GRE

Top 50 Hardest GRE Words

These words represent some of the most challenging vocabulary tested on the GRE. They appear in Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, often as answer choices designed to trip up test-takers who rely on surface-level familiarity.

abstruse

Difficult to understand, especially because it is complex or abstract.

antipathy

A strong dislike or aversion towards someone or something.

arcane

Secretive or mysterious, often relating to the occult or magic.

capricious

Given to sudden and unpredictable changes in mood or behavior; impulsive and erratic.

chicanery

Deceptive or dishonest practices, especially in business or politics.

convoluted

Extremely complex and difficult to follow; intricately coiled or twisted.

corroborate

To support with evidence or authority; to strengthen or confirm a statement or finding.

deleterious

Causing harm or damage, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

demagogue

A demagogue is a political leader who gains popularity by appealing to emotions and prejudices rathe...

desiccate

To remove moisture from something; to dry out thoroughly.

disingenuous

Not honest or sincere; misleading by concealment or distortion.

dissemble

To conceal one's true motives, beliefs, or feelings under a false appearance.

ebullient

Cheerful and full of energy; exuberant.

enervate

To weaken or drain of energy; to exhaust.

equivocate

To speak ambiguously or misleadingly, often to avoid committing to the truth.

esoteric

Intended for or understood by only a small, specific group with specialized knowledge.

exacerbate

To make a problem, situation, or condition worse.

fastidious

Very attentive to detail and accuracy; hard to please.

garrulous

Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

grandiloquent

Using lofty or extravagant language; pompous in speech.

impervious

Unable to be affected by or penetrated by something.

inchoate

Just begun and not yet fully formed or developed.

ineffable

Too great or extreme to be expressed in words.

inscrutable

Difficult or impossible to understand or interpret.

laconic

Using very few words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.

loquacious

Tending to talk a great deal; very talkative.

magnanimous

Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person.

mendacious

Lying or tending to lie; not truthful.

obsequious

Excessively submissive or attentive; overly eager to please.

parsimonious

Unwilling to spend money or resources; excessively frugal or stingy.

pedantic

Overly concerned with formalism, accuracy, and detail, often in a way that is annoying.

perfidious

Deceitful and untrustworthy, especially in breaking faith or trust.

perspicacious

Having a ready insight into and understanding of things; discerning.

phlegmatic

Calm, composed, and unemotional, especially in challenging situations.

prevaricate

To speak or act in a way that evades the truth or is intentionally ambiguous.

recalcitrant

Uncooperative and stubbornly resistant to authority or discipline.

sagacious

Having keen mental discernment and deep insight; wise.

sycophant

A person who acts in a sycophantic way, flattering others to gain advantage.

tendentious

Presenting a biased or one-sided viewpoint, often to promote a particular cause.

truculent

Eager or quick to argue, fight, or attack; aggressively defiant.

turgid

Swollen or bloated; often used to describe overly complex or inflated language.

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