101 Essential GRE Vocab

Laconic (adj.) , brief and to the point; effectively cut short

Insipid (adj.) , lacking taste or flavor

Pragmatic (adj.) , concerned with practical matters

Iconoclast (noun) , someone who attacks cherished beliefs or

Arduous (adj.) , difficult to accomplish, hard to endure

Profligate (adj.) , recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources

Prosaic (adj.) , not challenging; dull and lacking excitement

Ameliorate (v.) , make, become better

Obsequious (adj.) , obedient or attentive to an excessive degree

Capricious (adj.) , given to sudden behavior change

Fortuitous (adj.) , happening by accident or chance

Orthodox (adj.) , Conforming to all the traditional beliefs, and religious practices

Alacrity (noun) , lively and cheerful readiness

Pellucid (adj.) , translucently clear

Corroborate (v.) , confirm or give support to

Magnanimous (adj.) , very generous or forgiving

Scrupulous (adj.) , diligent, thorough, and extremely careful

Prolific (adj.) , fruitful, present in large number

Dogmatic (adj.) , dictatorial, opinionated

Placate (v.) , make (someone) less angry or hostile

Mercurial (adj.) , subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood, temperamental

Exacerbate (v.) , infuriate, make worse

Superfluous (adj.) , redundant, extra, unnecessary

Hackneyed (adj.) , unoriginal and trite

Prudent (adj.) , acting with or showing care and thought

Belie (v.) , disguise or contradict

Esoteric (adj.) , mysterious, obscure

Cacophony (noun) , a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

Impetuous (adj.) , acting or done quickly and without thought or care

Idiosyncrasy (noun) , a way of thought peculiar to an individual

Extant (adj.) , in existence; surviving

Obscure (adj.) , not discovered or known about; uncertain

Didactic (adj.) , intended to teach, educational

Pithy (adj.) , brief, to the point

Copious (adj.) , abundant in supply or quantity

Ostentation (adj.) , pretentious and vulgar display intended to impress, show off

Adulterate (verb) alter or debase, often for profit

Vociferous (adj.) , loud and clamorous

Taciturn (adj.) , reserved or uncommunicative in speech

Obdurate (adj.) , refuse to change one’s opinion; stubborn

Garrulous (adj.) , excessively talkative

Misanthrope (noun) , person who hates others

Lionize (verb) , treat someone as a celebrity

Imminent (adj.) , about to happen

Frivolous (adj) , trivial, silly, not serious

Benign (adj.) , gentle, kindly

Dissonance (noun) , lack of harmony, disagreement

Inculpate (verb) , accuse or blame

Docile (adj.) , compliant, submissive

Sporadic (adj.) , occurring at irregular intervals; scattered or isolated

Prevaricate (verb) , deceive; stretch the truth

Chicanery (noun) , deception, trickery

Gainsay (verb) , deny or contradict

Eulogy (noun) , praise, exclamation

Belligerent (adj.) , hostile and aggressive

Dispassionate (adj.) , unfeeling, impartial

Providential (adj.) , lucky, occurring at a favorable time; opportune

Diffidence (noun) , hesitancy; lack of confidence

Fractious (adj.) , irritable and quarrelsome

Malign (adj.) , hurtful, injurious

Disparate (adj.) , essentially different in kind, not allowing comparison

Plausible (adj.) , seeming reasonable or probable

Sanguine (adj.) , optimistic or positive

Venerate (v.) , regard with great respect

Trite (adj.) - silly, commonplace, banal

Succinct (adj.) brief, to the point

Ingenious (adj.) , clever, original, and inventive

Meticulous (adj.) , very careful and precise

Erudite (adj.) , well-educated, cultured

Bolster (v.) , support or strengthen

Anachronism (noun) , error in time placement

Trivial (adj.) , of little value or importance

Advocate (noun) , person supporting an idea or cause publicly

Conspicuous (adj.) , obvious, easily seen

Innocuous (adj.) , harmless and inoffensive

Audacious (adj.) , reckless, daring

Tumultuous (adj.) , confused, or disorderly

Reticent (adj.) , secretive, quiet

Fervid (adj.) , intensely enthusiastic or passionate

Enervate (verb) , weaken, wear out

Prodigal (adj.) , wastefully extravagant

Auspicious (adj.) , conducive to success; favorable

Soporific (adj.) , tending to induce drowsiness or sleep

Engender (verb) , cause or give rise to, to bring about, to create

Loquacious (adj.) , tending to talk a great deal; talkative

Equivocate (verb) , to avoid giving a clear or direct answer to a question

Inimical (adj.) , tending to obstruct or harm

Fastidious (adj.) , very careful and attentive

Recalcitrant (adj) , disobedient, uncontrollable, stubborn

Ephemeral (adj.) , momentary, passing

Pusillanimous (adj.) , lacking courage, fearful

Vacillate (verb) , go back and forth, be indecisive

Amorphous (adj) , having no fixed form or shape

Sublime (adj) , extremely good, beautiful, or enjoyable

Retard (v) , to make something slower

Scurrilous (v.) , humorously insulting the intention of damaging someone’s reputation.

Tentacle (n.) , long, thin parts like arms of some sea animals, used for holding things, catching
food, or moving; an insidious influence and control

Euphemism (n.) , a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word

Caveat (n.) , a warning to consider something before taking any more action

Leeway (n.) , freedom to act within certain limits

Mete out (v.) , to give or order punishment

Rehash (v.) , to put something old into a new form without significant improvement

Content (adj.) , happy, satisfied, pleased

Contentment (n.)

Ludicrous (adj.) , so foolish, unreasonable, absurd, ridiculous