Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GRE Big Book Words
GRE Big Book Words
1 Abscond Leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest
or prosecution.
2 Acorn The fruit of an oak
3 Acquittal judgment that a person is not guilty of a crime
4 Aerate To supply or charge (liquid) with a gas
5 Aide An assistant
6 Alcove A recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or forming part
of a room
7 Alienate To cause to become unfriendly or hostile
8 Allay To reduce the intensity of
9 Allies To place in a friendly association
10 Allusive indirect reference
11 Amble slow walk
12 Amortize To liquidate (a debt, such as a mortgage) by installment payments
or payment into a sinking fund.
13 Anachronistic Representation of someone as existing or something as happening
in other than the chronological, proper, or historical order
14 Annotation to add notes to give explanation
15 Anthology A collection of literary pieces, such as poems, short stories, or
plays.
16 Anvil A heavy block of iron or steel with a smooth, flat top on which
metals are shaped by hammering.
17 Aorta The main trunk of the systemic arteries, carrying blood from the left
side of the heart to the arteries of all limbs and organs except the
lungs.
18 Arbitrate To judge or decide in or as in the manner of an arbitrator
19 Archaism An archaic word, phrase, idiom, or other expression.
20 Archivist One who is in charge of archives.
21 Aria A solo vocal piece
22 Armada large fleet of ships
23 Arson The crime of maliciously, voluntarily, and willfully setting fire to the
building, buildings, or other property of another or of burning one's
own property for an improper purpose, as to collect insurance
24 Artery Any of a branching system of muscular
25 Artistry Artistic ability
26 Assault violent physical or verbal attack.
27 Assay Qualitative or quantitative analysis of a substance, especially of an
ore or drug, to determine its components.
28 Atonement mends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation
29
176 Dodge To avoid (a blow, for example) by moving or shifting quickly aside
177 Doff To take off; remove.
178 Doggerel Crudely or irregularly fashioned verse
179 Dogma An authoritative principle
180 Dome A hemispherical roof
181 Don To put on (clothing).
182 Dossier A collection of papers giving detailed information about a particular
person or subject.
183 Dote To show excessive love or fondness.
184 Drabness Of a dull light brown.
185 Drawbridge A bridge that can be raised or drawn aside either to prevent access
or to permit passage beneath it.
186 Drawl To speak with lengthened or drawn-out vowels.
187 Drift To be carried along by currents of air or water.
188 Droll Amusingly odd or whimsically comical.
189 Drone To make a continuous low dull humming sound.
190 Dross Worthless
191 Duck Any of various wild or domesticated swimming birds of the family
Anatidae, characteristically having a broad, flat bill, short legs, and
webbed feet.
192 Dune A hill or ridge of wind-blown sand.
193 Dupe An easily deceived person.
194 Dwindles To become gradually less until little remains. --tr. To cause to
dwindle
195 Dyslexia A learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to
recognize and comprehend written words
196 Eavesdropper To listen secretly to the private conversation of others.
197 Edifying To instruct especially so as to encourage intellectual,
198 Effrontery Brazen boldness; presumptuousness.
199 Egotist The tendency to speak or write of oneself excessively and
boastfully.
200 Egress The act of coming or going out; emergence
201 Elegy A poem composed in elegiac couplets
202 Ellipsis The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete
syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding
203 Elusive Tending to elude capture, perception, comprehension, or memory
204 Embark To cause to board a vessel or aircraft.
205 Embellish To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate.
206 Enacted To make into law.
207 Enamored To inspire with love;
268 Flax Any of several plants of the genus Linum, especially the widely
cultivated
269 Fledge To take care of (a young bird) until it is ready to fly.
270 Flex To bend (something pliant or elastic).
271 Flinch To start or wince involuntarily, as from surprise or pain.
272 Flint A very hard, fine-grained quartz that sparks when struck with steel.
273 Flippant Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert.
274 Flounder To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
275 Flouting To show contempt for; scorn.
276 Fluke A stroke of good luck.
277 Flustered To make or become nervous or upset
278 Foil To prevent from being successful; thwart.
279 Fordable A shallow place in a body of water, such as a river, where one can
cross by walking or riding on an animal or in a vehicle.
280 Foreclosure The act of foreclosing, especially a legal proceeding by which a
mortgage is foreclosed.
281 Forestall To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures
beforehand.
282 Forfeited Something surrendered or subject to surrender as punishment for
a crime, an offense, an error, or a breach of contract.
283 Forgery To make a forgery or counterfeit.
284 Foyer An entrance hall; a vestibule.
285 Fracas A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl.
286 Frantic Highly excited with strong emotion or frustration; frenzied.
287 Freckle A small brownish spot on the skin, often turning darker or
increasing in number upon exposure to the sun.
288 Fresco The art of painting on fresh, moist plaster with pigments dissolved
in water.
289 Frieze A decorative horizontal band, as along the upper part of a wall in a
room.
290 Fringe A decorative border or edging of hanging threads, cords, or strips,
often attached to a separate band.
291 Frontier An international border.
292 Frown To wrinkle the brow, as in thought or displeasure.
293 Fumble To touch or handle nervously or idly.
294 Fur The thick coat of soft hair covering the skin of a mammal, such as
a fox or beaver
295 Furtive Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
296 Fuss Needlessly nervous or useless activity; commotion.
297 Gadgets A small specialized mechanical or electronic device; a contrivance.
298 Gainsay To declare false; deny.
460 Meadow A tract of grassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or
for growing hay.
461 Mediate o resolve or settle (differences) by working with all the conflicting
parties
462 Mediocrity Moderate to inferior in quality; ordinary.
463 Menace The act of threatening
464 Menthol A white crystalline organic compound, CH3C6H9(C3H7)OH,
obtained from peppermint oil or synthesized. It is used in perfumes,
in cigarettes, as a mild topical anesthetic, and as a mint flavoring.
465 Mercenary Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain.
466 Meretricious Attracting attention in a vulgar manner.
467 Metaphysics The theoretical or first principles of a particular discipline
468 Meteoric Of, relating to, or formed by a meteoroid
469 Microbe A minute life form; a microorganism, especially a bacterium that
causes disease.
470 Millinery One that makes, trims, designs, or sells hats.
471 Mime A form of ancient Greek and Roman theatrical entertainment in
which familiar characters and situations were farcically portrayed
on stage, often with coarse dialogue and ludicrous actions.
472 Minatory menacing or threatening nature; minacious.
473 Mince To cut or chop into very small pieces
474 Minnow Any of various other small, often silver-colored fishes
475 Minutiae A small or trivial detail
476 Mitten A covering for the hand that encases the thumb separately and the
four fingers together
477 Moan A low, sustained, mournful cry, usually indicative of sorrow or pain
478 Moat A ditch similar to one surrounding a fortification
479 Molt To shed periodically part or all of a coat or an outer covering, such
as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is then replaced by a new
growth.
480 Monocle An eyeglass for one eye.
481 Moratorium A suspension of an ongoing or planned activity.
482 Mortar A vessel in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle
483 Mortify To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride;
humiliate.
484 Motto A brief statement used to express a principle, a goal, or an ideal.
485 Mundane Of, relating to, or typical of this world; secular.
486 Muted Unable to speak.
487 Mutter To speak indistinctly in low tones
488 Nag To annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging.
489 Naivete An artless, credulous, or uncritical statement or act.
550 Periscope Any of various tubular optical instruments that contain reflecting
elements, such as mirrors and prisms, to permit observation from a
position displaced from a direct line of sight.
551 Perish To die or be destroyed, especially in a violent or untimely manner.
552 Pernicious Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly
553 Peroration To conclude a speech with a formal recapitulation
554 Perpetrated To be responsible for; commit
555 Persecute To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race,
religion, sexual orientation, or beliefs.
556 Pertain To have reference; relate
557 Pervasive Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate
558 Pestle A club-shaped, hand-held tool for grinding or mashing substances
in a mortar
559 Petrify To convert (wood or other organic matter) into a stony replica by
petrifaction
560 Philatelist The collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, and
related materials; stamp collecting
561 Picker To select from a group.
562 Pied Patchy in color; splotched or piebald.
563 Pigment substance used as coloring
564 Pinch o squeeze between the thumb and a finger, the jaws of a tool, or
other edges
565 Pine The wood of any of these trees
566 Piquant Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy.
567 Pique A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a
feeling of wounded pride
568 Pirate One who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without
commission from a sovereign nation
569 Pitcher A container for liquids
570 Pith The soft, spongelike, central cylinder of the stems of most flowering
plants, composed mainly of parenchyma.
571 Plaque A small pin or brooch worn as an ornament or a badge of
membership.
572 Platitude Lack of originality; triteness.
573 Plea An earnest request; an appeal
574 Plead To appeal earnestly;
575 Pledge A solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing
something
576 Pliant Easily bent or flexed
577 Pluck To remove or detach by grasping and pulling abruptly with the
fingers; pick.
578 Plumb A weight on the end of a line, used to determine water depth.
579 Plumbing The pipes, fixtures, and other apparatus of a water, gas, or sewage
system in a building.
580 Plummet Something that weighs down or oppresses; a burden. -
581 Plutocracy Government by the wealthy
582 Ply To join together, as by molding or twisting
583 Podiatrist The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment,
and prevention of diseases of the human foot.
584 Podium An elevated platform, as for an orchestra conductor or a public
speaker.
585 Poignant Physically painful.
586 Polemical A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a
specific opinion or doctrine.
587 poll The casting and registering of votes in an election.
588 Pollen The fine, powderlike material consisting of pollen grains that is
produced by the anthers of seed plants.
589 Poncho A similar garment having a hood used as a raincoat.
590 Pontifical Relating to, characteristic of, or suitable for a pope or a bishop
591 Poseur One who affects a particular attitude, character, or manner to
impress others
592 Posse A group of people summoned by a sheriff to aid in law enforcement
593 Poster A large, usually printed placard, bill, or announcement, often
illustrated
594 Prate To talk idly and at length; chatter.
595 Prattle To talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly; babble or prate
596 Preach To proclaim or put forth in a sermon.
597 Précis A concise summary of a book, an article, or another text; an
abstract
598 Precursory One that precedes and indicates, suggests, or announces
someone or something to come.
599 Predestine To fix upon, decide, or decree in advance; foreordain.
600 Preempted To appropriate, seize, or take for oneself before others.
601 Preen To smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak or bill.
602 Prescience Knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight.
603 Presumptuous Going beyond what is right or proper; excessively forward.
604 Prevalent Widely or commonly occurring, existing, accepted, or practiced.
605 Probity Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness.
606 Proclivity A natural propensity or inclination; predisposition.
607 Procrastinate To postpone or delay needlessly.
608 Proctor A dormitory and examination supervisor in a school.
609 Proliferate To increase or spread at a rapid rate.
792 Squat To sit in a crouching position with knees bent and the hams resting
on or near the heels.
793 Squelch To crush by or as if by trampling; squash.
794 Stake A piece of wood or metal pointed at one end for driving into the
ground as a marker, fence pole, or tent peg
795 Stanch To stop or check the flow of (blood or tears, for example).
796 Stanza One of the divisions of a poem, composed of two or more lines
usually characterized by a common pattern of meter, rhyme, and
number of lines. -
797 Stark Bare; blunt
798 Stasis A condition of balance among various forces; motionlessness
799 Statuary Statues considered as a group. 2. The art of making statues
800 Statute A law enacted by a legislature.
801 Stew To cook (food) by simmering or boiling slowly. --intr.
802 Stickler One who insists on something unyieldingly.
803 Stingy Giving or spending reluctantly.
804 Stint To restrict or limit, as in amount or number; be sparing with.
805 Stinting To restrict or limit, as in amount or number; be sparing with.
806 Stitch A single complete movement of a threaded needle in sewing or
surgical suturing.
807 Stockade A defensive barrier made of strong posts or timbers driven upright
side by side into the ground.
808 Streak A line, mark, smear, or band differentiated by color or texture from
its surroundings.
809 Striate marked with lines or ridges
810 Stride To walk with long steps, especially in a hasty or vigorous way.
811 Strolling To go for a leisurely walk.
812 Strut To walk with pompous bearing; swagger.
813 Stymie To thwart; stump
814 Subliminal Below the threshold of conscious perception. Used of stimuli.
815 Suborn To induce (a person) to commit an unlawful or evil act.
816 Subpoena A writ requiring appearance in court to give testimony.
817 Subsume To classify, include, or incorporate in a more comprehensive
category
818 Suede Leather with a soft napped surface.
819 Suffrage The right or privilege of voting; the franchise.
820 Sullenness Showing a brooding ill humor or silent resentment; morose or sulky
821 Supine Lying on the back or having the face upward.
822 Surcharge An additional sum added to the usual amount or cost.
823 Surf The waves of the sea as they break upon a shore or reef.
936 Woo To seek the affection of with intent to romance. 2.a. To seek to
achieve; try to gain.
937 Woodpile A pile of wood, especially when used for fuel.
938 Wool The dense, soft, often curly hair forming the coat of sheep and
certain other mammals, such as the goat and alpaca, consisting of
cylindrical fibers of keratin covered by minute overlapping scales
and much valued as a textile fabric.
939 Worship The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a
sacred object.
940 Writ Law. A written order issued by a court, commanding the party to
whom it is addressed to perform or cease performing a specified
act.
941 Wry Dryly humorous, often with a touch of irony.
942 Xenophobia A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign,
especially of strangers or foreign peoples
943 Yacht Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels,
generally with smart, graceful lines, used for pleasure cruises or
racing.