GRE Word Power Test: July 2026 Series
Strengthen your GRE verbal reasoning skills with this medium-level vocabulary quiz. Use context, connotation, and word relationships to identify the best answer in each question.
Read every sentence carefully and review the explanations to deepen your command of advanced English vocabulary.
Q1. Although the scientist was known for her rigorous methods, her latest argument was criticized as _____ because it relied on an unsupported assumption.
Speculative means based on conjecture rather than sufficient evidence, which fits an argument relying on an unsupported assumption.
Q2. The ambassador's _____ response avoided offending either side in the dispute.
Equivocal means deliberately ambiguous or unclear, allowing the ambassador to avoid taking a definite side.
Q3. The committee rejected the proposal because its benefits were merely _____, while its costs were immediate and certain.
Prospective means expected or likely to occur in the future, contrasting with immediate costs.
Q4. The novelist's seemingly simple prose conceals a remarkably _____ understanding of human motivation.
Profound means deep and insightful, indicating that the writer understands human motivation at a substantial level.
Q5. Because the witness had repeatedly changed her story, the jury regarded her testimony as _____.
Dubious means questionable or difficult to believe, which is appropriate for testimony that repeatedly changes.
Q6. The professor's lecture was so _____ that students struggled to determine which claims were central and which were incidental.
Digressive describes speech or writing that wanders away from its main subject.
Q7. The government's decision to publish the report was intended to _____ concerns about the safety of the new facility.
To allay concerns is to reduce or relieve them.
Q8. The critic's review was not openly hostile, but its faint praise was unmistakably _____.
Sardonic remarks express mocking or cynical amusement; faint praise can carry this tone.
Q9. The historian warned that the evidence was too _____ to support a sweeping conclusion about the entire civilization.
Fragmentary means incomplete or existing only in scattered pieces, making it inadequate for a broad conclusion.
Q10. The manager's decision to consult employees before changing the schedule helped _____ resistance to the new policy.
To mitigate resistance is to lessen or reduce it.
Q11. The researcher remained _____ about the preliminary results, emphasizing that further experiments were necessary.
Cautious means careful to avoid risk or unwarranted conclusions, matching the researcher's position.
Q12. His apology sounded _____ because he accepted responsibility without making excuses.
Contrite means genuinely remorseful, especially after recognizing one's wrongdoing.
Q13. The mayor's proposal was initially dismissed as _____, but later technological advances made it feasible.
Quixotic means idealistic and impractical, often because it pursues an unrealistic goal.
Q14. The report attempts to _____ the decline in enrollment to a single cause, even though several factors were involved.
To reduce something to a single cause is to oversimplify it, which is the meaning intended here.
Q15. Her _____ remarks during the negotiation revealed that she understood the other party's position but did not fully endorse it.
A qualified statement includes limitations or reservations rather than expressing complete agreement.