The Best 4 GRE Prep Books:
・The Official Guide to the GRE General Test
・Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2021
・500 Essential Words: GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
・500 Essential Vocabulary Words to Help Boost Your GRE Score
Essential Vocabulary for the GRE【Part 20】1901. stygian ～ 2000. transcendent
1901. stygian [adjective]
extremely and unpleasantly dark:
The stygian cave led to an underground river which frightened the explorers.
1902. stymie [verb]
to prevent something from happening or someone from achieving a purpose:
In our search for evidence, we were stymied by the absence of any recent documents.
1903. sublime [adjective]
extremely good, beautiful, or enjoyable:
After the sublime meal, we asked to see the chef so that we could give him our compliments.
1904. subliminal [adjective]
not recognized or understood by the conscious mind, but still having an influence on it:
In the old days, commercials contained subliminal suggestions that encouraged consumers to purchase certain products.
1905. subpoena [noun]
a legal document ordering someone to appear in a law court:
As soon as I received the subpoena, I knew I had to testify during the trial.
1906. subservient [adjective]
willing to do what other people want, or considering your wishes as less important than those of other people:
His other interests were subservient to his compelling passion for art.
1907. subside [verb]
to become less strong, or to become less violent:
As the pain in my foot subsided, I was able to walk the short distance to the car.
1908. subsist [verb]
to get enough food or money to stay alive, but no more:
Since the roads were closed during the storm, my family had to subsist on biscuits and canned meats for three days.
1909. substantial [adjective]
large in size, value, or importance:
The findings show a substantial difference between the opinions of men and women.
1910. substantiate [verb]
to show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts:
If you do not substantiate your scientific theories with facts, the members of the scientific community will disregard all your ideas.
1911. substantive [adjective]
important, serious, or related to real facts:
The documents are the first substantive information obtained by the investigators.
1912. subsume [verb]
to include something or someone as part of a larger group:
Many Native Americans were able to survive the takeover of the Europeans by being willing to subsume into white culture.
1913. subterfuge [noun]
an action taken to hide something from someone:
Subterfuge led by the deceitful media caused everyday people to be confused.
1914. subtlety [noun]
a small but important detail:
All the subtleties of the music are conveyed in this new recording.
1915. subversive [adjective]
trying to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system:
The group published a subversive magazine that contained nothing but negative articles about the current government.
1916. subvert [verb]
to try to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system:
The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.
1917. succinct [adjective]
said in a clear and short way:
Everyone was happy when the politician made a succinct speech that did not take all evening
1918. succor [noun]
help given to someone, especially someone who is suffering or in need:
The Red Cross is dedicated to providing succor and support to families who have been displaced by natural disasters.
1919. suffrage [noun]
the right to vote in an election, especially to vote for representatives in a government:
By allowing employees to leave work early during the elections, the company president is encouraging each employee to use his right of suffrage.
1920. sullen [adjective]
angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant to people:
The sullen criminal refused to follow the police officer’s instructions.
1921. sully [verb]
to spoil something that is pure or someone's perfect reputation:
The accusation of child abuse is sure to sully the teacher’s reputation.
1922. sumptuous [adjective]
impressive in a way that seems expensive:
My eyes grew large when I saw the sumptuous wedding feast.
1923. sundry [adjective]
several and different types of:
The store at the summer camp facility will carry a number of sundry items just in case you forget something from home.
1924. supercilious [adjective]
behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important:
The supercilious man at the picnic refused to sit on the ground like everyone else.
1925. superfluous [adjective]
more than is needed or wanted:
Our new mayor plans to eliminate superfluous programs.
1926. supersede [verb]
to replace something, especially something older or more old-fashioned:
The features of the smartphone may supersede those of the personal computer in time.
1927. supine [adjective]
flat on your back, looking up:
During back massages, most clients recline face down instead of supine.
1928. supplant [verb]
to replace:
Travel videos do not supplant guidebooks, but they can be useful when planning a trip.
1929. suppliant [adjective]
humbly imploring:
Although her suppliant gaze at him was wordless, it was a clear communication that she expected him to defend her honor.
1930. supplicate [verb]
to ask for something in a humble way:
In his closing argument, the attorney will supplicate for his client’s freedom.
1931. supposition [noun]
an idea that something may be true, although it is not certain:
The prosecutor knew it would take more than supposition to convince the jury of the defendant’s guilt.
1932. supreme [adjective]
having the highest rank, level, or importance:
The dictator wanted supreme control and power over his country and the entire world.
1933. surfeit [noun]
an amount that is too large, or is more than is needed:
When the store manager accidently ordered a surfeit of pencils and pens, he was unable to sell the extra items and decided to donate them to a local school.
1934. surly [adjective]
often in a bad mood, unfriendly, and not polite:
The surly man was yelling at the waitress because he didn’t get the right order from the restaurant.
1935. surmise [verb]
to guess something, without having much or any proof:
The police surmise that the robbers have fled the country.
1936. surreptitious [adjective]
done secretly, without anyone seeing or knowing:
The team began a surreptitious search for the suspect.
1937. surrogate [noun]
a person who acts or speaks in support of someone else, or does his or her job for a certain time:
Both candidates in the election have turned to celebrity surrogates to excite the crowds.
1938. susceptible [adjective]
easily influenced or harmed by something:
These plants are particularly susceptible to frost.
1939. sweep [verb]
to remove and/or take in a particular direction, especially in a fast and powerful way:
I have to sweep the front porch because it is so dusty.
1940. sybarite [noun]
a person who loves expensive things and pleasure:
Because she loved luxurious items, my grandma called herself a sybarite.
1941. sycophant [noun]
someone who praises powerful or rich people in a way that is not sincere, usually in order to get some advantage from them:
She appears to be a crawly sycophant or a shameless self-promoter.
1942. syllogism [noun]
a process of logic in which two general statements lead to a more particular statement:
One example of incorrect syllogism is the notion that all animals have four legs because dogs are animals and all dogs have four legs.
1943. sylvan [adjective]
of or having woods:
We enjoy visiting the park because it is filled with trees and is the most sylvan area in our crowded city.
1944. symbiosis [noun]
a relationship between people or organizations that depend on each other equally:
The trade that peacefully occurs between the two warring tribes is viewed as an example of symbiosis.
1945. symptomatic [adjective]
If something bad is symptomatic of something else, it is caused by the other thing and is proof that it exists:
Jealousy within a relationship is usually symptomatic of low self-esteem in one of the partners.
1946. synergetic [adjective]
working together:
There is a synergetic effect when agencies work together.
1947. synoptic [adjective]
giving a short description of something:
The treatises gives a synoptic view of Aristotelian doctrine.
1948. syntax [noun]
the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence:
The examples should always illustrate correct syntax.
1949. synthesize [verb]
to produce a substance by a chemical reaction in plants or animals:
The spider can synthesize several different silk proteins.
1950. tacit [adjective]
understood without being expressed directly:
Although no words were spoken, our nods represented our tacit agreement to a cease fire.
1951. taciturn [adjective]
tending not to speak much:
My shy brother is taciturn and rarely speaks in public.
1952. tacky [adjective]
of cheap quality or in bad style:
The shop sells tacky souvenirs and ornaments.
1953. tactic [noun]
a planned method for achieving a particular result:
In order to achieve the win, the coach showed his team the best tactic to perform.
1954. talisman [noun]
an object believed to bring good luck or to keep its owner safe from harm:
Throughout my grandmother’s ninety-five years of life, she rarely went a day without her favorite talisman around her neck.
1955. tangential [adjective]
different than the one you are talking about or doing:
I hardly ever learn anything in my history class because my teacher always rambles off on a tangential topic that has nothing to do with history.
1956. tangle [verb]
to become or form, or to make something into, an untidy mass:
No matter how much I tried to keep the cords neat behind the television set, they would always tangle with each other.
1957. tantamount [adjective]
being almost the same or having the same effect as something, usually something bad:
Her refusal to answer was tantamount to an admission of guilt.
1958. tardy [adjective]
slow or late in happening or arriving:
Students who do not arrive to class on time are tardy, and they often receive some sort of penalty for it.
1959. tarry [verb]
to stay somewhere for longer than expected and delay leaving:
If you tarry while doing your work, it will simply take even longer.
1960. tautology [noun]
the use of two words or phrases that express the same meaning, in a way that is unnecessary and usually unintentional:
The politician’s advertisement was simply tautology he restated several times within a thirty second period.
1961. tawdry [adjective]
showy, cheap, and of poor quality:
She found dressing-gowns and slippers so tawdry.
1962. taxonomy [noun]
a system for naming and organizing things, especially plants and animals, into groups that share similar qualities:
In biology, the term taxonomy refers to the classification of organisms into groups based on their attributes.
1963. teeming [adjective]
filled with the activity of many people or things:
They enjoy going fishing at Crystal Lake because the water is always teeming with catfish.
1964. temper [verb]
to make something less strong, extreme, etc.:
The heat is tempered by sea breezes on the coast.
1965. temperate [adjective]
not extreme:
The climate here is pretty temperate.
1966. tenacious [adjective]
unwilling to accept defeat or stop doing or having something:
Even though Negan was smaller than his other teammates, his tenacious attitude allowed him to accomplish as much as they did.
1967. tendentious [adjective]
expressing or supporting a particular opinion that many other people disagree with:
The president was tendentious on his plan for the company and would not listen to other options.
1968. tenet [noun]
a principle that is an accepted belief of a particular group:
Many people believe the tenet that parents should be responsible for the behaviors of their children.
1969. tenuous [adjective]
weak, unimportant, or in doubt:
The police have only found a tenuous connection between the two robberies.
1970. tenure [noun]
the period of time when someone holds a job, especially an official position, or the right to keep a job permanently:
Everyone was shocked when he became school principal after serving only a short tenure as vice-principal.
1971. tepid [adjective]
not very warm, or not very strong:
There is only tepid support in Congress for the proposal.
1972. terrestrial [adjective]
relating to the planet earth, or living or existing on the land rather than in the sea or air:
Earth’s terrestrial biomes include areas such as deserts, taigas, and tropical rainforests.
1973. terse [adjective]
using few words, sometimes in a way that seems rude or unfriendly:
When Jessie is upset, she only gives terse responses.
1974. tether [verb]
to tie someone or something, especially an animal, to a post or other fixed place, with a rope or chain:
Before the cowboy settles down for the evening, he will tether the horses around a tree.
1975. theocracy [noun]
a country that is ruled by religious leaders:
In theocracy, the rulers of a country make laws based on religious ideas.
1976. thespian [noun]
an actor:
It is a Saturday-morning acting group for budding thespians.
1977. thereof [adverb]
of or about the thing just mentioned:
Money, or a lack thereof, can influence people to do some really bad things.
1978. thwart [verb]
to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
The city council thwarted his reform efforts.
1979. timbre [noun]
a feature of sound in music that is produced by a particular instrument or voice:
When the music executive heard the timbre of the young singer’s voice, he knew the boy was a future star.
1980. timorous [adjective]
nervous and without much confidence:
The timorous witness refuses to testify in court.
1981. tirade [noun]
a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval:
Because Emily is normally a laid-back person, she shocked everyone with her tirade.
1982. tit-for-tat [noun]
actions done intentionally to punish other people because they have done something unpleasant to you:
The diplomatic row culminated last month in the tit-for-tat expulsion of four diplomats.
1983. titillate [verb]
to cause someone to feel pleasantly excited:
In order to titillate consumer interest, the company is offering free shipping on all purchases.
1984. toady [noun]
a person who praises and is artificially pleasant to people in authority, usually in order to get some advantage from them:
Amy has been acting like the manager’s toady by agreeing with everything he says to get a promotion.
1985. token [noun]
a round, metal or plastic disk which is used instead of money in some machines:
At a casino, the coins you win in slot machines serve as a token that you can exchange for prizes or money.
1986. tome [noun]
a large, heavy book:
She has written several weighty tomes on the subject.
1987. tony [adjective]
stylish and expensive:
He lives in a tony neighborhood of Los Angeles.
1988. topple [verb]
to lose balance and fall down:
The statue of the dictator was toppled over by the crowds.
1989. torment [verb]
to cause a person or animal to suffer or worry:
Every day when he got on the bus, the bully began to torment the quiet child.
1990. torpid [adjective]
moving or thinking slowly, especially as a result of being lazy or feeling that you want to sleep:
His torpid brother rests on the couch all day.
1991. torpor [noun]
the state of not being active and having no energy or enthusiasm:
Many voters are in political torpor and rarely go to the polls.
1992. torso [noun]
the human body considered without head, arms, or legs, or a statue representing this:
The airbag will protect your head and torso.
1993. tortuous [adjective]
full of twists and turns:
When the tortuous snake moved across the Sahara Desert, his body made an S-shape in the sand.
1994. torturous [adjective]
involving a lot of suffering or difficulty:
The past few months have been torturous for the farming due to a severe drought.
1995. touchstone [noun]
an established standard or principle by which something is judged:
An understanding of grammar is often considered a touchstone by which all language skills are compared to.
1996. tout [verb]
to advertise or praise something, especially as a way of encouraging people to buy it:
Several insurance companies tout their services on local radio.
1997. tract [noun]
a large area of land, or a measured area of land:
Each tract of land is being sold at the price of 1,000 dollars per acre.
1998. tractable [adjective]
easily dealt with, controlled, or persuaded:
The problem turned out to be less tractable than I had expected.
1999. tranquil [adjective]
calm and peaceful and without noise, violence, worry, etc.:
Since we were the only ones on the beach, we enjoyed a tranquil day.
2000. transcendent [adjective]
greater, better, more important, or going past or above all others:
Experts are looking into the sequence of genetic alterations that allowed the transcendent mutation scientists recently discovered.
REFERENCE
: Essential Vocabulary for the GRE
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