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    GRE Words In Context: Challenging List
    GRE Words In Context: Challenging List
    GRE Words In Context: Challenging List
    Ebook263 pages2 hours

    GRE Words In Context: Challenging List

    By Vibrant Publishers

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    About this ebook


    • 500 GRE®-level vocabulary words

    • Three to five example sentences for each word

    • Parts of speech, synonyms and dictionary definitions for each word

    • Word List unlike any you have seen before!

    • INCLUDES  Valuable
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherVibrant Publishers
    Release dateApr 6, 2017
    ISBN9781946383525
    GRE Words In Context: Challenging List

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      Book preview

      GRE Words In Context - Vibrant Publishers

      GRE Challenging Words in Context

      Takes five hundred (500) GRE-level vocabulary words through their paces, including Parts of speech, Synonyms, Dictionary definitions, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, three (3) to five (5) example sentences FOR EACH WORD

      INCLUDES  Valuable Tips and Strategies for Maximizing your use of the Word List

      Test Prep Series

      www.vibrantpublishers.com

      *****

      GRE Challenging Words in Context

      Copyright 2017, By Vibrant Publishers, USA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher.

      This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. The author has made every effort in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information. However, information in this book is sold without warranty either expressed or implied. The Author or the Publisher will not be liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused either directly or indirectly by this book.

      Vibrant Publishers books are available at special quantity discount for sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information please write to [email protected]

      Please email feedback / corrections (technical, grammatical or spelling) to [email protected]

      To access the complete catalogue of Vibrant Publishers, visit www.vibrantpublishers.com

      *****

      Table of Contents

      1. Chapter #1 (acclivity - ballast)

      2. Chapter #2 (bandy - colloquial)

      3. Chapter #3 (colloquy - dulcet)

      4. Chapter #4 (ebb - gadfly)

      5. Chapter #5 (gaffe - indemnify)

      6. Chapter #6 (indiscriminate - motley)

      7. Chapter #7 (mulct - petrify)

      8. Chapter #8 (pharisaical - requiem)

      9. Chapter #9 (requite - tarry)

      10. Chapter #10 (tatty - zeal)

      *****

      How to Get Most Out of this Book

      What’s in this Book?

      This book contains a Word List unlike any you have seen before. A traditional word list offers a vocabulary word, its dictionary definition, and a SINGLE use of the word in a sentence. That is simply not enough for a fully functional understanding of a word in all its complexities. Our Word List takes each vocabulary word through its paces, denoting its part of speech, synonyms for its various contexts, its dictionary definition, and, most importantly, THREE (3) to FIVE (5) sentences using the word in its varied contexts. When appropriate, those varied contexts include both literal and figurative uses of the word.

      How will our Word List Help You Prepare for the GRE?

      Performing well on the GRE General Test, especially its Verbal Reasoning section, requires a strong working knowledge of the vocabulary that appears in the questions - how those words function both literally and figuratively, how their meanings vary based on context, and how (in many cases) they operate as more than one part of speech.

      The following is an example of a question type the GRE refers to as Sentence Equivalence. The test-taker is instructed to select two (2) answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.

      1) The goal of the rebel forces was to ___________ the current ruler in the hopes that, as an expatriate, he could not easily resume his control over the country.

      a) augment

      b) supplant

      c) exonerate

      d) indemnify

      e) conflate

      f) oust

      To perform well on this test question, the test-taker must understand that words often function as different parts of speech, and their varied uses must be determined by the context in which they are used. The word expatriate, for example, is key to this question. It is important to understand that it can be used as an adjective, a noun, or a verb.

      expatriate (adj)

      Meaning 1: resident in a foreign country

      Meaning 2: exiled or banished from one's native country: an expatriate American

      (n)

      Meaning 3: a person who lives in a foreign country

      Meaning 4: an exile; expatriate person

      (v)

      Meaning 5: to exile (oneself) from one's native country or cause (another) to go into exile

      Meaning 6: to deprive (oneself or another) of citizenship

      Source: Expatriate. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Expatriate

      Note that in this test question expatriate is clearly used as a noun because it is preceded by the article an. In this context, therefore, expatriate refers to someone who is exiled to a foreign country. (From a foreign country, an exiled ruler would have greater difficulty resuming power.) The answers must signify actions that remove a ruler from power and allow for his exile. The two words that do this are oust and supplant. Thus, those are the (2) correct answers.

      Tips and Strategies for Learning the Vocabulary using the Word List

      Activate what you already know

      Five hundred (500) words may seem like a great deal, but it is likely you already know a number of them, in one form or another. Begin by focusing on those you think you may know:

      a) Review the example sentences. Is that how you use the word? If not, how is your use different?

      b) If you are familiar with a word, check to see that its part of speech on the list is one with which you are familiar. For example, you are likely familiar with the use of prune as a noun meaning a dried plum (as in, Each morning I eat oatmeal with a chopped-up prune on top.), but you may be unfamiliar with its use as a verb (meaning to cut back, especially a plant or tree - They need to prune those rose bushes or the branches will grow out of control.) If the word’s use as another part of speech is unfamiliar, familiarize yourself with that new use of the word.

      c) Note if the word can be used both literally and figuratively. For example, the word pyre has both a literal use, as in a pile of combustible material (e.g., the funeral pyre on which a dead body will be placed for burning), and a figurative use, which does not encompass a physical structure (e.g., the scandal lit the pyre of his hopes and dreams for a political career). Adjust your understanding of the word to include both its literal and figurative meanings.

      d) Even if you do not know a particular word, can you connect the word with one that is familiar to you? For example, you may not know the word dulcet, but you may be familiar with the Spanish word dulce, which means sweet. Increasingly, for instance, you can find dulce de leche or sweet milk ice cream or candies in the store, referring to a sweet caramel flavoring. You learn, from the Word List, that dulcet means sweet, especially something that is sweet or pleasing to the ear (e.g., the dulcet tones of the violin). The connection is, therefore, an easy one!

      e) Color-code the words with which you are familiar.

      i) For example, you might highlight in yellow those words that you know outright, without making any adjustments to your understanding.

      ii) Highlight in green those that are functioning as a different part of speech than what you are used to seeing.

      iii) Highlight in blue those words with a literal or figurative use that is unfamiliar to you. Also highlight the example sentence(s) in which that use of the word appears.

      iv) Highlight in pink those words that you do not know, but that you can connect to using related words.

      Chunk your learning of the remaining vocabulary

      After activating your prior knowledge and weeding out those words you already know or with which you have some familiarity, it’s time to focus on those words you don’t know. You can chunk or group those words into manageable segments for learning.

      a) One approach to chunking is to group together words that perform as the same part of speech and look for patterns. For instance, words ending in ate, such as conflate, dissimulate, exonerate, frustrate, and reiterate, all function as verbs.

      b) Another approach to chunking is to group words that primarily pertain to certain subject areas. For example, avalanche, arid, navigable, and glacial are primarily geographic terms, while cognitive, debunk, muse and paradigm are terms that relate to the act of thinking.

      c) A final approach to chunking might be personal to you: divide the words into groups based on how difficult or easy they are to you.

      d) However you chunk your words, you can then design a schedule for working with the words, taking on no more than 4-5 words at a time before moving on to another chunk.

      Have fun with the words as you make them your own!

      Never lose sight of your ultimate goal: to incorporate these words into your personal vocabulary. The Word List example sentences will give you a solid foundation for how the word is used - an excellent launching pad for using that word appropriately in your own world.

      a) Enliven your family dinner conversations with words from the Word List. Doing so helps you, but also challenges your family and creates a vocabulary-rich environment from which every family member can learn. You might even hold a contest to see if your family members can guess the vocabulary from the Word List you are adding to that night’s dinner conversation.

      b) Challenge yourself to use a word (especially one that you are finding difficult to remember) at least three (3) times in a given day. You might incorporate it, for instance, into an email to a colleague, a conversation with your boss, and a text to your best friend. The more you use the word (appropriately), the more it becomes your own.

      c) Make a note of the words from the Word List when you see them elsewhere .You will be pleasantly surprised at how often you encounter them in the reading you do on a daily basis. Whenever you do so, make a note of the word and its use. Doing so reinforces your understanding of the word and its applications.

      d) Take every opportunity to practice. Keep your chunked lists handy for any time you have a moment: while brushing your teeth in the morning, sitting in traffic, waiting for your daughter’s soccer game to start, or even standing in line in the grocery store. The greater exposure you have to the words and their uses, the more you will become comfortable with them and make them your own.

      Using All Three (3) of our Word Lists Can Put Your Preparation on the Fast Track

      We offer three (3) Word Lists to help you prepare for the GRE: List #1, List #2, and this list, the Challenging list. It is important to remember that your goal is to be fully conversant in as many of these vocabulary words as possible. Why? You must not only recognize and comprehend the words when you encounter them in GRE test questions, but you must also utilize sophisticated vocabulary to express your own ideas in the Analytical Writing section of the test. It is to your advantage, therefore, to have as many high-level vocabulary words as possible at your disposal. This is especially difficult to do if your preparation time is limited.

      Working with all three lists, you can fast track your preparation by making it your first priority to activate your prior familiarity with all 1500 words across the lists. Because these are words with which you are already familiar, they will be the easiest to move (through your study of the word lists) from familiar to fully-functioning. As fully-functioning words in your vocabulary, you will be comfortable using them when composing your responses to the Analytical Writing tasks on the GRE. If, after activating as many familiar words as possible across all three (3) lists, you still have preparation time left, you may then turn your attention to the remaining words and use the word lists to help you become fully conversant in them.

      How Can our Word Lists Help You Beyond the GRE?

      The goal of entrance exams, like the GRE, is to anticipate the test-taker’s likelihood of success in the field into which they seek entry. Thus, the long view of mastering sophisticated vocabulary is that doing so will not only help you prepare for the GRE, but will simultaneously prepare you for what lies ahead: comprehending, analyzing, and evaluating graduate-level materials and writing with the complexity and sophistication expected of a graduate-level student. To put it simply: a fully-functioning, high-level vocabulary is the key to success in your graduate experience.

      Prepare for success NOW!

      *****

      Chapter #1

      (acclivity - ballast)

      This chapter covers the following words along with their part of speech, pronunciation, synonyms and antonym, if applicable. Sample usage of the word is also illustrated.

      acclivity

      apprehensive

      arboretum

      arcane

      archaic

      archetype

      archives

      argot

      arid

      armada

      arrears

      arroyo

      articulate

      artifice

      ascendancy

      ascribe

      asinine

      askance

      askew

      asperity

      assail

      asteroid

      astigmatism

      astringent

      asunder

      asymmetric

      atavism

      atheistic

      atrocity

      attest

      attribute

      atypical

      augment

      augury

      aureole

      auspicious

      authenticate

      automaton

      autopsy

      avalanche

      avenge

      avert

      avocation

      avuncular

      axiom

      azure

      bacchanalian

      badinage

      baleful

      ballast

      *****

      ACCLIVITY (n) [uh-KLIV-i-tee]

      Meaning: sharp upslope of a hill; an upward slope

      Usage 1: In the last few miles of the marathon, Derek was forced to face a steep acclivity; thereby exhausting all the energy he had left to finish the race.

      Usage 2: The acclivity of the haphazard badminton court led to many missed shots and falls.

      Usage 3: The road ascended over miles by a slight acclivity, ending in an overlook of the deep gully and thousands of pine trees.

      APPREHENSIVE (adj) [ap-ri-HEN-siv]

      Meaning: fearful; discerning; cautious or wary about something

      Usage 1: Toddlers often go through a phase when they are apprehensive about all sorts of loud noises.

      Usage 2: Tracy was too apprehensive to sign up for skydiving lessons, so she opted for swimming classes instead.

      Usage 3: All of a sudden he looks apprehensive, which is bothersome to me because he looked at ease until she walked into the room.

      Usage 4: All of my neighbors are apprehensive about the weather, as last month we had a terrible ice storm that caused widespread damage.

      ARBORETUM (n) [ahr-buh-REE-tuh m]

      Meaning: place where different tree varieties are exhibited; a place where plants are cultivated for display

      Usage 1: For family pictures, the town arboretum is a beautiful setting complete with rose bushes and blooming plants year-round.

      Usage 2: During Rick's training as a horticulturist, he spent many late nights at the arboretum, caring for plants.

      Usage 3: The university's arboretum staff spent all week preparing for the spring gala, in which benefactors were able to receive private dinners in the greenhouse and tours of new exhibits.

      Usage 4: The National Arboretum contains thousands of varieties of plants and flowers, and is a huge attraction for tourists and locals

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