GRE Vocab 1
aberrant
adj. abnormal or deviant
adventitious
adj. accidental; casual
adjacent
adj. adjoining; neighboring
affected
adj. artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress
aesthetic
adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
acrimonious
adj. bitter in words or manner
abysmal
adj. bottomless
actuarial
adj. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
absolute
adj. complete; totally unlimited; certain
affable
adj. easily approachable; warmly friendly
accessible
adj. easy to approach; obtainable
adept
adj. expert at
adamant
adj. hard; firm; inflexible
agog
adj. highly excited; intensely curious
abstruse
adj. obscure; profound; difficult to understand
agape
adj. open-mouthed
agrarian
adj. pertaining to land or its cultivation
acute
adj. quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe
academic
adj. related to school; not practical or directly useful
abrasive
adj. rubbing away; tending to grind down
acrid
adj. sharp; bitterly pungent
adroit
adj. skillful
acidulous
adj. slightly sour; sharp; caustic
abstemious
adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
abstract
adj. theoretica; not concrete; nonrepresentational
adverse
adj. unfavorable; hostile
abortive
adj. unsuccessful; fruitless
abject
adj. wretched; lacking pride
aboriginal
adj., n. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native
acerbic
adj; bitter or sour in nature; sharp and cutting
acetic
adj; vinegary
adjutant
n. staff officer assisting commander; assistant
affliction
n. state of distress; cause of suffering
adherent
n. supporter; follower
abeyance
n. suspended action
ablution
n. washing
adage
n. wise saying; proverb
accretion
n. growth; increase
affront
n. insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect
affinity
n. kinship
acumen
n. mental keenness
aerie
n. nest of a large bird of prey (eagle, hawk)
agility
n. nimbleness
agnostic
n. one who is skeptical of existence of a god or ultimate reality
adversary
n. opponent; enemy
acme
n. peak; pinnacle; highest point
affirmation
n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath
adversity
n. poverty; misfortune
abscission
n. removal by cutting off, as in surgery; separation
abnegation
n. renunciation; self-sacrifice
abstinence
n. restraint from eating or drinking
acoustics
n. science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
acclivity
n. sharp upslope of a hill
aegis
n. shield; defense
adjuration
n. solemn urging
adjunct
n. something (generally nonessential or inferior) added on or attached
acquittal
n. deliverance from a charge
acrophobia
n. fear of heights
adulation
n. flattery; admiration
aggrandize
v. increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor
abominate
v. loathe; hate
abase
v. lower; degrade; humiliate
actuate
v. motivate
addle
v. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten
accommodate
v. oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt
absolve
v. pardon (an offense)
advert
v. refer (to)
abstain
v. refrain; withhold from participation
abdicate
v. renounce
abjure
v. renounce upon oath; disavow
agitate
v. stir up; disturb
abate
v. subside or moderate
advocate
v. urge; plead for
admonish
v. warn; reprove
aberration
n. abnormality
affluence
n. abundance; wealth
addendum
n. addition; appendix to book
accessory
n. additional object; useful but not essential thing
accord
n. agreement
advent
n. arrival
aggressor
n. attacker
acerbity
n. bitterness of speech and temper
alacrity
n. cheerful promptness; eagerness
agglomeration
n. collection; heap
addiction
n. compulsive, habitual need
abrogate
v. abolish
acclimate
v. adjust to climate or environment; adapt
accede
v. agree, consent
accost
v. approach and speak first to a person
acquiesce
v. assent; agree passively
abet
v. assist, usually in doing something wrong
affix
v. attach or add on; fasten
abut
v. border upon; adjoin
accrue
v. come about by addition; added up
abridge
v. condense or shorten
abscond
v. depart secretly and hide
abhor
v. detest; hate
abash
v. embarrass
accoutre
v. equip
aggregate
v. gather; accumulate