GRE Average Vocabulary Words, Randomly Selected

Here is a list of randomly-selected Average* GRE Vocabulary Words. To see another batch of random average words, refresh this page. Use these words to help you prepare for the verbal section of the GRE revised Test. Your ability to correctly answer text completion and sentence equivalence questions is dependent on the depth of your vocabulary. The more words that you know, the higher the chance that you'll see words on the GRE test that you are familiar with, which improves your chances of getting a high score.

However, as with all GRE vocabulary lists, memorizing words is not the best way to build a strong vocabulary; to do that, you should read extensively. And, use MyGRETutor's vocabulary tutor to keep track of the words that you have mastered, and to brush up on those words that you have not.

WordPart of Speech  Definition

orthography nThe correct spelling of a word; the part of study of a language that is concerned with the spelling of words.
inundate vTo flood; to overcome; to submerge.
exact vTo obtain by force; to remove; to demand.
clarion nA shrill, or trumpet-like sound; an ancient trumpet.
palatial adjPertaining to or suitable for a palace.
agglomeration nA heap; a collection.
maw nThe mouth, jaws, or gullet of a carnivorous animal; the throat of a greedy person.
poultice nA soothing ointment that is applied to irritated, inflamed, and sore parts of the body, usually used to relieve the symptoms of a burn.
egress nAn exit; an opening through which one may leave.
conjecture nA surmise; a guess.
ragamuffin nA unkempt, dirty child in torn clothes; a person wearing tattered clothing.
tamp vTo lightly tap so as to force downwards.
consonant adjHarmonious; in agreement.
incumbents nThose who already hold a political position and who are running to be re-elected.
buxom adjPlump; full; jolly.
obelisk nA tall column that tapers at the top to a pointed pyramid.
junta nA group of people joined in political intrigue; military officers who rule a country after a successful coupe.
coda nA concluding section of a musical or literary composition.
aureole nA halo; a bright circle of light; a radiance surrounding an object or a whole figure to represent sacredness.
diatribe nA harsh scolding; an invective; strong verbal abuse.

*We determine the difficulty of a word by keeping track of how many people get it right on the vocabulary tutor section of MyGRETutor. Easy words are those words whose definition, on average, is selected by at least 80% of users. Medium words are those words whose definition is, on average, correctly selected between 50 and 80 percent of the time, and difficult words are those words whose definition is correctly selected less than 50% of the time.