GRE vocabulary list 01: 34 high-frequency words

Words the GRE loves to drop into text-completion stems that describe a hostile review, a bitter argument, or a scathing editorial.

Derideverb

To make fun of someone or something, or to treat them as worthless.

Example: “The critic derided the novel as derivative and overlong.”

Synonyms: mock, ridicule, scorn, lampoon

Disparageverb

To belittle; to speak of in a slighting or dismissive way.

Example: “Her mentor never disparaged her early drafts, only pointed out where they could be tightened.”

Synonyms: denigrate, deprecate, belittle, slight

Denigrateverb

To attack the reputation of; to criticize unfairly or deliberately.

Example: “Opponents denigrated the policy without offering a workable alternative.”

Synonyms: disparage, defame, malign, vilify

Vituperativeadjective

Bitter and abusive in language.

Example: “The debate collapsed into vituperative name-calling by the third minute.”

Synonyms: scathing, abusive, virulent, caustic

Diatribenoun

A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

Example: “The review read less like criticism than a diatribe against the entire genre.”

Synonyms: tirade, harangue, fulmination, philippic

Useful when a passage or sentence completion describes an award ceremony, a gift, or an act of forgiveness.

Encomiumnoun

A formal expression of high praise.

Example: “The retiring professor was honored with encomiums from three decades of students.”

Synonyms: eulogy, tribute, panegyric, paean

Eulogynoun

A speech or piece of writing that praises someone, typically someone who has died.

Example: “She delivered the eulogy at her grandfather's service, recounting his quiet generosity.”

Synonyms: encomium, tribute, panegyric

Magnanimousadjective

Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful.

Example: “In a magnanimous gesture, the silver medalist praised the runner who had beaten her.”

Synonyms: generous, big-hearted, forgiving, munificent

Munificentadjective

Larger or more generous than is usual or expected.

Example: “The munificent endowment allowed the museum to keep admission free.”

Synonyms: generous, lavish, bountiful, openhanded

Philanthropicadjective

Relating to the desire to promote the welfare of others, typically through donations.

Example: “The foundation's philanthropic work focuses on rural literacy.”

Synonyms: humanitarian, charitable, benevolent, altruistic

A classic GRE polarity pair. If a stem signals excess speech, reach for the first three; if it signals economy of words, reach for the last three.

Garrulousadjective

Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.

Example: “The garrulous cab driver narrated his political philosophy before we had left the airport.”

Synonyms: loquacious, voluble, talkative, prolix

Loquaciousadjective

Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

Example: “She was so loquacious at breakfast that her coffee went cold three times.”

Synonyms: garrulous, voluble, verbose

Volubleadjective

Speaking or spoken incessantly and fluently.

Example: “The voluble press secretary fielded every question without pausing for breath.”

Synonyms: fluent, glib, talkative, loquacious

Pithyadjective

Concise and forcefully expressive.

Example: “Her pithy summary of the 400-page report ran just two paragraphs.”

Synonyms: terse, succinct, concise, epigrammatic

Terseadjective

Sparing in words; abruptly concise.

Example: “His terse reply, "Noted," ended the conversation.”

Synonyms: curt, brusque, laconic, succinct

Laconicadjective

Using very few words.

Example: “The coach's laconic halftime instruction was simply, "Tackle better."”

Synonyms: terse, concise, curt, reticent

Often appear in passages about espionage, backroom deals, or anything the author wants to suggest was done under cover.

Clandestineadjective

Kept secret or done secretively.

Example: “The resistance held clandestine meetings in the cellar of the bookshop.”

Synonyms: secret, covert, stealthy, surreptitious

Furtiveadjective

Attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt.

Example: “The student cast a furtive glance at his phone during the exam.”

Synonyms: surreptitious, stealthy, shifty, sneaky

Surreptitiousadjective

Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

Example: “She took a surreptitious photograph of the manuscript for later reference.”

Synonyms: stealthy, furtive, clandestine, underhanded

Collusionnoun

Secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy.

Example: “The two firms were accused of collusion to fix prices across the region.”

Synonyms: conspiracy, complicity, collaboration

Machinationnoun

A plot or scheme, usually plural and usually devious.

Example: “The political machinations behind the leadership change took months to surface.”

Synonyms: scheming, plotting, intrigue, conspiracy

A dense cluster of near-synonyms. Note the small differences: some apply to people, some to problems, some to both.

Intransigentadjective

Unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.

Example: “The intransigent union leadership rejected every compromise the mediators proposed.”

Synonyms: uncompromising, inflexible, obstinate, unyielding

Obdurateadjective

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or attitude, especially when urged to do so.

Example: “The judge remained obdurate despite emotional pleas for leniency.”

Synonyms: stubborn, obstinate, inflexible, unyielding

Recalcitrantadjective

Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.

Example: “The recalcitrant toddler refused to put on his shoes for the third morning in a row.”

Synonyms: defiant, disobedient, ungovernable, wayward

Intractableadjective

Hard to control or deal with; stubborn.

Example: “The intractable conflict resisted every diplomatic solution for two decades.”

Synonyms: uncontrollable, unmanageable, stubborn, refractory

Refractoryadjective

Stubborn or obstinate; (in medicine and metallurgy) resistant to treatment or heat.

Example: “The refractory patient would not follow the prescribed course of medication.”

Synonyms: stubborn, unyielding, obstinate, recalcitrant

Appear often in passages about nature, beauty, fame, or anything the author wants to frame as fleeting.

Ephemeraladjective

Lasting for a very short time.

Example: “The ephemeral fame of internet memes rarely outlasts the news cycle that produced them.”

Synonyms: fleeting, transient, momentary, evanescent

Evanescentadjective

Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence.

Example: “The evanescent colors of the sunset faded within minutes.”

Synonyms: fleeting, ephemeral, fading, transient

Transientadjective

Lasting only for a short time; impermanent.

Example: “A transient surge of confidence carried her through the first lap.”

Synonyms: temporary, fleeting, passing, ephemeral

Elusiveadjective

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.

Example: “Sleep proved elusive for the third night in a row.”

Synonyms: evasive, hard to catch, slippery, intangible

Polarity pair again. The signal in the stem (a clear textbook, a muddled spokesperson) tells you which side to draw from.

Obfuscateverb

To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible; to deliberately confuse.

Example: “The spokesperson seemed to obfuscate every direct question with jargon.”

Synonyms: confuse, obscure, muddle, bewilder

Confoundverb

To cause surprise or confusion in someone, especially by acting against their expectations.

Example: “The detective's admission that he had no leads confounded the prosecutors.”

Synonyms: bewilder, perplex, baffle, mystify

Lucidadjective

Expressed clearly; easy to understand.

Example: “The textbook's lucid explanation of photosynthesis stayed with her for years.”

Synonyms: clear, intelligible, pellucid, coherent

Pellucidadjective

Transparently clear in style or meaning.

Example: “The professor's pellucid lectures drew auditors from three other departments.”

Synonyms: lucid, transparent, limpid, clear