Kaplan Top GRE Words

Word

Definition

abate

to reduce
in amount, degree or severity

abdicate

to renounce
or relinquish a throne

abject

utterly
hopeless, humiliating or wretched

abjure

to
renounce on oath

ablution

act of
cleansing

abrogate

to
abolish by formal means

abscond

to leave
secretly

abstention

the act
of refraining voluntarily

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

adjoin

to be
next to and joined with

adjure

to beg or
command

admonish

to counsel
against something; caution

adulterate

to make
impure

adventitious

accidental

affable

friendly,
courteous

aggrandize

to
increase in power, influence and reputation

altruist

a person unselfishly
concerned for the welfare of others

amatory

of or
pertaining to lovers or lovemaking

amity

friendship;
peaceful harmony

anachronism

something
our of place in time

anachronism

an
obsolete or archaic form

androgen

any
substance that promotes masculine characteristics

androgynous

being
both male and female

animus

hostile
feeling or attitude

antipathy

extreme
dislike

antipathy

aversion

apartheid

any system
or caste that separates people according to race

apathy

lack of
interest or emotion

apathy

lack of
interest or emotion

apogee

the
highest or most distant point

apostasy

a total desertion
of one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

apostasy

renunciation
of one’s previous loyalty

apotheosis

glorification,
glorified ideal

approbation

praise,
consideration

arrogate

to claim unwarrantably
or presumptuously

assiduous

diligent,
persistent, hardworking

assuage

to make
less severe

atrophy

the
wasting away of body tissue

austere

severe or
stern in appearance; undecorated

autonomy

independence,
self-governance

aver

to
affirm, to declare to be true

avocation

something
one does in addition to a principle occupation

banal

predictable;
clichéd, boring

belligerent

warlike,
given to waging war

bemoan

to express
pity for

benevolent

desiring
to do good to others

benign

having a
kindly disposition

bilateral

pertaining
to or affecting two or both sides

bombastic

pompous
in speech and manner

capitulate

to surrender
unconditionally or on stipulated terms

capricious

changing
one’s mind quickly and often

castigate

to punish
or criticize harshly

chicanery

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

cogent

convincing
and well reasoned

complacent

self-satisfied,
unconcerned

complaisant

inclined or
disposed to please

compunction

a feeling
of uneasiness for doing wrong

concentric

having a
common center

conciliate

to
placate, win over

conflagration

a large
destructive fire

confluence

merging
into one

congenital

existing
or as such from birth

contravene

to come
into conflict with

convalescent

recovering
from illness

convoke

to call
together

convoluted

intricate
and complicated

corroborate

to provide
supporting evidence

credulity

willingness
to believe or trust too easily

credulous

too
trusting; gullible

cursory

going
rapidly over something; hasty; superficial

decadent

decaying;
deteriorating

deference

respect;
courtesy

deferential

respectful;
to yield judgment to

deign

to think
fit or in accordance with one’s dignity

delude

to
mislead the mind of judgment of, deceive

derision

to act of
mockery

desiccate

to dry out
thoroughly

desultory

jumping
from one thing to another; disconnected

desultory

at
random, unmethodical

diatribe

an
abusive, condemnatory speech

dichotomy

division
into two parts, kinds, etc.

diffident

lacking self-confidence

diffuse

to pour
out and spread

diffuse

to spread
widely or thinly

dilatory

intended
to delay

dilatory

inclined
to delay or procrastinate

dilettante

someone with
an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

disabuse

to set
right; to free from error

disport

to divert
or amuse oneself

disquiet

a lack of
calm or peace

dissemble

to present
a false appearance; to disguise one’s real intentions or character

disseminate

to
scatter or spread widely

distend

to expand
by stretching

doctrine

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

dogma

a firmly
held opinion, often a religious belief

dogmatic

dictatorial
in one’s opinions

doleful

sorrowful,
mournful

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

eclectic

selecting
from or made up from a variety of sources

efficacy

effectiveness

effigy

sculpture
or model or person

effluence

flowing
out of

elegy

a
sorrowful poem or speech

elocution

art of
clear and expressive speaking

empathy

the
identification with the feelings or thoughts of others

enervate

to reduce
in strength

engender

to produce,
cause or bring about

enigma

a puzzle;
a mystery

ephemeral

lasting a
short time

epigram

a witty
or pointed saying tersely expressed

epithet

a word of
phrase, use invectively as a term of abuse

equivocate

to use expressions
of double meaning in order to mislead

erudite

learned,
scholarly, bookish

esoteric

known or
understood by only a few

estimable

admirable

eugenics

improvement
of qualities of race by control of inherited characteristics

eulogy

speech in
praise of someone

euphony

pleasantness
of sound

exacerbate

to
increase bitterness or violence

exculpate

to clear
from blame; prove innocent

execrable

abominable

exigent

urgent;
requiring immediate action

expound

to set
forth in detail

exult

to show
or feel triumphant joy

fawn

to grovel

fiduciary

of a
trust; held or given in trust

foment

to arouse
or incite

forestall

to
prevent by advance action

fractious

irritable,
peevish

fusillade

continuous
discharge of firearms or outburst of criticism

grandiloquent

pompous
or inflated in language

guile

deceit or
trickery

heterodox

different
from acknowledged standard; holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

heterogeneous

of other
origin; not originating in the body

hypocritical

affecting
virtues or qualities one does not have

iconoclast

one who opposes
established beliefs, customs and institutions

impassive

showing
or feeling no emotion

impervious

impossible
to penetrate; incapable of being affected

impetuous

quick to
act without thinking

impetuous

characterized
by sudden rash action or emotion

importune

to urge
or press with excessive persistence

impugn

to
challenge as false

inamorata

a female
lover

inchoate

not fully
formed; disorganized

inculpate

to charge
with fault

incursion

a hostile
entrance into a place

indigent

deficient
in what is requisite

indoctrinate

to imbue
someone with learning

indolence

state of
being lazy or slothful

indolence

showing a
disposition to avoid exertion; slothful

induce

to move
or lead by influence

ineffable

too great
for description

infusion

liquid
extract so obtained

ingenuous

showing
innocence or childlike simplicity

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

insensate

without
feeling or sensitivity

insidious

intended
to trap or beguile

insipid

lacking
interest or flavor

insolent

boldly
rude or disrespectful

interloper

someone
who intrudes in the domain of others

intransigent

uncompromising;
refusing to be reconciled

intransigent

refusing
to agree or compromise

invective

of,
relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse

irascible

easily
made angry

laconic

using few
words

litigate

to make
the subject of a lawsuit

magnanimous

generous
in forgiving an insult or injury

magnate

a
powerful or influential person

maladroit

clumsy,
tactless

malevolent

characterized
by or expressing bad will

malfeasance

misconduct
or wrongdoing often committed by a public official

malign

to speak
harmful untruths about, to slander

malinger

to evade
responsibility by pretending to be ill

maxim

an
expression of general truth or principle

minatory

menacing,
threatening

misanthrope

a person
who dislikes others

miscegenation

interbreeding
of races

mitigate

to
soften, to lessen

mollify

to calm
or make less severe

nascent

starting
to develop

neophyte

a recent
convert

obdurate

hardened
in feelings; resistant to persuasion

obfuscate

to render
indistinct or dim

oblique

having a
slanting or sloping direction

obsequious

overly
submissive and eager to please

obsequious

fawning

obsolescent

becoming
obsolete

obstreperous

noisily
defiant, unruly

obtuse

not
sharp, pointed or acute

obviate

to
prevent; to make unnecessary

occlude

to stop
up; to prevent the passage of

omnivorous

eating or
absorbing everything

onerous

troublesome
and oppressive; burdensome

opprobrium

public
disgrace

opprobrium

the
disgrace incurred by shameful conduct

panegyric

formal or
elaborate praise at an assembly

panoply

a
wide-ranging and impressive array or display

paragon

model of
excellence or perfection

pathogenic

causing
disease

paucity

smallness
of quantity; scarcity; scantiness

percipient

having perception;
discerning; discriminating

perfidious

willing
to betray one’s trust

perfunctory

done in a
routine way; indifferent

perfunctory

performed
merely as routine duty

peripatetic

walking
or traveling about; itinerant

permutation

a
complete change; transformation

perquisite

a
gratuity, tip

perspicacious

shrewd,
astute

perspicacious

having
keen mental perception and understanding

pertinacious

resolute

pertinacious

persistent,
stubborn

petulant

showing
sudden irritation, esp. over some annoyance

philanderer

one who
carries on flirtations

philanthropy

charity;
a desire or effort to promote goodness

philology

the study
of literary texts to establish their authenticity and determine their meaning

plethora

excess

precept

a
commandment given as a rule of action or conduct

precipitate

to throw
violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation

preclude

to
prevent the presence of

precocious

unusually
advanced or mature in mental development or talent

predilection

preference,
liking

prescient

having
knowledge of things before they happen

presentiment

a feeling
of anticipation over a future event

prevaricate

to lie or
deviate from the truth

probity

honesty,
high-mindedness

prodigal

lavish,
wasteful

proliferate

to
increase in number quickly

promulgate

to make known
by open declaration

propitiate

to
conciliate; to appease

propound

to set
forth for consideration

propriety

correct
behavior, obedience to rules and customs

proscribe

to
condemn as harmful or odious

proselytize

to convert
of attempt to recruit

protract

to
prolong, draw out, extend

provident

having or
showing foresight

prudence

wisdom,
caution or restraint

puerile

childish,
immature

pugnacious

to
quarrel or fight readily

punctilious

strict or
exact in the observance of formalities

pusillanimous

lacking
courage or resolution

querulous

full of
complaints

quiescence

the
condition of being at rest, still, inactive

quiescent

motionless

recumbent

lying
down; reclining; leaning

refractory

stubborn,
rebellious

rejoinder

to reply,
retort

remonstrate

to say or
plead in protect, objection or reproof

reprehensible

deserving
rebuke or censure

reprisals

retaliation
against an enemy

reprobate

a
depraved or wicked person

repudiate

to reject
the validity of

reticent

silent,
reserved

reticent

disposed
to be silent or not to speak freely

revile

to criticize
with harsh language

salient

prominent
or conspicuous

sedition

incitement
of discontent or rebellion against a government

sociopath

a person
whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility

soporific

causing
sleep or lethargy

specious

deceptively
attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious

stigma

a mark of
shame or discredit

stolid

unemotional;
lacking sensitivity

subjugate

to
conquer

subterfuge

an artifice
or expedient used to evade a rule

supercilious

arrogant,
haughty, condescending

supplicate

to make
humble and earnest entreaty

taciturn

silent,
not talkative

tenable

capable
of being held, maintained or defended

tenacious

holding
fast

tendentious

having a
predisposition towards a point of view

torpor

extreme
mental and physical sluggishness

tractable

easily
managed or controlled

transcendent

going
beyond ordinary limits

unconscionable

unscrupulous

veracious

habitually
truthful

veracity

filled
with trust and accuracy

verisimilitude

the
appearance or semblance of truth

verity

truthfulness

vicarious

performed,
exercised, received or suffered in place of another

vilify

to
slander, to defame

vociferous

crying
out noisily

volition

free
choice, free will; act of choosing

voracious

having a
great appetite