GRE Top Vocabulary

Question 1

lucid

Answer 1

very clear and easy to understand

College Board communications are lucid-refreshingly clear and easy to understand.

Question 2

erudite

Answer 2

having or showing great knowledge

Matthew Forman was an erudite student; he was well read and graduated at the top of his high school class.

Question 3

prodigal

Answer 3

wastefully extravagant

Spongebob became prodigal when he found the pearl, buying expensive items and giving away money for free.

Question 4

fervid

Answer 4

intensely enthusiastic or passionate

The fervid chocolate lover in Spongebob hunted Spongebob and Patrick down to buy all of their chocolate.

Question 5

audacious

Answer 5

willingness to take bold risks; showing lack of respect

The young journalist’s audacious reporting took down an entire empire.
Elijah’s audacious response to the question earned him 2 weeks with no video games.

Question 6

desiccate

Answer 6

remove the moisture from something

The radiator gets so hot in my apartment that it completely desiccates the room.

Question 7

laudable

Answer 7

deserving praise and commendation

Elizabeth Warren’s student loan forgiveness plan is laudable and would help thousands of people.

Question 8

pedant

Answer 8

a person who makes an excessive display of learning

Question 9

vacillate

Answer 9

to waver between different opinions or actions

I was vacillating between getting the benz or BMW for my first car purchase.

Question 10

adulterate

Answer 10

to make (something) impure or weaker by adding something of inferior quality

Many chefs use fresh produce and refuse to adulterate their dishes with canned ingredients.

Question 11

capricious

Answer 11

given to sudden changes of mood or behavior

Brittany was capricious and would be happy one day and unpredictable the next.

Question 12

engender

Answer 12

to produce, cause, or give rise to (something)

Protests can engender controversy with counter protesters.

Question 13

loquacious

Answer 13

Kiki is loquacious and tends to have long conversations with those who cross her path.

Question 14

pragmatic

Answer 14

dealing with the problems that exist in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on theories

Question 15

apathy

Answer 15

lack of interest or concern

Boomers think that apathy is rampant in youth, but young people care about a lot of issues.

Question 16

ephemeral

Answer 16

lasting for a very short time

The award ceremony was ephemeral, but I will always remember how I felt when I won my award.

Question 17

laconic

Answer 17

using few words

I would give laconic responses to Dr. Berry’s questions when I didn’t read the book and couldn’t elaborate further.

Question 18

propriety

Answer 18

the state or quality of being correct or proper

I ask my children to behave with the utmost propriety while in public.

Question 19

cacophony

Answer 19

a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds

The cacophony of Spongebob and friend’s playing instruments was enough to make Squidward cry.

Question 20

enervate

Answer 20

cause (someone or something) to feel drained of energy; weaken

Muhammad Ali used an uppercut to enervate his opponent and then said, “what’s my name?”.

Question 21

ingenuous

Answer 21

innocent and unsuspecting

The human traffickers preyed on ingenuous refugees.

Question 22

misanthrope

Answer 22

a person who dislikes humankind

The neighborhood misanthrope surrounded his yard with barbed wire to keep people away.

Question 23

paradox

Answer 23

a statement that contradicts itself but might be true

Raj claimed to hate chocolate but her favorite candy was snickers.

Question 24

venerate

Answer 24

regard with great respect

To venerate the veteran’s many years of service, his family held a special party.

Question 25

antipathy

Answer 25

a strong feeling of dislike

I voice my antipathy for racists very loudly.

Question 26

deride

Answer 26

to express contempt for; ridicule

My manager uses any opportunity to deride me.

Question 27

obdurate

Answer 27

stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion

The obdurate man on my 600lb life refused to change his diet to save his life.

Question 28

bolster

Answer 28

to support or strengthen

I found additional evidence to bolster my discrimination case.

Question 29

dissonance

Answer 29

a lack of harmony or agreement

There was great dissonance between the parents who could not seem to get on the same page.

Question 30

garrulous

Answer 30

excessively talkative

The garrulous gas attendant would speak to customers long after their tanks were full.

Question 31

ostentation

Answer 31

excessive display of wealth

Owning a private jet implies ostentation.

Question 32

prevaricate

Answer 32

avoid telling the truth by not directly answering the question

When my siblings question me about dating, I prevaricate in order to protect my new boyfriend.

Question 33

auspicious

Answer 33

favorable

The team’s run for championship started auspiciously with 24 wins at the start of the season.

Question 34

capricious

Answer 34

unpredictable, whimsical

Marcus was capricious; rarely completing what he committed to.

Question 35

ephemeral

Answer 35

short-lived

His fame was ephemeral, lasting only 15 minutes.

Question 36

esoteric

Answer 36

known to a select few

Lizzo’s music was esoteric until Truth Hurts catapulted her to fame.

Question 37

extant

Answer 37

in existence (most commonly referring to texts

Question 38

fastidious

Answer 38

nitpicky

A fastidious eater, the boy refused to eat any white or mushy foods.