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GRE Vocabulary Words

English Vocabulary · GRE Live Review Preview

GRE Vocabulary Words

The GRE Verbal Reasoning measure asks test takers to understand and evaluate written material, analyze relationships among ideas, and use evidence within a sentence or passage. Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence all reward careful attention to connotation, contrast, logic, and precise word choice—not isolated memorization alone.

This independently authored 800-word beta curriculum prioritizes vocabulary identified in Magoosh’s official public GRE vocabulary ebook, then draws on advanced KSSR entries that have already passed English safety and structure audits. Additional official and public GRE references guide test alignment and editorial review. Overlap with SAT and advanced school-level vocabulary is intentional because the tests share academic language. Pages containing words 1–500 include five cloze questions; every word remains visible, editable in Vocabulary Studio, and available for private difficult/learned tracking. This unofficial resource is not endorsed by or affiliated with ETS.

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800 words
Words 106–140 of 800
#WordDetailsMeaningSample sentence
106corroborateverb
Study

Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: corroborate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

corroborarPhone records corroborate the witness's timeline.
107counterintuitiveadjective
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Field: GRE science and social-science vocabulary

Word study: Suffix focus: -ive commonly forms an adjective meaning having a quality or tendency.

contraintuitivoThe counterintuitive result improved efficiency by slowing the process.
108adulationnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

adulaciónThe actor distrusted the sudden adulation that followed one successful film.
109alacritynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.

1. alacridad 2. esmeroThe volunteers responded with alacrity when extra help was requested.
110prosaicadjective
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Field: GRE literature, history, and humanities

Word study: Base-form focus: prosaic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

prosaicoThe mystery ends with a prosaic explanation.
111affinitynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.

1. afinidad 2. apegamiento 3. inhesiónMina felt an affinity for stories about determined explorers.
112affirmverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: affirm is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

afirmarThe ruling will affirm every citizen's right to peaceful assembly.
113agnosticadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: agnostic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. agnóstico 2. agnósticaThe software is platform agnostic and works on several operating systems.
114allegeverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: allege is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. alegar 2. afirmarInvestigators allege that the contractor concealed safety defects.
115veracitynoun
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Field: GRE literature, history, and humanities

Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition.

veracidadDocuments from several sources support the account's veracity.
116alludeverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: allude is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. aludir 2. referirseThe poem may allude to an ancient myth without naming it.
117allusionnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -sion commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

alusiónThe title contains an allusion to a well-known folktale.
118aloofadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: aloof is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. alejado 2. reservado 3. distanteHis aloof manner made cooperation seem unlikely.
119altruismnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice.

altruismoThe anonymous donation was an act of genuine altruism.
120ameliorateverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: ameliorate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

mejorarThe new drainage system should ameliorate flooding in the valley.
121amnestynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: amnesty is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

amnistiarThe government offered amnesty to people who surrendered banned equipment.
122anachronismnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice.

1. anacronismo 2. anacroníaA digital wristwatch would be an anachronism in a film set in 1800.
123anarchynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: anarchy is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. anarquía 2. acraciaThe collapse of local authority briefly led to anarchy.
124anecdotaladjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: anecdotal is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

anecdóticoThe claim rests on anecdotal reports, not a controlled study.
125anomalynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: anomaly is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

anomalíaScientists rechecked the instrument after detecting an anomaly in the data.
126antecedentnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: antecedent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

antecedenteThe historian traced the law's antecedent to a colonial ordinance.
127nefariousadjective
Study

Field: GRE transitions and expression of ideas

Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.

1. nefario 2. nefando 3. feoInvestigators uncovered a nefarious scheme to sell forged medicine.
128apathynoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: apathy is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. apatía 2. displicenciaVoter apathy can weaken public accountability.
129aphorismnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice.

aforismoThe essay opens with an aphorism about patience and power.
130appeaseverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: appease is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. apaciguar 2. aplacarA minor concession did little to appease the angry residents.
131approbationnoun
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result.

aprobaciónThe proposal won the approbation of several respected researchers.
132arbitraryadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: arbitrary is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

arbitrarioThe deadline seemed arbitrary because no schedule depended on it.
133arcaneadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: arcane is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

arcanoThe manual explains arcane legal terms in plain language.
134archaicadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: archaic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. arcaico 2. arcaizanteThe translator replaced each archaic expression with a modern equivalent.
135ardentadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: ardent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

ardienteAn ardent conservationist, Lee spent weekends restoring wetlands.
136arduousadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.

1. arduo 2. dispendioso 3. rigurosoRestoring the storm-damaged archive was an arduous task.
137articulateverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: articulate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

1. articular 2. vocalizarThe witness struggled to articulate exactly what she had observed.
138asceticadjective
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: ascetic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

ascetaThe monk followed an ascetic routine of simple meals and few possessions.
139assiduousadjective
Study

Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by.

asiduoThrough assiduous research, the biographer verified every quotation.
140assimilateverb
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Field: GRE words in context and precision

Word study: Base-form focus: assimilate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context.

asimilarReaders need time to assimilate several competing explanations.

Vocabulary reading and practice

Evidence Against Intuition

Reading practice for pages 4–6. Five relevant words are highlighted.

English reading

During a research briefing, Dr. Malik carefully delineated the difference between correlation and cause. Her result seemed counterintuitive, so the committee asked for an independent analysis. A second laboratory was able to corroborate the central finding. With appropriate deference to the new evidence, the project’s strongest critic had to construe the result differently because his earlier explanation no longer fit the data. The discussion changed because the participants treated revision as a strength rather than a defeat.

Spanish translation

Durante una sesión informativa sobre la investigación, la Dra. Malik delimitó cuidadosamente la diferencia entre correlación y causa. Su resultado parecía contrario a la intuición, así que el comité pidió un análisis independiente. Un segundo laboratorio pudo corroborar el hallazgo central. Con la debida consideración a las nuevas pruebas, el crítico más firme del proyecto tuvo que interpretar el resultado de otra manera porque su explicación anterior ya no encajaba con los datos. La discusión cambió porque los participantes consideraron la revisión una fortaleza en lugar de una derrota.

Reading comprehension

1. Why does the committee request another analysis?

The result seems counterintuitive, so the committee wants independent evidence.

2. What does the second laboratory do?

It corroborates the central finding.

3. Why must the critic construe the result differently?

His earlier explanation no longer fits the data.

Vocabulary quiz

Choose the dictionary equivalent for each of 5 selected words.

About GRE Verbal Reasoning

The GRE Verbal Reasoning measure examines how well test takers understand and evaluate written material, recognize relationships among words and concepts, and analyze how parts of a sentence work together. Its three principal verbal question types are Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence.

Vocabulary matters on the GRE, but memorizing a definition is only the beginning. Strong preparation also connects each word to its connotation, common contrasts, near-synonyms, and role in an argument. Use the examples, readings, and quizzes here to practise choosing words from evidence in the sentence, then use official ETS material to learn the precise test format.

ETS test overview

Sources and curriculum references

These references guide selection and calibration. Definitions, sample sentences, readings, questions, and teaching notes are independently written and reviewed.