Top 50 High-Frequency GRE Vocabulary Words (With Definitions & Examples)
This guide lists the 50 most important GRE vocabulary words, with clear definitions and real-world examples. These words show up often across GRE Verbal questions and can be learned efficiently with targeted study.
Posted September 3, 2025
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Understanding high-frequency words is one of the most effective ways to improve your GRE vocabulary in a short time. Vocabulary plays a key role in the GRE Verbal section, especially in Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension. If you are a student preparing for the GRE, this list will help you build the kind of word knowledge that shows up often on the test.
This article includes 50 high-impact GRE vocabulary words. Each word is defined and used in a sentence to help you understand it clearly. These words were selected based on GRE experts' analysis of past test questions, ETS official materials, and major test prep companies, including Magoosh and Kaplan.
What Are GRE Vocabulary Words?
GRE vocabulary words are the high-frequency terms that regularly appear on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE test. These words are often used in academic texts, business writing, and graduate-level reading materials. Students are expected to understand these words in context, identify their meanings, and recognize how they change the tone or logic of a sentence. These words typically appear in three types of GRE questions:
- Sentence Equivalence: where you select two words that complete a sentence with the same meaning
- Text Completion: where you choose words to fill in blanks so the sentence makes logical sense
- Reading Comprehension: Where vocabulary affects the meaning of longer passages
Most GRE vocabulary words are not technical or obscure. Instead, they are general-purpose academic words that require a solid understanding of nuance, tone, and logic. For example, knowing the difference between equivocal and ambiguous, or between pragmatic and idealistic, can change how you answer a question. The GRE doesn’t just test definitions. It tests your ability to understand how words function in real sentences, especially when those sentences are written in a formal or abstract way.
Paying close attention to detail in both definitions and usage is crucial for mastering GRE vocabulary. By learning these words early and practicing them regularly, students can reduce the time they spend struggling with unfamiliar terms and make faster progress across all GRE verbal sections.
Why GRE Vocabulary Matters
The GRE Verbal section tests how well you understand words in context, not just by definition. You’ll see these words in Sentence Equivalence, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension questions. The test includes 27 verbal reasoning questions split into two timed sections. These vocabulary questions aren’t random; they focus on how you think, interpret meaning, and recognize word relationships.
Learning high-frequency words is one of the most efficient ways to improve your GRE score in a short time. The degree to which vocabulary mastery influences your overall GRE performance can be significant, as a stronger vocabulary directly impacts your ability to interpret meaning and answer questions accurately. These words appear often and affect how you interpret the meaning in a sentence. If you’re a student preparing for graduate school or a person balancing a job and test prep, using a focused word list saves time and helps you study smarter.
How We Selected These 50 Words
This list was created using the most reliable GRE prep sources:
- ETS Official Guides
- Magoosh, Kaplan, and Manhattan Prep vocabulary tools
- Feedback from GRE experts and former test-takers
- Analysis of words frequently seen in GRE practice questions and flashcards
Each word was selected based on how often it appears on the test, its relevance to typical GRE question formats, and how often it causes difficulty for students. Many of these words have meanings that can shift based on context, so seeing how they are used in a sentence is just as important as memorizing definitions.
Top 50 GRE Vocabulary Words (With Definitions & Examples)
Each word below includes the part of speech, a short definition, and an example sentence. These are organized for easy review and practice.
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anomaly | Noun | Something unusual or unexpected | The forgotten details of the ancient festival were an anomaly in the historical record. |
| Equivocal | Adjective | Unclear or ambiguous | The politician’s equivocal answer confused both sides of the argument. |
| Lucid | Adjective | Clear and easy to understand | The professor’s explanation was lucid and easy to follow. |
| Precipitate | Verb | To cause something to happen suddenly | The fire on the ship precipitated a rapid evacuation of the crew. |
| Assuage | Verb | To make it less intense | Painkillers can assuage the discomfort after surgery. |
| Erudite | Adjective | Knowledgeable or scholarly | The erudite speaker discussed the history of her country in great detail. |
| Opaque | Adjective | Hard to understand | The thick cover of fog made the landscape opaque and mysterious. |
| Prodigal | Adjective | Wastefully extravagant | His prodigal lifestyle was marked by displays of wealth and luxury. |
| Enigma | Noun | A mysterious or hard-to-understand thing or person | The search for the missing artifact remains an enigma despite decades of research. |
| Fervid | Adjective | Intensely passionate | She gave a fervid speech on climate policy. |
| Placate | Verb | To calm someone down | The manager offered a refund to placate the angry customer. |
| Zeal | Noun | Strong enthusiasm | His zeal for public service inspired his coworkers. |
| Abstain | Verb | To avoid or refuse to do something | She abstained from alcohol during the training program. |
| Audacious | Adjective | Bold or disrespectfully daring | Launching a new business during a recession was audacious. |
| Desiccate | Verb | To dry out completely | The heat can desiccate vegetation quickly. |
| Gullible | Adjective | Easily fooled | Scammers target gullible people using fake statements and offers. |
| Laudable | Adjective | Worthy of praise | Her work in the community was laudable. |
| Pedant | Noun | A person who shows off academic learning | The pedant corrected every small mistake during class discussion. |
| Vacillate | Verb | To waver between options | He vacillated between medical school and business school. |
| Adulterate | Verb | To reduce quality by adding something inferior | The chef refused to adulterate the recipe by using a cover of artificial flavors. |
| Capricious | Adjective | Unpredictable or impulsive | The employee’s capricious decisions slowed down the project. |
| Engender | Verb | To cause or give rise to | Strong leadership can produce and engender trust among team members. |
| Homogenous | Adjective | Uniform or similar | The team lacked diverse opinions due to its homogeneous background. |
| Loquacious | Adjective | Very talkative | The loquacious speaker went well over the scheduled time. |
| Pragmatic | Adjective | Practical, focused on results | Managing resources efficiently is a pragmatic approach to business challenges. |
| Volatile | Adjective | Unstable or likely to change quickly | Ships carrying hazardous materials can be volatile in rough seas. |
| Apathy | Noun | Lack of interest or concern | Voter apathy remains a problem during local elections. |
| Corroborate | Verb | To confirm with evidence | Testing can corroborate the accuracy of scientific claims. |
| Ephemeral | Adjective | Lasting a short time | The events of the summer festival were ephemeral but memorable. |
| Laconic | Adjective | Using few words | He described oneself in a laconic manner during the interview. |
| Mitigate | Verb | To reduce severity | Managing risk is essential to mitigate potential losses. |
| Propriety | Noun | Proper behavior | Institutions often set standards of propriety for their members. |
| Advocate | Verb | To publicly support | The organization is seeking to advocate for equal rights. |
| Cacophony | Noun | A harsh mixture of sounds | The street was filled with a cacophony of construction and traffic. |
| Enervate | Verb | To weaken or drain energy | The illness left her feeling much weaker and enervated than before. |
| Ingenuous | Adjective | Innocent and sincere | Her ingenuous reaction made people feel at ease. |
| Misanthrope | Noun | A person who dislikes others | His contempt for society led him to live as a misanthrope. |
| Paradox | Noun | A statement that contradicts itself | It is a paradox that a country so rich in resources can still face poverty. |
| Venerate | Verb | To show deep respect | People venerate leaders who demonstrate integrity and regard for others. |
| Antipathy | Noun | A strong dislike | His hate for corruption was evident in his strong antipathy toward dishonest officials. |
| Deride | Verb | To mock | The comedian’s jokes were met with contempt as he derided the politician’s actions. |
| Eulogy | Noun | A speech of praise for someone deceased | She gave a heartfelt eulogy for her grandfather. |
| Lethargic | Adjective | Lacking energy | Students felt lethargic after the long test. |
| Obdurate | Adjective | Stubborn and unchanging | He would remain obdurate in his refusal to compromise. |
| Philanthropic | Adjective | Charitable | Philanthropic institutions support education and healthcare initiatives. |
| Waver | Verb | To hesitate | She did not waver in her struggle to achieve her goals. |
| Bolster | Verb | To support or strengthen | Data from the study bolstered their position. |
| Dissonance | Noun | Lack of agreement | There was dissonance rather than harmony between leadership and employees. |
| Garrulous | Adjective | Talkative in a negative way | The garrulous worker disrupted meetings constantly. |
| Malleable | Adjective | Easily influenced or shaped | Children are especially malleable during their formative years. |
Expert Tips for Memorizing GRE Vocabulary
1. Use Flashcards With Spaced Repetition
Apps like Anki and Quizlet help students practice vocabulary consistently. Spaced repetition schedules the words you forget more often to reappear, helping with memory and progress. Focus on understanding words instead of memorizing definitions alone.
2. Read GRE-Style Content
Use sources like The New York Times, The Atlantic, or academic journals to see vocabulary in real use. This improves your understanding of how words behave in different contexts and makes your practice more complete.
3. Use Mnemonics and Word Roots
Link difficult words to familiar ones. For example:
- Loquacious → Think “talk a lot”
- Capricious → Link to “capricorns change mood suddenly.”Also, learn Latin and Greek roots, such as:
- bene = good → beneficial, benevolent
- dict = speak → dictate, predict
Download the Word List
Download a PDF or Google Sheet of the 50 GRE vocabulary words to review on your own schedule. You can also turn this list into flashcards or use it in your daily study routine.
Top 50 High-Frequency GRE Vocabulary Words PDF.pdf
The Bottom Line
Learning GRE vocabulary is not about memorizing thousands of obscure words. It's about focusing on the high-frequency words that consistently appear in test questions. These words show up in Sentence Equivalence, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension, and they often decide whether a student scores average or above average. Start with the 50 words listed above. Use flashcards. Practice in context. Aim to understand how each word functions in a sentence. With regular review, even just 10–15 minutes a day, students can build lasting retention in a short time. And if you're looking for support, working with a GRE coach can help turn vocabulary into one of your strongest sections.
Work With a GRE Coach
Learning words is easier when you have expert support. A GRE coach can: Build a custom study schedule based on your target score and availability, help you decide which areas to focus on, and keep your practice consistent and on track. You’ll get guidance from someone who understands the test and how to improve scores quickly. Find a GRE coach on Leland to start making consistent progress.
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GRE Vocabulary – Frequently Asked Questions
Which vocabulary is best for the GRE?
- Words that appear often in practice tests from ETS, Magoosh, or Kaplan. These are high-frequency, high-impact words.
How do I improve my vocabulary for the GRE?
- Use spaced repetition, study in context, and apply new words in your writing and speech.
How many GRE vocabulary words are there?
- Some sources list thousands, but around 300–500 well-chosen words are enough for most students.
What is the 5000 GRE vocabulary?
- It’s a very large list of advanced and uncommon words. Focus on high-frequency words first to make faster progress.
