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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.

vahvistaaPhone records corroborate the witness's timeline.
107counterintuitiveadjective
Study

Field: GRE science and social-science vocabulary

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

1. vaistonvastainen 2. intuitionvastainen 3. järjenvastainenThe 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.

1. mielistely 2. imarteluThe actor distrusted the sudden adulation that followed one successful film.
109alacritynoun
Study

Field: GRE words in context and precision

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

intoThe volunteers responded with alacrity when extra help was requested.
110prosaicadjective
Study

Field: GRE literature, history, and humanities

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

1. proosallinen 2. arkipäiväinen 3. ikäväThe 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.

affiniteettiMina felt an affinity for stories about determined explorers.
112affirmverb
Study

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.

vahvistaaThe 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.

agnostinenThe 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.

epäilläInvestigators allege that the contractor concealed safety defects.
115veracitynoun
Study

Field: GRE literature, history, and humanities

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

1. todenmukaisuus 2. totuudenmukaisuusDocuments 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. viitata 2. vihjataThe 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.

1. alluusio 2. viittaus 3. vihjeThe 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. etäinen 2. varautunut 3. kylmäkiskoinenHis 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.

1. altruismi 2. epäitsekkyysThe 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.

1. kohentaa 2. parantaaThe 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.

armahtaaThe government offered amnesty to people who surrendered banned equipment.
122anachronismnoun
Study

Field: GRE words in context and precision

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

anakronismiA 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.

anarkiaThe collapse of local authority briefly led to anarchy.
124anecdotaladjective
Study

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.

1. anekdoottinen 2. kaskumainenThe 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.

1. anomalia 2. poikkeama 3. poikkeavuusScientists 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.

1. edeltävä 2. edeltäjä 3. edeltävä asiaThe 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. paheellinen 2. paha 3. pirullinenInvestigators 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. apatia 2. välinpitämättömyys 3. apaattisuusVoter 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.

1. aforismi 2. ajatelma 3. mietelauseThe essay opens with an aphorism about patience and power.
130appeaseverb
Study

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. lepyttää 2. lepytellä 3. myöntyäA 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.

hyväksyntäThe 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.

mielivaltainenThe 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.

salainenThe 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. antiikkinen 2. vanhahtavaThe 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.

1. palava 2. hehkuva 3. kiihkeäAn 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. jyrkkä 2. vaativaRestoring 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. artikuloida 2. ääntääThe 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.

askeettiThe 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.

1. ahkera 2. uutteraThrough assiduous research, the biographer verified every quotation.
140assimilateverb
Study

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.

sulauttaaReaders 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.

Finnish translation

Tutkimustilaisuudessa tohtori Malik selvensi huolellisesti korrelaation ja syyn välistä eroa. Hänen tuloksensa vaikutti epäintuitiiviselta, joten toimikunta pyysi riippumatonta analyysia. Toinen laboratorio pystyi vahvistamaan keskeisen löydöksen. Uusille todisteille kuuluvalla arvostuksella hankkeen vahvimman arvostelijan oli tulkittava tulos toisin, koska hänen aiempi selityksensä ei enää sopinut tietoihin. Keskustelu muuttui, koska osallistujat pitivät tarkistamista vahvuutena eivätkä tappiona.

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.