{"id":18006,"date":"2023-08-09T16:31:35","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T16:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18006"},"modified":"2023-08-09T18:29:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T18:29:33","slug":"top-52-gre-vocabulary-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/top-52-gre-vocabulary-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 52 GRE Vocabulary Words"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You will see <a title=\"How to Study for GRE Vocabulary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/gre\/how-to-study-for-gre-vocabulary\/\">GRE\u00ae vocabulary<\/a> on<a title=\"What to Expect on GRE Test Day\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/gre\/what-to-expect-on-gre-test-day\/\"> test day<\/a> in a variety of ways. Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/gre-score-predictor-whats-your-gre-score\/\">verbal score<\/a> is generated from 27 questions that are split up into two sections. The first section consists of 12 questions and the second section consists of 15 questions. You will have 18 minutes to complete the first section and 23 minutes for the second section, so be ready to tackle <a title=\"GRE Verbal: Sentence Equivalence\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/gre\/gre-verbal-sentence-equivalence\/\">Sentence Equivalence<\/a>,&nbsp;<a title=\"GRE Text Completion: Tips and Strategies\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/gre\/gre-text-completion-tips-strategies\/\">Text Completion<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a title=\"GRE Reading Comprehension\u2014Types of Questions and Tips\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/uncategorized\/gre-reading-comprehension-types-of-questions-and-tips\/\">Reading Comprehension<\/a>&nbsp;questions.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing how to decipher difficult vocabulary by using the context is extremely helpful in maximizing your <a title=\"GRE Score Predictor: What\u2019s your GRE Verbal score?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/gre\/gre-score-predictor-whats-your-gre-score\/\">GRE verbal score<\/a>.&nbsp;Take the quiz below to test your understanding of some of the 52 top GRE vocabulary words, and then review the examples and definitions of each word at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>READ NEXT: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/top-48-gre-vocabulary-words\/\">48 More Top GRE Vocabulary Words<\/a> <strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '><div id=\"custom_html-6\" class=\"widget_text widget clearfix widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\">\t<div><div class='op-interactive' id='6369309de5d559665ce6624f' data-title='GRE Vocab Quiz' data-url='https:\/\/kaplannorthamerica.outgrow.us\/6369309de5d559665ce6624f?vHeight=1' data-width='100%'><\/div><script src='\/\/dyv6f9ner1ir9.cloudfront.net\/assets\/js\/nloader.js'><\/script><script>initIframe('6369309de5d559665ce6624f');<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_sidebar  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Top 52 GRE Words Definitions and Examples<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>anomaly<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; something that is unusual or unexpected\n<ul>\n<li>The student&#8217;s poor performance on the latest test was an <strong>anomaly<\/strong> since she had previously earned excellent grades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>equivocal<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; not easily understood or explained\n<ul>\n<li>Politicians have been known to provide <strong>equivocal<\/strong> answers to reporters&#8217; questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>lucid<\/strong> &#8211; adj. &#8211; very clear and easy to understand\n<ul>\n<li>The lecture was <strong>lucid<\/strong> and straightforward, allowing the students to fully grasp the concepts presented.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>precipitate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to cause (something) to happen quickly or suddenly\n<ul>\n<li>Unforeseen costs can <strong>precipitate<\/strong> a budget crisis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>assuage<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense\n<ul>\n<li>A massage can <strong>assuage<\/strong> the soreness in your muscles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>erudite<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; having or showing great knowledge\n<ul>\n<li>High school students often struggle with novels that are more <strong>erudite<\/strong> than they are entertaining.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>opaque<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211;&nbsp; not able to be seen through; not easily understood\n<ul>\n<li>Medical jargon includes many <strong>opaque<\/strong> terms like macrosomic, which describes a newborn who weighs more than 4,000 grams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>prodigal<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; wastefully extravagant\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>prodigal<\/strong> prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>enigma<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand\n<ul>\n<li>Scientists continue to research cancer to solve the <strong>enigma<\/strong> of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>fervid<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; intensely enthusiastic or passionate\n<ul>\n<li>The child showed a <strong>fervid<\/strong> fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>placate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to make (someone) less angry or hostile\n<ul>\n<li>A parent may decide to <strong>placate<\/strong> a baby with a pacifier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>zeal<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a strong feel of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something\n<ul>\n<li>The great emperor&#8217;s crusading <strong>zeal<\/strong> led him to conquer many lands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>abstain<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to restrain oneself for doing or enjoying something\n<ul>\n<li>Doctors encourage their patients to <strong>abstain<\/strong> from smoking cigarettes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>audacious<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; a willingness to take bold risks \/ adj. &#8211;&nbsp; showing a lack of respect\n<ul>\n<li>The new CEO pursued <strong>audacious<\/strong> initiatives to save the company from bankruptcy. \/ The student&#8217;s <strong>audacious<\/strong> remark earned her a seat in afternoon detention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>desiccate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; remove the moisture from (something)\n<ul>\n<li>The heat and energy from the sun can <strong>desiccate<\/strong> even the most hearty plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>gullible<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; easily persuaded to believe something\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>gullible<\/strong> little boy gave his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>laudable<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; deserving praise and commendation\n<ul>\n<li>Providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is a <strong>laudable<\/strong> goal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>pedant<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a person who makes an excessive display of learning\n<ul>\n<li>Professor Blackwell, a well-known <strong>pedant<\/strong>, required his pre-med students to speak in Latin throughout the entire semester.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>vacillate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to waver between different opinions or actions\n<ul>\n<li>Undergraduate students often <strong>vacillate<\/strong> among various majors before deciding which degree to pursue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>adulterate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to make (something) impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality\n<ul>\n<li>Many chefs use fresh produce and refuse to <strong>adulterate<\/strong> their dishes with canned ingredients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>capricious<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; given to sudden changes of mood or behavior\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>capricious<\/strong> supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>engender<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to produce, cause, or give rise to (something)\n<ul>\n<li>Political debates can <strong>engender<\/strong> controversy regarding the subjects discussed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>homogenous<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; of the same or similar kind\n<ul>\n<li>There are very few truly <strong>homogenous<\/strong> cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>loquacious<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; tending to talk a great deal\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>loquacious<\/strong> professor was known for his five-hour lectures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>pragmatic<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; dealing with the problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories\n<ul>\n<li>A <strong>pragmatic<\/strong> approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>volatile<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; likely to change rapidly and unpredictably\n<ul>\n<li>It is possible for a country&#8217;s political climate to remain <strong>volatile<\/strong> for decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>apathy<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern\n<ul>\n<li>Political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to <strong>apathy<\/strong> than older citizens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>corroborate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to confirm or make more certain\n<ul>\n<li>The scientist was able to <strong>corroborate<\/strong> his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>ephemeral<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; lasting for a very short time\n<ul>\n<li>An <strong>ephemeral<\/strong> moment of victory may last mere seconds, but it can remain as a triumphant memory for decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>laconic<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; using few words\n<ul>\n<li>The student&#8217;s <strong>laconic<\/strong> response suggested&nbsp; that she did not know very much about the topic the professor was discussing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>mitigate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; make less severe, serious, or painful\n<ul>\n<li>We want to <strong>mitigate<\/strong> students&#8217; GRE stress by offering helpful study tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>propriety<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; the state or quality of being correct or proper\n<ul>\n<li>The students were instructed to behave with the utmost <strong>propriety<\/strong> while on their class field trip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>advocate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; publicly recommend or support\n<ul>\n<li>The governor chose to <strong>advocate<\/strong> for a higher minimum wage rather than a tax incentive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>cacophony<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>cacophony<\/strong> of the middle school band warming up was nearly unbearable for the audience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>enervate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken\n<ul>\n<li>The boxer used a swift left uppercut to the jaw to <strong>enervate<\/strong> his opponent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>ingenuous<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; innocent and unsuspecting\n<ul>\n<li>The scam artist preyed on <strong>ingenuous<\/strong> nursing home residents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>misanthrope<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a person who dislikes humankind\n<ul>\n<li>The neighborhood <strong>misanthrope<\/strong> surrounded his yard with barbed wire to keep people away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>paradox<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a statement that contradicts itself but might be true\n<ul>\n<li>The fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted seven cats is an intriguing <strong>paradox<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>venerate<\/strong> &#8211; verb &#8211; regard with great respect\n<ul>\n<li>To <strong>venerate<\/strong> the fire chief&#8217;s forty years of service, the department held a special banquet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>antipathy<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a strong feeling of dislike\n<ul>\n<li>The students voiced their <strong>antipathy<\/strong> for homework very loudly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>deride<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to express contempt for; ridicule\n<ul>\n<li>The unreasonable supervise was known to <strong>deride<\/strong> his employees on a daily basis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>eulogy<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a speech that praises someone, typically some who has recently died\n<ul>\n<li>The rabbi&#8217;s <strong>eulogy<\/strong> was both heartfelt and inspiring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>lethargic<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; lacking energy\n<ul>\n<li>It&#8217;s not uncommon to feel <strong>lethargic<\/strong> for weeks or even months after major surgery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>obdurate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; stubbornly refusing to change one&#8217;s opinion\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>obdurate<\/strong> three-year-old refused to eat any vegetables, no matter how they were prepared.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>philanthropic<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; seeking to promote the welfare of others\n<ul>\n<li>The students were grateful to receive financial support from <strong>philanthropic<\/strong> organizations that promote education.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>waver<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to go back and forth between choices or opinions\n<ul>\n<li>Some citizens vote solely along party lines and never <strong>waver<\/strong> in their political decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>bolster<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; to support or strengthen\n<ul>\n<li>The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would <strong>bolster<\/strong> her case against the defendant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>dissonance<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; a lack of harmony or agreement\n<ul>\n<li>The school board&#8217;s meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by <strong>dissonance<\/strong> among opinions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>garrulous<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; excessively talkative\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>garrulous<\/strong> hair stylist talked to each customer for hours at a time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>malleable<\/strong> &#8211; <em>adj.<\/em> &#8211; easily influenced; pliable\n<ul>\n<li>Children&#8217;s moods are often <strong>malleable<\/strong> since children are greatly affected by their surroundings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>ostentation<\/strong> &#8211; <em>noun<\/em> &#8211; excessive display of wealth\n<ul>\n<li>Owning a mansion doesn&#8217;t imply <strong>ostentation<\/strong>, but traveling exclusively by private jet certainly can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>prevaricate<\/strong> &#8211; <em>verb<\/em> &#8211; avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question\n<ul>\n<li>During the trial, the lead witness was willing to <strong>prevaricate<\/strong> in order to protect his friend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>[<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>RELATED:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/gre-vocabulary-using-word-roots\/\">GRE Vocabulary &#8211; Using Root Words<\/a> <strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"text-70\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"a78fe19e226d385662749ccaadcdccd7ecdcab651c77e3b874bfcb76a80605a7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div id=\"text-71\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"185e834399a9fdd414ded52f3f51a4735f464b8c612f006f44ffba835a649b4f\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"yj6qo ajU\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You will see GRE\u00ae vocabulary on test day in a variety of ways. Your verbal score is generated from 27 questions that are split up into two sections. The first section consists of 12 questions and the second section consists of 15 questions. You will have 18 minutes to complete the first section and 23 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[68],"tags":[69,285],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18006"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18006"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43921,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18006\/revisions\/43921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}