GRE Vocabulary

To become less intense or widespread; to reduce in amount, degree, or severity.

different from what is typical or usual, especially in an unacceptable way

The deliberate practice of refraining from an activity or from consuming a particular substance, especially alcohol, food, or sexual activity.

Having a sharp, bitter, and irritating taste or smell; also, harsh or caustic in tone.

Speed and eagerness

To make a bad, difficult, or unpleasant situation better; improve.

Anxious or fearful that something undesirable may happen.

Having or showing very strong feelings, passion, or enthusiasm; fervent or intense.

A refractive error caused by irregular curvature of the cornea or lens, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.

Severely simple, plain, or lacking comfort and decoration; also characterized by strict self-discipline or severity.

Having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Having an aggressive or warlike attitude; inclined to fight or engage in conflict.

Relating to or characterized by buboes, especially the form of plague that causes swollen, painful lymph nodes.

Relating to or depicting the pleasant, peaceful aspects of rural life and the countryside.

Relating to the head, especially the head end or shape of an organism.

disappointment or anger, especially when caused by a failure or mistake

A dense, often thorny shrubland characteristic of regions with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, especially coastal California.

Kept secret or concealed, especially because it is unauthorized, illicit, or intended to evade notice.

To think carefully and deliberately about something; to ponder.

To think about something deeply and thoughtfully, often considering it carefully or at length.

Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.

In a brief, abrupt, and sometimes rudely impolite manner.

A widespread, coordinated search or operation by authorities to capture suspects or locate missing people or objects.

Cheerfully enthusiastic, energetic, and full of excitement.

Resembling an elf, especially in being small, delicate, graceful, or slightly mischievous.

Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

Artificial or inferior substitute; made to imitate something genuine.

To deliberately avoid using, abstain from, or keep away from something, especially on moral or practical grounds.

To remove dead surface cells from the skin, usually by using a scrub, brush, or chemical treatment.

helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally acceptable.

Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Happening by chance, often in a lucky or beneficial way.

A person's or animal's manner or pattern of walking.

A thin, loosely woven fabric, commonly used for medical dressings, bandages, and filtering.

To provoke or pressure someone into taking action, often through persistent criticism, encouragement, or irritation.

Marked by or causing disgrace, shame, or public humiliation.

A person who currently holds a particular office or position, especially an elected political office.

Showing an inclination to avoid activity or exertion; habitually lazy or idle.

Lacking movement, energy, or the capacity to act; inactive or unresponsive.

Relating to the groin or the region where the abdomen meets the inner thigh.

Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.

A passionate expression of grief, sorrow, or regret; a mournful complaint or song.

Calmly unconcerned or casually indifferent, often in a way that suggests a lack of worry or excitement.

Sexually mature and physically attractive, especially in a young woman; traditionally, of an age considered suitable for marriage.

Insignificantly small or meager; trivial or worthless in amount or importance.

Keen mental insight and the ability to understand subtle or complex matters quickly and accurately.

Having or adorned with feathers, especially long, prominent, or decorative ones; plume-like in appearance.

Very steep or fast decline. Falling very fast

In an attractively old-fashioned, unusual, or charmingly picturesque manner.

A witty or clever remark, often brief and sometimes mildly sarcastic.

A person who is morally unprincipled or depraved; someone condemned as beyond hope of salvation or redemption.

Regarded as too important, valuable, or holy to be questioned, violated, or interfered with.

Having keen judgment, sound reasoning, and practical wisdom; discerning and insightful.

Having a positive and hopeful outlook, especially in a difficult or challenging situation; optimistic.

Barely sufficient in amount, quantity, or degree; meager or inadequate.

A mass of loose, broken rock fragments accumulated at the base or on the slopes of a mountain or cliff.

Extremely careful, precise, and conscientious; also, guided by strong principles of honesty and moral correctness.

Loud, powerful, and far-carrying, especially when describing a person's voice or speech.

Deception or a deceptive strategy used to conceal one's intentions or achieve a goal.

Expressed clearly and briefly, without unnecessary words.

Understood or implied without being stated openly; expressed or carried out without words or explicit communication.

Pompously elaborate, inflated, or difficult to understand, especially in writing or speech.

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.

Covered with or characterized by lush green vegetation; green and flourishing.

The appearance of being true, real, or plausible, especially in a literary or artistic work.

A mechanical tool with two opposing jaws that tighten to hold an object firmly, especially during machining or other manual work.

A cloth head covering, traditionally worn by women, that frames the face and covers the neck and chin; especially associated with medieval dress.

To accept or comply with something without protest, often reluctantly or passively.

Based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system.

Relating to a system of administration characterized by complex procedures, rigid adherence to rules, and hierarchical authority; often implying unnecessary formality or inefficiency.

To interpret or understand something difficult to read, decode, or comprehend, especially writing, symbols, or a concealed message.

Causing harm or damage; adversely affecting something.

Producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring, vegetation, or creative ideas; highly fertile or productive.

Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless or ineffective.

Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects; inappropriate or out of place.

Lacking importance, significance, or serious effect; trivial.

to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering : omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision

Lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight.

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.

A person who held a position or role before the current holder; more broadly, an earlier version, system, or thing that was replaced by another.

Characterized by idealistic, romantic, or visionary aims that are impractical and unlikely to succeed.

Elementary, undeveloped, or consisting only of basic principles; rudimentary.

Involving prolonged sitting or little physical activity; inactive.

Perceptible by touch; capable of being touched or felt. Also used figuratively to describe something real or concrete, rather than abstract or imaginary.