Barron’s Guide, 2005, 16th Edition GRE High-Frequency Words Vocabulary List

Word	Definition
abate	subside (VI. ลดลง, ทรุดตัว) or moderate (VI. บรรเทาลง)
aberrant	abnormal (ADJ. ผิดปกติ) or deviant (ADJ. แตกต่างจากปกติ)
abeyance	suspended action (ADJ. ระงับอยู่ชั่วคราว)
abscond	depart secretly and hide (VI. หลบหนี)
abstemious	sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
admonish	warn; (ADJ. ตามอัตภาพ) reprove (VT. ตำหนิ)
adulterate	make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances (VT. ปลอมปน)
aesthetic	artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful
aggregate	gather; accumulate
alacrity	cheerful promptness; eagerness (N. ความกระตือรือร้น)
alleviate	relieve
amalgamate	combine; unite in one body (VT. ทำให้รวมกัน syn:[unite; combine])
ambiguous	unclear or doubtful in meaning
ambivalence	the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes (N. ความไม่แน่ใจ)
ameliorate	improve (VT. ทำให้ดีขึ้น)
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	v. 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	v. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
attenuate	make thinner
audacious	daring; bold
austere	forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
autonomous	self-governing; independent
aver	assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact
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	v. support; prop up
capricious	unpredictable; fickle
castigation	punishment; severe criticism
catalyst	agent that increases the pace of a chemical action
caustic	burning; sarcastically biting
chicanery	trickery; deception
coagulate	thicken; congeal; clot
coda	concluding section of a musical or literary composition; summarizes or concludes
cogent	convincing
commensurate	adj. corresponding in extent, degree, etc.; proportionate
compendium	brief, comprehensive summary
complaisant	trying to please; overly polite; obliging
compliant	yielding; conforming to requirements
conciliatory	reconciling; soothing
condone	overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
confound	confuse; puzzle
connoisseur	person competent to act as a judge of art; a lover of art
contention	claim; thesis
contentious	quarrelsome
contrite	penitent - Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence
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 wishes
delineate	portray; depict; sketch
denigrate	blacken
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	n. bitter scolding; invective
dichotomy	split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
diffidence	shyness
diffuse	adj. 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	adj. separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts
disingenuous	lacking genuine candor; insincere
disinterested	unprejudiced
disjointed	lacking coherence; separated at the joints
dismiss	eliminate from consideration; reject
disparage	belittle
disparate	adj. basically different; unrelated
dissemble	v. 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, as a story
empirical	based on experience
emulate	imitate; rival
endemic	prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country
enervate	weaken
engender	cause; produce
enhance	increase; improve
ephemeral	short-lived; fleeting
equanimity	calmness of temperament; composure
equivocate	lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth
erudite	learned; scholarly
esoteric	hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
eulogy	expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone’s death
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, yet smug
fawning	trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing
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
gainsay	deny
futile	useless; hopeless; ineffectual
garrulous	loquacious; talkative; wordy
goad	urge on
gouge	overcharge
grandiloquent	pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language
gregarious	sociable
guileless	without deceit
gullible	easily deceived
harangue	long, passionate, and vehement speech
homogeneous	of the same kind
hyperbole	exaggeration; overstatement
iconoclastic	attacking cherished traditions
idolatry	worship of idols; excessive admiration
immutable	unchangeable
impair	injure; hurt
impassive	without feeling; imperturbable; stoical
impede	hinder; block
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	adj. 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	n. refusal of any compromise; stubbornness
inundate	overwhelm; flood; submerge
inured	adj. accustomed; hardened
invective	n. 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	v. praise
lethargic	drowsy; dull
levee	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	appease; moderate
mollify	soothe
morose	ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
mundane	worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
negate	cancel out; nullify; deny
neophyte	recent convert; beginner
obdurate	adj. 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
opprobrium	infamy; vilification
oscillate	vibrate; 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, care, or enthusiasm
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	n. trite remark; commonplace statement
plethora	excess; overabundance
plummet	fall sharply
porous	full of pores; like a sieve
pragmatic	practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
preamble	introductory statement
precarious	uncertain; risky
precipitate	adj. rash, premature, hasty, sudden
precursor	forerunner
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	tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; 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 in sin; devoid of a sense of decency
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, smell, or quality
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 evidence supporting a point of view
solicitous	worried; concerned
soporific	sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
specious	seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
spectrum	colored band produced when a beam of light passes through a prism
sporadic	occurring irregularly
stigma	token of disgrace; brand
stint	v. be thrifty; set limits
stipulate	make express conditions; specify
stolid	dull; impassive
striated	marked with parallel bands; grooved
strut	pompous walk
strut	supporting bar
subpoena	writ summoning a witness to appear
subside	settle down; descend; grow quiet
substantiate	establish by evidence; verify; support
supersede	cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete
supposition	hypothesis; surmise
tacit	understood; not put into words
tangential	peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
tenuous	thin; rare; slim
tirade	extended scolding; denunciation; harangue
torpor	lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy
tortuous	winding; full of curves
tractable	docile; easily managed
transgression	violation of a law; sin
truculence	aggressiveness; ferocity
vacillate	waver; fluctuate
venerate	revere
veracious	truthful
verbose	wordy
viable	practical or workable
viscous	sticky, gluey
vituperative	adj. abusive; scolding
volatile	changeable; explosive; evaporation rapidly
warranted	justified; authorized
wary	very cautious
welter	turmoil; bewildering jumble
whimsical	capricious; fanciful
zealot	fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal