GRE High Frequency Words

hyo L.
418 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
  2. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  3. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  4. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  5. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  6. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
  7. adulterate
    make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance
  8. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  9. aggregate
    a sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together
  10. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  11. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  12. amalgamate
    bring or combine together or with something else
  13. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  14. ambivalence
    mixed feelings or emotions
  15. ameliorate
    make better
  16. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  17. analogous
    similar or equivalent in some respects
  18. anarchy
    a state of lawlessness and disorder
  19. anomalous
    deviating from the general or common order or type
  20. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  21. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
  22. appease
    make peace with
  23. appraise
    consider in a comprehensive way
  24. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  25. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
  26. arduous
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
  27. artless
    simple and natural; without cunning or deceit
  28. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  29. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  30. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  31. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  32. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  33. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  34. autonomous
    existing as an independent entity
  35. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  36. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  37. belie
    be in contradiction with
  38. beneficent
    doing or producing good
  39. bolster
    support and strengthen
  40. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  41. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance
  42. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  43. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  44. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick
  45. cacophonous
    having an unpleasant sound
  46. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  47. castigation
    verbal punishment
  48. catalyst
    substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction
  49. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  50. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  51. coagulate
    change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
  52. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  53. commensurate
    corresponding in size or degree or extent
  54. compendium
    a publication containing a variety of works
  55. complaisant
    showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
  56. compliant
    disposed to act in accordance with someone's wishes
  57. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
  58. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
  59. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
  60. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  61. contention
    the act of competing as for profit or a prize
  62. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
  63. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  64. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  65. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
  66. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  67. daunt
    cause to lose courage
  68. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
  69. default
    an option that is selected automatically
  70. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  71. delineate
    represented accurately or precisely
  72. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  73. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  74. derivative
    a compound obtained from another compound
  75. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  76. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  77. deterrent
    something immaterial that interferes with action or progress
  78. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  79. dichotomy
    a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses
  80. diffidence
    lack of self-assurance
  81. diffuse
    spread out; not concentrated in one place
  82. digression
    a message that departs from the main subject
  83. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  84. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  85. discerning
    having or revealing keen insight and good judgment
  86. discordant
    not in agreement or harmony
  87. discredit
    the state of being held in low esteem
  88. discrepancy
    a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
  89. discrete
    constituting a separate entity or part
  90. disingenuous
    not straightforward or candid
  91. disinterested
    unaffected by concern for one's own welfare
  92. disjointed
    taken apart at the points of connection
  93. dismiss
    stop associating with
  94. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
  95. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
  96. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  97. disseminate
    cause to become widely known
  98. dissolution
    separation into component parts
  99. dissonance
    disagreeable sounds
  100. distend
    cause to expand as if by internal pressure
  101. distill
    undergo condensation
  102. diverge
    move or draw apart
  103. divest
    take away possessions from someone
  104. documental
    relating to or consisting of or derived from documents
  105. dogmatic
    pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
  106. dormant
    inactive but capable of becoming active
  107. dupe
    fool or hoax
  108. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
  109. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  110. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  111. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  112. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  113. embellish
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
  114. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
  115. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
  116. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  117. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
  118. engender
    call forth
  119. enhance
    increase
  120. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
  121. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
  122. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  123. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  124. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  125. eulogy
    a formal expression of praise for someone who has died
  126. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
  127. exacerbate
    make worse
  128. exculpate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  129. exigency
    a pressing or urgent situation
  130. extrapolation
    an inference about the future based on known facts
  131. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  132. facilitate
    make easier
  133. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  134. fallacious
    containing or based on incorrect reasoning
  135. fawning
    attempting to win favor by flattery
  136. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  137. fervor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
  138. Flag Day
    commemorating the adoption of the United States flag in 1777
  139. flout
    treat with contemptuous disregard
  140. foment
    try to stir up
  141. forestall
    keep from happening or arising; make impossible
  142. frugality
    prudence in avoiding waste
  143. futile
    producing no result or effect
  144. gainsay
    take exception to
  145. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  146. goad
    stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick
  147. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
  148. grandiloquent
    lofty in style
  149. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
  150. guileless
    innocent and free of deceit
  151. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
  152. harangue
    a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
  153. homogeneous
    all of the same or similar kind or nature
  154. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  155. iconoclastic
    characterized by attack on established beliefs
  156. idolatry
    the worship of objects or images as gods
  157. immutable
    not subject or susceptible to change or variation
  158. impair
    make worse or less effective
  159. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  160. impede
    be a hindrance or obstacle to
  161. impermeable
    preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through
  162. imperturbable
    marked by extreme calm and composure
  163. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
  164. implacable
    incapable of being appeased or pacified
  165. implicit
    suggested though not directly expressed
  166. implode
    burst inward
  167. inadvertently
    without knowledge or intention
  168. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  169. incongruity
    the quality of disagreeing
  170. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
  171. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
  172. indeterminate
    not fixed or known in advance
  173. indigence
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  174. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  175. inert
    unable to move or resist motion
  176. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  177. inherent
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
  178. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  179. insensible
    barely able to be perceived
  180. insinuate
    suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
  181. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  182. insularity
    lack of openness to new ideas; narrow-mindedness
  183. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
  184. intransigence
    stubborn refusal to compromise or change
  185. inundate
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
  186. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  187. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  188. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  189. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
  190. itinerary
    an established line of travel or access
  191. laconic
    brief and to the point
  192. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  193. latent
    potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
  194. laud
    praise, glorify, or honor
  195. lethargic
    deficient in alertness or activity
  196. on leave
  197. levity
    a manner lacking seriousness
  198. log
    a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
  199. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  200. lucid
    transparently clear; easily understandable
  201. luminous
    softly bright or radiant
  202. magnanimity
    nobility and generosity of spirit
  203. malleable
    capable of being shaped or bent
  204. malingerer
    someone shirking duty by feigning illness or incapacity
  205. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  206. mendacious
    given to lying
  207. metamorphosis
    striking change in appearance or character or circumstances
  208. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  209. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
  210. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  211. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  212. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  213. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
  214. negate
    make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of
  215. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  216. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  217. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  218. obviate
    do away with
  219. occlude
    block passage through
  220. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  221. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  222. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  223. oscillate
    move or swing from side to side regularly
  224. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  225. paragon
    a perfect embodiment of a concept
  226. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
  227. pathological
    relating to the study of diseases
  228. paucity
    an insufficient quantity or number
  229. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  230. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
  231. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  232. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  233. perfidious
    tending to betray
  234. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  235. permeable
    allowing fluids or gases to pass or diffuse through
  236. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
  237. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  238. piety
    righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
  239. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  240. plasticity
    the property of being physically malleable
  241. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  242. plethora
    extreme excess
  243. plummet
    drop sharply
  244. porous
    full of holes
  245. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  246. preamble
    a preliminary introduction, as to a statute or constitution
  247. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  248. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  249. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
  250. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
  251. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  252. no-par stock
    stock with no par value specified in the corporate charter or on the stock certificate
  253. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  254. problematic
    making great mental demands
  255. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  256. profound
    situated at or extending to great depth
  257. prohibitive
    tending to discourage, especially of prices
  258. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  259. propensity
    a natural inclination
  260. propitiate
    make peace with
  261. propriety
    correct behavior
  262. proscribe
    command against
  263. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
  264. qualified
    meeting the proper standards and requirements for a task
  265. quibble
    evade the truth of a point by raising irrelevant objections
  266. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  267. rarefied
    of high moral or intellectual value
  268. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  269. recant
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  270. recluse
    one who lives in solitude
  271. recondite
    difficult to understand
  272. refractory
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  273. refute
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
  274. relegate
    assign to a lower position
  275. reproach
    express criticism towards
  276. reprobate
    a person without moral scruples
  277. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  278. rescind
    cancel officially
  279. resolution
    a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner
  280. resolve
    find a solution or answer
  281. nurturant
    providing physical and emotional care and nourishment
  282. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
  283. sage
    a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics
  284. salubrious
    promoting health
  285. sanction
    official permission or approval
  286. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  287. saturate
    infuse or fill completely
  288. savor
    a particular taste or smell, especially an appealing one
  289. secrete
    generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids
  290. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
  291. skeptic
    someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
  292. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  293. soporific
    inducing sleep
  294. specious
    plausible but false
  295. spectrum
    a broad range of related objects, values, or qualities
  296. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
  297. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  298. stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
  299. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
  300. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  301. striate
    marked with stripes
  302. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  303. subpoena
    a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness
  304. subside
    wear off or die down
  305. substantiate
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  306. supersede
    take the place or move into the position of
  307. supposition
    the cognitive process of conjecturing
  308. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
  309. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  310. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
  311. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
  312. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  313. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  314. tractable
    easily managed
  315. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
  316. truculence
    stubborn and defiant aggressiveness
  317. vacillate
    be undecided about something
  318. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence
  319. veracious
    habitually speaking the truth
  320. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  321. viable
    capable of life or normal growth and development
  322. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  323. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  324. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
  325. warranted
  326. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  327. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  328. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  329. Zealot
    a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans
  330. acerbic
    sour or bitter in taste
  331. allude
    make an indirect reference to
  332. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
  333. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  334. amalgam
    a combination or blend of diverse things
  335. apposite
    being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
  336. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  337. archetype
    something that serves as a model
  338. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
  339. articulate
    express or state clearly
  340. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
  341. astringent
    tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue
  342. atrophy
    a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
  343. autocracy
    a theory favoring unlimited authority by an individual
  344. autocrat
    a cruel and oppressive dictator
  345. baleful
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  346. bilateral
    having two sides or parts
  347. bombast
    pompous or pretentious talk or writing
  348. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
  349. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track
  350. caprice
    a sudden desire
  351. catharsis
    purging the body to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
  352. girlishness
    being characteristic of a girl
  353. circumlocution
    an indirect way of expressing something
  354. cloture
    a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body
  355. cloying
    overly sweet
  356. codify
    organize into a system, such as a body of law
  357. cogitate
    consider carefully and deeply
  358. cognitive
    relating to or involving the mental process of knowing
  359. cognizant
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
  360. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
  361. cohesion
    the state of sticking together
  362. comeliness
    the quality of being good looking and attractive
  363. commodious
    large and roomy
  364. complaisance
    a tendency to try to please or yield to the will of others
  365. connotative
    implying or suggesting something extra
  366. constraint
    the state of being physically limited
  367. contravene
    go against, as of rules and laws
  368. coterie
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
  369. crass
    so unrefined as to be offensive or insensitive
  370. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
  371. debilitate
    make weak
  372. decorous
    characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste
  373. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  374. deprecate
    express strong disapproval of; deplore
  375. derision
    the act of treating with contempt
  376. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  377. disputation
    a formal debate
  378. dissonant
    harmonically unresolved
  379. ebullience
    eager enjoyment or approval
  380. ellipsis
    a mark indicating that words have been omitted
  381. elucidate
    make clear and comprehensible
  382. emollient
    a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin
  383. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  384. evanescent
    short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear
  385. exigent
    demanding immediate attention
  386. extemporize
    perform or speak without preparation
  387. extrapolate
    draw from specific cases for more general cases
  388. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
  389. iconoclast
    someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions
  390. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  391. incisive
    demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
  392. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
  393. indigenous
    originating where it is found
  394. inept
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  395. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
  396. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  397. macerate
    soften and cause to disintegrate as a result
  398. maculate
    morally blemished; stained or impure
  399. ossify
    become bony
  400. palpable
    capable of being perceived
  401. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  402. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  403. paradox
    a statement that contradicts itself
  404. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  405. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  406. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  407. putrefaction
    the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action
  408. putrefy
    decay with an offensive smell
  409. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
  410. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  411. sinuous
    curved or curving in and out
  412. spurious
    plausible but false
  413. squalid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
  414. subjugate
    make subservient; force to submit or subdue
  415. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  416. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  417. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  418. allusive
    characterized by indirect references
Created on Tue Feb 12 20:32:05 EST 2008

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