101 GRE Words - Most Frequent

Question 1

Laconic (adj.)

Answer 1

– brief and to the point; effectively cut short Jessica is so talkative that her sister thought the situation warranted conciseness, and her being laconic.

Question 2

Insipid (adj.)

Answer 2

– lacking taste or flavor Too much sugar tends to make this otherwise delightful fruit pie insipid.

Question 3

Pragmatic (adj.)

Answer 3

– concerned with practical matters After five years of war, both sides have found pragmatic ways to make peace with one another, as the bloodshed has grown viscous and brutal.

Question 4

Iconoclast (noun)

Answer 4

– someone who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions Irrespective of his actuating motives, his deeds as an iconoclast will be treated harshly and is answerable in court.

Question 5

Arduous (adj.)

Answer 5

– difficult to accomplish, hard to endure James and Mathew are planning to leave for the states next week for their masters, following months of arduous GRE preparation

Question 6

Profligate (adj.)

Answer 6

– recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources The senate is particularly perturbed over our profligate use of natural resources such as forest, oil, water, energy, land and minerals.

Question 7

Prosaic (adj.)

Answer 7

– not challenging; dull and lacking excitement

The project was full of prosaic ideas, such as using sand and stone to raise natural walls around monuments built in honor of the late president.

Question 8

Ameliorate (v.)

Answer 8

– make, become better

Increase in penalties and effective awareness programs would ameliorate the growing pollution levels and there by global warming it may have generated.

Question 9

Obsequious (adj.)

Answer 9

– obedient or attentive to an excessive degree

It was evident that the manager was flattering – from his obsequious manner in receiving his boss.

Question 10

Capricious (adj.)

Answer 10

– given to sudden behavior change

The recent recession is yet another example of how making rules without forethought and acting without taking the arbitrary and capricious effects these changes in policies have on our economy.

Question 11

Fortuitous (adj.)

Answer 11

– happening by accident or chance

The alignment timing proved to be scientifically fortuitous for planetary astronomers, who already have a orbital satellite stationed around the moon.

Question 12

Orthodox (adj.)

Answer 12

– Conforming to all the traditional beliefs, and religious practices

Alice describes her childhood in a conservative Orthodox community in Iraq, keeping to traditional religious beliefs.

Question 13

Alacrity (noun)

Answer 13

– lively and cheerful readiness

After marriage, Jenny rushed off with excitement to visit her parents, but her father did not accept their marriage with equal alacrity.

Question 14

Pellucid (adj.)

Answer 14

– translucently clear

The river water was so pellucid that Mary could see clearly that it swarmed with countless small fishes and loaves.

Question 15

Corroborate (v.)

Answer 15

– confirm or give support to

The police officials said, allegations of misconduct by the officer have been corroborated by video from closed circuit cameras.

Question 16

Magnanimous (adj.)

Answer 16

– very generous or forgiving

Jaqueline’s magnanimous generosity and limitless loyalty towards her nation and its people is heart touching and is appreciated beyond words.

Question 17

Scrupulous (adj.)

Answer 17

– diligent, thorough, and extremely careful

The health inspector during his usual visit found pests in the restaurant’s kitchen and hence ordered the owner to observe scrupulous hygiene to stop spreading illness or would issue a immediate closure notice.

Question 18

Prolific (adj.)

Answer 18

– fruitful, present in large number

Ryan is furiously prolific, releasing albums on Maple, Mr. Siebel’s label, as well as his own metallic label, Metalloid.

Question 19

Dogmatic (adj.)

Answer 19

– dictatorial, opinionated

Most Americans have less dogmatic, more open-ended views and would ignore such a request but Mr. John didn’t hesitate and removed his coat immediately.

Question 20

Placate (v.)

Answer 20

– make (someone) less angry or hostile

Sam has to double stock divided last quarter and started working at an unsustainable pace in order to placate the company investors and shareholders.

Question 21

Mercurial (adj.)

Answer 21

– subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood, temperamental

The mercurial senator, who retained office for more than 25 years, has frequently gone back and forth on his resignation.

Question 22

Exacerbate (v.)

Answer 22

– infuriate, make worse

Hummingbird declines have been connected to a lack of appropriate habitat so increasing the number of Washington’s hives could exacerbate the issue.

Question 23

Redundant (adj.)

Answer 23

– redundant, superfluous

At first, taking a standardized test may seem redundant to existing skill metrics such as GPA, certifications, but the GRE is necessary for the college admissions to sort applicants.

Question 24

Hackneyed (adj.)

Answer 24

– unoriginal and trite

Girls dreaming their way to a wonderland to marry a prince and live happily ever after was already a hackneyed notion by the time Alice in the Wonderland was written.

Question 25

Prudent (adj.)

Answer 25

– acting with or showing care and thought

When the food manufacturer discovered toxins in a product sample case of one of its containers, it made a prudent decision to destroy all the boxes from the shipment

Question 26

Belie (v.)

Answer 26

– disguise or contradict

Joe’s cheerful tone belies the grim nature of life in the Indian Countryside and her desperate desire to escape those suffocating circumstances.

Question 27

Esoteric (adj.)

Answer 27

– mysterious, obscure

A couple of months ago, Mr. Niobe submitted a thesis with his analysis and computations — a fairly esoteric mathematical dissent about how best to gather rational generalizations on the origin of the universe theory.

Question 28

Cacophony (noun)

Answer 28

– a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

The cacophony surrounding the multi-billion dollar buyout of leading messaging service by a social networking company shook the whole tech industry.

Question 29

Impetuous (adj.)

Answer 29

– acting or done quickly and without thought or care

Michael is methodical, barely the impetuous kind, and he has had ample time to come to a consolidated opinion of the university he wishes to apply for.

Question 30

Idiosyncrasy (noun)

Answer 30

– a way of thought peculiar to an individual

Modern technologies are a lot more expensive than their existing alternatives and each has its own idiosyncrasies that be conquered.

Question 31

Extant (adj.)

Answer 31

– in existence; surviving

Several works produced by Shakespeare during his later years are yet extant at Rome; and far surpassing the rest is his tale of two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Question 32

Obscure (adj.)

Answer 32

– not discovered or known about; uncertain

Apple maps give such obscure directions that even after roaming around for hours, Derek couldn’t reach the new church that opened in the town.

Question 33

Didactic (adj.)

Answer 33

– intended to teach, educational

Though more didactic, Rama’s story of the triumph over evil and of a king’s dharma and nobility is quite powerful and enchanting.

Question 34

Pithy (adj.)

Answer 34

– brief, to the point

The professor was not known for talking much, but what he did say was always pithy.

Question 35

Copious (adj.)

Answer 35

– abundant in supply or quantity

Mathew insisted that Sophie track all her household expenditures, including every penny spent for hair clips, in copious account books.

Question 36

Ostentation (adj.)

Answer 36

– pretentious and vulgar display intended to impress, show off

The movie celebrity is not having a good day because he got another ticket for speeding only two over and driving ostentatiously in his new, cherry-red sports car.

Question 37

Adulterate (verb)

Answer 37

alter or debase, often for profit

Of all teas, I love green tea the most and would never adulterate it with sweeteners; even a pitch of sugar would be a desecration.

Question 38

Vociferous (adj.)

Answer 38

– loud and clamorous

The protesters were vociferous in their demands as they screamed outside of the mayor’s house.

Question 39

Taciturn (adj.)

Answer 39

– reserved or uncommunicative in speech

Over the past 50 years, as a recruiter, Yuri has come across different types of candidates, some of them speak a lot while some stay taciturn.

Question 40

Obdurate (adj.)

Answer 40

– refuse to change one’s opinion; stubborn

The teacher couldn’t stand the obdurate student as he yelled at anyone who dared to disagree with his opinions during the debate.

Question 41

Garrulous (adj.)

Answer 41

– excessively talkative

Though not garrulous by nature, Ryan seems to be comfortable with the diverse audiences at the education conference and managed to have conversations with several of them.

Question 42

Misanthrope (noun)

Answer 42

– person who hates others

People thought the old woman was a misanthrope since she wouldn’t talk to any of her neighbors let alone help them but they realized how much she loved them when she put a huge bag of candy out at Halloween.

Question 43

Lionize (verb)

Answer 43

– treat someone as a celebrity

The retired lieutenant is being lionized as a paragon of integrity for standing up against corruption.

Question 44

Imminent (adj.)

Answer 44

– about to happen

Some people thought it was outrageous when the media predicted the imminent death of the drug-addicted actress.

Question 45

Frivolous (adj)

Answer 45

– trivial, silly

Ram was passionate and serious about collecting coins but his friends thought it was a frivolous activity.

Question 46

Benign (adj.)

Answer 46

– gentle, kindly

Even though the advertisements claim the energy drink is benign, customers may experience some unwanted side effects after consuming.

Question 47

Dissonance (noun)

Answer 47

– lack of harmony, disagreement

There is a great deal of dissonance between the conflicting evidences produced by both the parties and hence the judge had to close the case on account of lack of sufficient evidence.

Question 48

Inculpate (verb)

Answer 48

– accuse or blame

Although the killer successfully disposed of the murder weapon, his friends provided evidence that could actually inculpate both the killer and the people who tried to cover up the killing.

Question 49

Docile (adj.)

Answer 49

– compliant, submissive

Although a trained lion appears docile during the circus acts, it is really a fierce animal when not controlled by a trainer.

Question 50

Sporadic (adj.)

Answer 50

– occurring at irregular intervals; scattered or isolated

The doctors are finding it difficult to identify the cause of Tom’s heartaches because of his sporadic heartbeat.

Question 51

Prevaricate (verb)

Answer 51

– deceive; stretch the truth

Aria does not take bad news well and hence her brother always prevaricates when telling her something she does not want to hear.

Question 52

Chicanery (noun)

Answer 52

– deception, trickery

The judge has plenty of reason to suspect chicanery because the lawyer has a reputation of aggressively defending his clients and of getting verdicts of innocence on guilty Policemen.

Question 53

Gainsay (verb)

Answer 53

– deny or contradict

Some of the officers were about to reject the project, but it had come from them, they could not well gainsay it.

Question 54

Eulogy (noun)

Answer 54

– praise, exclamation

Public officials and her friends joined in a chorus of eulogy and remembrances for many days afterward as Michelle signs on the human rights doctrine.

Question 55

Belligerent (adj.)

Answer 55

– hostile and aggressive

Russia’s public statement has been belligerent, menacing military action against the United States.

Question 56

Dispassionate (adj.)

Answer 56

– unfeeling, impartial

The heart of the ruthless monarch seems dispassionate to the plight of those people suffering in his kingdom.

Question 57

Providential (adj.)

Answer 57

– lucky, occurring at a favorable time; opportune

Sam’s dangerous and providential escape, made her tremble; and so pale did he still look, that she could scarcely believe he was uninjured.

Question 58

Diffidence (noun)

Answer 58

– hesitancy; lack of confidence

A lot of sportsmen attain prominence before they know what to do with it; others put across a diffidence to fame while secretly craving it; and some just don’t treasure their moments in the spotlight.

Question 59

Fractious (adj.)

Answer 59

– irritable and quarrelsome

Third world powers are hesitant about sending arms to aid the war, partially due to the fractious politics of the hostile political group abroad.

Question 60

Malign (adj.)

Answer 60

– hurtful, injurious

Often, people suffering psychological disorders are considered by their families to be under the influence of malign spirits, or showing sign of a physical confliction.

Question 61

Disparate (adj.)

Answer 61

– essentially different in kind, not allowing comparison

Chief Puritan and songwriter James Rhodes has led his band through six very disparate albums united by their subtle indifference for listener accessibility.

Question 62

Plausible (adj.)

Answer 62

– seeming reasonable or probable

Astronomers received data from the unexplored planet which indicates that the possibility of life, at least in the ancient past, is at least plausible.

Question 63

Sanguine (adj.)

Answer 63

– optimistic or positive

Among those who remain sanguine about the nation’s economic revival, there is always the lively topic of tax reduction policies, the remedy to deflationary recession in the United States.

Question 64

Venerate (v.)

Answer 64

– regard with great respect

In a nod to the religious customs of the Vatican, which popes here venerate, there are plans for a cathedral between the St. Peter’s Square and Mount Street.

Question 65

Trite (adj.)

Answer 65

silly, commonplace

Of these athletes, only Mr. Johnson delivered movements with any firmness; and even he was moving with such a professional awe that rendered everything trite.

Question 66

Succinct (adj.)

Answer 66

brief, to the point

Perhaps the most succinct equations of wave theory come closest in mathematics to defining probability, but chemistry can fairly lay claim to these equations.

Question 67

Ingenious (adj.)

Answer 67

– clever, original, and inventive

No matter how ingenious a thesis or an analysis may be, it will be quickly invalidated if appropriate field experts haven’t been engaged in the process for feedback.

Question 68

Meticulous (adj.)

Answer 68

– very careful and precise

Queen Cleopatra did beautiful architectural drawings on monuments built around the pyramids, the result of years of obsessive and meticulous hard work by numerous artists and builders.

Question 69

Erudite (adj.)

Answer 69

– well-educated, cultured

Consuming the books her father supplied, Miss. Jane, who grew up in near poverty, became an erudite, self-educated woman and loves sharing her knowledge with others.

Question 70

Bolster (v.)

Answer 70

– support or strengthen

Students having trouble paying college tuition fee may be relieved to hear that the Academic Council has launched new policies that will bolster borrower protections for student education loans.

Question 71

Anachronism (noun) –

Answer 71

error in time placement

With the rate of economic growth in the western countries at its lowest rate in nearly a century, the power wielded by the United Nations can seem like an anachronism.

Question 72

Trivial (adj.)

Answer 72

– of little value or importance

Evidently, $10 was a trivial amount for the wealthy business man, but no one wants to be embarrassed in front of his or her fellow associates.

Question 73

Advocate (noun)

Answer 73

– person supporting an idea or cause publicly

Mr. Sam who is a leading GRE test prep expert advocates strong basics and ample practice to be the key to succeed on the exam.

Question 74

Conspicuous (adj.)

Answer 74

– obvious, easily seen

Taxes on the corporates encourage investment and growth, instead of conspicuous consumption. The rich will always be wealthy. It’s the middle class that needs help.

Question 75

Innocuous (adj.)

Answer 75

– harmless and inoffensive

Companies that track their visitor’s online behavior have long claimed that the data they collect is anonymous, and therefore innocuous. But the interpretation of the word “anonymous” has changed over time in the online world.

Question 76

Audacious (adj.)

Answer 76

– reckless, daring

Jim is known for his adventurous style and audacious nature for when he is inside the ring, his audiences would jump off their seats to watch him play with the lion.

Question 77

Tumultuous (adj.)

Answer 77

– confused, or disorderly

During the recent riots, the crowd was tumultuous and went berserk as the police arrest their leader, washing away all that impeded it.

Question 78

Reticent (adj.)

Answer 78

– secretive, quiet

The usually reticent Swiss bank acknowledged the policy quandary at an International Monetary Fund meeting in New York this month.

Question 79

Fervid (adj.)

Answer 79

– intensely enthusiastic or passionate

During political debates, the candidates hurl fervid accusations at each other while justifying their positions on national issues.

Question 80

Enervate (verb)

Answer 80

– weaken, wear out

The blazing heat in mid-June caused dehydration and enervated the shipwrecked crew, leaving them almost too weak to hail the passing vessel.

Question 81

Prodigal (adj.)

Answer 81

– wastefully extravagant

Scott had been prodigal of all his energy, money and resources and innovative stratagems and loving kindness.

Question 82

Auspicious (adj.)

Answer 82

– conducive to success; favorable

The Australian skipper considered the sunny forecast to be an auspicious sign that his team would win tomorrow’s cricket match.

Question 83

Soporific (adj.)

Answer 83

– tending to induce drowsiness or sleep

The reality shows aired on TV tend towards the soporific; by contrast, the coverage of soccer game in newspapers is more fun because the pictures counted for everything.

Question 84

Engender (verb)

Answer 84

– cause or give rise to

The new technology has engendered great hope for the potential development of preventive methods for lethal genetic and severe chronic diseases such as glaucoma and cancer.

Question 85

Loquacious (adj.)

Answer 85

– tending to talk a great deal; talkative

Julie and Katie were not being loquacious with the other guests because they were too busy making long conversations with their other friends.

Question 86

Equivocate (verb)

Answer 86

– to avoid giving a clear or direct answer to a question

When I asked Rachel if the suit looks good on me, she equivocated a response, avoiding the question by saying she needed it to be somewhere else.

Question 87

Inimical (adj.)

Answer 87

– tending to obstruct or harm

Though Sarah’s husband is an inimical person who often beats her for trivial reasons, she has always tried to be nice to him.

Question 88

Superfluous (adj.)

Answer 88

– extra, unnecessary

Massive marketing budgets may seem superfluous when revenues are hard to come by, but it’s indispensable to have them in place in order to get substantial funding and to stay capital efficient.

Question 89

Fastidious (adj.)

Answer 89

– very careful and attentive

After the party, Jenny and her brother were fastidious in their efforts to clean up the mess because they knew their parents were on their way home.

Question 90

Recalcitrant (adj)

Answer 90

– disobedient, uncontrollable

Recalcitrant politicians, in interviews on TV and newspaper, raised their concerns over the party’s national policies publicly and were consequently punished for their disobedience.

Question 91

Ephemeral (adj.)

Answer 91

– momentary, passing

Sophie always knew the relationship with Haden would be ephemeral; she just didn’t expect they would breakup so soon.

Question 92

Pusillanimous (adj.)

Answer 92

– lacking courage, fearful

Despite the opportunity for heroism, the captain led his soldiers into a pusillanimous retreat and since then the man has been rated as a coward.

Question 93

Vacillate (verb)

Answer 93

– go back and forth, be indecisive

Since his term exams were round the corner, Adam vacillated between going on the family vacation and staying back at home to study.

Question 94

Ambivalent (adj.)

Answer 94

– having mixed feelings, conflicting

My feelings about Shelly are ambivalent because on one hand she is a loyal friend, but on the other, she is a cruel and vicious thief.

Question 95

Enigma (adj.)

Answer 95

– difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

Bruce Wayne was an enigmatic businessman; no one could ever guess what goes through the master tactician’s mind.

Question 96

Euphoric (adj.)

Answer 96

– intense excitement and happiness

The Australian cricket players were all euphoric when the Government declared a bonus pay to each of them as bring the world cup home.

Question 97

Pedant (noun)

Answer 97

– a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details

The senior professor was obviously a pedant since she persistently focuses on mediocre details and keeps interrupting me to point out my imperfect pronunciation and grammar usage without letting me make my argument.

Question 98

Profound (adj.)

Answer 98

– very great or intense; thoughtful

The realities are forcing a profound reassessment of how the Nile, Africa’s only major river, can continue to slake the thirst of one of the continent’s fastest-growing regions.

Question 99

Inchoate (adj.)

Answer 99

– undeveloped, beginning

Just after the big bang explosion, before the universe expanded to the gigantic distances, it was an inchoate assemblage of elemental matter.

Question 100

Lethargic (adj.)

Answer 100

– lazy, sluggish

In Asia, data on Tuesday showed that Japan’s economy contracted in the three months to September, as exports and domestic consumer spending remain lethargic

Question 101

Deride (adj.)

Answer 101

– make fun of; insult

When United States briefly considered withdrawing their forces completely out of Iraq in 2009, several patriots in public conversations derided the idea as a big mistake.