300 Essential GRE words

Kelsey M.
306 words 23 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  2. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  3. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  4. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  5. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
  6. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  7. aggregate
    a sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together
  8. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  9. amalgamate
    bring or combine together or with something else
  10. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  11. ambivalence
    mixed feelings or emotions
  12. ameliorate
    make better
  13. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  14. analogous
    similar or equivalent in some respects
  15. anomalous
    deviating from the general or common order or type
  16. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  17. apprise
    inform somebody of something
  18. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  19. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
  20. artless
    simple and natural; without cunning or deceit
  21. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  22. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  23. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  24. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  25. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  26. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  27. autonomous
    existing as an independent entity
  28. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  29. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  30. belie
    be in contradiction with
  31. beneficent
    doing or producing good
  32. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  33. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance
  34. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  35. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  36. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick
  37. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
  38. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  39. castigation
    verbal punishment
  40. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  41. causality
    the relation between reasons and effects
  42. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  43. coagulate
    change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
  44. coda
    the closing section of a musical composition
  45. commensurate
    corresponding in size or degree or extent
  46. compendium
    a publication containing a variety of works
  47. complaisant
    showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
  48. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
  49. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
  50. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  51. contention
    the act of competing as for profit or a prize
  52. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  53. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  54. conventional
    following accepted customs and proprieties
  55. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
  56. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  57. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
  58. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  59. delineate
    represented accurately or precisely
  60. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  61. derivative
    a compound obtained from another compound
  62. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  63. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  64. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  65. dichotomy
    a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses
  66. diffidence
    lack of self-assurance
  67. diffuse
    spread out; not concentrated in one place
  68. digression
    a message that departs from the main subject
  69. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  70. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  71. discerning
    having or revealing keen insight and good judgment
  72. discordant
    not in agreement or harmony
  73. discredit
    the state of being held in low esteem
  74. discrepancy
    a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
  75. discrete
    constituting a separate entity or part
  76. disingenuous
    not straightforward or candid
  77. disinterested
    unaffected by concern for one's own welfare
  78. disjointed
    taken apart at the points of connection
  79. dismiss
    stop associating with
  80. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  81. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
  82. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  83. disseminate
    cause to become widely known
  84. dissolution
    separation into component parts
  85. dissonance
    disagreeable sounds
  86. distend
    cause to expand as if by internal pressure
  87. distill
    undergo condensation
  88. doctrinaire
    a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions
  89. dogmatic
    pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
  90. dupe
    fool or hoax
  91. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
  92. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  93. efficacy
    capacity or power to produce a desired result
  94. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  95. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  96. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  97. embellish
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
  98. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
  99. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
  100. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  101. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
  102. engender
    call forth
  103. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
  104. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
  105. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  106. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  107. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  108. eulogy
    a formal expression of praise for someone who has died
  109. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
  110. exacerbate
    make worse
  111. exculpate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  112. exigency
    a pressing or urgent situation
  113. extraneous
    not belonging to that in which it is contained
  114. extraneous
    not belonging to that in which it is contained
  115. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  116. facilitate
    make easier
  117. fallacious
    containing or based on incorrect reasoning
  118. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  119. fawning
    attempting to win favor by flattery
  120. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  121. flag
    a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  122. fledgling
    young bird that has just become capable of flying
  123. flout
    treat with contemptuous disregard
  124. foment
    try to stir up
  125. forestall
    keep from happening or arising; make impossible
  126. frugality
    prudence in avoiding waste
  127. gainsay
    take exception to
  128. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  129. goad
    stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick
  130. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
  131. grandiloquent
    lofty in style
  132. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
  133. guileless
    innocent and free of deceit
  134. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
  135. harangue
    a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
  136. homogeneous
    all of the same or similar kind or nature
  137. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  138. iconoclastic
    characterized by attack on established beliefs
  139. idolatry
    the worship of objects or images as gods
  140. immutable
    not subject or susceptible to change or variation
  141. impair
    make worse or less effective
  142. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  143. impede
    be a hindrance or obstacle to
  144. impermeable
    preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through
  145. imperturbable
    marked by extreme calm and composure
  146. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
  147. implacable
    incapable of being appeased or pacified
  148. implicit
    suggested though not directly expressed
  149. implode
    burst inward
  150. inadvertently
    without knowledge or intention
  151. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  152. incongruity
    the quality of disagreeing
  153. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
  154. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
  155. indeterminate
    not fixed or known in advance
  156. indigence
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  157. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  158. inert
    unable to move or resist motion
  159. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  160. inherent
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
  161. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  162. insensible
    barely able to be perceived
  163. insinuate
    suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
  164. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  165. insularity
    lack of openness to new ideas; narrow-mindedness
  166. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
  167. intransigence
    stubborn refusal to compromise or change
  168. inundate
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
  169. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  170. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  171. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  172. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
  173. laconic
    brief and to the point
  174. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  175. laud
    praise, glorify, or honor
  176. lethargic
    deficient in alertness or activity
  177. levee
    an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing
  178. levity
    a manner lacking seriousness
  179. log
    a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
  180. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  181. lucid
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  182. magnanimity
    nobility and generosity of spirit
  183. malingerer
    someone shirking duty by feigning illness or incapacity
  184. malleable
    capable of being shaped or bent
  185. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  186. mendacious
    given to lying
  187. metamorphosis
    striking change in appearance or character or circumstances
  188. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  189. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
  190. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  191. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  192. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  193. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
  194. negate
    make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of
  195. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  196. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  197. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  198. obviate
    do away with
  199. occlude
    block passage through
  200. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  201. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  202. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  203. oscillate
    move or swing from side to side regularly
  204. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  205. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  206. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  207. pathological
    relating to the study of diseases
  208. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  209. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  210. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  211. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  212. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  213. perfidious
    tending to betray
  214. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  215. permeable
    allowing fluids or gases to pass or diffuse through
  216. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
  217. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  218. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
  219. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  220. plasticity
    the property of being physically malleable
  221. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  222. plethora
    extreme excess
  223. plummet
    drop sharply
  224. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  225. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  226. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  227. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  228. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
  229. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  230. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  231. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  232. problematic
    making great mental demands
  233. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  234. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  235. propensity
    a natural inclination
  236. propitiate
    make peace with
  237. propriety
    correct behavior
  238. proscribe
    command against
  239. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
  240. qualified
    meeting the proper standards and requirements for a task
  241. quibble
    evade the truth of a point by raising irrelevant objections
  242. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  243. rarefied
    of high moral or intellectual value
  244. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  245. recant
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  246. recondite
    difficult to understand
  247. refractory
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  248. refute
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
  249. relegate
    assign to a lower position
  250. reproach
    express criticism towards
  251. reprobate
    a person without moral scruples
  252. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  253. rescind
    cancel officially
  254. resolution
    a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner
  255. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  256. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
  257. sage
    a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics
  258. salubrious
    promoting health
  259. sanction
    official permission or approval
  260. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  261. saturate
    infuse or fill completely
  262. secrete
    generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids
  263. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
  264. skeptic
    someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
  265. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  266. soporific
    inducing sleep
  267. specious
    plausible but false
  268. spectrum
    a broad range of related objects, values, or qualities
  269. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
  270. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  271. stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
  272. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
  273. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  274. striate
    marked with stripes
  275. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  276. subpoena
    a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness
  277. substantiate
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  278. supersede
    take the place or move into the position of
  279. supposition
    the cognitive process of conjecturing
  280. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
  281. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  282. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
  283. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
  284. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  285. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  286. tractable
    easily managed
  287. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
  288. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  289. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  290. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence
  291. veracious
    habitually speaking the truth
  292. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  293. viable
    capable of life or normal growth and development
  294. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  295. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  296. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
  297. warrant
    formal and explicit approval
  298. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  299. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  300. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  301. zealot
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  302. peregrination
    traveling or wandering around
  303. colloquy
    formal conversation
  304. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  305. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  306. scurrilous
    expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism
Created on Sun May 06 03:13:58 EDT 2012 (updated Fri Sep 28 20:17:50 EDT 2012)

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