GRE Vocabulary: Top 50 Words with Context

Your verbal score is generated from your answers to 40 questions that are split up among two separate sections of 20 questions each. You will have 30 minutes to complete each section, so be ready to tackle Sentence Equivalence, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension questions.

Knowing how to decipher difficult vocabulary by using the context is extremely helpful in maximizing your GRE verbal score. See if you can figure out the definitions of the Top 50 GRE vocabulary words using the sentences below.

 

1. The student’s poor performance on the latest test was an anomaly since she had previously earned excellent grades.
2. Politicians have been known to provide equivocal answers to reporters’ questions.
3. The lecture was lucid and straightforward, allowing the students to fully grasp the concepts presented.
4. Unforeseen costs can precipitate a budget crisis.
5. A massage can assuage the soreness in your muscles.
6. High school students often struggle with novels that are more erudite than they are entertaining.
7. Medical jargon includes many opaque terms like macrosomic, which describes a newborn who weights more than 4,000 grams.
8. The prodigal prince bought lavish gifts and planned expensive events.
9. Scientists continue to research cancer to solve the enigma of its primary cause, which will hopefully lead to a cure.
10. The child showed a fervid fascination for superheroes, pouring over comic books for hours.
11. A parent may decide to placate a baby with a pacifier.
12. The great emperor’s crusading zeal led him to conquer many lands.
13. Doctors encourage their patients to abstain from smoking cigarettes.
14. The new CEO pursued audacious initiatives to save the company from bankruptcy. / The student’s audaciousremark earned her a seat in afternoon detention.
15. The heat and energy from the sun can desiccate even the most hearty plants.
16. The gullible little boy have his older sister all of his allowance because she told him she would buy a pony for him.
17. Providing affordable healthcare for all citizens is a laudable goal.
18. Professor Blackwell, a well-known pedant, required his pre-med students to speak in Latin throughout the entire semester.
19. Undergraduate students often vacillate among various majors before deciding which degree to pursue.
20. Many chefs use fresh produce and refuse to adulterate their dishes with canned ingredients.
21. The capricious supervisor would hand out raises one day and fire his entire staff the next.
22. Political debates can engender controversy regarding the subjects discussed.
23. There are very few truly homogenous cultures since social diversity is increasingly widespread.
24. The loquacious professor was known for his five-hour lectures.
25. A pragmatic approach to legislation can be difficult given the complexities of politics.
26. It is possible for a country’s political climate to remain volatile for decades.
27. Political parties try to engage young voters who are more prone to apathy than older citizens.
28. The scientist was able to corroborate his hypothesis with data gathered from multiple sources.
29. An ephemeral moment of victory may last mere seconds, but it can remain as a triumphant memory for decades.
30. The student’s laconic response suggested  that she did not know very much about the topic the professor was discussing.
31. We want to mitigate students’ GRE stress by offering helpful study tools.
32. The students were instructed to behave with the utmost propriety while on their class field trip.
33. The governor chose to advocate for a higher minimum wage rather than a tax incentive.
34. The cacophony of the middle school band warming up was nearly unbearable for the audience.
35. The boxer use a swift left uppercut to the jaw to enervate his opponent.
36. The scam artist preyed on ingenuous nursing home residents.
37. The neighborhood misanthrope surrounded his yard with barbed wire to keep people away.
38. The fact that the retired teacher claimed to hate all pets but adopted seven cats is an intriguing paradox.
39. To venerate the fire chief’s forty years of service, the department held a special banquet.
40. The students voiced their antipathy for homework very loudly.
41. The unreasonable supervise was known to deride his employees on a daily basis.
42. The rabbi’s eulogy was both heartfelt and inspiring.
43. It’s not uncommon to feel lethargic for weeks or even months after major surgery.
44. The obdurate three-year-old refused to eat any vegetables, no matter how they were prepared.
45. The students were grateful to receive financial support from philanthropic organizations that promote education.
46. Some citizens vote solely along party lines and never waver in their political decisions.
47. The prosecutor worked to find evidence that would bolster her case against the defendant.
48. The school board’s meeting lasted for hours due to the length debate fueled by dissonance among opinions.
49. The garrulous hair stylist talked to each customer for hours at a time.
50. Children’s moods are often malleable since children are greatly affected by their surroundings.