📘 Emotion, Power & Expression – 30 High-Impact GRE Words You Must Master (with Mnemonics)
Studying for the GRE Verbal Reasoning section?
This advanced vocabulary list brings together 30 powerful GRE words covering emotions, social behavior, personality traits, politics, aesthetics, and abstract reasoning.
Each word comes with a precise definition, a GRE-style example, and a memorable mnemonic to boost your recall.
💡 GRE Word List (with Mnemonics)
| Word | Meaning | GRE Sentence Example | Mnemonic |
| Adulate | To excessively praise or flatter | Many celebrities are adulated by fans to a ridiculous degree. | Adulate = Add + Overrate |
| Adulation | Excessive admiration or praise | The actor basked in the adulation of his fans. | Adulation = Adore with inflation |
| Aggrieve | To oppress or cause grief | The unfair treatment aggrieved the workers. | Aggressively grieve |
| Aghast | Shocked or horrified | She stood aghast at the destruction around her. | Ghost = ghast = shocked |
| Agog | Highly excited or eager | The kids were agog with excitement before the show. | Agog = a-go-go! excited |
| Agonize | To suffer worry or pain | He agonized over the decision for days. | Agony = intense suffering |
| Agitate | To stir up emotion or physically shake | Activists agitated for better wages. | Agitator = stir things up |
| Adroit | Clever or skillful | She was adroit at negotiating contracts. | Androids are adroit! |
| Affable | Friendly and easy to talk to | He was an affable host who made everyone feel at ease. | Laugh + able = affable |
| Affectation | Artificial behavior meant to impress | His British accent was pure affectation. | Fake affection |
| Agile | Quick-moving and mentally sharp | The gymnast was as agile in mind as in body. | Agile = Active like a cat |
| Adorn | To decorate or beautify | She adorned the table with flowers. | Adorn = Add-on beauty |
| Aesthetic | Related to beauty | The room had an aesthetic appeal. | Aesthetic = Artistic |
| Aestheticism | Devotion to beauty and the arts | Aestheticism flourished in 19th-century Europe. | Aesthetic + ism = beauty belief |
| Adversarial | Involving conflict or opposition | The debate quickly turned adversarial. | Adverse = opposition |
| Adverse | Harmful or unfavorable | Adverse weather disrupted the event. | Adverse = not versatile (bad) |
| Adversity | Hardship or misfortune | She showed resilience in the face of adversity. | Adversity = university of hardship |
| Advocacy | Public support for a cause | His advocacy for climate action was widely recognized. | Voice for cause |
| Advocate | To support publicly / A supporter | She advocates for educational reform. | Vocal supporter |
| Affluent | Wealthy and prosperous | The affluent district had excellent schools. | Affluence = flowing wealth |
| Aggrandize | To increase power or status | He sought to aggrandize himself through alliances. | Grandize = make grand |
| Aggregate | A total made of parts | The aggregate score was higher than expected. | Aggregate = Group it up |
| Adulterate | To reduce purity by adding inferior materials | The milk was found to be adulterated with water. | Adult + rate down = degrade |
| Adumbrate | To foreshadow or outline faintly | The speech adumbrated future policy changes. | Dumb shade = vague hint |
| Adventitious | Accidental or happening by chance | The discovery was entirely adventitious. | Adventure = unexpected |
| Agnostic | Believes nothing can be known about God | As an agnostic, she preferred not to take sides. | Not + Gnostic = not know |
| Affinity | Natural attraction or connection | He had a strong affinity for classical music. | Affinity = connect-infinity |
| Advent | Arrival of a notable event or person | The advent of AI is reshaping education. | Advent = Arrival |
| Aerie | A high nest (literal or symbolic) | The billionaire built an aerie on a mountain top. | Aerie = Airy + nest |
🎯 Practice Section: GRE Sentence Completion
1. The fans showed such ________ toward the singer that it bordered on obsession.
A) adversity B) adulation C) advocacy D) affinity
✅ Answer: B) adulation
2. The CEO tried to ________ his role in the company’s success during the press conference.
A) affable B) aggrandize C) adulterate D) advocate
✅ Answer: B) aggrandize
3. Scientists were stunned by the ________ discovery, which was completely unplanned.
A) adventitious B) agog C) agile D) aesthetic
✅ Answer: A) adventitious
💬 GRE Verbal Tip of the Day
Use root words to unlock meaning.
Words like adulterate (from “adulter” = to corrupt) and advocate (from Latin “vocare” = to call) give clues through their roots. A bit of etymology can save time in tough questions.
📅 Download Flashcards (PDF)
Get these 30 high-impact GRE vocabulary words in a printable flashcard format, complete with definitions, usage, and mnemonics.
👉 Click here to download Master Flashcard A61-A90
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