Vocabulary for the Verbal GRE
Terms
undefined, object
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- abate
- to lessen; to subside
- abet
- assist in doing wrong
- abetter
- encourager
- abeyance
- suspended action
- abjure
- promise or swear to give up
- ablution
- washing
- abnegation
- self-denial
- aboveboard
- without concealment, fraud, or trickery
- abrogate
- repeal or annul by authority
- abortive
- unsuccessful
- abomate
- loathe; abhor
- abscission
- cutting off; separation
- abscond
- to go away suddenly (to avoid arrest)
- abstemious
- restraint, especially of food and alcohol
- abut
- border on
- acarpous
- effete; no longer fertile; worn out
- acetic
- pertaining to the nature of vinegar
- accede
- agree
- acclivity
- sharp upslope of a hill
- accolade
- praise; approval; award of merit
- accost
- approach and speak first to a person
- accoutre
- equip
- accrue
- come about by addition
- acrid
- sharp; bitterly pugnant
- accretion
- the growing of separate things into one
- achillean
- invulnerable
- acidulous
- slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp
- acquiesce
- comply
- acrimony
- sharpness of speech or temper
- actuarial
- calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
- actuary
- someone who advises insurance companies
- actuate
- motivate; activate; cause to act
- acuity
- sharpness
- adage
- proverb
- addle
- to become rotten; to become confused
- adduce
- to offer as example, reason or proof
- adjudicate
- to settle judicially
- adjunct
- something added; assistant
- adjure
- to beg
- adhere
- stick fast
- admonitory
- containing warning
- adulteration
- making unpure, poorer in quality
- adumbrate
- to suggest or hint; overshadow
- adventitious
- coming from another source and not innate; accidental
- aegis
- shield; protection; defense
- affix
- fasten
- agglomerate
- pile together
- agog
- eager; excited
- akrasia
- suffering of a weak will
- alacrity
- eager and cheerful readiness
- alcove
- recess; partially enclosed place
- alkali
- acid neutralizing substance
- allay
- calm; pacify
- alluvion
- flood
- amalgam
- combination of different things
- amalgamate
- mix, combine; unite societies
- ambience
- environment; atmosphere
- amble
- leisurely walk
- ameliorate
- improve; make better
- amortize
- end debt by setting aside money
- analgesia
- condition of being unable to feel pain
- anathema
- something loathed; curse
- animas
- hostile feeling or intent
- animadversion
- criticism
- animalcule
- microscopic animal
- annalist
- historian
- annals
- cronological record of events
- annex
- to affix at the end
- annuity
- yearly allowance
- anodyne
- capable of relieving pain
- antecede
- precede
- antebellum
- existing before a war
- antediluvian
- made a long time ago
- antemeridian
- before noon
- antemundane
- before the world's creation
- antenatal
- before birth
- anthropoid
- manlike
- anthracite
- hard coal
- antilogy
- inconsistency
- antistrophe
- a proposition in conjunction with it's own inversion
- antithetical
- directly opposing
- ape
- imitate or mimic
- aperture
- opening; hole
- apex
- summit
- aphasia
- loss of the power to use or comprehend words
- aphorism
- concise statement of a principle
- apiarist
- beekeeper
- apiculture
- beekeeping
- aplomb
- poise, composure in difficult situations
- apocryphal
- story widely believed but untrue
- apogee
- highest point
- apollonian
- clarity, harmony, and restraint
- apostasy
- renunciation of a religion
- apostate
- one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions
- apoplexy
- stroke; loss of consciousness caused by too much blood in the brain
- apotheosis
- deification; glorification to godliness
- apothegm
- pithy, compact saying
- appellation
- identifying name or title
- appurtenances
- subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing
- apropos
- appropriate to the situation; apt
- aquiline
- curved; hooked
- arabesque
- a complex ornate design
- arable
- fit for growing crops
- argot
- jargon; slang
- arrant
- in the highest degree
- arrears
- being in debt
- arrhythmic
- lacking rhythm or regularity
- arroyo
- gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater
- arbiter
- judge
- arboretum
- place where trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited
- arcane
- secret; mysterious
- arduous
- hard; strenuous
- arraign
- charge in court
- array
- clothe; adorn
- artless
- open and honest
- ascendancy
- dominance
- aseptic
- surgically clean
- askance
- indirect glance or meaning
- asperity
- roughness; harshness; ill temper; irritability
- aspersion
- slander
- assay
- analyze; discover which materials are present
- assail
- assault
- assiduous
- diligent; hard-working; sedulous
- assuage
- make something burdensome or painful less severe
- astigmatism
- eye defect which prevents proper focus
- astringent
- substance that shrinks
- astral
- relating to stars
- astute
- clever
- asunder
- seperate into parts; apart
- atavism
- resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type
- atelier
- artist's workroom
- attenuate
- make thin; weaken; enervate
- aureole
- sun's corona; halo
- austere
- strict; stern
- augury
- omen; sign
- autarchy
- unrestricted power
- avarice
- greed
- aver
- state confidently; declare as true
- averse
- reluctant
- aviary
- enclosure for birds
- avocation
- secondary or minor occupation
- avuncular
- of or like an uncle
- awl
- pointed tool used for piercing
- bacchanalia
- drunken party; orgy
- backslide
- revert to bad habits; reverter
- badger
- pester; annoy
- badinage
- teasing conversation; banter; baffle frustrate
- baleful
- evil
- ballast
- heavy substance used to add stability or weight
- balm
- something that relieves pain
- banal
- hackneyed; commonplace
- bandy
- discuss lightly; exchange blows or words
- bane
- ruin
- barb
- sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
- barefaced
- shameless and noticeable; blatant
- barrister
- counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law
- baroque
- highly ornate
- bastion
- stronghold
- bauble
- trinket
- bawdy
- indecent
- beatific
- giving or showing bliss
- beatitude
- state of great happiness
- bedizen
- dress with vulgar finery
- bedraggle
- wet thoroughly
- beeline
- direct quick route
- begrudge
- envy
- beguile
- deceive
- beholden
- obligated
- behoove
- be suited to
- belabor
- harp on; dwell on tediously
- belated
- delayed
- beleaguer
- besiege or attack; harass; beset
- belie
- contradict
- bellicose
- warlike
- belligerent
- quarrelsome
- bemoan
- lament
- bemuse
- confuse
- benediction
- blessing
- benignity
- state of being kind or benign
- benison
- blessing
- berate
- scold strongly
- bereavement
- state of being deprived of something valuable
- bereft
- deprived of (something valuable); lacking
- beset
- harass or trouble from all directions
- besmirch
- soil; defile
- betoken
- signify
- bevy
- large group
- biennial
- every two years
- bifurcated
- divided into two branches
- bilious
- suffering from indigestion; irritable; easily irritated
- bilk
- swindle; cheat
- bivouac
- temporary encampment; camp without tents
- blackball
- vote against (an applicant); ostracize
- blanch
- bleach; whiten
- blandishment
- flattery
- blight
- plant disease
- blowhard
- talkative boaster
- bludgeon
- club
- blurt
- utterly impulsive
- bode
- foreshadow; portend
- bohemian
- unconventional
- boisterous
- violent
- bombastic
- pompous
- boon
- blessing; something very helpful
- bovine
- cowlike
- bowdlerize
- remove erroneous or vulgar material from; expuragte
- brackish
- somewhat saline
- braggadocio
- boasting
- brandish
- wave around
- brawny
- sturdy
- brazen
- insolent
- bristling
- showing irritation
- bristle
- short stiff hair
- brevity
- brief in duration
- brocade
- rich, patterned fabric
- bromide
- platitude; sedative
- brooch
- ornamental clasp
- brook
- tolerate
- browbeat
- bully
- browse
- graze
- brusque
- blunt
- buccaneer
- pirate
- bucolic
- lacking refinement; rustic
- buffet
- strike forcefully
- bugaboo
- bugbear; object of baseless terror
- bullion
- gold and silver in the form of bars
- bulwark
- strong wall built for defense
- bungle
- blunder
- burlesque
- give an imitation that ridicules
- buxom
- full-bosomed; jolly