GRE Vocabulary Preparation

edial; causing improvement 
sanctimony self-righteousness; hypocritical
sanction approval (by authority); penalty 
sanguinary bloody
sanguine cheerful; confident; optimistic 
sanity health of mind; soundness of judgement 
sardonic disdainfully or skeptically humorous; sarcastic
sash long strip worn round the waist 
satiate satisfy fully 
saturnine gloomy; dark; morose 
savant person of great learning 
savor taste flavor smth 
sawdust tiny bits of wood 
scabbard sheath for the blade 
scent smell (esp. pleasant) 
scorch become discolored; dry up; go at high speed 
scribble write hastily 
scruple minute part or quantity; qualm
scrupulous having moral integrity; punctiliously exact
scurrilous given to coarse language
scurvy mean; contemptible 
secede/secession to withdraw from an organization
secular material (not spiritual); living outside monasteries 
sedulous persevering 
seminal like a seed; constituting a source; originative 
sententious short and pithy; full of maxims, proverbs 
sequence succession; connected line of 
sere make hard and without feeling 
serendipity phenomenon of finding valuable things not sought for
sermon reproving a person for his faults 
serrated having a toothed edge 
servile like a slave; lacking independence 
sever break off 
severance severing 
shallow little depth; not earnest 
shard piece of broken earthenware 
sheath cover for the blade of a weapon or a tool 
shiftless lacking in resourcefulness; lacking in ambition
shrew ill-tempered, scolding woman
shrewd astute; showing sound judgement 
shrill sharp; piercing 
shun keep away from; avoid 
shunt send from one track to another; lay aside
sidestep step to one side 
simper (give a) silly, self-conscious smile 
sinew power; chief supporting force
sinuous winding, undulating, serpentine 
skiff small boat 
skit short piece of humorous writing 
slack sluggish, dull, not tight 
slake to assuage 
slate king of blue-grey stone; propose; criticize 
sluggard lazy slow-moving person 
slur join sounds, words (indistinct) 
smolder burn slowly without flame 
snare trap 
snub treat with contempt 
soar rise; fly high 
sober self-controlled 
sobriety quality or condition of being sober 
sodden soaked; saturated 
soggy heavy with water 
solvent of the power of forming a solution 
somatic of the body 
somnolent likely to induce sleep; inclined to sleep
soot black powder in smoke 
sophisticated complex; subtle; refined 
sophistry fallacious reasoning; faulty logic 
sophomoric self-assured though immature 
soporific producing sleep 
sordid wretched; comfortless
specious illogical of questionable truth or merit 
sphinx enigmatic or mysterious person
spleen feelings of anger or ill will; often suppressed
splenetic bad-tempered; irritable 
splice join (two ends) 
sponge porous rubber for washing; live at once expense 
spurious counterfeit 
spurn have nothing to do; reject or refuse 
squalid foul; filthy 
squander spend wastefully 
squat crouch; settle without permission 
stanch to stop the flow of a fluid 
steeply rising or falling sharply 
stentorian extremely loud and powerful 
stickler person who insists on importance of smth 
stigma mark of shame or disgrace 
stigmatize describe smb scornfully 
sting smth sharp 
stingy spending, using unwillingly 
stint to be thrifty; to set limits 
stipple paint with dots 
stipulate state or put forward as a necessary condition 
stolid showing no emotion; impassive 
stray wander; lose one's way 
streak long; thin; move very fast 
striated striped; grooved or banded 
stricture something that limits; adverse criticism
stride walk with long steps 
strident characterized by harsh and discordant sound
strut a supporting bar 
stultify to cause to appear or be foolish
stygian dark, gloomy 
stymie to hinder, obstruct or block 
subdue overcome, bring under control 
subjugate to conquer; to subdue
sublime extreme, astounding 
submerge put under water liquid; sink out of sight 
suborn induce by bribery; to commit perjury 
subpoena written order requiring a person to appear in a law court 
substantiation giving facts to support (statement) 
subsume include under a rule 
subterfuge deception
succor assistance relief in time of distress 
suffice be enough 
suffocate cause or have difficulty in breathing 
suffrage short prayer usually in a series; right of voting
sullied to be stained or discredited 
summarily briefly; without delay 
summary done without delay or formality
sumptuous magnificent 
sundry various; miscellaneous; separate 
superannuate to become retired; to become obsolete
supercilious disdainful; characterized by haughty scorn 
superfluous more then is needed or wanted 
superimpose put smth on the top 
supersede take the place of 
supine lying on the back; slow to act; passive 
suppliant asking humbly; beseeching 
supplicate make a humble petition to 
suppress prevent from being known; put an end to 
surcharge additional load; charge 
surfeit satiate; feed to fulness or to excess 
susceptibility sensitiveness 
swerve change direction suddenly 
sybarite voluptuary
sycophant person who flatter to the rich and powerful 
syncopated abbreviated; stressing the weak beat
synopsis summary or outline 
taciturn untalkative silent 
tactile perceptible by touch
tadpole form of a frog when it leaves the egg 
talon claw of a bird of prey 
tamp tap or drive down by repeated light blows 
tamper interfere with 
tangential suddenly changeable 
tarnished lost brightness 
tassel bunch of threads 
taunt contemptuous reproach; hurtful remark 
taut tightly stretched 
tautology a repetition, redundancy 
tawdry cheap; gaudy; showy; tacky 
teetotal oppose to alcohol 
temerity boldness; brashness; intrepidness 
temperance abstinence from alcohol; self-control; moderation 
temperate showing self-control 
tenacity firmness; persistency
tendentious biased
tenuous insubstantial flimsy weak 
tepid lukewarm 
termagant shrew
terse brief and to the point 
testiness witness; evidence 
threadbare exhausted of interest or freshness; trite
thrift care; economy; thriving; prosperous 
thwart obstruct; frustrate 
timid shy; easily frightened 
timorous fearful; timid
toady obsequious flatterer 
tonic smth giving strength or energy 
topple be unsteady and overturn 
torment severe pain or suffering 
torpid sleeping; sluggish; lethargic; dormant 
torque twisting force causing rotation 
tortuous devious; not straightforward 
tout person who worries others to buy smth to use his service 
tractable easily controlled or guided 
traduce to malign; to violate
transgress break; go beyond (a limit) 
transient temporary; fleeting 
transitory brief 
travesty parody; imitation 
tremulous characterized by trembling; affected with timidity
trenchant forceful; effective; vigorous
trepidation alarm; excited state of mind 
trickle flow in drops 
trifling unimportant 
trite not new 
truce (agreement) stop of fighting for a time 
truckle to act in a subservient manner
truculence aggressiveness; ferocity 
trudge walk heavily 
turbid muddy; having the sediment stirred up 
turbulence being uncontrolled; violent 
turgid excessively ornate; swollen or bloated 
turmoil trouble; disturbance 
turmoil state of extreme confusion, agitation or commotion
turpitude wickedness; shamefulness 
turquoise greenish-blue precious stone 
tyro tiro; beginner 
ubiquitous present everywhere 
ulterior situated beyond 
umbrage offense; resentment 
uncouth rough; awkward 
underbid make a lower bid then smb else 
undermine weaken gradually at the base
undulate to move in wavelike fashion; fluctuate 
unearth discover and bring to light 
unencumbered easy-going; trifle 
unexceptionable not open to objection or criticism
unfeigned not pretended; sincere 
unscathed unharmed; unhurt 
unseemly inappropriate; indecorous
untoward unfortunate; inconvenient 
upbraid scold; reproach 
urbane elegant; refined in manners 
vacillation being uncertain; hesitating 
vagary strange act or idea 
vain without use, result; conceited 
valedictory of an act of bidding farewell
valiant brave 
valorous brave 
vanquish conquer 
vaunt to boast
veer change direction 
venal ready to do smth dishonest 
veneer surface appearance covering the true nature 
veneration regard with deep respect 
venial excusable
veracity truth 
verdant fresh and green 
verisimilitude appearing true or real 
veritable real; rightly named 
verve spirit; vigor; enthusiasm 
vestige trace or sign 
vex annoy; distress; trouble 
vigilance watchfulness; self-appointed group who maintain order 
vigilant member of a vigilance committee 
vigorous strong; energetic 
vilify slander; say evil things 
vindicate to free from allegation or blame; to justify
vindictive having a desire to revenge 
viraginous of a virago
virago a loud domineering woman; a scold or nag 
visceral of the internal organs of the body 
viscous sticky; semi-fluid 
vitiate lower the quality; weaken the strength 
vituperate curse; abuse in words 
vivacious lively; high-spirited 
volatile changeable; inconstant
volition power of choosing or determining
volubility fluency; verbosity; easy use of spoken language 
voluble fluent 
voluptuous full of pleasure to the senses
vouchsafe to grant (often in a gracious manner)
waffle talk vaguely and without much result 
waft scent; waving movement; carry lightly through 
wag merry person 
warmonger person who stirs up war 
warrant authority; written order; guarantee 
wean to turn away (from a habit) 
welter turmoil; a bewildering jumble 
wend to go, proceed 
wheedle to influence or entice by soft words or flattery
whimsical full of odd and fanciful ideas 
wince show bodily or mental pain 
woo try to win 
wrangle to dispute angrily or peevishly
writ written order 
yarn tale, story, fibers for knitting