Today's GRE Vocabulary
Master these 10 high-frequency GRE words. Each word includes definition, usage, and a memory trick.
abnegate (verb)
Definition: to deny oneself or renounce a right or responsibility
"The ascetic chose to abnegate all worldly pleasures in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'a bug ate' your desires – you deny them.
chicanery (noun)
Definition: trickery or deception, especially by legal or political maneuvering
"The politician was accused of using financial chicanery to enrich himself and his allies."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'chickens' – they can be tricky and sneaky.
enervate (verb)
Definition: to weaken or reduce in vitality; to drain
"The prolonged illness seemed to enervate him, leaving him too weak to even lift a book."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine an 'energy valve' being turned off, weakening you.
impecunious (adjective)
Definition: having little or no money
"Despite his grand ambitions, the artist remained impecunious for most of his career."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'in-pecunia' (Latin for 'no money').
loquacious (adjective)
Definition: tending to talk a great deal; talkative
"The loquacious host made it difficult for any other guest to get a word in during the dinner party."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'loki' (the trickster god) who's always talking and weaving tales.
obfuscate (verb)
Definition: to make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible
"The witness attempted to obfuscate the truth by giving evasive and contradictory answers."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine 'off the case' – making something hard to understand so it's removed from clear view.
pulchritude (noun)
Definition: beauty
"The art critic marveled at the pulchritude of the Renaissance sculpture."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'pretty', but more formal.
surreptitious (adjective)
Definition: kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of
"She cast a surreptitious glance at her watch, trying to gauge how much time she had before her boss noticed her late arrival."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'serpent' being sneaky and doing things secretly.
tenuous (adjective)
Definition: very weak or slight; flimsy
"The scientist's hypothesis was based on a tenuous link between two unrelated phenomena."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine a 'tennis' net that is weak and can easily break.
truculent (adjective)
Definition: eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight; aggressive
"The tru culent mood of the crowd escalated quickly into a riot."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'truck-you-lent' – aggressive and ready to fight.
