The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardised test used by many graduate schools in the United States.
It tests knowledge of math and verbal skills, as well as analytical writing abilities. One crucial component of this exam is GRE vocabulary. Knowing GRE vocabulary words can be the key to achieving a high score on the GRE.
In this guide, we have listed 100 of the most important GRE vocabulary words with definitions or meanings so that you can get a better understanding.
Top 100 GRE vocabulary words
GRE vocabulary words are typically made up of antonyms, synonyms, analogies, and sentence completion.
Here are 100 GRE vocabulary words that you should know before taking the GRE:
- Abscond - To leave quickly and secretly
- Abstemious - Self-restraining; sparing in eating and drinking
- Acerbic - Sour or acidic in taste; sharp in manner or tone
- Acumen - Quickness and accuracy of judgment; keen insight
- Admonish - To advise or caution against something
- Alacrity - Cheerful willingness, eagerness, or promptness
- Allegory - A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons and actions in a narrative stand for ideas and values outside of the narrative itself
- Ameliorate - To make better or more tolerable
- Anomaly - Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected
- Aperture - An opening, usually a small one
- Arduous - Requiring great effort; strenuous
- Ascendancy - The state of being predominant or in control
- Assuage - To make something unpleasant less severe
- Austere - Severely simple or basic in style or appearance
- Avarice - Greed, especially for wealth
- Axiom - A statement accepted as true without proof
- Behemoth - An enormous creature; something immense and powerful
- Benign - Gentle, kind, and beneficent in disposition; charitable
- Bifurcate - To divide into two branches
- Bolster - To encourage or support something; to prop up
- Brevity - Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech
- Brevity - Shortness of duration; lasting a very short time
- Burgeon - To grow rapidly and abundantly
- Burgundy - A deep purplish-red colour
- Cajole - To persuade someone to do something by flattery or coaxing
- Candour- Honesty, directness of expression, and freedom from prejudice
- Candid - Openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
- Canonical - Following the accepted rules or standards of a field
- Capricious - Impulsive and unpredictable; determined by chance or whim rather than by necessity
- Circumlocution - A roundabout way of speaking to avoid or delay getting to the point
- Cogent - Logical and well-reasoned; convincing
- Conflagration - A large, destructive fire
- Contempt - Disregard for something considered beneath one’s dignity
- Conundrum - A difficult problem or question with no easy answer
- Cynical- Believing the worst of human nature and motives; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity
- Dabble - Work in an amateurish manner
- Decorum - Polite behaviour and propriety in social situations
- Deference - Respectful submission or yielding to the judgment of another person.
- Demagogue - A leader who appeals to popular passions and prejudices by exploiting fear and resentment
- Diffident - Lacking confidence or self-assurance
- Disparage - To express a low opinion of something or someone; to belittle
- Eccentricity - The quality of being peculiar or unusual; oddity
- Egalitarian - The belief that all people should have equal rights and opportunities
- Ensemble - A group of individuals who perform together
- Ephemeral - Lasting for a very short time
- Exacerbate - To make something worse or more severe
- Expedient - Desirable or advantageous, especially concerning practical consequences
- Fervour - Intensity of feeling; passion and enthusiasm
- Fatuous - Foolish, inane, or completely lacking good sense
- Garrulous - Talkative in a foolish or pointless way
- Halcyon - Calm and peaceful; tranquil
- Harbinger - Something that indicates what is to come; an omen
- Impetuous - Characterised by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; impulsive
- Inchoate - Just begun and so not fully formed or developed
- Incubus - A sense of great worry or stress
- Indigent - Lacking money and basic necessities of life; impoverished
- Insurgent - Rebelling against an established government or political system
- Intransigence- Refusal to change one’s views or to agree about something
- Jalopy - An old, broken-down car
- Labyrinthine - Complicated, intricate, and confusing in structure or arrangement
- Matriarch - A female leader or head of a family, tribe, or community
- Misnomer - An incorrect name for something
- Mundane - Commonplace and ordinary; not interesting
- Narcissism - Extreme self-centeredness or vanity
- Nebulous - Vague and unclear; hazy
- Nemesis - Someone whom one cannot defeat or conquer
- Obdurate - Stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
- Opulent - Lavishly wealthy and luxurious
- Pariah - A person who is rejected by society or a social group
- Palpable - Easily perceived; clearly apparent
- Pathos - A quality that evokes pity or sadness
- Precarious - Not securely held or in danger of falling or failing
- Querulous - Habitually complaining; peevish
- Ramification - A consequence, especially an unwelcome one
- Recant - To withdraw a statement or opinion, especially a previous one made publicly
- Repudiate - To reject the truth or validity of something; to refuse to accept it
- Respite - A pause from doing something difficult or unpleasant
- Saboteur - A person who intentionally destroys property to hinder an enemy’s effort
- Salubrious - Beneficial to health or well-being
- Shrewd - Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute
- Solvent - Able to meet financial obligations; financially sound
- Somnolent - Inducing sleepiness
- Sporadic - Occurring at irregular intervals; intermittent
- Sterile - Unproductive, barren, or unable to reproduce
- Superfluous - Exceeding what is necessary or normal
- Sycophant - A servile flatterer who seeks favour by flattering powerful people
- Taciturn - Habitually untalkative; not inclined to speak much
- Tenacious - Persistent and determined
- Truculent - Feeling or showing ferocity; belligerent
- Ubiquitous - Existing or being everywhere simultaneously
- Usurp - To seize a position of power without legal authority
- Variegated - Made up of many different parts or colours
- Venerate - To regard with deep respect and reverence; to revere
- Voluble - Talkative, especially in an excessive way
- Wary - Suspicious or on guard against trickery, danger, or enemy attack
- Whet- To sharpen by honing; to stimulate someone’s interest
- Xenophobia - Fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners
- Yoke - A pair of animals fastened together to work as a team
- Zealot - Someone who is passionate and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals
- Zest - energetic enjoyment or appetite; enthusiasm or excitement; flavour or aroma of citrus peel used as a food ingredient.
Also read: Best ways to prepare for GRE Exam
How to build a strong GRE vocabulary
Building GRE vocabulary is essential for success on the GRE exam. There are several tactics you can use to build GRE vocabulary.
One way to build GRE vocabulary is by studying word lists. GRE word lists can familiarise you with frequently-used words that appear on the GRE. When studying these lists, understand how each word is used in a sentence and practice using them in context.
Another way to build GRE vocabulary is by reading extensively and regularly. Reading challenging texts allows you to encounter new words, learn their meanings, and practice using them correctly in context.
Furthermore, reading helps improve your English language comprehension and writing skills, two important components of the GRE.
Flashcards are also a great way to build GRE vocabulary. Make sure your flashcards include the definition of each word, how it is used in a sentence, and its part of speech. Additionally, try using different colours and symbols to enhance the memorability of each card. Regularly review these cards until you can remember their meanings easily.
Finally, get creative with GRE vocabulary-building activities. Create crossword puzzles or play hangman with GRE words to help reinforce your understanding of them. Being creative will make GRE vocabulary-building more enjoyable and engaging for you!
By utilising these tactics, you can gain the GRE vocabulary skills needed for success on the GRE.
Also read: Daily used English words
Conclusion
These GRE vocabulary words are just a sample of what you should know before taking the GRE. You must continually review these words and practice using them in sentences to ensure success on this standardised test. Doing so will help set you up for academic success.
