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The GRE might not want you to know this, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. There are certain common GRE words that appear on the test over and over. Knowing these words will give you an instant advantage.
Which words are these?
In this post, I’ve gathered the top 10 most common GRE words, based on my decades of experience. I’m not only going to tell you these high-frequency GRE words, but I’m also going to break down each word for you so that it’ll stick in your memory. This post will also include example sentences, as well as proven techniques to make learning GRE vocabulary far less of a slog and, dare I say, even enjoyable!
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Characteristics of Common GRE Words
- Essential GRE Word List
- Why Learning Vocabulary is Crucial for GRE Success
- Best Practices for Learning GRE Words
- Conclusion
- FAQs
- What’s Next?
Characteristics of Common GRE Words
Before we dive into the most common GRE vocabulary words, you might be wondering: what makes a word a GRE word?
Fortunately, common words on the GRE aren’t randomly selected from the dictionary. (Webster’s College Dictionary has more than 225,000 words.) The top GRE vocab words have some attributes in common:
- Used in collegiate-level writing (you might hear some of your professors use them.)
- Tend to be sophisticated words, in the sense that they have complex definitions.
- Often look like they mean something else from what they actually mean.
If that last bullet point jumped out at you, you probably aren’t alone. A word is a GRE word because it appears to mean something it doesn’t? Yep. Why? When people assume a word means something it doesn’t, question writers can create traps more easily.
KEY FACT:
Words tested on the GRE are sophisticated words that are used in collegiate-level writing and they often look like they mean something other than what they really mean.
So what are these sophisticated college-level words that we might think mean one thing but actually mean another? Let’s take a look at these top 10 most common GRE words. Trumpets blaring…
Essential GRE Word List
1. Ambivalent (adj.) – having mixed feelings
Many think this word means indifferent. In reality, it’s in some ways the opposite. See, when you are ambivalent, you feel more than one thing—and those things contradict each other. Joy and sadness, eagerness and dread, attraction and repulsion.
Indifference, on the other hand, is when you don’t have any feelings about something. (Indifference is also another common GRE word.)
Here’s another example of ambivalence. Think of your hometown. Perhaps you feel ambivalent living there. While you love the summer months, the dismal winter season can drag into April. Of course, you do love the bustling downtown, but then there’s that whole parking situation.
“Maria found herself ambivalent about working from home: gone was the 2-hour commute, in were the lonely lunches.”
2. Equivocal (adj.) – open to multiple interpretations
People love word roots. You use what you know (the root) to get at something you don’t know (the word).
But with “equivocal,” this approach gets you into trouble. Say, you assume that “equi” means equal and “vocal” means to speak. Naturally, then, equivocal must mean to speak equally about things. Or perhaps you might reasonably think it means fair and impartial. (That word is the relatively high-frequency GRE word “equitable.”)
Equivocal actually means vague and ambiguous, open to multiple interpretations. An author’s intent can be equivocal, the findings of a study the same. In other words, if you’re not quite sure what the purpose behind something is, it might be “equivocal.”
“The intent of the Sopranos’ final scene might forever remain equivocal, as even the director himself has given multiple interpretations.”
Watch our video about equivocal to learn more.
3. Ephemeral (adj.) – short-lived, fleeting
This word is hard to guess outright and is also often hard for people to remember. “Ephemeral” means not lasting a long time. There’s perhaps no better example of ephemeral than the Internet’s Snapchat app, in which photos or videos disappear before your eyes. Additionally, we might say that the Internet is full of ephemeral trends.
The word can be used in many contexts, from fashion trends to the rush of riding a triple-loop roller coaster.
“The fashion maven quipped that last year’s fall fashion trends were as ephemeral as the season’s falling leaves.”
4. Ameliorate (v.) – to improve or make better
If you take something bad, say GRE test anxiety, and change it for the better, you ameliorate it. To ameliorate your feelings of test anxiety, you might perform breathing exercises or repeat a mantra.
Important note: you don’t use the word ameliorate to improve something that’s already pretty good. So, you wouldn’t say the Olympic athlete ameliorated his performance, winning gold instead of silver. Here’s a good sentence about amelioration:
“To ameliorate the effects of the local economic downturn, the city mayor subsidized an upskilling program for the city’s residents.”
5. Pragmatic (adj.) – practical
“Pragmatic”’ is commonly deployed in more formal speech as a fancy substitute for” practical.”
In more casual conversations, you’re likely to say something like, “There are few practical solutions to the current water shortage.” In more formal contexts (wink wink GRE), simply slip in the word pragmatic.
”Few pragmatic solutions exist to combat the pressing water shortage.”
“As a pragmatic approach to the office space shortage, the company considered a hybrid work schedule rather than leasing a new building.”
6. Mitigate (v.) – to lessen the severity of
Some words just sound negative-–and for many, “mitigate” is one. It might be because it sounds a lot like “militate”, which has a negative definition (militate means to work against something).
In reality, “mitigate” is far from bad. Indeed, it actually means to make something bad less so.
“There were several mitigating factors that led the judge to hand down a less harsh sentence.”
“The new flood barriers helped mitigate the damage from coastal storms, reducing property losses by over 60%.”
7. Ubiquitous (adj.) – found everywhere
Coffee shops, a new workout facility, a person walking with a smartphone in hand—these seem to be everywhere these days.
A fancy way of saying something is everywhere is to say it’s “ubiquitous.” While not quite ubiquitous on the GRE, the word “ubiquitous” is still one of the most common words on the test. Its noun form can also show up: “ubiquity.”
“Social media has become so ubiquitous that even my 85-year-old grandmother posted pictures of her recent cruise on Instagram.”
8. Esoteric (adj.) – known to a select group of people with specialized knowledge
The courting rituals of spotted hyenas, the origin of black holes, the rhyme scheme of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 55. Show of hands, who knows about any of these?
Each is esoteric—they are known only by a few people. In other words, anything that requires specialized knowledge or a very specific interest is esoteric.
“His experience as a museum tour guide in his teens later led him to the esoteric world of the restoration of ancient artifacts.
9. Erudite (adj.) – showing great knowledge and learnedness
Do you know somebody who can answer almost every question on Jeopardy! (the American trivia show)? That person is likely erudite, meaning that he or she is very knowledgeable. Erudite also describes those successful with scholarly pursuits, such as many college professors.
The noun form of the word is erudition, which means “having great scholarly knowledge.” Pepper this word into your conversation and you might just sound erudite!
“The professor was certainly erudite but, around her friends, she preferred to use the latest pop culture references, leaving the ancient history allusions for the lecture hall.”
10. Corroborate (v.) – provide support or confirm
This word sounds very similar to collaborate but is unrelated. To corroborate something is to provide evidence or support to something—a claim, findings, or a theory.
We often hear this term coupled with “corroborating testimony” in a courtroom. If you provide corroborating testimony, you are backing up statements that another witness has made. If you see this word on test day, you can corroborate the claim this post makes—that corroborate is indeed one of the most common words on the GRE.
“The detective had difficulty corroborating the suspect’s alibi since none of the witnesses she interviewed admitted to seeing or speaking to the suspect the night of the crime.”
TTP PRO TIP:
Learning the top 10 most common GRE words is a step in the right direction for performing well on the GRE Verbal Reasoning section.
Why Learning Vocabulary Is Crucial for GRE Success
Academics have a certain way of speaking and writing. With an eye on graduate school, you are about to step into this world of erudition. In other words, graduate-level vocabulary is a step up from everyday speech.
The GRE verbal section captures this advanced level of vocabulary, both in the reading passages and in the vocabulary questions. Therefore, knowing these essential GRE words is critical to your success in getting a great score.
In fact, at any point and on any question in the GRE verbal section, you may encounter a GRE vocabulary word. It can be in a reading passage, in the question pertaining to the reading passage, or in the answer choices. Limited knowledge of vocabulary can make it very difficult to score well in this section.
KEY FACT:
Knowing GRE vocabulary is paramount for success, both on the GRE and in graduate school.
Best Practices for Learning GRE Words
You’ve memorized the definition on every flashcard and are ready to tackle the GRE verbal section, right? Think again! The GRE tests your understanding of how words are used in context. It’s important to note that memorizing the definition of a word is not the same as understanding how that word is appropriately used.
So if you catch yourself parroting definitions without understanding what the words actually mean, stop! Learn how the GRE words are used. As you are reading or listening to television programs, note the use of the words in context. Note how these words are used in GRE passages while you are studying. In addition to scoring higher on the GRE, you will enrich your ability to express yourself and interact with others.
Another good way to “own” the GRE words is to make sure you can define each of them in your own words. As you flip through your flashcard deck, give your own definition before looking at the official GRE definition. For example, if you encounter the word “equivocal” and you define it as “being equal to something,” you’ll find you haven’t learned the word at all. The definition is “open to multiple interpretations,” so its definition in your own words could be as straightforward as “vague.”
You should also be able to comfortably use a word in a sentence that you create. This can be a sentence you write down or say out loud when describing something around you. Using these techniques will help you retain these words better in your long-term memory. Then, when you see them on the GRE, you’ll be able to recall their meaning more accurately and rapidly.
TTP PRO TIP:
You can “own” GRE vocabulary words by defining them in your own words or using them in a sentence.
Conclusion
The 10 words we’ve covered in this article are just the tip of the GRE vocabulary iceberg. Think of it this way: you’ll likely see a couple of the words from our list on the exam. So if you extend your learning to the next 100 most common words, quite a few are likely to pop up on test day.
With that in mind, learning these 1200 essential GRE vocabulary as part of your GRE preparation strategy will make you highly prepared for test day.
For most people, learning vocabulary words from a list is beyond boring. To make your GRE vocabulary task more interesting, consider using a deck of flashcards. Whether paper or digital, you can flip through the deck at your own pace, and you can cover as many or as few as you wish in one sitting. In addition, you can make flashcard games, such as seeing how many words in a row you can get correct. The Target Test Prep GRE course provides a set of premade flashcards that you can print out or practice online.
Finally, another great way to learn GRE vocab, and something you can use for the words we covered in this article, is to use these words in your everyday speech. Doing so is a pragmatic approach and will help you ameliorate your anxiety about learning GRE vocabulary. Listeners will consider you quite erudite! With all these techniques in hand, your knowledge of these words won’t be ephemeral; you’ll be a master of these esoteric words! And dare I say, any ambivalence you felt towards learning GRE vocabulary words will soon vanish.
FAQs
How many GRE words should I learn, to score well?
While learning all 1200+ GRE words is ideal, focusing on the most frequent GRE words (say 300-500 words) can significantly improve your performance.
What’s the best way to learn GRE vocabulary?
Use flashcards, write example sentences, and try to incorporate words into your daily conversations. Passive reading isn’t as effective as active engagement with the words.
What are the best resources for studying common GRE vocabulary?
The Target Test Prep list of 1200 most common words is a great place to start. Additionally, you can take two free official GRE practice tests. You should incorporate words that you don’t know into your flashcard deck. You might encounter vocabulary words used in the practice tests later on the real exam.
How long should I spend studying vocabulary?
Plan for 2-3 months of consistent vocabulary study, spending 30-60 minutes daily on new words and reviewing previously learned ones. This time does not need to be spent hunched over flashcards. You can practice with your flashcards while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, eating lunch, or commuting to work or school.
Are these words guaranteed to appear on my GRE?
While these are common GRE words, exact test content varies. However, the more words you learn, the greater the chance that you’ll hit a vocabulary home run on test day.
What’s Next?
Want a list of 1200 GRE vocabulary words? Download this free vocabulary PDF.
Ready to learn more GRE vocabulary? Check out our video entitled 10 Hard GRE Vocabulary Words. Or, you can read this article entitled 10 GRE Root Words and Prefixes You Should Know to learn how knowing root words can double or triple your vocabulary without extra effort.
Want to learn more GRE words? Check out Target Test Prep’s GRE Word of the Day Playlist on YouTube. You can also read our article Learn the 12 Toughest Words on the GRE.
Looking for more GRE vocabulary exercises? Get started with a 5-day free trial of Target Test Prep to learn must-know GRE words and master every GRE verbal topic
