The GRE Verbal Reasoning Test: Intermediate Words: Intermediate, List 7

This list of intermediate words features a mixture of easier and more difficult words that you may be less familiar with. Study these words and watch your GRE score grow.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aberration
    a state or condition markedly different from the norm
    "Dr. Spivak says my unique status as a marvel of genetic aberration makes me an object of intense curiosity," he says in that lofty way of his. Freak The Mighty
  2. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
    All objects in the universe exert a gravitational tug in proportion to their mass, and it attenuates across distances. Scientific American (Sep 8, 2020)
  3. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
    "It’s not appropriate for you to be involved with these militants. It is reckless behavior that I will not condone." The Rock and the River
  4. contentious
    involving or likely to cause controversy
    There was a formal debate on the always contentious proposition that “the East is a better place to live than the West.” The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
  5. documented
    established as genuine
    Although ants—hornets' relatives—are estimated to spread seeds for more than 11,000 plants, the study notes, documented cases of hornets themselves doing so are rare. Scientific American (Oct 18, 2022)
  6. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
    The best poet of the 20th century knew that the idea of “having it all” was nonsense before anybody ever dreamed up such a fatuous phrase. Washington Post
  7. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
    The outlet was blocked with some barrier, but not of stone: soft and a little yielding it seemed, and yet strong and impervious; air filtered through, but not a glimmer of any light. The Two Towers
  8. indigent
    poor enough to need help from others
    Collins needed the extra money; although not indigent, he was always short of income since he was living off Ethel’s salary as a part-time nurse. Endgame
  9. meticulous
    marked by extreme care in treatment of details
    He was methodical and meticulous about everything, the kind of coach, the kind of man, who prepared for every possible situation through tireless work. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream
  10. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    Apparently in an effort to mollify the inflamed press, he let photographers back into the barn. Seabiscuit: An American Legend
  11. mundane
    concerned with the world or worldly matters
    “The Inner Eye,” said Professor Trelawney with dignity, straightening her shawls and many strands of glittering beads, “was fixed upon matters well outside the mundane realms of whooping voices.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  12. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
    He was poor and lived in utter penury. Night
  13. perfidious
    tending to betray
    Among the perfidious, the name of traitor is capital in itself. The Left Hand of Darkness
  14. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
    Pearl waited for a parental platitude to follow: Life isn’t fair, or Fair doesn’t always mean right. Little Fires Everywhere
  15. porous
    full of holes
    But Professor Kylmer had already started working on a variation of the plastic—a thin, slightly porous membrane that you could filter water through. Z for Zachariah
  16. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    He cried himself to sleep, when he could muster the energy, but his sleep was fitful and sporadic. A Thousand Splendid Suns
  17. stanch
    stop the flow of a liquid
    She stanched the bleeding with wadded paper towels, then pulled out alcohol wipes and a pack of butterfly closures. Pet
  18. substantiate
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
    Instead, he noted the military study was “designed to lay to rest the wild speculation” about radiation victims in the devastated city and proceeded to substantiate the human suffering with hard facts. New York Times (Aug 9, 2021)
  19. sylvan
    relating to or characteristic of wooded regions
    The tulip poplars and oaks in the forest beyond the fence and water coursing over the edge of the pool summon a sylvan atmosphere. Washington Post (Jun 23, 2015)
  20. virtuoso
    someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
    A violinist and a committed educator, he built a music center across the road from his home in southern Poland where young virtuosos are given the opportunity to perform and learn with world-famous masters. Seattle Times (Mar 29, 2022)
Created on Wed Nov 30 16:57:16 EST 2022 (updated Thu Jan 12 15:04:43 EST 2023)

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