GRE Vocabulary — High-Frequency Word List & Practice
The most vocabulary-hungry exam there is. GRE Verbal rewards words almost no one uses in conversation — and punishes guessing.
Free with a Vidaara account (the account is free too — it saves your progress so the quiz can re-test the words you miss).
GRE Verbal Reasoning is, bluntly, a vocabulary exam wearing a reasoning costume. Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions live or die on whether you know words like laconic, prevaricate and intransigent — and Sentence Equivalence demands you know two near-synonyms, not one. That is why our GRE track is weighted 80% towards C2 (mastery-level) vocabulary and 20% C1, the hardest mix of any course on Vidaara.
The builder teaches each word with its precise meaning, part of speech, IPA pronunciation, a real example sentence, synonyms and antonyms — then locks it in with an adaptive quiz that keeps re-testing the words you miss. GRE practice runs in English only, exactly like the real exam.
The GRE word mix — 8,826+ words at your level
Every exam track weights vocabulary by CEFR difficulty to match what the exam actually tests. For GRE:
Sample GRE vocabulary words
A taste of the list — each word in the builder also carries pronunciation, an example sentence, synonyms and antonyms:
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abecedarian | Unknown | C2 | |
| Academician | Unknown | C2 | |
| Acetylene | Unknown | C2 | |
| Acquiesce | Unknown | C2 | |
| Acrophobia | Unknown | C2 | |
| Admeasure | Unknown | C2 | |
| Admiralty | Unknown | C2 | |
| Admixture | Unknown | C2 | |
| Aerodrome | Unknown | C2 | |
| Aeroplane | Unknown | C2 | |
| aethelred | Unknown | C2 | |
| Affecting | Unknown | C2 |
These are the first few — open the builder to work through the full GRE-weighted list adaptively.
How to study GRE vocabulary — what actually works
- Learn synonym clusters, not isolated words — Sentence Equivalence needs two answers that produce the same sentence meaning.
- Prioritise words with a positive/negative "charge" (laudable vs. lamentable); GRE answer choices often split on tone.
- Re-test relentlessly: a word you met once is a word you will miss under time pressure. The lock-in quiz recycles your misses automatically.
- Read the example sentence aloud — GRE tests words in context, never as flashcard definitions.
GRE vocabulary — frequently asked questions
How many vocabulary words do I need for the GRE?
Most high scorers know 800–1,500 advanced words beyond everyday English. What matters is depth at the C1–C2 level: GRE Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence draw almost entirely from that band, which is why this course weights C2 words at 80%.
Is this GRE word list free?
Yes. Browsing the word lists is free, and the adaptive builder and vocabulary tests are free with a Vidaara account. There is no paid tier.
Does GRE vocabulary practice include Hindi meanings?
No — GRE practice runs in English only, matching the real exam. Bilingual English–Hindi support is available on the IELTS, SAT and CAT tracks for Indian students who want it during practice.
What is the fastest way to learn GRE words?
Short daily sessions with forced recall beat marathon cramming. Learn 10–15 new words a day in the builder, let the lock-in quiz re-test yesterday’s misses, and read each example sentence — context is what the GRE actually tests.