Ch2. GRE Verbal — Advanced Vocabulary & Reading Comprehension
Why GRE Vocabulary Is Different
GRE vocabulary operates at a distinctly elevated level — primarily featuring:
- Latinate/Greek-rooted academic words rarely used in everyday speech
- Words with multiple meanings requiring precise contextual interpretation
- Synonyms with subtle but test-critical distinctions
Examples: sycophant (flatterer), equivocal (ambiguous), laconic (brief), precipitate (to trigger/cause hastily)
Text Completion Strategy
Format: 1–3 blanks in a sentence; select the word(s) that best complete it.
Step-by-Step Approach
- Read the full sentence first — understand the overall logic
- Notice logical signals: although, despite, however, indeed, not only…but also
- Predict your own word before looking at choices
- Match your prediction to the answer choices
Trap: Don’t let an impressive-sounding word distract you. The right answer fits the sentence’s precise logic, not just the general topic.
Sentence Equivalence Strategy
Format: 6 choices; select TWO words that both complete the sentence correctly with equivalent meaning.
Core Principle
- The two correct words must be near-synonyms in the context of the sentence
- The sentence’s meaning must be essentially the same with either word
- Watch for near-synonym pairs that DON’T fit the blank’s required tone or meaning
Reading Comprehension Strategy
GRE RC passages are more abstract and philosophically dense than TOEFL — they often involve contested scholarly arguments.
Question Types
Main Idea: What is the author’s primary purpose? (First and last sentence of passage are key)
Inference: What MUST be true based on the passage? (Not “could be true”)
Purpose: Why does the author mention X? (Function within the argument)
Weaken/Support: Analyze the logical structure of the argument (similar to GMAT CR)
30 High-Frequency GRE Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ameliorate | to improve |
| capricious | impulsively changeable |
| didactic | intended to teach or moralize |
| enervate | to weaken or deplete energy |
| fatuous | foolish, pointless |
| garrulous | excessively talkative |
| heterodox | departing from orthodox doctrine |
| impecunious | having little or no money |
| jocular | fond of joking; humorous |
| laconic | using very few words |
| magnanimous | generously forgiving |
| nefarious | wicked or criminal |
| obsequious | excessively compliant or fawning |
| placate | to make less hostile |
| querulous | complaining or petulant |
| recalcitrant | stubbornly resistant to authority |
| sycophant | a servile flatterer |
| truculent | eager to argue; aggressively defiant |
| umbrage | offence or annoyance |
| verbose | using more words than necessary |
| acrimony | bitterness or ill feeling |
| culpable | deserving blame |
| dauntless | showing fearlessness |
| equivocal | open to more than one interpretation |
| felicitous | well-chosen, apt |
| gregarious | sociable |
| impetuous | acting hastily without thought |
| loquacious | talking a great deal; garrulous |
| mendacious | not telling the truth |
| perfidious | deceitful, untrustworthy |
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