjective)

• Meaning: Using very few words.
• Example: His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic.

Mitigate (verb)

• Meaning: To make less severe, serious, or painful.
• Example: The government is trying to mitigate the effects of the recession.

Propriety (noun)

• Meaning: Conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals.
• Example: She always behaved with the utmost propriety in public.

Cacophony (noun)

• Meaning: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
• Example: The cacophony of the busy city street made it hard to concentrate.

Enervate (verb)

• Meaning: To cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.
• Example: The hot sun enervated the marathon runners.

Ingenuous (adjective)

• Meaning: Innocent and unsuspecting.
• Example: Her ingenuous nature made her easy prey for the con artist.

Misanthrope (noun)

• Meaning: A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
• Example: The old hermit was a misanthrope who rarely spoke to anyone.

Paradox (noun)

• Meaning: A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well-founded or true.
• Example: It is a paradox that in such a rich country, there can be so much poverty.

Venerate (verb)

• Meaning: To regard with great respect; revere.
• Example: The professor was venerated by his colleagues for his groundbreaking research.

Antipathy (noun)

• Meaning: A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion.
• Example: There was a clear antipathy between the two rival teams.

Deride (verb)

• Meaning: To express contempt for; ridicule.
• Example: The critics derided the new movie as an unoriginal remake.

Eulogy (noun)

• Meaning: A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically someone who has just died.
• Example: His best friend gave a moving eulogy at the funeral.

Lethargic (adjective)

• Meaning: Affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic.
• Example: After the long flight, she felt too lethargic to do anything.

Obdurate (adjective)

• Meaning: Stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action.
• Example: The obdurate judge refused to be swayed by the defendant’s pleas.

Philanthropic (adjective)

• Meaning: Seeking to promote the welfare of others, especially by donating money to good causes.
• Example: The philanthropic foundation donated millions to support education.

Waver (verb)

• Meaning: To shake with a quivering motion; become unsteady or unreliable.
• Example: His resolve never wavered despite the difficulties he faced.

Bolster (verb)

• Meaning: To support or strengthen.
• Example: The fall in interest rates is starting to bolster confidence among investors.

Dissonance (noun)

• Meaning: Lack of harmony among musical notes; a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements.
• Example: The dissonance between the two brothers’ opinions often led to heated arguments.

Garrulous (adjective)

• Meaning: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
• Example: The garrulous old man could talk for hours about his youth.

Malleable (adjective)

• Meaning: Easily influenced; pliable.
• Example: Children’s minds are malleable and can be shaped by positive experiences.

Ostentation (noun)

• Meaning: Pretentious and vulgar display, especially of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice.
• Example: The ostentation of the billionaire’s party was both impressive and somewhat distasteful.

Prevaricate (verb)

• Meaning: Speak or act in an evasive way.
• Example: When asked about his whereabouts, he prevaricated, unwilling to give a straight answer.

Abolish (verb)

• Meaning: Formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution.
• Example: The government plans to abolish the outdated law.

GRE Vocabulary Words | Image

Why Focus on Specific Words?

• Strategic Learning: Focusing on high-yield GRE words maximizes your vocabulary score improvement in the least amount of time.
• Context Matters: Understanding how these words are used in GRE passages strengthens your reading comprehension skills.
• Building Blocks: GRE vocabulary often forms the foundation for more complex academic language.

This is just a starting point! Utilize flashcards, practice using these words in sentences, and explore other high-frequency GRE vocabulary lists.

Many online resources offer practice GRE questions with explanations that focus on vocabulary in context. Take advantage of these to solidify your understanding.

By consistently studying and strategically targeting high-yield words, you’ll be well on your way to conquering the GRE verbal section and taking a confident step towards your academic goals. Good luck!

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