The top 100 GRE words.
Start here. These 100 words recur across real GRE forms and every serious word list, so they are the highest-return vocabulary you can learn. Each links to a full entry with synonyms, antonyms, and an example sentence.
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
How to study high-frequency GRE words
High-frequency words earn their place because they recur, so the goal is durable recall, not a one-time pass. The most reliable method is spaced repetition: review a small batch each day and revisit older words on widening intervals (a day, then a few days, then a week) so each one moves from fragile short-term memory into long-term storage. Cramming all 100 in a single sitting feels productive but fades fast.
Learn each word inside a sentence rather than as a bare definition. The GRE almost never asks for a dictionary meaning in isolation: it tests whether the word fits a specific context against close near-synonyms. As you study, note each word's connotation (positive, negative, or neutral) and its register, because that is exactly the distinction sentence equivalence and text completion questions turn on. Grouping words by theme, several ways to say praise, several ways to say wordy, makes the fine differences stick.
Finally, close the loop with real questions. Once a batch feels familiar, drill it in Verbal practice, where you have to choose the right word over the trap. Recognition on a flashcard and correct use under time are different skills, and only the second one is scored.
Common questions about the most common GRE words
Knowing a word is not the same as deploying it.
The GRE tests how a word behaves in a sentence, against close near-synonyms. Take these into real text completion and sentence equivalence drills, where the reasoning is what earns the point.