The top 100 GRE words.

a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected

to leave secretly to avoid capture or accusation

keen insight and shrewd judgment

concerned with beauty or artistic appreciation

to increase the power, wealth, or reputation of

brisk and cheerful eagerness

having mixed or contradictory feelings about something

to make a bad situation better

something placed outside its proper historical time

something that deviates from what is standard or expected

a strong feeling of dislike or aversion

lack of interest, emotion, or concern

requiring great effort; difficult and tiring

able to express ideas clearly and effectively

practicing severe self-discipline and abstinence

to ease or relieve an unpleasant feeling

showing bold and daring disregard for risk or convention

severe or plain in manner or appearance

lacking originality and so dull or commonplace

to give a false impression of or contradict

kind, generous, and well-meaning toward others

to support, strengthen, or reinforce

high-sounding but with little real meaning; pompous in speech

bold and shameless in a defiant way

a harsh, jarring mixture of sounds

the quality of being open, honest, and direct in speech

given to sudden and unpredictable changes of mood or behavior

to criticize or punish someone severely

bitingly sarcastic or harshly critical

cautious and careful to consider all consequences

done secretly, especially to conceal something improper

clear, logical, and convincing

to accept or overlook behavior that is wrong

extremely complicated and difficult to follow

present in large quantity; abundant

too ready to believe things without sufficient evidence

mysterious or obscure in meaning

hasty and superficial, without attention to detail

a sudden and complete failure or collapse

respectful submission to another's judgment or wishes

harmful or damaging, often in a subtle way

imitative of others' work and lacking originality

a bitter, prolonged verbal attack

intended to teach or moralize, sometimes excessively

lacking confidence; shy and hesitant

tending to cause delay or to procrastinate

to speak of as having little worth; to belittle

fundamentally different in kind

asserting opinions as undeniable truth, allowing no debate

overflowing with cheerful enthusiasm and high spirits

drawing from a wide and diverse range of sources or styles

the power to produce a desired result or effect

fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing

based on observation or experiment rather than theory

to drain of energy, vitality, or strength

lasting for only a very short time

open to more than one interpretation; deliberately ambiguous

having or showing deep, scholarly knowledge

understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge

to make a problem or bad situation worse

very attentive to detail and hard to please

showing intense and passionate feeling

conspicuously and outrageously bad or offensive

careful and economical in spending resources

excessively talkative, especially about trivial things

sociable and fond of the company of others

made dull and unoriginal through overuse

a person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions

acting quickly and rashly without thought

not resulting from intent; accidental

innocent and unsuspecting; frank and candid

not harmful or offensive

lacking flavor, interest, or vigor; dull

refusing to compromise or change one's views

using very few words; terse to the point of seeming blunt

lacking energy or vigor; pleasantly slow and unhurried

to praise highly

sluggish and lacking energy or alertness

tending to talk a great deal; very talkative

clearly expressed and easy to understand; mentally clear

generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival or weaker party

an independent-minded person who refuses to conform

given to lying; untruthful

subject to sudden and unpredictable changes of mood

showing great attention to detail; very careful

to make less severe, painful, or harmful

to soothe the anger or anxiety of someone

sullen, gloomy, and ill-tempered

extremely wicked or villainous

stubbornly refusing to change one's mind or course of action

excessively eager to please or obey, in a fawning way

marked by a showy display intended to impress others

a statement that seems self-contradictory yet may be true

the presence of something in unusually small amounts

deliberately treacherous or disloyal

spreading widely and present throughout something

to calm someone's anger or hostility by appeasing them

dealing with matters in a practical rather than idealistic way

to suppress or put an end to, especially by force; to quiet or calm

filled with or marked by intense enthusiasm and energetic devotion