Kaplan GRE Study Guide: Top GRE Vocabulary Word List 295 Total Words

Kaplan GRE Study Guide: Top GRE Vocabulary Word List

295 Total Words

Word	Definition
abate	to reduce in amount, degree or severity
abdicate	to renounce or relinquish a throne
abject	utterly hopeless, humiliating or wretched
abjure	to renounce on oath
ablution	act of cleansing
abrogate	to abolish by formal means
abscond	to leave secretly
abstention	the act of refraining voluntarily
abstruse	hard to understand; secret, hidden
accretion	an increase by natural growth
acerbic	sour or astringent in taste, harsh in temper
acquiesce	to comply, give in
acrid	sharp or biting to the taste or smell
acrimonious	caustic, stinging or bitter in nature
adjoin	to be close or in contact with
adjoin	to be next to and joined with
adjure	to beg or command
admonish	to counsel against something; caution
adulterate	to make impure
adventitious	accidental
affable	friendly, courteous
aggrandize	to increase in power, influence and reputation
altruist	a person unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others
amatory	of or pertaining to lovers or lovemaking
amity	friendship; peaceful harmony
anachronism	something our of place in time
anachronism	an obsolete or archaic form
androgen	any substance that promotes masculine characteristics
androgynous	being both male and female
animus	hostile feeling or attitude
antipathy	extreme dislike
antipathy	aversion
apartheid	any system or caste that separates people according to race
apathy	lack of interest or emotion
apathy	lack of interest or emotion
apogee	the highest or most distant point
apostasy	a total desertion of one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.
apostasy	renunciation of one’s previous loyalty
apotheosis	glorification, glorified ideal
approbation	praise, consideration
arrogate	to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously
assiduous	diligent, persistent, hardworking
assuage	to make less severe
atrophy	the wasting away of body tissue
austere	severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
autonomy	independence, self-governance
aver	to affirm, to declare to be true
avocation	something one does in addition to a principle occupation
banal	predictable; clichéd, boring
belligerent	warlike, given to waging war
bemoan	to express pity for
benevolent	desiring to do good to others
benign	having a kindly disposition
bilateral	pertaining to or affecting two or both sides
bombastic	pompous in speech and manner
capitulate	to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms
capricious	changing one’s mind quickly and often
castigate	to punish or criticize harshly
chicanery	deception by means of craft or guile
circuitous	roundabout, indirect
circumambulate	to walk about or around
circumscribe	to draw a line around
circumspect	watchful and discreet
cogent	convincing and well reasoned
complacent	self-satisfied, unconcerned
complaisant	inclined or disposed to please
compunction	a feeling of uneasiness for doing wrong
concentric	having a common center
conciliate	to placate, win over
conflagration	a large destructive fire
confluence	merging into one
congenital	existing or as such from birth
contravene	to come into conflict with
convalescent	recovering from illness
convoke	to call together
convoluted	intricate and complicated
corroborate	to provide supporting evidence
credulity	willingness to believe or trust too easily
credulous	too trusting; gullible
cursory	going rapidly over something; hasty; superficial
decadent	decaying; deteriorating
deference	respect; courtesy
deferential	respectful; to yield judgment to
deign	to think fit or in accordance with one’s dignity
delude	to mislead the mind of judgment of, deceive
derision	to act of mockery
desiccate	to dry out thoroughly
desultory	jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
desultory	at random, unmethodical
diatribe	an abusive, condemnatory speech
dichotomy	division into two parts, kinds, etc.
diffident	lacking self-confidence
diffuse	to pour out and spread
diffuse	to spread widely or thinly
dilatory	intended to delay
dilatory	inclined to delay or procrastinate
dilettante	someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
disabuse	to set right; to free from error
disport	to divert or amuse oneself
disquiet	a lack of calm or peace
dissemble	to present a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character
disseminate	to scatter or spread widely
distend	to expand by stretching
doctrine	a principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief; dogma
dogma	a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
dogmatic	dictatorial in one’s opinions
doleful	sorrowful, mournful
dour	sullen, gloomy
dupe	to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
duplicity	deceitfulness in speech or conduct; double-dealing
dystrophy	faulty or inadequate nutrition or development
eclectic	selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
efficacy	effectiveness
effigy	sculpture or model or person
effluence	flowing out of
elegy	a sorrowful poem or speech
elocution	art of clear and expressive speaking
empathy	the identification with the feelings or thoughts of others
enervate	to reduce in strength
engender	to produce, cause or bring about
enigma	a puzzle; a mystery
ephemeral	lasting a short time
epigram	a witty or pointed saying tersely expressed
epithet	a word of phrase, use invectively as a term of abuse
equivocate	to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
erudite	learned, scholarly, bookish
esoteric	known or understood by only a few
estimable	admirable
eugenics	improvement of qualities of race by control of inherited characteristics
eulogy	speech in praise of someone
euphony	pleasantness of sound
exacerbate	to increase bitterness or violence
exculpate	to clear from blame; prove innocent
execrable	abominable
exigent	urgent; requiring immediate action
expound	to set forth in detail
exult	to show or feel triumphant joy
fawn	to grovel
fiduciary	of a trust; held or given in trust
foment	to arouse or incite
forestall	to prevent by advance action
fractious	irritable, peevish
fusillade	continuous discharge of firearms or outburst of criticism
grandiloquent	pompous or inflated in language
guile	deceit or trickery
heterodox	different from acknowledged standard; holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines
heterogeneous	of other origin; not originating in the body
hypocritical	affecting virtues or qualities one does not have
iconoclast	one who opposes established beliefs, customs and institutions
impassive	showing or feeling no emotion
impervious	impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
impetuous	quick to act without thinking
impetuous	characterized by sudden rash action or emotion
importune	to urge or press with excessive persistence
impugn	to challenge as false
inamorata	a female lover
inchoate	not fully formed; disorganized
inculpate	to charge with fault
incursion	a hostile entrance into a place
indigent	deficient in what is requisite
indoctrinate	to imbue someone with learning
indolence	state of being lazy or slothful
indolence	showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful
induce	to move or lead by influence
ineffable	too great for description
infusion	liquid extract so obtained
ingenuous	showing innocence or childlike simplicity
inimical	hostile, unfriendly
insensate	without feeling or sensitivity
insidious	intended to trap or beguile
insipid	lacking interest or flavor
insolent	boldly rude or disrespectful
interloper	someone who intrudes in the domain of others
intransigent	uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
intransigent	refusing to agree or compromise
invective	of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse
irascible	easily made angry
laconic	using few words
litigate	to make the subject of a lawsuit
magnanimous	generous in forgiving an insult or injury
magnate	a powerful or influential person
maladroit	clumsy, tactless
malevolent	characterized by or expressing bad will
malfeasance	misconduct or wrongdoing often committed by a public official
malign	to speak harmful untruths about, to slander
malinger	to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
maxim	an expression of general truth or principle
minatory	menacing, threatening
misanthrope	a person who dislikes others
miscegenation	interbreeding of races
mitigate	to soften, to lessen
mollify	to calm or make less severe
nascent	starting to develop
neophyte	a recent convert
obdurate	hardened in feelings; resistant to persuasion
obfuscate	to render indistinct or dim
oblique	having a slanting or sloping direction
obsequious	overly submissive and eager to please
obsequious	fawning
obsolescent	becoming obsolete
obstreperous	noisily defiant, unruly
obtuse	not sharp, pointed or acute
obviate	to prevent; to make unnecessary
occlude	to stop up; to prevent the passage of
omnivorous	eating or absorbing everything
onerous	troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
opprobrium	public disgrace
opprobrium	the disgrace incurred by shameful conduct
panegyric	formal or elaborate praise at an assembly
panoply	a wide-ranging and impressive array or display
paragon	model of excellence or perfection
pathogenic	causing disease
paucity	smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness
percipient	having perception; discerning; discriminating
perfidious	willing to betray one’s trust
perfunctory	done in a routine way; indifferent
perfunctory	performed merely as routine duty
peripatetic	walking or traveling about; itinerant
permutation	a complete change; transformation
perquisite	a gratuity, tip
perspicacious	shrewd, astute
perspicacious	having keen mental perception and understanding
pertinacious	resolute
pertinacious	persistent, stubborn
petulant	showing sudden irritation, esp. over some annoyance
philanderer	one who carries on flirtations
philanthropy	charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
philology	the study of literary texts to establish their authenticity and determine their meaning
plethora	excess
precept	a commandment given as a rule of action or conduct
precipitate	to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
preclude	to prevent the presence of
precocious	unusually advanced or mature in mental development or talent
predilection	preference, liking
prescient	having knowledge of things before they happen
presentiment	a feeling of anticipation over a future event
prevaricate	to lie or deviate from the truth
probity	honesty, high-mindedness
prodigal	lavish, wasteful
proliferate	to increase in number quickly
promulgate	to make known by open declaration
propitiate	to conciliate; to appease
propound	to set forth for consideration
propriety	correct behavior, obedience to rules and customs
proscribe	to condemn as harmful or odious
proselytize	to convert of attempt to recruit
protract	to prolong, draw out, extend
provident	having or showing foresight
prudence	wisdom, caution or restraint
puerile	childish, immature
pugnacious	to quarrel or fight readily
punctilious	strict or exact in the observance of formalities
pusillanimous	lacking courage or resolution
querulous	full of complaints
quiescence	the condition of being at rest, still, inactive
quiescent	motionless
recumbent	lying down; reclining; leaning
refractory	stubborn, rebellious
rejoinder	to reply, retort
remonstrate	to say or plead in protect, objection or reproof
reprehensible	deserving rebuke or censure
reprisals	retaliation against an enemy
reprobate	a depraved or wicked person
repudiate	to reject the validity of
reticent	silent, reserved
reticent	disposed to be silent or not to speak freely
revile	to criticize with harsh language
salient	prominent or conspicuous
sedition	incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government
sociopath	a person whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility
soporific	causing sleep or lethargy
specious	deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
stigma	a mark of shame or discredit
stolid	unemotional; lacking sensitivity
subjugate	to conquer
subterfuge	an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule
supercilious	arrogant, haughty, condescending
supplicate	to make humble and earnest entreaty
taciturn	silent, not talkative
tenable	capable of being held, maintained or defended
tenacious	holding fast
tendentious	having a predisposition towards a point of view
torpor	extreme mental and physical sluggishness
tractable	easily managed or controlled
transcendent	going beyond ordinary limits
unconscionable	unscrupulous
veracious	habitually truthful
veracity	filled with trust and accuracy
verisimilitude	the appearance or semblance of truth
verity	truthfulness
vicarious	performed, exercised, received or suffered in place of another
vilify	to slander, to defame
vociferous	crying out noisily
volition	free choice, free will; act of choosing
voracious	having a great appetite