GRE vocabulary list 02: 42 high-frequency words

Words the GRE reaches for when a passage or stem describes a heated argument, a slight, or a short temper. The signal is conflict, and the cluster tells you how sharp.

Irateadjective

Extremely angry.

Example: “The irate customer demanded a refund and the manager’s direct line.”

Synonyms: furious, incensed, enraged, indignant

Indignantadjective

Feeling or showing anger at something perceived as unfair.

Example: “She was indignant that a colleague had quietly taken credit for her analysis.”

Synonyms: outraged, resentful, affronted, scandalized

Incensedadjective

Enraged; made extremely angry.

Example: “The editorial incensed readers on both sides of the debate.”

Synonyms: infuriated, inflamed, provoked, enraged

Irascibleadjective

Irritable and quick to anger.

Example: “The irascible professor berated any student who arrived after the bell.”

Synonyms: cantankerous, testy, prickly, choleric

Belligerentadjective

Hostile and aggressive.

Example: “After the third drink he grew belligerent and picked a fight with the bouncer.”

Synonyms: combative, pugnacious, hostile, aggressive

A polarity cluster. Stems that signal careful saving draw from the first half; stems that signal reckless spending draw from the second.

Frugaladjective

Sparing and economical with money or food.

Example: “Her frugal habits let her travel for months on a modest budget.”

Synonyms: thrifty, economical, prudent, sparing

Parsimoniousadjective

Unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy.

Example: “The parsimonious owner refused to heat the office past sixty degrees.”

Synonyms: miserly, niggardly, stingy, tightfisted

Penuriousadjective

Extremely poor, or extremely unwilling to spend.

Example: “He lived a penurious retirement, reusing tea bags and darning socks.”

Synonyms: destitute, impecunious, miserly, pinched

Miserlyadjective

Mean or grasping with money.

Example: “The miserly uncle left a fortune he had never once let himself enjoy.”

Synonyms: stingy, parsimonious, niggardly, avaricious

Profligateadjective

Recklessly extravagant or wasteful.

Example: “The profligate heir burned through the family fortune in two years.”

Synonyms: wasteful, extravagant, dissolute, improvident

Lavishadjective

Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious.

Example: “The couple hosted a lavish reception with three bands and an ice sculpture.”

Synonyms: luxurious, opulent, sumptuous, prodigal

For passages about shifting moods, drifting alliances, or anything the author wants to frame as unstable. Several of these also double as person-descriptors.

Mercurialadjective

Subject to sudden and unpredictable changes of mood.

Example: “The director’s mercurial temper kept the cast guessing until opening night.”

Synonyms: volatile, unpredictable, capricious, fickle

Capriciousadjective

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

Example: “The capricious weather shifted from hail to sunshine within the hour.”

Synonyms: whimsical, fickle, changeable, erratic

Fickleadjective

Changing frequently, especially in affection or loyalty.

Example: “Fickle fans abandoned the team the moment its winning streak ended.”

Synonyms: inconstant, capricious, faithless, disloyal

Vacillateverb

To waver between different opinions or actions.

Example: “The committee vacillated for weeks between cutting the budget and raising dues.”

Synonyms: waver, dither, fluctuate, hesitate

Proteanadjective

Able to change frequently or easily; extremely variable.

Example: “The actor’s protean range let him play a king one week and a clown the next.”

Synonyms: versatile, adaptable, changeable, fluid

Surface when a stem signals worry before an event, nervousness in a person, or a challenge that looks too large to meet.

Apprehensiveadjective

Anxious or fearful that something bad will happen.

Example: “Apprehensive about the move, she reread the lease three times before signing.”

Synonyms: uneasy, anxious, fearful, worried

Timorousadjective

Showing or suffering from nervous timidity.

Example: “The timorous intern barely whispered his question during the meeting.”

Synonyms: timid, fearful, nervous, diffident

Trepidationnoun

A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

Example: “He accepted the promotion with some trepidation about the added travel.”

Synonyms: apprehension, dread, unease, misgiving

Dauntingadjective

Seeming difficult to deal with; intimidating.

Example: “The mountain of paperwork looked daunting but took only an afternoon.”

Synonyms: intimidating, formidable, discouraging, forbidding

Formidableadjective

Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, or capable.

Example: “The defending champion proved a formidable opponent in the final.”

Synonyms: daunting, intimidating, redoubtable, fearsome

A dense near-synonym cluster for passages that dismiss something as flat, uninspired, or boring. The shades differ: some attack imagination, some attack flavor, some attack novelty.

Mundaneadjective

Lacking interest or excitement; dull and ordinary.

Example: “After the expedition, the mundane routines of office life felt especially flat.”

Synonyms: ordinary, humdrum, prosaic, routine

Prosaicadjective

Ordinary and unimaginative.

Example: “The reality of farm work was more prosaic than the brochure suggested.”

Synonyms: mundane, pedestrian, dull, matter-of-fact

Pedestrianadjective

Lacking inspiration or excitement; dull.

Example: “The film’s plot was pedestrian, saved only by the leads’ chemistry.”

Synonyms: ordinary, uninspired, prosaic, unimaginative

Insipidadjective

Lacking flavor, vigor, or interest.

Example: “The soup was insipid, as if the cook had forgotten the salt entirely.”

Synonyms: bland, flavorless, vapid, dull

Vapidadjective

Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.

Example: “The interview produced only vapid answers about teamwork and goals.”

Synonyms: insipid, bland, unimaginative, flat

Banaladjective

So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

Example: “The speech drifted into banal observations about hard work paying off.”

Synonyms: trite, hackneyed, commonplace, platitudinous

The positive counterparts to the criticism cluster in list 01. Reach for these when a stem or passage describes an action, a motive, or a record that deserves respect.

Laudableadjective

Deserving praise and commendation.

Example: “The charity’s laudable goal was literacy for every child in the district.”

Synonyms: commendable, praiseworthy, meritorious, admirable

Commendableadjective

Deserving praise.

Example: “Her commendable turnaround of the failing branch earned a promotion.”

Synonyms: laudable, praiseworthy, admirable, creditable

Exemplaryadjective

Serving as a desirable model; outstanding.

Example: “The student’s exemplary attendance impressed even the strictest teachers.”

Synonyms: model, outstanding, commendable, first-rate

Meritoriousadjective

Deserving reward or praise.

Example: “Promotion was based on meritorious service rather than seniority alone.”

Synonyms: commendable, praiseworthy, deserving, laudable

Estimableadjective

Worthy of great respect and admiration.

Example: “The estimable judge was known for fairness across a forty-year career.”

Synonyms: admirable, respected, worthy, venerable

Used in passages about pollution, bad policy, or anything with a slow corrosive effect. Watch the degree: some words mean merely unhelpful, others mean actively poisonous.

Detrimentaladjective

Tending to cause harm.

Example: “Skipping warm-ups is detrimental to performance and to joints.”

Synonyms: harmful, damaging, injurious, prejudicial

Perniciousadjective

Having a harmful effect, especially one that is gradual or subtle.

Example: “The pernicious rumor spread slowly but ruined her reputation by spring.”

Synonyms: destructive, harmful, insidious, damaging

Deleteriousadjective

Causing harm or damage.

Example: “Prolonged stress has a deleterious effect on both memory and sleep.”

Synonyms: harmful, damaging, detrimental, injurious

Inimicaladjective

Tending to obstruct or harm; hostile.

Example: “The new policy was inimical to the small studios it claimed to help.”

Synonyms: hostile, harmful, adverse, unfavorable

Noxiousadjective

Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.

Example: “The noxious fumes forced an evacuation of the entire basement lab.”

Synonyms: toxic, poisonous, harmful, foul

The bright, lively cluster, for stems describing enthusiasm, high spirits, or passionate belief. Several pair nicely with the stubbornness and praise clusters elsewhere in the series.

Ardentadjective

Enthusiastic or passionate.

Example: “She was an ardent supporter of the public library and rarely missed a vote on its budget.”

Synonyms: passionate, fervent, zealous, fervid

Zealousadjective

Having or showing great energy for a cause.

Example: “The zealous volunteer canvassed every door on the street before noon.”

Synonyms: fervent, passionate, avid, fervid

Ebullientadjective

Cheerful and full of energy.

Example: “The ebullient winner thanked her team, her coach, and the crowd in a single breath.”

Synonyms: exuberant, buoyant, high-spirited, elated

Effervescentadjective

Vivacious and enthusiastic.

Example: “Her effervescent hosting put every guest at ease within minutes of arriving.”

Synonyms: bubbly, vivacious, sparkling, animated

Vivaciousadjective

Attractively lively and animated.

Example: “The vivacious host kept the dinner conversation moving all evening.”

Synonyms: lively, animated, spirited, ebullient