The 100 Most Essential GRE Words You Need to Know

If there's one thing that defines the GRE Verbal Reasoning section, it's vocabulary. The Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions are designed to test your ability to understand sophisticated words and their subtle nuances. Simply memorizing definitions won't be enough; you need to understand how these words function in complex, academic sentences.

This list contains 100 of the most essential, high-frequency words that consistently appear on the GRE. We've organized them by theme to help you build mental connections and learn more effectively. Master this list, and you'll have the confidence to tackle the toughest verbal questions.

Part 1: Words of Character & Behavior

• Aberrant: (adj.) deviating from the norm.
  Example: His aberrant behavior at the party concerned his friends.
• Alacrity: (n.) an eager willingness to do something.
  Example: He accepted the challenging assignment with alacrity.
• Anomalous: (adj.) deviating from the standard or what is expected.
  Example: The anomalous test results required further investigation.
• Capricious: (adj.) given to sudden changes of mood or behavior.
  Example: The capricious weather made it difficult to plan the outdoor event.
• Censure: (v.) to express severe disapproval of someone or something.
  Example: The board voted to censure the CEO for his unethical decisions.
• Complaisant: (adj.) willing to please others; obliging; agreeable.
  Example: Her complaisant nature made her a favorite among her coworkers.
• Cynicism: (n.) an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest.
  Example: His years as a politician had filled him with a deep cynicism.
• Dissonance: (n.) a lack of harmony or agreement.
  Example: There was a noticeable dissonance between her words and her actions.
• Ennui: (n.) a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
  Example: He succumbed to a sense of ennui after weeks of monotonous work.
• Fawn: (v.) to give a servile display of exaggerated flattery or affection, typically in order to gain favor.
  Example: The interns were all fawning over the new director.
• Garrulous: (adj.) excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
  Example: The garrulous man next to me on the plane talked for the entire flight.
• Iconoclast: (n.) a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.
  Example: The artist was an iconoclast, challenging all traditional forms of expression.
• Laconic: (adj.) using very few words.
  Example: His laconic reply suggested he was not interested in further discussion.
• Meticulous: (adj.) showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
  Example: The meticulous surgeon left no room for error.
• Misanthrope: (n.) a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
  Example: The old man was a misanthrope who lived alone in the woods.
• Obdurate: (adj.) stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.
  Example: The obdurate committee member refused to compromise.
• Pedant: (n.) a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.
  Example: The professor was a pedant who would correct every minor grammatical error.
• Pragmatic: (adj.) dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
  Example: She took a pragmatic approach to solving the business problem.
• Taciturn: (adj.) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
  Example: The taciturn farmer rarely spoke, but his actions were always kind.
• Zeal: (n.) great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.
  Example: Her zeal for environmental protection was inspiring.

Part 2: Words of Argument & Persuasion

• Abstain: (v.) to restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.
  Example: She chose to abstain from voting in the election.
• Adulterate: (v.) to make something poorer in quality by adding another substance.
  Example: The company was fined for adulterating its products with cheap fillers.
• Assuage: (v.) to make an unpleasant feeling less intense.
  Example: He tried to assuage her guilt by taking the blame.
• Bolster: (v.) to support or strengthen.
  Example: The new evidence will bolster the prosecution's case.
• Corroborate: (v.) to confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding.
  Example: The witness was able to corroborate the victim's story.
• Disparate: (adj.) essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
  Example: The study brought together disparate fields of research.
• Dogmatic: (adj.) inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.
  Example: The speaker's dogmatic tone alienated many in the audience.
• Eloquent: (adj.) fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.
  Example: She delivered an eloquent speech that moved everyone.
• Equivocate: (v.) to use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.
  Example: The politician continued to equivocate when asked about his involvement.
• Gainsay: (v.) to deny or contradict a fact or statement.
  Example: No one could gainsay the results of the experiment.
• Harangue: (n.) a lengthy and aggressive speech.
  Example: The coach delivered a furious harangue after the team's poor performance.
• Homogeneous: (adj.) of the same kind; alike.
  Example: The population of the small town was surprisingly homogeneous.
• Opaque: (adj.) not able to be seen through; not transparent.
  Example: The opaque legal jargon was impossible for a layperson to understand.
• Placate: (v.) to make someone less angry or hostile.
  Example: He tried to placate the angry customer with a full refund.
• Proponent: (n.) a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or project.
  Example: He is a strong proponent of renewable energy.
• Reticent: (adj.) not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.
  Example: The normally reticent man surprised everyone by speaking up.
• Specious: (adj.) superficially plausible, but actually wrong.
  Example: The student's specious argument was quickly dismantled by the professor.
• Spurious: (adj.) not being what it purports to be; false or fake.
  Example: He was arrested for making spurious claims about the miracle cure.
• Tenable: (adj.) able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.
  Example: After the new discovery, his theory was no longer tenable.
• Vacillate: (v.) to alternate or waver between different opinions or actions.
  Example: She vacillated for weeks before finally making a decision.

Part 3: Words of Praise & Criticism

• Apathy: (n.) a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
  Example: The widespread apathy among voters was a major concern.
• Deride: (v.) to express contempt for; ridicule.
  Example: The critics derided his new play as a complete failure.
• Desiccate: (v.) to remove the moisture from something; to cause to become completely dry.
  Example: The years of drought had desiccated the farmland.
• Diatribe: (n.) a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.
  Example: He launched into a long diatribe against the government's policies.
• Engender: (v.) to cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition.
  Example: The new policy engendered a great deal of controversy.
• Eulogy: (n.) a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically someone who has just died.
  Example: He delivered a moving eulogy at his grandfather's funeral.
• Exacerbate: (v.) to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
  Example: His rude comments only served to exacerbate the tension.
• Laudable: (adj.) deserving praise and commendation.
  Example: Her laudable efforts to help the homeless were recognized by the community.
• Lionize: (v.) to treat as a celebrity.
  Example: The public began to lionize the young author after her first successful novel.
• Malinger: (v.) to exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work.
  Example: The doctor suspected the patient was malingering to get out of military service.
• Obsequious: (adj.) obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
  Example: The obsequious waiter seemed to anticipate their every need.
• Ostentation: (n.) a pretentious and vulgar display of wealth and luxury, intended to impress.
  Example: The ostentation of the billionaire's mansion was tasteless.
• Philanthropic: (adj.) seeking to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.
  Example: The philanthropic organization funded schools and hospitals.
• Prevaricate: (v.) to speak or act in an evasive way.
  Example: He accused the minister of prevaricating on the difficult issue.
• Prodigal: (adj.) spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
  Example: The prodigal son returned home after squandering his inheritance.
• Soporific: (adj.) tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
  Example: The soporific effect of the lecture made it difficult to stay awake.
• Veracity: (n.) conformity to facts; accuracy.
  Example: The defense attorney questioned the veracity of the witness's statement.
• Venerate: (v.) to regard with great respect; revere.
  Example: The community continues to venerate the memory of the town's founder.
• Vexation: (n.) the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried.
  Example: She stamped her foot in vexation.
• Voluble: (adj.) talking fluently, readily, or incessantly.
  Example: The voluble tour guide kept up a constant stream of chatter.

Part 4: Words of Change & Consistency

• Ameliorate: (v.) to make something bad or unsatisfactory better.
  Example: The new policies were intended to ameliorate the housing crisis.
• Anarchy: (n.) a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority.
  Example: The country descended into anarchy after the government collapsed.
• Ephemeral: (adj.) lasting for a very short time.
  Example: The mayfly's life is ephemeral, lasting only a day.
• Erudite: (adj.) having or showing great knowledge or learning.
  Example: The erudite professor could speak five languages fluently.
• Fervid: (adj.) intensely enthusiastic or passionate.
  Example: The candidate's fervid supporters rallied in the town square.
• Guile: (n.) sly or cunning intelligence.
  Example: He used his guile and charm to get what he wanted.
• Lucid: (adj.) expressed clearly; easy to understand.
  Example: The author's lucid prose made the complex topic accessible.
• Mitigate: (v.) to make less severe, serious, or painful.
  Example: The government took steps to mitigate the effects of the recession.
• Mundane: (adj.) lacking interest or excitement; dull.
  Example: She longed for an escape from her mundane office job.
• Paucity: (n.) the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
  Example: The paucity of evidence made it difficult to convict him.
• Pendantic: (adj.) excessively concerned with minor details or rules.
  Example: His pedantic teaching style bored the students.
• Precipitate: (v.) to cause an event or situation, typically a bad one, to happen suddenly or unexpectedly.
  Example: The assassination of the archduke precipitated the start of the war.
• Profligate: (adj.) recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
  Example: The profligate government spent far more than it collected in taxes.
• Propriety: (n.) conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals.
  Example: The students were expected to behave with the utmost propriety.
• Quiescent: (adj.) in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.
  Example: The volcano had been quiescent for hundreds of years.
• Static: (adj.) lacking in movement, action, or change.
  Example: The economy has remained static for the past five years.
• Stolid: (adj.) calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.
  Example: He remained stolid and impassive throughout the emotional testimony.
• Subtle: (adj.) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe.
  Example: There was a subtle shift in her tone of voice.
• Transient: (adj.) lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
  Example: The transient beauty of the sunset was captured in the photograph.
• Volatile: (adj.) liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.
  Example: The political situation in the region is highly volatile.

Part 5: Words of Knowledge & Deception

• Abjure: (v.) to solemnly renounce a belief, cause, or claim.
  Example: He abjured his former political beliefs.
• Audacious: (adj.) showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
  Example: The audacious plan to rob the bank was ultimately successful.
• Austere: (adj.) severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.
  Example: The monastery was known for its austere and simple lifestyle.
• Cacophony: (n.) a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
  Example: The cacophony of the city traffic was overwhelming.
• Castigate: (v.) to reprimand someone severely.
  Example: The judge castigated the lawyer for her unprofessional behavior.
• Chicanery: (n.) the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.
  Example: He was accused of financial chicanery and fraud.
• Credulous: (adj.) having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.
  Example: The credulous tourist was easily tricked by the street vendor.
• Diffidence: (n.) modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence.
  Example: His diffidence prevented him from speaking up in meetings.
• Enervate: (v.) to cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.
  Example: The long, hot hike completely enervated the travelers.
• Exculpate: (v.) to show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing.
  Example: The new evidence served to exculpate the defendant.
• Exigent: (adj.) pressing; demanding.
  Example: The exigent circumstances required immediate action.
• Felicitous: (adj.) well-chosen or suited to the circumstances.
  Example: Her felicitous choice of words perfectly captured the mood.
• Furtive: (adj.) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt; secretive.
  Example: He cast a furtive glance in her direction.
• Ingenuous: (adj.) innocent and unsuspecting.
  Example: The ingenuous child believed everything she was told.
• Inimical: (adj.) tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile.
  Example: The new regulations were inimical to the growth of small businesses.
• Innocuous: (adj.) not harmful or offensive.
  Example: What seemed like an innocuous comment turned out to be quite insulting.
• Insipid: (adj.) lacking flavor; lacking vigor or interest.
  Example: The insipid soup was bland and tasteless.
• Loquacious: (adj.) tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
  Example: The loquacious host dominated the conversation.
• Luminous: (adj.) full of or shedding light; bright or shining, especially in the dark.
  Example: The full moon was luminous in the night sky.
• Whimsical: (adj.) playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way.
  Example: The whimsical illustrations added charm to the children's book.