Barren GRE Word List Letter "V"

• vacillate waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation

• vacuous empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous expression; N. vacuity

• vagabond wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp
          ~ tramp walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking
          ~ trample step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet
          ~ tread walk; trample; N: grooved face of a tire; horizontal part of a step

• vagary capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander

• vagrant wandering from place to place; roving; stray; moving in a random fashion; Ex. vagrant thoughts; N. vagrancy

• vagrant homeless wanderer

• vainglorious boastful; excessively conceited; N. vainglory: great vanity

• valedictory pertaining to farewell; N: farewell address (esp. at graduation exercises)
          ~ valediction saying farewell; expression of leave-taking
          ~ leave-taking farewell or departure

• valid logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; effective; Ex. valid reasoning/passport
          ~ sound in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense; thorough; complete; Ex. sound mind/investment/training

• validate make valid; confirm; ratify

• valor bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave

• vampire ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living

• vanguard forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF. rearguard
          ~ avantgarde group of artists whose work is based on the newest ideas and methods; CF. vanguard

• vantage position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point); CF. vantagepoint

• vapid lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture

• vaporize turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.)

• variegated (esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored
          ~ variegate change the appearance of (by marking with different colors)

• vassal in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent

• vaunted boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag

• veer change in direction; swerve

• vegetate live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan

• vehement forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong; N. vehemence

• velocity speed

• venal capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal

• vendetta blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams

• vendor seller

• veneer thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa¸cade; V.

• venerable deserving high respect; commanding respect; CF. command: deserve and get

• venerate revere; treat with great respect

• venial (of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial

• venison meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham, bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb

• venom poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous

• vent small opening; outlet (as of fumes or a gas); Ex. He gave vent to his anger by kicking the chair.

• vent release or discharge through a vent; express (esp. unfairly); utter; Ex. He vented his wrath on his family.
          ~ ventilate admit fresh air into to replace stale air

• ventral abdominal

• ventriloquist someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy

• venture risk; expose to risk; dare; undertake a risk; N.
          ~ brave face courageously; Ex. brave the storm

• venturesome (of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action) risky

• venue location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.); CF. come

• veracious (of a person) truthful

• veracity truthfulness; adherence to the truth

• verbalize put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb

• verbatim word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly

• verbiage pompous array of words; too many unnecessary words; wordiness

• verbose wordy; N. verbosity

• verdant green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows
          ~ lush (of a plant or grass) growing very well

• verdigris green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather

• verge border; edge, rim, or margin; Ex. on the verge of: very near to; V: border on

• verisimilar having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible

• verisimilitude appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth

• veritable being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary

• verity quality of being true; lasting truth or principle; Ex. the verity of his testimony; Ex. one of the eternal verities

• vernacular living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular

• vernal pertaining to spring

• versatile having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility

• vertex summit; highest point; PL. vertices

• vertigo severe dizziness; giddiness

• verve enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor

• vestige trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion
          ~ veto vested power to reject a bill; exercise of this right; V: prevent or forbid by exercising the power of veto

• vex annoy; distress

• viable capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme

• viand food; CF. live

• vicarious experienced as if one were taking part in the experience of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex. the vicarious sufferings of Christ
          ~ vicar parish priest; representative

• vicissitude change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China

• victuals food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food

• vie contend; compete

• vigilant watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance
          ~ vigil keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. allnight vigil
          ~ vigilante one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers

• vigor active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous

• vignette small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter; picture; short literary sketch; short written description of a character or scene

• vilify slander; speak evil of; N. vilification

• vindicate clear from blame; free from blame or accusation (with supporting proof); exonerate; substantiate; justify or support; avenge; Ex. vindicate one’s client; Ex. vindicate one’s claim; CF. vindicator

• vindictive disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak

• vintner wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine

• viper poisonous snake

• virile manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of strength

• virtual in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space

• virtue goodness; moral excellence; good quality; advantage; Ex. by virtue of; Ex. make a virtue of necessity

• virtuoso highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso

• virulent (of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom

• virus disease communicator

• visage face; appearance

• visceral felt in one’s inner organs; N. viscera: internal body organs; CF. eviscerate

• viscid adhesive; gluey

• viscous (of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency

• vise vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device

• visionary produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas
          ~ vision eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing the supernatural

• vital full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize
          ~ vibrant full of vigor or energy; vibrating

• vitiate spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally

• vitreous of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify

• vitriolic causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric acid (which burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic expression; CF. glass

• vituperative abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively

• vivacious lively or animated; sprightly
          ~ sprightly lively

• vivisection act of dissecting living animals

• vixen female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew

• vociferous clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining)

• vogue popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue.

• volatile changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street

• volition act of using one’s will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition.

• voluble fluent; talkative; glib; N. volubility
          ~ volley simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; V.

• voluminous having great volume (as of a garment or container); bulky; large
          ~ bulk size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size
          ~ voodoo religion practiced chiefly in Haiti

• voracious ravenous; eating large quantities of food; exceedingly eager; insatiable; Ex. voracious animal/reader

• vortex whirlwind; whirlpool; center of turbulence; predicament into which one is inexorably plunged

• vouchsafe grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. vouchsafe your fair return on your investment
          ~ vouch give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher

• voyeur Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others

• vulnerable susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability

• vulpine like a fox; crafty
          ~ craft skill (esp. with one’s hands); skill in deceiving people; guile; ADJ. crafty: cleverly deceitful; cunning
          ~ vulture carrion-eating birds
          ~ vying contending; CF. vie