820 "abasement" "humiliation or degradation" "noun" " Latin : ad ""to, toward"" + bassus ""low, short"" Literal sense is archaic/obsolete, only figurative sense valid today </br>Synonyms: belittlement, disgrace" "Repeated <b><u>abasement</b> and humiliation</u> by her abusive mother caused the mistreated girl to have very low self-esteem" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
4 "abate" "become less in amount or intensity, <u>possibly to nothing</u>" "verb" "to cause to diminish in intensity, </br>Synonyms: subside, die away, die down</br> attenuate=get less, get thinner (without getting to nothing)" "The <u>Covid pandemic will</u>, with or without successful retaining measures, <u>eventually <b>abate</b></u>..." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
6 "aberrant" "markedly different from an accepted norm" "adj." " Latin lit. & fig., : ab =""off, away "" + errare=""to wander, stray"""" . Meaning= to wonder off and fig. ""deviation the normal type" "With this <u><b>aberrant</b> mindset</u> there is little chance of success in ethical business, so some choose crooked ways to earn their keep." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
7 "aberration" "a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected" "noun" "Latin lit. & fig., : ab =""off, away "" + errare=""to wander, stray"""" . Meaning= to wonder off and fig. ""deviation the normal type" "The unexpected results were a <u>statistical <b>aberration<b></u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
939 "abeyance" "temporary cessation or suspension" "noun" " French à""at"" (see ad-) + ba(y)er ""be open"" = status is still open/in suspence. The word ""bay"" also come this. </br>Synonyms: suspense, remission, reserve" "With the football leagues now in abeyance during Corona crisis, the question now is how and whether the season will finish" "Most Difficult" "FT"
8 "abjure" " to reject or renounce" "verb" " Latin abiurare ""deny on oath"" ab ""off, away "" (see ab-) + iurare ""to swear,</br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br>Synonyms: relinquish, reject, disavow" "Since 1986 he has been asking candidates for public office to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge, in which they <u><b>abjure</b> tax increases</u> of any sort forever." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
9 "-able,-ible" "able, can do " "adj., verb" "capable</br> agreeable</br> visible " "Suffix" "MSU"
10 "abreast" "Up to date with the latest news, ideas, or information" "adj. " "Synonyms: in touch with, plugged into" "These daily updates were designed to help readers <u>keep <b>abreast</b> of the market</u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
12 "abscond" "run away, often taking something or somebody along" "verb" "Latin: ab=""off, away "" + condere ""put together, store"" itself com- ""together"" + -dere ""put""" "The boarding school scholar <u><b>absconded</b> from the schoolgrounds</u> without informing anyone" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
13 "abstain" " to voluntarily refrain from doing something" "verb" "Synonyms: refrain, desist, hold back" "Doctors encourage their patients to <u><b>abstain</b> from smoking </u>cigarettes." "357 prevalent GRE words" "FT"
1456 "abstemious" "marked by temperance in indulgence. Abstinent, abstentious" "adj." "Latin: abs-= ""away."" T+ temetum, ""intoxicating drink,"" => someone who keeps alcohol (or other temptations) at arm's length." "Because I was <b><u>abstemious</b> with alcohol</u> when I was younger, I am still quite healthy in my later years." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
15 "abyss" "a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm" "noun" "Synonyms: gorge, ravine, void" "President Maduro announced that, while his country now <u>stood at the edge of an <b>abyss,</b></u> he would confidently take the country one step forward !" "Least Difficult" "FT"
5 "ac" "sharp</br> bitter" "Greek/Latin root" "Greek : be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce. </br>SUBFORMS ARE</br><b>akros</b> = at the end, at the top, outermost; consummate, excellent</br><b>akis</b>= sharp point</br> <b>akros</b>= at the farthest point, highest, outermost</br><b>akantha</b>= thorn</br><b>akme</b>=summit, edge</br><b>oxys</b>=sharp, bitter" "Acute =sharp, severe</br>Acerbic=sour or astringent in taste</br>Acrid=unpleasantly sharp or bitter</br>Acidic=something that is sour</br> Acrimony-bitter animosity</br>acrylic (liquid originally found in onions that make eyes tear)" "Root words" "Aristotle"
822 "accession" "the action or process of formally joining an association or institution. Also, the acquisition of a higher rank than one is at present" "verb" "Latin accessionem (nominative accessio) ""a going to, approach; a joining; increase, enlargement"" </br>Deutsch: Beitritt, Zuwachs </br>Synonyms: joining, signing up, enrollment" "After its accession to the EU, the country adopted the Euro." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
823 "acerbic" "(Especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright, expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way" "adj." "ic=nature of, like<br>Deutsch : Bitter, Sauer </br>Synonyms: sardonic, biting, caustic" "The writer’s acerbic tone did not sit well with people who had an issue with harsh criticism" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1662 "acquiesce" "assent; agree without protesting" " verb" " Latin : acquiescere, meaning “to rest.” If you “rest” or become passive in the face of something to which you object, you are giving tacit agreement." "While I did not want to go to the show with Laura, <u>her begging eventually caused me to <b>acquiesce</u></b>" "1000 Difficult GRE word" "Examword"
1118 "acro</br>akro" "at the top</br>at the end</br> outermost; excellent" "Greek/Latin root" "a sub of the Greek</br> PIE root ""ac"": be sharp</br> rise (out) to a point</br> pierce. " "acrobat(one that goes high/to the limit)</br> acromegaly=growth disease( highest size (mega))</br> acronym(sharp name=use of first letters)</br> acrophobia(fear of heights)</br> acropolis(city at the top)</br> " "Root words" "SMB"
16 "acumen" " keen judgment and perception, the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain" "noun" "Synonyms: astuteness, awareness, acuity </br>Deutsch : Scharfsinn, Geschick" "He was unable to run a profitable restaurant because <u>he lacked business <b>acumen</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
19 "adept" "Very skilled or proficient at something; very good at doing something that is not easy" "adj." "Synonyms: expert, proficient, accomplished" "An abundance of clever people — <b><u>adept</b> in English law</u> as much as in finance— are employed at well paying banks and hedge f" "Least Difficult" "FT"
20 "admonish" " scold or to advise firmly" "verb" "The security guard <b>admonished</b> the customer <u>to wear a face mask</u> in the store during these CoVid times" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
21 "adulterate" "make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance" "verb" "World class chefs use fresh produce and<u> refuse to <b>adulterate</b> their dishes</u> with canned ingredients." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
23 "advocate" " to recommend, support, or advise, to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf. (n) -- one who advocate" "verb" "n. one who advocates" "The<u> teacher <b>advocated</b> for students with special needs</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
24 "aesthetic" "characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste" "adj." "ic=nature of, like" "The critics <u>admire the work of art for its<b> aesthetic</b> value</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
25 "affectation" " fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth" "noun" "The poor man’s <b><u>affectation</b> of wealth</u> did not fool any of the elite at the part" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
26 "-age" "act of</br> state of</br> collection of " "suffix" "added to root words (often French) to form a noun " "salvage</br> storage</br> forage " "Suffix" "MSU"
29 "aggrandize" "to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate. enlarge or increase, esp. wealth, power, reputation" "verb" "The <u>arrogant man’s self-<b>aggrandizing</b> is so annoying</u> that I refuse to listen to him br" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1457 "aggregate" "a sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together" "adj., verb" "Latin : ad ""to"" + gregare ""to collect into a flock, gather,""" "Schools often use test scores to <b><u>aggregate</b> students into classes</u> based on intelligence." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
30 "agog" " Very eager or curious to hear or see something" "adj." "Synonyms: excited, impatient, in suspense" "The little <u>kids were <b>agog </b>as they waited for Santa Claus</u> to arrive." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1454 "akantha" "thorn" "Greek/Latin root" "a sub of the Greek</br> PIE root ""ac"": be sharp</br> rise (out) to a point</br> pierce. " "acacia(african thorn bush)</br> acanthus (mediterreanian thorn tree)" "Root words" "SMB"
32 "alacrity" "liveliness and eagerness" "noun" "</br>Deutsch : Verve, Eifrigkeit" "Although Apple has in the past <u>expanded</u> its production capacities <u>with <b>alacrity</u></b>, it was not always able to meet demand" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
34 "alleviate" " to relieve a problem or ease a burden" "verb" " latin : alleviare = to lift up, to raise, to lighten. </br>Deutsch : mildern, erleichtern" "Do good works, alleviate the suffering and misery, comfort and refresh the sick</br>Alleviate the effects of the pandemic" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
35 "allure" "the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating" "noun" "Synonyms : attraction, lure, draw. </br>Deutsch : Reiz, Fazination, Anziehungskraft" "Yet it was the allure of the Model T for millions of consumers that finally drove the horse off the road." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1371 "allusion</br>illusion</br>delusion" "allusion=An allusion is a reference, direct or implied, to something or someone </br> illusion=An illusion, on the other hand, is something that deceives the mind or senses by creating a false impression of reality.</br>A delusion is a false belief or opinion" "noun" "Try associating the beginning I in illusion with an eye, relating the term to optical illusions.</br>Keep in mind the prefix de-, denoting privation or negation, provides a hint to the more serious contexts in which this term is sometimes used." "The author’s new book contains an allusion to mythological gods</br>A mirage is a type an optical illusion. </br>it was heartbreaking to witness my ailing grandmother’s delusion that her deceased husband was al" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
36 "altruism" "the belief in or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others" "noun" "Synonyms: selflessness, compassion, goodwill. </br>Deutsch : Uneigennützigkeit, Selbstlosigkeit. </br> Latin/(old french) : alter/(altrui) = other" "He was not the first to wonder about the connection between religion and altruism" "Least Difficult" "FT"
38 "amalgamate" " to combine to or mix together" "verb" "Amalgan = Hg metal alloy for tooth fillings" "The 2 companies amalgamated into one" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
40 "ambiguous" "having more than one possible meaning" "adj." "adj. open to multiple interpretations. PIE root *ambhi- ""around"") + agere ""drive, lead, act"" . </br>Deutsch : unklar" "Partly cloudy with a chance of rain makes for an ambiguous weather forecast" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
41 "ambiguous</br>ambivalent" "vague; capable of various interpretations" "adj." "valence = strong, power. being of two minds</br> holding conflicting feelings or attitudes<br>ambivalent is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE! " "Not only were the statements ambiguous,but further adding to the confusion was the fact that the author was ambivalent in his opinion. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
42 "ambivalent" "having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone" "adj." "ambivalent is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE! <br>It does NOT mean indifferent !!!S<br>ynonyms: equivocal, uncertain, unsure" "Right from the start Yahoo was <b>ambivalent</b> about whether it should be a media or a technology company." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
44 "ambrosial" "extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia)" "adj." "The garden with its <u><b>ambrosial</b> and exotic blossoms</u> and fruit trees is a place for relaxation and privacy" "Common GRE" "MSU"
45 "ameliorate" "make better" "verb" " French, latin : améliore" "Longer breaks significantly <b><u>ameliorated</b> the working conditions</u> in the factory. " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
46 "amenable" " easily convinced or persuaded" "adj." " French, latin : ad + mener (= to lead (F), to drive cattle (Latin)" "Group trips with <b><u>amenable</b> people are pleasant.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
50 "anachronism" " something old-fashioned, a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic)" "noun" " Latin/Greek : ""against"" (see ana-) + khronos ""time"" (see chrono-)= something appearing in a time period where it does not belong" "A steam engine in our modern digitised world is nothing more than an <b>anachronism</b>. " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
51 "analogous" " comparable, similar" "noun" " Greek : ana ""throughout; according to"" + logos ""ratio, proportionn. </br>Deutsch= entsprechend Noun = appropriate for analogy" "One can solve all the other problems in <u>an <b>analagous</b> manner.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
53 "annul" "Declare invalid" "verb" "Synonyms: repeal, reverse, rescind" "The election results were annulled after electoral fraud was proven to have taken place." "Least Difficult" "FT"
941 "anodyne" "not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull" "adj." " Greek an= ""without"" + odyne ""pain= ""free pain or torment"" ""</br>Synonyms: bland, inoffensive, innocuous" "After days of discussion at the G20 conference, there was not much to show other than a dull and safe anodyne communique" "Most Difficult" "FT"
54 "anoint" " to choose for a particular office or position" "verb" "v. to use oil on a person in a religious ceremony" "Using holy oil, the pastor placed his hands on the woman’s head in order to anoint h" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
55 "anomalous" "peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly)" "adj." " Latin/Greek anomalia= ""inequality , uneven, irregular"" an- ""not"" + homalos ""even" "His anomalous behaviour was a first sign that he had a problem." "Common GRE" "MSU"
56 "anomaly" " an exception or unusual case" "noun" " Latin/Greek anomalia= ""inequality , uneven, irregular"" an- ""not"" + homalos ""even" "The student’s poor performance on the latest test was an anomaly since she had previously earned excellent grade" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
58 "ante" "before " "Greek/Latin root" "sometimes anti (when comes Italian)</br> where ante and anti have merged to one word (eg. Antipasti)" "antedate</br>anteroom</br>antecedent</br>anterior " "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
59 "antediluvian" "ancient; outmoded; " "adj." " latin : ante= before, + deluge = literally ""before the flood"" (of Noah)" "For the development of this logo we chose an ancient antedeluvian technique: the traditional Chinese seal. " "Common GRE" "MSU"
63 "antipathy" " strong dislike or hatred, hostility toward, objection, or aversion to" "noun" " Latin/Greek antipathia : anti- + pathein=""to feel, suffer""" "The students voiced their <u><b>antipathy</b> for homework</u> very loudly." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
64 "antithetical" " contrary to the very nature of" "adj." "Greek/Latin : anti- + tithenai ""to put, place""" "Some critics say that <u>democracy is <b>antithetical</b> to the Islamic way of life. </u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
65 "apathy" "Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. state of total disinterest or unenthusiasm" "noun" "Synonyms: indifference, passivity, ennui" "Political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to apathy than older citizens." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1673 "aplomb" "Aplomb is the ultimate test for cool: grace under pressure." "adj. " "French : ""perpendicularity,""a lead(Pb) weight = ""poised upright, balanced.""" "Because the negotiator<u> handled the hostage situation with <b>aplomb</u></b>, the kidnapper released everyone without harm." "Vocab" "Prepscholar"
825 "apostle" " a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular cause" "noun" "Synonyms: proponent, promoter, propagandist" "On the website of this apostle of anti-Americanism, there is an article rejoicing in the fact that the United States need no longer be treated as an enemy... " "Medium Difficult" "FT"
67 "appease" " to placate, to pacify, to satisfy" "verb" " latin, french : a ""to"" (see ad-) + paix/paicem ""peace"" = to pacify. Sometimes also means to satisfy (an appetite, a need)" "These gestures were meant to appease the religious right " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
826 "apprise" "inform somebody of something" "verb" "Synonyms: notify, let know, advise" "The secret services are useful in apprising their governments of the intentions of others" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1458 "approbation" "official acceptance or agreement" "noun" "Probation hat den gleichen Sinn wie ""Probezeit"". Approbation bedeutet, dass man diese bestanden hat." "<u>Filled with <b>approbation</b>, the audience gave a standing ovation.</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
68 "appropriate" "1. adj. correct, proper, or in good taste. 2. v. to take for one's own use. to take possession of, without consent. A polite word for ""steal""" "adj., verb" "Note how the 2 uses of appropriate have diametrically opposite ethical values. As an adjective it is good, as a verb it is bad. " "1. <u>The <b>appropriate</b> use for toothpaste is for brushing teeth</u><br>2.The <u>advancing army <b>appropriated</b>food and other supplies</u> the territories they occupied." "Homonym" "MSU"
70 "arbiter" "a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter" "noun" " French arbitre= ""arbiter, judge"" </br>Synonyms: authority, judge, controller" "The <u><b>arbiter</b> helps the divorcing couple</u> come to terms on a settlement" "Least Difficult" "FT"
71 "arbitrary" "Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system" "adj." "Synonyms: capricious, random, chance" "Since Jake’s teacher disliked him, she came up with an arbitrary punishment to help him remember his homewor" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
73 "arbitrate" "to settle a dispute via mediation (n: arbitration)" "verb" " Latin : arbiter ""a judge, umpire, mediator"". See arbitre (French) = umpire. Verb is arbitratation" "The mediator arbitrated the dispute between the two parties." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1155 "arbor" "tree" "Greek/Latin root" "arboreal(pertaining to trees)</br> arboretum(where trees are culitivated)</br> arborcide(killing of trees)" "Latin words" "nko"
74 "arcane" " secret or known only to a select group" "adj." "Deutsch : geheimnisvoll, Obskur. Latin arcanus ""secret, hidden, private, concealed" "The traditional healer's arcane rituals confused her." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
75 "archaic" " old-fashioned, adj. no longer in the common usage" "adj." "archaios=""old""+ic=""nature of, like" "In comparison to portable laptop computers, typewriters are considered archaic" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
78 "arduous" "characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion" "adj." " Latin arduus ""high, steep"" also figuratively, ""difficult, hard to reach," "Mountain climbing is fun but quite arduous." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
827 "armada" " a fleet of warships" "noun" "Synonyms: flotilla, squadron, navy" "This month he also unveiled plans to send an armada of tiny spaceships, powered by laser beams and equipped with all sorts of sensors..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
828 "arson" " the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property" "noun" "Synonyms: incendiarism, pyromania" "Fire investigators suspected arson when they couldn’t find an electrical source for the fi" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
79 "articulate" " exhibiting considerable communication skills, well-spoken" "adj., verb" "Deutsch : 1. redegewandt UND </br>2. ein Gelenk bilden" "1. His vast vocabulary allowed him to clearly articulate his opinions.</br>2. The lower jaw articulates with the skull." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
81 "artless" "simple and natural; without cunning or deceit" "adj." "Synonyms: candid, direct, forthright. adj. natural, untrained" "With her artless look, the girl next door looked beautiful even though she had no make-up on and didn’t style her hai" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1459 "assiduous" "marked by care and persistent effort" "adj." "Latin: ad ""to"" + sedere ""to sit=>constantly working at it " "His <b>assiduous</b>attempts to improve his GRE vocab got him a top verbal score" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
85 "assuage" " to provide relief from an unpleasant feeling. to make less severe; to appease or satisfy" "verb" "v. to satisfy a need or appetite" "A massage can assuage the soreness in your muscles." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
86 "astonishment" " total surprise, shock" "noun" " Old French estoner ""to stun, daze, deafen, astound"" Vulgar Latin *extonare, </br> Latin ex ""out"" + tonare ""to thunder""" "The homeless man looked at me in astonishment when I gave him the bag of money." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
88 "attenuate" "become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude" "verb" " Latin : ad ""to"" (see ad-) + tenuare ""make thin"" </br>Deutsch : dämpfen, abschwächen </br> abate is similar but means ""get less, possibly zero" "The contract includes a safeguard clause to <b><u>attenuate</b> possible additional costs demands.</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
91 "audacious" " showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks. extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity)" "adj." "Synonyms: bold, daring, fearless" "The new CEO <u>pursued <b>audacious</b> initiatives</u> to save the company from bankruptcy. </br> The student’s audacious remark earned her a seat in afternoon detentio" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
92 "audio" "hear</br> sound" "Greek/Latin root" "audiophile(someone who likes music)</br> audiometer(something that measures sound)</br> auditory(somewhere where one listens to lectures)" "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
94 "austere" " severe, unadorned. Having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance" "adj." " Old French austere ""strict, severe, harsh, cruel"" </br>Synonyms: unadorned, subdued, stark" "Instead of being bleak and austere, hospitals should be warm and cheery." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
96 "avarice" " greed" "noun" " Latin (via French) avaritia ""greed, inordinate desire" "The third of the 7 deadly Christian sins is avarice - greed" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
98 "aver" " to assert or allege. to declare" "verb" "Deutsch : beteuern, behaupten. </br> Latin ad ""to"" + verus ""true"" - later meaning to assert with confident" "Many of those who voted for the President, his opponent averred, did so because they were rooked by devious lies" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1041 "avi" "bird" "Greek/Latin root" "Aviary =a large enclosure for birds Aviatrix =a female airplane pilot Aviation =the art of designing or operating aircraft" "Root words" "Aristotle"
100 "banal" " boring, cliché, repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse" "adj." "<u>I was bored to death because of his <b>banal</b> conversation</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
101 "barefaced" "unconcealed, shameless, or brazen" "adj." "with face uncovered or shaven;"" see bare + face : Thus, ""unconcealed" "It would be a barefaced lie to claim that there is freedom in Venezuela" "Common GRE" "MSU"
830 "barrage" " A concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows" "noun" "Synonyms: abundance, mass, profusion" "He drove into a hailstorm and his car was damaged by a barrage of hailstones" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1669 "baseness" "unworthiness by virtue of lacking higher values" "adj." "from base (adj.) + -ness." "The pauper looked at the touristist skeptically, thinking that they gloried in his squalor as proof of his baseness." "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
102 "belie" " give a false impression (intentional or unintentional) in word, appearance, or deed" "verb" "Old English beleogan (Deutsch : belügen" "Janice hoped her smile would belie the sadness she felt." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1070 "belli" "war" "Greek/Latin root" "bellicose =warlike in manner or temperament</br> belligerent =hostile</br> ready to fight</br>rebel =person who opposes and fights" "Greek/Latin " "Manhattan"
1460 "beneficent" "doing or producing good" "adj." "bene=good" "My <b><u>beneficent neighbor</b> gives out meals to the poor</u> every Sunday." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
104 "benign" " gentle, harmless" "adj." " Latin ""well born"" bene ""well"" + "" genus ""birth"" " "Grandfather fortunately had a benign form of cancer" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
831 "bevy" " a large group of people or things of a particular kind" "noun" "word of unclear origin. </br>Synonyms: group, crowd, cluster" "Because my mother wrote a bevy of items on her grocery list, I was in the store for nearly two hours" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
106 "biased" " prejudiced, displaying partiality" "adj." "From French : biais : a slant, a slope, an oblique, later figuratively : giving a bias to, causing to incline to one side" "The bigot admits that he is u><b>biased</b> toward immigrants</u> and stereotypes people according to their race before he ever meets them" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
942 "bilk" "Obtain or withhold money from (someone) by deceit or without justification" "verb" "Synonyms: swindle, defraud, deceive" "Because the police in that country are not paid regularly, they bilk the system and get away with it, as their bosses have the same issue." "Most Difficult" "FT"
109 "blandishment" "speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something, the use of flattery (sweet-talk) and enticements to persuade somebody gently to do something" "noun" " Latin blandiri ""flatter, soothe, caress, coax""</br>Deutsch : Schmeichelrei, schönrede" "Even though the salesman produced every <u><b>blandishment</b></u> he could think of from his <u>bag of tricks</u>, his prospect wouldn’t be budged by <u>his flattery.</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
110 "blight" "a thing that spoils or damages something" "noun" "Gleicher Wortstamm wie : ""bleichen"". </br>Synonyms: affliction, scourge, bane" "1. Because of the <u>urban <b>blight</u></b> that has taken over the downtown area, many of the stores have relocated.</br>2. The torrential rain <b>blighted</b> the crop." "Least Difficult" "FT"
111 "blithe" "showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper, carefree and unconcerned" "adj." "Synonyms: indifferent, unconcerned, blasé" "The <u>rebellious teenager was <b>blithe</b> about her failing grades.</u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
112 "blowhard" "a person who blusters and boasts in an unpleasant way" "noun" "Synonyms: boaster, bragger, show-off" "<u>The self-promoting <b>blowhard</b> talked</u> about his own accomplishments until his guests were bored to tears" "Least Difficult" "FT"
113 "bolster" "support or strengthen" "verb" "Old English bolster ""bolster, cushion, something stuffed so that it swells up </br>Deutsch : gleiche Urspurng Polster" "The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would <u><b>bolster</b> her case against the defendant.</u>" "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
114 "bombast" "pompous speech (adj: bombastic)" "noun" "Bombast was originally a material of cotton applied to a stuff of soft, loose texture, used to swell a garment. </br>Deutsch= der erste Teil vom Wort ""Baumwolle"" ist ähnlich wie""Bom""" " Madam President, Commissioner, we have <u>no need for sentimentality and <b>bombast</b> on such a serious issue </u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
116 "bombastic" " overblown, theatrical. High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated " "adj." "bombast + ic=""nature of, like""</br>Synonyms: pompous, blustering, turgid" "If you want to sell your energy drink, then you must use <u><b>bombastic</b> claims</u> in your commercials." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
832 "boor" " an unrefined, ill-mannered person" "noun" "Synonyms: lout, oaf, ruffian" "End a sentence in a preposition, and there are still people who will think you a boor." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1461 "boorish" "ill-mannered and coarse in behavior or appearance" "adj." "old English for herdsman (Bauer..)" "The hometown fans acted in such a <b>boorish</b> way toward the visiting team that they had to forfeit the game." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
117 "bore" "1. v. to cause one to lose interest. </br>2. v. to drill a hole. adj. similar to or pertaining to objects that drill holes." "verb" "1. the lecturer repeated everything we already knew and<b> bored</b> all in the class</br>2.Pickleworms <u><b>bore</b> into</u> the fruit of cucumber and squash plants to feed on their flesh." "Homonym" "MSU"
118 "boycott" "a punitive ban that forbids relations with certain groups" "noun" "Synonyms: veto, shunning, rejection" "Conversely some prominent black women have <u>called for a <b>boycott</b></u>, seeing Mr. Parker’s past as a disqualifying stai" "Least Difficult" "FT"
119 "brazen" " bold or open to the point of shocking" "adj." "Old English bræsen""of brass, - which then led to brazen-faced (shameless) and then hardened in war" "In a <b><u>brazen</b> assault</u>, the gang fired their weapons at the policeman." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
120 "breach" "a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through." "noun, verb" "old English for ""break"". Most typical uses are ""breach of contract"" or ""breach of peace"". But also ""breach"" of defenses, breach of etiquette " "The club members never forgot his <u><b>breach</b> of ettiquette.</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
833 "bucolic" "Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life, pastoral, rustic, countryfied" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: rustic, rural, pastoral" "General Electric... is now swapping its bucolic site for a collection of warehouses on the Boston waterfront." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
123 "burgeon" " flourish, bloom,to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning )" "noun, verb" "of uncertain origin" "Left untreated, the garden <u>weeds will <b>burgeon</b> and take over the entire property within days</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
124 "burlesque" " a variety show" "noun" "Synonyms: skit, farce, striptease" "Madame JoJo’s, a <b>burlesque</b> bar in London’s Soho, had its license revoked in 2014 after two bouncers brandished a baseball bat at a rowdy cr" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1462 "burnish" "polish and make shiny" "verb" "you could burnish a car, a suit of armor, or a copper kettle. Reputations are among the most common non-physical things to be burnished." "Richard is forever attempting to <u><b>burnish</b> his reputation</u> so that he can advance his position within our company. " " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1165 "burs" "pouch</br> purse" "Greek/Latin root" "bursary(stipend) </br> bursar(treasurer of a college)" "Latin words" "nko"
125 "buttress" "a support usually of stone or brick" "noun, verb" " old French" "Her good arguments <u><b>buttressed</b> her credibility</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
126 "caco" "Bad " "Greek/Latin root" " PIE Kaka=to defecate" "cacophony (bad sound)<br> cacography(bad handwriting)<br> cacostocracy(government by the worst in society)" "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
128 "cacophony" " loud and chaotic noise. a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds" "noun" "Synonyms: racket, noise, clamor" "The <b>cacophony</b> of the middle school band warming up was nearly <u>unbearable for the audience.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
129 "cadge" "to get something by taking advantage of someone" "verb" " old English ""to get by begging""" "By flirting with the bartender, the pretty girl was able to<u> <b>cadge</b> free drinks.</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
130 "calumny" " lie or slander, often to damage somone's reputation" "noun" " Old French calomnie/Latin calumnia ""trickery, subterfuge, misrepresentation, malicious charge" "The film was supposed to be a true story, but in fact it was a huge<u> <b>calumny</b> to tarnish the star’s reputation</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
943 "canard" " an unfounded rumor or story" "noun" " French canard ""a hoax"" literally ""a duck"" </br>Synonyms: piece of gossip, whisper" "The newspaper claimed to identify a man living in California as the real masatermind behind the plot, but this turned out to be an embarrassing canard." "Most Difficult" "FT"
131 "candid" " honest, open" "adj." "When questioned, she <u>held nothing back and gave a <b>candid <b>/response</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
132 "canon" " accepted rules and tenets of a discipline" "noun" """canon written with 1 ""n"" - unlike the one you shoot cannonballs ! <br> n. sacred works/scripture;<br> in this sense it is also used to refer to notable literary and artistic works of a culture or discipline" "At the same time, <u><b>canon</b> law is part of the temporal legal system</u>, and bishops are appointed jointly by the Prime Minister and the head of state" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
834 "canonical" "(Of an artist or work) belonging to the literary or artistic canon" "adj." "Synonyms: established, authoritative" "The medium now mostly consists of recycling the same <b>canonical</b> works by European men from centuries past." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1168 "cap</br>capt</br>cept" "take</br> hold" "Greek/Latin root" "In old legal documents determining seizure of assets</br> the header was entitled ""document of caption""- which eventually led to the word caption being used to mean as a short summary text " "captivity</br> captive</br> capture</br> captious(seizes any opportunity to talk a lot about little faults)</br> captivation (taken hold by beauty or excellence)</br> " "Latin words" "nko"
133 "capacity" " the capability to perform a particular action or fulfill a given function" "noun" "n. a particular position or role " " she served in an <u>advisory <b>capacity</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
134 "caprice" "an impulsive act" "noun" "French caprice=""whim""" "Because John <u>did not think before acting,</u> he could spend years in prison for a silly <b>caprice.</b>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
835 "capricious" "given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. mercurial, unpredictable, whimsical" "adj." "Synonyms: fickle, inconstant, changeable" "The capricious supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
137 "castigate" " to scold or berate strongly. to chastise or criticize severely" "verb" "Latin castigatus""to correct, set right; purify; chastise, punish"" from castus ""pure"" + agere ""to do" "The boss <u>misused performance reviews</u> to <b>castigate</b> his employees" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1463 "castigation" "harsh verbal reprimand" "noun" "The teacher’s <u>verbal <b>castigation</b> of the student was harsh</u> but needed since he refused to do any work." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1185 "cata" "down</br> against completely</br> intensive</br> according to" "Greek/Latin root" "catabatic wind(downslope)</br> catapult(throw against intensely) catastrophe(intense against what is expected)</br> catoptric(pertaining to mirrors)</br> cataclysm(flood=intensive washing)</br> cataclasm(great breaking down)</br> cathode(lower negative pole)</br> catheter(lets down liquid out of body)</br> catacomb(underground burial place)</br> " "Latin words" "nko"
944 "catalyst" " a person or thing that precipitates an event. something that speeds up a process or causes action. an agent of change (adj: catalytic; v. catalyze)" "noun" "Synonyms: stimulus, impetus, spark" "Jake’s termination from his job was the catalyst for his change of charact" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
945 "catharsis" " the process of releasing and providing relief from strong or repressed emotions" "noun" " Latinized form of Greek katharsis "" a bodily purging, cleansing - (especially of the bowels) - now generally used in an emotional sense. </br>Synonyms: emotional release, relief" "Crying is a great catharsis for releasing pain and anger." "Most Difficult" "FT"
141 "caustic" " corrosive. capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical:adj. bitterly sarcastic" "adj." " + ic=""nature of, like""</br>" "His <b><u>caustic</b> remarks</u> spoiled the mood of the party" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
142 "censure" " to express intense condemnation, an official reprimand" "verb" " French, censurer. </br>Do not confuse with ""censor""(=prevent publication)</br> Do not confuse with ""sensor""(=something that senses/measures"")" "Since the marine left base without permission, he is <u>expecting both a censure and punishment</u> when he returns tomorrow." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
836 "chauvinism" " Excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for one’s own cause, group, or gender" "noun" "Synonyms: jingoism, excessive patriotism, sectarianism" "As recently as 2014, a biannual survey of right-wing attitudes in Germany found that xenophobia, chauvinism, anti-Semitism and authoritarian longings were declining." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
143 "chauvinist" " someone who believes prejudicially that their own group is the superior one, exaggerated, blind nationalism; patriotism degenerated into a vice" "noun" "French : chauvinisme, after behaviour of N. Chauvin, soldier of Napoleon who idolized Napoleon long after he was history" "<u>His sister was <b>chauvinist</b> when it comes to feminism</u>, as she gets both angry and irritated when someone opposes her point of view" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
144 "chicanery" "deception by trickery, often to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose" "noun" " French chicanerie ""trickery"" Middle French chicaner ""to pettifog, quibble""" "<u>Instead</u> of being <u>truthful</u> on his campaign for sheriff, <u>he resorted to <b>chicanery</b>.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
146 "chorale </br> corral" "n. a type of hymn (sung) or a choir </br>n. a fenced enclosure for cattle or horses. v. to herd cattle or horses (or people) into one place" "noun" "Corral is of Spanish origin. The protective wide circle of ox-wagons called laager by the Afrikaners was called corral by the Americans travelling West in their wagons. " "<u>Maimie always <b>corraled</b> Marnie into serving as secretary</u> for the meetings. </br>The <b>chorale</b> originated when Martin Luther translated <u>sacred songs into the vernacular language </u>" "Homophone" "MSU"
147 "chronic" "(Of a problem) long lasting and difficult to eradicate" "adj." "Greek : chronos=time+ic=nature of/like=>lasting a long time</br>Synonyms: constant, continuing, persistent " "Pessimists think the productivity problem is <b>chronic</b>. " "Least Difficult" "FT"
148 "chronological" " ordered by time" "adj." "Latin : chrono=time+logo=theory, science, doctrine+ ic/ical=word-forming element making adj.s" "He went through the events in chronological order" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1380 "circum" "word-forming element meaning (all)around , round about on all sides" "Latin Prefix" "circumnavigate: sail around the globe</br>circumpolar: surround one of the poles</br>circumscribe: to make a circle around= to encompass</br>circumspect: looking around from all sides=suspect</br>circumvent: to go around</br>circumvolve: to turn or to cause to roll around" "Circa, circuit, circumcision, circus, circumference, circumspection, circumstance</br> circadian: about a day</br>circumambient: surroundings</br> circumambulate: to walk around</br>circumbendibus: a round about way - round the bend</br>circumcise: cut around</br>circumflex: sign bent around</br> circumfluent:a fluid flowing around</br>circumjacent:bordering on every side</br>circumlocution: a round about way of speaking, ie. elusive" "Latin words" "nko"
837 "circumspect" "Wary and unwilling to take risks" "adj." "Synonyms: cautious, wary, careful" "This is an area where we need to be extraordinarily careful and circumspect', he said. 'We’re literally talking about life and death" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1177 "clin" "lean</br> bend" "Greek/Latin root" "word-forming element meaning ""slope</br> slant</br> incline" "incline</br> decline</br> recline</br> clinometer</br> " "Latin words" "nko"
946 "cloture" " (in a legislative assembly) a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote" "noun" "The French word for ""closure"", with the ""s"" dropped out, like hopital/hospital" "You need majority support of parliamentarians to <u>invoke <b>cloture</u> </b>and end the filibuster." "Most Difficult" "FT"
838 "coalesce" "Come together and form one mass or whole" "verb" "Synonyms: merge, unite, fuse" "As they radiate away, the waves tend to coalesce to form two main shock waves." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
153 "coda" "a concluding event, remark or musical composition" "noun" "Synonyms: ending, finale" "The final section of the song was <u>sealed with a <b>coda</u></b> that sounded like an entirely different melody." "Least Difficult" "FT"
839 "coffers" " the funds or financial reserves of a group or institution" "noun" "coffer = a strong chest or box that is used to store money or valuables<br>=Koffer in Deutsch, <br>but coffers= resources, money, finances" "The new tax <u>filled public <b>coffers</u> </b>but later slowed the economy" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1043 "cog" "to know" "Greek/Latin root" "Cognizant=fully informed</br> conscious</br>cognition =process of acquiring knowledge</br> incognito =disguised so no one knows you</br>recognize =to discover that one knows</br> cogitate =to think carefully about" "Root words" "Aristotle"
154 "cogent" "powerfully persuasive, very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe" "adj." " French/Latin : com=with + agere=action, ie. Co-alignment, compelling" "The politician's <u>clear <b>cogent</b> argument </u>against the war won him many votes in the election" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1044 "col</br> con</br> com" "with " "Greek/Latin root" "collaborate=to work together collision =smashingtogether colloquial -words formed by everyday interaction commemorate =to memorize together commune=living together while owning things in common concomitant=accompanying concur =to agree with someone" "Root words" "Aristotle"
155 "commensurate" "corresponding in size or degree or extent" "adj." " Latin com ""with, together"" + mensuratus, pp mensurare ""to measure => with measure </br>Deutsch : mit Mass" "You will get a <u>salary increase <b>commensurate</b> with</u> your additional responsibilities and work" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
157 "compelling" " captivating, very persuasive" "adj." "Latin com ""with, together"" + pellere ""to drive""" "The jury seemed moved by the lawyer’s <u><b>compelling</b> argument</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
947 "compendium" "a publication containing a variety of works" "noun" "Synonyms: compilation, anthology" "The entertainer relies on a crowdsourced compendium of fishermen’s tales and jok" "Most Difficult" "FT"
158 "complaisant" "showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others" "adj." "com=with, plaisant=pleasure/pleasing" "Because <u>John is too <b>complaisant</b> in his willingness to please others</u>, people often take advantage of him" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1453 "complaisant</br>complacent" " complaisant =""pleasing, obliging, gracious""</br>complacent = pleased with oneself, one's conditions, self-satisfied, often overly so" "adj." "complacent is often used to imply that one is TOO self-satisfied with oneself or with what one achieved - in the sense of ""resting on one's laurels""" "Although Chuck wanted an 'A' in the class, he was complacent with a 'B'</br>Because John is too complaisant in his willingness to please others, people often take advantage of him" "Homophone" "merriam-webster"
159 "comprehensive" " complete and thorough" "adj." "com=with/together, preandre=seize/hold" "Heather’s <b><u>comprehensive</b> workout helps tone all of the muscles</u> in her bod" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1464 "conciliatory" "making or willing to make concessions" "adj." "Latin: conciliatus ""to bring together, win over,"" same root as ""council""+ –ory ""relating to or doing. Context often involves compromise" "Even though Henry hated fruit cake, <u>he still accepted the <b>conciliatory</b> gift from his neighbor.</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
840 "condone" "Accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive)" "verb" "Synonyms: disregard, let pass, excuse" "Rashad Ali... argues that deradicalisation can be worse than useless if practitioners, while condemning IS, condone other violence." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
161 "conflagration" "1. a great fire OR <br>2. a conflict or war" "noun" "con=with/togethe+ =flagrare ""to burn, blaze, glow" "1. The combustion products such as smoke,heat and hot <b>conflagration</b> gases generated during a <u>fire</u> rise upwards</br>2. It seems as though the <u><b>conflagration</b> in the Middle East</u> has been going on for centuries " "Common GRE" "MSU"
163 "confound" " to confuse or astonish. Prove (a theory, expectation, or prediction) wrong" "verb" "Synonyms: contradict, counter, go against" "Yet in another sense, <u>the Fed has <b>confounded</b> predictions</u>—at least, those it made itsel" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
164 "connoisseur" " an expert in a particular subject matter area, usually relating to the fine arts or cultural pursuits" "noun" " French. Connaisseur (with an ""a"") is a specialist, and connoisseur (with an ""o"") is ""higher ranked"", as they are a conaisseur AND their opinions are valued !" "Since you are <u>a wine <b>connoisseur</b></u>, I thought I would ask your opinion on the best wines for my dinner party" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1663 "connote" "to imply something in addition to what is apparent" "verb" "Latin : com ""with, together"" + notare ""to mark, note, make a note,""=>to signify in addition to the main meaning" "At work, we <b>connote</b> the employee of the month award with being the best worker on the team." "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
1670 "connote/denote" "Connote is like giving a hint, but to denote is to refer to something outright." "verb" "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
948 "conscript" "Enlist (someone) compulsorily" "verb" "Synonyms: draft, recruit, call up" "Most Israelis are conscripted into the military" "Most Difficult" "FT"
165 "consequential" " as a result of, ""following as an effect or result""" "adj." "con=with a sequence </br>adj. significant or memorable" "The <u><b>consequential damages</b></u> of the critical reactor breaking down were significant, as the entire plant had to shut for months" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
167 "construe" " to interpret" "verb" "same latin/French origin as ""construct"", ie. With/together + piling up= interpret" "Although I tried to pay you a compliment, you have decided to <u><b>construe</b> my words</u> as an insult" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
168 "consumption" " utilization (esp. of a resource)" "noun" "Excessive <u>alcohol consumption</u> has been linked to liver damage" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
169 "contend" " assert or claim" "verb" " old French comptendre : engage in rivalry, compete" "In order to obtain custody of her children in the divorce, Bridgett will <b>contend</b> nasty things about her husband" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1465 "contention" "the act of competing as for profit or a prize" "noun" """a violent effort to obtain something""" "Does anyone know the <u>bone of <b>contention</b></u> that started the fight between Jim and Bob?" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
170 "contentious" " controversial, causing or likely to cause an argument" "adj." " Latin contentiosus ""obstinate, quarrelsome" "As a rule, I tend to <u>avoid <b>contentious</b> topics of conversation</u> which might lead to arguments" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
841 "contrite" "feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses" "adj." "Synonyms: regretful, sorry, apologetic" "As the election results were coming in, a contrite Mr. Turnbull took 'full responsibility' for the government’s poor performanc" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1466 "conundrum" "a difficult problem" "noun" "unclear origin" "The <b><u>conundrum</b> is that I am stranded in the middle of nowhere</u> without my cell phone." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
172 "convoluted" " roundabout, not straightforward" "adj." " Latin : to roll together"" com ""with, together"" (see con-) + volvere ""to roll""" "My head began to hurt as I listened to the professor’s <b>convolute</b> spee" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
173 "copious" " plentiful or abundant" "adj." " Latin : ""abundant, plentiful""" "<u>Take <b>copious</b> notes in class</u> so that you have plenty of review material for the test." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
174 "corporal" "of the body: ""corporal punishment."" a non-commissioned officer ranked between a sergeant and a private." "adj." "1. corporal punishment will still in use during my father's school days. " "Common GRE" "MSU"
175 "corporeal" "of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible. (In older writings, coeporeal could be a synonym for corporal. This usage is no longer common)" "adj." "Latin : ""of a material or physical nature, not mental or spiritual"" with adjectival suffix -al preceded by corpus ""body"" (living or dead)," "As Jack reached for <u>the ghost</u>, he realized it <u>was not <b>corporeal</b></u> when his hands went straight through the shape." "Common GRE" "MSU"
177 "corroborate" "to strengthen or support: (n: corroboration)" "verb" " Latin : form of com ""with, together"" + roborare ""to make strong"" robur, robus ""strength"" - same root as robust" "The scientist was able to corroborate his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources. The witness corroborted his story." "Common GRE" "MSU"
178 "corroborate </br> collaborate" "It's ""L"" like Royalty…..don't ge""L"" and ""R"" confused" "verb" "During the president's election, the 2 scientists collaborated together to find facts to corrobarate their joint theory. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
179 "cosmopolitan" " of or relating to a large city or massive urban area" "adj." "belonging to all parts of the world, limited to no place or society. </br>adj. sophisticated" "With its hugely diverse population, <u>New York City is considered one of the most <b>cosmopolitan</b></u> cities in the world" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
949 "cosset" "1. a pet lamb</br>2. Care for and protect in an overindulgent way" "verb" "Deutsch : 1. Hauslamm, 2. verhätscheln</br>Synonyms: indulge, pander" "From buying expensive toys to boxing vegetable-free lunches, the mother would<u> <b>cosset</b> to her child's every whim</u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
950 "coterie" " a small group of people with shared interests or tastes" "noun" " French coterie ""circle of acquaintances"" originally in Middle French an organization of peasants holding land a feudal lord cotier ""tenant of a cote"" </br>Synonyms: clique, circle, inner circle" "He rules through a tight coterie of loyal aides" "Most Difficult" "FT"
180 "covet" " to desire something that does not belong to you" "verb" " old French : to desire or wish for inordinately or without regard for the rights of others," "In the book by Dickens, the miser did <u>nothing but <b>covet</b> money</u></br>10th commandment : You shall not <b>covet</b> your neighbor's wife,…et" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
182 "craft" "n. skill" "noun" "as adjective it means ""cunning""- a crafty pickpocket" "The retired teacher is looking for a new craft to take up since she is good at making things with her hands" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
184 "craven" " cowardly to the point of being shameful" "adj." " Latin/French where originally cravant initially =""defeated, vanquished, overcome, conquered"", but changing later to cowardly" "Because police officers must be fearless, <u><b>craven</b> people should not apply for positions in law enforcement.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
186 "cred" "belief " "Greek/Latin root" "credence =belief that something is true or valid</br>credulous =believing things too easily</br> gullible</br>incredible =unbelievable</br>incredulous=skeptical</br> disbelieving" "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
185 "credence" " belief or trust" "noun" " Medieval Latin credentia ""belief"". ""credentials"", ""credit"", all have the same roots" "The crazy man’s UFO story was so <u>ridiculous that not a single person gave it any <b>credence.</u></" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
842 "credulous" "having or showing too great a readiness to believe things. gullible, naïv" "adj." "Synonyms: gullible, naive" "Supplements boast a unique trifecta: lax regulation, potent marketing and millions of credulousconsumers keen to pin their hopes of a healthier life on a pill." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
189 "culpable" "deserving of blame (n: culpability)" "adj." " Old French coupable" "The judge found the man culpable of the crime and sentenced him to life in prison" "Common GRE" "MSU"
951 "daguerreotype" " A photograph taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitized silvered plate and mercury vapor" "noun" "Named after the French inventor of early Ag/Hg photograhy : L. Daguerre" "He showed her a plate daguerreotype of a stern-looking Victorian ancestor " "Most Difficult" "FT"
1467 "daunt" "cause to lose courage" "adj." "Daunt rhymes with haunt, another word which means to frighten(but daunt is less creepy)" "David faced the <u><b>daunting</b> task</u> of fighting Goliath" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
191 "dearth" "lack, scarcity: " "noun" " Old English deore ""precious, costly"" (see dear) + abstract noun suffix -th" "The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1668 "debase" "reduce in quality or value; lower in esteem; degrade" " verb" "Latin : de- ""down"" + base (adj.) ""low,""" "The lack of fiscal discipline led to the <u>currency being <b>debased.</u></b>" "1000 Difficult GRE word" "Examword"
192 "decorum" "appropriate manners and conduct" "noun" "same root at déco" "Not understanding decorum at a formal dinner, Jake ate his salad with his dinner fork" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
194 "deference" "courteous regard for people's feelings" "noun" " French déférence (16c.), défé""to yield, comply" " He held his tongue in deference to his father. (n: deferential. v. defer)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
195 "deflect" " divert or cause to ricochet" "verb" "de=away + flect = bend" "He deflected the attack with a defty response" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
196 "deft" " skill, acumen, manual dexterity" "adj." "unclear origin" "The deft musician was able to play the harmonica and the piano at the same time." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
197 "deign" "Do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity" "verb" "Synonyms: come down one's high horse" "If the Senate <b><u>deigns</b> to consider and confirm</u> a nominee, do not expect changes overnight." "Least Difficult" "FT"
198 "delineate" " 1. to describe very accurately, to clearly describe or portray something</br>2. to clearly demarcate a boundary, to render an outline" "verb" "Latin : de- ""completely""+ lineare ""draw lines," "1.<u>While I cannot <b>delineate</b></u> the style of car she drove, <u>I can </u>give you the license plate number. </br>2. <u>Jason put a fence up to <b>delineate</b> his property</u> from his neighbor’" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1384 "demi" "half" "Prefix" "word-forming element meaning ""half</br> half-sized</br> partial</br>"" used in technical terms French" "demigod</br>" "Latin words" "nko"
843 "demur" "to object or protest to something" "verb" "demur from French/Latin : de + mor (as in moratium)= to linger, to tarry </br>Synonyms: object, take exception, take issue" "Mr. Sasse demurs. He does not want less fighting between the left and right. He wants more meaningful fighting about issues of substance." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1372 "demure </br> demur" "demur=To express disagreement or refuse to do something </br> demure=Quiet and well behaved (especially of women and children)" "noun, verb" "1. demur from French/Latin : de=completely + mor (as in moratium)=> to linger, to tarry</br>2. demure is an old French surname, with "" de mû"", which means ""ripe/mature""" "Even though she was of <u>quiet <b>demure</b></u>, the secretary <b><u>demurred</b> to</u> bring coffee for her bos" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
201 "denigrate" "attack the good name and reputation of someone" "verb" "Latin denigratus ""to blacken; to defame"" de- ""completely"" + nigr-, stem of niger ""black"" " "During the election, the crooked <u>politician did everything in his power to <b>denigrate</b> his rival.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
202 "depict" "to show, create a picture of." "verb" " Latin depictus, past participle of depingere ""to portray, paint, sketch; describe, imagine"" de ""down"" (see de-) + pingere ""to paint""" "<u>The drawings</u> on the cave walls <b>depict</b> the lives of the earliest men on the planet." "Common GRE" "MSU"
844 "depravity" " Moral corruption; wickedness, state of being depraved, degeneracy" "noun" "Synonyms: vice, perversion, deviance" "We moved to the quiet country to <u>keep our children away from the <b>depravity</b> of city life.</u>" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
203 "deprecate (deprecation) </br> depreciate (depreciation)" "to deprecate is “to disapprove," "verb" " </br>“self-deprecating,” it means, “to belittle.” </br> In the world of computing, deprecated means “phased out” or “soon to be phased out.” </br>Depreciate is primarily a financial term(Deutsch=Abschreibung), generally loss of book value, prim" "When John heard that Jane climbed Mt. Everest , he<u> <b>deprecated</b> her achievement </u>and said it wasn't more than a walk up a hill. </br>The softwarehad already had <u>its full book value <b>depreciated</b></u> in the finance department" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
204 "deprecation" "disapproval, earnest expression of feeling against" "noun" "Has the word ""Pray"" in its origins, in the sense ""pray, do not""</br>Do NOT confuse with deprecIation, a finance term" "Ingrid is well-known for her self-deprecation, as she constantly looks down on herself and harshly judges all of her actions." "Common GRE" "MSU"
205 "depredation" "the act of preying upon or plundering. To act as a predator. " "noun" "French/latin : de- ""thoroughly"" (see de-) + praedari ""to plunder"" literally ""to make prey of"" praeda ""prey""" "The <u><b>depredations</b> of the invaders demoralized</u> the population." "Common GRE" "MSU"
845 "deride" "Express contempt for; ridicule. to mock or ridicule" "verb" "French : de ""down""+ ridere(rire) ""to laugh""</br> Synonyms: mock, jeer at, scoff at" "Mr. Trudeau’s domestic critics—so far a minority—deride him as 'Prime Minister Selfie' for posing incessantly with fans and celebrit" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
207 "derivative" "a compound obtained from another compound" "adj." "Applies to words (words derive a parent) to chemistry (a product derives another one) and to mathematics" "The new antibiotic is listed as a <b>derivative</b> of penicillin because it was produced from a penicillin base." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
208 "descry" "to make clear, to say" "verb" "Deutsch : entdecken, wahrnehmen" "<u>If you <b>descry</b> illegal content</u> on the linked websites, we beg for notification" "Common GRE" "MSU"
210 "desiccate" "1. to dry out completely </br>2. to suck out the vitality and passion" "verb" " de- ""thoroughly"" (see de-) + siccare ""to dry""</br>Not the spelling, with double ""c""" "1. One should use sliced fruits within one day as the insides quickly <b>desiccate.</b> </br>2. The professional soccer player became<u> <b>desiccated</b> after being in a car accident that left him in a coma.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
211 "desultory" "marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm" "adj." "French : de:-about + sultor(sauter)-jump=>jump about</br>Deutsch : 1.)halbherzig ODER 2.)herumspringend" "1.)The bronze medal winner <u>managed a <b>desultory</b> smile</u>. </br>2.)The students were confused by the teacher’s desultory lecture which seemed to have no real foc" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
212 "detachment" " objectivity or aloofness, devoid of interest or feelings" "noun" " French détachement (17c.), détacher (see detach). Meanin""that which is detached"", also in a military sense. </br>Deutsch : Ablösun" "The woman’s air of detachment made the police question her involvement in her husband’s de" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
213 "determinant" " a strong factor in an outcome" "noun" "Latin : de= ""off"" + terminare ""to mark the end or boundary</br>Deutsch : Bestimmungsfaktor" "The key determinant for social security deductions are the conditions at year end
1468 "deterrent" "something immaterial that interferes with action or progress" "noun" "Latin : de ""away"" + terrere ""frighten, fill with fear""" "North Korea is proud of its >u>nuclear <b>deterrent</u></b> arsenal" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
214 "di" "two</br> double " "Greek/Latin root" "deductions are the conditions on 31 December of the tax period or at the end of the tax liability." "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
846 "diatribe" " a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something" "noun" "Synonyms: tirade, harangue, onslaught" "CNN and other outlets were wrong to turn one disgruntled passenger’s Facebook diatribe into headline news" "357 prevalent GRE words" "FT"
1469 "dichotomy" "a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses" "noun" "Greek dikhotomia ""a cutting in half," "The statement : ""All cars are either small and efficient or large and polluting"" is a <u>false <b>dichotomy</b></u> because there are some cars that don't fit into either category." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
847 "dictum" " a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle" "noun" "Synonyms: saying, maxim, axiom" "Sometimes the old army dictum 'Don’t volunteer for anything' must be broke" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
218 "didactic" " educational or with an instructive purpose; often includes an element of moralizing" "adj." "French didactique, </br> Latinized form of Greek didaktikos ""apt at teaching</br>didact=teach +ic=nature of, like" "Because Mrs. Jones came up with lessons that were <u>not only <b>didactic</b> but also fun</u>, everyone thought she was a fantastic teacher." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
219 "die" "1. v. to cease to live. </br>2. n. a mold used for shaping pieces of metal for incorporation into tools or other products" "verb, noun" "1. sterben</br>2. Deutsch = Pressform, Modell, " "1. the old man died</br>2. These car models are so similar that the <u>same <b>die </b> can be used to make most body parts</u>, such as the doors, hood, roof, and trunk cover." "Homonym" "MSU"
221 "diffident" " shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence" "adj." " Latin dis- ""away"" (see dis-) + fidere ""to trust""=>""to mistrust, lack confidence""" "Because <u>she felt unattractive, Mary was <b>diffident</b> and kept to herself</u> at parties." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
222 "diffident </br> different </br> deference" "<b>diffident</b> = shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence and </br><b>deference</b> is respect for others. " "adj." "If you<u> treat others with <b>deference</b></u>, then people will respect you back, and <u>acting <b>differently</b></u> will not lead to <u>shy <b>diffidence<b></u>" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
848 "diffuse" "Spread out over a large area" "verb" "Synonyms: scattered, dispersed, not concentrated" "The political economy of trade is treacherous: its benefits, though substantial, are diffuse..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1470 "digression" "a message that departs from the main subject" "noun" "Latin: dis- ""apart, aside"" (see dis-) + gradi ""to step, go""=>act of deviating from the main subject matter in speaking or writing" "The <u>professor's <b>digression</b> from the lesson's theme</u> was another subtle attempt to indoctrinate the class with his radicalism" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
849 "dilate" "Make or become wider, larger, or more open" "verb" "from dis- ""apart""+ lātus""broad, wide, widespread, extended"" (as in latitude)=""expand, distend, spread out, enlarge in all directions</br>Synonyms: enlarge, expand" "By being able to increase heartbeat, while dilating blood vessels, theobromine can help reduce high blood pressure." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
952 "dilettante" " a person who cultivates an area of interest without real commitment or knowledge. someone with an amateur, nonserious interest in something" "noun" "Synonyms: dabbler, potterer, tinkerer" "This is not the work of a dilettante, but a strong follow-up to her acclaimed short stories that came out in 2007." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
224 "dirge" "1. funeral or mourning lament.</br> 2. any sad, slow song""" "noun" "In the catholic burial mass, the first answer sung is Psalms v.9, which begins in Latin : ""<b>Dirige</b>, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam (""Direct, O Lord, my God, my way in thy sight""). So, <b>Dirge<b/> is a bastardization of first word of Psalm v.9 and summarizes whole tone, sentence and mass" "Elton John <u>wrote and sang the <b>dirge</b> at Lady Di's funeral.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
227 "disabuse" "free somebody from an erroneous belief" "verb" "dis=""to free, apart, off""+ ""mistake, fallacy, or deception""" "We had to <u><b>disabuse</b> her of the notion</u> that she was invited." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
228 "discern" " to perceive, to recognize the difference or distinction between two or more things" "verb" " dis- ""off, away"" + cernere ""distinguish, separate, sift" "Because Bradley wore sun glasses, I could not discern whether or not his eyes were red." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
229 "discomfort (n) </br> discomfit (vt)" "1. <b>discomfort</b> isa noun the lack of ease or comfort whereas <br>2. <b>discom<u>fit</u></b> is a verb and the act of disconcerting or making uncomfortable for <b>others</b>or to other" "noun, verb" "To discomfit someone is to make them feel uncomfortable or upset. An easy way to discomfit another person is to use the age-old, childish trick of ignoring them." "1. I sat there in <b>discomfort</b><br>2. He was <b>discomfited</b> with the impolite behaviour of the visitor" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
850 "discordant" "not in agreement or harmony" "adj." "Synonyms: divergent, opposing, clashing" "It represents an opening of musical trade routes between two often discordant sides of the world." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1373 "discreet </br> discrete" "discreet=Careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret </br> discrete=Having a clear independent shape or form; separate" "adj." "Swiss banks are discreet -but do not insist that married couples each have their own discrete bank account" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
230 "discrepancy" " a difference or inconsistency especially between things that should be the same" "noun" "dis= ""apart, off"" + crepare=""to rattle, crack""" "The police were <u>confused by the <b>discrepancy</b> between</u> the testimonies of the two witnesses who saw the same event." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
231 "disingenuous" "not candid or sincere, generally by pretending one knows less than one actually does" "adj." "from dis- ""opposite of"" + ingenuous(=naïve)</br>Synonyms: dishonest, deceitful, duplicitous" "The detective was a <b><u>disingenuous</b> man who played dumb to trick others</u> into confessing" "Least Difficult" "FT"
232 "disinterested / uninterested" " disinterested = objective, unbiased, unaffected by concern for one's own welfare" "adj." "if you're <b>disinterested</b>, you're unbiased; you're out of the loop. <br>2. But if you're <b>uninterested</b>, you don't give a hoot; you're bored." "1. The referee should be <b><u>disinterested</b>in which team wins the game</u>, but<br> <u>2. grandmother was <b>uninterested</b> in who won the football game.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1471 "disjointed" "taken apart at the points of connection" "adj." "His <u><b>disjointed</b> argument</u> didn't make much sense" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1472 "dismiss" "stop associating with, to let go, brush aside, declare void, end an encounter" "verb" "<u>She <b>dismissed</b> his advances</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
233 "disparage" " to belittle" "verb" "Originally meant to marry below one's rank, ie. Dis=away + parage=rank. Not it means to push somone lower, to belittle them" "<u>I cannot believe that you belittle and <b>disparage</b> people</u> who have little in common with you." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1374 "disparage </br> disparate" "disparage=To criticize someone or something in a way that shows you do not respect or value them </br> disparate=Different in every way" "adj., verb" "The formal manager and punk employee wore disparate clothing, but the manager never disparaged him in any way" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
235 "disparate" " dissimilar to such a degree that comparison is not possible" "adj." " Latin disparatus, dis- ""apart"" + parare ""get ready, prepare ie. => Dislike in kind" "The identical twins have <u> such <b>disparate</b> personalities</u> that it’s impossible to get them confused. " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
237 "dispassionate" " impartial or cool; calm; objective; unbiased" "adj." "from dis- ""the opposite of"" + passionate" "Liza is a <u><b>dispassionate</b> person who rarely displays her emotions</u> to others" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
238 "disregard" " to ignore or pay no attention to" "verb" "dis= away + regard=look at" "If you <u><b>disregard</b> the red light </u>at an intersection you are not only breaking the law but also endangering your life" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
240 "dissemble" " to mislead or conceal the truth, esp. with respect to one’s motives. to conceal one's real motive, to feign" "verb" " Latin dissimulare ""make unlike, conceal, disguise"" dis- ""completely"" (see dis-) + simulare ""to make like, imitate, copy," "Rather than answer the reporter’s questions directly, <u>the politician chose to mislead and <b>dissembled</b> his responses</" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
241 "dissemble </br> disassemble" "Disassemble is to take something apart, like an old car motor, but dissemble is sneaky — it means to hide your true self,to lie to misrepresent oneself - like the guy who said he was a mechanic but had never actually seen a motor, much less put one back togethe" "adj., verb" "dis= reverse +assemble+collect in one place=> take aprt</br></br></br> dis=not + semble=appear=>not true representation" "the word is that these are Chinese actors who have been hired to resemble and dissemble North Korean fans." "Easily confused words" "MSU"
242 "disseminate" " to spread widely (esp. information)" "verb" "Latin : dis- ""in every direction"" (see dis-) + seminare ""to plant, propagate"" from semen (genitive seminis) ""seed""" "The pollen will <b><u>disseminate</b> into</u> the region by Thursday, causing further burdens for allergy sufferers." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1473 "dissolution" "separation into component parts" "noun" "same root as dissolve" "She started divorce proceedings to achieve the <u><b>dissolution</b> of their marriage</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
243 "dissonance" "disagreeable sounds, a clash between two elements that don’t blend well, a lack of harmony or agreement, " "noun" "Latin : dissonantem""differ in sound"", ie lack of harmony" "The school board’s meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by dissonance among opinion" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1474 "distend" "cause to expand as if by internal pressure" "verb" "Latin dis-=“apart,” + tendere= “to stretch=>" "<u>The pregrant woman's belly began to <b>distend </b></u>as the baby grew." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
953 "diurnal" "(Of animals) active in the daytime" "adj." " Latin dies=day + -urnus, an adjectival suffix denoting time (compare hibernus ""wintery"", nocturnal=active at night. </br>Synonyms: daily, everyday" "Our body clock follows a diurnal rhythm." "Most Difficult" "FT"
244 "diverge" " to split apart, esp. a road or path" "verb" "Laitin : assimilated form of dis- ""apart"" + vergere ""to bend, turn, tend toward""</br> opposite of converge" "Knowing that everyone would diverge after graduation, she was worried that she would not see her friends anymore." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
851 "divest" "Rid oneself of something that one no longer wants or requires, such as a business interest or investment" "verb" "Whatever it is, when you divest something, you get rid of it." "The protesters managed to have the city to <b><u>divest</b> their holdings</u> in Apartheid South Africa" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
245 "docile" "Ready to accept control or instruction; submissive" "adj." " Latin : docilis ""easily taught""</br> Synonyms: compliant, obedient, pliant" "Docile with humans, they are fierce defenders of territory and their young." "Least Difficult" "FT"
246 "doff" "Remove (an item of clothing)" "verb" "Synonyms: lay hold of, take hold of" "To don shoes, to doff them, or even to throw them at somebody?" "Least Difficult" "FT"
247 "dogged" "stubborn or determined: " "adj." """having the qualities of a (bull)dog"", in a negative sense" "Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off." "Common GRE" "MSU"
248 "dogma" " the official beliefs or tenets of particular sect or group" "noun" "Latin : dogma ""philosophical tenet," "Although Jake considered himself to be quite religious, he did not blindly follow the dogma of the church." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
249 "dogmatic" "relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence" "adj." "dogma + -ic (= nature of, like)" "The <u><b>dogmatic</b> leftist thought all rich people to be evil</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1045 "dol" "pain</br> suffering" "Greek/Latin root" "Condolence = expression of sympathy</br> Indolence = a state of being lazy or slothful</br> Doleful = sorrowful</br> mournful</br>Dolorous = full of pain or sorrow" "Root words" "Aristotle"
1475 "dormant" "inactive but capable of becoming active" "adj." "dormir=to sleep" "The <u><b>dormant</b> volcano errupted</u> after many years of inactivity. " " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
252 "dote" "be extremely and uncritically fond of" "verb" "Synonyms: adore, love dearly, be devoted to" "Falling birth-rates allowed parents to dote on fewer children, who were increasingly likely to go to school." "Least Difficult" "FT"
852 "droll" "Curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement" "adj." "Synonyms: funny, humorous, amusing" "Karo Akpokiere, from Nigeria, will present a series of droll paintings inspired by the fast-moving pop culture that has emerged in Lagos..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
954 "dross" " something regarded as worthless" "noun" "Old English dros=""the scum thrown off metals in smelting"" similar to German Drusen=""dregs, husks"" </br>Synonyms: rubbish, junk, debris" "Some of the best properties could be sold quickly, but the dross might take more time to get rid of." "Most Difficult" "FT"
253 "dupe" " to deceive or fool" "verb" "French, duper" "My brother is a schemer who is always trying to dupe people out of their money." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1046 "dys" "abnormal</br> bad" "Greek/Latin root" "dyspepsia =abnormal indigestion</br>dystopia =an imaginary place of total misery</br>dyslexia =impairmentof the ability to handle word</br>dysfunctional =poorly functional" "Root words" "Aristotle"
955 "dyspeptic" "Of or having indigestion or consequent irritability or depression" "adj." " Greek dyspeptos ""hard to digest"" dys- ""bad, difficult"" (see dys-) + peptos ""digested""ic=nature of, like</br> Synonyms: bad-tempered, short-tempered, irritable, depressed, pessimistic, misanthropic)" "As dyspeptic and irritable as she was, the woman was in a happy mood when she went to the beach" "Most Difficult" "FT"
956 "ebullient" "joyously unrestrained, Cheerful and full of energy" "adj." "Latin: ""to boil over"", lit./fig. , ex ""out, out of"" + bullire ""to bubble""</br> origin similar to boil, bubble </br>Synonyms: exuberant, buoyant, joyful" "Charlie’s <u><b>ebullient </b>upbeat character </u>made him a favorite in the office" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
256 "eccentric" " quirky or unusual" "adj." " Greek astronomy referring to planet orbitals: ekkentros ""out of the center"" (as opposed to concentric), ek ""out"" (see ex-) + kentron ""center""+ ic=nature of, like. Meaning now modified to ""odd or whimsical person""" "The eccentric artist was quite happy to walk around with green hair" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
853 "echelon" " a level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society" "noun" " French échelon""level, echelon"" literally ""rung of a ladder"" itself Late Latin scala ""stair </br>Synonyms: level, rank, grade" "The social shock of the arrival of online education will be substantially greater if it devours the top echelon of public universities." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
258 "eclectic" "selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas" "adj." "ic=nature of, like" " Many modern decorators prefer an eclectic style. (n: eclecticism)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
854 "eddy" "(of water, air, or smoke) move in a circular way" "verb" "Synonyms: swirl, whirl, spiral. </br> plural = edd<b><u>ie</b></u>s NOT eddys" "<u>Leonardo Da Vinci</u> could apply his <u>research into eddies</u> to the main <u>aorta</u>'s valve closing mechanism centuries before modern science proved his theories to be correct" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
957 "edify" "Instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually" "verb" "Modern French édifier: ""build; install; teach, instruct (morally), Same root as the English word : edifice=building </br>Synonyms: educate, instruct, enlighten" "The Church school aims to edify its pupils mind and spirits" "Most Difficult" "FT"
260 "effect </br> affect" "affect is usually a verb, and it means to impact or change. Effect is usually a noun, an effect is the result of a change. So, if A affects B, B experiences the effect of A’s actio" "noun, verb" "affect is a verb and effect is a noun. At least (spoiler alert!), most of the time. Here’s a mnemonic: A is for action. Verbs are about action. Affect starts with an A, so it’s a verb. Also, Think of the common phrase cause and effect. Cause ends with an E, and effect begins with an E. So not only does a cause lead to an effect, but also cause’s E leads to effect’s E, giving you a handy noun bridge to step across and remember which spelling" "The most <u>common side <b>effects</b> </u>of antibiotics <b>affect</b> the digestive system." "Easily confused words" "MSU"
1450 "effect </br> affect EXCEPTIONS 1" "However , effect can be a verb as an exception. In these cases it is nearly always used together with a noun like ""change"" or ""solution."" To effect change/ to effect for a solution. " "noun, verb" "The protesters wanted to effect change in the corrupt government and fight for a solution = bring about change BUT</br>, The protesters wanted to affect change = modify the intended change" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
1451 "effect </br> affect EXCEPTIONS 2" "however, affect can be used as a noun, as an exception - Affect as a noun means feeling, emotion, or specific emotional response. " "noun, verb" "The patient had a flat affect throughout the therapy session. (he patient was in kind of a blah mood) " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
262 "efficacy" "effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect" "noun" "Latin : efficacia ""efficacy, efficiency""" "The instructor’s <b>efficacy</b> was reduced by the lack of educational materials" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
855 "effigy" " a sculpture or model of a person" "noun" "Synonyms: statue, statuette, figure" "The tradition of lighting bonfires and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes began shortly after the foiled plot, and schoolchildren still learn the ghoulish rhyme 'Remember, remember the fifth of November.'" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
263 "effluent" "the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river (n: effluence)" "adj., noun" "Latin : ex ""out"" + fluere ""to flow""" "Paques builds plants that ensure that <u>wastewater</u><b> effluent</b> is cleaned" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1476 "effrontery" "audacious behavior that you have no right to" "noun" "The couple strolled into the crowded restaurant, demanded the best table and threatened the staff but were soon <u>rejected by the maitre d' for their <b>effrontery.</b></u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
958 "egress" " the action of going out of or leaving a place" "noun" " Latin egressus=""a going out""(ex=out+ PP of gredi= to step) </br>Deutsch : Austritt </br>Synonyms: departure, exit, withdrawal" "The data is stored in the <u>router <b>egress</b> queue</u> until it is serialised onto the physical wire" "Most Difficult" "FT"
265 "elegy" "a mournful poem; a lament for the dead" "noun" "Greek elegeia ode ""an elegaic song"", where elegos= ""poem or song of lament" "When the princess died, one of her favorite songwriters wrote a moving elegy for her." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
266 "elicit" " to provoke a response" "verb" "ic=nature of, like" "In the experiment, the scientist hoped to <u><b>elicit</b> a response</u> from a mouse by piping high-pitched sounds into a sealed cage." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
267 "eloquence" " persuasive and articulate speech" "adj." "French/Latin : ""eloquent"" from ex ""out"" + loqui ""to speak""" "Since the girl spoke from the heart, the <u><b>eloquence</b> in her words</u> allowed everyone to completely understand and believe what she was saying." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
856 "elucidate" "Make (something) clear" "verb" "Synonyms: explain, make plain, illuminate" "One was from almost 600 people who had completed... a questionnaire intended to elucidatethe different tendencies of people to engage in sexual relationships without a deep emotional commitment." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
268 "elusive </br>effusive" "elusive is when not quite able to catch/find/get hold of whereas effusive is when showing or expressing gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner" "adj." "Latin : eludere =elude, frustrate + -ive." "The elusive criminal was finally captured and his former inmates were effusive on his return to prison" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
1477 "embellish" "make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color" "verb" "em=to make, bel=beauty" "<u>Mom <b>embellished</b> the cake</u> with a cherry on the top" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
269 "eminent" " well-known, respected, distinguished" "adj." "ex ""out"" (see ex-) + -minere, which is related to mons ""hill""" "Everyone was looking forward to taking the class with such <u>an <b>eminent</b> professor.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
270 "emollient" "softening; something that softens" "adj., noun" "mollig= fett und weich</br>mollify=soften up and mollification=the softening up in literal and figurative sense" "The lotion was a great <u><b>emollient</b> for her dry skin</u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
271 "empirical" "derived from experiment and observation rather than theory" "adj." "reek : empeiros ""experienced (in a thing), proven by use, en ""in"" + peira ""trial, experiment""" "Our data is <u>based on <b>empirical</b> evidence</u> collected in numerous studies" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
273 "emulate" " to imitate or attempt to equal in <b>accomplishment</b> to strive to equal or excel (n: emulation)<br> It is about the setting a goal to equal or exceed what someone else achieved, not necessarily doing it their way. " "verb" "Latin : aemulari ""to rival.""" "Sue is going to <u><b>emulate</b> her brother's strong work ethic</u> in order to be successful." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
274 "emulate </br> imitate" "Emulate means ""to try to be as good or successful as.""</br> Imitate means ""to copy or fashion oneself after.""" "verb" "He did not limit his actions to <b>imitating</b> his role model, but wished to go further and <b>emulate</b> his idol's success" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
277 "encomium" "a formal eulogy or speech of praise" "noun" "Greek : enkōmion=belonging to the praise or reward of a conquero" "Mrs. Poundstone was surprised and delighted on the last day of school when the students in her most difficult class presented her with an <b>encomium</b> they had written, praising her work as a teacher." "Common GRE" "MSU"
857 "endemic" "native to or confined to a certain region, locality or people" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: local, regional. Don't confuse this word with epidemic." "One of the mysteries of epidemiology is why Asia does not suffer from yellow fever. The disease is endemic in Africa, the continent where it evolved. The disease was endemic to the region." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
279 "endemic </br> epidemic" "endemic is an inherent characteristic whereas epidemic is an illness wave that affect many in the population at the same time" "noun" "ic=nature of, like" "As the syphyllis <b>epidemic</b> spread eastwards from Portugal, each successive nation claimed the disease was <b>endemic</b> to the nation west of itself" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
280 "endow" "Provide with a quality, ability, or asset" "verb" "Synonyms: equip, bless, give" "Good and inspiring teachers, meanwhile, such as... J.K. Rowling’s Minerva McGonagall, are portrayed as endowed with supernatural gifts." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1121 "enervate" "cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken" "verb" "Enervate is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE!" "The boxer used a swift left uppercut to the jaw to enervate his opponent." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
284 "engender" " to cause or give rise to" "verb" "from in- ""in"" + generare ""bring forth, beget, produce"" itself from genus ""give birth, beget""" "His slip of the toungue <b>engendered</b> much laughter." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
285 "engender </br> endanger" "engender is to bring into being, whereas endanger is to put at risk" "verb" "Some people believe violent video games <b>engender</b> feelings of hostility in young people, thereby <b>endangering</b> them and those around them. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
286 "enhance" " intensify, increase, augment" "verb" "French via low germanic origine = similar to German ""erhöhe""" "When Jane paints her bedroom yellow, she is going to really <b>enhance</b> the room and make it appear brighter." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
287 "enigma" "a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand" "noun" "Latin : aenigma=""riddle""</br>Synonyms : puzzle, mystery" "Scientists continue to research cancer to solve the <b>enigma</b> of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure." "Common GRE" "MSU"
288 "entitlement" " belief that one deserves things one has not earned, the rights one is afforded under the law" "noun" "The spoiled girl’s sense of <b>entitlement</b> to any object in sight resulted in her inability to make frien" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
290 "ephemeral" "anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day" "adj." "Synonyms: fleeting, passing, short-lived" "An ephemeral moment of victory may last mere seconds, but it can remain as a triumphant memory for decades." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
858 "epistemology" " the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope" "noun" "Greek : ""overstand,"" from epi ""over, near"" (see epi-) + histasthai ""to stand,""" "Probably the coolest use of <b>epistemology</b>, though, is artificial intelligence: teaching computers how to learn." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
859 "epithet" " an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing; a term of abuse" "noun" "Synonyms: name, label, smear" "Preposterous’ and ‘absurd’ were among the milder epithets that could be overheard in the multilingua" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
293 "equable" " even-tempered,not given to much change or variation" "adj." "Because she is so <b>equable</b>, my even-tempered mother rarely gets upset." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1478 "equanimity" "steadiness of mind under stress" "noun" "Latin : equi= ""even, level"" + animus ""mind, spirit""=>evenness in temper" "The aplollo 13 astronaut <u>dealt with the explosion on board with <b>equanimity</b></u> and first took stock of the situation." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
294 "equivocal" "ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so: (v. equivocate)" "adj." "Latin: (multiple opinions given) equal voice.=> ie. unclear" "Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were <b>equivocal.</b>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
295 "equivocate" " to use ambiguous language in order to mislead or deceive" "verb" "Equivocate is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE! It does NOT mean equal." "Whenever the politician responded to questions, he would avoid eye contact and <b>equivocate</b> his answers." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1219 "ergo" "work" "Greek/Latin root" "argon(a=not+ergon=work=>inert)</br>ergophobia(fear of work)</br>ergonomic=economic study of work</br>" "Latin words" "nko"
860 "errant" "Erring or straying from the proper course or standards" "adj." "Synonyms: offending, guilty, culpable" "He could admit the error and fire the errant speechwriter." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
297 "erroneous" " incorrect" "adj." "Despite the fact that you used an erroneous method to solve the problem, somehow you managed to arrive at the correct solution." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
959 "ersatz" "(Of a product) used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else" "adj." "Synonyms: artificial, substitute, imitation" "During the 2nd world war, many had to make do with ersatz coffee" "Most Difficult" "FT"
960 "erstwhile" "former" "adj." " mid English, erst =""first, at first; once, long ago; till now"" itself Old English ærest soonest, earliest, ""</br>Synonyms: old, past, one-time" "The erstwhile owner and company founder kept a close eye on how the new shareholders grew his baby" "Most Difficult" "FT"
299 "erudite" " learned; scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning. (n: erudition)" "adj." "High school students often struggle with novels that are more erudite than they are entertaining." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
301 "eschew" " avoid or abstain from" "verb" "same root as : German scheuen ""to fear, shun, shrink from""" "True vegetarians eschew food items that come from living animals." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
305 "esoteric" " obscure, arcane, intended for or understood by only a few: " "adj." "Synonyms: abstruse, obscure, arcane </br>ic=""nature of, like" "The esoteric discussion confused some people. (n: esoterica)</br>The subjects at hand often sound esoteric, if not silly, but the questions may prove more than merely academic." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
307 "estimable" " deserving respect, esteem, and admiration" "adj." "Our estimable professor is constantly being recognized for his cancer research" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
308 "-et, ette " "small one, group " "noun " "midget</br> octet</br> baronet</br> " "Suffix" "MSU"
309 "ethos" "the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community" "noun" "Synonyms: character, atmosphere, climate" "Mr. Cotton presented himself as a member of the generation moved by the patriotic spirit... leaving civilian careers to join the army and learn a ‘warrior ethos" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1047 "eu" "good</br> well" "Greek/Latin root" "euphemism =replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one</br>euphony =having a pleasant sound</br>euphoria =feeling of well=being</br>eulogy =speech in praise of someone</br>eugenics =the study of hereditary improvement of a race" "Root words" "Aristotle"
311 "eulogy" " memorial speech for one who has passed, normally given at a funeral" "noun" "The rabbi’s eulogy was both heartfelt and inspirin" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1479 "euphemism" "an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one" "noun" "Greek euphemismos, meaning ""good speech,""" """holiday in Dachau"" was a <b>euphenism</b> of the nazis to hide the terror they were planning in the concentration camps" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
961 "euphony" " the quality of being pleasing to the ear" "noun" " Greek eu- ""good"" (see eu-) + phone ""sound, voice"" = well sounding </br>Synonyms: melodiousness, musicality" "I was moved by the melodious euphony of the spoken poem" "Most Difficult" "FT"
11 "evince" "to show or express clearly or to make plain, often something hidden -usually a feeling" "verb" "evince has same wood root as ""evict"" </br>Syn : express, show" "Despite the shock of receiving such news, she was observed to <b>evince</b> no particular emotion at all." "AMB" "Prepscholar"
314 "exacerbate" " to make worse; to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate: " "verb" "The decision to fortify the border exacerbated tensions." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
315 "exacting" " challenging, demanding, grueling" "adj." "Sarah’s exacting client insisted she work during the holiday" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1560 "excise" "cut away; cut out; remove by or as if by cutting" " verb" "ex ""out"" (see ex-) + cis=cut=> cut out" "It will take several hours for <u>the surgeon to <b>excise</b> the massive </u>" "1000 Difficult GRE word" "Examword"
1661 "excise " "a tax. " "noun" "comes from a similarly sounding old Dutch word for tax, not linked to the ""excise"" verb word, which is Latin origin!" "when you take more than a litre of alcohol into the country, you will need to pay 20% <b><u>excise</u> duty</b>" "AMB" "Prepscholar"
317 "exculpate" "pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; to demonstrate or prove to be blameless: " "verb" "The evidence tended to exculpate the defendant.(adj: exculpatory)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
862 "exemplar" " a person or thing serving as a typical example or excellent model" "noun" "Synonyms: epitome, perfect example" "At times 'Utopia' seems less an exemplar of idealism, and more of a satire on it." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1480 "exigency" "a pressing or urgent situation" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
318 "exigent" " urgent or pressing; demanding or pressing" "adj." "An exigent officer is difficult to get along with because he asks ridiculous things of his soldiers." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
319 "exonerate" " to clear of charges of wrongdoing" "verb" "The testimony from the witness will hopefully exonerate my husband of the charges." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
320 "exorbitant" "exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price:" "adj." " The cab fare was exorbitant." "Common GRE" "MSU"
321 "expatiate" " to elaborate on something in great detail" "verb" "During his book signing, Clark will expatiate on his military adventures" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
962 "expiate" "Atone for (guilt or sin)" "verb" "Synonyms: make amends for, make up for" "To expiate for breaking his neighbor’s window, John shovelled snow for three month" "Most Difficult" "FT"
322 "explicate" " to explain in detail" "verb" "ic=nature of, like</br>" "If the auditor finds an error in the accounting records, the treasurer will need to explicate the mistake." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
323 "explicit" "fully and clearly expressed" "adj." "The bank representative made sure the borrower was aware of the <b>explicit</b> terms of the loan agreement." "Common GRE" "MSU"
324 "exposition" " a thorough explanation" "noun" "n. a public show or fair" "The researcher gave <u>a full <b>exposition</b> of his research results.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
325 "extant" "in existence, still existing: " "adj." "Synonyms: living, still existing, remaining" "The only <b>extant</b> representative of that species." "Common GRE" "MSU"
326 "extant </br> extent" "extant usually refers to the last surviving example in existence(eg. Book, species) whereas extent is the length or amount of something" "adj." "The last extant white rhinos are still being hunted down for randy Asian geriatrics. The extent of corruption in the bureaucracy was well known." "Easily confused words" "MSU"
863 "extol" "Praise enthusiastically" "verb" "Synonyms: go wild about, wax lyrical about" "This is likely to become a media circus, with patient advocates likely to attend and extol the benefits of the treatments they received." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1048 "extra (part 1 of 2)" "outside</br> beyond" "Greek/Latin root" "extraordinary =beyond ordinary</br>extraterrestrial =outside the Earth</br>extrovert =an outgoing person</br>extradite =to hand over an accused to the state where crime was committed" "Root words" "Aristotle"
327 "extraneous" " irrelevant or superfluous" "adj." "If you slip off your diet, the extraneous calories will make you gain all the weight you lost." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
328 "extrapolate" " to estimate or conjecture about the future based on presently available information or facts" "verb" "The scientist tried to <b><u>extrapolate</b> the future results by looking at data from previous testing</u> dates" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
330 "facetious" " Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor" "adj." "Synonyms: flippant, glib, tongue-in-cheek.</br> ""Facetious"" stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor" "More disturbing,' says Mr. Hart, I didn't note that his column was facetious. In tone, it was indeed, and I should have noted that." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
331 "facilitate" " to make something easier or simpler" "verb" "facile=easy in French. " "Going to all lectures and doing all tutorials greatly facilitates passing the exam" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
332 "faction" "a small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics" "noun" "Synonyms: contingent, section, sector" "One particular separatist faction is now widely accepted to have been responsible for a string of small bombs which detonated in August..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
333 "fallacious" "containing or based on incorrect reasoning" "adj." " fallacy </br>Deutsch : irreführen" "He clung to the fallacious hope that she would return." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
334 "fallow" "Inactive" "adj." "Synonyms: dormant, quiet, slack" "Their fickle attention might waver for a few fallow years of rebuilding, but Angel Stadium will still be standing..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
335 "falter" "Move unsteadily or in a way that shows lack of confidence" "verb" "Synonyms: stumble, fumble" "His early steps were faltering, and a frailer soul might have been daunted by his mentors’ fate." "Least Difficult" "FT"
336 "fastidious" " meticulous" "adj." "adj. invested in cleanliness" "Constantly licking themselves, cats are fastidious creatures." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
337 "fathom" "1. a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings.</br> 2. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it: " "noun, verb" "Old English fæðm ""length of the outstretched arm"" (a measure of about six feet)" "1.<u>Nautical charts in the US measure water depth in feet as well as <b>fathoms</b></u></br> 2. <u>I couldn't <b>fathom</u> her reasoning</u> on that issue." "Common GRE" "MSU"
339 "fawn" "1. n. a baby deer. </br>2. v. to behave in an excessively humble or obsequious manner., to seek favor or attention" "noun, verb" "noun : same Latin word root as fetus</br>verb: same root as ""feiern"" in Deutsch" "1. bambi was a <b>fawn</b></br> 2. Charlie always <u><b>fawned</b> over</u> his professors so much that all the other students disliked him." "Homonym" "MSU"
1482 "fawning" "attempting to win favor by flattery" "noun" "Old English : verwandt mit ""feiern""" "The beauty contestants are always <b>fawning</b> over the male judges." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1483 "felicitous" "exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style, appropriate" "adj." "From felix (genitive felicis) ""happy, fortunate, fruitful, fertile,""" "Jenna could think of nothing more <b>felicitous</b> than spending the entire weekend with her family." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1207 "fer" "wild" "Greek/Latin root" "not to be confused with ""ferro"", which come from ""Fe""=iron. These iron-pertaining words normally have a double ""r""" "feral(wild), ferine(wild animals), ferocious, ferocity" "Latin words" "nko"
1671 "fervent/fervid" "Fervent is a synonym of fervid. " "adj." "Fervent is used much more frequently than fervid. Some, but not all, say that fervid means 'very fervent""" "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
1123 "fervid" "intensely enthusiastic or passionate" "adj." "The child showed a fervid fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
1484 "fervor" "feelings of great warmth and intensity" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
865 "fetid" "smelling extremely unpleasant" "adj." "Synonyms: stinking, smelly, foul-smelling" "The fetid smog that settled on Beijing in January 2013 could join the ranks of these game-changing environmental disruptions." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
344 "fission </br> fusion" "fission= division into two or more parts whereas fusion is the the reverse, ie. The joining of multiple parts into one" "noun" "Nuclear fission is the principle behind current nuclear weapons, but the energy source of the future is nuclear fusion" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
345 "flag" "1. n. banner. </br>2. v. to wane or weaken" "noun, verb" "2. Bedeutung als Verb kommt vom gleichen germanischen Wortstamm wie ""flattern""" "2. When <u>the runner's strength begins to <b>flag</b></u>, she walks for a few minutes, then gradually increases her speed." "Homonym" "MSU"
346 "flail" "flail means to wave around wildly or in an extended sense : Flounder; struggle uselessly" "verb" "Latin word flagellum, which is a whip</br>Synonyms: thrash, thresh, squirm" "The man <u>stranded on the deserted island <b>flailed</b> his arms in the air</u> to get the passing by ship captain’s attention." "Least Difficult" "FT"
347 "flaunt </br> flout" "flaunt is to display brazenly or pretentiously whereas flout is to to show an obvious disregard or disrespect for; to treat contemptuously" "verb" "Flaunt is to show off, but flout is to ignore the rules. Rebels do both — they flaunt their new pink motorcycles by popping a wheelie, and flout the law by running a red ligh" "He came into the Church, <b><u>flaunting</b> his riches</u> with his designer clothes, <b><u>flouting</b> all rules</u> by dancing on the altar. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
348 "fledgling" "1. a baby bird; </br>2. an inexperienced person; inexperienced." "adj., noun" "Same German word root as ""Flügel"", d.h. get wings</br>. Also implies potential to improve" "1. The <u><b>fledgling</b> storks</u> start to leave the nest about 2 months after hatching. </br>2. Jill is a <b>fledgling</b> skater who must work on her turns more." "Common GRE" "MSU"
866 "florid" "using unusual words or complicated rhetorical constructions. flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery: ""florid prose.""" "adj." "Latin floridus ""flowery, in bloom</br>Synonyms: extravagant, grandiloquent" "A victorious Governor Jerry Brown, his voice gruffer, his pate sparer and his metaphors more florid than during his first stint in office..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
867 "flout" "Openly disregard" "verb" "Old English origing : play the flute </br>Synonyms: defy, refuse to obey, go against" "It relies on its members, and on institutions... to shame and discourage people who flout important political norms." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
351 "fluctuate" " to shift without apparent pattern" "verb" "Each day, the <u>price of gold will <b>fluctuate on the market</u></b>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
352 "fluke" "Unlikely chance occurrence, especially a surprising piece of luck" "noun" "originally a lucky shot at billiards</br>Sometimes written : ""' flook ""</br>Synonyms: coincidence, accident, a twist of fate" "The ball sank into the net after 2 deflections in what can only be called <u>a lucky<b> fluke</u></b>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
868 "foible" " a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character" "noun" "Same root word origin as ""feeble"", coming from French : faible=weakness</br>. Synonyms: idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, peculiarity" "The elder Bongo had among other <b>foibles</b>, a liking to show off his pet tiger to guests" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
353 "foil" "1. n. a thin sheet made of metal. </br>2. n. a type of rapier or sword. foils: the sport or practice of fencing with such swords. </br>3. n. a person or thing used in a comparison in order to make another person or thing seem superior. </br>4. v. to spoil or thwart; to prevent the success of. " "noun" "1. Dad <u>wrapped the spare ribs in aluminium<b> foil</u></b> before putting them on the grill.</br>2. <u>The fencing competition took place with</u> rubber-ball capped <u><b>foils</b></u></br>3 . She had brought <u>so many unsuitable suitors</u> home to her parents that these <u>were nothing but <b>foils</b></u>, so the introduction of John led her parents to happily agree to the marriage. </br>(4) The <u> early return of their parents <b>foiled</b> their plans for a party.</u>" "Homonym" "MSU"
354 "foment" " to foster unrest or discontent" "verb" "Latin fomentum ""warm application, poultice""on the notion of ""encourage the growth of"" similar to ferment" "the police are here to keep people calm, not to <u?<b>foment</b> violence</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
355 "forage" "(of a person or animal) search widely for food or provisions" "verb" "Synonyms: hunt, scavenge, grub" "And you must be ready to abandon tired orthodoxies of the left and right and forage for good ideas across the political spectrum." "Least Difficult" "FT"
356 "forestall" "keep from happening or arising; make impossible" "verb" "Synonyms: pre-empt, get in before, get ahead of" "To forestall a social crisis, he mused, governments should consider a tax on robots; if automation slows as a result, so much the better." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1375 "fortify </br> mortify" "fortify=To strengthen something, especially in order to protect it / mortify=highly embrassment" "verb" "He was mortified to found out his expensive supplements were fake and would not fortify him !" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
357 "fortuitous" "Happening by a lucky chance" "adj." "Synonyms: fortunate, advantageous, opportune" "Thanks to these sensible policies, and the fortuitous tailwind of higher productivity growth, the economy boomed and prosperity was shared." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
870 "frenetic" "Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way" "adj." "Latin phreneticus, meaning “delirious.” ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: frantic, wild, frenzied" "He scurried around the kitchen <b>frenetically</b> trying to cook a last-minute dinner for 30 of his closest friends." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
965 "frieze" " a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration, especially on a wall near the ceiling" "noun" "A frieze on the wall of America's Supreme Court shows some of the great law-givers of history, including the Roman emperor Justinian, Moses and Muhammad." "Most Difficult" "FT"
753 "fringe" "the unconventional, extreme, or marginal wing of a group or sphere of activity" "noun" "Synonyms: peripheral, radical, unorthodox" "Fringe beliefs reinforced in these ways can establish themselves and persist long after outsiders deem them debunked..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
360 "frugal" " economical, thrifty" "adj." "<u>Be more <b>frugal</b> with your expenses</u>, and you will not be in debt." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1485 "frugality" "prudence in avoiding waste" "noun" "His frugality was so great that he would capture all still insufficiently warm water to water the plants in the apartment" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
361 "fry" "1. v. to cook in hot oil. </br>2. n. baby fish" "noun" "2. The police were <u>not interested in the <b>small fry</b> drug dealers</u>, but wanted to catch the drug kingpin." "Homonym" "MSU"
966 "fusillade" " a series of shots fired or missiles thrown all at the same time or in quick succession" "noun" " French fusillade, fusiller ""to shoot"" </br>Synonyms: salvo, volley, bombardment" "But thanks to poor communication, many saw it as China’s first fusillade in a global currency war" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1486 "futile" "producing no result or effect" "adj." " Latin futilis= ""leaky."" the image of a leaky vessel is a good illustration of the adjective. Pouring water into a leaky bucket is futile." "Hopefully all the time you're spending studying vocabulary won't turn out to be futile" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
967 "gaffe" " an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator" "noun" " French gaffe ""clumsy remark"" </br>Synonyms: blunder, mistake, error" "Goofy makes <u>non-stop <b>gaffes</b></u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
364 "gainsay" " deny or oppose, Speak against or oppose (someone), deny" "verb" "Literally : Say against</br>Synonyms: be against, object to, be hostile to" "It is <u>impossible to <u>gainsay</u> the importance of a good education</u> in today’s competitive job market" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
871 "gall" " Bold, impudent behavior" "noun" "Synonyms: insolence, nerve, audacity" "With enough gall and entrepreneurial spirit, it suggests, anyone can end up driving a Porsche and living in a marble-floored luxury apartment." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
365 "galvanize" " to prod someone into action" "verb" "figurative sense of ""galvanize by electricity""" "By holding a rally, <u>the politician hoped to <b>galvanize</b> young people to vote </u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
873 "gambit" " a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage" "noun" "originally a chess opening in which a pawn or piece is risked for advantage later</br>Deutsch = Bauernopferstrategie</br>Synonyms: plan, scheme, strategya" "<u>What began as a <b>gambit</b> to</u> hold together his divided Tory party is turning into an alarmingly close contest." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
754 "garner" "Gather or collect (something, especially information or approval)" "verb" "Latin granarium which means ""store-house,"" usually for grain=> ie. Storage, gathering.</br>Synonyms: accumulate, amass, assemble" "Labs that garnered more pay-offs were more likely to pass on their methods to other, newer labs..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1124 "garrulous" "full of trivial conversation" "adj." "from Latin garrulus ""talkative, chattering" "The garrulous hair stylist talked to each customer for hours at a time." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
368 "gauche" " socially inept, inappropriate, or awkward" "adj." "gauche = left oder in Deutsch : links" "His gauche statements made eveyone feel uncomfortable" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1049 "geno </br>gene</br>genesis" "birth</br> gender</br> family</br> kind</br> race (genre)" "Greek/Latin root" "genealogy =the study of the history of a family</br>generation =all the people born at approx the same</br>genetic =relating to heredity encoded in the genes</br> Congenital =existing from birth" "Root words" "Aristotle"
1067 "ger" "old age" "adj." "geriatrics =medicine pertaining to the elderly</br>gerontocracy =the rule of the elders</br>gerontology =the science of aging." "SMB"
370 "germane" " relevant to the matter at hand, closely connected, relevant" "adj." "Latin : germanus = having the same parents" "The president will only respond to media questions that are <b>germane</b> to the economic crisis." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
969 "gerontocracy" " a state, society, or group governed by old people" "noun" "But Muhammad bin Salman is not merely a young face in a gerontocracy; he is a dynamic and apparently purposeful one." "Most Difficult" "FT"
755 "gist" "the substance or essence of a speech or text" "noun" "Synonyms: quintessence, main idea </br>Deutsch : Quintessenz, Kernpunkt" "<u>The <b>gist</b> of the matter is </u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
371 "glib" "speaking in a smooth, easy way that is insincere. " "adj." "From German ""glibberig"", now used in a figurative sense" "Because she is so conceited, Linda is constantly fishing for compliments, and she <u>takes all the <b>glib</b> flattery seriously.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
874 "goad" "stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick" "verb" "Synonyms: spur, prod, egg on" "Her words were meant to <u><b>goad</b> officials into action</u>" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
756 "gossamer" "Used to refer to something very light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate" "adj." "refers to the similarity in appearance of softness between geese down and cobwebs,</br>Synonyms: gauzy, gossamery, fine </br>Deutsch : Hauchdünn.</br> As a NOUN it means a""goose summer"", ie. referring to an autumn after a good summer -> ""goose summer"" (middle english)(Altweibersommer)." "1. Two days later, Taal Volcano erupted outside of Manila, coating the parked cars in Poblacion with a <b>gossamer</b> of white ash.</br>1b.
Fairies are often depicted wearing a <b>gossamer</b> or tattered clothes" "Least Difficult" "FT"
876 "gouge" "Overcharge; swindle" "verb" "They <u>do not want monopolists to <b>gouge</b> consumers</u> and stifle innovation, yet they often struggle to determine the extent to which such things are happening." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1068 "grand" "adj. " "grandeur=the quality of being grand/magnificient </br>grandiose=pretentiously grand </br>aggrandize=to make something appear bigger or greater </br>grandiloquent=pompous or bombastic " "SMB"
877 "grandiloquent" "Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner" "adj." "Synonyms: pompous, bombastic, magniloquent" "The authors give it a rather <b>grandiloquent name</b>: the desire 'to force destiny, to create serendipity.'" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
374 "gregarious" "temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others, sociable" "adj." " Latin : gregarius=""pertaining to a flock" "Humans are by nature gregarious, and like to live close together" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
878 "grouse" "complain pettily; grumble" "verb" "Synonyms: moan, groan, protest" "Some economists grouse about such rules, which can interfere with the smooth functioning of competitive labour markets..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
757 "grovel" "Grovel also means to crawl around on your belly . But it is usually used in figurative sense, ie. To beg, to be servile, ask ""please, please, please"". " "verb" "Synonyms: be servile, suck up, flatter. </br>Deutsch : " """If you've done something or said something wrong apologize, but if not, for heaven's sake, <u>stop <b>groveling</b></u>,"" she said." "Least Difficult" "FT"
375 "guile" "skillful deceit: " "noun" "(v. bequile; adj: beguiling. Note, however, that these two words have an additional meaning: to charm (v.) or charming (adj:), while the word guile does not generally have any such positive connotations)" "The <u>devious conman well known for his<b> guile</b>. </u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1112 "gullible" "easily persuaded to believe something" "adj." "of uncertain origin" "The gullible little boy gave his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
378 "hack" "1. v. to chop. </br>2. n. a bad or unoriginal writer." "verb" "(2) Even though he worked for the New York Times, he always felt like a hack." "Homonym" "MSU"
379 "hackneyed" "overused, so overused as to have become uninteresting, repeated too often, cliché, trite, bana" "adj." "Named after London Borough of Hackney where small horses were let out for hire, so figuratively : used many times over that it has become uninteresting" "Too often used by young girls, <u>the word “like” has become <b>hackneyed</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
970 "halcyon" "Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful" "adj." "Synonyms: happy, golden, idyllic" "In their halcyon days the mainstream parties used to share most of the vote between them." "Most Difficult" "FT"
879 "hapless" "(Especially of a person) unfortunate" "adj." "Synonyms: unlucky, luckless, out of luck" "By the 1970s, many fans argued that the spectacle of hapless pitchers feebly trying to fend off blazing fastballs was turning their at-bats into a mockery of the game." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
381 "harangue" "a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion" "noun" "Synonyms: tirade, diatribe, rant </br>Deutsch : Moralpredigt, Tirade" "State-run China Central Television (CCTV) has broadcast harsh criticisms of some multinationals, including an absurd harangue over Starbucks’ prices." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
382 "headlong" "headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought:" "adj." " They rushed headlong into marriage." "Common GRE" "MSU"
383 "hedonism" " the pursuit of pleasure" "noun" "Freddie Mercuy was known to be a great singer and a non-stop hedonist" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
971 "hegemony" " Leadership or dominance, especially by one group over others" "noun" "Synonyms: leadership, dominance, dominion" "Yet if the hegemony of the dollar is unstable, its would-be successors are unsuitable." "Most Difficult" "FT"
972 "hermetic" "Insulated or protected from outside influences" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: airtight, sealed" "North Korea is often called the <u><b>""hermetic</b> kingdom'</u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
973 "heterodox" "not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs" "adj." "Synonyms: unorthodox, heretical, dissenting" "Among those discriminated against for holding heterodox religious views, the Bahai community continues particularly to suffer." "Most Difficult" "FT"
385 "hierarchical" " arranged in rank order or hierarchy" "adj." "<u>The <b>hierarchic</b> structure</u> of the company led to internal problems" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1244 "histo" " bodily tissue/cells" "Greek/Latin root" "the word histo actually means standing up (st=stand), from which histogram comes" "histamine, histology, histdine all have to do with the cell and biology" "Latin words" "nko"
880 "homage" " Special honour or respect shown publicly" "noun" "Synonyms: tribute, acknowledgement, admiration" "Over the past year, numerous young directors have been paying gushing homage to the movies which enchanted them in their youth." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
388 "homogenous" "of the same or similar kind" "adj." " uniform, identical" "There are very few truly homogenous cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
390 "husband" "1. n. a male spouse. </br>2. v. to farm, to manage frugally. to conserve" "noun" "Long ago husbands were robust men of the Earth — farmers, in other words. That meaning died out, but its current meaning survives as a remnant of it." "1. My mother's husband is my father. 2. Our <u>animal <b>husbandry</b></u>, or animal care, staff—the ones who clean cages and feed the animals—is physically isolated down the road. " "Homonym" "MSU"
391 "hyperbole" " obvious exaggeration for effect" "noun" "hyper=too much + bole=to throw=> to throw too far." "Obviously the network is <u>overreacting and engaging in <b>hyperbole</b></u> when they say 55 million people are in danger! Due to normal thunderstorms" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1391 "hypo" "too little</br> under" "Latin Prefix" "hypo-allergenic, hypocaust(burning below=underfloor heating), hypochondria(under belief), hypocrisy, hypodermic, hypogamy(marriage to a lower caste), hypogastrium(below the stomach), hypogean(lives below the earth(ge)), hypoglycemia(too little blood sugar), hypomania(better insight due to being under the influence of a ""high""), hyponymy(word that is subordinatedly interchangeable with a word (but not vice versa), hypostasis, hypotaxis, hypotenuse, hypothalamus, hypothecate, hypothermia, hypothesis, hypotonia, hypotonic, hypoxia(b" "Latin words" "nko"
395 "iconoclast" " a person who attacks traditional religious and cultural institutions" "noun" "Synonyms: critic, skeptic, dissenter" "He has overtaken Manuel Valls, the centre-left prime minister, as the left’s most outspoken iconoclast, and shown up the Socialist left as die-hard conservative" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1487 "iconoclastic" "characterized by attack on established beliefs" "adj." "Greek eikōn, or ""image,"" coupled with -klastēs, ""one who breaks,""=> one who breaks icons" "In the 1960's, <b><u>iconclastic</b> altneratives</u> to the standard democrate and republican parties were set up in California. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
399 "ideological" " relating to a particular belief system or theory" "adj." "Due to the criminal’s <u><b>ideological</b> perspective that he is always right</u>,the criminal would hurt people if they wronged h" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1488 "idolatry" "the worship of objects or images as gods" "noun" "Both <u>abhorred <b>idolatry</b></u> and intercession, and both relied on their books, the Bible and the Quran, for direct contact with God" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
976 "idyll" " an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene" "noun" "Synonyms: perfect time, ideal time, honeymoon" "That might just persuade them to forgive the scriptwriters for the unwelcome disruption to their <u>rural <b>idyll.</u></b>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
977 "ignoble" "not honorable in character or purpose" "adj." "Synonyms: dishonorable, unworthy, base" "Moreover, by controlling the body he controlled the equally unruly mind, keeping it pure from <u><b>'ignoble</b> strife'.</u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
881 "imbue" "Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality" "verb" "Synonyms: saturate, fill, suffuse" "Some feminists argue, moreover, that the very framework of economics is <b>imbued</b> with subtler forms of sexism." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
401 "imminent" " about to happen" "adj." "French/ Latin : ""overhanging; impending""" "When the Secret Service arrived, everyone knew <u>the president’s arrival was <b>imminent.</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1376 "immure </br> inure" "immure=Kept as a prisoner or closed away and out of sight </br> inure=If you suffer or experience something unpleasant, you become familiar with it and able to accept and bear it" "adj." "Easily confused words" "Khan"
402 "immutable" "Unchanging over time or unable to be changed" "adj." "Synonyms: permanent, set, steadfast" "After all, whom institutions choose to celebrate and how they depict the past are choices to be debated, not immutable facts." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
403 "impair" "make worse or less effective" "verb" "French/latin : impeiorare ""make worse" "<u>Alcohol can greatly <b>impair</b> your judgement.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
883 "impasse" " a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement" "noun" "Synonyms: deadlock, dead end, stalemate" "The Catalan <b>impasse</b> is part of a wider Spanish gridlock. " "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1489 "impassive" "having or revealing little emotion or sensibility" "adj. " "Impassive is tricky, as it sounds it should be the opposite of passive. It's not, though. The fact is you can be passive and impassive at the same time. When a passive person gets passed over for a promotion at work, their face might remain impassive upon hearing the news." "he remained <b>impassive</b>, showing neither interest in nor concern for our plight" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
404 "impecunious" "penniless; poor" "adj." "Latin : in- ""not, opposite of"" +pecuniosus ""rich, money" "<u>He spent more than he earned, so he was always <b>impecunious</b></u>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1490 "impede" "be a hindrance or obstacle to" "verb" "Latin impedire which literally means ""to hold the feet,"" formed from the prefix in-, (""in"") plus pes (""foot"")." "Los Alamos’ housing shortage<b> impedes </b>business growth because there are too few people living in town to attract new retailers, the proposal said." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
405 "impediment" " barrier, hindrance, or obstruction" "noun" "French/Latin in:""into, in"" + gen. pedis: ""foot = >""to shackle the feet""" "I am not letting my broken wrist be an <b>impediment</b> to me keeping fit" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
406 "imperious" "commanding,domineering; expecting ones' orders to be followed" "adj." "Latin imperiōsus""command, supreme power, empire.""</br>Synonyms : arrogant, overbearing, and domineering" "<u>In an <b>imperious tone</b></u>, the police officer ordered the driver to step out of the car." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1491 "impermeable" "preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through" "adj." "Latin : im=not + permeare ""to pass through, go over,""=> unpenetrable" "The <u><b>impermeable</b> rain coat</u> kept water from ruining the woman’s cashmere sweater." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
407 "imperturbable" " remaining calm under any circumstance,not disturbed or excited easily" "adj." "French/ Latin : ,in- ""not, opposite of"" + perturbare ""to confuse, disturb""=""that cannot be disturbed""" "<u>The <b>impertubable</b> Apollo 11 commander</u> calmly landed the lunar module with 20 seconds of fuel remaining!" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1492 "impervious" "not admitting of passage or capable of being affected" "adj." "im-, = “not,” + permeable,= “allowing to pass through,” impermeable synonyms of impervious or impenetrable. However, impermeable is especially associated with liquids, often used in a scientific, technical context." "Borders aren’t impermeable</br>The impermeable rain coat kept water from ruining the woman’s cashmere sweater</br>They are impermeable to social reforms." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
759 "impetuous" "Acting or done quickly and without thought or care" "adj." "Latin : in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + petere ""aim for, rush at""=> rapid movement, rush</br>Synonyms: impulsive, rash, hasty </br>Deutsch : unüberlegt, impulsi" "The report holds many lessons, including for this newspaper, which supported the invasion of Iraq: about the danger of <u><b>impetuous</b> decision-making</u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
408 "implacable" " unforgiving, relentless, not capable of being appeased" "adj." "French/Latin : in- ""not, opposite of"" + placabilis ""easily appeased""=unappeasable" "Even after being offered a free gift card, <u>the angry customer remained <b>implacable.</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
409 "implication" "insinuation or connotation (v. implicate)" "noun" "Latin :in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + plicare ""to fold""= ""an interweaving, an entanglement"" " "<u>Bill resented the <b>implication</u></b> he was a drug dealer simply because he carried a large amount of cash in his pockets." "Common GRE" "MSU"
410 "implicit" " implied or insinuated without being directly stated" "adj." "Latin :in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + plicare ""to fold""= ""an interweaving, an entanglement"" " "Although you never stated I could use your car, your permission was <b>implicit</b> when you handed me your car keys." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
411 "imply" "to suggest indirectly; to entail: (n: implication)" "verb" "Latin :in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + plicare ""to fold""= Meaning ""to involve something unstated as a logical consequence" " She <b>implied</b> she didn't believe his story." "Common GRE" "MSU"
432 "imply </br> infer " "Imply means to suggest or to say something in an indirect way. Infer means to suppose or come to a conclusion, especially based on an indirect suggestion" "verb" "The presenter implied indirectly that his colleague may be late and the audience inferred from the suble hint that the colleague would be late. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
412 "improvidence" "an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events: " "noun" "Latin : im-, ""not,"" and providentia, ""foresight.""</br>Synonyms : shortsightedness" "Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home." "Common GRE" "MSU"
413 "imprudence" " bad judgment, often through quick and rash decisions" "noun" "Latin: imprudentem means ""not forseeing, unaware, or inconsiderate.""</br>Syn: a)heedlessness, mindlessness, rashness b)improvidence, shortsightedness, c)lightheadedness, d)extravagance, prodigality, profligacy, e) thriftlessness, waste, wastefulness" "Phil’s <u><b>imprudent</b> turn</u> on the highway caused a six-car accident" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
414 "impudent" " disrespectful" "adj." "Latin: im, meaning without, + pudens, meaning shame</br>Syn: a) impertinent, overbold, sassy, saucy, smart, wise, forward. B) flip, insolent, snotty-nosed, disrespectful" "The boy is an <u><b>impudent</b> scoundrel</u> who doesn’t seem to respect rules or people" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
978 "impugn" "Dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive)" "verb" "Latin : in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + pugnare ""to fight""=>attack by argument</br>Synonyms: call into question, challenge" "The media vilified the protesters and their cause by<u><b> impugning</b> their character.</u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
415 "in</br> il</br> im</br> ir" "in : Deutscher Stamm : ""in""" "Greek/Latin root" "This is the first of 2 generic meanings of ""in"". The other is 'NOT""" "incarcerate</br> incorporate</br> inculcate</br> induction</br> inductance</br> indigenous</br> indicator</br> inspiration " "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
416 "in</br> im " "not , against : Deutscher Stamm : ""un-""" "Greek/Latin root" "This is the SECOND of 2 generic meanings of ""in"". The other is ÏNTO" "incredible</br> ignoble</br> inglorious</br> inhospitable</br> infinite</br> infinitesimal</br> immoral " "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
417 "inadvertent" " by accident or unintentional" "adj." "Latin: in- = ""not+ ad =""to, toward"" + vertere= ""to turn."" => inadvertent means “not turning the mind to</br>Syn: accident, unintended" "Because the principal neglected to turn off the microphone on the PA system, <u>some statements were <b>inadvertently</b> broadcat to all. </u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1493 "inadvertently" "without knowledge or intention" "adv." "adv of inadvertent" "We <b>indaver<u>tent</u>ly</b> ripped the <u>tent</u> (spelling donkey's bridge)" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1377 "inane </br> innate" "inane=Extremely silly or with no real meaning or importance </br> innate=A quality or ability that you were born with, not one you have learned" "adj." "Easily confused words" "Khan"
419 "inchoate" " rudimentary, in the beginning stages" "adj." "of uncertain origin. Probably something like to start strapping up the ox, ie. Start work" "The act of writing forces one to clarify <u>vague <b>inchoate</u></b> thoughts." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
979 "incise" "Mark or decorate (an object or surface) with a cut or a series of cut" "verb" "Latin : in=in + cis=cut</br>Synonyms: engrave, etch, carve" "This 12th-century incense burner is <b>incised</b> with calligraphy that identifies its maker and first owner." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1494 "incongruity" "the quality of disagreeing or being unsuitable and inappropriate" "adj. " "Latin: in=""not"" +con/m ""with, together"" + gruere""fall, rush,"" =>that which does not fall/fit together</br>Syn: incongruousness" "The <b>incongruity</b> between an American power cord and a Swedish power outlet means you can’t charge your devices." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1495 "inconsequential" "lacking worth or importance" "adj. " "It was decided that <u>Pluto was too <b>inconsequential</b> to be a planet.</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1496 "incorporate" "make into a whole or make part of a whole" "verb" "Latin : in- ""into, in, on, upon"" + verb of corpus ""body"" => put into a body/whole" "According to culinary guidelines, a chef should never <b>incorporate</b> cheese into a fish dish." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
b) uncontrollable, uncorrectable, unmanageable c) disobedient" "The school board finally decided the James was <b>incorrigible</b> and expelled him from school." "Common GRE" "MSU"
422 "incredulous (credulous) versus </br> incredible (credible)" "incredulous is when a person is disbelieving, very doubtful - but when the statement or action is incredible, then IT is difficult to believe" "adj." "The <b><u>incredulous</b> judge</u> listened to the witness' <b><u>incredible</b> story</u> that he had been kidnapped by aliens in a UFO" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
980 "incubus" "<u>a cause of distress or anxiety.</u> originally, incubus = mythological character that visits people in their sleep, a kind of nightmare demon. " "noun" "Latin incubo, ""nightmare, one who lies down on the sleeper""</br> incubate is linked to this word. </br> Syn: a) demon, devil, fiend b) nightmare c) a complex situation d) disagreeable person, unpleasant person" "An idea shot through her mind that <u>she might call a policeman to rid her of this <b>incubus</b></u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
884 "inculcate" "Instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction" "verb" "Latin : in- ""in"" + calcare ""to tread, press in,""=>force upon, insist </br>Synonyms: imbue, infuse, inspire" "The tests and ceremonies were to start <u><b>inculcating</b> a sense of common values</u> that had previously been lacking." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1378 "incumbent </br> recumbent" "incumbent=The person who has or had a particular official position " "adj." "Latin: in=in, on, upon + recumbent=Lying down => resting or lying on something" "The <u>future <b>incumbent</b></u> went to his job interview in a recumbent bicyle" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
423 "indebted" " owing money" "adj." "adj. owing gratitude to someone or something" "Because his friend saved him from drowning in the pool, Carl felt <b>indebted</b> to return the favor somehow." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
424 "indefatigable" " cannot be made tired" "adj." "in: ""not"" + de:""toward"" + fatigue:""tiredness"" =>not to bring to tiredness" "The Kenyan marathon <u>runner was <b>indefatigable</b></u>, and finished in 2 hours" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
425 "indelible" "permanent; unerasable; strong: """ "adj." "Latin : in- ""not""+ delere ""destroy, blot out"" => cannot be erased" "The Queen <u>made an <b>indelible</b> impression</u> on her subjects." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1497 "indeterminate" "not fixed or known in advance" "adj. " "Latin : in- ""not,"" + determinare ""to enclose, bound, set limits to"" => not to be defined, limited</br>Syn: undetermined, uncertain, inconclusive, indeterminable, undeterminable" "“the influence of environment is <b>indeterminate</b></br>The deceased hobo was of <b><u>indeterminate</b> age</u>" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
762 "indictment" "a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime" "noun" "Synonyms: arraignment, citation" "A criminal indictment would, in all likelihood, force the prime minister to resign." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1498 "indigence" "a state of extreme poverty or destitution" "noun" "</br>Syn : need, pauperisation, pauperism, pauperization, penury, beggary, mendicancy, mendicity, impoverishment, poorness, poverty" "She even forbade me to write about anything in my college essay that hinted at our immigrant indigence." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
885 "indolence" " Avoidance of activity or exertion" "noun" "Latin indolentem: causing no pain, painless,""" "The indolence of a society brought up to expect that oil riches will be lavished upon them is another large hurdle." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
429 "ineffable" "undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable" "adj." "The joy I experienced at the birth of my first child was <b>ineffable.</b>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
763 "inert" "Lacking vigor" "adj." "America’s founders, he argued, put their faith in reasoned discussion among citizens and believed that the 'greatest menace to freedom is an inert people." "Least Difficult" "FT"
431 "infer" " to conclude from implicit evidence (as opposed to explicit facts)" "verb" "Latin in- ""in"" + ferre ""to carry, to bear,""=>to 'bring in' as a conclusion of a process of reasoning,""" "New genetic evidence led some zoologists to infer that the red wolf is actually a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
433 "ingenious" "clever: (n: ingenuity)" "adj." "Latin : In=in + genious=born, ie. for inborn talent" "She developed an ingenious method for testing her hypothesis." "Common GRE" "MSU"
436 "ingenious (ingenuity) </br> ingenuous (and disingenuous)" "Ingenious indicates cleverness, particularly relating to inventive, while ingenuous refers to sincerity or a naive nature." "adj." " Latin : ingenuus ""having the qualities of people born free, noble, honest, open</br>""genuous comes same root as genuine" "Einstein was <b>ingenious</b> while his wife was <b>ingenuous</b>" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
435 "ingenuous" " naive or innocent; unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid: " "adj." "Latin : ingenuus ""with the virtues of freeborn people, of noble character, frank, upright, candid"" </br> naïve, innocent" "The scam artist preyed on <u><b>ingenuous</b> nursing home residents.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
760 "ingrate" "an ungrateful person" "noun" "</br>Deutsch : undankbar. </br> Latin : in- ""not"" + gratus ""pleasing, beloved, dear, agreeable""" "Greater liberty over the past generation is abused by ingrates who think it funny to depict their leaders pantless..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
437 "inhibit" "to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain (n: inhibition, adj: inhibited)" "verb" "PIE / Latin : in= not + hibere = have (haben auf Deutsch) => to hinder</br> Syn : a) hinder, impede b)conquer, curb, stamp down, subdue, suppress c) hold back, keep, keep back, restrain " "1. Contact between young adults was inhibited by strict social customs</br>2.The trace component inhibited the rate of a chemical reaction " "Common GRE" "MSU"
438 "inimical" " harmful or hostile" "adj." "Latin inimicus ""unfriendly; an enemy""" "NATO is seen to be <b>inimical</b> to the best interests of the Russian people." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1665 "injudicious" "lacking or showing lack of judgment or discretion; unwise" "adj." "Latin in-""not""+ iudicium ""judgment""=> lacking judgement. </br>Antonym : judicious" "He <u>regretted his <b>injudicious</b> decision</u> to spend his last 5 dollars on an expensive cup of coffee" "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
440 "innocuous" "harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion" "adj." "from in- ""not"" + nocuus ""hurtful,""</br> Syn: a) harmless, innoxious b) innocent, harmless c) unobjectionable, inoffensive" "Because the virus was <b>innocuous</b>, the hospital staff had no need to worry about the leak." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
886 "inquest" " a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident, such as a death" "noun" "Synonyms: enquiry, investigation, inquisition" "A jury at a second inquest ruled that they were unlawfully killed." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
441 "inscrutable" " enigmatic, incomprehensible" "adj." "in- ""not, opposite of"" + scrutari ""examine, ransack""=> that cannot be discovered by searching </br>Syn: cryptic, cryptical, deep, mysterious, mystifying, incomprehensible, inexplicable" "Not even the leading experts in criminology could understand <u>the killer’s<b> inscrutable</b> motives.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
442 "insensible" "barely able to be perceived" "adj." "Wayne was rendered <b>insensible</b> by a blow to the head. </br> They were <b>insensibile</b> to the suffering of others.:" "Common GRE" "MSU"
443 "insensible </br> insensitive" "When used as adjectives, insensible means unable to be perceived by the senses, whereas insensitive means not expressing normal physical feelings or not acting with normal interpersonal skills" "adj. " "X-rays are insensible to humans, but doctors can be insensitive to patients" "Easily confused words" "MSU"
1499 "insinuate" "1. suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand 2. introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner" "verb" " Latin : in: in + sinuare ""to wind, bend, curve,""=> ""wind one's way into.""</br> Syn : 1. adumbrate, intimate, hint, suggest 2. bring in, introduce" "1. I <b>insinuated</b> that I did not like his wife. </br>2. He <b>insinuated</b> himself into the conversation of the people at the nearby table" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
445 "insipid" "lacking interest or significance or impact" "adj." "Synonyms: boring, vapid, dull. </br>Deutsch : Geschmacklos, fad. </br> Latin in- ""not"" + Latin sapidus ""tasty"" sapere " "It was a stultifying procession of patriotic songs, nothing but insipid skits and bald propaganda." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
447 "insular" " of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive: tight-knit and isolated; uninterested in matters outside one’s immediate spher" "adj." "gleicher Wortstamm wie ""insel"" " "Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community. " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1500 "insularity" "the state of being isolated or detached" "noun" "Latin : insula, for ""island.""</br> Deutsch= Insel </br>Syn : detachment, insularism, insulation" "Their <b>insularity</b> led to the belief that they were the best in all things." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
448 "intensive" " 1. concentrated and in-depth </br>2. of agriculture; intended to increase productivity of a fixed area by expending more capital and labor" "adj." "1. “the questioning was intensive”, “intensive care”, “research- intensive”, “a labor- intensive industry” </br>2. “intensive agriculture”" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
450 "intermediary" " a go-between" "noun" "inter- = between, + medius= the middle =>go-between or a mediator between two other people. </br>Syn : go-between, intercessor, intermediator, mediator" "For online exchanges, I use PayPal because it is an <b>intermediary</b> that performs secure financial transactions." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
452 "intractable" "difficult to manage or mold" "adj." "in=not + tract= manage (like contract) => not manageable</br> Syn: a) defiant, noncompliant b) disobedient c) obstinate, stubborn, unregenerate d) untamed, wild
e) balking, balky f) refractory, stubborn g) uncontrollable, unmanageable h) unmalleable" "1. Additional police officers were called to the scene when the crowd became intractable</br>2. It took six paramedics to handle the intractable task of lifting the eight hundred pound woman." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1501 "intransigence" "stubborn refusal to compromise or change" "noun" "in- : ""not,"" + trans=movement =>is not moving</br>Syn: bullheadedness, obstinacy, obstinance, pigheadedness, self-will, stubbornness" "I can’t understand Rachel’s <b>intransigence</b>, considering that we have undeniable proof that her idea is incorrect." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
454 "intransigent" " uncompromising, obstinate s tubborn, immovable, unwilling to change: " "adj." "in- : ""not,"" + trans=movement =>is not moving</br>Syn: bullheadedness, obstinacy, obstinance, pigheadedness, self-will, stubbornness" "He was an <u><b>intransigent</b> conservative</u> opposed to every liberal tendency" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
455 "intrepid" " bold and adventurous" "adj." "in- ""not"" + trepidus ""alarmed,tremble"".=> no fear </br> same root as trepidation=fear" "To be an astronaut, you must be an <b>intrepid</b> person who craves adventure and is not afraid of heights." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1502 "inundate" "fill or cover completely, usually with water, but increasingly with information, work etc. " "verb" " Latin : inundare ""to overflow, run over, to flood"" </br> Syn : deluge, submerge, fill, fill up" "The Black writer was <b>inundated</b> with calls from movie industry executives looking for Black editors to hire" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
1503 "inured" "made tough by habitual exposure" "adj." "contracted from phrase : (put) in ure = put in use, now meaning ""toughen or harden by experience </br> Syn: enured, hardened, tough, toughened" "People in northern regions are <b>inured</b> to the cold weather, and some will even jump into freezing water on occasion.</br>a peasant, dark, lean-faced, wind- inured" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1504 "invective" "abusive language used to express blame or censure" "adj. " "from in- ""against"" + vehere ""to carry"" => =to carry words against = ""abusive speech</br> Syn : vitriol, vituperation" "When my ex-husband tried to start a fight with me by using an <b>invective</b>, I simply walked away from him." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1664 "inveigle" "persuade someone through flattery" "verb" " Middle French word aveugler, meaning “delude, make blind,”" "She <b>aveigled</b> him to drive her all the way across the country by telling him he was not only the best looking man in town, but also the best driver of all time. " "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
456 "inveterate" " ingrained, habitual" "adj." " associated with chronic disease in middle English. Now refers to something that is a signature habit with a person. </br>Syn : chronic, usual" "Mark is an inveterate liar who could not tell the truth even if you paid him" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
457 "invulnerable" " indestructible, impervious to harm" "adj." "Syn : unconquerable, protected, safesecure, air-tight, airtight, bombproof, shellproof, defendable, defensible, impregnable, inviolable, secure, strong, unassailable, unattackable, tight, sheltered, untouchable" "Gunners shot at the beach from <b>invulnerable</b> positions on the cliffs" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
460 "irascible" "quickly aroused to anger" "adj." "Synonyms: irritable, quick-tempered, short-tempered" "He survived, but some of his contemporaries thought that the accident changed his personality from pleasant to irascible." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
461 "irresolute" "uncertain how to act or proceed" "adj." "Syn : indecisive, discouraged, infirm, unstable, vacillant, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed" "Because Jack is <b>irresolute</b> about the future of the stock market, he is hesitant to make a large financial investment at this time." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
888 "itinerant" "Traveling from place to place" "adj." "Synonyms: peripatetic, wandering, roving" "My father is an <b>itinerant</b>, spending weeks a year on a plane" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1505 "itinerary" "an established line of travel or access" "noun" "Latin itinerarium ""account of a journey, description of a route of travel, road-book,""" "The teacher had to submit an <b>itinerary</b> for her field trip to Disneyworld listing every stop they would make at each hour of the day" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1666 "judicious" "exhibiting good judgment or sound thinking; prudent" " adj." "Latin iiudicium ""judgment""=> lacking judgement. </br>Antonym :injudicious" "The man had become<u> wealthy by making <b>judicious</b> use of his money</u>" "1000 Difficult GRE word" "Examword"
981 "knell" " the sound of a bell, especially when rung solemnly for a death or funeral" "noun" "Synonyms: toll, ringing, chime" "The change in policy is a blow to the prison industry, but it hardly sounds a death knell for its business model." "Most Difficult" "FT"
982 "lachrymose" "Inducing tears; sad" "adj." "Latin : lacryma ""a tear""=> tearful</br>was in Stephan's GMAT !</br>Synonyms: sad, tearful, weepy" "This morning the world is not talking about a dubious song by the host, a lachrymose speech or even an appalling outfit." "Most Difficult" "FT"
470 "laconic" " taciturn, reserved, succinct, using few words; terse: (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words" "adj." "Persons from Lakonia,Sparta, Greece, whose inhabitants famously cultivated the skill of saying much in few words.</br>Synonyms: brief, concise, terse" "Maths proofs can sometimes be very short and laconic</br>Philip of Macedon threatened Laconians with, ""If I enter Laconia, I will raze Sparta to the ground,"" the laconic ' reply was, ""If.""" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
983 "lacuna" " an unfilled space or interval; a gap" "noun" "Latin lacuna ""hole, pit,"" figuratively ""a gap, void, want,"" </br>Synonyms: interval, gap</br> same root as word ""Lake"", ""lagoon""" "Discovering the ancient text, historians were sad to discover there was a <b>lacuna</b> in the middle with several missing pages." "Most Difficult" "FT"
984 "lambaste" "Criticize (someone or something) harshly" "verb" "Synonyms: castigate, chastise, condemn, correct, objurgate, bawl out, berate, call down, call on the carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, dress down, have words, jaw, lecture, rag, rebuke, remonstrate, reprimand, reproof, scold, take to task, trounce, vituperate" "Yet the president was <b>lambasted</b> for his otherworldly complacency." "Most Difficult" "FT"
985 "larceny" " Theft of personal property" "noun" "Synonyms: stealing, robbery, pilfering" "The <b>larceny</b charges were dropped when it was discovered he received verbal permission to use the car." "Most Difficult" "FT"
890 "largesse" "large generosity, liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit" "noun" "Synonyms: liberality, munificence, magnanimity, openhandedness, gift" "All else equal, such <b>largesse</b> should indeed give the economy some temporary vim." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1506 "lassitude" "a feeling of lack of interest or energy" "noun" "Latin: lassus ""faint, tired, weary,""" "Whereas <u>Latitude</u> is the distance from the equator,<b>lassitude</b> is the weariness you'd experience after attempting to run a marathon around the equator" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
471 "latent" "potentially existing but not presently evident or realized" "adj." "Middle English from Latin latēre : ""to lie hidden.""</br>Syn:possible, potential" "If Janet is anything like her mother, she will show a <u><b>latent</b> skill</u> for singing when she reaches her teenage years." "Common GRE" "MSU"
472 "laud" "praise, glorify, or honor often in a very public manner" "verb" "Syn : exalt, extol, glorify, proclaim, canonise, canonize, ensky, crack up, hymn" "Because the soldier saved the president, everyone is going to <b>laud</b> him at a huge event" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
474 "laudable" "praiseworthy; commendable (v. laud)" "adj." "Providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is <u>a <b>laudable</b> goal.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
764 "lax" "Not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful" "adj." "Synonyms: slack, slipshod, negligent. </br>Deutsch : Lasch" "Mario Draghi has faced attacks from critics in Germany (<u>for being too<b> lax</b></u>) and Greece (for being too tight)." "Least Difficult" "FT"
891 "leery" "Cautious or wary due to realistic suspicions" "adj." "Synonyms: careful, circumspect, on one's guard" "The past two decades have left working-class voters in many countries leery of globalisation." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1115 "lethargic" "lacking energy" "adj." "From same Greek word. ic=nature of, like</br>" "It’s not uncommon to feel lethargic for weeks or even months after major surger" "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
1507 "levee" "an embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing" "noun" " New Orleans French levée ""a raising, a lifting; an embankment," "<b>Levees</b> protect land that is normally dry but that may be flooded occasionally, while <u>Dikes</u> protect land that would naturally be underwater most of the time." " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1508 "levity" "a manner lacking seriousness" "noun" "Levity = ""lightness," "Joking that his dead grandmother ""never looked better"" injected some <b>levity</b> into her funeral, but his relatives found his joke inappropriate to the occasion." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
986 "libertine" "a person who rejects accepted opinions in matters of religion" "adj." "Synonyms: freethinker, hedonist, profligate" "There are aunts for every worldview, from libertine to puritan and from reactionary to radical." "Most Difficult" "FT"
480 "lied" "1. v. past tense. to tell an untruth. 2. n. (plural: lieder) German. a song, lyric, or ballad." "verb, noun" "Selbsterklaerend" "2. This opera was inspired by a traditional lied." "Homonym" "MSU"
892 "limpid" "1. clear, serene and bright (often liquids) 2. ((of language) transparently clear; easily understandable" "adj." "Synonyms: 1. crystal clear, crystalline, lucid, pellucid, transparent 2. lucid, plain, understandable" "1. I could see the sand on the bottom of the <b>limpid</b> mountain pool</br>2. He writes in a <b>limpid</b> style" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
765 "listless" "(Of a person or their manner) lacking energy or enthusiasm" "adj." "Synonyms: lethargic, enervated, lackadaisical" "Ukraine is brimming with weapons and thousands of militiamen, angry with a corrupt and listless government they feel has hijacked the revolution." "Least Difficult" "FT"
482 "litigation" " legal proceedings" "noun" "Latin : act of carrying on a lawsuit" "Charles <u>entered into <b>litigation</u></b> when he opened a civil suit, attempting to hold his former employer liable for withholding wages" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
766 "livid" "1. furiously angry </br>2. anemic looking from illness or emotion, bluish-gray (eg. sea, bruise, lips)</br>3. (of a light) imparting a deathlike luminosity" "adj." "Latin : ""bluish-gray. </br>Synonyms: 1. infuriated, irate, fuming</br> 2.black-and-blue, injured, ashen, blanched, bloodless, white, colourless</br>3. deathly" "1. A <b>livid</b> Vladimir Putin minced no words in his response, calling the downing a 'stab in the back'…</br>2.The <b><u>livid</b> bruises</u> on Judy’s face took weeks to dissapear </br>3. </u><b>livid</b> lightning</u> streaked the sky”" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1379 "loath </br> loathe" "loath=To be unwilling to do something </br> loath<b><u>e</b></u>=To hat<b><u>e</b></u> someone or something" "verb, noun" "both have same Germanic root : ""leiden"", with its 2 meanings, too. </br>1.Leiden etwas zu tun </br> jmdm nicht leiden können." "The secretary was <b><u>loath</b> to do the filing and <b><u>loathed</b> her boss</u> for insisting she did it " "Easily confused words" "Khan"
1051 "loc</br> loq" "speak" "Greek/Latin root" "Grandiloquent =pompous or inflated in language</br>eloquent =speaking beautifully and forcefully</br>loquacious =very talkative</br>circumlocution=roundabout talk</br>elocution =art of clear & expressive speaking</br>locution=talking</br> soliloquy= long solo talk" "Root words" "Aristotle"
767 "loll" "Sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way" "verb" "From Dutch : loll= to doze</br>Synonyms: lounge, sprawl, drape oneself. </br>Deutsch : sich rekeln" "The pair </b>loll</b> on a green hillside at Murnau south of Munich where Münter had bought a house" "Least Difficult" "FT"
893 "loquacious" "Tending to talk a great deal" "adj." "Synonyms: talkative, voluble, communicative" "The <b>loquacious</b> professor was known for his five-hour lectures." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
488 "lugubrious" "weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree: ""Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends.""" "adj." "Latin lugubris ""mournful, doleful, pertaining to mourning,""</br>Synonyms: mournful, gloomy, sad" "After his wife left him, he walked around in a <b>lugubrious</b> condition for months" "Common GRE" "MSU"
489 "lumber" "1. n. wood used for building. </br>2. v. to move heavily or without grace." "noun, verb" "(2) The Frankenstein monster lumbered toward the little girl. " "Homonym" "MSU"
490 "luminous" "softly bright or radiant" "adj." "Latin luminosus ""shining, full of light, conspicuous,""" "One <b>luminous</b> bulb produces enough light to brighten both the kitchen and the dining room." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
768 "lurid" "Presented in vividly shocking or sensational terms" "adj." "Latin lūridis, ""ghastly, pale yellow,"" </br>Synonyms: melodramatic, exaggerated, overdramatized. </br>Deutsch : Reißerisch, grell. " "She asked the police officer <u>to spare her the <b>lurid</b> details</u> so that she did not have to have the shocking and ugly images put into her imagination." "Least Difficult" "FT"
988 "maelstrom" "1. a powerful circular current of water</br>2. fig. a situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil" "noun" "old Dutch Maelstrom (modern maalstroom), literally ""grinding-stream - zu Deutsch : Mahlstrom</br> Synonyms: turbulence, tumult, turmoil</br>Syn:vortex, whirlpool" "“The military is very concerned about getting pulled into the <b><u>maelstrom</b> of politics</u> in an election year in order to push protesters.”" "Most Difficult" "FT"
494 "magnanimity" "nobility and generosity of spirit" "noun" "Latin : magnus ""great"" + animus ""mind, soul, spirit""=>""having a great soul,"" " "Moved by <b>magnanimity</b>, the boxing champion reached his hand out to congratulate the runner-up on putting up a good fight" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
989 "magnate" " a wealthy and influential businessman or businesswoman" "noun" "Synonyms: industrialist, tycoon, mogul" "Several of America’s great industrialists built empires in Pittsburgh, including Andrew Carnegie, a steel magnate" "Most Difficult" "FT"
495 "maladroit" " clumsy, awkward, inept whether in movement or in words" "adj." "from French word of same meaning</br>It means clumsy, but with a hint of overall incompetence.</br>Syn: bumbling, bungling, butterfingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, left-handed, inept, tactless, uncoordinated, awkward" "1.His own party criticizes what many call his <b>maladroit</b> communication on an anxiety-inducing subject.</br>2.a <b>maladroit</b> movement of his hand caused the car to swerve" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
990 "malaproprism" " the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect" "noun" "Synonyms: misuse, solecism, blunder" "And so on down the list of supposed malapropisms. 'You can observe a lot by watching,' means plenty..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
496 "malevolent" "malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: " "adj." "Latin: male ""badly"" + volentem ""to wish""=>ill-disposed, spiteful, envious" "Failure made him <b>malevolent</b> toward those who were successful”</br> ant. Benevolent" "Common GRE" "MSU"
895 "malign" "evil in nature or effect" "adj." "Synonyms: harmful, bad, malevolent" "Other, darker interpretations of what malign force the monster may represent once again abound..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1510 "malingerer" "someone shirking duty by feigning illness or incapacity" "noun" "French: Malinger : to pretend to be sick</br> Syn: shammer, skulker, shirker, slacker" "Pike, the dog, was a clever <b>malingerer</b> and thief,pretending to be hurt to gain sympathy and food" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
498 "malleable" "1. pliant or pliable</br>2. easily influenced" "adj." "Latin verb of malleus ""to hammer""=> to be beaten by a hammer" "Children’s moods are often <b>malleable</b> since children are greatly affected by their surrounding" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
896 "maudlin" "Self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental" "adj." "Maudlin was a form of the name Mary Magdalene, often represented in paintings as a weeping sinner asking forgiveness from Jesus.</br>Synonyms: emotional, tearful, lachrymose" "she posted <b>maudlinly</b> on social media about her excess weight and receive no likes." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
500 "maverick" " an unorthodox person or rebel, tending to choose a different path from everyone else" "noun" "called after Samuel A. Maverick (1803-1870), Texas cattle owner who was notoriously negligent in branding his calves.His grandson, was also the only Southerner to vote against the anti-lynching bills in the 30's" "My <b>maverick</b> boss has made his fortune<u> by using a selling strategy different from that of his competitors.</u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1511 "mendacious" "given to lying" "adj. " "French/Latin : given to tell ""a lie, untruth, falsehood, fiction </br>Syn:intentionally untrue, untruthful" "It’s an unguarded anthology her ongoing battles against depression, <u><b>mendacious<b> lovers</u> and toxic memories." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
501 "mendacity" " untruthfulness, dishonesty" "noun" " Latin mendax ""lying; a liar""" "<u>A first sign of a new drug addict is their <b>mendacity</b></u>, not necessarily the effects of the drugs. " "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
503 "mercurial" " easily changeable, fickle, subject to sudden or unpredictable changes" "adj." "Latin : Mercurius ""pertaining to the god Mercury, having the form or qualities attributed to Mercury"", ie. ""light-hearted, sprightly, volatile, changeable, quick" "As my sister has ""<b><u>mercurial</b> moods</b> we never know how she will be feeling from one moment to the next." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1053 "meta" "beyond</br> change</br> between" "Greek/Latin root" "metaphysics =study of nature and reality</br>metamorphosis =a complete change of form</br>metastasis =the transmission of disease to other parts of the body." "Root words" "Aristotle"
897 "milieu" " a person’s social environment" "noun" "Synonyms: sphere, background, backdrop" "Armed with a view of themselves in a seething milieu of particles careening around a stretchy space-time, readers are reminded they are 'an integral part of the world which we perceive...'" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
507 "milk" "1. n. opaque liquid secreted by the mammary glands. </br>2. v. to extract by action similar to milking. to drain the strength from or exploit." "noun, verb" "(2) John became very good at <b><u>milking</b> his misfortunes for all the sympathy he could get.</u>" "Homonym" "MSU"
770 "mince" "Use polite or moderate expressions to indicate disapproval" "verb" "mostly used with ""did not mince his words"". Same latin root as ""miniscule""" "President Barack Obama didn’t <u><b>mince</b> his words</u> in a tweet on June 21st, the day after the Senate failed to pass four proposals." "Least Difficult" "FT"
771 "minion" "a follower or underling of a powerful person" "noun" "Synonyms: henchman, yes-man, lackey. </br>Deutsch : Untergebener, lackai" "Its <b>minions</b> have set up thousands of social-media bots and other spamming weapons to drown out other content." "Least Difficult" "FT"
898 "mire" "involve someone or something in (a difficult situation)" "verb" "Synonyms: entangle, tangle up, embroil" "Ms Park is hopelessly <b>mired</b> in an ever-deepening influence-peddling scandal." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
772 "mirth" " Amusement, especially as expressed in laughter" "noun" "Synonyms: merriment, high spirits. Same root origin as ""merry"". </br>Deutsch : Heiterkeit." "A further proposal, to cut the salaries of senior public managers by 25%, <u>has caused both anger and <b>mirth.</b></u>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
509 "misanthrope" "someone who dislikes people in general" "noun" "Greek : misein ""to hate"" + anthrōpos ""man""=>hating mankind" "He was a true <b>misanthrope</b> and hated even himself." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
991 "misanthropy" " a dislike of humankind" "noun" "Synonyms: cynicism, hatred of mankind" "[Labour did not fall into the traps of the old left: <u>confusing individualism for <b>misanthropy.</b></u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
510 "misnomer" "incorrect name or word for something" "noun" "self explanatory : mis-named" "Some historians claimed that China was the likely source of the deadliest flu pandemic in history, the 1918 Spanish Flu — a <b>misnomer</b> itself." "Common GRE" "MSU"
511 "misogynist" "one who hates or distrusts women" "noun" "Greek : miso- ""hatred"" +gynḗ ""a woman."" + -ist""= person who hates women</br>misandrist=hates or distrusts men" "Others stated the women were not the property of men and called the rapper a <b>misogynist</b>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1452 "missive" "a written note; note or instruction sent by superior authority" "noun" "Synonyms : command, note" "As soon as the general received the missive from his commander-in-chief, he launched an airstrike against the enemy." "Common GRE" "Prepscholar"
513 "mitigate" "lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of" "verb" "Latin: mītis ""soft"" + agere ""to do/act,"" => ""to soften.""" "He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done. (n: mitigation)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
773 "modest" "not excessively large, elaborate, or expensive" "adj. " "Synonyms: ordinary, simple, plain" "They can be seen in the modest dress, office decor and eating habits of Angela Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
899 "modish" "Conforming to or following what is currently popular and fashionable" "adj." "Synonyms: modern, trendy, in" "With these modish safety demonstrations becoming the norm, the question is what, exactly, do they accomplish?" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
992 "monolithic" "1. large, powerful, imposing in size or bulk or solidity 2. characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total uniformity" "adj." "mono:one + lith: ""stone""+ ic:""nature of, like""=> being like a massive stone </br>Synonyms: inflexible, rigid, unbending" "1. “the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture”</br>2. But evangelicals are not a monolithic worldwide movement" "Most Difficult" "FT"
518 "monotony" " boredom and repetition" "adj." "Greek: monos ""single, alone"" + tonos ""tone=>""of one and the same tone,""</br>Syn: humdrum, sameness" "He had never grown accustomed to the <b>monotony</b> of his work" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
774 "morose" "Sullen and ill-tempered, feeling sad, in a bad mood, and not wanting to talk to anyone" "adj." "Synonyms: sullen, sulky, gloomy" "When her dog died, the little girl was <b>morose</b> for months." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1054 "morph" "shape</br> form" "Greek/Latin root" "metamorphosis =complete change of form</br>morphology =the branch of biology that deals with the structure & form of organisms</br>amorphous =without distinct shape or form" "Root words" "Aristotle"
520 "muffler" "1. n. an object for suppressing noise. </br>2. n. a scarf worn around the neck for warmth." "noun" "Syn: scarf" "(2) Our mother would never let us leave the house without our <u><b>mufflers</b> and mittens</u> in the winter." "Homonym" "MSU"
521 "mundane" " everyday, boring" "adj." "Old French mondain/Latinmondulus: ""of this world, worldly, terrestrial"" " "Going about his everyday routine,<u> the man’s <b>mundane</b> schedule had him bored to tears.</" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
522 "munificent" " very generous" "adj." "Synonyms: bountiful, lavish, handsome" "Anyone with a few million dollars to spare can join in. The initial awards for physics, for example, were followed by equally munificent prizes in life sciences and mathematics." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
775 "muse" " a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist" "noun" "Synonyms: inspiration, influence, stimulus" "Picasso took a habit of painting his many <b>muses</b>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
994 "myopic" "nearsighted" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: short-sighted, insular, small-minded" "They are also myopic, judging politicians’ economic management on the basis of only the very recent pas" "Most Difficult" "FT"
995 "nadir" " the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization" "noun" "Synonyms: the all-time low, zero" "Between its pre-crisis peak in late 2007 and its <b>nadir</b> at the end of 2009, the economy contracted by 11.2%" "Most Difficult" "FT"
523 "naïv" " inexperienced or gullible" "adj." "Syn: credulous, uninformed, childlike, dewy-eyed, round-eyed, simple, wide-eyed, credulous, fleeceable, green, gullible, ingenuous, innocent, simple-minded, unsophisticated, unworldly" "He was so<b> naive</b> and excited to be there that he didn’t even really see an issue." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
901 "nascent" "just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential" "adj." "Latin: nat=birth + escent= emerging from => just coming into existence</br>Synonyms: emerging</br> beginning</br> dawning" "Weakening the legislature in a <b>nascent</b> democracy will not fix corruption by itself." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1055 "nat" "born" "Greek/Latin root" "innate =included since birth</br>nascent =starting to develop </br>natal =relating to birth</br>natural =gotten at birth</br> not afterward" "Root words" "Aristotle"
902 "natty" "(of a person or an article of clothing) smart and fashionable" "adj." "Gleicher Wortstamm wie ""nett""</br>Synonyms: stylish, dapper, debonair" "Although the <u><b>natty</b> clothing</u> was just her style, Terra couldn’t afford the boutique’s steep price tags." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1512 "negate" "1. make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of 2. deny the truth of 3. prove negative 4. be in contradiction with" "verb" "backforming of negation :""deny, make negative or null,"" </br>Syn: neutralize, nullify, contradict, belie" "1. Sometimes getting a guard dog can negate the need for a security system.</br>3. The WHO’s statement would seem to negate the validity of any such document." " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
526 "neglect" " to abandon or leave uncared-for" "verb/noun" "Latin: nec ""not"" + legere ""pick up, select,""=>omit to pick up, do or perform;Syn: (verb)drop, leave out, miss, omit, overleap, overlook, pretermit, fail, fail to attend to, disregard, ignore. (noun)neglectfulness, state of disuse, disregard, " "1.(as verb) He <b>neglects</b> his children. </br>2.(as noun) The house was in a terrible <u>state of <b>neglect</b></u>" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
996 "neophyte" " a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief" "noun" "Synonyms: beginner, learner, novice" "Mr. Gioia also delves into musical theory, in a way that will help both jazz neophytes and experts understand what they are listening to." "Most Difficult" "FT"
903 "nexus" " a connection or series of connections linking two or more things" "noun" "Synonyms: union, link" "Some chapters read like a thriller, because they offer a microscopic look at the unwholesome nexus between Germany’s media, politics and judiciar" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
997 "noisome" "having an extremely offensive smell; harmful, offensive, destructive: " "adj." "Synonyms: irritating, disagreeable, unpleasant" "The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles." "Most Difficult" "FT"
904 "nonplussed" "(Of a person) surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react" "adj." "Synonyms: baffled, confounded" "And as usual, internet commenters seemed nonplussed by what seemed to be a venerable institution (i.e., Oxford) validating teenage slang." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
905 "normative" "Establishing, relating to, or deriving from a standard or norm" "adj." "...Japanese philosopher and merchant, Tominaga Nakamoto, who was highly critical of the normative thought of his time and favoured free trade." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
998 "nostrum" " a pet scheme or favorite remedy, especially one for bringing about some social or political reform or improvement" "noun" "Synonyms: cure, prescription, answer" "It became a nostrum among rank-and-file Republicans that mainstream opinion polls are biased and should be ignored..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
531 "notoriety" " fame for doing something <u>negative or criminal</u>" "noun" "Just remember: Notoriety's not al-righty</br>Syn: ill-fame" "Because of John’s <u><b>notoriety</b> for being a mean drunk</u>, he is rarely invited to parties where alcohol is served." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
534 "obdurate" " stubborn, obstinate, stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion" "adj." "Latin: ob ""against"" (see ob-) + durare ""harden, render hard""=>stubborn, inexorable, unyielding; hardened. </br> syn: cussed, obstinate, unrepentant, unregenerate, unregenerated" "The obdurate three-year-old refused to eat any vegetables, no matter how they were prepared." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
776 "oblique" "Not explicit or direct in addressing a point" "adj." "Synonyms: indirect, inexplicit, roundabout" "Fire at Sea' has been praised for offering an oblique, poetic alternative to a more conventional campaigning documentary..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
535 "obscure" " mysterious or not well-known" "adj." "v. to cover something up or make it more difficult to perceive" "For some obsure reason, he decided not to go ahead with the agreed-to plan." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
536 "obsequious" "attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery" "adj." "Latin: ob ""after"" + sequi ""to follow""=>to accommodate oneself to the will of another</br>Syn: bootlicking, fawning, sycophantic, toadyish, insincere" "<b>obsequious</b> shop assistants scutter about to meet the customer's every wish" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
537 "obstinate" "beyond stubborn,tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield" "adj." " obstinate is most definitely negative(although stubborn can be positive)</br>Syn: stubborn, unregenerate, inflexible, sturdy, uncompromising, disobedient, bloody-minded, cantankerous, bolshy, stroppy, bullet-headed, bullheaded, pigheaded, dogged, dour, persistent, pertinacious, tenacious, unyielding, contrarious, cross-grained, determined, hardheaded, mulish, stiff-necked, strong-minded, strong-willed, intractable" "The more the parent pushes, the more <b>obstinate</b> the youngling becomes." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
539 "obviate" "1. do away with</br>2.. to prevent" "verb" "Latin ob ""in front of, against"" + viam, ""way""=> go against. </br> prevent, avert, avoid, debar, deflect, fend off, forefend, forfend, head off, stave off, ward off" "1. Doing one doesn’t <b>obviate</b> the need to do the other. </br>2.If you want to<u> <b>obviate</b> the risk of skin cancer</u> throughout your life, it’s important that you are protected from sun exposure from the time you are an infant" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
999 "occlude" "block passage through" "verb" "Synonyms: block, cover, shut in" "Mars will be as far away as 370m kilometres in 2013, and occluded for two weeks by the sun to boot..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
542 "occult" " the mystical and supernatural" "noun" "Latin occultus, = “hidden, secret.”" "Although the pretend psychic has no occult powers, she leads people to believe she does" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1513 "officious" "intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner, being annoyingly eager to do more than is required." "adj. " "Has nothing to do with official or office!!!. People who are officious are busybodies. They want to make their opinions known and followed, despite not having any kind of real power." "The <b>officious</b> lunch lady made everyone's food choices her business, and made nasty comments when students chose cookies over carrots" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
543 "offset" "1. to counterbalance or counteract 2. produce by offset printing technique 3. the distance or amount by which something is out of line" "verb, noun" "1. My new car's ability to get 3l per 100km <b>offset</b> the rise in the price of petrol </br>2. He placed the rubber cylinder in the <b>offset</b> printing machine.3.After the earthquake, several places on the ridge were <b>offset</b> by several feet" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
545 "olfactory" " relating to smell or the sense of smell" "adj." "One way to try to remember the meaning of the word olfactory is to think of factory. Your nose is the ""factory"" where odors are processed. What visual is to the eyes, olfactory is to the nose." "Healthy, adult polar bears possess <b>olfactory</b> gifts that boggle the mind: they can smell a seal under the ice from over a kilometer away" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1057 "omni" "all" "Greek/Latin root" "omnipotent =with all the power</br>omniscient =knowing all things</br>omnipresent=present everywhere</br>omnivorous =eating all foods" "Root words" "Aristotle"
547 "omniscience" " the quality or state of being all-knowing" "noun" "Latin omnis : ""all"" + scientia : ""knowledge.""" "Because he believes in God’s <b>omniscience</b>, the child is sure that his creator is aware of everything he does all day." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
548 "onerous" "burdensome or difficult to endure" "adj." "Latin ; onus ""burden." "The professional musicians expected their 8 year old daughter to practise the piano many <b>onerous</b> hours a day." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
549 "opaque" "not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning" "adj." "Medical jargon includes many opaque terms like macrosomic, which describes a newborn who weighs more than , grams." "Common GRE" "MSU"
906 "opine" "Hold and state as one’s opinion" "verb" "Synonyms: suggest, say, declare" "The voters may opine on the overarching principle but the voters cannot get involved in the minutiae of policy implementation." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
551 "opportunism" " the practice of taking advantage of opportunities as they arise without particular concern for morality or ethics" "noun" " Kevin’s <b>opportunism</b> led him to investing in any business idea he came up with, which in the long term led to failure" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1514 "opprobrium" "a state of extreme dishonor" "adj. " "Syn: obloquy, infamy" "The celebrity chef earned <b>opprobrium</b> when she made a racial slur in front of the media." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
553 "oscillate" "move or swing from side to side regularly" "verb" "The pendulum <b> oscillated </b> from left to right" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
554 "ossified" "turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible:" "adj." "The root is ossify, ""to turn into bone,"" from the Latin word for ""bone,"" os." " The <b>ossified</b> culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out." "Common GRE" "MSU"
555 "ostentatious" " overly showy in a way that is gaudy or vulgar, excessive display of wealth" "adj." "Latin word ostentare, ""to display,</br> Syn : pretentious, flaunty, flamboyant, showy, splashy" "Owning a mansion doesn’t imply <b>ostentation</b>, but traveling exclusively by private jet certainly can" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
556 "outstrip" " to overtake or outrun" "verb" "“If you want to <u><b>outstrip</b> the competition</u>, then you need to work out at the gym,” the coach told his athletes." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
557 "overshadow" " to literally cast a shadow over" "verb" "v. to appear more notable than, to dominate, eclipse, to dwarf" "the tragedy <b>overshadowed</b> the couple's happiness" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
778 "overwrought" "(of a piece of writing or a work of art) too elaborate or complicated in design or construction" "adj." "wrought is old English for ""worked"". Ie. Overwrought=overworked. </br>Synonyms: overblown, contrived, exaggerated" "She made prodigious strides as a writer and learned to temper her <b>overwrought</b> outpourings." "Least Difficult" "FT"
810 "oxy" " oxys</br>oxy- ""sharp</br> bitter</br>""" "Greek/Latin root" "a sub of the Greek</br> PIE root ""ac"": be sharp</br> rise (out) to a point</br> pierce. " "oxalic</br> oxide</br>oxygen(D=Sauerstoff...)</br> oxymoron(oxy=sharp+moron=stupid =>a word with composites of opposite meaning)</br> paroxysm (sudden extension of disease)</br>anoxic(lack of oxygen)</br>" "Root words" "SMB"
1000 "paean" " a song of praise or triumph" "noun" "Paean was originally a song of praise for Apollo, or Paian as he was sometimes called</br>Synonyms: song of praise, hymn, alleluia, encomium, eulogy, panegyric, " "The boy wrote a paean for his dad, praising his many accomplishments." "Most Difficult" "FT"
558 "painstaking" " attentive to detail, meticulous" "adj." "Old English : paynes taking, ""assiduous and careful labor""" "The technology seems to work but persuading the concrete industry to sign on is proving a <b>painstaking</b> and costly process" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
907 "pallid" "(of a person's face) pale, typically because of poor health" "adj." "Synonyms: white, pasty, wan" "Its protagonists (played by the suitably pallid and slender Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton) are named Adam and Eve." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1058 "pan" "all</br> any</br> everyone" "Greek/Latin root" "panacea =a cure for all diseases or problems</br>panorama =an allaround view</br>pantheism =the worship of all gods</br>pandemic =affecting all" "Root words" "Aristotle"
908 "panache" " Flamboyant confidence of style or manner" "noun" "Synonyms: self-assurance, style, flair" "Second, a quick mind: he wrote with speed and panache, after strolling round leisurely with a big cigar beforehand." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
559 "panegyric" "a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing" "noun" "The Latin, L. panegyricus,: altered slightly to mean ""public eulogy,</br>Syn: encomium, eulogy, paean, pean" "After the princess died a popular singer wrote a <b>panegyric</b> to honor her life." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1001 "panoply" " a complete or impressive collection of things" "noun" "Synonyms: array, range, collection" "The panoply of restrictions results in greater disenfranchisement,' the ruling read, 'than any of the law’s provisions individually" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1129 "para" "1. Greek origin = alongside</br>coming from</br> beyond; altered; contrary; irregular</br> abnormal</br> 2. Latin origin =""defense</br> protection against; that which protects from</br>""" "Greek/Latin root" "1. GREEK origin : parallel (alongside each other)</br> paramedic (someone alongside a medic)</br>paraphrase (restatement=coming phase)</br> parastatal (organisation that runs alongside state organisation)</br>paresis (altered ie</br> partial paralysis)</br> paralegal(one trained in subsidiary legal matters ""alongside legal"")</br> parameter (used alongside to measure system)</br> paraplegic (to be struck on the one side - eg lower side</br> left side)</br> paranormal (beyond normal)</br>parasite (alongside food)" "2. LATIN origin : </br>parachute (protect from falling)</br> parasol (protect from sun)</br> " "Greek/Latin " "SMB"
1116 "paradox" "a statement that contradicts itself but might be true" "noun" "Greek : para- ""contrary to"" + doxa ""opinion=>a statement contrary to common belief or expectation" "The fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted seven cats is an intriguing <b>paradox.</b>" "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
909 "paragon" " a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality" "noun" "Synonyms: model, epitome, exemplar</br>Deutsch : Paradebeispiel" "As a paragon of purity, a nun would never dress inappropriately" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
910 "parry" "Answer (a question or accusation) evasively" "verb" "Synonyms: evade, sidestep, avoid" "In the course of his business career, the president-elect has shown a remarkable ability to dodge and parry and reverse himself on everything..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
560 "partial" "1. a. incomplete </br>2. v. fond of, showing favouritism toward" "adj." "1. There was a <b><u>partial</b> eclipse</u> of the moon last month. </br>2. Clearly the woman was still <b>partial</b> to here ex-boyfriend" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
561 "partisan" "a fervent and even militant proponent of something" "noun" "The bill introduced recieved <b>partisan</b> support from the party that introduced the bill" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1002 "pastiche" " an artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces taken from various sources" "noun" "Italian pasticcio ""medley, pastry cake,</br>Synonyms: mixture, blend, medley" "The mix of country, pop, and soul music made the album a fascinating <u><b>pastiche</b> of sounds.</u>" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1515 "pate" "liver or meat or fowl finely minced or ground and variously seasoned" "noun" "French : from same word root as ""paste"" " "He had no ethical problem eat goose liver <b>pate</b>" " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
562 "patently" " blatant, obvious" "adj." "Latin : patere = ""lie open"" or ""be open.""</br>patently as an adjective serves to emphasize how apparent or clear your observation is. " "It's <b><u>patently</b> clear</u> that your 10 year old son hatesspinach.""" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1059 "path" "feeling</br> emoition" "Greek/Latin root" "empathy=identification with & understanding of another’s feeling</br>sapathy =a lack of feeling or interest</br>sympathy=harmony or agreement</br> sharing someone’s feelings</br>antipathy=a feeling of great dis" "Root words" "Aristotle"
1516 "pathological" "1. of or relating to the practice of pathology </br>2. caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition" "adj. " "Greek: pathologikos=pertaining to disease" "1. the lab. Technician worked in a <b><u>pathological</b> laboratory</u>2. </br>The thief was a <b>pathological</b> liar." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1003 "paucity" "an insufficient quantity or number" "noun" "Synonyms: scarcity, sparseness, dearth" "Yet the paucity of businesses is not due to a shortage of opportunities to make money." "Most Difficult" "FT"
565 "peccadillo" "a small sin or fault" "noun" "Spanish peccado: ""sin,"" + dillo :diminutive=> a small sin." "He forget his children's <b>pecadilloes</b> of forgetting to say thank-you and please" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1117 "pedant" "a person who makes an excessive display of learning" "noun" "Professor Blackwell, a well-known pedant, required his pre-med students to speak in Latin throughout the entire semester." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
568 "pedantic" " overly concerned with irrelevant detail, fussy; showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning:pedant, pedantry)." "adj." "ic=nature of, like" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1004 "pellucid" "Lucid in style or meaning; easily understood" "adj." "Synonyms: comprehensible, understandable" "Turning a crowd from hostility to adoration through pellucid, charismatic truthtelling is a venerable Hollywood trope..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
911 "penchant" " A strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something" "noun" "Synonyms: fondness, inclination, preference" "Mr. Gorsuch also shares Mr. Scalia’s literary talents: he is an elegant writer with a penchant for playful eruditi" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1667 "pernicuous" "harmful and <u>subtle</u>, often taking years" "adj." "Latin: per ""completely"" + necis ""violent death, murder,""perniciosus, ""destructive,""=>total destruction" "The leftist claimed that even during a pandemic, racism is as<b> pernicious</b> as ever." "AMB" "GRE Test Exam 1"
779 "pertain" "be appropriate, related, or applicable" "verb" "Synonyms: concern, relate to, be related to" "Religious exceptions to the law, such as those pertaining to animal welfare, should ideally be ended..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
577 "peruse" " to read something carefully and closely" "verb" "v. to read something informally or quickly (context is important for this word!!!!)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
578 "pervasive" " found everywhere, widespread; often has a negative connotation" "adj." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1283 "petr" "stone</br> rock" "Greek/Latin root" " Peter ""you are the rock that I will build my Church""</br> said Jesus" "petrified</br> " "Latin words" "nko"
1005 "phalanx" " a body of troops or police officers standing or moving in close formation" "noun" "A collection of giant slabs surrounded by thick iron railings, protected by a phalanx of armed guards..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
581 "phenomena" " things that happen" "noun" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
582 "philanthropy" "tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization" "noun" "The students were grateful to receive financial support from philanthropic organizations that promote education." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1006 "philistine" " A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts" "noun" "Synonyms: oaf, anti-intellectual, boor" "By choosing such an unimpeachably serious and artistic project as its first film production, the company has made anyone who grumbles seem like a philistine." "Most Difficult" "FT"
583 "philo" "love " "Greek/Latin root" "philosophy</br>philanthropy</br> philanthropist =one who loves humanity</br>philology =the love of words</br>philosophy =the love of wisdom</br>philatelist –one who loves or collects stamps</br>bibliophile –a lover of b" "Greek/Latin " "MSU"
1520 "piety" "righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
780 "pine" "Miss and long for the return of" "verb" "Few DJs pine for the days of ones-and-twos; the possibilities of modern technology are too alluring." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1007 "pique" " a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight" "noun" "Synonyms: annoyance, displeasure, indignation" "The Russians have responded with predictable pique—just as many refused to condemn the violence of their football hooligans." "Most Difficult" "FT"
912 "pithy" "(of language or style) terse and vigorously expressive" "adj." "Synonyms: concise, brief, compact" "Academics are not known for brevity in writing. And physics does not lend itself to pithy introductions." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
590 "placate" " to calm, esp. an angry or upset person; to calm or reduce anger by making concessions:" "verb" "Synonyms: appease, pacify, mollify" " The professor tried to placate his students by postponing the exam." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
591 "plastic" "related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded. (n: plasticity n: plastic)" "adj." "ic=nature of, like" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1521 "plasticity" "the property of being physically malleable" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
782 "platitude" "A remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting " "noun" "Synonyms: cliché, truism, commonplac" "For most of her end-of-term grilling by the liaison committee... she wore an aquiline scowl, quibbling with the questions and, when pushed, cleaving to evasive platitudes..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
783 "plethora" "a large or excessive amount" "noun" "Podcasts were facing fierce competition for audiences’ attention from a plethora of other new digital-native products including Facebook, YouTube and Twitte" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1672 "poise" "1.n. If you have poise, you are cool under stress. People with poise can handle pressure without showing it</br>2. brace yourself (ie. Get ready) or be prepared for something difficult. " "noun, verb" "French : poids=weight, quality of being heavy. The sense of ""steadiness, composure"" from notion of being equally weighted on either side , which then led to the passive sense of ""being in equilibrium"",""being in suspense"" and then ""getting ready for""" "1. He answered the presecutor's tough questions with great <b>poise </b></br>2a. The bird was <b>poised</b> in mid-air, ready to fall on its prey. </br>2b.That number seems <b><u>poised</b> to rise</u> dramatically this year.</br>2c. After being asked to sit down, we was <u><b>poised</b> to hear bad news.</u> " "Vocab" "Prepscholar"
1008 "polemic" " a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something" "noun" "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: diatribe, invective" "Marion Nestle's heavyweight polemic against Coca-Cola and PepsiCo comes at an odd moment for the industry." "Most Difficult" "FT"
784 "posit" "Put forward as fact or as a basis for argument" "noun" "Synonyms : postulate, propound, submit" "Mr. Ansar and his co-authors assume this margin is 40%: they posit a ratio of expected benefits to costs of 1.4 for every project." "Least Difficult" "FT"
607 "pragmatic" "concerned with practical matters" "adj." "ic=nature of, like" "A pragmatic approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1009 "préci" " a summary or abstract of a text or speech" "noun" "Synonyms: synopsis, summation" "His latest book, 'Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking', is a précis of those 50 years, distilled into 77 readable and mostly bite-sized chapters" "Most Difficult" "FT"
611 "precipice" "cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance" "noun" "Common GRE" "MSU"
613 "precipitate" "to cause (something) to happen quickly or suddenly" "verb" "adj. hastily and not well-considered" " Old World diseases precipitated a massive decline in the American Indian population." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
615 "precursor" " a forerunner; something (or someone) that precedes another:" "noun" " The assasination of the Archduke was a precursor to the war." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
915 "presage" "be a sign or warning of (an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one)" "verb" "Synonyms: point to, mean, signify" "Stock markets are set to open down today, and the election could presage a longer slump if investors feel that the uncertainty generated... will harm growth and corporate profits." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
618 "prevail" " to succeed, esp. with respect to vanquishing an opponent" "verb" "v. to convince or persuade" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
620 "prevaricate" " to evade or deceive without outright lying, avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question" "verb" "During the trial, the lead witness was willing to prevaricate in order to protect his friend." "When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated.(n: prevarication; prevaricator)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
624 "prodigal" "a person who leaves home and behaves recklessly, but later makes a repentant return" "adj." " Americans' <b>prodigal</b> devotion to the automobile is unique.</br>The <b>prodigal</b> prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events." "Common GRE" "MSU"
916 "prolific" "(of an artist, author, or composer) producing many works" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: productive, creative, inventive" "It is true that few artists have been so prolific. On average, he released a studio album every year..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1527 "propensity" "a natural inclination" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
786 "prophetic" " Accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future" "adj. " "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: predictive, visionary" "As the depleted council began, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware... said he still hoped it could avoid being mired in Orthodoxy’s internal woes and 'speak in a firm, prophetic voice' to humanit" "Least Difficult" "FT"
630 "propitiate" " to obtain special favor from someone, esp. a powerful person or deity, by performing a pleasing action" "verb" "v. to appease someone who is angry" "They made sacrifices to propitiate angry gods." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
631 "propriety" " appropriateness, manners, decorum" "noun" "The students were instructed to behave with the utmost propriety while on their class field trip." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1010 "prosaic" "Commonplace; unromantic" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: ordinary, everyday" "However, while it is large-scale evacuations at times of crisis that grab attention, the biggest risks that business travellers face are more prosaic." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1529 "proscribe" "command against" "verb" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
917 "proxy" " a person authorized to act on behalf of another" "noun" "Synonyms: representative, substitute, stand-in" "...Mr. Thaksin’s sister Yingluck, who took over his political movement after he left the country and who in 2011 was elected prime minister as his prox" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
918 "prudish" "having a tendency to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity" "adj." "Synonyms: puritanical, prim, goody-goody" "Several Pacific nations ban cross-dressing (another hand-me-down from prudish Victorians)." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1011 "pundit" " an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public" "noun" "Synonyms: authority, adviser" "And yet the prevailing view among pundits is that Russia is indeed back in Asia." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1060 "purge" "clean" "Greek/Latin root" "Purge =remove anything undesirable</br>purgatory =according to Roman Catholics a placewhere souls must clean themselves of sin</br>expurgate =remove objectionable passages from a publication" "Root words" "Aristotle"
787 "purist" " a person who insists on absolute adherence to traditional rules or structures" "noun" "Synonyms: pedant, dogmatist, perfectionist" "From this purist point of view, there is only one Christian church worthy of the name...." "Least Difficult" "FT"
636 "pusillanimous" "cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty:" "adj." " The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people." "Common GRE" "MSU"
788 "pyre" " a heap of combustible material, especially one for burning a corpse as part of a funeral ceremony" "noun" "Yet Ms McInerney takes the story deeper, skillfully setting a funeral pyre 'for that Ireland'..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
789 "quack" " a person who dishonestly claims to have special knowledge in some field" "noun" "Synonyms: swindler, charlatan, fraud" "That can cause malnutrition and eating disorders—and supports a vast, quack-ridden diet industr" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1530 "qualified" "meeting the proper standards and requirements for a task" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
1455 "qualify" "1. be selectable for a position/job<br>2. Place a condition on a statement, limit the scope of a statement" "verb" "Qualify is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE! <br> The GRE primarily has examples of the 2nd definition, ie. To place a condition on a statement." "2a. I love living in San Francisco; however, the summers are very cold .<br>The latter, bold part however… qualifies or limits, my love for San Francisco. <br>You can also qualify a negative statement :<br>2b.I really dislike living in SF, because I can’t even wear a T-shirt in summer…the restaurants are great t" "Common GRE" "MSU"
919 "qualm" " an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear" "noun" "Synonyms: misgiving, doubt, reservation" "Qualms about the force’s quality extend beyond their handling of demonstrator" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
920 "quell" "Suppress (a feeling, especially an unpleasant one)" "verb" "Synonyms: calm, soothe, pacify" "So the correct response is to...plump up the capital cushions of its vulnerable banks with enough public money to quell fears of a systemic crisis." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1012 "querulous" "Complaining in a petulant or whining manner" "adj." "Synonyms: pettish, touchy, testy" "Their querulous, hostile or annoyed faces recur in her work from the late 1950s." "Most Difficult" "FT"
921 "quibble" "Argue or raise objections about a trivial matter" "verb" "Synonyms: object to, criticize, nitpick" "One can quibble with some of the detail; perhaps the labour market participation rate can rise again, particularly if baby boomers find they don't have enough money with which to retire." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1013 "quiescence" " a state or period of inactivity or dormancy" "noun" "Synonyms: inactivity, inertia, latency" "Horrible conditions do not guarantee revolts, and moderately bad conditions do not necessarily thwart them. The question is what to make of the relative quiescence of America’s poo" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1531 "quiescent" "being quiet or still or inactive" "adj." " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1014 "quixotic" "exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: unrealistic, impractical, romantic" "In one chapter... the director probes some of the quixotic visionaries driving the digital revolution forward." "Most Difficult" "FT"
639 "quotidian" " relating to the everyday or mundane" "adj." "Synonyms: day-to-day, average, daily" "They are seers, and mystics unfettered by the quotidian, connecting with the divine and reporting back." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1015 "raconteur" " a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way" "noun" "Synonyms: storyteller, spinner of yarns" "The latest continental raconteur eager to spin Ireland’s tale is the European Unio" "Most Difficult" "FT"
640 "rarefy" "1. to make or become thin; 2. to purify or refine (n: rarefaction, adj: rarefied)" "verb" "Latin : to make rare" "1. A lack of calcium has caused the boy’s bones to <b>rarefy</b> and become brittle.</br>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
641 "rationalize" " to attempt to justify with reasons that are only superficially valid" "verb" "v. to repair a relationship" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
923 "recalcitrant" "having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority" "adj." "Synonyms: uncooperative, intractable" "In a move that may test the mettle of recalcitrant Senate Republicans, Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a widely respected and politically moderate judge..." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
924 "recant" "Say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief" "verb" "Synonyms: renounce, disavow, retract" "Analysts who predict turmoil are warned to shut up or recant." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1533 "recluse" "one who lives in solitude" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
642 "reconcile" " to bring into harmony" "verb" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
643 "recondite" " arcane or obscure, not understood or known by many people" "adj." "Latin/French e=back : com=with ; dere=put, ie. Put back again, hide" "Since I do not have a law degree, I find it hard to understand the <b>recondite</b> terms of the contract." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1016 "redress" " remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance" "noun" "Synonyms: reparation, restitution, recompense" "There must be redress by an independent tribunal for those who have been mistreated." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1534 "refractory" "stubbornly resistant to authority or control" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
644 "refute" "overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof" "verb" "Latin : re=back +futare =""to beat"", ie. To resist, repel, oppose" "The evidence provided by the prosecutor will <b>refute</b> the defendant’s claim of innocenc" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
645 "relentless" " never stopping, constant, unyielding, persistent" "adj." "<b>relentless</b> and driven, the runner managed to finish the race despite his bruised ankle" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
646 "relevant" " relating to the topic or issue at hand" "adj." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1017 "repast" " a meal" "noun" "Synonyms: feast, banquet" "Lunchtime, it is held, would be the optimal time to invade France. Little can distract a Frenchman from his sacred noonday repast." "Most Difficult" "FT"
648 "reproof" "the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove)." "noun" "Old French reprove ""reproach, rejection,""</br>Syn : rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproval" "Without harsh <b>reproof</b>, the mother calmly explained the reasons why the boy shouldn’t throw the ball in the house." "Common GRE" "MSU"
653 "restive</br>restful" "restive is impatient under delay, duress, or control while restful is peaceful; having a peaceful aspect." "adj. " "The horses, sensing the upcomping championship - become restive and were unable to get a restful night's sleep. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
790 "reticence" " the quality of not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readi" "noun" "Synonyms: reserve, introversion, restraint" "Mr. Harding is more comfortable with facts; with classic English reticence, he buries his family’s responses in footnotes and summarie" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1018 "ribald" "Referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way" "adj." "Synonyms: bawdy, indecent, risqu<71>" "When challenged... about human rights in Chechnya, he replied with a ribald offer to arrange for the questioner's Islamic circumcision." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1019 "rococo" "Characterized by an elaborately ornamental late baroque style of decoration" "adj." "_x005F_x0018_The building, which once served as the local town hall, boasts rococo wall carvings, a statue of Pallas Athena..." "Most Difficult" "FT"
791 "rue" "Bitterly regret (something one has done or allowed to happen)" "verb" "Synonyms: deplore, lament, bemoan" "Meanwhile, Mr. Showalter will now have a long six months to rue his slavery to the save rule before his club plays another game." "Least Difficult" "FT"
792 "ruminate" "Think deeply about something" "verb" "Synonyms: contemplate, consider, mull over" "Alfred Sauvy, the French thinker... was prone to worry that the first world would become 'a society of old people, living in old houses, ruminating about old ideas.'" "Least Difficult" "FT"
658 "sagacious" "having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment. (n: sagacity)." "adj." " Latin sagacitatem""keenness of perception, quality of being acute,""</br>same root as ""sage""</br>Syn: perspicacious, sapient, wise" "observant and thoughtful,<u> he was given to asking <b>sagaciou</b>s questions</u></br>" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1539 "sage" "a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
925 "salient" "Most noticeable or important" "adj." "Synonyms: conspicuous, noticeable, obvious" "The reason for that emphasis may in part be because of the salient threat of terrorism<73>" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
660 "sanction" " to give official permission" "verb" "v. to impose a penalty for a particular action" "n. punishments imposed for breaking a regulation" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1020 "sanguine" "Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. cheerful; confident: ""Her sanguine attitude put everyone at ease.""(Sangfroid (noun) is a related French word meaning unflappibility. Literally, it means cold blood)" "adj." "Synonyms: hopeful, buoyant, assured" "Some fear a future of mass unemployment. Others are sanguine that people will have time to adapt." "Most Difficult" "FT"
662 "sap" "1. n. sugary liquid found in trees. </br>2. v. to deplete or weaken." "noun, verb" "(2) Chronic sleep deprivation will eventually sap the vitality of those who suffer it." "Homonym" "MSU"
926 "sardonic" "grimly mocking or cynical" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: satirical, sarcastic, ironic" "Ms Jefferson, it must be said, is a master of the arched-eyebrow, sardonic quip." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
663 "sate" "to satisfy fully or to excess" "verb" "old English/German : Satt sein</br>Syn : fill, replete, satiate" "I will never be able to give my dog enough food to <b>sate</b> him." "Common GRE" "MSU"
665 "saturnine" "having a gloomy or morose temperament, sad and solemn" "adj." "Early English, ""born under the influence of the planet Saturn"", then believed to be furthest away from the sun,so ""gloomy, morose, sluggish, grave""" "As the widow accepted offers of sympathy at her husband’s funeral, she struggled to keep tears from her <b>saturnine</b> eyes." "Common GRE" "MSU"
927 "savant" " a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist" "noun" "Synonyms: intellectual, scholar, sage" "The more a society treats its businesspeople as hero savants based on their professional successes, elevating them to positions of political power." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1541 "savor" "a particular taste or smell, especially an appealing one" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Medium" "Barron"
1061 "sci" "to know" "Greek/Latin root" "conscience =sense of knowing right from wrong</br>conscious =knowing what is happening</br>omniscient =knowing everything</br>prescient =ability to perceive events before they occur" "Root words" "Aristotle"
1021 "scintilla" " a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling" "noun" "Synonyms: particle, iota, smidgen" "After a scintilla of regret over lost youth, to turn 50 should be to enter the prime of life, with a plenitude of projects and achievements." "Most Difficult" "FT"
668 "screen" "1. n. a flat surface on which to project an image. 2. N. a mesh designed to allow passage of some things while excluding others, as a window screen. 3. v. to select some items from a larger group. " "noun" "(3) The applicants were screened based on their resumes before the finalists were selected for interviews." "Homonym" "MSU"
672 "sedulous" "diligent; persevering; persistent: dedicated and careful" "adj." "Latin sedulus, with same meaning</br>Sedulous is ONE OF THE 5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES made in the GRE!</br>(n: sedulity; sedulousness; adv. sedulously)</br> Syn : assiduous, painstaking, and diligent" "His <b>sedulity</b> was there for all to see : he worked hard and never gave up easily." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1022 "semantic" "Relating to meaning in language or logic" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: lingual, semasiological" "Semantic parsing also ensued over whether the modifier 'meaningful' is significantly (or meaningfully) different from 'significant.'" "Most Difficult" "FT"
676 "slight" "1. adj. small, as for quantity or amount. </br>2. n. an insult or other act showing disrespect. 3. v. to insult or show disrespect" "adj., noun" "(3) The director decided to list the actors' names alphabetically, so as not to slight anyone." "Homonym" "MSU"
1023 "sobriquet" " a person’s nickna" "noun" "Synonyms: appellation, moniker" "This provoked widespread debate about the role of intellectual property and earned him the sobriquet 'Champion of Patents.'" "Most Difficult" "FT"
677 "solicitous" "1. considerate, attentive</br>2. full of anxiety and concern" "adj." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
928 "soliloquy" " an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself, especially by a character in a pl" "noun" "Synonyms: monologue, speech" "Patrick Stewart, for instance, reworked Hamlet’s soliloquy as an ode to the letter B ('B or not a B, that is the question'" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1024 "soporific" "inducing sleep" "adj." "ic=nature of, like</br>Synonyms: sleep-inducing, somnolent, sedative" "In the soporific heat you would be forgiven for thinking that time had forgotten the New Jersey-sized nation." "Most Difficult" "FT"
929 "stigma" " a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person" "noun" "Synonyms: shame, disgrace, dishonour" "A stigma against adults having fun, strong in the aftermath of the Second World War, has faded." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1547 "stint" "supply sparingly and with restricted quantities" "verb" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
930 "stipulate" "Demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of a bargain or agreement" "verb" "Synonyms: set down, set out, lay down" "In trade negotiations, size matters. Larger economies can stipulate terms that suit them." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
931 "stratum" " a thin layer within any structure" "noun" "Synonyms: level, class, echelon" "But exalting Western aviation security to a higher stratum than that found in Africa is a delusion." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1548 "striate" "marked with stripes" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
686 "strut" "1. v. to walk in such a way as to show great pride or confidence. </br>2. n. a support for an airplane wing or other projecting part." "verb, noun" "(2) Because the struts were made of inferior material, the wings of that plane became unstable." "Homonym" "MSU"
1258 "sub-, su- , sou, sous" "word-forming element meaning ""under, beneath; behind; from under; resulting from further division,""" "Greek/Latin root" "su- used before c, f, g, p, sometimes r & m" "substantial" "Latin words" "nko"
795 "sublime" "of very great excellence or beauty" "adj." "Synonyms: awe-inspiring, awesome, majestic" "Yet life in the ocean can still mount sublime spectacles." "Least Difficult" "FT"
932 "subpoena" " A writ ordering a person to attend a court" "noun" "Synonyms: summons, mandate, court order" "Subpoenas issued by a federal grand jury earlier this year demanded that the Port Authority hand over Mr. Samson’s personal travel records." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1549 "subside" "wear off or die down" "verb" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
693 "superficial" "only covering the surface:""2.concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; 3. of little substance or significance" "adj." "Anything superficial has to do with the surface of something" "1. The car only had <b>superficial</b> damage to its paint.</br> 2. her thinking was superficial and fuzzy, marked by lack of attention or insight . </br>3. she made a few </b>superficial</b> editorial changes" "Common GRE" "MSU"
1550 "supersede" "take the place or move into the position of" "verb" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
1025 "supine" "Failing to act as a result of moral weakness or indolence; laying back with the face upward (opposite position to prone)" "adj." "Synonyms: weak, spineless" "Last year Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, brought in a corporate-governance code which...requires hitherto supine institutional investors to keep a close eye on firms they invest in." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1551 "supposition" "the cognitive process of conjecturing" "noun" " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
796 "surly" "Bad-tempered and unfriendly" "adj." "Synonyms: ill-natured, grumpy, glum" "Here, poverty and economic decline has led to the surly separation of a left-behind, resentful white working class and a Muslim minority." "Least Difficult" "FT"
696 "sycophant" " a fawning, insincere admirer, a person who tries to get what they want by excessively praising or complimenting someone in order to make them feel attractive or important" "noun" "Because she always kisses up to the teacher, Janice is considered the sycophant in first period." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
797 "syncopation" " A displacement of the beat or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa" "noun" "She dances an assortment of lissom steps, marvelously shedding shoes and socks as the Beethoven famously shifts from solemnity to syncopation." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1026 "synoptic" "Taking or involving a comprehensive mental view" "adj." "Synonyms: concise, succinct, compressed" "They were mind-expandingly right in their synoptic vision, if frequently inexact and sometimes mistaken in their specifics." "Most Difficult" "FT"
933 "syntax" " the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language" "noun" "The three decided to record their reactions to Belinda’s not-particularly-erotic escapades and the author’s idiosyncratic syn" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
697 "synthesize" " to combine disparate parts into a coherent whole" "verb" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
699 "tacit" " unspoken; implicit" "adj." ": Katie and carmella had a tacit agreement that they would not mention the dented fender to their parents." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
701 "taciturn" " reticent or reserved; tending towards silence; habitually untalkative or silent (n: taciturnity)" "adj." "French/ Latin taciturnus ""not talkative, noiseless.""" "My shy brother is taciturn and rarely speaks in public." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1552 "tangential" "of superficial relevance if any" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
798 "taunt" " A remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone" "noun" "Synonyms: jeer, gibe, sneer" "But in the past two years taunts have turned into deadly attacks." "Least Difficult" "FT"
799 "tawdry" "Showy but cheap and of poor quality" "adj." "Synonyms: gaudy, flashy, garish" "A team of 21 organisers resigned from the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (NPBCU), throwing the festival of tawdry pop into doubt." "Least Difficult" "FT"
703 "temper" "1. n. emotional state or anger, as in ""she has quite a temper."" </br>2. v. to moderate or to strengthen." "noun, verb" "(2) She tried to remember to temper her words so as not to offend her listeners." "Homonym" "MSU"
704 "temperance" " moderation and restraint, sometimes used to specifically describe abstinence from alcohol" "noun" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
800 "temperate" "Relating to or denoting a region or climate characterized by mild temperatures; exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild (n: temperance)" "adj." "Synonyms: mild, clement, pleasant" "It can remain temperate in such a close orbit only because Proxima is a red dwarf, and thus much cooler than the sun. " "Least Difficult" "FT"
1674 "tenacity" "the quality of being determined to do or achieve something" "adj." "</br>Synonyms : doggedness, perseverance, persistence, persistency, pertinacity, tenaciousness" "<u>Nadal’s <b>tenacity</b> and desire to win at all costs</u> were exhibited during the final set of the tennis match" "Vocab" "Prepscholar"
934 "tenet" " a principle or belief" "noun" "Synonyms: doctrine, precept, creed" "In the Warren and Burger courts of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, religious accommodation was a liberal tenet." "Medium Difficult" "FT"
706 "tenuous" " weak, flimsy, insubstantial,weak and likely to change; having little substance or strength" "adj." "The judge called the defense’s argument tenuous and ruled in favor of the plaintif" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
801 "terse" "Sparing in the use of words" "adj." "Synonyms: curt, brusque, abrupt" "In a terse phone-call on Thursday night, President Barack Obama paused only briefly to congratulate Mr. Netanyahu on his victory..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1385 "testify</br>testy" "testify=To speak seriously about something, especially in a court of law; to give or provide proof </br> testy=Easily annoyed and not patient" "verb, adj. " "Easily confused words" "Khan"
1063 "theo" "god" "Greek/Latin root" "monotheism =belief in one god</br>polytheism =worshiping more than one God</br>theology =the study of religion</br> god</br> etc</br>theocracy=Form of govt where religion is the guiding principle" "Root words" "Aristotle"
707 "timorous" " meek or timid" "adj." "same root as ""timid""=shy" "The timorous kitten would not come out from under the bed" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
769 "to mar" "Impair the quality or appearance of" "verb" "Synonyms: spoil, ruin, damage </br>Deutsch : verderben, beeinträchtige" "These oversights mar an otherwise engaging and interesting account, but perhaps it is natural that a history of space should have a few gaping holes." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1027 "toady" "Act in an obsequious way" "verb" "Synonyms: be servile towards, grovel to" "Britain’s Conservative government is accused of sacrificing the steel industry to toady up to Chin" "Most Difficult" "FT"
802 "tome" " a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one" "noun" "Synonyms: volume, work, opus" "It is a tome to which most recent arguments about regulation and economic reform are merely annotations." "Least Difficult" "FT"
710 "torpor" "a state of motor and mental inactivity" "noun" " tiredness, lethargy" "During the winter, the bears fall into an intense torpor." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
803 "torrid" "Full of difficulty or tribulation" "adj." "The pound, after a few torrid days of trading immediately after the vote, has stabilized." "Least Difficult" "FT"
712 "tortuous" " winding or twisty . twisted; excessively complicated: " "adj." "Note: Don't confuse this with torturous.. Synonum complicated" "Despite public complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly tortuous." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1064 "tractable" " can be easily influenced or managed. ability to be easily managed or controlled: " "Greek/Latin root" "attract =to pull nearer</br>distract =to drag attention away fromsomething</br>Intractable=stubborn" "Her mother wished she were more tractable. (n: tractibility)" "Root words" "Aristotle"
804 "transgression" "the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle" "noun" "Synonyms: offense, crime, sin" "It sang of domineering men, treacherous women and the manly solace of tequila." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1554 "truculence" "stubborn and defiant aggressiveness" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1028 "truculent" "Eager or quick to argue or fight" "adj." "Synonyms: defiant, aggressive" "Mr. Boehner, having abandoned his long battle with his party’s truculent right-wingers and announced his resignation in September, wanted to ‘clear the barn’ for his succ" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1029 "turgid" "(of language or style) tediously pompous or bombastic" "adj." "Synonyms: overblown, inflated, grandiose" "It promotes a cult of personality around Mr. Baghdadi. It churns out turgid propaganda about repaired bridges and newly opened schools." "Most Difficult" "FT"
717 "turpitude" "depravity; baseness: " "noun" " Latin turpitudo: ""repulsiveness.""</br>Syn : depravity" "Prisons are filled with criminals who have engaged in acts of moral turpitude." "Common GRE" "MSU"
1555 "unwarranted" "incapable of being justified or explained" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
749 "upbraid" "Find fault with (someone)" "verb" "Synonyms: scold, reprimand, rebuke. </br>Deutsch : jdm Vorwürfe machen. Old English upbregdan""bring forth as a ground for censure""" "In the past its neighbours isolated and upbraided Austria for its flirtations with nationalist extremism..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
936 "urbane" "(Of a person, especially a man) courteous and refined in manner" "adj." "Synonyms: suave, sophisticated, debonair" "Beneath its urbane surface all Mr. Hough’s music is, in one way or another, a crusad" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
1131 "vacillate" "1. to waver between different opinions or actions, be undecided about something; 2. move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern" "verb" "Latin vacillatus ""sway to and fro; hesitate""</br>Syn : hover, oscillate, vibrate, fluctuate, waver" "1. Undergraduate students often <b>vacillate</b> among various majors before deciding which degree to pursue.</br>2.the line on the monitor <b>vacillated</b>" "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
726 "vacuous" "1. empty; without contents; 2. void of expresssion 3. devoid of content. 4. no intelligence. " "adj." "Latin vacuus ""empty, void, free""</br>vacuous is a smart-sounding way to describe something dumb. </br>Syn:1. empty, 2. blank, non-communicative,3. asinine,fatuous, inane, mindless, foolish" "1. a <u><b>vacuous</b> space</u> </br>2. She <u>flashed a <b>vacuous</b> smile</u>.</br>3&4 his<b><u> vacuous</b> comments</u> did not impress anyone." "Common GRE" "MSU"
806 "vapid" "offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland" "adj." "Synonyms: insipid, uninspired, uninteresting" "Mr. Silver delighted in savaging commentators who relied on vapid clichés like 'momentum shifts' and 'game-changers." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1381 "venal</br>venial" "venal=A person is willing to behave in a way that is not honest or moral in exchange for money <br / >venial=Describes a wrong action that is not serious and therefore easy to forgive" "adj. " "Easily confused words" "Khan"
729 "venerate" " to give a high degree of respect; may border on worship, great respect or reverence: " "verb" "The Chinese traditionally venerated their ancestors; ancestor worship is merely a popular misnomer for this tradition. (n: veneration, adj: venerable)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
732 "verbose" "using or containing too many words" "adj." "Synonyms: wordy, loquacious, long-winded" "The instructor asked her verbose student make her paper more concise. (n: verbosity)" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1032 "verdant" "(of countryside) green with grass or other rich vegetation" "adj." "Feom French : Vert-= green<br>Synonyms: leafy, grassy, lush" "The Holey Artisan Bakery... overlooking a placid lake in Dhaka, was a foodie’s labour of love in a verdant corner of the chaotic capita" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1109 "vert" "turn" "Greek/Latin root" "Do NOT confuse with French ""vert""</br> which means green" "convert" "Greek/Latin " "Manhattan"
807 "vestige" " a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists" "noun" "Synonyms: remnant, remainder, fragment" "He said this would remove a 'lingering vestige of the cold war.' " "Least Difficult" "FT"
733 "vex" "to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle; to debate at length:" "verb" " Franklin vexed his brother with his controversial writings." "Common GRE" "MSU"
734 "vexation" " state of being frustrated, irritated, or concerned." "noun" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
1393 "vindicate</br>vindictive" "vindicate=To prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong <br /> vindictive=Having or showing a wish to harm someone because you think that they have harmed you; unwilling to forgive" "verb, adj. " "Easily confused words" "Khan"
1033 "virulent" "extremely severe or harmful in its effects" "adj." "Synonyms: toxic, deadly, destructive" "_x005F_x0018_A more likely catastrophe, Mr. Rawles believes, would be a pandemic virulent enough to cause the breakdown of the national sewerage system as well as the grid." "Most Difficult" "FT"
809 "viscous" "having a relatively high resistance to flow" "adj." "Synonyms: gummy, glue-like, gluey" "Not all barrels of oil are alike. Crudes can be viscous like tar or so 'light' they float on water." "Least Difficult" "FT"
737 "viscous</br>vicous" "Viscous are liquirds of high viscocity, whereas vicous is a highly aggressive being or animal. " "adj. " "Honey is a viscous liquid, but Honey, our friendly dog, was not vicous. " "Easily confused words" "MSU"
752 "vitiate" "Destroy or impair the legal validity of" "verb " "Synonyms: put an end to, do away with, scrap. </br>Deutsch : Beeinträchtigen, verderben, zerstören. </br> Lati""vitiare""= to make faulty. Same origin as ""vice"", therefore same pronounciation root ""vishiate""" "_x005F_x0018_The firm admitted that it vitiated its stated standards for evaluating securities in an area where those standards put in question its ability to win business." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1034 "vitriol" " Cruel and bitter criticism" "noun" "Synonyms: venom, nastiness" "Given the vitriol that has followed the film since its inception, it does well simply not to be a colossal misstep." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1557 "vituperative" "marked by harshly abusive criticism" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Hard" "Barron"
1066 "viv" "life" "Greek/Latin root" "Vivid=livelyrevival =the act of bringing back to life</br>vital =pertaining to live</br>vivacious =high-spirited and full of life</br>convivial=sociable" "Root words" "Aristotle"
1035 "vociferous" "(Especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous" "adj." "Synonyms: blatant, clamorous, noisy" "Ten weeks of ever-more vociferous argument, claims and counterclaims stretch between now and June 23rd, when the vote will take place." "Most Difficult" "FT"
1133 "volatile" "likely to change rapidly and unpredictably" "adj." "It is possible for a country’s political climate to remain volatile for decade" "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
1111 "vox" "vox populi" "Greek/Latin root" "'voice of the people'" "Greek/Latin " "Manhattan"
811 "waft" "Pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air" "verb" "Synonyms: drift, float, glide" "The acrid scent of smoke wafts from his clothes." "Least Difficult" "FT"
741 "wag" "1. v. to wave back and forth, as a dog's tail. 2. n. a joker. someone who keeps people amused with humorous stories" "verb, noun" "(2) John's reputation as a wag insured he would be invited to many parties." "Homonym" "MSU"
812 "wanton" "(of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked" "adj." "Synonyms: malicious, malevolent, spiteful" "Over the decades these Muslim non-people, without legal or any other sort of protection, have been the victims of wanton discrimination and violence<63>" "Least Difficult" "FT"
1448 "ward" "in the direction of" "Latin Suffix" "forward</br> backward</br> " "Latin words" "nko"
1558 "wary" "marked by keen caution and watchful prudence" "adj. " " Hi Freq. GRE Easy" "Barron"
742 "wave</br>waive(seewaiver)" "n. a moving swell on the surface of a body of water. v. to sweep the hand or arm or some object." "noun, verb" "v. to relinquish " "We refuse to waive the reading of the indictment." "Homophone" "MSU"
1134 "waver" "to go back and forth between choices or opinions" "verb" "Some citizens vote solely along party lines and never waver in their political decisions." "Common GRE" "Kaplan"
744 "waver</br>waiver" "v. vacillate or move back and forth" "verb" "n. release or special exemption a rule" "Most of the students tried to get waivers of their overdue fines." "Homophone" "MSU"
750 "welter" "a large number of items in no order; a confused mass" "noun" "Synonyms: confusion, jumble, tangle. </br>Deutsch : Durcheinander, Mischmasch" "At the same time they are subjected to a welter of conflicting pressures—acting as spin-doctors and bean-counters as well as corporate strategists and auditor" "Least Difficult" "FT"
938 "whet" "Excite or stimulate (someone's desire, interest, or appetite)" "verb" "Synonyms: arouse, rouse, trigger" "But sham democracy often whets people’s appetite for the real thin" "Medium Difficult" "FT"
745 "whimsical" "determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity" "adj." "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
813 "whitewash" "Deliberately attempt to conceal unpleasant facts about (a person or organization)" "verb" "Synonyms: cover up, sweep under the carpet" "Indeed, in trying to whitewash the past, the government may stir up prejudice instead." "Least Difficult" "FT"
815 "whittle" "Reduce something in size, amount, or extent by a gradual series of steps" "verb" "Synonyms: erode, wear away, diminish" "Democrats had spent a nervous September watching that lead whittle away after Mrs. Clinton’s bout of pneumonia." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1675 "windfall" "A windfall is a crazy bit of unexpected good fortune., an unanticipated benefit, usually monetary in nature" "from wind (n.1) + fall (n.1). Originally literal, in reference to wood or fruit blown down by the wind, and thus free to </br>Synonyms : bonanza, boom, bunce, godsend, gold rush, gravy, manna from heaven" "With her lottery windfall, Gail eliminated all her financial debt." "Vocab" "Prepscholar"
751 "winnow" "blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff" "verb" "Synonyms: sift out, filter out" "Many lawmakers from both parties join Mr. Obama in wishing to winnow America’s overstuffed prison" "Least Difficult" "FT"
816 "winsome" "Attractive or appealing in appearance or character" "adj." "Synonyms: engaging, charming, winning" "By the time Mr. Pattinson came along as the winsome vampire in Twilight, the teenage rebels were starting the movie already dead." "Least Difficult" "FT"
817 "wizened" "Shriveled or wrinkled with age" "adj." "Synonyms: lined, creased, withered" "His son, himself a wizened old man, is nonplussed by the news; he looks like an eccentric, or maybe the village drunk..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1386 "wraith</br>wrath" "wraith=A spirit of a dead person which is sometimes represented as a pale, transparent image of that person <br/ >wrath=Extreme anger" "noun" "Easily confused words" "Khan"
818 "wry" "Using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor" "adj." "Synonyms: ironic, sardonic, satirical" "Catherine Merridale is one of the foremost foreign historians of Russia, combining wry insights with deep sympathy for the human beings..." "Least Difficult" "FT"
1036 "xenophobia" " Intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries" "noun" "Denk will not win more than a few seats in next year’s general election, but it is posing a crucial question: at a time of rising xenophobia, can Europe’s minorities rely on the broad centre-left parties for which they usually v" "Most Difficult" "FT"
1037 "yoke" " a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull" "noun" "Synonyms: bond, tie, subjection" "The existential consequences of throwing off the yoke of religion is debated in many countries." "Most Difficult" "FT"
748 "zeal" " passion or fervor, enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal (n: zealot; zealoutry. adj: zealous), Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective" "noun" "Synonyms: passion, zealousness, fervor" "The great emperor’s crusading zeal led him to conquer many land" "357 prevalent GRE words" "Prepscholar"
