GRE Word Families

WORD FAMILIES

CRITICIZE/CRITICISM or BLAME

AspersionCalumnyDefamationDiatribeGainsayInveighObloquyRemonstrateReproveVituperateBelittleCastigateCensureDenounceDisparageHarangueLambasteOpprobriumRebukeRevileBerateDecryDeride/DerisiveExcoriateImpugnObjurgatePilloryReprehendTirade RantDenigrateSlurLibelInvectiveChastiseReprimandReproofSullyVilifyTarnishChideDefileScathing

FALSEHOOD

ApocryphalDissembleErroneousFeignedPerfidySpuriousCanardDuplicityErsatzGuilePrevaricateChicaneryEquivocateFallaciousMendacious/MendacitySpecious Factitious

YOUNG/BEGINNER/AMATEUR

BurgeoningInchoateCallowIncipientEngenderNascent DilettanteNovitiateFledglingProselyteNeophyteTyro

BOLD

AudaciousCourageousDauntlessIntrepidPluckyGutsyIndomitableGallant

Changing / Not permanent

CapriciousMercurialVolatile FickleEphemeralEvanescentWhimsicalErraticQuirkyTransitoryTransient

HESITATE

DitherVacillateOscillateWaverTeeter

ACT QUICKLY

ApaceImpetuousAbruptPrecipitateHeadlong

INNOCENT/INEXPERIENCED

CredulousIngenuousGullibleNaive

DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

AbstruseBemusingEsotericOpaqueReconditeCrypticInscrutableTurbidArcaneEnigmaticObscurePerplexing Arcane

EASY TO UNDERSTAND

ArticulateEvidentPellucidCogentLimpidEloquentLucid

SMART/LEARNED

AstutePerspicaciousCannyErudite SagaciousIncisiveJudicious

CAROUSAL

-drunkenly festive; sin, evil act

BacchanalianIniquityLicentiousSalaciousDepravedLibertineReprobateSordidDissipatedLibidinousRibaldTurpitude InsidiousLewdBawdyDecadentDegenerate

TRUTH

Candor/CandidIndisputableProbityVerityFealtyIndubitableSincereFranknessLegitimateVeracious

BITING

(As in wit or temperament)

-sarcastic, harsh, rough

AcerbicAsperityMordantAcidulousCausticTrenchantAcrimoniousMordacious Curmudgeon

PRAISE

AcclaimEncomiumFawnAccoladeEulogizeLaud/LaudatoryAggrandizeExtolVenerate/Veneration

HARMFUL

BalefulInimicalMinatoryBanefulInjuriousPerfidiousDeleteriousInsidiousPernicious Malicious

TIMID/TIMIDITY

CravenRecreantDiffidentTimorousPusillanimousTrepidation Apostate(deserter)

BORING

BanalInsipidPlatitudeTriteFatuousMundaneProsaicHackneyedPedestrianQuotidian

WEAKEN

AdulterateInhibitUndermineEnervateObviateVitiateExacerbateStultify

ASSIST

AbetBolsterEspouseProponentAdvocateCorroborateMainstayAncillaryCountenanceMunificentSustenance

HOSTILE

AntitheticIrascibleTruculentChurlishMalevolentVindictiveMisanthropic

STUBBORN

ImplacableIntransigentRecalcitrantUntowardInexorableObdurateRefractoryVexingIntractableObstinateRenitent

GENEROUS/KIND

AltruisticLargessPhilanthropicBeneficentMagnanimousUnstintingClementMunificent

GREEDY

AvariciousMiserlyVenalCovetousPenuriousMercenaryRapacious

TERSE

-concise, brief

CompendiousPithyCurtSuccinctLaconicTaciturn

OVERBLOWN/WORDY

BombasticGrandiloquentProlixVerboseCircumlocutionLoquaciousRhetoricGarrulousPeriphrasticTurgid

DICTATORIAL

AuthoritarianHegemonic (hegemony)TyrannicalDogmaticImperiousDespoticPeremptory

HATRED

AbhorrenceAntipathyLoathingRancorAntagonismDetestationMaliceAnathemaEnmityOdium

LAZY/SLUGGISH

IndolentLanguidPhlegmaticTorpidInertLassitudeQuiescentLackadaisicalLethargicSlothful

PACIFY/SATISFY

AmeliorateDeferPlacateSlakeAppeaseMitigatePropitiateSootheAssuageMollifySatiate

FORGIVE

AbsolveExonerateRedressAcquitExpiateVindicateExculpatePalliate

POOR

DestituteImpecuniousEsurientIndigent

FAVORING/NOT IMPARTIAL

Ardor/ArdentPartisanDoctrinaireTendentiousFervidZealot

DENYING OF SELF

AbnegateSpartanAbstainStoicAsceticTemperate

WALKING ABOUT AmbulatoryItinerantPeripatetic

INSINCERE

Disingenuous (Ingenuous=innocent/ inexperienced)OstensibleDissembleUnctuousFulsome Factitious (artificial)Bogus

PREVENT/OBSTRUCT

DiscomfitForfendInhibitEncumberHinderOccludeFetterImpede

ECCENTRIC/DISSIMILAR

AberrantDiscreteIconoclastAnachronismEclecticAnomalousEsoteric

FUNNY

ChortleFlippantLevityRiposteDrollGibeLudicrousSimperFacetiousJocularRaillery

SORROW

DisconsolateElegiacLugubriousPlaintiveDolefulForlornMelancholyThrenody (death/mourning)DolorLament (death/mourning)Morose

WITHDRAWAL/RETREAT

AbeyanceAbortiveDemurRemissionRetrogradeAbjureAbrogateRecantRenegeAbnegationDecampRecidivismRescind

DEATH/MOURNING

BereaveDemiseKnellMoribundWraithCadaverDolorousLament (sorrow)ObsequiesThrenody (sorrow)DefunctElegyMacabreSepulchral

COPY

CounterpartQuintessenceEmulateParadigm (archetype/prototype)SimulatedFacsimilePrecursor

EQUAL EquitableEquityTantamount

UNUSUAL

Aberration (eccentric/dissimilar)IdiosyncrasyAnomaly (eccentric/dissimilar)Iconoclast (eccentric/dissimilar)

WANDERING

DiscursiveItinerant (walking about)SojournExpatiatePeregrinationForagePeripatetic (walking about)

GAPS/OPENINGS

AbatementHiatusLullRespiteApertureInterregnumOrificeRiftFissureIntersticeRent

HEALTHY

BeneficialSalubriousSalutary Wholesome

ABBREVIATED COMMUNICATION

AbridgeCurtailTerse CompendiumSyllabusCursorySynopsis

WISE SAYING

AdageAxiomEpigramTruismAphorismBromidePlatitudeApothegmDictumSententious

FAMILY

ConjugalEndogamousProgenitorConsanguineFilialScionDistaffFratricide

CURVE/ TWIST/NOT STRAIGHT

AskanceCaromGyrateObliqueSinuousAwryCircuitousLabyrinthSerratedUndulatingCareenCircumventMeanderSidleVortex

INVESTIGATE

AppraiseDescryAscertainPeruseAssay

TIME/ORDER/DURATION

AnachronismAnteriorEonFortnightSynchronousAntecedeArchaicEphemeralMillenniumTemporalAntedateDiurnalEpochPenultimate

BAD MOOD

BiliousPetulantQuerulousDudgeonPettishUmbrageIrasciblePiqueWaspish

EMBARRASS

AbashVexMortifyChagrinGaucherie

NAG/ COMPLAIN

BadgerEnjoinHectorReproofCavilExhortMartinetBelaborHarangue (criticize)Remonstrate (criticize) BickerCurmudgeonKilljoy

PREDICT AugurHarbingerPrescientAuspicePortentousPrognosticateFeyPresageClairvoyantDivinerSoothsayerOracleBode

ForetellProphetic

LUCK

AdventitiousFortuitousPropitiousAmulet (charm)KismetPortentousProvidentialAuspiciousPropitiateTalisman (charm)

FOUL/ FILTHY/ DISGUSTING

Fetid (disgusting/offensive)Noisome (disgusting/offensive)Noxious RankSqualidPutridRebarbativeFetidOdiousInvidiousPutrid

HARSH-SOUNDING/ NOISE

AssonanceDissonantCacophonyRaucousDinStrident PandemoniumBedlam

PLEASANT-SOUNDING

EuphoniousSonorousHarmoniousMelodious Dulcet

FLATTERY

SycophantToadyFawnServileCajoleFulsome