GRE High-Frequency Words 2026

Departing from an accepted standard; deviant or abnormal.

"The scientist dismissed the aberrant result as a likely measurement error."

To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection.

"The embezzler absconded with three million dollars before the audit began."

Bitterness or ill feeling, especially in speech.

"The merger negotiations collapsed amid acrimony between the two CEOs."

To warn or reprimand someone firmly but not harshly.

"The editor admonished the reporter for failing to verify sources."

To combine or unite into one organization or structure.

"The two departments amalgamated to eliminate redundancy."

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something.

"She felt ambivalent about accepting the prestigious but demanding post."

Belonging to a period other than that portrayed; outdated.

"The argument's reliance on pre-industrial logic strikes modern economists as anachronistic."

A deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion.

"His antipathy toward authority shaped his entire academic career."

Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but unlikely to be true.

"Most scholars regard the anecdote as apocryphal."

Approval or praise, especially from an authority.

"The committee gave its approbation to the revised proposal."

Involving strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

"The arduous fieldwork required months in remote terrain."

Characterized by severe self-discipline; abstaining from indulgence.

"The philosopher lived an ascetic existence, rejecting all luxury."

Showing great care and diligence; persistent.

"Her assiduous preparation was evident in the precision of her answers."

Having an ability to notice and understand things clearly; shrewd.

"An astute observer would have noticed the flaw in the argument immediately."

To reduce the force, effect, or value of something; to weaken.

"The treatment attenuated the severity of the symptoms."

Showing a willingness to take bold risks; impudent.

"The audacious proposal to restructure the entire department surprised the board."

Severe or strict in manner; having no comforts; without decoration.

"The classroom's austere design focused attention on instruction."

Self-evidently true; taken for granted.

"It has become axiomatic that early intervention improves long-term outcomes."

To give a false impression of; to fail to justify.

"His calm demeanor belied the anxiety he felt about the results."

Gentle and kind; not harmful; (of a disease) not malignant.

"What seemed a benign policy change had far-reaching unintended consequences."

Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside.

"The essay evokes a bucolic ideal that contrasts sharply with industrial reality."

To grow or increase rapidly; to flourish.

"The field of genomics has burgeoned since the Human Genome Project."

Producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

"The meeting became a cacophonous assembly of competing voices."

The making of false and defamatory statements; slander.

"The politician responded to the calumny with documentary evidence."

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

"The capricious funding decisions made long-term planning impossible."

Formal expression of strong disapproval; to criticize harshly.

"The committee voted to censure the official for financial misconduct."

The use of trickery to achieve a purpose.

"The investigation exposed the chicanery at the heart of the firm's reporting."

The use of many words where fewer would do; evasive speech.

"The witness's circumlocution frustrated the court, which demanded direct answers."

Clear, logical, and convincing.

"The brief presented a cogent case for constitutional protection."

Corresponding in size or degree; proportionate.

"Salary increases were not commensurate with the added responsibilities."

A collection of concise but detailed information; a summary.

"The volume serves as a compendium of current knowledge on quantum computing."

Causing or likely to cause argument; controversial.

"The redistricting proposal proved contentious on all sides."

Feeling or expressing sincere remorse.

"The author's contrite tone in the preface acknowledged significant errors."

Extremely complex and difficult to follow.

"The convoluted argument confused even the specialists."

To confirm or give support to a statement or finding.

"Independent labs corroborated the extraordinary results."

Greed for money or possessions; excessive desire for wealth.

"The firm's downfall was attributed to the cupidity of its executives."

A scarcity or lack of something.

"There is a notable dearth of longitudinal studies on this topic."

In keeping with good taste and propriety; polite.

"The debate remained decorous despite its heated subject matter."

Causing harm or damage; injurious.

"Chronic sleep deprivation has deleterious effects on cognition."

A forceful and bitter verbal attack.

"The editorial was widely criticized as a diatribe rather than analysis."

Modest or shy due to lack of self-confidence.

"Despite extraordinary achievements, she remained diffident about recognition."

Slow to act; tending to delay.

"The committee's dilatory tactics postponed the vote indefinitely."

Disagreeing or incongruous; producing harsh sound.

"The discordant findings prompted a third investigation."

Essentially different in kind; not comparable.

"The committee brought together scholars with disparate backgrounds."

Shameless boldness; insolent behavior.

"The delegate had the effrontery to claim credit for a proposal he had opposed."

To cause someone to feel drained of energy; to weaken.

"The oppressive heat enervated the field researchers."

Difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

"The author's enigmatic prose has inspired wildly divergent interpretations."

To use ambiguous language to avoid committing oneself.

"When pressed, the official chose to equivocate rather than answer directly."

Having or showing great knowledge or learning.

"The erudite footnotes reveal the editor's exhaustive command of source material."

To make a bad situation worse.

"The new policy is likely to exacerbate existing inequalities."

To criticize very harshly and scathingly.

"The review excoriated the author for his selective use of evidence."

To feel or express great loathing for; to curse.

"The philosopher's followers execrated those who distorted his teachings."

To officially absolve from blame or criminal charges.

"New forensic evidence exonerated the defendant after eight years."

To give servile flattery; to show excessive eagerness to please.

"The staff fawned over visiting executives in a manner colleagues found embarrassing."

Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.

"The board's oversight was characterized as feckless — a total abdication of responsibility."

Well chosen or apt; pleasing and fortunate.

"The editor's felicitous subtitle captured the book's argument with elegant brevity."

Having or displaying passionate intensity.

"A fervent advocate for reform, she spent two decades lobbying for change."

To deny or contradict; to speak against or oppose.

"It is difficult to gainsay the evidence when the data are this compelling."

Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.

"The garrulous witness made it difficult to extract relevant testimony."

Impressively large or elaborate; affectedly grand.

"The grandiose ambition of the proposal was undermined by its vague implementation plan."

Uncalled for; lacking good reason; given without payment.

"The report's gratuitous detail distracted from its central argument."

Sly or cunning intelligence; craftiness.

"The negotiator used guile rather than force to extract concessions."

A lengthy and aggressive speech; to lecture aggressively.

"The professor's tendency to harangue dissenters created a hostile atmosphere."

A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

"The physicist was an iconoclast whose theories challenged decades of orthodoxy."

Having little or no money; poor.

"Despite impecunious circumstances, the student produced a thesis of extraordinary quality."

Unable to be upset or excited; calm and composed.

"The diplomat's imperturbable demeanor allowed her to negotiate under extreme pressure."

Acting quickly without thought; impulsive.

"The impetuous decision to publish before replication cost the researcher her credibility."

To dispute the truth or validity of; to call into question.

"The attorney sought to impugn the witness's credibility."

To attribute something, especially something negative, to a cause.

"The failure was imputed to poor planning and inadequate resources."

Just begun and not fully formed; rudimentary.

"The theory remains inchoate, lacking the formal framework needed for testing."

Tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile.

"An environment inimical to free expression produces conformity over innovation."

Having a habit deeply established; confirmed by long practice.

"An inveterate skeptic, the editor scrutinized every manuscript equally."

Easily angered; irritable by nature.

"The irascible chair made it difficult to raise concerns at faculty meetings."

Using very few words; brief and concise.

"The committee's laconic statement — 'insufficient evidence' — ended years of litigation."

Physical or mental weariness; lack of energy.

"Chronic lassitude is among the most common symptoms reported by patients."

To praise highly; to extol.

"Critics lauded the novel for its psychological depth."

Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

"The loquacious witness provided far more detail than required."

Not telling the truth; lying.

"The commission concluded the official's testimony had been mendacious."

A person who dislikes humankind; one who avoids human society.

"The satirist's work reflects the perspective of a misanthrope who believes in human potential."

To make less severe or painful; to lessen.

"Early intervention can significantly mitigate long-term consequences."

Wicked, criminal, or extremely morally wrong.

"The scheme was described as the most nefarious financial fraud in the company's history."

Stubbornly refusing to change opinion; hardened against persuasion.

"The committee remained obdurate despite new evidence."

Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

"The obsequious praise heaped on the director undermined honest feedback."

Annoyingly slow to understand; blunt; (of angle) greater than 90°.

"His obtuse response suggested he had not read the objections carefully."

Extremely unpleasant; repulsive.

"The passage describes the character's odious behavior with moral condemnation."

Involving great effort; burdensome.

"The reporting requirements proved onerous for smaller organizations."

To cease developing; to become rigid or fixed.

"Without reassessment, institutional practices tend to ossify."

To exclude from society or a group by common consent.

"The scientist was ostracized after publishing controversial findings."

Excessively unwilling to spend; miserly.

"The agency's parsimonious approach left many projects without support."

The presence of something only in small quantities; scarcity.

"A paucity of primary sources makes reconstruction difficult."

Excessively concerned with minor details or rules.

"The reviewer's pedantic focus on formatting distracted from substantive arguments."

Deceitful and untrustworthy; guilty of betrayal.

"The passage portrays the envoy as a perfidious figure who served both sides."

Having keen insight; shrewd.

"A perspicacious reader will notice the inconsistency in the framing."

Childishly sulky or bad-tempered.

"The panelist's petulant response to mild criticism was noted by the audience."

Not easily upset or excited; calm and peaceful.

"Her placid acceptance of setbacks impressed her colleagues."

A remark so commonly made that it is no longer interesting.

"The conclusion amounted to platitudes about the need for 'dialogue.'"

A large or excessive amount of something.

"There is a plethora of studies on this topic, but few are rigorous."

A strong attack on someone's opinions; of or involving such attack.

"The book is better read as a polemic than as scholarly analysis."

Dealing with things sensibly and realistically rather than theoretically.

"A pragmatic compromise satisfied neither side fully but ended the impasse."

Overconfident; failing to observe appropriate limits.

"It would be presumptuous to draw sweeping conclusions from a single pilot study."

Spending recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

"The department's prodigal expenditure could not be sustained when budgets tightened."

To increase rapidly in number; to multiply.

"Online misinformation proliferates during periods of public uncertainty."

Giving a good chance of success; favorable.

"The researchers considered the climate propitious for pursuing regulatory reform."

Complaining in a petulant or whining manner.

"The querulous tone suggests the author had grown frustrated with repeated rejections."

Obstinately uncooperative; stubbornly resistant.

"The recalcitrant institution refused to share its data despite repeated requests."

Not known by many people; obscure and abstruse.

"The footnotes reference recondite sources few outside the specialty would recognize."

To assign to an inferior position; to demote.

"The reviewer suggested the third chapter should be relegated to an appendix."

To make a protest; to argue in protest.

"Faculty members remonstrated with the dean over the abrupt termination of the program."

To refuse to accept; to deny the truth of.

"The university formally repudiated the findings of the retracted study."

Having keen mental discernment and good judgment; wise.

"A sagacious observer would have recognized the systemic risks before the crisis."

Optimistic, especially in a difficult situation; blood-red in color.

"Analysts were more sanguine about the outlook than the bank's cautious projections suggested."

Superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleadingly attractive.

"The argument had a specious logic that initially persuaded several panel members."

Not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

"The review identified several spurious correlations the authors had misconstrued as causal."

A person who flatters to gain advantage; a toady.

"The director surrounded himself with sycophants who confirmed rather than challenged his views."

Very weak or slight; lacking a sound basis.

"The connection proposed by the author is, at best, tenuous."

Easy to deal with; manageable; easily controlled.

"More tractable versions of the problem can be solved efficiently."

Lacking thought or intelligence; empty.

"The vacuous commentary added nothing to the data it purported to explain."

To regard with great respect; to revere.

"Subsequent generations venerated the scientist dismissed as heretical in her lifetime."

Truthful; habitually speaking the truth.

"A veracious account must acknowledge both the successes and failures."

Using more words than are needed; wordy.

"The verbose prose of the original report was condensed for the executive summary."

To spoil or impair the quality of; to destroy the validity of.

"The sampling bias was so severe that it vitiated the study's conclusions entirely."

Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably; evaporating quickly.

"The volatile political situation made long-term planning nearly impossible."

Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause.

"She pursued education reform with a zeal that eventually won over reluctant legislators."

The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions.

"His business acumen allowed him to spot the market shift before competitors."

Brisk and cheerful readiness.

"She accepted the challenging assignment with alacrity."

To make suffering or a problem less severe.

"The new drug significantly alleviated the patient's chronic pain."

Open to more than one interpretation; unclear.

"The senator's ambiguous statement was interpreted differently by each faction."

To make something bad or unsatisfactory better.

"The policy was designed to ameliorate conditions in the most impoverished districts."

A thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists.

"The survival of hereditary titles in a democracy struck observers as an anachronism."

Based on personal accounts rather than systematic evidence.

"Critics noted that most of the evidence was anecdotal rather than empirical."

Deviating from what is standard or expected; abnormal.

"The anomalous reading prompted the team to recalibrate the equipment."

Directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.

"The proposal was antithetical to the organization's founding principles."

Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

"Voter apathy reached historic levels in the last election cycle."

Understood by few; mysterious and secret.

"The regulations were so arcane that even lawyers struggled to interpret them."

Enthusiasm or passion.

"The researcher pursued the question with undiminished ardor despite repeated setbacks."

Able to speak fluently and coherently; to express something clearly.

"The brief was praised for its articulate presentation of a complex legal argument."

Clever or cunning devices or expedients; trickery; artfulness.

"The novel's narrator relies on artifice, concealing key information until the final chapter."

To make a concerted or violent attack on; to attack with arguments.

"Critics assailed the methodology with forceful and well-documented objections."

To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to relieve.

"The director's public apology did little to assuage the community's concerns."

To waste away; a gradual decline in effectiveness or vigor.

"Without use, the department's expertise began to atrophy."

A willingness to take bold risks; rude, impudent behavior.

"The audacity of the plan impressed even those who doubted its feasibility."

A strong dislike or disinclination.

"Her aversion to ambiguity led her to prefer highly structured data."

So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

"The speech was filled with banal observations that told the audience nothing new."

Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.

"The bellicose rhetoric alarmed diplomatic observers monitoring the situation."

Well-meaning and kindly.

"The foundation's benevolent mission attracted significant donor support."

Showing casual indifference; cheerfully carefree.

"Her blithe dismissal of the risks struck colleagues as dangerously complacent."

To support or strengthen; to prop up.

"Additional data from the follow-up study bolstered the original findings."

High-sounding language with little meaning; inflated.

"The bombastic opening paragraph failed to deliver on its rhetorical promises."

Rough and bad-mannered; coarse.

"The boorish behavior of the keynote speaker alienated much of the audience."

Enduring or committing with bold or shameless confidence.

"The brazen misrepresentation of the data shocked reviewers."

Concise and exact use of words; shortness of time.

"The memorandum was praised for its brevity and clarity."

Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

"The callous indifference of the administrators to student concerns drew criticism."

The quality of being open and honest; frankness.

"The report's candor about the program's failures was widely praised."

The tendency to change one's mind unpredictably.

"The capriciousness of the committee's decisions frustrated all applicants."

Severely critical of others; fault-finding.

"The censorious review found fault with every aspect of the methodology."

Distress or embarrassment at failure or humiliation.

"To the researcher's chagrin, the replication attempt failed completely."

A loud, confused noise; to make loud demands.

"There was a growing clamor for transparency about the research methodology."

Mildness and mercy, especially as shown by a person in authority.

"The appeals court showed clemency, reducing the sentence in light of mitigating circumstances."

To persuade someone to do something using force or threats.

"The investigation found that witnesses had been coerced into providing false testimony."

Showing smug self-satisfaction with oneself; uncritically satisfied.

"The team's complacent attitude toward quality control led to a cascade of errors."

Intended to make angry or resentful people calmer; placating.

"The conciliatory tone of the response helped de-escalate the standoff."

To accept or allow behavior that is considered morally wrong.

"The administration was accused of condoning the misconduct by failing to act."

To cause surprise or confusion; to mix up; to prove wrong.

"The unexpected result confounded all prior predictions."

In agreement or harmony; (geometry) having the same shape and size.

"The findings were congruent with the theoretical predictions."

Clearly visible; attracting notice or attention.

"The conspicuous omission of key data from the report drew immediate scrutiny."

Showing great skill and flair; to complete or make perfect.

"The presentation was the work of a consummate communicator."

Showing contempt; scornful.

"The contemptuous dismissal of the peer reviewers' concerns proved unwise."

Feeling or expressing remorse at wrongdoing.

"A contrite acknowledgment of the error appeared in the journal's corrections."

Tending to cause corrosion; destructive.

"The corrosive cynicism in the culture prevented productive reform."

A tendency to be too ready to believe things; gullibility.

"The scheme exploited the credulity of investors who failed to verify the claims."

Deserving blame or censure.

"The inquiry found both parties culpable for the breakdown in safety protocols."

Distrustful of human nature; believing people act from selfish motives.

"A cynical reading of the policy would see it as serving narrow interests."

To make someone feel intimidated or apprehensive.

"The complexity of the dataset daunted even experienced researchers."

A sudden, complete disaster; a chaotic failure.

"The failed launch was described as a debacle that set the project back two years."

To publicly denounce; to express strong disapproval of.

"Scientists decried the proposed budget cuts as short-sighted."

Showing respect; submissively respectful.

"The graduate student's deferential attitude masked genuine intellectual confidence."

Humble submission and respect.

"In deference to the committee's concerns, the authors revised the methodology."

Done consciously and intentionally; to engage in careful consideration.

"The committee deliberated for three days before reaching its decision."

To describe or portray something precisely; to indicate the boundary of.

"The paper delineates three distinct phases in the evolution of the theory."

To publicly declare to be wrong or evil; to inform against.

"The committee formally denounced the practice as a violation of ethical guidelines."

To feel or express strong disapproval of; to regret deeply.

"The editorial board deplored the decision to suppress the findings."

To express contempt for; to ridicule.

"Early critics derided the theory as speculative, but later evidence confirmed it."

Imitative of the work of another; not original.

"The critic dismissed the work as wholly derivative and lacking in originality."

Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; random and unfocused.

"The desultory nature of the inquiry suggested a lack of genuine interest in the findings."

Relating to the doctrine that all events are inevitable consequences of prior causes.

"A strictly deterministic model leaves no room for chance or free will."

Intended to teach, particularly in a preachy or moralistic way.

"The didactic tone of the novel undermines its narrative power."

Spread over a wide area; lacking conciseness; to spread widely.

"The argument was diffuse, covering too many topics without depth."

To leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing.

"The professor tended to digress into anecdotes that, though entertaining, delayed coverage of core material."

Having or showing good judgment; perceptive.

"A discerning reader will recognize the rhetorical strategy at work in the introduction."

Not influenced by personal interest; impartial (not the same as 'uninterested').

"The committee sought disinterested experts who had no financial stake in the outcome."

Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people.

"The divisive debate split the faculty into opposing camps."

Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

"His dogmatic insistence on a single theoretical framework closed off promising lines of inquiry."

Temporarily inactive; in a sleeping state.

"The dormant debate was reawakened by the publication of new evidence."

Hesitating or doubting; not to be relied upon.

"The dubious methodology undermined the paper's otherwise interesting conclusions."

Deceitful in speech or conduct.

"The duplicitous executive presented different accounts of the transaction to different audiences."

Cheerful and full of energy.

"The team's ebullient response to the successful trial masked underlying uncertainties."

Unconventional and slightly strange; departing from convention.

"The inventor's eccentric methods proved surprisingly effective."

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.

"A general theory of this phenomenon has proved elusive despite decades of research."

To match or surpass by imitation; to imitate with the goal of equaling.

"Researchers in the new lab sought to emulate the rigorous standards of their mentors."

Regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.

"Corruption was endemic to the institution, permeating every level of management."

Lasting for a very short time.

"Fame in the social media era can be ephemeral, disappearing within days."

Mental calmness and composure, especially in difficult situations.

"She faced the hostile questions with impressive equanimity."