Difficult GRE Words

avuncular  

a. in manner of uncle, pertaining to uncle; kind, genial, benevolent or tolerant

axiom  

n. self-evident truth requiring no proof

azure  

a. sky blue; light purplish-blue

bacchanalian  

a. drunken; relating to reveling and drunkenness

badinage  

n. teasing conversation; good-humored, playful conversation

bailiff  

n. legal officer to whom some degree of authority

baleful  

a. portending evil; harmful in intent or effect.

bang  

n. sudden loud noise, as of an explosion; sudden loud blow or bump; sudden burst of action

barbarous  

a. being in the state of a barbarian; uncivilized; rude

batter  

v. hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows

bead  

n. small, often round piece of material, such as glass, plastic, or wood, that is pierced for stringing or threading

beamline  

n. line traveled by a particle beam in an accelerator

beatific  

a. completely happy and contented; showing or producing exalted joy

beatitude  

n. blessedness; state of extreme happiness

bedeck  

v. adorn or ornament in a showy fashion

beforehand  

ad. in advance; early; at an earlier or preceding time

beget  

v. produce; give rise to

beguile  

v. mislead; delude; deceive by guile

behemoth  

n. something enormous in size or power

beleaguer  

v. besiege or attack; harass; surround with troops

bellicose  

a. warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; showing or having impulse to be combative

benediction  

n. blessing; invocation of divine blessing; expression of good wishes

besiege  

v. surround with hostile forces; crowd around; cause to feel distressed or worried

bevy  

n. large group; a group of animals or birds, especially larks or quail

bilious  

a. suffering from indigestion; appearing as if affected by disorder; sickly

bitumen  

n. any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons

blare  

n. loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light

blaze  

n. brilliant burst of fire; flame

bleak  

a. depressing, sombre, cold

blench  

v. draw back, from lack of courage or resolution; turn pale, as if in fear

blindside  

v. to take by surprise

blithe  

a. gay; joyous; carefree and lighthearted

boisterous  

a. rough and stormy; loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline

bolster  

v. support or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushion

bombastic  

a. pompous; using inflated language; high-sounding but with little meaning

bonny  

a. handsome; beautiful; pretty; attractively lively and graceful

booth  

n. small enclosed compartment with a window, used to separate the occupant from others; small stall for the display and sale of goods

boson  

n. any particle that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics but not the Pauli exclusion principle

botnet  

n. a collection of compromised computers that is slowly built up then unleashed as a DDOS attack or used to send very large quantities of spam

bounteous  

a. liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts

bounty  

n. liberality in giving; something that is given liberally; goodness, kindness

bovine  

a. dull, slow-moving, and stolid, like an ox; placid and dull

breach  

n. an opening or tear; breaking of waves; a gap or rift

bridle  

n. headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins

brimful  

a. full to the brim; completely full; ready to overflow

brindled  

a. of brownish, tawny colour, with streaks, spots, or patterns

broil  

v. cook by direct exposure to heat over fire; subject to great heat; be subjected to the action of heat; be greatly heated

brood  

n. children in one family; young of certain animals

bucolic  

a. rustic; pastoral; agricultural; relating to country affairs, or to shepherd's life and occupation

bulwark  

n. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends

burgeon  

v. to develop or grow rapidly

burnish  

v. make shiny by rubbing; polish

bursary  

n. treasury, especially of a public institution or religious order; scholarship granted to a university student in need

buttress  

v. support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence

buxom  

a. healthily plump and ample of figure; full-bosomed; vigorous; jolly

bygone  

a. past; gone by

cactus  

n. any of various succulent, spiny, usually leafless plants native mostly to arid regions

cadaverous  

a. like corpse; pale; Having appearance or color of dead human body

cajole  

v. influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering

callow  

a. youthful; immature; inexperienced; without feathers

calumny  

n. false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation; slander

canister  

n. small box or case for tea, coffee, etc

canker  

n. corroding or sloughing ulcer; anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroy; disease incident to trees, causing the bark to rot and fall off

cannibalize  

v. remove parts of machine for use in other similar machines; consume another of one's own type or kind

cantankerous  

a. ill humored; irritable; marked by ill-tempered contradiction or opposition; ugly; malicious

cantata  

n. story or poem set to music that can be sung by chorus

capacious  

a. capable of containing a large quantity; spacious or roomy

caper  

n. crime, especially theft, or a narrative about such a crime

capitalize  

v. to use something to one's benefit for advantage

capitulate  

v. surrender; end all resistance; give up; go along with or comply

capsize  

v. overturn or cause to overturn; turn over or upset

captious  

a. intended to confuse in an argument

captivate  

v. charm; enthrall; seize by force, as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to enemy

captivity  

n. state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved

carapace  

n. hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles

cardiovascular  

a. of, relating to, or involving the heart and the blood vessels

careen  

v. lean to one side, as a ship under press of sail; sway from side to side

caribou  

n. large reindeer native to northern North America

carnage  

n. massive slaughter, as in war; massacre; corpses, especially of those killed in battle

cartel  

n. a combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members

cartographer  

n. one who makes maps or charts

castigate  

v. criticize severely; punish; revise or make corrections to publication

cataclysm  

n. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; deluge or overflowing of water

catapult  

v. increase the status of something rapidly; shoot forth or launch

cataract  

n. disease of the eye causing its opacity and, unless treated, leading to blindness

categorical  

a. absolute; having no exception; of using category or categories

caulk  

v. make watertight by filling in cracks

cavil  

v. criticise for petty or frivolous reasons; raise trivial objections

cede  

v. yield or formally resign and surrender to another

celerity  

n. swiftness of action or motion; speed

censorious  

a. critical; addicted to censure; severe in making remarks on others, or on their writings or manners; implying or expressing censure

centrifugal  

a. radiating; departing from the center

centripetal  

a. tending toward center; moving or directed toward center or axis

cerebral  

a. intellectual rather than emotional

cerebration  

n. act of cerebrating; thinking, mental activity

cession  

n. yielding to another; ceding or surrendering

chagrin  

n. anxiety caused by humiliation or injured pride; disappointment

chary  

a. cautious; sparing or restrained about giving

chasten  

v. rid of excess; refine or purify; correct by punishment or reproof

chastise  

v. punish, as by beating; criticize severely; rebuke

chicanery  

n. mean or unfair artifice to obscure truth; deception by trickery or sophistry

chide  

v. scold mildly so as to correct or improve; express disapproval

chimerical  

a. fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative

choleric  

a. hot-tempered; easily angered; bad-tempered; expressing anger

chortle  

v. chuckle with delight; joyful laugh or chuckle; laugh quietly or with restraint

christening  

n. a Christian ceremony involving baptizing and naming an infant

chug  

v. dull explosive sound, usually short and repeated, made by or as if by a laboring engine

churlish  

a. difficult to work with; rude; unyielding; unmanageable

circa  

ad. approximately, about; commonly abbreviated ca. -- used especially before dates and numerical measures.

circuitous  

a. being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course; going round in a circuit; not direct

circumlocution  

n. indirect or roundabout expression; evasion in speech or writing

circumscribe  

v. limit narrowly; confine; draw a line around; encircle

circumspect  

a. carefully aware of all circumstances; cautious

cistern  

n. reservoir or water tank; vessel to hold water for household uses

clamorous  

a. speaking and repeating loud words; full of clamor; calling or demanding loudly or urgently; vociferous; noisy; bawling; loud

clamour  

a. loud outcry; loud sustained noise

clan  

n. a large group of relatives, friends, or associates; a traditional social unit, consisting of a number of families claiming a common ancestor

cloister  

n. place, especially a monastery or convent, devoted to religious seclusion; secluded, quiet place

cloying  

a. distasteful because excessive; excessively sweet or sentimental

coagulate  

v. cause transformation of liquid into or as if into soft, semisolid, or solid mass

coalesce  

v. combine; fuse; grow together; come together so as to form one whole; unite

coffer  

n. casket, chest, or trunk, especially, one used for keeping money or other valuables

cogency  

n. power of proving or of producing belief; quality of being highly probable or convincing; force; credibility

cogent  

a. reasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasive

cogitate  

v. think earnestly or studiously; meditate; ponder; think deeply

cognate  

a. related by blood; having common ancestor; related or analogous in nature, character, or function

colander  

n. bowl-shaped strainer, used to wash or drain foods

collate  

v. to assemble something in a logical sequence

collateral  

n. guarantee, usually in the form of an asset, for the repayment of a loan if one cannot procure enough funds to repay

commentariat  

n. all commentators of the news media collectively

commodious  

a. spacious and comfortable; fit; proper; convenient

complaisant  

a. trying to please; showing cheerful willingness to do favors for others

compunction  

n. feeling of deep regret; strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt

computation  

n. calculation

concave  

a. hollow; curved like inner surface of sphere

conceit  

n. overly high self-esteem; feelings of excessive pride

concoct  

v. prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking; devise, using skill and intelligence

concomitant  

a. in conjunction with; accompanying; associated with

concubine  

n. in certain societies, such as imperial China, a woman contracted to a man as a secondary wife, often having few legal rights and low social status

concurrent  

a. simultaneous; coincident; occurring or operating at the same time

condescension  

n. act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors

condole  

v. grieve; express sympathy; speak sympathetically to one in pain, grief, or misfortune

conduit  

n. pipe or channel for conveying fluids; tube for enclosing electric wires or cable

confetti  

n. small pieces of colored paper generally thrown about at festive occasions

conflagration  

n. large destructive fire

congregate  

v. assemble; convene; gather

congruent  

a. possessing congruity; suitable; agreeing; corresponding

congruity  

n. relation or agreement between things; fitness; harmony; correspondence; consistency.

conifer  

n. any gymnospermous tree or shrub bearing cones

conscientious  

a. thorough, careful, or vigilant; implies a desire to do a task well; characterized by extreme care and great effort