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GRE/MAT High-Frequency Word List

To earn a high GRE Verbal Reasoning or MAT score you'll need a well-rounded general vocabulary. The 165 "high-frequency" words on this page are just the sort that the GRE and MAT test makers resort to when they design "vocabulary-centric" exam questions.

You can also learn these words by attempting a 5-part vocabulary quiz. Each part covers 33 different words from the word list on this page.

abate (v) to put an end to; to decrease in amount, number, or degree
aberration (n) deviation from the normal or usual
abeyance (n) a condition of suspended activity
abjure (v) to renounce (give up or put aside voluntarily) solemnly, esp. by formal declaration
abrogate (v) to revoke, annul, or rescind
acumen (n) mental keenness and acuteness; discernment
adumbrate (v) to foretell, foreshadow, or prophesy vaguely
affable (adj) agreeable and good-natured
ambivalent (adj) indecisive due to conflicting feelings about a person or action
aphoristic (adj) obvious or well-known, as regarding a general truth
apprise (v) to acquaint, notify, or instruct
ardent (adj) characterized by warmth of feeling; fervid; zealous
asperity (n) roughness or bitterness, esp. regarding temper
assail (v) to attack violently
assay (n) a test or analysis to determine characteristics, esp. of a metal
audacious (adj) daring or adventurous
belie (v) to mislead or misrepresent
beneficent (adj) producing good by acts of kindness
berate (v) to scold harshly; upbraid; censure
bereft (adj) deprived of; lacking
blandishment (n) speech or action intended to flatter, coax, or cajole
blithe (adj) lightheartedly joyful or cheerful
bombast (n) pretentious, wordy speech or writing
cadge (v) to sponge off of (another person); freeload; mooch
capricious (adj) acting impulsively and whimsically (without care)
captious (adj) inclined to find fault
chary (adj) cautious; circumspect
cloistered (adj) secluded; hidden away from the world
cogent (adj) persuasive or compelling
cogitate (v) to ponder or contemplate
comely (adj) good-looking; attractive
commiserate (v) to feel or express pity for another
complaisant (adj) eager to please; obliging
conscript (v) to select or enroll by compulsion, esp. for military service
consign (v) to transfer goods to another for subsequent sale
contravene (v) to act contrary to
contrite (adj) repentant; regretful
convivial (adj) enjoying the pleasures of companionship, eating, and drinking; jovial
convoke (v) to call together for a meeting; convene
corroborate (v) to support (help prove) with evidence
culpable (adj) worthy or deserving of blame, as for a wrongful act; liable
dally (v) to act playfully; to waste time
decorous (adj) behaving in a respectful, correct manner
decry (v) to belittle publicly; disparage; slander; denigrate
deride (v) to make fun of or scoff at; ridicule
descry (v) to catch sight of or discover by observation or investigation
diatribe (n) an angry or bitter attack in speech or writing
disaffect (v) to make unfriendly where a friendly relationship previously existed; estrange
discomfit (v) to thwart or frustrate
disinter (v) to dig up (unearth); exhume
doctrinaire (adj) merely theoretical, without regard to practical considerations; dogmatic or authoritarian
dote (v) to pamper adoringly and attentively; coddle
duplicity (n) deception by pretending
effusive (adj) gushing; characterized by unrestrained uttering (talking)
elucidate (v) to clarify by illustration, explanation, or interpretation
enamored (adj) in love; infatuated (having a crush); smitten
encomium (n) high or glowing praise; acclaim
entreat (v) to ask earnestly or urgently; beseech; implore
equable (adj) even-tempered; characterized by a lack of unpleasant extremes
equanimity (n) composure (dignified calmness)
equivocate (v) to dodge or evade (a question or issue) through the use of ambiguous or misleading language; prevaricate
errant (adj) going astray, esp. doing wrong
expostulate (v) to reason with a person, esp. in order to dissuade (persuade against); remonstrate
extant (adj) still in existence; not destroyed
extemporaneous (adj) not planned ahead of time; impromptu; spontaneous
extenuate (v) to treat as less serious or important than is apparent; mitigate
fawn (v) to show affection (as a dog for its master); to court favor in a cringing or flattering manner
feckless (adj) worthless or meaningless; ineffectual or weak
feign (v) to intentionally give a false appearance
felicitous (adj) aptly expressed; possessing the ability to express in a suitable, fitting manner
flagging (adj) characterized by a decline in spirit, interest, or attention
furtive (adj) sneaky or sly; stealthy; surreptitious
germane (adj) pertinent; relevant
gist (n) the main point of a matter
glean (v) to collect (pick up) patiently — little by little; garner; cull
goad (v) to urge; spur; prod
gratuitous (adj) given or done freely, without compensation
grudging (adj) reluctant to give
harrow (v) to torment or torture; vex
impart (v) to make known; to transmit, esp. information
impede (v) to interfere with the progress of; hinder; obstruct; hamper
impend (v) to hover or hang threateningly; loom
imperious (adj) domineering or overbearing; commanding or lordly
impugn (v) to call into question; to oppose as false; gainsay
incise (v) to cut into
incursion (n) sudden, temporary invasion; raid; attack
inimical (adj) adverse or unfavorable; hostile or unfriendly
inimitable (adj) without peer or match; not capable of being imitated
iniquitous (adj) wicked or immoral
innocuous (adj) harmless; benign; inoffensive
insipid (adj) uninteresting; flavorless; flat; stale
insolent (adj) showing disrespect or contempt through behavior or language
intractable (adj) not easily controlled; obstinate
inveigle (v) to entice or win over by ingenuity or flattery
inviolate (adj) not violated; unprofaned
ire (n) anger; wrath
jibe (v) to be in agreement or accord
lassitude (n) weariness or fatigue; languor
loll (v) to lounge; loaf; laze
lucid (adj) clear-minded; easily understood; bright or shiny
macerate (v) to cause to waste away; to soften and break apart by moistening
malinger (v) to pretend to be ill so as to avoid duty
meretricious (adj) gaudy; tawdry; flashy
nascent (adj) coming into existence; beginning to grow
obsequious (adj) humbly or overly attentive, as to a person in authority; fawning; sycophantic
occlude (v) to obstruct, shut in, or close up
onerous (adj) oppressive or burdensome
ossified (adj) turned to bone; fossilized
ostracize (v) to exclude from a group by common consent
palpable (adj) evident; obvious; manifest
panegyric (n) an oration or writing of praise for a person (esp. a eulogy) or thing
parsimonious (adj) excessively frugal or sparing; miserly
peripatetic (adj) walking or traveling about; itinerant
parry (v) to evade, dodge, or ward off (as in fencing)
pedantic (adj) making an excessive show of learning; overly concerned with rules and details; didactic
peruse (v) to examine or study; scrutinize
pied (adj) having patches of two or more colors; particolored
pithy (adj) full of substance, vigor, and meaning (as in a pithy observation or remark), usually concise and to-the-point
poignant (adj) deeply affecting (moving) the emotions; keenly distressing
placate (v) to quiet or calm; appease; pacify
plaintive (adj) expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful; lugubrious
pliant (adj) bending or yielding readily; easily influenced; compliant; acquiescent
pragmatic (adj) emphasizing practicality and realistic consequences
precept (n) a direction (instruction) given as a rule or principle of conduct; maxim; axiom
probity (n) integrity; uprightness; honesty
proclivity (n) natural inclination of tendency; bent; disposition
prodigious (adj) extraordinary, esp. in size or amount; wonderful or marvelous
prolix (adj) tediously long and wordy in speech or writing
propriety (n) conformity to established standards of proper behavior or manners
protract (v) to draw out or lengthen in time; prolong
rail (v) to complain or denounce vehemently
raze (v) to tear down; demolish; level to the ground
recalcitrant (adj) resisting authority or control; rebellious; refractory
rectitude (n) moral virtue or strength
recumbent (adj) lying down; prone; prostrate; supine
regale (v) to give lavish pleasure to; delight; amuse
relegate (v) to send or assign to a particular class, position or condition (especially an inferior one)
repine (v) to be fretfully (agitatedly) discontent
repugnant (adj) repulsive; offensive; revolting
resplendent (adj) shining brilliantly or brightly
sate (v) to fully satisfy an appetite or desire; satiate
seemly (adj) fitting or proper with respect to propriety and good taste
sere (adj) dry; withered
sinecure (n) comfortable job or position requiring little work
slake (v) to satisfy thirst or desire
sodden (adj) soaked or drenched
soporific (adj) causing sleepiness; sleepy or drowsy
sordid (adj) dirty or filthy; morally shameful; meanly selfish
spurious (adj) not genuine or authentic; bogus; counterfeit
spurn (v) to reject with disdain; shun
stanch (v) to stop the flow of
stygian (adj) devilish; diabolical
tacit (adj) silent; understood without being openly expressed; implicit
temperance (n) showing moderation and restraint when indulging in appetites and passions
temporize (v) to gain time by delaying with evasiveness or indecisiveness
tout (v) to solicit support for by praising or boasting about
unstinting (adj) unrestricted or unlimited in quantity, amount, or degree, esp. regarding devotion or charity
untenable (adj) indefensible, esp. an argument; unreasonable; unsupportable
vacillate (v) to waver in opinion or decision
vagary (n) an unpredictable, erratic, or whimsical idea or occurrence; caprice
vanquish (v) to conquer or subdue by superior force
vex (v) to annoy, anger, or provoke; abrade; perturb
vitiate (v) to impair the quality of; mar; degrade
waft (v) to drift or float over water or through the air
wield (v) to exercise or use, esp. a weapon or instrument; to gain control over