Today's GRE Vocabulary
Master these 10 high-frequency GRE words. Each word includes definition, usage, and a memory trick.
deleterious (adjective)
Definition: causing harm or damage.
"The long-term effects of the pollution were found to be deleterious to the local ecosystem."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'delete' and 'irritate'. Something that deletes your health and irritates your well-being is deleterious.
ubiquitous (adjective)
Definition: present, appearing, or found everywhere.
"In today's society, smartphones have become ubiquitous, seen in the hands of people of all ages."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine 'ubi' (like in 'uberty' for ubiquity) and 'quit us'. If something is everywhere, it's hard to quit seeing it.
ephemeral (adjective)
Definition: lasting for a very short time.
"The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only a few weeks each spring."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'e-phermeral'. Imagine a fly (pharaoh ant, perhaps?) that lives for only a day, a very short, 'e-phermeral' existence.
salient (adjective)
Definition: most noticeable or important.
"The salient points of the report were highlighted in the executive summary."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'sale' sign. The most noticeable and important thing about a sale is the sign itself, the 'salient' feature.
perspicacious (adjective)
Definition: having a ready insight into and understanding of things.
"The perspicacious investor quickly recognized the potential of the startup company."
💡 Mnemonic: Break it down: 'Per' (through) + 'spic' (see) + 'acious' (having qualities). Someone who can see *through* things has great insight.
propensity (noun)
Definition: an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way.
"He had a propensity for getting into trouble, often finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'pro' (forward) and 'pensity' (like 'pensate' or 'think'). A natural tendency to think or move forward in a certain way.
sagacious (adjective)
Definition: having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.
"The sagacious elder offered wise counsel to the villagers facing difficult decisions."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'sage' and 'acious'. A sage is a wise person, so 'sagacious' describes someone with the qualities of a sage.
acrimonious (adjective)
Definition: (typically of a speech or discussion) angry and bitter.
"The political debate devolved into an acrimonious exchange of insults."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'acrid' (bitter smell/taste) and 'monies' (money). Bitter arguments often happen over money.
superfluous (adjective)
Definition: unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
"He removed all the superfluous details from the report to make it more concise."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine a 'super flu' – it's so much of a flu, it's more than you need, it's 'superfluous'.
pusillanimous (adjective)
Definition: showing a lack of courage or determination; timid.
"The pusillanimous soldier refused to advance, fearing the enemy's firepower."
💡 Mnemonic: Break it down: 'Pusill' sounds like 'pussy' (a common, albeit informal, association with timidity) and 'animous' (from 'animal', meaning spirit or courage). A 'pussy animal' is timid.
