Today's GRE Vocabulary
Master these 10 high-frequency GRE words. Each word includes definition, usage, and a memory trick.
ameliorate (verb)
Definition: to make something better; improve
"The aid organization worked tirelessly to ameliorate the suffering of the displaced villagers."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'a better eight' hours of sleep, which improves how you feel.
gainsay (verb)
Definition: to deny or contradict
"No one could gainsay his superior skills on the battlefield; his victories spoke for themselves."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine someone saying 'Gain say!' which means 'don't say that, deny it!'
mendacious (adjective)
Definition: lying or untruthful
"The politician's mendacious claims were eventually exposed, leading to public outrage."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'menacious,' men are often perceived as less truthful (a stereotype, but good for memorization!).
deleterious (adjective)
Definition: harmful or damaging
"The long-term effects of the industrial pollution were deleterious to the local ecosystem."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'delete' button, which removes or damages something.
insidious (adjective)
Definition: treacherous or deceitful, proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects
"The insidious spread of misinformation on social media posed a significant threat to public discourse."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'in-sidious,' meaning 'inside' and 'sinister.' Something sinister creeping inside you.
propensity (noun)
Definition: a natural inclination or tendency to behave in a particular way
"He had a strong propensity for procrastination, always leaving his assignments until the last minute."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'pro-pen-city,' like a city full of people who are pro-writing, or have a tendency to write.
obfuscate (verb)
Definition: to make unclear, obscure, or unintelligible
"The lawyer attempted to obfuscate the issue by introducing irrelevant details and complex jargon."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine 'ob-' meaning 'against' and 'fuscate' sounding like 'focus.' To make something against focus, or unclear.
pusillanimous (adjective)
Definition: showing a lack of courage or determination; timid
"The pusillanimous leader refused to take a stand against the oppressive regime, fearing retribution."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'pussy' cat, which is often seen as timid or lacking courage.
recalcitrant (adjective)
Definition: stubbornly resistant to authority or control
"The recalcitrant student refused to complete his homework, despite repeated warnings from the teacher."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine a 're-calcitrant' athlete who keeps kicking back ('calcitrant' sounds like 'kick') against training.
superfluous (adjective)
Definition: unnecessary, especially through being more than enough
"In his eagerness to impress, he added several superfluous adjectives to his description, making it verbose."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'super' (meaning 'over') and 'fluous' (related to 'flow'). Too much flow, an excess.