GRE Problem Words

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

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