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Top 180 GRE Vocab Words in Context

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These words appear more frequently than others. Kaplan GRE Premier Program 2009 Edition

Terms

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Diffident
Lacking self-confidence || -Steve's diffident manner during the interview stemmed from his nervous nature...
Monotony
Lack of variation
Reticent
Silent, reserved || -Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting
Quiescent
Motionless || -Many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months
Alleviate
To make more bearable || -Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache
Waver
To fluctuate between choices
Desiccate
To dry out thoroughly || -After a few weeks of lying on the deserts sand, the cow's carcass became completely DESICCATE
Mitigate
To soften; To lessen
Rarefy
To make thinner or sparser || -Since the atmosphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of the mountains is too thin to breathe
Perfunctory
Done in a routing way; Indifferent || -The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction & gave the customer a PERFUNCTORY smile
Tacit
Done without using words || -Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that TACIT agreement had been made
Impervious
Impossible to penetrate; Incapable of being affected
Anomaly
Deviation from what is normal || -Albino animals may display too great an ANOMALY in their coloring to attract normally colored mates
Obstinate
Stubborn, unyielding || -The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked
Pungent
Sharp & irritating to the senses
Vex
To annoy
Lethargic
Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
Gullible
Easily deceived
Adulterate
To make impure || -The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water
Ephemeral
Lasting a short time || -The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours
Apathy
Lack of interest or emotion
Plethora
Excess
Verbose
Wordy || -The professor's answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the question was
Efficacy
Effectiveness
Obviate
To prevent; To make unnecessary || -The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge
Paragon
Model of excellence or perfection || -She is the PARAGON of what a judge should be
Onerous
Troublesome & oppressive; Burdensome || -The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it
Dilettante
Someone with an amateurish & superficial interest in a topic || -Jerry's friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs & hobbies every week
Lavish
To give unsparingly(verb); Extremely generous or extravagant(adjective) || -She LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became fat
Decorum
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; Propriety || -The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM...
Homogenous
Of a similar kind || -The class was fairly HOMOGENOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors
Anachronism
Something out of place in time || -The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy & far out that had not been popular for years
Meticulous
Extremely careful about details
Austere
Severe or stern in appearance; Undecorated || -The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seen AUSTERE to the untrained eye
Irascible
Easily made angry || -Attila the Hun's IRASCIBLE & violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives
Chauvinist
Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which they belong
Arbitrate
To judge a dispute between two opposing parties || -Since the couple could not come to agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings
Fanatical
Acting excessively enthusiastic; Filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
Enigma
A puzzle; A mystery
Enervate
To reduce in strength || -The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army
Chicanery
Deception by means of craft or guile || -Dishonest used car salesman often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars
Implacable
Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful || -His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks
Aggrandize
To increase in power, influence, & reputation || -The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own
Imperturbable
Not capable of being disturbed || -The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE
Enumerate
To count, list, or itemize || -Moses returned from the MT with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED
Florid
Excessively decorated or embellished || -The place had been decorated in an excessively FLORID style
Disparate
Fundamentally different; Entirely unlike || -Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities were DISPARATE
Deride
To speak of or treat with contempt; To mock || -The awkward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers
Naive
Lacking sophistication or experience
Chaos
Great disorder or confusion
Obsequious
Overly submissive & eager to please || -The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisors tie & agree with him on every issue
Placate
To soothe or pacify
Eloquent
Persuasive & moving, especially in speech
Dirge
A funeral hymn or mournful speech
Malleable
Capable of being shaped
Gregarious
Outgoing, sociable || -She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad
Dogmatic
Dictatorial in ones opinion
Soporific
Causing sleep or lethargy || -The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater
Satiate
To satisfy fully or overindulge
Philanthropy
Charity; A desire or effort to promote goodness
Bombastic
Pompous in speech & manner || -The dictators speeches were mostly BOMBASTIC
Lucid
Clear & easily understood
Abate
To Reduce in amount, degree, or severity || -As the hurricane's force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm
Corroborate
To provide supporting evidence || -Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witness's testimony
Antagonize
To annoy or provoke to anger || -The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail
Loquacious
Talkative || -She was naturally LOQUACIOUS
Banal
Predictable, Clichéd, Boring || -He used BANAL phrases like "Have a nice day, or another day, another dollar"
Innocuous
Harmless || -Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS & pose no danger to humans
Dogma
A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
Dupe
To deceive; A person who is easily deceived || -Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit
Erudite
Learned, scholarly, bookish || -The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUIDTE, well-published individuals in the field
Archaic
Ancient, old-fashioned
Garrulous
Tending to talk a lot || -The GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking
Abstain
To choose not to do something || -She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray
Venerate
To respect deeply || -In a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders
Ardor
Intense & passionate feeling || -Bishops ARDOR for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley
Sublime
Lofty or grand || -The music was so SUBLIME...
Lament
to express sorrow; to grieve || -The children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weeks after its demise
Estimable
Admirable || -Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India
Explicit
Clearly stated or shown; Forthright in expression
Mollify
To calm or make less severe || -Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them
Inchoate
Not fully formed; Disorganized || -The ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing
Fawn
To grovel
Bolster
To support; To prop up || -The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Bigfoot was in the area
Misanthrope
A person who dislikes others || -The character Scrooge is such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing makes him angry
Advocate
To speak in favor of || -The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat
Veracity
Filled with truth & accuracy || -She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events
Disabuse
To set right; To free from error || -Galileo's observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth
Candid
Impartial & honest in speech || -The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID & unpretentious
Credulous
Too trusting; Gullible
Propriety
Correct behavior; Obedience to rules & customs
Castigate
To punish or criticize harshly || -The authorities CASTIGATE perpetrators
Dilate
To make larger; To expand
Inundate
To overwhelm; To cover with waiter || -The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis
Equivocate
To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead || -When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED & left all parties thinking he agreed with them
Pragmatic
Practical as opposed to idealistic
Foment
To arouse or incite || -The protestors tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches & demonstrations
Laconic
Using few words || -She was a LACONIC poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible
Eulogy
Speech in praise of someone
Convoluted
Intricate & complicated
Iconoclast
One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions || -His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST
Frugality
A tendency to be thrifty or cheap
Volatile
Easily aroused or changeable; Lively or explosive
Impetuous
Quick to act without thinking || -It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS
Crescendo
Steadily increasing volume or force || -The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable...
Exculpate
To clear from blame; Prove innocent || -The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty & to EXCULPATE those who are innocent
Deference
Respect, courtesy || -The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE
Abscond
To leave secretly || -The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door
Abyss
An extremely deep hole || -The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart unseen waters
Erratic
Wandering & unpredictable
Cacophony
Harsh, jarring noise
Cogent
Convincing & well reasoned || -Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice to acquit the defendant
Stolid
Unemotional; Lacking sensitivity || -The prisoner appeared STOLID & unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence
Perfidious
Willing to betray ones trust || -The actress's PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets
Intransigent
Uncompromising; Refusing to be reconciled || -The professor was INTRASIGNENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time
Precipitate
To throw violently or bring about abruptly; Lacking deliberation
Attenuate
To reduce in force or degree; To Weaken || -The bill of rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of government to change laws at will
Stigma
A mark of shame or discredit
Antipathy
Extreme dislike || -The ANTIPATHY between the French & English regularly erupted into open warfare
Dilatory
Intended to delay || -The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill
Prevaricate
To lie or deviate from the truth || -Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and claimed that heavy traffic made him late
Audacious
Fearless & Daring || -Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving
Luminous
Bright, brilliant, glowing
Ambiguous
Doubtful or Uncertain; Able to be interpreted several ways
Paradox
A contradiction or dilemma
Dissonance
A harsh & disagreeable combination, often sounds || -Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence
Tirade
Long, harsh speech or verbal attack || -Observers were shocked at the managers TIRADE over such a minor mistake
Insipid
Lacking interest or flavor || -The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all
Permeate
To penetrate
Exigent
Urgent; Requiring immediate action || -The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding
Diatribe
An abusive, condemnatory speech
Repudiate
To reject the validity of || -The old woman's claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED ...
Propitiate
To conciliate; To appease || -The management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members
Condone
To overlook, pardon, or disregard || -Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness
Plastic
Able to be molded, altered, or bent
Fervid
Intensely emotional; Feverish || -The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of her
Eclectic
Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Analogous
Similar or alike in some way; Equivalent to || -In a famous argument for the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent "clockmaker"
Discern
To perceive; To recognize
Catalyst
Something that brings about a change in something else || -The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution
Prudence
Wisdom, caution, or restraint || -The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies
Esoteric
Known or understood by only a few || -Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics
Aesthetic
Concerning the appreciation of beauty || -Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art
Taciturn
Silent, not talkative || -The clerk's TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob"
Laud
To give praise; To glorify || -Parades & fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels
Caustic
Biting in wit
Desultory
Jumping from one thing to another; Disconnected || -Mary had a DESULTORY academic record
Vacillate
To sway physically; to be indecisive || -The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road
Assuage
To make something unpleasant less severe || -Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache
Opprobrium
Public disgrace || -After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM
Elegy
A sorrowful poem or speech || -Although Thomas Grays ELEGY is about death & loss, it urges readers to endure this life, & trust in spirituality
Torpor
Extreme mental & physical sluggishness || -After surgery, the patient experienced TURPOR until the anesthesia wore off
Proliferate
To increase in number quickly
Articulate
Able to speak clearly & expressively
Emulate
To copy; To try to equal or excel
Transitory
Temporary, lasting a brief time || -The reporter lived a TRANSITORY life
Exacerbate
To make worse
Engender
To produce, cause, or bring about || -His fear & hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown
Pedant
Someone who shows off learning || -The graduate instructors tedious & excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a PEDANT
Exonerate
To clear of blame || -The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to the crime
Pristine
Fresh & clean; Uncorrupted
Ingenuous
Showing innocence or childlike simplicity
Whimsical
Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; Unpredictable || -The ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters...
Amalgamate
To Combine; To mix together || -Giant industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Inc
Obdurate
Hardened in feeling; Resistant to persuasion || -The President was completely OBDURATE on the issue, & no amount of persuasion would change his mind
Rhetoric
Effective writing or speaking || -Lincoln's talent for RHETORIC was evident in his speech
Malinger
To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
Prodigal
Lavish, wasteful || -The PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure
Opaque
Impossible to see through; Preventing the passage of light
Specious
Deceptively attractive; Seemingly plausible but fallacious || -The students SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise
Euphemism
Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one || -The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHIMISM "sleeping" instead of the word "dead"
Zeal
Passion, excitement || -She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members
Guile
Deceit or trickery || -Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE to trap him
Ameliorate
To make better; To Improve || -The Dr. was able to AMELIORATE the patients suffering using painkillers
Dissemble
To present a false appearance; To disguise ones real intentions or character || -The villain could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer...
Metaphor
A figure of speech comparing two different things; A symbol
Occlude
To stop up; To prevent the passage of
Ostentation
Excessive showiness
Inimical
Hostile, unfriendly
Capricious
Changing ones mind quickly & often || -Queen was quite CAPRICIOUS
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