Not all GRE vocabulary words are created equal. Some appear on practice tests and in prep materials far more often than others. If you are short on time or just starting your study plan, focusing on the most frequently tested words gives you the biggest return on investment. The 50 words below appear across nearly every major prep source: Barron's, Kaplan, Manhattan Prep, Magoosh, and community lists like GregMat. They represent a starting foundation, not the complete picture, but mastering them will give you a noticeable edge on test day.
How to use this list
Read each word, its definition, and the example sentence. Pay attention to the "remember it" tip, which gives you a mnemonic or connection to help the definition stick. After reviewing the list, practice these words in our flashcard trainer to reinforce your memory through active recall.
The 50 words
1. Aberrant
Definition: Departing from what is normal or expected.
"The aberrant test results prompted the lab to rerun the experiment."
Remember it: Think "ab-errant" — erring away from the norm.
2. Abscond
Definition: To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to escape detection.
"The treasurer absconded with the organization's funds."
Remember it: "Ab-scond" — to scurry away and hide (abscond sounds like "absent" + "gone").
3. Alacrity
Definition: Brisk and cheerful readiness.
"She accepted the promotion with alacrity, eager to take on new challenges."
Remember it: "A lack of ity" — no lack of enthusiasm.
4. Ambivalent
Definition: Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something.
"He was ambivalent about moving abroad, excited by the opportunity but reluctant to leave family."
Remember it: "Ambi" means both (like ambidextrous) — pulled in two directions at once.
5. Ameliorate
Definition: To make something bad or unsatisfactory better.
"The new policy was designed to ameliorate working conditions in the factory."
Remember it: Think "a-MELIORATE" — to make things "mellow" or better.
6. Anomalous
Definition: Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.
"The anomalous data point suggested a possible error in the measurement."
Remember it: Related to "anomaly" — something that does not fit the pattern.
7. Antipathy
Definition: A deep-seated feeling of aversion or dislike.
"Her antipathy toward bureaucracy made her an unlikely candidate for government work."
Remember it: "Anti" (against) + "pathy" (feeling) — feeling against something.
8. Arcane
Definition: Understood by few; mysterious or secret.
"The arcane rules of the ancient board game took hours to learn."
Remember it: Think of a hidden "arc" of knowledge — secret, tucked away.
9. Arduous
Definition: Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
"The arduous hike to the summit took the better part of two days."
Remember it: "Ard-uous" sounds like "hard-uous" — it is hard.
10. Bolster
Definition: To support, strengthen, or prop up.
"New evidence bolstered the prosecution's case against the defendant."
Remember it: A bolster is a type of pillow that supports you — to bolster is to prop up.
11. Cacophony
Definition: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
"The cacophony of car horns and construction made conversation impossible."
Remember it: "Caco" (bad) + "phony" (sound) — bad sound.
12. Capricious
Definition: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
"The capricious weather made it impossible to plan outdoor events."
Remember it: Think of Capri, the island — the weather there is famously unpredictable.
13. Cogent
Definition: Clear, logical, and convincing.
"The lawyer presented a cogent argument that swayed the jury."
Remember it: "Co-gent" — a gentle, well-organized force of logic.
14. Conciliatory
Definition: Intended or likely to placate or pacify.
"The manager's conciliatory tone helped defuse the tense meeting."
Remember it: Think "council" — a conciliatory person brings people together, like a peace council.
15. Corroborate
Definition: To confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding.
"The witness's testimony corroborated the evidence found at the scene."
Remember it: "Co-robo-rate" — to rate something with a co-signer; mutual support.
16. Dearth
Definition: A scarcity or lack of something.
"There is a dearth of affordable housing in the city center."
Remember it: "Dearth" sounds like "death" of supply — there is none left.
17. Demur
Definition: To raise doubts or objections; to show reluctance.
"When asked to work weekends, she demurred politely but firmly."
Remember it: Do not confuse with "demure" (shy). To demur is to object or hesitate.
18. Didactic
Definition: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
"The novel's didactic tone made it feel more like a lecture than a story."
Remember it: "Did-act-ic" — it acts as a teacher, telling you what to think.
19. Diffident
Definition: Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
"The diffident student rarely spoke up in class despite having excellent ideas."
Remember it: "Dif-fident" — not confident (the opposite of confident).
20. Egregious
Definition: Outstandingly bad; shocking.
"The report documented egregious violations of safety regulations."
Remember it: "E-GREG-ious" — so bad that even Greg is shocked.
21. Enervate
Definition: To cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality.
"The relentless heat enervated the hikers, slowing their pace to a crawl."
Remember it: This is a trap word — it does NOT mean to energize. Think "e-NERVE-ate" — to remove someone's nerve or energy.
22. Ephemeral
Definition: Lasting for a very short time.
"Fame in the entertainment industry is often ephemeral."
Remember it: Think of a mayfly (genus Ephemeroptera), which lives for only a day.
23. Equivocal
Definition: Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
"The politician's equivocal response left reporters unsure of her actual position."
Remember it: "Equi" (equal) + "vocal" (voice) — equal voices pulling in different directions, so the meaning is unclear.
24. Erudite
Definition: Having or showing great knowledge or learning.
"The erudite professor could discuss topics ranging from quantum physics to Renaissance art."
Remember it: An erudite person has been "rude-ited" by books — polished by extensive reading.
25. Exacerbate
Definition: To make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
"The drought exacerbated the region's already critical water shortage."
Remember it: "Ex-ACERB-ate" — "acerb" means harsh or bitter; to exacerbate is to make things more bitter.
26. Facetious
Definition: Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor.
"His facetious remarks during the meeting were not appreciated by the board."
Remember it: "Face-tious" — making a funny face at a serious moment.
27. Garrulous
Definition: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
"The garrulous neighbor could turn a two-minute greeting into a half-hour conversation."
Remember it: "Garr-ulous" — they just go on and on, like a gargling stream of words.
28. Iconoclast
Definition: A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.
"The iconoclast challenged every assumption the industry held dear."
Remember it: "Icon" + "clast" (breaker) — someone who breaks icons or established ideas.
29. Laconic
Definition: Using very few words; brief and concise.
"The laconic reply — just a single 'no' — ended the discussion."
Remember it: From Laconia (Sparta) — the Spartans were famous for brief, blunt speech.
30. Laudable
Definition: Deserving praise and commendation.
"Her laudable efforts to improve literacy rates earned national recognition."
Remember it: "Laud" means to praise — laudable means worthy of being lauded.
31. Loquacious
Definition: Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
"The loquacious host kept guests entertained with stories all evening."
Remember it: "Loqu" comes from Latin "loqui" (to speak) — same root as "eloquent."
32. Magnanimous
Definition: Very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person.
"In a magnanimous gesture, the winner praised the skill of her opponent."
Remember it: "Magna" (great) + "animus" (spirit) — great-spirited, generous.
33. Obdurate
Definition: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.
"Despite mounting evidence, the obdurate executive refused to alter the strategy."
Remember it: "Ob-DURATE" — durable in stubbornness; hard to move.
34. Obsequious
Definition: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
"The obsequious assistant agreed with everything the boss said, no matter how absurd."
Remember it: "Ob-SEQUI-ous" — always following in sequence behind someone, like a servant.
35. Pedantic
Definition: Excessively concerned with minor details or rules.
"The pedantic reviewer spent more time correcting comma placement than evaluating the argument."
Remember it: A pedant is like a petty teacher — obsessed with small correctness.
36. Perfunctory
Definition: Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.
"He gave a perfunctory nod and returned to his work without further comment."
Remember it: "Per-FUNK-tory" — doing just enough to function, no more.
37. Pragmatic
Definition: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically, based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
"The pragmatic engineer focused on solutions that could be built within budget."
Remember it: "Prag-MATIC" — practical and automatic in choosing what works.
38. Precarious
Definition: Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
"The company's financial position became increasingly precarious after the lawsuit."
Remember it: "Pre-CARE-ious" — a situation that requires care because it could fall apart.
39. Prodigal
Definition: Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
"His prodigal spending habits left him deeply in debt by age thirty."
Remember it: Think of the Prodigal Son parable — he wasted his inheritance.
40. Prolific
Definition: Present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful. Also: producing much fruit, foliage, or many offspring.
"The prolific author published three novels in a single year."
Remember it: "Pro-LIFIC" — producing a lot, like a prolific life of output.
41. Recalcitrant
Definition: Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.
"The recalcitrant student refused to follow the new classroom rules."
Remember it: "Re-CALCIT-rant" — kicking back (from Latin "calcitrare," to kick).
42. Reticent
Definition: Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.
"She remained reticent about her plans, even when pressed by friends."
Remember it: "Ret-i-CENT" — keeping your cents (thoughts) to yourself.
43. Sanguine
Definition: Optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation.
"Despite the setback, the team remained sanguine about meeting the deadline."
Remember it: "Sangui" means blood — a sanguine person has healthy, warm blood, which historically meant an optimistic temperament.
44. Soporific
Definition: Tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
"The soporific lecture had half the audience dozing by the second hour."
Remember it: "Sopor" means deep sleep in Latin — soporific puts you to sleep.
45. Specious
Definition: Superficially plausible but actually wrong.
"The specious argument sounded convincing until the data was examined more closely."
Remember it: "Speci-ous" — it looks special and impressive on the surface, but it is false underneath.
46. Taciturn
Definition: Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
"The taciturn farmer answered most questions with a simple nod or shake of the head."
Remember it: "Tacit" means unspoken — a taciturn person keeps things tacit.
47. Tenuous
Definition: Very weak or slight; insubstantial.
"The connection between the two events was tenuous at best."
Remember it: "Ten-uous" — thin like a thread (Latin "tenuis" means thin).
48. Torpid
Definition: Mentally or physically inactive; lethargic.
"After the heavy meal, the guests sat in torpid silence on the porch."
Remember it: Think "torpedo" but stalled — a torpid person has no energy to launch.
49. Ubiquitous
Definition: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
"Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life."
Remember it: "Ubi" means "where" in Latin — ubiquitous means it is everywhere, no matter where you look.
50. Vacillate
Definition: To alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive.
"She vacillated between accepting the job offer and staying at her current company."
Remember it: "Vacill-ate" — to oscillate back and forth, like a pendulum of indecision.
What to do next
These 50 words are a starting foundation. Once you feel comfortable with them, expand your study using the full trainer with 2,259 words. Use study modes to focus on difficult words, and browse root categories to discover patterns that help you decode unfamiliar words on test day. For a complete study plan, read our GRE Vocabulary Study Guide.
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