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Barron’s GRE Word List Please click the link for which Barron’s wordlist you want to go.

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oaf
stupid awkward person; CF. elf

oath
solemn promise; blasphemous use of sacred words to express strong feelings, swear-word

oatmeal
crushed oats used for making porridge

obdurate
stubborn; refusing to change one’s belief

obeisance
bow (to show respect and obedience)

obelisk
tall column tapering(becoming gradually narrower toward the end) and ending in a pyramid

obese
excessively fat; N. obesity

obfuscate
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex; make so confused as to be difficult to understand

obituary
death notice (esp. in a newspaper)

objective
not influenced by emotions; fair; N: goal; aim

obligatory
binding; required; compulsory; V. oblige: constrain; make grateful; do a favor; accommodate

oblique
indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference

obliterate
destroy completely; wipe out; Ex. obliterate the village

oblivious
inattentive or unmindful; unaware; wholly absorbed; forgetful(having the habit of forgetting)

obloquy
slander; disgrace; infamy

obnoxious
offensive; disagreeable; Ex. obnoxious smell

obscure
dark; vague; unclear; not well known; Ex. obscure meaning/village; V: darken; cover; make unclear; Ex. obscure the moon/meaning

obsequious
slavishly attentive; servile; full of servile compliance; sycophantic

obsequy
funeral ceremony

obsessive
related to thinking about something constantly; of an obsession; preoccupying; N. obsession: compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea; compulsive idea; V. obsess: preoccupy the mind of excessively

obsidian
black volcanic rock

obsolete
outmoded; no longer used

obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; N. obstetrics; CF. midwife

obstinate
stubborn; hard to control or treat; Ex. obstinate cough; N. obstinacy

obstreperous
boisterous; noisy and uncontrollable

obtrude
ush (oneself or one’s ideas) forward or intrude; impose (oneself or one’s ideas) on others; butt in; stick out or extrude; thrust out; Ex. obtrude A on B; ADJ. obtrusive; N. obtrusion; CF. unobtrusive

obtuse
blunt; not sharp; stupid; slow in understanding

obviate
make unnecessary; get rid of; Ex. obviate the need

Occident
the West

occlude
shut; close; obstruct; Ex. A blood clot occluded an artery.

occult
mysterious; secret; supernatural; beyond human comprehension; CF. mysterious to human ?; OP. bare

oculist
physician who specializes in treatment of the eyes

odds
chances; probability; disagreement; Ex. The odds are that it will rain. Ex. at odds with

odious
arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile

odium
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)

odoriferous
giving off an odor

odorous
having an odor

odyssey
long, eventful, adventurous journey

offensive
attacking; insulting; distasteful; V. offend: violate; hurt the feelings of; N. offense: offending; violating of a moral or social code; crime; attack; Ex. first offense

offhand

casual; done without prior thought or preparation

officious meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy
ogle look at amorously; make eyes at; Ex. old men ogling young girls
olfactory concerning the sense of smell
oligarchy government by a privileged few
ominous threatening; of an evil omen
omnipotent all-powerful; having unlimited power
omnipresent universally present; ubiquitous
omniscient all-knowing
omnivorous eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything
onerous burdensome
onomatopoeia words formed in imitation of natural sounds
onslaught vicious assault; fierce attack; Ex. unexpected onslaught of the enemy

onus
burden; responsibility

ooze (of a thick liquid) pass or flow slowly; N: mud or thick liquid as at the bottom of a river
opalescent iridescent; lustrous; like an opal; N. opalescence
opaque dark; not transparent; N. opacity
opiate medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction; sleep-producing drug containing opium
opportune timely; well-chosen
opportunist individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances; N. opportunism
opprobrium infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
optician maker and seller of eyeglasses
optimist person who looks on the bright side; N. optimism
optimum most favorable; optimal; N: most favorable condition
optional not compulsory; left to one’s choice; N. option: act of choosing; choice; freedom or power to choose; something available as a choice; Ex. have no option; Ex. two options
optometrist one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects
opulence extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance; ADJ. opulent: possessing great wealth; abundant
opus work (esp. musical composition); Ex. magnum opus: masterpiece; CF. opera
oracular of an oracle; prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous; hard to understand; N. oracle: wiser person; prophecy made by an oracle
orator public speaker
oratorio dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; CF. cantata
ordain decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination
ordeal severe trial or affliction; difficult experience; trial(test of patience or endurance); affliction

ordinance
decree; authoritative order

ordination ceremony conferring holy orders; ceremony of ordaining a priest
orgy wild drunken revelry; unrestrained indulgence in an activity; Ex. orgy of shopping
orient get one’s bearings; adjust; make familiar with a situation; orientate
orientation act of finding oneself in society; orienting
orifice mouthlike opening; small opening (esp. to a cavern or passage of the body); CF. mouth
ornate excessively or elaborately decorated
ornithologist scientific student of birds; N. ornithology: scientific study of birds
orthodox traditional; (of someone) conservative in belief; adhering to an established doctrine
orthography correct spelling; CF. ortho-: straight; correct; Ex. orthodontics
oscillate vibrate pendulumlike; waver
osseous made of bone; bony

ossify
change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one’s ideas

ostensible apparent; appearing as such; professed(pretended); pretended; Ex. ostensible purpose of the expedition
ostentatious showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display
ostracize banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism
oust expel; drive out; force out; N. ouster: ousting
outcast one that has been excluded from a society; ADJ.
outfit clothing or equipment for a special purpose; Ex. cowboy outfit
outgoing sociable; eager to mix socially with others
outlandish bizzare; peculiar; unconventional
outlaw fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed.
outlook point of view; view from a particular place; expectation for the future; prospect; Ex. outlook on life; Ex. pleasing outlook; Ex. weather outlook
outmoded no longer in fashion or use; no longer stylish; old-fashioned
outrage act of extreme violence or viciousness; resentful anger; V: commit an outrage on; produce anger in; ADJ. outrageous: offensive

outskirts
fringes; outer borders (as of a city); Ex. outskirts of Boston

outspoken candid; blunt
outstrip outrun; surpass; outdo
outwit outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly
ovation enthusiastic applause
overbearing bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate
overblown inflated; exaggerated
oversee watch over and direct; supervise; N. oversight: unintentional failure to notice or do something; supervision
overt open to view; public; not secret; CF. covert
overthrow topple; N.
overture musical introduction to a long musical piece; first offer or proposal (to begin talks in the hope of reaching an agreement); Ex. overtures for peace
overturn turn over; capsize; topple
overweening arrogant; presumptuous
overwhelm (of water) cover completely; defeat completely by much greater force; Ex. overwhelmed by grief
overwrought nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done
ovoid egg-shaped; CF. ovum; CF. ovulate

Barron’s GRE Word List Please click the link for which Barron’s wordlist you want to go.

A A B B C C D C E E F F G G H H I I J J K K L L M M N N O O P P Q Q R R S S T T U U V V W W X X Y Y Z Z

Note: Click on image to find a detailed meaning.