Word Roots Strategy

Source: Kaplan GRE Pocket Reference

I'm not good in memorizing vocabularies. Sometimes I just go by guessing the words from its sound ;p. I learned an interesting way to 'guess' the meaning of some words by memorizing only the word roots. For example:

Dol means pain, suffer.

So any word which has the word root 'dol' will somehow gives the meaning of suffer or pain.

For example: Doleful means sorrowful
Doldrums means dull, depressed mood (somehow gives the meaning of suffering)

Good luck, friends! :)

Vocabulary (Fourth Bundle)

*From flash cards

1) Stolid : Lacking sensitivity, Unemotional
= Indifferent, Phlegmatic

~ Everyone was worried about Sarah since she looked so stolid at her parents' funeral.

2) Repudiate : To reject the validity of
= Disown, Disclaim, Deny

~ Tim's claim that he was the fastest runner of the school was repudiated when John broke a new record during sports day yesterday.

3) Rhetoric : Effective writing or speaking
=Eloquence, Oratory

~ Her talent for rhetoric was the reason for her acceptance at the school.

4) Specious : Deceptively attractive, Seemingly plausible but fallacious
= Illusory, Plausible

~ The guy's specious words for getting a free ticket to the concert totally failed when he was completely ignored.

5) Soporific : Causing sleep or lethargy
= Slumberous, Hypnotic

~ The movie proved to be so soporific since Ally fell asleep after the first fifteen minutes.

6) Reticent : Reserved, Silent
= Introverted, Cool

~ Maria did not realize Lisa's absence from school because she was usually a reticent student and often went unnoticed.

7) Stigma : A mark of shame or discredit
= Stain, Taint, Blemish

~ George had to wear a ridiculous outfit for the whole day at school as a public stigma for his misbehavior.

8) Satiate : To satisfy or overindulge
= Glut, Surfeit, Cloy

~ Even after 30 years ruling the country, he still could not satiate his greed for power.

9) Impervious : Incapable of being affected, Impossible to penetrate
= Resistant, Impregnable

~My brother bought an expensive watch that is impervious to any liquid and moisture.

10) Gregarious : Sociable, Outgoing
= Communicative, Congenial, Affable

~She was so gregarious that her parents were not worried to let her go studying abroad alone.

Vocabulary (Third Bundle)

My friend suggested me to put the words into sentences. Here it is! Thank you so much Nani dear!<3

*From flash cards

1) Amalgamate : To mix together, to combine
= Blend, Merge, Unite
~ YG Entertainment amalgamated with JYP Entertainment to form a mega concert for the fans.

2) Ambiguous : Uncertain, Doubtful
= Unclear, Vague, Obscure
~ The reporter was not satisfied with the singer's ambiguous answer for the scandal issue.

3) Alacrity : Quickness, Speed
= Haste, Swiftness
~ The travel agency was recommended by my friend as the staffs handle their customer's requests for flights with alacrity.

4) Aberrant : Abnormal
= Irregular, Errant, Divergent
~ Since she had been a quiet and calm person for years, her friends did not expect her aberrant change of attitude by being so talkative and wild.

5) Abate : To reduce in amount, degree, severity
= Slacken, Moderate, Wane
~ After 3 days, the snowfall finally abated and people resumed their normal activities.

6) Alleviate : To make more bearable
= Ease, Lighten, Relieve, Lessen
~ Some girls sleep after taking Panadol to alleviate menstrual pain.

7) Abstain : To choose not to do something
= Withhold, Refrain
~ Susan abstains from going to pubs and night clubs because she prefers to spend her night with family at home rather than enjoying pointlessly with strangers.

8) Ameliorate : To improve, To make better
= Upgrade, Amend, Better
~ The new education system was able to ameliorate the students' result in major examinations.

9) Advocate : To speak in favor of
= Support, Back
~ The fitness instructor advocated a healthy diet and life style.

10) Aggrandize : To increase in reputation, power, influence
= Glorify, Uplift, Magnify
~ The dictator sought to aggrandize himself by controlling the election and media.

11) Anachronism : Something out of place in time
= Archaism, Incongruity
~ Her grandfather uses anachronistic phrases that could not be understood by youngsters.

12) Adulterate : To make impure
= Load, Debase
~ The milk is not that delicious and creamy as it has been adulterated with water.

Vocabulary (Second Bundle)

*From flash cards

1) Quiescent : Motionless
= Latent, Dormant

2) Prudence : Wisdom, Caution or Restraint
= Frugality, Astuteness, Providence

3) Eulogy : Speech in praise of someone
= Commend, Laud

4) Exonerate : To clear of blame
= Exculpate, Clear, Absolve

5) Rarefy : To make thinner, sparser

6) Pungent : Sharp and irritating to the senses
= Stinging, Poignant

7) Propriety : Acting in a proper manner, Obeying rules and customs
= Decency, Modesty

8) Propitiate : To conciliate, To appease
= Placate, Pacify, Mollify

9) Proliferate : To increase in number quickly
= Multiply, Breed, Reproduce, Propagate

10) Prodigal : Lavish, Wasteful
= Spendthrift, Extravagant

Vocabulary (First Bundle)

Need to stick these words in my brain for GRE test..oh~ (i hate memorizing vocabs...can't i just use super simple words?..T__T)

* From flash cards.

1) Dirge = Funeral hymn or mournful speech

2) Disparate = Entirely unlike

3) Disabuse = Free from error

4) Dogma = A firmly held opinion, especially a religious belief

5) Dissonance = Harsh and disagreeable combination, especially sounds

6) Dilettante = Someone with amateruish and superficial interest in a topic

7) Dissemble = To present false appearance, to disguise one real's intentions or character

8) Officious = Meddlesome

9) Convoluted = Highly complex

10) Estimable = Admirable