GRE Master List M-P

Kevin B.
A set of GRE words that I have trouble remembering.
339 words 6 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
  2. macerate
    soften and cause to disintegrate as a result
  3. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  4. maculate
    morally blemished; stained or impure
  5. madrigal
    an unaccompanied partsong for several voices
  6. magisterial
    of or relating to a civil officer who administers the law
  7. magnanimity
    nobility and generosity of spirit
  8. magniloquent
    lofty in style
  9. maladroit
    not quick or skillful in action or thought
  10. malaise
    a feeling of mild sickness or depression
  11. malapropism
    misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
  12. malediction
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  13. malefactor
    someone who has committed a crime
  14. malfeasance
    wrongful conduct by a public official
  15. malign
    speak unfavorably about
  16. mandate
    a formal statement of a command to do something
  17. manifest
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
  18. manifold
    many and varied; having many features or forms
  19. mannered
    having unnatural behavioral attributes
  20. manumit
    free from slavery or servitude
  21. martinet
    someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
  22. matrix
    an enclosure within which something originates or develops
  23. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  24. mauve
    a moderate purple
  25. mawkish
    very sentimental or emotional
  26. maxim
    a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
  27. mayhem
    violent and needless disturbance
  28. mealymouthed
    hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly
  29. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
  30. megalomania
    a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeur
  31. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  32. mendacious
    given to lying
  33. mendicant
    a pauper who lives by begging
  34. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  35. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  36. meteoric
    like a shooting star in speed, brilliance, briefness
  37. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  38. mettle
    the courage to carry on
  39. miasma
    an unwholesome atmosphere
  40. milieu
    the environmental condition
  41. militate
    have force or influence; bring about an effect or change
  42. millinery
    shop selling women's hats
  43. minatory
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  44. mincing
    affectedly dainty or refined
  45. minutia
    a small or minor detail
  46. mire
    a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
  47. misadventure
    an instance of misfortune
  48. misapprehension
    an understanding of something that is not correct
  49. miscellany
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  50. miscreant
    a person without moral scruples
  51. misnomer
    an incorrect or unsuitable name
  52. misogamy
    hatred of marriage
  53. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
  54. mite
    a slight but appreciable amount
  55. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  56. modish
    in the current fashion or style
  57. modulation
    the act of adjusting according to due measure and proportion
  58. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  59. monastic
    relating to life in an isolated religious community
  60. monolithic
    characterized by rigidity and total uniformity
  61. moratorium
    suspension of an ongoing activity
  62. mordant
    harshly ironic or sinister
  63. moribund
    being on the point of death
  64. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  65. mortify
    cause to feel shame
  66. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
  67. motility
    ability to move spontaneously and independently
  68. motley
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
  69. mountebank
    a flamboyant deceiver
  70. mulct
    money extracted as a penalty
  71. multifarious
    having many aspects
  72. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
  73. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  74. mutable
    capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature
  75. myriad
    a large indefinite number
  76. nadir
    the lowest point of anything
  77. nascent
    being born or beginning
  78. natation
    the act of someone who swims or floats in the water
  79. natty
    marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
  80. nebulous
    lacking definite form or limits
  81. nefarious
    extremely wicked
  82. neologism
    a newly invented word or phrase
  83. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  84. nettle
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
  85. nether
    dwelling beneath the surface of the earth
  86. nepotism
    favoritism shown to relatives or friends by those in power
  87. nexus
    the means of connection between things linked in series
  88. nib
    the writing point of a pen
  89. nicety
    conformity with some standard of correctness or propriety
  90. niggardly
    petty or reluctant in giving or spending
  91. niggle
    worry unnecessarily or excessively
  92. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
  93. nominal
    insignificantly small; a matter of form only
  94. nomenclature
    a system of words used to name things in a discipline
  95. nondescript
    lacking distinct or individual characteristics
  96. nonplus
    be a mystery or bewildering to
  97. nostrum
    patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
  98. noxious
    injurious to physical or mental health
  99. nubile
    (of young women) attractive and eligible to marry
  100. nugatory
    of no real value
  101. numismatist
    a collector and student of money, especially coins
  102. nuptial
    of or relating to a wedding
  103. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  104. obeisance
    bending the head or body in reverence or submission
  105. obelisk
    a stone pillar tapering towards a pyramidal top
  106. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  107. oblivion
    total forgetfulness
  108. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  109. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
  110. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  111. obstetrician
    a physician specializing in childbirth
  112. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
  113. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  114. obviate
    do away with
  115. occident
    the hemisphere that includes North America and South America
  116. oculist
    a person skilled in testing for defects of vision
  117. odious
    extremely repulsive or unpleasant
  118. odium
    hate coupled with disgust
  119. odoriferous
    emitting a smell, especially an unpleasant smell
  120. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  121. ogle
    stare or look at, especially with amorous intentions
  122. oligarchy
    a political system governed by a few people
  123. onslaught
    an offensive against an enemy
  124. onus
    a burdensome or difficult concern
  125. opalescent
    having a play of lustrous rainbow colors
  126. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  127. opulence
    wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
  128. opus
    a musical work that has been created
  129. oracular
    of or relating to prophecy or someone who tells the future
  130. oratorio
    a musical composition for voices and orchestra
  131. ordain
    order by virtue of superior authority; decree
  132. ordinance
    an authoritative rule
  133. ordination
    the act of conferring holy orders
  134. orthography
    representing the sounds of a language by written symbols
  135. osseous
    composed of or containing bone
  136. ossify
    become bony
  137. ostensible
    appearing as such but not necessarily so
  138. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  139. outlandish
    noticeably or extremely unconventional or unusual
  140. outmoded
    no longer in fashion
  141. outspoken
    given to expressing yourself freely or insistently
  142. overweening
    presumptuously arrogant
  143. overwrought
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
  144. ovoid
    rounded like an egg
  145. pachyderm
    a large mammal with thick skin, such as an elephant or hippo
  146. paean
    a hymn of praise
  147. palatial
    relating to or being a large and stately residence
  148. palette
    a board on which an artist mixes paints
  149. palimpsest
    a manuscript on which more than one text has been written
  150. pall
    lose strength or effectiveness
  151. pallet
    a mattress filled with straw or a pad made of quilts
  152. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  153. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  154. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  155. pan
    express a totally negative opinion of
  156. panacea
    hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
  157. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  158. pandemonium
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
  159. pander
    yield to; give satisfaction to
  160. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  161. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  162. parable
    a short moral story
  163. paradox
    a statement that contradicts itself
  164. parallelism
    similarity by virtue of corresponding
  165. paramour
    a lover, especially a secret or illicit one
  166. paraphernalia
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  167. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  168. parity
    functional equality
  169. parlance
    a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers
  170. parochial
    relating to or supported by or located in a parish
  171. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  172. parquet
    a floor made of a patterned wood inlay
  173. parry
    impede the movement of
  174. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  175. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  176. passe
    out of fashion
  177. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  178. pastoral
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  179. patent
    a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
  180. pathetic
    inspiring mixed contempt and pity
  181. patina
    a fine coating of oxide on the surface of a metal
  182. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  183. patrician
    a person of refined upbringing and manners
  184. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  185. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  186. pecuniary
    relating to or involving money
  187. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  188. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  189. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  190. pedestrian
    lacking wit or imagination
  191. pejorative
    expressing disapproval
  192. pell-mell
    in a wild or reckless manner
  193. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  194. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
  195. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  196. pendant
    held from above
  197. pendulous
    hanging loosely or bending downward
  198. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
  199. penumbra
    a region of light shadow around the darkest part of a shadow
  200. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  201. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
  202. peregrination
    traveling or wandering around
  203. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  204. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  205. perfidious
    tending to betray
  206. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  207. perigee
    the nearest point in an orbit around the Earth
  208. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  209. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  210. peroration
    the concluding section of a rhetorical address
  211. perquisite
    an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
  212. personable
    pleasant in manner and appearance
  213. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  214. perspicuous
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  215. pert
    characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality
  216. pertinacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  217. perturb
    disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried
  218. perusal
    the act of examining or reading carefully
  219. perversion
    the action of corrupting something
  220. pestilential
    likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
  221. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  222. pharisaical
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  223. philistine
    a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
  224. philology
    the humanistic study of language and literature
  225. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  226. physiognomy
    the human face
  227. piebald
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  228. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  229. pillory
    punish by putting in a wooden instrument of punishment
  230. pinion
    restrain or bind
  231. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  232. piscatorial
    relating to or characteristic of the activity of fishing
  233. pittance
    an inadequate payment
  234. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  235. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  236. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  237. platonic
    free from physical desire
  238. plebeian
    one of the common people
  239. plenary
    full in all respects
  240. plenitude
    a full supply
  241. pluck
    the trait of showing courage and determination
  242. plumb
    exactly vertical
  243. plutocracy
    a political system governed by the wealthy people
  244. podiatrist
    a specialist in care for the feet
  245. poignant
    keenly distressing to the mind or feelings
  246. polemic
    a verbal or written attack, especially of a belief or dogma
  247. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
  248. polity
    the form of government of a social organization
  249. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
  250. ponderous
    having great mass and weight and unwieldiness
  251. pontifical
    proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope
  252. portend
    indicate by signs
  253. poseur
    a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  254. posterity
    all future generations
  255. postulate
    take as a given; assume as an axiom
  256. posture
    the arrangement of the body and its limbs
  257. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  258. potpourri
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  259. poultice
    dress by covering with a therapeutic substance
  260. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  261. prattle
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  262. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences
  263. precept
    a rule of personal conduct
  264. precipitous
    extremely steep
  265. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  266. preclude
    make impossible, especially beforehand
  267. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  268. prefatory
    serving as an introduction or preface
  269. prelate
    a senior clergyman and dignitary
  270. prelude
    something that introduces what follows
  271. premonitory
    warning of future misfortune
  272. prerogative
    a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
  273. presage
    a foreboding about what is about to happen
  274. prescience
    the power to foresee the future
  275. presentiment
    a feeling of evil to come
  276. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
  277. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  278. pretext
    a fictitious reason that conceals the real reason
  279. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  280. prim
    exaggeratedly proper
  281. primogeniture
    right of inheritance belonging exclusively to the eldest son
  282. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
  283. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  284. privation
    the act of stripping someone of food, money, or rights
  285. privy
    informed about something secret or not generally known
  286. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  287. proclivity
    a natural inclination
  288. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  289. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  290. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
  291. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  292. profusion
    the property of being extremely abundant
  293. progenitor
    an ancestor in the direct line
  294. progeny
    the immediate descendants of a person
  295. prognosticate
    make a prediction about; tell in advance
  296. proletarian
    belonging to or characteristic of the working class
  297. prolific
    intellectually productive
  298. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at length
  299. promiscuous
    casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
  300. promontory
    a natural elevation
  301. promulgate
    state or announce
  302. prophylactic
    preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease
  303. propinquity
    the property of being close together
  304. propitiate
    make peace with
  305. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
  306. propound
    put forward, as of an idea
  307. propriety
    correct behavior
  308. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  309. proscenium
    the part of a stage between the curtain and the orchestra
  310. proscribe
    command against
  311. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
  312. prosody
    the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
  313. prostrate
    stretched out and lying at full length along the ground
  314. protean
    taking on different forms
  315. protract
    lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer
  316. protuberance
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  317. provenance
    where something originated or started
  318. provender
    food for domestic livestock
  319. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  320. provincial
    associated with an administrative district of a nation
  321. provisional
    under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon
  322. proviso
    a stipulated condition
  323. prude
    a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
  324. prudent
    marked by sound judgment
  325. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  326. puissant
    powerful
  327. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  328. pulsate
    expand and contract rhythmically
  329. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  330. pundit
    an expert who publicly gives opinions via mass media
  331. punitive
    inflicting punishment
  332. purgatory
    a temporary state of the dead in Roman Catholic theology
  333. purport
    have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
  334. purveyor
    someone who supplies provisions, especially food
  335. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  336. putative
    purported
  337. pyre
    wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
  338. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  339. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
Created on Tue May 22 18:14:53 EDT 2012 (updated Thu May 24 01:48:39 EDT 2012)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.