How to Use This List

These 60 words are grouped by theme rather than alphabetically, because the GRE tests words in clusters of related meaning — learning them as a group (with their shared connotation) is far more useful than memorizing an alphabetical list in isolation.

এই ৬০টি শব্দ বর্ণানুক্রমিক নয়, থিমভিত্তিকভাবে সাজানো — কারণ GRE সম্পর্কিত অর্থের গুচ্ছ আকারে শব্দ পরীক্ষা করে।

Study tip: for each group, notice which words are positive, which are negative, and which are neutral — this connotation awareness is exactly what Sentence Equivalence questions test. See our Connotation Training guide for a deeper dive.

অধ্যয়ন টিপ: প্রতিটি গ্রুপে কোনটি ইতিবাচক, নেতিবাচক বা নিরপেক্ষ তা লক্ষ্য করুন।

Praise & Criticism

WordMeaningExample
laud (v.)to praise highly উচ্চ প্রশংসা করাCritics lauded the novel's ambitious structure.
extol (v.)to praise enthusiastically উৎসাহভরে প্রশংসা করাThe coach extolled the team's discipline.
eulogize (v.)to praise highly, esp. in a formal tribute স্তুতিবাক্য বলাThe obituary eulogized her decades of public service.
censure (v./n.)strong formal disapproval তিরস্কার করাThe senator faced censure for the leaked documents.
denounce (v.)to publicly condemn প্রকাশ্যে নিন্দা করাThe organization denounced the policy as unjust.
disparage (v.)to belittle; speak of with contempt তুচ্ছ করাHe disparaged his rival's proposal without reading it.
vindicate (v.)to clear from blame; prove correct নির্দোষ প্রমাণ করাNew evidence vindicated the scientist's rejected theory.
castigate (v.)to criticize severely কঠোরভাবে সমালোচনা করাThe report castigated the agency's slow response.
laudable (adj.)deserving praise প্রশংসনীয়Her laudable effort raised funds for the entire school.
reprehensible (adj.)deserving strong condemnation নিন্দনীয়The court called the fraud reprehensible.

Talk & Silence

WordMeaningExample
loquacious (adj.)very talkative বাচালThe loquacious guide never paused between facts.
garrulous (adj.)excessively talkative, esp. about trivial things অতিরিক্ত বাচালHis garrulous uncle told the same story three times.
reticent (adj.)reserved; reluctant to speak স্বল্পভাষীShe remained reticent about her plans for the company.
taciturn (adj.)habitually silent; saying little অল্পভাষীThe taciturn scientist rarely joined lab conversations.
terse (adj.)brief and to the point, sometimes curt সংক্ষিপ্তHis terse reply left no room for negotiation.
verbose (adj.)using more words than needed শব্দবহুলThe verbose report buried its findings in unnecessary detail.
eloquent (adj.)fluent and persuasive in speech বাগ্মীHer eloquent closing argument swayed the jury.
candid (adj.)frank and honest, even if blunt স্পষ্টবাদীThe interview offered a candid look at the industry's flaws.
equivocate (v.)to use vague language to avoid commitment দ্ব্যর্থক কথা বলাThe spokesperson equivocated when asked for a direct answer.
diatribe (n.)a forceful, bitter verbal attack তীব্র সমালোচনাThe columnist's diatribe against the policy went viral.

Clarity & Ambiguity

WordMeaningExample
lucid (adj.)clear and easy to understand সুস্পষ্টThe professor's lucid explanation clarified a difficult proof.
perspicuous (adj.)clearly expressed, easily understood পরিষ্কারHer perspicuous writing style made complex law accessible.
ambiguous (adj.)open to more than one interpretation দ্ব্যর্থকThe ambiguous wording of the contract led to a dispute.
opaque (adj.)hard to understand or see through অস্বচ্ছThe company's opaque accounting drew regulator scrutiny.
obfuscate (v.)to deliberately make unclear or confusing জটিল করে তোলাThe report seemed designed to obfuscate the actual costs.
cryptic (adj.)mysteriously brief; hard to interpret রহস্যময়The cryptic note gave no clue as to its meaning.
equivocal (adj.)open to two interpretations, often deliberately দ্ব্যর্থবোধকHis equivocal answer satisfied neither side of the debate.
unequivocal (adj.)leaving no doubt; clear দ্ব্যর্থহীনThe board gave an unequivocal rejection of the merger.
esoteric (adj.)understood by only a small, specialized group দুর্বোধ্য/সীমিত-জ্ঞাতThe lecture drifted into esoteric mathematical notation.
enigmatic (adj.)mysterious and difficult to interpret রহস্যময়The artist's enigmatic smile has puzzled viewers for centuries.

Scarcity & Abundance

WordMeaningExample
scant (adj.)barely sufficient; meager স্বল্পThe study relied on scant evidence from a single site.
meager (adj.)lacking in quantity or quality অপ্রতুলThe meager harvest barely fed the village through winter.
paucity (n.)a smallness or scarcity of number অভাবA paucity of funding delayed the research for years.
dearth (n.)a severe lack or scarcity তীব্র অভাবA dearth of qualified applicants stalled the hiring process.
sparse (adj.)thinly scattered; not dense বিরলSparse vegetation covered the arid plateau.
copious (adj.)abundant; in large quantities প্রচুরThe researcher took copious notes during every interview.
abundant (adj.)existing in large quantities প্রাচুর্যপূর্ণAbundant rainfall this year restored the reservoir levels.
profuse (adj.)plentiful, often to excess অতিরিক্ত প্রচুরHe offered profuse apologies for the missed deadline.
surfeit (n.)an excessive amount আধিক্যA surfeit of applicants made the selection process difficult.
plethora (n.)an excessive or overabundant amount প্রাচুর্যThe city offers a plethora of dining options.

Skepticism & Belief

WordMeaningExample
skeptical (adj.)doubting; not easily convinced সংশয়ীReviewers remained skeptical of the study's bold claims.
dubious (adj.)doubtful; of questionable value সন্দেহজনকThe salesman made dubious claims about the product's benefits.
credulous (adj.)too ready to believe things সহজবিশ্বাসীCredulous investors ignored obvious warning signs.
incredulous (adj.)unwilling or unable to believe অবিশ্বাসীShe was incredulous when told the results had been faked.
corroborate (v.)to confirm with additional evidence সমর্থন করাA second study corroborated the initial findings.
refute (v.)to prove wrong খণ্ডন করাNew data refuted the long-held assumption.
substantiate (v.)to provide evidence to support প্রমাণ দিয়ে সমর্থন করাThe lawyer failed to substantiate the accusation.
plausible (adj.)reasonable or probable যুক্তিসঙ্গতThe committee found the explanation plausible but unverified.
spurious (adj.)false, though seeming genuine ভুয়াThe report was based on spurious correlations.
specious (adj.)superficially plausible but actually wrong উপরিভাগে যুক্তিসঙ্গত কিন্তু ভুলThe specious argument fell apart under closer analysis.

Change & Stability

WordMeaningExample
mutable (adj.)subject to change পরিবর্তনশীলHistorians view national identity as a mutable concept.
immutable (adj.)unchanging over time অপরিবর্তনীয়The laws of physics are treated as immutable.
volatile (adj.)liable to change rapidly and unpredictably অস্থিরVolatile markets made investors nervous all quarter.
static (adj.)not changing; stationary স্থিরWages remained static despite years of rising costs.
stagnant (adj.)not growing or developing অচল/স্থবিরThe stagnant economy showed no signs of recovery.
transient (adj.)lasting only a short time ক্ষণস্থায়ীThe trend proved transient, fading within a year.
ephemeral (adj.)lasting a very short time ক্ষণস্থায়ীSocial media fame is often ephemeral.
perpetual (adj.)never ending; continuing indefinitely চিরস্থায়ীThe region faces a perpetual water shortage.
entrenched (adj.)firmly established, hard to change সুপ্রতিষ্ঠিত/দৃঢ়ভাবে বসানোEntrenched interests resisted the proposed reforms.
upheaval (n.)a violent or sudden change তীব্র পরিবর্তন/বিশৃঙ্খলাThe political upheaval reshaped the region for a decade.

Next guide: Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes — learn to decode unfamiliar words using patterns like these.

পরের গাইড: রুট ওয়ার্ডস।