GRE Words

The GRE contains 3 sections. There’s the GRE Quantitative Section, and the Analytical Writing Section, and of course, the Verbal Section.

The Verbal Section contains Analogies, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Completion, and Antonym Questions. While these are all different, they have one feature in common- they all require a good vocabulary.

Vocabulary!

That’s right, vocabulary. You’re going to need a good knowledge of lots of words in order to tackle the GRE Verbal section. All questions in the GRE involve words, and without knowing their definitions you won’t be able to answer these questions correctly.

You can pick up new vocabulary everywhere. Reading helps a lot. As you practice, you’ll encounter lots of new words too. Make sure you make note of them, look for their exact definition, and memorize them, otherwise these words will be lost to you.

A great way of improving your vocabulary is reading words lists, or dictionaries, and writing down new words you don’t know on cue-cards, with their definitions or antonyms on the other side. That way you can work on memorizing these whenever and wherever you are.

Just make sure you focus on improving your vocabulary. Without a good vocabulary you have no hope of acing the GRE, remember that. The more words you know, the better your score will be.

Short Word List

Here, we offer a short list of 20 words that might appear on the GRE, with their definitions and antonyms. You can get started on your quest for a better vocabulary by memorizing these new words, and once you found a method of memorization that works for you, go find new words and keep working.

• Abate: (v) to lessen, lower in intensity, or diminish. Antonym: Intensify.
• Bashful: (adj) Uncomofrtably diffident, easily embarrassed. Antonym: Arrogant.
• Capricious: (adj) Erratic, variable. Antonym: Steady, consistent.
• Demor: (v) To make an objection, disagree. Antonym: Accede.
• Empirical: (adj) Based on the results of real observation. Antonym: Theoretical.
• Flimsy: (adj) Without strength, weak. Antonym: Sturdy.
• Hyperbole: (n) An exaggration. Antoynm: Understatement.
• Inert: (adj) Having no power of action or motion. Antonym: mobile.
• Irascible: (adj) easily provoked or angered. Antonym: Calm.
• Lucid: (adj) clear, easily understood. Antonym: Obscure.
• Morose: (ajd) Sullen, sad. Antonym: Cheerful.
• Noxious: (adj) Injurious, can cause harm. Antonym: Harmless.
• Odious: (adj) causing intense hatred. Antonym: Lovable.
• Pious: (adj) Devout, having strong religious reverence. Antonym: Irreverent.
• Prolific: (adj) Highly fruitful or productive. Antonym: Barren, unproductive.
• Quiescence: (adj) Stillness, motionless. Antonym: Active.
• Reticent: (adj) Disposed to be silent, quite. Anyontm: Voluble.
• Squalied: (adj) Foul, wretched, repulsive. Antonym: Clean.
• Sporadic: (adj) Occuring occasionally, in scattered instances. Antonym: Continuous.
• Torpid: (adj) sluggish, dormant, lethergic. Antonym: Energetic.
• Vilify: (v) to speak ill of, slander. Antonym: Commend.

Online GRE Practice Tests

You can practice more of the GRE and learn some more words taking these free tests:

, GRE Antonyms (10 questions), GRE Antonym Questions (10 questions), GRE Antonym Quiz (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice Quiz (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice Tests (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice Tests (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice Test 2 (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice (10 questions), GRE Antonyms (10 questions), GRE Antonym Practice Tests (10 questions), GRE Analogy (8 questions), , GRE Analogies Practice (10 questions), GRE Analogies Test (10 questions), GRE Analogies (10 questions)

More of the GRE

Don’t forget to practice for the other important sections of the GRE, the Analytical Writing Section and the ever-popular Quantitative Section.