<p> J3 Top 100 GRE Vocabulary Words abyss hole so deep as to appear bottomless meddle to interfere, to intrude acquiesce agree, accept without protest mend to repair affable polite and friendly, easy to talk to mirth being merry and happy affliction distress, suffering nausea feeling of sickness affluent wealthy, abundant neglect pay no attention to agitate move, shake, stir up nocturnal of or in the night ambiguous having more than one meaning obese very fat annex take possession of obsolete no longer useful, outdated aqueous of or like water perch take up a high position arduous demanding great effort, strenuous pervade spread through every part of aroma quality or surrounding petulant unreasonably impatient or irritable atmosphere considered typical pillage plunder (esp in war) atone make repayment presumptuous too bold or self-confident avarice greed quashed annulled bellicose inclined to fighting quenching satisfy, put an end to, put out calisthenics exercises to develop strong bodies refurbished make clean, as if like new captor person who takes someone captive rejoicing happiness, joy concoct invent, prepare by mixing together reticent in the habit of saying little dangle hand or swing loosely reverberate be sent back, again and again deprive take away from, prevent from using rigor sternness, strictness, severe conditions diligent hard-working rotundity state of being round disrobe undress salvage the saving of property from loss docile easily trained or controlled scattered not situated together doleful dismal, mournful shatter to break into many pieces drought a long period of dry weather shunned avoided, kept away from dubious feeling doubt sketchy shortly, roughly, quickly dumbfound astonish sporadic happening from time to time efface rub or wipe out, obliterate stifled suppressed, kept back elucidate to make understandable strive to make great efforts, to struggle enchant charm, delight subsequent following endeavor to make an effort, to try very hard succumb yield, die endorse approve, support a claim or statement taciturn unspoken, silent enthrall take the whole attention tantalize raise hopes that cannot be realized enslave exploit to use for selfish advantage or profit tentative uncertain, probable extensive far-reaching torpid dull and slow extol to praise highly treacherous not to be trusted, perfidious flimsy lacking solidarity, strength tremor thrill fraud a fault, a deception tyro a beginner gaudy too bright and showy uproar noise and excitement ghastly death-like, pale and ill vanity a foolish pride grumble to complain vehemence forcefulness, intensity, conviction harass worry, trouble vigilance watchfulness heretic very busy; active vindicate prove the truth impediment something that hinders (esp in speech) voluptuous arousing sensual pleasures indigenous native wan looking ill, not bright insatiate never satisfied wile a trick intrepid fearless wrinkle make small lines (eg forehead) irate angry jeopardy danger leash control loafer an idle, lazy person lucrative profitable lustrous bright; shining malign to slander GRE Vocab Practice</p><p>Preparing for the Verbal section of the GRE can be daunting, especially considering the practice time necessary to build a stronger vocabulary. Fortunately, the test questions frequently rely on the same words, and these trends provide test- takers with a smaller group of terms to study. </p><p>Isolating Vocabulary Gaps</p><p>When looking over “top GRE word” lists, try to highlight or underline words that you do not know and words for which you can’t easily provide a definition. If you can’t articulate the meaning(s) of a word on demand, then it is a word you should study. Use flashcards, lists, ask a friend to quiz you, and above all else, plan adequate time to study before the GRE. Ideally, you should spend at least a month learning new words; building vocabulary takes longer than learning a math formula or argument structure.</p><p>Studying Vocabulary Roots</p><p>If you fail to recognize a word on the GRE, you can often make an educated guess as to its meaning by breaking the word into its component (com-, meaning with or together) parts. Learn common Latin roots, and take the time to study the meaning of popular prefixes and suffixes, such as a- (without, a lack of; atypical, asexual, atheism), or ex- (out [of]; exodus, extinct, exhale). Identifying affixes and roots can help you determine a word’s approximate function or meaning. A useful reference list is located at <http://www.virtualsalt.com/roots.htm>.</p><p>The Imaginary Word Method</p><p>The GRE verbal section will contain three types of vocabulary questions: sentence completion, antonyms, and analogies. For all of these questions, the most important technique to remember is the “imaginary word.” Ignoring the list of words, imagine one of your own that has the meaning you need, then 1) eliminate words that cannot mean the same as your word and 2) locate the word that has the closest meaning.</p><p>Sentence completions are a bit different. Decide whether the sentence contains agreement or disagreement by identifying words like “but,” “except” (disagreement), or “so,” and “thus” (agreement), then use your imaginary word to choose the best option.</p><p>Ex: While some students are quick to answer questions, others are ______.</p><p>Sagacious Arrogant Flamboyant Torpid </p><p>The sentence begins with “while,” indicating a compound sentence with disagreement. “Lazy” might serve well in the blank, and “torpid” is its synonym. Thus, “torpid” is the correct answer.</p><p>Before the GRE</p><p>There is no point cramming vocabulary the night before the exam, so instead, try giving yourself a cumulative review of the words you’ve learned. Get a good night’s sleep, and don’t worry about it; you’ve done all you can do.</p><p>Center for Transformative Learning Peer Consultation Stephenson Hall CPO 2136 x3404</p>