Verbal Reasoning · 3 min read
High-Frequency Vocabulary
The words below appear often in Upper Level synonym and sentence completion questions and in reading passages. They are grouped by meaning so that related words are learned together; review a column a day and quiz yourself on the definitions.
acclaim: enthusiastic approval or praise
eloquent: fluent and persuasive in speaking or
proficient: competent and skilled
writing
adept: highly skilled or proficient
prudent: acting with care and thought for the
exemplary: serving as a desirable model
future
affable: friendly and easy to talk to
gregarious: fond of company and sociable
sagacious: having keen mental discernment
altruistic: showing unselfish concern for others
industrious: hardworking and diligent
tenacious: persistent and determined
amiable: friendly and pleasant
laudable: deserving praise and commendation
venerable: accorded respect due to age or
astute: shrewd and perceptive
wisdom
magnanimous: generous or forgiving
benevolent: well-meaning and kindly
versatile: able to adapt to many functions
meticulous: showing great attention to detail
commend: to praise formally or officially
vigilant: keeping careful watch
pragmatic: dealing with things sensibly and
diligent: showing care and conscientiousness
realistically
virtuous: having high moral standards
arrogant: having an exaggerated sense of
frivolous: not serious in content or attitude
pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting
importance
importance
haughty: arrogantly superior
belligerent: hostile and aggressive
reckless: without thought of danger
indolent: wanting to avoid activity or exertion
callous: showing insensitivity and cruelty
superficial: existing on the surface only
insidious: proceeding harmfully in a subtle way
capricious: given to sudden changes of mood
treacherous: guilty of betrayal
malicious: intending to do harm
condescending: acting superior to others
vindictive: having a strong desire for revenge
obstinate: stubbornly refusing to change
cynical: distrustful of human sincerity
volatile: liable to change rapidly and
ostentatious: characterized by vulgar display
unpredictably
deceitful: guilty of deceiving others
pedantic: excessively concerned with minor
detrimental: causing harm or damage
details
dubious: hesitating or doubting
petulant: childishly sulky or bad-tempered
Wordsdescribingsize,Amount,Ordegree
abundant: existing in large quantities
immense: extremely large
profuse: exuberantly plentiful
adequate: sufficient for a specific requirement
insufficient: not enough
scant: barely sufficient
ample: enough or more than enough
meager: lacking in quantity or quality
sparse: thinly dispersed or scattered
copious: abundant in supply or quantity
minute: extremely small
substantial: considerable in size or importance
deficient: not having enough
moderate: average in amount or degree
surplus: an amount greater than needed
diminutive: extremely small
negligible: so small as to be meaningless
trivial: of little value or importance
excessive: more than necessary
plentiful: existing in abundance
abrupt: sudden and unexpected
gradual: taking place by degrees
prompt: done without delay
accelerate: to increase speed
hasty: done with excessive speed
protracted: lasting longer than expected
brief: short in duration
imminent: about to happen
simultaneous: occurring at the same time
chronic: persisting for a long time
intermittent: occurring at irregular intervals
sporadic: occurring at irregular intervals
contemporary: living or occurring at the same
linger: to stay longer than necessary
swift: happening quickly
time
perpetual: never ending or changing
tardy: delayed beyond the expected time
expedite: to make happen sooner
procrastinate: to delay or postpone action
transient: lasting only a short time
fleeting: lasting for a very short time
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