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What must you do to answer a GRE Sentence Equivalence question correctly?
Answer: Choose two of the six answer choices that both fit the sentence's logic/blank AND produce two sentences that mean essentially the same thing.
Picking a word that fits the meaning but has no synonym among the other choices is a common trap — always look for a matching pair of synonyms.
laconic (adj.)
Answer: Using very few words; concise to the point of seeming curt.
Sentence: "His laconic reply, 'No,' ended the meeting." Synonym: terse. Antonym: loquacious/garrulous.
garrulous (adj.)
Answer: Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.
Sentence: "The garrulous cab driver chattered nonstop for the whole ride." Synonym: loquacious. Antonym: laconic/taciturn.
loquacious (adj.)
Answer: Very talkative; fond of talking.
Sentence: "The loquacious host kept every guest entertained with endless stories." Synonym: garrulous. Antonym: reticent/taciturn.
reticent (adj.)
Answer: Reserved; not revealing thoughts or feelings readily.
Sentence: "She was reticent about her personal life during the interview." Synonym: taciturn. Antonym: loquacious/garrulous.
equivocate (v.)
Answer: To use ambiguous or vague language to avoid committing to a clear position.
Sentence: "The senator equivocated when reporters asked about the scandal." Synonym: hedge/prevaricate. Antonym: assert/affirm.
obsequious (adj.)
Answer: Excessively eager to please or obey; fawning.
Sentence: "The obsequious assistant agreed with everything the boss said." Synonym: sycophantic/servile. Antonym: assertive/haughty.
sycophant (n.)
Answer: A person who flatters someone powerful for personal advantage.
Sentence: "The emperor was surrounded by sycophants who never dared disagree with him." Synonym: toady/flatterer. Antonym: critic.
obdurate (adj.)
Answer: Stubbornly refusing to change one's mind or course of action.
Sentence: "He remained obdurate despite overwhelming evidence against his position." Synonym: intransigent. Antonym: compliant/malleable.
intransigent (adj.)
Answer: Unwilling to compromise or change one's views.
Sentence: "The two sides stayed intransigent, and the negotiations collapsed." Synonym: obdurate/inflexible. Antonym: amenable/flexible.
truculent (adj.)
Answer: Eager to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
Sentence: "The truculent customer shouted at every employee who tried to help." Synonym: belligerent. Antonym: amiable/docile.
zealot (n.)
Answer: A person who is fanatically devoted to a cause and intolerant of other views.
Sentence: "The zealot refused to even listen to opposing arguments." Synonym: fanatic. Antonym: moderate.
quixotic (adj.)
Answer: Extremely idealistic and unrealistic; impractical, often in a noble way.
From Don Quixote. Sentence: "His quixotic scheme to eliminate poverty overnight was admirable but unworkable." Synonym: idealistic. Antonym: pragmatic/realistic.
ameliorate (v.)
Answer: To make a bad or unsatisfactory situation better.
Sentence: "The new policy helped ameliorate working conditions in the factory." Synonym: improve/alleviate. Antonym: exacerbate/worsen.
mitigate (v.)
Answer: To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
Sentence: "The company installed filters to mitigate air pollution from the plant." Synonym: alleviate. Antonym: aggravate/intensify.
ephemeral (adj.)
Answer: Lasting for a very short time; fleeting.
Sentence: "The beauty of the fireworks was ephemeral, gone in seconds." Synonym: transient/fleeting. Antonym: permanent/enduring.
perfunctory (adj.)
Answer: Done as a routine duty, with minimal effort or interest.
Sentence: "He gave a perfunctory apology before walking away." Synonym: cursory. Antonym: thorough/meticulous.
vacillate (v.)
Answer: To waver indecisively between different opinions or actions.
Sentence: "She vacillated for weeks before finally accepting the job offer." Synonym: waver/dither. Antonym: decide/commit.
venerate (v.)
Answer: To regard with great respect or reverence.
Sentence: "The villagers venerate the old temple as a sacred site." Synonym: revere. Antonym: despise/scorn.
laudable (adj.)
Answer: Deserving praise and commendation.
Sentence: "Her laudable dedication to charity work inspired the whole community." Synonym: commendable/praiseworthy. Antonym: reprehensible/deplorable.
sanguine (adj.)
Answer: Optimistic or cheerful, especially in a difficult situation.
Sentence: "Despite the delays, the manager remained sanguine about finishing on time." Synonym: optimistic. Antonym: pessimistic/despondent.
recondite (adj.)
Answer: Obscure and difficult to understand; known only to a few specialists.
Sentence: "The paper's recondite notation made it unreadable to non-experts." Synonym: abstruse/esoteric. Antonym: accessible/straightforward.
esoteric (adj.)
Answer: Intended for or understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge.
Sentence: "The seminar covered esoteric details of medieval law that most lawyers never encounter." Synonym: recondite/abstruse. Antonym: common/exoteric (widely known).
pedantic (adj.)
Answer: Overly concerned with minor details or rules; showing off academic knowledge.
Sentence: "His pedantic correction of everyone's grammar made conversations exhausting." Synonym: didactic/finicky. Antonym: unpretentious/casual.
penurious (adj.)
Answer: Extremely poor, or (of a person) stingy and reluctant to spend money.
Sentence: "Despite his fortune, he lived a penurious life, refusing to buy new clothes." Synonym: miserly/destitute. Antonym: generous/lavish.
prosaic (adj.)
Answer: Dull, ordinary, and lacking imagination; like everyday prose rather than poetry.
Sentence: "The reviewer called the film's dialogue prosaic and uninspired." Synonym: mundane/pedestrian. Antonym: poetic/imaginative.
What does the Latin root 'loqu/locu' mean, and which GRE words use it?
Answer: 'To speak.' Seen in loquacious (talkative) and related words like eloquent and colloquial.
Recognizing roots like 'loqu' (speak), 'ver' (true), and 'sanguis' (blood, as in sanguine) can help you guess the meaning of unfamiliar GRE vocabulary.
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