* Purchase a good pocket dictionary regardless if you already have a large one, and always carry it with you.

* Regular reading of newspapers, novels, books, magazines and other formal and informal manuscripts can surely help you in improving vocabulary.

* Be alerted for new words and when come across some new word then consult your dictionary, both for its meaning and the nearest opposite meaning word.

* Try to guess the meaning of a new word by analyzing it’s root, stem, suffixes then cross check your guessed meaning with dictionary meaning. This exercise will surely help you in learning new words.

* Try to form all the possible sentences by using all the possible meaning of new words.

* Use mnemonics or memory trick to learn the meaning of a new word.

* Try to relate a new word with words that you already know. For example, Impropriety meaning not proper other words related to this can be improperness, unsuitable, indecorum. Now make a list of words that can be considered as Impropriety.

* Play word games like: Scrabble, Boggle, Mad Libs and do solve crossword puzzles.

* Always learn vocabulary with its contextual meaning as isolated vocabulary can create confusion. For example, take a word ‘garnish’ ,which you may have heard in many cookery shows ,when chef says ,” Now garnish Parsley with boiled potatoes. This context clarifies the meaning of garnish.

* A genuine interest in words is mandatory to improve vocabulary. Never let go any opportunity to learn a new word.

* Make flashcards of the words and run through them regularly. You can also visit learnwordlist.com for on line flash cards.

* Create images of word using your imagination.

* Simply talking with other peoples and watching television can help you in learning new words.

* Last but not the least take all the vocabulary test on learnwordlist.com .And do register yourself with learnwordlist.com for regular vocabulary updates.

Regardless, what technique you follow train yourself beforehand to deal with all types of vocabulary questions that may appear in GRE exam. With the intention of excellent GRE score, you will need to learn words at a much faster rate. Now, I hope you must have found some word of advice to improve your vocabulary. Kindly share your views by posting your comment in feedback section, below this blog.

Wishing you success!!

Regards,

Shipra Srivastava
Learnwordlist.com

• Flaunt: Have you ever seen a child showing off his newly acquired toy- remote- car? Or a woman in a gathering showing off the diamond ring her husband gifted her to one and all? Most of us have come across such situations. To flaunt is to show off, exhibit. To flaunt is to parade, that means to display.

• Flout: Some employees are not very happy with the rules framed by the Human Resources Department of their company. They always make negative, derisive remarks on the company’s policies. They do not uphold the company’s integrity. Such employees are said to flout the rules of their company.

To flout is to show contempt, scoff at or to mock at something.

• Flay: The word flay has many connotations. It is a very powerful word/verb indeed. To flay is to pare, i.e. to remove the outer skin of something. Now, is that not extremely painful? Well, if it is so, it also means to make excoriating comments against someone.

To flay is to strip a person of his/her money/wealth or property. A formidable and powerful word indeed! Hope you never forget this!

• Flail: How does a politician/celebrity initially address a huge gathering? He/she raises up his/her hands and waves at the enchanted public. Got the picture in mind? Yes, to flail is to wave vigorously. It also means to whirl or to thrash. This word also has multiple definitions. Hence, you have to put some extra effort to memorize this.

• Prate: Do you get mad at people who keep on talking foolishly. Who blabber unendingly without making any point? Could you think of such people around you?

To prate is to talk foolishly, to such an extent that the person hearing this feels like pulling his hair and screaming. Funny! Isn’t it? I am sure you will memorize this word faster than most others. (( smiles))

• Rail: Rail is simpler word to commit to memory. To Rail is to make an acerbic (harsh) complaint. It is like cursing one’s own fate for a series of unfortunate events that might have taken place. To rail at one’s fate/destiny is the contextual usage of the Power Verb.
• Reek: Reek is once again a powerful word/verb which means to emit something (usually of a foul odor). It means to expose to something or treat with smoke.

• Rake: To rake is not only a power verb it is also a visual verb. How do the police search for the missing documents in a notorious criminal’s residence? Can you almost imagine the police going to the wardrobe and scattering around all the clothes, tearing the mattress, opening the cupboards and throwing away the miscellaneous household equipment helter-skelter? What are they doing? Yes, they are raking.

The police raked the apartment for the missing files. That is the word in its contextual usage.

• Cloy: Have you ever heard the saying ‘Too much of anything is good for nothing’? What happens if you keep eating sweets just because they are available around you in overabundance? You grow weary of eating them, don’t you?

To cloy is to become uninteresting.

• Foist: To foist is to impose fraudulently or pass off something as genuine.

The contractor foisted unfair agreements in the document.

I suggest you all to spend a little more time than usual with these words. Work harder on these words as we do not use them frequently in our regular conversation. On the other side whether we like it or not these are the words that keep appearing in GRE’s (Graduate Record Examination) Verbal Ability Section.

Some important advice:

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!!

Things you should never forget:

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

Read this blog on Power Verbs more than once to comprehend its essence thoroughly. Do get back to us with pertinent queries in case you have any.

Wishing you all, success!!

Regards,

Anu Veluri

Manager- learnwordlist.com

Hi everybody!! First and foremost let me thank you all for the very good support you have been offering. Your participation in the earlier tests was amazing! I stand motivated. Owing to that I come up with another small exercise for you. The exercise is similar to the earlier one that you had taken and performed convincingly. You will now find a set of 25 words. You need to suggest the ‘opposite’ of the word beginning with ‘G’ The only difference is, you have to now begin your word (opposite) with ‘G’. Earlier it was a synonym or meaning beginning with ‘P’. All you need to do is ‘think’ for a while and I am sure you will find the right answer. Besides thinking, I also suggest you having a scribbling pad, a dictionary (Oxford Advanced Learner’s preferably), and an Oxford Thesaurus (A thesaurus helps you find out the synonyms and antonyms of a given word!!).

Vocabulary learning tips

Many students keep asking me whether it is better to learn words by heart or to write, scribble and then put it in contextual usage and memorize it. I always suggest them the latter method. Words are like relatives, a mere Hi! Hello! will not bring them closer to you. When you spend substantial time with them, remember they will never betray you. A mere ‘mug up’ business will land you nowhere. On the contrary you will find yourself exactly at the point you started your journey of vocabulary learning. Is that not a sheer waste of time and resources?! So please bear in mind that there is no shortcut to success. You need to slog and put in all your mental and physical energy to see yourself reaching the coveted goal!!

The test

Dear aspirants, here goes the list. I want you to give me the opposites of these words beginning with the letter ‘G’. I display the answers of the first two words to make you understand how it works. I wish you all the best!

Important: Every answer (opposite) must start with the letter G.

1. lose ( answer: gain, get, garner, grab, grasp)
2. midget ( answer: giant)
3. special
4. lady
5. take
6. moron
7. sad
8. boy
9. happy
10. plain
11. hello
12. here
13. bad
14. ugly
15. stingy
16. awkward
17. little
18. rough
19. bride
20. ripe
21. generous
22. unprotected
23. experienced
24. scarcity
25. unappreciative

Please do not rush to answer. As I suggested ‘think’ and work on a particular word, savor its beauty and treasure it in your memory forever. I am sure you will come up with ‘all right answers’ this time around.

Remember- you can increase your vocabulary faster and more easily than you may realize.

Wishing you success!

Regards,

Anu Veluri

Learnwordlist.com

Answer Keys of the Test