GRE Word Power Test: July 2026 Series
Challenge your vocabulary with this medium-level GRE word power quiz. Each question tests meaning, context, and precise word usage to strengthen your verbal reasoning skills.
Read every sentence carefully and choose the word that best completes the idea.
Q1. Although the committee appeared receptive to the proposal, its response was so ____ that the researchers could not determine whether approval was likely.
Equivocal means ambiguous or open to more than one interpretation, which fits the committee's unclear response.
Q2. The scientist's ____ approach to the controversial theory led her to examine both supporting and opposing evidence before reaching a conclusion.
An impartial person evaluates an issue fairly without favoring one side in advance.
Q3. The mayor's attempt to dismiss the audit as insignificant was viewed as an effort to ____ the seriousness of the financial irregularities.
To understate something is to present it as less important or serious than it really is.
Q4. Because the witness had frequently contradicted himself, the attorney considered his testimony ____ .
Dubious means doubtful or difficult to believe, making it appropriate for unreliable testimony.
Q5. The professor's lecture was so ____ that students struggled to identify its central argument among numerous minor details.
A meandering discussion wanders from one point to another without a clear or direct progression.
Q6. The new evidence did not ____ the original hypothesis; instead, it provided additional support for it.
To refute a claim is to disprove it or demonstrate that it is incorrect.
Q7. The curator was praised for her ____ judgment in selecting works that represented several artistic traditions rather than just one.
Eclectic describes a selection drawn from diverse sources, styles, or traditions.
Q8. The manager's ____ instructions caused employees to interpret the policy in several incompatible ways.
Ambiguous instructions are unclear because they allow multiple interpretations.
Q9. The historian avoided making a ____ claim about the ancient settlement because the available records were incomplete.
A categorical claim is absolute and unqualified, so it would be inappropriate when evidence is incomplete.
Q10. The charity's annual report was designed to ____ public concern by showing that the organization's finances were being carefully monitored.
To allay concern means to reduce or relieve it.
Q11. The novelist's description of the landscape was so ____ that readers could easily imagine the colors, sounds, and textures.
Vivid language creates a strong, detailed, and lifelike impression.
Q12. The board rejected the proposal because its projected benefits were ____ when compared with the substantial costs of implementation.
Negligible means so small or unimportant that it can be disregarded in comparison with larger factors.
Q13. Rather than offering a direct solution, the consultant gave a ____ response filled with qualifications and evasive remarks.
Circumlocutory language uses more words than necessary and avoids expressing an idea directly.
Q14. The editor removed several ____ passages because they repeated points that had already been made clearly elsewhere.
Redundant passages are unnecessary because they repeat information or ideas.
Q15. The diplomat's ____ tone helped prevent the negotiations from collapsing after both sides rejected the initial agreement.
A conciliatory tone seeks to reduce conflict and encourage agreement.