GRE Word List R(part 1)

rabble mob; noisy crowd
rabid of or suffering rabies; like a fanatic; extremely zealous; furious; CF. rabies: hydrophobia
rabies disease passed on by the bite of an infected animal (causing madness and death)
raconteur story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill
raffle lottery; V: award as a prize in a raffle; Ex. raffle off a new car
rag scrap of cloth; ADJ. ragged: old and torn; seeming unfinished and imperfect; Ex. ragged debut/performance
ragamuffin dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes
rail complain bitterly; scold; rant; Ex. the weaker railing against injustices
raiment clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear.
rake immoral or dissolute person
rakish jaunty; stylish; sporty; morally corrupt; dissolute; Ex. He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle.
rally come or bring together; call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate (after illness or difficulty); N: act of rallying; mass gathering
ram male sheep; V. strike or drive against with a heavy impact
ramble wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress
ramification branching out; subdivision; one branch of a system; one of the results following from an action or decision; Ex. ramifications of a business/the decision
ramify branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions
ramp slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels)
rampant growing or spreading uncontrollably; growing in profusion; unrestrained; Ex. rampant lawlessness/weed
rampart defensive mound of earth
ramshackle (of a building or vehicle) poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart
rancid having the odor of stale or decomposing fat; rank
rancor long-lasting hatred; bitterness; Ex. negotiation without rancor; ADJ. rancorous
random without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard; Ex. random shots; Ex. chosen at random
rank offensive in odor or flavor
rankle irritate; fester; annoy
ransack search thoroughly; pillage (going through a place); Ex. Enemy soldiers ransacked the town.
rant speak violently or excitedly; rave; talk excitedly showing anger; scold; make a grandiloquent speech; Ex. The priest ranted about the devil.
rapacious voracious; ravenous; taking everything one can; excessively grasping; plundering; subsisting on live prey; Ex. rapacious birds
rapport close relationship; emotional closeness; harmony
rapt engrossed; absorbed; enchanted; Ex. rapt listener
rapture great joy and delight; ecstasy; ADJ. rapturous
rare (of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains
rarefied made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction
rasp (of a sound) grate on (eg. nerves); make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; rub with something rough; Ex. The cat’s tongue rasped my hand.
raspy making a harsh noise; grating; harsh
ratify approve formally; confirm; verify
ratiocination reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises; V. ratiocinate: reason logically
ration fixed portion; V: distribute as rations
rational (of a person) having reason; (of ideas) based on reason; logical
rationale fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action
rationalize make rational; devise false reasons for (one’s behavior); offer an excuse; give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable ones; N. rationalization
raucous (of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; Ex. raucous shouts
ravage devastate; plunder; despoil; Ex. crops ravaged by storms
rave overwhelmingly favorable review; V: talk wildly as if mad; Ex. raving lunatic
ravel fall apart into tangles; entangle; unravel or untwist
ravenous extremely hungry; voracious
ravine narrow valley with steep sides; gorge; CF. gully, canyon
raze destroy completely; Ex. raze the city to the ground
reactionary strongly opposed to social or political change; opposing progress; politically ultraconservative; N. OP. radical
realm kingdom; field or sphere; Ex. not within the realms of possibility
reaper one who harvests grain; Ex. the Grim Reaper; V. reap: cut and gather (crop); harvest a crop
rebate return of part of a payment; discount; V.
rebuff reject bluntly; snub; beat back; Ex. She rebuffed his invitation; N.
rebuke scold harshly; criticize severely
rebus representation of words in the form of pictures or symbols; puzzle in which pictures or letters stand for words; Ex. “R U 18′’ is a rebus for “Are you 18′’.
rebuttal refutation; response with contrary evidence; V. rebut: refute; disprove
recalcitrant disobedient or resisting authority even after being punished; obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly; Ex. recalcitrant child
recant disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one’s faith/a statement
recapitulate summarize
recast reconstruct (a sentence, story, statue, etc.); fashion again
receptive quick or willing to receive (ideas, suggestions, etc.); Ex. receptive to the proposal
recess pause; temporary cessation; alcove; secret inner place; Ex. parliament in recess; V. CF. recessive
recession withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity
recidivism habitual return to crime (even after being punished); N. recidivist
recipient receiver
reciprocal mutual; given and received in return; exchangeable; interacting; Ex. reciprocal trade agreement
reciprocate do or give something in return; repay in kind; give or take mutually; interchange; move
recital act of reciting publicly; detailed account; performance of music or dance (by a solo performer)
recite repeat aloud (something learned); describe; Ex. recite his complaints; N. recitation
reckon count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose
recline lie down
recluse hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive
reconcile make friendly again (after quarrel); make consistent (two ideas in opposition); correct inconsistencies; Ex. reconcile one’s political principles with one’s religious beliefs
recondite abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret
reconnaissance survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering; V. reconnoiter: make a preliminary inspection of (esp. to gather military information)
recount narrate or tell (a story); count over again
recourse resorting to help when in trouble; Ex. without recourse to
recreant disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person
recrimination countercharges; V. recriminate
rectify set right; correct; CF. rect-: right
rectitude moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment
recumbent reclining; lying down completely or in part
recuperate recover; return to health; regain; Ex. recuperate losses
recurrent occurring again and again
redolent odorous; fragrant; suggestive (of an odor); Ex. redolent of onions/mystery
redoubtable formidable; causing fear
redress remedy; compensation; Ex. seek redress for the damage to your car; V: put right; remedy or rectify (a wrong); make amends for
reduce diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction
redundant superfluous; more than is necessary; verbose; excessively wordy; repetitious
reek emit (an unpleasant odor or smoke); give off an unpleasant odor; give out smoke; Ex. reeking chimney; N: unpleasant odor; stench
refectory dining hall; room where meals are served (in a school)
referendum direct vote by all the people
refraction bending of a ray of light
refractory unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse
refrain abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus
refulgent effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; Ex. refulgent moon
refurbish renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish
refuse anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash
refute disprove; prove to be false; N. refutation
regal royal; of a monarch; Ex. regal manner
regale entertain
regatta boat or yacht race