Here you’ll find 99 of the most common GRE words (in non-alphabetical order) explained through sentences. Each word comes with examples and easy synonyms so you can see how it actually works in context.
Vocabulary is probably one of the most important parts of GRE preparation. The test doesn’t directly ask you to “define” a word, but your vocabulary knowledge is tested indirectly through Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension questions.
In these sections, the right answer usually depends on recognizing a word’s meaning in context, though a few hit-or-miss tricks exist for unknown vocab.
The problem is, GRE vocabulary can feel overwhelming. There are thousands of words, but not all of them are equally important. Some words show up again and again in past questions, prep material, and practice tests.
These are what we call high-frequency words, the words you can’t afford to ignore.
In this post, I’ve collected 99 very high-frequency GRE words along with their usage in sentences. But this list is organized little differently from the dozens you’ve probably scrolled through online.
Most websites follow the same formula: word → definition → one example sentence. That works if you’ve got an eidetic memory like Sheldon Cooper. For the rest of us, it’s dull, mechanical, and forgettable.
Another gripe I have with vocabulary lists is their alphabetical order. Back in my student days, they completely turned me off. I couldn’t memorise more than three words without forgetting the ones before.
Here’s what I’ve done instead: I’ve made the meaning clear through usage. I don’t give you the meaning directly. Instead, I give you example sentences in proper context that highlight the word’s sense. Then, I put its meaning in brackets right next to the word.
Must read: How to Learn Vocabulary for Any Exam
This way, you learn the meaning actively rather than passively, which helps you remember words for much longer. For example, I never looked up the word eidetic, yet I understood it instantly when Sheldon used it in The Big Bang Theory.
There’s another advantage: you don’t just get the definition and synonyms. You also see words that work as excellent alternatives or close synonyms.
This also prepares you for Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions on the GRE. Because the words appear in full sentences, you see how they function with common conjunctions, articles, and collocations. This makes it easier to recognize natural word pairings and choose the correct option when solving questions.
A note: At times, the synonyms in brackets may not look like strict synonyms. That’s okay. Its intentional. I’ve chosen them so you could see the nuances and shades of these words.
Also, the list is randomized. It is not arranged in alphabetical order, so you do not feel like you are reading a dictionary.
Now that we have gone over it, lets have a look at the important GRE Words:
📎 If you’d rather like to take a print out of this list to read it and work along side it (which I recommend heavily), you can also download its PDF version. Its absolutely free.
High frequency GRE words with their usage
1. Ambiguous:
Because the exam question was ambiguous [= unclear / open to interpretation / not specific], students wasted time debating what it actually meant.
2. Pragmatic:
She wanted a dream wedding, but her fiancé suggested a pragmatic [= practical / realistic / focused on results] plan that fit their budget.
3. Substantiate:
The witness’s vague story could not substantiate [= prove true / back up / provide evidence for] the claims, even though it sounded convincing at first.
4. Contentious:
Although the meeting began calmly, the issue of salaries soon turned contentious [= hotly disputed / likely to provoke conflict / causing arguments] and divided the staff.
5. Erudite:
The audience listened closely as the erudite [= deeply learned / highly educated / showing great knowledge] historian explained links between ancient myths and modern science.
6. Disparate:
Even though they were twins, their interests were so disparate [= completely different / sharply distinct / contrasting] that one became a musician while the other pursued engineering.
7. Tenuous:
His explanation sounded tenuous [= very weak / lacking strength / uncertain], since it relied on rumours rather than actual facts.
8. Ubiquitous:
Because of social media, selfies have become ubiquitous [= found everywhere / widespread / present all around], appearing on every platform you open.
9. Capricious:
The director’s capricious [= unpredictable / subject to sudden change / fickle] decisions frustrated the actors, who never knew what role they would play next.
10. Venerate:
Although he lived centuries ago, people still venerate [= honor greatly / show deep respect / revere] the poet by celebrating his birthday with public readings.
11. Ameliorate:
Since food shortages were growing severe, the government launched programs to ameliorate [= make better / improve / ease hardship] the situation in rural areas.
12. Precarious:
He balanced on the edge of the broken bridge, and his precarious [= dangerously unstable / unsafe / risky] position made everyone gasp.
13. Enumerate:
Because the topic was complex, the lawyer chose to enumerate [= list clearly / specify one by one / mention in order] the evidence rather than present it all at once.
14. Proliferate:
As internet access expanded, fake news sites began to proliferate [= increase rapidly / multiply quickly / spread widely], creating confusion among readers.
15. Eschew:
The monk chose to eschew [= deliberately give up / avoid using] material possessions, even though wealth was easily within his reach.
16. Corroborate:
Several witnesses came forward to corroborate [= provide confirming evidence / show to be true] the suspect’s alibi, which had initially sounded doubtful.
17. Equivocal:
Her reply was so equivocal [= not clearly stated / open to different interpretations] that no one could tell whether she agreed or disagreed, even after repeated questioning.
18. Catalyst:
The protest became a catalyst [= event that triggers change / cause of rapid development] for political reform, since frustration had been building for years.
19. Mitigate:
Wearing seat belts helps to mitigate [= make less severe / reduce harmful effect] the force of collisions, even if accidents cannot always be prevented.
20. Dichotomy:
There is a clear dichotomy [= sharp division into two parts / contrast between opposites] between what politicians promise and what they deliver, because ideals rarely match reality.
21. Arduous:
Completing the marathon was an arduous [= very difficult / requiring great effort] task, though he had trained for months.
22. Candor:
She spoke with candor [= complete honesty / open expression], and the audience admired her even more because of her sincerity.
23. Prevalent:
Fast food chains are prevalent [= widely existing / commonly found] in most cities, though they remain rare in remote villages.
24. Admonish:
The teacher had to admonish [= warn firmly / scold gently] the children for whispering, even while the exam was in progress.
25. Archaic:
Some legal documents still contain archaic [= no longer in use / belonging to an earlier time] words, which ordinary people no longer understand.
26. Dogmatic:
He remained dogmatic [= stubbornly fixed in opinion / unwilling to consider other views] in his beliefs, even when colleagues presented strong evidence against them.
27. Bolster:
The coach’s encouraging words helped to bolster [= provide extra support / strengthen confidence] the team’s morale before the match, which had already been delayed twice.
28. Censure:
The official faced public censure [= strong formal criticism / expression of disapproval], although the mistake was not entirely his fault.
29. Partisan:
The news channel was accused of giving partisan [= showing unfair bias / favouring one side] coverage, even though it claimed to be neutral.
30. Parity:
The company fought for parity [= state of being equal / condition of fairness] in pay, though some managers resisted the change.
31. Comprehensive:
The report provided a comprehensive [= covering everything fully / complete in detail] analysis of the company’s financial performance, which allowed investors to make informed decisions.
32. Indifferent:
She seemed indifferent [= showing no concern / lacking interest] to the outcome of the match, even while the rest of the crowd erupted in excitement.
33. Implicit:
There was an implicit [= understood without being stated / implied agreement] between them that loyalty mattered more than money.
34. Deference:
Out of deference [= respectful submission / regard for authority] to the elderly speaker, everyone remained silent until she finished.
35. Orthodox:
He followed an orthodox [= following long-established rules / traditional in practice] approach to teaching, though students often asked for more modern methods.
36. Incongruous:
Her cheerful laughter sounded incongruous [= out of place / not fitting the situation] at the funeral service.
37. Propensity:
He had a propensity [= natural tendency / strong inclination] to get nervous before public speaking events, even when well prepared.
38. Reciprocal:
Their friendship was built on reciprocal [= mutually given / shared equally] trust and respect, which made it long-lasting.
39. Alleviate:
Medicine helped to alleviate [= make less severe / reduce intensity of] the patient’s chronic pain, though it did not cure the illness.
40. Aberrant:
The scientist noticed an aberrant [= deviating from normal / unusual and irregular] pattern in the experiment’s results, which required further investigation.
41. Predilection:
She had a predilection [= strong liking / natural preference] for mystery novels, even when other genres were more popular.
42. Meticulous:
The artist was meticulous [= extremely careful / paying close attention to detail] in painting each tiny feature of the portrait.
43. Skeptical:
He was skeptical [= doubtful of truth / questioning validity] of the company’s claim that their product could cure all diseases.
44. Repudiate:
The politician tried to repudiate [= strongly reject / refuse to accept as true] the accusations made against him, though the evidence was clear.
45. Vacillate:
She continued to vacillate [= waver between choices / be indecisive] between studying law and pursuing a career in writing, even as deadlines approached.
46. Plausible:
The detective found his explanation plausible [= appearing believable / seeming reasonable], even though she insisted on more proof before closing the case.
47. Gregarious:
He was so gregarious [= fond of company / highly sociable] that within a week at his new job, he had more friends than most long-time employees.
48. Magnanimous:
Although defeat was disappointing, the player remained magnanimous [= generous in spirit / forgiving toward rivals] and congratulated his opponent warmly.
49. Lucid:
Her lecture was remarkably lucid [= clearly expressed / easy to follow], even though the subject itself was notoriously difficult.
50. Inert:
The gas remained inert [= not reactive / without movement], while other chemicals in the experiment reacted violently.
51. Opaque:
The legal document was opaque [= difficult to understand / lacking clarity], which frustrated even the experienced lawyers reviewing it.
52. Tacit:
There was a tacit [= silently understood / implied without words] agreement between them, though neither ever spoke of it openly.
53. Pejorative:
The critic’s review was filled with pejorative [= expressing disapproval / carrying insulting meaning] remarks, even though the book was popular among readers.
54. Ephemeral:
The beauty of a rainbow is ephemeral [= lasting a very short time / quickly disappearing], because it vanishes almost as soon as the sunlight shifts.
55. Inconsequential:
His error proved inconsequential [= too minor to matter / lacking real importance], though he worried about it for days.
56. Mundane:
She found the filing work mundane [= ordinary and dull / lacking excitement], even though it was essential to keep the office running.
57. Nuance:
The actor captured every nuance [= subtle difference / small distinction] of emotion, which made the performance feel strikingly authentic.
58. Insipid:
The soup tasted insipid [= lacking flavour / dull in taste], though it had been prepared with expensive ingredients.
59. Meager:
The family survived on a meager [= very small in amount / barely sufficient] income, while wealthier relatives lived comfortably.
60. Reverent:
The audience sat in reverent [= showing deep respect / filled with admiration] silence, as the monk’s words carried profound weight.
61. Supercilious:
His supercilious [= arrogantly superior / condescending in attitude] tone unsettled the meeting, even though he claimed to be respectful.
62. Diminish:
Over time, his fear of public speaking began to diminish [= gradually decrease / become less strong], as practice made him more confident.
63. Lethargic:
She felt lethargic [= lacking energy / unusually sluggish] after the long journey, though she had slept on the train.
64. Spurious:
The court dismissed his spurious [= false in nature / lacking validity] arguments, since no evidence supported them.
65. Intrepid:
The intrepid [= fearless in danger / adventurous in spirit] explorer set out to climb the uncharted mountain, though many warned him against it.
66. Tangential:
The professor’s lecture became tangential [= only slightly related / going off-topic], as he drifted into a story that had little to do with the subject.
67. Austere:
The monk lived in an austere [= extremely simple / without luxury] room, while others in the monastery kept modest comforts.
68. Tractable:
The problem turned out to be tractable [= easy to control / manageable with effort], even though the engineers had first feared the worst.
69. Perfunctory:
He gave a perfunctory [= done without real effort / mechanical in manner] nod, though the discussion deserved genuine attention.
70. Candid:
She was refreshingly candid [= openly truthful / straightforward in speech] about the difficulties she faced, which earned her respect.
71. Impetuous:
He leapt into the deal without thinking, and his impetuous [= acting too hastily / reckless in judgment] choice nearly bankrupted the firm.
72. Sagacious:
Her sagacious [= showing wise judgment / perceptive in thought] advice steered the team through the crisis, while other leaders froze under pressure.
73. Reticent:
She remained reticent [= not revealing thoughts easily / inclined to stay silent], even though she understood the issue perfectly.
74. Fortuitous:
Their fortuitous [= happening by chance / producing lucky results] encounter on the train led to a partnership that neither had expected.
75. Languid:
He stirred his tea slowly, his movements languid [= lacking vitality / weak from fatigue] after the exhausting journey.
76. Circumspect:
The opportunity looked golden, yet he remained circumspect [= cautious in judgment / careful to avoid risk], unwilling to gamble his savings.
77. Placate:
The argument grew heated, so she tried to placate [= calm someone’s anger / bring peace to a conflict] her friend with a sincere apology.
78. Indomitable:
Setbacks came one after another, yet her indomitable [= impossible to defeat / unyielding in spirit] will refused to break.
79. Sanguine:
His grades had slipped badly, but he stayed sanguine [= cheerfully optimistic / confident about the future] about passing the exam.
80. Vindicate:
Rumours painted him guilty, but the new evidence served to vindicate [= clear from blame / prove justified] his reputation.
81. Turbulent:
The meeting began orderly, then dissolved into a turbulent [= full of disorder / violently unsettled] shouting match.
82. Scrupulous:
He was slow to finish the report because his scrupulous [= extremely careful / strictly attentive to detail] checks left no error untouched.
83. Frugal:
Their house was modest and their habits plain, for a frugal [= using resources sparingly / avoiding unnecessary spending] life gave them steady comfort.
84. Vitriolic:
She smiled politely, yet her words were vitriolic [= extremely bitter in tone / harshly critical], cutting deeper than open anger would have.
85. Torpid:
Hours of heat left him torpid [= lacking energy / physically inactive], barely able to lift his head.
86. Conciliatory:
The strike threatened to spread, so management issued a conciliatory [= intended to make peace / soothing hostility] offer to calm tensions.
87. Querulous:
He had food, shelter, and company, yet his tone stayed querulous [= habitually complaining / whining in manner] throughout the evening.
88. Garrulous:
She asked a simple question, but the garrulous [= excessively talkative / fond of rambling speech] neighbour answered with a half-hour monologue.
89. Penurious:
The scholar lived in a penurious [= extremely poor / lacking basic resources] room, surviving on bread and tea.
90. Punctilious:
Every fork and spoon was in its exact place, for his punctilious [= showing precise attention / careful with small details] manner impressed the guests.
91. Phlegmatic:
The fire alarm rang loudly, yet his phlegmatic [= calmly unemotional / composed under pressure] manner never wavered.
92. Laconic:
Asked for his opinion, he gave a laconic [= using very few words / brief to the point of bluntness] “yes” and nothing more.
93. Sycophantic:
She frowned at his constant flattery, for the sycophantic [= excessively flattering / insincerely submissive] praise felt dishonest.
94. Truculent:
Tired of compromise, he grew truculent [= aggressively defiant / eager to fight], daring anyone to challenge him.
95. Grandiloquent:
His speech was long and grandiloquent [= pompously wordy / pretentiously showy], so the audience left more impressed by style than substance.
96. Effusive:
The applause was loud and the hugs endless, as her effusive [= overflowing with emotion / unrestrainedly expressive] gratitude filled the room.
97. Dilatory:
He saw the deadline coming but adopted a dilatory [= intended to delay / habitually slow to act] approach, finishing nothing on time.
98. Pusillanimous:
Danger loomed ahead, yet his pusillanimous [= lacking courage / excessively timid] retreat disappointed his friends.
99. Obstinate:
They offered him reason and reward, but he remained obstinate [= stubbornly refusing change / unyielding despite persuasion], holding firm to his decision.
Parting thoughts
Learning GRE vocabulary doesn’t have to feel like memorizing a dictionary. By seeing these 99 high-frequency words in real sentences, you not only understand their meanings but also pick up on how they naturally pair with other words. That’s exactly the skill you need for solving Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions.
Keep revisiting the list, swap in the synonyms, and test yourself in context. And if you want to take it offline, don’t forget to download the PDF version so you can review anytime.
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