GRE MADE SIMPLE

Abreast (uh-BREST) Meaning: Informed or familiar about a particular topic. Funny Mnemonic: Picture a chicken wearing glasses reading a newspaper and saying, “I stay abreast of world events to be a well-informed hen!” Imagine a chichken breast meat pieces talking with each other in human digestion topic because they are familiar. Sentence: She keeps abreast of the latest developments in her field. Confound (kuhn-FOUND) Meaning: Perplex or puzzle someone. Funny Mnemonic: Imagine a magician pulling a live elephant out of a tiny hat, leaving the audience scratching their heads and yelling, “This is so confounding!” Sentence: The complex math problem confounded even the smartest students. ...

Acolyte (AK-uh-lyte) Meaning: A person who assists or follows another person or cause. Funny Mnemonic: Imagine a lightbulb following a celebrity wherever they go because it’s their “ACOLYTE-bulb.” Sentence: The politician’s acolytes always defend him, no matter what. Anoint (uh-NOYNT) Meaning: Appoint or designate for a particular role or purpose. Funny Mnemonic: Picture someone annoying you by slathering oil on your head, saying, “You’re chosen!” Sentence: The coach anointed her as the team captain for the season. ...

Abet (uh-BET) Meaning: Assist or encourage, usually in wrongdoing. Mnemonic: Picture a friend whispering, “I’ll abet you in sneaking that extra piece of cake!” Sentence: She was accused of trying to abet the crime by providing false information. Accessible (ak-SESS-uh-buhl) Meaning: Clear; capable of being understood. Mnemonic: Imagine a door labeled ‘Accessible’, swinging open to reveal everything clearly organized inside. Sentence: The teacher explained the complex topic in a very accessible way. ...

1. Acclaim (uh-KLAYM) Meaning: Praise with great approval. Enthusiastic approval. Mnemonic: Picture an a-clap claim—a crowd clapping so hard for a performer they start claiming their greatness! Sentence: The artist received acclaim for her groundbreaking performance. 2. Ascertain (as-er-TAYN) Meaning: Find out or learn with certainty. Mnemonic: Imagine Sherlock Holmes saying, “Let’s ask certain questions to ascertain the truth.” Sentence: The detective worked tirelessly to ascertain the cause of the incident. ...

1. Antedate (AN-ti-dayt) Meaning: Occur before (something) in time. Mnemonic: Imagine an ant on a calendar moving to an earlier date—it’s trying to antedate the event! Sentence: The discovery of the ancient ruins seemed to antedate recorded history. 2. Banish (BAN-ish) Meaning: Expel from a place, especially as punishment; get rid of. Mnemonic: Picture someone holding a ban sticker and shouting, “You’re banned! Out you go!” to banish someone. Sentence: The king decided to banish the traitor from the kingdom. ...

1. Alienate (AY-lee-uh-nayt) Meaning: Make someone feel isolated and estranged. Mnemonic: Imagine an alien landing on Earth and feeling alienated because no one talks to them. Sentence: His rude comments began to alienate his friends. 2. Apathy (AP-uh-thee) Meaning: Lack of interest or enthusiasm towards something. Mnemonic: Think of someone saying, “I don’t care, it’s just a path I walk on every day.” Sentence: Her apathy toward politics shocked her politically active family. ...

1. Acquiesce (ak-wee-ESS) Meaning: Agree or consent quietly without objection. Mnemonic: Imagine someone saying, “ACK! Yes! Fine, I’ll do it”—reluctantly but without objection. Sentence: She didn’t want to clean the house, but she acquiesced to her roommate’s request. 2. Adroit (uh-DROYT) Meaning: Deft, dexterous, or skillful. Mnemonic: Think of a chef using a knife so skillfully it looks like a drawing of art—they’re adroit! Sentence: He was adroit at solving puzzles, finishing the Rubik’s cube in seconds. ...

1. Affinity (uh-FIN-i-tee) Meaning: A natural liking or connection to a person, thing, or idea. A similarity between two things. Mnemonic: Think of a fin on a dolphin—it naturally has an affinity for water! Sentence: She had an affinity for classical music and could spend hours listening to Mozart. 2. Altruistic (al-troo-IS-tik) Meaning: Showing generosity and concern for the welfare of others. Mnemonic: Picture a person saying, “ALL TRUE, I’m here to help!”—that’s being altruistic. ...

1. Acrimonious (ak-ri-MOH-nee-uhs) Meaning: Bitter and sharp in language or tone. Mnemonic: Imagine someone eating a lemon dipped in acid and angrily complaining—it’s an acrimonious rant! Sentence: The debate became so acrimonious that the moderator had to step in. 2. Belligerent (buh-LIJ-er-uhnt) Meaning: Argumentative, threatening, or aggressive. Mnemonic: Think of a bell that keeps ringing aggressively, like it’s ready to pick a fight—it’s belligerent! Sentence: Her belligerent attitude made it hard to have a peaceful discussion. ...

1. Abhor (ab-HOR) Meaning: Detest or regard with deep hatred. Mnemonic: Imagine someone seeing a horrible “Ab” (abs workout) and screaming, “I abhor exercising!” They hate it so much they run away in fear. Sentence: She absolutely abhorred the idea of eating broccoli for every meal. 2. Boisterous (BOY-ster-uhs) Meaning: Energetic, noisy, and lively. Mnemonic: Picture a group of rowdy boys jumping on a table, making so much noise that the neighbors call the police. ...

Acumen (AH-kyoo-men) Meaning: Quickness and keenness in understanding and judgment. Mnemonic: Think of “IQ men”—people with high IQs who are sharp and make good judgments quickly. Sentence: Her business acumen helped the company grow exponentially. Antithesis (an-TITH-uh-sis) Meaning: The direct opposite or contrast. Mnemonic: Imagine an “anti-sis”—your sibling who’s the exact opposite of you in personality. Sentence: Her calm demeanor was the antithesis of his fiery temperament. Ascribe (uh-SKRYB) Meaning: Attribute or credit something to a particular cause or source. Mnemonic: “A scribe” always attributes the story to the king or patron who paid them. Sentence: The success of the project was ascribed to her leadership skills. ...

Describing People or Behavior Boorish: Rude or unrefined in manners. Circumspect: Cautious or wary, especially to avoid risks. Comity: Courtesy, harmony, or mutual respect. Cordial: Warm and friendly. Impetuous: Acting quickly without thought; impulsive. Irascible: Easily angered or irritable. Mercenary: Motivated by money rather than morality or duty. Describing Harm or Productivity Deleterious: Harmful or damaging. Fecund: Fertile or highly productive. Feeble: Weak or lacking strength. Mental Traits or Knowledge Edify: Enlighten or uplift through knowledge. Erudite: Having or showing great knowledge or learning. Describing Contrasts or Differences Dichotomy: A split into two contrasting or opposing parts. Describing Actions or Effects Elicit: Draw out a response, answer, or action. Describing Situations or Results Felicitous: Well-suited or apt; pleasant and fortunate. Forbear: To tolerate or endure something patiently. Haphazard: Lacking organization or planning; random. Hodgepodge: A mixture of different things; a jumble. Impede: To hinder or obstruct progress. Mordant: Sharply critical or sarcastic. Describing Behavior or Traits Meticulous: Very careful and precise about details. Outstrip: To surpass or exceed. Precarious: Risky, unstable, or uncertain. Quirky: Unusual in an endearing or peculiar way. Repudiate: To reject or refuse to accept. Tact: Skill in handling difficult situations without causing offense. Trifling: Lacking significance or importance. Turbulent: Full of conflict, disorder, or chaos. Making Things Easy … Boorish (ˈbʊr-ɪsh) Meaning: Rude or unrefined in manners or behavior. Mnemonic: Think of a “boar” at a fancy dinner table—messy and rude! Sentence: His boorish comments offended everyone at the meeting. ...