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GREwordlist

This wordlist is generally used by students preparing for GRE.

Page No.

retiring

Short Definition : shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality

Definition
(adj) not arrogant or presuming
Synonyms : unassuming
Example Sentence
  • unassuming to a fault, skeptical about the value of his work
  • a shy retiring girl
Definition
(adj) of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office
Synonyms : past preceding
Example Sentence
  • a retiring member of the board
Definition
(adj) reluctant to draw attention to yourself
Synonyms : reticent self-effacing
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retiring

Retire means to avoid attention. <br> When sports people retire, they lose attention of the media. Though Sachin is a retiring person, he is diplomatic about his retirement.

10        2

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Imagine a person feeling shy to "retire" at young age.

2        1

retired (old) people are reserved kind, they speak less

1        0

old people retire and when they fall sick they usually speak less and they seem to be reserved all the time. They also sometimes feel shy to get help from their kids or to depend on anyone for the rest of their life.

1        0

retort

Short Definition : quick sharp reply; V.

Definition
(noun) a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
Example Sentence
  • it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher
Definition
(noun) a vessel where substances are distilled or decomposed by heat Definition
(verb) answer back
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retort

re...

6        20

U give quick sharp reply when asked to come to a RE(S)ORT

4        3

Tort is to twist...like tortuous ...so retort is to twist a reply and hurl back!

3        0

retract

Short Definition : withdraw; take back; draw back; Ex. retract a statement/an offer/claws; N. retraction; CF. retractile

Definition
(verb) formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Example Sentence
  • He retracted his earlier statements about his religion
  • She abjured her beliefs
Definition
(verb) pull away from a source of disgust or fear
Synonyms : shrink back
Definition
(verb) use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
Synonyms : draw back pull back
Definition
(verb) pull inward or towards a center
Synonyms : draw in
Example Sentence
  • The pilot drew in the landing gear
  • The cat retracted his claws
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retract

retract->RE TAKE IT, meaning to take back

19        2

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Re(BACK)+tract(TRACKING) whenever our mobile is stolen we TRACK it in order to TAKE BACK from thieves

4        3

Protract is prolong or expand,whereas,retract is withdraw or take back.

1        0

retrench

Short Definition : cut down; cut down expenses; economize

Definition
(verb) tighten one's belt; use resources carefully Definition
(verb) make a reduction, as in one's workforce
Example Sentence
  • The company had to retrench
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retrench

Consider the word in bracket only: re(trench) .. relate trench with bench. Tag: IT companies are removing all the employees on BENCH to CUT DOWN OR ECONOMIZE the company costs.

35        12

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RE(again and again)+TRENCH(to dig)....when you are trenching again and again, you are reducing the amount(of earth)....

7        4

Trench means to "cut deeply into or impinge". <br> Retrench is a related word. It has nothing to do with "re".

2        8

RETRENCH = RETRO+CINCH. RETRO = BACK, CINCH = TIGHTEN. Retrench means to tighten back.

2        3

Retrench sounds like Return money,so economize

0        1

retribution

Short Definition : deserved punishment for wrongdoing; punishment for offenses; compensation; vengeance; CF. pay back

Definition
(noun) a justly deserved penalty
Synonyms : requital
Definition
(noun) the act of correcting for your wrongdoing Definition
(noun) the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life
Synonyms : payback vengeance
Example Sentence
  • Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord
  • For vengeance I would do nothing. This nation is too great to look for mere revenge
  • he swore vengeance on the man who betrayed him
  • the swiftness of divine retribution
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retribution

RATRI(night)+ABUSE--he abused me at night and got beating from me in the morning, he got RETRIBUTION.

37        8

Opposite of tribute. "Re" can mean two things: repeating/reinforcing OR opposite/reverse.<br> Reassured = assure strongly<br> Recurring = repeatedly occurring<br> Reprobation X Approbation<br> Retort X reply sharply <br>

12        6

re-distribution means to correct previous distribution...correct wrong doing

6        3

if you retry on girl's butt,if you will be punished badly

4        1

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retribution,concentrate on 'tribute'.he did not pay a tribute to the dying soldiers,he would be PUNISHED FOR HIS OFFENCE,HE DESERVES A JUST PENALTY

3        6

Retribution and Retaliation are similar...

2        1

retribution sounds like distribution....x distributed my sweets to every one so i gave him retribution...ie punishment for sth wrong that sb has done......

1        0

tribute means a payback, or a gift. So when you retribute, you pay back either by punishing for an offense, or compensation or a paying back by vengeance

0        2

retribution rhymes like contribution mahatma gandhi did a lot of contribution so i want to avenge his murderer which is a necessary form of retribution

0        3

retrieve

Short Definition : recover; put right; find and bring in; regain; Ex. retrieve the situation

Definition
(verb) get or find back; recover the use of
Synonyms : find recover regain
Example Sentence
  • She regained control of herself
  • She found her voice and replied quickly
Definition
(verb) go for and bring back
Example Sentence
  • retrieve the car from the parking garage
Definition
(verb) run after, pick up, and bring to the master
Example Sentence
  • train the dog to retrieve
Definition
(verb) recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
Example Sentence
  • I can't remember saying any such thing
  • I can't think what her last name was
  • can you remember her phone number?
  • Do you remember that he once loved you?
  • call up memories
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retrieve

re (again)+ trive (tree), to regrow the tree i.e before the land become desert we should regrow trees (save, recover, get back)

4        1

retroactive

Short Definition : taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax); (of a law) having effect on the past as well as the future

Definition
(adj) descriptive of any event or stimulus or process that has an effect on the effects of events or stimuli or process that occurred previously Definition
(adj) affecting things past
Synonyms : ex post facto retro
Example Sentence
  • retroactive tax increase
  • an ex-post-facto law
  • retro pay
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retroactive

Retro refers to the "past" as in retrospect, retrofit etc., <br> Retroactive means: "Active in the past" i.e., applicable to the past.

12        2

retroactive is simply like as in writing GRE before the pattern is changed

6        0

taking back something before it is being active...

2        1

PETROL prices are always retroactive.. they increase the price much before the new prices come into effect

2        0

retrograde

Short Definition : go backwards; recede; degenerate; deteriorate; ADJ.

Definition
(verb) move backward in an orbit, of celestial bodies Definition
(verb) move in a direction contrary to the usual one
Example Sentence
  • retrograding planets
Definition
(verb) move back
Synonyms : retreat
Example Sentence
  • The glacier retrogrades
Definition
(verb) go back over
Synonyms : hash over rehash
Example Sentence
  • retrograde arguments
Definition
(verb) get worse or fall back to a previous condition
Synonyms : regress retrogress
Definition
(adj) moving from east to west on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in a direction opposite to that of the Earth Definition
(adj) of amnesia; affecting time immediately preceding trauma Definition
(adj) going from better to worse
Synonyms : retrogressive
Definition
(adj) moving or directed or tending in a backward direction or contrary to a previous direction
Synonyms : retral
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retrograde

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Prefix Retro:Behind,Backward...retro+grade is like degrade..

17        1

Consider retrograde as the opposite of upgrade, in upgrade you get the latest, here you going to a previous state or degenerating ..

6        1

Grade system is not new .. Its a very old one .. India is going retrograde

1        2

retro(means past)+rograde(sounds like regret).....so you are regretting now for your awesome college days in PAST because you are missing them now.

0        2

(retro)grade Consider the word in bracket only: Retro relates to metro. Tag: The plan to have METRO rail link in Mumbai has taken a BACKSEAT(degenerated or go backwards)

0        1

RETRO refers to the "PAST"or BACKWORD….RETURNING BACK to GRADUATE school as a result of failure in board exam

0        1

retrospective

Short Definition : looking back on the past; N. retrospection; V. retrospect

Definition
(noun) an exhibition of a representative selection of an artist's life work Definition
(adj) concerned with or related to the past
Example Sentence
  • retrospective self-justification
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for retrospective

Retro: past and spect : is to see so retrospective is to look ack in past

4        0

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Prefix Retro:Behind,past...-spect..just adding "in" to -spect..it becomes inspect....thus inspecting our past, looking back at our past.

2        1

revelry

Short Definition : boisterous merrymaking; V. revel: engage boisterous festivities; enjoy greatly; N: boisterous festivity or celebration

Definition
(noun) unrestrained merrymaking
Synonyms : revel
   Mnemonics (Memory Aids) for revelry

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Sounds like "jewelry". You buy jewelry when you are in revelry.

26        6

Opposite of RIVALRY; In RIVALRY, you fight, in REVELRY, you celebrate i.e merrymaking.

14        2

wat happens when u have a victory over rivals---revelry(boisterous merrymaking )

9        1

r(-ve) + evelry(sounds evilry) >>> when evil is defeated or finished, there is merrymaking and happiness all around..

0        0

Beverly Hills is replete with Reverlies

0        0
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