Today's GRE Vocabulary
Master these 10 high-frequency GRE words. Each word includes definition, usage, and a memory trick.
gregarious (adjective)
Definition: fond of company; sociable.
"Her gregarious nature made her the life of every party, always surrounded by a throng of admirers."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'Greg' who is always 'arious' (arious sounds like 'arious' as in 'various people') - he likes being around various people.
salient (adjective)
Definition: most noticeable or important.
"The salient features of the new proposal were its reduced budget and expanded scope."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine a 'sail' boat needing to navigate around 'lent' (lent is a period of time), so the most important thing is to see the 'salient' points of the map.
ephemeral (adjective)
Definition: lasting for a very short time.
"The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral, gracing us with their presence for only a few weeks each spring."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'Ephraim' who lived for a short time, or 'eph' as in 'epilepsy' which can be a sudden, short event.
ubiquitous (adjective)
Definition: present, appearing, or found everywhere.
"In the digital age, smartphones have become ubiquitous, integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives."
💡 Mnemonic: Imagine a 'U' shaped 'big' 'bus' that can go everywhere, it's ubiquitous.
deleterious (adjective)
Definition: causing harm or damage.
"The long-term effects of the unregulated industrial waste were found to be deleterious to the local ecosystem."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'delete' - what's deleterious is something you want to delete because it's harmful.
fastidious (adjective)
Definition: very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail; very concerned about cleanliness.
"The fastidious editor meticulously proofread every sentence, ensuring no errors escaped her notice."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'fastidious' person being so concerned about details that they can't 'fast' (eat quickly) because they are too busy inspecting their food.
proclivity (noun)
Definition: a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.
"Despite his efforts to be more balanced, he had a strong proclivity for procrastination."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of a 'pro' athlete having a natural 'clivity' (inclination) towards their sport.
bellicose (adjective)
Definition: demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.
"The general's bellicose rhetoric stirred the troops into a frenzy of anticipation for battle."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'bellowing' and 'cause' - someone who is bellicose likes to bellow and cause trouble.
veracity (noun)
Definition: truthfulness; accuracy.
"The jury questioned the veracity of the witness's testimony after contradictions emerged."
💡 Mnemonic: Think of 'verify' - veracity is about the truth that needs to be verified.
contumacious (adjective)
Definition: stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority.
"The contumacious student refused to follow the school's dress code, leading to repeated disciplinary actions."
💡 Mnemonic: Sounds like 'come to us' but they say 'no, I won't come to you, I'm disobedient!'
