GRE Advanced Vocabulary in Context Questions

Question 1

The senator's speech was marked by __________ rhetoric that, while superficially appealing, masked a lack of substantive policy proposals.
(A) pellucid
(B) trenchant
(C) meretricious
(D) laconic

Accepted Answer

meretricious

Answer

Meretricious means apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity — perfectly describing rhetoric that looks good but is hollow.

Question 2

Despite the critic's reputation for __________ reviews, even she admitted that the debut novel displayed remarkable craftsmanship.
(A) sycophantic
(B) mordant
(C) diffident
(D) soporific

Accepted Answer

mordant

Answer

Mordant means harshly critical or biting; 'even she admitted' signals that harsh criticism is her norm, making this concession notable.

Question 3

The philosopher's __________ argument wove together threads from existentialism, phenomenology, and cognitive science in a way that few readers could fully untangle.
(A) abstruse
(B) prolix
(C) tendentious
(D) nugatory

Accepted Answer

abstruse

Answer

Abstruse means difficult to understand; the description of an argument few could 'untangle' matches this meaning precisely.

Question 4

Her __________ approach to negotiations—willing to make concessions, to see multiple sides—eventually produced a lasting settlement where more rigid tactics had failed.
(A) intransigent
(B) recondite
(C) ductile
(D) captious

Accepted Answer

ductile

Answer

Ductile in a figurative sense means easily led or flexible; willingness to make concessions and see multiple sides describes a flexible negotiator.

Question 5

The documentary's __________ tone—blending irreverent humor with moments of genuine pathos—made it both entertaining and emotionally resonant.
(A) elegiac
(B) bathetic
(C) tragicomic
(D) didactic

Accepted Answer

tragicomic

Answer

Tragicomic means combining elements of tragedy (pathos) and comedy (humor), which exactly describes the blend described.

GRE Practice Test

GRE Practice Test

GRE Advanced Vocabulary in Context Questions