Roots of GRE Words (Harder)
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Created by:
Preceptor3 on October 21, 2011
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155 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ab/abs: off, away from, apart, down | abhor: to hate, detest abdicate: to renounce or relinquish a throne abstruse: hard to understand; secret, hidden |
| ac/acr: sharp, bitter | acerbic: sour or astringent in taste; harsh in temper acrid: sharp or biting to the taste or smell acrimonious: caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature |
| act/ag: to do, to drive, to force, to lead | agile: quick and well-coordinated in movement; active; lively pedagogue: a teacher |
| al/ali/alter : other, another | alias: an assumed name, another name alibi: the defense by an accused person that he or she was verifiably elsewhere at the time of the crime with which he or she is charged alter ego: the second self; a substitute or deputy allegory: figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another |
| am: love | amatory: of or pertaining to lovers or lovemaking amenity: agreeable ways or manners amorous: inclined to love, esp. sexual love enamored: inflamed with love; charmed; captivated inamorata: a female lover |
| amb: | to go, walk ambient: moving freely; circulating preamble: an introductory statement ambassador: an authorized messenger or representative ambush: the act of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise perambulator: one who makes a tour of inspection on foot |
| ambi/amph | both, more than one, around ambiguous: open to various interpretations ambidextrous: able to use both hands equally well |
| anim | of the life, mind, soul, spirit unanimous: in complete accord animosity: a feeling of ill well or enmity animus: hostile feeling or attitude equanimity: mental or emotional stability, especially under tension |
| annui/enni | year annuity: a specified income payable at stated intervals annals: a record of events, esp. a yearly record |
| ante | before antedate: precede in time antebellum: before the war antediluvian: belonging to the period before the Biblical flood; very old or old-fashioned |
| anthro/andr | man/human anthropology: the science that deals with the origins of humankind philanderer: one who carries flirtations anthropocentric: regarding humanity as the central fact of the universe |
| anti | against antipathy: aversion antipodal: on the opposite side of the globe |
| apo | away apocalypse: revelation; discovery; disclosure apogee: the highest or most distant point apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity |
| arch/archi/archy | chief, principal, ruler anarchy: a state or society without government or law oligarchy: a state or society ruled by a select group |
| be | to be; to have a particular quality; to exist bemoan: to express pity for belie: to misrepresent; to contradict |
| bel/belli | war antebellum: before the war belligerent: warlike, given to waging war |
| ben/bon | good benediction: act of uttering a blessing benevolent: desiring to do good to others |
| cad/cid | to fall; to happen by chance decadent: decaying; deteriorating cascade: a waterfall descending over a steep surface recidivist: one who repeatedly relapses into crime |
| cant/cent/chant | to sing enchant: to subject to magical influence; bewitch recant: to withdraw or disavow a statement incantation: the chanting of words purporting to have magical power |
| cap/cip/cept | to take, to get emancipate: to free from restraint percipient: having perception; discerning; discriminating precept: a commandment or direction given as a rule of conduct |
| cap/capit/cipit | head, headlong precipice: a cliff with a vertical face capitulate: to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms caption: heading or title |
| card/cord/cour | heart concord: agreement; peace, amity discord: lack of harmony between persons or things |
| carn | flesh carnage: the slaughter of a great number of people |
| cast/chast | cut castigate: to punish in order to correct chaste: free from obscenity; decent |
| ced/ceed/cess | to go; to yield; to stop antecedent: existing, being, or going before concede: to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit |
| cern/cert/cret/crim/crit | to separate; to judge; to distinguish; to decide discrete: detached from others, separate certitude: freedom from doubt discreet: judicious in one's conduct of speech, esp. with regard to maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature |
| cis | to cut precise: definitely stated or defined exorcise: to seek to expel an evil spirit by ceremony incisive: penetrating, cutting |
| cla/clo/clu | shut, close cloister: a courtyard bordered with covered walks, especially in a religious institution preclude: to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of |
| claim/clam | to shout; to cry out clamor: a loud uprour |
| cli | to lean toward proclivity: inclination, bias disinclination: aversion, distaste |
| co/col/com/con | with, together conciliate: to placate, win over commensurate: suitable in measure, proportionate |
| cour/cur | running; a course excursion: a short journey or trip cursive: handwriting in flowing strokes with the letters joined together concur: to accord in opinion; agree incursion: a hostile entrance into a place, esp. suddenly cursory: going rapidly over something; hasty; superficial |
| cre/cresc/cret | to grow accrue: to be added as a matter of periodic gain accretion: an increase by natural growth |
| cred | to believe; to trust credo: any formula of belief credulity: willingness to believe or trust too readily |
| cryp | hidden apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity cryptology: the science of interpreting secret writings, codes, ciphers, and the like cryptography: procedures of making and using secret writing |
| cub/cumb | to lie down succumb: to give away to superior force; yield incumbent: holding an indicated position recumbent: lying down; leaning |
| culp | blame inculpate: to charge with fault mea culpa: through my fault; my fault |
| dac/doc | to teach indoctrinate: to imbue a person with learning docile: easily managed or handled; tractable |
| de | away, off, down, completely, reversal decipher: to make out the meaning; to interpret deferential: respectful; to yield to judgment delineate: to trace the outline of; sketch or trace in outline |
| dic/dict/dit | to say; to tell; to use words interdict: to forbid; prohibit |
| dign | worth dignitary: a person who holds a high rank or office deign: to think fit or in accordance with one's dignity condign: well deserved; fitting; adequate disdain: to look upon or treat with contempt |
| dis/dif | away from; apart; reversal; not dissuade: to deter by advice or persuasion |
| dog/dox | opinion orthodox: sound or correct in opinion or doctrine |
| dol | suffer; pain indolence: a state of being lazy or slothful |
| dub | doubt dubiety: doubtfulness indubitable: unquestionable |
| duc/duct | to lead conducive: contributive, helpful induct: to install in a position with formal ceremonies |
| dur | hard duress: compulsion by threat, coercion dour: sullen; gloomy |
| e/ef/ex | out, out of, from, former, completely extricate: to disentangle, release efface: to rub or wipe out; surpass, eclipse |
| epi | upon epilogue: concluding part added to a literary work epigram: a witty or pointed saying tersely expressed epithet: a word or phrase, used invectively as a term of abuse |
| err / arr | to wander arrant: downright, thorough, notorious |
| esce | becoming obsolescent: becoming obsolete incandescent: glowing with heat, shining reminiscent: reminding or suggestive of |
| extra | outside, beyond extradite: to hand over (person accused of crime) to state where crime was committed extrapolate: to estimate (unknown facts or values) from known data |
| fab/fam | speak affable: friendly, courteous ineffable: too great for description in words; that which must not be uttered |
| fac/fic/fic/fait/feit/fy | to do; to make prolific: producing many offspring or much output ratify: to confirm or accept by formal consent effigy: sculpture or model of person |
| fer | to bring; to carry; to bear confer: to grant, bestow referendum: to vote on political question open to the entire electorate proffer: to offer |
| ferv | to boil; to bubble fervor: passion, zeal fervid: ardent, intense effervescent: with the quality of giving off bubbles of gas |
| fid | faith, trust fiduciary: of a trust; held or given in trust |
| flag/flam | to burn flambeau: a lighted torch flagrant: blatant, scandalous conflagration: a large destructive fire |
| flect/flex | to bend inflect: to change or vary pitch of genuflect: to bend knee, esp. in worship |
| flu/flux | to flow effluence: flowing out of (light, electricity, etc) mellifluous: pleasing, musical |
| fore | before foreshadow: be warning or indication of (future event) forestall: to prevent by advance action forthright: straightforward, outspoken, decisive |
| fort | strength fortify: to provide with fortifications; strengthen fortissimo: very loud forte: strong point; something a person does well |
| fra/frac/frag/fring | to break fractious: irritable, peevish infringe: to break or violate (a law, etc.) |
| fus | to pour fusillade: continuous discharge of firearms or outburst of criticism suffuse: to spread throughout or over from within |
| gen | birth, creation, race, kind miscegenation: interbreeding of races |
| gn/gno | know agnostic: person who believes that the existence of God is not provable ignoramus: a person lacking knowledge, uninformed incognito: with one's name or identity concealed |
| grad/gress | to step digress: to depart from main subject egress: going out; way out regress: to move backward, revert to an earlier state |
| grat | pleasing ingratiate: to bring oneself into favor |
| (h)etero | different heterodox: different from acknowledged standard; holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines |
| (h)om | same homonym: one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning |
| idio | one's own idiot: an utterly stupid person idiosyncrasy: peculiarity of temperament; eccentricity |
| im/in/em/en | in, into implicit: not expressly stated; implied indigenous: native, innate, natural indigent: deficient in what is requisite |
| im/in | not, without innocuous: not harmful or injurious indolence: showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful indigent: deficient in what is requisite |
| inter | between, among interloper: one who intrudes in the domain of others intersperse: to scatter here and there |
| ject | to throw; to throw down dejected: sad, depressed conjecture: formation of opinion on incomplete information abject: utterly hopeless, humiliating, wretched |
| join/junct | to meet; to join subjugate: to conquer rejoinder: to reply, retort junta: (usually military) clique taking power after a coup d'etat |
| jur | to swear abjure: to renounce on oath adjure: to beg or command |
| lav/lut/luv | to wash deluge: a great flood of water antediluvian: before the biblical flood; extremely old ablution: act of cleansing |
| lev | lift, light, rise levee: embankment against river flooding levitate: to rise in the air or cause to rise levity: humor, frivolity, gaiety |
| loc/log/loqu | word/speech elocution: art of clear and expressive speaking prologue: introduction to poem, play, etc. colloquial: of ordinary or familiar conversation |
| luc/lum/lus | light illustrious: highly distinguished lackluster: lacking brilliance or radiance |
| lud/lus | to play allude: to refer casually or indirectly ludicrous: ridiculous, laughable elude: to avoid capture or escape defection by prelude: a preliminary to an action, event, etc. |
| mag/maj/max | big magnate: a powerful or influential person maxim: an expression of general truth or principle |
| mal/male | bad, ill, evil, wrong malady: a disorder or disease of the body maladroit: clumsy, tactless malapropism: humorous misuse of a word malfeasance: misconduct or wrongdoing often committed by a public official malediction: a curse |
| man | hand emancipate: to free from bondage |
| min | small minutiae: small or trivial details diminution: the act or process of diminishing |
| min | to project, to hang over eminent: towering above others; projecting imminent: about to occur; impending prominent: projecting outward preeminent: superior to or notable above all others minatory: menacing, threatening |
| mis/mit | to send emissary: a messenger or agent sent to represent the interests of another remission: a lessening of intensity or degree |
| misc | mixed miscegenation: the interbreeding of races, esp. marriage between white and nonwhite persons promiscuous: consisting of diverse and unrelated parts or individuals, having sex with many |
| mon/monit | to remind; to warn remonstrate: to say or plead in protect, objection, or reproof premonition: forewarning, presentiment |
| morph | shape amorphous: without definite form; lacking a specific shape metamorphosis: a transformation, as by magic or sorcery anthropomorphism: attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena |
| mort | death morbid: susceptible to preoccupation with unwholesome matters moribund: dying, decaying |
| mut | change transmutation: the act of changing from one form into another permutation: a complete change; transformation |
| nat/nas/nai | to be born naive: lacking worldliness and sophistication; artless cognate: related by blood; having a common ancestor renaissance: rebirth, esp. referring to culture nascent: starting to develop |
| nic/noc/nox | harm noxious: injurious or harmful to health or morals obnoxious: highly disagreeable or offensive innocuous: having no adverse effect; harmless |
| nom | rule, order gastronomy: the art or science of good eating taxonomy: the science, laws, or principles of classification |
| nom/nym/noun/nown | name acronym: a word formed from the initial letters of a name |
| nov/neo/nou | new renovate: to restore to an earlier condition nouveau riche: one who has lately become rich |
| ob/oc/of/op | toward, to, against, over obstinate: stubbornly adhering to an idea, inflexible obstreperous: noisily defiant, unruly obsequious: overly submissive obfuscate: obscure, to render indistinct or dim; darken |
| omni | all omnibus: an anthology of the works of one author or of writings on related subjects omniscient: having infinite knowledge |
| pac/peac | peace appease: to bring peace to pact: a formal agreement, as between nations |
| pan | all; everyone panegyric: formal or elaborate praise at an assembly panoply: a wide-ranging and impressive array or display pantheon: a public building containing tombs or memorials of the illustrious dead of a nation |
| par | equal apartheid: any system or caste that separates people according to race, etc. disparage: to belittle, speak disrespectfully about disparate: essentially different |
| pas/pat/path | feeling, suffereing, disease sympathy: harmony or agreement in feeling empathy: the identification with the feelings or thoughts of others dispassionate: devoid of personal feeling or bias impassive: showing or feeling no emotion |
| pau/po/pov/pu | few, little, poor pauper: a person without any personal means of support impoverish: to deplete pusillanimous: lacking courage or resolution puerile: childish, immature |
| ped | child, education pedagogue: teacher pedant: one who displays learning ostentatiously |
| ped/pod | foot podium: a small platform for an orchestra conductor, speaker, etc. antipodes: places diametrically opposite each other on the globe |
| pen/pun | to pay; to compensate punitive: serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment penance: a punishment undergone to express regret for a sin penitent: contrite |
| per | completely pertinacious: resolute perspicacious: shrewd, astute |
| pet/pit | to go; to seek; to strive impetuous: characterized by sudden or rash action or emotion petulant: showing sudden irritation, esp. over some annoyance |
| phil | love philatelist: one who loves or collects postage stamps philology: the study of literary texts to establish their authenticity and determine their meaning |
| plac | to please placid: pleasantly calm or peaceful implacable: unable to be pleased complacent: self-satisfied, unconcerned complaisant: inclined or disposed to please |
| pon/pos/pound | to put; to place expound: to set forth in detail repository: a receptacle or place where things are deposited |
| port | to carry deportment: conduct, behavior disport: to divert or amuse oneself importune: to urge or press with excessive persistence |
| post | after posterity: succeeding in future generations collectively post facto: after the fact |
| pre | before precarious: dependent on circumstances beyond one's control, risky, uncertain presentiment: foreboding precept: a commandment given as a rule of action or conduct |
| prehend/prise | to take; to get; to seize enterprise: a project undertaken reprehensible: deserving rebuke or censure reprisals: retaliation against an enemy apprehend: to take into custody |
| pro | much, for, a lot prolific: highly fruitful prodigious: extraordinary in size, amount, or extent propound: to set forth for consideration provident: having or showing foresight |
| prob | to prove; to test probe: to search or examine thoroughly approbation: praise, consideration opprobrium: the disgrace incurred by shameful conduct reprobate: a depraved or wicked person probity: honesty; high-mindedness |
| pug | to fight pugnacious: to quarrel or fight readily impugn: to challenge as false repugnant: objectionable or offensive pugilist: a fighter or boxer |
| punc/pung/poign | to point; to prick compunction: a feeling of uneasiness for doing wrong punctilious: strict or exact in the observance of formalities expunge: to erase, eliminate completely |
| que/quis | to seek exquisite: of special beauty or charm conquest: vanquishment, defeat perquisite: a gratuity, tip |
| qui | quiet acquiesce: to comply; give in quiescence: the condition of being at rest, still, inactive |
| rid/ris | to laugh riddle: a conundrum derision: the act of mockery risible: causing laughter |
| rog | to ask arrogant: making claims to superior importance or rights abrogate: to abolish by formal means surrogate: a person appointed to act for another arrogate: to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously |
| sacr/sanct/secr | sacred sanction: authoritative permission or approval execrable: abominable sacrament: something regarded as possessing sacred character sacrilege: the violation of anything sacred |
| sal/sil/sault/sult | to leap; to jump somersault: to roll the body end over end, making a complete revolution insolent: boldly rude or disrespectful exult: to show or feel triumphant joy desultory: at random, unmethodical |
| sci | to know unconscionable: unscrupulous omniscient: knowing everything prescient: having knowledge of things before they happen |
| scribe/scrip | to write proscribe: to condemn as harmful or odious ascribe: to credit or assign, as to a cause or course conscription: draft |
| se | apart secede: to withdraw formally from an association sequester: to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement sedition: incitement of discontent of rebellion against a government |
| sec/sequ | to follow obsequious: fawning non sequitur: an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the promises |
| sed/sess/sid | to sit; to be still; to plan; to plot dissident: disagreeing, as in opinion or attitude subsidiary: serving to assist or supplement assiduous: diligent, persistent, hardworking |
| sens/sent | to feel; to be awake sentiment: an attitude or feeling toward something presentiment: a feeling that something is about to happen dissent: to differ in opinion, esp. from the majority sentinel: a person or thing that stands watch insensate: without feeling or sensitivity |
| sol | to loosen; to free dissolution: the act or process of dissolving into parts or elements dissolute: indifferent to moral restraints absolution: forgiveness for wrongdoing |
| spec/spic/spit | to look; to see perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding conspicuous: easily seen or noticed; readily observable specious: deceptively attractive |
| sta/sti | to stand; to be in place obstinate: stubbornly adhering to a purpose, opinion, or course of action |
| sua | smooth suave: smoothly agreeable or polite persuade: to encourage to convince dissuade: to deter assuage: to make less severe, ease, relieve |
| sub/sup | below subsidiary: serving to assist or supplement subliminal: existing or operating below the threshold of confidence subterfuge: an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule |
| super/sur | above supercilious: arrogant, haughty, condescending superfluous: extra, more than necessary surmount: to get over or across, to prevail |
| tac/tic | to be silent reticent: disposed to be silent or not to speak freely tacit: unspoken understanding |
| tain/ten/tent/tin | to hold tenacious: holding fast abstention: the act of refraining voluntarily tenable: capable of being held, maintained, or defended pertinacious: persistent, stubborn |
| tend/tens/tend/tenu | to stretch; to thin tendentious: having a predisposition towards a point of view attenuate: to weaken or reduce in force extenuating: making less serious by offering excuses contentious: quarrelsome, disagreeable, belligerent |
| theo : god | theocracy: a form of government in which a deity is recognized as the supreme ruler apotheosis: glorification, glorified ordeal |
| tract : to drag; to pull; to draw | detract: to take away from, esp. a positive thing abstract: to draw or pull away, remove tractable: easily managed or controlled protract: to prolong, draw out, extend |
| trans : across | transcendent: going beyond ordinary limits intransigent: refusing to agree or compromise |
| us/ut : to use | usurp: to seize and hold utilitarian: efficient, functional, useful |
| ven/vent | to come or move toward venturesome: showing a disposition to undertake risks intervene: to come between disputing factions, mediate contravene: to come into conflict with adventitious: accidental |
| ver: truth | verisimilitude: the appearance or semblance of truth aver: to affirm, to declare to be true |
| verd : green | verdant: green with vegetation; inexperienced verdure: fresh, rich vegetation |
| vers/vert : to turn | aversion: dislike inadvertent: unintentional covert: hidden, clandestine |
| vi : base, mean | vicarious: performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another vivacity: the quality of being lively, animated, spirited joie de vivre: joy of life (French expression) convivial: sociable |
| vil : base, mean | vilify: to slander, to defame revile: to criticize with harsh language |
| voc/vok: to call | avocation: something one does in addition to a principle occupation vociferous: crying out noisily convoke: to call together invoke: to call on a deity |
| vol : to wish. will | malevolent: characterized by or expressing bad will benevolent: characterized by or expressing goodwill volition: free choice, free will; act of choosing |
| am : friendship, pleasure | amateur: a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than financial or professional gain amenity: agreeable ways or manners amity: friendship; peacful harmony amiable: having or showing agreeable personal qualities amicable: characterized by exhibiting good will |
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