The GRE Verbal Reasoning Test: Challenge Words: Challenge, List 1

This list of challenge words features some of the hardest words that you will encounter in the Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE. These are words that typically appear less frequently across different academic disciplines, so you are less likely to have encountered them before. Master these difficult words and watch your GRE score soar!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ambrosia
    the food and drink of the gods
    Mercury brought Psyche into the palace of the gods, and Jupiter himself gave her the ambrosia to taste which made her immortal. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  2. blandishment
    flattery intended to persuade
    No amount of wheedling and blandishment would cause the cynical badger to change her mind. Redwall
  3. coagulate
    change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
    Criminologists had come to understand that blood coagulates at the lowest point of a body after death, producing dark splotches on the skin. Killers of the Flower Moon
  4. conundrum
    a difficult problem
    But the real conundrum that heredity solves is much more general: What is the nature of instruction that allows an organism to build a nose—any nose—in the first place? The Gene
  5. effervescent
    marked by high spirits or excitement
    Jenny beamed at her as she said something that Dimple was sure were effervescent compliments, but every time Jenny opened her mouth, all Dimple could hear were beeps. When Dimple Met Rishi
  6. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
    Time and again, though, Manifest Destiny was revealed as little more than a euphemism for the violent appropriation of Native American land for the benefit of white settlers. The Story of Music
  7. geniality
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
    We joked about everyday topics and his geniality didn't stop once we boarded the plane. BBC (Jul 29, 2015)
  8. lascivious
    driven by lust
    Obnoxiously giggling and firing off crude and lascivious remarks, the nocturnal fishermen had kept a light on the petrified lovers for at least thirty seconds before hee-hawing back into the blackness. The Milagro Beanfield War
  9. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
    I mean, I wouldn't normally talk at such length and be so loquacious, but I'm going to give you material, you know. The Guardian (Feb 7, 2011)
  10. metamorphose
    change completely the nature or appearance of
    It’s rare in history to be able to see a city grow and metamorphose like a stop-motion flower unfolding or a landscape changing before our eyes. New York Times (Jun 1, 2018)
  11. mnemonic
    of or relating to the practice of aiding the memory
    Mrs. Harper told us that when she was younger and Pluto was still a planet, the mnemonic device they used was “My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.” P.S. I Miss You
  12. necromancy
    the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces
    And then there are Qyburn’s experiments in necromancy, which brought back The Mountain from the dead. The Verge (Apr 29, 2019)
  13. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
    “These are far from neophytes. These are sophisticated, savvy art world veterans.” New York Times (Jul 31, 2016)
  14. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
    He’s called the Doorman because from a very early age he had a strong penchant for sitting by the front door. I Am the Messenger
  15. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
    A courageous scoundrel is far worse than a pusillanimous one. Washington Post (Jul 2, 2019)
  16. quagmire
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    As the Korean Bar Association has noted, “South Koreans, who publicly cherish the virtue of brotherly love, have been inexplicably stuck in a deep quagmire of indifference.” Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
  17. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
    The bizarre, tenuous nature of their connection struck him with new force—that a moth should be their only link. Strange the Dreamer
  18. vacillating
    uncertain in purpose or action
    The nearly inevitable result was that federal policy looked vacillating, or indecisive, further undermining northern support for Reconstruction policy. Building the American Republic, Volume 2
  19. vacuous
    devoid of significance or point
    There was something vacuous and stupid about it, flapping out there in the middle of nowhere, something empty, banal, brutish. The Secret History
  20. vertigo
    a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
    The thought of falling induced a kind of vertigo in Lyra, and she swayed. The Amber Spyglass
Created on Wed Nov 30 17:22:45 EST 2022 (updated Thu Jan 12 15:07:34 EST 2023)

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