GRE Practice Words
Aerie- A nest built high in the air, secluded. Perch; stronghold.
"Perched high among the trees, the eagle's aerie was filled with eggs."
Alacrity- Promptness, cheerful readiness; Eagerness
"The cafe was her favorite place to eat because the waiters responded to diners with alacrity."
Vex- Annoy; puzzle, confuse, nettle
"The old, quiet-loving man was vexed by the kids' loud music."
Usury- Practice of lending money at exorbitant rates; loan-sharking
"The moneylender was convicted of usury after it was found he charged 50% interest on all loans."
Voluble- Talkative, loquacious, glib, verbose, garrulous
"The voluble man and his quiet, reserved wife were proof that "opposites attract."
Wan- sickly pale
"The anorexic had a wan face in contrast to her healthy, rosy-cheeked peers."
Edify- Instruct morally and spiritually
"The guru was paid to edify the actress in the ways of Buddhism."
Effigy- Stuffed doll, likeness of a person
"Michelle Obama was disapproving after the new Ty dolls were said to be effigies of the First Daughters."
Effrontery- boldness, audacity, brashness, gall, nerve, temerity
"The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when the CEO tripped over the computer cord."
Myopic- short-sighed, unthinking; lacking foresight
"Not wanting to spend a lot of money up front, the myopic business owner would likely suffer the consequences later."
Nadir- lowest point
"As Shannon waited in line to audition for the tampon commercial, she realized she had reached the nadir of her acting career."
Nascent- starting to develop; embryonic; emerging; inchoate; incipient
"The LGBT health week campaign was still in it's nascent stage, and nothing had been finalized yet."
Neologisms- new words or expressions; slang
"Gramma Muriel was often perplexed by her grandson's clothing, music, and neologisms."
Neophyte- novice, beginner, greenhorn, tyro
A relative neophyte at bowling, Jess rolled most of her balls into the gutter."
Noisome- stinking, putrid, malodorous
"The dead mouse left in the basement caused a noisome odor."
"Perched high among the trees, the eagle's aerie was filled with eggs."
Alacrity- Promptness, cheerful readiness; Eagerness
"The cafe was her favorite place to eat because the waiters responded to diners with alacrity."
Vex- Annoy; puzzle, confuse, nettle
"The old, quiet-loving man was vexed by the kids' loud music."
Usury- Practice of lending money at exorbitant rates; loan-sharking
"The moneylender was convicted of usury after it was found he charged 50% interest on all loans."
Voluble- Talkative, loquacious, glib, verbose, garrulous
"The voluble man and his quiet, reserved wife were proof that "opposites attract."
Wan- sickly pale
"The anorexic had a wan face in contrast to her healthy, rosy-cheeked peers."
Edify- Instruct morally and spiritually
"The guru was paid to edify the actress in the ways of Buddhism."
Effigy- Stuffed doll, likeness of a person
"Michelle Obama was disapproving after the new Ty dolls were said to be effigies of the First Daughters."
Effrontery- boldness, audacity, brashness, gall, nerve, temerity
"The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when the CEO tripped over the computer cord."
Myopic- short-sighed, unthinking; lacking foresight
"Not wanting to spend a lot of money up front, the myopic business owner would likely suffer the consequences later."
Nadir- lowest point
"As Shannon waited in line to audition for the tampon commercial, she realized she had reached the nadir of her acting career."
Nascent- starting to develop; embryonic; emerging; inchoate; incipient
"The LGBT health week campaign was still in it's nascent stage, and nothing had been finalized yet."
Neologisms- new words or expressions; slang
"Gramma Muriel was often perplexed by her grandson's clothing, music, and neologisms."
Neophyte- novice, beginner, greenhorn, tyro
A relative neophyte at bowling, Jess rolled most of her balls into the gutter."
Noisome- stinking, putrid, malodorous
"The dead mouse left in the basement caused a noisome odor."