GRE Vocabulary Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What does the word 'adamant' describe?

A state of confusion

A refusal to change one's mind (correct)

A feeling of uncertainty

A willingness to compromise

Which word best describes having contradictory feelings?

Arduous

Ambiguous

Ambivalent (correct)

Candid

What is an 'anomaly'?

An unexpected deviation from the normal (correct)

An established pattern

A constant variable

A strict compliance to norms

Which option best captures the meaning of 'appease'?

To placate by satisfying demands Signup and view all the answers

Which word describes something requiring considerable effort?

Arduous Signup and view all the answers

What does 'benign' mean?

Harmless Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean if someone is described as 'biased'?

Showing prejudice or unfair preference Signup and view all the answers

Which word describes something that strengthens or supports?

Bolster Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'coerce' mean?

To persuade an unwilling person through force Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to 'debunk' a myth?

To expose its falseness or hollowness Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'convoluted'?

Extremely complex and confusing Signup and view all the answers

What does 'cognizant' refer to?

Being aware of or knowledgeable about something Signup and view all the answers

How might one 'garner' support?

By gathering information or approval Signup and view all the answers

What does 'dissonance' imply in a musical context?

A clash of conflicting ideas or notes Signup and view all the answers

Which definition best suits 'condone'?

To accept behavior that is morally wrong Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'immutable' mean?

Constant and unchanging Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to 'exacerbate' a situation?

To make the situation worse Signup and view all the answers

How can one be described as 'docile'?

Submissive and easy to control Signup and view all the answers

What does 'copious' describe?

Abundant in supply Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to 'emulate' someone?

To imitate or surpass them Signup and view all the answers

Which best defines the term 'enigma'?

A person or thing that is difficult to understand Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean when someone's actions are described as 'frivolous'?

Trivial and lacking value Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'impediment' refer to in the context of career advancement?

A hindrance or obstruction Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe something that is 'impervious'?

Not allowing fluid to pass through Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes an 'impetuous' decision?

Acted upon without thought Signup and view all the answers

'Innocuous' remarks can be best described as?

Not harmful or offensive Signup and view all the answers

What does 'mired' mean when referring to a project?

Experiencing delays Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'nuance'?

A subtle variation Signup and view all the answers

What effect does an 'insidious' disease have?

Symptoms that develop subtly over time Signup and view all the answers

How would you define a 'pragmatic' approach?

Practical and sensible Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic best describes someone who is 'obstinate'?

Stubborn and unyielding Signup and view all the answers

What does 'laudable' mean in the context of someone's efforts?

Worthy of praise Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean for a strategy to be 'myopic'?

Short-sighted and narrow-minded Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'makeshift' imply?

Temporary and of low quality Signup and view all the answers

What might 'placate' someone imply?

To offer something to calm them Signup and view all the answers

What defines a 'nascent' technology?

Just coming into existence Signup and view all the answers

Which word refers to something that is temporary or short-lived?

Transient Signup and view all the answers

What does the term redundant mean in the context used?

Superfluous Signup and view all the answers

What does the word quintessential describe?

The most perfect example Signup and view all the answers

Which word is used to indicate the separate order of items mentioned?

Respectively Signup and view all the answers

What does the word scrupulous mean?

Diligent and attentive to details Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of the term revamp?

To change or improve something Signup and view all the answers

Which word best describes a state of being widespread, especially in a negative context?

Rife Signup and view all the answers

What does the word undermine signify?

To weaken gradually Signup and view all the answers

Which word describes a brief and clearly expressed statement?

Succinct Signup and view all the answers

What does the term travesty refer to?

A distorted representation Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of the word sporadic?

Occurring at irregular intervals Signup and view all the answers

What does ubiquitous mean?

Present everywhere Signup and view all the answers

Which term indicates a lack of consciousness about fairness or justice?

Unconscionable Signup and view all the answers

Which word signifies a change that can lessen in intensity?

Subside Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

GRE Vocabulary

Adamant: Refusing to change your mind, like someone who is set on their opinion.
Ambivalent: Having mixed feelings, like being unsure if you like something or not.
Analogous: Comparable in some ways, but not exactly the same, like comparing a city to an ant colony.
Anomaly: Something unexpected or unusual, like finding a blue strawberry in a basket of red ones
Appease: To calm someone down by giving them what they want, like giving a crying baby a toy.
Arduous: Very difficult and tiring, like climbing a mountain.
Benign: Harmless, like a friendly dog or a good tumor.
Biased: Unfairly favoring one side, like a judge who is friends with one person in a trial.
Bolster: To support or strengthen something, like adding more bricks to a wall.
Candid: Honest and straightforward, like someone who tells you what they really think, even if it is not nice.
Capricious: Unpredictable and changing moods quickly, like the weather in the mountains.
Catalyst: Something that causes a big change, like a spark igniting a fire.
Clinch: To decide something finally, like winning a championship with a final score.
Coerce: To force someone to do something, like making someone confess to a crime by threatening them.
Cognizant: Aware of something, like knowing about the risks of a certain job.
Condone: To allow or not object to something, even if it is wrong, like a school not punishing a bully.
Confound: To confuse or surprise someone, like seeing a cat talking on the phone.
Conspicuous: Easy to see or notice, like a bright red hat in a crowd.
Construe: To understand something in a particular way, like interpreting a friend’s comment as a joke.
Convoluted: Complex and difficult to understand, like a very long and confusing story.
Copious: A lot of something, like a very large amount of food.
Corroborate: To confirm or support a statement, like a witness giving evidence that proves another person’s story.
Counterintuitive: The opposite of what you would expect, like eating more to lose weight.
Debilitate: To weaken someone, like a disease making someone very sick.
Debunk: To prove something is false or untrue, like showing that a popular myth is not really true.
Deference: Showing respect to someone, like bowing to an elder or king.
Denigrate: To criticize someone unfairly, like spreading false rumors about someone.
Discern: To notice or understand something, like recognizing a bird by its call.
Disregard: To ignore something, like not paying attention to a warning sign.
Dissonance: Lack of harmony, like two different sounds clashing together.
Docile: Easy to control or train, like a well-behaved dog.
Embellish: To make something more attractive or interesting, like adding details to a story to make it more exciting.
Emulate: To try to be like someone because you admire them, like a young artist copying their favorite painter’s style.
Enigma: A mystery or puzzle, like the disappearance of a ship at sea.
Esoteric: Something only understood by a few people, like a secret code.
Eulogy: A speech praising someone who has died, like a nice thing said at a funeral.
Exacerbate: To make a problem worse, like adding fuel to a fire.
Exemplary: A perfect example of something, like a model student who always gets good grades.
Expedient: convenient and practical, but possibly not the right thing to do, like taking a shortcut even if it is against the rules.
Finesse: Skillfully handling a difficult situation, like negotiating a deal with diplomacy.
Fledgling: Beginning or inexperienced, like a young bird learning how to fly.
Fluctuate: To change frequently, like the price of gas going up and down.
Fluke: A lucky accident, like winning the lottery when you rarely play.
Frivolous: Not serious or important, like a silly joke.
Garner: To collect or gather something, like getting information for a research paper.
Idiosyncrasy: Something that is unique or strange about a person, like always wearing the same hat.
Immutable: Not changing, like the laws of physics.
Impediment: A barrier or obstacle, like a broken leg that prevents you from running.
Impervious: Not affected by something, like a waterproof jacket keeping you dry.
Impetuous: Acting quickly without thinking, like buying a fancy car without considering the cost.
Inadvertent: Accidental or unintentional, like bumping into someone on the street by mistake.
Incongruous: Not fitting in, like a clown at a business meeting.
Ingenious: Clever and inventive, like a thoughtful solution.
Innocuous: Not harmful, like a friendly cat.
Insidious: Slowly damaging or harmful, like a disease that gets worse over time.
Juncture: A particular point in time, like a crucial decision in a story.
Juxtapose: To put two things next to each other to compare them, like putting a modern building next to an old one.
Laudable: Worthy of praise, like someone who volunteers their time to help others.
Lethargic: Tired and lacking energy, like feeling sleepy after a big meal.
Lull: A quiet period of time, like a pause in a conversation.
Makeshift: Temporary and not very good, like using a blanket as a tablecloth.
Mired: Stuck in a difficult situation, like getting stuck in the mud.
Mitigate: To make something less severe, like taking medicine to relieve pain.
Myopic: Short-sighted or lacking vision, like someone who only thinks about the present and not the future.
Nascent: Just beginning or developing, like a new company starting out.
Nuance: A small difference in meaning or feeling, like the way a word can be understood in different ways.
Obfuscate: To make something confusing or difficult to understand, like using jargon or unnecessary complexity.
Obstinate: Stubborn and refusing to change your mind, like a child who refuses to eat their vegetables.
Onerous: Burdensome or difficult to do, like a complicated homework assignment.
Overshadow: To be more important or noticeable than something else, like a famous actor overshadowing their co-stars.
Placate: To calm someone down, like giving someone a gift to apologize for something.
Plausible: Sounding reasonable or believable, like a good explanation for an event.
Polarizing: Causing strong disagreements, like a political debate that divides people.
Pragmatic: Practical and focused on what works, like a businessman who makes decisions based on results, not feelings.
Precarious: Dangerous or unstable, like a ladder that could fall down.
Precursor: Something that comes before another thing, like a prototype that leads to a final product.
Predisposed: Likely to be affected by something, like having a family history of a certain disease.
Presumptuous: Assuming things without permission or confirmation, like telling your boss what to do without asking.
Pristine: Perfectly clean and new, like a brand new car.
Prolific: Producing a lot of work, like a writer who publishes many books.
Prudent: Wise and careful, like someone who saves money for the future.
Quintessential: A perfect example of something, like a classic movie that represents a genre.
Redundant: Unnecessary, like repeating the same information twice.
Respectively: In the order mentioned, like two people taking different tests at different times.
Reticent: Quiet and reserved, like someone who is shy or doesn’t talk much.
Revamp: To improve or change something, like redesigning a website.
Rife: Very common or widespread, like a city with a lot of crime.
Rudimentary: Basic or simple, like the first steps in learning a language.
Savor: To enjoy something slowly, like tasting a delicious meal.
Scrupulous: Careful and thorough, like someone who checks their work carefully to make sure it is correct.
Sparse: Not dense or crowded, like a few trees in a vast field.
Sporadic: Happening occasionally or randomly, like rain showers here and there.
Subside: To become less strong or intense, like a storm gradually calming down.
Succinct: Expressed clearly and briefly, like a well-written summary.
Surmise: To guess or assume something, like thinking someone is happy based on their smile.
Tangential: Not directly related to the main topic, like a conversation that goes off on a side track.
Tantamount: Almost the same as something else, like a lie being tantamount to cheating.
Timely: Happening at an opportune moment, like arriving just in time for a meeting.
Transient: Lasting only a short time, like a passing visitor.
Travesty: A mockery or distorted version of something, like a poorly acted play that ruins the original story.
Trivial: Unimportant, like a small disagreement with a friend.
Ubiquitous: Everywhere or very common, like smartphones in today’s world.
Unconscionable: Shockingly unfair or unjust, like a company exploiting its workers.
Undermine: To weaken or damage something secretly, like spreading rumors to hurt someone’s reputation.
Underscore: To emphasize something, like using bold text to highlight a key point.
Unearth: To discover something that was hidden, like finding buried treasure.
Unorthodox: Different from what is usual or expected, like a teacher who uses unusual teaching methods.
Vestige: A remaining part of something that has disappeared, like a ruined castle that reminds us of the past.
Volatile: Unstable or likely to change suddenly, like the stock market.
Warranted: Justified or necessary, like using force to defend yourself from attack.
Winsome: Charming and attractive, like a friendly and smiling person.

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Test your knowledge of essential GRE vocabulary with this quiz. Each question will challenge you to understand the meanings and uses of various complex words. Enhance your vocabulary skills and prepare effectively for the GRE exam!