GRE vocabulary help - vocab building - thesaurus style

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If you ask a sophisticated passer-by how to improve your vocabulary, you might get different answers; some of them being

1>    ‘Read “The HINDU” newspaper everyday (you get this a lot in India)’

2>     Refer to a dictionary every time you come across  a new word

 

 

The former might seem as a good idea. However, I feel the latter does not help much, especially if you are planning to appear for tests like GRE, CAT etc.

 

I have given the GRE general test. I have scored well too (I will not divulge my score simply because I don’t want to be the creator of another ”Ishaan Awasthi” of “Taare Zameen Par” fame). I had 6 months of time to prepare for this exam. It was during this period that I began to appreciate a book called “THESAURUS”.

 

The main advantage of using a Thesaurus over Dictionary for GRE preparation is that you will get a list of all the inter-related words at one place. By remembering a single word (I would refer to this word as the “SEED WORD&rdquo , you can recall any of its synonyms.

 

Given below is a demonstration of the power of Thesaurus.

 

Consider the SEED WORD   abuse”.

If you look up a thesaurus, you will get at least 28 difficult (GRE level of difficulty) words. 

 

Abuse --- imprecate ---denigrate --- execrate ---  libel--- castigate --- vituperate ---tirade--- decry--- censure  ---reprehend  --- upbraid ---revile ---rail---rebuke ---objurgate   ---fulminate  ---excoriate  ---lambaste ---berate---pan --- invective(noun: abusive language)  ---scurrilous(adj) ---Belittle --- disparage --- abash  --- defame  --- calumniate --- obloquy (noun).

 

All in all, 29 difficult words at one place. So, go and buy a thesaurus right away. Or even better, just type in the SEED WORD in any of the online Thesaurus’. 

 

I have collected a few of such word chains (that’s what I call them).

They can be viewed right at the end of this document.

 

Finally, I would like to conclude that there are many different ways of building vocabulary. The best way is to read a lot. This requires a lot of time.

If you want to improve your vocabulary quickly, you got to have different sources of new words. For example, a combination of GRE vocabulary training materials ( like the “Barron’s” or “Kaplan&rdquo , websites offering GRE trial preparation and books , be it fiction or otherwise. This way, it becomes easy for your brain to remember and recall words originating from different sources.

 

When it comes to books, I would like to recommend “Harry Potter series”. Believe it or not, I have documented close to 400 difficult words (with context and example sentence usage) in these 7 books. Of course, like any other Harry Potter fan, I have read each of the 7 books more than 7 times.  One advantage of this book series is that you can recall words in the context of the story. That way you can remember the words and their meanings throughout your life.

 

But if you belong to the “Say No To Harry Potter” clan, you will have to make do with other books.

 

For more word chains, scroll down :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seed word

Synonyms

 

 

 

Imprecate

 

Abuse ---denigrate --- execrate ---  libel--- castigate --- vituperate ---tirade--- decry---

 

censure  ---reprehend  --- upbraid ---revile --- rail---rebuke ---objurgate   ---fulminate

 

 ---excoriate  ---lambaste --- berate---pan --- invective(noun: abusive language) 

 

---scurrilous(adj) --- Belittle --- disparage --- abash  --- defame  --- calumniate ---

 

obloquy (noun)

 

 

 

Cliché

 

Trite ---hackneyed ---banal   ---platitude  ---quotidian  --- prosaic (prose- like i.e. dull)

 

 

Nimble

 

Active ---sprightly ---lissome   ---lithe  --- supple ---limber --- sentient---ebullient

 

---sedulous   ---diligent  ---painstaking  ---vivacious  --- jaunty---compliant ---pliant  

 

 

 

Visage

 

Appearance --- countenance ---mien   --- bearing ---carriage  ---stance ---

 

pertinence---brook

 

Noxious

 

Detrimental ---pernicious ---deleterious ---damaging

 

 

Bilious

 

Bad-tempered--- dyspeptic --- apoplectic   ---morose  ---irascible  ---crabby ---petulant

 

--- peevish --- gruff  --- cantankerous --- shrewish  ---sullen --- truculent ---splenetic

 

---choleric   ---snappy  ---acerbic  ---pugnacious --- contumacious

 

 

 

Reticent

 

Shy --- demure --- diffident   --- modest  --- coy  --- abashed --- meek---self-effacing ---

 

mortified 

 

Surmise

 

Guess ---conjecture ---premise  ---assumption 

 

Brazen

 

Arrogant --- Brash ---bumptious   --- haughty ---bravado  ---cavalier ---

 

supercilious--- swagger --- brassy ---bluster  --- peremptory

 

 

 

 

 

Seed word

 

Synonyms

 

 

Temerity

 

 

Audacity ---cheek --- presumptuousness  ---intrepid ( since trepidation =fear)

 

 ---  Fool-hardiness--- impertinence --- brazen --- effrontery --- arrant ---

 

Impudence --- overbearing  --- overweening

 

 

Ostracize

 

 

Ban --- embargo  --- moratorium   --- evict  ---expatriate  --- relegate ---Interdict

 

Callous

 

Barbarian --- vandal --- savage  --- philistine  --- lout  --- oaf --- bestial ---heathen 

 

 

 

Prurient

 

Erotic --- lewd --- lascivious --- bawdy  --- earthy --- titillating ---Ribald --- Rude ---

 

scurrilous --- risqué --- licentious 

 

Vagrant

 

Beggar --- mendicant --- suppliant --- supplicant  --- beseech (verb) ---

 

Importune(verb) --- indigent --- tramp --- scrounger --- craven --- solicitor

 

--- Penury (noun: penniless situation) --- cadger --- impecunious --- entreat  

 

 

Belligerent

 

Quarrelsome --- jingoistic --- bellicose  ---hawkish  --- contentious  ---Pugnacious ---

 

 warring

 

Frenetic

 

Crazy --- zany  --- frantic  --- frenzied --- rampage  --- agitated

 

Proclivity

 

Bias --- propensity --- penchant --- predilection  --- bigotry  --- partiality

 

--- Non-objective --- jaundice --- nepotism --- partisan ( a biased person) ---

 

Predisposition

 

 

Flout

 

Disregard --- defy --- transgress ---infringe

 

 

 

Seed word

Synonyms

 

Impromptu

 

Improvised --- AD LIB  --- extemporaneous --- without any prior preparation

 

 

Succor

 

Soothing agent--- demulcent--- anodyne --- emollient --- balm --- placebo

 

 

 

Embellish

 

Adorn --- bedizen --- festoon --- caparison

 

Ignominious

 

Shameful --- ignoble --- sordid

 

Panacea

 

Cure-all --- placebo --- nostrum --- palliative

 

Lethargy

 

Laziness ---smugness --- lassitude  --- languor  --- sloth

 

Deceive

 

Bilk --- gull ( as in gullible) --- cozen 

 

Finagle

 

Escape using wit --- chicanery --- subterfuge --- clever trick 

 

Juvenile

 

Immature --- puerile --- jejune --- vapid (means dull)  --- uninteresting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seed word

Synonyms

 

Succinct

 

Concise --- pithiness (noun)  --- brevity (noun) ---curtness (noun)  ---

 

terseness

 

 

 

 

Caricature

 

Spoof --- parody --- travesty --- satire  --- derision --- burlesque

 

Morose

 

Gloomy --- sullen --- dour  --- stygian  --- saturnine --- doleful  --- cheerless --- somber

 

--- disconsolate

 

Profane

 

Blasphemous --- sacrilegious--- wanton  --- ribald  --- agnostic --- apostate

 

Recalcitrant

 

Ungovernable --- unruly --- willful --- intractable  --- headstrong --- Boorish --- rude –

 

-churlish  --- outlandish --- surly --- unseemly --- obstreperous--- perverse ---

 

untoward --- refractory  --- disobedient

 

 

Egregious

 

notorious--- opprobrious

 

Gaudy

 

Showoff ---  ostentatious  --- boastful  --- meretricious --- éclat --- braggart

 

--- vaunt ---garish --- tawdry --- raffish --- dissemble ( means pretense )

 

Superfluous

 

Extravagant --- profligate --- exorbitant  --- wastrel --- profuse

 

Emancipate

 

Pardon ---  exonerate  --- absolve--- exculpate --- expiate

 

 

Caprice

 

Whim --- fancy --- vagary --- quixotic --- conceit

Tags : MS in USA

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