Some secret GRE words revealed ‘only to you’!!

Hi there to all! Underneath are words that appear for sure in the Verbal Ability segment of GRE. If you miss memorizing them you had it in the GRE test. So let us now see how to commit them permanently to our memory and crack GRE (with flying colors). We will use the word with some contexts and examples to make it a permanent resident in our brain. Is that fine?

 

• Engender: Engender is a very very energetic word. It means to produce, cause, create etc. Dictionary.com gives a beautiful context for the word: Hatred engenders violence. Means Hatred creates Violence, produces violence. Can you also come up with a beautiful sentence like this? You can suggest it right underneath this article.

• Harry: This word has nothing to do with the fictional character Harry Potter. Harry means to harass, intimidate. It could also mean to worry. He was harried by his colleague’s constant doubts. It means his colleague’s querulous nature annoyed him!! Are you harried by anyone too?? Just think, think and think.
• Catapult: To catapult is to hurl, throw. The name is actually derived from war machines that are used to hurl stones, arrows at the enemy troops. Catapult can be used both as a verb and Noun!
• Obtrude: To obtrude is to thrust forth, intrude into a person’s privacy and so on. When you want to make a person follow your ideas you are obtruding him/her. It means you are forcing, enforcing him/her rather to follow what is ideal to you. Is that a right course of action? Ahem, certainly not!
• Transfix: Getting transfixed is when you are unable to cast off your vision from something. Well in simpler words it is getting engrossed, mesmerized, spellbound and hypnotized. Well an example like this will help you remember the word better. The original painting of Monalisa got him transfixed.
• Efface: Efface is a high energy word. It means to wipe out completely. Other synonyms for the word are obliterate, eradicate etc. A sentence like this helps remember this word better: It is better to efface pessimistic (negative) thoughts. It means it is better to wipe out negative thoughts.
• Appropriate: Appropriate when used as verb means to set apart, to authorize. It also means to take possession of or to steal (petty theft though). He appropriated the welfare funds for himself. It means he kept the funds to his gratification illegally.
• Accentuate: Accentuate is to stress or intensify. It also means to emphasize. ‘enacted sweeping land-reform plans that accentuated the already chaotic pattern of landholding” (James Fallows).’ (dictionary.com)
• Epitomize: Epitomize is to serve as a typical example, it also means to typify. For example ‘ Mother Teresa epitomizes the concept of philanthropy’
• Burgeon: To burgeon is to increase in great numbers. It means to multiply, to proliferate, and to prosper. Can you use the word in a sentence of your own? I throw a small challenge to you.
• Imbue: To imbue is to become inspired. For example you can get imbued with the teachings of some great Scholar like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rabindranath Tagore etc etc.
• Galvanize: Galvanize is both energetic and powerful a word! Galvanize is to animate, electrify, rouse and fire up. High energy word I could say.
• Mitigate: To mitigate is to lessen the force of. It means to make something less severe. Other interesting and high frequency synonyms of the word are appease, mollify, placate and assuage. I suggest remember them all with the word mitigate!

Act on these words. Passive reading doesn’t help whatsoever. You have to work on them effectively. Jot them down in a note book, pull out your dictionary from the shelf, look for the meaning, understand the words and use it in a sentence. Date all these words rather. Spend some substantial time with them. They are really extraordinary and interesting. Try to recollect many visuals that relate to a specific word from the above list. Believe me, these are the words that keep appearing in GRE’s (Graduate Record Examination) Verbal Ability Section. (Antonyms, Analogies and Sentence Completion).

Some essential GRE Aerobics:

Do not just read but work on these words. Use a notebook to jot them down and a dictionary to understand the meaning and the context better. As I always tell: Utter the words aloud- each word five times!!

Obligatory things to do:

1. Work with the word.

2. Expand its meaning into a suitable context.

3. Relate it to the person or situation you know.

4. Share the word with your friends, colleagues

5. Try to pronounce the word aloud at least five times

These high energy and high frequency words will keep you motivated for a lifetime. What you just need to do is to trust their beauty and keep remembering them every now and then. Do get back to us with queries in case you have any.

Wishing you all, success!!

Regards,

Anu Veluri

Manager- learnwordlist.com

 

5 Responses to “Some secret GRE words revealed ‘only to you’!!”

1. Pannu on December 19th, 2009 3:28 pm

   Again these words can be related in a story. If you are not a “Pedantic” scholar all of you possibly watch movies. Have you seen the movie TROY. If not here it is:

   “Transfixed” by beauty of queen Hellen of Greece, prince Paris of Troy took an “audacious” step to “abscond” with the queen at the same time when his brother prince Hectar was “Accentuating” peace talks with the king of Greece. This act of prince Parris “Engendered” “virulent” results.
   “Harried” due to “Obtrusion” in his personal life the king “Burgeoned” his army and declared a war with Troy.
   “Imbued” by Hercules “Epitome” of a great warrior Achillies was a part the Greek army which traveled in “gigantic” ships to “Efface” army of Troy.
   Fighting with swords and “Catapulting” spears Achillies killed the prince Hectar. Greek army applied various “machinations” to “Mitigate” the protection of Troy. But Troy was “invincible” .
   At last through a “conspiracy” Greek “Appropriated” one of the great kingdoms.

2. AnuVeluri on December 29th, 2009 11:09 am

   Gr8 work Pannu once again..put this all on forum..I am sure it will help many students..

3. sri harsha on January 2nd, 2010 10:54 am

   i agree… thanks pannu.

4. vimal on January 7th, 2010 2:50 pm

   thnks

5. AnuVeluri on January 8th, 2010 10:02 am

   Hi Vimal, that was a precise response..tell something more about you..

Post Your Comments and Questions