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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| # | Word | Details | Meaning | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | corroborate | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: corroborate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 확증하다 | Phone records corroborate the witness's timeline. |
| 107 | counterintuitive | adjective StudyField: GRE science and social-science vocabulary Word study: Suffix focus: -ive commonly forms an adjective meaning having a quality or tendency. | 직관에 반하는 | The counterintuitive result improved efficiency by slowing the process. |
| 108 | adulation | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result. | 1. 찬사 2. 극찬 | The actor distrusted the sudden adulation that followed one successful film. |
| 109 | alacrity | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition. | 민활 | The volunteers responded with alacrity when extra help was requested. |
| 110 | prosaic | adjective StudyField: GRE literature, history, and humanities Word study: Base-form focus: prosaic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 평범한 | The mystery ends with a prosaic explanation. |
| 111 | affinity | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition. | 1. 친화 2. 친화력 | Mina felt an affinity for stories about determined explorers. |
| 112 | affirm | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: affirm is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 긍정하다 | The ruling will affirm every citizen's right to peaceful assembly. |
| 113 | agnostic | adjective StudyField: 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. 특정 체계에 구애받지 않는 2. 중립적인 | The software is platform agnostic and works on several operating systems. |
| 114 | allege | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: allege is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 주장하다 | Investigators allege that the contractor concealed safety defects. |
| 115 | veracity | noun StudyField: GRE literature, history, and humanities Word study: Suffix focus: -ity commonly forms a noun naming a quality, state, or condition. | 정확성 | Documents from several sources support the account's veracity. |
| 116 | allude | verb StudyField: 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. 암시하다 2. 에둘러 언급하다 | The poem may allude to an ancient myth without naming it. |
| 117 | allusion | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -sion commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result. | 암시(暗示) | The title contains an allusion to a well-known folktale. |
| 118 | aloof | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: aloof is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 쌀쌀한 | His aloof manner made cooperation seem unlikely. |
| 119 | altruism | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice. | 1. 이타주의(利他主義) 2. 리타주의(利他主義) 3. 이타(利他) | The anonymous donation was an act of genuine altruism. |
| 120 | ameliorate | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: ameliorate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 개선(改善)하다 | The new drainage system should ameliorate flooding in the valley. |
| 121 | amnesty | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: amnesty is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 사면 | The government offered amnesty to people who surrendered banned equipment. |
| 122 | anachronism | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice. | 시대 착오 | A digital wristwatch would be an anachronism in a film set in 1800. |
| 123 | anarchy | noun StudyField: 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. 무정부 상태(無政府狀態) 2. 무법 | The collapse of local authority briefly led to anarchy. |
| 124 | anecdotal | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: anecdotal is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 일화적인 | The claim rests on anecdotal reports, not a controlled study. |
| 125 | anomaly | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: anomaly is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 변칙 | Scientists rechecked the instrument after detecting an anomaly in the data. |
| 126 | antecedent | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: antecedent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 전례 | The historian traced the law's antecedent to a colonial ordinance. |
| 127 | nefarious | adjective StudyField: GRE transitions and expression of ideas Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by. | 사악(邪惡)하다 | Investigators uncovered a nefarious scheme to sell forged medicine. |
| 128 | apathy | noun StudyField: 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. 무감동 2. 무관심 3. 냉담 | Voter apathy can weaken public accountability. |
| 129 | aphorism | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ism often names a belief, system, movement, or practice. | 1. 격언(格言) 2. 경구 | The essay opens with an aphorism about patience and power. |
| 130 | appease | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: appease is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 달래다 | A minor concession did little to appease the angry residents. |
| 131 | approbation | noun StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ation commonly forms a noun naming an action, process, or result. | 1. 찬성 2. 승인 | The proposal won the approbation of several respected researchers. |
| 132 | arbitrary | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: arbitrary is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 임의의 | The deadline seemed arbitrary because no schedule depended on it. |
| 133 | arcane | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: arcane is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 신비한 | The manual explains arcane legal terms in plain language. |
| 134 | archaic | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: archaic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 고대적(古代的) | The translator replaced each archaic expression with a modern equivalent. |
| 135 | ardent | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: ardent is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 불타는 | An ardent conservationist, Lee spent weekends restoring wetlands. |
| 136 | arduous | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by. | 힘겹다 | Restoring the storm-damaged archive was an arduous task. |
| 137 | articulate | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: articulate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 명확하게 표현하다 | The witness struggled to articulate exactly what she had observed. |
| 138 | ascetic | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: ascetic is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 1. 금욕적인 2. 절제하는 | The monk followed an ascetic routine of simple meals and few possessions. |
| 139 | assiduous | adjective StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Suffix focus: -ous commonly forms an adjective meaning full of or characterized by. | 부지런한 | Through assiduous research, the biographer verified every quotation. |
| 140 | assimilate | verb StudyField: GRE words in context and precision Word study: Base-form focus: assimilate is the dictionary headword; compare its inflected or derived forms in context. | 동화하다 | Readers 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.
Korean translation
연구 보고에서 말리크 박사는 상관관계와 인과관계의 차이를 주의 깊게 구분해 설명했다. 그 결과는 직관에 어긋나 보였기 때문에 위원회는 독립적인 분석을 요청했다. 두 번째 연구소는 핵심 결과를 뒷받침할 수 있었다. 새로운 증거를 존중하는 태도로, 프로젝트의 가장 강한 비판자도 이전 설명이 더 이상 자료와 맞지 않았기 때문에 결과를 다르게 해석해야 했다. 참가자들이 수정을 패배가 아니라 강점으로 받아들였기 때문에 토론의 방향이 바뀌었다.
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.
Vocabulary chart page
This page focuses on the word chart. Reading passages appear once in each three-page group, while cloze quizzes remain in the established enhanced range for this level.
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.
Sources and curriculum references
These references guide selection and calibration. Definitions, sample sentences, readings, questions, and teaching notes are independently written and reviewed.
- ETS: GRE General Test Verbal Reasoning Overview
- Magoosh: GRE Vocabulary eBook
- Kaplan Test Prep: Top 52 GRE Vocabulary Words
- Kaplan Test Prep: 48 More GRE Vocabulary Words
- Magoosh: Free GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
- Vocabulary.com: 900+ Essential GRE Words
- Reddit r/GRE: community 2,000-word cross-check
- WikDict downloadable bilingual dictionaries
- Kaikki.org / Wiktextract machine-readable Wiktionary data
- Language-Learning-decks public flashcard datasets
- SBBIC English-to-Khmer Dictionary
- English–Khmer Dictionary Dataset (machine-generated Khmer fallback; human review required)
- PanLex meanings snapshot (direct CC0 gap candidates; human review required)
- Cambridge bilingual dictionaries (individual editorial sense checks)
- Collins English–Hindi Dictionary (individual editorial checks)
- Hindwi and Rekhta dictionaries (individual Hindi/Urdu checks)
- National Institute of Korean Language: Basic Korean Dictionary
- JMdict/EDRDG Japanese dictionary project
- CC-CEDICT Chinese dictionary project
- VDict Vietnamese Dictionary (individual editorial check)
- Google Translate (machine-assisted lesson-reading draft; fluent review required)
- Kuperman et al.: Age-of-acquisition ratings for 30,000 English words

