GRE Verbal : GRE Verbal Reasoning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #108 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

There is a long history of __________ being appropriated by those whom they were once used against.

Possible Answers:

vignettes

portents

pejoratives

placebos

rebuttals

Correct answer:

pejoratives

Explanation:

The phrase "once used againt" indicates the missing word is hurtful. The correct answer needs to mean essentially insults. "Pejoratives," meaning derogatory or negative statements, is the best choice.

Example Question #109 : Nouns In One Blank Texts

The training exercise was specifically designed to judge the __________ of the new soldiers in dangerous conditions.

Possible Answers:

ambivalence

gratuity

mettle

notoriety

pusillanimity

Correct answer:

mettle

Explanation:

The exercise judges soldiers "in dangerous conditions."  The correct answer will therefore indicate the soldiers' bravery or courage, which is the definition of "mettle."

Example Question #421 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

Instead of having a master narrative, the book contained many __________ around the same theme.

Possible Answers:

vignettes

euphemisms

verifications

eulogies

metaphors

Correct answer:

vignettes

Explanation:

The book has no "master narrative," but instead many of the missing word. This means the correct answer will be the opposite of "master narrative." "Vignettes," meaning small sketches or stories, is the best choice.

Example Question #422 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

The __________ of his lectures often confused his students with smaller vocabularies.

Possible Answers:

philanthropy

brevity

misanthropy

levity

verbosity

Correct answer:

verbosity

Explanation:

The students being confused have "smaller vocabularies," and therefore are turned off by the professor's use of words. The correct answer needs to indicate the professor is using too many words, or words that are too difficult. "Verbosity," meaning using an excessive amount of words, is the best choice.

Example Question #423 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

Many art critics believe a painter cannot be separated from the __________ in which she worked.

Possible Answers:

subterfuge

byline

milieu

euphony

etymology

Correct answer:

milieu

Explanation:

The sentence notes the difficulty in pulling a painter away from the missing word. The correct answer needs to indicate that which can influence a painter. "Milieu," meaning environment or surroundings, is the best choice.

Example Question #424 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

The woman's __________ prevented her from climbing stairs or even walking steadily.

Possible Answers:

hypochondria

schizophrenia

gullibility

nonchalance

vertigo

Correct answer:

vertigo

Explanation:

Being unable to climb stairs or walk steadily indicates the subject of the sentence has trouble with her balance. "Vertigo," a condition that makes a person prone to dizziness, is the correct answer.

Example Question #425 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

The artist's best known pieces were __________ of images from many classic works of art.

Possible Answers:

edifices

stanzas

vignettes

collages

euphemisms

Correct answer:

collages

Explanation:

The artist's "best known pieces" contain "images from many" other works of art. The correct answer must therefore mean artistic pieces made from many other images, the definition of "collages."

Example Question #426 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

Politicians often find themselves trapped in the __________ of constituent services, when they would rather deal with the clear focus of policy details.

Possible Answers:

mire

exuberance

succinctness

gratis

luminosity

Correct answer:

mire

Explanation:

The sentence contrasts the "clear focus of policy details" with the missing word as it describes "constituent services." The correct answer will need to mean hard to deal with or confusing. "Mire," meaning a swamp or bog, here used metaphorically, is the best choice.

Example Question #114 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Texts

The Stock Market Crash took many people from the heights of the good life to living in __________.

Possible Answers:

frugality

luxury

penury

philanthropy

munificence

Correct answer:

penury

Explanation:

The sentence compares "the heights of the good life" to "living in" the missing word. Therefore, the correct answer needs to mean the opposite of "the good life." "Penury," meaning poverty and neediness, is the best choice.

Example Question #427 : Gre Verbal Reasoning

The students massed in protest presented a __________ of the police force's trouble.

Possible Answers:

legion

portent

diorama

utopia

genre

Correct answer:

diorama

Explanation:

The missing word describes how the students appeared in light of "the police force's troubles." The correct answer must indicate a reflection or observation of the issues. "Diorama," meaning a model or representation, is the correct answer.

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