Important GRE Vocabulary List

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1. Abscond (v) To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest.
2. Adversity - (n) Hardship, difficulty; opposition
3. Aggravate (v) to make worse/intensify something
4. Arduous (adj) hard to do, requiring much effort
5. Belie (v) to contradict, to give a false impression
6. Bombast - (n) speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning
7. Castigation (n) Severe criticism or punishment
8. Censure (v) to criticize harshly
9. Chicanery (n) trickery, fraud, deception
10. Coercive (adj) Forcing someone to do something against their will; intimidate
11. Condemn (v) to express strong disapproval of
12. Conspire (v) to plan together secretly to do something wrong or illegal
13. Covert (adj) secret or hidden
14. Cower (v) To crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame
15. Craven (adj) lacking courage-coward
16. Denigrate (v)to attack the reputation of; to speak ill of
17. Denounce (v) to criticize publicly
18. Discomfit (v) to embarrass, unsettle
19. Disingenuous (adj) not candid; insincere; not honest
20. Exacerbate (v) to make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
21. Fraud (n) a deliberate deception intended to produce unlawful gain

22. Garrulous (adj) talkative, rambling

23. Impudent (adj) disrespectful, characterized by improper bold behavior
24. Inopportune (adj) coming at a bad time; not appropriate
25. Irascible (adj) easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
26. Martial (n) associated with war and the armed forces
27. Misanthrope (n) a person who hates or despises people
28. Obdurate - (adj) stubborn; hardhearted
29. Onerous (adj) troubling; burdensome
30. Perjury (n) lying under oath
31. Provoke (v) anger, arouse, bring to action
32. Recalcitrant (adj/n) marked by stubborn resistance to and defiant of authority or guidance
33. Secrete (v) to ensconce, conceal, or stow
34. Squander (v) to spend foolishly, waste
35. Abate - (v) to lessen in intensity or degree
36. Accolade - (n) an expression of praise
37. Adulation - (n) excessive praise; intense adoration
38. Aesthetic - (adj.) dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
39. Ameliorate - (v) to make better or make more tolerable
40. Ascetic - (n) one who practice rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
41. Avarice - (n) greed, esp. for wealth
42. Axiom - (n) a universally recognized principle

43. Burgeon - (v) to grow rapidly or flourish

44. Bucolic - (adj.) rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
45. Cacophony - (n) harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
46. Canon - (n) an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
47. Catalyst - (n) a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing
that cause change
48. Caustic - (adj) burning or stinging; causing corrosion
49. Chary - (adj.) wary, cautious, sparing
50. Cogent - (adj.) appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
51. Complaisance - (n) the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
52. Contentious - (adj.) argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
53. Contrite - (adj.) regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
54. Culpable - (adj.) deserving blame
55. Dearth - (n) smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
56. Demur - (v) to question or oppose
57. Didactic - (adj.) intended to teach or instruct
58. Discretion - (n) cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
59. Dogmatic - (adj.) expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles
60. Ebullience - (n) the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
61. Eclectic - (adj.) composed of elements drawn from various sources
62. Elegy - (n) a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead

63. Emollient - (adj./n.) soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the
skin
64. Empirical - (adj.) based on observation or experiment
65. Enigmatic - (adj.) mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
66. Ephemeral - (adj.) brief; fleeting
67. Esoteric - (adj.) intended for or understood by a small, specific group
68. Eulogy - (n) a speech honoring the dead; expression of approval or commendation
69. Exonerate - (v) to remove blame
70. Facetious - (adj.) playful; humorous
71. Fallacy - (n) an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
72. Furtive - (adj.) marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
73. Gregarious - (adj.) sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
74. Harangue - (v./n.) to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
75. Heretical - (adj.) violating accepted dogma or convention
76. Hyperbole - (n) an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
77. Impecunious - (adj.) lacking funds; without money
78. Incipient - (adj.) beginning to come into being or to become apparent
79. Inert - (adj.) unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
80. Innocuous - (adj.) harmless; causing no damage
81. Intransigent - (adj.) refusing to compromise
82. Inveigle - (v) to obtain by deception or flattery
83. Morose - (adj.) sad; sullen; melancholy

84. Odious - (adj.) evoking intense aversion or dislike

85. Opaque - (adj.) impenetrable by light; not reflecting light; unintelligible
86. Oscillation - (n) the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
87. Penurious - (adj.) penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
88. Pernicious - (adj.) extremely harmful; potentially causing death
89. Peruse - (v) to examine with great care
90. Pious - (adj.) extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
91. Precursor - (n) one that precedes and indicates or announces another
92. Preen - (v) to dress; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
93. Prodigious - (adj.) abundant in size, force or extent; extraordinary
94. Prolific - (adj.) producing large volumes or amounts; productive
95. Putrefy - (v) to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
96. Quaff - (v) to drink deeply
97. Quiescence - (n) stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
98. Redoubtable - (adj.) awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
99. Sanction - (n/v) authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give
permission or authority to
100. Satire - (n) a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
101. Squalid - (adj.) sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
102. Stoic - (adj.) indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
103. Supplant - (v) to take the place of; supersede
104. Torpid - (adj.) lethargic; sluggish; dormant

105. Ubiquitous - (adj.) existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; wide-spread
106. Urbane - (adj.) sophisticated, refined, elegant
107. Vilify - (v) to defame; to characterize harshly
108. Viscous - (adj.) thick; sticky
109. Acumen - (n) keen, accurate judgement or insight; shrewdness
110. Adulterate - (v) to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
111. Amalgamate - (v) to combine several elements into a whole
112. Archaic - (adj.) outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time
113. Aver - (v) to state as a fact; to declare or assert
114. Bolster - (v) to provide support or reinforcement
115. Bombastic - (adj.) pompous; grandiloquent
116. Diatribe - (n) a harsh denunciation
117. Dissemble - (v) to disguise or conceal; to mislead
118. Eccentric - (adj.) departing from norms or conventions
119. Endemic - (adj.) characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, of people
120. Evanescent - (adj.) tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
121. Fervent - (adj.) greatly emotional or zealous
122. Fortuitous - (adj.) happening by accident or chance
123. Germane - (adj.) relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
124. Grandiloquence - (n) pompous speech or expression
125. Hackneyed - (adj.) rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage

126. Halcyon - (adj.) calm and peaceful

127. Hedonism - (n) devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasure of the senses (a hedonist is someone who
pursue pleasure)
128. Hegemony - (n) the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
129. Iconoclast - (n) one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institution
130. Idolatrous - (adj.) given to intense or excessive devotion to something
131. Impassive - (adj.) revealing no emotion
132. Imperturbable - (adj.) marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
133. Implacable - (adj.) not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
134. Impunity - (n) immunity from punishment or penalty
135. Inchoate - (adj.) in an initial stage; not fully formed
136. Infelicitous - (adj.) unfortunate; inappropriate
137. Insipid - (adj.) without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
138. Loquacious - (adj.) extremely talkative (like Michelle!)
139. Luminous - (adj.) characterized by brightness and the emission of light Malevolent - (adj.) having or showing often
vicious ill will, spite, or hatred
140. Malleable - (adj.) capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable
141. Mendacity - (n) the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty
142. Meticulous - (adj.) characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
143. Mitigate - (v) to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
144. Obsequious - (adj.) exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
145. Occlude - (v) to obstruct or block

146. Opprobrium - (n) disgrace; contempt; scorn

147. Pedagogy - (n) the profession or principles of teaching, or instructing
148. Pedantic - (adj,) overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's
knowledge
149. Penury - (n) poverty; destitution
150. Pervasive - (adj.) having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
151. Pine - (v) to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor
152. Pirate - (v) to illegally use or produce
153. Pith - (n) the essential or central part
154. Pithy - (adj.) precise and brief
155. Placate - (v) to appease; to calm by making concessions; to pacify
156. Platitude - (n) a superficial remark, esp. one offered as meaningful
157. Plummet - (v) to plunge or drop straight down
158. Prodigal - (adj.) recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
159. Profuse - (adj.) given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
160. Proliferate - (v) to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
161. Queries - (n) questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
162. Querulous - (adj.) prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
163. Rancorous - (adj.) characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment
164. Recalcitrant - (adj.) obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
165. Repudiate - (v) to refuse to have anything to do with; disown
166. Rescind - (v) to invalidate; to repeal; to retract

167. Reverent - (adj.) marked by, feeling or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect
168. Rhetoric - (n) the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
169. Salubrious - (adj.) promoting health or well-being
170. Solvent - (adj.) able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
171. Specious - (adj.) seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false
172. Spurious - (adj.) lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
173. Subpoena - (n) a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
174. Succinct - (adj.) brief; concise
175. Superfluous - (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
176. Surfeit - (n/v) an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess
177. Tenacity - (n) the quality of adherence to something valued; persistent determination
178. Tenuous - (adj.) having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak
179. Tirade - (n) a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
180. Transient - (adj.) fleeting; passing quickly; brief
181. Zealous - (adj.) fervent; ardent; impassioned; devoted to a cause (a zealot is a zealous person)
182. Acerbic - (adj.) having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting; vitriolic
183. Aggrandize - (v) to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige
184. Alchemy - (n) a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is
one who practices alchemy)
185. Amenable - (adj.) agreeable; responsive to suggestion
186. Anachronism - (n) something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
187. Astringent - (adj./n) having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on
tissue

188. Contiguous - (adj.) sharing a border; touching; adjacent

189. Convention - (n) a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
190. Credulous - (adj.) tending to believe too readily; gullible
191. Cynicism - (n) an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
192. Decorum - (n) polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
193. Derision - (n) scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
194. Desiccate - (v) to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
195. Dilettante - (n) one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
196. Disparage - (v) to slight or belittle
197. Divulge - (v) to disclose a secret; unwrap
198. Fawn - (v) to flatter or praise excessively
199. Flout - (v) to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
200. Glib - (adj.) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
201. Hubris - (n) overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
202. Imminent - (adj.) about to happen; impending
203. Immutable - (adj.) not capable of change
204. Impetuous - (adj.) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
205. Indifferent - (adj.) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
206. Inimical - (adj.) damaging; harmful; injurious
207. Intractable - (adj.) not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate
208. Intrepid - (adj.) steadfast and courageous

209. Laconic - (adj.) using few words; terse

210. Maverick - (n) an independent or unorthodox individual ;dissenter; refuse to be branded
211. Mercurial - (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
212. Mollify - (v) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
213. Neophyte - (n) a recent convert; a beginner; novice
214. Obfuscate - (v) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing
215. Obstinate - (adj.) stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
216. Ostentatious - (adj.) characterized by or given to pretentious play; showy
217. Pervade - (v) to permeate throughout
218. Phlegmatic - (adj.) calm; sluggish; unemotional
219. Pragmatic - (adj.) practical rather than idealistic
220. Presumptuous - (adj.) over stepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties
221. Pristine - (adj.) pure; uncorrupted; clean
222. Probity - (n) adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
223. Proclivity - (n) a natural predisposition or inclination
224. Profligate - (adj.) excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
225. Propensity - (n) a natural inclination or tendency; penchant
226. Prosaic - (adj.) dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
227. Pungent - (adj.) characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
228. Quixotic - (adj.) foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
229. Quotidian - (adj.) occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

230. Rarefy - (v) to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

231. Recondite - (adj.) hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
232. Refulgent - (adj.) radiant; shiny; brilliant
233. Renege - (v) to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise
234. Sedulous - (adj.) diligent; persistent; hardworking
235. Shard - (n) a piece of broken pottery or glass
236. Soporific - (adj.) causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
237. Sparse - (adj.) thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals
238. Spendthrift - (n) one who spends money wastefully
239. Subtle - (adj.) not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
240. Terse - (adj.) brief and concise in wording
241. Tout - (v) to publicly praise or promote
242. Trenchant - (adj.) sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
243. Unfeigned - (adj.) genuine; not false or hypocritical
244. Untenable - (adj.) indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
245. Vacillate - (v) to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver
246. Variegated - (adj.) multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different colors
247. Vexation - (n) annoyance; irritation
248. Vigilant - (adj.) alertly watchful
249. Vituperate - (v) to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate
250. Volatile - (adj.) readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive

251. Plethora - (n) an overabundance; a surplus

252. Abyss (n) an immeasurably deep chasm or void; a bottomless pit
253. Alleviate (v) to make more bearable
254. Arbitrate (v) to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
255. Ardor (n) intense and passionate feeling
256. Articulate (v) able to speak clearly and expressively
257. Assuage (v) to make something unpleasant less severe
258. Attenuate (v) to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
259. Audacious (adj) fearless and daring
260. Austere (adj) severe or stern in appearance, undecorated
261. Banal (adj) predictable, clichd, boring
262. Bolster (v) to support; to prop up
263. Candid (adj) impartial and honest in speech
264. Capricious (adj) changing one's mind quickly and often; whimsical
265. Crescendo (n) steadily increasing volume or force
266. Deference (n) respect, courtesy
267. Desultory (adj) jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
268. Diffident (adj) lacking self-confidence
269. Dilate (v) to make larger; to expand
270. Dilatory (adj) intended to delay
271. Dirge (n) a funeral hymn; a mournful poem; a funeral service in its solemn or sung forms

272. Disabuse (v) to set right; to free from error

273. Discern (v) to perceive; to recognize
274. Disparate (adj) fundamentally different; entirely unlike
275. Dissonance (n) a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
276. Dupe (v) to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
277. Efficacy (n) effectiveness
278. Eloquent (adj) persuasive and moving, especially in speech
279. Emulate (v) to copy; to try to equal or excel
280. Enervate (v) to reduce in strength
281. Engender (v) to produce, cause, or bring about
282. Enumerate (v) to count, list, or itemize
283. Equivocate (v)to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
284. Erratic (adj) wandering and unpredictable; lacking regularity
285. Erudite (adj) learned, scholarly, bookish
286. Estimable (adj) admirable
287. Euphemism (n) use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
288. Exculpate - (v) to clear from blame; prove innocent
289. Exigent - (adj) urgent; requiring immediate action
290. Explicit - (adj) clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
291. Fanatical - (adj) acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
292. Fervid - (adj) intensely emotional; feverish

293. Florid - (adj) excessively decorated or embellished

294. Foment - (v) to arouse or incite
295. Frugality - (adj) a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
296. Gregarious - (adj) outgoing, sociable
297. Guile - (n) deceit or trickery
298. Gullible - (adj) easily deceived; naive
299. Homogenous - (adj) of a similar kind
300. Impervious - (adj) impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
301. Ingenuous - (adj) showing innocence or childlike simplicity
302. Inundate - (v) to overwhelm; to cover with water
303. Lament -(v) to express sorrow; to grieve
304. Laud - (v) to give praise; to glorify
305. Lavish - (adj) to give unsparingly; or extremely generous or extravagant
306. Lethargic - (adj) acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
307. Lucid - (adj) clear and easily understood
308. Malinger (v) to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
309. Monotony - (n) lack of variation
310. Nave - (adj) lacking sophistication or experience
311. Obviate - (v) to prevent; to make unnecessary
312. Ostentation - (n) excessive showiness; flashiness
313. Paradox - (n) a contradiction or dilemma

314. Paragon - (n) a model of excellence or perfection

315. Perfidious - (adj) willing to betray one's trust
316. Perfunctory - (adj) done in a routine way; indifferent
317. Permeate - (v) to penetrate
318. Philanthropy - (n)charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
319. Plastic (adj) able to be molded, altered, or bent; impressionable
320. Precipitate (v) to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
321. Prevaricate (v) to lie or deviate from the truth
322. Propitiate (v) to conciliate; to appease
323. Propriety (n) correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
324. Prudence (n) wisdom, caution, or restraint
325. Quiescent (adj) motionless; inactive; dormant
326. Reticent - (adj) silent, reserved
327. Satiate (v) to satisfy fully or overindulge
328. Stigma (n)a mark of shame or discredit
329. Stolid - (adj) unemotional; lacking sensitivity; impassive
330. Sublime - (adj) lofty or grand
331. Taciturn - (adj) silent, not talkative ; tacit done without using words
332. Torpor (n) extreme mental and physical sluggishness
333. Transitory - (adj) temporary, lasting a brief time
334. Venerate (v)to respect deeply

335. Veracity (noun) filled with truth and accuracy

336. Verbose (adj) wordy
337. Waver (v) to fluctuate between choices
338. Whimsical (adj) acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
339. Tumult (n) - violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar; great mental or emotional
agitation
340. Trifling (adj) - of very little importance; trivial; insignificant
341. Schism (n) - division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
342. Heresy (n) - any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc.

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