GRE Problem Words

Siamak T.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  2. arrogate
    seize and take control without authority
  3. bilk
    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
  4. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  5. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  6. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  7. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  8. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  9. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  10. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
  11. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
  12. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  13. contumacious
    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  14. insurgent
    in opposition to a civil authority or government
  15. mutiny
    open rebellion against constituted authority
  16. mutiny
    open rebellion against constituted authority
  17. corroborate
    give evidence for
  18. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
  19. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  20. abject
    of the most contemptible kind
  21. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  22. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
  23. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  24. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  25. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  26. dilatory
    wasting time
  27. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
  28. droll
    comical in an odd or whimsical manner
  29. dupe
    fool or hoax
  30. epicure
    a person who takes great pleasure in fine food and drink
  31. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
  32. ethos
    the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era
  33. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  34. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  35. exacerbate
    make worse
  36. exonerate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  37. exigent
    demanding immediate attention
  38. expurgate
    edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
  39. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
  40. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  41. ludicrous
    inviting ridicule
  42. grovel
    show submission or fear
  43. fecund
    capable of producing offspring or vegetation
  44. auspicious
    indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
  45. fervid
    characterized by intense emotion
  46. ardent
    characterized by intense emotion
  47. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  48. flag
    a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  49. flamboyant
    tending to attract attention; marked by ostentatious display
  50. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  51. instigate
    provoke or stir up
  52. foment
    try to stir up
  53. ford
    cross a river where it's shallow
  54. fortuitous
    lucky; occurring by happy chance
  55. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
  56. fractious
    easily irritated or annoyed
  57. frenzied
    affected with or marked by mania uncontrolled by reason
  58. rabid
    marked by excessive enthusiasm for a cause or idea
  59. furtive
    secret and sly
  60. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
  61. caper
    a playful leap or hop
  62. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
  63. fierce
    marked by extreme and violent energy
  64. garner
    assemble or get together
  65. glean
    gather, as of natural products
  66. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  67. gestation
    the period during which an embryo develops
  68. scowl
    frown with displeasure
  69. gradation
    relative position in a ranked series
  70. affable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
  71. congenial
    suitable to your needs
  72. dire
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
  73. duplicity
    the act of deceiving or acting in bad faith
  74. motley
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
  75. hoary
    having gray or white hair as with age
  76. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  77. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  78. furrow
    a long shallow trench in the ground
  79. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
  80. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  81. serene
    not agitated
  82. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  83. impious
    lacking piety or reverence for a god
  84. inexorable
    impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
  85. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  86. slander
    words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
  87. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  88. inculcate
    teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
  89. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  90. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  91. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
  92. relentless
    never-ceasing
  93. fawn
    a young deer
  94. inimical
    tending to obstruct or cause harm
  95. iniquity
    absence of moral or spiritual values
  96. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  97. inter
    place in a grave or tomb
  98. deluge
    a heavy rain
  99. inundate
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
  100. inure
    cause to accept or become hardened to
  101. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  102. investiture
    the ceremonial promotion of a person to an office or rank
  103. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  104. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  105. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  106. jargon
    technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject
  107. jettison
    throw away, of something encumbering
  108. jingoism
    fanatical patriotism
  109. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
  110. prudent
    marked by sound judgment
  111. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  112. confluence
    a place where things merge or flow together
  113. obtuse
    of an angle, between 90 and 180 degrees
  114. knell
    the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death
  115. peal
    a deep prolonged sound
  116. kudos
    an expression of approval and commendation
  117. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
  118. curt
    brief and to the point
  119. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  120. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
  121. deplore
    express strong disapproval of
  122. lampoon
    ridicule with satire
  123. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
  124. lapidary
    relating to precious stones or the art of working with them
  125. larceny
    the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
  126. debilitation
    serious weakening and loss of energy
  127. lavish
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  128. leery
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
  129. levity
    a manner lacking seriousness
  130. bounteous
    given or giving freely
  131. latitudinarian
    unwilling to accept authority or dogma
  132. hedonist
    someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
  133. limpid
    clear and bright
  134. diligent
    quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness
  135. lionize
    assign great social importance to
  136. lissome
    moving and bending with ease
  137. livid
    furiously angry
  138. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  139. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
  140. lumber
    the wood of trees prepared for use as building material
  141. lustrous
    reflecting light
  142. incandescent
    emitting light as a result of being heated
  143. resplendent
    having great beauty
  144. maelstrom
    a powerful circular current of water
  145. tycoon
    a very wealthy or powerful businessperson
  146. malleable
    capable of being shaped or bent
  147. mannered
    having unnatural behavioral attributes
  148. mar
    cause to become imperfect
  149. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  150. saccharine
    overly sweet
  151. mendacious
    given to lying
  152. mendicant
    a pauper who lives by begging
  153. pauper
    a person who is very poor
  154. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  155. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  156. mirth
    great merriment
  157. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
  158. molt
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  159. secluded
    hidden from general view or use
  160. monastic
    relating to life in an isolated religious community
  161. drone
    make a monotonous low dull sound
  162. mores
    the conventions embodying the fundamental values of a group
  163. myopic
    unable to see distant objects clearly
  164. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  165. nadir
    the lowest point of anything
  166. nascent
    being born or beginning
  167. tenacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  168. oblique
    slanting or inclined in direction or course or position
  169. occlude
    block passage through
  170. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  171. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  172. arduous
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
  173. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  174. orotund
    overly formal and pompous in style
  175. aureate
    elaborately or excessively ornamented
  176. ossify
    become bony
  177. ostensible
    appearing as such but not necessarily so
  178. overwrought
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
  179. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  180. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  181. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  182. verve
    an energetic style
  183. panoply
    a complete and impressive array
  184. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  185. pare
    strip the skin off
  186. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  187. derelict
    a person without a home, job, or property
  188. leper
    a pariah who is avoided by others
  189. parry
    impede the movement of
  190. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  191. pathogenic
    able to cause disease
  192. morbid
    suggesting the horror of death and decay
  193. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  194. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  195. peregrinate
    travel around, through, or over, especially on foot
  196. perfidious
    tending to betray
  197. pervade
    spread or diffuse through
  198. philistine
    a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
  199. bourgeois
    being of the property-owning class
  200. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  201. plebeian
    of or associated with the great masses of people
  202. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
  203. posit
    take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom
  204. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  205. blather
    talk foolishly
  206. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  207. nuptial
    of or relating to a wedding
  208. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  209. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  210. perjure
    make oneself guilty of telling untruths in a court of law
  211. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  212. immaculate
    completely neat and clean
  213. propensity
    a natural inclination
  214. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  215. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  216. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  217. propitiate
    make peace with
  218. propriety
    correct behavior
  219. prudence
    discretion in practical affairs
  220. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  221. pugilism
    boxing with bare hands
  222. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
  223. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  224. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters
  225. sublime
    of high moral or intellectual value
  226. redress
    make reparations or amends for
  227. rejoinder
    a quick reply to a question or remark
  228. replete
    filled to satisfaction with food or drink
  229. requite
    make repayment for or return something
  230. fretful
    nervous and unable to relax
  231. oratory
    the act of addressing an audience formally
  232. ribald
    humorously vulgar
  233. bucolic
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  234. salient
    conspicuous, prominent, or important
  235. salubrious
    promoting health
  236. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  237. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  238. snide
    expressive of contempt
  239. gorge
    a deep ravine, usually with a river running through it
  240. speck
    a very small spot
  241. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
  242. sentient
    endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness
  243. seraphic
    having a sweet nature befitting an angel
  244. sinecure
    a job that involves minimal duties
  245. slake
    satisfy, as thirst
  246. sobriquet
    a familiar name for a person
  247. solecism
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  248. slumberous
    inclined to or marked by drowsiness
  249. spartan
    unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
  250. sophistic
    of or pertaining to sophists
  251. sportive
    given to merry frolicking
  252. frisky
    playful like a lively kitten
  253. stasis
    inactivity resulting from a balance between opposing forces
  254. stentorian
    very loud or booming
  255. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  256. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  257. feint
    any distracting or deceptive maneuver
  258. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
  259. sully
    make dirty or spotty
  260. taint
    place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
  261. defile
    make dirty or spotty
  262. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
  263. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
  264. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
  265. sybarite
    a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
  266. symbiosis
    the relation between two interdependent species of organisms
  267. syncopation
    a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat
  268. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
  269. vulture
    a large diurnal bird of prey feeding chiefly on carrion
  270. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  271. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
  272. tellurian
    of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
  273. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
  274. fulmination
    the act of exploding with noise and violence
  275. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought
  276. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  277. fledgling
    young bird that has just become capable of flying
  278. tenderfoot
    an inexperienced person
  279. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
  280. asperity
    harshness of manner
  281. upbraid
    express criticism towards
  282. rebuke
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
  283. usury
    the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
  284. falter
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
  285. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  286. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  287. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  288. long-winded
    using or containing too many words
  289. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at length
  290. verdure
    green foliage
  291. vernal
    suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
  292. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
  293. condescension
    showing arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior
  294. relic
    an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
  295. chafe
    become or make sore by or as if by rubbing
  296. gall
    a digestive juice secreted by the liver
  297. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  298. vim
    a healthy capacity for vigorous activity
  299. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  300. vituperate
    spread negative information about
  301. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
  302. wan
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  303. wily
    marked by skill in deception
  304. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  305. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  306. gnarl
    make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath
  307. wraith
    a ghostly figure, especially one seen shortly before death
  308. vigil
    a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
  309. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
  310. yoke
    a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets
  311. fervor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
  312. zealot
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  313. zephyr
    a slight wind
  314. dearth
    an insufficient quantity or number
  315. scad
    any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae
  316. trench
    any long ditch cut in the ground
  317. oust
    remove from a position or office
  318. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
  319. transience
    the attribute of being brief or fleeting
  320. protrusion
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  321. recess
    a state when work or action are paused
  322. entice
    provoke someone to do something through persuasion
  323. sumptuous
    rich and superior in quality
  324. dank
    unpleasantly cool and humid
  325. dissipated
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  326. retribution
    a justly deserved penalty
  327. limber
    easily bent
  328. obliquity
    the quality of being deliberately vague or deceptive
  329. slur
    utter indistinctly
  330. apotheosis
    model of excellence or perfection of a kind
  331. acquiesce
    agree or express agreement
  332. abrogate
    revoke formally
  333. ratify
    approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation
  334. sloth
    a disinclination to work or exert yourself
  335. spunk
    the courage or spirit to carry on
  336. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
  337. chary
    characterized by great caution
  338. brash
    offensively bold
  339. fickle
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  340. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
  341. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  342. hallow
    render holy by means of religious rites
  343. desecrate
    violate the sacred character of a place or language
  344. harangue
    a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
  345. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  346. spur
    a prod on a rider's heel used to urge a horse onward
  347. luminary
    a celebrity who is an inspiration to others
  348. nefarious
    extremely wicked
  349. begrudge
    be envious of or feel annoyance toward
  350. cavil
    raise trivial objections
  351. commend
    present as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidence
  352. crass
    so unrefined as to be offensive or insensitive
  353. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  354. prim
    affectedly dainty or refined
  355. repugnance
    intense aversion
  356. pugnacious
    ready and able to resort to force or violence
  357. callous
    emotionally hardened
  358. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
  359. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  360. exhort
    spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
  361. extol
    praise, glorify, or honor
  362. exalt
    praise, glorify, or honor
  363. exalted
    of high moral or intellectual value
  364. scathe
    the act of damaging something or someone
  365. fetter
    a shackle for the ankles or feet
  366. recoil
    spring back; spring away from an impact
  367. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
  368. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  369. seedy
    shabby and untidy
  370. ruffle
    stir up (water) so as to form ripples
  371. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  372. hidebound
    stubbornly inflexible and narrow-minded
  373. gambol
    play or run boisterously
  374. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
  375. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
  376. raucous
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  377. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  378. buoyant
    tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
  379. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  380. taper
    diminish gradually
  381. diminution
    change toward something smaller or lower
  382. embroil
    force into some kind of situation or course of action
  383. refute
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
  384. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  385. condescend
    behave in a patronizing manner
  386. salvage
    rescuing a ship or its crew from a shipwreck or a fire
  387. muffle
    deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
  388. plucky
    showing courage
  389. gamely
    in a plucky or sporting manner
  390. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
  391. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  392. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  393. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  394. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
Created on Sun Oct 14 11:31:12 EDT 2007

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