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Group 1
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Difficult GRE Words (Group 1)
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abate
abbreviation
abdicate
abdication
abet
abeyance
abhor
abhorrent
abjure
ablution
abnegation
abolition
abortive
abrade
abrasion
abridge
abrogate
abscond
abstemious
abstruse
accede
acclivity
accolade
accretion
acerbity
acidulous
acquiesce
acquisition
acrimonious
acrimony
acronym
adage
addle
adherent
adjudicate
adjure
adorn
adornment
adroit
adulterate
adumbrate
advert
affable
aggrandize
aggregation
aghast
agnostic
aka
alkali
allege
allude
allurement
allusion
altar
amalgam
amalgamate
amass
ambidextrous
ambivalence
amble
amenity
amorphous
amplify
amputee
analgesic
analogous
anathema
ancillary
anew
animus
annotate
annualize
anodyne
anomalous
antagonist
antedate
antediluvian
anthology
anthropoid
antipathy
antithesis
antler
apartheid
aperitif
aperture
aphasia
aphorism
apiary
aplomb
apocryphal
apogee
apostate
apotheosis
appease
appellation
apposite
apprise
approbation
appropriation
aquifer
aquiline
arable
arbiter
arboreal
archetype
archipelago
arena
aromatic
arraign
arrears
arrogate
artifice
artless
ascendancy
ascetic
aseptic
aspect
asperity
asphyxiate
aspirant
assail
assent
assiduous
assimilate
assuage
astigmatism
astringent
asymmetric
at loggerheads
atrial
attainment
attenuate
attrition
audacious
augury
aura
austere
austerity
authenticate
autocrat
autonomous
avalanche
avant-garde
avarice
aver
aviation
avocation
avow
avowal
Word and Definition List
abase
v. humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem
abate
v. subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensityabbreviation
n. shortening something by omitting parts of itabdicate
v. give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claimabdication
n. the act of giving up or renouncing a right, office, or position of power etc.abet
v. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourageabeyance
n. suspended action; temporary cessation or suspensionabhor
v. fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hateabhorrent
a. disgusting, loathsomeabjure
v. renounce upon oath; abandon foreverablution
n. washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious riteabnegation
n. repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of othersabolition
n. ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away withabortive
a. unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitlessabrade
v. wear away by friction; scrape; erodeabrasion
n. scratch; frictionabridge
v. condense; shorten; reduce length of written textabrogate
a. abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authorityabscond
v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecutionabstemious
a. sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperateabstruse
a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand.accede
v. agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concedeacclivity
n. upward slope, as of hillaccolade
n. award of merit; expression of approval; praiseaccretion
n. growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusionacerbity
n. bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or toneacidulous
a. slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; causticacquiesce
v. assent; agree without protestingacquisition
n. the act of acquiring or gaining possessionacrimonious
a. bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manneracrimony
n. animosity, sharp or bitter hatredacronym
n. abbreviationadage
n. an old saying, that has obtained credit by long useaddle
v. muddle; drive crazy; become confusedadherent
n. person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, causeadjudicate
v. hear and settle a case by judicial procedureadjure
v. appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oathadorn
v. enhance or decorate with or as if with ornamentsadornment
n. embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornamentadroit
a. skillful and adept under pressing conditionsadulterate
v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substancesadumbrate
v. give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shadeadvert
n. advertisement an ad; public promotion of some product or serviceaffable
a. easily approachable; warmly friendlyaggrandize
v. increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputationaggregation
n. several things grouped together or considered as a wholeaghast
a. struck by shock, terror, or amazementagnostic
n. one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate realityaka
ad. as known or named at another time or place; also known asalkali
n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammoniaallege
v. to assert to be trueallude
v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestionallurement
n. temptation; enticement; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to actionallusion
n. an indirect referencealtar
n. elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offeredamalgam
n. a combination of many different things; an alloy of mercury and other metalsamalgamate
v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercuryamass
v. collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profitambidextrous
a. capable of using either hand with equal easeambivalence
n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hateamble
n. moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurelyamenity
n. pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditionsamorphous
a. formless; lacking shape or definitionamplify
v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increaseamputee
n. a person who has had one or more limbs removed by amputationanalgesic
a. serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousnessanalogous
a. comparable; similar or alikeanathema
n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curseancillary
a. serving as aid or accessory; auxiliaryanew
ad. once more; again; in a new and different wayanimus
n. feeling of animosityannotate
v. comment; make explanatory notesannualize
v. adjust or calculate so as to reflect a rate that is based on a full yearanodyne
n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves painanomalous
a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or ruleantagonist
n. one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponentantedate
v. be earlier in time; go back furtherantediluvian
a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient timesanthology
n. book of literary selections by various authorsanthropoid
a. manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearanceantipathy
n. strong feelings of aversion or dislikeantithesis
n. contrast; direct contrast; oppositionantler
n. entire horn, or any branch of the hornapartheid
n. South Africa's policy of racial separation, in place from 1948 to 1990.aperitif
n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizeraperture
n. opening; diameter of such an opening; holeaphasia
n. loss of speech due to injury or illnessaphorism
n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinionapiary
n. place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honeyaplomb
n. poise; self-confident assuranceapocryphal
a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitiousapogee
n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbitedapostate
n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefsapotheosis
n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of somethingappease
v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieveappellation
n. name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathyapposite
a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suitedapprise
v. inform; give notice to; make awareapprobation
n. expression of warm approval; praiseappropriation
n. funding; money set aside for a specific purposeaquifer
n. underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etcaquiline
a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beakarable
a. fit for growing crops, as by plowingarbiter
n. person with power to decide a dispute; judgearboreal
a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in treesarchetype
n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patternedarchipelago
n. a large group of islands; a sea, containing a large number of scattered islandsarena
n. an enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events or other spectacular eventsaromatic
a. fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odorarraign
v. officially charge someone in a court of lawarrears
n. being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligationarrogate
v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without rightartifice
n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuityartless
a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honestascendancy
n. superiority or decisive advantage; dominationascetic
a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austereaseptic
a. preventing infection; having cleansing effectaspect
n. look, or particular appearance of the face; the visual percept of a regionasperity
n. harshness of manner, roughnessasphyxiate
v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or very serious symptoms; suffocateaspirant
n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high positionassail
v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blowsassent
v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; acceptassiduous
a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistentassimilate
v. to make similar, to incorporate or absorb intoassuage
v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appeaseastigmatism
n. eye defect that prevents proper focusastringent
a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austereasymmetric
a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central lineat loggerheads
ad. engaged in a disputeatrial
a. of or pertaining to an atrium, especially the upper chambers of the heartattainment
n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievementattenuate
v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density ofattrition
n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassmentaudacious
a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; boldaugury
n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omensaura
n. an invisible breath; distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with somethingaustere
a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamentedausterity
n. severe and rigid economy; severe or rigorous simplicity; absence of adornment or luxuryauthenticate
v. prove genuine; establish authenticity ofautocrat
n. dictator; ruler having unlimited powerautonomous
a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independentavalanche
n. fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down a mountainsideavant-garde
n. radically new or original; cutting edgeavarice
n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gainaver
v. declare to be true; affirmaviation
n. art or act of flying; specifically, the science or art of directing and controlling flying-machinesavocation
n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoymentavow
v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedlyavowal
n. open declaration; frank acknowledgment