GRE for Dummies 2023 Reccomended Vocab
frugal
(adj.) economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager
germane
(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
inane
(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value
pejorative
(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
repose
(n.) The state of being at rest or relaxing; (v.) To rest or relax
reprobate
(n.) a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel; (adj.) wicked, corrupt, or unprincipled; (v.) to disapprove of, condemn
hedge
A barrier or boundary; an act of preventing complete loss of a bet or investment by betting on both sides
dissolution
A breaking up into separate parts; disintegration
virtuosity
A condition of having expert skill or ability
cacophony
A disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or tone
slander
A false spoken statement that is damaging to someone's reputation
complacency
A feeling of quiet security and satisfaction
presentiment
A feeling or impression that something is about to happen
admonition
A gentle reproof or scolding
panache
A grand or flamboyant manner or style
archipelago
A large group of islands
mausoleum
A large tomb or memorial
qualm
A misgiving or feeling of uneasiness
harbinger
A person or event that foreruns and announces the coming of another person or event
counterpart
A person or thing resembling or complementing another
poseur
A person who attempts to impress others by assuming a manner other than their true one
killjoy
A person who spoils the joy or pleasure of others
stint
A person's fixed or allotted period of work or service (noun); To give a miserly, inadequate amount (verb)
prodigy
A person, usually a child, having extraordinary talent
elegy
A poem lamenting the dead
strut
A pompous walk (noun); To walk pompously (verb)
ostentation
A pretentious display, as of knowledge or wealth
silhouette
A profile portrait; a figure outline, often reversed against a background
pathos
A quality that evokes pity or sadness
churl
A rude, boorish, or surly person
parable
A short story designed to illustrate a lesson
anecdote
A short, entertaining account of an event
modicum
A small amount
gaffe
A social blunder; faux pas
whorl
A spiral pattern; a series of concentric circles
doldrums
A state of inactivity or low spirits
spate
A sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring
inconstancy
A tendency to change suddenly and without explanation; fickleness
boon
A timely benefit
harangue
A tirade
stigma
A token of disgrace
quisling
A traitor
diesel
A type of engine that burns fuel oil
palpable
Able to be sensed by feeling or touch; easily perceptible
aberrant
Abnormal; different from the accepted norm
acquiescent
Agreeing without protest
desultory
Aimless; haphazard
equivocal
Ambiguous, uncertain
aggregate
Amounting to a whole
refutation
An act of disproving a statement or charge
dearth
An inadequate supply; scarcity; lack
intimation
An indirect suggestion about something; a hint
maverick
An individualist, an unconventional person
paucity
An insufficient amount or number
congruous
Appropriate or fitting
fervor
Ardor or intensity of feeling
rhetoric
Art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse.
burgeon
Begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish
mordant
Biting; sarcastic
acrimonious
Bitter in temper, manner, and speech
diatribe
Bitter or malicious criticism, tirade
insipid
Bland, lifeless, dull
laconic
Brief and to the point
imperturbable
Calm
halcyon
Calm, idyllically happy (usually in reference to an earlier time)
equable
Calm; even tempered
dilatory
Causing delay
prudence
Caution
metamorphosis
Change in form; transformation
protean
Changeable in shape or form
haphazard
Characterized by a lack of order or planning
sanguine
Cheerfully confident; optimistic; a blood-red color
prosaic
Commonplace or dull
coda
Concluding section of a musical or literary piece; something that summarizes
ingratiating
Consciously trying to gain the good graces or favor of another
elitism
Consciousness or pride in belonging to a select group
prophetic
Correctly predicting a future event
valorous
Courageous
craven
Cowardly
precarious
Dangerous; risky; lacking in security or stability
profound
Deep; intensely felt
delineate
Describe or portray precisely
opprobrium
Disgrace or infamy based on shameful conduct
consternation
Dismay; anxiety; bewilderment
unruly
Disobedient, untidy
torpid
Dull; sluggish; inactive
gullible
Easily deceived
transparent
Easily seen through
lucid
Easily understood; clear
fallacious
Erroneous; deceptive
equanimity
Evenness of mind or temper
hyperbole
Exaggeration or overstatement
plethora
Excess; superabundance
vainglory
Excessive boastfulness and vanity
temerity
Excessive confidence or boldness, audacity, effrontery, impudence
penurious
Excessively frugal; impoverished
egress
Exits or a way out.
verbiage
Expression of a thought using more words than necessary; wordiness
draconian
Extremely harsh and severe
stentorian
Extremely loud, powerful, authoritative
nefarious
Extremely wicked
propitious
Favorable; indicative of success
nepotism
Favoritism on the basis of family relationship or friendship
intrepid
Fearless and bold
audacious
Fearless, bold
facetious
Flippant; trying to be witty, but at an inappropriate time
fatuous
Foolish, silly; complacently stupid
base
Foundation; main part; basis; Simple; boring; Immoral (adj.)
shard
Fragment
shrapnel
Fragments thrown out by a shell or a bomb
porous
Full of holes or tiny openings
magnanimity
Generosity
esoteric
Hard to understand; known only by a few
pernicious
Harmful or destructive over time
innocuous
Harmless
cursory
Hasty or superficial, as of a review
odious
Hateful; offensive, disgusting
acrid
Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell; pungent
vapid
Having lost quality and flavor; dull; lifeless
salacious
Having or expressing undue or indecent interest in sexual matters
titular
Having title but not necessarily any true authority; Holding a position in name (title) only without the power or responsibility that usually comes with that position
salubrious
Healthful
tenacious
Holding fast; persevering; persistent; resolute
quixotic
Idealistic; romantic to a ridiculous degree
restive
Impatient, restless, uneasy, stubborn
impervious
Impenetrable
implicit
Implied
inert
Inactive; lacking power to move
recondite
Incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding; profound
abstemious
Indicative of self-denial, particularly with food or drink
callous
Insensitive; indifferent
imperious
Insisting on obedience, arrogant
affront
Insult, offense, indignity (noun); to offend (verb)
virulence
Intense bitterness; the level of infectiousness (as for a disease)
itinerant
Journeying from place to place, often along the same circuit
astute
Keen; wise
acumen
Keenness; the possession of quick intellectual insight
prescience
Knowledge of events before they happeN
disquiet
Lack of calm, peace, or ease
invidious
Likely to cause resentment, envy, or hatred in others
perennial
Long-lasting; returning again and again
jingoism
Loud, excessive, and aggressive patriotism; Professing one's patriotism loudly and excessively
mendacious
Lying, deceitful
shoddy
Made of inferior material; not genuine; poorly constructed
homogeneous
Made of similar or identical elements or parts
tendentious
Marked by a strong point of view, biased; Having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose
officious
Meddlesome, domineering; asserting authority over trivial matters
quibble
Minor objection or complaint (noun); To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter (verb)
licentious
Morally unrestrained; promiscuous
superfluous
More than what is needed
proclivity
Natural inclination
propensity
Natural inclination
moribund
Near death or extinction
trepidation
Nervous feeling; fear
skittish
Nervous, easily frightened
impenitent
Not feeling regret or remorse about one's actions
stolid
Not showing emotion or sensitivity; impassive
blatant
Obvious; flagrant; glaring
vestigial
Occurring or persisting as a rudimentary or degenerate structure; not developed
umbrage
Offense or resentment
bumptious
Offensively self-assertive; pushy
malingerer
One who feigns illness to escape duty
confidante
One with whom secrets are shared
partisan
One-sided; strongly committed to one party or cause
heresy
Opinion or doctrine that subverts, or undermines, settled or accepted beliefs
decorum
Orderliness and good taste in manners
pompous
Ostentatiously lofty or high-flown, arrogant
permeable
Penetrable; porous
contrite
Penitent
sedulous
Persevering in effort or endeavor; diligent
assiduous
Persistent, diligent, and careful
colloquial
Pertaining to common speech
didactic
Pertaining to teaching, intended to instruct
deleterious
Physically harmful
malleable
Pliant
grandiloquent
Pompous; bombastic; Speaking or expressing oneself in a lofty style
efficacy
Power to produce an intended effect
loquacious
Talkative
voluble
Talkative; given to rapid, abundant speech
garrulous
Talking excessively about trivial things
timidity
The absence of self-assurance or courage
fortification
The act of strengthening or protecting
tutelage
The act of training or being under instruction
nicotine
The addictive stuff in tobacco
extrapolation
The inference of an unknown from something that is known
countenance
The look on one's face; expression
expiation
The means by which atonement or reparation is made
cronyism
The practice of favoring one's friends, especially in political appointments
mediocrity
The quality of being average; ordinary; not very good
cognizant
The quality of being aware and understanding
brevity
The quality of being brief or concise
depravity
The state of being morally bad or evil
recidivism
The tendency toward repeated or habitual relapse into antisocial or criminal behavior
embellish
To add ornamental features (to make a story more interesting or entertaining)
aver
To affirm; to declare to be the truth
titillate
To arouse excitement, especially through sexually suggestive words or images
impugn
To assail with arguments or accusations
shirk
To avoid or neglect one's responsibilities
seethe
To be filled with strong anger
allay
To calm; to put to rest (fear, pain, etc.)
rescind
To cancel or revoke
negate
To cancel out; to nullify
masticate
To chew or reduce to a pulp
grandstand
To conduct oneself or perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers
writhe
To contort the body by twisting and turning
gainsay
To contradict; to deny
obfuscate
To darken; to make unclear, muddle
eradicate
To destroy completely
dissemble
To disguise or pretend
disconcert
To disturb the composure of
elicit
To draw out with skill or difficulty
recant
To formally withdraw one's beliefs or statements
exculpate
To free from blame
importune
To harass with persistent demands
inure
To harden or toughen by use, exercise, or exposure
thwart
To hinder or obstruct; to frustrate
impede
To hinder; to block
proliferate
To increase rapidly
foment
To instigate or incite (violence, trouble, etc.)
browbeat
To intimidate in an overbearing manner
eschew
To keep clear of; abstain from
mitigate
To lessen in intensity; to moderate
venerate
To look upon with deep respect
ameliorate
To make better, to improve
calumniate
To make false and malicious statements about
corroborate
To make more certain or to confirm
exacerbate
To make more sharp or severe; to make worse
obviate
To make unnecessary
plumb
To measure, especially by determining vertical depth
amalgamate
To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body
sanction
To officially approve; to authorize
bowdlerize
To omit strong words or phrases from something written, thus reducing its effectiveness
bungle
To perform clumsily or inadequately; botch
forestall
To prevent by taking action in advance
aggrandize
To raise the wealth or power of; to heighten the reputation of
repudiate
To refuse to have anything to do with, to reject
liken
To represent as similar to someone or something
deride
To ridicule; to make fun of
extirpate
To root out; to eradicate
satiate
To satisfy or fulfill the appetite or desire of
supersede
To set aside (as obsolete or inferior) and replace with someone or something else
redress
To set right by compensation or punishment
mollify
To soothe
placate
To soothe; to bring from a hostile state to a calm one
expatiate
To speak or write at some length
divest
To strip; to deprive
insinuate
To suggest or hint slyly
bolster
To support; to reinforce
beset
To surround, as in to attack
savor
To taste and enjoy fully
divulge
To tell or make known, generally of something secret or private
goad
To urge on in an annoying manner; to provoke
prevaricate
To use ambiguous language intended to deceive
equivocate
To use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or to mislead
oscillate
To waver
undermine
To weaken; to sap, to lessen the power of gradually or insidiously
perfidy
Treachery
artifice
Trickery; deceit
platitude
Trite or commonplace statement, spoken as if new or of great significance
banal
Trite; commonplace
austere
Unadorned; severely simple
insouciant
Unconcerned, indifferent
inadvertently
Unintentionally
pragmatic
Uninterested in theory or speculation; practical
inexorable
Unrelenting
ineffable
Unutterably extreme or awesome; inexpressible
chicanery
Use of trickery to deceive; Trickery, deception, especially through the use of questionable logic
bombastic
Using inflated language; pompous
discretion
Using one's own judgment; being discreet
erudite
Very learned
credulity
Willingness to trust too readily
guileless
Without deceit, innocent, naïve
unerringly
Without fail
onus
a burden; a responsibility
vicissitude
a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant
sybarite
a person devoted to luxury and pleasure
vantage
a place or position affording a good view of something; Position, viewpoint
sycophant
a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite
unison
a sounding together; agreement or accord; Complete accord
penchant
a strong attraction or inclination
unequivocal
absolute; certain; Plain, clear, unambiguous
truculence
aggressiveness, ferocity
subterfuge
an excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something; Evasion
winsome
attractive, charming
neophyte
beginner; novice
tyro
beginner; novice
ennui
boredom; a weariness resulting from a lack of interest
fulminate
cause to explode violently and with loud noise
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
rueful
causing sorrow or pity; regret
parsimonious
cheap; stingy
puerile
childish; immature
ungainly
clumsy, awkward; unwieldy
mundane
commonplace; ordinary
pusillanimous
cowardly; fainthearted
sinuous
curving in and out; winding
tangential
digressing, diverting; not directly related; peripheral
latent
dormant, inactive, undeveloped
dubious
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
irascible
easily angered, irritable
tractable
easily managed or controlled; Docile; easily influenced
tantamount
equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect
narcissism
excessive fascination with oneself
zealot
fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
whimsical
fanciful, unpredictable
portend
foretell, foreshadow
transience
forgetting what occurs with the passage of time; A state of impermanence or change; Docile; easily controlled or shaped
yore
former days, an era long past
impecunious
having no money; broke
secrete
hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism
vagabond
homeless wanderer, a beggar
veracious
honest; truthful
morose
ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
prodigious
immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree
impetuous
impulsive; extremely impatient
untenable
indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
turgid
inflated, overblown, or pompous; bombastic
seminal
influencing future developments
respite
interval of rest or relief
warranted
justified; authorized
prodigal
lavish; wasteful
indolence
laziness; lack of interest
vociferous
loud and noisy; compelling attention
tepid
lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest
supine
lying on the back, face up
stipulate
make express conditions, specify
striated
marked with parallel bands; striped; grooved
precocious
mature at a young age
paragon
model of perfection
rout
n. a disorganized retreat from an attack; a total defeat v. to defeat completely
tortuous
not direct or straightforward, Abounding in irregular bends or turns; unpleasantly complicated
spurious
not genuine; false
misanthrope
one who hates humankind
laudable
praiseworthy; commendable
ubiquitous
present or existing everywhere
supercilious
proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority
pugnacious
quarrelsome, fond of fighting
urbanity
refined courtesy or politeness; suave or civil
sonorous
resonant, producing a full and rich sound
reverent
respectful; worshipful
derision
ridicule; mockery
specious
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
ignominious
shameful
whet
sharpen, stimulate, heighten
vehement
showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense
tawdry
showy but cheap and of poor quality; cheap; gaudy
taciturn
silent, uncommunicative
ponderous
slow and clumsy because of great weight, Massive, awkward, unwieldy
tempestuous
stormy; impassioned; violent
obdurate
stubborn; unyielding
zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time
tenuous
thin; flimsy
vituperate
to abuse verbally; berate; To scold or criticize using abusive language
upbraid
to blame, scold, find fault with; To reproach; to bitterly rebuke
transmute
to change from one nature, substance, or form to another
polarize
to divide into sharply opposing factions
fumble
to feel or grope about clumsily
stratify
to form or place in layers; develop different social levels, classes, or castes
transpire
to happen, to be revealed
emulate
to imitate; copy
wreak
to inflict; to cause (something bad)
ruminate
to meditate, think about at length; to chew over
engender
to produce, cause, or bring about
vacillate
to waver; to sway indecisively; to fluctuate
enervate
to weaken
welter
turmoil; bewildering jumble
tacit
understood or implied without being stated
unassuaged
unsatisfied; not soothed
exigency
urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention
wary
very cautious; watchful
transgression
violation of law; Violation; sin
volition
will; conscious choice; A choice or decision made by the will
sagacious
wise; having keen perception and sound judgement
verbose
wordy, very talkative
solicitous
worried, concerned
abeyance
State of suspension; temporary inaction
viscous
Sticky; similar in texture to glue; thick
pungent
Stinging; sharp in taste or smell
sublime
Supreme or outstanding; elevated
preeminent
Surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way; superior
contentious
Quarrelsome
volatile
Quick to evaporate; unstable; capricious
precipitate
Rash; premature (adj) To bring about; trigger; cause; provoke (verb)
maverick
Rebel; nonconformist
contumacious
Rebellious or stubborn
inchoate
Recently begun, not fully formed, rudimentary
fledgling
Recently formed; still developing
ascetic
Representative of severe self-denial
reticent
Reserved; inclined to silence
uncouth
Rude, uncultured, boorish
obsequious
Servile; ready to serve to an excessive degree; fawning; slavish
effrontery
Shameless boldness; impudence
candor
Sharp honesty, fairness in expressing one's views
ephemeral
Short-lived; fleeting
myopic
Shortsighted; unable to predict what will happen
variegated
Showing different colors, often as streaks or patches
meticulous
Showing great attention to details; careful, precise
ebullient
Showing great enthusiasm or exhilaration
pious
Showing religious devotion or zeal
thrall
Slave; state of bondage
phlegmatic
Slow moving; not easily roused to feeling or emotion
slothful
Slow-moving, lazy
gregarious
Sociable; outgoing
iconoclast
Someone who advocates destroying religious imagery, or who attacks or criticizes accepted beliefs or institutions
spendthrift
Someone who wastes money
derivative
Something obtained from another source or sources; Imitative of the work of another person (adj.)
pervasive
Spread throughout
quiescence
State of being quiet or still; inactivity
