GRE High Frequency Words
GRE vocabulary is not about obscure words for their own sake. The test rewards precision: knowing that "terse" and "concise" are not interchangeable, or that "disinterested" is not a synonym for "uninterested." This list focuses on words that appear often and on the distinctions that decide questions.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| laconic /ləˈkɒnɪk/ | adj.言简意赅的，话少的 | His laconic reply suggested he had no interest in continuing the debate. |
| garrulous /ˈɡærələs/ | adj.话多的，喋喋不休的 | The garrulous host kept the interview well past its scheduled end. |
| terse /tɜːs/ | adj.简短生硬的 | Her terse email made it clear the meeting had not gone well. |
| ephemeral /ɪˈfemərəl/ | adj.短暂的，转瞬即逝的 | Online fame is often ephemeral, gone as quickly as it arrives. |
| ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ | adj.无处不在的 | The ubiquitous presence of cameras has changed public behaviour. |
| capricious /kəˈprɪʃəs/ | adj.反复无常的 | The capricious weather made planning the expedition difficult. |
| tenacious /təˈneɪʃəs/ | adj.顽强的，坚持不懈的 | She was tenacious in pursuing the evidence others had overlooked. |
| pragmatic /præɡˈmætɪk/ | adj.务实的 | The committee took a pragmatic view and accepted a partial solution. |
| dogmatic /dɒɡˈmætɪk/ | adj.教条的，武断的 | His dogmatic insistence on the original plan cost the team months. |
| eclectic /ɪˈklektɪk/ | adj.兼收并蓄的，折衷的 | Her reading was eclectic, ranging from geology to poetry. |
| esoteric /ˌesəˈterɪk/ | adj.深奥的，只有内行懂的 | The paper was too esoteric for a general audience. |
| prosaic /prəˈzeɪɪk/ | adj.平淡无奇的 | The explanation turned out to be prosaic: a loose connection. |
| astute /əˈstjuːt/ | adj.精明的，敏锐的 | An astute reader will notice the contradiction on page two. |
| obdurate /ˈɒbdjərət/ | adj.固执的，顽固的 | He remained obdurate despite the mounting evidence. |
| ambivalent /æmˈbɪvələnt/ | adj.（对某事）矛盾的，喜忧参半的 | She felt ambivalent about leaving a job she had outgrown. |
| ambitious /æmˈbɪʃəs/ | adj.有雄心的；耗资巨大的 | The proposal was ambitious but underfunded. |
| indifferent /ɪnˈdɪfrənt/ | adj.漠不关心的 | Voters seemed largely indifferent to the scandal. |
| disinterested /dɪsˈɪntrəstɪd/ | adj.公正无私的（≠ uninterested 不感兴趣） | A disinterested observer would see both sides of the dispute. |
| innocuous /ɪˈnɒkjuəs/ | adj.无害的，不起眼的 | The question sounded innocuous but was designed to trap candidates. |
| benevolent /bəˈnevələnt/ | adj.仁慈的，善意的 | The founder took a benevolent interest in his former employees. |
| malevolent /məˈlevələnt/ | adj.恶意的 | The character is not evil so much as casually malevolent. |
| candid /ˈkændɪd/ | adj.坦率的 | Her candid assessment surprised the board. |
| reticent /ˈretɪsnt/ | adj.沉默寡言的，不愿多说的 | He was reticent about his role in the negotiations. |
| prodigal /ˈprɒdɪɡl/ | adj.挥霍的，浪费的 | The prodigal spending of the previous decade left little in reserve. |
| frugal /ˈfruːɡl/ | adj.节俭的 | Frugal habits learned in childhood stayed with him. |
| exacerbate /ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/ | v.使恶化 | The delay only exacerbated an already tense situation. |
| ameliorate /əˈmiːliəreɪt/ | v.改善，减轻 | The reforms did little to ameliorate the shortage. |
| extol /ɪkˈstəʊl/ | v.赞美，颂扬 | The review extolled the book’s clarity while noting its length. |
| decry /dɪˈkraɪ/ | v.公开谴责 | Critics decried the decision as short-sighted. |
| vindicate /ˈvɪndɪkeɪt/ | v.证明……正确；洗清冤屈 | The later discovery vindicated his original hypothesis. |
| undermine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn/ | v.逐渐削弱 | Repeated exceptions undermine the credibility of the rule. |
| proliferate /prəˈlɪfəreɪt/ | v.激增，扩散 | Online courses proliferated once the technology became cheap. |
| attenuate /əˈtenjueɪt/ | v.减弱，使变细 | The signal attenuates quickly over long distances. |
| corroborate /kəˈrɒbəreɪt/ | v.证实，印证 | Two independent witnesses corroborated his account. |
| disparage /dɪˈspærɪdʒ/ | v.贬低，轻视 | It is easy to disparage an idea you have not tried. |
| vacillate /ˈvæsəleɪt/ | v.犹豫不决，摇摆 | The committee vacillated for weeks before reaching a decision. |
| anomaly /əˈnɒməli/ | n.异常，反常现象 | The anomaly in the data turned out to be a measurement error. |
| veracity /vəˈræsəti/ | n.真实性，诚实 | The veracity of the report was questioned by several experts. |
| paucity /ˈpɔːsəti/ | n.缺乏，少量 | The paucity of evidence made a firm conclusion impossible. |
| sanguine /ˈsæŋɡwɪn/ | adj.乐观的，有信心的 | Analysts were sanguine about the company’s prospects. |