common words on GRE

Question 1

Anomaly

Answer 1

a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form. Synonyms: abnormality, exception, peculiarity.

Question 2

Equivocal

Answer 2

ambiguous: open to more than one interpretation, especially in being deliberately expressed in an ambiguous way in an attempt to mislead somebody
“an equivocal reply to a tough question”
2.
difficult to interpret: difficult to interpret, understand, or respond to
“Their stance on this issue is equivocal and nobody knows how they are likely to react.”

Question 3

Lucid

Answer 3

easily understood: clear and easily understood
“a lucid explanation”
3.
shining: emitting light

Question 4

Precipitate

Answer 4

(tr) to cause to happen too soon or sooner than expected; bring on
2. to throw or fall from or as from a height
3. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) to cause (moisture) to condense and fall as snow, rain, etc., or (of moisture, rain, etc.) to condense and fall thus

Question 5

Assuage

Answer 5

to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one’s grief; to assuage one’s pain.
2.
to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one’s hunger.

Question 6

Erudite

Answer 6

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly: an erudite professor; an erudite commentary. Synonyms: educated, knowledgeable; wise, sapient.

Question 7

Opaque

Answer 7

not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
2.
not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc.
3.
not shining or bright; dark; dull.

Question 8

Prodigal

Answer 8

wastefully or recklessly extravagant: prodigal expenditure.
2.
giving or yielding profusely; lavish (usually followed by of or with ): prodigal of smiles; prodigal with money.
3.
lavishly abundant; profuse: nature’s prodigal resources.

Question 9

Fervid

Answer 9

heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc.: a fervid orator.
2.
burning; glowing; intensely hot.

Question 10

Placate

Answer 10

to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures: to placate an outraged citizenry. syn-conciliate, satisfy

Question 11

Zeal

Answer 11

fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.

Question 12

Abstain

Answer 12

to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed by from ): to abstain from eating meat.
Synonyms
1. forbear; desist, cease.

Question 13

Audacious

Answer 13

extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless: an audacious explorer.
Synonyms
1. courageous, intrepid, dauntless, venturesome. 3. unabashed, shameless; impertinent, forward.

Question 14

Desiccate

Answer 14

dry out, dehydrate

Question 15

Laudable

Answer 15

deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable: Reorganizing the files was a laudable idea.
2.
Medicine/Medical Obsolete . healthy; wholesome; not noxious.

Question 16

Pedant

Answer 16

a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning.
2.
a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details.
3.
a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense. syn- hairsplitter

Question 17

Vacillate

Answer 17

to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
2.
to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.
3.
to oscillate or fluctuate. syn- Mitt Romney

Question 18

Capricious

Answer 18

subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic: He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react.
2.
Obsolete . fanciful or witty.

Question 19

Engender

Answer 19

to produce, cause, or give rise to: Hatred engenders violence.
2.
to beget; procreate.
to be produced or caused; come into existence: Conditions for a war were engendering in Europe.

Question 20

Loquacious

Answer 20

talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.
2.
characterized by excessive talk; wordy: easily the most loquacious play of the season.

Question 21

Pragmatic

Answer 21

of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
2.
Philosophy . of or pertaining to pragmatism

Question 22

Volatile

Answer 22

evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent.
2.
tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive: a volatile political situation.

Question 23

Apathy

Answer 23

absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.
2.
lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

Question 24

Corroborate

Answer 24

to make more certain; confirm: He corroborated my account of the accident.

Question 25

Ephemeral

Answer 25

lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood.
2.
lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower.
noun
3.
anything short-lived, as certain insects.

Question 26

Laconic

Answer 26

using few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic reply
Synonyms
brief, pithy, terse; succinct.

Question 27

Mitigate

Answer 27

to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
2.
to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.

Question 28

Propriety

Answer 28

conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners.
2.
appropriateness to the purpose or circumstances; suitability.
3.
rightness or justness.