Reviewing Vocabulary GRE High-Frequency Words @ Master Word List @ Basic Word Parts Now that you have mastered the appropriate strategies {or dealing with the four basic types of questions on the Graduate Record Examination that test your verbal ability, you have the opportunity to spend some time refining your vocabulary and acqainting yourself with the fine shades of meaning that words possess. Studios show that, where the average high school graduate rec ognizes around 0,000 words, the average college grad uate recognizes around 70,000. The increase indicates that during your four years of college you have rapidly ‘acquired about 20,000 new words (many of them technical terms from a variety of disciplines), some of which may have connlations and nuances that stil escape you. “The best way to develop a powerful vocabulary is to read extensively and well. However, Its possible to fine-tune your vocabulary by exploring unabridged dictionaries, in which usage notes make clea the fine distinctions. between related words, and by studying high-level vocab- Ulary sts, such as our 3,500-word Master Word List. ‘This chapter presents the Master Word List and a Basic Word Parts List, a chart of prefixes, roots, and suffixes that may provide you with clues to the meanings of ntamillar words. The chapter begins with the GRE High-Frequency Word List, 333 words that have ‘occurred and reoccurred on GREs published in the 1980s and 1990s. The GRE High-Frequency Word List How many of the following words do you think you know? Half? Even more? First, check off those words that you recognize. Then, look up all 333 words and thelr defini- tions in our Master Word List. Pay particular attention to the following: 1. Words you recognize but cannot use in a sentence or define. You have a feel for these words—you are on the brink of knowing them. Effort you put into master- ing these "borderiine” words will pay off soon. 2, Words you thought you knew—but didn't. See whether any of them are defined in an unexpected way. If they are, make a special note of them. As you know from the preceding chapters, the GRE often stumps students with questions based on unfamiliar ‘meanings of familiar-looking words. In the course of your undergraduate career, you have undoubtedly developed your own techniques for buikding your vecabulary. One familiar technique—fash cards— often is used less than etfectively. Students either try to Coram to0 much information onto a flash card or try to Ceram too many flash cards into a practice session. if you wish to work with flash cards, try following these suggestions, Writing the Flash Card Be briet—but inctude all the Information you need. On one side write the word. On the other side write a concise definition—two or three words ‘at most—for each major meaning of the word you want to team. Include an antonym, too: the synonym-antonyen associations can help you remember both words. To fix the word in your mind, usa itn a short phrase. Then write that prase down. ‘Memorizing the Flash Card Carry @ few of your flash cards with you every day. Look them over whenever you have a spare moment of two. Work in short bursts. ‘Try going through five flash cards at a time, shutting through them quickly so that you can build up your rapid sight recognition of the words for the test. You want these words and their antonyms to spring to your mind instantaneously, Test your memory: don't look at the back of the card unless you must. Go through your five cards severat times a day. Then, when you have mastered two or three of the cards and have them down pat, set those cards aside and add a couple of new ones to your working pile, That way you will always be working with a limited ‘group, but you won't be wasting time reviewing words you already recognize on sight. Never try to master a whole slack of flash cards in one long cram session. It won't work. 107108 Verbal Abit racties, Review, and Practice GRE High-Frequency Words chicanery disseminate gainsay latent rn) coagulate dissolution garruious laud abeyance coda dissonance goad lethargic ‘abscond ‘cogent distend gouge levee abstemious commensurate distil ‘grandiloquent levity admonish ‘compendium diverge ‘gregarious log adulterate complaisant divest auileless loquacious aesthetic compliant document [v] gullible lucid aggregate conciliatory dogmatic harangue luminous alacrity ‘condone dormant homogeneous magnanimity alleviate confound dupe hyperbole malingerer amalgamate connoisseur ebullient iconoctastic malleable ambiguous contention eclectic idolatry maverick ambivalence contentious efficacy immutable mendacious ameliorate contrite ettrontery impair ‘metamorphosis anachronism ‘conundrum elegy impassive meticulous analogous converge elicit impede ‘misanthrope anarchy convoluted ‘embellish impermeable mitigate anomalous craven empirical Impenurbable molly antipathy aunt ‘emulate Impervious morose apathy decorum ‘endemic implacable ‘mundane appease dofauit enervate implicit negate apprise delerence engender implode ‘neophyte approbation delineate enhance inadvertently obdurate appropriate [v.] denigrate ‘ephemeral inchoate obsequious arduous deride ‘equanimity incongruity obviate antes derivative equivocate inconsequential occlude ascetic Gesiccale erudite incorporate offcious assiduous desultory esoteric indeterminate onerous assuage deterrent eulogy indigence ‘opprabrium attenuate diatribe ‘euphemism indotent oscillate audacious dichotomy exacerbate inet ostentatious austere ditfidence exculpate Ingenuous paragon autonomous diese exigency inherent partisan aver digression ‘extrapolation innocuous pathological banal dirge facetious insensible paucity botie disabuse facitate insinuate peda beneficent discerning fallacious insipid penchant bolster discordant fatuous insularity penury bombastic discredt awning Intractabte perennial boorish discrepancy felicitous intransigence pertidious burgeon discrete fervor inundate perfunctory bumish disingenuous flag {v1 Inures permeable buttress disinterested fledgling lnvective pervasive cacophonous disjointes flout irascibie pphlegmatic capricious dismiss Joment fmesolute piety castigation disparage forestall itinerary placate catalyst disparate frugality laconic plasticity caustic dissemble futile lassitude platitudeplethora propitiate rescind plummet propriety resolution porous proserive resolve pragmatic pungent reticent Preamble qualified reverent precarious quibbie sage fn] Precipitate (404.) quiescent salubrious precursor rarefied sanction presumptuous recalcitrant satiate prevaricate recant saturate pristine recluse savor probity recondite secrete problematic retractory shard prodigal refute skeptic profound relegate solictous prohibitive ‘reproach soporific proliferate reprobate ‘specious propensity repudiate spectrum Reviewing Vocabulary 109 sporadic tractable stigma transgression stint ¥] truculence stipulate vacillate stolid venerate striated veracious strut (\.) verbose subpoena viable subside viscous substantiate vituperative supersede volatile supposition warranted tacit wary tangential welter tenuous whimsical tirade zealot torpor tortuous The 3,500-Word Master Word List The 3,500-Word Master Word List Begins on the follow. ing page. As a graduate student you should be familiar with the majority of these words. You do not, however, need to memorize every word, ‘The best way to enlarge your vocabulary is to read extensively in a variety of fields. You can, however, assess the extent of your vocabulary by exploring spe- cialized word lists such as this one. For those of yeis who wish to work your way through the Word list and fea! the need for a plan, we recommend that you follow the procedure described below in order {o-use the lists and the exercises most profitably: 1. Allot a definite time each day for the study ofa lst 2, Devote atleast one hour to each lst. 8, First go through the list looking at the shor, simple- looking words (seven letters at most). Mark those you don't know. In studying, pay particular attention to them 4. Go through the list again leaking at the longer words. Pay particular attention to words with mare than one meaning and famiiar-looking words with unusuah definitions that come as a surprise to you. Many tests make use of these secondary defintons. '5, List unusual words on index cards, which you can shuffle and review from time to time. (Use the flash ‘card technique described eatlier inthis chapter) 6, Using the ilustrative sentences in the lst as models, ‘make up new sentences on your own. 7. Take the test that follows each list at least one day after studying the words. In this way, you will check your abiliy to remember what you have studied 8, If you can answer correctly 12 of the 15 questions in the test, you may procaed to the next list; it you cannot answer this number, restudy the list. 8. Keep a record of your guesses and of your success 8 a guesser. For each word, the following is provided! 1. The word (printed in hea type). Its part of speech (abbreviated) A briet definition Asentence or sentences illustrating the word's use. Whenever appropriate, related words together with their parts of speech, The word lists are astanged in strict alphabetical order. In each lst, words that appear also on the High- Frequency GRE Word List are marked with a square bullot (m).