Ace the GRE: Top 50 vocabulary words

Preparing for the GRE can sometimes feel like learning an entirely new language, especially when it comes to GRE vocabulary. The Verbal Reasoning section goes beyond simply recognizing words: it assesses your understanding of each word’s meaning, nuance, and contextual usage. That’s why strengthening your command of essential GRE vocab words is one of the smartest strategies to improve your overall score.

To help you succeed, we’ve compiled a comprehensive GRE vocabulary list featuring the top GRE words you’re most likely to encounter on test day. Each entry in our GRE vocabulary list includes a concise definition and a practical example sentence, allowing you to incorporate these GRE vocabulary words into your writing and conversation with confidence from the start. These 50 words are presented in alphabetical order.

The top 50 GRE vocabulary words

1. Aberrant: deviating from the norm. Ex. His aberrant behavior surprised even his closest friends.
2. Alacrity: eager willingness. Ex. She accepted the job offer with alacrity.
3. Ameliorate: to improve or make better. Ex. New policies were introduced to ameliorate working conditions.
4. Anomaly: something unusual or unexpected. Ex. The scientist noticed an anomaly in the data set.
5. Antipathy: deep dislike. Ex. She had an open antipathy toward dishonesty.
6. Apathy: lack of interest or emotion. Ex. His apathy toward politics kept him from voting.
7. Arduous: difficult and tiring. Ex. Climbing the mountain was an arduous task.
8. Austere: strict or severe; plain in style. Ex. The monk lived an austere lifestyle.
9. Belie: to misrepresent or contradict. Ex. His calm face belied his inner anxiety.
10. Cacophony: harsh, jarring sound. Ex. The cacophony of traffic made it hard to concentrate.
11. Capricious: unpredictable, impulsive. Ex. The stock market is notoriously capricious.
12. Caustic: bitingly sarcastic; capable of burning. Ex. Her caustic remarks silenced the room.
13. Convoluted: extremely complex. Ex. The novel’s convoluted plot confused readers.
14. Corroborate: to confirm or support. Ex. The witness corroborated the suspect’s alibi.
15. Credulous: too trusting, gullible. Ex. The credulous tourist believed every tall tale.
16. Deference: respectful submission. Ex. He showed deference to his grandmother’s wishes.
17. Deride: to mock or ridicule. Ex. The critic derided the film as shallow and predictable.
18. Desiccate: to dry out completely. Ex. The hot sun desiccated the fields.
19. Diatribe: a bitter verbal attack. Ex. The politician launched into a diatribe against corruption.
20. Didactic: intended to teach. Ex. The professor’s lectures were didactic but engaging.
21. Diffident: shy, lacking confidence. Ex. Her diffident manner kept her from speaking up.
22. Dilatory: slow, delaying. Ex. His dilatory response frustrated his teammates.
23. Disparate: fundamentally different. Ex. The two cultures had disparate traditions.
24. Dogmatic: stubbornly opinionated. Ex. He was dogmatic about his political views.
25. Ebullient: enthusiastic, full of energy. Ex. The ebullient crowd cheered for hours.
26. Efficacy: effectiveness. Ex. The new drug showed high efficacy in trials.
27. Enervate: to weaken. Ex. The long hike enervated the entire group.
28. Ephemeral: lasting a short time. Ex. Fame in the digital age can be ephemeral.
29. Equivocate: to use ambiguous language to mislead. Ex. The spokesperson equivocated when asked direct questions.
30. Erudite: highly educated, scholarly. Ex. The erudite professor was respected worldwide.
31. Esoteric: known only to a few. Ex. The philosopher’s ideas were too esoteric for most readers.
32. Eulogy: a speech praising someone, often after death. Ex. She delivered a heartfelt eulogy at the funeral.
33. Exculpate: to free from blame. Ex. The evidence exculpated the wrongly accused man.
34. Fastidious: very attentive to detail. Ex. She was fastidious about keeping her workspace neat.
35. Garrulous: excessively talkative. Ex. The garrulous host wouldn’t let anyone else speak.
36. Gregarious: sociable, outgoing. Ex. He was gregarious and loved hosting parties.
37. Harangue: a forceful, lengthy speech. Ex. The activist delivered a passionate harangue.
38. Iconoclast: one who challenges traditions. Ex. The artist was an iconoclast who defied convention.
39. Idiosyncrasy: a peculiar trait. Ex. Her habit of humming while working was an idiosyncrasy.
40. Inchoate: just beginning, not fully formed. Ex. The plan was still in an inchoate stage.
41. Irascible: easily angered. Ex. The irascible coach often yelled at players.
42. Laconic: using few words. Ex. His laconic reply left her puzzled.
43. Laudable: deserving praise. Ex. Her efforts to help the community were laudable.
44. Loquacious: very talkative. Ex. The loquacious student dominated discussions.
45. Lucid: clear, easy to understand. Ex. She gave a lucid explanation of the theory.
46. Magnanimous: generous and forgiving. Ex. He was magnanimous in victory.
47. Misanthrope: one who dislikes people. Ex. The old man was a misanthrope who avoided society.
48. Obdurate: stubborn, unyielding. Ex. The obdurate judge refused to show mercy.
49. Obfuscate: to make unclear or confusing. Ex. The legal jargon only served to obfuscate the issue.
50. Pragmatic: practical, realistic. Ex. Her pragmatic approach helped solve the problem quickly.

How to prepare for vocab questions on the GRE

To master GRE vocabulary, study words in context by learning them through example sentences rather than just definitions. Group words by theme to recognize patterns in meaning, and make a habit of using them in your daily writing or conversations. Flashcards, regular practice, and consistent review are the keys to long-term retention.

Key takeaways

Strong GRE vocabulary is a crucial factor in achieving a high score on the exam. By learning and mastering this GRE vocabulary list, which highlights the top 50 GRE words most frequently tested, you enhance not only your test performance but also your reading comprehension and analytical abilities. Focusing on crucial vocabulary words from a well-curated GRE vocab set can give you a distinct advantage, strengthening your grasp of nuanced meanings, boosting your confidence across all verbal sections, and saving precious study time by focusing on the most salient words.