Core GRE Vocabulary Words (50+)
Mastering advanced vocabulary is crucial for excelling in the GRE verbal reasoning section. This list of 50 high-frequency words has been carefully selected to reflect the style and difficulty of GRE exam questions. Each word includes a concise definition, an easy-to-grasp essence, an example sentence, and a practice MCQ to help you retain and apply it effectively.
abate
Example: The storm suddenly abated after hours of heavy rain.
To 'abate' means to:
aberrant
Example: His aberrant behavior shocked his conservative family.
An 'aberrant' action is:
abjure
Example: He abjured his allegiance to the corrupt regime.
To 'abjure' means to:
alacrity
Example: She accepted the invitation with alacrity.
Someone who shows 'alacrity' is:
ameliorate
Example: Efforts were made to ameliorate working conditions.
To 'ameliorate' a situation means to:
anachronism
Example: Using a typewriter today feels like an anachronism.
An 'anachronism' is:
arduous
Example: Climbing the mountain was an arduous task.
An 'arduous' journey is:
assuage
Example: The letter assuaged her fears.
To 'assuage' pain is to:
audacious
Example: The audacious plan surprised the cautious investors.
An 'audacious' act is:
austere
Example: The teacher’s austere expression silenced the class.
An 'austere' lifestyle is:
banal
Example: The speech was banal and uninspiring.
A 'banal' remark is:
belie
Example: Her calm manner belied her nervousness.
To 'belie' something is to:
bombastic
Example: His bombastic speech failed to impress.
A 'bombastic' statement is:
castigate
Example: The manager castigated the team for poor results.
To 'castigate' is to:
caustic
Example: She made a caustic remark about his outfit.
A 'caustic' comment is:
chicanery
Example: He resorted to chicanery to win the contract.
Chicanery is best described as:
convoluted
Example: The professor’s explanation was convoluted.
A 'convoluted' argument is:
craven
Example: The craven soldiers deserted their posts.
A 'craven' act is:
decadent
Example: The empire’s final years were marked by a decadent lifestyle.
A 'decadent' society is:
demur
Example: She agreed without demur to the proposal.
To 'demur' means to:
deride
Example: Critics derided the movie as a waste of time.
To 'deride' means to:
desiccate
Example: The desiccated flowers crumbled to dust.
A 'desiccated' plant is:
diatribe
Example: The politician launched into a diatribe against his opponents.
A 'diatribe' is best described as:
didactic
Example: The novel had a didactic tone.
A 'didactic' book is:
diffident
Example: The diffident student spoke quietly during class.
A 'diffident' person is:
dilatory
Example: The government’s dilatory response worsened the crisis.
A 'dilatory' tactic is:
disabuse
Example: He quickly disabused her of the illusion.
To 'disabuse' someone is to:
disparate
Example: The two cultures were completely disparate.
Two 'disparate' ideas are:
ebullient
Example: Her ebullient personality lit up the room.
An 'ebullient' person is:
eclectic
Example: The museum had an eclectic collection of art.
An 'eclectic' mix is:
efficacy
Example: The efficacy of the new drug is under review.
The 'efficacy' of a treatment refers to its:
egregious
Example: The company’s egregious error caused public outrage.
An 'egregious' mistake is:
enervate
Example: The hot sun enervated the workers.
To 'enervate' means to:
engender
Example: The issue engendered continuing controversy.
To 'engender' conflict means to:
ephemeral
Example: Fashion trends are often ephemeral.
Something 'ephemeral' is:
equivocate
Example: He equivocated when asked about his intentions.
To 'equivocate' means to:
esoteric
Example: The professor’s lecture was full of esoteric knowledge.
An 'esoteric' subject is:
exculpate
Example: The evidence exculpated the defendant.
To 'exculpate' someone is to:
exigent
Example: The exigent circumstances required immediate action.
An 'exigent' request is:
facetious
Example: She was being facetious when she made the remark.
A 'facetious' comment is:
fastidious
Example: She was fastidious about keeping her desk organized.
A 'fastidious' person is:
fatuous
Example: The politician made a fatuous remark.
A 'fatuous' statement is:
fortuitous
Example: It was fortuitous that they met at the airport.
A 'fortuitous' event is:
garrulous
Example: The garrulous taxi driver kept us entertained.
A 'garrulous' person is:
gregarious
Example: She is gregarious and loves meeting new people.
A 'gregarious' person is:
harangue
Example: The teacher’s harangue about homework bored the class.
A 'harangue' is:
iconoclast
Example: The artist was known as an iconoclast who challenged traditions.
An 'iconoclast' is someone who:
impetuous
Example: His impetuous decision cost him his job.
An 'impetuous' decision is:
inchoate
Example: The project is still in its inchoate stage.
An 'inchoate' plan is:
ingenuous
Example: Her ingenuous nature made her easy to deceive.
An 'ingenuous' child is:
FAQ
Quick answers to common questions.