Effective preparation for the GRE Verbal Reasoning section, which encompasses 27 questions across two parts, demands a strategic focus on mastering the Top 244 GRE® vocabulary words. This section evaluates candidates on their ability to decipher complex words within contextual usage, emphasizing comprehension rather than mere memorization. To excel, test-takers should prioritize understanding the nuanced meanings of less common words and their application in various contexts, honing both recognition and interpretation skills. Familiarity with the Top GRE® Vocabulary Words becomes a key asset in navigating this crucial section of the exam.

A holistic approach to GRE preparation involves consistent engagement with diverse vocabulary-building tools, including flashcards, word lists, and practice questions. Supplementing these resources with extensive reading, especially materials with challenging vocabulary, further refines one’s ability to grasp and apply these words effectively. By emphasizing contextual comprehension over rote memorization, candidates can navigate the verbal reasoning section with confidence, contributing to a well-rounded performance on test day.

GRE® Vocabulary: Top 244 Words with Examples

1. Abstract – Adjective – existing as an idea but not having a physical existence

Related Words: abstraction, conceptual, ideal, conjectural, hypothetical

• Sentence: He loved her only in the abstract.

2. Abstruse – Adjective – hard to understand

Related Words: profound, complicated, ambiguous, bewildering, confounding

• Sentence: Einstein’s theory of relativity is very abstruse.

3. Accretion – Noun – addition

Related Words: accumulation, increment, accession, augmentation, buildup

• Sentence: The fund was increased by the accretion of new shareholders.

4. Adversary – Noun – involving two people who oppose each other, an enemy

Related Words: antagonist, foe, archenemy, bane, invader

• Sentence: For the character of Batman, the Joker is an example of an adversary.

5. Aesthetic – Adjective – concerned with beauty, the appreciation of beauty

Related Words: attractive, gorgeous, ravishing, goodly, lovesome

• Sentence: Those buildings have little aesthetic appeal.

6. Ambiguity – Noun – uncertainty, doubtfulness

Related Words: ambiguous, equivocation, murkiness, obscurity, opaqueness

• Sentence: Ambiguity means “two different meanings” because “ambi” comes from the Greek word for “two.”

7. Ambivalent – Adjective – uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow

Related Words: ambivalence, equivocal, conflicted, faltering, reluctant

• Sentence: After five days, the jury is still ambivalent about the defendant’s guilt.

8. Amorphous – Adjective – lacking definite form, having no specific shape

Related Words: formless, chaotic, incoherent, obscure, nebulous

• Sentence: Large amorphous clouds have blocked the sunlight from reaching the earth.

9. Anachronism – Adjective – someone or something placed in the wrong period in history, something that belongs to the past rather than the present

Related Words: anachronistic, antiquated, obsolete, old-fashioned, vintage

• Sentence: In today’s computer world, a floppy disk is an anachronism.

10. Anomalous – Adjective – abnormal, deviating from the normal

Related Words: atypical, divergent, incongruous, peculiar

• Sentence: Researchers could not explain the anomalous test results.

11. Anticipated – Adjective – expect, predict

Related Words: counted, relied, envisaged, envisioned, foresaw

• Sentence: The organizers anticipated a successful event.

12. Apparent – Adjective – clearly visible, obvious

Related Words: conspicuous, discernible, evident, understandable, unmistakable

• Sentence: The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields.

13. Approbation – Noun – official recognition or approval

Related Words: approval, blessing, favor, acceptance, endorsement

• Sentence: He managed to get the approbation from the city mayor.

14. Arbitrary – Adjective – based on random choice or personal desire, rather than any reason or logic

Related Words: capricious, whimsical, imperious, unpredictable, willful

• Sentence: Despite being sensitive to cold temperature, he made an arbitrary decision to visit Antarctica.

15. Arcane – Adjective – known or understood by very few, mysterious or secret

Related Words: recondite, deep, esoteric, mysterious, inscrutable

• Sentence: Mr. Allan had a very arcane way of teaching mathematics.

16. Archaic – Adjective – old, obsolete

Related Words: antiquated, obsolescent, dormant, antique, historical

• Sentence: Because my archaic computer is no longer useful to me, I am giving it away for free.

17. Assertion – Noun – insisting, defending

Related Words: affirmations, avouchments, declarations, justifications, rationalizations

• Sentence: The lawyer was correct in his assertion that the minister had been lying.

18. Assiduity – Noun – devoted attention or strong focus and determination

Related Words: assiduous, diligence, attentiveness, perseverance, persistence

• Sentence: I marvel at the assiduity with which she completes her projects.

19. Atypical – Adjective – uncommon, not typical

Related Words: aberrant, uncommon, unusual, eccentric, outlandish

• Sentence: Eating meat would be completely atypical for a vegetarian.

20. Augment – Verb – enlarge or increase

Related Words: aggrandize, compound, protract, intensify, reinforce

• Sentence: He augmented his summer income by painting houses.

21. Austere – Adjective – severe or strict in manner or attitude

Related Words: forbidding, rigorous, adamant, melancholy, unrelenting

• Sentence: Even though my teacher appeared austere, she was a very kind woman.

22. Averse – Adjective – having a strong dislike to something

Related Words: aversion, averseness, repulsion, abhorrence, detestation

• Sentence: Since my children are averse to broccoli, I have to hide the vegetables in their favorite dishes.

23. Belie – Verb – to give a false impression

Related Words: confute, conceal, disguise, falsify, distort

• Sentence: His gentleness belied his evil nature.

24. Benign – Adjective – having no harmful effect, pleasant and kind

Related Words: anodyne, harmless, innocuous, inoffensive, safe

• Sentence: The officer was kind and benign.

25. Bolster – Verb – support and strengthen

Related Words: bear, brace, buttress, shore, sustain

• Sentence: The UN is sending more troops to bolster the peacekeepers.

26. Boon – Noun – a benefit or blessing for which one should be grateful

Related Words: advantage, aid, asset, benefit, help

• Sentence: The donation from the billionaire was a nice boon for the homeless charity.

27. Brevity – Noun – concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Related Words: conciseness, compression, curtailment, laconism, terseness

• Sentence: The president made his points with praiseworthy brevity.

28. Camouflage – Verb – to hide or disguise by blending in with the surroundings

Related Words: cloak, disguise, obscure, hide, masquerade

• Sentence: The troops camouflage themselves before they go into the enemy’s territory.

29. Capricious – Adjective – someone or something that is subject to sudden, unpredictable changes

Related Words: fickle, mercurial, skittish, unpredictable, volatile

• Sentence: He took a capricious decision and left his successful career as a poker player.

30. Cavalier – Adjective – not caring about feelings or serious situation

Related Words: condescending, disdainful, offhand, supercilious, superior

• Sentence: Since Alan had a cavalier attitude when he proposed, I did not take him seriously at all.

31. Circuitous – Adjective – not straight or direct, roundabout

Related Words: circular, indirect, roundabout, rambling, oblique

• Sentence: We took a circuitous route to school and missed the class.

32. Circumspect – Adjective – careful not to take risks

Related Words: cautious, wary, vigilant, prudent, judicious

• Sentence: She is very circumspect in dealing with strangers.

33. Circumvent – Adjective – to avoid (defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc.) by artfulness or deception

Related Words: beat, prevent, dodge, sidestep, evade

• Sentence: Ships were registered abroad to circumvent the heavy local taxes.

34. Clandestine – Adjective – kept secret or done secretively, especially because illegal or immoral

Related Words: covert, furtive, privy, stealthy, undercover

• Sentence: Some of the prison inmates have developed clandestine procedures for selling drugs.

35. Compelling – Adjective – very exciting and interesting

Related Words: enthralling, captivating, engrossing, mesmerizing, spellbinding

• Sentence: The novel was so compelling that I couldn’t put it down.

36. Conciliatory – Adjective – intended to show that you care about the feelings or opinions of someone who is angry or upset with you

Related Words: appeasing, mollifying, placatory, peacemaking, assuaging

• Sentence: The mediator made a conciliatory statement that helped the two parties find common ground.

37. Confound – Verb – to confuse someone by being difficult to explain or deal with

Related Words: confounded, baffle, confuse, bemuse, perplex

• Sentence: The complex puzzle will confound even the most intelligent person.

38. Conscientious – Adjective – feeling a moral responsibility to do your work carefully and to be fair to others

Related Words: diligent, meticulous, heedful, punctilious, reliable

• Sentence: Matt is a conscientious teacher, helping each and every student in the class with English grammar.

39. Consensus – Noun – a generally accepted opinion, general agreement among a group of people

Related Words: agreement, concurrence, concurrency, unanimity, unison

• Sentence: The leadership team is skilled at achieving consensus on sensitive issues.

40. Consequential – Adjective – important, significant

Related Words: consequent, resultant, accompanying, coincident, concomitant

• Sentence: She made some wrong investments and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.

41. Conspicuous – Adjective – clearly visible, completely obvious

Related Words: emphatic, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, apparent

• Sentence: There were a number of conspicuous changes to the building.

42. Convolute – Verb – to form into a twisted shape

Related Words: convoluted, cloud, contort, loop, intricate

• Sentence: My head began to hurt as I heard the professor’s convoluted talk.

43. Corroborate – Verb – confirm, verify, endorse

Related Words: bolster, reinforce, substantiate, establish, validate

• Sentence: Even though she knew her husband was lying, Meredith still agreed to corroborate his story in court.

44. Coy – Adjective – having a shy or sweetly innocent quality that is often intended to get attention

Related Words: evasive, demure, flirtatious, kittenish, diffident

• Sentence: The boy batted his eyes in a coy manner as if he was trying to get the attention of his mom.

45. Crust – Noun – a hard outer layer that covers something

Related Words: surface, concretion, hull, scab, shell

• Sentence: Bake until the crust is golden.

45. Cumulative – Adjective – something that is increasing or getting bigger with more additions

Related Words: accretive, additive, incremental, accumulative, progressive

• Sentence: The state’s cumulative Coronavirus cases rose to 726,716.

47. Cursory – Adjective – rapidly, not thorough, no attention to detail

Related Words: hasty, hurried, rush, impetuous, abrupt

• Sentence: He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.

48. Cynical – Adjective – believing the worst of human nature and motives, negative or pessimistic

Related Words: pessimistic, distrustful, negativistic, skeptical, sardonic

• Sentence: The cynical woman did not believe a word the boy told her.

49. Daunting – Adjective – a task that appears challenging

Related Words: demoralizing, perturbing, taxing, fearsome, exacting

• Sentence: If you have never been skydiving, it might appear somewhat daunting to you.

50. Dearth – Noun – a scarcity or lack of something

Related Words: drought, inadequacy, paucity, meagerness, deprivation

• Sentence: Many children died because of the dearth of food.

51. Deceptive – Adjective – giving an impression different from the true one, misleading

Related Words: deceitful, fallacious, misleading, mendacious, equivocal

• Sentence: The look on Luke’s face led me to believe that he was being deceptive.

52. Defensible – Adjective – justifiable by argument, able to be protected

Related Words: defendable, tenable, guarded, safeguarded, shielded

• Sentence: A city built on an island is easily defensible.

53. Deliberate – Adjective – done intentionally, careful and unhurried

Related Words: considered, weighed, prudent, conscious, planned

• Sentence: After losing my job, I had to be deliberate about selling my house.

54. Demeanor – Noun – conduct, facial appearance, behavior

Related Words: behavior, attitude, disposition, poise, carriage

• Sentence: Jack’s disruptive demeanor got him kicked out of school for a week.

55. Derived – Adjective – dependent on or generated by something more basic, not original

Related Words: derivative, acquired, procured, extracted, attained

• Sentence: AI techniques are methods that use derived knowledge to perform efficiently.

56. Detrimental – Adjective – causing harm or injury

Related Words: deleterious, harmful, pernicious, insidious, destructive

• Sentence: Smoking is detrimental to your health.

57. Devoid – Adjective – lacking, free from

Related Words: bankrupt, bare, barren, destitute, void

• Sentence: The food was completely devoid of taste.

58. Diffident – Adjective – lack of self-confidence, shyness, modesty

Related Words: diffidence, restrained, introverted, modest, reserved

• Sentence: Amy is a diffident but intelligent kid.

59. Discretion – Noun – the freedom to decide what should be done in a certain situation

Related Words: discreetness, policy, prudence, sensibleness, wisdom

• Sentence: Medicines will be given out to students at the nurse’s discretion.

60. Disdain – Noun – the feeling of not liking someone or something and thinking that they do not deserve your interest or respect

Related Words: disdainful, contempt, despisement, misprision, scorn

• Sentence: She turned her head away in disdain.

61. Disingenuous – Adjective – dishonest, or not speaking the complete truth

Related Words: deceitful, underhand, duplicitous, two-faced, dissembling

• Sentence: The sad reality of the present era is that almost everybody is disingenuous even to their friends.

62. Disparate – Adjective – fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind

Related Words: dissimilar, distinctive, diverse, nonidentical, unalike

• Sentence: You can’t compare both the vehicles; they have disparate features.

63. Disseminate – Verb – spread information widely

Related Words: broadcast, circulate, propagate, spread

• Sentence: The aim is to disseminate messages as widely as possible within a given community.

64. Distort – Verb – misleading or false impression

Related Words: contort, deform, screw, squinch, warp

• Sentence: The funhouse mirror was designed to distort the visage of anyone who stood in front of it

65. Diverse: Adjective – Different, showing a great deal of variety.

Related Words: Dissimilar, distinctive, distinguishable, nonidentical, unlike. 

• Sentence: Our diverse student body includes individuals from different countries.

66. Dubious: Adjective – Open to doubt or suspicion, doubtful or uncertain.

 Related Words: Dodgy, equivocal, suspicious, undetermined, improbable.

•  Sentence: In such a crazy world, it is hard not to be dubious of a stranger’s intentions.

67. Duplicity: Noun – Fraud, dishonest talk, or behavior.

Related Words: Duplicitous, dishonesty, mendacity, fraudulence, treacherousness.

• Sentence: They were accused of duplicity in their dealings with both sides.

68. Eccentric: Adjective – Unconventional, strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way. 

Related Words: Outlandish, peculiar, weird, aberrant, atypical. 

• Sentence: Michael and Michelle dress in funny old clothes and are always laughing about something..

69. Eclectic – Adjective – deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources

Related Words: eclecticism, assortment, heterogeneity, indiscrimination, miscellaneous

• Sentence: In Gerald’s library, you will find an eclectic mix of books because he will read just about anything.

70. Eclipse – Noun – the phenomenon when something blocks the view of something else, making it less important and noticeable

Related Words: decadence, descent, deterioration, devolution, downgrade

• Sentence: The moon eclipses the earth’s view of the sun.

71. Edifying – Adjective – instructive or beneficial, especially morally or spiritually

Related Words: explanatory, comprehensive, enlightening, informational

• Sentence: The paintings in the church served an edifying purpose even for those who could not read.

72. Egalitarian – Noun – favoring social equality

Related Words: democratic, egoless, humble, modest

• Sentence: People have long dreamt of an egalitarian society.

73. Elucidate – Verb – make something clear, explain

Related Words: elucidation, clarify, edification, enlighten, demonstrate

• Sentence: The aim of the report is to elucidate the main points of the new regulations.

74. Elusive – Adjective – difficult to find, catch, or achieve

Related Words: evasive, fugitive, ephemeral, impermanent, unattainable

• Sentence: Peace becomes elusive in a house full of noisy children.

75. Embellish – Verb – make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc.

Related Words: elaborate, embroider, exaggerate, hyperbolize, overemphasize

• Sentence: We embellished our room with a new rug, lamp, and a chair.

76. Embrace – Verb – accept willingly, hold closely in one’s arms

Related Words: bear-hug, crush, enfold, grasp, hug

• Sentence: Charity embraces all acts that contribute to human welfare.

77. Empirical – Adjective – derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

Related Words: experiential, factual, established, indisputable, verifiable

• Sentence: There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis.

78. Enamored – Adjective – in love with a person or thing

Related Words: ardent, enthused, fanatical, fond, infatuated

• Sentence: She is truly enamored with Turkish delights.

79. Engrossing – Adjective – taking all your attention, very interesting

Related Words: engaging, enthralling, gripping, intriguing, involving

• Sentence: I find the Harry Potter series totally engrossing.

80. Ephemeral – Adjective – anything short-lived, temporary

Related Words: fleeting, fugacious, impermanent, momentary, transitory

• Sentence: The thunderstorm was ephemeral, starting suddenly and gone within seconds.

81. Epitomize – Verb – be a perfect example of

Related Words: recapitulate, abridge, condense, curtail, concentrate

• Sentence: Stressing one night before the exam epitomizes the struggles of university life.

82. Equivocal – Adjective – not clear or certain, of doubtful nature or character, questionable, dubious, suspicious

Related Words: equivocate, ambiguous, indecisive, mystifying, perplexing

• Sentence: The results of the police enquiry were equivocal.

83. Erratic – Adjective – not regular in pattern or movement, unpredictable

Related Words: desultory, haphazard, scattered, inadvertent, irregular

• Sentence: Consuming alcohol causes erratic behavior.

84. Erudite – Adjective – having or showing profound knowledge

Related Words: erudition, educate, literate, edificate, pedant

• Sentence: Ken could turn any conversation into an erudite discussion.

85. Eschew – Verb – avoid and stay away from deliberately, stay clear of

Related Words: avoid, elude, escape, evade, shun

• Sentence: I eschew smoking because I know it is dangerous to my health.

86. Esoteric – Adjective – known or understood by very few people

Related Words: abstruse, arcane, recondite, erudite, unfathomable

• Sentence: Ruling an entire kingdom successfully is an esoteric business known by only a few kings.

87. Exacerbate – Verb – make worse

Related Words: aggravate, complicate, amplify, intensify, worsen

• Sentence: Interfering in the already heated debate would further exacerbate the situation.

88. Exaggerate – Verb – show something as larger, better, or worse than it really is

Related Words: exaggerated, exaggeration, embellish, magnify, stretch

• Sentence: He tends to exaggerate the difficulties.

89. Exemplary – Adjective – something so good that it is an example for others to follow

Related Words: archetypical, imitable, model, paradigmatic, quintessential

• Sentence: Married for over fifty years, my grandparents have an exemplary marriage.

90. Exhaustive – Adjective – including all aspects, complete

Related Words: comprehensive, full-scale, out-and-out, thoroughgoing

• Sentence: My wife’s exhaustive cleaning list covers every inch of the house.

91. Exotic – Adjective – of foreign origin or character, not native

Related Words: tropical, non-native, outlandish, foreign, imported

• Sentence: I love trying exotic food.

92. Expedient – Adjective – describes something that provides an easy way to achieve a goal or result, but it’s not necessarily a moral solution

Related Words: advisable, judicious, prudent, tactical, beneficial

• Sentence: An expedient solution for getting good grades without studying is to cheat.

93. Expeditious – Adjective – done with speed and efficiency

Related Words: alacritous, alert, prompt, responsive, instantaneous

• Sentence: Everybody expects a pizza delivery boy to be expeditious.

94. Extraneous – Adjective – irrelevant, unrelated

Related Words: adventitious, alien, external, extrinsic, supervenient

• Sentence: Extraneous light in the camera spoiled the photograph.

95. Fecund – Adjective – intellectually productive or inventive

Related Words: fertile, fructuous, generative, copious, thriving

• Sentence: He is a fecund young scientist with so many inventions.

96. Flout – Verb – to intentionally disobey a rule or law

Related Words: overlook, disparage, defy, breach, disregard

• Sentence: Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.

97. Forbearance – Noun – patient self-control, tolerance

Related Words: long-suffering, patience, sufferance

• Sentence: The teacher exhibited great forbearance when the children started misbehaving in class.

98. Forestall – Verb – act in advance to prevent something

Related Words: avert, negate, deter, thwart, impede

• Sentence: Fortunately at the last minute, Sarah was able to talk to the two colleagues and forestall a fight.

99. Formidable – Adjective – causing fear, dread, extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage

Related Words: dreadful, frightful, horrendous, intimidating, terrifying

• Sentence: The formidable hurricane lasted for 30 hours and destroyed every house on the island.

100. Forthright – Adjective – direct and outspoken

Related Words: honest, guileless, ingenuous, unpretentious, sincere

• Sentence: His forthright manner can be mistaken for rudeness.

101. Fortuitous – Adjective – occurring by happy chance

Related Words: fluky, fortunate, providential, beneficial, propitious

• Sentence: His success is the result of a fortuitous combination of circumstances.

102. Foster – Verb – to encourage or promote something

Related Words: cultivate, incubate, nourish, nurture, promote

• Sentence: You cannot foster a relationship if one party is unwilling to cooperate.

103. Fragile – Adjective – easily broken or damaged or destroyed

Related Words: fragility, breakable, delicate, frail, frangible

• Sentence: Her health has always been very fragile.

104. Fraught – Adjective – marked by distress

Related Words: distressed, agitated, panic-stricken, abounding, abundant

• Sentence: Their marriage has been fraught with difficulties.

105. Gauge – Verb – to estimate or measure

Related Words: calculate, estimate, figure, guess, reckon

• Sentence: The device will gauge your blood pressure throughout your surgery.

106. Germane – Adjective – relevant and appropriate

Related Words: apposite, pertinent, relevant, admissible, apropos

• Sentence: He asks questions that are germane and central to the issue.

107. Glimpse – Verb – a brief look at someone or something

Related Words: cast, gander, peek, side-glance, glint

• Sentence: Using my long-distance lens, I was able to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.

108. Hackneyed – Adjective – repeated too often, overused

Related Words: banal, cliché, commonplace, platitudinal, conventional

• Sentence: Since dyeing your hair purple has become a hackneyed style, I am dyeing my hair green!

109. Heterogeneous – Adjective – consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature, diverse

Related Words: assorted, eclectic, indiscriminate, diverse, contrasting

• Sentence: The population of the United States is vast and heterogeneous.

110. Hyperbole – Noun – an exaggeration or overstatement used to evoke strong feelings

Related Words: caricature, embellishment, embroidering, exaggeration, magnification

• Sentence: The politician uses hyperbole in his speech to gain public support.

111. Hypothesis – Noun – a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

Related Words: proposition, supposition, theory, thesis, conjecture

• Sentence: We hope that further research will confirm our hypothesis.

112. Idiosyncratic – Adjective – having strange or unusual habits, ways of behaving, or features

Related Words: distinctive, peculiar, particular, unique, independently

• Sentence: Sarah has an idiosyncratic habit of collecting toddler toys in her twenties.

113. Imminent – Adjective – likely to occur at any moment

Related Words: forthcoming, impending, inevitable, looming, unavoidable

• Sentence: Despite what the scientist said, the volcano eruption is not imminent.

114. Impartial – Adjective – showing lack of favoritism

Related Words: impartiality, equitable, evenhanded, unbiased, unprejudiced

• Sentence: The impartial moderator managed the debate and did not show favoritism to either politician.

115. Imperative – Adjective – necessary, unavoidable

Related Words: critical, indispensable, integral, consequential, momentous

• Sentence: There is an ethical imperative not to destroy the wonderful diversity of life on Earth.

116. Imperceptible – Adjective – unable to be noticed or felt because of being very slight

Related Words: undetectable, subtle, gradual, insignificant, ephemeral

• Sentence: His head moved in an almost imperceptible nod.

117. Imperious – Adjective – arrogance with an attitude of authority and expecting obedience

Related Words: imperiousness, authoritarian, autocratic, dictatorial, tyrannical

• Sentence: The professor was as imperious as ever.

118. Impervious – Adjective – not allowing fluid to pass through

Related Words: impenetrable, impermeable, compact, snug, thick

• Sentence: Rubber boots are impervious to water.

119. Implausible – Adjective – unlikely, questionable

Related Words: incredulous, dubious, questionable, ludicrous, preposterous

• Sentence: Even though I dream of winning the lottery, I know the odds of winning are highly implausible.

120. Implication – Noun – the conclusion that can be drawn without being explicitly stated

Related Words: conclusion, indication, meaning, overtone, ramification

• Sentence: The belt in my father’s hand was a clear implication that I was in trouble.

121. Inconsequential – Adjective – lacking worth or importance

Related Words: inconsiderable, insignificant, trifling, trivial, unimportant

• Sentence: At the end of the day, everything is inconsequential except one’s family.

122. Inconsistent – Adjective – displaying a lack of consistency

Related Words: conflicting, discrepant, incongruous, inharmonious, repugnant

• Sentence: The jury was turned off by the witness’ inconsistent testimony.

123. Indifference – Noun – lack of concern or interest

Related Words: apathy, complacence, disregard, incuriosity, nonchalance

• Sentence: Depression added to the man’s indifference and caused him to care less and less about things he had once loved and enjoyed.

124. Indigenous – Adjective – originating where it is found

Related Words: aboriginal, born, domestic, endemic, native

• Sentence: The Ainu are indigenous to the northernmost islands of Japan.

125. Indiscernible – Adjective – difficult or impossible to perceive or discern

Related Words: incomprehensible, inexplicable, indistinguishable, obscure, vague

• Sentence: Because it was so dark outside, the faces of the people that stood outside my door were indiscernible.

126. Indispensable – Adjective – absolutely necessary, vitally necessary

Related Words: critical, consequential, momentous, substantial, fundamental

• Sentence: Sleep and exercise are indispensable to good health.

127. Inert – Adjective – unable to move or resist motion

Related Words: dormant, inactive, inoperative, latent, abeyant

• Sentence: He covered the inert body with a blanket.

128. Inevitable – Adjective – incapable of being avoided or prevented

Related Words: certain, ineluctable, ineludible, necessary, unavoidable

• Sentence: A rise in the interest rates seems inevitable.

129. Inexplicable – Adjective – incapable of being explained or accounted for

Related Words: indefinable, enigmatic, unfathomable, absurd, peculiar

• Sentence: He left the house at three in the morning for inexplicable reasons.

130. Ingenuous – Adjective – lacking in sophistication or worldliness, childlike innocence

Related Words: ingenuousness, artless, guileless, honest, unpretentious

• Sentence: The little boy’s ingenuous habit of constantly telling the truth made him unpopular at school.

131. Inimical – Adjective – causing harm or injury

Related Words: adversarial, antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, unsympathetic

• Sentence: The police officer had an inimical attitude towards criminals.

132. Innocuous – Adjective – not harmful or offensive

Related Words: anodyne, benign, inoffensive, gentle, nonfatal

• Sentence: He’s a perfectly innocuous young man.

133. Inscrutable – Adjective – impossible to understand or interpret

Related Words: arcane, enigmatic, impenetrable, mysterious, obscure

• Sentence: The inscrutable gaze of the palace guards made me a little nervous.

134. Insular – Adjective – a community that remains separate from others and that doesn’t wish to learn about other cultures

Related Words: insularity, narrow, provincial, inflexible, biased

• Sentence: Only a few people live in their insular neighborhood in the coldest part of Alaska.

135. Intractable – Adjective – not easily managed or controlled

Related Words: intractability, complex, troublesome, demanding, burdensome

• Sentence: Bringing up the sunken cruise ship is going to be an intractable task.

136. Intransigent – Adjective – uncompromising

Related Words: adamant, inflexible, obdurate, obstinate, stubborn

• Sentence: People have a hard time getting along with Ben because he is such an intransigent leader.

137. Intricate – Adjective – having many complexly arranged elements, elaborate

Related Words: intricacy, complicated, convoluted, circuitous, entangled

• Sentence: The painter’s work of art reveals his ability to create intricate pictures of hometown life on canvas.

138. Intrigue – Verb – cause to be interested or curious

Related Words: absorb, bemuse, engage, enthrall, fascinate

• Sentence: Fairy tales can intrigue most children.

139. Irascible – Adjective – quickly aroused to anger

Related Words: choleric, querulous, quick-tempered, cranky, irritable

• Sentence: He was recognised to be highly jealous and irascible.

140. Irrelevant – Adjective – having no connection with something

Related Words: extraneous, immaterial, impertinent, inapplicable, irrelative

• Sentence: His answer seemed irrelevant at first.

141. Irreverent – Adjective – showing lack of due respect

Related Words: disrespectful, disdainful, contemptuous, presumptuous, insulting

• Sentence: When the knight did not bow before his queen, he acted in an irreverent manner.

142. Itinerant – Adjective – a person who travels from place to place as demanded by employment

Related Words: nomadic, roaming, wandering, meandering, unsettled

• Sentence: Elana’s book discusses the itinerant life she has lived as a gypsy.

143. Lackadaisical – Adjective – lacking enthusiasm and determination, carelessly lazy

Related Words: languid, spiritless, indolent, dull, inert

• Sentence: Ben is annoyingly lackadaisical and impractical by sleeping and watching television all day.

144. Lucid – Adjective – transparently clear, easily understandable

Related Words: lucidity, balanced, clear-headed, rational, reasonable

• Sentence: Even though he was drunk, Henry insisted he was lucid and capable of driving home.

145. Malleable – Adjective – capable of being shaped or bent without cracking

Related Words: adaptable, ductile, pliable, resilient, tractable

• Sentence: Silver is the most malleable of all metals.

146. Manifest – Adjective – to make clear or evident to the eye

Related Words: comprehensible, discernible, palpable, unequivocal, understandable

• Sentence: The love on Amy’s face was manifest and obvious to everyone.

147. Meager – Adjective – lacking in amount or quality

Related Words: exiguous, scant, deficient, inadequate, minimal

• Sentence: Dean kept quiet about his meager half-breakfast.

148. Mediocrity – Noun – moderate ability or value

Related Words: normality, averageness, commonness, commonplaceness

• Sentence: Jan lived a life of mediocrity.

149. Meticulous – Adjective – showing great attention to detail

Related Words: scrupulous, assiduous, observant, vigilant, demanding

• Sentence: She inspected the house in meticulous detail

150. Mitigate – Verb – make less severe or serious

Related Words: assuage, mollify, soothe, moderate, ameliorate

• Sentence: Nothing could mitigate the loss of her husband.

151. Morose – Adjective – showing a brooding ill humor

Related Words: gloomy, unsmiling, humourless, uncommunicative, taciturn

• Sentence: Her face suddenly took on a morose expression.

152. Mundane – Adjective – lacking interest or excitement, dull

Related Words: boring, tedious, prosaic, routine

• Sentence: It was hard to return to a mundane 9 to 5 job after vacations.

153. Naivete – Noun – lack of sophistication, experience, wisdom, or judgment

Related Words: innocence, artlessness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, simple-mindedness

• Sentence: Smugglers rely on the naiveté of inexperienced travelers to get their goods through customs.

154. Nebulous – Adjective – not clear, vague, ill-defined

Related Words: ambiguous, equivocal, murky, obscure, opaque

• Sentence: He has a few nebulous ideas about what he might like to do in the future, but nothing definite.

155. Noisome – Adjective – having an extremely unpleasant smell

Related Words: insalubrious, noxious, stinking, unhealthy, unwholesome

• Sentence: The homeless man has a noisome odor because he has not showered in months.

156. Obscure – Verb – make less visible or unclear

Related Words: obscurity, arcane, enigmatic, inscrutable, mysterious

• Sentence: The big elm tree obscures our view of the valley.

157. Obviate – Verb – prevent the occurrence of, prevent from happening

Related Words: avert, forestall, preclude, hamper, hinder

• Sentence: We must obviate the problem ahead of tomorrow.

158. Ominous – Adjective – giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen

Related Words: threatening, inauspicious, menacing, portentous, malignant

• Sentence: There was an ominous silence in the house.

159. Onerous – Adjective – (of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty

Related Words: burdensome, arduous, exacting, taxing, formidable

• Sentence: The flight attendant was not prepared to deal with the onerous passenger.

160. Orthodox – Adjective – adhering to what is commonly accepted

Related Words: conventional, conservative, hidebound, traditional, unprogressive

• Sentence: The minister called me an upstart when I dared to question his orthodox views

161. Outmoded – Adjective – out of fashion

Related Words: antiquated, archaic, obsolete, prehistoric, superannuated

• Sentence: Outmoded computers are not used nowadays.

162. Paradigm – Noun – the generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time

Related Words: archetype, example, prototype, guideline, gauge

• Sentence: He framed the problem within the psychoanalytic paradigm.

163. Paradox – Noun – a statement that contradicts itself

Related Words: contradiction, dichotomy, conundrum, enigma, riddle

• Sentence: ‘I always lie’ is a paradox because if it is true it must be false.

164. Parochial – Adjective – having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

Related Words: parochialism, narrow-minded, inflexible, obdurate, insular

• Sentence: Local newspapers tend to be very parochial.

165. Parsimonious – Adjective – very unwilling to spend money or use resources

Related Words: close-fisted, miserly, frugal, mean, uncharitable

• Sentence: Most rich people remain rich by employing parsimonious habits.

166. Paucity – Noun – an insufficient quantity or number

Related Words: dearth, deficiency, drought, famine, meagerness

• Sentence: I did not have enough to drink because Sally left only a paucity of soda in the bottle.

167. Pedestrian – Noun – a person who travels by foot, lacking inspiration or excitement, dull

Related Words: perambulator, roamer, monotonous, tedious

• Sentence: The speeding car barely missed the pedestrian.

168. Perfunctory – Adjective – hasty and without attention to detail, not thorough

Related Words: apathetic, casual, disinterested, phlegmatic, lukewarm

• Sentence: Since I was extremely ill, I was shocked when the doctor only gave me a perfunctory exam.

169. Peripatetic – Adjective – traveling especially on foot

Related Words: errant, roaming, wandering, fugitive

• Sentence: I haven’t been able to train my dog to stop his peripatetic behavior of running away in search of adventure.

170. Pernicious – Adjective – exceedingly harmful

Related Words: adverse, perilous, ominous, hazardous, menacing

• Sentence: Because she hates me, my neighbor is always spreading pernicious lies about me.

171. Perpetuate – Verb – cause to continue or prevail

Related Words: eternalize, immortalize, preserve, continue, sustain

• Sentence: Schools tend to perpetuate the myth that boys are better at sport than girls.

172. Perspicacity – Noun – the ability to understand things quickly and make accurate judgments

Related Words: shrewdness, discernment, astuteness, smartness, wit

• Sentence: He may own the perspicacity and persistence to catch and keep the most valuable thing.

173. Pervasive – Adjective – (especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people

Related Words: pandemic, prevalent, rife, widespread

• Sentence: Violence and crime are pervasive features of city life.

174. Plausible – Adjective – apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful

Related Words: plausibly, plausibility, believable, credible, compelling

• Sentence: Jamy was fired because she could not give her boss a plausible explanation for coming late every other day.

175. Poignant – Adjective – evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret

Related Words: sad, mournful, distressing, touching, moving

• Sentence: Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time.

176. Polemical – Adjective – of or involving dispute or controversy

Related Words: argumentative, contentious, quarrelsome, bellicose, incisive

• Sentence: They are the polemical opponents of theory.

177. Ponderous – Adjective – labored and dull (of writing and speech), slow and clumsy because of great weight

Related Words: arid, dull, mind-numbing, tiring, uninteresting

• Sentence: John quickly fell asleep while reading the ponderous book.

178. Pragmatism – Noun – a practical approach to problems and affairs

Related Words: pragmatic, realism, gloominess, cynicism, skepticism

• Sentence: We live in a civilized age, and it demands a new pragmatism.

179. Precarious – Adjective – not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse

Related Words: insecure, uncertain, jeopardizing, menacing, detrimental

• Sentence: My financial position is rather precarious at the moment.

180. Precipitate – Verb – cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly and unexpectedly

Related Words: hasty, rash, impetuous, trigger, provoke

• Sentence: Drinking in excess will precipitate liver disease.

181. Preclude – Verb – prevent from happening or arising, make impossible

Related Words: avert, forestall, prevent, circumvent, prohibit

• Sentence: Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project.

182. Precursor – Noun – similar thing that happened or existed before it, and indicates the approach of something or someone else

Related Words: forerunner, harbinger, predecessor, antecedent

• Sentence: Sulphur dioxide is the main precursor of acid rain.

183. Presage – Noun – Something that shows the future event

Related Words: anticipation, foresight, harbinger, precursor, foretelling

• Sentence: According to the psychic, the cards presage an upcoming tragedy in my life.

184. Prescient – Adjective – having or showing knowledge of events before they take place

Related Words: predictive, farseeing, foresighted, provident, visionary

• Sentence: The psychic’s predictions were uncannily prescient and ended up proving true a few weeks later.

185. Prevalent – Adjective – most frequent or common

Related Words: prevalence, prevailing, customary, standard, usual

• Sentence: During the holidays, theft becomes more prevalent in low-income areas.

186. Primitive – Adjective – a person who belongs to an early stage of civilization

Related Words: crude, rudimentary, basic, simple, primeval

• Sentence: Primitive man quickly learned how to manipulate tools.

187. Pristine – Adjective – clean and unused, unspoiled, and in its original condition

Related Words: immaculate, brand-new, unaltered, unblemished, uncontaminated

• Sentence: My uncle’s antique car is pristine and has all its original parts.

188. Prosaic – Adjective – not challenging, dull, unimaginative and lacking excitement

Related Words: humdrum, insipid, average, unexceptional, standard

• Sentence: Edward was a prosaic man who stood out in a room filled with creative people.

189. Proscribe – Verb – forbid, especially by law

Related Words: censure, ban, forbid, prohibit, preclude

• Sentence: Most states have laws that proscribe texting while driving.

190. Prose – Adjective – the ordinary form of spoken or written language

Related Words: prosaic, unlyrical, literal, matter-of-fact, antipoetic

• Sentence: While I am good at writing verses, I prefer to tell my stories through prose.

191. Protean – Adjective – able to do many different things, versatile

Related Words: adaptable, all-around, universal, skillful

• Sentence: He is a protean stylist who can move from blues to ballads and grand symphony.

192. Protract – Verb – prolong

Related Words: protracted, extend, lengthen, outstretch, elongate

• Sentence: To protract his presentation, Sara sought more material and examples for her speech.

193. Prudent – Adjective – showing good judgment in avoiding risks and uncertainties, careful

Related Words: sagacious, shrewd, cautious, chary, circumspect

• Sentence: Children must be prudent while riding the bicycles.

194. Punctilious – Adjective – careful in behaving correctly, attentive toward details

Related Words: meticulous, diligent, decorous, sober, courteous

• Sentence: He is a punctilious artist.

195. Quixotic – Adjective – impracticable, unrealistic

Related Words: dreamy, impulsive, utopian, chimerical, impetuous

• Sentence: Children love the quixotic story of the unicorn.

196. Rancor – Noun – a feeling of hate and continuing anger about something in the past

Related Words: antagonism, antipathy, enmity, grudge, loathing

• Sentence: She is disciplined that she expresses rancor if anyone is late.

197. Recalcitrant – Adjective – stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Related Words: defiant, intractable, implacable, obstinate, insolent

• Sentence: The bull was so recalcitrant to his new owner.

198. Recapitulate – Verb – summarize, state again the main point

Related Words: abstract, brief, abridge, condense, curtail

• Sentence: The manager recapitulated the tasks at the end of the meeting.

199. Redundant – Adjective – being in excess, unnecessary repetition

Related Words: excess, spare, supererogatory, superfluous, surplus

• Sentence: There will be so many redundant employees in the future.

200. Reflexive – Adjective – a sudden reaction that you cannot control, knee-jerk reaction

Related Words: instinctive, spontaneous, automatic, involuntary, impulsive

• Sentence: Whenever she sees cats, she screams reflexively.

201. Reluctant – Adjective – not eager, lack of interest

Related Words: disinclined, hesitant, indisposed, loathe, reticent

• Sentence: A lot of people are reluctant to eat broccoli.

202. Replete – Adjective – fill or well supplied with something

Related Words: well, stocked, filled, fat, fleshy

• Sentence: Herbivores animals are replete with enough food to live long.

203. Resurgence – Noun – bringing again into activity and prominence

Related Words: regeneration, rejuvenation, revival, recovery, restoration

• Sentence: The cause of the resurgence of the company was its new CEO.

204. Reticent – Adjective – remaining silent, self-restraint

Related Words: reticence, reserved, silent, taciturn, laconic

• Sentence: My brother decided to be reticent after he was embarrassed by what he said.

205. Sacrosanct – Adjective – extremely holy

Related Words: blessed, hallowed, sanctified, religious, ritual

• Sentence: Religious temples are sacrosanct in every religion.

206. Salient – Adjective – noticeable, remarkable

Related Words: important, arresting, conspicuous, pertinent, weighty

• Sentence: Working hard in our field will make us salient among others.

207. Salutary – Adjective – beneficial to health

Related Words: propitious, desirable, salubrious, ameliorative

• Sentence: Doctors suggest us to eat fruits because they are salutary.

208. Shun – Verb – avoid and stay away from deliberately

Related Words: avoid, dodge, elude, escape, eschew

• Sentence: Some employees shun from work.

209. Specious – Adjective – seeming to be right or true, but wrong or false

Related Words: delusive, fallacious, misleading, confounding, insincere

• Sentence: Most magic tricks are specious

210. Spontaneous – Adjective – instinctive, unplanned

Related Words: improvisation, impulse, inclination, tendency, whim

• Sentence: My dance is spontaneous whenever I hear my favorite song.

211. Spurious – Adjective – false, artificial, intended to deceive

Related Words: bogus, counterfeit, factitious, specious, delusive

• Sentence: The spurious man tried to exchange fake currency.

212. Subtle – Adjective – not very noticeable, not obvious

Related Words: delicate, elusive, evasive, faint, intangible

• Sentence: There are many subtle colors which we cannot differentiate normally.

213. Superficial – Adjective – existing or occurring on the surface

Related Words: skin-deep, surface, external, outermost, peripheral

• Sentence: The storm caused only superficial damage to the building.

214. Superfluous – Adjective – unnecessary, especially being through more than enough

Related Words: excess, surplus, ample, copious, plentiful

• Sentence: The purple piece of the puzzle is superfluous.

215. Supplant – Verb – supersede or replace

Related Words: displace, relieve, substitute, supersede, usurp

• Sentence: In the future, autonomous cars will supplant all taxi drivers.

216. Suppress – Verb – forcefully put an end to

Related Words: conceal, restrain, stifle, curb, inhibit

• Sentence: Most capitalists suppress lower-class people.

217. Surreptitious – Adjective – done secretly without anyone seeing or knowing

Related Words: unexposed, clandestine, secretive, furtive, stealth

• Sentence: Ninjas are surreptitious as they work at night mostly.

218. Susceptible – Adjective – liable to be influenced or harmed by something

Related Words: endangered, exposed, sensitive, vulnerable

• Sentence: Most people are susceptible to heat stroke.

219. Tedious – Adjective – too long, dull, tiresome, boring

Related Words: jejune, tiring, prosaic, uninspiring, enervating

• Sentence: I had a very tedious day in the office.

220. Tenacity – Noun – the quality or fact of being determined or persistent

Related Words: tenacious, endurance, perseverance, stamina, prowess

• Sentence: Tenacity can help you overcome every difficulty.

221. Tendentious – Adjective – expressing or supporting a particular opinion that many other people disagree with

Related Words: tendentiousness, biased, partial, subjective, prejudicial

• Sentence: Some books are banned, but people are still tendentious to buy them.

222. Tenuous – Adjective – weak, unimportant, or in doubt

Related Words: eggshell, insubstantial, fragile, delicate, dubious

• Sentence: The rope became so tenuous that a slight pull could break it.

223. Tepid – Adjective – moderately warm, showing little enthusiasm

Related Words: half-hearted, lukewarm, uneager, unenthusiastic

• Sentence: Most people can only drink tepid beverages.

224. Timid – Adjective – showing fear or lack of confidence

Related Words: fearful, skittish, timorous, nervous, startled

• Sentence: Most of our pets are timid around street dogs.

225. Transcend – Verb – to go beyond the standard limit of something

Related Words: beat, excel, surpass, conquer, master

• Sentence: Sometimes we need to transcend for a greater cause.

226. Transitory – Adjective – not permanent

Related Words: evanescent, fleeting, momentary, passing, transient

• Sentence: Running too much can cause transitory knee pain.

227. Trenchant – Adjective – severe, expressing strong criticism or forceful opinions

Related Words: cutting, sharp, acidulous, acerbic, caustic

• Sentence: The young scientist was shattered by the trenchant criticism.

228. Trepidation – Noun – fear about something unpleasant that may happen

Related Words: anxiety, dread, agitation, timidity, phobia

• Sentence: The trepidation of being looted was in my mind all the way home.

229. Trifling – Adjective – not worth considering

Related Words: frivolous, incidental, inconsiderable, insignificant, trivial

• Sentence: People think breaking the speed limit is a trifling crime.

230. Trigger – Verb – to make something happen suddenly

Related Words: activate, actuate, drive, turn on

• Sentence: A little heat can trigger the fire alarm.

231. Trivial – Adjective – not important, not worth considering

Related Words: triviality, insignificant, inconsequential, minor, unimportant

• Sentence: It was utterly ridiculous to cry about something so trivial.

232. Turbulent – Adjective – not stable or calm, moving unsteadily

Related Words: bumpy, fierce, tempestuous, unstable, violent

• Sentence: John was on a very turbulent flight last year.

233. Unassailable – Adjective – unable to be attacked, questioned, or defeated

Related Words: invulnerable, undisputable, undeniable, irrefutable, privileged

• Sentence: The king made an unassailable fort.

234. Undermine – Verb – weaken, lessen the effectiveness

Related Words: deteriorate, decimate, enfeeble, annihilate, sabotage

• Sentence: The events of the past year have undermined people’s confidence in the government.

235. Unfathomable – Adjective – impossible to understand

Related Words: inscrutable, incomprehensible, enigmatic, obscure, esoteric

• Sentence: Mathematics is unfathomable for some students.

236. Untenable – Adjective – incapable of being defended or justified

Related Words: implausible, specious, unsupported, fallacious, absurd

• Sentence: His position was untenable, and he was forced to quit.

237. Unwarranted – Adjective – incapable of being justified or explained

Related Words: dispensable, gratuitous, needless, nonessential, unnecessary

• Sentence: The judge’s unwarranted decision forced people to protest.

238. Vacillation – Noun – the inability to decide between different options

Related Words: indecisiveness, scruple, shilly-shally, oscillate, equivocate

• Sentence: My vacillation was over-investing in different stocks.

239. Vacuous – Adjective – having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence, mindless

Related Words: inane, blank, emptied, dull, void

• Sentence: It was a dull and vacuous speech.

240. Vantage – Noun – a place or position affording a good view of something

Related Words: point of view, standpoint, stance, perspective, outlook

• Sentence: He looked at the past to get a better vantage point about his future.

241. Verisimilitude – Noun – the quality of seeming to be true or real

Related Words: literalism, naturalism, realism, representationalism, authenticity

• Sentence: The company used original leather to add verisimilitude to the shoes.

242. Versatile – Adjective – able to do many different things

Related Words: adaptable, all-around, protean, universal

• Sentence: She is versatile enough to do all of her company’s work.

243. Volatile – Adjective – likely to change suddenly, easily evaporated at normal temperature

Related Words: capricious, flickery, mercurial, mutable, unpredictable

• Sentence: The stock market is a volatile market.

244. Voluble – Adjective – talking a lot with enthusiasm and fluency

Related Words: talkative, loquacious, garrulous, verbose, conversational

• Sentence: Mrs. Thomson is a voluble and gregarious lady.