Barren GRE Word List Letter "W to Z"

• waffle speak equivocally about an issue; N.

• waft move gently (in air or in seas) by wind or waves; Ex. leaves wafting past the window

• waggish humorous; mischievous; tricky
          ~ wag shake repeatedly from side to side; Ex. The dog wagged its tail; N: humorous person; wit

• waif homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays

• waive give up temporarily; yield; N. waiver: waiving a right or claim; document that waives a right or claim

• wake trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in the wake of the war

• wallow roll in mud; indulge in; (of a ship) roll in a rough sea; become helpless; Ex. wallow in the mud/luxury

• wan having a pale or sickly color; pallid

• wanderlust strong longing to travel

• wane decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N.

• wangle achieve by cleverness or trick; wiggle out; fake; Ex. She tried to wangle an invitation to the party.
          ~ wiggle wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting motions
          ~ fake not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/ the signature

• wanton unrestrained; gratuitously cruel; willfully malicious; unchaste; sexually improper; promiscuous; Ex. wanton spending/killing; CF. having no just cause

• warble (of a bird) sing; babble; N.
          ~ warp twist out of shape; N.

• warranted justified; authorized
          ~ warrant justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); Ex. search/death warrant; V: justify; guarantee

• warranty guarantee; assurance by seller

• warren tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live

• wary very cautious; watchful

• wastrel waster; profligate

• wax increase gradually (as the moon); grow

• waylay ambush; lie in wait for and attack
          ~ ambush act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; Ex. lie in ambush; V.

• wean accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling; give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave (an interest or habit); Ex. wean oneself from cigarettes

• weather pass safely through (a storm or difficult period); endure the effects of weather or other forces

• welt raised mark from a beating or whipping

• welter confusion; turmoil; confused mass; bewildering jumble; Ex. welter of data

• welter wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood); Ex. The victims weltered in their blood.

• wheedle deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax; Ex. wheedle a promise out of her

• whelp young animal (esp. of the dog or cat family); young wolf, dog, tiger, etc.

• whet sharpen; stimulate; Ex. whet someone’s appetite

• whiff puff or gust (of air, scent, etc.); short-lasting smell; hint; Ex. whiff of perfume/scandal

• whimsical capricious; fanciful; amusingly strange
          ~ whim sudden capricious idea; fancy
          ~ whimsy whim; tendency to behave amusingly strangely; Ex. story full of whimsy

• whinny neigh like a horse; CF. neigh: make the sound which horses make

• whit small amount; smallest speck; Ex. not a whit of

• whittle pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim
          ~ pare cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses

• whorl ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement; Ex. whorls on the fingers

• willful wilful; intentional; headstrong
          ~ wilt loose freshness; droop

• wily crafty; cunning; artful; N. wile: deceitful stratagem

• wince move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced as she touched the cold body.
          ~ start move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight of a snake

• windfall fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event

• winnow sift; separate the chaff from grain by blowing; separate good parts from bad; CF. wind
          ~ sift put through a sieve to separate fine from coarse particles; sort or examine carefully

• winsome charming (in a childlike way); agreeable; gracious; engaging

• wispy thin; slight; barely discernible
          ~ wisp small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke)

• wistful sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories); sadly pensive; vaguely longing

• withdrawn introverted; retiring; remote
          ~ remote distant in manner; aloof

• wither (of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay
          ~ shrivel make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying)

• withhold refuse to give; hold back; Ex. withholding tax

• withstand stand up against; resist successfully

• witless lacking intelligence or wit; foolish; idiotic

• witticism witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark)

• wizardry sorcery; magic

• wizened shriveled; withered; Ex. wizened apple/old lady

• woe great sorrow; deep inconsolable grief; affliction; suffering; Ex. financial woes
          ~ woeful sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; Ex. woeful housing conditions

• wont (the stated person’s) habit or custom; habitual procedure; ADJ. wonted: customary

• worldly engrossed in matters of this earth; not spiritual; of the material world

• wrangle quarrel noisily; obtain through arguing; herd cattle; N.
          ~ herd group of animals; crowd; one who looks after a herd; Ex. shepherd/goatherd; Ex. herd instinct; Ex. herdsman; V: come together in a herd; look after a herd; Ex. herd cattle

• wrath anger; fury

• wreak inflict; Ex. wreak one’s vengeance on

• wrench twist; pull; strain; Ex. He wrenched the gun out of her hands.

• wrest obtain by pulling violently; pull away; take by violence; Ex. wrest victory from their grasp

• writ written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something)

• writhe twist in coils; contort in pain

• wry (esp. of an expression of the face) twisted; with a humorous twist (expressing displeasure)

• xenophobia fear or hatred of foreigners; N. xenophobe

• yen strong desire; longing; urge; Ex. yen for travel

• yeoman man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer

• yield amount produced; crop; income on investment; profit obtained from an investment; V: produce; give in; surrender

• yoke join together; unite; N: crossbar used to joining two draft animals

• yokel rustic; country bumpkin;

• yore time long past; Ex. in the days of yore

• zany comic; crazy; N: clown; comical person (given to outlandish behavior)

• zeal eager enthusiasm (to a cause or ideal); ADJ. zealous

• zealot one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal

• zenith point directly overhead in the sky; summit; acme; highest point

• zephyr gentle breeze; west wind