Barron & Kaplan GRE Words

Word

Definition

* denotes word appeared on both Baron and Kaplan lists

abate*

to
reduce in amount, degree or severity

abdicate

to
renounce or relinquish a throne

aberrant

abnormal
or deviant

abeyance

suspended
action

abject

utterly
hopeless, humiliating or wretched

abjure

to
renounce on oath

ablution

act
of cleansing

abrogate

to
abolish by formal means

abscond*

depart
secretly and hide

abstemious*

sparing
in eating and drinking; temperate

abstruse

hard
to understand; secret, hidden

accretion

an
increase by natural growth

acerbic

sour
or astringent in taste, harsh in temper

acquiesce

to
comply, give in

acrid

sharp
or biting to the taste or smell

acrimonious

caustic,
stinging or bitter in nature

adjoin*

to
be close or in contact with

adjure

to
beg or command

admonish

to
counsel against something; caution; warn; reprove

adulterate*

to
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

adventitious

accidental

aesthetic

artistic;
dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful

affable

friendly,
courteous

aggrandize

to
increase in power, influence and reputation

aggregate

gather;
accumulate

alacrity

cheerful
promptness; eagerness

alleviate

relieve

altruist

a
person unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others

amalgamate

combine;
unite in one body

amatory

of
or pertaining to lovers or lovemaking

ambiguous

unclear
or doubtful in meaning

ambivalence

the
state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

ameliorate

to
make better; to improve

amity

friendship;
peaceful harmony

anachronism*

something
or someone misplaced in time; an obsolete or archaic form

analogous

comparable

anarchy

absence
of governing body; state of disorder

androgen

any
substance that promotes masculine characteristics

androgynous

being
both male and female

animus

hostile
feeling or attitude

anomalous

abnormal;
irregular

antipathy*

aversion;
dislike

apartheid

any
system or caste that separates people according to race

apathy*

lack
of interest or emotion; uncaring; indifference

apogee

the
highest or most distant point

apostasy*

renunciation
of one’s previous loyalty; a total desertion of one’s religion, principles,
cause, etc.

apotheosis

glorification,
glorified ideal

appease

pacify
or soothe; relieve

apprise

inform

approbation*

approval;
praise, consideration

appropriate

acquire;
take possession of for one’s own use

arduous

hard;
strenuous

arrogate

to
claim unwarrantably or presumptuously

artless

without
guile; open and honest

ascetic

practicing
self-denial; austere

assiduous*

diligent,
persistent, hardworking

assuage

to
make less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)

atrophy

to
waste away; wither or deteriorate; the wasting away of body tissue

attenuate

make
thinner

audacious

daring;
bold

austere*

forbiddingly
stern in appearance; severely simple and unornamented

autonomous*

self-governing;
independent

aver*

assert
confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact

avocation

something
one does in addition to a principle occupation

banal

boring;
commonplace; trite; lacking originality; clichéd; hackneyed

belie

contradict;
give a false impression

belligerent

warlike,
given to waging war

bemoan

to
express pity for

beneficent

kindly;
doing good

benevolent

desiring
to do good to others

benign

having
a kindly disposition

bilateral

pertaining
to or affecting two or both sides

bolster

support;
reinforce

bombastic*

pompous
in speech and manner ; using inflated language

boorish

rude;
insensitive

burgeon

grow
forth; send out buds

burnish

make
shiny by rubbing; polish

buttress

support;
prop up

capitulate

to
surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms

capricious*

unpredictable;
fickle; changing one’s mind quickly and often

castigate*

to
punish or criticize harshly

catalyst

agent
that increases the rate of a chemical action; person or thing that causes
action

caustic

burning;
sarcastically biting

chicanery*

trickery;
deception by means of craft or guile

circuitous

roundabout,
indirect

circumambulate

to
walk about or around

circumscribe

to
draw a line around

circumspect

watchful
and discreet

coagulate

thicken;
congeal; clot

coda

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

cogent*

convincing
and well reasoned

commensurate

corresponding
in extent, degree, etc.; proportionate

compendium

brief,
comprehensive summary

complacent

self-satisfied,
unconcerned

complaisant*

trying
to please; overly polite; obliging

compliant

yielding;
conforming to requirements

compunction

a
feeling of uneasiness for doing wrong

concentric

having
a common center

conciliate

to
placate, win over

conciliatory

reconciling;
soothing

condone

overlook;
forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

conflagration

a
large destructive fire

confluence

merging
into one

confound

confuse;
puzzle

congenital

existing
or as such from birth

connoisseur

person
competent to act as a judge of art; a lover of art

contention

claim;
thesis

contentious

quarrelsome

contravene

to
come into conflict with

contrite

feeling
regret and sorrow for one’s sins or offenses; penitent

conundrum

riddle;
difficult problem

convalescent

recovering
from illness

converge

approach;
tend to meet; come together

convoke

to
call together

convoluted*

intricate
and complicated

corroborate

to
provide supporting evidence

craven

cowardly

credulous*

too
trusting; gullible

cursory

going
rapidly over something; hasty; superficial

daunt

intimidate;
frighten

decadent

decaying;
deteriorating

decorum

propriety;
orderliness and good taste in manners

default

failure
to act

deference*

respect;
courteous regard for another’s wishes

deferential

respectful;
to yield judgment to

deign

to
think fit or in accordance with one’s dignity

delineate

portray;
depict; sketch

delude

to
mislead the mind of judgment of, deceive

denigrate

blacken

deride

ridicule;
make fun of

derision

contemptuous
or jeering laughter; ridicule.

derivative

unoriginal;
obtained from another source

desiccate*

to
dry out thoroughly

desultory*

aimless;
haphazard; digressing at random

deterrent

something
that discourages; hindrance

diatribe

bitter
scolding; invective

dichotomy*

split;
branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)

diffident*

lacking
or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.

diffuse*

to
spread widely or thinly

digression

wandering
away from the subject

dilatory*

inclined
to delay or procrastinate

dilettante

someone
with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

dirge

lament
with music

disabuse*

correct
a false impression; to set right; to
free from error

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; separated at the joints

dismiss

eliminate
from consideration; reject

disparage

belittle

disparate

fundamentally
distinct or different in kind; entirely dissimilar

disport

to
divert or amuse oneself

disquiet

a
lack of calm or peace

dissemble*

disguise;
pretend; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

disseminate*

distribute;
spread widely; scatter (like seeds)

dissolution

disintegration;
looseness in morals

dissonance

discord;
opposite of harmony

distend

to
expand by stretching; swell out

distill

purify;
refine; concentrate

diverge

vary;
go in different directions from the same point

divest

strip;
deprive

doctrine

a
principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief;
dogma

document

provide
written evidence

dogma

a
firmly held opinion, often a religious belief

dogmatic*

opinionated;
arbitrary; doctrinal

doleful

sorrowful,
mournful

dormant

sleeping;
lethargic; latent

dour

sullen,
gloomy

dupe*

to
deceive; a person who is easily deceived

duplicity

deceitfulness
in speech or conduct; double-dealing

dystrophy

faulty
or inadequate nutrition or development

ebullient

showing
excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm

eclectic*

selective;
composed of elements from a variety of sources

efficacy*

effectiveness
; power to produce desired effect

effigy

a
dummy; a likeness or image, especially of a person.

effluence

flowing
out of

effrontery

impudence;
shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness

elegy*

a
sorrowful poem or speech

elicit

draw
out by discussion

elocution

art
of clear and expressive speaking

embellish

adorn;
ornament; enhance, as a story

empathy

the
identification with the feelings or thoughts of others

empirical

based
on experience

emulate

imitate;
rival

endemic

prevailing
among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country

enervate*

weaken;
to reduce in strength

engender*

to
produce, cause or bring about

enhance

increase;
improve

enigma

a
puzzle; a mystery

ephemeral*

short-lived;
fleeting

epigram

a
witty or pointed saying tersely expressed

epithet

a
word or phrase characteristically used to characterize a person or thing

equanimity

calmness
of temperament; composure

equivocate*

lie;
mislead; attempt to conceal the truth

erudite*

learned,
scholarly, bookish

esoteric*

hard
to understand; known only to the chosen few

estimable

admirable

eugenics

improvement
of qualities of race by control of inherited characteristics

eulogy*

expression
of praise, often on the occasion of someone’s death

euphemism

an
inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered
offensive

euphony

pleasantness
of sound

exacerbate*

worsen;
to increase bitterness or violence

exculpate*

to
clear from blame; prove innocent

execrable

abominable

exigency

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

exigent

urgent;
requiring immediate action

expound

to
set forth in detail

extrapolation

projection;
conjecture

exult

to
show or feel triumphant joy

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

fiduciary

of
a trust; held or given in trust

flag

droop;
grow feeble; to decline in vigor or strength

fledgling

inexperienced

flout

reject;
mock; show contempt for

foment*

to
arouse or incite

forestall*

prevent
by taking action in advance

fractious

irritable,
peevish

frugality

thrifty;
economy

fusillade

continuous
discharge of firearms or outburst of criticism

futile

useless;
hopeless; ineffectual

gainsay

deny

garrulous

loquacious;
talkative; wordy

goad

urge
on

gouge

overcharge

grandiloquent*

pompous
or inflated in language; bombastic; using high-sounding language

gregarious

sociable

guile

deceit
or trickery

guileless

without
deceit

gullible

easily
deceived

harangue

long,
passionate, and vehement speech

heterodox

different
from acknowledged standard; holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

heterogeneous

of
other origin; not originating in the body

homogeneous

of
the same kind

hyperbole

exaggeration;
overstatement

hypocritical

affecting
virtues or qualities one does not have

iconoclast*

one
who opposes established beliefs, customs and institutions

idolatry

worship
of idols; excessive admiration

immutable

unchangeable

impair

injure;
hurt

impassive*

without
feeling; imperturbable; showing or feeling no emotion

impede

hinder;
block

impermeable

impervious;
not permitting passage through its substance

imperturbable

calm;
placid

impervious*

impenetrable;
incapable of being damaged or distressed

impetuous*

quick
to act without thinking

implacable

incapable
of being pacified

implicit

understood
but not stated

implode