The GRE Verbal Reasoning Test: Intermediate Words: Intermediate, List 3

This list of intermediate words features a mixture of easier and more difficult words that you may be less familiar with. Study these words and watch your GRE score grow.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. adulterate
    make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance
    Shady dealers along the supply chain frequently adulterate olive oil with low-grade vegetable oils and add artificial coloring. New York Times (Dec 7, 2011)
  2. compunction
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
    She had no compunctions about the lie and getting the doll under false pretenses. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  3. discerning
    able to make or detect effects of great subtlety
    I never thought of the Erudite as being particularly perceptive about relationships, or emotions, but Cara’s discerning eyes see all kinds of things. Allegiant
  4. egoism
    concern for your own interests and welfare
    It’s a mistake to think that giving special weight to your own interests and concerns is egoism; egoism is giving them more weight than they merit. New York Times (Jul 6, 2021)
  5. fiat
    a legally binding command or decision
    Magna Carta recognizes that even kings must defer to a “law of the land”; that justice emerges from procedure, not fiat; and that “free men” merited guarantees we would now call “rights.” New York Times (Dec 16, 2013)
  6. glib
    marked by lack of intellectual depth
    No doubt it was nothing more than a glib remark, meant as a joke, but it sounded as if Lord Fredrick had no intention of sending the children away. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling
  7. incursion
    the act of entering some territory or domain
    The incursions of barbarian tribes from the north and east became more frequent, and the cost of defending the far-flung borders of the Empire became ever more impossible to maintain. Tiger, Tiger
  8. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
    They were very successful within the current Broadway trend of making insipid, boring, un-creative and overproduced versions of classic movies. New York Times (Dec 18, 2017)
  9. interdict
    command against
    The Western Cape division of the High Court interdicted the project developer from continuing with works at the Cape Town site until there had been meaningful engagement and consultation with affected indigenous peoples. Reuters (Mar 20, 2022)
  10. interpolate
    insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby
    Although he claimed, for instance, that he only wanted to honor a playwright’s work, he often meddled with the scripts — his “Ghosts” interpolated Ibsen’s text with some Strindberg. New York Times (Sep 7, 2018)
  11. junta
    a group of officers who rule a country after seizing power
    Haitians had been hopeful after Baby Doc Duvalier and his secret police had been chased from power, yet the military leaders of the new junta were even more brutal. Mountains Beyond Mountains
  12. laconic
    brief and to the point
    Breakfast conversation is limited to a series of laconic grunts. Travels with Charley in Search of America
  13. mettle
    the courage to carry on
    “Very well, my arrogant young adventurer. Why not test your courage? Every explorer deserves a chance to prove his mettle.” Fablehaven
  14. obviate
    do away with
    But the humans in this equation remain a significant cost, and innovators are looking to obviate them with automated solutions. The Guardian (Apr 12, 2017)
  15. physiognomy
    the human face
    His figures are ugly not because of their physiognomy, but because they behave in ugly ways: They don’t look, they leer; they don’t smile, they smirk. Washington Post (Oct 6, 2020)
  16. proliferate
    cause to grow or increase rapidly
    Faced with millions of refugees, the new nations of South Asia ended up proliferating developments that doubled down on centuries of class division. New York Times (Feb 19, 2022)
  17. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
    He regaled us with stories of his trips to Johannesburg, a place none of us had ever been before. Long Walk to Freedom
  18. tortuous
    highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious
    Civilizations would take billions of years of tortuous evolution to arise, and then snuff themselves out in an instant of unforgivable neglect. Cosmos
  19. tractable
    readily reacting to suggestions and influences
    For a baby, there are structures underlying language that are tractable and learnable from the information available in the environment. Scientific American (Mar 29, 2019)
  20. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
    Three rooms are decked entirely in solid color, and throughout the home are patterned screens, variegated tiles and vibrant fabrics. New York Times (Mar 12, 2020)
Created on Wed Nov 30 14:54:31 EST 2022 (updated Thu Jan 12 15:04:16 EST 2023)

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