The GRE Verbal Reasoning Test: Warm-up Words: Warm-up, List 9

This list of warm-up words features common words on the test that you're probably familiar with. Brush up on these words first to make sure that you start off strong while taking the GRE.
20 words 109 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
    Robbie obeyed with alacrity for somehow there was that in him which judged it best to obey Mrs. Weston, without as much as a scrap of hesitation.I, Robot
  2. allay
    lessen the intensity of or calm
    In order to allay any fears his clients might have about his political leanings, he had altered his name slightly.The God of Small Things
  3. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
    As a scientist, she believed that it was her obligation to perform medical research that would help alleviate human suffering.The Hot Zone
  4. converge
    be adjacent or come together
    They gathered together, blocking me from view as they converged.Twilight
  5. coquette
    a woman who flirts, often for personal gain
    As that awesome wordsmith Plutarch pointed out — “It was by this device of Cleopatra’s that Caesar was first captivated, for she showed herself to be a bold coquette.”Seattle Times (Oct 9, 2019)
  6. derivative
    a compound obtained from another compound
    Compounds from the plant and their derivatives are now ingredients of numerous medications patented and sold by large pharmaceutical companies.Nature (Mar 26, 2020)
  7. elicit
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    He does not even lift an eyebrow at feats that elicit applause or gasps, or the occasional shriek of surprise, from the rest of the rapt audience.The Night Circus
  8. eulogy
    a formal expression of praise for someone who has died
    Starks led off with a great eulogy on our departed citizen, our most distinguished citizen and the grief he left behind him, and the people loved the speech.Their Eyes Were Watching God
  9. exacting
    severe and unremitting in making demands
    If anything, as my own work gets better, she becomes harsher and more exacting.Orphan Train
  10. extant
    still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost
    He instantly recognized that the bones did not belong to any extant species and hence must be very old.1491
  11. fervor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
    He played cow bingo with the same fervor as he played his last college basketball game at Saint Luke’s.The Great Santini
  12. harangue
    address forcefully
    He harangued the others in a braying voice and punctuated his statements by poking them in the chest with a finger.The House of the Scorpion
  13. malign
    speak unfavorably about
    “It's one thing to accuse me of laziness. But to malign the good name of America's greatest television judge—that's below the belt.”An Abundance of Katherines
  14. metaphysical
    pertaining to the philosophical study of being and knowing
    The message of the latest Pixar feature — a lyrical, metaphysical tale of a jazz pianist’s adventures in the afterlife — is that it’s good to be alive.New York Times (Dec 3, 2020)
  15. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
    A great many people were offended by her ostentatious displays of wealth, and by the shameless way she chased the limelight.Into Thin Air
  16. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
    It is something to do with the younger generation contradicting the efforts of their elders, the perennial parent-child dynamic of human civilisation: ‘whatever they did, we will do the opposite.’The Story of Music
  17. raiment
    especially fine or decorative clothing
    Instead of the stained cloak and coarse jacket, Gwydion wore the shining raiment of a prince.The Book of Three
  18. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
    Black newspapers—unabashedly partisan on issues pertaining to the Negro—refused to censor themselves, despite the federal government’s threat to level sedition charges against them.Hidden Figures
  19. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
    Worm gagged and began to cry, which was seen as a tacit admission of guilt; the criminal who couldn’t face his own crime.Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
  20. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
    He had this uncanny sixth sense—he always knew when we disobeyed him.The Rock and the River
Created on November 30, 2022 (updated January 12, 2023)

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