GRE Vocabulary List — Top High-Frequency GRE Words (Interactive)

By Vocabulary Test Editorial Team · Updated July 26, 2026

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1. What is the meaning of the word "equivocal"?

2. What is the meaning of the word "recondite"?

3. What is the meaning of the word "perspicacious"?

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High-Yield GRE Word Database

Mastering these high-frequency terms will build the precise verbal intuition needed for Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence. Use the controls below to dynamically search and filter the list.

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Showing 55 of 55 words Reset Filters

Word	POS	Definition & Example
aberrant	adj	deviating from the norm “The teenager’s aberrant behavior alarmed his parents.”
alacrity	noun	cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed “She accepted the invitation with alacrity.”
anomaly	noun	deviation from what is common or expected “A cold day in July is a weather anomaly.”
approbatory	adj	expressing approval or commendation “The crowd gave an approbatory cheer.”
assuage	verb	to make something unpleasant less severe “He took an aspirin to assuage his headache.”
audacious	adj	bold, adventurous, or recklessly daring “The audacious thief stole the painting in broad daylight.”
capricious	adj	subject to whims or passing fancies; unpredictable “The administration's capricious decisions confused the staff.”
castigate	verb	to punish or criticize harshly “The director castigated the crew for the delay.”
chicanery	noun	trickery or deception by clever arguments “The politician used chicanery to win votes.”
cogent	adj	convincing, reasonable, and clear “She presented a cogent argument for the new policy.”
corroborate	verb	to confirm or support with evidence “The witness corroborated the suspect's alibi.”
deference	noun	humble submission and respect “He showed deference to the judge.”
desiccate	verb	to dry out thoroughly; dehydrate “The heat desiccated the crops.”
dilatory	adj	tending to delay or procrastinate “The dilatory tactics delayed the vote.”
disabuse	verb	to free from error, misconception, or fallacy “Let me disabuse you of that foolish idea.”
discordant	adj	disagreeing or incongruous in sound or opinion “The discordant opinions split the committee.”
disparate	adj	fundamentally distinct or different “The two cultures hold disparate views on family.”
ephemeral	adj	lasting a very short time; transient “Fame in the digital age is often ephemeral.”
equivocal	adj	open to multiple interpretations; ambiguous “His equivocal answer left us confused.”
erudite	adj	scholarly, learned, or bookish “The erudite professor explained the complex theory easily.”
exculpate	verb	to free from guilt or blame “New DNA evidence exculpated the defendant.”
fawning	adj	displaying exaggerated flattery or affection; obsequious “The fawning assistant agreed with everything.”
garrulous	adj	excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters “The garrulous passenger talked the entire flight.”
gregarious	adj	sociable; enjoying the company of others “Dolphins are gregarious animals.”
homogenous	adj	of the same kind; alike “The neighborhood was a homogenous community.”
imperturbable	adj	calm, collected, and incapable of being upset “The imperturbable captain guided the ship through the storm.”
implacable	adj	unable to be appeased or placated “The implacable enemy refused the peace treaty.”
inchoate	adj	just beginning; not fully shaped or formed “The novel was still in an inchoate stage.”
ingenuous	adj	innocent, simple, naive, and candid “She had a wide, ingenuous smile.”
inimical	adj	hostile, unfriendly, or harmful “High interest rates are inimical to economic growth.”
innocuous	adj	harmless; producing no ill effect “The spider's bite was painful but innocuous.”
intransigent	adj	refusing to compromise or agree “The intransigent union refused the new offer.”
laconic	adj	using very few words; concise “His laconic reply was simply 'No'.”
laud	verb	to praise highly; commend “The critic lauded the actor's performance.”
loquacious	adj	talkative; tending to talk a great deal “The loquacious child kept asking questions.”
lucid	adj	clear and easily understood “She gave a lucid explanation of the system.”
magnanimous	adj	generous in forgiving an insult or injury “The magnanimous victor shook hands with his opponent.”
malleable	adj	capable of being shaped or influenced “Children's minds are highly malleable.”
misanthrope	noun	a person who dislikes humankind and avoids society “The old misanthrope lived alone in the woods.”
mitigate	verb	to make less severe, serious, or painful “Drainage systems mitigate the risk of flooding.”
obdurate	adj	stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion “The obdurate child refused to eat his vegetables.”
obsequious	adj	obedient or attentive to an excessive degree “The obsequious waiters bowed constantly.”
opaque	adj	not letting light through; hard to understand “His opaque prose was difficult to translate.”
ostentation	noun	pretentious and vulgar display, especially of wealth “The billionaire was known for his ostentation.”
pedantic	adj	excessively concerned with minor details and rules “The pedantic editor pointed out every comma error.”
philanthropic	adj	generous, benevolent, and seeking to promote welfare “She engaged in many philanthropic endeavors.”
placate	verb	to make someone less angry or hostile “They offered a refund to placate the angry customer.”
pragmatic	adj	dealing with things sensibly and realistically “We need a pragmatic solution to this problem.”
precipitate	verb	to cause to happen suddenly or prematurely “The crisis precipitated the fall of the government.”
prodigal	adj	wastefully extravagant; spending money freely “The prodigal son spent his inheritance in weeks.”
propriety	noun	conformity to conventionally accepted standards “She always behaved with perfect propriety.”
vacillate	verb	to waver between different opinions or actions “He vacillated between the two job offers.”
venerate	verb	to regard with great respect; revere “The students venerated the veteran professor.”
veracious	adj	speaking or representing the truth; truthful “The veracious witness convinced the jury.”
zeal	noun	great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause “She worked with great zeal to raise funds.”

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