Barron’s Guide, 2005, 16th Edition GRE High-Frequency Words Vocabulary List 333 Words Total
| Word | Definition |
| abate | subside or moderate |
| aberrant |
abnormal or deviant |
| abeyance |
suspended action |
| abscond |
depart secretly and hide |
| abstemious |
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
| admonish |
warn; reprove |
| adulterate |
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances |
| aesthetic |
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful |
| aggregate |
gather; accumulate |
| alacrity |
cheerful promptness; eagerness |
| alleviate |
relieve |
| amalgamate |
combine; unite in one body |
| ambiguous |
unclear or doubtful in meaning |
| ambivalence |
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
| ameliorate |
improve |
| anachronism |
something or someone misplaced in time |
| analogous |
comparable |
| anarchy |
absence of governing body; state of disorder |
| anomalous |
abnormal; irregular |
| antipathy |
aversion; dislike |
| apathy |
lack of caring; indifference |
| appease |
pacify or soothe; relieve |
| apprise |
inform |
| approbation |
approval |
| appropriate |
v. acquire; take possession of for one’s own use |
| arduous |
hard; strenuous |
| artless |
without guile; open and honest |
| ascetic |
practicing self-denial; austere |
| assiduous |
diligent |
| assuage |
v. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
| attenuate |
make thinner |
| audacious |
daring; bold |
| austere |
forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented |
| autonomous |
self-governing; independent |
| aver | assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact |
| banal | hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality |
| belie | contradict; give a false impression |
| beneficent |
kindly; doing good |
| bolster |
support; reinforce |
| bombastic |
pompous; using inflated language |
| boorish |
rude; insensitive |
| burgeon |
grow forth; send out buds |
| burnish |
make shiny by rubbing; polish |
| buttress |
v. support; prop up |
| capricious |
unpredictable; fickle |
| castigation |
punishment; severe criticism |
| catalyst |
agent that increases the pace of a chemical action |
| caustic |
burning; sarcastically biting |
| chicanery |
trickery; deception |
| coagulate |
thicken; congeal; clot |
| coda | concluding section of a musical or literary composition; summarizes or concludes |
| cogent |
convincing |
| commensurate |
adj. corresponding in extent, degree, etc.; proportionate |
| compendium |
brief, comprehensive summary |
| complaisant |
trying to please; overly polite; obliging |
| compliant |
yielding; conforming to requirements |
| conciliatory |
reconciling; soothing |
| condone |
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse |
| confound |
confuse; puzzle |
| connoisseur |
person competent to act as a judge of art; a lover of art |
| contention |
claim; thesis |
| contentious |
quarrelsome |
| contrite |
penitent – Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence |
| conundrum |
riddle; difficult problem |
| converge |
approach; tend to meet; come together |
| convoluted |
coiled around; involved; intricate |
| craven |
cowardly |
| daunt | intimidate; frighten |
| decorum |
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
| default |
failure to act |
| deference |
courteous regard for another’s wishes |
| delineate |
portray; depict; sketch |
| denigrate |
blacken |
| deride |
ridicule; make fun of |
| derivative |
unoriginal; obtained from another source |
| desiccate |
dry up |
| desultory |
aimless; haphazard; digressing at random |
| deterrent |
something that discourages; hindrance |
| diatribe |
n. bitter scolding; invective |
| dichotomy |
split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones) |
| diffidence |
shyness |
| diffuse |
adj. wordy, rambling, spread out (like a gas) |
| digression |
wandering away from the subject |
| dirge | lament with music |
| disabuse |
correct a false impression; undeceive |
| discerning |
mentally quick and observant; having insight |
| discordant |
not harmonious; conflicting |
| discredit |
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve |
| discrepancy |
lack of consistency; difference |
| discrete |
adj. separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts |
| disingenuous |
lacking genuine candor; insincere |
| disinterested |
unprejudiced |
| disjointed |
lacking coherence; separated at the joints |
| dismiss |
eliminate from consideration; reject |
| disparage |
belittle |
| disparate |
adj. basically different; unrelated |
| dissemble |
v. disguise; pretend |
| disseminate |
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds) |
| dissolution |
disintegration; looseness in morals |
| dissonance |
discord; opposite of harmony |
| distend | expand; swell out |
| distill |
purify; refine; concentrate |
| diverge |
vary; go in different directions from the same point |
| divest |
strip; deprive |
| document |
provide written evidence |
| dogmatic |
opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
| dormant |
sleeping; lethargic; latent |
| dupe | someone easily fooled |
| ebullient |
showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm |
| eclectic |
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources |
| efficacy |
power to produce desired effect |
| effrontery |
impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness |
| elegy | poem or song expressing lamentation |
| elicit |
draw out by discussion |
| embellish |
adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story |
| empirical |
based on experience |
| emulate |
imitate; rival |
| endemic |
prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country |
| enervate |
weaken |
| engender |
cause; produce |
| enhance |
increase; improve |
| ephemeral |
short-lived; fleeting |
| equanimity |
calmness of temperament; composure |
| equivocate |
lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth |
| erudite |
learned; scholarly |
| esoteric |
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few |
| eulogy |
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone’s death |
| euphemism |
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one |
| exacerbate |
worsen; embitter |
| exculpate |
clear from blame |
| exigency |
urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention |
| extrapolation |
projection; conjecture |
| facetious |
joking (often inappropriately); humorous |
| facilitate |
help bring about; make less difficult |
| fallacious |
false; misleading |
| fatuous |
brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug |
| fawning |
trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing |
| felicitous |
apt; suitably expressed; well chosen |
| fervor |
glowing ardor; intensity of feeling |
| flag | droop; grow feeble |
| fledgling |
inexperienced |
| flout | reject; mock; show contempt for |
| foment |
stir up; instigate |
| forestall |
prevent by taking action in advance |
| frugality |
thrift; economy |
| gainsay |
deny |
| futile |
useless; hopeless; ineffectual |
| garrulous |
loquacious; talkative; wordy |
| goad | urge on |
| gouge | overcharge |
| grandiloquent | pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language |
| gregarious |
sociable |
| guileless |
without deceit |
| gullible |
easily deceived |
| harangue |
long, passionate, and vehement speech |
| homogeneous |
of the same kind |
| hyperbole |
exaggeration; overstatement |
| iconoclastic |
attacking cherished traditions |
| idolatry |
worship of idols; excessive admiration |
| immutable |
unchangeable |
| impair |
injure; hurt |
| impassive |
without feeling; imperturbable; stoical |
| impede |
hinder; block |
| impermeable |
impervious; not permitting passage through its substance |
| imperturbable |
calm; placid |
| impervious |
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed |
| implacable |
incapable of being pacified |
| implicit |
understood but not stated |
| implode |
burst inward |
| inadvertently |
unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly |
| inchoate |
adj. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary |
| incongruity |
lack of harmony; absurdity |
| inconsequential |
insignificant; unimportant |
| incorporate |
introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite |
| indeterminate |
uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite |
| indigence |
poverty |
| indolent |
lazy |
| inert | inactive; lacking power to move |
| ingenuous |
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated |
| inherent |
firmly established by nature or habit |
| innocuous |
harmless |
| insensible |
unconscious; unresponsive |
| insinuate |
hint; imply; creep in |
| insipid |
lacking in flavor; dull |
| insularity |
narrow-mindedness; isolation |
| intractable |
unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
| intransigence |
n. refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
| inundate |
overwhelm; flood; submerge |
| inured |
adj. accustomed; hardened |
| invective |
n. abuse |
| irascible |
irritable; easily angered |
| irresolute |
uncertain how to act; weak |
| itinerary |
plan of a trip |
| laconic |
brief and to the point |
| lassitude |
languor; weariness |
| latent |
potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden |
| laud | v. praise |
| lethargic |
drowsy; dull |
| levee | stone embankment to prevent flooding |
| levity |
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity |
| log | record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities |
| loquacious |
talkative |
| lucid | easily understood; clear; intelligible |
| luminous |
shining; issuing light |
| magnanimity |
generosity |
| malingerer |
one who feigns illness to escape duty |
| malleable |
capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable |
| maverick |
rebel; nonconformist |
| mendacious |
lying; habitually dishonest |
| metamorphosis |
change of form |
| meticulous |
excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
| misanthrope |
one who hates mankind |
| mitigate |
appease; moderate |
| mollify |
soothe |
| morose |
ill-humored; sullen; melancholy |
| mundane |
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday |
| negate |
cancel out; nullify; deny |
| neophyte |
recent convert; beginner |
| obdurate |
adj. stubborn |
| obsequious |
slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic |
| obviate |
make unnecessary; get rid of |
| occlude |
shut; close |
| officious |
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services |
| onerous |
burdensome |
| opprobrium |
infamy; vilification |
| oscillate |
vibrate; waver |
| ostentatious |
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention |
| paragon |
model of perfection |
| partisan |
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party |
| pathological |
pertaining to disease |
| paucity |
scarcity |
| pedantic |
showing off learning; bookish |
| penchant |
strong inclination; liking |
| penury |
severe poverty; stinginess |
| perennial |
something long-lasting |
| perfidious |
treacherous; disloyal |
| perfunctory |
superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm |
| permeable |
penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through |
| pervasive |
spread throughout |
| phlegmatic |
calm; not easily disturbed |
| piety | devoutness; reverence for God |
| placate |
pacify; conciliate |
| plasticity |
ability to be molded |
| platitude |
n. trite remark; commonplace statement |
| plethora |
excess; overabundance |
| plummet |
fall sharply |
| porous |
full of pores; like a sieve |
| pragmatic |
practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something |
| preamble |
introductory statement |
| precarious |
uncertain; risky |
| precipitate | adj. rash, premature, hasty, sudden |
| precursor |
forerunner |
| presumptuous |
arrogant; taking liberties |
| prevaricate |
lie |
| pristine |
characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled |
| probity |
uprightness; incorruptibility |
| problematic |
doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing |
| prodigal |
wasteful; reckless with money |
| profound |
deep; not superficial; complete |
| prohibitive |
tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; inclined to prevent or forbid |
| proliferate |
grow rapidly; spread; multiply |
| propensity |
natural inclination |
| propitiate |
appease |
| propriety |
fitness; correct conduct |
| proscribe |
ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| pungent |
stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic |
| qualified |
limited; restricted |
| quibble |
minor objection or complaint |
| quiescent |
at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive |
| rarefied |
made less dense (of a gas) |
| recalcitrant |
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly |
| recant |
disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error |
| recluse |
hermit; loner |
| recondite |
abstruse; profound; secret |
| refractory |
stubborn; unmanageable |
| refute |
disprove |
| relegate |
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign |
| reproach |
express disapproval or disappointment |
| reprobate |
person hardened in sin; devoid of a sense of decency |
| repudiate |
disown; disavow |
| rescind |
cancel |
| resolution |
determination |
| resolve |
determination; firmness of purpose |
| reticent |
reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence |
| reverent |
respectful; worshipful |
| sage | person celebrated for wisdom |
| salubrious |
healthful |
| sanction |
approve; ratify |
| satiate |
satisfy fully |
| saturate |
soak thoroughly |
| savor | enjoy; have a distinctive flavor, smell, or quality |
| secrete |
hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism |
| shard | fragment, generally of pottery |
| skeptic |
doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined evidence supporting a point of view |
| solicitous |
worried; concerned |
| soporific |
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness |
| specious |
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally) |
| spectrum |
colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism |
| sporadic |
occurring irregularly |
| stigma |
token of disgrace; brand |
| stint | v. be thrifty; set limits |
| stipulate |
make express conditions; specify |
| stolid |
dull; impassive |
| striated |
marked with parallel bands; grooved |
| strut | pompous walk |
| strut | supporting bar |
| subpoena |
writ summoning a witness to appear |
| subside |
settle down; descend; grow quiet |
| substantiate |
establish by evidence; verify; support |
| supersede |
cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete |
| supposition |
hypothesis; surmise |
| tacit | understood; not put into words |
| tangential |
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing |
| tenuous |
thin; rare; slim |
| tirade |
extended scolding; denunciation; harangue |
| torpor |
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy |
| tortuous |
winding; full of curves |
| tractable |
docile; easily managed |
| transgression |
violation of a law; sin |
| truculence |
aggressiveness; ferocity |
| vacillate |
waver; fluctuate |
| venerate |
revere |
| veracious |
truthful |
| verbose |
wordy |
| viable |
practical or workable |
| viscous |
sticky, gluey |
| vituperative |
adj. abusive; scolding |
| volatile |
changeable; explosive; evaporation rapidly |
| warranted |
justified; authorized |
| wary | very cautious |
| welter |
turmoil; bewildering jumble |
| whimsical |
capricious; fanciful |
| zealot |
fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |