Difficult GRE Words

abase  

v. humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem

abate  

v. subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity

abbreviation  

n. shortening something by omitting parts of it

abdicate  

v. give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim

abdication  

n. the act of giving up or renouncing a right, office, or position of power etc.

abet  

v. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage

abeyance  

n. suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension

abhor  

v. fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate

abhorrent  

a. disgusting, loathsome

abjure  

v. renounce upon oath; abandon forever

ablution  

n. washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite

abnegation  

n. repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others

abolition  

n. ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away with

abortive  

a. unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless

abrade  

v. wear away by friction; scrape; erode

abrasion  

n. scratch; friction

abridge  

v. condense; shorten; reduce length of written text

abrogate  

a. abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority

abscond  

v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution

abstemious  

a. sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate

abstruse  

a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand.

accede  

v. agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede

acclivity  

n. upward slope, as of hill

accolade  

n. award of merit; expression of approval; praise

accretion  

n. growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion

acerbity  

n. bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone

acidulous  

a. slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; caustic

acquiesce  

v. assent; agree without protesting

acquisition  

n. the act of acquiring or gaining possession

acrimonious  

a. bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner

acrimony  

n. animosity, sharp or bitter hatred

acronym  

n. abbreviation

adage  

n. an old saying, that has obtained credit by long use

addle  

v. muddle; drive crazy; become confused

adherent  

n. person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause

adjudicate  

v. hear and settle a case by judicial procedure

adjure  

v. appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath

adorn  

v. enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments

adornment  

n. embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament

adroit  

a. skillful and adept under pressing conditions

adulterate  

v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

adumbrate  

v. give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade

advert  

n. advertisement an ad; public promotion of some product or service

affable  

a. easily approachable; warmly friendly

aggrandize  

v. increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation

aggregation  

n. several things grouped together or considered as a whole

aghast  

a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement

agnostic  

n. one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality

aka  

ad. as known or named at another time or place; also known as

alkali  

n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia

allege  

v. to assert to be true

allude  

v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion

allurement  

n. temptation; enticement; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to action

allusion  

n. an indirect reference

altar  

n. elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offered

amalgam  

n. a combination of many different things; an alloy of mercury and other metals

amalgamate  

v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury

amass  

v. collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit

ambidextrous  

a. capable of using either hand with equal ease

ambivalence  

n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate

amble  

n. moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely

amenity  

n. pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions

amorphous  

a. formless; lacking shape or definition

amplify  

v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase

amputee  

n. a person who has had one or more limbs removed by amputation

analgesic  

a. serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness

analogous  

a. comparable; similar or alike

anathema  

n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse

ancillary  

a. serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary

anew  

ad. once more; again; in a new and different way

animus  

n. feeling of animosity

annotate  

v. comment; make explanatory notes

annualize  

v. adjust or calculate so as to reflect a rate that is based on a full year

anodyne  

n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain

anomalous  

a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule

antagonist  

n. one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent

antedate  

v. be earlier in time; go back further

antediluvian  

a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times

anthology  

n. book of literary selections by various authors

anthropoid  

a. manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance

antipathy  

n. strong feelings of aversion or dislike

antithesis  

n. contrast; direct contrast; opposition

antler  

n. entire horn, or any branch of the horn

apartheid  

n. South Africa's policy of racial separation, in place from 1948 to 1990.

aperitif  

n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer

aperture  

n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole

aphasia  

n. loss of speech due to injury or illness

aphorism  

n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion

apiary  

n. place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey

aplomb  

n. poise; self-confident assurance

apocryphal  

a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious

apogee  

n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited

apostate  

n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs

apotheosis  

n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something

appease  

v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve

appellation  

n. name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy

apposite  

a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited

apprise  

v. inform; give notice to; make aware

approbation  

n. expression of warm approval; praise

appropriation  

n. funding; money set aside for a specific purpose

aquifer  

n. underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etc

aquiline  

a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beak

arable  

a. fit for growing crops, as by plowing

arbiter  

n. person with power to decide a dispute; judge

arboreal  

a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees

archetype  

n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned

archipelago  

n. a large group of islands; a sea, containing a large number of scattered islands

arena  

n. an enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events or other spectacular events

aromatic  

a. fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor

arraign  

v. officially charge someone in a court of law

arrears  

n. being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation

arrogate  

v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without right

artifice  

n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity

artless  

a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honest

ascendancy  

n. superiority or decisive advantage; domination

ascetic  

a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere

aseptic  

a. preventing infection; having cleansing effect

aspect  

n. look, or particular appearance of the face; the visual percept of a region

asperity  

n. harshness of manner, roughness

asphyxiate  

v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or very serious symptoms; suffocate

aspirant  

n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position

assail  

v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blows

assent  

v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept

assiduous  

a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent

assimilate  

v. to make similar, to incorporate or absorb into

assuage  

v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease

astigmatism  

n. eye defect that prevents proper focus

astringent  

a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere

asymmetric  

a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

at loggerheads  

ad. engaged in a dispute

atrial  

a. of or pertaining to an atrium, especially the upper chambers of the heart

attainment  

n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement

attenuate  

v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of

attrition  

n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment

audacious  

a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold

augury  

n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens

aura  

n. an invisible breath; distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something

austere  

a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented

austerity  

n. severe and rigid economy; severe or rigorous simplicity; absence of adornment or luxury

authenticate  

v. prove genuine; establish authenticity of

autocrat  

n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power

autonomous  

a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent

avalanche  

n. fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down a mountainside

avant-garde  

n. radically new or original; cutting edge

avarice  

n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain

aver  

v. declare to be true; affirm

aviation  

n. art or act of flying; specifically, the science or art of directing and controlling flying-machines

avocation  

n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment

avow  

v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly

avowal  

n. open declaration; frank acknowledgment