Barrons High Frequency GRE list

abate

subside or moderate

aberrant

abnormal or deviant

abeyance

suspended action

abscond

depart secretly and hide

abstemious

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

admonish

warn; reprove

adulterate

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

aesthetic

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful

aggregate

gather; accumulate

alacrity

cheerful promptness; eagerness

alleviate

relieve

amalgamate

combine; unite in one body

ambiguous

unclear or doubtful in meaning

ambivalence

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

ameliorate

improve

anachronism

something or someone misplaced in time

analogous

comparable

anarchy

absence of governing body; state of disorder

anomalous

abnormal; irregular

antipathy

aversion; dislike

apathy

lack of caring; indifference

appease

pacify or soothe; relieve

apprise

inform

approbation

approval

appropriate

acquire; take possession of for one's own use

arduous

hard; strenuous

artless

without guile; open and honest

ascetic

practicing self-denial; austere

assiduous

diligent

assuage

ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)

attenuate

make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density

audacious

daring; bold

austere

forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented

aver

assert confidently or declare; as used in law

banal

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality

belie

contradict; give a false impression

beneficent

kindly; doing good

bolster

support; reinforce

bombastic

pompous; using inflated language

boorish

rude; insensitive

burgeon

grow forth; send out buds

burnish

make shiny by rubbing; polish

buttress

support; prop up

cacophonous

discordant; inharmonious

capricious

unpredictable; fickle

castigation

punishment; severe criticism

catalyst

agent that stimulates or precipitates a reaction

caustic

burning; sarcastically biting

chicanery

trickery; deception

coagulate

thicken; congeal; clot

coda

concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that summarizes

cogent

convincing

commensurate

corresponding in extent

compendium

1. a brief treatment or account of a subject, esp. an extensive subject; concise treatise: a compendium of medicine.
2. a summary, epitome, or abridgment.
3. a full list or inventory: a compendium of their complaints.

complaisant

trying to please; overly polite; obliging

compliant

yielding; conforming to requirements

condone

overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

confound

confuse; puzzle

connoisseur

person competent to act as a judge of art

contention

claim; thesis

contentious

quarrelsome

contrite

penitent

conundrum

riddle; difficult problem

converge

approach; tend to meet; come together

convoluted

coiled around; involved; intricate

craven

cowardly

daunt

intimidate; frighten

decorum

propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners

default

failure to act

deference

courteous regard for another's wish

delineate

portray; depict; sketch

denigrate

to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone's character.
2. to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage: to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.
3. to make black; blacken: rain clouds denigrating the sky.

deride

ridicule; make fun of

derivative

unoriginal; obtained from another source

desiccate

dry up

desultory

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random

deterrent

something that discourages; hindrance

diatribe

bitter scolding; invective

dichotomy

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)

diffidence

shyness

diffuse

wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas)

digression

wandering away from the subject

dirge

lament with music

disabuse

correct a false impression; undeceive

discerning

mentally quick and observant; having insight

discordant

not harmonious; conflicting

discredit

defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve

discrepancy

lack of consistency; difference

discrete

separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts

disingenuous

lacking genuine candor; insincere

disinterested

unprejudiced

disjointed

lacking coherence

dismiss

eliminate from consideration; reject

disparage

belittle

disparate

basically different; unrelated

dissemble

disguise; pretend

disseminate

distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)

dissolution

disintegration; looseness in morals

dissonance

discord; opposite of harmony

distend

expand; swell out

distill

purify; refine; concentrate

diverge

vary; go in different directions from the same point

divest

strip; deprive

document

provide written evidence

dogmatic

opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal

dormant

sleeping; lethargic; latent

dupe

someone easily fooled

ebullient

showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm

eclectic

selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources

efficacy

power to produce desired effect

effrontery

impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness

elegy

poem or song expressing lamentation

elicit

draw out by discussion

embellish

adorn; ornament; enhance

empirical

base on experience

emulate

imitate; rival

endemic

prevailing among a specific group of people or an area

enervate

weaken

engender

cause; produce

enhance

increase; improve

ephemeral

short-lived; fleeting

equanimity

calmness of temperament; composure

equivocate

to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge: When asked directly for his position on disarmament, the candidate only equivocated.

erudite

learned; scholarly

esoteric

hard to understand; known only to the chosen few

eulogy

expression of praise

euphemism

mild expression in place of an unpleasant one

exacerbate

worsen; embitter

exculpate

clear from blame

exigency

urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention

extrapolation

projection; conjecture

facetious

joking (often inappropriately); humorous

facilitate

help bring about; make less difficult

fallacious

false; misleading

fatuous

brainless; inane; foolish

fawning

trying to please by behaving obsequiously

felicitous

apt; suitably expressed; well chosen

fervor

glowing ardor; intensity of feeling

flag

droop; grow feeble

fledgling

inexperienced

flout

reject; mock; show contempt for

foment

stir up; instigate

forestall

prevent by taking action in advance

frugality

thrift; economy

futile

useless; hopeless; ineffectual

gainsay

deny

garrulous

loquacious; wordy; talkative

goad

urge on

gouge

overcharge

grandiloquent

pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language

gregarious

sociable

guileless

without deceit

gullible

easily deceived

harangue

1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
2. a long, passionate, and vehement speech, esp. one delivered before a public gathering.
3. any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse.

homogenous

of the same kind

hyperbole

exaggeration; overstatement

iconoclast

attacking cherished traditions

idolatry

worship of idols; excessive admiration

immutable

unchangeable

impair

injure; hurt; make worse

impassive

without feeling; imperturbable; stoical

impede

hinder

impermeable

impervious; not permitting passage through its substance

imperturbable

calm; placid

impervious

impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed

implacable

incapable of being pacified

implicit

understood but not stated

implode

burst inward

inadvertently

unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly

inchoate

recently begun; rudimentary; elementary

incongruity

lack of harmony; absurdity

inconsequential

insignificant; unimportant

incorporate

introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite

indeterminate

uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite

indigence

poverty

indolent

lazy

inert

inactive; lacking power to move

ingenuous

naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated

inherent

firmly established by nature or habit

innocuous

harmless

insensible

unconscious; unresponsive

insinuate

hint; imply; creep in

insipid

lacking in flavor; dull

insularity

narrow-mindedness; isolation

intractable

unruly; stubborn; unyielding

intransigence

refusal of any compromise; stubbornness

inundate

overwhelm; flood; submerge

inured

accustomed; hardened

invective

abuse

irascible

irritable; easily angered

irresolute

uncertain how to act; weak

itinerary

plan of a trip

laconic

brief and to the point

lassitude

languor; weariness

latent

potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden

laud

praise

lethargic

drowsy; dull

levee

earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding

levity

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity

log

record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities

loquacious

talkative

lucid

easily understood; clear; intelligible

luminous

shining; issuing light

magnanimity

generosity

malingerer

one who feigns illness to escape duty

malleable

capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable

maverick

rebel; nonconformist

mendacious

lying; habitually dishonest

metamorphosis

change of form

meticulous

excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous

misanthrope

one who hates mankind

mitigate

lessen in intensity; moderate; appease

mollify

soothe

morose

ill-humored; sullen; melancholy

mundane

worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday

negate

cancel out; nullify; deny

neophyte

recent convert; beginner

obdurate

stubborn

obsequious

slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic

obviate

make unnecessary; get rid of

occlude

shut; close

officious

meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services

onerous

burdensome

opprobium

infamy; vilification

oscillate

vibrate pendulumlike; waver

ostentatious

showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention

paragon

model of perfection

partisan

one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party

pathological

pertaining to disease

paucity

scarcity

pedantic

showing off learning; bookish

penchant

strong inclination; liking

penury

severe poverty; stinginess

perennial

something long-lasting

perfidious

treacherous; disloyal

perfunctory

superficial; not thorough; lacking interest

permeable

penetrable; porous; allowing liquids or gas to pass through

pervasive

spread throughout

phlegmatic

calm; not easily disturbed

piety

devoutness; reverence for God

placate

pacify; conciliate

plasticity

ability to be molded

platitude

trite remark; commonplace statement

plethora

excess; overabundance

plummet

fall sharply

porous

full of pores; like a sieve

pragmatic

practical (as opposed to idealistic)

preamble

introductory statement

precarious

uncertain; risky

precipitate

rash; premature; hasty; sudden

precursor

forerunner; harbinger

presumptuous

arrogant; taking liberties

prevaricate

lie

pristine

characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled

probity

uprightness; incorruptibility

problematic

doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing

prodigal

wasteful; reckless with money

profound

deep; not superficial; complete

prohibitive

inclined to prevent or forbid

proliferate

grow rapidly; spread; multiply

propensity

natural inclination

propitiate

appease

propriety

fitness; correct conduct

proscribe

ostracize; banish; outlaw

pungent

stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic

qualified

limited; restricted

quibble

minor objection or complaint

quiescent

at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive

rarefied

made less dense (of a gas)

recalcitrant

obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly

recant

disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error

recluse

hermit; loner

recondite

abstruse; profound; secret

refractory

stubborn; unmanageable

refute

disprove

relegate

banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign

reproach

express disapproval or disappointment

reprobate

person hardened by sin

repudiate

disown; disavow

rescind

cancel

resolution

determination

resolve

determination; firmness of purpose

reticent

reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence

reverent

respectful; worshipful

sage

person celebrated for wisdom

salubrious

healthful

sanction

approve; ratify

satiate

satisfy fully

saturate

soak thoroughly

savor

enjoy; have a distinctive flavor

secrete

hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism

shard

fragment; generally of pottery

skeptic

doubter; person who suspends judgment until having examined the evidence supporting a point of view

solicious

worried

soporific

sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness

specious

seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentional)

spectrum

colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism

sporadic

occurring irregularly

stigma

token of disgrace; brand

stint

be thrifty; set limits